Hull Dairycoates Shed: Great Northern Gresley Class K3/2 5P6F 2-6-0 61969, viewed outside 50B (previously 53A) Hull Dairycoates shed during an absolutely horrific downpour in March 1963. This was during a day out to York, where extensive flooding of the River Ouse had occurred, and Hull, from secondary school, for a small group of rail enthusiasts who were to leave school that year, together with a teacher.

West Kilbride: The daily Largs branch pick-up goods about to leave the yard at West Kilbride heading north on an overcast March day in 1963. See image [[38996]]

Hull Dairycoates: LNER Class V3 2-6-2T no 67638 stabled on a very wet Hull Dairycoates Shed in March 1963.

Berwick-upon-Tweed: EE Type 4 No. D253 makes the Berwick call on 9 March 1968 with the early morning York to Edinburgh train. The steam heating boiler is clearly functioning properly although the state of the hose connections is questionable. In the background a United Automobile Services vehicle, which I think is a Bristol LS5G, heads north on the A1.

Tay Bridge South Junction: Train 4E47, the Aberdeen - London Kings Cross early afternoon fish train, comes off the Tay Bridge and past the south box in the spring of 1972 behind an unidentified Brush Type 4 locomotive. See image [[32177]]

Brampton (Suffolk): A DMU headed for Lowestoft pulls away from Brampton station on 9th April 1978, next stop Beccles. The waiting shelter dates only from 1960, and even then it was secondhand, having previously been in use at Great Ormesby station until the Midland & Great Northern system closed in 1959. Although it was removed from Brampton in 1985, the shelter continued to lead a charmed life and ended up under preservation at the Mangapps Railway Museum in Essex.

Polkemmet Colliery: Andrew Barclay No 8 (1175 of 1909) leaves a smoke screen over the exchange sidings a little to the west of Polkemmet Colliery as it returns to the pit on 9 March 1978.

Prestonpans: A 'Peak' approaches Prestonpans, with cement from Oxwellmains, in March 1981.

Blindwells Opencast Disposal Site: 26001 leaves Blindwells loading point on 9 March 1981 with a loaded coal train.

Leith South Yard: 46029 with a trainload of pipes in Leith South yard in March 1981.

Cockenzie Power Station: 26006 waits to leave Cockenzie Power Station siding on 9 March 1981 with a train of empty hoppers.

Leith South Yard: A Renault car train waiting for unloading to be completed in Leith South yard on 9 March 1981.

Prestonpans: Looking east at Prestonpans in March 1981. The Down platform building has since been replaced by a bus shelter and the footbridge by a more electrification - friendly version.

Prestonpans: HST 254 026 passes Blindwells opencast mine with a Down express in March 1981. 26001 waits with a loaded train.

Hexham: The coal drops alongside Hexham station in March 1985. View west towards Carlisle.

Dunblane: Shortly before repainting in ScotRail livery as part of the BR sectorisation policy, 47 712 Lady Diana Spencer heads a push-pull set through Dunblane on a Glasgow Queen Street-Aberdeen service.

Didcot Railway Centre: 3822 under repair at The Great Western Society, Didcot, on 9 March 1986.

Stranraer Town: The Stranraer sleeper was maintained at Stranraer Town until the service was withdrawn in 1990. This was the sleeper coach maintenance siding in 1988 - the former station is off to the left in this west facing view. This had been the site of the original carriage shed and sidings (until their replacement with larger facilities at Stranraer Harbour Junction in the Second World War).

Stranraer Harbour: Sealinks Galloway Princess prepares to come alongside at Stranraer. Owned by British Rail until 1985. She then became Stena Galloway and is now M/F Le Rif.

Stranraer Harbour: Looking to the buffers in the new trainshed at Stranraer Harbour.

Stranraer Harbour: Glasgow train waits by Stranraer Harbour signalbox. Access by kind permission of British Rail.

