Tag Archives: Travel

Rolling blog. Northumberland exploration…

02 Wednesday Aug 2023

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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08:30.

I should be using a U boat*, not a train! Following on from what must be the wettest July for years August’s maintaining the pace. It’s been heaving it down all morning here in West Yorkshire. I’m currently in Huddersfield waiting for a late-running (surprise, surprise) TPE service to Newcastle to take part in a press trip.

The Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade is now in full swing with work compounds springing up everywhere – including in the old goods yard/former car park at the station. Soon, work will be starting on the station itself. Whilst I was waiting for my service East ‘Felix’ put in an appearance. No, not Huddersfield’s famous station cat, but the Class 68 named after them!

68031 ‘Felix’ purrs through Huddersfield on its way to Manchester Piccadilly.

09:40.

We’re currently speeding up the rain-lashed ECML North of York. There’s little to see through the watery windows so I’m making productive use of my time by editing some of the hundreds of pictures I’ve taken in the past couple of days.

11:15.

There will now be an interlude…

14:00.

I’m back. I’ve just completed a fascinating run along the Blyth and Tyne from Newcastle to Morpeth via Bedlington on a special train organised by Northumberland Conty Council. The scale of work being done to repopen the line to Ashington to passenger trains is very impressive. A simple reopening it ain’t. You’ll be able to read all about it in a future edition of RAIL magazine.

The weather was atrocious and hasn’t improved, so I didn’t hang around in Newcastle. Instead, I’m off to have a look at another (much less ambitious) project – at Hartlepool…

15:20.

Another washout. The rain just won’t stop! My trip down the Durham coastline has been shrouded by low cloud and the sort of rain that has you soaked in minutes. It’s a shame as I’d have lacked to have seen more of Hartlepool than just the station – althogh to be fair, that has some interesting features and the work to reinstate the 2nd through platform is coming on well. Both the Station cafe and real ale pub were closed so I stayed long enough to take some pictures and enjoy the warmth of Grand Central’s well appointed lounge before retracing my steps.

A great use of an old building, with good facilities that are clean and well-kept.

17:50.

I give up! The weather’s been so universally awful there’s been nothing for it but to cut my losses and head home. To compound things Trans-Pennine Express are having a ‘senior moment’. They seem to have forgotten they’re meant to be running trains. The excuse offered is a classic ‘last-minute timetable changes’. That’ll be cancelling trains to you and me…

I managed to catch an LNER service down to York which I managed to find a free seat on. Changing TOCs I’ve ended up on a rammed 4-Car Cross-Country Voyager which will get me to Leeds. I’m currently ‘doing a Jeremy Corbyn’ and squatting the front vestibule, which isn’t ideal as there’s a howling gale blowing in through one of the external doors…

20:45.

I’m home, enjoying being in the warm and dry whilst spending some time editing a few more pictures before calling it a day. Dawn’s had a ‘fun’ day at work too due to the impact the TRU work is having on her office which is withing the curtilage of Huddersfield station so poor Dee’s playing ‘catch-up’ too. Thankfully, the freezer’s well stocked with food we’ve made ourselves so a chicken Korma’s defrosting as I type this. To bring this blog to a close I’ll add one last picture. TPE haven’t covered themselves in glory today, Here’s one of their trains doing what a lot have been doing – sitting around doing nothing, this one’s at Newcastle.

I’ll be working from home tomorrow so expect a lot of pictures to start appearing on my Zenfolio website tomorrow. Oh, and the latest eBay sale’s started. It’s the beginning of the month so I’ve relisted several hundred old railway slides and other memorabilia that’s for sale. Just follow this link.

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

* U Boat is also slang for a certain type of old diesel railway engine (The Deltics) but I meant it in its original sense.

That was a day, that was…

01 Tuesday Aug 2023

Posted by in East-West rail, Hs2, Photography, Railways

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21:30.

I’ve been far too busy today to do a rolling blog and besides, many of the places I’ve been phone reception wasn’t of the best. So, here’s a rundown of events as I head home from Leamington for a night at home.

I stayed in London last night but my sleep quotient was less than a few hours as most of the time I was on the move, exploring and enjoying my old home town at night. I pitched up at Marylebone station before the first train left and caught it out to Denham to update some of my HS2 construction pictures as building the Colne Valley Viaduct is really cracking on. Now the viaduct’s bridging the second of the two roads it’s crossing and the weather conditions couldn’t have been better with low sun and blue skies – as you’ll see in the full set of pictures pictures later.

