Blair Atholl: A Birmingham Type 2 slows the 08.40 Struan-Perth local stopping service (a casualty of the Beeching Report two years later) into Blair Atholl on 23rd March 1963.

Inverkeithing North Junction: Construction work in progress on the Forth Road Bridge approach roads to the north of Inverkeithing, taken from a Perth-bound train on 23rd March 1963.

Edinburgh Waverley: Skiers heading for Aviemore join the 2.03pm DMU at Waverley on 23rd March 1963.

Carlisle: A quiet period at the south end of Carlisle station in March 1964. V2 2-6-2 no 60940 stands alongside platform 4, while just beyond a Cravens DMU waits in the bay with a Cumbrian Coast service.

Glasgow Central: Standard 2-6-4T 80027, on the left, looks ready to depart from Glasgow Central's platform 13 with a Gourock service on 23rd March 1966. But another forty minutes will elapse until its 3.57pm departure, and it is the 3.20pm that will shortly leave platform 12 behind 80116..

Cardonald: Britannia 70010 'Owen Glendower', eastbound at Cardonald with a fitted freight, on 23rd March 1966.

Berwick-upon-Tweed: Drewry 204HP 0-6-0DM shunter No. D2329 indulges in the task for which it was designed at the south end of Berwick station in March 1968 - the short bay platform here was used for parcels traffic.

Thornton Junction: Freights about to cross at Thornton Junction in 1971. BRCW Type 2 no 5322 runs under the footbridge of the closed station northbound, while an EE Type 1 has just joined the up main line at Thornton North Junction with a freight off the Fife Coast route. Mineworkings in the background are the remains of Balgonie Colliery (Julian Pit) which closed in 1960.

Thornton Junction: The remains of Thornton Junction station (closed October 1969) looking south from the footbridge in March 1971. A freight is approaching from the Thornton West direction behind BRCW Type 2 no 5322.

Jamestown Viaduct [Inverkeithing]: A DMU crossing Jamestown Viaduct in March 1971. View north towards Inverkeithing.

Burntisland Aluminium Works: Shunting at the British Aluminium Company's works, Burntisland, in 1971. The hard working locomotive is BAC No 1 (Pecket 0-4-0ST 1376/1915), now preserved at the Caledonian Railway centre, Brechin.

Burntisland East Dock: Unloading in progress at Burntisland docks in 1971.

Helensburgh Central: Blue Train unit 063 stands at Helensburgh Central on 23 March 1974 awaiting departure with the next service to Airdrie Via Singer.

Helensburgh Central: A Class 303 EMU stands at a quiet Helensburgh Central on 23 March 1974.

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: A class 47 takes a train out of Glasgow Queen Street in 1983.

Watford Junction: 25213 stabled at Watford Junction 23 3 1984. The St Albans branch platform can be seen in the distance.

Bathgate [4th]: Open day at Bathgate - the day before services resumed. A demonstration of railwelding on 23 March 1986.

Ludgershall: Ex-GWR 4-6-0 no 4930 Hagley Hall, built at Swindon in 1929. The locomotive is seen here in action on 23 March 1986 running shuttle specials on the Ludgershall MOD branch.

Tickets and labels: Souvenir ticket from the reopening of Bathgate station in 1986.

Bathgate [4th]: Pacer 143006 stands at the new Bathgate terminus during an open day held on 23 March 1986, the day before relaunch of the passenger service. Note Cartics in the sidings on the left, an area now occupied by shops. See image [[31158]]

Bathgate [4th]: A general view of exhibits on display in the rain during the open day at Bathgate on 23 March 1986.

Bathgate [4th]: Deltic D9000 Royal Scots Grey on display at Bathgate on 23 March 1986 as part of the open day held to celebrate the reintroduction of a rail service from Edinburgh.

Bathgate [4th]: Maude with a special from Waverley at the then new station at Bathgate during the 'open day' on 23 March 1986, the day before commencement of the reinstated rail service. See image [[16421]]

Crigglestone Junction: 56015 runs past Crigglestone Junction signal box with loaded MGR wagons from Woolley Colliery in March 1988. The then expanse of the former British Oak disposal point can be seen running across the view from above the second MGR wagon.

