The Flickr Prideofcarlisle Image Generatr

Finally arriving through here from the Severn Valley Railway, see-
svr.co.uk/
for details of one of the best long-time Heritage Railways in the country, and last weekend's 4-day Spring Diesel Gala proved this point admirably. What a splash of colour there has been in this area in the last hour or so, the 2 class 37s at on the Woodhouse Station Reception line, the 2 red DBC class 66s, a Freightliner a class 57 and now the 2nd of the Freightliner moves with the 2nd of the G.B.R.f moves arriving here at approximately the same time... On the up line passing south through the old station site is 66418, named 'Patriot - In Memory of the Fallen Railway Employees', and is hauling a long container train from the Leeds Freightliner Terminal to the Southampton MArine Container Terminal on the regular 4099 working. Passing the other way and heading north is brightly coloured G.B.R.f class 69, looking good in 'Mustard-Yellow' livery, 69014, 'E.M.D. Longport' and ex-56104, on the light engine return move, 0E14, from the Kidderminster, Severn Valley Railway to Doncaster Roberts Road Shed. The loco is excellently turned out and did very well on passenger stock moves between Kidderminster, S.V.R. to and from Hampton Loade, Bridgnorth Station of course being unreachable due to the bridge collapse just south of Bridgnorth, earlier this year, see-
svr.co.uk/news/severn-valley-railway-makes-steady-progres...
This looks to be costing an awful lot of money, maybe more than half a million pounds but they have good support from their own resources, their insurers, who thankfully are honouring the claim, private individuals and other concerns, and by the time the work is complete, it will have taken the best part of this year. Their Heritage services have been running as usual on the 12mile section from Kidderminster, with the loco for the trains 'running-round', or being top-and-tailed, at Hampton Loade Station, about 4.5miles south of Bridgnorth. The S.V.R. are 60 years old this year and will be taking part in the widespread events occuring for the 'Railway 200' celebrations, marking 200 years of railways in the UK, see-
railway200.co.uk/search-for-activities-and-events/
So, with all this behind it, it was good to go out and take a picture of one of the locos involved in the 'Spring Diesel Gala' on the S.V.R. and, its my first shot of a class 69...
Here, at Woodhouse Mill, I am glad to see the Treeton Down Goods Loop on the left is still in place! and looks to be well used, its to be hoped that this isn't removed anytime soon in any push to a more 'rationalised' railway infrastructure, unlike the cross-over junction between the up & down main lines and goods loop, which were being removed in February, 2017, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/31974713024/
showing two 'Deltics' approaching from the south, D9002, 55002, 'The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry' along with D9009 55009 'Alycidon' which went south on the 0Z55, from the N.R.M., but returned at a more amenable time of 15:15. They have just passed the partially deconstructed up to down main line cross-over and it wasn't too long before the down the goods cross-over was removed as well, 6 months later as it turned out, by August of that year in fact.

After the 57 had left the area there were another four moves before the DBC light engine turned up, shown for convenience in the last picture. Here we see two 'proper' trains passing at about the same time, around 12:15. Heading south is a Civil Engineers train, another almost daily working, 6M73, with Freightliner class 66, 66572, heading to Toton North Yard from Doncaster Up Decoy with the track-bed of the old goods line running along side the train. Woodhouse Mill used to have passenger service and the two goods lines flanked the main lines at either side of the station, see-
www.flickr.tightfitz.com/_MG_9371+WM-1950.jpg
which shows a comparison between the lunchtime Freightliner, 66522, passing south on the then, 4O55, Leeds F.L.T. to Southampton M.C.T. Whilst underneath a view of the old station site in around 1950 with all the glories that were extant in the railway system at that time.. a wonder to behold
In the right-hand shot, an unusual working for this day, and making it also well-worth being here to see it. HAuling a long rake of what look like very old BYA Wagons is another DBC class 66, this one 66012, on the 6E94, Corby B.S.C. to Tees New Yard empty wagons move and what a long rake it was, 24 in all which stretched from the bridge here all the way north to the curve in the line behind the Freightliner rake of rail carriers. A pleasure to watch this slowly, relatively, pass by as the wagons kept coming under the bridge...

