Picture of the Day 1 August 2011

First Great Western managed to operate a daytime sleeper service on 1 August 2011, when the 'down' Paddington to Penzance service ran more than two hours late west of Swindon, after powering loco No. 57603 working 1C99 23.45 Paddington to Penzance was declared a failure at Swindon, with the Driver reporting a strong smell of engine fumes entering the cab from the engine room. No. 57602 working the 21.15 Penzance to Paddington was taken off at Swindon to work back west, while the passengers on the 'up' sleeper were woken and transferred to an HST for the remainder of their journey. Years ago such a move would not have even been contemplated with a loco found to take over the down train and the 'up' passengers not inconvenienced. But today all that bothered FGW was to get a train back west for tonights 'up' service with the minimum disruption to loco, crew and stock operations, but with very little care about the travelling public. The very late running train is seen passing Totnes at 08.00.
Nathan Williamson. (Text by CJM)

Picture of the Day 2 August 2011

The last former Fastline Freight Class 66/3 still in Fastline grey and yellow livery, No 66304, stands in the yard at EMD Longport on 2 August 2011 masked up ready for a respray into DRS blue livery.The 'shunter' behind is former DRS No. 66402,now with GBRf and recently renumbered to 66734. Fastline livery is still carried by DRS No. 66434 at the moment but for how long?
Cliff Beeton

Picture of the Day 3 August 2011

The London Midland Class 172/3 units allocated to Tyseley Depot are currently undergoing endurance testing running in 6-car formations on the North Warwickshire line. On Wednesday 3 August 2011, Nos. 172340 and 172339 draw to a halt underneath the GWR footbridge at Hall Green station with the 10.04 Tyseley Sidings to Stratford-upon-Avon run. Of the planned twenty-seven strong fleet, Nos. 172331-333, 172337-341 and 345 have been delivered, with the remaining units under construction at Bombardier Derby. Unit No. 172341 has been sent to Worcester depot for staff training while the other units are used for training and test runs from Tyseley.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 5 August 2011

First Great Westerns Cass 57/6 fleet suffer many failures, and during the first week of August two out of the four locomotives were out of service, and a third was on restricted duties between Old Oak Common and Paddington. This meant a hired in loco was required, this was provided by Virgin Trains in the form of Class 57/3 No. 57309 Brains which worked the down sleeper on the night of Thursday 4 August 2011, and is shown at platform 5 at Plymouth awaiting its 05.43 departure on the Friday morning.
Antony Christie

Picture of the Day 7 August 2011

In immaculate condition and just repainted into 1960s BR green-livery with small yellow warning ends, 'Warship' No. 832 Onslaught pulls away from Crowcombe Heathfield on the West Somerset Railway on 6 August 2011 while powering the 11.40 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service.
Brian Garrett

Picture of the Day 8 August 2011

Powering the Scarborough Spa Express on 4 August 2011, No. 46115 is recorded passing Gascoigne Wood sidings at Milford Junction. Note the large number of EWS high-capacity bogie coal hoppers in the sidings.
Tim Blazey

Picture of the Day 9 August 2011

While much of London was seeing serious riots, this was the peaceful scene at London Paddington on the evening of 8 August 2011, when hired-in Virgin Trains Class 57/3 No. 57309 gets ready to depart once again with the 1C99 23.45 Paddington to Penzance sleeper service.
Daniel Gillingham

Picture of the Day 10 August 2011

On Friday 5 August 2011, First ScotRail liveried DBS-owned Class 90/0 No. 90024 passes Retford on a Prestonpans bound charter from London King's Cross, transporting passengers for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival/American High School Theatre Festival. This loco is a rare visitor to the East Coast Main Line.
Derek Wilson http://derekwilson-railphotos.smugmug.com

Picture of the Day 11 August 2011

Freightliner Class 70 No. 70001 heads west through Didcot Parkway on 9 August 2011 powering an additional 4V52 Southampton Maritime to Wentloog container train. In the yard behind, closest to the camera is Network Rail Class 31 No. 31285 with a Network Rail ultrasonic test train and stabled next to the station is another Network Rail test train with No. 31106 coupled on the London end.
Nathan Williamson

Picture of the Day 12 August 2011

On Thursday 11 August 2011, NorthernRail Class 180 ‘Adelante’ unit No. 180106 adds a splash of colour to an overcast day as it crosses Stockport Viaduct with the 16.30 Hazel Grove to Preston service. The Grade II listed viaduct across the Mersey Valley remains the largest brick built structure in Europe. The 600yd long 27-arch viaduct is 111.1ft. high and 11million bricks were used in its construction. The viaduct opened on 4 June 1840 and cost £70,000 to build. In July 2011, Network Rail announced that Birse Rail had won a contract to repair stone and brickwork and to clear over 20 years of vegetation growth from the viaduct. Work started on Monday 8 August 2011, and is expected to take 14 weeks to complete.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 13 August 2011

