The Railway Dog

Month: July 2022

  • Blackpool Redux

    Wednesday 20th July to Tuesday 26th July 2022

    Old meets new at North Pier, Blackpool – 13/07/2022

    Blackpool

    As we mentioned in our last blog entry, Yoshi and I spent a few days in the North West a couple of weeks ago when we took the opportunity to take a trip on a heritage Blackpool Tram. The Blackpool Tramway runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood, originally opening in 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is operated by Blackpool Transport (BT) and runs for approximately 11 miles. The last time I visited Blackpool was probably in 2007 when David Tennant, who was at the time playing the Tenth Doctor in BBC TV’s “Doctor Who”, switched on the illuminations. This was just prior to the announcement that the UK Government had agreed to the joint BT and Blackpool Council bid for funding towards the upgrade of the tram track network, with £60.3m coming from Government coffers. The remainder of the £85.3m cost came from Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council which contributed @ £12.5m each. The Government’s funding allowed the entire tramway to be upgraded with 16 modern and accessible Bombardier Flexity 2 trams being introduced in 2012 replacing the traditional fleet of ageing cars.

    A number of the old trams which I was familiar with on my previous visits have been retained with some having been lovingly restored to form a Heritage Fleet and modified, widened Balloon trams as part of the main fleet. The depot at Starr Gate houses the Flexity 2 trams with Rigby Road Depot, near Manchester Square, housing the traditional trams. A great deal of effort has been made to ensure that the traditional trams have a future in Blackpool and I was pleased to see one on a run out as we arrived in Fleetwood for our stay at the North Euston Hotel. Thinking perhaps these only ran at weekends, I asked a driver of one of the modern trams about the heritage fleet and was directed to a website dedicated to Blackpool Heritage Trams. From here, Yoshi and I booked a one hour promenade tour which picked up from North Pier on its way to Bispham before heading back all the way to the Pleasure Beach in the south of Blackpool before turning once more and returning via the Golden Mile, dropping us off where we started. I was delighted to see that the tram car operating our trip was one of the recognisable and iconic Balloon cars, so named because of their rounded streamlined appearance, in traditional Blackpool 1940s “Wartime” green and cream livery.

    Yoshi waits to board the tram for his Blackpool promenade tour – 13/07/2022

    The Balloon trams were originally called “Luxury Dreadnought” cars and had been commissioned in 1933 by Walter Luff, the controller of the Blackpool network, in a bid to modernise the tramway’s fleet which had been working the tracks since the early years. 27 trams were constructed by English Electric between 1934 and 1935, the first being delivered on 10th December 1934. They were built with central doors and stairs, with a maximum capacity of 94 passengers. Half-drop windows provided ventilation with Art Deco curved glass electric lighting providing illumination. The initial thirteen were open-topped and the remaining fourteen were enclosed, these having sliding roof windows and thermostatically-controlled radiators.

    Yoshi after enjoying a snooze on Balloon tram No. 700 – 13/07/2022

    Between 2009 and 2012, Balloon car No. 700, which was to provide transportation for our journey, along with sisters 711, 713, 719 and 720 were modernised so that they could continue to operate in service following the refurbishment of the whole tramway to light rail standards. New widened doorways were fitted to allow more accessibility, with driver operated doors which fit to the new platforms built at tram stops for the modern Bombardier trams. Fixed seats and new passenger information displays were also fitted to match the new trams. Speedometers were also retrofitted to the driving consoles, which seems like a very good idea to me!

    Yoshi considers driving off in Car No. 700 – 13/07/2022

    We really enjoyed our trip on the heritage tram, and thoroughly recommend the experience should you find yourself in Blackpool. You can join us on our tour of Blackpool promenade as well as view some of the Flexity 2 trams in our video below:

    Yoshi takes time to check out Flexity 2 tram No. 010 at Fleetwood Ferry – 11/07/2022

    For a reminder of what it used to be like, here’s a video of Blackpool Trams from October 1999, featuring a brief glimpse of some of the famous illuminated trams:

    Dorset Coast Express

    Thursday 21st July saw another steam excursion to Weymouth subjected to alterations, this time because of the dry weather and subsequent risk of line side fires, the planned steam motive power was replaced by two Class 47 diesel locomotives. Fingers crossed all goes to plan for the next scheduled The Railway Touring Company Dorset Coast Express in August!

    Class 47 No. 47772 ‘Carnforth TMD’ leads 1Z82 0845 London Victoria to Weymouth past Poole carriage sidings – 21/07/2022
    Class 47 No. 47813 with the return working of the Dorset Coast Express racing through Hamworthy – 21/07/2022

    Around Taunton

    Video screen grab of Class 47 No.’s D1935 / 47805 ‘Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013’ and D1944 / 47501 ‘Craftsman’ power the “Cornish Riviera Statesman” rail tour up Whiteball bank – 23/07/2022

