12:15.

Having spent the past few days cooped up at home it’s time to get out and about for a while. Dawn’s got a couple of days away from work and is heading over to a friend’s caravan in Lincolnshire until tomorrow, so I’ve time to myself. The weather’s still not brilliant, but I’ve a mind to get a few night shots in Manchester, so if it rains this evening that’s actually a bonus as wet streets reflect the light and add another dimension to pictures.

To that end, I’m on Northern’s 12:02 from Sowerby Bridge to Wigan Wallgate which is worked by a 3-car Class 158. This trains reasonably busy for a midday service, with a mix of students, families and solo travellers either heading to the city or out to enjoy the countryside. The weather’s picked up too. We’ve chunks of blue sky and sunshine which is showing the Calder valley at its autumnal finest.

13:25.

Fo once, the weather West of the Pennines closely matched that of the East. That said, if you want rain, it’s one of the things Manchester is famous for, so I may be lucky later. My stay in the city was brief as I found out that an unusual train which I’d yet to photograph was in service today.  Northern has a fleet of bi-mode Class 769s (converted from Class 319s) which normally run Southport to Stalybridge/ManchesterI Oxford Rd. Right now, the fleet is being supplemented by two ex- Transport for Wales 769s, which run as required. One is out today, (769452) so it would have been rude not to – especially as it was running to Southport just behind my service! I’m on it now.

Apart from obvious differences like the livery (it’s still in TfW colours), there’s revised seating and different USB sockets. Oh, and there’s a bell, not a buzzer in the cab for Conductor to Driver signalling. I can’t remember if this was a feature original to the Class 319s. There’s other differences too. The Northern sets retain the old 1st class seating area which has been stripped out of the TfW units.

14:15.

I may have to retitle this blog as I’m now on my way to the coast! The weather’s brighter so I thought a flying visit to get a few more shots of this unit was in order. Plus, I’ve not travelled back to the town I grew up in by rail for a while…

14:50.

Here we are in Southport. Briefly, anyway. I’ve time to nip up to an old haunt – the Virginia St footbridge – to get shots of the train leaving at 15:03. I’ll follow on behind.

Having travelled across the West Lancashire plain, I arrived at Burscough. It was an interesting journey. The area’s clearly far more affluent when I used to cycle across the flatlands as a kid. There’s more expensive houses, and some of the rich farmland has been converted into (hardly productive) animal paddocks.Other fields now grow turf for people’s lawns. Lucrative, maybe, but hardly sustainable.

Sadly, Burscough’s main street has suffered an outbreak of flag-shagging. This is a small town where the overwhelming majority of the population are white, wealthy homeowners. Except for many of the people working in the high street nail bars, fast-food joints and barbers, obviously…

19:15.

Next stop was Wigan, where I paused for a pint in the Swan and fortified myself with chips and mushy peas from the chippy up the road. Well, it’d have been rude not to sample the local cuisine!

Now I’m heading back to Manchester on the same TfW I was chasing….

21:30.

I’m on the last leg home after stopping off in central Manchester to get a few low-light pictures. For once Manchester let me down and the city stayed dry! Even so, I hope I’ve one or two decent pictures. I’ll add them later. Right now I’m heading back East on another Chester – Leeds service. It’s a pair of Class 195/0s o mercifully quiet this time of day. As much as I like the older trains if I was going anywhere long- distance , give me one of these as I can set up the mobile office.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

06:00.

Ugh, a daft time to be up and about on a Saturday morning but I’m off to Manchester to join a train that only runs on a Saturday, and then only on one return trip. More on that when I get there. First I have to traverse the Pennines once more to get to the start line…

07:30.

This morning’s a grey, chilly one in the Pennines. My stroll down into tge Calder valley to Sowerby Bridge was pleasant enough though. The town was quiet, with just two other people waiting to join Northern’s 07:23 to Leeds which is operated by a pair of Class 158s. It’s lovely and warm inside and the train’s on-time, which is a good start to the day.

08:00.

Sao far, so good. My connection at Mirfield (I won’t bore you with anymore new platform pictures) was faultless. I’m now aboard a quiet 07:46 to Manchester Piccadilly, but on as far as Stalybridge. The weather’s just as gloomy here in the Colne valley as it is in the Calder. I hope it’ll pick up when we’re the other side of the Pennines.

08:35.

Remind me never to apply for a job as a weather forecaster! There’s fog and drizzle over in Greater Manchester right now! But at least I’m on the train I wanted. Once a week, on a Saturday, Northern run a return service from Stalybridge to Stockport via Guide Bridge and the (normally) freight only line through Denton and Reddish to Stockport. There’s only the one return service and right now – I’m on it.

09:00.

