A shot from 18th August showing WCRC Brush 4 loco 47245 on the down line at Streetly with a charter of smart dark green stock bound for Bescot, where 2 GWR Hall-class steamers would take over the train after the 47 loco detached...

Green Silver-lines

Your green Brush A-1-A 31190 is ready m'lud.

Brush 2 stock move

31454 passes Saltley today with an ECS train from Barrow Hill to the West Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard.
Nothing to do with the Sutton Park line but what the hell.

Big Pink

Brush Type 2 loco 31601 returning to Derby across the Sutton Park line last Friday.

Trusty Travellers

Seen trundling across the Sutton Park line in the cold autumn wind early this afternoon were "Grid" 56302, "Bombs" 20310+20311, and local snapper Mike "the Bike".

Silver Belle

In murky weather this morning, silver EWS flagship 67029 brings up the rear of a Northern Belle outing passing Ryecroft. On the front of the train was 67026.
67029 must be one of the most photographed engines on these local blogs so I won't be posting any more pix of it !

Bonnet first !

An unusual move occurred today when DRS Class 20s ran back to Crewe cab-to-cab with the flask train, because of problems with the original lead loco 20310. Here they are passing Saltley with 20311 running bonnet-first.

Pretty in Pink

Brush Type 2 31601 ran light from Derby to Machynlleth this afternoon, still wearing it's Wessex Trains pink pyjamas. Here it is on the approach to Rushall.

More steaming, after all these years.

A pair of ex-GWR Hall-class locomotives pictured laying down a smoke screen as dusk falls over Aldridge. They were on their way back to Tyseley on Saturday 18th August after working a special to Bescot.
The loco's are 4936 Kinlet Hall + 4965 Rood Ashton Hall running tender first.

Still steaming after all these years.

Loco's 37515 running light to Crewe, and 60021 heading to Tunstead with cement empties, lay a smokescreen over Walsall last week...

Five alive and steaming !

Well, the first two were powered up anyway !
5 x Class 66s at the head of 6T95 from Newport to Bescot on Saturday afternoon shatter the silence at Streetly.
The loco's were 66030+xxx+228+178+013.

More blue machines

As DRS twosome 20310+20307 take today's return flask past Saltley's last down line signal at Branton Hill.

Brand new loco's

Captured at Branton Hill this afternoon, four new blue class 66s fresh off the boat, en route Newport Docks to Carlisle where they will probably be stored as DRS have spare loco capacity....
They are - 66412 (hauling loco, not a new delivery), 421+425+424+426.

Sunblind in Aldridge

I deliberately shot into the low setting sun this evening to capture the returning Northern Belle excursion. The train is passing Aldridge crossover, former site of Aldridge station, signalbox, goods depot and junction for the branch line to Walsall Wood.
The outwards train was hauled by loco 67023 which had brake problems en route, at one point the train was running almost 2 hours late. The loco was replaced by 67012 for the return journey from Shrewsbury to St Albans.

Grid loco 56303 runs through Water Orton East Jn today on the down fast, shortly before joining the Sutton Park line at Park Lane Jn.

Berkeley Bomb

20303+20302 take a trip along the down goods line at Saltley today before heading out over the Sutton Park line and back to Crewe with a single flask.

End of the line

Loco 66082 running light from Bescot approaches Saltley SY265 signal and the single line section at Park Lane Jn, Tuesday last.
Could do with the foliage being cut back here.

Crompton 33

Former Southern Region and then Fragonset loco 33103 "Swordfish" takes some flats from Bescot to Chaddesden on the 5th July this year. Pictured passing the Wylde Green Road bridge near Walmley. The loco was fleetingly glimpsed earlier that day running light to Bescot to pick up the train.

Shedhunter

66165 and 66044 on the prowl through Streetly this afternoon. 165 was on 4G64 freightliner to Washwood Heath and 044 was on 6E79 steel empties to Doncaster.
Just one more returning coal train to come and that's it for this weekend !

Aldridge Belle

The Northern Belle runs through overgrown Aldridge this morning, behind loco 67012 with silver machine 67029 bringing up the rear, and travelling from Liverpool to Kensington Olympia.