Steam Park

Blog viewer John Edkins kindly sent me these images from his personal collection.
They are -

60009 Union of South Africa seen on the 2nd July 2004.

71000 Duke of Gloucester heading the "Welsh Marches Express" on the 28th May 2005.

Both loco's were captured on their respective steam charter express trains on the up line at Streetly Gate.

Many thanks John for the photo's.

Triple Ones

Another great photo sent to me from John, showing Pathfinder's "Rutland Renegade" tour of 26th August 2006, hauled by three DRS Type 1 locomotives, heading out over the Park...

Old Station

The site of the former station at Sutton Park, viewed from the very high bridge on Anchorage Road.
4090 heads west behind loco 56303, as 6E79 approaches with loco 66169 on the front.
To the right can be seen the island platform, recently cleared of trees, to the left is what remains of the down (Walsall-bound) platform, now fenced off.
Also enclosed is a photo from June 1949 (just into BR days) looking in the same direction (towards Walsall) but from the island platform itself.
On show is an LMS loco on a train in the right hand platform (this side is now disused and rail-less).
Also to be seen are the footbridge and station buildings and a bench with "Sutton Park" inscribed upon it.
To the left can be seen the crossover between the main lines, the signalbox, and another loco standing on coaches adjacent to the Mail sorting depot.

37422 In Action

37422 Cardiff Canton has made a surprise return to the area this week and has been busy working off Bescot. On Wednesday it is seen working 0M17 14:16 Long Marston to Bescot (Photo by I Jennings) at Streetly and today it was caught approaching Streetly Gate working 6G77 11:45 Burton to Bescot.

Berkeley Bombshot

The first Berkeley flask train to run for 3 months returned to Crewe over the Sutton Park line early this afternoon, one flask hauled by vintage Type 1 loco's 20306 + 20315.

Crossing the Cross-City

Loco 37422 returning from Long Marston to Bescot as a light engine coasts past the former Sutton Town station site this afternoon. The station buildings survive as offices (on Midland Road) and can be seen in the background behind the locomotive.
Also enclosed is a view of the Sutton Park lines crossing over the electrified Cross-City north lines at this location.

Curving eastwards

A couple of Class 60s pictured swooping around the curves just east of Aldridge. First up was 60041 on a rake of empty stone wagons destined Stud Farm, closely followed by Railfreight-liveried 60055 on the empty cement tanks from Walsall.

Forty today

As dusk falls, 40145 blasts through Daw End en route Tyseley for tyre turning. with JUST enough light left for a couple of shots...

Ryecroft Junction Renewal.

Work was progressing at Ryecroft on Sunday 23 March. The Junction was being replaced and considerably altered. The pointwork is now much simplified and has been moved closer to Aldridge/Bloxwich. The Cannock line is now the straight ahead route and the Sutton Park line is the divergence. The new point machines are electrically operated, replacing the previously used electro-pneumatic drives and the ground position light signals have both been removed, thus bringing to an end any shunt moves at Ryecroft.

The ballast train is 6p94, with 66001 at the Walsall end, this train returned to Bescot North End at 2220.

Hauling a load

As the Sutton Park line is now closed until Tuesday morning for engineering work and upgrades, here's a couple of shots of Loadhaul-liveried 60059 "Swinden Dalesman" at the Hardwick Woods crossing yesterday afternoon, with the 6K50 Toton - Bescot service.

Mary Queen Of Streetly

Another shot of 37401 on the Sutton Park line yesterday working 6Z81 Long Marston to Bescot.

The Bill

66623 Bill Bolsover in its one off Bardon Aggregates livery passes Streetly on Wednesday 19th March 2008.

Photo by I Jennings

37 not out

Examples of the small remaining fleet of EWS Class 37s still ocassionally turn up at Bescot, as was the case today when 37401 (recently repainted) worked a Bescot - Long Marston train. 66008 at the head of a return Ironbridge - Lindsey tank train had just cleared Aldridge when 37401 appeared on the returning trip from Long Marston.

Off the road

Light loco 66039 passes 2 of the 3 ballast trucks that were sent down the embankment near Chester Road a good 15 years ago, after a rear-end collision between two weekend engineering trains. The wagons have yet to be collected...

