‘Scene’ on the rails in Todmorden on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Friend Peter Rose supplied the images for this blog for which I thank him.

 

Todmorden is a market town in the Upper Calder valley in West Yorkshire.

 

The railway came to the town in 1841 when the ‘Manchester and Leeds Railway’ (M&LR) started services.

 

Evolving through various mergers to become part of the ‘London Midland & Scottish Railway’ in 1923 and ‘British Railways’ in 1948.

 

We come up to date with the modern station being part of the railway network being managed by ‘Northern Rail’.

 

158754 & 153324 ‘Northern Rail’. BREL Derby built and Leyland built Diesel Multiple Units

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Working the 09-17 Leeds to North Western-Leeds.

 

The flowers are very attractive.

 

 

 

 

150115 &150103 ‘Northern Rail’. BREL York built Diesel Multiple Units

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 2N94 the 08-53 Kirkby to Blackburn.

 

 

 

 

195005 & 195013 ‘Northern Rail’. CAF (Spain) built  Diesel Multiple Units

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 1D74 the 09-42 Leeds to Chester.

 

 

 

 

158845 & 153331 ‘Northern Rail’. BREL Derby built  and Leyland built Diesel Multiple Units

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Working 2l07 the 0854 Wigan North Western-Leeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

60096 ‘RAILFREIGHT’.

Brush built diesel electric locomotive

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

‘Scene’ Within the Environment on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Anyone who studies the transport press will be aware that magazine editors like to publish images of trains, buses and aircraft ‘Within the Environment’ (WtE).

 

That means that apart from the subject which is generally reduced in size, the viewer also gets to see the background which will include all manner of items such as fields, hills, trees, people, animals, other similar subjects, street furniture, railway infrastructure etc, etc. The list goes on. 

 

My approach has always been to crop tight to the subject, after all that’s what people are looking at, or is it ? 

 

At least that’s what I have always thought.

 

However after much discussion wth friend Peter Rose and others I am prepared to try to give the ‘WtE’ approach a try.

 

This blog then, using images ‘borrowed’ from Peter and used with his permission is a trial of the ‘Within the Environment’ philosophy. 

 

It will be interesting to see in the statistics I get from ‘Flickr’ how it is received by your goodselves.

 

If you like it, keep clicking on the image which will translate itself into views that the images have achieved.

 

46229 ‘Duchess of Hamilton’ ‘British Railways’ LMS Crewe built Express Passenger Loco /1

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Could this be the ultimate train ‘WtE’ image?? (More later).

 

Pictured coming North approaching Dent station On the Settle-Carlisle line.

 

 

 

 

 Class 387 ‘Gatwick Express’ No. 387226. Adtranz (Derby) built EMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Pictured approaching Clapham Junction.

 

 

 

Class 153 ‘Northern Rail’ No. 153317. Leyland built Class 155 Super Sprinter DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Subsequently re-worked by Hunslet Barclay into single car Class 153’s.

 

Pictured Leaving New Holland, passing Barrow Road signal box on the Barton-on-Humber branch.

 

 

 

Class 166 ‘First Great Western’ No. 166208. BREL York built ‘Turbo Sprinter’

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Pictured coming off the Birmingham to Worcester Shrub Hill and beyond line to run into Worcester Foregate Street station.

 

 

 

Class 156 ‘Northern Rail’ No.156438. Metro-Cammell built Super Sprinter DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured arriving at Lealholm on the Middlesborough-Whitby line.

 

 

 

 

Class 158 ‘Scotrail’ No 158707. BREL Derby built Express Sprinter DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Seen leaving Achnasheen and heading East towards Inverness.

 

 

 

 

46229 ‘Duchess of Hamilton’ ‘British Railways’ LMS Crewe built Express Passenger Loco /2

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Yes folks, it finally made it !

 

Pictured coming North approaching Dent station On the Settle-Carlisle line.

 

 

‘Scene’ at Nottingham railway station on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

It is now almost a couple of years since Nottingham’s Railway Station was re-vamped and things seem to have settled down nicely.

 

Very much the preserve of ‘East Midland Trains’ with a regular service from ‘Arriva Cross Country’ to the West Midlands and the hourly service provided by ‘Northern Rail’ to Sheffield and Leeds.

 

 

 

 

Class 43 052 ’East Midland Trains’ HST Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

Class 222 021 ’East Midland Trains’ Meridian Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

Class 153 381 ’East Midland Trains’ Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

Class 156 415 ’East Midland Trains’ Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

Class 158 847 ’East Midland Trains’ Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

Class158 864 ’East Midland Trains’ Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

Class158 856 ’East Midland Trains’ Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

Class 170 114 ‘Arriva Cross Country’ Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

Class 170 114 ‘Arriva Cross Country’ Diesel Multiple Unit /2

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

Class 158 850 ‘Northern Rail’ Diesel Multiple Unit

on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

‘Scene’ at Meadowhall on the Rails

Meadowhall on the outskirts of Sheffield is a major shopping complex serving the needs of  Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley.

Built at the side of the M1, it is very well provided with transport links boasting its own passenger interchange served by trams, trains and of course buses. The bus scene was dealt with in an earlier 'blog' dated 22nd. March 2015.

There are four platform faces. Two on the mainline which runs East to West linking Sheffield with Rotherham, Doncaster and beyond and two where the line North to Barnsley, Leeds and further North diverges from the mainline.

 

144011 and 153331

 

Both in Northern Rail (NR) colours

 

Are seen standing in platforms 1 and 2 with the Class 144 heading into Sheffield. 