Well this turned out nice again! Only tentative planning had me consider that the proverbial 'two birds with one stone' could be had, if everything behaved itself, timing-wise, and the correct spot was picked. So for two lots, 1 and 6, of interesting moves to be captured and with only the slightest possibility that the first would come anywhere near the camera, there would be a good chance of a win in the Woodhouse area. As this 1st trio of pictures show, the 2 class 37s not only appeared in the distance, slowing at the old Woodhouse Junction signalbox location a good distance from the now restricted carriageway Furnace Lane bridge at Woodhouse Station, but they actually ambled along the 'Reception Line' and came right into the Station.. WIN. I had sort of naively waived them on from the Junction, hoping they would at least come up the RL a reasonable way before the driver changed ends and then departed back to Derby, but no, they come into the back of the station and the driver and second man got out and had a little wonder round. At left the set has just come across Woodhouse Junction from the direction of Worksop and is now coming along the Reception LIne, not reversing near the old box site and with clear intention of coming up to the station; my hand waving to 'come up' obviously worked! This is a very unusual working these days, not much comes up to the station anymore, any reversals taking place at the far end of the Reception line and in fact today, these two didn't use, or had any need, to use the 'Run Round Loop' to the right of the two locos, the line now rusting away slowly. In the centre shot, the pair are seen within the 'green-wood', much of the station site is now covered in it, with leading class 37, 37418, ex-D6971, 'An Comunn Gaidhealach', and behind, 37508, ex-37606, on the rounds from Derby R.T.C.(Serco) via Woodhouse Jn. Sidings and back to Derby RTC(Serco), a 5 hour hour round-trip jaunt via Beeston, Mansfield, Worksop and here and back the same way. Its only the 2nd time I have seen 37606 in 13 years, the last time, 2011, it was at Beighton Junction, just down the line from here and the loco was in D.R.S. blue livery crossing the River Rother with 37612 at the back.
The name on the 'Loram Rail' liveried loco, 'An Comunn Gaidhealach', 'The Gaelic Association', is a Scottish organisation that supports and promotes the Scottish Gaelic language and Scottish Gaelic culture and history at local, national and international levels.
At right, the set has come to a stand at the top of the Reception Line, partly parked across the Reception to Run-Round Loop junction and the state of its rail-head can be seen, the Reception Line being only slightly 'shinier'. The turn around timing was only 20 minutes and having arrived, as I did, on time at 11:28, they had until 11:59 to 'do their stuff', whatever that was before setting off back to Derby the same way. I left before they did as the next interesting move was at Woodhouse Mill and was set to pass through on the Midland Line at about 11:50, this last picture here being taken at 11:40, I hot-foot it the short distance over to the other line and it wasn't too long before the class 57 passed through.. well worth the gamble here though!

At left in these two shots, this working ran on Sunday to Wednesday this week with a different loco on the Tues & Wed, 57310 rather than today and Sunday which is the one shown at left. Here the E.C.S. is being hauled up and down the line by a G.B.R.f. class 57, 57303, once named, and may still be, 'Alan Tracy', then 'Pride of Carlisle' and finally 'Thunderbirds are Go', on the 5Z51, Derby to Doncaster Down Decoy with a set of Eastern Railways Empty Coaching Stock. There were 4 moves on this day, timings for here-
5Z50 Doncaster to Derby at around 09:20
5Z51 Derby to Doncaster at around 11:50, this one
5Z55 Doncaster to Chaddesden Sidings, near Derby, at around 14:32
5Z53 Derby to Doncaster to Derby at around 17:50
And, as mentioned above, the working hasn't run at all today, Thursday, 24th May. In this shot on Monday, it is seen heading north, shortly after the 2 class 37s had set off back from Woodhouse Station and passed over the Rother Valley Viaduct, the line can just be made out in the trees behind the E.C.S., at the foot of the large pylon. The old works building at the right has finally lost all its slates, see this DRS working with 66432, passing in September, 2018, with a local officials poking their head through one of the holes in the slate roof!-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/30014996687/

In the right-hand shot, about 30 minutes after the 57 had gone, the usual lunchtime light engine(s) move, 0F54, from Doncaster came by with, sadly today, only a single, but brightly colour red DBC loco. 66177 is on the LE return, Doncaster Belmont Down Yard to Toton T.M.D., 'Traction Maintenance Department' and is seen passing the Woodhouse Mill Sewage Works at left, and what a smell there was that day, muck spreading/drying was in progress. The hill in the background above the loco hides the now 4000-house Waverley Estate beyond, at the north end of the old Orgreave site; it too has now changed out of all recognition and really, isn't worth visiting anymore...