I had all the time in the world to chat to the people building the viaduct or wandering with the camera. After all, it’s not every day one sees a 120 tonne viaduct segment maneuvered into position like this.

A 120 tonne segment is craned into place on the Colne Valley Viaduct where it crosses Moorfield Rd. Denham. This section of road is closed for three weeks whilst the work takes place.
The viaduct marches onwards to the South…
One of the viaduct’s V shaped pillars next to Moorfield Rd.
Meanwhile, at Calvert.. Track is being laid on the East-West rail line. Here’s the switches will will allow access to the HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD).
Here’s the bridge which will carry E-W rail over HS2.
The site of Calvert station on the old Great Central line has become a very busy haul road. Eventually, It will be site of HS2 tracks.

I managed to get to Calvert thanks to my friend Chris Howe, who provided the transport. Chris has a Youtube channel which contains some excellent explainers on construction, railways and also HS2. You can find his Youtube channel here.

I’ve plenty more pictures to add but I haven’t got the time right now. I need to get some sleep! Tomorrow I’m up early again as I’m travelling to Newcastle to carry out a job for RAIL magazine. I’ll blog about some of what I get up to during the day…

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

Rolling blog. Another one of those days…

31 Monday Jul 2023

Posted by in Hs2, London, Politics, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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12:30.

What a great start to the week! I’m (slowly) heading down to London today ready to be in place to meet up with a friend as the pair of us will be looking at some of the “unachievable” HS2 construction works.

Not being in any rush I got some work done at home first, hoping the grim weather here in the Calder Valley would pick up and save me a soaking on the walk to the station. It didn’t. As I was engrossed in a phone call en-route I hadn’t checked how trains were running. The answer is – badly – which I only found out when I got to the station and checked the PIS. Apparently, there’s an obstruction on the line West of Todmorden that’s blocked both tracks. Most trains are cancelled with a few running to Hebden Bridge or Todmorden where buses will take us the rest of the way. The obstruction (whatever it is) is predicted to disrupt services until 17:30. Ho hum!

I’ll let you know how I get on and where I get to. This is going to be a long day…

13:00.

Hmm, plan B…

Having arrived at Hebden Bridge I had the option of waiting for the replacement bus service which wasn’t leaving for another 20 mins, or leaping onto a rammed York- Blackpool North service as far as Preston although I’d originally planned to get on the WCML at Warrington using the direct service to Chester. The train won.

I’m now wedged in a vestibule along with suitcases, prams and parents with offspring all heading for the seaside. I don’t envy them – the forecast for this week is crap!

Passing through Accrington. It’s grim up North…

14:40.

I’m finally heading in the right direction! I left my Northern service at Preston – as did many others which surprised me as I assumed the majority of folks were heading for Blackpool. Services on the West Coast seem to be in some disarray but I’ve no idea why at the moment. This time I’m unaffected and after getting a few shots in torrential rain joined the 14:18 Avanti Pendolino to Euston via Birmingham. It’s packed! So much for ‘no-one’s travelling by train anymore’. I’m perched on a tip-up seat by the toilets in coach D, although the friendly crew have told me the train’s due to empty after Crewe.

Approaching Wigan North Western.

15:50.

We’re just pulling out of Wolverhampton en-route to Birmingham. The weather’s will improved insomuch that it’s stopped raining and cloud level’s gained a few hundred feet, but that’s it. I’ll be changing trains and lines at New Street with the optimistic hope of getting some pictures. Let’s see.

18:50.

Apologies for the gap in blogging but I’ve been wandering around Birmingham getting pictures and soaking up the atmosphere. I’ve confessed this before but I really like the city. Its multiculturalism makes it a fascinating place to shop or just people-watch. Of course I was there for another reason too – which was to cast my eye over the ‘unachievable’ (according to much of the lazy UK media) HS2 work where progress looks anything other than unachievable! I’ll add a pic later. The weather was crap and I got a right soaking wating for the right moment but my patience was rewarded.

Now I’m chasing the storm that soaked me, heading South on a Chiltern Railways service as far as an old haunt – Leamington Spa. I can’t go all the way to Marylebone as the line’s closed due to engineering works. Instead I’ll be travelling via Oxford and Reading through to Paddington.

19:30.

The observant amongst you may have spotted the slight flaw in my plan. There are no trains running South of Leamington Spa at all – not just Chiltern ones. The line’s closed all week, which means I haven’t escaped the dreaded bustitution. Instead, I’m kicking my heels on a coach which will be leaving for Didcot in 15 mins. It’ll take just over an hour to get there. Ho ho hum…

To be fair, it’s an interesting experience. The staff (both rail and coach) have been excellent and everyone’s trying to make it as painless an experince as they can.

