Night Photo Class 168108 Chiltern Railways Clubman DMU Leamington Spa 2016

Class 168108 DMU Train at Leamington Spa Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Chiltern Railways Class 168108 diesel multiple unit UK passenger train, basically a modified Class 170, stands in Royal Leamington Spa station.  

This train night photo was taken during a photo session in August 2016.

The Chiltern Railways Class 168108 DMU was en route to Birmingham Moor Street station.

Class 168108 DMU on YouTube:
Chiltern 168108 at Cheddington.

Chiltern 168108 arrives at Warwick Parkway.

 

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Photo Class 43151 First Great Western Intercity 125 Train St Austell 2016

First Great Western Train Class 43151 Intercity 125 

Photo: Charles Moorhen

An early evening photo of UK trains First Great Western trains, Class 43151 HST Intercity 125  express passenger train, waiting at St. Austell station, Cornwall, before heading towards Paddington station, London.

In 1988, Class 43151 Intercity 125 carried the name, 'Blue Peter II'.

While on the subject of Class 43 motive power, it is interesting to note that the first-built production High Speed Train power car, 43002 (also numbered 253001) Sir Kenneth Grange, now stands in its new home - the National Railway Museum.

The iconic Victorian lattice-work iron station bridge which had deteriorated over the decades, a small section of which can be seen in top left corner this photo, was removed in February 2019 and re-homed at the Helston Railway, Cornwall. 

The Present and The Past

Express train, Class 43151 Intercity 125, is a far cry from the type of passenger trains once seen on the Great Western Railway back in the days of steam.

Back then it would have been possible to have witnessed a Castle class steam locomotive, such as 4-6-0 Castle class 5010, at St. Austell station, Cornwall.

4-6-0 Castle Class 5010 'Restormal Castle'         Photo: fromoldbooks.org

4-6-0 Castle Class 5010 'Restormal Castle' was built at Swindon Works in July 1927.  It was withdrawn from service in October 1959 and subsequently scrapped.
Incidentally, a sister locomotive of the same class, 5004 'Llanstephan Castle', appeared in the 1949 Ealing Studios film, 'Run For Your Money'.

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Night Photo Class 20314 HN Rail English Electric Diesel Loco Banbury 2016

Class 20314 Diesel Loco Night Photo, Banbury

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Built between 1957 and 1968, English Electric HN Rail Class 20314 diesel locomotive, formerly numbered 20117 in British Rail days, pauses at Banbury station on the evening of the 4th May 2016.

Class 20314 was part of a train, consisting of new S-Type London Underground Trains stock, which had journeyed from Old Darby Test Track in Leicestershire, to West Ruislip. 

The locomotive at the rear in this night photo is English Electric Class 20311.


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Night Photo BR Class 20107 English Electric Diesel Locomotive Banbury 2016

British Rail Class 20107 Diesel Loco, Banbury Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Built in December 1961, BR Class 20107 diesel locomotive in BR Blue livery, is seen paused at Banbury station during the operation of transporting new S-Type London Underground stock from Old Dalby test track, Leicestershire, to West Ruislip.

The original number for Class 20107 was D8107.


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Night Photo S Type London Underground Train Banbury Station 2016

Class 'S' Type London Underground Train, Banbury

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

A passenger train of new S-Type London Underground stock pauses at Banbury station on the 4th May 2016 during its journey from Old Dalby Test Track, Leicestershire, to West Ruislip, Greater London.

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Night Photo Class 222011 Meridian DMU Train 'Honouring Our Veterans WW1 Centenary' 2016

Class 222011 Diesel Multiple Unit, Loughborough

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

East Midlands Trains Class 222011 is spotted at Loughborough station on the 30th August 2016 bearing the poppy decals, "Hounouring Our Veterans WW1 Centenary".

The Meridian diesel multiple unit carries the name, "Sheffield City Battalion 1914-1918".

Capable of a top speed of 125mph., the 5-car units were built between 2003 and 2005 by Bombardier in Derby and carry the coach numbers: 60251  60921  60631  60531  60171.

27 Class 222 dmu trainsets in total were manufactured made up of a mix of five and seven-car sets.  All 27 trains are operated by East Midland Trains and allocated to Derby.

 

 

News Update:

Seeing East Midlands Trains colourful livery of red, white, orange and red flashing along the railway tracks, will soon become a thing of the past.

Abellio will take over the East Midlands Trains franchise on Saturday 18th August 2019. 

The Class 43 HST Intercity 125 and Class 222 diesel multiple unit will gradually be phased out by brand new Hitachi trains that will be a variant of the bullet-nosed Class 800 bio-mode DMU.

