Tag Archives: Railways

Rolling blog. A friend of Dorothy…

14 Monday Feb 2022

Posted by in Hs2, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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05:00

Oh, God, back to early starts again. Still I really shouldn’t complain as today will be a fascinating one and the somewhat cryptic title of this rolling blog will explained later this morning when I do something few people ever get chance to do and that I haven’t done for about 20 years. But first, I’ve got to top up with caffeine then get my arse out of the door and walk to the station in time to catch the 06:17 from Halifax to Leeds. Feel free to keep popping back as I make my way by train to Leamington Spa, after which all will be revealed. Of course I’ve got to get there first, which can always be fun…

06:10.

The stroll to the station was very pleasant this morning even if I did feel like a Sherpa climbing up the cobbled hill to Spring Edge. I’m carrying all my camera kit plus clothing and toiletries for a few nights away but using a rucsac not a ‘wheelie’ suitcase. Still, it got the blood pumping! Thankfully the rain had abated, leaving the roads and pavements glistening but me dry. I passed nary a soul on my way, the only noise was from the dawn chorus as the area’s birdlife sprang into song.

My progress was so swift that I missed catching an earlier train by a minute, I heard the 06:00 to Leeds powering up the incline out of town as I arrived. There’s no rush. I have a nearly 20 minute connection time at Leeds and my train (the 06:17) starts from here as its the hourly service to Hull.

As I typed this the inbound service arrived in the shape of a noisy Class 158. Emptying out a couple of passengers before scuttling off to the reversing siding in order to head back.

06:20.

I’m now enjoying the warmth and comfort (and USB chargers) of 158756 as it trundles towards Leeds.

It’s not a busy service right now. There’s only 6 of us in the first of the three cars but I expect that to change once we reach Bradford.

06:30.

Sure enough, there were dozens of passengers waiting for us at Interchange and the numbers in my car have tripled. The station’s a hive of activity with 3 of the four platforms full with trains for East and West, plus Grand Central’s first train of the day to London Kings Cross.

Oh, I didn’t get chance to post this earlier but whilst I was at Halifax this notice caught my eye. You know when you scan something with half an eye as you know what you expect to read but then your brain says “hang on a minute”!

Why spellcheckers are important…

07:30.

Arriving at Leeds as the station was slowly waking up I had just enough time to grab a couple of pictures and stretch my legs before my next train arrived in the shape of a pair of 4-car Cross-Country Voyagers. Despite the hour the train was already quite busy although enough folk departed at Leeds to allow me to bag on of my preferred seats – the airline ones nearest the vestibule which have extra legroom. I’m settled in with laptop powered up and a flask of coffee as I’m on this train for the next 2 hours 10 minutes. We’re taking the ‘scenic’ route to Birmingham via Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby and Tamworth. This will allow me to gauge just how busy this trains and the stations we call at are nowadays. Mind you, we called at Wakefield Westgate a few minutes ago where there was no shortage of trade for this train. Most rows of seats have at least one occupant now as we head to Sheffield.

The frustrating thing is that in a couple of decades time we were meant to be able to look forward to this journey’s time being slashed by 58% thanks to the Eastern leg of HS2. Now that’s been mothballed. It will still have to be built because the alternative, the Government’s (dis)Integrated Rail Plan is a fiction. It cannot possibly deliver the time savings claimed without seriously screwing up regional services and capacity on the East Coast and Midland Main Lines. Eventually, the penny will drop (it already has with industry experts) meaning HS2s Eastern leg will have to happen, but yet again we’ve kicked the can down the road in typically British penny-pinching fashion. In the meantime, it looks like I’ll be using Voyagers for some time yet, at least until HS2 as far as Crewe opens anyway…

07:55.

We’ve arrived at (and left) Sheffield, having traversed the rather depressing landscape of industrial and railway dereliction and decay around Rotherham. The gloomy skies and drizzle added to the effect. Some still cling to the fantasy that Brexit and empty slogans about ‘global Britain’ will restore the fortunes of places like this, but fantasies are all they are. The UK’s a service economy nowadays. We’ve not been the ‘workshop of the world’ for a century now and those days are never coming back, despite the nostalgic noises from some quarters. We need to be looking to the future, not trying to bring back the past…

My car lost the majority of its clientele at Sheffield but they were replaced by more people awaiting our arrival. My memory banks seem to remember that the average length of a journey on Cross-Country is between 50-60 miles despite the fact these trains run heroic distances like Aberdeen-Plymouth. I’m going to see how many time the two seats nearest me change occupants. Right now they’re both on their second passenger although the sex has changed from male to female in each.

08:05.

We’re now at Chesterfield and the seat shuffle begins again. Several Sheffield joiners have left, they’ve been replaced by a greater number of newbies so our numbers are still growing. Sadly, the weather’s deteriorating as the clouds have closed ranks to eject a barrage of rain. Once everyone had settled into the seats I took a trip to the loo and counted 32 people in this car which also houses the extended luggage/bike racks where the old buffet counter used to be.

08:30.

We’ve just departed a very wet Derby where the seat shuffle was less acute than before. Quite a few people have joined us but few have left and the two young ladies occupying the seats around me are still bashing away on their keyboards. The train’s obviously filled up as we’ve a constant stream of ‘walk-throughs’ (people walking along the cars looking for a free seat) passing by.

08:40

Having left Derby and turned west towards our next stop the trains really got into its stride. We’ve flown past field after field that have been turned into lakes by days of heavy rain – and there’s no end to it yet. A rapid deceleration brought us to a prompt stand at Burton-On-Trent where we picked up another gaggle of folk, leaving my coach almost full and people electing to stand in the vestibules.

08:51

We’ve made our last port of call before Birmingham. Tamworth, where several people have departed to be be replaced by a bedraggled troupe of newcomers who’ve been getting soaked in the rain which is being made worse by the wind whipping it along. I’m beginning to wonder what to expect when I get to my destination. It looks like I’m in for a soaking when I trek between New St and Moor St stations in Birmingham as I’m not sure my umbrella’s going to be much use in these conditions! We arrive there in 10 minutes so it’s time to pack up the laptop and revert to using my smartphone…

09:25.

Crossing Birmingham was just as wet and miserable as I expected. The rain seemed to have kept people at home which meant I made double-quick time between the two stations so was able to make an earlier train. It makes no difference in the long-run, it simply gives me longer to wait for my ride in Leamington. I’m currently sat on a Chiltern service to Marylebone which is pretty quiet. Or rather – it was until we stopped at Solihull!

A good indicator of how people are returning to work (via the railway) is looking at how busy station car parks are again now. At the height of the pandemic they were deserted. I’ve passed several this morning like the one on this line at Widney Manor where nearly all the spaces are taken.

10:15.

Arrived! The good news is the rain appears to be abating. The bad news is the lovely old buffet on platform 2 at Leamington Spa station has never reopened which is a great shame. It’s still a lovely looking station with its period buildings and beautifully kept garden. But I will miss the buffet. Now I’ve a little time to kill before my lift arrives…

11:33.

Now I can reveal who ‘Dorothy’ is…

This is a model of Dorothy.
The real ‘Dorothy’ is in there – and I’ll going on her shortly!

17:20.

Well, that was a long day! The weather when we arrived at Long Itchington was appalling – as you can see from the puddles in the pictures which were taken from the visitor centre before we donned our PPE and headed down into the tunnel with out escort to have a guided tour of ‘Dorothy’. Visitor number are limited for safety reasons so rail engineer Gareth Dennis and I went first. These are amazing machines and you’ll be able to read the full details of my visit in another blogs and magazine articles. Here’s a few pictures to whet your appetite.

