Industrial outlook for 2008

An attempt to recreate one of those 1960s smoky scrap metal landscapes that once seemed to litter the West Midlands (and many other UK areas).
37059 + 37218 drift past Saltley with a test train from Derby, December 2007.

Nocturnal Monarch Raging...

Half a dozen steam enthusiasts turned out to witness ex-GWR loco 6024 King Edward I storming past Wylde Green over the Sutton Park line on Saturday night, with a Bescot-bound express charter train. Two blurry video grabs enclosed, utilising only the nearby street lighting for illumination...

Rare Grid Shot

A very rare shot of a Class 56 in daylight on the Up Walsall line. This working usual runs under the cover of night but due to earlier problems it was retimed and ran as the 13:00 Bletchley to Birch Coppice on Friday 21st December 2007. 56302 Wilson Walshe powers across the foot crossing at Streetly Gate heading for Birch Coppice.

Photo taken by I Jennings

One last look...

I caught 37422 sitting at the peg at Ryecroft on the last day of November, with one of the final Birch Coppice to Bescot workings, before the service was discontinued.
Amazingly, Class 37s are still appearing at Bescot, whether EWS ones on local freight trips, DRS examples on flask or light engine moves, or WCRC-owned engines on ECS trains passing through.
Long may these 40+ year old British-built English Electric loco's continue to run...

Merry Christmas to all viewers

from all at the blog...

Tractor To Toton

37405 powers up through the Lime Pits at Rushall while working 6D44 Bescot to Toton this afternoon.

Video taken by The Guru

RAH

Phill's excellent photo of GWR loco 4965 Rood Ashton Hall at Walsall on Saturday's charter tour.
This loco was partially rebuilt using parts from another GWR Hall at Swindon Works in the early 1960s, and has made frequent appearances at Walsall in the last few years.

More Birch Coppice Memories

As a reminder of what we'll miss, 37417 Richard Trevithick pulls away from Birch Coppice and heads for Kingsbury and Bescot with 6G42 on Wednesday 17th October 2007.

A glow in the west...

With fire in her belly GWR engine no. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall makes light work of the incline from Ryecroft to Aldridge with a short load of 7 coaches returning from Chester to Tyseley earlier this evening.

Birch Coppice Memories.

As the Bescot - Birch Coppice trip sadly ended this week here is a reminder of happier times as 37667 Meldon Quarry centenary hauls 6G42 over Pleck Junction towards Bescot Downside.

37s were permanently associated with the Birch Coppice, they always seemed to make a comeback, despite the Class 67s being regular power for the service. Lets not forget the Class 56s that often worked the trip before EWS took them out of traffic in 2004.

Thanks for the memories...

The final cut

The last ever trip from Birch Coppice trundles Bescotwards past Aldridge today behind loco 66199, having cleared out the terminal of wagons.

Post Haste To Bescot

After being delayed by a points failure at Water Orton, the driver on 67004 is in a rush to get back to Bescot on 6G45 from Toton. The 'skip' is captured at Streetly Gate on Friday 7th December 2007.

R.E.M. (Rapid Engine Movement)

60062 powering through Streetly Gate heading for Washwood Heath on Friday 7th December 2007.

Out Of The Blue

66425 powers through Streetly Gate working 4Z86 on Friday 7th December 2007. The loco is currently on hire to Freightliner from DRS.

Sutton Park Shed

66175 makes its way through Sutton Park old station on Friday 7th December 2007.

Aldridge tanks

60062 rumbles up the incline towards Aldridge with a long train of empty tanks for Lindsey (Immingham), on Saturday November 17th.
An earlier photo of the same train can be seen on the Newton Rd blog post of the same date.

Solitary bombing raid

In this virtual night-shot, single loco 37229 runs past Aldridge with 3 empty barrier-type wagons this evening. The PFA wagons are of a different type to the normal sorts that journey to Berkeley Power Station, numbers DRSL 92721/30/79 if anyone is interested.