Photo Class 350257 London Midland Desiro EMU Train Wolverton 2013

 

Class 350257 EMU flashes through Wolverton      Photo: Charles Moorhen

A lucky photo of London Midland Trains Class 350257 Desiro EMU passing at speed through Wolverton station, UK.

 

It had been a busy afternoon at Wolverton, grabbing photos of trains on this particular day.  A variety of Class 390 Pendolino EMU's had belted through the station on the far track, too quick for me to even attempt a shot, a regular supply of London Midland Train Class 350 EMUs had kept my shutter finger busy and a small amount of freight had passed by.  

And it was due to a passing freight train that I nearly missed the above image.

I had just managed a grab-shot (the story of my life!) of a couple of Class 90 diesel locomotives double-heading through the station, when flicker of movement at the corner of my eye caused me to look to my left.

The last wagon of the freight train was about to pass under the bridge at what I refer to as the London end of the platform, when a profusion of green, black and white burst forth from under the road bridge.

Oh dear! Panic panic!  I wasn't ready.  My camera was still in its 'view images' setting. 

Fumbling, I switched the camera controls to the 'camera icon' and raised it to my eye so fast I thought I might blind myself in the process.  I had no time to check the camera settings. All I could hope for was that the settings that were in place to take the photo of the Class 90s would work for this shot. 

The shutter clicked, Class 350257 flashed past at speed heading for Crewe, and it was all over.   Did it work?  I was not very optimistic.

Gingerly, I lowered the camera and flicked the switch to 'view image'. It was then that I realised I had been holding my breath, probably since the moment I caught sight of the London Midland Trains EMU.  With a satisfied whoosh I breathed out,  fogging the screen on the camera's back in the process. 

When the 'mist' had cleared, and my impatient foot had stopped tapping, I dared to take a look. 

Well, there it was in all its glory. But, taking everything into consideration, I was quite surprised.  The image was not as bad as I feared it would be.

Looking at the picture again and again, I swore to myself that from that moment on I would learn to be more alert - more on the ball.  

And did I succeed? Well, not really.  Within minutes of making that solemn oath I managed to miss yet another passing train.  

Oh well! Keep working at it.

Photo Class 90029 DB Cargo UK Electric Locos Double Heading Wolverton 2013

 

 Class 90 Locomotives Double-Heading Through Wolverton    
Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

 

A black and white photo taken on the 9th July 2013 of two DB Cargo Class 90 electric locomotives seen double-heading a fast moving freight train through Wolverton station, Buckinghamshire, UK.

 

The leading locomotive is numbered Class 90029, while unfortunately the second loco went unidentified.

The train had recently passed through Northampton and was headed towards Bletchley.

Class 90029, bearing the Deutsche Bahn Cherry Red livery along with DB Schenker branding, was built by British Rail Engineering Ltd Crewe Works in April 1989 - one of 50 produced.

On 26/3/1998 the loco was named 'Frachtverbindungen' but later lost its name on 31/1/2003.

On the 8/4/2003 it was named once again, this time as 'The Institution of Civil Engineers'.

According to details listed in the 2014 Platform 5 Locomotives Pocket Book, Class 90029 had by this date lost its latest name.

 

Photos Rail Track Grinding Train Loram C21 DR 79241/247 'Roger South'

 

Cab of Loram C21 DR79247 Rail Grinder Train, Northampton Station Sidings    Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

 

 

 

Partially obscured by the profusion of weeds growing in the semi-derelict railway sidings at Northampton station, an area that over many decades bustled with a host of examples of railway rolling stock, I was surprised to discover Network Rail's rail grinding train - Loram C21 DR79247 'Roger South' cab.

 

When I came upon  this scene in the mid-2000s at Northampton station, my initial thought as I looked far across the tracks through the long lens of my camera, was that perhaps this railway track machine train was being temporarily stored prior to disposal.  But, I was totally wrong.

 

     Loram C21 Rail Grinding Machine Showin 'Roger South' Nameplate                     Photo: Charles Moorhen

During a lull in activities at the station when my surroundings became surprisingly quiet, I realised that somewhere along the length of the train an engine of some description was running.

Unable to pinpoint exactly where the noise was coming from, I decided to take a few photos just in case DR79241/247 'Roger South' took it into its head to move off.

Loram C21 Begins To Move Out Of Northampton Station Sidings - (Class 350 EMU in the far distance)    Photo: Charles Moorhen

Ever since I started taking photos of railway rolling stock I had never seen a train such as this - or incidentally since.  "Right place, right time" as the saying goes.

Network Rail grinding machines such as DR79241/247 are an important and integral part of passenger safety whilst running a busy railway network, such as addressing wear and tear on railway tracks known as Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF).

The technicalities regarding the treatment of RCF is way beyond the scope of this blog.  Therefore, I direct blog visitors to the Rail Engineer and Loram websites for detailed information.

 

          Rail Grinder Train 'Roger South' About To Join Main Line      
Photo: Charles Moorhen

Photo Class 442 'Wessex' NSE 'Plastic Pig' EMU Train Basingstoke 1990s

 

Class 442 EMU Basingstoke             Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Photo of unidentified Class 442 'Wessex' 5-Car electric multiple unit, in Network SouthEast livery, about to pass Basingstoke signal box before entering the station with a scheduled service from London Waterloo on an overcast day in the early 1990s.

Nicknamed the 'Plastic Pigs' by rail enthusiasts, due to the amount of plastic used in the construction, the Class 442 EMU was introduced by NetworkSouthEast on the line between London Waterloo and Weymouth in 1988.

Twenty four five-car units were manufactured by British Rail Engineering at its Derby Litchurch Lane Works.