    Saturday saw Yoshi and I in the Taunton area as we went to see a couple of rail tours and hoped to catch celebrity High Speed Train power car No. 43384 which has been outshopped in a retro livery by CrossCountry Trains. First on our radar was Statesman Rail’s “Cornish Riviera Statesman” working Derby to Penzance and double headed by Brush Type 4 Class 47 No.’s D1935 / 47805 ‘Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013’ and D1944 / 47501 ‘Craftsman’, both resplendent in British Rail two-tone green livery. I just had time to set up for a video capture when the train passed by several minutes ahead of schedule, meaning my camera was still asleep in its bag. Also running ahead of schedule was The Railway Touring Company operated “The West Somerset Express”, which like their tour to Weymouth a couple of days previously had been advertised as being steam hauled, but were deputised with West Coat Railways Class 47 No.’s 47813 and 47772 ‘Carnforth TMD’ again in top and tail formation. This tour originated from London Paddington and was destined for Minehead on the West Somerset Railway (WSR) – the longest heritage railway in the UK. On arrival at Bishops Lydeard, the first WSR station after leaving the main line, the Class 47’s were replaced with a pair of steam locomotives to take the train forward. We saw Great Western Railway (GWR) Inspired 2-6-0 9351 Class WSR Mogul No. 9351 and GWR 7800 Class Manor No. 7822 ‘Foxcote Manor’ hauling the train nearing Crowcombe Heathfield producing some fine acoustics. You can follow our day in the video below, which also includes some CrossCountry Trains and GWR Castle Class HST’s:

    CrossCountry Trains (XC) recently outshopped Class 43/3 No. 43384 from Plymouth Laira Depot in a revised High Speed Train livery, known as Intercity Executive, first carried back in the 1980’s. At the time the Intercity yellow and grey livery replaced the original blue and yellow colour scheme that had been used since the introduction of the fleet. CrossCountry has confirmed that the repaint comes as part of marking the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the InterCity 125 by British Rail on to the North East to South West route. Other celebrations include a special Railway Benefit Fund charitable XC HST rail tour on the 27th September 2022 travelling from Leeds to the Severn Valley Railway including a run along the heritage railway itself. An HST power car will be named at Kidderminster to mark the anniversary.

    Class 43/3 No. 43384 is seen leading on 1V52 0658 Edinburgh Waverley to Plymouth as it nears Creech St. Michael – 23/07/2022

    Eastleigh Grid

    Class 56 No. 56081 approaches Shawford working 5O07 1049 Leicester L.I.P. to Eastleigh East Yard hauling Arlington Fleet barrier vehicle’s No. 64664 ‘Liwet’ (Ex Class 508 DMSO from unit 508207) and 64707
    ‘Labezerin’ (Ex Class 508 DMSO from unit 508116) ex EMU Barrier coach set T7 – 24/07/2022

    Yoshi and I were busy with our chores on Sunday morning when we discovered GBRf Class 56 No. 56081 was on its way from Leicester to Eastleigh with barrier vehicles in order to collect Network Rail’s European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) lab train No. 313121 – this was too good an opportunity to miss and we put down the duster and polish and jumped in the car and set off for Shawford. This is more than likely our final opportunity to see this particular Class 56 in its current form as it has been earmarked for conversion as part of the Class 69 programme.

    On our way back home, we had a quick look in at Eastleigh Works and saw the remaining four cars of Wessex Electric Class 442 EMU No. 442412 had been shunted around and were now visible adjacent to the road. Based on the British Rail Mark 3 carriage as used in HST sets, the 442’s were introduced as part of the Bournemouth to Weymouth electrification programme in the late 1980’s and, in my view at least, were the best EMU to have run in the UK.

    GBRf Class 73 No. 73141 ‘Charlotte’ at Eastleigh Works – 24/07/2022
    The remaining four coaches of Class 442 No. 442412 in faded “Express” livery at Eastleigh Works – 24/07/2022

    701 On Test

    Class 701 No. 701017 passes the site of the former Boscombe railway station working 5Q52 1724 Staines Up Loop to Eastleigh TRSMD via Bournemouth – 25/07/2022

    Another week passes by and Class 701’s are still running test trains to Bournemouth and Poole prior to their introduction into revenue earning service. This week we went to take a look at the site of the former railway station at Boscombe which was located between Bournemouth Central and Pokesdown. The station opened in 1897 and served The Royal Victoria Hospital and the shopping area around the Royal Arcade. Boscombe had a goods yard which received traffic for despatch from a large area of Bournemouth along with a coal depot and sidings. The substantial brick built buildings were demolished a few years after closure in 1965. The site now houses business units and threatening signs about unofficial parking. The road bridge which goes over the railway at this point has had footbridges added to each side and these have very high fencing installed for safety reasons.

    Access Point Information, Station Approach, Boscombe – July 2022
    Station Approach, Boscombe – July 2022
    Station Approach, Boscombe – July 2022
    Class 701 No. 701017 was this weeks unit on test as seen in this video – 25/07/2022

    Hamworthy Branch

    More activity on the mothballed Hamworthy Branch this week as temporary traffic lights were put in place at the crossing on Ashmore Avenue on Tuesday 26th July. Road / rail vehicles were also in evidence along the branch moving ballast. Sleepers and sections of track have also been marked up, possibly for replacement. Network Rail have successfully applied for a road closure permit on Lake Road, presumably to enable work to be carried out on the railway bridge which is located there.

    Pressure washing Ashmore Avenue crossing on the Hamworthy Branch – 26/07/2022
    We arrived just too late for a decent shot of a road / rail vehicle working on the Hamworthy Branch at Hamworthy station, but we thought we’d share this anyway! 26/07/2022

    Weymouth Railway Heritage Trail

    In the past week or so, new signage has popped up around Weymouth on the route of the former Weymouth Harbour Tramway which last saw use in 1999 and was dug up by the local council in an act of vandalism in 2020/21 with most of the track being removed at this time. With no sense of irony Weymouth Town Council, Dorset Council and South Western Railway have installed information boards celebrating Weymouth’s unique railway history.

