Lickey Incline: Banked by hard working 37206 and 37210, Brush Type 4 47272 lifts a long train of tank wagons up the Lickey Incline on a very gloomy 5th March 1980. After a succession of number changes the Class 47 served with DRS as 47790, employed on the more glamorous Northern Belle duties See image [[49779]].

Glossop: One of the long gone Class 506 1500V DC EMU's at Glossop on 5th March 1983. These operated from Manchester to Hadfield and Glossop on the GCR's Woodhead line. Trains now use the other side of this island platform and a supermarket has been built adjoining the station.

Ipswich Docks: A southerly view along Griffin Wharf at Ipswich on 5th March 1983. The foreground siding served Ransomes Waterside works and showed signs of recent use at the time of the photo. The tracks running to the left were in more regular use serving the freightliner terminal seen in the background. Subsequently, the freightliner traffic was replaced by aggregate traffic and the works was closed and demolished.

Guide Bridge: Driving Trailer 59602 of a Class 506 Manchester Glossop Hadfield EMU at Guide Bridge on 5 March 1983.

Maxwelltown: Looking west along the former Port Road over the closed Maxwelltown Station on 5 March 1989. A couple of tank wagons are in the yard, and the Cargenbridge plant, the end of the line by this time, stands in the background.

Annan: Looking over the former goods yard to the signalbox at Annan in March 1989, with the sidings in surprisingly good order.

Annan: Looking east through Annan Station on 5 March 1989.

Port Elizabeth: SAR 2-8-2 no 145 of 2 foot gauge, class NG15, seen in March 1991 shunting near the docks in Port Elizabeth.

Commonhead: The platform of Commonhead station was on the right, sidings and signal box on the left. The view looks west down the Ballochney Incline towards Kipps. Behind the camera the Airdrie Hallcraig branch diverged from the main line of the Ballochney Railway. A road bridge once crossed the line here and there has been much landscaping, the trackbed is now a footpath.

Loch Park Siding: Looking south at the Brougham Place/Twirlees Road overbridge that once crossed the Waverley line in Hawick. A few section of the trackbed are now built upon between here and the location of Lynwood viaduct.

Stafford: Virgin West Coast no 87012 The Olympian calls at Stafford on 5 March 2005 with a Manchester - Euston service.

Kirknewton: Train from Glasgow Central runs over the crossing into Kirknewton station in March 2007 on its journey to Waverley.

Hilton Road Level Crossing: View west towards Alloa station from Bruce Street footbridge on 5 March 2007. Hilton Road level crossing is 400m behind the camera.

Hilton Road Level Crossing: View east from Bruce Street footbridge on 5 March 2007, showing work being carried out at Hilton Road level crossing in the middle distance. Beyond that, work is also in progress on the new Parkmill Roundabout, from which the rerouted B909 road traverses the formation via a new road bridge, enabling closure of the crossing.

Kirknewton: An Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Central via Shotts service arrives at Kirknewton on 5 March 2007.

Kirknewton: An eastbound train calls at Kirknewton station on 5 March 2007. The unique old station building, with its severe angular structure, pseudo-castellations, ball finials et al always conjures up thoughts of the aftermath of an architects night out.

Shoreditch High Street: Digger at work on the former Bishopgate Goods yard - Kingsland Viaduct connection for the East London Line extension.

Johnstone: 334028 passing the mile post marker showing 10 miles from Glasgow as it approaches Johnstone station on 5th March

Johnstone: After passing through Johnstone a loaded coal train snakes into the distance hauled by 66192 as it slows to enter the loop at Elderslie to let the next passenger train by.

Johnstone: 66098 and 334032 passing at Johnstone on 5th March

Johnstone: 66098 heading southwest down the hill after passing through Johnstone station bound for Hunterston with an empty coal train

Craiginches North Sidings: Looking west over the now largely lifted Craiginches North Sidings on 5 March 2008.

Aberdeen: Oil industry support vessels can be seen berthed in the harbour area beyond Market Street on 5 March in this view looking east over the roof of Aberdeen station. With rail freight operations at Guild Street yard having now been taken over by Craiginches and Raiths Farm, redevelopment of this prime location is well underway.

Aberdeen: Looking into the northeast corner of the station from Guild Street Bridge on 5 March. Work is underway on the next phase of the station refurbishment with car parking here currently suspended. The outline of the infilled former Great North bay platforms 10&11 can be clearly seen and the remaining canopy framework, which had been badly affected by rust, has been given a coat of paint.

Johnstone: The car park at Johnstone station on 5th March. This is a typical weekday where there are too many cars and not enough spaces, as shown by the three cars parked next to the closest lamp post which have yellow stickers on them. This was the location of Johnstone shed and goods depot.

