This day in history 28 June
Images
Hawick Shed: Standing in the shed yard at Hawick on 28 June 1958 is Scott class 4-4-0 no 62425 'Ellangowan'. At this point the locomotive had 2 months left before official withdrawal by BR.
Hawick Shed: Gresley N2 0-6-2T no 69510 alongside Hawick shed in June 1958.
Hawick [2nd]: St Margarets V2 2-6-2 no 60823 gets the 1225 Hawick - Carlisle train underway on 28 June 1958.
Aberdare: Ex-GWR 2-8-0 no 2863 stands in the sidings alongside Aberdare shed in June 1959, a few days after withdrawal.
Landore Shed: Collett 0-6-2T no 5616 stands in the yard at 87E Landore shed, Swansea, on 28 June 1959.
Danygraig: Collett 0-4-0T dock shunter no 1103, built by the Avonside Engine Co, Bristol, in 1926 and spending most of its life in and around Swansea docks. Seen here on its home shed at Danygraig (87C) in June 1959, six months before withdrawal. Note the bell mounted on the front of the cab.
Danygraig: Collett 0-4-0T no 1102 photographed on Danygraig shed, Swansea, in June 1959. Note the bell on the front of the cab, a fairly standard feature on the dock shunters operating out of 87C at that time see image [[34431]].
Duffryn Yard: General view of Duffryn Yard (87B), Port Talbot, on 28 June 1959. Nearest the camera is GWR 2-8-0T no 5220.
Swansea East Dock: Peckett 0-4-ST no 1152 stands alongside Swansea East Dock shed on 28 June 1959. The locomotive had been built in 1907 (originally number 12) for the Swansea firm of Powlesland and Mason who supplied locomotives and crews for use in Swansea Docks until eventually being merged with the GWR in 1924. No 1152 was the last of the former P&M locomotives in service with BR, being eventually withdrawn in 1963.
Danygraig: Peckett 0-4-0ST no 1143 stands in the shed yard at Danygraig (87C) on 28 June 1959. The locomotive was acquired by the Great Western Railway from the Swansea Harbour Trust (originally their no 12) in 1923.
Kennishead: Jubilee 4-6-0 45673 Keppel pilots Coronation Pacific 46230 Duchess of Buccleuch on the car sleeper south of Kennishead in the summer of 1962.
Southall: 6018 'King Henry VI' at Southall on 28th June 1963. The occasion was an open day at Southall depot, with a 'Special' headed by the King. I was not on this particular trip but was on a similar one later in the summer headed by Midland 4-4-0 Compound 1000. Those were, as they say, the days.
Craigendoran Pier: Paddle steamers 'Jeanie Deans' and 'Waverley' alongside Craigendoran Pier on a sunny 28th June 1964.
Balloch Central: Looking west along the A811 Balloch Road on 28 June 1971 as a class AM3 electric leaves Balloch Central station via the level crossing on a service to Airdrie.
South Pelaw Junction: Gateshead Class 24s, 5107+5105 approaching South Pelaw Junction in the summer of 1971 with iron ore empties from Consett to Tyne Dock via Tyne Yard and Gateshead. The bracket signal controlled access to the old direct route via Washington, no longer in use as a through route by that time.
South Pelaw Junction: Green 5103 with an unidentified blue classmate (possibly 5111) on a Tyne Dock - Consett iron ore train passing South Pelaw Junction on 28 June 1971.
South Pelaw Junction: 6771 brings a train of bogie bolsters loaded with steel from Consett downhill past South Pelaw Junction heading for Tyne Yard on 28 June 1971. In the foreground are the rusting rails of the former direct route to Tyne Dock via Washington.
Cantley: Cars from the 1970s wait on a DMU from the 1950s at Cantley station level crossing on 28th June 1977. The train is a service from Lowestoft to Norwich. Despite major advances in car and train design, the signal box and manual gates endured for decades more to become amongst the last of their kind on the national system.
Aviemore: 40160 takes a train out of Aviemore on 28 June 1980 on its way to Inverness.
Ulverston: Ulverston station was built by the Furness Railway to replace the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway station and its own nearby terminus thereby providing a proper through station that could also act as a junction for the Lakeside branch. In 1981 when this picture was taken the station canopies were very much under threat but thankfully later saved. See image [[22161]] for a modern day comparison. View west towards Barrow-in-Furness.
Watford West: Station with an identity crisis! There is not, and has never been a station called West Watford.... notwithstanding this photograph, taken in June 1985, which is presumably the result of a sign maker having an off day. The station at Watford West was opened on 15 June 1912 along with the rest of the Croxley Green branch. The branch was temporarily (but definitely not officially) closed in 1996 (due primarily to the significant legal difficulties involved in permanently closing a railway station). The minimum legal requirement to maintain open status is one service per month in one direction - which is provided in this case by a temporary replacement bus service. In 2005/6 there were 10 passengers (or the same passenger 10 times) recorded as having bought tickets to Watford West. On a more positive note, LU has plans to divert the Metropolitan Line from its current terminus at Watford to Watford Junction. This would mean bringing most of the Croxley Green branch back into use (not that its actually closed you understand) and would result in Watford West station being completely rebuilt and reopened (or rather, not temporarily closed any more....)
Watford West: A Croxley Green - Watford train stops at Watford West in June 1985. see image [[20360]].
Tickets and labels: A ticket for Watford West, issued at Euston on 28 June 1985. Either they'd run out of pre-printed tickets for this destination, or, more likely, never had any. I remember the guard when I changed at Watford Junction being convinced that the few passengers who got on his Croxley Green train must be on the wrong one and meant to go to Euston instead. Now (2009) Watford West has seen no trains for years, but is not officially closed! See image [[20360]]
Exeter St Davids: The West of England Postal calls at Exeter St Davids in June 2002.
