High wire act

Probably not a good idea to walk along the uneven bridge parapet wall with a 50-foot drop to the rails below...

Coppice Lane

Driving past the Coppice Lane bridge (bridge no.5) today, I noticed that the ground over the old trackbed on the disused Aldridge - Walsall Wood branch had been prepared for the construction of a building of some type. The trackbed on the north side of the bridge has already been obliterated by the Utopia Quarry landfill. Very soon all trace will have gone !

At night

...railway photography can be a little tricky.

DRS Class 57s return

The leaf-fall season over, 4 DRS Class 57s return from East Anglia to Crewe.

Photographed at Streetly by the Flying Ferret.

The Chester Yuletide Express

Black 5 No. 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier blasts through Streetly Gate while working The Railway Touring Company's 'The Chester Yuletide Express' on Saturday 13th December.

Photo's by I Jennings

More rainy photo's of today's LMS Black 5 engine number 45407, this time seen at Aldridge.

Even more Black 5 shots, as seen in Hardwick Woods and at Ryecroft Jcn (Nick Broome).

Aldridge Black Five.

Number 45407 stands at Aldridge today while working its charter to Chester. Unusually the loco was booked to take on water here from a nearby fire hydrant. After replenishing the tank the loco steamed off towards Walsall, making a fine sight and sound on a wet afternoon.

Paraphenalia

In this gloomy shot of todays receding cement train caterpillar you can just about make out all four bridges across the straight section through Sutton Park, a 30mph speed restriction board and a T (termination) board on the up, and two green aspects (the far one only just visible). On the right is the back of SY274 repeater signal and the whistle board for the down line.

Oh, and two heads on the nearest bridge...

Bits and pieces

Some leftovers from the last month or so, taken between Rushall and Water Orton.

Lightly steaming

EX-GWR steam loco 5029 Nunney Castle had operating problems during a previous weeks railtour and was left at Shrewsbury.

Class 47s 47580 "County of Essex" and 47773 were sent to Shrewsbury to drag the lightly steaming engine back to Tyseley.

Here the convoy passes Sutton Park running a few minutes early, on Thursday 4th December 2008.

Three Bridges

66181 heads past Sutton Park old station and away from the camera on Thursday afternoon with 6D44 to Toton.

The bridges are Mayers Bridge (B36), Anchorage Road (B34) and High Street (B33).

Purple Haze

A lucky catch on Thursday afternoon as purple-liveried "Artemis" loco 56312 passes by Sutton Park old station with a colourful train comprising an orange and yellow Colas crane and wagons. The train was apparently running from Westerleigh (Bristol) to Bescot.

DRS move

Here's DRS loco 66433 passing through Sutton Park on Thursday afternoon (4th December) with a train of Fastline and GBRf empty coal hoppers from Ironbridge. Must be a new working this one.

Also to be seen earlier in the day was 66181 at the head of 6D44 Bescot - Toton engineers train, passing nearby Blackroot Pool (a severe case of the "stripes" on this shot !).

More cement

60091 waits for the cement tanks to be emptied at Walsall on Friday. Planned photographs of the train from further down the line had to be abandoned due to an outbreak of cold heavy rain, leaving me in "drowned" rat" status !

Also a dark shot from Hardwick Woods showing 60056 with the 6G21 Stud Farm - Bescot stone trucks, just prior to the downpour.

Fogbound

47815 + 47805 sweep through a fogbound Sutton Park this morning, with a Compass Tours charter from Liverpool to Stratford on Avon.

Night vision

Here's another top-notch shot from Nick Broome showing the Rood Ashton Hall steam locomotive at Walsall last Saturday evening, with the return Chester - Tyseley express. Superb...

ps any other steam train loco photo's from recent tours most welcome, please send 'em in !

A rude farewell

Here's ex-GWR steamer 4965 Rood Ashton Hall rounding the curves west of Streetly on Saturday morning as seen through the lens of Nick Broome.

The tour was running from Tyseley to Chester.

This "farewell" tour will be the last outing for some time by this particular locomotive, as she is being taken out of service for a full overhaul at Tyseley Works.

Thanks to Nick for the photo's.

ps see the video bar on the right for a night video of 4965 returning through Aldridge on Saturday evening.
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Black Country Tractor Tour.

Slightly away from the Park Line but posted for its rarity value, here is 37401 departing Kingswinford Junction South with Saturday 15th's charter from Reading to Round Oak and return. The train was heading to Stourbridge Junction and later passed through Bescot North End. 37417 was on the rear.

Passenger trains on the Dudley line were always rare but after the closure of the Round Oak to Bescot section in 1993 they have been virtually unheard of.

Branching out...

Four Class 60s seen at various points around Sutton Park the last week or so...

Steaming away

The Irish Mail behind locomotive 5690 "Leander" leaves a trail of steam in it's wake, Aldridge 20th May 2006.

The cements here!

A couple of shots of 60049 after arrival at Walsall Tasker Street/Midland Yard with 6M09 early this morning.

Colas at Ryecroft

Nick Broome managed to catch the Colas move approaching Ryecroft Jn last Thursday evening despite appalling light...

Colas Crossing

Colas Rail's loco 47739 "Robin of Templecombe" seen in the gathering gloom at Streetly Crossing this evening, with a stock move from Westbury to Crewe comprising four Arriva coaches. Also a view of  Fastline's "Grid" regular 56303 in practically the same spot earlier in the afternoon. 

Note the new crossing boards !