Bolton: Northern 156480 waits at platform 4 at Bolton station on 5 March 2009 with a service to Wigan Wallgate.

St Peters Square: Manchester Metrolink tram at St Peter's Square on 5 March 2009. The building on the left is Manchester's Central Library.

Manchester Central: A Metrolink tram runs past the Midland Hotel, the former Midland Railway property in Manchester, on 5 March 2009. The hotel stands opposite the entrance to Manchester Central station.

Deansgate: Looking west from Deansgate station on 5 March 2009. From here the line snakes over a viaduct, then runs below the bridge that once carried trains into Manchester Central. Today the bridge is used by the Manchester Metrolink and one of their trams can be seen heading into the city centre.

Deansgate: View along the platform at Deansgate station, Manchester, on 5 March 2009, with a Class 150 standing at Oxford Road station to the east.

Bolton: Class 150 variations pass at Bolton on 5 March 2009. On the left, heading for Manchester, is unit 150136, while on the right is 150275 with a train for Preston.

Manchester Central: The former CLC 1880 Manchester Central station with its graceful arched roof of simialr design to St Pancras and St Enoch. After closure in May 1969 the station was first used as a car park before becoming the Greater Manchester Exhibition and Conference Centre (G-Mex). It has recently been rebranded and is once again known as Manchester Central, and, although the trains have long gone, nowadays it is well served by the Metrolink tram system which runs past the main entrance.

Princes Street [Tram]: A view from a tram ...albeit a static exhibit on Edinburgh's Princes Street. Looking from the driver's cab towards the east end on a wet and overcast 5 March 2009.

Manchester Oxford Road: Approach to Manchester Oxford Road station from the taxi access ramp on a bright morning on 5 March 2009. Not the average 1960s style with the majority of the structure being made from wood.

Deansgate: Looking north-east from Albion Street, Manchester, towards the urban railway viaduct that stretches between Deansgate (to the left) and Oxford Road (to the right) and on to Piccadilly as a First TPE service heads west on 5 March 2009. This busy section of railway is a significant bottleneck in Manchester.

Bolton: 185149 arrives at Bolton station on 05 March 2009 from the Preston direction with a service to Manchester Airport. The tracks curving away to the right come together around the corner and form the single track route to Blackburn.

Manchester Oxford Road: FTPE 185106 departs from Manchester Oxford Road with a Liverpool to Scarborough service on 05 March 2009.

Hest Bank: The Bare Lane to Hest Bank chord only has two daily scheduled services but 142095 is captured here joining the main line on the 1619 Morecambe to Leeds service, which avoids Lancaster. However, Duchess of Sutherland looked (and sounded) more impressive than the Pacer from the same, but nowadays inaccesible, lineside viewpoint See image [[23906]].

Sanquhar: Freightliner 66508 heads south with a coal train on 5 March 2010 past ongoing restoration work at Sanquhar station.

North Walsham: Paston Sixth Form College Matelots celebrating sponsorship of the new station name plates at North Walsham, Norfolk, on 5 March 2010.

Hest Bank: The former station building at Hest Bank, closed in 1969, still sits on the Up line next to the level crossing and is used as business offices although the platforms were removed for electrification. The bridge steps in the picture provide a useful vantage point for the down line but 142095 is seen here from the lineside fence as it slowly joins the main line from the Bare Lane link line.

Newbattle Viaduct: The 23-arch Newbattle Viaduct, looking north in March 2011. Destinations on the sign once applied to both road and rail routes. The structure must hold a record for the number of names by which it has become known over the 164 years since it was built. Apart from Newbattle, the names Newtongrange, Lothianbridge, South Esk and Dalhousie Viaduct are amongst those commonly attributed. See image [[33034]].

Newbattle Viaduct: Scaffolding and work platforms in place around the northern section of Newbattle Viaduct spanning the South Esk on 5 March 2011. The 1847 structure will carry trains on the Borders Railway over its 0.5km length from 2014. [Work to be carried out includes pointing & repair of masonary piers, replacement of broken rail banding around piers, repair and replacement of brickwork and replacement of frost-damaged coping stones.] See image [[42764]]

Grantham: DRS 20309+20308 with Pathfinder Tours The Norfolk Broadsman stopping for a breather at Grantham on 5 March 2011 during its return day trip between Crewe and Norwich.

Nuneaton: Passengers on Pathfinder's Norfolk Broadsman were delighted when 20.309 and 308 (tailed by 37.667) turned up on platform 5 at Nuneaton on Saturday 5th March. Not so much because of the shorter walk over the bridge, more because this meant the train would use the new crossover from the WCML to the Leicester line.

