37422 at Sutton Park

Heading for Birch Coppice this morning with 4 trucks.

Freightliner Evolution

Running two hours late behind loco 57003, the 4M55 liner from Southampton to Crewe passes one of the numerous repeater signals that are strung out along the Sutton Park line, on the approach to Aldridge this afternoon. 57003 was Brush Type 4 D1798 in a past life, built at Loughborough in January 1965. Unusually the trackside relay cabinets here are mounted on platforms above the cess and troughing.

Hard Road

37406 slogs up the bank from Ryecroft with a heavy load of steel for Burton yesterday. This loco and also 37422 have been based at Bescot for the last couple of weeks...

If you go down to the woods today...

You might just see 37406 roaring through... (again).

45 miles from Derby

Two liners pass the 45 milepost at Aldridge, 56303 is destined Grain in Kent, and 66541 is headed for Crewe. Friday last.

Even better...

37406 appeared on the Birch Coppice working on Friday. Just like the old days...

Another trip

But with a difference, as it is quite unusual to see a class 60 working the Birch Coppice to Bescot move, as happened on Thursday with loco 60060.

Race day at Ryecroft

Four class 67s within ten minutes at Ryecroft Jn this morning, as two raceday specials to the Grand National at Aintree take the Cannock line from Walsall. Both trains were diverted off the Grand Junction line at Bescot due to the OLE wires being down at Penkridge. 67015 + 67014 top and tail the first train, followed by 67005 + 67026 on the second. Technically this isn't the Sutton Park line of course, but Ryecroft does lie at the Walsall end of said line !

Strange things happen

Unexpectedly bursting upon the scene at Streetly crossing yesterday was one of the now-rarely seen EWS Type 3 loco's, 37406, heading a very late running Bescot to Eastleigh mixed freight. Passing on the down line at the same time was the return Birch Coppice - Bescot intermodal traffic behind EWS Type 5 loco 67018. A busy time at the crossing !

Meanwhile, back at Walsall...

a train of loaded stone "auto-ballaster's" emerges from Park St tunnel behind "shed" loco 66185, and heads out over the Sutton Park line.

Today's Birch Coppice trip

...with 67018 (YAWN...).

Withdrawal of passenger services

Official BRB-issued notice showing withdrawal of passenger services from New St to Walsall via the Sutton Park line with it's four stations, as from January 1965, and the alternative bus services that were available.

Diverted liner

Due to engineering work between Coventry and Rugby over the Easter weekend, the "supermarket" terminal at Daventry was inaccessible. DRS trains were therefore diverted to Birch Coppice terminal, and here's late running 4S44 to Grangemouth returning north on Good Friday behind loco 66404, running some 150 minutes late but with only 2 or 3 containers on board ! In the background is the old Aldridge Station and Goods Yard site, now only a cross-over remains from the entire former set-up.

A sea of blue and green

Hertfordshire Rail's charter tour from Paddington to Llandudno negotiates the tight curves at Streetly Hardwick Woods crossing this morning with Oxford blue loco 47839 PEGASUS leading and early-BR two-tone green 47812 (D1916) trailing.

Red runners

60024 on an up freight from Bescot to Burton, and 67018 RAPID on the down Birch Coppice - Bescot intermodal, at Streetly Gate foot crossing.

Shadow woods

British-built type 5 "Tug" loco 60024 rolls down towards Aldridge through long shadows in the woods at Branton Hill, with the 6G78 evening freight from Burton to Bescot.

Route Refresher

Sporting a "DRS CREWE ON A MISSION" headboard, and having just come off the 'Park line, DRS light loco 37261 arrives at Kingsbury Jn last week. The loco later travelled down the Birch Coppice branch on a driver route refresher before returning to Crewe.

Two on the down

Well three actually as 4M55 was double-headed ! 66539+572 were heading the 4M55 liner from Southampton to Crewe across the Sutton Park line, and Grid "regular" was on the 4O90 liner from Doncaster to Grain (Kent), following 4M55 just 8 minutes later...

Motorway Madness

66089 enters Bescot Yard off the 'Park line with a full train of concrete sleepers.
Taken from under the motorway on the old Bescot Curve 29.03.07

Brand new loco's

A convoy of 5 new Freightliner loco's fresh off the boat at Newport, pictured passing Ryecroft Jn at sunset, en route to Crewe. The loco numbers are 66625 + 584 + 582 + 583 + 586.

Stock moves

It's unusual these days to find an empty coaching stock train travelling along the Sutton Park line on a Saturday, but yesterday there were two, both from Crewe to Doncaster and both sporting "Doncaster Rovers" footie headboards. EWS flagship silver machine 67029 is pictured on 5Z47 at Daw End, and royal loco 67005 on 5Z41 at Sutton Park, this second photo courtesy of Ron Kosys (copyrighted).

A few from Streetly Gate

Including a Network Rail Stoneblower machine, DRS loco 47501 returning to Crewe from Birch Coppice on a route refresher, and FLHH loco 66508 on a down train of stone.

Seeing double

Jarvis "Grid" loco 56303 passes the Streetly Woods foot crossing with the Doncaster - Grain liner, whilst about 6 minutes later sister loco 56302 passes the same site, light loco on the up bound for Doncaster ! The loco's would have passed somewhere in the Aldridge area.

60060

... rumbles up from Ryecroft Jn with a train of stone, and a day later the same loco is used to head an up train of long welded rail, seen here passing under the Daw End canal bridge in the mists.