The Flickr Liverpoollimestreetviasheffieldtonorwich Image Generatr

* Earles Sidings, East

* A 75Mby MP4 phone Video, taken in 2 parts, it is 4min 45secs long.
* NB: As this is longer than the fixed 3 minute viewing in the Flickr interface, the Video must be downloaded to the desktop to see the full length.
* Right-click on the down-arrow option, the last of the three options to the lower right of the video frame. Select 'Save-As' and view..

** It has just come to my notice (10/12/23) that the Download option below and to the right of the media _does not_ allow you to download the full version, only the 3 minutes available here. So, I am going to try and 'fix' this for all videos lasting more than 3 minutes, this is the link to obtain the full version shown here-
www.flickr.tightfitz.com/Video/Earles_Shunter-conv.mp4

The HTA coal hoppers are being shunted back from Earles Sidings then drawn forward, the wagons usually split into a rake of 10-12, however there are 12 here and so the whole lot are being hauled up-grade to the cement works by the resident class 20, #2. This is a H.N.R.C leased class 20, 20168, 'Sir George Earle', it then takes the wagons on the 3km run up to the Castleton Cement Works and this one today is one of the very few coal workings which occur here. The inbound coal train occured earlier, 07:22, in the day from Cwmbargoed Opencast Colliery near Llandovery in mid-Wales as 6M77, with DBS 66190 heading the Cwmbargoed Opencast Colliery to Earles Sidings with an 1800 tonne timing load; 12 wagons must have been the whole load. After emptying the coal, it then brings them back down and, usually, takes another empty set back to also be filled after which it brings these back to the original rake and assembles the whole lot into the next working out of the sidings... Bit long-winded but this is how its been done for years, the incline and the single-track curvature being too much for a larger loco to deal with, no need to fix it, if it's not broken... After putting the coal wagons in the siding seen here in this video, 66190 left light engine at 08:02 on the 0F52, Earles Sidings to Peak Forest move, it was then seen again a bit earlier with 66085 at the back, at Earles Sidings West, whilst taking the shots of the Wayfarer Charter, heading back from Peak Forest on the 0D12, Peak Forest to Toton T.M.D. working... 'OpenRail' data indicates this is a permanent working until May 2022, though it may well continue after that, no indication of the frequency, though its in again for next week...

Whilst the shunting was in progress, Northern Rail class 195, 195120, rattles passed, this the 5S81 E.C.S. move from Edale Station to here, to reverse just along the track and make its way back to Edale Station. Apparently Northern were short of drivers on this day and were running bus replacement services between Chinley and Sheffield whilst these units provided a local service between Edale and Manchester; there were also cancelled Northern services out of Sheffield as well, for the same reason. And, just before the passenger train went by, but not in the video, a pair of DBS class 66s, 66190 and 66085 on the 0D12 working from Peak Forest to the Toton T.M.D. 66190 was the loco which brought the coal train into the sidings earlier in the day as indicated above, having detached it then went over to Peak Forest on the 0F52 move, connecting with 66085 and then returning this way to Toton.

So, yet another bit of unique rail traction working, along with the DRS 37s and the DBS 66 coal train, it made for quite an interesting few hours!

* Earles Sidings, East

Finally, in this last set of 4 mosaic pictures, the view looks to the west with the rake of old EWS HTA coal hoppers now being readied to push back into the siding off to the far left which has a connecting line up to the Castleton Cement Works. In the distance, at the back of the rake of wagons, is the resident shunter, class 20, #2, 20168, 'Sir George Earle' ready to convey the wagons on the local working between Hope Earles Sidings to Castleton Cement Works; no headcode for this.. The 20 is now beginning the process of propelling the rake backwards and the upper right picture shows the 20 approaching the east end of the sidings with the last wagon which, like all the others, appears not to be fully loaded, the timing load for the inbound working, 6M77, this morning, hauled by DBS 66190 from the Cwmbargoed Opencast Colliery, was 1800 tonnes. Taking off the weight of the loco, 130 tonnes and wagons, 27 tonnes each, this must amount to about 1300 tonnes of coal maximum, or 112 tonnes per wagon, though there was no sign of any coal showing at the top of the wagons, so I guess they are carrying much less than this, due to the gradient up to the Cement Works. At lower left, 20168 has now pushed the wagons back down the siding alongside the main lines and has powered up ready to haul the whole lot back out, crossing over onto the single branch line up to the Cement Works. Whilst this was going on, in the final picture at lower right, a Northern Rail class 195, 195120, rattled passed heading towards the east, this the 5S81 E.C.S. move from Edale Station to here, to reverse just along the track and make its way back to Edale Station. Apparently Northern were short of drivers on this day and were running bus replacement services between Chinley and Sheffield whilst these units provided a local service between Edale and Manchester; there were also cancelled Northern services out of Sheffield as well, for the same reason. A few minutes after this shot was taken, the 20 powered up again have stopped for 5 minutes on the corner, and off it went up-grade to the Cement Works with its rake of old HTA coal hoppers to provide a supply of the fuel for the ovens up there which are used during the cement making process... I have never seen this operation before so all-in-all, the 2 hour session was an interesting one... with nothing else on, freight-wise, it was time to head back out of the Vally, shame really as it _was_ so pleasant, but it was also getting quite busy with weekend visitors and traffic of one sort or another.