A lot of interesting loco traction was around at that time, the album for Woodhouse Mill in 2018 is worth a look-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/albums/72157636383147513/

DRS Compass liveried Class 47/7 47712 'Pride of Carlisle' passes Siddick on 28th May 2010 with 2T22 Workington North to Maryport

47712 'Artemis' and 47709 'Dionysus'

Seen at Crewe Works Open Day on the 31st May 2003.

47712 'Artemis'

Seen at Crewe Works Open Day on the 31st May 2003.

This loco is the equivalent of a cat - nine lives!!

It has carried the following numbers:

D1948
47505
47712

It has also carried the following names and liveries:

"Lady Diana Spencer"
"Dick Whittington"
"Artemis"
"Pride of Carlisle"

Well, what can I say... the TV series 'Thunderbirds' are remembered once more in the title of this charter, Thunderbirds are Go', en-route to Scotland and a long weekend of rail frivolity... Not a good day to be stood around as it turned out as it was fairly glum, cool and damp, but fortunately during the hour, no rain. During this hour, apart from the approaching charter train, there were also 3 freight moves and 3 passenger services, the latter also adding a little extra dimension to the shots, 3 of which are composite..
In the 1st of the 4-part mosaic pictures, telling yet another story, the scene looks over the old Masbrough Station site from the Midland Road bridge at the north end of the station. At upper left, a combination of traffic on the lines, in this 60 minutes, shows the approach from the south, of the weekend charter tour heading for Scotland, along the platform 3 line. This is the 4-day round trip charter, 1Z36, 'Thunderbirds are Go!' heading up from Derby and en-route to Linlithgow with 9 'MarkII, FO Riviera Coaches' in tow - 3340, 3364, 3314, 1657, 3356, 3278 & 9507.
57303/3 was rebuilt from class 47, 47317 to provide more power for West Coast Main Line passenger stock, when owned by Richard Branson's 'Virgin Trains'. They were used, among other things, to operate as a 'fast' rescue locomotive, when required, for Virgin West Coast Passenger services. As part of this operation, 16 class 57's were named-
* 57301 Scott Tracy
* 57302 Virgil Tracy
* 57303 Alan Tracy
* 57304 Gordon Tracy
* 57305 John Tracy
* 57306 Jeff Tracy
* 57307 Lady Penelope
* 57308 Tin Tin
* 57309 Brains
* 57310 Kyrano
* 57311 Parker
* 57312 The Hood
* 57313 Tracy Island
* 57314 Firefly
* 57315 The Mole
* 57316 FAB 1
from the old TV series by Gerry & Silvia Anderson, 'Thunderbirds are Go!'
Here at upper left it looks to have been approaching a red aspect on Signal S0425 at the north end of platform 3, but as it passed under 'Coronation Bridge', the signal changed to green and the engine revved up to pass straight through the station. It kept to the schedule and arrived in Linlithgow, just 2 minutes late, at 17:41, on the 8 hour run up from Derby, calling at Chesterfield, Swinton (bit of a surprise), York, Darlington, Newcastle, Edinburgh and finally Linlithgow.
Heading south of the fast lines at right, along platform 2 is a Northern Rail class 170, 170477 on the hourly service, this one, 1J43 from Bridlington to Sheffield. On Coronation Bridge, a 'Pallet Network' truck in matching blue livery, heads north and is about to pass 4 'enthusiasts' watching the passage of the charter train.
At upper right, with Signal S0425 having just changed to a green aspect to permit the charter to head on to the Midland Main line ahead, the set speeds up, no hanging about today, and heads of north on the 1Z36, Derby to Linlithgow, 'Thunderbirds are Go!' charter. What looks like a steam loco releasing some of its pent-up steam in the background, is the Templeborough Biomass plant exhausting water vapour from one of its large condensers next to the 'Old Road' around the corner. Fresh graffiti has once more been applied to the station walls and, as the lower right hand shot shows, more of the same on the station approach, on the wall alongside the old Millmoor Football ground off to the left.
at lower left, the set passes through the cutting north of the station with 2 of the 3 north-end signals visible, at far left, and still lit but hidden in the winter vegetation, the faint red aspect on S041 at the end of the old station back, goods, line can =still be seen in operation; the north-end of the line having now been severed from the main line. To its right the Midland Main line signal S0423 is showing red. of course, allowing the charter train to get away to the cross-over onto the main line at MAsbrough North Junction, where the old signalbox used to be, at the foot of the bank on the left just under the bridge. Silver Birch saplings have now taken over the 'central reservation' between the two sets of lines and this spring and summer will almost certainly block the view of the northern end of the 'Old Road' from his spot...
In the 4th, lower right shot, the view now looks south from Coronation Bridge and the 1st of the three freight workings approaches, fortunately for the composition of the shots here, it was running 10 minutes late and was held at the north-end signal, S0425, allowing some other traction to pass by, before moving off. Coming slowly around the corner from the Templeborough Biomass facility, and the old Masbrough Sorting Sidings, GBRf class 66, 66704, 'Colchester Power Signalbox' heads north on the sporadic, 6E42, Cliffe Hill Stud Farm to Doncaster Up Decoy working. It is hauling a rake of full, Network Rail, I.O.A.(E) type, yellow Box Wagons, 20 in all, on a Civil Engineers Train with a load of aggregate material. Booth's scrapyard is delineated by the line of double-stacked green containers with the usual presence of the blue and yellow jibbed cranes, Millmoor Football ground appears to also be in the same state it has always been in since the football club vacated this one in 2006 to, eventually, their new stadium at New York, Rotherham, not the USA!