Kinghorn: 170 458 leaving Kinghorn on 5 March with a service to, unusually, Dunfermline Town due to a diversion caused by weekend engineering works.  At least passengers on Platform 1 would have been aware in advance where this train was heading: a Customer Information Screen has just been installed there, 4 years after one was installed on Platform 2.  NR and FSR waiting on each other, apparently: though that was in 2008! 

Inverkeithing South Junction: The Forth Bridge Line is closed for two weekends for increasingly frequent engineering work on this line.  Closure used to be a rarity, but it is only a matter of months since the last one.  All is quiet on the rails while passengers at Inverkeithing (behind camera) are pointed in the direction of replacement buses.  Notice the just-installed palisade fencing and gate across the Rosyth Dockyard branch to keep strollers out: there's a foot crossing here so access was otherwise easy.  The crossing is needed to provide access to the station from one of three station car parks.  Photographed 5 March 2011.  For this area over 50 years ago see image [[19632]].

James Watt Dock: Oh dear, all gone. This was the site of the molasses depot in Greenock's James Watt Dock. Not only has the bridge over the A8 been removed but also the viaduct arches running into the dock area. See image [[16474]] for the same viewpoint in 1988.

Wymondham: Maps of the footbridge are available at a very reasonable price from the station cafe. Wymondham, March 2011.

Wymondham: In Norfolk, XXX is more likely to mean Extra Strong Mints than Vin Diesel. This station is gloriously 'messy': I can see six levels of roof on the left. View towards Norwich on 5 March 2011.

Dereham: A distinctly nostalgic evening scene on the platform at Dereham in March 2011. But for the modern building in the background, you might guess fifty years earlier.

Bonnyrigg: A jogger runs through platform 1 at Bonnyrigg station (closed 1962) heading towards Hardengreen Junction. The former station on the Peebles Loop is now part of a walkway/cycleway (or runway in this case?). View north east towards the B704 on 5 March 2011.

Bonnyrigg: The former Bonnyrigg station closed to passengers in 1962. The area has since been landscaped and now forms part of the Penicuik - Dalkeith Walkway. View is north east along the down platform on 5 March 2011 in the general direction of Eskbank. The line ran straight ahead over a level crossing on Cockpen Road and through the site now occupied by the houses directly opposite, with those to the right built on the old goods yard. As a result, the walkway deviates slightly east at the crossing to run along the road between the houses (named Waverley Court) before rejoining the original route 250 yards further on.

Aberdour: A toddler's-eye view from behind the elephant's ears (Bergenia) as 170 473 comes to a stop at Aberdour on 5 March.  This service is for Glenrothes: going the 'wrong' way due to engineering diversions on the weekend closure of the Forth Bridge line.

Wymondham Abbey: I'm sure that tree wasn't there when I got here.. the driver of 37219 shows a lot of patience as he waits for the crossing gates to be opened so that he can pick up some track panels, leaving 47.580 to haul the 16.15 back to Dereham. The MNR's locos are very well turned out.

Wymondham Abbey: The station may be Early Perpendicular Portakabin, but the locomotives and stock of the Mid-Norfolk Railway are well turned out and the staff are friendly. The Abbey's worth a visit, too. That's 47580, by the way.

Dunfermline Town: 'The King sits in Dunfermline Town, drinking the blude-red wine' goes the anonymous ballad 'Sir Patrick Spens'.  There's no suggestion that anyone would be seen drinking wine of any colour in this Dunfermline Town.  I have to report though that an empty bottle of a proprietary potent tonic wine was seen in the undergrowth nearby.  Tsk.  The smell of lorne sausage, another inexplicable Scottish favourite, usually fills the ticket office here, but the kiosk is not yet open on the morning of 5 March.

Lady Victoria Pit Signal Box: The Waverley route trackbed looking south on 5 March from the B704 road bridge near the junction for the former Lady Victoria Colliery. View is towards Gorebridge, with Newtongrange around half a mile behind the camera.

Greenock Central: The remains of the branch to Victoria Harbour running east along Greenock's truncated Arthur Street in March 2011. After passing under the distant arch the line ran parallel to the main line (where there was a yard) before joining it. In the East India Harbour this line was joined by another branch, approached by reversal, from Greenock Central.

Bolton-le-Sands: On the day the contractors moved in to upgrade Bolton-le-Sands level crossing, 150228 passes on a Morecambe to Leeds service. The station, closed in 1969 and removed, was on the right of the picture See image [[20171]]. Nearby Hest Bank and Bare Lane crossings are also being modernised during Spring 2012 with their signal boxes scheduled to disappear.