Catesby Tunnel: Mini-tunnel within a tunnel...the drainage opening at the south end of Catesby Tunnel, March 2007.

Catesby Tunnel: A ventillator shaft stands high on the hill above Catesby Tunnel, March 2007.

Charwelton: A view southwards over the site of Charwelton station. The photo is taken from a road bridge that features in a 2021 image of the site, [[79879]], and includes the new building, which in this 2007 view would be in the centre of the photo in the middle distance.

Catesby Tunnel: The southern portal of Catesby Tunnel on the former GCR, looking in less than perfect condition 110 years after the date carved in the stone at the top of the arch, 1897.

Earn Viaduct [Forgandenny]: 1713 Perth - Glasgow Queen Street about to cross Strathearn viaduct. Works are reaching conclusion.

Catesby Tunnel: Southern approach to Catesby Tunnel on the GCR in March 2007.

Catesby Tunnel: Looking through the south portal of Catesby Tunnel, Northamptonshire, in March 2007. Part of the Great Central Railway London Extension, it is almost 3,000 yards long and dead straight. Note the light at the end of the tunnel (sorry!)

Aberdour: The much travelled SWT 158786 on a Markinch - Waverley service arrives at Aberdour on 23 March.

Fenny Compton: Fenny Compton SB, 23 March 2007. The Banbury - Leamington line is in the foreground with the old SMJ behind, still open as far as MOD Kineton.

Fenny Compton: Chiltern 165 with a Birmingham - Marylebone train approaching Fenny Compton on 23 March 2007.

Vado Cervera: Easter Sunday in Spain on the Bilbao to Leon metre gauge line. The platform has been cleared but no sign of the train.

Avondale: A train calling at Avondale Station, on the route from Auckland to Waitakere, New Zealand on 23 March 2008

Auckland Britomart station: A quiet scene at Britomart railway station, Auckland, New Zealand in March 2008.

Hest Bank: The wind gauge on Hest Bank signal box was spinning furiously on a very blustery day as 144012 passed on a Morecambe to Leeds service. The gauge was installed when this exposed stretch of line was electrified. If wind speeds rise above a certain level the trains run slowly at caution to protect the overhead catenary. Behind the box the foreshore can be seen, the sands of Morecambe Bay at low tide and, in the distance, the Cumbrian coast near Kents Bank.

Glen Ogle Viaduct: Looking south over the viaduct in Glen Ogle on 23 March 2009.

Lochearnhead [2nd]: The former Lochearnhead Station, seen on 23 March 2009. The old station was bought and refurbished by the Hertfordshire Scouts and is now used by scouting groups from across the UK. See image [[5504]]

Lochearnhead Viaduct: Viaduct on the St Fillans line at Lochearnhead on 23 March 2009.

Hull: The south end of Hull station, on 23 March 2009, with a Northern 158 leaving on a local service to Doncaster.

Batts Foundry: View west from [[Larpool viaduct]] on 23 March 2010 showing the Whitby and Pickering Railway running alongside the Esk towards Grosmont. The pathway on the right is the trackbed of the former link to Prospect Hill Junction that climbed steeply from the W&P line before swinging north to join the Scarborough - Whitby - Middlesbrough coastal route near Whitby West Cliff station at the northern end of the viaduct. Batts Foundry had been located on the curve on the left between the two lines.

Whitby Gas Works: UK energy surveys undertaken during the 1950s identified 3 gas fields as being worthy of further investigation. These were at Heathfield (Sussex), Whitby (North Yorkshire) and Cousland (Midlothian). None turned out to be of national significance, although the Whitby field was adapted to supply the town itself in 1960. Gas was piped from the well head to a plant west of the town alongside the Esk. The abandoned facility is seen here in 2010 looking east from [[Larpool Viaduct]], with the Esk Valley line passing below. A branch left the main line here to serve sidings within the plant running parallel with the retaining wall. Hidden amongst the undergrowth midway up the hill on the left is the trackbed of the line that once climbed to join the Middlesbrough - Scarborough route at Prospect Hill Junction. For a view west from Larpool Viaduct on the same day see image [[28894]].