The 'Thunderbirds are Go!' charter train clientèle, after arriving in the late afternoon of Thursday MArch 7th, are currently having a 3-day 'jolly' in Scotland, running around the place on various workings, before heading back south on Monday. These are the respective services running-
Outbound north (7th March), 'Thunderbirds are Go' charter
1Z36 Derby to Linlithgow
5Z36 Linlithgow to Barrow-in-Furness carriage sidings
Day 1 (8th March).
1Z36 Barrow-in-Furness to Manuel then Manuel to Edinburgh
1Z37 Edinburgh to Forth William
5Z37 ECS Forth William to Fort William carriage sidings
Day 2 (9th March).
1Z38 Fort William via Crianlarich to Oban
1Z39 Oban via Crianlarich to to Fort William
Day 3 (10th March).
1Z40 Fort William via Mallaig & Fort William to Wemsyss Bay
1Z41 Wemsyss Bay via Glasgow Central to Shields Rd. Junction
1Z42 Shields Rd. Junction via Glasgow Queen St. to Barrow-in-Furness G.F.
1Z43 Barrow-in-Furness G.F. via Manuel to Barrow-in-Furness
Return south (11th March) 'International Rescue' charter
1Z44 Linlithgow to Derby.
PHEW!!

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A follow-up picture, to accompany these 2 mosaics of the Masbrough Station area, has been up-loaded to my Image Archive #2 site, the picture being taken on Friday, 25th January, 2013, a cold, snowy day. The shot is taken south of the station and over-looks the Masbrough South Junction area where once resided its large North Midland Signalbox. In this area the North Midland line crosses over first, the Holmes Curve and then the South Yorkshire Navigation on a large bridge which also took the Masbrough South Curve, and its bridge, over from Holmes Junction to join the line here, just north of the box. The picture has been re-processed and enhanced since that time, just over 11 years ago, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/imarch2/53587642393/