Tunnel Manager Axel Carus, our Spanish guide, who has 21 years experience of building tunnels around the world inside the tunnel with ‘Dorothy’ behind him.

Behind the business end of ‘Dorothy’ are 11 of these motors which power the cutting head.

Inside the control room aboard ‘Dorothy’ 8-10 metres under the ancient woodland of Long Itchington.

21:00.

Time to relax after a long day. I’m staying in Leamington tonight as I’m meeting a local farmer tomorrow whose kindly offered to show me around the area and some of the HS2 worksites but also (especially) some of the ecological and mitigation work that’s part of the project. If you listened to some of the projects opponents they make it sound like it’s Genghis Khan and the Mongol hordes sweeping across the landscape, laying waste to everything they come into contact with. The truth is very different and tomorrow’s a chance to see exactly what’s being done on this part of the HS2 route to ensure there’s a biodiversity net gain from HS2. I’ll explain more tomorrow, as the person showing me round is anything but a member of an HS2 PR team!

I must admit to having been a little apprehensive about staying in Leamington tonight as it and I have a long history which includes some bittersweet memories. Truth be told, they weren’t an issue, which surprised me. To be honest, the place feels very different from those days. It’s shabbier for a start and I’m not just talking about the fabric of the town. Genteel is not a word I’d use to describe the place, despite its Spa moniker. Seeing rough-sleepers huddled in the doorway of the old House of Fraser on the High St set the scene. Then overhearing a quartet of young adults in a pub (that wasn’t even a Wetherspoons) loudly broadcasting their attempts to arrange Social Services support over a mobile phone was another. This is not the Leamington I remember, although on reflection, there was always an element of that. Maybe it’s because I’ve been away for so long? The other side of the coin was the fact a lot of the pubs (and I suspect other businesses too) in the centre seem to be kept alive by the town’s student population as they’re the only people out and about on an early weeknight like today.

Anyways, it’s time to draw today’s rolling blog to a close. Tomorrow is another day which will see me exploring around the local area before pitching up in London. Stay tuned – as they say…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

The end of the line beckons. The BR built Class 315s.

11 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in British Railways (BR), History, London, Photography, Railways, The end of the line

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At the time of writing, just 8 units of the 61 old BR built Class 315 4-car EMUs constructed at York between 1980-81 remain in service. Operated by Transport for London (TfL), they’re used during the Monday-Friday peaks on one of the routes they were originally built for – Liverpool St to Shenfield. After a career of over 40 years their task of moving people in and out of the capital is finally drawing to a close. The 315s were the last of several fleets (313, 314, 507 and 508 were the others) totalling 755 vehicles based on the 1970s ‘PEP’ test trains. BR then moved on to vehicles based on the Mk3 coach bodyshell, starting with the Class 317 EMUs.

Over their career they’ve worked for several different operators. BR first, then at the advent of privatisation the fleet was taken over by Eversholt Rail and leased to West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) who had 18 units (315844 – 861) based at Hornsey in North London and First Great Eastern who had 43 units (315801-843) based at Ilford in East London. Both franchises used the units exclusively on services from Liverpool St.

Franchises changes in 2004 saw the entire fleet come together again at Ilford depot under the banner of National Express East Anglia which originally named the franchise ‘ONE’. The 315s began to emerge in their distinctive livery which lasted until 2008 when the ‘ONE’ name was dropped. NXEA lasted until February 2012 when operations (and the 315s) were taken over by Abellio Greater Anglia (AGA). Committed to total fleet replacement, this was the writing on the wall for the 315s.

The next change for the fleet was in May 2015 when TfL Rail took over operations of AGA’s metro operations on the Liverpool St – Shenfield line prior to this being incorporated into Crossrail. They also took over the services to Cheshunt, Enfield Town, Chingford and the Romford – Upminster branch. This meant all the 315s moved to TfL control with the first 17 units being allocated to London Overground and the rest to TfL rail. Another repaint into London Overground livery followed.

The last London Overground 315 ran on October 21st 2020 as the fleet was displaced by new Class 710 ‘Aventra’ trains built by Bombardier. Their sisters, the longer 345s continued the job on the Liverpool St-Shenfield services, leaving just the aforementioned 8 Class 315s in service at the present time.

Here’s a look at the 315s over their time in traffic. With a fleet of 61 I’m not going to illustrate every one but give you a snapshot of their lives and times instead.

On the 21st September 2009 the first of the class 315801 in NXEA livery passes the DLR station at Pudding Mill Lane whilst in the background one of the 2012 Olympic stadiums takes shape. This scene’s unrecognisable now and the picture impossible to replicate as the DLR station’s disappeared to make way for Crossrail and the skyline’s much changed due to the Olympics.
Accidents happen! On the 6th January 2008 315805 came to grief on the approaches to Hackney Downs station where a set of points appear to have moved underneath the leading vehicle, leaving it trying to arrive into two platforms at the same time!
It’s the 17th May 2002 and 315806 in First Great Eastern livery is sat at the end of the branch line from Romford at Upminster whilst working the shuttle service between the two locations.
Forward to the 3rd June 2016 when Overground liveried 315808 arrives at Chingford, passing sisters 315814 and 817 stabled in the carriage sidings until the peak.
On the same day as the above, Overground liveried 315811 calls at a busy Walthamstow Central station, which is an interchange with (and terminus of) the Victoria Line tube.
Here’s another scene that’s vanished forever. Stratford station on the 29th July 1990 with NSE liveried 315814 disgorges passengers at the old platform 9 before heading for Liverpool St. Nothing in this picture (apart from the tower block in the background) survives today.
Only four Class 315s ever carried names. Here’s 315817 sporting the nameplate ‘Transport for London’ on the rear vehicle passes the redundant signalbox at Hertford East on the 1st May 2015
It’s the 18th February 2010 and 315818 sits in Platform 2 at Liverpool St with a service to Enfield.
FGE liveried 315821 calls at Romford with the 14.38 to Shenfield on the 18th January 2001.
On the 1st August 2012 NXEA liveried 315828 is seen leaving Liverpool St from an express heading in the opposite direction – not a shot you can take anymore now the MK3s with their droplight windows have vanished from the route.
On the 9th April 2015 a pair of 315s with 834 at the rear pull out of Enfield Town heading for Liverpool St. The transition in liveries is evident, with the leading set in Overground colours whilst 834 has yet yet to be repainted.
Not a view you normally get to see (I was there with permission from Network Rail). Here’s 315836 seen leading a service out of Liverpool St on the 9th September 2008.
At the opposite end of the route to the last picture, here’s FGE liveried 315839 pulling out of Shenfield on its way back to Liverpool St on the 13th January 2005.
It’s the 13th March 2007 and ‘ONE’ liveried 315841 is seen approaching Brentwood with a Shenfield – Liverpool St Service.

On the 28th March 2002 315844 calls at the single platform station at Ware, Hertfordshire on its way to the end of the line at Hertford East.

On the same day at the end of the line, 315854 waits to return to London as the 12.:23 to Liverpool St. The unit’s in pure white livery, even the doors are the same colour which was hardly an aid to the partially sighted! Not that this was in the days before the station was resignalled and rationalised, hence the fact the centre road run-round loop still exits.
On the 11th June 2000 a WAGN service from Enfield is off the beaten track due to engineering work. NSE liveried 315856 is seen at South Tottenham taking the long way round to get to Liverpool St.
Over the years some 315s appeared in a variety of special vinyl liveries/branding. Here’s 315858 at Bethnal Green on the 2nd March 2005 sporting a Network Rail anti trespass message.
Here’s Bethnal Green on the 27th July 2004 as the last of the class (315861) sporting the former WAGN livery calls at the station en-route to Liverpool St.