Ruswarp: Looking south west from Ruswarp station, North Yorkshire, in March 2010, over High Street level crossing and the railway bridge spanning the Esk. The single line route is used by both National Rail and NYMR traffic. The bridge once carried double tracks with a walkway running alongside. For an angled view with a train crossing see image [[66870]].

Greenwood: Heading south west out of Maxwell Yard, Greenwood, South Carolina on 23 March 2010 are ES44AH 738 and CW44AC 299. The locomotives are hauling coal empties destined for the CSX yard at Tucker, Georgia.

Alnwick: Alnwick Station,now Barter Books bookshop

Alnwick: Alnwick Station, now Barter Books bookshop

Ruswarp: Northern 142078 crosses the Esk at Ruswarp on 23 March 2010 with the 10.38 Middlesbrough - Whitby service. The train is slowing for the stop at Ruswarp station located just behind the camera on the other side of the level crossing.

Craignure: A view of the Craignure turntable with its fan of 260mm tracks. Isle of Mull Railway DH B-B Frances is on a works train standing in the station behind.

Craignure: Pre-season works train on the Isle of Mull Railway. Frances, new to the railway in 2000, stands at Craignure with a coach and open wagon servicing a working party getting ready for the start of 2010 services on 1st April. Frances may look tiny but weighs in at around two tons. View towards Torosay.

Whitby: Refurbishment work being carried out on the former 50G Whitby locomotive shed on 23 March 2010. The shed closed in 1959 and has been in use in recent years as a ship's chandler. The view is towards the coast with the line running past on the other side of the low wall. Whitby Abbey stands on the hill in the right background.

Whitchurch: Northerly view of former southbound island platform at Whitchurch Station showing extensive tree growth on former platform line and adjacent sidings area. See image [[54090]] for the view ten years earlier before tree growth had taken a firm hold.

Whitchurch: Boarded up and inaccessible former Whitchurch signal box on west side of line north of station, with platform end south to north cross-over taken out of use by removal of southbound diamond crossing and plain railing.

Whitchurch: View looking towards the buffer stops along the fenced off former northbound bay platform and trackbed at Whitchurch Station.

Whitchurch: Southerly view along Whitchurch station with the former northbound bay extant to the right of the platform fencing. The short over platform canopy that protected passengers alighting at the buffer end of the bay still exists to serve its purpose.

Ruswarp: The 1038 ex-Middlesbrough about to clear the level crossing at Ruswarp on 23 March 2010 prior to making the penultimate stop on its one and a half hour journey to Whitby.

Cupar: 170420 arriving at Cupar with a Dundee - Edinburgh service on 23 March 2010.

Cupar: 170420 leaves Cupar on 23 March 2010 and heads south on a Dundee - Edinburgh working.

Ruswarp: The rustic station of Ruswarp on the Esk Valley line approaching Whitby. Photographed on 23 March 2010 looking north towards the village and St Bartholomew's Parish Church.

Cardrona: Possible holiday home conversion? A large platelayers' hut west of Cardrona station in March 2011.

Chicago LaSalle Street: View southwest over the concourse at LaSalle Street Station, Chicago on 23 March 2011. The former New York Central System and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad terminal was demolished in 1981 with most services having transferred to Union Station.  The current LaSalle Street is served only by Metra commuter trains to Joliet over the former Rock Island system and, as is readily apparent, is not busy outwith rush-hour.  It's a far cry from the station which featured in the 1959 Hitchcock film, North by Northwest but at least is still served by trains.

Chicago LaSalle Street: Looking along track 1 at LaSalle Street station on 23 March 2011. A double-deck push-pull Metra commuter train is awaiting its next turn of duty on the former Rock Island route to Joliet. The train's power car is at the country end of the platform with a DVT at the city end.

