Picture of the Day 1 November 2009

Love it or hate it, this is the new face for a DBS Class 92, with No. 92017 emerging from the paint shop at Toton this past week in full Stobart Rail livery and sporting the painted on name Bart the Engine. In company with No. 92012 the Stobart loco powers train 4H24, the 12.19 Wembley to Trafford Park Intermodal past Headstone Lane, its first revenue earning duty in the new livery, on 30 October 2009.
Ken Brunt

Picture of the Day 2 November 2009

A slightly different approach to POD tonight - The winter 2009 leaf fall timetable came in to operation on the Birmingham Cross City line from Monday 26 October 2009. On the evening of the following day, the flood lights from the University of Birmingham sports centre create a surreal arboreal special effect as two London Midland six-car Class 323 formations forming the 18.27 Redditch to Four Oaks and the 18.24 Four Oaks to Longbridge pass at University station.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 3 November 2009

Former DBS Class 58s Nos. 58.046 and 58.032 now operating for TSO, deliver rails to the maintenance base being built within the triangle just east of Besancon TGV station in France on 28 October 2009. Nos. 58.040/033/034 pass behind on ballasting duties.
Paul Davis

Picture of the Day 4 November 2009

With the leaf-fall and low adhesion season now with us, most attention is placed on the loco-hauled rail cleaning trains, however Network Rail operate a number of MPV formed rail cleaning units. NR rail treatment unit No. DR98908 meanders down the 'Golden Valley' in Gloucestershire, approaching Stroud in this view recorded on 31 October 2009, with autumn colours starting to cover the hills around.
Ian Docwra

Picture of the Day 5 November 2009

Modes of transport from two very different eras head toward Nottingham at Trentlock, Sawley on the afternoon of Friday 30 October 2009. An East Midlands Trains Class 222 unit crosses over the River Trent Navigation with the 13.30 service from London St. Pancras International, as a narrow boat chugs along underneath. The train will take another fifteen minutes to reach Nottingham travelling at an average speed of around 35mph, while the boat will take around 2.5 hours travelling at the more sedate speed of 4mph! .
John Binch

Picture of the Day 6 November 2009

Another slightly unusual view image, this time showing Hanson Traction Class 56/3 No. 56312 powering train 4Z91, the12.00 Dollands Moor to Hams Hall container train passing over the Chelsea Bridge at Imperial Wharf, west London on 5 November 2009.
Mark Pike

Picture of the Day 7 November 2009

Painted in BR green-livery, privately-owned main line certified Class 20 No. 20189 is seen coming off the Greenford branch at West Ealing on 6 November 2009, running as the 0Z20 10.20 West Ruislip LUL depot to Doncaster West (Wabtec) yard. It was reported the loco was visiting Wabtec for maintenance work.
Mark Pike

Picture of the Day 8 November 2009

On 26 November 2007, Freightliner and General Electric announced 'Project Genesis' for the design and build of a new generation of freight locomotive suitable for operation in the UK. The loco soon became known as PowerHaul. A total of 30 locos were ordered from General Electric with construction undertaken at their Erie plant in Pennsylvania. The first two locos Nos. 70001 and 70002 arrived at Newport Docks on board the ship BBC Kusan on 7 November 2009 and were officially unloaded on Sunday 8 November. After commissioning at Newport, the pair are due to depart on Tuesday night for Stoke Gifford, from where No. 70001 will continue to Lawley Street for training with Freightliner Intermodal, while No. 70002 will commence training for Freightliner Heavy Haul. The next four locos Nos. 70003-006 were observed on 7 November in the Norfolk Southern Rockport yard in Cleveland Ohio en route to the port at Norfolk. In the view above the pair can be seen side by side at Newport Docks.
Chris Perkins

Picture of the Day 10 November 2009

The term 'triple headed' now looks to have a new meaning, after this amazing picture was recorded at Long Marston on 6 November 2009. Captioned by the photographer as 'Bulgaria here we come' - Three Allelys low loaders are seen transporting Class 87s Nos. 87013, 87014 and 87004 out of Long Marston storage in Warwickshire heading for Hull docks where they were loaded on a ship and headed off to Bulgaria.
Jack Boskett

Picture of the Day 11 November 2009

Bulleid Pacific No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ powers away from Vauxhall, where it had halted to observe the 11.00 two minutes silence, with a Remembrance Day 'Cathedrals Express' charter from London Waterloo to Faversham.  The crew are doing their best to get up speed before hitting the steep climb over the former Eurostar flyover at Linford Street. A South West Trains Class 450 'Desiro' set approaches on the down Windsor.
Ian Docwra

Picture of the Day 12 November 2009

Looking very impressive in its ex-works livery Colas livery, Class 66/8 No. 66842 powers its first working for Colas Rail and is seen approaching Clapham Junction with train 4Z91 the 12.00 Dollands Moor to Hams Hall container train on 12 November 2009.
Mark V. Pike

Picture of the Day 13 November 2009

Time to reflect: On Remembrance Day (11 November) 2009, a Morden bound London Underground train arrives at Colliers Wood station. The station was opened on 13 September 1926, as part of the Morden extension of the City and South London Railway (now part of the Northern Line). In 2008, some 5.48million passengers used the station. Our photographer here has used one of the station security mirrors to view the train.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 14 November 2009

