Waverley Valley: Strange goings on at the Canongate dig, update as at 28 January 2007. The wailing noises continue, particularly during the hours of darkness. Things have not improved since the disappearance of Dr Bugenhagen. Professor Quatermass has now taken over as head of the project team... see image [[14172]]

Partick Central: Partick Central is torn down. Utterly disgraceful. A real opportunity missed.

Craighead Viaduct: Craighead Viaduct seen from the south. This was the first viaduct by William Arrol.

Bothwell [North British]: To the north of the station was the junction between the line to Shettleston (left) and Coatbridge (right).

Partick Central: Partick Central being torn down in January 2007. View east across the site of the platforms to Benalder Street bridge.

Edinburgh Waverley: A bit tight for space - Waverley west end, 28 January 2007.

Craighead Viaduct: One of the piers of the Craighead Viaduct.

Bothwell [North British]: Looking north from Bothwell. A section of possible platform is to the right - altered since my last visit. Also on the right is the bricked up access to the removed stairway down to the platform and a telegraph pole.

Bothwell [North British]: Looking north at Bothwell goods yard. The yard was to the left and the line to the station went through the bridge to the right.

Dyce: Night time view south alongside Dyce signal box in 2007.

Edinburgh Waverley: West end works at Waverley on 28 January 2007.

Collessie: Collessie. Serene and rural overbridge. Old station to the right.

Alloa: All hands to the pumps. Scene looking east over the new Alloa station construction works on 28 January 2008, with three and a half months to go before commencement of the first scheduled passenger services.

Livingston North: View from the west end of the platform at Livingston North on 28 January 2008 as the 1348 Edinburgh Waverley - Bathgate service prepares to move off on the final leg of its journey. In addition to the extensive activity currently underway in the immediate vicinity of Livingston North station, engineering work has now been extended much further west towards Bathgate.

Alloa: The main tree-lined pedestrian entrance to Alloa station running north from the A907 ring road on 28 January 2008. View shows the Andy Scott sculpture Looking to the future standing in front of the station building where work is still in progress. The new flats on the other side of the line seem to be almost complete.

Livingston North: View over Livingston North on 28 January showing the extensive work currently taking place on the south side of the station. Meantime, passengers who have just alighted from a Waverley - Bathgate service climb the steps leading to the car park, bus interchange and main entrance on the north side.

Kingussie: 170 401 is the first train allowed through to Inverness after some serious flooding north of Kingussie on 28 January 2008.

Westbury: Hanson class 59 locomotive no 59104 Village of Great Elm arrives alongside Westbury station on 28 January at the head of an eastbound stone train originating from one of the nearby Mendip quarries.

Westbury: First Great Western DMU 150221 standing at platform 3 at Westbury on 28 January 2009 with a service to Bath and Bristol Temple Meads.

Westbury: A class 153 diesel railcar waits at Westbury on 28 January 2009 with a service calling at all stations to Worcester.

Balloch Central: Balloch Central Station, now Tourist Information Offices. View from rear after National Park portacabins removed. The grass area is the original track bed with the slabbed area having been platform. The present Balloch Station is across the road behind the hedge.

Rosyth Dockyard: First ScotRail unit 170404 receiving attention on 28 January 2009 inside one of the maintenance sheds of Babcock Engineering Services, Rosyth.

Wrexham General: DB Schenker's EWS liveried 66147 runs into Wrexham General from the south in 2009, passing under Mold Road overbridge with a rake of Cargo Wagons which it later ran round. Beyond the bridge the then Wrexham Shropshire & Marylebone Railway operated 67012 'A Shropshire Lad' can be seen stabled in their dedicated servicing bays.

Wrexham General: 67012 A Shropshire Lad, in Wrexham & Shropshire Railway livery, stabled in the dedicated south facing servicing bays at Wrexham General station on 28 January 2009, prior to locomotive change over later in the day.

Auchencastle: A southbound loaded freightliner passes the site of Auchencastle station. This was braking hard for a pause at Beattock - the hot smell from the brakes was quite something.

Scout Green: This Pendolino has a somewhat toothy grin with the front cover removed. The view looks north towards Scout Green.