    The remodelled station forecourt at Weymouth – July 2022
    Weymouth Railway Heritage Trail information board ‘The Station’ – July 2022
    Weymouth Railway Heritage Trail information board ‘The Track’ – July 2022
    Weymouth Railway Heritage Trail information board ‘The Loop’ – July 2022
    Weymouth Railway Heritage Trail information board ‘The Quay’ – July 2022

    This weeks “The Railway Dog” was mostly written to the sounds of Faeland, Hollow Coves, The Teardrop Explodes and Sibelius Symphony No. 5. Thanks for visiting. Comments and corrections are, as ever, always welcome and we really appreciate it when you point out typos or grammatical errors. We’ll be back next week, we hope you’ll join us.

  • Northward Bound

    Tuesday 12th July to Tuesday 19th July

    DB Cargo Class 67 No. 67025 in operation with Transport for Wales waits departure at Crewe with 5K67 0951 Holyhead Car. M.D. Empty Coaching Stock working to Crewe C.S. – 16/07/2022

    Fleetwood

    The North Euston Hotel, Fleetwood

    Yoshi and I spent much of last week in the North West of England as we made The North Euston Hotel in Fleetwood our base. The hotel was commissioned by Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood, designed in the Greek classical style by architect Decimus Burton and built between 1839 and 1841 to serve overnight passengers making the journey by rail from London Euston who were destined for steam ships which would provide onward travel to Scotland where after disembarking at Ardrossan they would take the train on to Glasgow. Fleetwood was the northern most station at the time, hence the name “North Euston” for the hotel, and the railway was yet to run over the Shap hills. Queen Victoria made the journey in 1847 and stayed at the hotel, although I’m sure she didn’t stay in our room. The first manager of the hotel, Corsican born Xenon Vantini, had been a courier for Napoleon Bonaparte and was also the first person to open a refreshment room at Wolverhampton railway station. In 1859 following a decline in fortunes, the hotel was sold to the government and was converted into a school of musketry and later, in 1867, an officer’s quarters. The building existed in this form until the 1890’s when it was purchased by a group of London businessmen who converted it back into a hotel. The North Euston is currently owned by local business families. Yoshi very much enjoyed his morning sausage for breakfast and we celebrated our dubious achievement of coming last in the Sunday evening pub quiz which was a lot of fun.

    The railway to Fleetwood was opened on 15th July 1840 as the Preston & Wyre railway and was also the vision of Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood it being designed to connect the then new port of Fleetwood on the Fylde coast to Preston. The railway was constructed by George and Robert Stephenson with contribution from Joseph Locke. Its glory days lasted only six years until a direct route over Shap was finally achieved. The railway was absorbed into the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway ( later the London Midland Scottish Railway as part of the Big Four groupings in 1923) and extensions were built to Blackpool and Lytham to cater for the growing number of passengers traveling to the seaside. Fleetwood would become, for a time, one of the largest and most successful fishing ports in the UK but by 1970 the railway from Poulton-le-Fylde to Fleetwood was closed to passenger traffic and later, in 1999, to freight workings.

    Thornton Station is located in the heart of Thornton town centre – July 2022
    Until the late 1980’s a signal box operated the crossing over Station Road, Thornton – July 2022
    The current station buildings were the first built by the then newly formed London Midland Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1927 – July 2022

    In 2006, the Poulton & Wyre Railway Society was formed with the aim of reopening the railway. Since then, much work has been carried out in clearing sections of the line from the ingress of nature and a Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit was purchased for restoration and use on the line. More recently, the Poulton-Le-Fylde to Fleetwood line was subject to a study as part of the UK Government’s Restoring Your Railway programme. In June 2022 it was announced that the scheme should progress further and Network Rail will receive funding to produce a detailed plan for the revival of services. The Poulton-Le-Fylde & Wyre Railway Society have now turned their attention to developing a heritage railway centre which will eventually house a collection of railway artefacts and memorabilia for public viewing.

    Churnet Valley Railway

    Having heard that Class 33/1 No. 33102 was hauling trains, Yoshi and I spent Tuesday morning ( 12th July 2022 ) visiting Cheddleton on the Churnet Valley Railway, a preserved heritage line in Staffordshire. I grew up with 33/1’s providing the daily motive power on local passenger services between Bournemouth and Weymouth, and even though No. 33111 lives on at Swanage, our local heritage railway, it was fantastic to hear the Crompton’s Sulzer engine at work hauling a passenger train.

    The Churnet Valley railway dates back to 1849 following the formation of The North Staffordshire Railway Company (NSR) in 1845. Falling passenger numbers saw the Beeching Report include the Churnet Valley line and its associated branches which became earmarked for closure with the final section from Leek Brook Junction to Oakamoor quarry lasting out until the late 1980’s as it was used for freight traffic. In 1992 the newly formed Churnet Valley railway (1992) PLC began talks with the Department of Transport with a view to operate the line. Trains currently run between Froghall and Ipstones, but the ambition is to run services into the Staffordshire market town of Leek for the first time since 1965. And they have an eye on the clock to achieve this as the railway needs to run its first passenger train into Leek by 1st December 2022 or lose a £1.4m EU grant. This means all track must be laid on the 0.5 mile extension, with additional resources being provided for a triangle at Leek Brook Junction, and a platform constructed at Leek. It really is a very picturesque railway with extremely friendly volunteers, Yoshi and I were escorted around the workshops to get a closer view of locomotives stabled there, and I wish them every success with their endeavours and look forward to a return visit in the future.