Edinburgh Waverley: Looking down Waverley Steps from Princes Street on 5 March 2012. One section of the escalator was 'switched out'. [See recent news item]

Loanhead: View north from Edgefield Road bridge, Loanhead, on 5 March 2012 showing the trackbed of the Roslin branch looking back towards Millerhill. After many years as an impassible rubbish strewn undergrowth the route has been cleaned up and turned into a walkway/cycle path. See image [[36126]] for the view twenty years earlier showing the last train over the line.

Grantham: Plaque mounted on overhead line support pillar on down main line side of Grantham island platform, indicating it to be the 10,000th electrification mast erected along the East Coast line

Loanhead: Looking south along the trackbed of the former Roslin Branch through Edgefield Road bridge on 5 March 2012 on the approach to Loanhead. See image [[37871]]

Grantham: First Hull Trains 'Adelante' 180111 calls at Grantham on 5 March with the 14.50 service to Hull ex-Kings Cross.

Grantham: DB Schenker Euro Cargo Rail liveried 66010 runs north through Grantham in the early afternoon of 5 March with a WBB Minerals sand working from Middleton Towers. The train is presumably heading for one of the various rail served glassworks in Yorkshire.

Caldwell's Paper Mill: The formerly rail-served Caldwells/Inveresk Paper Mill at Inverkeithing succumbs to demolition after years of arson and scrap theft. At the extreme right, beyond the roadway, is a heap of rubble which was once the loco shed. Seen from a passing train on 5 March 2012.

Newcraighall: 170 458 waits to leave Newcraighall on 5 March 2012 with the 13.17 to Edinburgh Waverley and Fife Circle service.

Rosslyn Castle: View north from the road bridge at Rosslyn Castle on 5 March 2013 looking towards Hawthornden Junction. The path running off to the centre left leads to the wooden steps up to the gated entrance from the bridge. See image [[42630]]

Rosslyn Castle: View south west at Rosslyn Castle towards Penicuik in the spring of 2013. The turn off ahead to the right led to a goods yard and loading bank, now part of a picnic site. The yard once provided warehousing and trans-shipment facilities for the nearby Hay Merrick (later Curtis and Harvey) explosives works. The works finally closed in 1954 (by then part of ICI's Nobel Division). The Penicuik branch lost its passenger service in 1951 and closed completely in 1967. See image [[42338]]

Rosslyn Castle: Close up of the former yard at Rosslyn Castle looking south west in March 2013, with the Penicuik branch veering away to the left. The yard once handled materials from a nearby explosives factory located a short distance to the west alongside the North Esk, with trans-shipment facilities reached via a long siding running on the far side of the mound centre left. The remains of Rosslyn Castle station stand just behind the camera - see image [[42325]].

Rosslyn Castle: The entrance to Rosslyn Castle station was via the gate alongside the station master's house, then down a wooden stairway to the platform see image [[42622]]. Roslin Castle itself stands in the distance on the other (north) side of Roslin Glen with Rosslyn Chapel beyond. Nearby stations also existed at Roslin, on the Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway (closed 1933), Rosslynlee and Rosslynlee Hospital Halt on the Peebles Railway (both closed 1962). [Note spelling variations!]

Wakefield Westgate: Northern Rail EMU 321903 runs into Wakefield Westgate from Leeds to form the 09.37 service onwards to Doncaster, passing work just starting on construction of the new up side station main building and new north end DDR footbridge.

Wakefield Westgate: 43304 is the rear power car on the 09.23 CrossCountry HST departure to Plymouth seen leaving Wakefield Westgate on a misty March morning.

Leyton Midland Road: 172 008, on a London Overground GOBLIN service from Gospel Oak to Barking, at Leyton Midland Road on 5th January 2013. This station, where the original atmospheric wooden platform buildings and canopies were torn down in the 1970s and replaced by draughty bus-stop style shelters, was opened as Leyton by the Tottenham & Forest Gate Railway, which linked the Tottenham & Hampstead Junction Railway at South Tottenham with the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway at Woodgrange Park, on 9th July 1894. The suffix Midland Road was added post-nationalisation by BR Eastern Region in 1949. The scene here is now very different with masts and overhead wires in place. After several delays the EMUs arrived in 2019 and the class 172 units went to West Midlands Trains.

Stratford-on-Avon [S and M Railway]: A wagon from the Stratford and Moreton Tramway that is positioned on rails and blocks from the original tramway, located at the site of the Stratford terminus. The display board explains that the wagon was restored in 2010.

Stratford-on-Avon [S and M Railway]: Looking from the viaduct over the River Avon towards the northern terminus of the Stratford and Moreton Tramway in March 2014.

