August 2022

47853 + 47593 wait to run round at Nottingham after arriving with 5Z68 0319 empty stock move from Crewe HS for a 'Statesman' charter to Paignton (03/08/2022)

47853 + 47593 await departure from Paignton later that afternoon with the 1Z71 1622 return leg to Nottingham. As with the outward journey, the route was direct to Kings Norton, then via Camp Hill, Nuneaton and Leicester (03/08/2022)

The clock has just struck midnight as 47593 + 47853 are coupled up to the 5Z73 0006 empty stock to Crewe HS after arriving back into Nottingham (04/08/2022)

A close-up of the two contrasting cab styles: 47593 on the right has had its buffer beam skirting replaced and multiple working socket re-located, whilst 47853 apart from the repaint into 'BR Blue' remains in broadly the same external condition as purchased from DRS (04/08/2022)

With the locos tight on the end of the platform after running round I'd hoped the train would have to be set back a short distance in order for the starting signal to clear and this was indeed the case. The result was this far more pleasing view of 47593 + 47853 under the lights at a near deserted Nottingham station as they prepare for departure back to Crewe via Leicester, Nuneaton and the WCML with 5Z73 (04/08/2022)

47812 approaches Balm Road in Hunslet with 5Z63 1033 Skegness - Carnforth empty stock move off a 'Northern Belle' charter to Edinburgh the previous day. Class mate 47815 is just visible on the rear of the train (05/08/2022)

I was ultimately en route to a music festival in Bingley this evening, and having overtaken 5Z63 while it was recessed in Kirkstall Loop I thought I may as well have a second bite at capturing 47812 on camera. This particular shot at Crossflatts isn't what it used to be since the car park was extended almost a decade ago but if the clouds hadn't once again obscured the sun at the crucial moment it might at least have been passable (05/08/2022)

47245 'VE Day 75th Anniversary' waits to depart from York with 1Z43 1025 to Carlisle. The Railway Touring Company's 'Waverley' charter was booked for diesel haulage as far as Hellifield (07/08/2022)

Later that evening 47245 is pictured again during the Leeds set-down whilst en route back from Hellifield to York with the 1Z47 1734 ex-Carlisle return leg (07/08/2022)

37418 propels 2Z02 0835 York - York through Hunslet towards the unmistakable outline of Bridgewater Place in central Leeds. Saloon 'Caroline' was conveying Network Rail guests on a circular tour over the S&C to Carlisle, then across the Tyne Valley and via the Blythe & Tyne route to Berwick before returning up the ECML (10/08/2022)

Running almost exactly two hours late, 70812 races past Midland Road with an additional 6Z79 1212 Gascoigne Wood - Neville Hill. The fuel tanks had originated from the Lindsey Refinery at Immingham earlier that morning, albeit with a delayed departure (10/08/2022)

Running as '0E23' from Stourton to Midland Road, 66619 leads 66957, 66414 and 70008 through Holbeck towards Engine Shed Junction where the convoy would reverse (10/08/2022)

Just over twenty minutes later and after the passage of a couple of Northern services, 70008 leads 0E23 away from Engine Shed Junction on the last leg of the move back to Midland Road. The headcode would imply at least one of these locos had arrived on 4E23 from Felixstowe, but given '70s' don't generally work into East Anglia and 66619 is a 60mph heavy haul machine that wouldn't normally be used on intermodal work I wouldn't like to hazard a guess at which (10/08/2022)

I'd waited around in Holbeck for an hour or so in the hope that the 1425 empty tanks might not depart Neville Hill back to Immingham quite as late as the inbound load had arrived but with the light deteriorating all the time I eventually called it a day. As my bus was passing through Stourton though I noticed on the online track maps that the arrival of 6D80 was imminent and captured this heavily backlit view from Pepper Road (10/08/2022)

47815 passes Balm Road at speed in the early morning sunlight with 1Z75 0631 Huddersfield - Edinburgh 'Northern Belle' charter. In the background is Hunslet Yard, whilst just visible on the left is a row of '70s' and '66s' awaiting their turn in the queue at Freightliner's Midland Road site. 47812 is just visible on the rear of the train (11/08/2022)

Having discharged its load of stone from Peak Forest, GBRf's 66755 propels 4D78 0817 Stourton Cemex - Doncaster Down Decoy into the shunt neck alongside Midland Road Depot in order to rejoin the main line at Hunslet South Junction (11/08/2022)

47593 arrives into Peterborough station with Statesman's 1Z78 0502 charter from Ely to Berwick-upon-Tweed via Melton Mowbray and the Erewash Valley (13/08/2022)

Just over an hour later than intended after a traincrew-related issue, 'Galloway Princess' is pictured on arrival into Berwick with 1Z78. Just visible in the background is the sea mist that was hanging over the town and had obscured the run along the scenic Northumberland coastline on what was otherwise a day of bright sunshine and clear blue skies (13/08/2022)

101028 awaits departure from München Hbf with EC114, the 0842 from Klagenfurt to Bochum. With the ongoing inroads into what's still a relatively modern fleet of of AC electric locomotives I sensed the need to record a scene that might soon be lost (17/08/2022)

One of the last stongholds of DB's popular Class '218' diesels is the Südostbayernbahn, where the locos are employed primarily on weekday commuter trains between their base in Mühldorf and Bavaria's state capital. No fewer than four examples (from left to right, 218423, 426, 416 and 425) are visible in this mid-afternoon view of the carriage sidings outside München Hbf (17/08/2022)

I'd been hoping that one of the hourly services through the middle of the day would drop a 'Rabbit' in place of the booked '245' but on this occasion I was out of luck. The first move in anger after arriving on a flight from Manchester earlier that morning was a short hop out to München Ost with 218430, seen here waiting to depart from the Hbf with RE27001 1521 to Simbach (17/08/2022)

An hour later 218419 is pictured at the head of RE27003 1627 to Mühldorf, a service normally worked by top-and-tail '245s' and one which I was only intending to do back out to München Ost until I realised I'd dropped a bit of a clanger. Its partner on this occasion was 218416, which is out of sight at the rear (17/08/2022)

218443 pauses at Ampfing on the rear of RB27052 1737 Mühldorf - München Hbf. The unusual livery is a replica of the 'Touristik' colour scheme carried by a handful of locomotives and coaches in the final years of the 20th century 17/08/2022)

218465 is pictured on arrival at Simbach with RE27005 1726 from München Hbf. On the left is 218430 stabled in the sidings after working the the 1521 departure from Bavaria's state capital (17/08/2022)