* Earles Sidings, East

* A 75Mby MP4 phone Video, taken in 2 parts, it is 4min 45secs long.
* NB: As this is longer than the fixed 3 minute viewing in the Flickr interface, the Video must be downloaded to the desktop to see the full length.
* Right-click on the down-arrow option, the last of the three options to the lower right of the video frame. Select 'Save-As' and view..

** It has just come to my notice (10/12/23) that the Download option below and to the right of the media _does not_ allow you to download the full version, only the 3 minutes available here. So, I am going to try and 'fix' this for all videos lasting more than 3 minutes, this is the link to obtain the full version shown here-
www.flickr.tightfitz.com/Video/Pennnine_Tour-conv.mp4

The HTA coal hoppers are being shunted back from Earles Sidings then drawn forward, the wagons usually split into a rake of 10-12, however there are 12 here and so the whole lot are being hauled up-grade to the cement works by the resident class 20, #2. This is a H.N.R.C leased class 20, 20168, 'Sir George Earle', it then takes the wagons on the 3km run up to the Castleton Cement Works and this one today is one of the very few coal workings which occur here. The inbound coal train occured earlier, 07:22, in the day from Cwmbargoed Opencast Colliery near Caerphilly in mid-Wales as 6M77, with DBS 66190 heading the Cwmbargoed Opencast Colliery to Earles Sidings with an 1800 tonne timing load; 12 wagons must have been the whole load. After emptying the coal, it then brings them back down and, usually, takes another empty set back to also be filled after which it brings these back to the original rake and assembles the whole lot into the next working out of the sidings... Bit long-winded but this is how its been done for years, the incline and the single-track curvature being too much for a larger loco to deal with, no need to fix it, if it's not broken... After putting the coal wagons in the siding seen here in this video, 66190 left light engine at 08:02 on the 0F52, Earles Sidings to Peak Forest move, it was then seen again a bit earlier with 66085 at the back, at Earles Sidings West, whilst taking the shots of the Wayfarer Charter, heading back from Peak Forest on the 0D12, Peak Forest to Toton T.M.D. working... 'OpenRail' data indicates this is a permanent working until May 2022, though it may well continue after that, no indication of the frequency, though its in again for next week...

Whilst the shunting was in progress, Northern Rail class 195, 195120, rattles passed, this the 5S81 E.C.S. move from Edale Station to here, to reverse just along the track and make its way back to Edale Station. Apparently Northern were short of drivers on this day and were running buss replacement services between Chinley and Sheffield whilst these units provided a local service between Edale and Manchester; there were also cancelled Northern services out od Sheffield as well, for the same reason. And, just before the passenger train went by, but not in the video, a pair of DBS class 66s, 66190 and 66085 on the 0D12 working from Peak Forest to the Toton T.M.D. 66190 was the loco which brought the coal train into the sidings earlier in the day as indicated above, having detached it then went over to Peak Forest on the 0F52 move, connecting with 66085 and then returning this way to Toton.

So, yet another bit of unique rail traction working, along with the DRS 37s and the DBS 66 coal train, it made for quite an interesting few hours!

* Earles Sidings, West

Its a very great shame that the 2nd loco, 37425, wasn't at the head of the Charter on the way out, not on the way back as it turned out as that was in the dark and it would have been good to have a view of it here. Some information about the loco-

Number: 37425
Class: 37/4
Depot: WQ - EWS HQ Acceptance Trials/Awaiting Decision
Pool: Unknown
Livery: DZ - Direct Rail Services - Two Tone Compass Blue
Builder: English Electric Vulcan Foundry
Built: 05/07/1965
First Allocated: Canton
Works Number: E3552/D981
Fitted: Dual (BR & WR) Automatic Warning System (DAWS)
Named: 31/10/1986, 'Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob'
Unamed: 31/03/2001
Named: 28/11/2005, 'Pride of the Valleys/Balchder y Cymoedd'
Unamed: 28/02/2011
Named: 17/08/2013, 'Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob'