Stratford-on-Avon [S and M Railway]: To bring the Stratford and Moreton Tramway into Stratford-upon-Avon it had to cross the River Avon. The original substantial bridge, seen here looking south on 5 March, now forms part of a walkway and cycleway.

Hest Bank: K4 2-6-0 61994 The Great Marquess passing through Hest Bank on a trip from Crewe Heritage Centre to the Worth Valley on 5 March (via Carnforth and the Little North Western route to Settle Junction).

St Andrew Square [Tram]: The tram stop at St Andrew Square on 5 March, looking north towards Princes Street.

Stratford-upon-Avon: Looking north towards the Stratford-upon-Avon terminus of the Stratford and Moreton Tramway from the bridge over the River Avon on 5 March 2014. See image [[46889]]

Stratford-upon-Avon: London Midland 172214 is the leading unit of a pair recently arrived at Stratford-upon-Avon platform 2 on 5 March 2014. After a short layover the units will head back across Birmingham to Stourbridge Junction.

Springburn: There are two reversals in three minutes in the through platforms at Springburn as 320307 departs for Dalmuir on 5 March, whilst 334024 waits for the route to be set for its journey to Cumbernauld. Electrification of the route via Stepps has left the bay platforms at Springburn in use at peak times only.

Cumbernauld: Just visible through the haze of 66156's exhaust the driver of 320307 returns to his cab after contacting the signaller. It's fairly certain the reason for the delay became apparent before the call was completed.

Lochwinnoch: The 1430 Glasgow Central to Ayr train hammers through [and I mean hammers through] Lochwinnoch station on 5 March 2015.

Garstang and Catterall: DBS 66140 rumbles slowly over a temporary speed restriction following track relaying at Garstang and Catterall. The train is a coal empties service from Fiddlers Ferry to Hunterston.

Cumbernauld: 318259 leaves the turnback siding to enter Cumbernauld station on 5 March, prior to working a service to Dalmuir via Motherwell, Hamilton, Glasgow Central Low Level and Yoker. Timed to depart 4 minutes later, 320307 is waiting to perform a similar manoeuvre but will reach Dalmuir 20 minutes sooner via Springburn (reverse) and Glasgow Queen Street Low Level.

Manchester Oxford Road: The late running Northern 1713 Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport service, formed by ex-Thameslink 319362, calls at Manchester Oxford Road on 5 March 2015.

Kilmarnock: The 6H97 Hunterston - Drax coal runs through Kilmarnock station on 5 March 2015 hauled by GBRf 66745.

Cumbernauld: The gradient is evident along the line of wagons as 66066 attracts attention from waiting passengers at Cumbernauld station as it passes with a train of coal from Hunterston to Longannet on 5 March. With more than 2000 tonnes on the drawbar it is unsurprising that the loco could be heard before it appeared.

Brock: Two services running between Euston and Glasgow pass at the site of Brock water troughs just south of Garstang on 5 March. Both trains were formed by nine-car Pendolinos and timed at just under four and a half hours for the end to end journey.

Kilmarnock: Freightliner 66529 with the 4S11 Drax - Hunterston empties about to pass through Kilmarnock station on 5 March.

Preston: A returning DRS special charter (1Z54) from Wembley Central to Glasgow Central calls at Preston on the evening of 5 March 2015. 68003 was the lead locomotive on this trip, with 68002 on the rear.

Manchester Oxford Road: An Arriva Trains Wales service calls at Manchester Oxford Road on 5 March 2015. This was the penultimate stop for the 1508 Llandudno to Manchester Piccadilly service.

Lochwinnoch [2nd]: Remains of the former bracket signal that stood to the north of Lochwinnoch station. See image [[44433]] The surviving base now stands alongside the approach ramp to the cycle track.

Preston: DRS 68002 on the rear of a returning charter (1Z54) from Wembley Central to Glasgow Central at Preston on 5 March 2015. See image [[50575]]

Lochwinnoch [2nd]: A 1-1-0 climbs the ascent from the site of Lochwinnoch Station to cross Bridge 30 the viaduct over the Calder and the A760.

Anniesland: A Motherwell (left) service pulls into Anniesland station simultaneously with a terminating train from Queen Street on 05/03/2016.

Craigentinny Depot: Class 73s, in smart new sleeper livery, stabled at Craigentinny.

Tweedbank: Integrated travel at Tweedbank. The timetable for buses, and connections for Abbotsford, seen at the bus terminal by Tweedbank station (note Sprinter in background). The hand model is David Spaven.

Springburn: A Dalmuir service pulls out on a fine early spring morning to be followed a few minutes later by the Cumbernauld train on Platform 2. This will leave in the same direction but shortly head northwest at Sighthill East Junction. Platform 3 sees little use these days and Platform 4 apparently none at all.

