November 2022

With half a chance of some sunshine I took an early afternoon stroll down to Pepper Road in Hunslet, where 60011 is seen passing with the 6E97 1044 Newbiggin - Tees Dock gypsum empties (01/11/2022)

Northern's 158784 on 2F56 1316 Knottingley - Leeds is almost brought to a stand by DB Cargo's 60011, which has just crossed onto the Arrival/departure line at Hunslet Station Junction with 6E97 1044 Newbiggin - Tees Dock gypsum empties. On the left is Freightliner's 66599, which a couple of minutes earlier had arrived light in Hunslet Yard as 0G01 from the company's Midland Road site (03/11/2022)

A minute or so later and 60011 is considerably closer to the lens as it trundles towards Pepper Road. Not the shot I'd been hoping for as 6E97 regularly passes Midland Road on the main line nowadays but still worth having on what had turned out to be an unexpectedly pleasant Autumn afternoon (03/11/2022)

60011 approaches Ribblehead station with the 6E97 1044 Newbiggin - Tees Dock gypsum empties. The morning skies had dawned crystal clear and tempted me north in the hope of recording such a scene and after enjoying an unbroken spell of sunshine since arriving on the unit from Leeds an hour earlier the first shadows were just beginning to creep into the background view of Whernside. Remarkably just over ten minutes later the light had all but been consumed by cloud advancing from the West (04/11/2022)

47853 pauses at Glaisdale to cross a Northern service bound for Middlesborough whilst working 1Z29 0518 'Statesman' charter from Worcester Shrub Hill to Whitby. The loco had worked in multi with sister 47828 as far as York, from where the train was top-and-tailed to cover the reversal at Battersby (12/11/2022)

Journey's end for 47853 after arriving at Whitby from Battersby with 1Z28 (12/11/2022)

The wider angle view of the terminus, with 47853 occupying the longer platform used by NYMR and charter traffic. Northern services to Whitby use the shorter platform on the right hand side, which doesn't require the use of the ground frame (12/11/2022)

47853 is pictured again on arrival back into York with 1Z30 1436 Whitby - Worcester, which it had worked forward from Battersby (12/11/2022)

47828 had led the first leg of the return charter as far as Battersby, and on arrival into York was run round to work back to Worcester in multiple with its sister. We were actually scheduled for a parallel departure from here with a returning Class '40' hauled railtour from Newcastle but in reality the latter arrived in the adjacent Platform 3 as we were leaving (12/11/2022)

91130 pauses in Platform 9 at Leeds with 3A13 Neville Hill - Skipton ECS, as 91107 waits to depart with 1A04 0605 to London Kings Cross. Experimental mobile-phone picture to pass the time as I was waiting for my train to work (15/11/2022)

47828 + 47593 in are pictured in Platform 3 at Preston after arriving with 1Z44 0543 Stafford - Edinburgh 'Statesman' charter. The former had unfortunately been struck by electrical gremlins at Salford Crescent and was in the process of being detached (23/11/2022)

In thoroughly miserable conditions 47593 propels its errant sister into Dock Street Sidings after it was decided that '828 couldn't be trusted to do the job itself. Ironically however it returned to Crewe under its own power the following afternoon after the fault had presumably been diagnosed as a relatively straightforward fix (23/11/2022)

Having deposited its sister, 47593 waits for the signal to shunt back across to Platform 3 and resume its journey to Edinburgh (23/11/2022)

Later that evening 47593 'Galloway Princess' pauses beneath the bright lights of Manchester Piccadilly as it waits to depart Platform 13 with 1Z47 1553 Edinburgh - Stafford return 'Statesman' charter (23/11/2022)

37425 'Sir Robert McAlpine' waits to depart Leeds on the last leg of its journey back to York via Harrogate with the RHTT circuit (27/11/2022)

47804 accelerates away from Leeds towards Morley as it passes the Industrial Estate at Copley Hill with 5Z49 1110 Scarborough - Carnforth. The stock had been used on a private charter to Ely and back for the WCRC Chairman and guests the previous day. 47812 is just visible on the rear (27/11/2022)

47853 + 47593 arrive into Chester with the empty stock from Crewe for 1Z70 0828 'Statesman' charter to Edinburgh. The train had originally been intended to start back from Holyhead but overnight engineering work along the 'Coast' meant it wasn't practical to get out and back in a day (30/11/2022)

Following a seemingly staraightforward run north along the WCML, the pair are pictured again after arrival into Waverley (30/11/2022)

A side-on view illustrating the two different styles of socket for the multi-working cable as the pair wait to head out to Joppa with the empties. Leaking fluids meant that 47853 was left behind for the return journey, which at least provided the consolation of a long distance solo run with 'Galloway Princess' for the second week in a row (30/11/2022)