At upper left, the loco is about to pass under the bridge and this is the best shot of it in this cutting though one of us, Gavin.B, tried a side-on view from the field behind the signal box on the left in the distance around the corner. At upper right, the two-tone grey livery can be seen with the distinctive blue stripe along the light-grey at the bottom; all this the 'Regional Railways livery'. With a 12-coach set, and some grades to climb up, the Charter has two 37s powered up, no need for top-and-tail on the route its on, so there is plenty of 'clag' and noise as it gets under way towards Hope, Edale and the 3,702 yard long Cowburn Tunnel. Pretty ,much a 'Silvan' type landscape unfolds as the view looks to the west and the cleared section signal at upper right with the rather clean looking 37425 in its Regional Railways livery, behind 37218 in DRS Two Tone Compass Blue livery, this looking rather, 'dusty'; though not performing at all bad for 57 year old locomotives. At lower left, the set passes the Earles Sidings Signal Box section signal for moves towards the signal box at Edale, the next station along the line. This is the departing D.R.S. operated 'Pathfinder Railtours', 'The Pennine Wayfarer Charter' with 37218, ex- D6918, at the front and 37425, ex-D6992, 'Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob' behind it on the 1Z12, Bristol Temple Meads via Worcester, Burton-on-Trent & here, the H.V.L. to Bolton, working. Later that day, after arriving at 15:35, the set will change locos, putting 37425 at the front and return at 17:01, on the faster, 1Z13, Bolton via H.V.L. back to Bristol Temple Meads, arriving at 22:41. This time 5h 41 mins, compared to the 9h 30mins for the outward journey; a lot of time on the train for just 1.5 hours in Bolton...
The last picture, at lower right, of this third set, shows the scene at the other, east, end of the Earles Sidings Yard, having departed the west side after the Charter had got away. The view in this picture shows, at far left, one of the two Freightliner class 70s mentioned earlier, behind which are 4 class 66s, two long rakes of PCA type cement tank wagons next to the locos. Finally, between the PCA tank wagons and the departing TPE passenger service, are 12 old EWS HTA coal hoppers containing, though not completely full of, coal for the Castleton Cement Works, up-grade at the far left. The TPE units are class 185, 185141 & 185125 running on the regular hourly service, this one, 1B75 between Cleethorpes on the east coast of Lincolnshire, through Doncaster and Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly. Earles Sidings Signal Box/cabin can be seen on the far right, and what a job the signallers must have, here in this idyllic spot in the Hope Valley, don't think there's much sign in the near future that all the semaphore boxes along here, from Totley to Edale, will be replaced any time soon.

* Earles Sidings, West

Around 15 minutes later, with slow traffic manoeuvring at Hope, and a little anxious, arrival on the footbridge was made in time to see passage of an early running light-engine move from Peak Forest. As this occured before I had the phone set up to take the video seen yesterday, there was no record of it in there. Timed to pass through at 12:27, well after the Charter left at mid-day, the two loco light-engine move, 0F52 came though 33 minutes early at 11:55 with DBS 66190, in old brown EWS livery, leading and red-liveried 66085 seen here at the back. In fact 66190 had come up early that morning with a 12-HTAS wagon haul of... coal!, for the cement works on the 6M77, Cwmbargoed Opencast Colliery to Earles Sidings working; somewhat of a rarity, now only being coal, but delivering to here, yet it's not unknown. It set off from the opencast mine in mid-Wales north of Llandovery in mid-Wales, on the day before at 15:34 and arrived in this area, 15 minutes late, at 07:37, with 12 old EWS HTA coal hoppers and a 1800 tonne timing load. The loco then detached and ran light engine to Peak Forest on 0F52, coming back as 0D12, this working, with 66085 and heading for the Toton T.M.D. At upper right, the shot shows the Charter set in Earles Sidings, next to the line withe the 12 coal hoppers on it, ready to be taken up to the Castleton Cement Works. D.R.S. class 37, 37218 is revving up and emitting clouds of the blue stuff as its now only a few minutes before the off along the H.V.L. towards Cowburn Tunnel, Chinley, Manchester and on to Bolton; 'Notlob', if you're a Monty Python 'Parrot Sketch' fan! The E.M.R. is DMUs classes 158 and 156, with 158777 seen here at the front and at the back, 156411 heading rapidly though on the 1R64, Norwich via reversal at Sheffield to Liverpool Lime Street. Two minutes after that, and with the section signal behind the camera now showing clear after passed of the E.M.R. service, 37218 powered up and came _very_ slowly forward to the road bridge with Les Nixon making the best of the view, right next to me. The driver has the clear signal from the small arm on the siding signal post and just visible over the top of the EWS coal hoppers and two full sidings of PCA cement tank wagons, the tops of 4 class 66 Freightliners can be seen with, apparently, 2 class 70s as well, right at the front; one of these can be seen in the pictures and videos which follow. At lower right, approaching the road bridge, 37218 with 37425, 'Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob' behind it on the continuing 'PAthfinder Railtours', 'The Pennine Wayfarer Charter', 1Z12, Bristol Temple Meads via Worcester, Burton-on-Trent & H.V.L. to Bolton.