Exeter St Davids: Night scene at Exeter St Davids, looking north towards Taunton on 28 June 2002. EWS 67015 is awaiting the right away from platform 1 with the West of England TPO. [Ref query 1656]
Roddinglaw: Class 150 Sprinter passes Roddinglaw on a Bathgate - Waverley service in 2004
Brownhills West: Motive power old and new at the Chasewater Railway. The LPG engine and flywheel-powered Parry People Mover tram was on trial here, for its proposed debut on the Stourbridge Town branch. On this occasion, a visit of a party of engineers found the tram broken down (you may be able to see jump leads protruding from the bonnet of the blue car on the left). I'm sure I saw the saddle tank smirking...
Float Viaduct: Rain clouds gather over South Lanarkshire on 28 June 2007 as the 0730 ex-Euston Virgin Pendolino service to Glasgow Central crosses the meandering River Clyde on Float Viaduct a mile south of Carstairs. Off to the north east stand the Pentland Hills with the City of Edinburgh beyond.
Float Viaduct: A rainy day on the southern approach to Carstairs on 28 June 2007 as a Virgin Voyager crosses Float Viaduct northbound with a Manchester - Edinburgh service.
Braidwood: A GNER Glasgow Central - Kings Cross service passing the former station at Braidwood, South Lanarkshire (closed July 1962) on 28 June 2007.
Cowdenbeath: A Fife Circle line train leaves Cowdenbeath on 28 June.
Auchengray: A southbound Virgin Voyager thunders through the former Auchengray station and over the level crossing on 28 June 2007 on an Edinburgh - Manchester service.
Auchengray: Platform remains alongside the former station building at Auchengray in June 2007 - looking towards Edinburgh from the level crossing.
Auchengray: View west over the former Auchengray station and level crossing in June 2007.
Float Viaduct: Network Rail departmental 2-car DMU southbound from Carstairs on 28 June crossing Float Viaduct.
Auchengray: View east towards the station and level crossing at Auchengray, on the former Caledonian route between Edinburgh and Carstairs, in the summer of 2007. The station closed to passengers in April 1966.
Aughton Park: There are four trains an hour in each direction serving Aughton Park. This is the view towards Ormskirk from alongside the ticket office on 29 June 2008 with 507019 standing at the platform on a service to Liverpool Central. From here two very steep paths lead down the cutting sides to the platforms.
Aughton Park: Situated in a deep cutting, Aughton Park station opened in 1907, almost 60 years after the line itself. The ticket office is at street level to the right of the bridge, well above the platforms. 507007 arrives on a Liverpool - Ormskirk service on 29 June.
Dalmuir: View east over Dalmuir station on Saturday 28 June 2008.
Town Green: Police Station or railway station? Both actually. Lancashire Constabulary operates out of the northern half of the station building while the remainder is the booking office. For a long time the station was known as Town Green & Aughton and the police station is called Aughton. 507019, in Capital of Culture vinyls, calls on its way from Liverpool to Ormskirk in June 2008.
Dalmuir: Station sign at Dalmuir, June 2008.
Oban: 156493 shortly after arrival at Oban on 28 June with a service from Glasgow.
Tiverton Parkway: FGW HST power car 43128 is on the rear of a service that has just departed from Tiverton Parkway heading to the next call at Exeter St Davids on 28 June 2008.
Dumbarton Central: 156 sets at Dumbarton Central on Saturday 28 June.
Dumbarton Central: 334 008 at Dumbarton Central on 28 June 2008.
Tiverton Parkway: Looking north along the Up platform at Tiverton Parkway on 28 June as an Edinburgh bound Cross Country Voyager, with 435 miles still to go, sets off on the next leg of its journey.
Tiverton Parkway: First Great Western HSTs destined for Paddington (left) and Plymouth meet at Tiverton Parkway on 28 June 2008.
Newbridge Junction: A ballast train from the Bathgate area joins the E&G main line at Newbridge Junction on 28 June 2008. EWS 66184 is about to run east below Harvest Road bridge and through the site of the former Ratho station on its way back to Millerhill Yard.
Tiverton Parkway: A northbound Cross Country Voyager arrives at Tiverton Parkway station on 28 June 2008.
Dol de Bretagne: Branch line connection. Part way along the main line from St. Malo lies the junction station of Dol de Bretagne, where S.N.C.F. Bubble Car No. 2137 waits to connect with the train from St. Malo. Connection made it will then amble down the single track branch line to the historic city of Dinan.
Uffington: Ex-GWR 5029 Nunney Castle leading 6024 King Edward I eastbound from Swindon near Fernham on 28 June heading for Paddington.
Fort William: A morning train from Glasgow running into platform 1 at Fort William station on 28 June 2010 with the Caledonian Sleeper stabled in platform 2.
Uffington: A pair of First Great Western HSTs 'kissing' at speed on the GWR main line near the village of Fernham, to the east of Swindon. Photographed on 28 June 2010.
Appin: Station remains at Appin, photographed on 28 June 2010. View looking north towards Ballachulish. Note the cycle path constructed recently along the northbound platform.
Fort William: The Sleeper attached to shore power at Fort William on 28 June 2010.
Appin: Gap for the signal box rodding and wires in the northbound platform at Appin station on the Ballachulish branch in 2010. See image [[29772]]
Connel Ferry Bridge: Connel Ferry viaduct from the west caught by the setting sun on 28th June 2010. (Just to reassure those who read the yellow notice!) See image [[29610]]
Connel Ferry: The end of the long-vanished west-facing bay at Connel Ferry, together with a close-up of the maker's plate imbedded in the edging. Photographed in June 2010, almost 44 years after closure of the Ballachulish branch.
Fort William [1st]: The rather forlorn-looking Station Bar, Fort William, marooned behind the dual carriageway, adjacent to the site of the original station - closed 1975 when the replacement was opened further north.
Pitlochry: The 0755 Inverness to Kings Cross service rolls in to Pitlochry right time on 28th June 2011. 43290, seen from the footbridge, is leading the train (43307 on the rear) and with a bit of fleet footwork.....See image [[34809]]
Kilmarnock: Virgin 'Thunderbird' 57307 Lady Penelope runs through Kilmarnock on 28 June 2011 during a Polmadie to Carlisle driver training run.
