Photo Class 444030 Desiro EMU in South West Trains Livery at Brookwood 2014

Class 444030 Desiro EMU Brookwood Train Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

South West Trains, Desiro Class 444030 electric multiple unit, (EMU), photographed speeding through Brookwood station, Surrey, England, operating a 'fast' service to London Waterloo on the 29th June 2014.

The station building behind the train on platform 2 is an historical structure.  It was built for the Necropolis Railway which operated in Victorian times from 1854 until 1941- first from Westminster Bridge Road, London, (1854 - 1902) and subsequently from Waterloo Station (1902 - 1941).

The station was built specifically to handle transportation of coffins and mourners to Brookwood Cemetery.

The cemetery boundary was close to the station building and could be accessed by an underpass.  

The original station underpass is still open as is the cemetery.

Further details about the Necropolis Railway can found in a blogpost on 'Along These Tracks' entitled, Victorian Funeral Railway History. 

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Night Photo Class 390122 Virgin Pendolino EMU Train Rugby 2016

Class 390122 EMU, 'Penny the Pendolino' Rugby Train Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

A sleek-looking Virgin Trains Pendolino, Class 390122 (formerly 390022) electric 11-car multiple unit (EMU), seen at night carrying the name 'Virgin Star', pauses at Rugby station before speeding along the West Coast Main Line towards its destination - London Euston in August 2016.

 

Around 2018 the train was renamed 'Penny the Pendolino', by Virgin staff, and its nameplate fitted without ceremony at Wembley depot.  

 
To date 'Penny' is the leading Pendolino with the highest mileage attained.

With a design speed of 140 mph (225 km/h), though actually restricted to 125 mph (200 km/h) while in service, the Class 390 Pendolino tilting trains were introduced July 2002.

Built at Washwood Heath, England and Savigliano, Italy, these electric multiple units replaced three class of locomotive classes previously providing the motive power for the services that the Class 390s now operate; Class 86, Class 87 and the Class 90.

In all 57 train-sets were manufactured, though Class 390033 'City of Glasgow' was scrapped after serious damage caused as a result of its derailment at Grayrigg, Cumbria, on the 23rd February 2007.

Faulty points were blamed for the derailment which resulted in the death on one passenger and injury to 88 others.

 

Pendolino News Update:
The final Virgin Pendolino will leave Manchester Piccadilly on a scheduled service to London Euston at 8.35pm on the 7th December 2019.  And at 11.39pm, the last Virgin arrival from Euston should arrive at Piccadilly.

After that, Virgin Trains will no longer run on the West Coast Mainline (WCM), 22 years after Sir Richard Branson launched the rail franchise.

First Group and Trenitalia, operating as Avanti West Coast, will run scheduled services on the WCM until 2031.


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Photo Class 375905 South Eastern Trains EMU at Ashford International 2013

Class 375905 'South Eastern Trains' EMU at Ashford Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

South Eastern Trains, Class 375905 Electrostar electric multiple unit (EMU), stands in Ashford International Station before continuing on towards Dover in June 2013. 

The British Rail Class 375 Electrostar electric multiple unit passenger train was built by Bombardier Transportation (previously ADtranz) at their Derby Works, from 1999 to 2005. 

The Electrostar family, which also includes classes 357, 376, 377, 378, 379 and 387, is the most numerous type of EMU introduced since the privatisation of British Rail.

More trains photographed at Ashford:
South Eastern Trains Class 395021 Javelin EMU 'Ed Clancy MBE' Ashford 2013

 
Southern Trains Class 171721 Turbostar DMU

 
Class 377521 and Class 465923 EMUs

 
Eurostar Trains 3001 and 3230, 2013

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Night Photo Bedford Station Shining Railway Tracks 2018

Bedford Stn Railway Tracks at Night

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

During a lull in my trainspotting activities at Bedford station one early evening in 2018, I happened to be standing near the end of platform 2 when this green signal light caught my attention; how it really stood out against the dark background.

Looking past the signal light I then noticed how the rails were shining so brightly, like narrow silver streams, as they meandered towards Bedford electric multiple unit stabling point, illuminated beyond the bridge.  I knew I had to try to get a record of this image.  The scene was crying out to be 'clicked'.

