The End of Steam

It was forty years ago today that the last steam hauled train ran under British Railways - 1T57 The 'Fifteen Guinea' Special. Although this brought the curtain down on standard gauge steam in the UK and many thought it would never return to the main line, steam has never died. In fact it is perhaps ironic that now the preservation and heritage railway movement is more lively than ever and there is a full programme of steam-hauled excursions on the mainline year round.

A brief look at the re-run of 1T57 with Oliver Cromwell I found on the BBC News web site and is worth a look: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7553483.stm

Finally, a favourite photograph from my own collection of 34067 Tangmere storming through Fareham with the 'Southern Phoenix' last July, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the End of Steam on the Southern:

Long live steam!

Visit to Nuneaton PSB

Last Thursday I went on a visit with other members from the local Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) branch to Nuneaton Power Signal Box (PSB). The photo above is a close-up of the station area on the Panel. This is an Entry Exit Panel with the signaller setting the route by pressing or pulling the buttons (I can't remember which!) shown. Once the route is set the track circuits light up in green. When occupied by a train, they turn red and the small rectangular boxes that appear blank in this view will be populated with the 4 character alpha-numeric description of that train.


Nuneaton Box was opened in 1963 and will be abolished at the end of August 2008 as part of the West Coast modernisation programme with control moving to Rugby Signalling Control Centre (SCC). Other boxes to be abolished include Coventry, Rugby PSB, Bletchley and Watford - all of these with the exception of Coventry which has already closed, will be abolished in the next 4 years. Already the two lines nearest Nuneaton PSB are controlled from Rugby SCC and these serve the cross country route from Leicester to Birmingham New Street.


The view above shows the full extent of Nuneaton Panel. The station area is to the left of the Panel, with the West Coast mainline across the top of the Panel and a continuation of the four main running lines shown at the bottom. The area of control fringes with Rugby to the south (around Brinklow) and north to Tamworth. The Panel also controls the branch to Coventry (roughly centre in this picture - the two lines diverging from the WCML). The original box ended approximately where the clock is in this view, with an extension added later. The Panel itself also includes an extension, for control as far Colwich but ultimately this was never realised.


Seen on the evening were the usual diet of Virgin Pendolino's and London Midland Desiro's as well as Cross Country 170s on the Birmingham-Leicester axis. Freight wise it was more interesting with Scotrail 90024 piloting EWS 92004 and almost unique 60007 in the defunct Loadhaul livery. There was some drama a little later with a report that train 1V71, a Cross Country Voyager was on fire at Birmingham New Street. Needless to say New Street was evacuated and Virgin Pendo's made additional stops at Nuneaton as a result. The incident couldn't have been serious as 1V71 was on the move a short while later heading ECS back to Central Rivers.


It was a thoroughly interesting evening and fascinating watching trains on the move both on the Panel and from an excellent vantage point in the PSB.

Out and about in London

I chose the above image of a Metropolitan Line tube train at Amersham to illustrate just how far it is possible to travel on the London Underground system. Amersham, is the furthest point west on the Underground although branches also run to Chesham and Watford. Beyond Amersham, Chiltern Railway run to Aylesbury, whereas the Underground runs just a short distance to the turnback sidings, before heading back into Central London.

The day of my London trip was 21 June - the longest day - although any hopes of fine weather were immediately dashed as a drizzle had set in before I left home to catch the 0757 London Midland service from Bletchley to London Euston. Despite the attempts of leaden grey skys which hardly lifted all day and an 'incident' with an officious member of Underground staff at Amersham, I had an enenjoyable day out. What follows is a brief piece on my travels during the day, which took me on an idiosyncratic and varied journey across London using train, tube, tram, DLR and bus.

At Bletchely I noted that Virgin's Pendolino's were using Bletchley Junction just to the south of the station to cross from the down fast to the down slow and conversely from the up slow to the up fast. 390046 Virgin Soldiers and 390014 were both observed snaking their way acros the junction. This is unusual as far as I know as most passenger services using Ledburn Junction further south. Passing through the station ahead of my service was 92001 in its striking EWS livery on southbound containers.