The Didcot coach is in pole position…

20:15.

So, here we are. Eight of us from Leamington rattling around on a coach to Didcot. Trying to put a gloss on it – at least I’m seeing parts of Leamington and the M40 I wouldn’t normally! To be honest it’s a relaxed journey. I’m in no hurry yo get anywhere. The rain’s cleared, leaving a lovely evening (although not great light for photography right now) so I’ll see how things turn out later.

21:15.

That was painless! Our driver’s estimate of 1hr 15m proved to be conservative, traffic was lighter than expected so we made it to Didcot in just over an hour. I didn’t hang around, much as I’d liked to have done as I have fond memories of the place – but it’s the wrong time of the day. Instead, I boarded GWR’s 21:04 stopping service to Paddington, just to enjoy the views and reminisce. I used to spend a lot of time on this route when I lived in London, but it’s not so easy when you live in West Yorkshire.

As you can see, this time of day my shuttle train isn’t exactly busy. The annoying thing? These electric trains should have been working to Oxford, not terminating at Didcot, but a certain Tory transport Minister (Chris Grayling) cancelled the project mid-stream.

21:45.

I’m now on one of GWRs express services to Paddington worked by another of those ‘unachievable’ schemes – the IEP project (see yesterday’s blog). I was tempted to jump on a slower Crossrail train (wasn’t that also ranked as ‘unachievable’? Ed) but getting there earlier allows me leeway to get some pictures at a station I don’t visit often enough nowadays. Paddington was always one of my favourites but then I’m old enough to remember it in the days of Wester region diesel-hydraulic locos like the ‘Hymek’ and ‘Western’ classes hauling old composite coach sets with buffet cars. It’s not quite the same anymore.

00:30.

Time to draw this blog to a close. There’s lots to talk about but it’s late and today’s another day. I’ll leave you with three ‘unachievable’ things. I’ve done today. Well. if you believe the mainstream media!

Here’s the ‘unachievable’ HS2 station at Birmingham Curzon Street earlier today.
Oh, this is the ‘unachievable’ Hitachi Class 800 that carried me from Reading to Paddington earlier.
I also took a trip on the ‘unachievable’ Crossrail (aka ‘Lizzy line) from Paddington to Farringdon earlier.

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

28th July picture of the day…

28 Friday Jul 2023

Posted by in London, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, Travel

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Today’s been another home based one here at Bigland Towers. I’d hoped the pair of us might have got out and about as Dee’s had the day off but it wasn’t to be as too many other things got in the way and time flew.

So I spent time on various household duties, work and watching the Tory party in London disintegrate on social media. The High Court threw out a challenge by five outer London boroughs (all Tory voting) to the Mayor of London’s extension to the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) from central London. Apparently, it’s OK to have a ULEZ in the central London boroughs where few people own a car, but woe betide a Labour Mayor who has the temerity to extend it to areas where the Tory voting middle classes who own multiple cars per family live. Don’t even ask how much this futile court challenge has cost taxpayers in the five Tory boroughs. Oh, and ignore the fact that ULEZ was originally planned by one Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson when he was London Mayor as that just doesn’t fit the narrative!

The Tories are desperate to make out that ULEZ disproportionately hits the poor (it doesn’t) which is quite a turn-up for the books as they’ve spent the past 13 years making the poor poorer. Still, there’s elections due in 2024 so they need every excuse they can grasp hold of. In London the Tories have selected an absolute no-hoper as their Mayoral candidate. Susan Hall was never anyone’s first choice but a succession of scandals meant it was Buggins turn. Said Buggins is a very right-wing, Brexit, Boris and Trump supporting individual who’s left a car crash all across social media – the ideal candidate for London Mayor (not). Nominating Hall as their London candidate is like nominating Enoch Powell as prospective MP for Golders Green. It just ain’t gonna happen! It’s no wonder the Tories are clinging on to ULEZ like shipwreck survivors to a lifebelt. There’s only one problem. ULEZ only affects 1 in 10 cars (and they have to be at least 17 years old) and that number’s dwindling all the time thanks to age and the Mayors scrappage scheme. By the time it comes to the Mayoral elections in May 2024 and the general election later that year this will be a non-issue.