Pitlochry: A different view of Pitlochry. This is the Up platform, as seen from the adjacent footpath that climbs up to the station entrance from Ferry Road. This part of the platform is supported along its entire length by upright sections of old bullhead rail.
Touch South Junction: Freightliner Heavy Haul have a short term contract to move imported coal from Leith Docks to Longannet Power Station thrice-daily, via Dunfermline and Culross.
66548 is seen climbing the bank between Dunfermline Town and Queen Margaret Stations with empties from Longannet.
Kilmarnock: FL66508 on 6Z68 Killoch to Cottam loaded hoppers passes Kilmarnock
Townhill Yard: Freightliner Heavy Haul have a short term contract to move imported coal from Leith Docks to Longannet Power Station thrice-daily, via Dunfermline and Culross.
66548 and empties from Longannet in the down loop at Townhill.
Brodie: Brodie station, 46 years after its 1965 closure, as seen from the level crossing looking towards Forres. The station is now a house that also has B&B accommodation.
Kilmarnock: DBS 66116 leaves Killie long lyes on the 4S03 Milford to New Cumnock empty hoppers
Pitlochry: The Up platform station building and footbridge at Pitlochry are seen here in June 2011 with the town centre buildings behind. 170433 draws to a halt on a ScotRail Inverness to Glasgow service.
Pickering: D7628 has drawn up with a train of empty stock at the north end of platform 1 at Pickering station on 28 June 2011. View under the new overall roof completed earlier in the year.
Pickering: D7628 comes off a train of empty stock at Pickering on 28 June 2011. Note the station's recently completed overall roof, a replacement for the original 1846 structure, removed for safety reasons by BR during the 1950s.
Pickering: Black 5 no 45428 'Eric Treacy' preparing to leave Pickering on 28 June 2011.
Pickering: Looking through the recently re-roofed Pickering station on 28 June 2011.
Pitlochry: 43290 leads the morning Kings Cross service out of Pitlochry and crosses Ferry Road on 28th June 2011. Having photographed the train arriving in the station See image [[34812]] it took a sprint along the nearby footpaths to also capture it leaving.
Kilmarnock: 156507 arrives at Kilmarnock with 1A35 the 09.48 from Glasgow Central
New Bridge Level Crossing: The level crossing, signal box and token exchange platform at New Bridge, one and a half miles north of Pickering station on the NYMR. Photographed looking north towards Levisham in June 2011.
Pickering: 'Wonder what The Bishop would have thought?' The driver of ex-LMS 45428 Eric Treacy seems to be quite taken with the partial LNER green colour scheme created by the reflection of the summer foliage at Pickering on 28 June 2011. The locomotive is about to take out a morning NYMR service to Grosmont.
Halbeath: Freightliner Heavy Haul have a short term contract to move imported coal from Leith Docks to Longannet Power Station thrice-daily, via Dunfermline and Culross.
66548 is seen running light past the former Halbeath Station prior to taking its train back across the Forth Bridge.
Mossend Coal Yard: Network Rail Brush Type 2 31602 seen at Mossend on 28th June 2011. The loco has since been retired from main line duties but in its sixtieth year (2020) is still reported as 'Stored' rather than scrapped. The coal siding on the east side of Barochan Road, west side of the south end of the yard, is in the foreground.
New Bridge Level Crossing: Black 5 no 45428 Eric Treacy brings the NYMR 'Moors Explorer' over New Bridge level crossing on the northern edge of Pickering on 28 June 2011. The train is the 11.00 ex-Whitby.
New Bridge Level Crossing: 45428 with 'The Moors Explorer' heading for Pickering on 28 June 2011, photographed on New Bridge level crossing.
Pickering: Early afternoon at Pickering on a bright and sunny 28 June 2011, with Black 5 no 45428 'Eric Treacy' preparing to remove a train of empty stock from the station.
Kilmarnock: A coal train runs north through Kilmarnock station on 28 June 2012.
Brooks Crossing: During a brief lull in the rain 66734, with around 24 loaded wagons, approaches Brooks Level Crossing west of Cardross heading north on 28 June 2012. Later in the journey the train was to derail near Tulloch see image [[39479]] with the locomotive subsequently being cut up on site, as a cost-effective recovery was not possible.
Didcot Parkway: The original BR prototype gas turbine locomotive 18000 stands in the sidings at GWS Didcot on 28 June 2012.
Didcot Parkway: 66096 runs round a coal train at Didcot power station on 28 June 2012.
Ayr: In the monsoon of 28 June the 10.06 for Kilmarnock approaches Ayr station ex-Girvan.
Didcot Parkway: 60163 'Tornado' passing Didcot on 28 June 2012 on its way from Salisbury to Worcester Shrub Hill with the Cathedrals Express.
Dumfries: Downpour at Dumfries on 28 June 2012 as the 13.48 Class 156 for Glasgow pulls into the platform. Some of the buildings in the old goods yard are visible through the bridge see image [[19224]].
Ayr: The less-prepossessing rear of the Station Hotel, Ayr, in June 2012. All bricked-up on Platform 3 of the station and with mini-trees growing on the stonework. See image [[39329]] for the front view.
Nuneaton North Chord: Progress on Nuneaton North Chord, 28 June 2012. The sharp eyed observer will note the absence of the Ashby line bridge over the WCML see image [[38566]] in this view looking North-East. Notice also the first layer of ballast on the new embankment. You probably won't be able to see the white tape blanking out the words 'July 2012' as the finish date on the contractors' boards.
Milton Keynes Central: The stock for the 15.13 to Selhurst (377.202 leading) arrives in platform 2a at Milton Keynes Central in this colourful scene captured on 28th June 2012.
Didcot Railway Centre: Scene in the yard at Didcot on 28 June with 4-6-0 6998 Burton Agnes Hall nearest the camera and 0-6-0PT 3738 beyond.
Dumfries Station Hotel: The ex-G&SWR Station Hotel at Dumfries on 28 June 2012. Looking well kept and apparently prospering.
