A Deltic on the 'Park ?

No way ! You'll be tellin' me next that 55022, the big daddy of English Electric's was being hauled by big brother 40145....

On a Mission

Here's 37510 storming past Saltley Viaduct back in May, with a Pandrol Jackson stoneblower in tow. DRS Anglia on a mission.
Not the sharpest of shots but she was doing 90mph...

The beast at Walmley

Just so that this blog doesn't feel left out, here's 37410 with a light load from Birch Coppice.

It's that silver machine again

On the Birch Coppice trip on Thursday...

Bombs away

DRS loco's 37688+37510 roll down towards Daw End past the repaired landslip site on the Sutton Park line on Wednesday, with the flask service 6M56 for Crewe.

Queen of Scots

An old set of coaching stock headed by 31452+31454 seen passing Washwood Heath No.1 box in gloomy weather this afternoon. A third loco, 31128, brought up the rear. This was the Worcester to Derby leg of the tour...
Apologies for the iffy shot !

A proper christening

Bescot's new look get's a dowsing of real clag with 47813 at the helm of 1Z70 with 47810 on the rear. Taken on 15.09.07
BEASTS !

A "Western" at West Brom !

Not very far from it's old haunts on the ex-GWR lines at West Bromwich, Class 52 loco D1015 Western Champion powers past Spon Lane in the fading light yesterday evening at around 1940, with the up "Cambrian Coast Express", and boy was she a-shiftin' !

The last loco at Saltley shed

... was removed via low-loader at midday on Wednesday. 
47791 had stood withdrawn here for the last four years, in it's final
 livery (RES red), and minus nameplates 
(Venice Simplon Orient Express). Apparently the loco is to be restored to working order at Eastleigh...
Saltley depot was closed in March this year.

Life Of Brians

31285 & 31602 add to the yellow of tonights sundown at Walsall . Late trip out for me & thanks to The Guru.
Seen here at 20.07 on a Crewe bound Test Train .

Electric Light Orchestra

87026,87008,87007,87006 Wait to be dragged off to Long Marston from Worcester Holding Sidings by 47828 "Joe Strummer".
Having been brought down on Friday 29th at 14.50, they duly left at 14.50 on Tuesday 3rd .

Going north...

The varied consist of today's 6S73 from Bescot to Mossend included dead loco's 67003 and 37410, seen here rushing past just north of Darlaston Junction.

Sundown at Rugeley

With a 125mph plastic tube.

Stuffed !

A rather full looking Bescot in a totally washed out Bank Holiday Monday 28.05.07

Common as muck

56302 (the usual one) raids Tame Bridge with a full load on the 4O90 freightliner service on the 3rd of may 2007 .
x Rated Blue

Clay Model

37406 returns to Bescot on the 6G71 china clay trip. Taken on the 26th 0f april 2007 at the north end of Bescot in the location of Elwells Foundry .

Teat Owl

Here's that new design of tea towel you mentioned....

Blue Beast

Bathed in golden evening sunlight 47839 PEGASUS storms through the former Oldbury station on Saturday night with a returning "Inter-City" day out express from Llandudno to Paddington. Green giant 47812 (D1916) brought up the rear.

especially for gary

Doctor Who 350121 bombs through newton crossing on a sunny 11.05.06 afternoon.

At Bescot one day

...and at Cohen's scrapyard, Kingsbury the next. Forlorn 37678 finds itself at the end of the line. R.I.P.

Cheltenham Flyer

A raceday excursion (nag-ex) from London Euston passes Rowley Regis this morning and heads down the bank towards Old Hill bang on time. EWS loco 67021 is leading and silver flagship 67029 trailing the 13 coach set bound for Cheltenham.

20/20 vision

Taken at the same location & time as the 47 shot on 'along the grand'. A pair of 20's head towards wednesbury on the south staffs line in 1993. 
Real poor quality pic 'sorry'. Just visible top right is the victorian 'water works' building on brunswick park road .

Saltley Spoon

47224 approaches Saltley on 21.10.98 with the 4M86 Felixstowe to Lawley Street freightliner. Looks good with black headcode panel.

Stafford stormers

37422 Robert F Fairlie pauses at Stafford on 16.09.98 on the 1458 New Street to Holyhead while 47305 passes on the 4O27 Coatbridge to Southampton Freightliner.