Broughton [2nd]: Remains of the island platform at Broughton looking west in March 2003. Opened in 1860, Broughton had become a 3-platform junction station in 1896 following an agreement with the Edinburgh and District Water Trust. This agreement provided a link to the Talla Railway running south to Victoria Lodge in connection with the construction of Talla reservoir. The Talla Railway was abandoned following the opening of the reservoir in 1905, although Broughton station continued in use until withdrawal of passenger services over the former SB&B in 1950. The line between broughton and the WCML at Symington survived as a freight-only route until 1966.

Chicago Union Station: The Great Hall at Chicago's Union Station looking south on 23 March. The station opened in 1925 replacing an earlier version on the site dating from 1881.

Chicago Union Station: Looking south on Canal Street, Chicago, on 23 March showing the facade of Union Station.

Chicago Union Station: The stairs from Canal Street, Chicago, down to the Great Hall at Union Station on 23 March 2011. I seem to recall a climactic shoot-out in a certain film using this location...

Bristol Harbour: The Bristol Industrial Museum's Avonside 0-6-0ST Portbury (works no 1764 of 1917) photographed on 23 March 2011 in the process of being warmed up on the Bristol Harbour Railway.

Cardrona: The former station building at Cardrona, photographed in March 2011.

Melrose: The Melrose station building seen in March 2011 from the approach road.

Bristol Harbour: The Bristol Industrial Museum's “Portbury” an Avonside 0-6-0ST from 1917, photographed on 23 March 2011. It is being warmed up and having a pre-inspection look over before working next weekend. It comes out of ticket in the summer.

Chicago Dearborn: Dearborn Station, Chicago, the former terminus for the Sante Fe and Wabash Railroads amongst others, is now a Chicago Historic Monument.  Opened in 1885 and closed when Amtrak was established in 1971 it has been renovated as a Galleria.  No trace remains of the tracks beyond the station building - there is now a pleasant park and housing scheme. See image [[33324]] 

Chicago Dearborn: View from the mezzanine level of Chicago's former Dearborn station on 23 March 2011, looking back towards the main entrance underneath the clock.  The flags commemmorate the various railroad companies that once used the station, which finally closed in 1971 see image [[33315]].

Tenby: Most of Tenby station's infrastructure is still in place in 2012 but the signalbox has gone See image [[37291]]. This is the only passing place on the long single track Whitland to Pembroke Dock branch and the cabinet on the right of the picture now houses the token instruments. 153320 waits to proceed to the branch terminus while behind, and out of sight, another single car waits to leave for Carmarthen and Swansea.

Pembroke Dock: The 1864 branch terminus at Pembroke Dock is still an attractive building, with part of it now converted into 'The Station Inn', a specialist real ale pub. The branch train can just be seen through the canopied platform entrance. On this occasion it is a single 153 unit heading for Carmarthen and Swansea, although the line also sees through services to Manchester Piccadilly using ATW Class 175s.

Bamber Bridge: A Compass Tours charter to Carlisle approaches Bamber Bridge station on 23 March 2012 with 47786 leading and 47826 on the rear.

Tenby: The long platforms at Tenby see two very short trains passing as 153320 waits for 153362 to clear the single line section from Whitland. In addition to these local services this long branch line still sees summer HSTs as well as regular long distance services to Manchester Piccadilly via Cardiff.

Rufford: An Ormskirk to Preston service crosses the River Douglas having just called at Rufford on 23 March 2012.

Swansea: Looking towards Landore from the end of the platforms at Swansea (formerly Swansea High Street) on 23 March, with 43139 newly arrived on the rear of a service from Paddington. On the right the entrance to Maliphant carriage sidings can be seen - still used for overnight servicing of stock but empty during the day. See image [[18589]]

Rugby: I have 7 minutes between arriving in Rugby on a 350 and leaving on a Pendolino. The message 'Charter Train' on the departure screens on 22 March (plus a very old-fashioned exhaust note) led me to find Compass Tours' 'Trent Lakelander' on platform 1 (displacing a Birmingham-bound Pendolino to platform 2). 47786 'Roy Castle OBE' drew the train South into the station. see image [[38174]]

Carmarthen: Early evening at Carmarthen, and 153320 is reversing here before continuing to Swansea with a service that originated at Pembroke Dock. Just under the bridge in the background are the buffer stops but the tracks once continued from here over the River Towy and on to places such as Newcastle Emlyn and Aberystwyth. The local traincrew offices are situated in the blue building on the opposite platform.