Sad to say, but this whole episode brightened my day. Well, added to the fact the Ukrainians are making solid progress in ejecting the Russian invaders from their country, leading to even more internet tizzys by Russian trolls.

Now it’s time to wind down, ignore the world of geo and local politics and look forward to the weekend. So, I’ll leave you with a picture of the day which was inspired by a conversation I had earlier when I nipped up to our local pub to indulge in the Friday night quiz. Here are Dhows on the beach at Nungwi, Zanzibar on the 30th May 2001…

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

Rolling blog. Lincolnshire reprise…

26 Wednesday Jul 2023

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

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05:50.

If at first you don’t succeed…

It’s time for a day away form the office and out on the rails. But where to? I’ve several places on the list to tick off but – as often happens – I’m being governed by the weather forecast. East coast or West? The Midlands or London? The outlook’s promising on the East coast and I’ve unfinished business over in Lincolnshire, so Barton on Humber it is…

Feel free to keep popping in to see what I get up to today. Will I have the fun and games I had last time or will I actually make it onto the Barton branch this time?…

06:40.

Not a bad start. I’m on Northern’s 06:37 off Sowerby Bridge to Leeds via Bradford. I feel odd getting a Westbound train from here rather than Halifax but as its all downhill from home there are advantages! Around a dozen folk were waiting for the service which is worked by a 3-car class 195. There’s plenty of seats available so I’ve bagged a table. I’ll be curious to see how it fills up at Halifax.

06:45.

Between 35-40 people were waiting at Halifax, including one person requiring assistance to board so the guard’s deployed the collapsible ramp. As you’d expect this time of day most folk look like they’re on their way to work.

07:50.

Having reversed at Bradford Interchange my train to Leeds ended up comfortably full but not overcrowded. It certainly paid its way. Leeds station was starting to get busy but was easily navigable. The new barrier arrangements have created a lot more circulation space opposite the main stairs from the island platforms which has really eased the logjam that used to form. I was waiting there for my next train which was due in at platform 8.

No longer a logjam…

I was pleased to see this arrive, working the 06:56 from Skipton to London Kings Cross…

91106 looking very smart in its revised Intercity livery.

What I like about these old Mk4 sets is the still have a quiet coach behind the locomotive which is where I am now. The coach is rarely husy even when the rest of the train is – as is the case today. There’s only a dozen of us in here whilst the next car’s almost full.

I’m not going to count my chickens just yet, but today’s looking good. The weather’s certainly better than forecast with high hazy cloud and lots of sunshine. I only hope this holds up as I travel further East…

09:30.

Yet again, my time at Doncaster was extended by late running trains. Trans-Pennine maintained their reputation by being over 12 mins behind time at Doncaster. The reason given was a late-running freight train. I wouldn’t have minded if it wasn’t for the fact ‘Donny’ was quiet with little of interest to photograph. Even the railway works yard was bereft of stock apart from a few old coal hoppers.

I’m now chugging along through the flatlands of Lincolnshire East of Scunthorpe. The town’s steelworks seemed oddly quiet too with little trace of the smoke or steam that you’d expect from such a huge industrial location.

09:45.

I’ve just been for a wander through the train. Well, the rear 3-car set anyway. There’s only three of us in it!

Pick a seat, any seat…

Admittedly, I saw quite a few folk detrain at Donny but I’d have thought it would be busier than this. Have the bright lights and fleshpots of Cleethorpes lost their lustre I wonder? I’ll find out later. I’m off at the next stop – Grimsby…

11:00.

Nothing much has changed in Grimsby since I was here last. Platform 1’s still out of use (points failure) forcing folk to use the footbridge or queue for the lift from platform 2 which all services to/from Cleethorpes are using. TPE are still late. The service behind mine was still using the ‘stuck behind a late running freight train’ excuse. I wonder how long they’ll keep that up? I’ll look the services up later. Still, the sun’s shining and East Midlands Railway’s 11:08 to Barton on Humber is running, so that’s a plus. There’s new ticket machines on platform one and I stopped to admire the extra decorations…

13:45.

Made it – and the weather’s played ball too! My trip up the Barton branch took me as far as Barrow Haven where I left the train at a single platform station that’s bern totally rebuilt in the past year as the old one was subsiding. I’d chosen this location for two reasons. There’s a nice shot of the train crossing a bridge over an inlet and it’s also the start of a lovely walk that takes you along the edge of the Humber to Barton. The footpath’s sandwiched between the river and old, flooded claypits so the area’s a haven for wildlife as its covered in reeds. You also get a grandstand view of the Humber bridge as you walk up to it…

I’m now in Barton waiting for the train back to Cleethorpes after a really enjoyable walk and quick wander around the town. Judging by the amount of old or vacant shops it was obviously a prosperous place at one time but I expect the opening of the Humber bridge killed a lot of that. Even so, there’s still a lot of buildings of interest.

