To the Midlands from the North

I was attending the TVNAM all USA model railway exhibition at Rugeley the other weekend but leading up to it was out on my travels. I'd been in Newcastle but was stopping at one of my favourite spots, The Premier inn at Hartlepool Marina in the North East of England. the harbour is full of fascinating boats to photograph but best of all the former North Eastern Railway line between Stockton and Newcastle is only 100 yards away.

Although very quiet compared to earlier times when coal and steel trains passed constantly it still passes an hour videoing and photographing. (there is also a Real ale bar on the station!)

GBRF class 66 66 751 'Inspiration delivered' trundles through the S curve with a Drax bound hopper train



Express trains are handled by Grand Central Railway HSTs in their distinctive black and orange livery. The power cars are the former 'Surrogate' ones that were fitted with conventional buffers


43 480 is seen departing on a Sunderland- London Kings Cross class 1

GBRF 'Celebrity' class 66- 66 721 'Harry Beck' in its distinctive white livery brings empty hoppers back from Drax to Tyneside



The following morning it returned south



More in a mo
Kev

 

I was down at Seaton Carew the following morning and one of the things I wanted to see was the Brent Delta rig that had been brought to Seaton for dismantling. Loaded on the Pioneering spirit cargo ship the whole ensemble weighed a staggering 24,200 tonnes. Bizarrely it now looks as if it has been left in a field



Just up from it is the sole surviving signalbox in the area Greetham



video for this bit of the journey at



...

 

So..

the following morning with the layout loaded in the car I shot up to 'The white bridge' in Askam as we were hauling the 'Three peaks challenge' charter train. This was full of hardy souls ascending the three highest mountains in the U.K for charity in three days. We had allocated 37 605 and 609 for the job with a rake of coached in the classic railblue/grey colour scheme



Once I had filmed the return empty stock returning to Barrow for servicing it was time to hit the M6 and head south to Rugeley in Staffordshire to set up the show. the plan was to spend a couple of hours at Rugeley Trent Valley station on the former LNWR line. This is a real race track with Virgin Pendolinos and Voyagers, GBRF and Freightliner intermodals blasting past at line speed while on the single line between the station and Rugeley Town local services potter about.

Main loco hauled power are the EMD built Class 66 Co-Cos that are widespread through the U.K. A pair of Freightliner examples head north on a container train that originated at Southampton docks



One of GBNRfs is hauling a CWR (continous welded rail) delivery from Toton to Crewe basford haul



Freightliner are still using the venerable Class 86 electrics on Intermodal trains to Trafford Park and 86 605 and 86 628 are really motoring northbound



Kev

 

GE's hideous looking Class 70 s are also common. God knows what the designers were thinking of



The Royal mail class 325 postal EMUs struggle to find work some weeks but a couple blasted through at teatime



And a GBRF Class 66 brings an empty Car train past



The video for this bit at



I'll start a thread on TVNAM over on the Inspection Pit shortly

Cheers

Kev

 

The box is still manned and active thankfully. Although everybody assumes that all signal boxes are under threat on my line, The Cumbrian Coast, they are recruiting signallers in anticipation of the line going 24/7 next year. Going to get busy!!
Kev

 

Sadly no, If the proposed ERTMS on board signalling comes to pass there won't be any need for signals at all! It will all be onboard the train.

I'll start a separate thread on the boxes of the Furness line and Cumbrian Coast to show just what a variety we have up here.

watch this space!

Kev