Beattock: I can just imagine the driver of the Freightliner pulling out his newspaper and perhaps reaching for a Thermos. The southbound loaded coal train was paused here while a number of Voyagers and Pendolinos sped past.

Crawford: Tesco containers heading north from Crawford towards Abington hauled by a Class 92 (running nearly an hour early).

Tebay: Voyagers passing between Tebay and Scout Green. View looks south to Tebay.

Singapore: Like the London tube, only the central part of Singapore's MRT is below ground level. Platform doors limit the potential for three quarter front views, but here is a different perspective: looking down on the North East line platforms from a corridor at the next level up on 28 January. Notice the arrows on the platforms, telling you to let people off the train first.

St Brydes: The station that never was - site of the proposed station at Castle Semple 37 years on see image [[32437]]. View south from the Howwood - Lochwinnoch road bridge in January 2011 (the view north is obscured by tree growth). Castle Semple Loch can be seen in the middle distance.

Singapore: How do you change tracks on a monorail? (Down line to left, up to right.) Simple really - you just bend the concrete 'rail'. A bit like the Listowel and Ballybunion, except that used a steel A-frame.

Singapore: Spotted at Keppel Road station, Singapore, on 28 January 2011. This single-cylinder Ransome & Rapier hydraulic buffer stop is a long way from its birthplace in Ipswich - and still fit for purpose at 81 years old. It is likely to be removed, along with the metre guage tracks, in June 2011.

Singapore: The impressive frontage of Singapore's Keppel Road station in January 2011, with statues representing Agriculture, Commerce, Transport, and Industry (..but not necessarily in that order, as Eric Morecambe might have said). The tracks are due to be lifted in June - land is worth a lot around here - but the building should remain - not least because the locals enjoy eating and drinking in the restaurant there!

Singapore: Ho hum, another monorail.. the Sentosa Express links the swish Vivo City shopping mall with the equally swish Sentosa beach resort and theme park. Each monorail car is a different colour. The green car is seen leaving Beach station in January 2011 bound for Sentosa station, which is confusingly located in Vivo City. Perhaps they should call it Sentosa Road?

Singapore: Choa Chu Kang station is where MRT (foreground) and LRT (background) meet in Singapore. The LRT system is in the shape of a bottle of Tia Maria, with a gift tag 'flying' from its neck. CCK station is at the top of the cork! The LRT cars run in ones or twos, and have rubber tyred wheels and a single, central guide rail which also supplies electricity at 600V AC. Nonetheless, a noisy air pump for the brakes makes the LRT cars sound like engine-driven vehicles. They are driverless, and have only peripheral seating, to allow for crush loading.

Singapore: A view from below Singapore's Sentosa Express on 28 January 2011 see image [[32699]]. The train is on the Up line; the Down line is in the centre; and the line curving to the left leads to the depot.

Edinburgh Waverley: View up Waverley Steps (?) on 28 January 2012.

Largs: The 11.53 service to Glasgow Central departs from the recently extended platform 1 at Largs on 28 January 2012.

Woodacre Crossing: The first NW main line steam of 2012 ran on a crisp bright morning on Saturday 28 January. 44871 and 45407 double headed a Manchester Victoria to Carlisle excursion, out via Shap and back over the S&C. The duo are seen here at Woodacre on the outward leg.

Shap: Black 5s 44871 and 45407 double head the 12-coach Manchester Victoria - Carlisle 'Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express' on Shap on 28 January 2012. See image [[37408]]

Carnforth: Freightliner 66522 approaches Yealand Steps foot crossing (now closed) with northbound empty coal wagons (no longer running) on 28 January 2012.

Smardale Viaduct: Emerging from the Pennine mists near Smardale on 28 January, Black 5s 44871 and 45407 appear with the 'Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express'. The special had travelled north to Carlisle via Shap see image [[37399]] and was returning to Manchester Victoria via the Settle and Carlisle route.

Hest Bank: A pair of First TPE Class 185s on a Manchester Airport - Edinburgh service passing the site of Hest Bank station and level crossing on 28 January 2012.

Shap: 'Sorry I'm a bit late - hope I haven't missed it....!' After the Lord Mayor's show, Shap, 28 January 2012 see image [[37399]].