The station mirrors the town as its reduced in importance too. It’s a single platform station at the end of a long siding from New Holland. Only now it’s graced by East Midlands Railway 2 car, air conditioned Class 170s rather than the Northern (then EMR) single car Class 153s which were the lines staple stock for so many years.

Compare and contrast today’s view with this one, which was taken on my first visit to Barton in March 1990!

Despite the sparse service and unexceptional traction the line has appeal to railway enthusiasts who’re interested in history and signalling. New Holland was the site of a pier station for ferries across the Humber to Hull. Nowadays it’s a bulk port but two old signalboxes at Barrow Rd Crossing and Oxmarsh survive along with an array of semaphore signals (some new). At Oxmarsh Crossing you can even observe the single line token exchange between the signaller and driver – a rare sight nowadays.

The station at Goxhill’s also worth a visit. There’s a lovely old station building. Wooden level crossing gates and a well maintained signalbox.

17:25.

I retraced my steps as far As Grimsby where I paused to grab a last few pictures before catching a Trans-Pennine service Westwards. The good weather was turning as grey skies moved in so there was no point in hanging around. Well, until we got to Scunthorpe where I took a break in between trains to for a couple of lineside shots and a nearby Road Traffic Accident (RTA) where a car was on its roof in the middle of a main road. Welcome to Scunthorpe!

Now I’m aboard a Northern stopper from Scunny to Donny. The weather’s getting duller and looking like rain so I might just head home. I have the shots I need so there’s no point in hanging around.

20:44.

Home and dry – literally! By the time I arrived in Doncaster the rain was setting in and stayed with me all the way home. The light was so bad I put the camera away and relaxed and enjoyed the journey instead. There were quite a few cancellations of Calder valley services shown at Leeds so I took the ‘scenic’ route via Shipley to Forster Square then walked across town to Interchange. The homeless ‘tent city’ under the arches at Forster Square had disappeared but what was there was worse in many respects. Dozens of people were queuing for soup kitchens that had been set up just before I arrived. It’s a tragic sight that also makes me very angry. We’ve had 13 years of Tory Government. Instead of tackling this problem they’ve made it worse. But at least their donors are well fed, having trousered billions in dodgy PPE contracts during Covid, or enjoying their expense accounts as members of the House of Lords…

A story you won’t see in the media as so many of them are obsessed with the much more important story about Nigel Farage’s bank account…

I managed to find a train from Interchange that wasn’t cancelled and Dawn saved me a soaking by picking me up from the station. Now I’m fed and in the warm, relaxing and sorting out a few of today’s pictures for your delectation whilst watching the rain bouncing off the cottage windows. Here’s a taster of what I’ve been taking…

170514 crosses the Beck at Barrow Haven with a service to Cleethorpes. It’s a squeeze to fit a 2-car into the shot compared to the single car 153s that used to operate the line.
The Humber bridge seen from the coastal path near Barton on Humber.
A variety of work and leisure craft moored in Barton Haven with the Humber bridge beyond.
Old shopfronts in Barton on Humber.

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

Rolling blog. Lincolnshire loafing…

19 Wednesday Jul 2023

Posted by in Community rail, Lincolnshire, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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08:30.

It’s than two years ago that I was last exploring the coastline around Cleethorpes and the mouth of the Humber but changes to the railways have come (and gone) since. Trans-Pennine Express introduced their loco-hauled Mk5 sets to the route for a brief period, then just as quickly withdrew them. Meanwhile East Midlands Railway dispensed with their single-car Class 153s and replaced them on the Barton on Humber branch with something far more grand – Class 170 ‘Turbostars’. So, it’s time to head over that way and update my library and hopefully get some pictures for a client – subject to the weather behaving.

For the second day running, Dawn’s working from the Community Rail Network office in Nuddersfield, so I’m hitching a lift in with her to start my journey there. Feel free to keep popping back to see how the day unfolds…

0955.

Deciding to come to Huddersfield wasn’t my cleverest idea. I’d forgotten just how unreliable TPE services are nowadays. I’d have been quicker going from Halifax!