    Cheddleton Station which was to be demolished in April 1974 but saved by the actions of local businessman and parish councillor Norman Hancock who parked his car on the level crossing preventing access to bulldozers giving sufficient time for the building to be Grade II listed – July 2022
    Cheddleton Station – July 2022
    Time for a cuppa! Yoshi waits for the kettle to boil in the booking hall of Cheddleton Station – July 2022
    Class 33/1 No. 33102 ‘Sophie’ awaits departure from Cheddleton – 12/07/2022
    Class 20 No. D8057 (20057) sits outside the repair shed at Cheddleton – 12/07/2022
    S160 Class 2-8-0 No. 5197 was built by the Lima Locomotive Company in Ohio, USA and exported to China in 1946. The United States Army Transportation Corps Class S160 were designed for heavy freight work across Europe during World War 2 with a total of 2,120 being built they eventually worked all over the world – 12/07/2022
    Class 25 No. 25322 ‘Tamworth Castle’ was the final Class 25 locomotive to see mainline service with British Rail. She is currently in store at Cheddleton Yard awaiting restoration – 12/07/2022
    Yoshi inspects Class 33 No. 33021 ‘Eastleigh’ in Post Office Red style livery. This locomotive was amongst the first privately owned diesel locomotives to be used on the mainline – 12/07/2022
    The Churnet Valley Railway has acquired Class 47 No. 47292 for an initial loan period of five years supplementing Class 33 No.’s 33021 and 33102 for use on passenger trains – 12/07/2022

    On our way back to Fleetwood, we stopped off at Acton Bridge for an hour or so, primarily to capture Class 37 No. 37884 which was diagrammed to pass through with 0M58 Kilmarnock Long Lyes T.C. to Derby R.T.C. – which can be seen in the video below:

    Southport

    On the Wednesday, Yoshi and I took a trip on a heritage Blackpool Tram – more about that adventure next week – but first that we made a brief visit to Southport and Formby. Southport railway station is the terminal of the Southport branch of the Northern Line of the third-rail electric Merseyrail network, and the diesel-operated Manchester to Southport line. The station and services to Liverpool and Hunts Cross are operated by Merseyrail, with Manchester services operated by Northern Trains. The current station opened as Southport Chapel Street on 22 August 1851 and once boasted eleven regular platforms and two excursion platforms. Six truncated platforms are now in use (platforms 1-3 for Liverpool trains and 4-6 for Manchester services), the remainder having been demolished to make way for car parking. In 1970 the former terminal building was replaced with a shopping centre.

    New Stadler Class 777 trains are currently being tested, and one was scheduled to visit Southport that morning on test run. Despite the best attempts at numerous roadworks and traffic queues, we made it just in time to see Class 777 No. 777015 arriving. Members of The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers ( RMT – what these initials mean was one of the pub quiz questions I actually answered correctly! But I digress…. ) Anyway to continue; RMT members recently voted in favour of the proposed crewing plans for the new fleet which brings a five-year dispute to its conclusion. Merseyrail still has to reach agreement with the drivers union, the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF), but intends to introduce the new Class 777’s into service later this year. Currently, 17 out of the 53 units purchased have been delivered to the UK. The arrival of the Class 777 fleet will see the demise of both the Class 507 and 508 electric-multiple units (EMU’s).

    The Class 507’s were built to work on Merseyside, replacing the London Midland Scottish Railway (LMS) built Class 502 units on Northern line services from Liverpool to Southport, Ormskirk and Kirkby. 33 sets were built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) in York from 1978 to 1980 followed by 43 Class 508s constructed between 1979 and 1980. They were the second and fourth variety of BR’s then standard 1972 design for suburban EMU’s, which were derived from the prototype 2PEP and 4PEP EMU’s introduced in 1971 and eventually amassed 755 vehicles across five Classes (313/314/315/507/508). Originally, the Class 508’s were built as 4-car units for the Southern Region of British Rail working out of Waterloo on former London South Western Railway (LSWR) routes. From 1982 to 1984 they were reduced to 3 car units (one of the trailer cars was removed to be incorporated into the Class 455/7 EMU’s) and transferred to Merseyside to replace the former LMS Class 503 units that operated Wirral line services to New Brighton, Rock Ferry and West Kirby. Following rail privatisation the two fleets became interchangeable and work both sides of the Mersey. They are the oldest EMU’s still working in the UK after the Class 313’s.

    Yoshi with Merseyrail Class 507 No. 507020, Southport – 13/07/2022
    Yoshi compares the differences between EMU’s with a study of Merseyrail Class 508 No. 508140, Southport – 13/07/2022
    Merseyrail Class 777 No. 777015 having arrived with 5T02 0917 Sandhills Reversing Sdg to SouthportSouthport – 13/07/2022
    Northern Trains Class 769 No.’s 769424 & 769456 Southport – 13/07/2022
    Northern Trains Class 150 No. 150128 and 150134 Southport – 13/07/2022
    Merseyrail Class 507 No. 507020 Southport – 13/07/2022
    Merseyrail Class 507 No. 507020 and Class 508 No. 508131 stand side by side at Southport – 13/07/2022
    Merseyrail Class 508 No. 508126 at the buffer stops, Southport – 13/07/2022
    Merseyrail Class 777 No. 777015 awaits departure of 5T03 1008 Southport to Kirkdale C.S. Southport – 13/07/2022

    Crewe

    After breakfast on Thursday where we spent a few enjoyable hours watching freight movements around Crewe Basford Hall. You can relive this by playing the video below:

    We returned to Dorset on Friday, eschewing the opportunity of capturing two Colas Class 37’s at rest in Blackpool North Railway Station which had worked a test train from Carlisle in the early hours. However, the next day; Saturday 16th July, I was back in Crewe, this time without Yoshi, so I could attend the Direct Rail Services (DRS) Open Day at their depot at Gresty Road. Understandably, dogs were not allowed on site, so Yoshi spent the day with his mum, while I endured the heat of the day without my fluffy sidekick. Many thanks to Scott for driving and for his company.

