Outlook bright...

Ex-Class 37 now Network Rail Departmental Class 97 97304 rolls through Ryecroft and Aldridge on a training run today. No sun required when photting this engine....

323 In the snow....

323201 passes Pleck Junction heading for Walsall while working the 2A25 1220 Wolves to Walsall via New Street early in the afternoon of 5 January. It is hard to believe the 323s are 16 years old now.

37s on test

A Serco track recording train seen on the 5th January 2009, with 37259 leading and 37605 at the rear.

Photo one shows the train passing a snow-less Burton (Nick Broome). The second shot sees the set heading away from Aldridge towards Walsall. The final two shots were taken at Streetly Gate by the Flying Ferret.

The train was recording throughout North Wales up to Machynlleth, and returned to Derby a couple of days later.

Watling Street Station

Some shots from the former Brownhills Watling Street station site.

Photo 1. Looking across the Chester Road along the trackbed towards Walsall Wood.

Photo 2. Old wooden sleeper used as steps ?

Photo 3. Looking north along the trackbed towards Watling Street and Chasewater. Part of the old trackbed about half a mile further on forms the now preserved Chasewater Light Railway line.

Photo's 4 and 5 show the retaining wall alongside the former station. The station and trackbed were significantly higher than the surrounding Brownhills Common and had to be shored up with this brick wall. To see a photo of the station and more shots of this wall from below please refer to the "Rail Around Birmingham" website.

Chester Road bridge

The Aldridge-Brownhills branch crossed the Chester Road at Brownhills via this bridge (no.26), again only one abutment remains (on the north side). The station here was known as Brownhills Watling Street (Watling St. itself is a few hundred yards away).
The bridge wall doesn't seem very high here, so I would guess the top part has been removed, or the height of the road level increased.
The first shot shows what was probably the entrance to the former station, now gated.

Bridge remains

Towards the northern end of the Aldridge-Walsall Wood-Brownhills branch the line passed over yet another road named Coppice Lane, this one just off the Chester Road at Brownhills. For some reason only one bridge abutment remains, and it's surprising how high it seemed after having clambered up to the top...

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.