Dumfries: Bicycle hire point at Dumfries station on 28th June 2012, with some actually out on hire. This scheme had a slow start in 2010. According to cycling news website, in the first two months the cost per trip worked out at £1000!
Obstfelderschmiede: Track-level view down the 1 in 4 gradient at the Obstfelderschmiede terminus of Germany's unique funicular Oberweissbacher Bergbahn in the forested hills of the Thuringer Wald on 28 June 2013. The sloping split-level passenger coach is waiting to depart for Lichtenhain. The turntable to the left allows interchange of standard-gauge rolling stock (carried ' piggyback' on the 1.8m gauge funicular) from the Schwartzatalbahn branch, which is a right angles to the funicular behind the station building.
Obstfelderschmiede: The Oberweissbacher Bergbahn's standard-gauge passenger coach (carried piggyback on a 1.8m gauge Rollwagen) inches down through the mid-way crossing loop on the funicular on 28th June 2013. Taken from the railway's sloping split-level passenger coach, ascending the 1 in 4 gradient. See image [[43995]]
Stapleford: Once youve seen one IMechE Railway Challenge, youve seen them all - the driver of White Heron seems to be less than enthused about the young engineers efforts see image [[47822]]
Leicester Abbey Pumping Station: Are we out of the woods yet? The resident Ruston diesel see image [[48022]] taking things literally on 28th June. The beam engines here are well worth viewing, especially when they are in steam.
Brock: The Retro Electric Scot ran to Edinburgh on 28th June 2014 hauled by 92041 Vaughan Williams. The tour started at Stockport behind a Class 66 and reached Preston via Huddersfield and Copy Pit. The northbound Class 92, with a mixed bag of coaching stock, is seen passing Brock running around 25 minutes late.
Farington Curve Junction: An unusual working for a Saturday was the Lindsey Refinery to Preston Docks bitumen tanks. On 28 June 2014 DBS 60062 brings the 6E32 return empties off the WCML at Farington Curve Junction and onto the East Lancs line towards Blackburn. The Ormskirk line is on the left.
St Andrew's Lane: This structure is now a ventilation shaft for the Glasgow Central Railway which runs under London Road. The iron structure was built in 1826 and formed a bridge under London Road leading towards St Andrew's Square
Brock: The much travelled Ian Riley 5MT 45407, framed by the new footbridge at Brock on the second day of a transfer run from Fort William to Bristol. The Black 5 was travelling with WCRC 57315 and the ECS for the following day's steam special from Bristol to Par where it was standing in for booked locos that were unavailable.
Wilton South: The former Wilton South station, closed in 1966, on the Salisbury to Exeter line, seen here from a passing UK Railtours' excursion from Waterloo through to Kingswear on the Torbay & Dartmouth Railway, reversing at Exeter St. Davids, on 28th June 2014.
Kingswear: 159004, with 159020, just arrived at the Torbay & Dartmouth Railway terminus at Kingswear For Dartmouth with UK Railtours' through excursion from Waterloo, reversing at Exeter St. Davids, on Saturday, 28th June 2014.
Blaby: This 1929 Bagnall fireless locomotive was delivered new to Distillers, and later worked at Procter and Gamble. Since 2008, it has resided in a field adjacent to the Nuneaton-Leicester line, by Leicester Road, in Blaby. It was placed there by a local farmer to encourage the powers that be to reopen Blaby station, which closed in 1968. No luck so far.
Leyland: Having moved from Fort William to Carnforth on Thursday, Black 5 45407 was on the move again on 28 June heading to Bristol with ecs for a charter the following day. To help on the way, 57315 was doing the hard work with the Black 5 in light steam.
Stapleford: The Institution of Mechanical Engineers runs an annual Railway Challenge, where young engineers from industry and universities compete to build and prove out small (ten and a quarter inch gauge) locos. On 28 June 2014 entrants from the University of Huddersfield are seen making final adjustments to their creation, which has a class 67 look about it.
Farington Curve Junction: Retro Railtours The Retro Electric Scot drops down to Farington Curve Jct on 28 June 2014 with 60060 on the first leg of the tour from Stockport to Preston. At Preston the loco was changed for 92041 see image [[47794]] for the remainder of the journey to Edinburgh.
Leicester Abbey Pumping Station: This Lister Auto Truck (of 2 foot gauge) is part of the museum collection at Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester. The dark object in the right background is an excavator; the ribbed plastic tower is part of the National Space Centre.
Leyland: 92030 speeds north past Leyland with the Daventry to Mossend Tesco cntainers on 28 June 2014.
Saxby (1st): How observant are you? You could easily drive past this bungalow without noticing it, or the entrance on the opposite side of the road. You would not realize that it was an 1848-built crossing keepers cottage on Lord Harboroughs curve, built to avoid Stapleford Park. The crossing and curve were replaced by a new alignment and station in 1880, when a junction for the new line to Bourne was added. By this time, the eponymous Lord had passed away; his estate had been bought by the more railway-minded Lord Gretton of Burton, whose descendants still live there - and built the Stapleford Miniature Railway see image [[47822]].
Seaton Junction: Derelict buildings on the up platform at the former Seaton Junction station, seen from 159 020 with 159 004 passing with UK Railtours' excursion from London Waterloo through to Kingswear on the Torbay & Dartmouth Railway, on 28th June 2014. This station closed in March 1966 along with the branch line to Seaton although the course of the line from the first station at Colyton to Seaton is now used by the Seaton Tramway.
Leicester Abbey Pumping Station: This electric crane may look quite conventional, but it runs on an 11 foot gauge track. Power is supplied from a generator through a
Stapleford: '...and when I press this button, all the windows disappear'. The University of Birmingham's entry in the 2014 I.Mech.E. Railway Challenge see image [[47822]]. (A bit early for Christmas, even with all that wrapping)
Leicester Abbey Pumping Station: At last, the inspiration for the styling of the Class 70 is revealed. This Simplex loco was built in 1979 by Motor Rail of Bedford, and spent its working life holding its nose at the Minworth sewage works railway, near Sutton Coldfield. There is a similar loco in the Grain Store on the Statfold Barn railway see image [[46848]]. It has a longer bonnet, but appears to share the unusual feature of having only one cab door, the other side being open to the elements.
