I was at the station to see the Class 37s on the Exeter to Preston positioning move. The sun was sinking low in the sky & didn’t look as if it would last until the special passed by. It didn’t, you can see the difference between a train in sunlight and another after the sun has set.
This was the only shot in sunlight
Plenty of sunshine, but the shadows are rather long at this time of year. More a record of what was running than good photos, but better than nothing.
After working the Spitfire Railtours Jorvic Explorer III on the previous day, the 37s head the stock on a positioning move from Exeter, via Old Hill, to Preston. 57601 was on the rear of the train. Unfortunately the sun had set about 15 minutes before the train was due, so the camera was struggling a bit on iso1600 setting at 1/200 sec.
More photos from the beginning of October, including the arrival of 50044 & 50049 from Cardiff. Quite a few of the Class 150 units are seen still in service, so I was getting the photos before they move to other parts of the country.
Also seen is 66519
Just over a month ago, I headed to Kidderminster by train for lunch, taking a few photos of the local trains on the way. The bonus was the arrival of D9520 at Kidderminster before the Diesel Gala.
150013, not many of the old units left now – nearly all Class 172 now
Bit of a “backwards” day, saw all 3 locos running tender-first! It’s that time of year when only 2 service trains run, so 7812 was a bonus. With only 2 trains running, we have to go without our train ride to Arley – as it is nearly a 2 hour wait for a train back to Bewdley.
43106 & 2857 seen here
These photos were taken on my journey to Coventry to see the Cruise Saver Express and were taken at Old Hill, Cradley Heath & Smethwick Galton Bridge. The only “old” unit I saw was 150001, probably not many of the Class 150 units in service now.
172344 & 172214 at Smethwick Galton Bridge
A couple of weeks ago I saw the same 2 locos heading a train to Southampton, this time it is a return journey heading to Glasgow. The train stopped for a few minutes as it entered the station and there was time for a few photos before heading to the end of the platform for some more shots as it passed by.
66564 is also seen on a Garston – Southampton Freightliner train.
31190 & D306 are seen arriving at Kidderminster for the SVR Diesel Gala starting on the following day. Photos of these 2 locos have been seen on the other site, but this update includes many of the news Class 172 units. Also seen is 66516 on route learning from the Bristol area to Rugeley, apparently some coal trains will run this way instead of via Hereford, probably due to engineering works.
New units are 172213, 172215, 172216, 172338, 172339, 172340, 172341 & 172342. Looks like I travelled on 172341 & 172342. Old units seen are 150012, 150018, 150106, 150107, 150116, 150117 & 150125.
D306 & 31190 are seen alongside 172215
I always have to change trains at Stourbridge on the way home from Kidderminster, at least there was a freight train to see on this date. Unfortunately there were delays & 172337 seemed to have problems, as it was shunted into the loop. Note the large number of people waiting for a train towards Kidderminster!!
My train was made up of new 2-car units, 172212 & 172218, and the only time so far that I have travelled on one of these, all others having been 3-car units. 66075 is on 6M41 Margam to Round Oak steel train.
Headed to Kidderminster for the SVR Diesel Gala, arriving just before the empty steel train from Round Oak was due. I was pleased it was hauled by 60007 as I hadn’t photographed any of the locos in the new DBS livery. Also seen are 172338 & 172340 at Kidderminster.
The 50 & 52 have already been uploaded on my other site. 150002 was my train from Stourbridge to Cradley, to see 50049 haul D1062 to Tyseley from Kidderminster. The Class 150 units will soon be history around here, so I get photos whenever I see them
150002 at Stourbridge