The interiors of the 315s changed little over the years although the units were refurbished a number of times they retained their low-backed seating.
Here’s the refurbished interior of 315857 on the 19th March 2008.
A decade later on the 14th November 2018 this is how the interior of 315843 looked.

Four of the class carried names. Unit 817 was ‘Transport for London’.  829 was ‘London Borough of Havering Celebrating 40 years’. 845 was named ‘Herbie Woodward’ and 857 became ‘Stratford Connections’.

315845 was named after Ilford fitter Herbie Woodward on the13th March 2007. Here’s the unit – and the man himself!
The nameplate on 315857 seen on the 18th March 2008.

You can brows (or buy) many more photographs of the 315s in these galleries.

The BR gallery

WAGN franchise

FGE franchise

ONE franchise

Greater Anglia franchise

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

The end of the line beckons. The SWR Class 455s (part 2)…

07 Monday Feb 2022

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Following on from part 1 I’ve completely skipped the logical path of documenting the Class 455/8s – for two reasons. One is that the fleet is split between SWR and Southern and the other is that this is the fleet that’s also the last that’s going to go! Instead, I’m concentrating on the 20 strong Class 455/9 fleet that all work on SWR and are based at Wimbledon Park depot.

The 455/9s were built at York works in 1985. They were identical to the earlier 455/7s apart from the fact they didn’t use recycled class 508 TSO trailers and were built as brand-new 4-car units. That said, set 5912 has a TSO formerly part of the prototype Class 210 DEMU (picture later) and set 5913 (now stored) had a MSO which was rebuilt from another former class 210 vehicle after the original was written off by a cement-mixer which fell off a bridge and crushed it at Oxshott in November 2010.

Just four years old, first in class No 5901 in original BR livery and condition leaves Vauxhall and heads for Clapham Junction on the 26th November 1989.
5902 arrives at Kingston-upon-Thames on the 3rd March 2010.
Approaching Clapham Junction on the 30th December 2021 is 5903, paired with a 455/7 unit.
A picture that illustrates the front end difference between the earlier 455/8’s and later 455/9s. Here’s5855 keeping 5904 company at Waterloo on the 3rd January 2018.
Inside Wimbledon Park depot on the 20th May 2015 where 5905 is receiving fitters attention.
On the same day as the previous picture and a few miles down the road from the depot 5906 and 5871 head for Waterloo wit a service from Guildford.
A sight that will soon be gone forever. A trio of 455s 5907, 5911 and 5912 wait at Waterloo with services to Guildford and (in the case of 5912) Hampton Court on the 30th June 2011.
On a wet 3rd April in 2018 5908 arrives at Guildford on the rear of a working from Waterloo.
5909 passes Wimbledon depot (and 5706 heading in the opposite direction) whilst working a service from Waterloo to Hampton Court on the 20th May 2015.
Forward to the 27th January 2022 and 5910 is pictured at Waterloo after arriving from Woking.
At Guildford London Rd station on the 24th April 2014 5911 arrives with a service to Waterloo via Surbiton.
Sporting the old Stagecoach livery, set 5912 leads a service for Chessington South past Wimbledon on the 12th January 2005.
5913 calls at Clapham Junction on the 28th July 2015. This unit’s one of the early casualties and has already been taken out of service and stored.
Back at Waterloo on the 27th January 2022 where 5914’s seen waiting to depart platform 2 with a service to Hampton Court.
The 8th January 2022 was a day of torrential rain across the South-East and the aftermath can be seen in this view of Epsom, where 5915 leads 5851 whilst working, 2D43 the 1553 London Waterloo to Effingham Junction.
Back at Clapham Junction on the 27th January 2022 as 5916 leads a Waterloo – Woking service.
It’s the 8th September 2009 and set 5917 leads a service out of Waterloo station and across the complicated switches and crossings that make up the station throat.
20th May 2015 was a good day for capturing shots of 455s around Wimbledon. In this view 5918 brings up the rear of a service from Waterloo along with 5733 as it passes the Sutton branch to the left and the severed remains of the M&EE engineers siding.
Clapham Junction on the 27th January 2022 again with 5919 arriving on the rear of a service from Dorking.
It’s the 31st August 2021 and the last built Class 455 calls at Clapham Junction whilst working a service to Guildford.

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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/

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Rolling blog. Shire stories…

03 Thursday Feb 2022

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09:15.

Far from being housebound today I’m out and about on the Yorkshire rail network, getting some pictures for a client whilst also seeing how the network and its users are coping with the reduced services imposed by the Treasury and Dept of Transport. It’s already evident from complaints across the South-East that service levels are totally inadequate for the numbers of people returning to work, but what’s the picture in the North?

I’m currently on the 08:46 from Halifax to Leeds which is made up of a pair of 2-car Class 195s. It was easily 60% full heading for Bradford where there was a large exchange of passengers that kept the loading around the same. There’s plenty of people waiting at Interchange for other services and the station’s actually very busy. As we sat at Platform 4 two more Class 195 (one from Leeds and one from Halifax) rolled in simultaneously and in formation into platforms 2 and 3. It was almost choreographed! The service levels seem to be frequent enough not to have caused consternation here in the way they have elsewhere and the number of people travelling justifies the levels.

Here’s passengers departing my train at Leeds.

11:00.

Having changed trains at Leeds which was busy but nothing like it can be I caught a Trans-Pennine service bound for Newcastle as far as York, which is where I’m typing this. The 5-car TPE train was quiet, certainly in the front car where I was anyway. The journey to Yorkshire’s county town was releaxed and easy – even if the weather was worse than expected (you know that fine drizzle that gets in everywhere? That..). En-route I observed the progress on erecting the over head wires from West from Colton Junction on the East Coast Main line to – well, the middle of nowhere really…

The current scheme as approved peters out just before the Junctions at Church Fenton. We’re told the wires will continue to Leeds as part of the Trans Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU) but that’s going to take some time.

York station was subdued and suffering from recent storm damage. Part of the concourse and footbridge by platforms 5-9 is taped off due to the roof taking a hammering.

One thing that’s really evident at places like York is the absence of foreign tourists who used to make up a substantial proportion of the passenger flow. Admittedly, February was never their peak time but there was always a steady flow. I spotted one group of young (bemasked) Asian women, but that was it.

The end of the line beckons. The SWR Class 455s (part 1)…

31 Monday Jan 2022

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*update* – the final pictures were added on the 2nd February. You can now find all 43 units plus internal shots of the SWT refurbishment.

The first part of this trilogy is featuring the 43 Class 455/7s which were built by BREL at York between 1984-85. Whilst they weren’t the first series to be built, they’re one of the fleets that’s already being withdrawn as several sets have already been taken out of service. They’re unique amongst the class in that they were built as 3-car sets but made up to 4-car by the addition of redundant but nearly new trailer cars from Class 508 EMUs which were transferred to Merseyside as 3-cars sets.

This makes the 455/7s easy to recognise as the Class 508 vehicles are a completely different design and construction with a very different roof profile. The front end of these units differs from their earlier siblings as they were built without the redundant headcode boxes which was a feature of the first sets (just as they were on the 1981 built 25kv Class 317s). The 7’s also featured a revised light cluster with the air-horns being moved to a different position.

All 43 trains were allocated to the SW Divison of BR where they’ve remained ever since. Latterly working for South-west trains and finally South-Western Railway who ordered new units to replace them back in 2017. That replacements been delayed for several years but the inevitable has started to happen.