Stranraer Harbour: View from the signalbox; the train from London arrives to connect with the Galloway Princess. Access by kind permission of British Rail.

Stranraer Harbour: View from Stranraer Harbour signalbox in 1988. The train from London arrives to connect with the 'Galloway Princess'. To the right the Glasgow train awaits departure. Access by kind permission of British Rail.

Stranraer Harbour: Inside Stranraer Harbours signalbox. Note the semaphore signal hard against the box (back window). Complete with obligatory section of carpet. Access by kind permission of British Rail.

Stranraer Harbour: In the increasing gloom an 08 draws up to the London trains stock to withdraw it from the station.

Stranraer Town: Station shunter 08693 was conveniently parked next to the offices in the former Stranraer Town station building. In the background is the Stockton Haulage shed. The 08 was employed on shunting Stockton Haulage wagons, car carriers, sleeper and other coaches, and tripping over to Stranraer Harbour.

Barrhill: Barrhill station looking north in 1988.

Glenwhilly: At the time this was quite a disappointing photograph of Glenwhilly signalbox. Now it is a reminder of the interior of the locomotive hauled stock which operated on the Stranraer line in the 1980s.

Craigo: 60009 (running as Osprey) passes Craigo signal box with the 'North Briton' to Aberdeen on a murky 9 March 1991. The signalbox was re-activated in 2019 after being switched out for several years .

Prologis Park: Prologis Park sidings, formerly Keresley/Coventry Colliery. The sidings had been recently relaid, lighting installed and sheds built in 2003.

Coventry Colliery: Following clearance of the Coventry/Keresley Colliery site not much remained apart from the relaid railway and this NCB sign, seen in 2003. The site is now the [[Prologis Park]].

Rumbletonlaw: Looking east along the trackbed of the former Berwickshire Railway between Gordon and Greenlaw near Rumbletonlaw in March 2004.

Dalry Middle Junction: View west showing the replacement deck of the former railway bridge that once carried the Caledonian lines over Dalry Road, seen here in March 2006. Dalry Road station and shed stood off to the left and Dalry Middle Junction to the right. The bridge now carries part of the West Approach Road. See image [[29480]]

Haymarket: 'You can get this lot shifted for a start'..... preliminary discussions underway in Haymarket station car park on 9 March 2006 regarding construction of a new bay platform 0. See image [[8207]]

Gleneagles: EWS 66088 nears Gleneagles with a northbound cement train on 9 March 2006.

Hawes: Dales Countryside Museum at Yorkshire Dales National Park, Hawes Centre. Former station building is on the left. Hawes also contains the Bronte House Museum.

Hawes: Reconstruction of G5 0-4-4 loco no. 67345. Part of museum at Yorkshire Dales national Park Centre at Hawes.

Edinburgh Waverley: Virgin and GNER services wait in the pouring rain at the Waverley sub platforms on 9 March 2007. The recently modified walkway can be seen above the platform canopy, while through the arch of North Bridge is part of the new Edinburgh Council HQ.

Millerhill: The converted former Millerhill station in March 2007. In the background the Roslin branch (latterly serving Bilston Glen colliery) comes in from the right to join the Waverley route.

New Inn Yard Junction: North London Line - the old viaduct (now heavily overgrown) that used to lead into Broad St station

East London Line Extension: East London line extension - the works in the background are on the site of the new Shoreditch High St station. Note the old tube stock bottom right.

Kingsland Viaduct: East London line extension - looking along Kingsland viaduct, accommodating its numerous garages, warehouses and stores, towards Hoxton. Virtually all the rubbish, vegetation etc has now been cleared in preparation for track laying.

Lochgelly: Lochgelly looking west on a dismal sunday in March.

Inverkeithing: 170404 on the right, calls at Inverkeithing after a refit at Babcock Engineering Services, Rosyth Dockyard (see image 22278). New lighting is evident, however the unit has been involved in a rough shunt.

