RAILS and WINGS and OTHER THINGS: December 2023

28th NOVEMBER 2023: 1Z27 THE CHRISTMAS WHITE ROSE (BIRMINGHAM NS to YORK) 7029 CLUN CASTLE

'Still' taken from video footage of 7029 Clun Castle passing through Swinton (SY) |Rail Station.

7029 Clun castle passes through the station.

The view to the north.

Freightliner 66515 waits at platform signal.

Signal S461.

Class 150 215 with the 2R24 Sheffield to Adwick.

150215 moves off towards Adwick.

2N10 with 158791 at P2 Leeds to Sheffield service.

RJC

END

23rd NOVEMBER 2023 - 1Z46: D9000 'ROYAL SCOTS GREY' DELTIC AND 60007 'SIR NIGEL GRELSEY' AT YORK RAIL STATION.

It's back to York for another visit after last Saturdays sojourn and another steam loco. I travelled up with Steve and his wife. Today, it is 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley', an LNER A4, 4-6-2 wheel configuration, 'Pacific', steam locomotive, built in 1937 and a class 55 Deltic, D9000, which I had never seen! The service that came up to York from London Kings Cross Rail Station, was headed by the diesel locomotive, Class 55, Deltic D9000, 'Royal Scots Grey'.

D9000 arrives at platform 11.

D9000 is uncoupled from its coaches and moves off to the sidings at NRM.

It was scheduled to be decoupled from its train and 60007 would take the train the rest of the way to Edinburgh. A few minutes after D9000 had disappeared down the track to the Parcels Sidings, 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley', the A4 Pacific was reversed up to the coaching stock and coupled-up.

60007 is reversed up to the coaching stock at platform 11.

I then moved off the stairs and down to the platform to take a few final photos.

60007 Sir Nigel Gresley moves off from platform 11 towards Edinburgh.

Other trains seen at York.

Below is the class 91 locomotive that we caught to travel to York.

91111 'For the Fallen' at platform 6.

1E82 Lumo 803001 passes through York Rail Station from Edinburgh to Kings Cross.

1U43 TP 68027 Splendid ready for Scarborough at York Rail Station 18Nov2023

1U43 TP 68027 Splendid departs for Scarborough.

TP units 68032 & 68027

After 68027 departed, 68032 stands ready.

2C87 NT 170459 departs P9 for Leeds at York Rail Station.

1S13 800213 London Kings Cross to Edinburgh at P9 York Rail Station.

9M11 802204 Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street at P9.

TP 802201 ID:1P21 Manchester Piccadilly to Newcastle at P11.

1S12 800207 London Kings Cross to Edinburgh P9.

York Rail Station Christmas Tree 2023.

Signal Y223 York Rail Station.

A very good day indeed!
END

RJC

2nd NOVEMBER 2023 - LIGHT ENGINE MOVEMENT: 0Z12 KEIGHLEY & WVLR to ORTON MERE at DONCASTER RAIL STATION.

Stanier 'Black 5' steam locomotive 4-6-0 No.45212 travelled under its own steam power from the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway to the Nene Valley Railway at Orton Mere, where it will spend time over the coming winter months. The steam loco travelled alone, without its support coach and made for a fascinating sight as it steamed at speed and whistled through a drizzly Doncaster Rail Station.

Stanier 'Class 5', 45212 passes through Doncaster Rail Station.

On a personal note, I was pleased that, at the fourth time of asking, I had successfully imaged a steam loco that I had travelled to view. What was disappointing was that the loco didn't stop at the station as it was scheduled to do so, for a couple of minutes. This was down to the issue of it running behind scheduled time. Maybe I'll see it again when it returns on its way back to K&WVR in the Spring.

Planes v Trains Carbon Emissions Doncaster Rail Station concourse.

This unusual structure has recently been placed in the concourse of the station by LNER and it explains itself quite adequately.

Class 185139, service 1B75, waits at P3B Signal to depart for Liverpool Lime Street.

Network Rail Stoneblower Units approaches P4 Signal.

Network Rail Stoneblower Unit waits at signal Doncaster Rail Station.

Service 1V87 XC, Class 221144 departs P3B for Reading.

Rear of CC service 1A64 from Sunderland to KX Class 221142 at P3.

Cross Country Class 221 slows to 'gliding' speed as it passes through platform 1 on its non-stop, direct to London Kings Cross.

LNER 91114 heads for Leeds with the 1D09 from Kings Cross.

DVT 82211 leaves P1 for Kings Cross with service 1A28 which was running late and this necessitated a platform change for 0712 service.

0L01 Down Belmont Goods to Wakefield Europort with GBRF 66738 waits at signal, I think?

What with all the platform changes and late running trains, its hard to keep track!

Class 66127 in the distance, passes through the Goods-Line.

...and there it goes!

NATURE

On 13th November, a Sparrowhawk swooped down on an unsuspecting Goldfinch.

A Sparrowhawk swooped down on a Goldfinch as it departed from the feeders. The two other Goldfinches with it, recognize imminent danger and scatter to safety. The Sparrowhawk performs an acrobatic somersault in mid-air to snatch the little bird and swoop away. Watch very closely as this all happens in seconds! Sorry, there is no sound to this.