Combe Down Tunnel: Heading North through Coombe Down tunnel on 5th March 2016. The lights are illuminated from 5am to 11pm daily.

Methil: 26040 in Barclay's yard at the former Methil terminus and yard shortly before the move to Whitrope Siding.

Paisley Gilmour Street: Pared-down departure information in the platform subway at Paisley Gilmour Street for passengers in a hurry. Interestingly the font appears to be a type of Johnson associated solely with former London Transport applications: sign maybe sourced from LUL?

Mosspark: This poster at Mosspark seems to answer its own question with a 'No, but it doesn't really matter'. 05/03/2016

Totteridge and Whetstone: LUL 1995 stock on a Northern Line service from High Barnet to Kennington via Charing Cross departing from Totteridge & Whetstone on 5th March 2016. This station was opened by the GNR on 1st April 1872 and transferred to the LPTB 68 years to the day later on 1st April 1940. For many years, despite being shown as Totteridge & Whetstone on the LU diagram, it was described simply as Totteridge on station nameboards but that has now been rectified.

Cumbernauld: One in, one out. With frequent electric services as well as the hourly through trains to Falkirk Grahamston Cumbernauld station is not the relative backwater it once was. Through services to Edinburgh are planned for 2018 too.

Galashiels: The transport interchange never fails to impress, here viewed from the station platform.

Kelvindale: It's hard to know which has more metalwork; the station or the Dawsholm gasometer.

College Goods: Built to last - this ring of rails protecting one of the yard lamp poles survives in the brambles at the edge of what is now a private car park south of High Street station. See image [[7979]]

Bath Junction: The old S&D bridge over the GWR line see image [[37063]] has now been replaced, with walls high enough to deter persons ignorant of the power of electricity from dangling conductive objects onto the overhead lines. NR staff have steps on both sides for access for electrification. View looks South, towards the Two Tunnels.

Bannockburn: A favourite viewpoint now lost to electrification masts. An Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service approaches the site of Bannockburn station on 5th March 2017. The city of Stirling provides an impressive sunlit backdrop.

Edinburgh Waverley: The reinstated and much extended Platforms 5 and 6 will terminate at buffers more or less where the number 5s are painted on the tarmac. Work will start in May or June and take over a year. Deep joy.

Edinburgh Waverley: The EGIP extension to Platform 12 will mean demolishing the brick building in the background. The buffers will be at the foot of the current escalators which will be repositioned. Platform 12 is already closed in preparation and work is due to be completed in December. Photographed 05/03/2017.

Oldfield Park: The 15.23 to Paddington (time from Bath Spa) is about to pass Oldfield park at speed. Photo' taken from road bridge adjacent to the S&D trackbed. See image [[58426]]

Margate: A Southeastern 'Javelin' set departs westwards from Margate with a service to St Pancras on 5 March 2017. The station can be seen in the background, however the signal box that stood on the left has been demolished see image [[21767]].

Dunblane: Dunblane tonight, it's lit up like a Christmas tree!

Powderhall: Although the Powderhall refuse depot is not completely closed, the 'Binliners', the branch's sole traffic, ceased last month and the rails are rusting. The left- behind containers can be seen here through the unavoidable vegetation. Will they be removed by rail, I wonder? Photographed 05/03/2017.

Baillieston: Double take time - what at first glance might appear to be railway track across the Muirhead Road overbridge is in fact the corrugated metal of the deck, now exposed on the southern part of the bridge, with a pipe pretending to be a length of rail.

Baillieston: With signs of the previous week's heavy snowfall all but gone, work on the demolition of the Muirhead Road overbridge has resumed, and all seems well for the removal of the steelwork planned for the coming weekend. The corrugated metal of the deck is now exposed on the southern part of the bridge.

Stainforth Sidings: DRS 66424 hauls an engineers train with long rails, working as the 6K05 Carlisle New Yard to Crewe diagram, passing the village of Stainforth on 05 March 2019. The location is a short distance north of the location of the former Stainforth sidings and SB. The sidings served the Craven Lime Works. [Ref query 10 March 2019]

Falkirk Grahamston: 385124 after arrival with a terminating service from Glasgow Queen Street. In the background the feather indicates the unit will take the Grangemouth branch for reversal, to form the next train to Glasgow.

Horton-in-Ribblesdale: Stanier 8F no.48151 works hard on the climb on the approach to Horton-in-Ribblesdale on 05 March 2019 whilst working a railtour to Carlisle. The 8F had been attached at Hellifield, replacing WCRC diesels which had brought the train in from Cleethorpes.