    The Open Day coincided with LMS Coronation 4-6-2 No. 6233 ‘Duchess Of Sutherland’ passing through Crewe railway station with the Railway Touring Company’s “Cheshireman” rail tour from London Euston to Chester. (1Z86 0639 London Euston to Chester with Class 47 No. 47813 providing support at the rear). The station was extremely busy with the influx of enthusiasts in the town to visit the DRS site, but I managed to catch a short video clip of this magnificent locomotive departing Crewe. Later that day, SR Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35018 ‘British India Line’ worked into Crewe light engine and support coach as 5Z46 Carnforth Steamtown to Crewe Heritage Centre for servicing ahead of rail tour duties scheduled for the following day:

    Crewe 16th July 2022

    3,500 people attended Nuclear Transport Solutions’ (NTS) rail division DRS’s open day, the first one to be held for a number of years because of the Covid pandemic. There were two locomotive naming’s at the event – the first saw Class 66 No. 66422 being unveiled as ‘Max Joule’ in tribute to one of DRS’s founders and former Managing Director who died in 1999. The second naming was for Class 66 No. 66424 which was named ‘Driver Paul Scrivens’ who had been a driver with DRS for more than 20 years. An emotional tribute was delivered by colleague Tim Howlett before the new plate was unveiled by Paul’s sister Emma.

    The open day raised over £39,000 from sponsorship and donations which is an amazing figure that will go to deserving causes across the UK. It was a fantastic event, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Because of the hot weather, DRS made bottles of water available at points across the site, which was very welcome.

    Locomotives on display were:

    Class 37 No. 37218 in retro DRS livery – 16/07/2022
    Class 37 No. 37401 ‘Mary Queen Of Scots’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 37 no. 37419 ‘Carl Haviland’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 37 No. 37425 ‘Concrete Bob’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 68 No. 68025 ‘Superb’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 57 No. 57312 – 16/07/2022
    Class 88 No. 88002 ‘Prometheus’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 68 No. 68006 ‘Pride of the North’ in special green livery showcasing the environmental benefits of rail freight and how a diesel locomotive can reduce emissions by using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel – 16/07/2022
    Class 66 no. 66303 ‘Rail Riders 2020’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 68 no. 68009 ‘Titan’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 66 No. 66422 ‘Max Joule 1958-1999’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 66 No. 66424 awaits its naming ceremony – 16/07/2022
    Class 57 No. 57304 – 16/07/2022
    Class 88 No. 88009 ‘Diana’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 66 No. 66429 – 16/07/2022
    Class 37 No. 37424/37558 ‘Avro Vulcan XH558’ – 16/07/2022
    Class 88 No. 88001 ‘Revolution’ – 16/07/2022

    On our way to the DRS Open Day, we stopped off at Longport to peer through the fence at Electro-Motive Diesel Limited’s (EMD) site and witnessed some shunting around of locomotives, mainly Class 56 / Class 69 conversions which are ongoing.

    With 69006 stencilled on the bodyside, the conversion of 56128 is almost complete. Longport – 16/07/2022
    The empty shell of Class 56 No. 56032 awaiting a second move to Marcroft Engineering with 69007 ( ex-56037 ) in the background – 16/07/2022
    56038 is being converted into 69008 and is still on accommodation bogies but some of its new innards are in place. An extra hole has been cut in the cab front ends to accommodate an additional connection with this locomotive likely being the first for use by the GBRf Rail Services sector which handles stock movements – 16/07/2022
    Class 56 No. 56009 sits in the yard at Longport. The locomotive was unofficially renumbered No. 56201 when it was converted for use as an engineering test bed by Brush Traction in order to assess refurbished Paxman engines of sister class members – 16/07/2022
    Former DB Cargo UK Class 66 No. 66048 rests on accommodation bogies at Longport. The locomotive was damaged when it derailed at Carrbridge in January 2010 and it ended up down an embankment. It was sold to EMD in March 2016 after being initially disposed of for scrap. It’s unclear what the future holds for this Class 66 locomotive – 16/07/2022

    On our way home we diverted to Keynsham to refuel the car and restock with drinking water. Fortuitously, Class 37 No.’s 37901 and 37800 were scheduled to pass through top and tailing an Eastleigh Works to Swansea Landore stock move consisting of a Great Central-liveried Mk4 set and an LNER-liveried Mk4 set (5Q79 1826 Eastleigh Arlington to Landore). This made a fantastic epilogue to the day!

    Class 37 No. 37901 heads an Eastleigh Works to Swansea Landore stock move consisting of a Great Central-liveried Mk4 set and an LNER-liveried Mk4 set with 37800 on the rear approaches Keynsham station – 16/07/2022.

    Dorset NMT

    While we were away it was a quiet week on the Bournemouth to Weymouth line, with only the New Measurement Train of particular interest on the main line as far as I’m aware. HST Class 43 power car No.’s 43272 and 43257 were in charge of 1Q18 0719 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road on Wednesday 13th July 2022.