Shields: Work taking place on the trackbed near Shields Road between Shields EMU Depot and Shields station. This was the route that took the line from St. Enoch to Paisley Canal and has been disused since the line closed. I'm not sure what the work is for, but appears to be either drainage work or possibly connected with the depot being built at Shields for the new Class 380s.

Garnqueen: Looking north west along the trackbed of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch railway at Glenboig on 9 March 2010. See image [[3013 in Notes & Queries]]

Galashiels: Early signs. Notable new road sign alongside the site of the future Galashiels station photographed on 9 March 2011. The station is scheduled to open in 2014 as part of the new Borders Railway line to Tweedbank.

Kirkham and Wesham: Double Donkeys call at Kirkham & Wesham on their way west to Blackpool North (a few hundred yards from the beach!) on 9 March 2011. Unit 142007 is on the front and 142028 on the rear, the destination board on the latter still showing Manchester Victoria.

Llanharan: Freightliner 66585 runs through Llanharan Station during the late afternoon on 9 March with the return Port Talbot to Tunstead limestone empties. The loaded outbound service ran through Cardiff Central at 09.00 that morning, being looped before reaching Bridgend to let passenger services pass.

Kirkham and Wesham: Arriving at Kirkham & Wesham is 150150 on its way from Blackpool North to Manchester Victoria on 9 March 2011. The station building is receiving some refurbishment at present and temporary steps (under the white sheeting) have been installed while work is carried out on the normal stairway leading from the ticket office. The tracks on the right are the fast lines that bypass the station.

Barcelona: My old boss told me that this line through Barcelona's Zona Franca to the docks had one train a day. This must be it then, a diesel-hydraulic shunter ambling amiably seaward.

Inverkeithing: Dannine Stenhouse, Willie Cowan and Kerry-Ann Quinn armed with information on the Caledonian Sleeper at Inverkeithing on 9 March.

Rugby: I have a soft spot for 92's. At the very least, they make a change from the ubiquitous 66's. 92030 'Ashford' is seen here passing through Rugby at about 7am on 9 March heading south with a mixed consist of tanks and flat wagons.

Inverkeithing: Willie Cowan (ScotRail staff member at Inverkeithing Station) joined promotional team members, Kerry-Ann Quinn (left) and Dannine Stenhouse (right) on 9 March to tell passenger, Fraser Littlejohn, about the Caledonian Sleeper service.

Dunblane: Disbelief plus annoyance is the reaction of some bleary-eyed arrivals at Dunblane on the morning of Sunday 9th March 2014. At close of business the night before, there had been two footbridges linking the platforms, but by dawn, only one remained, and that did not allow exit on the west side of the station. Some were faced with a long walk around... Removal of the council owned footbridge pending construction of a new version with lifts by Network Rail temporarily revealed the southern aspect of the original Victorian footbridge for the first time since the early 1970s. See image [[4210]]

Culloden Viaduct: Culloden Viaduct pictured on a lovely Spring day, 9th March 2015.

Leyland: Colas 66849 Wylam Dilly heads south at Leyland on 9 March 2015 with the Carlisle to Chirk log train. On the right work is underway to extend platform 1 in connection with the plan to run fewer but longer trains to Manchester during the work on Farnworth tunnel from May to October this year. See image [[50273]]

Havenstreet: Adams O2 0-4-4T W33 Bembridge (in reality W24 Calbourne) taking on water at Haven Street on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway on 9 March 2015.

Kilmarnock: DRS 37259 at the head of the Network Rail inspection train pausing at Kilmarnock on its way from Carlisle to Mossend on 9 March 2015. Sister locomotive 37610 is on the rear of the train.

Riccarton Junction: Of several photographs of the journey of 26040, here is the one I like best myself.

Leyland: Looking north from the top of the steps of the new footbridge at Leyland to where the old bridge used to be on 09 March 2016. The old station booking office is now sealed up and a question hangs over it's future. The view could change again in the near future. Compare with a view from just over 6 years earlier See Image [[27212]].