Brackmills Level Crossing: Looking the other way from see image [[34291]] towards Northampton, the railway is clearly not ready for use any time soon. The level crossing has been removed, but there are still rails on this side. Updated November 2019: there are now 14,000 people working on the Brackmills industrial estate. In a masterpiece of planning, they all start and finish at the same times - it can take a car driver an hour just to get off the estate. A number of solutions to this problem are being considered - all based on unrestricted and exclusive use of cars. A shame, really.

Lancaster: Northern 331108 pauses briefly in Platform 5 at Lancaster Castle during commissioning tests on 5th March 2019. It is great that Northern is getting some long overdue brand new trains but See image [[57108]]

Stainforth Sidings: 158907 approaches the site of Stainforth Sidings on 5 March 2019 with a Northern service from Carlisle to Leeds.

Falkirk Grahamston: 365509 draws away from Falkirk Grahamston with a Dunblane - Edinburgh service.

Lancaster: A glimpse of the still sheeted interior of CAF EMU 331108 whilst it was briefly in Platform 5 at Lancaster during test runs between Lancaster and Preston on 5th March 2019. These new units have now been cleared to enter passenger service and are rumoured to be taking over some Blackpool North to Liverpool and Blackpool North to Manchester Airport services from 11th March.

Milnthorpe: February 2020 was the wettest on record and Storms Ciara and Dennis impacted throughout the north west. On the 12th, in between these two weather events, London NorthWestern liveried TPE 350403 runs past flooded fields at Elmsfield with a Manchester Airport to Edinburgh service.

Cononish Viaduct: A westbound Sprinter approaches [[Tyndrum Lower]] from the east. The train is about to cross the Cononish Viaduct.

Auchtertyre Viaduct: 66733 slowly draws a North Blyth-Lochaber Smelter train over the Auchtertyre Viaduct. It's a near constant climb from Crianlarich (Fillan Viaduct) to Upper Tyndrum (County March Summit).

Auchtertyre Viaduct: A northbound freight, hauled by 66733 from [[North Blyth Alcan Terminal]] to the [[Lochaber Smelter]] slowly approaches the Auchtertyre Viaduct in March 2020.

Auchtertyre Viaduct: Auchtertyre Viaduct showing strengthening added to the underside.

Lea Road: DB 90036 brings up the rear of a test/training train passing through Lea Road on 5th March 2020. 90019 was leading this rake of ex-LNER stock in preparation for the launch of Grand central services between Blackpool North and Euston. Although some rakes and locos were repainted in GC black and orange the start of the five trains a day service unfortunately had to be put back to May 2021 because of Covid and was then cancelled altogether.

Lea Road Watertroughs: DB Class 90s are rostered to make two driver training round trips between Crewe and Blackpool North each weekday as part of the Grand Central preparation for their new Blackpool to Euston services. On the second day of operations 90019 led a LNER DVT and MkIV coaches back towards Preston, seen here near Lea Road on 5th March 2020. The training runs have so far been using two locos top and tail because of a fault on the DVT. 90036 was on the rear on this run. Normal services were planned to use one Class 90 and the DVT, and some coaches and locomotives were repainted in Grand Central black and orange livery but Covid put paid to the scheme and the 90s are back on freight duties [[75222]].

Auchtertyre Viaduct: A northbound Sprinter crosses the Auchtertyre Viaduct on 5th March 2020.

McCulloch Rail: Now forming part of the sea defences at Ballantrae, and attached to a concrete sleeper, an LMS rail chair from 1947. Did McCulloch Rail, who are based nearby (See image [[34623]]), supply some lifted sleepers to assist the defences?

Cononish Viaduct: An eastbound ex-Oban train, seen about to cross the Cononish Viaduct, in March 2020.

Woodacre Crossing: An even shorter HST set than Bill Roberton's a few days earlier [[75942]]. 43058 and 43059 were on driver training for LSL running from Crewe to Carnforth and back on 5th March 2021 and are seen at Woodacre on the return run. Pairs of power cars are not uncommon sights but the last time I had photographed such a set was forty years earlier [[21558]].

Worcester Foregate Street: 166210 at Worcester Foregate Street, waiting to take up a service to Westbury on the afternoon of Saturday, 5th March 2022. After exploring the city and visiting the Cathedral, I decided on a quick ride back to Shrub Hill rather than walking. (This wasn't part of the Railway Touring Company's Flying Scotsman excursion on which I had arrived at Shrub Hill from Paddington at lunchtime. With my Senior Railcard, it cost £1.25 to go back to Shrub Hill from Foregate Street for a journey lasting all of three minutes but would have taken quite a while longer to walk.)

