Testing Tractors

Adding to Nick's effort from Streetly, here was the view from Walmley among the brambles!

Quebec Eight Eight

Thursday 28th April 2011 saw 2Q88 09.42 Banbury to Derby with 37069 and 37611 top and tail DB999508 passing through Hardwick Woods.

'The Red Rose'

Castle 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is seen passing Wylde Green while working Vintage Trains 'The Red Rose' on Saturday 16th April.

Class 379 'Eurostar'

379002 is hauled across the Park with barriers etc, by 67028 on Friday 1st April. The EMU was being taken back to Bombardier at Derby Litchurch Lane, its place of origin, where more are being built to work the Stansted express trains.

Peak on the Park

The classic view from Blackroot Bridge, taken fifty years ago in March 1961 and depicting 'Peak' Class 45 loco D21 (later 45026) approaching from the Streetly direction on the up line with a short rake of stock.

The loco was temporarily based at Saltley depot at that time for driver training purposes.

The view is pretty much the same today except that the tall semaphore signal and telegraph posts were removed long ago (1969). A new signal has been installed about 100 yards further back from the old semaphore position and will be commissioned in April 2012.

The loco remained in service until 1986 when withdrawn, being cut up at MC Metals in Glasgow around November 1988.