Picture of the Day 1 November 2011

The Mid-Hants held its steam gala over the last weekend of October 2011, and this is the lovely sight of Southern U1 Mogul No. 31806 coming up the bank from Ropley towards Medstead & Four Marks with a demonstration freight on 28 October.
Mark V. Pike

Picture of the Day 2 November 2011

Operating one of the last remaining London Midland Class 150 diagrams, two-car unit No. 150124 draws into Rowley Regis on Wednesday 2 November 2011, with the 12.09 Dorridge to Kidderminster service. On the right, one of the new Class 172/3 units, No. 172340 waits with the 12.26 Kidderminster to Stratford-upon-Avon service. When London Midland ceases using the Class 150 units, No. 150124 will be transferred to First Great Western for use in the West Country.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 3 November 2011

Time is running out for the fiveremaining Class 142s on loan to First Great Western, with the final farewell tour of the Devon branches planned for Sunday 27 November 2011. First Great Western are receiving deliveries of ex-London Midland Class 150s which are displacing the Class 142s. At 06.30 on 3 November 2011, Nos. 142030 and Class 143 No. 143611 stand in Newton Abbot working the 06.09 Paignton to Exmouth service.
Nathan Willamson

Picture of the Day 4 November 2011

Despite dwindling numbers, it is still possible to find Class 60 locomotives on trains, and, with a bit of luck, in decent weather. Here, train 6V05, the return Round Oak to Margam empty steel passes Keenes Crossing, on the outskirts of Gloucester behind No. 60049 on 4 November 2011.
David J. Smith

Picture of the Day 5 November 2011

The sight of a 14 bogie passenger train on today's railway is pretty rare! However, this image was recorded on 4 november and shows the recently returned to traffic DRS Class 47 No. 47828 paired with No. 47802, passing DBS Class 66/0 No. 66128 in the loop, accelerating away from a signal check at Hinksey, south of Oxford, with the 11.14 Winchester to Glasgow Central boat train. On this occasion, the train was actually too long for the terminal at Southampton Docks, so passenger baggage was loaded at Eastleigh and the passengers themselves were ferried by road coaches to Winchester where they boarded the train.
Mark V. Pike

Picture of the Day 6 November 2011

A real 'Welcome to Devon' picture! This was the scene at Exeter St Davids on 4 November 2011 as Class 159/1 No. 159101 drops down the grade between Exeter Central and St Davids in a deluge which only the English West Country can produce! The '159' is forming the 11.20 departure from Waterloo.
Michael J. Collins

Picture of the Day 7 November 2011

One of the Manchester Metrolink original Firema T68 Trams, No 1008 is seen at Piccadilly Gardens Manchester on 6 October 2011 on a service to Altrincham. Manchester Metrolink has recently announced that these original trams will now be replaced in the next few years, so the chance of them being repainted in the new silver and yellow livery is sadly now rather remote.
Cliff Beeton

Picture of the Day 8 November 2011

We have a blast from the past for today's POD. Taken on 30 January 1980, we see rail-blue liveried Class 20 No. 20008 passing Foxlow Junction running nose end first with an empty sand train.
Colin J. Marsden

Picture of the Day 9 November 2011

Jaibarang No.9 is an 0-4-4-0T Mallet locomotive built by German manufacturer Jung in 1930. Originally supplied to the Jatibarang sugar mill in Java, Indonesia it was subsequently fully restored at the Statfold Barn Railway in the UK. In 2011 it visited the Welsh Highland Railway and on 3 November 2011 was used for a demonstration freight train. Towards the end of an extremely dull day with low cloud and a torrential mid-afternoon downpour the sky miraculously cleared in the west producing a short burst of spectacular lighting complete with an intense rainbow. The train is seen between Pont Croesor and Hafod Y Llyn.
Peter Rosier

Picture of the Day 10 November 2011

Another 'blast from the past', taken over 30 years ago. our photographer has dug this photo up from his archives. It was taken from Wath Road Junction signal box on 14 October 1978, and shows preserved LMS 'Royal Scot' Class No. 6115 Scots Guardsman crossing over onto the York line, the lines on the left head off to Leeds. In the background was the massive Manvers coaking plant, no longer with us. Same as the signal box the photographer was stood in. In the exact same spot today is a call center. The two lines to York are still used, everything else has long gone.
David Cooper

Picture of the Day 11 November 2011

On Saturday 12 November 2011, prototype 'Sprinter' No. 150001, along with another London Midland Class 150 will operate a special tour of the West Midlands rail network and the Severn Valley Railway to mark the end of more than 20 years service by these units on local services in and around Birmingham. All London Midland Class 150 'Sprinters' will have been replaced by new Class 172 'Turbostars', apart from three to be retained for the Bedford-Bletchley route. No. 150001 is seen here when brand new, more than 26 years ago in October 1985 waiting at Derby Midland to return with a local service to Matlock. No. 150001 and sister No. 150002 are scheduled to transfer to First Great Western in 2012 and take over operation of the Reading to Basingstoke route. 
Cliff Beeton