Carnforth: The 4S43 Daventry - Mossend container service climbing from Carnforth towards Oxenholme at Yealand Steps on Saturday 28 January 2012. The train was hauled by 92015 'D H Lawrence', recently repainted in the DBS red livery.

Hest Bank: In January 2012 Hest Bank still retains a signalbox, although downgraded to a gate box or, as the name states, a level crossing frame. The fact that the box is to be closed under current Network Rail plans is perhaps reflected by the lack of maintenance on the structure (the west side, facing Morecambe Bay, is very much the worse for wear). With the South Lakeland Hills in the background, an up Pendolino rushes towards its next stop at Lancaster on 28 January 2012.

Hest Bank: A southbound Virgin Voyager passes Hest Bank level crossing heading for the Lancaster stop on 28 January 2012.

Hest Bank: The 0940 from Carlisle to Lancaster via the Cumbrian Coast nears the end of its 3 hour 36 minute journey as it passes Hest Bank on 28 January 2012 having called at 34 stations en-route. The rear destination blind has already been changed in preparation for the return journey.

Leyland: January is often a month when the sun doesn't come out too often. Happily, on 28 January 2012, it managed for an hour or two. Freightliner 66553 heads a loaded coal train south that day through Leyland with the yellow front of the locomotive lit up.

Carnforth: A southbound Pendolino rushes towards Carnforth past Yealand Steps on 28 January 2012.

York Place [Tram]: Looking west from the Edinburgh Trams terminus at York Place on 28 January 2013.

York Place [Tram]: Going round the bend. The Edinburgh Trams route at the corner of North St Andrew Street and York Place on 28 January 2013.

Muir of Ord: Unit 9701 leads the Network Rail test train on its return journey from Wick to Inverness on 28 January. Photographed at Muir of Ord waiting for a northbound passenger train to pass. DRS 37425 is the locomotive bringing up the rear.

Halbeath: Looking south over the Fife Circle with a passing 170 on 28 January 2014. In the background is the new Halbeath Park and Ride and Crossgates village. A rail halt is mooted.

Muir of Ord: DRS 37425 is the motive power at the rear of the Network Rail test train departing Muir of Ord for Inverness on 28 January 2015. See image [[50166]]

Dodworth: This lengthy three section steel rail over-bridge crosses both carriageways and two slip roads of the M1 motorway and carries the line between Dodworth and Barnsley stations. View north from the M1 Junction 37 / A628 interchange roundabout in January 2015.

Lower Denby: The narrow max 12ft 3in headroom arched bridge on the Penistone to Huddersfield line looking west along Lower Denby Lane with (Upper) Denby village located just beyond the far curve in the road. This is the penultimate structure heading north east towards Denby Dale station. Next is the lengthy and tall brick built Denby Dale viaduct some 1km further on. See image [[41331]]

Carnforth: Brief exposure: looking South out of the famous (and recommended) re-opened Refreshment Rooms at Carnforth in January 2015, everything is nostalgic - arguably including the class 156 on the right, which has just come off the Cumbrian Coast line.

Crewe: Not a particularly mellow yellow. The 10.09 to Glasgow Central pulls into platform 11 at Crewe on a wet Wednesday (the snow came later). At least the platform was dry this time see image [[33154]]

Carnforth: The film 'Brief Encounter' seems to be playing continuously at this mini-cinema in the museum in the Carnforth station building. My wife assures me that the seats are very comfortable.

Lancaster: The late running 18.27 to Manchester Airport is about to leave Lancaster platform 5 on 28th September 2015.

Crewe: The built environment: a 350 heading for Liverpool Lime Street calls at Crewe's platform 12 in January 2015. The chequered sign to the left of the gap in the wall reads 'Limited Clearance'.

Carnforth: An original poster for the 1945 film Brief Encounter, much of which was shot at Carnforth station, on display there 70 years on.

Carnforth: There's no need to take the hump. Carnforth station building - carrying the significant addendum 'and Heritage Centre' is sandwiched between a car park speed bump and a tree branch in this view taken from a rather breezy bus stop in January 2015. See image [[27391]]

Carnforth: Wonderful patina. Another view see image [[50215]] of the refreshment rooms at Carnforth station. Highly recommended, along with the adjacent museum.