Swansea: Twins at Swansea. Contrary to appearances these are two identical Sprinter Bubble Cars. However, 153320 on the left is seen from the original front end whereas 153303 on the right shows the converted former inner end from its days as part of a two car unit. The two units were waiting to form westbound trains.

Pembroke Dock: ATW single unit 153320 waits at the Pembroke Dock branch terminus prior to returning to Carmarthen and Swansea, as seen from the buffer stops. Can anyone advise what sort of traffic the ramp on the disused platform line was used for?

King's Cross: King's Cross Western Terminal showing the new departure concourse opened in 2012.

Manchester Piccadilly: Platform 7 at Manchester Piccadilly sees Cross Country Voyager 221117 awaiting departure for Bristol Temple Meads. In Platform 5 a Pendolino is on a Euston service, which these days run at 20 minute intervals from here.

Funchal: The old rack railway from Funchal to beyond Monte has been turned into a road known variously as Rue de Comboio, Caminho de Comboio and Ave de Comboio (basically Railway Rd). Houses now line much of the route but there is evidence of its former use at various points such as this overbridge in the suburbs of Funchal. View south down the steep hill towards the centre of the city.

Terreiro da Luta: The Monte rack railway in Madeira opened in 1893 and was extended to Terreiro da Luta (alt. 850m) in 1912 but closed in 1943. The Swiss Chalet styled station building lives on however as a restaurant. It was closed on this occasion so no photo of the front of the building but Google images show that trains terminated below the gothic tower. See image [[24668]] for an interior view.

Farington Junction: After signifcant amounts of snow had fallen (and drifted) elsewhere in the north of England, the area around Farington Junction on the WCML had few problems on 23 March. The services passing through the area were however subject to knock-on delays from elsewhere, including this late running southbound Virgin Voyager.

Farington Junction: A Northern Class 142 heads south at Farington Junction on a Blackpool to Manchester Victoria service on a cold 23 March 2013. On the left is the Leyland Trucks factory.

Carlisle: West Coast 47854 leads the 1Z58 Fort William - Nottingham charter into Carlisle station on 23 March 2013. 47826 is bringing up the rear.

Monte: After a locomotive boiler exploded in 1939 killing four people confidence in the Madeira rack railway ebbed away and it closed in 1943. The upper section was only open for 30 years and after closure part of it was converted into the road seen here looking down towards Monte station.

Carlisle: DRS 37218 arrives back at Carlisle on 23 March 2013 following snow plough duty on the S&C.

Carlisle: A charter from Eastleigh running into Carlisle station on 23 March 2013. The train, originally scheduled to run via the S&C, had been diverted via the WCML due to snow on the Midland route. Freightliner 70013+DBS 66089 are providing the motive power for the special.

Tomatin: On a bitterly cold March afternoon WHM liveried 66434 runs south through light snow near Tomatin with the returning Tesco empties.

Monte: After closure in 1943 most of the Madeira rack railway trackbed was converted into roadways. This is Caminho de Comboio ('Train Way'), looking down the very steep hill towards the city and port of Funchal, in March 2013.

Carlisle: Welcome home! DRS 37218 on 0Z37 Kirkby Stephen to Carlisle Wapping Sidings arriving back at Carlisle on 23 March following a spell of snow plough duty on the S&C.

Monte: Looking up Caminho de Comboio, a road on Madeira that was built on the trackbed of the old rack railway from Funchal up to Monte. This picture was taken on 23rd March 2013, 70 years after the railway closed. The top of the wall on the right is level, giving some idea of the steepness of the railway, and this replacement road.

Carlisle: An unusual combo with FLT 70013 and DBS 66089 bringing 1Z71 Carlisle - Eastleigh charter ECS into Carlisle on 23 March.