Calderpark Viaduct: View of the remaining north west abutment, now concealed in the trees behind the new housing at the former Glasgow Zoo site.

Calderpark Viaduct: The remaining north west abutment of the viaduct viewed from the north showing the considerable amount of masonry involved which to this day stabilises the ground near the new housing.

Euxton Balshaw Lane: DRS 66430 slows the Carlisle to Crewe infrastructure train through Euxton Balshaw Lane on 9th March 2017, waiting for the Balshaw Lane Junction signal to clear to join the two track section to Wigan. The train mainly comprised loaded stone wagons but track machine DR77904 was also being hauled.

Holytown: DB Cargo no.66103 passes Holytown working 4E99 from Mossend Euroterminal to Tees Dock BSC Export Berth

Euxton Balshaw Lane: Northern 319382 has just left Euxton Balshaw Lane heading south but is held by the signal protecting Balshaw Lane Junction where the four track section of the WCML becomes two tracks. These Preston to Liverpool services had just resumed after the Lime Street cutting collapse.

Coatbridge Central: DB Cargo no.66103 heads 4D51 Grangemouth to Mossend through Coatbridge Central on 9 March 2017.

Motherwell: DB Cargo 66099 heads 6K31 Carlisle NY to Rannoch engineers consist North through Motherwell on 9 March 2017. On the adjacent track Pendolino 390119 is heading for London Euston with train 1M17, the 1640 ex Glasgow Central.

Motherwell: Royal Mail emu 325001 approaching Motherwell on 9 March 2017 working ecs to Shieldmuir Mail Terminal, from where it would later form 1M03 to Warrington.

Motherwell: 320412 + 320313 pausing at Motherwell on 9 March with 2C06 Milngavie to Cumbernauld. Alongside is 320311 on 2B92 Glasgow Central to Lanark. Unit 320412 is one of the Ex London Midland class 321 4 car EMUs converted to 3 cars for Scotrail services.

Greenfoot Level Crossing: 68 020 Reliance approaching Greenfoot Level Crossing with the morning empty coaching movement from Edinburgh Waverley to Motherwell Tmd (9/3/17).

Euxton Balshaw Lane: 319382 calls at Euxton Balshaw Lane on a Preston to Lime Street service on 9th March 2017. Since that date these services now start at Blackpool, and are moving over to be operated by Class 331 EMUs. 319382 has also been reliveried and now runs in the Northern white and blue scheme.

Crathes: Crathes signal box, 9th of March 2017, The box is in good condition, but the wooden access steps have collapsed but I managed to peer in to see a large telescope.

Holytown: WCR 47245 works 0Z92 through Holytown from Fort William to Steamtown Carnforth.

Aspatria: Aspatria station, seen on a sunny 9th March 2018 looking towards Carlisle. The station building is in private use and this is a request stop nowadays.

Hairmyres: Glasgow Central to East Kilbride 156462 approaching Hairmyres station on 9th March 2018.

Baggrow: The Bolton Loop of the M&CR was intended to open up the coalfield in that area but was worked as two separate branches that met at Mealsgate. There was an intermediate station at Baggrow to the right of this surviving bridge abutment. Passenger services ceased in 1930 but colliery traffic and general freight from Aspatria to Mealsgate lasted until 1952.

Flimby: A sunny day at Flimby on the Cumbrian Coast in March 2018 with clear views to the hills around Dalbeattie across the Solway. The Carlisle platform has been slightly raised along its length but there is a Harrington Hump on the southbound side.

Bullgill: DRS 37423 failed at Bootle on the 0546 Barrow to Carlisle service on 9th March 2018. The train eventually arrived at Sellafield 105 minutes late where it was terminated. Later that day 37059 was sent south to pick up the failed loco and train and is seen here returning to Kingmoor at Bullgill. The previous day it had been announced that one of the Class 37 diagrams will be operated by a Class 68 from 12th March to improve reliability.

