Class 323214 London Midlands Trains 3-Car EMU Barnt Green 2016 Photo

Class 323214 EMU, Barnt Green Station

 

Photo: Charles Moorhen

LondonMidlands Trains Class 323 214, allocated to SO - Soho TMD (Birmingham), seen here at Barnt Green station on the evening of the 18 August 2016, was photographed more on impulse than on a definite plan to get a picture of one of these electric multiple units.

Class 323214 unit coach numbers are as follows: 64014  72214  65014.

The 323 class of electric multiple units were built between 1992 and 1993.

I had been wandering around the small station, located not far from the summit of the infamous Lickey Incline, when Class 323214 arrived almost silently at platform 3.

As I not seen of these EMU's in the flesh, so to speak, I decided to photograph my first example. I managed to take a couple of decent exposures before the train set off into the night on its journey to Lichfield Trent Valley station. And although I was quite pleased with the result, I decided that it would look better and have more atmosphere in black and white.

I'll leave it up to your judgement as to whether it was the correct decision to make.

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Four GBRf Class 66 Diesel Locos Through Wellingborough 2014 Photos

"Four Class 66 locomotives came along as I was about to go home"

I was at the 'London' end of platform two Wellingborough station on the 27th June 2014.  Leaning on a section of white wooden platform fencing I gazed across the nearby countryside, trying to decide whether or not to make tracks (no pun intended) for home. Then, a flicker of movement off to my left caught my attention.  

 

Looking up I saw a Class 66 diesel locomotive creeping along the freight-only line towards me.  "This will do" I thought.  "I'll grab a photo of this and then head home. 

 

GBRf Class 66717 Wellingborough           
Photo: Charles Moorhen

However, loco, GBRf  Class 66717 'Good Ol' Boy'' came closer, I realised that it was not on its own.  It was, or so I believed, double-heading with GBRf Class 66729 'Derby County'.

Great! I thought.  A good photo to end the day with.  

 

But there was more to come.

 

        GBRf  Class 66729  Wellingborough            
Photo: Charles Moorhen

In the middle of what I soon discovered was a fairly long train, GBRf Class 66738 'HUDDERSFIELD TOWN' was now passing in front of me.  "This has to be a it" I said aloud to myself.  

 

As there is a bend in the track at that location I did not have a clear view.

 

   GBRf Class 66738 Wellingborough       
Photo: Charles Moorhen

Lo and behold there was still one more Class 66 to come.  The tail-end-Charlie turned out to be, Class 66731 'Interhub GB'.

GBRf Class 66731 Wellingborough     
Photo: Charles Moorhen

In my excitement to capture all four locos, I was sure that I'd hurried the whole thing and the images would not be as good as I hoped.  

However, seeing them on the PC monitor later, I was glad that 

I'd decided to hang on at Wellingborough station for those extra few minutes.


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Class 350120 London Midlands Trains EMU Lichfield Trent Valley Station 2014 Photo

Class 350120 'Desiro' EMU, Lichfield Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Desiro Class 350120, built between 2004 and 2005 and allocated to NN - Northampton King's Heath EMUD, in London Midlands Trains livery, pulls into Lichfield Trent Valley station, Staffordshire, heading for Crewe on the 7th July 2014.

Class 350120 unit coach numbers are as follows: 63780  66830  66880  63730.

The Class 350 electric multiple units operated by London Midlands Trains would have their livery changed on the 10th December 2017 when the London Northwestern Railway took over the franchise.

As Class 350 120 eases alongside the platform, a Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolino EMU tilting train flashes past on the adjacent track heading south.

 

 

 

Video Clip - Two Class 350 EMUs Passing at Bletchley Station

 

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Class 66765 GBRF Diesel Locomotive Wellingborough 2015 Photo

Class 66765 GBRF Diesel Loco

GBRf  Class 66765 Loco
Photo: Charles Moorhen   

Class 66765 diesel locomotive in two-tone GBRf livery, and allocated to GBRf Peterborough, enters Wellingborough station on the freight-only line on the 28th July 2015, heading towards Bedford.

At the same time, East Midlands Trains Class 222 018 dmu, built between 2003 and 2005 and allocated to DY Derby Etches Park T&RSMD, enters the station alongside platform 1 heading north.

222 018 Wellingborough

Photo: Charles Moorhen

East Midlands Trains Class 222 018 DMU (above) on a previous occasion enters Wellingborough station from Kettering heading towards Bedford.

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Night Photo Class 67013 Chiltern Railways Alstom GM Diesel Loco Banbury 2014

Class 67013 Diesel Locomotive, Banbury Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Chiltern Railways Class 67 013 locomotive, one of a class of 30 produced, is seen here at Banbury station on the evening of the 13th January 2014, hauling a rake of silver liveried Mark 3 coaching stock.  

Class 67013 was built in March 2000 and is allocated to CE - Crewe International Electric T&RSMD.
Between July 2008 and December 2013 the locomotive carried the name 'Dyfrbont Ponycysylite' .

An example of an hourly-run service operated by Chiltern Railways between Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street station.

Built between 1999 and 2000 the Class 67 locomotives operating these Chiltern Railways services would eventually be replaced by Class 68 locos built between 2012 and 2016.

Class 68013 Locomotive           Photo: Train of the Week blog

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Photo BR Class 08466 and Class 37's Bescot Station England 1989

Class 08466 and Class 37 Locos, Bescot Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Back to the 20th century and a cold day at Bescot yard on the 17th March 1989.  In those days I was using a Russian-made Zenith EM 35mm film camera to capture a British Rail Class 08 shunter and two Class 37 locos.  A far cry from the versatility of today's digital cameras.  But, great fun nonetheless.

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In the foreground is Railfreight Class 08466, built in October 1958, is seen pottering about Bescot sidings.  

Behind 08466, in the middle, is Class 37271 with Class 37890 in the distance.

Diesel shunter Class 08 08466 was withdrawn on the 30th September 2010 and subsequently scrapped at CF Booth, Rotherham.


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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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