* Bamford

There's a charter tour about and its coming along the Hope Valley at around mid-day on Saturday 12th of March and, not only that, it has two class 37s on it and its going to pull into Earles Sidings for twenty minutes to allow an E.M.R. fast service to pass by. The twenty minutes at Earles Sidings meant it was possible to select two locations and in this series of 4, 4-part mosaic pictures, the shots represent what has been seen to some extent, in the two videos posted yesterday. With no freight traction expected during the hour and a half in the area, the best was made of what was on offer and, it turned out OK. At top left in this 1st set, one of the regular services running along here, an East Midlands Trains pair of class 158s, at the back here is 158864 and leading the way through to Sheffield for a reversal, 158774 on the 1L09, Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich service. Ahead of the front 158, to the left, work can now be seen to have commenced on the dynamic loop with excavations of the bank taking place, so that the extra, loop, line can be fitted in, at long last. Just 15 minutes later and the distinctive thrum and the blue smoke of a class 37 could be seen approaching from the direction of HAthersage and beyond, Grindleford and the 6,230yard long, Totley Tunnel. This is the 'all-day' 'Pathfinder Railtours', 'The Pennine Wayfarer Charter', with D.R.S., 'Direct Rail Services, class 37s, 37218 leading and right behind, 37425, 'Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob' on the 9.5 hour 1Z12, Bristol Temple Meads via Worcester, Burton-on-Trent & here on the H.V.L. to Bolton. It set out at 06:22 that morning and will arrive in Bolton at 15:35, quite a long days for the travellers on the 12-coach set. 37218 is passing over the N.R. access road from one side of the tracks to the other and right at the end of platform 2 on the left, 3 enthusiasts photograph the passage; they being the only ones on the platforms! The set was around 5 minutes early here and was then due to sit at Earles Sidings to the west for around 20 minutes so after passage of the 12-coach set, in the lower right picture, timer to make a speedy exit and travel the short, but slow in places, distance to the other end of Earles Sidings. As mentioned in the video show yesterday, Les Nixon was out and about, and in fact stood right next to me, what a charming guy he is.. great pleasure to meet him.. and once more in about 25 minutes as he also came over to the west side of Earles Sidings.

* Bamford Station
Finally, impressed by the full, clean, red wagons and the loco, ion contrast to the latter weeks of this years RHTT where the class 37s and 20s and blue tank wagons were hardly recognisable, the rake heads along the down line towards the road over-bridge in the distance and it is this section of track on the left, which is still awaiting is 'Dynamic Goods Loop', a facility which is destined to speed up H.V.L. passenger traffic. This, along with the re-instatement of double track lines through Dore Station, removed long ago in the various rationalisation processes, is set to improve passenger traffic, with an increase in services, between Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Nottingham; we're just waiting for it to happen as its been in this state for a 'few years' now.. In the distance, just coming this way under the road-bridge is the next passenger service and this is how close it got to ruining the shots of 60017 if the 60 had been a few minutes late or the 195 a little quicker heading up to here. I guess the 195 slowing for the station stop here, helped in not having them both pass through at the same time. 60017 pass was at 12:31:45 and the 195 at 12:33... D.B.S. class 60, 60017, is on the receding, 2400 tonne timing load, 6E18, from the Peak Forest Cemex Sidings over to the Attercliffe Sidings EWS, accessed from the Brightside Sidings on the north-east of Sheffield, with a colourful load of red MWA Bogie Wagons..

A Very Happy Xmas to One and All. More next year, possibly!

* Bamford Station
Luckily as it happened, this forms the basis for this year's 'Flickr Xmas Card' as the greenery of the scene and the red livery of the loco seemed to scream out 'use this for your card'!, so I did, see very last picture. Having set off 15 minutes early I was on the ball making sure I didn't miss the approach as the time-table indicated, unusually, that this was D.B.S., class 60, 'Tug', 60017, and so would make a striking passage as it came though the station with Win Hill, now devoid of bright sunny illumination, in the background. With no chance now of any passenger traction getting in the way of the shot, though alarmingly a class 195 was on its way from Grindleford, away east along the up line behind the camera; the time-table now indicating that the 60 would pass through before the 195. Hauling a longish, 2400 tonne timing load of full, 'MWA red Bogie Wagons', is 60017 on the 6E18, from the Peak Forest Cemex Sidings along to the Cemex works at Attercliffe; the old Sheffield District Railway, latterly EWS sidings, now being used for out-bound scrap moves from the European Metal Recyclers and inbound cement trains bound for the Cemex works next door.

* 57Mby MP4 phone Video, it is 31s long, so video can be watched within the Flickr interface.
* Thornhill
'Saphos Rail Tours' with Southern Railway West Country Class, '4-6-2 Pacific', 37046, ex-98746, 'Braunton' with class 47, 47805, ex-D1935, 'Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013' at the rear, and also ran, between Telford and Crewe was 47614, ex-47853, on the 'Saphos Christmas White Rose Charter', 1Z60, from Telford Central via Crewe & the Hope Valley to York. And the return from York at around 5pm, was 1Z62, York via the Calder Valley & Crewe, where 'Braunton' came off and was replaced once more by 47614 to Telford Central.
Also today, D.B.S., 'D. B. Shenker Cargo', class 60, 'Tug', 60017, on the 2400 tonne timing load, 6E18, Peak Forest Cemex Sidings to Attercliffe Sidings EWS with a rake of full 'MWA red Bogie Wagons' was the Cemex works at Attercliffe.
And finally, the passenger traction - 'East Midlands Railway' class 153s, 153355, on 1L08 and later, 153308 on 1L09 both operating the Liverpool Lime Street via Sheffield to Norwich service. 'Transpennine Trains' class 185 can also be seen with 'Arriva Livery' on the regular hourly service, 1B73, from Cleethorpes via Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly. And finally, a 'Northern Rail' class 195, 'Civity', 'CAF, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A.', this one 195110, heading for a station stop just after the DBS 60 had cleared away from the station on the 2S81, Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly passenger stopping service.