Arriving at the station I watched two Eastbound services come and go before I made it througb the barriers to the platform. A Newcastle bound train was timetabled to arrive a few minutes later but (TPE being TPE) the delays soon became to accrue. 5, then 10 then 15 mins. Finally, 19 mins late, 802201 arrived..

What kept you?

10:25.

I’m now heading for Doncaster after a fraught few minutes getting through Leeds. I’d planned to catch LNER’s 10:16 but congestion meant my TPE service was held outside the station for several minutes until a platform became vacant. I could see the 10:16 in the western bay (6) but my train sailed right through the station to the East end, making it impossible to reach 6 in time. Or so I thought. Fortunately, congestion delayed LNER too, so I made the train with a minute to spare!

10:40.

It’s going to be one of those days, isn’t it? I’ve just noticed that the train I’d hoped to catch from Donny to Cleethorpes was cancelled due to lineside cable theft – a problem once endemic but now (thankfully) rare. It’s affecting services to/from Sheffield which could put a damper on my day. Still, I’m going to have nearly an hour to watch what happens at Doncaster, and plan accordingly. There’s never a dull day on the railway…

12:45.

I should gave kept my mouth shut! We arrived at Doncaster 15 down due to more congestion. Then I found out the East Coast Main Line was seriously disrupted due to a train hitting a cow up in Northumberland. This is how the PIS looked.

Nice…

Trains were out of sync all over the place leading to lots of last-minute platform changes as signallers tried to deal with the congestion and confusion.

“The train now blocking platform 3 is going nowhere”…

Still, my enforced stay did offer some decent photographic opportunities. Such as of this beast heading to York.

Right now I’m on a TPE service crawling its way to Grimsby. I always forget just how slow the speeds are on this line. Needless to say – we’re running late and have just come to a halt at Harbrough during heavy rain. Yep, the forecast has let me down too. There was meant to be sunny spells this afternoon! Ho hum…

15:30.

What a classic day – for all the wrong reasons – but it’s a great example of the frustrations of this job. I arrived late at Grimsby Town to find that one of the two platforms was out of use due to a points failure. This was delaying trains to/from Cleethorpes as it’s a single line between the two. So I decided to stay on the train to Clee and see what the weather was like. It was crap. The heavy rain had passed over but the skies looked like they could deliver a deluge any minute. After grabbing a few shots I caught the same TPE service back to Grimsby as there were extra services to photograph and interesting features of the station to document, plus a footbridge which offered a decent view of the station and nearby level crossing. Having rushed to the footbridge to get shots of my train departing I noticed the barriers on the crossing remained closed. Yep, they’d failed too – cutting off a main road in the town centre!

There was nothing for me to do for half an hour other than take pictures but as Grimsby Town’s a station with some interesting architectural features that was no problem. My plan was to catch the late-running Barton branch train back to Cleethorpes, then do the full run. That plan soon collapsed at Cleethorpes when the train Conductor announced the return trip was only going as far as Ulceby (the Barton branch junction) due to yet another points failure!

It was at this point I decided a pint was in order. I’ve popped into a place I’ve never visited before. The ‘No1’ bar on Cleethorpes station.

It’s quite a blast fom the past to walk into a pub where the Frank Zappa track ‘Bobby Brown’ from his album ‘Sheik Yerbuoti’ is ringing out from the jukebox. And in Cleethorpes of all places!

So here I am kicking my heels in Cleethorpes. The Barton branch is out of the question. There’s train delays left, right and centre – yet the one bright spot (literally) is the weather as blue skies are rolling in from the East – only there’s nothing to photograph!

Here’s what I could have won. An EMR ‘Turbostar’ working the Barton branch.
Class 185s aplenty at Cleethorpes earlier.

19:00.

I’m now back in Leeds and heading home to Halifax after admitting defeat. The weather and railway physics conspired against me so the only sensible thing to do was head home – especially as trains aren’t exactly of a metro frequency in that neck of the woods. I caught the first available TPE service West to Doncaster where I picked up a little bonus in the shape of one of LNER’s old loco-hauled sets to transport me to Leeds.

Just to rub my nose in it, the further West I travelled, the more the weather improved! Like everywhere else cancellations were dogging services through Leeds so I didn’t hang around. Now I’m on a Leeds-Chester service which will carry me back to Halifax.

Today’s a good lesson in how poor regional services are in the North. By rail it’s just as quick for me to get from Halifax to London (170 miles) as it is to Cleethorpes (76 miles) – despite the disparity in distance. Plus, I don’t really have to think about planning a London trip because of the frequency of services, but when trains are only hourly and two hourly it becomes a very different proposition, especially when services go tits up!