I’m fortunate in that I’ve been photographing these trains for over 30 years and have a record of each member of the class. I’ll add them all to this blog eventually when time permits but for now these are the edited highlights. I’ll put a header on the blog each time I add new pictures. You can find all my Class 455 pictures in three galleries on my Zenfolio website. 1. The BR gallery. 2. South-West Trains. 3. Southwestern Railway.

On the 17th October 2020 the leader of the Class calls at Clapham Junction with a service to Guildford via Surbiton.
5702 arrives at Dorking after working a service via Epsom on the 19th June 2013.
Back in BR days now on the 6th June 1990 when NSE liveried 5703 was working services to Shepperton, seen here at Clapham Junction.
Here’s 5704 in the company of a classmate passing Wimbledon depot on the 20th May 2015 whilst working a Waterloo to Guildford service.
In August 2017 the Waterloo blockade to extend platforms 1-4 to 10 car lengths was happening. On the 8th of that month 5705 is seen leading a service into the terminus.
On the same day as the previous picture 5706 is seen leaving the former Eurostar terminus at Waterloo with a service to Kingston upon Thames.
It’s the 11th November 2013 and in glorious autumn sunlight 5707 approaches Vauxhall from Waterloo with a service to Woking.
On the 8th September 2009 a pair of 455/7s with 5708 bringing up the rear arrive at London Waterloo.
On the 27th January this year 5709 approaches Clapham Junction with an inbound service to Waterloo.
Inside Wimbledon depot on the 22nd October 2013 where 5710 keeps company with 5918.
Several years earlier on the 29th November 2006 5711 sits outside Wimbledon Park depot adjacent to the main line.
Here’s Kingston on Thames on the 3rd March 2010 as 5712 arrives on a Waterloo to Shepperton service.
Back at Wimbledon Park on the 8th September 2009 as 5713 passes with a service for Guildford via Cobham.
It’s the 7th December 2021 and there’s steam in the air as an excursion approaches Clapham Junction whilst 5714 brings up the rear of a service heading for Waterloo.
A different view of Wimbledon on the 17th April 2007 as 5715 leads a sister unit on a ‘Kingston rounder’.
Back at Clapham Junction on the 21st December 2019 where 5716 is seen bringing up the rear of a Woking to Waterloo service.
This time we’re at Epsom on the 29th June 2014 as 5717 calls at the station with a service from Waterloo to Dorking.
Vauxhall again on the 13th November 2013 where 5718 is approaching the station from Waterloo with a service for Chessington South.
Another, rather different view of Wimbledon as 5719 crosses the flyover next to the depot and passes 444032 heading for Portsmough.
Between duties, 5720 sits alongside the shed at Clapham Junction on the 1st May 2019.
Having been repainted into Network SouthEast livery in the early 1990s 5721 waits at Windsor and Eton Riverside with a service to Waterloo on the 19th June 1994.
Guildford has been associated with the class all their working lives. Here’s 5722 sat at Platform 3 whilst working a Waterloo via Woking service on the 15th November 2015.
Also seen at Guildford, this time on the 26th May 2012, is 5723 after arriving from Waterloo via Surbiton.
Back at Clapham Junction on the 2nd November 2011 when 5724 was stabled in the yard in the company of a quartet of Siemens-built Class 450s
Livery transition time as 5725 in the new SWT suburban red liver passes classmate 5717 which was still in the old Stagecoach white and blue with orange and red stripes. The date is the 9th May 2006.
The changing scene at Guildford. 5726 departs on a service to Waterloo via Epsom on the 23rd April 2014, passing the relaying of stabling sidings which are being extended to take 10 car trains.
Back in BR days 5727 sporting Network South-East livery callas at Clapham Junction with a Shepperton branch service.
The footbridges West of Wimbledon station and the open vista provide a great location for open shots of South-Western suburban services. Here’s 5728 with a sister unit bringing up the rear of a Woking – Waterloo service on the 20th May 2015.
Another shot from the Wimbledon footbridges but this time taken several years earlier on the 29th November 2006. 5729 and a 455/9 units head off into the autumn sunset…
In this shot taken outside the shed at Clapham Junction 5730 is missing one of its driving trailers (77786) for reasons unknown. The unit’s sporting the earlier Stagecoach livery. The date is the 26th January 2001.
Back at Wimbledon on the 5th of September 2011 when the switches and crossings underneath the train were still awaiting renewal (see later pictures for afterwards). Here’s 5731 in multiple with a 455/9 set whilst working a service to Woking.
Framed by the lighting towers at Wimbledon Park depot unit 5732 is being shunted into the stabling sidings on the bright autumn day. The 29th November 2006 in fact.
On the same day in November 5733 sits inside Wimbledon Park awaiting attention.
Back at the Wimbledon footbridges on the 20th May 2015 and the track renewal has taken place. Meanwhile 5734 and a pair of class 456s with 456004 leading work a Waterloo – bound service from Guildford.
Journey’s end. 5735 unloads its passengers at Waterloo on the 20th February 2015.
With a skyline full of cranes as the Battersea Power station redevelopment is on full swing, 5736 brings up the rear of a Waterloo bound service at Clapham Junction. This vista has changed out of all recognition in the past decade as London’s skyline has become defined by new high-rise and landmark buildings. The date is the 19th May 2018.
A brace of 455/7s with 5737 pull out of platform 1 (The Cobham bay) at Guildford on their return to London via Epsom on the 23rd April 2014.
Another of those photographs that show how much London’s skyline has changed in a decade. Compare this view from the 2nd November 2011 when 5738 was heading for Waterloo past a brace of SWT Class 159 with this shot (link) taken in 2021.
On the 3rd April 2005, 5739 sporting Stagecoach livery approaches Raynes Park with a service for Chessington South.
It’s back at my old favourite, the footbridges West of Wimbledon station! Here’s 5740 bringing up the rear of a Shepperton branch service bound for Waterloo on the 5th September 2011.
It’s the 5th July 2017 and 5741 calls at Strawberry Hill, the home of the Southern Electric Traction Group and the last remaining 4-VEP. 3417.
Wimbledon once more for our penultimate 455/7. 5742 passes the depot with a Guildford via Surbiton service on the 4th October 2006.
And finally! Renumbered out of sequence as 5750 this is really 5743. It was given the new number in may 1991 to celebrate Wimbledon depot obtaining BS5750 quality services accreditation. It’s seem here on the 3rd July 2006.

For those who may have never travelled on the 455/7s, here’s a few internal shots showing how they looked after SWT has refurnished the units between 2004-2008. The pictures show the interior of 5735, taken in July 2006.

Vehicle 77795, one of the driving trailers.
A great improvement over the BR design (and Southern units which don’t have the modification) was that the sliding doors were altered so they opened wider.
The interior of trailer 71563.
The roof line and vestibule area immediately give this away as one of the former Class 508 vehicles, in this case 62817.
Driving trailer 77796.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at the 455/7s. The rest of the series will follow, but I can’t promise I’ll be posting individual pictures of all 74 Class 455/8s!

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Rolling blog. A capital idea…

27 Thursday Jan 2022

Posted by in London, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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08:30

Well, it seemed that way at the time but today’s trip to London has got off to a mixed start! On the bright side – the rain we’d had overnight had abated by the time my alarm went off at 05:45 so the walk to Halifax was rather pleasant this morning. There were few people about apart from a couple of hardy dog-walkers (not that they have much option, really) and a trio of intrepid women joggers pounding their way uphill across Savile Park. The town centre was equally quiet although the area around the Piece Hall was still buzzing with film crews and all their kit.