    Class 43 No. 43257 sits in Weymouth station – 13/07/2022. Photograph courtesy of @da_buckley967
    Class 43 No. 43272 preparing to depart from Weymouth – 13/07/2022. Photograph courtesy of @da_buckley967

    My brother popped out to see the NMT return through Dorchester West on its way to Bristol and his video which he captured especially for Yoshi can be seen here:

    In other news, Swanage resident Class 33/1 No. 33111 headed off by road to the Mid Hants Railway (MHR) to participate in their 2022 diesel gala. I had considered visiting the MHR on Sunday, but felt it was far too hot for Yoshi to be out and about, so we decided to stay home and catch up on some gardening.

    The recent heat wave also resulted in speed restrictions being imposed on main line services by South Western Railways (SWR), including those on the Bournemouth to Weymouth line, with the increased risk of tracks buckling. Reduced services were introduced on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th July 2022 in a bid to give passengers certainty over which trains would run. There was also a steam ban imposed by many heritage railways and on the main line. This includes the Railway Touring Company’s “Dorset Coast Express” excursion to Weymouth on Thursday 21st July which will now be diesel hauled throughout.

    Great Western Railways were under fire in the local press this week, when the Dorset Echo reported chaotic scenes at Weymouth station where passengers were turned away from trains as they tried to return home. The 1728 departure to Bristol Temple Meads from the Dorset seaside town was formed of just two carriages meaning station staff and police had to request some travellers to wait for the next service which was due to leave an hour later. Not so long ago a High Speed Train was regularly employed to run a relief service to Weymouth via the West route on Summer Saturdays in order to cater for anticipated increased passenger numbers.

    That’s all for this week – join us next time when we recount our trip on a heritage Blackpool Tram. Many thanks for reading, and for continued contributions, comment and corrections which are very much appreciated!

  • Class 47 Heaven

    Wednesday 6th July to Monday 11th July

    Class 50 No. 50026 ‘Indomitable’ on a loaded test run as part of mainline certification nears Furzebrook on the Swanage Railway. Class 33 No. 33012 / D6515 ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ takes up the rear – 09/07/2022

    Lynton & Lynmouth

    We took Wednesday off to visit friends who were holidaying in North Devon near the twin villages of Lynton and Lynmouth. Lynton was built on flat land 500 feet vertically above the beautiful fishing village of Lynmouth. I can never remember which is which, but until Easter Monday 1890 the only way you could travel between the two was via a very steep road. That is until the opening of the water powered funicular railway which had been approve by an Act of Parliament two years previously. Now established as a popular visitor attraction the original role of the cliff railway was to transport passengers and goods between Lynmouth harbour and Lynton. It is the highest and steepest totally water powered railway in the world.

    The view from the Lynton terminus of the Lynton and Barnstaple Cliff Railway – 06/07/2022

    The project to build the railway was the funded largely by publisher, MP and philanthropist Sir George Newnes who wanted to relieve the burden placed on the horses which laboured up the steep hill. The railway was designed by George Croydon Marks an early pioneer of funicular railways and devotee of Isambard Kingdom Brunel while the actual construction was carried out by local builder Bob Jones whose family are still involved in running the funicular today. The original mechanical design remains substantially unaltered.

    The environmentally friendly railway works on a simple balancing principle using water as ballast which has been collected by gravity from the West Lyn River and stored in reservoirs. Each car has a 700 gallon tank mounted between the wheels with a smaller 10 gallons tank for the braking system. The two cars are attached to each other by two hauling cables and two balance cables which run around large pulley wheels at each end of the tracks. When each car is docked with full tanks of water, the cars are balanced and ready for passengers to board. Once the brakes are taken off the lower car discharges water until it is lighter than the top car which descends under the additional weight which causes the lower car to be pulled up the track. Our video of the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway can be seen below:

    In a future railwaydog blog, we’ll be taking a close look at the three Bournemouth Cliff Lifts.

    Bournemouth Fisherman’s Walk Cliff Lift, built in 1935, is currently out of action due to a landslide. It links Boscombe and Southbourne with the beach – 13/02/2021

    Lynton & Barnstaple Railway

    We had fully intended to visit The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, but we had lots of catching up to do as well as finding ourselves distracted by goats that we decided to save this narrow gauge railway for another visit when we had time to do it justice. As a taste of what to expect, our friends visited on Thursday and sent us the following images to share, for which we are very grateful.

    Baldwin 2-4-2 tank No. 762 ‘Lyn’ on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway – 07/07/2022
    Baldwin 2-4-2 tank No. 762 ‘Lyn’ on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway – 07/07/2022

    The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway originally opened in 1898 and closed in 1935. The current railway is just the start of a project to rebuild the narrow gauge line and trains currently run between Woody Bay Station and Killington Lane, a round trip of two miles.

    Poole Park Railway

    Postcard view of Poole Park Railway circa 1970/80’s

    The 260mm gauge Poole Park railway was first operated in 1949 by Southern Miniature Railways Ltd. In 2017, Poole Borough Council ended their tenancy agreement with Chris Bullen who had operated the railway since June 2005 and awarded a thirty year concession to Friends Of Poole Park for its operation. However following behind the scenes disputes, walkouts and a derailment in 2018 the concession was withdrawn and a notice to quit issued. Now in the hands of Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole Council (BCP) and following a successful tendering process, Shropshire based Track Systems UK began work on renewing the infrastructure, traction and rolling stock.