Worcester Shrub Hill: With the crowd jostling each other to take a photo or two (or even more), Flying Scotsman has returned from the siding and come to a stop at platform 1 at Worcester Shrub Hill, in readiness for the 16.36 return departure to Paddington (via Cheltenham Spa, Stroud, Kemble and Swindon, rejoining the outward route via Oxford and Evesham at Didcot Parkway), on Saturday, 5th March 2022. Except the locomotive developed a fault at Slough and those left on board had to alight and wait in the cold for a GW service train back to Paddington that ruined, alas, any chance of getting some photos of the FS in Paddington station after dark.

Didcot Parkway: LNER Class A3 4-6-2 'Pacific' 60103 Flying Scotsman making a photo and final pick-up stop on The Railway Touring Company's re-scheduled railtour from Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill, at Didcot Parkway at 08.29 on Saturday, 5th March 2022.

Worcester Shrub Hill: LNER Class A3 4-6-2 ' Pacific' 60103 Flying Scotsman just arrived at its destination at Worcester Shrub Hill, with The Railway Touring Company's railtour from London Paddington, at 11.25 on Saturday, 5th March 2022. The loco, and a fine bracket semaphore signal, are seen across the tracks from platform 2.

Paddington: Interior of First Class Non-Dining Coach E (the one I travelled in) at Paddington, waiting to depart at 07.04 with The Railway Touring Company's Flying Scotsman excursion to Worcester Shrub Hill, on Saturday, 5th March 2022. The contrast between these MkI seats and the modern day ironing boards is visually and physically noticeable.

Worcester Foregate Street: Sign at entrance to south side platform at Worcester Foregate Street on 5th March 2022.

Slough: The main building of the second station at Slough, on the south side westbound platform, seen from The Railway Touring Company's Flying Scotsman excursion from Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill making its first stop to pick up additional passengers, at 07.39 on Saturday, 5th March 2022. This is on the first section of Brunel's Great Western Railway (originally broad gauge) that had opened between the first station at Paddington (replaced by the present in 1854) and Maidenhead on 4th June 1838. Although trains called here from the outset, there was no station at Slough until 1st June 1840; for the first two years tickets were sold at the nearby Crown Inn. In 1842, Queen Victoria made her first ever train journey from London to Slough. The present station was opened on 8th September 1884, slightly east of the 1840 station, long after the line had been converted to standard gauge.

Paddington [EL]: More than three years late and still this 'revolutionary' line has yet to open but is now expected to do so later in 2022. But with so many broken promises since December 2018, don't hold your breath. This view of this still-shuttered entrance at Paddington is at 05.50 on Saturday, 5th March 2022, taken while waiting to board The Railway Touring Company's Flying Scotsman railtour to Worcester Shrub Hill that departed at 07.04.

Didcot Parkway: Gresley's A3 in Didcot Parkway on 5th March 2022. As it did not get converted from an A1 until 1948, it is perhaps more of a BR A3 and I doubt there are many if any original LNER bits in or on it but it was still it was a pleasure to watch. It arrived at 0825 and left for Oxford and Worcester at 0837, with a very noticeable rasping Gresley three cylinder beat as it departed north.

Worcester Shrub Hill: 800319 waiting to depart from Worcester Shrub Hill for Paddington, via Evesham and Oxford, on 5th March 2022.

Heysham Port: IOMSP 'Ben-my-Chree' arrives at Heysham after the day time crossing from Douglas on 5th March 2022. This view from Pilling on the opposite side of the Lune Estuary. To the stern of the ship Grange-over-Sands can be seen on the opposite side of Morecambe Bay. The two Heysham power stations dominate the scene. H1 on the left is scheduled to stop generating in 2024 but H2 will continue into the 2030s.

Worcester Shrub Hill: For a popular riverside tourist city boasting a beautiful Cathedral, that will celebrate its 1000th anniversary in 2084 (though I shan't be too bothered about that), Worcester Shrub Hill station is very down-at-heel, as seen in this exterior view at lunchtime on Saturday, 5th March 2022, soon after the arrival of The Railway Touring Company's Flying Scotsman excursion from London Paddington. Shrub Hill station is also well away from the city centre whereas the smaller Foregate Street station on the Hereford line is much more centrally situated.

Sidbury Lock: Sidbury Lock on the Birmingham & Worcester Canal at Worcester, looking north at lunchtime on Saturday, 5th March 2022.

Didcot Parkway: Gresley's A3 in Didcot Parkway. As it did not get converted from an A1 until 1948, more of a BR A3 and I doubt there are many if any original LNER bits in or on it. Still it was a pleasure to watch. It arrived at 0825 and left for Oxford and Worcester at 0837 with a very noticeable rasping Gresley 3-cylinder beat as it departed north.