* Bamford Station
'Shot of the day' I feel and, as luck would have it, the guy who I was speaking too here liked his 'low-angle' shots, so it made mine all the more interesting to get him in as well. He was on a 'round-robin' train jaunt from the Hebden Bridge area, catching services to get a view at various locations and in a few minutes, he was off on the approaching 195, bound for Manchester. With 24 full MWA box wagons, each one capable of carrying 78tonnes! amounting to 1872 total capacity, so can see why the timing load is 2400 by the time the 24 x 24tonnes of wagon weight is added in. D.B.S., 'D. B. Shenker Cargo' is running a class 60, 'Tug', novel name that!, 60017 on the 6E18, Peak Forest Cemex Sidings to Attercliffe Sidings EWS where Cooper's Scrapyard once resided but now its the E.M.R., European Metal Recyclers and the Cemex Cement Works next door. The access into the site being provided by a single track stub off the Brightside Sidings, and passing over the River Don on a very substantial blue-brick bridge, just before entering the old siding area. This used to be the Sheffield District Railway's Goods Station in the days when its metals were also being used by the old L.D.E.C.R. to get access to the Sheffield area from their line at Beighton Junction. The last bit of the L.D.E.C.R.'s line being the now defunct, Westthorpe Runaround; it can't be too long now before those materials are recovered as the Runaround, such that it is, is no longer connected to the main, 'Old Road' line; amazingly, the exit signal, S0281, from the loop is still there, lit and on the track-diagram!

* Thornhill
Six minutes later in fact, was all they needed to wait as the 'steamer' made an on-time presence from the Cowburn Tunnel exit just beyond Edale Station and rattled through here in short-shrift. Once again, Win Hill is providing the sunny aspect in the background but fortunately the light didn't extend to the line formation which would have resulted in irritating cross-shadows, which can be seen creeping in to the last set of traction shots. This is the 'Saphos Rail Tours', see-
saphostrains.com/
charter with an original Southern Railway, West Country Class, '4-6-2 Pacific', 37046, ex-98746, 'Braunton', on the 'Saphos Christmas White Rose Charter', 1Z60, from Telford Central via Crewe & the Hope Valley to York. The train left Telford at 06:32 that morning and had made 7 stops on the way to pick up passengers, at - Wellington, Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows & Manchester Victoria before heading over this way and on to York without any further stops. It arrived in York at 13:38, so the passengers could have a few hours in Tier-3 lock-down, York; not sure how that would have gone; the return service, 1Z62, departed at 16:55, giving the 'sight-seers' just over 3 hours in York. A splendid show of traction and coaches, and in fact the last time I was here, in March this year just before the initial lock-down started, another Saphos Charter passed this way, this time with 'Britannia', 70000, ex-98700, on the 'Easter White Rose Charter' again heading for York, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/vinc2020/49634425642/
The local, excitable female contingent were whooping with glee once the loco got beneath the bridge, some fun and jollity in these days of misery!

* Thornhill
As with the earlier 'Saphos Charter Tour' earlier this year in March, today's trip operated with a very similar loco/coach configuration. Seen in this picture, now heading around the curve towards the bridge over the River Derwent, in full flow from the full Derwent Valley Reservoirs, Ladybower, Derwent and at the northern end, Howden, once over there, it will greet its band of enthusiasts waiting on the platforms at Bamford Station. Bringing up the rear is class 47, 47805, ex-D1935. 'Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013", see-
www.tpo-seapost.org.uk/tpo2/rogerhosking.html
for details about this past railway worker. Another class 47, 47614, ex-47853, was used on the trip up from Telford to Crewe, the steam traction provided by Southern Railway, West Country Class, 4-6-2 Pacific, 37046, 'Braunton', being put on at the front at Crewe, to complete the 'Christmas White Rose Charter', 1Z60, Telford Central via Crewe & Hope Valley to York. Some information about the 'Southern Railway West Country Class' locomotives-
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_West_Country_and_Battle_of_Brita...

Some information about the class4 7 at the back-
Current Allocation Details
Number: 47805
Class: 47/4
Depot: CG - Crewe Gresty Lane
Pool: Unknown
Livery: DZ - Direct Rail Services - Two Tone Compass Blue
Builder: Brush Traction
Built: 18/03/1966
Works Number: 697
47805 Named: 29/06/1991, 'Bristol Bath Road'
Unamed: 03/03/1995
47805 Named: 06/02/2002, 'Pride of Toton'
Unamed: 31/07/2003
47805 Named: 31/10/2006, 'Talisman'
Unamed: 30/09/2011
47805 Named: 30/06/2013, 'John Scott 12.5.45-22.5.12'

Further-
'...The British Rail Class 47 is a type of diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush’s Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British mainline diesel locomotive. They have been used on both passenger and freight trains on Britain’s railways for over 50 years. Despite the introduction of more modern types of traction, a significant number are still in use, both on mainline and heritage railways. As of September 2018, 80 locomotives still exist as Class 47s, with further examples having been converted to other classes; 30 retain ‘operational status’ on the mainline. In 2018, after over 55 years of front line passenger and freight operations, 35 locomotives are fitted with the required systems in order to be mainline registered (excluding preserved examples) with 24 locomotives currently operational on the national network and the balance stored. ‘Roger Hosking’ is currently based at Crewe...'

