Photo BR Class 73005 Diesel Electric Loco 'Mid-Hants Watercress Line' 1989

  British Rail Class 73005 Diesel Electric Locomotive, Eastleigh Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

British Rail UK electro-diesel locomotive, Class 73005 in BR Blue livery, carrying the nameplate, 'Mid-Hants Watercress Line', is seen here waiting at Eastleigh railway station in 1989.

A total of 49 examples of the Class 73 locos were built between 1962 and 1967.

The class 73/0 were built at British Railways Eastleigh Works, with the 73/1 sub-class  constructed by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry.

Throughout their working life they were operated by British Rail, Eurostar, Gatwick Express, GB Railfreight and South West Trains.

Class 73205 used on Gatwick Express services

GB Railfreight Class 73

Class 73130 Used for various duties by Eurostar

                              South West Train Class 73109

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Photo Class 50036 'Victorious' UK Diesel Loco in BR Blue Livery 1989

Class 50026 Diesel Locomotive 'Victorious', Shrub Hill Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

UK British Rail diesel locomotive Class 50036, bearing the nameplate 'Victorious' after a Royal Navy aircraft-carrier, stands in BR Blue livery at Shrub Hill station, Worcester, in May 1989, after pulling in with a rake of Network South East liveried coaches.

Although Class 50036 - original numberD436 -  was out-shopped in standard blue livery, it did in fact carry two other liveries; large logo BR blue, and BR blue with grey roof.

The Class 50 locomotives were dubbed with the nickname 'Hoovers' due to their shape and the noise they made whilst in operation.  However, others maintain that the nickname was in fact attached to the 50's by staff at Paddington station.  

50036 'Victorious' was named on the 16th May 1978.

On the 10th May 1987, the loco had the 'honour' of operating the final loco-hauled service from Paddington to Worcester.

Class 50036 was withdrawn from service on the 12th March 1991 and scrapped at Booth-Roe scrapyard , Rotherham, in July 1992.

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Photo Class 31 UK Diesel Loco in BR Blue Northampton Station 1980s

 Unidentified Class 31 Diesel Locomotive, Northampton Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

A distinctly scruffy unidentified UK British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotive, in BR Blue livery, heads a post train south through Northampton station in the late 1980s.

 

Class 31 Diesel Locomotive Historical Note:

Whilst hauling a train in which Queen Elizabeth II was travelling on 4th January 1961, D5667 (31240), broke down south of Cambridge.  

 

Two onboard Brush fitters, on hand to deal with any mechanical problems that may occur, were unable to fix the problem and a steam loco had to be sent for in order to rescue the stricken diesel adding over an hour to the completed journey.

 

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Photo Intercity 125 Train Class 43116 'City of Kingston upon Hull' Wellingborough

Class 43116 Intercity 125, Wellingborough Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

As the sun begins to set, UK Intercity 125 HST Class 43116 passenger train, bearing the nameplate 'City of Kingston-upon-Hull', waits at Wellingborough railway station before commencing its journey south to London St. Pancras.

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 43079 British Rail HST in Intercity 125 Livery Basingstoke 1990s

Class 43079 Intercity 125 HST, Basingstoke Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

On a sunny summer day Intercity 125 High Speed Train Class 43079, in 'swallow' livery enters Basingstoke station in Hampshire, heading for the south-west of England in the 1990s.

Basingstoke railway station historical note:

In the mid-1800s, a special train was permanently kept in a state of readiness by the London & South Western Railway for the sole use of the Duke of Wellington - hero of the Battle of Waterloo - at Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK, should he require it.


Wellington was not a fan of the 'new fangled railways' and it is not known if he ever used his train.

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Photo British Railways Semaphore Signal Against Angry Storm Clouds

Storm Clouds Loom Menacingly Behind a Railway Semaphore Signal

 

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Photo of one of the semaphore signals along the trackside close to Ropley station on the Mid Hants Railway in Hampshire, England, conjuring up memories of the magical long-departed days of steam railways.

Photographed against the darkening threat of an impending thunderstorm.

Satellite image of Ropley area, Hampshire, England.  Courtesy: Google Maps

The red asterisk (not the red target drop) identifies where Ropley railway station is situated, just above Ropley Dean village off the A31 road between Alton and New Alresford.

The signal/cloud photo was taken from Ropley station footbridge.

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Photo Brush BR Ruston Class 56302 Diesel Loco Wolverton 1980s

Class 56302 Diesel Locomotive, Wolverton Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Class 56302 diesel locomotive, in Fastline livery, thunders through Wolverton station, on the West Coast Mainline, with a freight train of containers.

The locomotive was built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) at Doncaster Works and the whole fleet of 135 Class 56s were built between 1976 and 1984.

Class 56302 is seen passing through Wolverton station in the 1980s.




Wolverton railway station historical note:
It was at Wolverton railway station in Buckinghamshire, on the 9th September 1845, that bare-knuckle fighter, Bendigo, stepped from a carriage of a London & Birmingham Railway train surrounded by a horde of his supporters.

His destination was the nearby town of Newport Pagnell where it was arranged that he would take part in an illegal fight with Ben Court.

At the last possible moment, for various reasons, the venue was switched to the village of Lillington Lovell, 4 miles north of Buckingham.


The match went ahead with Bendigo being heralded the winner after 96 gruelling rounds.

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