Today's trip

from Birch Coppice heads down to Ryecroft Jn behind loco 67030 (the last new diesel loco received by EWS), as immaculate 31190 in retro green livery with white stripes, heads out across the Park running light.

The last "Peds"

 31465 and 31203 (now at Chasewater) are seen on the Bescot 90 trip to Washwood Heath RMC at East View Road, Wylde Green on 27.01.99. This was the last time I saw a pair of 31s working off Bescot. 31308 and 31554 were also working off Bescot that day but it was very soon after that the remaining few moved down south to work from Hither Green depot.

Staffordshire Newsletter 100

Another named express on the Sutton Park line with GWR engine 4936 Kinlet Hall at the helm, July 2006.

more Ryecroft Junction

Ryecroft Jn, just north of Walsall, was once the only one-into-four junction on British Rail (as far as I know). Right in the middle of these diverging lines was located a steam shed as well ! These days only two routes are left, and the shed closed long ago (see Jack Haddock's excellent recently published book - "Walsall's Engine Shed"). This view shows "Grid" loco 56301 coming off the Sutton Park line with a handful of containers destined for Grain docks in Kent. The Cannock line to Bloxwich, Hednesford and Rugeley can be seen curving away to the left.

Something else

Whilst waiting for trains to pass along the Sutton Park line, there is ample scope for other photo opportunities... this Moorhen was captured doing the "duck walk" at the Park Lime Pits last Friday, and the Magpies were congregating in a nearby tree.

Three from Aldridge -

DRS loco 37602 runs light to Crewe, probably a driver-training move, May 2006.

2. Rare Turn

Fragonset-Merlin's loco 31128 was commissioned to work some empty flats from Hams Hall to Peterborough last June on a Saturday afternoon ! The train was routed in a circular move via Saltley, New St, Bescot, the Sutton Park line, Water Orton then Nuneaton to Peterborough, providing the only loco of real interest that day.

3. Fastline Freight

A rare pic of the then uncommonly-seen Jarvis Grid loco 56303, passing Aldridge in August last year.

Heading for the Park...

but not yet on it ! DRS 37's 37069+37612 storm away from Landor St Jn (Saltley), with the Berkeley - Crewe return flask service 6M56, February 2006.

5690 Leander

...steaming through Aldridge with "The Irish Mail" charter express, May 2006.

37411 With ECS

being worked past Streetly Gate foot crossing, summer 2006, by retro-liveried Type 3 37411.

Egg timer on the steels

 58s were never regular on steels, but the 6Z60 Wolverhampton - Hoo Junction used to drop one occasionally as seen here behind 58013 on 21.08.98. Not sure now whether it used to work throughout. Think it used to change traction at Didcot, changed to a 33 on one occasion I believe in 1998 or 1999, got the date upstairs somewhere...

Blackpool Tower visits the Park

 Not my best shot ever! But it was very unusual to see 37407 Blackpool Tower trolling through the Park on 21.08.98. Probably heading for Washwood Heath to work concrete or Enterprise trip back to Bescot.  Megalomaniac..

Stormin through the Gate

 As much as I love 37s I still found some of them a bit boring. This was one of them, 37380. That said from when the headlight first appeared on the horizon it must have taken it 5 minutes to storm up past there on the 7G63 Stud Farm to Bescot loaded Autoballaster on 01.04.98, and it was music to the ears!!

Streetly Gate Mainline

My scanner doesn't scan any of the 37 pictures I have taken here properly. They come out all out of proportion and seem zoomed in. Never mind this is 37293 on the 6G67 Coleshill/Washwood Heath to Bescot 'Enterprise' trip on 01.04.98.

Ryecroft Junction

 A few years after the next picture, 37406 The Saltire Society, rolls through Ryecroft on 30.10.06 on the Birch Coppice to Bescot trip. By this time of course I was being tipped off with the gen by Gaz and Phill. Many thanks for that lads........

Ryecroft Junction again

 Not strictly Park Line but here is 37051 Merehead strolling off the Cannock Line on 19.09.01 with the 6G55 Bloxwich to Bescot...