    Despite progress on the £480,000 revamp of Poole Park Railway having been made with work completed on the new engine shed and track there has been a delay in the delivery of a fully electric engine for use on the popular attraction. Efforts to source a suitable temporary engine are ongoing. Carriages are currently being constructed off-site which are expected to be delivered shortly. When re-opened the railway will be run by volunteers and BCP environmental team.

    Saturday 9th July 2022

    Class 33 No. 33012 / D6515 ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ leads Class 50 No. 50026 ‘Indomitable’ through Norden – 09/07/2022

    Saturday was far too hot for Yoshi to venture out, so while he stayed home drinking cold mocktails and being well looked after, I headed to Norden to see Class 50 No. 50026 ‘Indomitable’ on a loaded test run as part of its mainline certification on the Swanage Railway. Class 33 No. 33012 / D6515 ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ provided support.

    West Coast Railway Companies Class 47 No. 47826 nears Dorchester working the “Weymouth Harbour” 1Z47 0823 Birmingham International to Weymouth – 09/07/2022
    WCRC Class 47 No. 47804 heads the “Weymouth Harbour” empty coaching stock past Dorchester Junction heading to Yeovil Pen Mill for stabling as there was no room to accommodate the stock at Weymouth – 09/07/2022

    There were scenes reminiscent of my misspent childhood Summer Saturday’s as five Class 47 diesel locomotives passed through Dorchester on their way to Weymouth as three rail tours visited Dorset on Saturday July 9th 2022. It could have been the 1980’s if I hadn’t had to fill the car up with fuel. First up was the Northern Belle organised “Weymouth Harbour – The Dorset Coast” which originated from Birmingham International. For £370 you could enjoy all the comforts of the Northern Belle luxury trains welcome Bellini cocktail, a three-course brunch, tea and coffee, oyster tasting with sparkling wine in Weymouth, a champagne reception and a five course dinner which included cheese and biscuits. What’s not to like? Apart from the seafood in my case, obviously. I’m sure cheesy puffs would be an acceptable alternative.

    Double-Headed Class 47 No.’s 47853 and 47805 hauling the “Dorset Coast Statesman” heads through Dorchester – 09/07/2022

    Statesman Rail provided the “Dorset Coast Statesman” which set out from Norwich in the early hours with passengers able to pick Bournemouth, Poole or Weymouth as their destination. Pullman dining, which also boasted cheese and biscuits, was available from £330 and First Class ( non-dining ) tickets could be purchased from £175.

    SR rebuilt Merchant Navy No. 35028 ‘Clan Line’ hurtles through Hamworthy with “The End Of Southern Steam” rail tour – 09/07/2022

    Finally The Railway Touring Company brought steam to Dorset with “The End Of Southern Steam” excursion which also provided passengers the opportunity to visit Weymouth for the afternoon. This tour marked 55 years since the end of steam on the Southern Region of BR. On the 9th July 1967 the final regular steam hauled passenger train arrived at London Waterloo, signifying the end of steam in the South. Departure on 9th July 2022 was steam hauled from London Victoria behind SR rebuilt Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35028 ‘Clan Line’ through to Yeovil Junction where the steam locomotive was detached for servicing and turning while the rest of the train continued to Weymouth diesel hauled. ‘Clan Line’ then followed light engine to Weymouth in order to haul the train up Bincombe Bank and back to London via Bournemouth. At the time of writing, I’m not aware if cheese and biscuits were on the menu, however ticket prices ranged from £130 for Standard class, £195 for First class and £295 for Premier Dining.

    Class 47 No. 47813 at the rear of “The End Of Southern Steam” rail tour, Hamworthy – 09/07/2022

    The afternoon schedule was disrupted by a signalling issue between Dorchester South and Weymouth which resulted in all lines being blocked for a while. This delayed the arrival and departure of “The End Of Southern Steam” (37 minutes late arriving and 48 minutes late departing) and the departure of the “Dorset Coast Statesman” (43 minutes late departing).

    A compilation video covering 9th July rail tours to Weymouth is below:

    Class 47’s at Dorchester in days gone by:

    Class 47 No. 47455 approaches Dorchester South – 29/05/1982
    Class 47 No. 47152 passes Dorchester Junction Signal Box – 14/07/1980
    Class 47 No. 47237 heads away from Dorchester West – 20/08/1981

    That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading. Comments and corrections welcome. We’ll be back for another round-up soon!

    We were being truthful about being distracted by the Lynton goats. Yoshi wisely kept his distance!

  • Belles & Whistles

    Class 47 No. 47593 ‘Galloway Princess’ approaching Campbell Road Bridge, Eastleigh working Saphos Trains 1Z60 0635 Poole to Kingswear “English Riviera Express” – 02/07/2022
    Wednesday 29th June - Tuesday 5th July 2022

    Saturday Sightings

    Three rail tours were scheduled to pass through Dorset territory on Saturday July 2nd 2022. One had seemingly been cancelled a few days prior to its intended departure before reappearing on the schedules, much to Yoshi’s relief. Originally advertised as being steam hauled and later switched to a Class 57 diesel, “The Northern Belle Special: Tribute To The Bournemouth Belle” actually ran with a Class 47 at one end and a Class 57 at the other. Its journey from London Victoria to Bournemouth and return to London Euston via Slough briefly touched the route “The Bournemouth Belle” would have traversed back in the day. The empty coaching stock from this service ran to Norden on the Swanage Railway for servicing.