Kingswear: 159020, with 159004, just arrived at the Torbay & Dartmouth Railway terminus at Kingswear For Dartmouth with UK Railtours' through excursion from Waterloo, reversing at Exeter St. Davids, on Saturday, 28th June 2014.
Stapleford: Well if youre going to say THAT about my engine - the driver of White Heron leaves all the new fangled machinery behind at the I.Mech.E. Railway Challenge see image [[47923]].
Leicester Abbey Pumping Station: This is the opposite end of the E-shaped layout from Peters perch see image [[48001]]. The locomotive is a cabless 1944 Ruston and Hornsby. Passengers were not encouraged to use the minimal platform to disembark.
Perth: 158739 forming the 1402 service to Edinburgh waits to leave bay platform 5 at Perth on 28 June 2014.
Gillingham Dorset: 159020 with 159004, during a leg stretch stop at Gillingham (Dorset), with the return UK Railtours' through excursion from Kingswear back to London Waterloo, having reversed at Exeter St. Davids, on the evening of Saturday, 28th June 2014. The train will head away from the camera when it departs.
Stapleford: Walkies! The Transport For London team bring their scratch built locomotive into Stapleford station for testing on 28 June. Updated 31st July: this locomotive was the winning entry in the 2014 IMechE Railway Challenge see image [[47822]]
Leicester Abbey Pumping Station: The Simplex locomotive shown in image 48001 can be seen running round its train past the brick wagons and side tipping sewage sludge transporters see image [[48022]] for an opposed view.
Gillingham Dorset: Gillingham (Dorset), opened in either 1859 or 1860 (authorities vary), on 28th June 2014 during a stop by the return UK Railtours' excursion from Kingswear on the Torbay & Dartmouth Railway to London Waterloo that reversed at Exeter St. Davids. Gillingham is a passing place on the now mostly singled Salisbury to Exeter line.
Stapleford: Small, but perfectly formed: the recently built station on the Stapleford Miniature Railway in June 2014, full of engineers competing in the I.Mech.E. 'Railway Challenge' see image [[48099]].
Paignton: 143620 departing from Paignton station in pouring summer rain with a service to Exmouth, reversing at Exeter St. Davids, on 28th June 2014. Ten Class 143 Pacers are reported preserved in 2021 but this set was scrapped after withdrawal.
Stapleford: That's either a very large tree, or a very small signal box. This is the strictly one-man Stapleford Junction box on the Stapleford Miniature Railway, in June 2014.
Hook: The up platform at Hook station in Hampshire, seen from 159 020 with 159 004 passing with UK Railtours' excursion from London Waterloo to Kingswear, on 28th June 2014. This station opened on 2nd July 1883; only the two side platforms on the up and down slow lines remain, the central island platform on the fast lines was removed sometime in the 1960s.
Stapleford: Where would we be without laptops? The University of Huddersfield engineers take advantage of the shelter under the Stapleford station roof on 28 June 2014 see image [[47822]].
Gillingham Dorset: Gillingham (Dorset) looking west, on the evening of Saturday, 28th June 2014. Waiting in the down platform are 159020 & 159004, heading in the up direction, with the return UK Railtours' through excursion from Kingswear, on the Torbay & Dartmouth Railway, to London Waterloo that reversed at Exeter St. Davids.
Sheffield Station [SYPTE]: Sheffield Supertram 101 in sylvan surroundings at Sheffield Station and Hallam University tram stop on 28 June 2015.
Perth: DRS 66423 passes ScotRail 170 and 158 units stabled in bay platform 5 at Perth station on 28 June 2015 with a Moy - Millerhill spent ballast train.
Perth: Freightliner 66595 passing through Perth station on 28 June 2015 with a Carmont - Millerhill ballast train.
Becconsall: A recently restored Lister Autotruck has a test run on the West Lancashire Light Railway on 28 June 2015.
Coventry Arena: Raring to go - timetable boards and an information point are in place, likewise several nameboards; but due to the necessity to relocate a signal, this station will not open until September. The Northbound platform is nearest the camera. See image [[51580]]
Wigan North Western: A Northern Electrics service for Preston rolls into Wigan North Western on 28/06/2016.
Tweedbank: The modern equivalents at Tweedbank of Firemen's Call Boxes see image [[26093]] at St Enoch ?
The St. Enoch devices were to meet the famous Rule 55 (fireman of detained train to sign signal box register). The rule is not as simple as that - it takes up nine pages in the 1933 LMS Rule Book. It would not have been possible for firemen to wander about the layout at St. Enoch to go to the signal box.
Port Talbot Steel Works: Loco No 905 pushing a full Torpedo ladle towards the BOS Plant. The crossing in the foregound is where the derailment took place and caused the explosion in the early hours of the 26th of April 2019.
Weggis: Lake Lucerne PS Uri leaves the landing stage in Weggis to head west towards Lucerne in June 2016. This is one of five operational steam powered paddlers on the lake, and the oldest having been launched in 1901. The others are the Unterwalden, Schiller, Gallia and Stadt Luzern. A sixth, the Wilhelm Tell, survives as a floating restaurant in Lucerne Harbour.
Tweedbank: Tweedbank 28/06/2016. 'You wait over 47 years for a train, and this 'thing' appears'!
Tweedbank: Tweedbank, end of the line. Next stop Melrose which would have been a better choice for the (temporary) terminus.
Hartlepool: A Grand Central service from Sunderland leaves the first stop at Hartlepool taking the sharp curve as it heads for Kings Cross on 24th June 2017. 43468 is the trailing power car. The small notice reminds rail staff that the Down Line is bidirectional serving the stations only through platform. The Up Line is still used by freight traffic and the bay Platform 2 line in the foreground also sees occasional terminating trains.
Princes Dock: Queen Mary (II) back in Glasgow. Compare and contrast with the image from 1963 at Rothesay see image [[55116]]. She's just a shell. (I have made the funnels buff, their true colour -Â when I took this they were yellow which is quite wrong.)