Nuneaton: Still life with commuters. View across platform 1 and out through the main station entrance at Nuneaton Trent Valley station. A short branch line to a sawmill ran from right to left of this view a few yards beyond the white car in the background. see image [[35705]]

Carnforth: 156451 is about to take the scenic route to Carlisle (along the Cumbrian coast) in this view looking North at Carnforth.

Knightswood South Junction: 156458 on route learning duties has just used the new crossover to access the recently installed connecting spur to the Maryhill line. This DMU is using the the clockwise diversion route for the Queen Street Tunnel closure due to take place from 20th March to 8th August 2016. Other runs are taking place for the anticlockwise route.

Knightswood South Junction: 156458 on route learning duties approaches the new crossover accessing the recently installed connecting spur to the Maryhill line. This DMU is using the the clockwise diversion route for the Queen Street Tunnel Closure via Springburn, Bellgrove and westwards through Queen Street Low Level to Hyndland. Other training runs are taking place for the anticlockwise route which runs eastwards through Queen Street Low Level to Springburn.

West End - Princes Street [Tram]: An airport- bound Tram pulls into West End - Princes Street tram stop on 28 January 2016. This stop was originally to be called Shandwick Place; less ambiguous and in fact where the stop is. The gable in the background is on Canning Street, from the days when streets were named after prime ministers even if they'd only been in office for 4 months.

Knightswood South Junction: 156458 on the crossover accessing the new connecting spur to the Maryhill line during route learning duties in preparation for the forthcoming Queen Street Tunnel closure.

Salwick: The Blackpool line is closed each weekend between 21st January and 2nd April 2017 for electrification work. On 28th January, 66610 stands on the Up Line by Salwick signal box while its engineering train is loaded with spoil.

Fylde Road Viaduct: St. Walburge's Church spire is a landmark that has appeared on many Preston railway photographs over the years, although usually captured from the south. Here it is seen from the north side as TPE 350407 crosses Fylde Road on a service from Edinburgh to Manchester Airport. 280117.

Charlestown Harbour: Charlestown Harbour - view up the 'Roparee' former tramway incline - believed to be the end of the 1799 extension of the Elgin Railway to Charlestown. 28 January 2017.

Edinburgh Waverley: Capacity improvements at Waverley; work is starting on lengthening Platforms 5 and 6 at Waverley to handle the Virgin Azumas.

Troon: Last year's 145th Open remembered at Troon.

Homerton: This is all that remains of the entrance to the original Homerton station, opened by the North London Railway in 1868 and closed with the eastern section of the NLR from Dalston Junction to Poplar in May 1944 after heavy war damage. Passenger services along this section of the line in Hackney in east London resumed in 1979 with new stations opening in 1980 at Hackney Central, more or less on the site of the NLR's Hackney station that had also closed in 1944 and Hackney Wick, just east of the site of Victoria Park station that had closed a year earlier in 1943. A new station at Homerton, with an entrance on the south side of the line (left of this view) and on the site of the 1868 station and now part of London Overground, opened in 1985 (see my photo image no. 71749). This view was taken on 28th January 2017.

Daviot: 37606, in DRS livery, heads a Network Rail test train south from Inverness, passing the remote hamlet of Castletown near Daviot. 37409 'Lord Hinton', in large logo BR blue, is on the rear.

Bolton-le-Sands: A Pendolino, heading for Glasgow, passes through open Lancashire countryside on a low embankment as it approaches the level crossing at Bolton-le-Sands on 28th January 2019.

Bolton-le-Sands: Neville Hill based Pacer 144005 runs south through Bolton-le-Sands with a Leeds to Morecambe service on 28th January 2019

Kilmarnock: Stranger in the camp at Kilmarnock station noted upon arrival just before 0700hrs, Monday, 25/01/2019, with sparklingly clean Class 170 Turbostar No 170429 stabled in Bay Platform 1, said platform normally the domain of one of the local Class 156 Sprinters that stable there overnight before heading out in the Troon direction either before 0600hrs or on the 0800hrs service to Girvan. Why No 170429 was present unknown, either we were about to get a serious upgrade in train provision in Ayrshire or this particular unit was fresh out of works (Wabtec or Brodies, not sure which) and awaiting transfer back to it's home depot, although suspect the latter to be the case as I don't think Ayrshire is quite ready to see the back of it's Sprinters just yet! [Update: departed Kilmarnock at 1111 and arrived at Haymarket 1357.]

