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As a result, Thameslink's fleet of 21 Class 365 EMUs are to be withdrawn in May 2021.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