10:15.

Having spent the week working from home I’ve decided to make the most of the sunshine and get out and about with the camera. I’ve a whole list of places to visit and things to do, but today I’ve decided to head over to parts of the West Coast Main Line and the Midlands to update the library and also add pictures for a client’s list.

I’m currently on Northern’s 09:22 from Sowerby Bridge to Chester which I’m taking as far as Warrington Bank Quay. Formed of a 2-car Class 195 it’s been a busy little train all the way through the Calder valley as far as Manchester Victoria where many punters departed, only to be replaced by a smaller number of travellers heading West. The extra space has allowed me to set up my ‘mobile office’ in a free table bay and start this blog.

Right now we’re threading our way through the ever-growing skyline of Manchester and Salford. It’s such a contrast to the city I remember as a teenager in the 1970s, when the city seemed to be in permanent decline. How times change! Now, even long-derelict areas like the old canal basin at Middlewood locks adjacent to the railway line in Salford are being covered in new 8-storey apartment blocks.

10:55.

The rest of my trip to Warrington was relaxed and uneventful. On arrival at Bank Quay I only had time to grab a quick shot of my train before my onward connection arrived at the adjacent platform in the shape of 11 car Pendolino 390118.

Whilst I’m not a great fan of the new seats on the refurbished Pendolino seats but I do like the positioning of the airline seat power sockets and table arrangement.

11:30.

Ah, the fun of Crewe! I arrived on plenty of time to catch my onward connection and even had time to grab a few shots of trains under the skeletal canopies that ‘cover’ the stations Southern bays. The shadows their rusted ribs cast are quite atmospheric. I was here at a busy moment with trains aplenty. Pendolinos kept arriving from North and South whilst a Transport for Wales Class 67 loco-hauled set added to the atmosphere – and noise!

I was here to catch the 11:13 London Northwestern service South. Well, me and a couple of hundred other people huudled on platform 7 waiting its arrival as it was late. Just to keep us active it was announced the set would roll into platform 4, which led to sheep-like scenes as everyone had to traipse over the footbridge to get there!

Today’s train was short-formed of a single Class 350/2 which looked like ot could be ‘cosy’ so I sprinted to the front car. Most folk couldn’t be bothered and crammed in the rear cars so whilst this coach is busy I’ve plenty of space – but no table, USB or power sockets as these sets aren’t fitted with such luxuries.

11:55.

All was well until we arrived at Stafford where dozens of people were waiting. I was quickly surrounded by a bevy of well-dressed and spoken women heading for a day out. Well, it’s better than the old days of catching trains back North from Euston on a Friday evening. The ‘sweaty socks and spirit levels’ express as a female friend described the Liverpool train!

15:10.

The past few hours have been fun as I’ve been exploring lines I rarely use as well as (very) old haunts. The group of ladies I shared a coach with turned out to be a bridal froup heading to London via the slow train. I left them behind at Rugeley Trent Valley station South of Stafford. It’s a useful photographic location as the reverse curves here show off the Pendolinos tilting prowess to good effect. It’s also the junction for the line through Cannock to Walsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Having been electrified in recent years the line’s now graced with a 30 minute service, so I couldn’t resist a spin to visit a station I’ve never been to before – Rugeley Town. It’s a modest station in a modest town. Staying long enough to get some pictures you’ll see later I headed on to Walsall…

I remember Walsall. Well, sort of. I lodged here in 1977 in the far-off days of Labour Exchanges, when the government would actually pay for you to look for work. I’d been training as an apprentice Locksmith up in Southport but lost the job. The Labour exchange gave me a rail travel warrant, arranged accommodation for me in Walsall and arranged a series of interviews for me in nearby Willenhall – the centre of the UK lock trade, where all the big companies (Yale, Chubb etc) wrre based. I stayed for a week, then decided this was’t for me. So, getting off the train as Walsall today I couldn’t resist a quick look around the station and town centre. I didn’t recognise or remember a damn thing! Well, it was over 40 years ago and I’ve been to a lot of places since!

21:30.

I’m now back at home having travelled into Birmingham via Bescot, past the HS2 station work at Curzon St, then on to Stafford for a quick break before catching a packed Cross-Country Voyager back to Manchester. Leaving the station I bumped into Ian Brown, former MD of London Rail under Transport for London. The two of us discussed various railway woes as we walked across to Piccadilly Gardens where we went out separate ways. Him to his brothers and me to Victoria to catch the train back to West Yorkshire.

I’ll fill in some of the gaps in this blog tomorrow. Right now I’m going to add a few more pictures as a taster.

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