My intention was to catch the 06:53 to Leeds in time to make an 11 minute connection with LNERs London service. This failed at the first fence as the Northern service was already running 7 minutes late. Ho hum! To fill in time I caught the Huddersfield – Bradford shuttle which was worked by one of the old class 158s pbought by the local PTE back in the 1980s. 158904 was busy, at least half-full, which surprised me. I didn’t realise so many people commuted into Bradford from Huddersfield. One at Interchange I joined the crowds for the late-running York service. Passenger numbers are certainly picking up again judging by the number joining and leaving the train.

We left Bradford Interchange 10 mins late and I’d visions of watching the LNER service pull out as I arrived, but I hadn’t accounted for the slack timing of my Northern service. It arrived at Leeds West Junction (just outside the station) 8 mins down, then magically recovered 6 minutes in the space of 26 chains* to arrive in Leeds just 2 minutes down!

This gave me plenty of time to cross the footbridge to platform 8 and wait for my train to pull in as it was arriving from Skipton. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was worked by one of LNERs loco-hauled Mk 4 trainsets rather than an Azuma. 91106 was doing the honours this morning. The advantage of the Mk4 sets is that they still contain a ‘quiet’ coach which is immediately behind the loco and isn’t reserved. It also lives up to its name as few people use it! So, I’m now bouncing my way South with that familiar stop, start, jerk motion that was a feature of the loco-hauled trains but that’s totally absent from the Azumas.

91106 arrives at Leeds with 1A13, the 06:56 from Skipton to London Kings Cross.

10:05.

In dire need of caffeine after such an early start I had a wander through the train to a sparsely stocked buffet in order to buy coffee. This gave me chance to counts heads. Getting back to my set just before we pulled in to Newark North Gate I counted just 49 people in Standard Class. Clearly, Covid is still having an impact as this is a premium train which would normally be full of business people. The majority of folks I passed fitted into this category with lots of expensive laptops on display and people busy bashing keyboards, but numbers travelling have obviously taken a hit since early December. Even so, now that restrictions are easing once more I doubt it’ll be long before they bounce back. I’ll be interested to watch how that goes through the year. This year I’m off on my biennial trip around Britain for RAIL magazine, which such be a fascinating contrast to my travels in 2020!

Right now we’re traversing the Cambridgeshire flatlands on the approach to Peterborough and running six minutes late. The weather’s gloomy, with layers of cloud some of which threaten rain, conditions that I expect to see stay with me all day. As we approached the station I noticed a fan of old sidings (Spital?) that have lain disused for donkey’s years have been cleared of weeds and fenced off to create a secure compound. It looks like they’re about to be brought back into use – but what for?

09:55.

We’re on the outskirts of London and it’s proving to be grim down South. The clouds have lowered, cutting down the slight so much that vehicles have already got their headlights on! This is a bit of a bugger, but such is life. It limits the range of shots I can get but thanks to the wonders of digital photography I can still get decent pictures. If this was my old film days it would have been a waste of time, the classic old camera joke of set your camera exposure for 3 days at F5.6…

16:00.

Phew! Where do I start? I’ve been having a frenetic time travelling around London in an effort to document the latest transformation that’s going on in 3rd rail land South of the Thames. The biggest change since the end of the old slam-door trains back in 2005. To do this I’ve been hanging around the Clapham Jn area – with an ulterior motive in mind. I’ve lent a spare zoom lens to an old friend who lives next door but needed to drop off the kit associated with it. We managed the transfer at lunchtime. Serendipity would have it that this was an ideal time to be taking pictures at the Junction as there were one or two unusual working such this…

I’m now taking a break in an old railway station building to update this blog and recharge various devices before moving on again…

19:15.

I’m now winging my way back up north after a brilliant afternoon in across South London, exploring old haunts and also discovering just how much the city has changed in the decade since I left. Some of the old London that I remember is till left, but so much has changed due to the mass of new buildings that have appeared. South London railways offer a great vantage point as many arrive into the city on viaducts. You can still pass serried rows of chimney pots and imagine what it must have been like when everyone relied on coal for heating. You won’t see Dick Van Dyke dancing amongst them or Mary Poppins floating past – instead you’ll see a backdrop of modern buildings dwarfing the traditional rooflines as London’s extended up, and up – and up…

Nowadays London’s railways are a corridor into a very built-up city South of the river. A train driver friend once described the route through Wandsworth past Vauxhall and into Waterloo as a bit like trying to bomb the ‘Death Star’ (Star Wars fans will know exactly what he means). At least the new blocks don’t house laser cannons!

During my explorations I stopped of in Denmark Hill again, but this time I visited the pub in the old station building. It was damaged by fire back in the 1980s then became one of the famous Bruces brewery ‘Firkin’ pubs of the 1980s. This one was named the ‘Phoenix and Firkin’ for obvious reasons. The Firkin chain is (sadly) long gone, but this pub survives under a different ownershio and seems to thrive. The road bridge outside is now blocked off and become a huge beer garden which is a fantastic summer space. Whilst I was sat inside I overhead a group of nurses from the nearby Kings College Hospital who’d called in for a drink at the end of their shifts before going home. Clearly knackered, they were talking about dealing with intubing patients with Covid. It was hard to listen to what they had to deal with and the obvious stresses they had o go through, yet tried to talk about in a matter of fact way. Not gallows humour by any means as the stresses showed and there was nothing but compassion for the people they’d been treating – which made it worse in some ways as I’ll bet many of the people they’re having to deal with now are the ones who’ve refused to be vaccinated.

Moving on I retraced my steps to Clapham via a brief stop at Wandsworth Rd station – just to see how much has changed – which is a lot. The Victoria – London Bridge trains are no more. Now the line’s part of the Overground and the trains run to/from Clapham Junction. Bushes and the nightmare that’s Buddleia have destroyed the possibility of recreating the shots I used to get in the 1990s whilst the skyline has changed completely as Battersea Power station has been invaded by new housing development. I’ll go back one day in an afternoon just to get some comparison shots.

21:30.

I’m now on the last leg home – by train anyway. I came back from London aboard another quiet LNER service, this time the 18:33 to Bradford Forster Square which was worked by a pair of 5-car Azumas. There was only about a dozen of us in the front car of the front train. The trip allowed me to spend time editing pictures from today which will start appearing on my website tomorrow but it may take a few days for the full haul to be processed as I’ve other things to do too.

I’m now on a rather busy 2-car class 195 heading to Manchester from Leeds. The difference between the two trains couldn’t be more marked. From ten cars to two! That said, they’re all new trains serving very different markets.

*A chain is an antiquated measurement (1 chain = 22 yards) that’s still used to calculate distances on the railways which is done in miles and chains. Although superseded by metric, it’s still used on many railway maps.

High Speed 2. The new bill is in, and the protests hit farcical lows…

25 Tuesday Jan 2022

Posted by in Hs2, HS2Rebellion, Manchester, Politics, Protest, Railways

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Monday was an interesting day as the Hybrid bill for the latest section of High Speed 2 from Crewe to Manchester and beyond was deposited in Parliament. The bill contains changes that have been made over the past year, such as extending the depot at Crewe, a new Northern link to allow HS2 trains to call at the station and regain the main line, plus an extension of Manchester Airport station and provision for links to the truncated Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) lines. There’s also details of a new train depot at Annandale in Dumfries and Galloway. You can read the full details and peruse the selection of documents here.

