July 2022

Running as 5Z04 0830 Carlisle High Wapping Sidings to Derby RTC, 37418 leads inspection saloon 'Caroline' through the cutting at Stourton on their way back to base after a tour of the Settle - Carlisle line the previous day (07/07/2022)

47853 + 47805 await departure from Norwich with 1Z80 0609 'Statesman' charter to Weymouth, the first leg of which would feature what these days is a rare run behind the type along the Great Eastern Main Line (09/07/2022)

Several hours later the pair are pictured on arrival into the Dorset town having crossed north London via Primrose Hill to Willesden and then joined the South Western Main Line at Byfleet (09/07/2022)

No fewer than five main line registered '47s' visited Weymouth today in conjunction with the local Sea Food Festival. In addition to the pair on our train from Norwich, 804 and 826 had arrived ahead of us on the 'Northern Belle' from Birmingham International, and 47813 then worked in from Yeovil Junction on what was predominantly a steam-hauled charter from London. The immaculate West Coast Railways liveried machine is seen here propelling the 5Z28 1549 empty stock out to Jersey Siding (09/07/2022)

In the early hours of Sunday morning, 47805 + 47853 are pictured on arrival back into Norwich with the 1Z82 1636 return charter from Weymouth (10/04/2022)

Freightliner's 70008 passes the site of Goose Hill Junction with 4E91 0147 Southampton - Leeds intermodal. It's not often I manage to record this train in sunlight and as it came into view I'd already decided that would once again be the case. Thankfully on this occasion the cloud moved aside in the nick of time (13/07/2022)

Less than ten minutes later DB Cargo's 66025 is pictured at the some spot as it slows for the entry into Wakefield Europort with 4E08 0313 from London Gateway (13/07/2022)

50050 'Fearless' cruises through the deep cutting at Welbeck on the approach to Normanton with Vintage Trains' 1Z50 0654 'Cumbrian Mountaineer' charter from Tyseley Warwick Road to Carlisle (13/07/2022)

47773 brings up the rear of 1Z50 0654 Tyseley - Carlisle as train loco 50050 approaches Normanton station. In truth I'd intended for the loco to be slightly further from the camera but this was a less than ideal moment for my memory card to declare itself full! Lesson there somewhere (13/07/2022)

Viewed from the entrance to the Welbeck Landfill site, 66745 heads away from Normanton with 6L40 0940 Hunslet Tilcon - Scunthorpe Anchor (13/07/2022)

Almsot lost in the landscape of the Aire Valley, 66796 'The Green Progressor' approaches Kildwick with the 6M37 1125 Arcow - Pendleton loaded roadstone (13/07/2022)

Following closely behind was conventional GBRf-liveried 66715 'Valour' at the head of 6D37 1220 Rylstone - Hunslet (13/07/2022)

70808 rumbles through Long Preston at the head of the 6J37 1257 Carlisle - Chirk log train. The bridge in the background would have been ideal for this shot but the gaps in the timetable north of Skipton meant getting there would have cost me the two I'd done earlier at Cononley. This one on the other hand was effectively a freebie which I made by seconds having run up the lane from the station (13/07/2022)

50050 catches what by now was an all too rare patch of sunshine as it stands in Blea Moor Up Goods Loop with the returning 1Z51 1604 Carlisle - Tyseley. An hour or so earlier when the train had been due to pass the hillside was bathed in sunlight but unfortunately the loco had overheated and shut down shortly after passing Garsdale (13/07/2022)

158752 passes Blea Moor with the delayed 2H95 1618 Carlisle - Leeds which had been held in the platform at Garsdale for an hour whilst 50050's coolant was replenished and the line ahead was cleared (13/07/2022)

Having been given the all clear by its techical support team, 50050 eases 1Z51 out of the loop at Blea Moor to continue its journey back south to Tyseley (13/07/2022)

47773 brings up the rear of 1Z51 1604 Carlisle - Tyseley Warwwick Road as 50050 leads the returning 'Cumbrian Mountaineer' charter onto Ribblehead Viaduct (13/07/2022)

47501 'Craftsman' passes Midland Road in Hunslet with 1Z35 1232 Crewe - Keighley. The consist (with 47593 just visible at the rear) is the LSL Chairman's private train, which would spend the night at Oxenhope on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (14/07/2022)

47192 is pictured on arrival into Duffield with 2D03 1520 from Wirksworth during an impromptu running day at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. Today's trains were originally diagrammed for steam haulage but the unusually warm conditions forecast for the next few days had prompted a switch to diesel traction to minimise the risk of linside fires breaking out (15/07/2022)

The following afternoon 47192 is pictured again at Duffield with 2W03 1620 from Wirksworth at the end of a further running day for the Brush Type 4 on loan from Crewe Heritage Centre. It was to be the same again the following day too but with the on-train temperature already uncomfortably warm I decided against a third visit in three days (16/07/2022)

Colas Rail Freight have recently taken over some of the former DB Cargo petroleum flows out of Immingham including the irregular working to Neville Hill TMD in Leeds. 56096 was turned out for the first such working by the new operator and the 'Grid' is seen here passing the mothballed connection onto the Middleton Railway at Balm Road, Hunslet, with the returning 6D80 1425 empties back to the Lindsey refinery (20/07/2022)

Following closely behind was Network Rail's 97303 on an additional 0Z71 1401 Bradford Interchange - Doncaster road learner (20/07/2022)

Just ten minutes later it was the turn of 66745 with the 6M37 1125 Arcow - Pendleton loaded roadstone. Whilst the cooler temperatures today were something of a blessing after the 40-degree heat of the previous day I certainly wouldn't have objected to some of the accompanying sunshine for the half hour in which this trio were passing (20/07/2022)

Two-tone green LSL duo 47805 + 47501 await departure from Derby with the 1Z45 0457 'Statesman' charter to Penzance