Banger Blue Beast

31467 rolls through Bangor on 23.03.96 on the Holyhead to Warrington/Crewe tanks. The ranks of blue 31s were down to about 4 by now and 31434 could also be found at Chester on this day.

Dust storm

73133 and 73134 pass Winchester on 19.08.98 with the 6Y46 Eastleigh to Hoo Junction ballast empties, bang on time with a dust trail behind them

Bedwyn HST

A non-stop West Country-bound HST train bursts through Bedwyn station on a July afternoon in the mid-Eighties. This was BR WR territory at the time...

Coal Grid on the coal

56067 storms through Brocklesby Junction on 13.08.96 with loaded coal hoppers from Immingham to Drax. Freight traffic along this route at this time could provide coal, steel, iron ore and petroleum traffic workings at least every ten minutes in each direction as well as other workings long gone like Ripple Lane paper vans for newsprint. Still busy today I believe but only if you are interested in 'sheds'. This location has since changed a lot as well with a goods loop running to the left of the station to get freight off the main line quicker.

Class 37/7s at Bescot Part 1

37714 positively blasts through Bescot station on 16.07.99 with (at that time) brand new rebodied RAILTRACK branded wagons. Rebuilt on old tank wagon chassis I believe. If it had been a green loco, it would of been a green scene!

Class 37/7s at Bescot Part 2

37799 rolls through Bescot station on 21.07.99 with spoil empties while 58021 heads away in the Walsall direction.

Queen's Messenger

Royal loco 67005 working the Birch Coppice trip up the bank from Ryecroft towards Aldridge this morning.

Gloucester Horton Rd

A busy 15 minutes was spent at the crossing barriers last November with about 9 trains passing continuously in that time ! Don't think the waiting car drivers and pedestrians were too impressed though... Here an HST pokes it's nose onto the crossing.

Clagging contraption

 47326 passes Wandsworth Road on 07.10.98 on the 6O95 Washwood Heath to Dollands Moor rover cars for export.

Pair of Grids

 6S44 which later became 6S75 Sheerness to Mossend was always a spin and win on the Bescot to Warrington leg but it was only on 20.08.98 that I saw a pair of 56s on it, 56093 and 56043. 31s and 37s used to run in pairs but usually only one 56.

Dear oh dear oh dear

 08664 appears to have been shunting this lot a bit too fast when I observed this at Eastleigh on 17.08.98. Wish I had got the video out now instead of just watching it. I dont recall why but I didnt stay around to see what happened next.

Blue and red peds

 30 odd years seperate the two liveries here. 31466 and 31427 pass Bescot on 25.11.98 the 84 trip to Toton. They waited in departure position for over an hour before coming out and I got them in the bag.

Blue beast at Bescot

 A quick call into Bescot on 04.11.98 around 1500 I saw 31450 and 31554 waiting to follow out once our train had passed. In fading light the pair storm through the station with a loaded cwr set for the Walsall line.

Tame Skinhead

 31110 departs Bescot Yard on 02.03.98 on the 6B09 departmental trip to Northampton and is seen passing Tame Bridge station.

China Dolls

 37402 Bont Y Bermo and 37416 depart Bescot on 02.03.98 on the 6V70 china clay empties to St Blazey. The train originates from Cliffe Vale and these two ETH machines worked this train for about three weeks around this time.

Bloxwich bound

 37350 growls through Walsall on 02.03.98 on the 6G33 Bescot to Bloxwich trip. Still carrying obsolete trainload petroleum decals.

Sandy Lane madness

 A busy moment at Sandy Lane on 09.03.97. While 31142 and 31405 Mappa Mundi reverse wagons into the yard, 20075, 20187, 37025 and 37167 have just arrived on a spoil train and up and down Intercity services pass on the mainline, with a class 08 overlooking.

Stormin up the bank

 37203 and 37047 climb through Portobello on 26.04.99 on the 6S75 Sheerness to Mossend 'Enterprise'. The locos would usually work the Bescot to Warrington leg returning on the return 6M27. This shot taken from the public foot crossing has long since been removed and fenced off.

Tractored

37219 was out being trialled on the Chasewater Railway yesterday, in a nice new coat of paint too.

Take a peek

at 45112 passing Rowley Regis on Pathfinder's Paignton-bound charter last April...