Royal loco 67006

'Royal Sovereign' was in charge of the return Birch Coppice trip last May. Seen at Aldridge.

Whilst waiting...

for 6G36 to come through, this pair of jets streaked thru to the east. Si tells me they are RAF VC10 refuellers...

Birch Coppice trip

...bursts under the canal bridge at Daw End with 67011 this morning, as a HeavyHaul coal passes on the down.

No shed here!

58020 passes Sutton Park old station on an MGR heading for Bescot before the GM plague took hold.

Tractor

A couple of shots of 37701 running light towards Sutton Park station a few years ago.

Grid on the park

And it's NOT a Jarvis one. 56041 seen in the park some years ago!

At Ryecroft Jn

56302 heads 4O90 towards Walsall (below), as a class 150 unit sets out across the Cannock line to Rugeley.

Park Bombs

Well, having said I have only a few pics of anything on the park (the others were sheds!), I have found some photo's I forgot I had taken (including another shed). Not sure of the date or even year of this pic, but guess it is about 5 years ago or so. However, a similar shot could probably have been taken last year! Think it was taken from the same bridge as my Wessie pic, but looking the other way (towards Sutton Park station).

Flask at Ryecroft Jn

August 2006, with 37259 + 20308.

Birch Coppice trip

heads out across the Park behind 37419, Feb 2006 (video grab).

47714+47818

Head for Oxley with a coach, Aldridge April 2006.

Grid Abridged

56301 passes over Cartbridge Lane bridge (bridge number 69), on approach to Ryecroft Jn, June 2006, with freightliner 4O90.

The bridge used to carry 4 tracks, 2 of which ran to Wolverhampton via the North Walsall route, but only the two remain today, and the bridge width was reduced and replaced with concrete parapets in the late 1960s.

Tangmere 34087

....storms through Aldridge in September 2005, what a beast...

Falcon Works

at Brush Loughborough refurbed 37229 and 20304. Here's 37069 dragging the pair back to DRS Carlisle 12th September 2006.

Tanks at Dusk

60082 heads a Rugeley-Lindsey set of empty tanks off the Cannock line at Ryecroft Jn. September 2006. The train is heading for Bescot where the loco will uncouple and run round to the other end of the tanks, then set out past Ryecroft again, but this time taking the Sutton Park line !

Aldridge

...saw 37417 pass on a Northampton-Bescot working, which I assumed was an engineers trip, but as rightly pointed out was a train of high-sided scrap metal-containing wagons ! July 2006.

Test Run

Here's a shaky last-second shot of original Jarvis Grid 56302 thrashing up the bank towards Aldridge, April 2006.

Yesterday's Grid Today

Grid regular 56302 heads 4O90 at Ryecroft.

60019

... with blue nameplate, prepares to depart Walsall on the cement empties, Oct 2006.

West Coast Railway

47854 heads a stock move to Carnforth. Park Lime Pits, April 2006. A superbly finished locomotive...

Dappled Sunlight

...not a loco, but autumn "MPV" Jetter 3S87 en route Park Lane Jn, Nov 2006. This year jetting took place from 1st October until 3rd December, with these MPV types on duty, rather than the enthusiast-preferred class 37s top and tailing the water tanks.

Flasks on the Park

20305+37259 on 6M56 begin the descent to Ryecroft Jn, May 2006.

Wessie on the Park.

One of the few pics I have of anything on the Park. D1015 on Pathfinder Tours West Yorkian tour of 26/11/05.

Class 47 on Liner Part 2

47060 passes Streetly Gate on 21.08.98 on the 4M55 Southampton to Crewe Basford Hall liner. The lack of sun in this shot suggests I must have been down there for a couple of hours.

Class 47 on Liners Part 1

47339 passes Streetly Gate on 21.08.98 on the 4O27 Coatbridge to Southampton liner...

Chartered Crompton's

A railtour with two Class 33 Type 3 "Crompton" loco's double headed, heads down the bank through the Blue Hole cutting towards Ryecroft, March 2006.