On Friday 12 August 2011, DBS Class 66/0 No. 66135 slogs through Oakham with the 12.36 (6M70) Chesterton Junction to Mountsorrel empty self-discharging stone train. Oakham Level Crossing signal box on the right was the prototype for the Airfix OO gauge plastic construction kit first introduced in 1959 at a price of 2/-!
John Binch

Picture of the Day 14 August 2011

With a serious shortage of Class 57/6s to power FGW loco-hauled services, Old Oak Common have resorted to using a main line certified Class 08 to power the empty sleeper stock between Old Oak Common and Paddington. Here No. 08483 is seen at Paddington on 13 August 2011 ready to take the Night Riviera Stock back to Old Oak Common Note the drop head buck-eye coupling and non-standard headlight on the front end.
Daniel Gillingham

Picture of the Day 15 August 2011

The first of the London Midland 2-car Class 172/2 units have now been delivered and are undergoing test runs on the North Warwickshire line. On Monday 15 August 2011, No. 172211 partners Class 172/3 unit No. 172345 at Henley-in-Arden as they form a 5-car formation with the 11.00 Stratford-upon-Avon to Tyseley Depot run.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 16 August 2011

With the Electro Motive workshops at Longport in the background, an impressive cavalcade passes near Stoke on Trent on Saturday 13 August 2011 as four Direct Rail Services Class 37s Nos. 37604, 37601, 37608 and 37067 with a total combined 7,000hp, power their way with a quadruple light engine movement from Derby RTC to Crewe Gresty Bridge.
Cliff Beeton

Picture of the Day 17 August 2011

The Northern Belle is recorded passing Swinton Interchange with the 1Z14 Birmingham International to Alnmouth VSOE charter on 13 August 2011. The train is powered by DRS-liveried No. 47501 (leading) and Pullman-liveried No. 47790 (trailing).
David Cooper

Picture of the Day 18 August 2011

Southampton Corporation Tramways car No. 45, built in 1903, was the very first tram to be acquired for the National Tramway Museum at Crich in Derbyshire. The double deck open-top vehicle was saved from the scrap man when participants in the farewell tour of Southampton’s tramways raised £10 for it back in 1948. The tram then spent time in Blackpool and the National Motor Museum at Bealieu, before arriving at the fledgling Crich museum in 1960. On Wednesday 17 August 2011, the diminutive vehicle passes the beautifully restored Red Lion pub and restaurant (originally at Stoke-on-Trent) with a full load of passengers. Note the lion on the roof! The war memorial to the Sherwood Foresters Regiment (Crich Stand) can be seen in the distance.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 19 August 2011

A somewhat unusual picture of the Dawlish Sea Wall. Recorded on Thursday 18 August 2011 during the Dawlish Air Show 2011, a First Great Western HST heads west, while a Class 150 heads towards Dawlish Station. On the beach is an RAF Sea King helicopter from No. 22 Sqn at RAF Chivenor, which was on display in a field at the Smugglers Inn, when an emergency call was made that two women had fallen off the Sea Wall and landed on the beach close to Kennaway Tunnel. Both were seriously injured, and the helicopter was called and made an impressive landing on the beach by Boat Cove after air show observers were quickly cleared from the immediate area.
Nathan Williamson

Picture of the Day 20 August 2011

Direct Rail Services Class 37s Nos. 37059 and 37218 speed towards Colton South Junction just south of York on 18 August 2011 with train 1Z97, the 05.43 Aberystwyth to Durham. The train, a Cheshire Cat Railtour, was running an hour late after a problem with one of locomotives. Prior to the '37s' taking over, a pair of Class 97/3s (37s) No. 97302 and 97303 had worked the train into Crewe. The outward late running, saw the return working retimed to depart Durham an hour later.
Robin Patrick

Picture of the Day 21 August 2011

A line up to please both diesel and steam enthusiasts is recorded at Wirksworth on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway on Saturday 20 August 2011. On the left, Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Class 33/0 ‘Crompton’ No. 33035 rests alongside 3-car Metropolitan Cammell Class 101 DMU with car No. 51185 nearest the camera, which has just brought in the 11.10 service from Duffield. Meanwhile on the right, 1954 built Andrew Barclay
0-4-0T industrial steam locomotive No. 3 blasts a smoke screen over the station as it prepares to depart with a shuttle to Ravenstorr.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 22 August 2011