The next stage will be in February when the bill gets its 2nd reading. This is the most important stage as it contains a vote on the bill in the House of Commons. When the bill passes the vote, the principle of the bill is established and it becomes unstoppable. The next stages (Committee and petitioning stages, debate in the Lords and final 3rd reading) are important, but procedural. None of them can stop the bill from becoming law – despite what some of the lines opponents pretend! The truth is, HS2 has such great cross-party support in Parliament, both in the commons and Lords, that it will fly through the vote. The only question is just how big the token opposition will be. Let’s face it, what’s the point of some of the Tory MPs who voted against it in the past because it was passing through their constituencies voting against it now it’s being built somewhere else – and annoying their party managers in the process?

So, the only unknown at the moment is which MPs will be appointed to the Committee which will be appointed to oversee the petitioning process and how many people with a genuine interest (or grievance, because there will be some people who will be adversely affected) will petition the committee.

On phase 1, opponents of HS2 tried to kill the project my putting in mass petitions. It was a futile act as many of them were pro-forma letters, so the Committee just lumped them all together to get through them. Even so it took a long time. At the end of the process the outgoing Cttee recommended changes to the Hybrid Bill process.

These lessons were learned on the Hybrid Bill for phase 2a from the West Midlands to Crewe so the process was much quicker. Plus, nowhere near as many people petitioned. It went down from 1600 to just a couple of hundred. Part of the process included challenging the ‘locus standi’ (a right to appear in a court or before any body on a given question) of certain groups and individuals. To petition the Ctte you have to prove you are materially affected by the Hybrid Bill and the building of that section of line. That disbars groups like Extinction Rebellion and StopHs2.

One of the interesting things about the Phase 2b route is that there’s always been so little organised opposition along it. Apart from some long-standing (but ineffective and moribund) Stop Hs2 ‘action’ groups in rural (and expensive) parts of Cheshire there’s never been a single group in the Greater Manchester area or in any towns along the route. It’s all been rural Nimbyism. It’s why whenever one of the few derisory stophs2 protests have happened in the city, it’s always by people from out of town! (more on which later).

So, what was the response of what’s left as an opposition to HS2? Well, they organised (and use that word loosely) two days of ‘action’, billed this on their various websites, culminating on protests in London, Birmingham and Manchester on the day the HS2 bill was deposited.

OK, that was what was billed, but what actually happened? Friday was a taste of the farce to come. There was no ‘media storm’, in fact the mainstream media almost totally ignored them and they caused barely a ripple on social media either. Here’s a classic from the day.

Aww! Bless! They’re boasting of a lone protester asking motorists to honk in support of scrapping a green railway because that causes road congestion and inconveniences that well-known example of green transport- err, car drivers! The optics of this are hilarious, but that’s never sunk in with the protesters who proudly boast of having set up banners on bridges over motorways! You have to laugh!

Things didn’t go any better on Monday. I’d been working in Leeds that morning but had enough time to get over to Manchester to watch their demonstration in Piccadilly Gardens scheduled for noon. It took a bit of finding at first as there was no-one in the gardens. I eventually found them huddled under a the statue of Wellington, which was an excellent choice as they really met their Waterloo!

The handful of protesters were trying to assemble their white elephant and prepare their banners whilst a bunch of TV crews and reporters who outnumbered them waited patiently for them to get their acts together and the circus commence. When they were finally ready they set of for a single circuit of part of the gardens before returning and posing for the camera crews. Here’s a little video of the procession.

The person doing all the shouting is one Karen Wildin, an Extinction Rebellion/Hs2Rebellion activist from that well known Manchester suburb of *checks notes* err, Leicestershire! More on this later…

Here’s another video of them all posing for the media after their five minute amble around the gardens. It took that long as the elephant can’t see where it’s going! I’m sure that must be a metaphor for something!

So, there you have it. 10 people, two more dressed as an elephant and a child, led by a woman from Leicestershire. And how many of them were actually from Manchester? I’m willing to bet none…

Sadly, the members of the 4th estate who were there never thought to ask such pertinent questions. Karen was interviewed by Sky news and trotted out the usual trite and dishonest tosh, whilst John, the bloke from Warrington was interviewed for a minute on Heart radio and came out with the standard scaremongering about ‘ecocide’ plus the fantasy ‘cost’ of HS2 being £200bn!

Whilst I was watching the circus and John recognised me and tipped off Wildin as to whom I was. If you see her Sky interview you’ll notice her looking very furtive and constantly looking out of shot to her left (at me!) Here’s my view of events.

The whole farce lasted less than two hours. After they’d done their media interviews they packed up, whilst they were doing so Wildin buttonholed me and tried to argue with me about HS2. I’ve been their bete noir for years thanks to blogs like this and they don’t take kindly to someone telling the truth. That’s not a good idea when you’re talking to someone who knows far more about the project and politics than they do, nor someone who asks awkward questions and won’t let you duck and evade them (like asking how many of the demonstrators were actually from Manchester!) It didn’t go well for Karen who got more and more flustered before finally storming off after calling me a tw*t and a d*ckhead. Lapsing into abuse when things get uncomfortable is their normal modus operandi.

Their tiny band then traipsed back to Piccadilly station for the final farcical act. Yes, they’d arrived by train! The very thing they’re protesting against building more of!

The other protests in Birmingham and London weren’t much better, although they had marginally more people. A demonstration at Curzon St caused minor disruption to a lorry trying to enter the site before police intervened.

In London, a group of people protested outside Euston station by carrying banners and banging drums (well, that’s REALLY going to stop HS2! Ed). Interestingly this protest was timed for later in the day, presumably so some of those protesting in Manchester could get back to London in time to attend!

No problem here! The protest as Euston, which seems to have got its messaging mixed. Is this a demo against HS2 or Tory legislation? I do love the fact even one of the Extinction Rebellion drummers is having to wear ear-defenders!

And the sum total of all this? Zero. Today it’s business as usual on the HS2 construction sites, whilst Parliament prepares for the HS2 Phase 2b bill’s second reading. All the protesters have achieved is to demonstrate just how powerless they are when it comes to stopping HS2. It’s not going to get any better as their campaign continues to collapse into infighting and squabbles over increasingly scarce resources as the numbers of protesters and funds to support them dwindles. Interestingly, there wasn’t sight nor sound of any of the usual suspects from StopHs2 which has ceased to exist nowadays. Joe Rukin has retired, leaving Bournemouth based Panny Gaines as their only representative. Despite their being direct trains from Bournemouth to Manchester (via Birmingham) Penny never showed her face. This was almost exclusively an Extinction Rebellion event, plus a couple of Nimbys. None of the usual ‘stars’ from XR turned up either. No Larch Maxey, No ‘Swampy’ and no ‘Swan’. That’s because most have them have been hamstrung by bail or conditions or convictions – and the fact squabbles in the campaign are putting others off. I doubt I’ll be writing about the protesters again for a while. Well, until their next futile stunt, anyway. Oh, you’ll be able to see more pictures of the daft demo in Manchester by the end of today. They’ll be added to this gallery.

What I will be writing about will be the progress of the HS2 Phase 2b Hybrid Bill and also some site visits to various HS2 construction areas over the next month, so watch out for them.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

 

Rolling blog. Another game of Pennine ping-pong…

24 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by in Film and TV, Hs2, Manchester, Photography, Rolling blogs, Travel, West Yorkshire

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10:00.

I’m out and about both sides of the Pennines today, starting off with a trip to Leeds. Sadly, it’s hardly a vintage day weather wise but that won’t affect either assignment as neither is about sesxy landscape shots. My walk into Halifax was fun. Passing the Piece Hall where the new Marvel comics ‘Avengers’ film is being shot I noticed the film industry’s answer to this problem towering over the area. Bring your own sun!