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Daylight view of the steelwork now installed at the south and west of Queen Street station, taken on 28th January 2019, the day after the main (south) truss was lifted into place. The shape of the new concourse is emerging in front of the train shed (centre right).

Kilmarnock: Stranger in the camp at Kilmarnock station noted upon arrival just before 0700hrs, Monday, 25/01/2019, with sparklingly clean Class 170 Turbostar 170429 stabled in Bay Platform 1. This is normally the domain of one of the local Class 156 Sprinters that stable there overnight before heading out in the Troon direction either before 0600hrs or on the 0800hrs service to Girvan. Why No 170429 was present unknown, either we were about to get a serious upgrade in train provision in Ayrshire or this particular unit was fresh out of works (Wabtec or Brodies, not sure which) and awaiting transfer back to its home depot, although suspect the latter to be the case as I don't think Ayrshire is quite ready to see the back of its Sprinters just yet!

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: The huge girder at Queen Street is now in place and so the brief view of the curved glass roof is now lost again. 28th January 2019.

Ripon: Running alongside a stretch of the A61 Ripon by-pass running north on the eastern flank of the town are two lengthy extant sections of embankment that ran north to meet with the now demolished Ure Viaduct. In the northern section there are still two almost complete accommodation rail overbridges visible from passing traffic. This view looking west shows the bridge sited near the south end of this section.

Ripon: Running alongside a stretch of the A61 Ripon by-pass running north on the eastern flank of the town are two lengthy extant sections of embankment that ran north to meet with the now demolished Ure Viaduct. In the northern section there are still two almost complete accommodation rail overbridges visible from passing traffic. This view looking west shows the bridge sited towards the north end of this section.

Chilvers Coton: Some small compensation for being the Designated Driver to get the ladies home from a party on 28th January 2020 was a 'pass out' to photograph an NR Track Measurement train pausing at Coton Arches with Colas Rail 67027 on the front (and another 67 on the other end). Apparently, this was train 166C from Derby Network Technical Centre (NR) to Tyseley LMD.

Loughborough Central: BR Standard 5 4-6-0 73156 couples up to a demonstration freight at Loughborough, prior to heading south during the GCR gala event in January 2022.

Loughborough Central: Portrait of a Standard 4MT 2-6-4T. 80080 stabled on a siding at Loughborough Central in between duties at the January 2022 steam gala.

Inverkeithing: 73966 calls at Inverkeithing with the Aberdeen - Edinburgh portion of the Caledonian Sleeper, comprising of five coaches on 28 January 2022.

Leicester North: 9F 2-10-0 92214 running round a newly arrived GCR train at Leicester North on 28th January 2022.

Leicester North: BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 73156, one of five locos in steam that day, arrives at Leicester North with a GCR train from Loughborough Central on 28th January 2022.

Quorn and Woodhouse: BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T 80080 departs from Quorn bunker first on 28th January 2022.

Loughborough Central: Bulleid Battle 0f Britain class 4-6-2 34072, '257 Squadron RAF', taking water at Loughborough Central, one of five locos in steam on 28th January 2022.

Quorn and Woodhouse: BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 78018 departing Quorn & Woodhouse tender first with a demonstration van train during the GCR Gala, 28th January 2022.

Inverkeithing: Levenmouth ballast. 66087 leads a Millerhill - Thornton South Junction (for the Levenmouth branch) ballast train through Inverkeithing on 27 January 2022. On the rear was 66065. These run T/W/Th and drop their load in the early hours.

Loughborough Central: 4MT 2-6-4T 80080, one of four BR Standards in steam that day, takes water at Loughborough Central during a GCR special weekend on 28th January 2022.

Quorn and Woodhouse: BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 73156 departing Quorn & Woodhouse during the GCR 2022 winter steam gala. Four BR Standards were in steam that day, along with a Bullied pacific, 34072.