Picture of the Day 12 November 2011

A1X No. 32678 waits to leave Tenterden Town on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, with a special after an Armistice Service on 11 November 2011. The SE&CR PMV No. 132 that carried the body of the unknown soldier to London and also that of nurse Edith Cavell after World War I is coupled next to the loco and then newly rebuilt SE&CR brake third No. 3062 making its first passenger journey since withdrawal in the 1920s.
Brian Stephenson

Picture of the Day 13 November 2011

To commemorate the end of the 26 year reign of the Class 150 units on the Birmingham Snow Hill lines, London Midland organized a railtour on Saturday 12 November 2011 from Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester Shrub Hill featuring lines not normally used by the units such as the Birmingham Camp Hill line. One of the highlights of the tour was a trip along the Severn Valley Railway from Kidderminster. The tour used the prototype unit No. 150001 along with No. 150106, which are photographed approaching Bewdley on their way to Bridgnorth. The proceeds from the tour went to The Railway Children charity.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 14 November 2011

Seen here passing a dismal Wandsworth Road is recently introduced Network Rail Class 57/3 No. 57306, seen on 11 November 2011, running as 0Y57, the 09.26 Eastleigh Works to Tonbridge Yard, its first trip for Network Rail after transfer from Virgin Trains. Note that the drop-head Dellner coupling is removed.
Mark V Pike

Picture of the Day 15 November 2011

One advantage of railway photography using a modern digital SLR camera is their ability to record competent images of moving trains in very poor light conditions. Such was the case on Monday 14 November 2011, as Grand Central Class 180 ‘Adelante’ unit No. 180101 arrives at Halifax with the 15.37 Bradford Interchange to London King's Cross service. To counter the almost dark conditions which were compounded by light drizzle, the photograph was taken at ISO1000 with the lens aperture set at f2.8. A shutter speed of 1/250 was sufficient to capture the slowly moving train.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 16 November 2011

One of the Old Oak Common allocation of Class 43s No. 43154 departs from Kemble on the Gloucester to Swindon ‘Golden Valley’ line on Tuesday 15 November 2011, at the head of the 14.31 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington HST service. The station was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1882, and was once a busy junction with branches going to Cirencester (closed 4 April 1965) and Tetbury (closed 5 August 1963). The remaining stub of the Cirencester line can be see curving away to the right. The track now ends just beyond the station car park, and is still occasionally used to store Permanent Way machines or stable the Royal Train when operating from Gloucestershire. The Tetbury branch diverged off to the left just beyond the far end of the down Platform 2.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 17 November 2011

Seen in superb autumn morning sunshine on 17 November 2011, rail blue-liveried Class 31/1 No. 31106 is seen powering train 3Z14 the 09.20 Bristol Temple Meads to Bristol Temple Meads (via Weymouth) track test train, approaching Freshford in the picturesque Avon Valley.
Mark V. Pike

Picture of the Day 18 November 2011

Some wonderful views of the London Dome and Canary Wharf can be obtained from the Docklands Light Railway. This view was recorded from Pontoon Dock Station on the Woolwich line, and produced one of the classic London skyline views. The picture is of car No. 24 (B90 stock from 1991) and No. 13 (B2K stock from 2001-2) forming a Bank to Woolwich service in the weak autumn sunshine on 18 November 2011. The bottom contact 3rd rail infrastructure can clearly be seen in this picture.
Ryan Taylor http://www.flickr.com/photos/60305812@N05/

Picture of the Day 19 November 2011

On the evening of Thursday 17 November 2011, National Express East Anglia Class 321/4 unit No. 321442 is photographed from the buffer stop at Southminster as it forms the 17.56 service to Wickford. The station was opened as the terminus of the Crouch Valley line by the Great Eastern Railway on 1 July 1889. The branch was electrified in 1986 and the unstaffed station enjoys a typical off-peak service of one train every 40 minutes to Wickford. Nuclear flask trains once operated from a handling facility just south of the station serving Bradwell Nuclear Power Station. Following the closure of the power station, these trains have now ceased running.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 20 November 2011

Billed as the last chance to see the ex-Lymington Branch Class 421 3-CIG in use on the Swanage Railway, as it is soon to move to the Epping Ongar Railway imminently. The set plus Class 33/1 No. 33111 were put into use on 19 November 2011. In this view we see No.1498 with power provided by No. 33111 leaving Norden with a "driver experience" service bound for Swanage.
Mark V. Pike

Picture of the Day 21 November 2011

The last few passengers board the 08.51 Great Malvern to Westbury service, formed of recently received ex-London Midland Class 150/1 No. 150102, now without branding, at Ashchurch on Monday, 21 November 2011. All the Class 150/1s recently taken over by First Great Western will be overhauled and painted in FGW blue livery.
John Stretton