After departure of the charter train and the late-ish arrival of the aggregates train which had been running 10 minutes earlier further south, was now about to be held at the signal, S0425, the train seen here in the upper left of of the 2nd set of mosaic pictures, slowing to a halt for the signal ahead. This is GBRf class 66, 66704, 'Colchester Power Signalbox' heading north on the sporadic, 6E42, Cliffe Hill Stud Farm to Doncaster Up Decoy working. It is hauling a rake of full, Network Rail, I.O.A.(E) type, yellow Box Wagons, 20 in all, on a Civil Engineers Train with a load of aggregate material. As may be seen from this, and the other shots, not much has changed here at the old station site, except the repeated incursion of new graffiti tagging, which various flat, blank walls seem to encourage; and the less welcome, sides of freight wagons.. The 'Prince of Wales' pub still appears to be going though its outward state wouldn't suggest that all the rooms were being occupied for much of the time.. On the station Buddleia appears to rule the roost as far as prolific vegetation is concerned, its a shame as I find it rather pleasant to see but, it does get _everywhere_ if not controlled, just like Birch tree saplings... The goods line at the back of the station has now been left to rot away, after a clearance not so long ago, it's now once more covered in weeds and looks unlikely to be ever used again, the earlier prospect looked good, shame really.
At upper right, with the prospect of a light engine move arriving before the Stud Farm aggregates got away, the view-point changed to the east side of the station and, running 19 minutes early, just happened to be in this area, with the GBRf, 66704, still here and another freight, the third, the Dewsbury Cement, right behind the light engine. Rattling along the platform 4, old up goods line, is another GBRf, this time its 66725, 'Sunderland' on the 9 hour long distance move, 0O01, from Doncaster Up Decoy to Eastleigh East Yard; you'd think 'they' would have the odd spare light engine available at Eastleigh! Whilst this was going on, well, just about, another passenger service rattles through as well on the main line north over on the left. This happens to be the return service, 1W43, from the one seen earlier which was heading south to Sheffield from Bridlington, now its en-route back, this time to Scarborough, with the same Northern DMU, 170477, in charge; drat that Buddleia..
Its 11:05 and with the Stud Farm GBRf, 66704, still held at the signal _and_ GBRF 66725, moving along the up goods line, time for the 3rd of the 3 composite pictures, as a Freightliner heads along the up fast line towards Sheffield. Just to think, this wouldn't have been all that interesting a shot in 'the olden days' when freight and passenger traffic were passing through here like this all the time, but with the closeness of services on this day, it seemed appropriate to make a picture of how it once used to look, albeit with modern traction. Class 66 Freightliner, 66613, is on the regular 6M89, 'Freightliner Heavy Haul', Dewsbury Blue Circle to Hope Earles Sidings working with a rake of no less than 34 empty PCA Cement Tanks, off for a refill at the Castleton Cement works. Just needed a steam hauled charter to go through on the down fast line on platform 1 over on the far left, and that would have been something!!!!
In the final picture, now looking south over the site of the old Masbrough Station South signalbox area where the lines, unlike the past,ow go their separate ways, goods on the 'Old Road' to the left and passenger traction in the main to the right onwards through Meadowhall to Sheffield. ON this occasion, fortuitously, its freight on both sets of lines. The Dewsbury empty cement with Freightliner 66613 on the right heading passed the 'Rad Bull' public house, long since closed, and on the left and slowly moving towards the camera now, the GBRf has finally got away to the north, the signal at the north end S0425, having changed to a green after the Dewsbury had cleared the section to the north.
So quite a 60 minutes this turned out to be, after the two freights had gone, all went quiet once more, the next working, 4L11, to Felixstowe from the Masbrough N&W Container terminal to the south around the curve where the Biomass is still emitting a lot of steam in the cold air, not due for about 45 minutes...

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A follow-up picture, to accompany these 2 mosaics of the Masbrough Station area, has been up-loaded to my Image Archive #2 site, the picture being taken on Friday, 25th January, 2013, a cold, snowy day. The shot is taken south of the station and over-looks the Masbrough South Junction area where once resided its large North Midland Signalbox. In this area the North Midland line crosses over first, the Holmes Curve and then the South Yorkshire Navigation on a large bridge which also took the Masbrough South Curve, and its bridge, over from Holmes Junction to join the line here, just north of the box. The picture has been re-processed and enhanced since that time, just over 11 years ago, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/imarch2/53587642393/

Class 57 at Barrow Hill Roundhouse
(Little bit of photoshoppery)

Class 57/3 57303 'Pride of Carlisle'' on display at the DRS Crewe Gresty Bridge Open Day.