* Thornhill
Well, the woes continue now with a new strain of Covid-19 in the south-east/London effectively putting 3 million into a T-4 lock-down; Europe has just responded by closing all its ports to inbound traffic from the UK, an utter, utter, mess, owned by this useless, incompetent government.

Saturday saw one of the few steam hauled services travel up-country from the south, Telford Central, via Crewe and through this area along the Hope Valley Line and then north, on to York. First up, in festive spirit, a few horse riders pass by, the ones in the top right picture, in full 'santa garb' the horses slowly plodding up the back lane at BAmford towards the southern end of Ladybower Reservoir, around 2.5km away. By good chance, a family came walking along and asked what was going on, as it was only a few minutes before the arrival of the steam charter, they decided to hang on and get the full flavour of the steam, right on top of it as they are stood right above the down line. At left, passenger traction is represented by, at top, an East Midlands Railway, class 153, 153355, looking distinctly colourful and a bit 'classic', on 1L08, the Liverpool Lime Street service via Sheffield for reversal and then south along the Midland Main Line out of Sheffield and on to Norwich in Norfolk. At lower left, a Transpennine Express class 185 hurtles along the up line towards Edale on the regular hourly service, this one 1B73, from Cleethorpes via Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly. In the back ground on the right, the sun has caught the top of 462m high Win Hill and looks splendid in the mid-day sunny conditions.

* Bamford Station
By the time I had taken stock of the situation regarding the next working to come this way, in around an hour, and moved off back to wards the east and the station at BAmford, almost all the folk at the station had left with only 1 soul waiting for the next passenger service into Sheffield at 12:38, a half hour away. In the meantime, a couple of passenger traction shots shown at the station, at left, a semi-fat, so no stopping here, an East Midland Railway class 153, the second today and 1 hour after the one seen earlier, this is on the same diagram, this one 1L09, from Liverpool Lime Street via reversal at Sheffield and then on south to Norwich. The journey time being 10:51 to 16:10, so a little over six hours, I think this used to be called the 'University Express' or some such name, in the mid-1990s when my mother and father used to catch this in Sheffield to come and visit us in Cambridge, I picking them up at Ely. In those days I also think it was operated by Central Trains, ans invariable, shortly after privatisation, it consisted of only 2 coaches, even having booked seats they often didn't get one and on one or two occasions, couldn't even get on the train it was so full; I ended up having to drive them back to their home, an almost 3 hour journey. East Midlands Railway's class 153, 153308 is rattling along the down platform, 2, and heading for Sheffield on past the old Midland Railway station building at right, with its distinctive red gable ends to both sections of the roof. At centre, the local station 'minders' have erected a bird feeder which is now operational and a banner for the school ion Bamford which has had good 'Ofsted' reviews and a sign that the village is 'a safe place to grow'.. hear, hear to that! And, at right, slowing to pick up the only passenger waiting, in fact the guy who was taking pictures of the red DBS 60, seen in the next shots which, he was very lucky to get as this class 195 came just minutes after the 60 had passed by; it can be seen in the distance passing under the road bridge, behind the 195. 'Northern Rail', 'Civity', 'CAF, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A.', this one 195110, is heading for a station stop just after the DBS 60 had cleared away from the station, on the 2S81, Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly passenger stopping service. ONce this had departed, I was on my own and though the next freight was in an hour, I decided not to wait as there were plenty of walkers, cyclists and traffic in the Hope VAlley, on this last pleasant weekend before all hell broke loose the following day, with a new strain of Covid-19 rampant in the south-east of the U.K. and a Tier-4 lock-down imposed, essentially 'cancelling Xmas' for millions of people.