Passing Wembley Central I noted 66207 (light engine) and 92001 (again!), which my train overtook having been routed onto the up fast from Watford Junction. In Wembley Yard noted werre 66140, 90026 and 66051. Others were present but these were the only ones that I can definitely confirm.

Arrival in London was slightly ahead of schedule and seeing as the Caledonian Sleeper was still in Platform 1, I took myself over there to grab a couple of shots of EWS 90018 at the buffers; 90039 was at the ‘country’ end to take the empty stock to Wembley. An 'old friend' 57306 Jeff Tracy was present at Euston, stabled between platforms 16 and 17. 57306 I have seen so many times that I have lost count, whenever I see a Virgin Thunderbird it seems to almost invariably be this one!

Euston itself was very quiet, with only a Virgin Pendolino shuttle operating to Northampton due to closure of the WCML for engineering works at Rugby, in addition to the normal London Midland and London Overground services. From 28 June, Virgin is due to start an hourly service between Euston and Birmingham International using Voyagers routed via Willesden and Greenford onto the Chiltern Line and onwards to Coventry and Birmingham International. There was nothing I could see at Euston to advertise this fact and indeed the PA was advising intending passengers of other routes from London including the Marylebone - Birmingham Moor Street route to avoid the replacement buses from Northampton to Birmingham International.

From Euston my first trip of the day in London was on the 68 bus to Waterloo, a route that I came familiar with during my brief time working in London last year. A brief stop at Ian Allan’s before taking the Bakerloo to Embankment from where it was the District Line out to Earl’s Court. I arrived here just in time for the fire alarm test! The service form Earl’s Court to Kensington (Olympia) – the addition of the brackets I had not noticed before – was not running so it was a brisk walk round to West Brompton to see 220013 heading north on the 0915 Brighton to Birmingham New Street.

I took the London Overground from West Brompton to Willesden Junction (High Level) and then back towards Central London on the Bakerloo (again) to Marylebone. Comfort break here and a chance to get photos of Chiltern’s 165 and 168s plus 67023 and 67025 top and tailing WSMR’s 1215 service to Wrexham. Marylebone was a good deal busier than Euston and I had about half-hour before my train to Harrow-on-the-Hill. I alighted here for a brief leg stretch before getting the Metropolitan Line to Amersham. I took some photos around Amersham before I was told by a rather officious although polite member of LU staff that taking photos on the Underground was prohibitied due to the terrorist threat, utter nonsense as it happens but nevertheless I decided to get the next tube back to Central London.

I crossed down to Victoria to catch the 1420 Southern service to Epsom, which I alighted from at Mitcham Eastfields. This station has only recently opened and in a joint-promotion Southern and First Capital Connect were offering free tickets to selected destinations from here. Finding this out was more by chance, as it only appeared to be advertised on the Southern web site and presumably in the local press; there was certainly no publicity at the station and the ticket machine seemed happy to sell full-priced tickets, although free ones were available from the ticket office adjacent! The station was built to a modular design and looks smart and functional. The lifts on the footbridge were not working and crossing between the two staggered platforms over the very busy Eastfields Road is far from ideal. The best opportunity appears to be waiting for a train and then taking your chances while the gates are down!

A round about trip took me back to London Bridge with a stop in East Croydon for a quick tram ride and some more photos. This was a first for me - the first time that I've taken tram pics. What next buses! From London Bridge it was a short hop on the Northern Line to Bank to pick up the DLR, which took me, via a change at Westferry to Beckton. This is the first time that I have travelled the full length of this leg of the DLR, previously only being as far as Custom House and means that I’ve now completed the whole network, although there will of course be the extension to Woolwich Arsenal, due to open in 2009. Beckton though seems an odd terminus and as far as I could make out it is not close to anything other than an Asda supermarket across the road. The station is one of the more spartan on the network. I was particularly struck by the innovative design Beckton Park and Cyprus DLR stations, which are housed in the centre of roundabouts. A trip back on this line is definitely required to photograph these unusual stations.