Breich: You may find this a little challenging to read - the Breich notice of proposal of closure - due to the reflective glass. Fortunately there is an online version https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/scotland/breich-station/. This notice is actually at Waverley, but there is a similar notice at Breich itself.
Hart: Adelante 180108, working a Grand Central Sunderland to Kings Cross service, approaches the site of Hart station on 25th June 2017. Hart was originally on the Hartlepool to Castle Eden line and became the point where, after 1905, the new coastal railway that ran parallel from Cemetery North Junction divided. The station closed in 1953 and the Castle Eden line saw its last goods train in 1979 but that route is now a cycleway See image [[48007]].
Winchester: Cross Country Voyager 221131 westbound at Winchester on 28th June 2018. The Cross Country station announcements were an education in geographic location as a train for Newcastle was announced with all its future destinations as it traversed the nation.
Winchester: Freightliner 70014, eastbound at Winchester with an intermodal service on a sweltering 28th June 2018.
Winchester: The EMUs tooing and froing from the South West and London Waterloo at Winchester seemed to arrive and depart every few minutes with plenty of passengers. This is 444028 heading for Waterloo at 1226hrs on 28th June 2018.
Eskbank: A bright and sunny summer morning at Eskbank seems to have brought out the crowds as the 0934 ScotRail service to Edinburgh Waverley (0859 ex-Tweedbank) arrives at a busy platform on 28 June 2018.
Perth Princes Street Shed: The area to the left was the Dundee and Perth Rly original loco shed. The view is to the east. It didn’t last long , I believe only operational for as long as the D&P terminated at right angles to the SNE at Perth, where “Royal British House†is now.
Armadale: A reddening customer eyes the approaching Edinburgh service on a hot 28th June 2018.
Armadale: So good they named in twice; Armadale's less than vital Gaelic translation. Less cynically, Armadale probably has more claims to the Gaelic treatment than most central belt towns as it was named (or renamed) after an estate on Skye. Presumably the name sounded more romantic than the original Barbauchlaw. Not difficult.
Carnforth: The Windermere branch loco hauled shuttles continue and have seen a variety of West Coast traction. On 28th June two Class 57s were provided and 57316 is seen taking the three empty coaches past Carnforth signal box down to the loops for reversal. 57314 was on the rear.
Eskbank: A Waverley bound ScotRail service on the Borders Railway picks up passengers at Eskbank on a fine summer morning in June 2018. The train is the 0859 ex-Tweedbank.
Blackridge: Blackridge station in all its isolation. Note the length of the ramp, nowadays necessary in a station without lifts. The wind turbines all around were stilled in the very warm air.
Blackridge: An Edinburgh service calls at Blackridge on 28 June and picks up its young customer. Blackridge station must suffer from being not particularly close to Blackridge. It was too warm a day to walk into town, so who knows what I missed.
Winchester: Although passenger services at Winchester were very frequent during my visit the freight trains were rather patchy and the station announcer only gave about two seconds warning of a train not stopping in the platforms. This was a bit of a nuisance when part way through a bacon sandwich. 66518 passes with an eastbound ballast on 28th June 2018. [Ref query 4 July 2018]
Hardengreen Viaduct: A northbound train on the Borders Railway passes Dahousie Mains and crosses Hardengreen Viaduct on 28 June 2018. The ScotRail 0859 Tweedbank - Edinburgh Waverley is approximately half a mile from its next scheduled stop at Eskbank.
Carnforth: 57314, seen on the rear of the Windermere shuttle ECS, leaving its home base at Carnforth heading for Oxenholme on 28th June 2018.
Three Bridges: Three class 700 units rest outside the relatively new depot at Three Bridges in Sussex on 28th June 2018.
Woodacre Crossing: A light engine(s) movement from Crewe Gresty Bridge on 28th June 2019. 68003 'Astute' dragged 88008 'Ariadne' to Carlisle Kingmoor and the pair are seen at Woodacre. A 78 minutes late departure from Crewe meant several loopings and the pair were almost two hours in arrears passing Garstang.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: The next stage of extending platforms 2 and 3 at Queen Street has started with the hoardings moved into the main concourse again. The area previously excavated and temporary infilled with polystyrene blocks is about to be reopened. 28th June 2019.
St Fillans Tunnel: View looking west showing the new walking/cycling route on the old line which starts at Dalchonzie Platform near Comrie with a short uphill diversion round the caravan park and farm at St Fillans. The Loch Earn Railway path continues to Lochearnhead and is a work in progress beyond the tunnel although the replacement of the dismantled Glen Tarken viaduct with a new bridge makes the going a lot easier.
Cardross: 334014 leads a 6-car formation as it heads west from Cardross on an early morning service to Helensburgh on 28 June 2021.
Cardross: The first northbound Caledonian Sleeper for a few weeks passes Cardross on 28 June 2021 with 66738 and 73967 leading the rake of coaches to Fort William.
Events
Events from the chronology which occured on this day. This generally lists events before 1995, the creation of the website.
| Year | Companies | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1815 | PS Elizabeth | The PS Elizabeth enters Liverpool, possibly the first steam vessel there. (A steam barge named Pluto may have operated on the Mersey in 1813.) The Elizabeth was to operate the Liverpool to Runcorn service. |
| 1838 | Durham Junction Railway | Final stone of Durham_>Victoria Viaduct Durham laid on the day of Queen Victoria's Coronation. Engineer; T.E. Harrison. |
| 1839 | Durham and Sunderland Railway | Murton to Shincliffe branch opened. |
| 1847 | Midland Great Western Railway | Dublin Broadstone to Ireland_>Enfield Ireland opened. Engineer G W Hemans. Contractor William Jeffs. |
| 1864 | Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway | Extended from Newrath_>Waterford Newrath to Waterford North. |
| 1892 | East Usk Branch (Great Western Railway) | Powers to build East Usk Branch taken over by Great Western Railway. |
| 1919 | Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway | Eastfield Shed damaged by fire, 19 locomotives were damaged. |
| 1972 | Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway | Line closed between Newtongrange (Newbattle Coal Stocking Site known as Butlerfield), and Millerhill Junction (excluded). The Millerhill Yard Carlisle Arrival Sidings at Millerhill and a short section south remained, used by trains rounding the Monktonhall Curve to access Millerhill Yard Down Arrival Sidings. |
| 2012 | West Highland Railway | GBRf 66734 ^The Eco Express^ on a loaded northbound train for the Lochaber Smelter derails alongside Loch Treig following a landslip on 28 June. Tank wagons were removed relatively easily to Corrour but the locomotive was cut up on site. |
News
These are old news items which which occured on this day. This generally lists events after 1995, the creation of the website.