* 'BAM' -> the 1st day of the UK 'Lock-down' easing

Final three shots showing, at left, the 3rd and final type of passenger traction which runs along the Hope Valley Line, so nothing too surprising except on this occasion, it looks as if there may be an issue with the diesel engine at the back. It came along the line from Grindleford looking like this, I am aware that some diesel cars look like this occasionally from their exhaust and understand its a problem with the oil rings in the engine and hence probably quite expensive to fix which may explain why their owners don't bother! We all now know the dangers of breathing in sooty particulate matter, 'nuf said'! Heading towards the west on a regular hourly service, from Cleethorpes to Manchester Piccadilly, this one, 1B75 is class 185 TPPE unit, number unknown and heading for a curving snake around the foot of 'Losehill' in the background. There is no indication in the time-table that there was any problem and the train completed the service to Manchester on time.. The last passenger service before leaving was the 2S81, with another ageing Northern class 150 in charge, between, once again Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly. It disgorged its seven, young passengers, a group of three, one wearing a mask, shown in the centre picture with the DMU receding into the distance. The other group, shown at right, were a cheery lot, oriental looking and a pleasure to say 'hello and how are you' to someone! They all 'looked' as if they were smiling, the eyes tell all, and responded kindly, something I appreciated after 10 weeks stuck, more-or-less, in isolation. The other 'enthusiast' was maintaining distance from them, and now about to wait an hour and a half in the hot mid-day sun for the arrival of the only other interesting working, a GBRF freight from Wellingborough to the Tunstead Sidings at Peak Forest. The Hope Valley was pretty crowded, plenty of cyclists, pedal & motor, walkers and cars all over on this hot Spring day; no pubs open yet of course, sadly, and so it was off back over the top in glorious weather and scenery...

* 'BAM' -> the 1st day of the UK 'Lock-down' easing

And now the passenger traction shots. The usual suspects turn up, Northern, East Midlands and T.P.E. in a set which shows, at left, a now ageing Northern class 150, and not particularly _looking_ all that bad, although the ride is abominable, 150129 on and Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly stopper, this one 2S79. No-one is about and no-one got off the train, the other 'enthusiast' was either behind the 150 on the same platform or, waiting for the going away shot on the bridge. in the distance in this shot and the one on the right, Losehill can be seen prominently in the background, whilst off to its right in the right picture, the lower, Win Hill; the respective heights being 476m & 462m. I think in the past, I may have got the identification incorrect, assigning Win Hill to the one in the distance here in the picture on the left. At centre, the other form of traction through here, this a fast, non-stopper, an East Midlands Railways class 158, 158810 on the 1R70, Norwich via reversal at Sheffield Midland, to Liverpool Lime Street service. The Equestrian Centra at right is open and there was a lot of shouting and encouragement for the girls riding the horses, one of which looked pretty damned capable of skipping over 3 fences in rapid succession... was very impressed with one so young.. the other enthusiast at the locale can be seen on platform 1 watching the passing of the Express Sprinter, next stop would be Stockport in around half an hour, it set of from Norwich earlier at 07:57 and will arrive at Liverpool Lime Street at 13:27, quite a jaunt along the Norfolk, East Midlands and Hope Valley... At far right, a returning working from the Manchester direction, the 1L09, Liverpool Lime Street via Sheffield Midland to Norwich, 1L09 service having just snaked around the distant 476m high 'Losehill' with the slopes on the right rising to another well known peak at 'Win Hill' where splendid views over the three Reservoirs, Howden, Derwent and Ladybower, may be experienced; the outlet from the latter, being via the Derwent River over which the rear of the 158 is passing on the green bridge. The reservoirs are once again, very low in water, but not as they were at the end of 2018, views of the very low water levels in Ladybower at that time, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/44735748975/
and videos of the area on December 3rd, 2018, here-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/46166016741/
and here-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/46162309931/

* 'BAM' -> the 1st day of the UK 'Lock-down' easing

This turned out well, and away from the sun off to the left, things were much easier to deal with. 'Jack Frost', proclaiming 'Thank You NHS' and very well deserved it is, is ROG's class 47, 47813 on a TPE Empty Coaching Stock move, 5Q32, from Gascoigne Woods Sidings/Selby Mine RJB to the Longsight Wheel Lathe, near Manchester city centre. Some information about the 55 year old locomotive, taken from the Railuk.info & Class47.co.uk, websites-

Number: 47813
Class: 47/4
Depot: KM - Kingmoor Yard SP (Carlisle)
Pool: Rail Operation Group
Livery: DZ - Direct Rail Services - Two Tone Compass Blue
Builder: Brush Falcon Works
Built: 06/03/1964
Production Order: September 28th 1962
Works Number: 491 (originally 482)
To traffic: March 6th 1964
47813 Named: 02/04/1998, 'SS Great Britain'
Unamed: 31/07/2004
47813 Named: 08/10/2005, 'John Peel', at Bury St Edmunds station by Sheila Peel, John Peel's widow.
Unamed: 31/08/2009 and Plates removed during August 2009.
47813 Named: 30/09/2012, 'Solent'
September 2012 Named: 'Jack Frost'
Plates fitted: Eastleigh works, February 18th 2019