Taw Valley Halt: Barclay 0-6-0ST Salmon shortly after taking a train away from Taw Valley Halt on The Swindon & Cricklade Railway on 23 March 2014. see image [[46748]]

Dublin Heuston: Class 22000 dmus stabled at Heuston Station, Dublin, on 23 March 2014.

Taw Valley Halt: The Swindon & Cricklade Railway's Barclay 0-6-0ST Salmon will soon be on its way to the Royal Deeside Railway. The locomotive is seen here preparing to leave Taw Valley Halt on 23 March 2014. See image [[47203]]

Dublin: Luas Red Line tram 4012 crosses the Royal Canal on 23 March having just called at the George's Dock stop.

Coney Island: View north east across Stillwell Avenue, Brooklyn, on 23 March 2014 towards the New York Subway station at Coney Island. The elevated 8-platform station is the southern terminus for D, F, N and Q line services.

Roosevelt Island: New York's Roosevelt Island Tramway in March 2014, with the borough of Queens on the far side of the East River, Manhattan behind the camera and the Queensborough Bridge on the right. Opened in 1976 to coincide with the development of low cost housing on the island, it replaced a trolley service that ran over the bridge with a stop in the middle from which passengers took an elevator down. Each car can carry 110 people. The island is linked to Queens via the Roosevelt Island Bridge and, since 1989, has had its own Subway station (one of the deepest on the network) served by the F train.

Coney Island Complex: Of the 21 active rail yards serving the New York Subway the largest is at Coney Island. Scheduled maintenance is carried out for some 800 cars, while heavy maintenance and overhaul for all 6,000 cars on the system is shared with the facility at 207th St. The 75 acre site was built in 1926 on former marshland that once separated Coney Island from Brooklyn.

Dublin Heuston [Tram]: Luas tram 4009 calls at Dublin's Heuston Station on 23 March 2014.

Bargeddie Bridge: The close proximity of the new M8 extension railway viaduct works to the Cutty Sark bridge. View south from Bargeddie village on 23rd March 2015.

Carrbridge: View north at Carrbridge on 23 March, with the station building gleaming in the early spring sunshine.

Bargeddie Bridge: 320305 slowly approaches the Cutty Sark bridge form the Bargeddie side on 23rd March 2015. Construction works for the new viaduct over the M8 extension can be seen beyond the bridge.

Bargeddie Bridge: The M8 extension railway viaduct construction site south of the Whifflet line on 23rd March 2015. Temporary embankments have been constructed on both sides of the railway to facilitate piling work.

Edinburgh Waverley: Buffer stop at Waverley east end - remember to set the handbrake. The little dent in the middle possibly the result of a centre coupler?

Glasgow Central: Looking over the 'throat' of Central station on a lovely Spring Day. One solitary 380 set occupies the shot considering it was a Monday.

Glasgow Central: Platform 15 (platform 13 until 2010) at Glasgow Central with 2 x Class 380's in situ

Clapham: A Morecambe to Leeds service leaves Clapham station (just visible far left) and crosses the substantial viaduct over the River Wenning. The river is a tributary of the Lune but between here and Giggleswick the train will cross the watershed into the Ribble Valley.

Paisley Gilmour Street: The 10.57 Central to Wemyss Bay calls on 23-3-16.
This station (which was still gas-lit in 1964) has certainly been much improved recently.

Glasgow Central: Here's a couple of relics one behind the other at Central - front train for Neilston and rear, if I recall, was a Cathcart Circle service.

Wemyss Bay: Wemyss Bay pier and station have been receiving considerable attention recently. This is the concourse today. The pier is due to reopen on Friday 25th, two days from now, with quite a bit left to do.

Wemyss Bay: A view of the works at Wemyss Bay on 23 March 2016. No access is possible down the walkway from the station and the second platform is currently out of use with scaffolding all over it and a temporary buffer stop in place.

Anniesland: An unusual view of Anniesland station.
Grahamston train in bay at Anniesland seen from 0945 ex-Waverley.

Glasgow Queen Street Low Level: The 1101 to Edinburgh via Falkirk at Glasgow Queen Street Low Level.

Dundee: Dundee's new station progressing.
Beyond the mud and high fence is Dundee station in its cutting.