The new trains will have a lavender livery and be branded with 'EMR' on both sides.


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Photo Class 150102 Sprinter 2-Car DMU Train St. Austell Cornwall 2016

Class 150102 'First Group' DMU at St. Austell Train Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

In First Group Trains livery, at St. Austell station in Cornwall, Class 150102 is about to depart with a local service to Penzance in February 2016. 

150102 is one of fifteen Class 150/1 Sprinter diesel multiple units currently operating on Great Western Railway lines.

Throughout the UK rail network at present (June 2018) there are 48 Class 150/1 units in service.  Fifteen on the Great Western, thirty on the Northern and three on London Midland (now West Midland Trains).

Class 150102 was built between 1985/86 at BREL York and is allocated to St. Philip's Marsh (Bristol).

The unit coach numbers are as follows: 52102  57102.


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Photo Class 323241 London Midland Trains 3-Car EMU Train Barnt Green 2016

Class 323241 London Midlands Trains EMU

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Trainspotting British Rail Class 323241, allocated to SO - Soho TMD (Birmingham), in London Midland Trains livery, now West Midlands Trains, seen at platform 3 Barnt Green station, Worcestershire, on the 18th August 2016  operating a suburban commuter train service.

The Class 323 EMU trains were built by Hunslet Transportation Projects between 1992 and 1995  to operate on inner-suburban commuter lines in and around Birmingham and Manchester.

The unit coach numbers for Class 323241 are as follows: 64041  72341  65041.

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Night Photo Class 390128 'City of Preston' Virgin Trains Pendolino EMU Rugby 2016

Class 390128 'City of Preston' Pendolino EMU, Rugby Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Virgin Trains Pendolino Class 390 128 'City of Preston' EMU, built by Alstom, stands in Rugby station on the evening of the 25th August 2016; the same rainy night that I had photographed locomotives EWS Class 66013 and Freightliner Class 66502.  Class 390128 unit coach numbers are as follows: 69128  69428  69528  69628  65328  68928  68828  69728  69828  69928  69228.

And got fairly wet in the process!

Once again, dashing between sudden downpours, I managed to scamper with camera and tripod from one platform to another in order to get this shot.  Thinking all the time...I'm going to trip over, I'm going to trip over!

How hectic it all seems at the time when one is trying to set up a tripod and adjust the camera to the correct settings for a night photo, while all the time being aware that the time for the train to depart and the camera to record the scene is quickly running out.

But, all said and done, I believe that is was worth it in the end!

***********************

Looking at the amount of artificial light in the photo above, it started me thinking.

When one considers how brightly lit railway stations are nowadays, it is difficult to imagine how stark the comparison would be with the standard of lighting back in the days of the Victorian railways, and how hazardous it must have been travelling at night back then.

During the Victorian era, station name-boards, although larger than they are today, were difficult to see at the best of times.  Especially from a moving train at night, maybe in fog, or worst of all - both.  

The style that the Victorians favoured was dark lettering on a lighter background - not the ideal choice for sign which would instantly catch the eye.  And at night the sign would be illuminated by the feeble glow from a gas lamp.

The unfortunate result of this combination led to a large number of instances whereupon rail passengers alighted from a railway carriage only to find that they had done so at the wrong station.  

However, far more serious were the occasions which led to a number of serious injuries and fatalities resulting from an unsuspecting passenger stepping from a railway carriage, only to find that there was nothing beneath their feet fresh air; the train having merely stopped temporarily at a signal.

Without doubt today's railways have a lot to answer for, one way and another, but it has to be said that at least we are safer and more fortunate than many of our Victorian predecessors were.

Just a passing thought.


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Night Photo Class 172344 London Midland Trains DMU Leamington Spa 2016

Turbostar Class 172233 DMU
Photo: Charles Moorhen

London Midland Trains Class 172 344 'Turbostar' DMU photographed parked up for the night at bay platform 1, Leamington Spa station, on the 23rd August 2016.

Class 172344 commuter train was built between 2010 and 2011 and allocated to Tysley TMD (Birmingham).

Class 172344 unit coach numbers are as follows: 50344  56344  79344.

An ideal warm summer's night for photographing a variety of trains.

Another London Midland Trains Class 172/3 DMU, (172 345) can be seen on a separate blog page by clicking here. 

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Night Photo Class 66013 and 66502 GM Diesel Locos Rugby 2016

Class 66013 & 66502 at Rugby Lit By Lamps

Class 66013 Loco           Photo: Charles Moorhen

Class 66013 was built in October 1998 and allocated to Toton TMD (Notts.).

Photographing a Class 66 diesel locomotive, or any other class for that matter, alongside a platform at Rugby railway station at night has, for one reason or another, always been out of reach for me.