Here’s the ‘little’ brother of the other rig…

I’ve not bumped into any of the actors but Samuel L Jackson posed for selfies with locals outside a nearby restaurant the other day. Halifax seems to be much in demand by the media at the moment as another TV series of ‘Happy Valley is being shot here at the same time.

Leaving the bright lights (literally!) of the film industry behind I’m now on a Northern train to Leeds via Bradford. Passenger loadings are pretty good and seem to be recovering from the latest Covid knock. I’ll be interested to see how Leeds looks compared to my last visit.

14:30.

Well, that was an interesting interlude! I was being coy about where I was going as I didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that I was going to turn up to the anti HS2 farce (don’t you mean ‘day of action’? Ed) in Manchester’s Piccadilly gardens which was due to kick off at 12:00. It took me a while to find it as it was tiny! Just 10 people, a child and two others dressed as a white elephant where there. They were outnumbered by members of the media who patiently waited for them to assemble their banners and elephant before they set off on a circuit of part of Piccadilly Gardens. Their shouts were led by one Karen Wildin, an XR protester from *checks notes* Lreicester! In fact, I doubt any of the were actually from the city they were trying to prevent gaining green infrastructure, regeneration and thousands of jobs. It’s always been noticeable that there’s never been a single organised stopHS2 ‘action’ group in the whole of Manchester – hence them having to draft in people from elsewhere. I’ll do a separate blog about this whole farce, which lasted less then two hours before they traipsed back to Piccadilly station before catching their trains home to whence they came. The attitude of Manchester? Meh! Meanwhile, this afternoon, the HS2 phase 2b Crewe – Manchester Hybrid bill has been deposited in Parliament. It will get its 2nd reading in February, when it will fly through the vote as the opposition to HS2 has collapsed.

Here’s a picture of their farcical demonstration.

Somehow, I don’t think MPs will be quaking in their boots. I’ve seen more people turning up to protest about parking restrictions!

19:30.

I’m now on the train back across the Pennines after an interesting and certainly varied day. After attending the farcical and futile protest I spent a bit of time editing pictures and getting other images off to a client before their deadline, then had a wander around Manchester. I have to admit, the weather wasn’t exactly what you’d want for such perambulations but hey – this is the North in January after all. I did manage to bag a few more library shots which will appear on my Zenfolio picture website soon. After that, it was time for a trip to Chinatown to pick up some more edible goodies. I love mooching around the Chinese supermarkets as I always discover something new that I have to resist the urge to buy as – more likely than not – It’ll end up sitting in a cupbord as I don’t really know what to do with it.

Right now I’m on Northern’s 18:58 from Manchester to Leeds made up of a pair of 2-car Class 195s. It’s surprisingly quiet, not that Victoria station was. That was buzzing with hundreds of young people off to a gig at the Arena (just don’t ask me who was playing as I’ve no idea!).

Rolling blog. North-Western wanderings…

20 Thursday Jan 2022

Posted by in Manchester, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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09:00.

As threatened I’ve escaped the Calder valley this morning. Having packed my passport I’m heading across the Pennines to Manchester and the North-West to (hopefully) obtain some scenic railway pictures as part of a long-standing commission. The weather’s certainly ideal. We’ve a crisp, frosty morning in the valley with clear blue skies that make the ideal backdrop. Having walked up the hill towards Halifax I paused for a moment to grab this shot which illustrates what I mean. I never tire of this view and will often linger here to watch the world go by.

Right now I’m on the 08:44 Northern service from Halifax to Manchester Victoria which is made up of a 2-car class 195. I’m assuming this is part of the Dept Transport inspired cost-cutting/service reduction as normally this would be a four car service this time of day. Admittedly, it’s not even half full, but we’re only just into the journey.

I’ll be blogging throughout my travels today, so feel free to pop back and see where I get to and what I end up doing…

09:15.

We’ve just left Rochdale where we picked up a handful of people heading into the city, but nothing like the numbers you can expect during rush-hour. This side of the Pennines is just as frozen and icy as the West. Th fields are blanketed in frost which is glistening in the low winter sunlight. The roofs of many houses display the same characteristics – showing who’s got decent loft insulation – and who hasn’t! I’m looking forward to being able to get the camera out but first I’ve got to cross the city to get to Piccadilly…

10:10.

My meander across central Manchester was interesting as everywhere was quieter than i’ve seen it in a long time. Victoria station was sonambulent and the city centre just as sleepy. Few homeless people graced doorways (thankfully) and shoppers were equally thin on the ground. Passing the Wetherspoons I noticed a group of young lads huddled in the window. Eschewing the usual pints of lager they were drinking pitchers of lurid looking cocktails. Their day may get messy…

Piccadilly station was busier than Victoria but only marginally so. For a railway cathedral this was hardly a feast day.

I’m now on a Northern Class 323 heading out along the truncated remains of the old Woodhead route. It’s a route I know well but it’s a shadow of the line I knew as a boy in the early 1970s when it was a major trans-pennine freight artery. All the sidings and yards, loco stabling points and engines are long gone as the line was closed in 1981. Now there’s just a passenger service that shuttles between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield.

12:45.

I’m retracing my steps from Glossop and Dinting after a productive if frustrating couple of hours. The low winter light didn’t allow me to get the pictures I wanted in Glossop (too many long shadows) but it was ideal for shots around the Dinting viaduct. It felt odd to be back. I last spent time taking pictures around here 10 or so years back but I chiefly remember it from the 1970s when there was an active steam railway centre here based on the single road loco shed. All of this was abandoned at the beginning of the 1990s. Dinting station still retains its old buildings although those on the abandoned platforms aren’t ageing well…

This shot was taken from the footbridge East of Dinting station where the entrance to the old steam centre was. The bridge gives great views across the nearby allotments to the Dinting viaduct where a Northern Class 323 is pictured traversing the structure en-route to Glossop.
The view from below, showing a Manchster bound train crossing the viaduct. The extra brick piers were added in 1909 in order to strengthen the structure for even heavier trains.

16:15.

I’m now on my way back to Manchester after taking a trip down the Mid-Cheshire line to Northwich to recce a few photographic locations. Sadly, nothing stood out and what did would only work later in the year with different lighting conditions. Still, it was a chance to reacquaint myself with a line I’ve not had need to traverse for several years. I ended up in Northwich, the source of most of the UKs rock salt – a precious commodity this time of year! Ignoring the fact using such a cortosive naterial in this day and age is rather mad I was curious to see the state of the station. Part of the original building suffered a rather spectacular collapse not that long ago and it was amazing no-one was killed. Repairs are still ongoing. As a kid I remember when this place was a hive of railway activity due to mineral traffic to and from the ICI (remember them) works. Now the sidings are abandoned and overgrown with Silver Birch trees whilst the site of the locomotive depot is a housing estate.

I had an hour to kill between trains so wandered into town which is a 10 minute hike. It looks to have some fine old buildings but town planners haven’t done it any favours by cutting it off with inner ring roads. One of the most impressive buildings is now a Wetherspoons, which says it all really. The actual pub is in a shed-like structure at the rear!

A Wetherspoons where the facade is nothing like what you’ll get inside

19:00.

Wow, so much that I want to write about – so this section will change as I travel.

I was sorely tempted to stop off in Stockport on my way back North as the light looked like it would’ve been ideal for sunset shots through the iconic viaduct but I hesitated as I needed to pick up some shopping in the city. More fool me as by the time I was approaching Piccadilly the conditions were perfect. Oh well..