| Year | Companies | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Objections to new antennae for GSM-R | A new communication system is being erected by railways in Britain with one antennae every six miles. The system, Global System for Mobile Communications - Railways (GSM-R), is due for completion in 2006. |
| 2004 | Consultants cover tracks in an effort to cut train times [Scotsman] | TWO railway consultants yesterday walked the five-mile stretch of disused railway between Dornoch and Loch Fleet in Sutherland which may be pressed back into service under plans to cut journey times between Inverness and Caithness. |
| 2004 | Rail users may face ^rolling ^ timetable plan [Scotsman] | PASSENGERS on the east coast main line could face timetables changing every week to accommodate rail engineering work, The Scotsman has learned. |
| 2004 | Watchdog agrees ScotRail merger [BBC News] | The government^s competition watchdog gives transport company FirstGroup the green light to run ScotRail services. |
| 2004 | Crackdown on railway crime [Scotsman] | A CRACKDOWN on railway hooligans has been launched in West Lothian. |
| 2004 | Theme park fined over derailment [BBC News] | Wicksteed Park is fined £15,000 after three were hurt when a mini train came off the tracks. |
| 2005 | Demolition of former Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway embankment | The embankment of the former Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire railway at Partick West is being demolished and lowered. This is to reduce the boundary between the West End of Glasgow and the new Glasgow Harbour development on the site of the Meadowside Granary. |
| 2006 | Highlands rail upgrade could shave an hour off journey time [Scotsman] | TRAIN journeys between Inverness and Glasgow and Edinburgh could be cut by up to an hour by 2020 under proposals to upgrade the Highlands^ rail system presented to government officials yesterday. |
| 2006 | Rail chaos set to enter third day [Scotsman] | RAIL passengers on the Edinburgh-London line face a third day of chaos because King^s Cross station is likely to remain closed until at least this afternoon following a nearby fire on Monday. |
| 2006 | MSP suggests buying airport [Scotsman] | A LABOUR MSP has suggested the Scottish Executive should offer to buy Edinburgh airport to save money on the proposed airport rail link. |
| 2006 | Maxwelltown Branch lifted | The Maxwelltown Branch has been lifted for scrap. This was the eastern end of the old Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway and part of the Port Road. The stub survived the rest of the line to serve oil sidings at Maxwelltown and chemical sidings at Cargenden. The only section of the Port Road to remain open now is that between the former Challoch Junction and Stranraer. |
| 2007 | DB to acquire EWS? | Berlin - German railway giant Deutsche Bahn AG stepped up its global expansion by confirming the purchase of two key European freight companies. The supervisory board of Europe^s biggest rail company gave the green light on Wednesday to buy Britain^s biggest rail freight operator English Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) and Spain^s Transfesa.[M&C Business News] |
| 2007 | Delay to new Forth crossing as costs soar [Scotsman] | WHILE Edinburgh^s trams may have been saved, the Scottish Executive announced delays and major cost increases to key projects, including the new Forth crossing. |
| 2007 | Trams given green light but it^s the end for EARL and delay for other key projects [Scotsman] | A £600 MILLION project to run trams through Scotland^s capital was last night given the go-ahead after opposition parties united to force the SNP government to accept the scheme. |
| 2007 | ^Less money^ for north transport [BBC News] | Support for Edinburgh^s trams and airport rail link will impact on Highland projects, claim Nationalist MSPs. |
| 2009 | Whatever happened to the age of the train? [Sunday Herald] | ONE OF the great railway journeys of the world is the 393-mile route from Edinburgh to London King^s Cross, still evoking some of the glamour of the halcyon era of the steam train. Yet it is no secret that National Express, the current operator on the East Coast Main Line, is in a desperate financial situation and its franchise operation hangs by a very slender thread. |
| 2009 | Overdue UK bullet train enters service amid cuts [Bloomberg] | June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Britain’s first “bullet trains” enter service in London today, bringing high-speed travel to the world’s oldest rail network. Government spending cuts prompted by the global recession may stunt plans to extend the project. |
| 2010 | New direct Blackpool - Glasgow train service [Blackpool Gazette] | A NEW train service will be launched next week. After an absence of almost 20 years, the resort once again has a direct link to Glasgow. [From Mark Bartlett] |
| 2012 | New Conon Bridge railway station ^could open by 2013^ [BBC News] | Highland Council hopes a closed down village station can be revamped and re-opened before road works start on the Kessock Bridge near Inverness in 2013. The local authority is contributing £100,000 towards the £850,000 it will cost to get Conon Bridge back into use. Highland has already given £100,000 towards upgrading the station^s car park. The project also involves Transport Scotland and Network Rail. Resurfacing of the Kessock Bridge will take until June 2014. A working station at Conon Bridge in Ross-shire could ease disruption caused by the road works to commuters travelling to Inverness from other parts of the Highlands. [From John Gray] |
| 2013 | Rare eels zapped to make way for Borders rail link [Scotsman] | Workers have used electric probes to zap rare eels – to make way for the Borders Railway. The rare snake-like critters were stunned with special electrodes to allow work on the major new line which will link the Capital and Tweedbank. More than 70 juvenile river and brook lampreys – a fish known for its trademark toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth – were shifted from Gala Water, just north of Fountainhall, earlier this month to an undisclosed upstream location near Edinburgh. |
| 2013 | Age of the fast train is over for France [Times] | Anger spread through regional France yesterday after Paris turned its back on high-speed rail travel. Reversing 50 years of public policy, the government has approved a report that denounced fast trains as ruinous and suggested that the French should turn to boats and coaches instead. |