Unfortunately, fool that I am, I had left my tripod at home.  But, in my defence, I had not expected to stay so long into the night at Bedford station.  

With only one option left open to me I perched my camera on top of the gate post at the platform's end, steadying it the best I could, and took the photo with a long exposure.

I was amazed that this night photo came out at all, let alone with a modicum of quality.  Far from being perfect I had at least managed to capture something of the railway atmosphere that I felt at that moment.  Though to be perfectly honest, it did take three wobbly attempts.

On a purely personal note, the image still remains one of my all time favourite photos.

Satellite image of Bedford Stn.           Courtesy Google Maps

The red asterisk indicates the exact spot from where the night photograph was taken; at the end of platform 2 looking towards 'Ford End Rd' road bridge. 

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Photo Class 365517 First Capital Connect Networker Express EMU Train Ely 2014

Class 365517 EMU, Ely Station

Class 365517 'Smiley Face' EMU at Ely Station
Photo:  Charles Moorhen

The Happy Train

First Capital Connect liveried Networker Express electric multiple unit (EMU), Class 365517, stands in Ely station Cambridgeshire in June 2014.

This class of electric multiple unit commuter train was nicknamed by the railway enthusiast fraternity as 'The Happy Train'.

 

 

 

Class 365 Thameslink EMU News Update:

Due to much lower numbers of people travelling on Great Northern services out of King's Cross, due to the COVID crisis, Govia Thameslink Railway is scaling back its services.

As a result, Thameslink's fleet of 21 Class 365 EMUs are to be withdrawn in May 2021.

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Photos Class 323209 EMU Train and Class 170514 DMU Train Barnt Green 2016

Class 323209 London Midland Trains EMU

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

London Midland Trains Class 323209 electric multiple unit (EMU), commuter train, photographed standing in a deserted Barnt Green station, not far from the Lickey Hills Country Park in one direction and the incredibly steep Lickey Incline, before continuing on to Birmingham in August 2016.

         Class 170514 DMU at Barnt Green Station           Photo: Charles Moorhen

Looking resplendent in its bright green and black London Midland Trains livery, Class 170514 DMU passes under the station footbridge as it glides through Barnt Green heading towards the Lickey Incline and Bromsgrove station in August 2016. 

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Photo Class 172104 Chiltern Railways 2-Car DMU Train Banbury 2014

Class 172104 'Turbostar' DMU, Banbury Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Chiltern Railways Trains, Class 172104 Turbostar diesel multiple unit (DMU), resplendent in bright and whit livery, stabled until needed in its usual role as a commuter train at Banbury station in 2014.

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Photo Class 171721 Southern Trains 2-Car DMU Train Ashford International

 Southern Trains Class 171721 'Turbostar' DMU at Ashford

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Peeking Through the Girders

Photo of Class 171 721 Turbostar diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger train, in Southern Trains livery, glimpsed between the platform girders of Ashford International railway station on the 9th June 2013.

More commuter trains photographed at Ashford:

South Eastern Trains Class 395021 Javelin EMU 'Ed Clancy MBE' Ashford 2013

Class 377521 and Class 465923 EMUs

Eurostar Trains 3001 and 3230, 2013

 

South Eastern Trains Class 375905 Electrostar

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Photos BR Class 08518 and 08427 Diesel Shunter Locos For Scrap 1989

Class 08518 & 08427 Diesel Shunters

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Destined For The Scrapyard?

Two diesel shunter locomotives, Class 08518, with 08427 at the rear, both in BR Blue livery, stand on sidings in Whitemoor Yard, near March, Cambridgeshire, Uk, on the 9th May 1989 as two of many old BR locos destined for the scrapyard.

When built 08518 carried the number D3680 entering service on the 19th July 1958 after delivery to Stratford depot.

08518 was withdrawn from service on the 22nd July 1986 and cut up at Gwent Demolition (Margam) on the25th March 1994.

Shunter Class 08427 carried the number D3542 when released into service at Perth South depot on the 29th August 1958.

Withdrawn on the 14th November 1986, 08427 was cut up at Gwent Demolition (Margam) on the 25th March 1994. 