Mealsgate: Mealsgate was on the Bolton Loop of the Maryport and Carlisle Railway but, although a through station, was effectively operated as the terminus of two branches, one from Wigton and the main one from Aspatria. Built to serve several nearby collieries the line closed to passengers in 1930 but goods and coal traffic continued until 1952. This image looks north east from the road overbridge in March 2018, with trees preventing a fuller view. The station is now a private residence. [Ref query 16 April 2018]

Workington: Mechanical signalling and glazed canopies at Workington on 9th March 2018, but unfortunately no trains due to an earlier Class 37 failure that had thrown the timetable into chaos.

Bullgill: At first glance the bridge at Bullgill station appears to be over single rather than double track but it is one of several Maryport & Carlisle structures built to very tight clearances that still hamper operations today. Class 150 and 158 Sprinters are not allowed to operate over this line and stock with droplights on the doors has to have bars (or for charters a steward in each vestibule). Bullgill station had staggered platforms either side of the bridge and the old platform steps can still be seen. 9th March 2018.

Denfinella Viaduct: A view of the Denfinella Viaduct seen from below. This impressive viaduct is 130ft high.

Maryport: At one time Maryport had a huge stone built station building, but only ever a single platform. Nowadays this shelter suffices at the unstaffed station, seen here on 9th March 2018 looking towards Carlisle.

Maryport: The signal box at Maryport is still quite busy as all Whitehaven direction trains have to cross over to the platform road and then cross back again to continue. There is also through line for freight and charters and a goods loop. The former lines to the docks curved right just beyond the modern bridge. 9th March 2018.

Edinburgh Waverley: Signs of the times. New hanging signs awaiting deployment in the new Platforms 5 and 6.

Southport Lord Street: The Cheshire Lines station in Southport had a frontage onto the main shopping street, Lord Street. The clocktower has the letters SCLER carved beneath the clock referring to the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway. Entrance to the station was through the arch at the bottom of the tower however since the station closed in 1952 the platform area was filled in and used as a bus station. Today the arch leads to a national supermarket chain and the building is in use for various commercial purposes.

Workington: The booking office at Workington, and the station forecourt, have been refurbished and now look pristine as seen here on 9th March 2018.

Kirksanton Level Crossing: Kirksanton, one of two level crossings just north of Millom, is manually operated by a gatekeeper based in the green hut who also controls protecting semaphore signals. There was a station here very briefly but it closed in 1857.

Harrington: Early morning at Harrington on 9th March 2018 with the rising sun illuminating the scene. This view looks south from the station footbridge along the line towards Parton and Whitehaven and should have included a Cass 37 hauled passenger train but that had failed at Sellafield.

Harrington Church Road Halt: Church Road Halt in Harrington was only open from 1914 to 1926, served by trains from Workington to Lowca. Freight continued after closure until as late as 1973 and part of the line is now accessible as a trackbed footpath. This view looks northwards and the halt itself was on the far side of the road, originally crossed by a steel bridge, but nothing remains.

Harrington Church Road Halt: Just south of Harrington Church Road the old Lowca track bed runs through open countryside with sea views. A little further south was another small halt, known as Archer Street, following which trains were faced with a 1:17 gradient for 285 yards, reportedly the steepest passenger line in the UK to be worked by adhesion. Passenger services ceased in 1926 and freight in 1973.

Elizabeth Dock: Elizabeth Dock, one of the two main docks in Maryport Harbour in March 2018. From the 1850s there were sidings on both sides of this dock, which was part of a busy commercial port. However, in 1927 Workington opened a deep sea dock and the commercial traffic at Maryport quickly fell away with the harbour railway sidings closing in 1930. Nowadays this dock sees only fishing vessels and adjacent Senhouse Dock, once also rail served, is a marina.

