Type One's on the Flask Train

6M56 Berkeley to Crewe this afternoon with DRS 20305 + 20304 and two flasks. Preceding the train was 6M50 Westbury to Bescot hauled by Colas loco 70808.

Steam-hauled Charter Express with 46233

A rather murky view of 46233 'Duchess of Sutherland' ploughing through the mist and damp of Sutton Park this morning with 1Z32 Sheffield - Euston.

68004 With 6Z96 Crewe - Bescot - Toton Engineers Train

Passing through the Blue Hole cutting at Aldridge at 1610 this afternoon. The new DRS Class 68's seemingly doing little to improve the timekeeping of this notorious service !

Bristol Bluebirds

This ten-loco convoy of brand new GBRf engines passed through on the 8th September hauled by 66753. A few million quids-worth of machinery on display...

68003 With 6Z96 Crewe - Toton

Passing through Aldridge around an hour down this Halloween afternoon.

66434 on 6Z96

66434 passes through with 6Z96 Crewe-Toton, in a 10 second spell of half light in 10 minutes of full sun on 30/10/14. Typical!

Blue Hole Deltic

Green-liveried Deltic D9009 steams through the Blue Hole cutting at Aldridge with 0Z55 Castleton - Kidderminster SVR early this afternoon. 50015 and a Class 37 were included in the convoy.

Colas 70's

70808 heads the Westbury - Bescot engineers service (6M50), on 5th August 2014.

Railways Inspectorate

DRS loco 37405 passes through Aldridge Branton Hill on 30th July 2014 with inspection saloon 'Caroline' on a jollyboys outing from Derby to Ironbridge then Banbury etc.

Class 40's

A couple of black and white shots showing Class 40's (Whistlers or Tats) working express trains through Sutton Park station fifty years ago in 1964.

Class 50 Passes Through

50007 is seen in the Blue Hole Cutting this evening with a stock move from Crewe to Washwood Heath, probably a couple of barrier vans. The loco had run light to Crewe to fetch the vans earlier in the afternoon. Good to see a '50' out working trains again.

37423

Seen in her new Class 68-style livery, 37423 runs light from Plymouth Keyham to Crewe as 0Z40 on Friday 16th May. Aldridge (Blue Hole cutting).

Convoys

Two recent convoys over the Sutton Park line pictured here. The first featured Deltic 55002 with D6700+47292+41001+55019 in tow, running from the NRM at York to Kidderminster SVR as 0Z55 on May Day evening. Today's 0Z56 was ex-Fastline Freight 'Grid' 56301 hauling 'Slug' 37906 from the SVR to Leicester.

The Mid-Wales Rambler

1Z88 seen powering over Sutton Park at 1000 this morning with a Norwich - Chester Nenta Tours outing.

One Of Our Bridges Is Missing

Today saw the removal of bridge number 31 over Rectory Road in Sutton Coldfield for a complete rebuild. Only the utility pipe remains at present. The line is due to re-open on Tuesday morning, 22nd April.

Double Fugly

Tuesday 11th March 2014 saw two Colas Class 70's 70802 and 70805 in charge of

6M50 Westbury to Bescot shown here at Mill Lane, just north of Walsall.

70805 was to be left at Bescot joining 70803 which top and tailed an engineering train on the former Wednesbury Line on the following day.

Diverted Lindsey Tanks

Refurbished DBS Class 60 number 60063 pounds through Aldridge on Tuesday 18th February, bang on time with the diverted 6E41 Westerleigh - Immingham empty tanks.

66731 With Moreton-on-Lugg Hoppers

GBRf loco 66731 "Interhub GB" runs past Aldridge Branton Hill in driving rain late this afternoon with Peterborough - Moreton-on-Lugg empty roadstone hoppers (some of which were still loaded !)..

More Shots of 6Z96

57002 + 57009 pick up speed through Water Orton and 57003 + 57012 hammer through Streetly with 6Z96 Crewe - Toton engineers train, February 2014.

0Z96 Bescot - Toton Class 57's

Another shot of the Crewe - Bescot - Toton engineers train now operated by DRS, this time seen running light engine from Bescot - Toton, as the Chiltern Rail-owned green driver-training 'bubblecar' passes on the down, East View Road, January 2014. Thanks to Richard C. for this photograph.

DRS Engineers

DRS recently took over 6Z96 Crewe-Toton engineers that was previously in the hands of Freightliner Heavy Haul.  Not a great time of year for shooting on the Sutton Park line what with the inevitable shadows, but I'm happy enough with this shot of 57012 & 57003 passing East View Rd on 11/02/14.

Bubble Car Trainer

A route-learner for Cross Country drivers utilising a Class 121 "bubblecar" number 121034, New Street to Nuneaton via Sutton Park.

Fifty Years Today...

A two-tone green-liveried Class 47 runs alongside the pine trees near Blackroot Pool on the up line, on New Years Day 1964. The loco is showing headcode 8T64 (incorrect for a light engine), which was one of the numerous Saltley area trip workings. The photo was taken from one of the cattle arch bridges which pass under the line here. Note the old telegraph poles, long since gone! The second photo shows what became Class 25 number D5225 at Castle Bromwich, just off the Sutton Park line, also in 1964. This loco was apparently the last of the Class 25's to be renumbered, becoming 25075 in December 1974.

All Steamed Up

A Birmingham New Street to Walsall push-pull auto service stands in the down platform of Sutton Park during August 1957, while another passenger train stands on the upside. Ivatt 2MT-A engine 41220 is providing the power on the Walsall-bound service. This was the time of the World Scout Jamboree at Sutton Park, when many engines rare to the area arrived with trains from all points of the compass. The second photo shows Stanier Black 5 number 45422 shunting vans into the Post Office sidings at Sutton Park sometime during 1964. Two years later this locomotive was cut up at Cashmores, Great Bridge. Hornby have since produced a model of this very engine.