* 'BAM' -> the 1st day of the UK 'Lock-down' easing

After last week's trip to Masbrough for a canal walk and a look at the passing traction, the Mark III coaching stock move to Booth's Scrap Yard, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/vinc2020/49941793878/
this time it was a hurried drive over for a bit of a saunter in the Hope Valley, centred on Bamford. And, once more, another out-of-the-ordinary move, a T.P.E. Civity Coaching Stock move to the wheel lathe at Longsight in Manchester. Not having caught 'the drift' of what was going on here until a bit late and then not reacting quickly which, considering this working's origin, listed as Gascoigne Wood/Selby Mine, I ought to have been on the move. I think the last 10 weeks of 'Lock-down', for all of us, has meant a somewhat unconcerned approach to getting out, impossible to start with for the 1st few weeks, and to start taking pictures once more. This day, Monday 1st June, saw an extension to the easing of 'the rules' for the number of folk who could meet, but who still had to maintain the magic number of 2m distancing, together with easing of exercise and driving rules, all came together to make me feel this could be now undertaken. We are not out-of-the-woods yet though, with last week's infection rate quoted as 57,000 in the UK and the 'R number', how many other folk one person infects, and needing to be below 1; it was quoted last night as being 0.7-0.9 but this has to be a reasonable estimate only and could, looking at those numbers, still be above 1. The corresponding number to get a nuclear chain reaction going is around 2.5 neutrons per reaction, if moderated, as in a nuclear reactor by heavy water and cadmium rodding, we get a nuclear power station producing heat to boil water the steam of which is used in a turbine to make electricity. if no moderators are involved and the reaction catastrophically proceeds, we get a nuclear explosion. I feel this comparison to be very apt in the circumstances we have and are currently finding ourselves in....
So maintaining distance, being careful, respectful & helpful to others and washing hands, have been adhered too, though in the events here, apart from passengers getting off services, easy to avoid and one other 'enthusiast' on the other platform, there was no need to worry too much. Arriving with only 3 minutes to spare and fearing the harsh light would ruin all, the best was made of what I thought would turn out to be a ruined set of pictures; in the event, with slightly under-exposed shots and, later, gradient filtering in 'Lightroom', they haven't turned out too bad. First up is the star of the show, the ROG's, Rail Operations Group, class 47, 47813, ex-D1720, now named 'Jack Frost', which the conditions have certainly not been for the last 2 or more weeks, and now with another banner, 'Thank You N.H.S.', proclaiming the UK's gratitude, to the wonderful National Health Service which everyone of us has absolutely relied on during this grossly miserable pandemic; its a great pity various governments over the past 30 or more years haven't treated the N.H.S. in a far more supportive and pro-active way. This working is a run along the main lines from Gascoigne Woods Sidings/Selby Mine RJB, through Sheffield and here, along the Hope Valley, to the Longsight Wheel Lathe, near Manchester; the facilities at Doncaster for turning wheels apparently out of order at the current time. The loco is hauling a set of Transpennine Express class 397, 'Nova 2', 'CAF Civity' made by 'CAF, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A' in Spain, forming an Empty Coaching Stock move, 5Q32, to Manchester and is seen here rattling along, on time, through Bamford Station.

* 'BAM' -> the 1st day of the UK 'Lock-down' easing

Taking the pictures here in rapid burst mode, these are the last of them before the 'buffer filled up' and the camera halted as it had to write the set continuously to the fast SD cars; in the event it didn't matter as the best shots came from the series, like the last one and these two, most of the other were deleted. Can't complain about the colours and light in the shot on the left as the 'CAF Civity' power unit comes into view just behind the ROG's class 47, 47813. With the bridge over the River Derwent just ahead under the road bridge, particularly busy on this fine sunny day with 'Lock-down' easement and most folk out enjoying it all, with little or no distancing and certainly no face masks... apart from the chines, to be seen in the last picture. 47813, ex-D1720, named 'Jack Frost' and ex-'John Peel', the Radio 1 and previously Radio London DJ in the mid-1960s, passes with the 'Thank You N.H.S.' banner on the side on the 5Q32, Gascoigne Woods Sidings/Selby Mine RJB to Longsight Wheel Lathe, near Manchester City centre with a T.P.E., class 397, 'Nova 2', 'CAF Civity' made by 'CAF, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A.' in Spain on an E.C.S. move along the Hope Valley. At right, with unfortunately no rear power unit to get a peek at, as the back of the set of 4 carriages comes into view, and a bit out of focus, 1/320s at f/8 and ISO 400, so not a fast enough shutter which was a mistake as there was plenty of light!

With a little additional increase in the 'local' contrast around the steam, enabled by a configurable circular gradient filter, Britannia, 70000, makes good steam, smoke and rattle as it comes under the road bridge, the road running alongside the Derwent to the vast Bellmouth openings, east and west, at the southern end of Ladybower Reservoir a few kilometres to the north, the water now a little calmer than it has been. This could almost be 'Squashed Fox Halt' as just a little in front of the loco, this side of the yellow mark on the sleepers, was a perfectly flat, and dead obviously, fox at right-angles to the rails so, obvious what _it_ was up to! With the 'Sophos Trains' Insignia above the buffer beam, ex-B.R. Standard Class 7, 70000, ex-98700, hurtles west towards Sheffield, passing through platform 2 with no stop, and heading to York on the 1Z72, Shrewsbury via Crewe & Manchester Victoria to York charter. The happy travellers will have around three and a half hours for a walk around, maybe to the National Railway Museum close by or the pubs or just a look at the flood defences on the swollen River Ouse!