Last published as our Picture of the Day back in June when we comented on the poor condition of this loco, DBS Class 92 No. 92016 has now appeared in the latest DB Schenker red and grey livery, but is no longer named Brahms. It is seen at Crewe on 18 August in company with EWS branded grey-liveried No. 92034 Kipling.
Andrew Royle

Picture of the Day 23 August 2011

History is made! At precisely 08.54 on Monday, 22 August 2011,FGW Power Car No. 43029 heads the first EVER HST stopping train into Platform 2 at Honeybourne, as the much delayed 08.01 Hereford to Paddington, 'The Cathedrals Express'. When the station last had a second platform 40 years ago, the HSTs were not even designed, let alone built! A welcoming throng graces the platform and the new, very long DDA-compliant footbridge!
John Stretton

Picture of the Day 24 August 2011

A major refurbishment program was started at Pontypridd station during the summer of 2011, which included work on the lift, restoration of the station canopy and work to increase capacity so that more trains can be accommodated when the number of Valley Lines services to Cardiff are increased in the future. The new canopy is evident as Arriva Trains Wales Class 142 units Nos. 142080 and 142082 arrive on Tuesday 23 August 2011, with the 17.47 Treherbert to Cardiff Central service. In the days of the Taff Vale Railway the station handled an incredible 500 trains a day! Today Pontypridd is still an important passenger station and sees up to six trains an hour to Cardiff Central during weekdays with some services continuing to Barry Island, Bridgend (via Barry) or Penarth. Pontypridd is also the junction for the Merthyr and Aberdare line, which can be seen curving away to the right from the Treherbert line in the background. Note the disused signal box.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 25 August 2011

The heather on the North Yorkshire Moors is shown in full bloom on 21 August 2011, as BR Standard Class 4 tank No. 80072 drifts past Moorgates with the 10.00 from Pickering to Grosmont service.
Robin Patrick

Picture of the Day 26 August 2011

The annual Dartmouth carnival event always atracts a large crowd and often special trains operate. In 2011 two charters took passengers to the event, The Northern Belle operated from Birmingham to Paignton and a Pathfinder Railtour from Crewe to Kingswear. The Northern Belle was powered by the matching pair of DRS 'Pullman' liveried Class 47s Nos. 47790 and 47832, the first time the pair have powered the VSOE Northern Belle. In typical Dawlish summer weather, the train is seen approching Kennaway Tunnel.
Colin J Marsden

Picture of the Day 28 August 2011

As part of the South Devon Railways August Bank Holiday gala event, which included a Beer and Cider festival at Staverton Station to raise funds for the restoration of Class 50 No. 50002, First Great Western agreed to operate a special through service from Exeter St Davids to Staverton and return on Saturday 27 August 2011. The train was formed of Class 150/1 No. 150130 and operated as 2Z80 18.08 Exeter St Davids - Staverton and 2Z81 21.45 Staverton to Exeter St Davids, calling at Dawlish, Teignmouth and Newton Abbot in both directions. While on the SDR, the Class 150 operated a Staverton to Buckfastleigh and return working. the set is seen at Staverton after arrival from Exeter. Full credit must be given to the South Devon Railway and the Devon Diesel Society for organising this event, and to FGW for providing the Class 150.
Colin J Marsden

Picture of the Day 29 August 2011

We go back 31 years to the day to 29 August 1980 for today's Picture of the Day. Taken on the Central side at Clapham Junction, we see rail blue-liveried Class 73/1 No. 73126 with just one HTV coal hopper forming the afternoon Acton Yard to Wimbledon West Yard coal train. The single wagon was bound for Chessington South, and would continue its journey from Wimbledon at 01.55 the following morning. The train above was worked by Waterloo men from Wimbledon to Acton and return as far at Chapham, from where Norwood men took over for the run to Wimbledon, as Waterloo men did not sign the road via Tooting.
Colin J Marsden

Picture of the Day 30 August 2011

In preparation for the start of Class 172 operation on the Birmingham Snow Hill lines from the beginning of September 2011, London Midland operated special staff familiarization runs on Tuesday 30, Wednesday 31 August and Friday 2 September. On Tuesday, the North Warwickshire line was covered with two return trips being made from Snow Hill. In a scene which will soon become an everyday site to commuters in the West Midlands, Class 172/3 unit No. 172345 brightens up the gloom of Snow Hill station as it forms the first of these runs; the 09.42 to Stratford-upon-Avon. On the Wednesday, the Great Malvern line was to be covered while on the Friday runs were made to Leamington Spa and Stourbridge Junction.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 31 August 2011

On a dismal August Bank Holiday Monday, 29 August 2011, bright yellow liveried Network Rail Class 31/1 No. 31285 passes through Kidsgrove powering train 1Q06, the 10.01 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Carlisle Wapping test train.
Cliff Beeton