 

Most of the services are run by  ‘NR’ but ‘First TransPennine’ (FTP) also call and ‘Cross Country‘ (CC) run through.

144018

 

Another Class 144 in ‘NR’ colours is seen leaving platform 3 and is about to turn onto the main line into Sheffield.

 

The Class 144’s date from 1986/7 and were built by a combination of ‘British Rail Engineering Ltd’ (BREL) in Derby and by Walter Alexander of Falkirk in Scotland who supplied the bodies.

 

They have been refurbished a number of times but seem set to continue for sometime yet.

158797

 

Again liveried for ‘NR’.

 

Another product of ‘BREL’ at Derby. Built between 1989 and 1992 seen approaching platform 1 heading into Sheffield.

 

Amongst the various DMU classes, these are my personal favourite’s being fast, warm and comfortable.

 

144011

Is seen running into platform 1. These 4 wheel units together with the similar Class 142’s have had some bad press over the years due to ‘rough riding’.

Whilst by the nature of their design, they are not as smooth as bogied stock. I have found that their performance varies according to the state of the track. On welded rail, they are acceptable whilst on jointed rail they are poor. That however is a reflection on the trackwork, not the unit.

 

142088

Running into platform 2 heading East. The 142’s were a development of the earlier Class 141. 

 

185 151

Of ‘FTP’ calls at platform 2 on its way to Doncaster and then Cleethorpes. Known as ‘Desiro’s, the units were built in Germany by Siemens.

They entered service in 2006/7.

 

142017

 

Another Class 142 resting at Platform 2 on its way East.

 

221008

 

Originally operated by ‘Virgin’ as the Virgin Voyager. It still retains the ‘Voyager name but the franchise moved to ‘CC’ trains some years ago.

 

144009

Another of the BREL/Alexander Class 144’s at Platform 2 again.

 

I sometimes feel that the so called North/South divide is for real when I see the wide range of elderly and sometimes unsuitable rolling stock that is foisted onto Northern passengers.

Particularly when I see the new shiny trains that Southern England enjoys in abundance.

 

Tram 122

 

The South Yorkshire ‘Stagecoach Supertram’ terminates at Meadowhall. The close proximity to the main railway line is shown in this view as tram 122 approaches the end of its journey.

The image shows clearly the ‘South West Trains’ inspired livery.

 

The overhead catenary shows up well.

 

Tram 116 which carries an overall advert for ‘East Midland Trains’ (EMT). 

 

‘EMT’, ‘Southwest Train’s and the’ Supertram’ operation are part of the ‘Stagecoach’ group.

‘Scene’ at Norwich

Earlier this year, I had a day out on the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) which runs from Sheringham via Weybourne to Holt. The day was a father’s day outing paid for by my son Andrew and his wife Joy.

 

We got there by way of ‘East Midland Trains’ from Nottingham to Norwich and then by ‘abellio-greateranglia’ to Sheringham.

 

158812

This unit carried us to Norwich. The journey was painfully slow, arriving something in the region of 50 minutes late.

 

The Class 158 is a product of Derby works being built between 1989 and 1992.Totaling 182 units built, they are my favourites amongst the various modern diesel units being fast (normally), warm and comfortable.

 

Norwich is at the end of a fast connection into London terminating at Liverpool Street.

 

The services are run with class 90 electric loco’s and Mark 3 coaches in push-pull mode with the loco at the London end.

 

The Class 90’s were built at Crewe between 1987 and 1990. there were 50 of this Bo-Bo design built to replace many of the earlier electric loco classes such as the 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85‘s which dated back to the 1960’s.

 

90013

 

Although not currently named, it has in the past carried ‘ The Law Society’ and ‘The Evening Star: Pride of Ipswich 1885 to 2010-125 years of serving Suffolk’.

 

 

90008 'The East Anglian'.

 

90012 'Royal Anglian Regiment'.

The coaches used are standard Mark 3’s which are a comfortable ride.

 

The ‘country end’ of these trains is provided with a Driving Van Trailer (DVT). The batch of which 82152 is a member of were built by Derby works in 1988. Used initially by  ‘Virgin Rail’ on the West Coast Main Line before being cascaded East with the introduction of the Pendolino fleet on that route.

170 273

 

Seen on the buffer stops at Norwich. Another Derby product. One of a batch of 4 sets (170 270 to 273) built by Bombardier in 2002 specifically for the then ‘Anglia Railways’ Norwich -Peterborough services.

 

 

156 416

 

Seen at Sheringham after carrying us there from Norwich. Another product of the late 1980’s this time built by Metro Cammell and designated as a ‘Super Sprinter’. One of 114 two car sets produced.

 

Operating Norwich-Great Yarmouth shuttles due to a lack of suitable DMU’s were a pair of  ‘Direct Rail Services’ (DRS) Class 47 loco’s operating in top and tail mode with a couple of ‘DRS’ liveried coaches. These were the first ‘DRS’ livered coaches I had seen.

 

The history of the Class 47’s is to long to recount in any detail here. Suffice to say, they were a product of the 1950/60’s and became one of the most successful of the U.K. diesel classes produced.

 

Produced by Brush and powered by engines that were built by Sulzer of Swiss origin.

 

47 501 ‘Craftsman’

 

 

47 805 ‘John Scott 12.5.45-22.5.12’

 

A 2 car unit was made up by coupling two Class 153’s together. In this case 153335 (named Michael Palin) and 153314.

 

Andrew spotted this. Norwich possesses neither subway or footbridge access......!