Dundee: Here's the artist's impression of the new station building for Dundee. In some respects the arrow is facing the wrong direction ...

Wemyss Bay: The 10.57 from Central just arrived at Wemyss Bay. Now, the other platform ...
The last major reconstruction was in 1994.

Clapham: Clapham station (the white building) and viaduct, as seen from the Slaidburn road dropping down from the moor. Clapham village itself is over a mile further along the road, nestling below the trees of the distant hill.

Dawsholm Junction: A view of the new junction between the line from the bay platform at Anniesland station and the Knightswood South Junction to Maryhill Park Junction chord. View looks to Anniesland.

Waterloo: The grand (and rather imposing) entrance of Waterloo.

Blackburn: Northern 150139 heads west from Blackburn passing over Darwen Street Bridge with a service from Colne to Blackpool South on 23rd March 2017. Although greatly reduced there is still a significant track layout at Blackburn, soon to be further enhanced with the opening of the new DMU depot.

Blackburn King Street Depot: Galligreaves St bridge, on the short Blackburn King St spur, has been rebuilt as part of the construction of the new Northern DMU depot. Latterly the location of Blackburn Coal Concentration Depot See image [[21404]] King St has been closed for many years but will soon see a brand new servicing depot for the new Class 195 trains that are on order. This view looks east and the depot will be on the left with the bridge carrying the link to the main line near Blackburn station. [Ref query 985]

Linlithgow: An EGIP message at Linlithgow. Faster Journeys ... Greener Electric Power ... Longer Trains ... Arrive This Year.

Aberdeen Waterloo: General view of Waterloo Goods Yard with a newly arrived china clay train from Mossend on the left. 66168 waits to run round.

Dunblane Junction: 170401 as 5P36 about to perform the turnback manoeuvre at Dunblane signal box before forming 2P36 a.k.a. the 1129 to Edinburgh. The semaphore signals are unlikely to survive electrification, although the box will survive for the present.

Stirling: The lattice footbridge from platforms 6-9 which Network Rail plans to replace with a fully accessible structure. The new bridge will also permit electrification of these platforms. The photo was taken during a 4 week closure of the Stirling–Alloa line for engineering works.

Aberdeen Waterloo: Looking south from Beach Boulevard as 66168 shunts a rake of empty and loaded china clay tanks.

Stirling: SB Rail Unimat 08-4x4/4S-RT Tamper passes Stirling platform 3 at speed on its way to Carstairs on 23rd March 2018.

Aberdeen Waterloo: 66168 rounds round its newly arrived train at Aberdeen Waterloo.

Dunblane: 170402 about to spring into action with the 1058 service to Edinburgh.

Aberdeen Waterloo: Looking north from the Beach Boulevard bridge as 66168 shunts china clay tanks into Waterloo Yard.

Musselburgh: A southbound CrossCountry service passes through Musselburgh on 23 March 2019. For some reason there are no 'fast train approaching' warnings on East Lothian stations.

Warwick Parkway: Deepest darkest Warwickshire - a strong contrast between the train and platform and surrounding Stygian darkness, approaching midnight on 23rd March.

Manchester Liverpool Road: On display at the Museum of Science and Industry, which is located at the site of the former Manchester Liverpool Road station, is the remains of Stephenson's 0-2-2 'Rocket'. There are a few modifications that had taken place during its working life including mounting the chimney on top of a smokebox and bringing the cylinders almost into a horizontal position. How appropriate that it should be visiting the terminus at the eastern end of the line on which it once ran. Details of the display in Manchester (until September 2019) are at www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/stephensons-rocket

Marylebone: 68009 'Titan' makes haste to leave The Smoke for a West Midlands destination in March 2019. The flats in the background must be a great location for train spotting.

Marylebone: Marylebone was always on the small side as London termini go. This view looks (East) across the end of all the platforms. It was a bit quiet on 23rd March 2019, even though there was an anti-Brexit protest rally that day.

Paddington: Just what you need to know when eating your dinner - whether your train home has enough pressure in its boiler. This selection of gloriously anachronistic gauges is fixed to a wall in the Mad Bishop and Bear pub, upstairs in the Lawn area of Paddington station.