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

9th July picture(s) of the day…

09 Sunday Jul 2023

Posted by in Calder Valley, Photography, Picture of the day, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Following yesterday’s less than athletic day this morning we decided to make the most of Sunday by walking from Sowerby Bridge to Hebden Bridge along the Rochdale canal – a walk we’ve not done together for ages. I packed us a *teacake lunch to take with us and we set off in gorgeous weather but in the knowledge thunderstorms were predicted for later in the day.

It was a lovely walk but the bizarre thing was that we didn’t see a single boat movement along the entire stretch of the canal. There were a few hired narrowboats around that were making their way back to the base at Sowerby Bridge, but there wasn’t a single boat that wasn’t moored up. The only action the canal saw (apart from one family in a canoe) was on the towpath which was busy with walkers and cyclists. Oh, and a bat. We couldn’t believe it when we first spotted the little critter on a stretch of the canal surrounded by woodland. But there it was – bold as brass – in the middle of the afternoon, circling and pirouetting over small section of canal as it chased and caught insects for lunch. I’ve seen Fruit Bats in Asia out during the day, but I’ve never seen British bats feeding like this. I couldn’t get any decent pictures, but I did manage to capture this video on my phone. Not easy!

Having stopped to eat a sandwich and watch the world go by at one of the locks East of Mytholmroyd we wer fortified enough to continue the walk into Hebden which was busy but not oppressively so. We explored some of the shops and main street before stopping to buy a drink at the White Swan pub then sit outside on the banks of the Hebden Beck to indulge in a spot of people watching.

Time flew. Before we knew it the weather had turned and the sky had darkened as the Thunderstorms predicted earlier headed our way. We’d already walked a fair distance so rather then getting soaked retracing our steps we decided to catch the train back to Sowerby Bridge and walk home from there. It was a good move as we managed to get ahead of the weather front and make it most of the way home without getting soaked. Well, on the outside anyway. We did make a minor detour into the Wainhouse Tavern where a group of friends were playing pool. I joined in for a few games whilst Dee provided the supportive audience!

Now the pair of us are back at home and it’s time to end the day – and week – in relaxation mode. But first I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the day. See you all tomorrow…

The canal can be quite spooky at times, especially when you come across abandoned mills and places like this at Luddendon foot.
Not a bad place to sit whilst you eat your sandwiches…
Hebden Bridge…

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

Rolling blog. Sunny railway rambling…

07 Friday Jul 2023

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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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.

Off one, onto another…

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!

“The train not arriving at platform 7″…
Appearing to have been freshly painted in TfW livery but not yet rebranded 67008 leaves Crewe for Shrewsbury and Cardiff.

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!

The first building I saw outside the station. Great top floors – shame about the awful shopfront.
My carriage awaits. Going from Walsall to Wolverhampton the long way round via Birmingham New St.

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.

A pair of the new Class 730s (730040 and 730004) on test between Crewe and Nuneaton, seen at Rugeley Trent Valley.
390112 begins to accelerate after being brought to a halt at Rugeley Trent Valley by a signal check.
The joy of a Cross-Country Voyager on a Friday afternoon…

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

29th June picture of the day…

29 Thursday Jun 2023

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Turkey, West Yorkshire

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Here I am, almost in July – wondering where the bloody hell the year’s going! 2023’s certainly had its interesting moments so far, but I feel that I’ve a long list of things I want to do/see/achieve and I’m only scratching the surface in a race against time.

I’d intended to get out and about today but realised I’d more than enough things to do here at Bigland Towers – especially as I had a couple of hours set aside this afternoon to be part of a ‘Zoom’ seminar. Us Community Rail judges have made ourselves available on 2-hour long scheduled Q&A sessions to help people with their entries for the CRN awards. After the last one I’d contemplated holding the surgery whilst I was travelling but that wouldn’t have been fair on those popping in as you just know technology would let you down at the crucial moment.

So, I stayed at home, ignored the good(ish) weather and edited loads of pictures and dealt with paperwork instead. You can find the latest batch of pictures in the following galleries. Railway stations are here, whilst railway infrastructure and engineering is here. Borth galleries relate to my travels yesterday.

This evening I’ve been busy in the kitchen, giving Dawn a break after her culinary endeavors on our Norfolk holiday. Tonight’s effort was batch-cooking Thai green curry with chicken, which should keep us well fed for a few days and the freezer topped up for the future.