In 1988 the Class 442 had the honour of entering railway history books for holding the world speed record for a third-rail 'Contact Shoe' (DC) train when, on the 11^th April that year, it reached a speed of 108 mph (174 km/h). Impressive for a train that was designed with a maximum speed of 100 mph.

Operated by South West Trains after privatisation, the units were replaced with Desiro UK Class 444 and Class 450 EMUs in February 2007.

Following a period of storage, the 442s once again saw service, this time on the Gatwick Express services from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport and Brighton.

In 2016 the units were withdrawn from this route.

Class 442412 EMU on Gatwick Express Duties

                                                Photo: Peter (flickr)

 

Eventually the units were put into storage where they remain at present, although there has been talk that they may be used once again for mainline running. Time will tell on that one.

 

The eventual fate of the Class 442 EMU:

In January 2020, 'Global Railway Review' magazine reported that South Western Railway (SWR) had reintroduced four of its 10-car Class 442 trains, running on the London - Portsmouth and London - Poole routes.

However, in April 2021 'Modern Railways Magazine' reported that SWR's reintroduction plans for the Class 422 units had been abandoned.  The reason cited was "lack of demand".

An SWR Engineering spokesman stated that six of the 24 '442s' had already been sold, donated or scrapped by Angel Trains.  The spokesman went on to say that with no future prospective use for them, all remaining units will be sold for scrap.

442s Scrapped or Used For Spares:

No. 2401 stripped for spares at Eastleigh Works, for scrapping 7/2020.

No. 2405 coach number 62944, scrapped at Eastleigh 5/2020.

No. 2421 stripped for spares at Eastleigh Works, for scrapping 7/2020.

No. 2424 coach number 62960 scrapped at Eastleigh 5/2020.

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Night Photo Class 700003 Thameslink Desiro City EMU Train Bedford Station 2018

 

 

700003 EMU at Bedford Station     Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

Govia Thameslink Trains, Class 700003 electric multiple unit photo seen on the night of the 18^th April 2018 at Bedford station about to head south, was built by Siemens at Krefeld, Germany.

Introduced onto the UK railway network between 2016 and 2018, the Siemens DesiroCity Class 700 was manufactured in two train lengths; 8 and 12-car units. A total of 115 trainsets.

8-car units are numbered 700001 – 700060.

12-car units are numbered 700101 – 700155.

In order to update the rolling stock on the Govia Thameslink line, the Class 700 replaced classes 319, 377 and 387 EMUs which were placed elsewhere on the network.

In order for the trains to operate on 'third-rail' routes, for example those in Kent, Surrey and Hampshire the 700s were constructed to draw electric power from two sources – the overhead Pantograph system (AC) and the Contact Shoe 'third-rail' system (DC).

Thameslink Trains operate its fleet from Bedford, Luton, St.Albans City, Peterborough, Cambridge; then via central London to Sutton, Orpington, Sevenoaks, Rainham, Horsham and Brighton.

Additional services to East Grinstead and Littlehampton operate during peak times.

A train operator serving a total of 115 stations with 115 electric multiple units.

 

UK Desiro Trains List:

The UK 'family' of Desiro diesel or electric passenger trains also include classes – 185 DMU, 350/1, 350/2, 350/3, 350/4, 360/1, 360/2, 380/0, 380/1, 444, 450, 707, 717. 

 

 

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Photo Class 365514 First Capital Connect Networker Express EMU Train at Ely 2014

 

 

 

Class 365514 Train Needs Its 'Smiley Face' Washing

Class 365514 EMU at Ely           Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

Photo of 4-Car electric multiple unit, Class 365514 'Networker Express', nicknamed the 'Happy Train', in First Capital Connect livery, stands in Ely station, Cambridgeshire.

The unit's fly-blown cab front is testimony to the considerable mileage that trains such as this clock-up during normal operational services.

The Class 365 'Networker Express' electric multiple units were built between 1994 and 1995 at Holgate Carriage Works, York.

Incidentally, the 365s were the last train units to be produced at the works before it closed in 1996.

The entire fleet of 41 sets were in mainline service from 9th December 1996, with 21 sets operating at present (2020) by Great Northern trains.

The same train, this time in Network South East livery, at Peterborough station in 2006.  (Photo by David Burrell - Flickr).

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

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Photo BR Class 33002 'Sea King' UK Diesel Loco Through Leamington Spa Stn 1988

Class 33002 Diesel Loco 

Class 33002 Loco at Leamington Spa   Photo: Charles Moorhen

Welcome to 'Along These Tracks' railway photos blog

British Rail 'Crompton' Class 33002 UK diesel locomotive photo, in BR blue livery, passing through Leamington Spa railway station heading in the direction of Banbury on the 8th August 1988.

 

Built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. Ltd., at Smethwick, England - one of a total of 98 locos of the class - 33002 (original number D6501) which was at one time named, 'Sea King', was delivered new to Hither Green Depot, Kent, in 1960.

Used on passenger, goods, and 'push-pull' EMU services, locomotive Class 33002 served for 37 years on the British Rail railway network before being withdrawn on the 13th February 1997.  It was temporarily re-instated in January 2002.

33002 was saved from the scrapyard fate of so many of its class by eventually being purchased by the South Devon Diesel Traction Group.

 

 

 
Class 33002, in BR Dutch livery, seen at the South Devon Railway in 2005 shortly after its arrival.  (Photo:  Richard Bruford).

 

 

The loco, the oldest surviving Crompton diesel Class 33, has since been fully restored and is once more in its original working order.

Class 33002 diesel loco can be seen in service at the South Devon Railway, Buckfastleigh, Devon, UK.


Class 33 locomotives on YouTube:

Class 33002 at Loughborough.
Class 33002 on South Devon Railway.

Class 33002 on Great Central Railway.

Class 33002 leaves Spanwick Junction.

Class 33s in the 1990s.

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