Photo Class 47701 Network South East UK Diesel Loco Basingstoke 1990s

  Class 47701 Diesel Locomotive, Basingstoke

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

 

In Network South East livery, UK Class 47701 'Old Oak Common Traction & Rolling Stock Depot', (formerly named 'Saint Andrew' then, in May 1997 renamed 'Waverley'), stands at platform 2 Basingstoke station with a rake of Network South East coaches before heading to Salisbury.

 

Class 47701 was built in February 1966 at Brush Traction in Loughborough.

The UK diesel locomotive was withdrawn from British Rail service in 1997.  It was then purchased by Tracy Lear and hired to Fragonset who sub-contracted it out to anyone who wanted it.

47701 is now based at Meldon Quarry on the Dartmoor Railway.


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.

More Class 47 and 57 images on 'Along These Tracks'.

Class 47100 'Merlin'

Class 57316 'Fab 1'

Class 57305 'John Tracy'

Class 57308 'Tin Tin'

Class 47822

Class 47790 'Galway Princess'

Class 57307 'Lady Penelope'

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Photo British Railways UK Steam Locomotive 73096 Mid Hants Railway

British Railways Standard Steam Loco 73096 at Alresford Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Seen blowing off steam at Alresford station, on the preserved Mid-Hants Railway, UK British Railway Standard steam locomotive, 4-6-0 73096, takes a well-earned rest between operating duties.

 

The first of this class of steam locomotive, having been designed and built under the direction of R. A. Riddles, was completed at the British Railways Derby Works in April 1955.

Although comparatively rare on the Eastern Region during its operating days, it was otherwise used on the main lines of all other regions.

The class embodied many features and details of the British Railways "Britannia" class and were used on mixed traffic duties.  

UK steam locomotive 73096 was withdrawn from main line service on the 30/11/67 and sold to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales.

In July 1985 the locomotive was rescued and returned to service in October 1993 , following a major boiler overhaul.  


Personal Comment:

Television viewers in the UK using 'Freeview', may be interested to know that the commercial for a collection of nostalgic CDs, featuring a couple and their dog and a shot of 34016 steam loco 'Bodmin', shows occasionally on the 'Talking Pictures TV channel'.  

It was filmed at Alresford station on the Mid-Hants Railway.

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Photo Class 170205 Abellio Greater Anglia Turbostar DMU Train Ely Station 2014

Class 170205 Greater Anglia Diesel Multiple Unit, Ely Station

Class 170205 at Ely         Photo: Charles Moorhen

UK Class 170205 diesel multiple unit, (DMU) UK passenger train, in Abellio Greater Anglia Trains blue and white livery disgorges its passengers at Ely station in June 2014.

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Photo Class 43075 East Midlands Trains HST Intercity 125 Cab Front

East Midlands Train Class 43075 Intercity 125, Wellingborough

Photo: Charles Moorhen

A colourful close-up photo of freshly repainted UK Class 43075 Intercity 125 High Speed passenger train cab front taken at Wellingborough station.

It was purely the collection of rich colours that prompted me to take this photo, plus the fact that it suits the pointed shape of the Class 43 so well.   A real improvement on the early Midland Mainline livery that was a common sight for a number of years on this line.

East Midlands Trains Class 43075 diesel power unit was built at Crewe Works in January 1976.

The locomotive's depot is Neville Hill T&RSMD (Leeds).

 

SCRAPPED:

The end of the line finally came for East Midlands Trains Intercity 125 power car 43075 when, on the 27th October 2021, along with power car 43061, it was towed by diesel locomotive Class 57312 from Long Marston to Newport to be disposed of at Sims Metals.  The two power cars were the first to be sent for scrapping that had not been involved in an accident.

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 31173 British Rail UK Diesel Locomotive Peterborough 1988

BR Class 31173 Diesel Loco, Peterborough

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

A close up view of UK British Rail Class 31173 diesel locomotive in BR Blue livery pulls into Peterborough station hauling a train of postal coaches, an operation long since confined to history and memory, in 1988.

Class 31173 was built at Brush Traction, Loughborough, in February 1960.  The locomotive was withdrawn from British Rail service on the 14th April 1989 and subsequently scrapped at MC Metals in Glasgow.

 

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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Night Photo Class 43157 Yorkshire Evening Post Intercity 125 Peterborough 1988

Class 43157 Intercity 125, 'Yorkshire Evening Post' Peterborough Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

UK Class 43157 'Yorkshire Evening Post' Intercity 125 High Speed Train is seen in this night photo at Peterborough station in December 1988.

 

According to the NREA 'The Spotter's Companion' for 2004, Intercity 125 43157 had by this time lost its name.

Note the Post Office trolleys on the platform to the right of the picture.  These, and the Post Office workers who made use of them, were once a very common sight on railway stations throughout Britain. 

Now, just a part of railway history.

Diesel power unit Class 43157 has now been re-numbered and is operating as one of the Cross Country Trains fleet as Class 43357.  Its name has been removed.

                                                Class 43357 in Cross Country Livery



The Peterborough train image (top) was the first long exposure night photo of a train that I had ever taken.  I used a Pentax 35mm camera.

Not possessed of a tripod at the time, I had to improvise with a platform trolley, similar to the example to the right of the picture, and balance the camera upon that to get the shot.   




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 British Rail Blue Class 31168 UK Diesel Loco Bletchley 1988

Class 31168 Diesel Locomotive, on Bletchley Sidings Waiting To Be Scrapped

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Looking in a sad state of affairs, with its rusty bodywork and oil-soaked underframe, UK British Rail Class 31168 diesel loco in BR Blue livery stands on the sidings at Bletchley station.

Sandwiched between two other Class 31s, 31168 which was built at Brush Traction, Loughborough, in February 1960, was withdrawn from service on the 20th December 1991 and subsequently scrapped on the 31st May 2001.

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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