At least that was the position prior to the 25th August 2016 when everything changed.

I was visiting Rugby station on that day photographing the station buildings on a windy, rainy night.

At one point during the evening I was sheltering beneath the platform canopy waiting while a shower of rain to pass by before venturing out into the open once more.

Glancing towards the southern end of the platform I saw EWS Class 66013 diesel freight locomotive coming slowly into the station, stopping about 25 yards from where I was standing; my camera on its tripod stood close by and ready for action.

As I jotted down the number I noticed someone jump from the cab and walk towards one of the nearby station buildings.  Was it the driver?

I didn't wait to find out.  Grabbing camera and tripod I ran as fast as was safely possible towards the EWS liveried freight locomotive.  At the instant the tripod feet settled on the platform surface I saw a man - the driver or new driver? - leaving the same building.  Would I have time to grab a shot?

Knowing I would need around twenty seconds exposure for a photograph I framed, focused as fast as I could, prayed, and hit the shutter button.

The seconds crawled by and I willed them to move quicker towards the magic 20 seconds.  I was certain that Class 66 66013 would begin to move before the time was up.

Finally exposure time was up and the shutter closed with a satisfying click.  I'd done it!

But this was not the end of capturing a diesel locomotive on my camera that night.

Freightliner Locomotive Class 66502    Photo: Charles Moorhen

A short while later, after photographing Virgin Trains Class 390 128, I was amazed to be going through the whole nerve-shredding process again.  I could hardly believe my luck.

The second time the diesel locomotive in question was Freightliner liveried Class 66 66502 'Basford Hall Centenary 2001'.


As I headed home that night, damp and happy, a random thought kept running through my mind - 'photograph one, get one free!'

Class 66502 was built in July 1999 and allocated to Leeds Midland Road TMD.

 

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Night Photos Various Diesel Multiple Units Leamington Spa Station 2016

Various Diesel Multiple Units Travelling at Night

A  selection of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains photographed at night operated by 'Cross Country', 'Chiltern Railways' and 'London Midland Trains', following a  photography session at Leamington Spa railway station towards the back end of 2016.

Class 220010 DMU at Leamington Spa
Photo: Charles Moorhen

Cross Country Trains, Class 220 220010, 4-car Voyager DMU stands in Leamington spa station before continuing on to Southampton Central.

Class 165006 DMU at Leamington Spa
Photo: Charles Moorhen

Chiltern Railways, Class 165006 2-car DMU, about to leave heading for Banbury.

  Class 172344 DMU 
  Photo: Charles Moorhen 

Standing at platform 1 of Leamington Spa station, London Midland Trains Class 172 DMU 344, is stabled for the night awaiting its morning's work.

  Class 220 028 DMU   
  Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Cross Country Trains, Class 220 028, Voyager DMU about to continue on to Birmingham New Street.

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Night Photo DMU Class 222002 East Midland Trains Wellingborough Station 2016

Photo Class 222002 DMU, Wellingborough

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Night photo of East Midlands Trains, Class 222002 'The Cutlers' Company' , DMU, seen here at Wellingborough railway station in September 2016. 

 

With Class 66005 in the background, this placed me in a bit of a quandary when it came to taking its photo.

At that particular time I was intent on photographing the Class 66 when a Class 222 DMU, - one of a fleet of 27 train sets - pulled into the station.  

Glad that the Class 66 was safely stored on my camera memory card, I quickly re-positioned the tripod, reset the camera and prayed that the East Midlands Trains dmu would not move before the required amount of seconds had passed to produce an exposure. 

Seconds passed by at the rate of one an hour as I nervously waited, holding my breath, and crossing for luck everything I had.  

Luckily, photographing the Class 222 turned out ok with only a few seconds to spare before it began to move away.  A close look at its lights will show that it slipped back slightly before gaining grip.


Class 222002 DMU was built between 2004 and 2005 and allocated to Derby Etches Park. The unit coach numbers are as follows: 60242  60346  60342  60622  60562  60544  60162.

 

 
Other Class 222 DEMU blog posts:

Class 222015 DEMU Train Approaches Wellingborough Station

****************************************************************************

News Update:

Seeing East Midlands Trains colourful livery of red, white, orange and red flashing along the railway tracks, will soon become a thing of the past.

Abellio will take over the East Midlands Trains franchise on Saturday 18th August 2019. The Class 43 HST Intercity 125 and Class 222 diesel multiple unit will gradually be phased out by brand new Hitachi trains that will be a variant of the bullet-nosed Class 800 bio-mode DMU.

The new trains will have a lavender livery and be branded with 'EMR' on both sides.

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