We’re now at Stockport, waiting to head back to Stalybridge. The old bay platform this service used was filled in long ago. Now we have to occupy the adjacent through platform. I’ll write at length about the trip, the line and its stations later. Right now I’m travelling back as far as Denton – the last in a very long list of stations I needed to photograph.

What’s suprised me about the return trip is how many people are using it. There’s a handful of older men who look like rail enthusiasts, but there’s several ordinary passengers with luggage who seem to have stumbled upon it for some reason.

09:30.

Today I was one of two people to use Denton station.

Now to walk back to Guide Bridge…

12:00.

I’m back in central Manchester after my explorations. I’ll add more pictures from Guide Bridge later. Now for a short interlude in a packed city-centre before catching a train back East.

20:55.

Wow! The day’s flown by! I’m afraid I won’t have time to add anymore words and pictures for now as I’m back at home, catching my breath before the next adventure. Tomorrow I’ll be in Liverpool for a Labour party conference fringe event. Sunday is world car-free day I’ll be there with Cycling UK and Community Rail Network to help get the message across. Watch out for the fun!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

07:30.

Not the most auspicious start to the day. Having got up at 06:00 I’m meant to be spending another day trawling the stations in SE Manchester but my hourly train from Halifax to Huddersfield has been cancelled. The Calder Valley’s cut off from direct travel West at the moment due to the rail bridge over the M62 at Castleton being renewed, which means getting to the Manchester involves a bus from Rochdale, or taking the alternative route via the Colne valley (which was my intention). Now I’m going to be taking the ‘scenic route’ via Sowerby Bridge and Mirfield for a later than hoped for start. Ho hum…

Let’s see how the rest of the day unfolds. At least the weather’s good.

08:30.

Better late than never! I’m now en-route to Mirfield aboard the 08:22 from Sowerby Bridge. I’m not the only one either. Dozens of of other folk were waiting for this four car train.

09:55.

Finally, I’m heading in the right direction, having caught a TPE service from Mirfield bound for Manchester. I’ve been observing TRU work on the way. Most changes are marginal but one thing I did notice was a single line spur into the massive TRU compound on the site of the old Huddersfield locomotive depot at Hillhouse. It’s not connected to the mainline yet, but I suspect that will happen soon.

Today’s a gorgeous day for traversing the Colne valley. Part of me wishes I was lineside somewhere, but I’m sure I’ll have fun whatever. Besides, sunshine’s good for the soul.

11:30.

1st station ticked off. One very few will have visited as it’s Manchester’s least used.  Can you guess what it’s called?

Now, after a brisk walk to the next (far busier) station along the line I’m on my way to another hard to reach station – but that’s because the lines closed due to a landslip, leaving this place marooned.

12:00.

And now for the dreaded rail replacement bus service. Although – to be honest, it’s better than a class 150…

14:00.

Well, that was fun! Strines is a place I’ve never explored before and I got to see more than expected as the replacement bus goes nowhere near the station!

The reason the line’s closed (landslip) can be seen in the distance from the Southern ends of the platforms. RRVs mark the site. Having got the pictures I needed I had a choice. Wait 50 mins for the next bus or walk the 2 miles back. As there’s nothing in Strines walking won – and I still made it back to Marple before the bus had reached Strines!

Now, having changed trains at Romiley I’m  on my way to Guide Bridge…

15:40.

The day’s ticking on and the station’s are being ticked off. Now I’ve time for a slight diversion at Broadbottom on the former Woodhead route. A stone’s throw from the station is the Green Mill brewery tap at the the Harewood Arms ale house. It’s a lovely multi-room pub with a great selection of cask and bottled beers – and railway memorabilia. Plus, a model railway above the bar!

18:20.

What a stunning evening! We’ve had wall to wall sunshine across Manchester. I’m not going to complain but it has given me a few challenges. It’s not always what you want from a photographic perspective due to heavy contrasts. But from a personal perspective I’ve loved soaking up all that vitamin D! Here’s another lovely station building I visited. Newton for Hyde.

I’ve abandoned Manchester having shot pictures at every station I need (bar 1) but there’s a story attached there. Right now I’m having a quick pint in an old railway institution before making my way back to West Yorkshire. Some of you may recognise it.

19:55.

The last leg..

Having traversed the Pennines once more I’m now aboard typical transport – a class 150 wheezing its way from Huddersfield to Halifax. It’s empty apart from me and a few youngsters who’ve obviously come from the college. Or is it a University nowadays? Not that it matters to me either way, it just provides a lot of traffic for the railway.

The sunshine’s given way to dark as the nights are really drawing in. Every cloud has a silver lining as we’ve been treated to some great sunsets as a consequence – although I could do with Asia sunset temperatures, not the bloody far North!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312