Photo DR73116 Network Rail Plasser & Theurer Tamper Northampton 2014

Class DR 73116 Network Rail Tamper Machine, Northampton Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

During the modernisation of Northampton railway station in 2014, Network Rail's track machine, DR 73116, passes through, heading in the general direction of Rugby on the 17th July.

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Photo GM Class 67017 Arrow Diesel Loco Leamington Spa 2000

Class 67017 Diesel Loco 'Arrow', Leamington Spa Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Class 67 67017, built in March 2000 and allocated to Crewe International Electric T&RSMD, seen here in EWS livery, hauling a Chiltern Railways train, was photographed at Leamington Spa station.

A number of diesel locomotives are giving nicknames by railway enthusiasts, one such example was the once popular, Class 50 locomotives known as "Hoovers", and the Class 67 is no exception; though I wasn't aware of this when I took the photo. 

It was much later that someone on a platform somewhere informed me that they were called 'skips'. I couldn't imagine why they were given that particular name until someone suggested that I imagine the locomotive upside down.

The old saying, “what's in a name”, certainly rang true in this instance.


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Photos Classes 67006 'Royal Sovereign' and 67026 'Diamond Jubilee' Locos 2014

Two 'Royals' Stop at Northampton Station

 

Royal Train Loco Class 67006

 Photo: Charles Moorhen

Class 67026 'Diamond Jubilee' Locomotive    

Photo: Charles Moorhen

During the reconstruction of Northampton's railway station in 2014, I decided to take a trip there in June to see how things were progressing and if there would be any traffic coming through that would be worth photographing.  

As it turned out it was well worth the time and energy consumed that afternoon.

In addition to the usual Class 350 EMU's, a number of Class 66's and Freightliner Class 70017, I was lucky to photograph a couple of Class 67 diesel locomotives; Royal Train locomotive Class 67 67006 'Royal Sovereign', and, Class 67 67026 'Diamond Jubilee', coupled together and running light.

Class 67006 was built in February 2006 and allocated to Toton TMD (Notts.).
Class 67026 was built in March 2012 and allocated to Crewe International Electric T&RSMD.

Class 67006 is just one of a long line of locomotive providing the motive power for the Royal Train.  The first official Royal Train locomotive was broad gauge engine 2-2-2 Phlegethon of the Firefly class, driven by Daniel Gooch and assisted by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, where it hauled the train containing Queen Victoria from Slough to Paddington on the 13th June 1842.

Since that time many locomotives have provided the pulling power for the Royal Train, with a few examples listed here:
6233 Duchess of Sutherland  - LMS Princes Coronation Class 4-6-2.
6024 King Edward I  - GWR 'King' Class 4-6-0.
60163 Tornado - Peppercorn Class A1 4-6-2.
60028 Walter K. Whigham - Gresley A4 Pacific 4-6-2.
30938 St. Olave's - Maunsell 4-4-0.
70000 Britannia - BR Standard Class Britannia Pacific 7MT 4-6-2.

Running the Royal Train does not come cheap.  
In the year ending the 31st March 2012, the total cost of operaing the train, for a mere 13 trips covering a total distance of 912 miles, was a staggering £900,000; equating to £69,230 per trip!  

By Appointment Plaque on Class 67006 'Royal Sovereign

Photo: Charles Moorhen

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Photo BR Class 09018 D4106 Diesel Shunter Loco Lives On 1988

Class 09018 (D4106) Shunter, Dover Marine Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Diesel Electric Shunter Locomotive 0-6-0 Class 09018 - original number D4106 - one of a class of 26, photographed as the sun is about to set on sidings close to Dover Marine Station (now a cruise liner terminal).  

Class 09018 (D4106) was built in November 1961 and allocated to Derby Locomotive Works (BREL).

Little shunters such as this, a variant of the Class 08, were built between 1959 and 1962 at the British Railways' Darlington Works.

The locomotive above was used for general shunting duties in the Dover area during the years of Channel Tunnel Construction.

The angle of the photograph is a bit odd as I had to get between the 09 and another train which was directly behind me, thereby severely restricting how I used the camera. Nowadays, Health and Safety would have had a fit if they'd seen me getting this photograph.

Unlike many ex-British Railways locomotives, 09018 escaped the fate of the scrapyard cutting torch.  

After a number of years it was eventually purchased by the Harry Needle Railroad Company who, in 2012, sold it to the Bluebell Railway in Sussex where it now resides working on the heritage railway.

D4106 (09018) on sidings at the Bluebell Railway

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Messerschmitt ME 109 WW2 Bullet Holes Truro Station Footbridge 2017

WW2 Messerschmitt Bullet Marks, Truro Station

Bullet indentations on exterior footbridge panel          Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

                 

During World War Two At around 7:30 on the evening of Thursday the 6th August 1942, Truro railway station, Cornwall, came under attack from a lone German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft - better known as the Messerschmitt ME 109.

The physical results of this terrifying incident can still be seen in one of the east-facing side panels of the platform footbridge spanning the tracks where two bullets slammed against the bridge metal; one almost penetrating it.

                       Bullet indentations on interior of Truro station footbridge panel                                            Photo: Charles Moorhen

               Bullet holes on Truro footbridge panel just above platform roof gutter on right    Photo:  Charles Moorhen     

At the time of the attack the mail train from Penzance to London was standing in the station, and it is widely believed that it was the presence of the train which momentarily distracted the attention of the German pilot away from his main target - the city of Truro itself.

As the ME 109 flew on towards Truro, to join the raid which killed 14 people and resulted in the injury of another 100, it left behind two fatalities and a number of wounded.

Messerschmitt ME 109

Those who died were railway worker, Mr. P. Williams, 52, and postman, Mr. E. Pentecost, 41.

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While on the subject of Cornish railways and WW2, it is worth noting that many children were evacuated by train to Cornwall at some point during the years of hostilities.

Here are just two brief examples:

On Friday the 1st September 1939, 544 evacuee children and their teachers arrived at St. Austell station, Cornwall, on the 6:30 from Paddington, London, on Evacuation Train No.103.

On the 3^rd September 1939, an evacuation train with the identification number 116 painted across the front of the engine boiler, brought 230 children and mothers to Truro station from Acton, London, to be billetted in Truro and the surrounding area.

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Photo Class 450108 Desiro South West Trains EMU Brookwood Station 2014

Class 450108 EMU Brookwood, Surrey

Desiro Class 450108 EMU
Photo: Charles Moorhen

South West Trains Class 450 450108 third-rail electric multiple unit, is seen at Brookwood station operating a stopping service to London Waterloo on the afternoon of Sunday the 29th June 2014.

Class 450108 commuter train was built between 2002 and 2006 and allocated to Northam (Southampton) EMUN.

Class 450108 unit coach numbers are as follows: 63708  66858  66808  63758.

Although it was a Sunday I saw a fair amount of Class 450 and Class 444 EMU activity on the line - but no freight.  

It was my first trip to Brookwood station, although I passed through it many times as a boy in the 1950's behind a variety of Southern Region steam locomotives on my way to Basingstoke for my school holidays.  

Apart from the absence of smoke-stained Southern Railway green paint, not to mention equally smoke-stained railway staff, it seemed as though it had hardly changed a bit.

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Brookwood station features elsewhere on this blog under the title, Brookwood Cemetery Station and the London Necropolis Funeral Railway.  

The blog post makes for interesting reading if you are partial to a bit of unique railway history.

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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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