The new East Coast train operation commenced trading at 00.01 on 14 November 2009, following the Governments take over of the former National Express operation. The official re-launch of the East Coast business took place at London King's Cross before the departure of the 08.00 King's Cross to Edinburgh service which was formed of a fully re-branded HST set. The new East Coast operation now trades as East Coast which is an operating arm of a recently formed state run company Directly Operated Trains. In National Express livery but with the new stylish East Coast branding, HST power car No. 43314 departs from Doncaster with a service to King's Cross on the first day of operation.
Derek Porter

Picture of the Day 15 November 2009

The first bad storm of the 2009-10 autumn/winter hit the South West overnight on 13/14 November, with gale force winds and driving rain. The wind saw the sea at Dawlish become very rough, especially at high tide before dawn and during the early afternoon. Thankfully no damage was reported but trains received an extra wash! Demonstrated here by a westbound South West Trains Class 159 pulling out of Dawlish station.
Ann Hill

Picture of the Day 18 November 2009

The first pictures of the brand new Siemens Desiro Class 380 for First Scotrail were taken at the Siemens construction plant at Krefeld-Uerdingen in Germany on 17 November 2009. The first set to be built of the 38 train fleet is set No. 380101 a four-car unit. In this picture we see the 'A' driving car No. 38551 posed by the commissioning centre. This is the first vehicle built, it is fully fitted out and commenced static testing on 18 November. The other three vehicles from the set were in the main erecting hall. This set is due for completion in late January 2010 and will them move to the active test centre at Wildenrath where it is due to operate between 5 February and 12 August 2010 before delivery to its new home at Shields Road, Scotland, where it is scheduled to arrive on 3 September 2010. In the view above the retractable front connecting door is in the extended position (ie for coupling).

Colin J Marsden

Picture of the Day 23 November 2009

The installation of a new passing loop and reinstatement of the island platform at Beccles station on the East Suffolk Line to allow hourly services to operate is scheduled to coincide with the modernisation of the original 1980s Radio Electronic Token Block signalling on the route in 2011 according to Network Rail. On Saturday 21 November 2009, Class 170/2 unit No. 170208 arrives at the station with the 11.02 Ipswich to Lowestoft service. Beccles was once an important Suffolk railway junction with lines running to Great Yarmouth South Town (closed 21 February 1959), and Tivetshall on the Great Eastern mainline (closed 19 April 1966). Today only the East Suffolk Line formation survives.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 24 November 2009

Mainline-liveried Class 31 No. 31454 'top and tails' with No. 31459 as it approaches Pitsea station forming a Ferme Park to Shoeburyness track test special on 23 November 2009. The photographer records that the image was taken in 'appalling weather' but the digital recording medium has produced a very good result.
Charlie Robbins

Picture of the Day 25 November 2009

Our photographer of todays 'Picture of the Day' said that after seeing yesterdays POD of the Class 31 in appalling light, he thought he would share with us another shot taken in appalling light with dusk darkening the sky still further. He said "It's a kind of anti-full sun shot if you like, just to show you can get interesting shots in rancid conditions". The image shows German Class 232 No. 232 543 9 at Birkenstein (on the eastern side of Berlin) on Sunday 16 November 2008, it was recorded handheld, at 1/250sec at f4.5, with an ISO setting of 1000.
Richard Stiles

Picture of the Day 26 November 2009

A landscape view near Bawtry, Doncaster on 26 November 2009, showing A1 No. 60163 Tornado hauling 'The Cathedrals Express' charter from King's Cross to York.
Derek Porter

Picture of the Day 27 November 2009

After being hauled south from Toton depot to Acton on 26 November 2009r, EWS-branded Class 60 No. 60077 was put straight to work and on 27 November powered the Acton to Theale and return aggregate train. In low winter sun, the loco powers its train through Taplow returning to Acton.
Paul Davis

Picture of the Day 28 November 2009

It has been reported that the Eurailscout DMU style track inspection set has transferred to mainland Europe and this new (old) order that has taken its place! GBRf Class 73/1 No. 73141 (with No. 73204 on the rear) leads train 1Q66 the 10.57 Hastings to London Charing Cross back through London Bridge on its first run from Charing Cross back to Orpington on 27 November 2009.
Mark V. Pike

Picture of the Day 29 November 2009

Former LNER Class A4 No. 60019 Bittern hauling 'The Cathedrals Express' from London Victoria to Worcester calls at Swindon for a pathing stop awaiting access to the single line to Kemble on 28 November 2009. The time was not wasted as the fireman is hard at work getting coal forward from the back of the tender.
Nathan Williamson

Picture of the Day 30 November 2009

EWS-liveried, DBS-Class 66 no. 66040 passing Frisby-on-the-Wreake near Melton Mowbray while powering the 4M84, 12.00 Ely Potter Group to Peak Forest empty roadstone hoppers on 30 November 2009. This is a most impressive picture with dark sky and full sun.
Gary Schofield