Edinburgh Waverley: Days after the rest of Scotland's rail service returned to normal after 'The Beast from the East' the reason for the continued closure of the North Berwick branch is given as snow. (Banks of snow above cuttings.) At least it's a chance for humble Drem (pop 93) to star as a destination, surely the smallest place ever to be so (at least from Waverley).

Bullgill: Although Bullgill closed in 1960 the remains of the Carlisle platform can still be seen, and the steps leading down from the road. The house alongside the line is however entirely new. Platforms here were staggered and the steps to the Workington platform on the other side of the bridge are also in place although the platform itself has gone. 9th March 2018.

High Harrington: High Harrington station on the Cleator & Workington Junction Railway, seen in March 2018. This view looks towards Distington along the established trackbed cycle path. The remains of the Workington platform, which last saw passengers in 1931, can be seen on the right. Goods trains continued to pass through until 1964. The central bridge pier is a later addition supporting the heavy road traffic that passes over today. [Ref query 14 March 2018]

Grange-over-Sands: Bailey Lane level crossing was a popular route for pedestrians to access the promenade at Grange but after a near miss in the summer of 2017 it was closed by Network Rail and Cumbria County Council. There is a subway fairly close to this point and it remains to be seen if the closure, presently effective until 2020, will become permanent.

Grange-over-Sands: Northern 156438 skirts the promenade at Grange-over-Sands heading for the next stop at Kents Bank with a service for Barrow-in-Furness on 9th March 2019.

King River Gorge Viaduct: A view of the King River Gorge from the railway. This beautiful heritage railway, operated with an Abt rack, uses three original steam locomotives built by Dubs in Glasgow.

Eskbank: I'm no expert (omnes: 'We noticed') but surely a second line and platform here at Eskbank would not be out of the question, should the need arise - like now. Unfortunately the Hardengreen Farm road bridge, where I am standing, doesn't quite have clearance for two tracks, though it is of rather generous width for one. Photographed 9 March 2020.

Eskbank: Unit 170420 in plain blue unbranded livery approaching the platform at Eskbank on 9 March 2020 with the ScotRail 0924 Edinburgh Waverley - Tweedbank service.

Eskbank: A Tweedbank service pulls out of Eskbank on 9 March 2020 having deposited me. It is a pity that the 'Plat 1' cannot be suppressed when there is only one platform; where else is it going to leave from?

Lancaster: 68034 propels a TPE MkV push-pull set out of Lancaster, on a training run from Carlisle to Crewe on 9th March 2021. 68034 is used by Trans-Pennine on an 'as required' basis and so remains in DRS livery and has not yet been named. Covid restrictions mean that I have been unable to try these new trains out, or indeed the TPE 802 bi-modes and 397 EMUs. Hopefully not for too much longer.

Lancaster: 88006 'Juno' drops down Lancaster bank, with a late running northbound 'Tesco' service, on a grey and damp 9th March 2021.

Lancaster: TPE 397004 slows to call at Lancaster, working from Lime Street to Glasgow Central on 9th March 2021. The train is crossing a particularly pleasant stretch of the Lancaster Canal, which approaches the city centre from the south alongside Aldcliffe Lane.

Donibristle Platform: HST power car 43145, with a facemask. I had almost forgotten those. Seen leading the 13.56 from Aberdeen to Edinburgh past Donibristle on 9th March 2021.

Donibristle Platform: Scotrail 43143 and 43164 pass Donibristle with an Inverness - Haymarket movement on 9 March 2021. (I dare say any passenger could be put in the guard's compartment...)

Portessie [GNSR]: Photographed at the former Portessie station with sounds of the sea in the background? Would be nice but unfortunately the station is gone without trace and, thanks to lockdown, I can't get within 150 miles of the Moray coast. Luckily there is a little bit of it in an Edinburgh garden. The seatback sign appears to be original but the bench isn't.