 

 

Class 08 Shunter Historical Note:
At Tinsley Marshalling Yard near Sheffield, UK, six '08' shunters were coupled in three pairs for shunting operations.  In each pair one locomotive cab was removed; its power controlled from the 'cabbed' 08.  This combination of power units were classified as Class 13.

The three pairs worked together in Tinsley Yard for twenty years until early 1985 when hump-shunting came to an end.

 

They were numbered thus: D4500 (D3698  D4188), D4501 (D4189  D4190), D4502 (D3696  D4187).

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Photo Class 411/5 1541 4-CEP British Rail EMU Train Kearsney Kent 1980s

Class 411/5 1541 4-CEP EMU Train 

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Class 411/5 4-CEP, 1541 electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter passenger train, in 'Jaffa Cake' livery, leaves Kearsney station near Dover, Kent, heading for London Victoria in the late 1980s.

 

My apologies for the quality of this photo.  It was taken in really contrasty light in late afternoon on a pre-digital  35mm camera.

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Photo Class 170101 Turbostar Midland Mainline Livery DMU Train Wellingborough 2001

Class 170101 DMU Wellingborough

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

In Midland Mainline livery, passenger train Turbostar Class 170101 diesel multiple unit (DMU), enters Wellingborough station en route for London St. Pancras  2001.

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 170109 Turbostar Midland Mainline DMU Train Wellingborough 2001

 Class 170109 DMU Wellingborough

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Passenger train Class 170109 Turbostar diesel multiple unit (DMU), in Midland Mainline livery, enters Wellingborough station after leaving Kettering 2001.

 

Note the use of warning lights each side of the track-crossing walking boards.  These lights are triggered, and go out as seen above, when a train passes over a certain part of the railway track whilst approaching the station.

The need for such lights were superflous when the platform ends with safety features such as barriers and 'black crocodile teeth' pads were installed.

 

 

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 170108 Cross Country Turbostar DMU Train Ely Station 2014

Class 170108 Cross Country DMU, Ely 

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Cross Country Trains Turbostar diesel multiple unit (DMU) 3-car passenger train, Class 170108, photographed in the late afternoon, entering Ely station in June 2014.

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Photo Class 168005 Chiltern Railways Clubman DMU Train Banbury 2017

Class 168005 Clubman DMU Waits at Banbury Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Chiltern Railways diesel multiple unit, (DMU), Class 168005 Turbostar, waits for the green light at Banbury station before heading off to Moor St. station, Birmingham, in May 2017.

Clubman diesel multiple units, such as Class 168005 commuter passenger trains, were constructed between 1998 and 2004, with the earliest examples entering service on the 20th May 1998.

In all, 19 trainsets were built with 2/3/4 cars per set.  With a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h), 4-car unit Class 168005 offers 272 seats with air-conditioning throughout.

The 168 Clubman Class of dmu can be found operating on the Chiltern Main Line, London to Aylesbury Line, London Marylebone - Oxford, Princes Risborough - Aylesbury Line.

Network South East, then operated by British Rail, originally planned the Class 168 for their expansion of services on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill or New Street stations. In the event, privatisation put and end to the NSE plans. 

 

 

Video Clip - Class 168005 DMU Leaving Banbury Station

 

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Photo Class 66729 and 66717 GBRF Diesel Loco Wellingborough 2014

Class 66729 & 66717 GBRF Diesel Locomotives, Wellingborough 

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

 

General Motors EMD diesel locomotive Class 66729, in GBRF livery, photographed in the early evening passing through Wellingborough station on the freight-only line behind Class 66717.

More Class 66 Locomotive Images on 'Along These Tracks'.

Class 66005 at Wellingborough

Class 66013 & 66502 at Rugby (Scroll down for '502' image)

Class 66044 at Northampton

Class 66086 at Didcot

Class 66086 and 66237 at Didcot

Class 66117 at Northampton

Class 66130 at Banbury

Class 66145 at Banbury

Class 66187 at Wellingborough

Class 66206 at Northampton

Class 66414 at Northampton

Class 66509 at Wellingborough

Class 66536 at Banbury

Class 66551 at Rugby

Class 66765 at Wellingborough

Four Unidentified Class 66s Didcot.

Four Unidentified GBRF Class 66s Wellingborough

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