Marylebone: Marylebone by night - still a marvellous building. How fortunate that the plan in BR days to turn this into a coach station see image [[32107]] did not come to pass.

Craigendoran Junction: 147V 'The Statesman' on its way from Milton Keynes Central to Fort William leaves Craigendoran Junction with D1944 (47501) on the rear. West Highland Statesman.

Fiumicino Airport: Grab shot from a coach on the Rome Airport link road showing a Trenitalia EMU approaching the airport railway station in March 2019. The yellow girder bridge is considerably longer than this image shows and was a very impressive structure running alongside the road.

Banbury: The new maintenance sidings and facilities recently installed on the down side to the south of Banbury station, viewed from a London train on 23 March 2019.
See query 2050

Heathrow Terminal 5 [BAA]: A nostalgic sight taxying past Terminal 5 at Heathrow in March 2019. Boeing 747-400 G-BYGC has been repainted in BOAC livery to mark the 100th Anniversary of British Airways (and its predecessor companies). BOAC flew earlier variants of the Jumbo Jet and so this is an appropriate livery and looks magnificent. As part of the celebrations BA has also reliveried an Airbus A319 in BEA colours.

Easter Road Park Halt: The curve of the Leith Central branch at the site of the short-lived (and seldom used) Easter Road Park Halt is called Lochend Butterfly Way. Surprisingly this has nothing to do with the insects per se, but comes the the lepidopteraform (OK, butterfly-shaped) plot of land bought for development in the early noughties. It was that shape because the vanished complex of railway junctions had left behind a brownfield site with the ‘wing-tips’ formed by Easter Road and London Road Junctions in the west, and Lochend North and Lochend (South) in the east. Now how many people know that?

Port of Civitavecchia: Civitavecchia is officially the Port of Rome, although some fifty miles from the city. Alongside one of the internal port roads these elderly railcars were stabled in March 2019. They looked well maintained but had drawn curtains at the windows so I couldn't see the interiors. I asked if anyone had any information about them and what they are used for and Alistair McLellan advises that they are used on private charters for cruise passengers running to S. Pietro station in the heart of Rome see image [[69731]] although others have said they don't see much regular use.

Allerton TMD: A grab shot from a passing train of the west end of Allerton Maintenance Depot in south Liverpool on 22 March 2019. The unit on the left is one of the two Class 769 sets on the depot, 769424. The other member of the class stabled at the east end of the shed was 769431.

Paddington: Somewhere to be bored? Authentic-looking sign upstairs by the Paddington pub (Mad Bishop and Bear).

Lochend North Junction: This bridge over the closed Powderhall branch is modern, but is on the same site as the rail bridge carrying the Leith Central branch between London Road and Lochend North Junctions. View looks north east in March 2019.

Paddington: The old order changeth - just one HST on the blocks in March 2019, with three 800s and a Heathrow Express EMU.

Dalgety Bay: The 08.07 to Glenrothes with Thornton and 08.16 to Edinburgh call at Dalgety Bay on the first day of reduced services due to the coronavirus outbreak 23rd March 2020. Trains were running generally close to time with no cancellations, but with few passengers. This was taken from a safe isolated position after dropping off a key worker to catch the train.

Fairlie: The Fairlie landslip site on 23rd March 2021. The track has just been replaced and the tamper was in action. However, the overhead line had still to be replaced at the time the photograph was taken.

Leyland: One of Ian Riley's Black 5s, 44871 approaches Centurion Way, Leyland with two support coaches on 23 March 2022. The loco was heading from Castleton to Carnforth WCRC site, possibly in readiness for a move to Fort William for Jacobite duties.

Oxford: Colas Rail, Network Rail Measurement Train HST 43272 passing through Platform 3 at Oxford was a pleasant surprise during a 23rd March 2022 visit.

Didcot Parkway: GBRf 66761, the snappily named 'Wensleydale Railway Association 25 years 1990-2015', seen westbound through Didcot with a rake of vans from Tilbury Container Services to Trostre Works on 23rd March 2022.