Picture of the Day 22 November 2011

Late in the evening of Sunday 20 November 2011, DBS Class 66/0 No. 66111 derailed its leading bogie while running between Exeter Central and Exeter St Davids while returning to Westbury with 'Coalfish' wagons from a weekend engineering job. The loco derailed on catch points protecting exeter St Davids station. Due to the gradient, it was not possible to rerail the loco with jacks, and the Bescot-based crane was requested. This arrived on site during the early evening of 21 November and rerailing was carried out in the early hours on 22 November. While the loco was derailed, single line working was placed in operation between Exeter Central and Exeter St Davids, with the Exmouth service operating as a 'shuttle' from and to Exeter Central. This was the scene at the recovery site at 23.00 on 21 November.
Antony Christie

Picture of the Day 23 November 2011

At Crowcombe Heathfield station on the West Somerset Railway, Class 52 'Western' No. D1010 Western Campaigner masquerades as No. D1035 Western Yeoman with a short goods train during an East Midlands Railway Photographic Society night photo shoot on 12 November 2011.
Andrew Royle

Picture of the Day 24 November 2011

First Great Western 'Pacer' No. 142063 was used on Thursday 24 November 2011 on a route training run over the Newton Abbot to Heathfield branch in readiness for the 'Pacer' farewell railtour on Sunday 27 November 2011. The unit ran as train 2Z02 the 09.17 Exeter to Exeter via Heathfield and is shown at Jetty Marsh near Newton Abbot enroute to Heathfield.
Antony Christie

Picture of the Day 25 November 2011

‘The Great Port’ and ‘Liverpool Overhead’ galleries at The Museum of Liverpool are due to open to the public on Friday 2 December 2011. A week earlier on 25 November, a special press day was held to promote the new galleries. The major exhibits are the sole surviving Liverpool Overhead Railway motor coach No. 3 and the famous 1838 Todd, Kitson and Laird 0-4-2 steam locomotive Lion, which was the star of the film ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’. The two exhibits which have been expertly restored are photographed on permanent display. The Liverpool Overhead Railway car is exhibited at the same height as the real life railway and the colour light signal on the left is believed to be the oldest operational example of its type in the world! The photographer would like to thank Lucy Cattall, Media Officer, National Museums Liverpool and her colleagues for all their help during the visit for TRC.Com.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 26 November 2011

GBRf Class 66/7 No. 66705 Golden Jubilee is seen passing Bolton Percy, just south of York on 25 November 2011, powering train 6R47, the 10.19 Doncaster Roberts Road to Redcar. This loco still carries its Golden Jubilee Union Jack flag branding applied in 2002, perhaps a change of name and livery might happen in 2012?
Robin Patrick

Picture of the Day 27 November 2011

First Great Western operated a farewell railtour for the Class 142s on Sunday 27 November 2011. The train was formed of three sets Nos. 142001, 143063 and 142068 and operated several 'short' specials based on Exeter. The first train was 2Z61 an 09.30 Exeter St Davids to Alphington Road and return, this was followed by train 2Z62, the 10.25 Exeter St Davids to Newton Abbot - which for the pleasure of enthusiasts operated 'down' over the bi-directional 'up' line between Dawlish Warren and Teignmouth. After arrival at Newton Abbot the train went to Heathfield and return, before going back to Exeter. In the afternoon the train formed train 2Z65 the 13.15 Exeter St Davids to Exeter St Davids via Meldon, Crediton and Barnstaple. The final run of the day was train 2Z66 the 17.30 Exeter St Davids to Plymouth and 2Z67, 18.47 Plymouth to Exeter St Davids. Two Class 142s were returned to Northern Rail on 28 November and three on 30 November, and was thus the end of '142s' working in Devon. The down train running west over the bi-directional 'up' track is seen approaching Kennaway Tunnel, Dawlish.
Colin J. Marsden

Picture of the Day 28 November 2011

This year the Yorkshire Rail Head Treatment Train has been causing considerable interest with photographers, with a pair of hired-in Class 20s powering one of the trains. This view shows the RHTT set at Leeds City station,'top and tailed' by green-liveried No. 20189 and double grey-liveried No. 20901 on 28 November 2011.
Peter Marsh

Picture of the Day 30 November 2011

The west Suburban line between King's Norton and Birmingham New Street via Selly Oak is not noted for freight, having to cope with nine passenger trains per hour in each direction, some stoppers and some expresses. Engineering work on Saturday 26 November 2011 necessitated the diversion of 6E41, the 10.13 Westerleigh Murco to Lindsey Oil Refinery via the West Suburban line and is seen approaching the site of the long closed Somerset Road station between University and Five Ways. The train continued on Birmingham's Cross City line via Aston and Lichfield before picking up its booked route at Wychnor Junction.
Matt Wilson