Of course, tomorrow’s another day. Will I make it out anywhere? Let’s wait and see. In the meantime, here’s today’s picture. As I was wading through the archives earlier I realised there’s one batch of pictures I still haven’t done anything with. These are the transport pictures from our visit to Turkey nearly two months ago. Eventually, they’ll go in their own gallery on my Zenfolio website, but for now, here’s a taste.

Modern trams in Sultanhamet Square. If only more cities had this greener form of transport.

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

Rolling blog. More Trans-Pennine (TRU) changes in West Yorkshire.

28 Wednesday Jun 2023

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel, TRU, West Yorkshire

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11:30.

The weather’s finally picking up. Well, it’s stopped raining – so I’m off to have a look at recent work on the Trans-Pennine route upgrade (TRU) for the afternoon.

Having walked down to Sowerby Bridge station I fear I may be overdressed as it’s far warmer and muggier than the forecast suggested, shorts and a vest top would have been better than walking pants, polo shirt and a denim jacket. Today may get sweaty!

I’m currently aboard Northern’s 11:22 to Leeds made up of a pair of Class 158s. I’m not going to complain as the air-conditioning’s welcome! Next stop is Batley, then Morley…

Feel free to pop back and see what I get up to during the day…

11:40.

Our first stop was at Brighouse where I spied half a dozen members of the station friends group buzzing around keeping the place clean and maintaining the garden and planters. The station looks stunning at the moment as everything’s in summer bloom. I really need to pop in and get some pictures whilst I can.

Network Rail have been busy too. Sections of the old 4-track route towards Huddersfield have had some serious vegetation clearence carried out. The work’s removed many large trees and opened up views lost for 30-40 years, as well as having made the lineside safer.

14:00.

Time for a break. Detraining at Batley I walked to the site of Lady Anne Crossing, a former road level crossing that’s been reduced to a foot crossing for several years. It was guarded by one of the last operational signalboxes in West Yorkshire, but it was abolished last weekend as it’s been replaced with a footbridge as part of the TRU. Here’s a few pictures.

Looking across to the ramp that’s been built out of the old GNR railway embankment to allow level access to the footbridge from the Eastern side of the railway. Work’s still in progress to create steps as a shortcut, finish some fencing and minor works as well as landscaping.
Seen from the new footbridge, a TPE Class 185 bound for Manchester crosses the site of the old foot crossing. Not the new bi-directional signalling which has been commissioned during the blockade.
The new footbridge. This was installed by a rail-mounted crane in four lifts over two days.
The decommissioned signalbox. This leaves Horbury Junction box near Wakefield as the last operational signalbox in West Yorkshire.

Next stop was at the new station at Morley which opened on Monday after a 9 day blockade of the line which also allowed the work at Batley to be completed. Well, I say completed – neither is as there’s still cosmetic and other work to be done but the point is the facilities they were replacing have closed. TRU staff have worked hard to get these improvements done on time and the new station at Morley is a great improvement on the cramped old station.

The site of the old station. The footbridge and Huddersfield bound platform have already been demolished and track through the site relaid.
A stopping service from Leeds to Huddersfield pulls out of the new station. As can be seen, there’s still a lot of work to be completed. The footbridge has temporary steps and no lift towers.
Looking down from the footbridge onto the new platforms at Morley.
A TPE service from Huddersfield to Leeds calls at the new platform 1.

16:15.

Things haven’t entirely gone to plan! After a brief stop at Dewsbury to upload pictures and avoid showers I caught a TPE service to Huddersfield and back to check out TRU work as things change on a weekly basis. At the moment a worksite’s being set up West of Deighton where two rail overbridges are to be replaced. The new signalling that’s been commissioned streches East from LNW junction by Ravensthorpe to beyond Morley. Huddersfield itself remains little changed – at the moment. I was only intending to change trains at Dewsbury in order to head back to Brighouse but I got caught up in 30 plus minute delays due to kids trespassing on the lines I’d only just traversed. Now I’m finally on a delayed Northern service heading in the right direction.

21:30.

I stopped off in Halifax en-route to home for a swift libation at the Meandering Bear, a bar in town where some neighbours work. As they were both in I ended up chatting and the swift beer turned into two. Oops!

Name your poison…

Back home I was on cooking duty, learning to use our new Ninja air-fryer. Dawn’s already converted but I’ve yet to get to grips with it, although after a couple of tries I have to say I’m impressed.

I’ll get the hang of it, eventually…

Now it’s time to relax. Tomorrow’s another day.

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 coffeegot ! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312