Yellow plant

66168 with a down engineers train from Toton, comprising a crane and rail-lifting gear, at Streetly Gate.

At Sutton Park

Some tree-felling has taken place around rail bridge no.42 (Bracebridge Wood) in Sutton Park, opening up the vista a little for photography. 66055 is shown heading the return 6E79 Wolves steel empties today.
Also, for all of you keen Ordnance Survey benchmark-hunters, a view of the bridge and it's incomplete-looking O.S. marking.

Two Skips

67026 and 67016 top and tail some stock (10 mixed coaches) returning to Oxley Carriage Sidings this afternoon.
The train had been used to provide extra raceday services to Cheltenham during the week.
Typically the sun clouded over 10 minutes or so before the train passed....

Two Grids

OK, it's the same one twice, 56301.
Using a 300mm telephoto digilens from Streetly Gate crossing I was able to get a shot of the freightliner 4090 passing by Sutton Park old station, the only problem being that I couldn't hold the camera steady enough for a sharp focus !
The trees that covered the island platform at the old station have now been felled, perhaps in preparation for a new passenger service ?

Two Tampers

Seen passing through Streetly early this afternoon. Where they were going or what they were I have absolutely no idea !

Two Tugs

60062 is seen heading through Sutton Park for Bescot today with a short engineers train.
Running a little late 60007 then appeared on the 6D44 Bescot - Toton engineers train, with two Class 66s in tow.

Walsall PSB

A view of Walsalls panel. The Grand Junction Lines are at the top, Hamstead top left, continuing to Tame Bridge and the Bescot yards and loops (under the clock). From Bescot Junction the routes are: ahead to Darlaston Junction and Wolverhampton PSB's area (extreme right), and diverging to the right are the lines to Pleck Junction and Walsall, the out of use Dudley routes can be seen between these lines and the up and down Darlaston lines which run from Pleck to Darlaston Junctions.

Walsall station is bottom left, the four lines becoming two through Park St Tunnel and on to Ryecroft Junction at the extreme left, where the Cannock and Sutton Park lines diverge.

Walsall PSB is a Westinghouse Brake & Signal design dating from 1965, the other West Midlands powerboxes at Wolverhampton, Bescot Down Tower and Birmingham New Street were products of the same company. Saltley PSB was a later construction dating from 1969 and the contractor was AEI.

Overload

60026 at Branton Hill today with an engineers "train" for Crewe. Another waste of Type 5 power...

Glofa Twr

60052 stands at Walsall Cement Depot today, ready to draw forward and then attach the empty cement tanks to form it's train back to Tunstead (Peak Forest).

Off to War

Conscripts and volunteer Battalion soldiers leave Sutton Park station on a special troop train, on 26th June 1915, watched by a large crowd of relatives. Many of the soldiers were barely out of their childhood and were destined never to return.

Photo Terry Carter collection, Channel 4 History.

New Street cement

A poor shot looking through the overhead wiring at the Walsall cement train (6M09), running 95 minutes late through Birmingham New St behind loco 60013 "Robert Boyle" on Thursday.
The loco is still in the old grey livery with a striking red nameplate and an EWS sticker.
The train doesn't normally run via here but was diverted due to engineering work around Derby.
After passing through New St the train was routed via Saltley and the Sutton Park line to Walsall.

Double corrugation

67026 + 67014 appeared on the Bescot - Toton engineers working (6D44) on Wednesday this week, seen here at Penns (Walmley).
The bridge in the distance takes Penns Lane over the railway, beyond that was the site of the old Penns station.

Proper Beasts On The China

Having already seen 37263 and 37264 storm through Stafford on the 6V70 Cliffe Vale to Bescot leg of the China Clay on 31.03.99 on time, I was surprised to arrive at Walsall off a train from Stafford and see them again, by now an hour late. But I was very pleased!

Heading for the Park

Not strictly a Park shot but I thought I would include this shot on here of 66023 hauling 90022 on a southbound liner out of Bescot. I dont remember why now but at this time all southbound services from Bescot had to go via the Park, and as the Park isnt electrified, yet!, it had to be diesel hauled.

Grubby Grid

A filthy 56303 comes thundering up past the big span at Walmley and on towards Wylde Green this afternoon with the regular freightliner service to Grain.