Photo Class 170398 Cross Country Turbostar DMU Train Leaves Oakham

Class 170398 Cross Country DMU Oakham Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Cross Country Trains, Class 170398 Turbostar diesel multiple unit (DMU), photographed curving to the left as it leaves Oakham railway station heading towards the iconic latticework passenger footbridge, and the famous Grade II listed Oakham signal box.

It was this particular signal box, built in 1899, that Airfix, manufacturers of plastic modelling kits, took as the prototype for part of their railway buildings model kits.

 

 

 

Oakham Lattice-Work Bridge and 'Airfix' Signal Box

 

 Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

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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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