From Beckton, another change of mode with the bus taking me to Stratford for the Central Line back to Holborn. My final journey for the day was from Holborn on the bus to Euston in time for the 1854 to Northampton. This was formed of 321420 and 321430. The 321s are beginning to look rather shabby especially as they are shorn of any company identification since London Midland has not applied any branding after removing the Silverlink Trains names. Some still retain Silverlink Trains branding on posters inside although most of these have either been blanked out or replaced with London Midland stickers. The 321s are due to be replaced next year by more 350s with some of the 321s expected to go to First Capital Connect, so they could well be still serving London for a good many years yet.

All this was achieved on an ordinary One Day Travelcard with Oyster pay-as-you-go used for the journeys on the Underground outside of Zone 6. If I’d had more time journeys up the Chesham and Watford branches of the Metropolitan Line would have been done but alas these will have to wait till next time!

1968 and all that

I went to the National Railway Museum's '1968 & all that' event on Friday and was to be fair a little disappointed. I was expecting something on the scale of 2004's Railfest but I guess that was being a little unrealistic. Interestingly the weather was almost identical to that day four years ago being an accompaniment of overcast, grey skies and feeling warm nonetheless.

The main feature of the event was the line-up of 7029 Clun Castle, 70013 Oliver Cromwell and 92220 Evening Star, three very fine engines and each with a special place in the last days of steam. Clun Castle was the last steam locomotive to leave Paddington, Oliver Cromwell was one of the engines used to haul the '15 Guinea Special' on 11 August 1968 bringing the curtain down on mainline steam on British Rail, whilst Evening Star was the last steam locomotive to be built for British Rail, being completed at Swindon Works in 1960. Seeing the latter two locomotives together was quite a sight and standing beside Cromwell, which was in light steam, it was easy to imagine the power and majesty of this fine engine at full throttle. Although I am far too young to remember the last days of steam, seeing sights such as these magnificent locos lined up can't not make me wonder what those last days must have been like.

As well as these grand examples of steam, there was a selection of smaller and nonetheless important locos on display, including Trangkil, the last UK commercially built steam locomotive, completed in 1971. Not just steam either as examples of the diesel and electric traction that was introduced to modernise Britain's railways in the 1950s and 60s were also represented with D1023 Western Fusilier, 31018 and electric traction by E3035.

Despite the 1968 and all that event being less than what I expected, the rest of the NRM remains as visually arresting and interesting as ever. Indeed, there seems much more there now than when I last visited, with the new Search Engine facility open and access to more of the National Collection in the Warehouse.

Where else could you see such a fine collection of locomotives, rolling stock and a visual and physical record of the long and proud history of railways? It may be the largest railway collection in the world but I also feel it is a treasure trove, which the whole nation should be proud of and worth a visit at any time.

Who says the current railway scene is boring?

321404 at Wolverton, 9 May 2008

One of the oft-repeated criticisms that I hear from railway enthusiasts is that the modern railway isn't that interesting or lacks the appeal that it once did. I've never been a subscriber to this view and while I doubt that current railway operations can combine with the awesome spectacle of steam and railways in their heyday, there is nevertheless plenty to be seen and enjoyed.

An often complaint is that the railways today are just a dull diet of multiple units with 66s dominating freight. Well, I grew up in Portsmouth, where seeing anything other than a slam-door was a rarity! I do have vague memories of seeing a Class 08 taking empty stock out of Portsmouth Harbour and the occasional sighting of 31s, 47s and 50s but these were only occasional visitors, as I recall and certainly by the late 80s, it was wholly a diet of multiple units of one sort or another, mostly in blue and grey. By contrast, today's railways are far more interesting with a plethora of liveries, different operating companies and seemingly endless reformations of stock and other modifications. There is, I would argue still plenty to see.

To prove the point, I spent just over two hours yesterday evening at Wolverton station and during that time I either noted or photographed, a pair of 90s, two 92s, numerous 321s, 350s and 390s, 325s on the mail, a 221, 56 and just one 66. That is nine different classes of multiple unit/locomotive in 2 hours, not bad I think! For me also the railways are more than just the trains that run on the rails and I think many enthusiasts loose sight of this. I am equally interested in the infrastructure, how the network operates and fits together, the stations, history of lines and the people that operate the railways. There is much more to see and enjoy than just noting train numbers or recording the passing of trains.