Back in the city I headed over to Chinatown to grab some ingredients that are almost impossible to find outside major cities or university towns with a cosmopolitan student base. I stocked up on Red and Green curry pastes plus fiery red chillis and pea aubergines which are such a feature of Thai cooking.

During my wanderings I found myself drawn to the Northern Quarter and a friendly pub of old. I’ll be honest – I miss city life – especially so after the covid separations we’ve all had to endure. Sitting at a bar, overhearing (intelligent) conversations has been much missed…

19:00.

The train back across the Pennines was another experience I’ve missed. The 3-car 195 was busy from Victoria as many people were either returning home from work or an early evening in town. As usual, my camera (which was cradled in my lap) became a talking point. It started a conversation with the the chap sat next to me in the tip-up seats. He’d been out with his grandson playing virtual cricket and was blown away by the experience. Apparently, the one thing that isn’t virtual is the bat you hold and the balls that head your way! I really enjoyed the interaction as it’s one of the things I’ve always loved about train travel and missed because of Covid, People just haven’t been as willing to engage in the way we used to. Whilst I loved to hear his enthusiasm (and trepidation) for trying something that was obviously outside his comfort zone, the issue for me was realising that ‘grandad’ was obviously several years younger than I am! This is becoming a familiar story. I don’t feel old, it’s other people who make me seem that way – honest!

23:00.

I’m now back at home and taking the rest of the night off, but expect lots of more guff and stuff tomorrow.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

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Another old BR EMU class bows out. The Class 456…

17 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by in British Railways, Class 456, Railways

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Sunday 16th January saw the last passenger services operated by the old BR built Class 456, 2-car electric trains. The whole class of 24 units has now gone off-lease from Southwestern Railway and will be returned to the company who owns them, Porterbrook. It’s extremely unlikely these 750v 3rd rail units will find work elsewhere so it looks like a one-way trip to the scrapyard beckons. They were originally meant to be surplus to requirements in 2019 but long delays to the replacement class 701 sets being built by Bombardier at Derby meant they hung on for another two years. As 3rd rail units they were confined to the old ‘Southern’ network they were built for in 1990-91 and have led a busy but undistinguished career.

Constructed at York and based on the Mark 3 coach bodyshell and powered by the famous EE507 traction motor (some of which had been salvaged from old 4-SUB units withdrawn in the 1980s) these 75mph units were originally destined for the South-Western division of the old Southern region. A change of plan occurred during construction which meant that they were allocated to the Central section instead. Although they’d been due to enter service in early 1991 a problem with the inability of drivers to see platform mounted CCTV screens clearly meant they had to have the drivers seat modified so didn’t enter passenger service until the 30th September 1991.

Their main sphere of operation was the South London lines, especially the route from Victoria to London Bridge. In later BR years under Network South East they increased their sphere of operation to include such places as Tattenham Corner and the loop via Crystal Palace.

At the end of BR the units became part of the Connex franchise, although only one unit (465024) ever wore that companies livery. They soldiered on under later operator Southern (who refurbished the entire fleet) until 2013 when they finally made it to the old South-Western they’d originally been ordered for – only by now it was run by the South-Western Trains franchise! Refurbished once again when the appearance of the front ends was changed by removing the prominent covers off the top of the jumper cables the units settled down to working services from Waterloo to destinations such as Guildford and Woking.

I’ve compiled a picture record of all 24 members of the fleet which stretches back to 1991 when they were still being tested and drivers trained before they entered service. It covers all the 5 operators of the trains, BR, Connex, Southern, SWT and SWR.

n the 15th April 2011 456001 and another member of the class call at West Norwood on a service to London Bridge.
The 27th April 1991 was a beautifully sunny day in London and I was lucky enough to get this shot of new 456002 on test from Selhurst depot, pictured here at Norwood Junction. It’s sporting the Network South-East livery that all the units were delivered in.
Sitting on Wimbledon Park depot on the 30th June 2014 is newly refurbished and repainted 456003 which has been transferred from Southern to South-West Trains. In the background is 456013 which is awaiting its call to works.
Here’s 456004 leaving Streatham Common with a service from East Croydon to London Victoria on the 16th July 2001.
Passing a London skyline that’s changed dramatically since this picture was taken on the 5th April 2005 456003 (left) and 456005 (right) cross the viaducts outside London Bridge with a service for South London.
It’s the 1st November 2012 and the final member of the class (024) keeps company with 456006 which is carrying the rail safety advertising livery it gained after being the first of the class to be refurbished at Wolverton works in 2006.
On the 28th April 2014 a pair of 456s with 456007 bringing up the rear depart from Guildford with a service from Ascot. Whilst the units still carry Southern livery all branding has been removed and they are in fact working for South-West Trains.

456008 leads sister unit 456009 plus 455829 into Honor Oak Park in South London on the 4th October 2013.

Back at Guildford on the 24th April 2014 and another pair of unbranded ex-Southern units with 456009 leading 456005 wait to operate a service to Ascot from the Surrey town which became one of the main destinations for the fleet under SWT aegis.
Here’s a scene that’s disappeared completely now. 456010 sits in platform 11 at the old London Bridge station before working the 17:59 service to Caterham on the 3rd March 2003.
It’s the 20th April 2010 and 456011 in multiple with a Class 455 works a Southern service into Norwood Junction from London Bridge.
With just over a month left in service, 456012 is seen at London Waterloo with a service to Guildford on the 7th December 2021.
456013 leads a 10 car formation with two class 455s around the curve from London Rd station into Guildford on the 3rd April 2018.
456014 in tatty NSE livery arrives at Clapham Junction from London Victoria with a service for Epsom Downs on the 31st March 2004.
Another photographic location that’s changed dramatically over the years is this shot of the approaches to London Victoria with the old Battersea power station as a backdrop. Here’s 456015 ambling into the station on the 22nd April 2004.
This is the (in)famous Waterloo platform extension blockade in 2017 during which another class 456 derailed and hit the adjacent engineers train due to a signalling fault. On this day (5th August) 456016 arrived on the rear of its train without incident.
456017 enters the tunnel at Crystal Palace with a service for London Victoria on the 1st October 2013.
456018 sits in the bay platform 3 at Woking whilst working Woking – Waterloo shuttles on the 21st December 2019.
456019 calls at Honor Oak Park in South London on its way to the country on the 16th June 2011.
Working a route the units were synonymous with for so many years, 456020 calls at Denmark Hill station whilst working a service from London Victoria to London Bridge on the 12th November 2011.
It’s the 31st August 2007 and 456021 is pictured calling at South Croydon on its way to London Victoria.
Yet another aspect of the London skyline that’s changed dramatically since this picture was taken. Here’s 456022 pulling away from Wandsworth Rd with a service from London Bridge to Victoria on the 15th March 1996.
Almost exactly a year later than the previous picture at the same location. 456023 works a London Victoria – London Bridge service into Wandsworth Rd on the 6th March 1997.
The final member of the class, 456024 leads a pair of class 455s off the Hounslow loop into Twickenham on the 4th July 2019.

I mentioned that only one member of the class ever received Connex livery. Searching through my archives I realised I only ever managed to capture it in one picture – and that was by accident! Here is is sandwiched between wo other units outside London Bridge station on the 5th April 2005…

I hope you’ve enjoyed a look back at the life of these units and pictures that show them in service for over 30 years. Many of the old BR Classes are disappearing over the next year or two so expect other blogs like this – just don’t expect pictures of each class member. 24 is more than enough! But, you can find many more pictures like these on my Zenfolio website. Just click on this link. Cheers!

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