    Class 57 No. 57314 approaching Creech Bottom on The Swanage Railway with The Northern Belle empty coaching stock 5Z68 1256 Bournemouth to Norden – 02/07/2022
    Class 57 No. 57314 at Creech Bottom on The Swanage Railway with The Northern Belle empty coaching stock 5Z68 1256 Bournemouth to Norden – 02/07/2022
    Class 57 No. 57314 parked up behind a pair of skips at Norden on The Swanage Railway awaiting servicing of The Northern Belle coaching stock – 02/07/2022
    Class 47 No. 47804 passes the former Furzebrook LPG site working 5Z69 1640 Norden to Bournemouth Northern Belle ECS – 02/07/2022

    Saphos Trains Class 47 top and tailed “English Riviera Express” ran from Poole to Kingswear. BR Standard No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ took over the train from Norton Fitzwarren near Taunton, the diesel locomotives taking back control at the same point on the return leg back to Poole.

    Class 47 No. 47810 (D1924) ‘Crewe Diesel Depot’ passes Bournemouth with the Empty Coaching Stock movement 5Z62 0444 Eastleigh Arlington to Poole to form Saphos Trains excursion to Kingswear and return – 02/07/2022

    Railway Touring Company organised “The Atlantic Coast Express” took Southern Railway rebuilt Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35028 ‘Clan Line’ from London Waterloo to Exeter St. Davids which traversed the Waterloo – Exeter line on its outward journey. One day I’ll tick off that box of recording a steam hauled train departing from Waterloo, but this week I was content with catching a glimpse of ‘Clan Line’ passing underneath Battledown Flyover at Worting Junction and nearing Sherborne.

    SR rebuilt Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35028 ‘Clan Line’ passes nearby Sherborne Old Castle with “The Atlantic Coast Express” 1Z82 0752 London Waterloo to Exeter St. Davids – 02/07/022

    We have put together a compilation video of our Saturday below:

    Yoshi was so excited to see and hear ‘Clan Line’ whistling as she passed Worting Junction he jumped up against the fence my camera was balanced on top of to see her pass for himself which is why there’s a slight wobble in the footage! I wish I’d have had the presence of mind to film him! We had a really enjoyable day out, despite the early start at Bournemouth and we met some friendly folk on our travels. I really didn’t imagine back in the late 1970’s that I’d be so pleased to see three Class 47’s on one day!

    Freightliner Class 66 No. 66529 working 43Z2 0047 Trafford Park F.L.T. to Southampton M.C.T. through Eastleigh – 02/07/2022
    Direct Rail Services Class 37 No. 37069 which has been authorised for new wheelsets stands at Eastleigh Works – 02/07/2022
    Class 701 No. 701022 departing Eastleigh depot with 5Q50 0653 Eastleigh TRSMD to Eastleigh TRSMD – 02/07/2022

    Class 701

    Class 701 No. 701022 snaking its way into Eastleigh with 5Q50 0653 Eastleigh TRSMD to Eastleigh TRSMD – 02/07/2022

    Trials with new Class 701 Electric Multiple Units continue. This week we filmed No. 701022 out and about over a few days which we’ve edited together in the video below:

    Hamworthy Branch Update

    Network Rail team examining the track work at Lake Road Bridge – image by kind permission of Kev Scott Trains

    Network Rail were seen examining Lake Road Bridge on the Hamworthy Branch on the morning of Tuesday 5th July. Hopefully work will start soon clearing the site and replacing the existing structure which is rusted and, as was pointed out to me, has as at least one hole in the metal fabric. The replacement frog for the pointwork ready to reconnect the branch to the main line was deposited on the ballast at Hamworthy a few weeks ago.

    Lake Road Bridge on the Hamworthy Branch – July 2022
    Lake Road bridge has sustained a number of hits from road vehicles as can be seen by the damaged brickwork in this view – July 2022

    Great British Railways

    This week “Snake-oil salesman” and Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps announced the shortlist of the most suitable locations for the national headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR), the planned state-owned public body that will oversee the majority of rail transport in Great Britain from 2023.

    The closest local authorities to Yoshi HQ which threw their hats in the ring were Southampton and Eastleigh. However, these were both unsuccessful. The shortlist has been confirmed as:

    • Birmingham
    • Crewe
    • Derby
    • Doncaster
    • Newcastle upon Tyne
    • York

    We would have visited each of these locations for a cup of tea and a bun, but they’re all too far away from Dorset so instead we’ll share the link where you can vote for your preferred location from the shortlist. The results will be used to measure the level of support for each place and will be considered as part of the final decision making. It’s almost like democracy at work.

    Northern Belle: July 2019

    A five month old Yoshi examines Class 57 No. 57601 ‘Windsor Castle’ at the buffer stops in Weymouth having worked The Northern Belle into the town for the Seafood Festival – 14/07/2022

    In pre-Covid times The Northern Belle visited Weymouth with two special trains bringing passengers in to the seaside town for the annual Seafood Festival. Saturday 13th July saw Class 57 No. 57316 with Pullman Liveried classmate No. 57601 ‘Windsor Castle’ attached to the rear with the rail tour having originated form Cardiff. The following day saw the locomotives swap positions with No. 57601 heading into Weymouth with a tour having originated from Coventry.

    Yoshi and Class 57 No. 57316 at Weymouth – 13/07/2019

    This week, Yoshi’s blog was written to the sounds of Freya Ridings, A Dog’s Purpose (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ) and Bear’s Den. Thanks to everyone who helped and provided information for this weeks therailwaydog blog. We’ll be back here in seven days for another update – we hope you’ll be able to join again us then. May your dog go with you.