| 2013 | Thameslink train order confirmed [Global Rail News] | Siemens has confirmed a £1.6 billion order with the British government for 1,140 Thameslink Desiro City carriages. The announcement follows two years of uncertainty for Siemens who have been waiting since 2011 to sign off the order with the DfT. The deal has received significant criticism as Siemens was picked ahead of Bombardier, threatening the future of the manufacturer’s site in Derby. |
| 2015 | Manchester Metrolink trams halted in city centre for revamp [BBC News] | Work has started on the Metrolink in Manchester, suspending all tram services across the city centre for eight weeks. Trams will not run through St Peter^s Square until the end of August, Transport for Greater Manchester said. It is part of a 14-month construction project to create a new tram crossing in the city, expected to open in 2017. [From Mark Bartlett] |
| 2015 | £18m rail link in Staffordshire given go-ahead [Express and Star] | An £18 million rail terminal is to be built in Norton Canes. Bosses at freight delivery company Pentalver say building the terminal is the right decision for Cannock. The ambitious scheme has been given the go-ahead by Cannock Chase Council, despite concerns about noise. The company, which employs more than 300 people, plans to run up to six trains a day directly to and from south coast ports, cutting down on ‘empty’ trips to rail depots to pick up containers. [From Richard Buckby] |
| 2016 | HS2 has unrealistic timetable, says National Audit Office [BBC News] | The HS2 high-speed rail project has an ^unrealistic timetable^ and faces major cost pressures, a report by the National Audit Office has said. The £56bn programme has too ambitious a schedule and rising costs could mean that not all its intended benefits are delivered, the NAO said. The NAO said the 2026 target opening date for the first phase was ^at risk, despite good progress^. But HS2 Ltd said it was confident that it could achieve its objectives. The first phase of HS2, linking London and the West Midlands, is due to be completed in 10 years^ time. The next section, running as far as Crewe, is due to open a year later in 2027, with a further extension to Manchester and Leeds due to be finished by 2033. |
| 2017 | Stagecoach hit by Virgin East Coast rail line woes [BBC News] | Rail and bus operator Stagecoach Group has reported a 15.3% drop in full-year pre-tax profit. It has also been hit with a £84m charge at its unprofitable Virgin East Coast rail franchise, of which it owns 90%. Chief executive Martin Griffiths said revenue growth on the line had not met the expectations envisaged when it bid for the franchise in 2013-14. |
| 2018 | Chinese rail companies in front to run HS2 trains as British Virgin Trains and First Group struggle [Daily Mail] | MTR, which runs the rail network in Hong Kong, and Guangshen Railway Co, part of the Chinese state rail company, are the frontrunners to operate the 220mph HS2 trains from London. |
| 2018 | Aberdeen councillor: Train fares could plummet if operators switch to green fuel [Evening Express] | Rail fares could plummet if train operators switch to green fuel, a senior Aberdeen councillor said today. |
| 2018 | Heat forces ScotRail train cancellations today [Scotsman] | Soaring temperatures are already causing disruption to ScotRail passengers today with cancellations on the Glasgow-Lanark line. |
| 2018 | Third new train timetable in two months for rail passengers [ITV News] | Thameslink and Great Northern routes have suffered major disruption since a new timetable was introduced on May 20. |
| 2018 | Heatwave continues to cause delay to NI railway network [BBC News] | The hot weather is continuing to cause delays to Northern Ireland^s trains. Fears that railway tracks could buckle in the heat prompted Translink to introduce speed restrictions. As the UK basks in the heatwave, the ground temperature is also increasing and Translink recorded a high of approximately 50C on Wednesday. As a precaution they reduced the speed of trains on the network resulting in widespread delays. |
| 2019 | Dumfries to Stranraer rail route return among transport options [BBC News] | Reopening the line between Dumfries and Stranraer is among draft proposals for south west Scotland. |
| 2019 | Further delay to Caledonian Sleeper service sparks outcry [The Herald] | Rail bosses are under fire after it was announced the troubled Caledonian Sleeper will delay the launch of its new trains on the Highland service again to support other routes in the central belt. |
| 2019 | New Northern trains to run from Monday - finally marking the end of the line for the knackered, rusty old Pacers [Manchester Evening News] | These sleek new engines mark the end of the line for the much-maligned Pacer trains. Rail operator Northern says it will oversee the complete removal of Pacers by the end of the year. The first nine new trains of a planned 101-strong fleet will now start carrying passengers on Greater Manchester routes from Monday. Northern has revealed a glimpse of the new trains before they are brought into service. |
| 2019 | Police carry out security checks at Croy station ahead of royal visit [The Herald] | Police have been carrying out security checks at Croy station ahead of the Queen^s visit to Cumbernauld. |
| 2019 | Trains to London: Severn Tunnel electrification problems [BBC News] | Full electrification of the main south Wales to London railway is in doubt as engineers on the £2.8bn project have an ^issue^ electrifying the Severn Tunnel. The kit holding electric wires above the track in the four-mile (6km) tunnel is failing because of the salty conditions under the Severn Estuary. Network Rail has spent three years and what is thought to be close to £20m to prepare the tunnel for electrification. Specialists in electric rail have been brought in to help solve the issue. |
| 2020 | Pentland Venture to remain tied up as ferry season is cancelled [John O Groat Journal] | The John O^Groats ferry will remain tied up for the rest of the summer as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. |
| 2020 | Passenger ends up in train depot after not being woken on Sleeper service [Scotland on Sunday] | Passengers have been turfed off the Caledonian Sleeper hours early or found themselves in a depot after not being woken on arrival at their destination, Scotland on Sunday can reveal. One unlucky traveller arrived in Motherwell at 5am on 4 June because the train from London was running two hours ahead of time, only to find themselves trapped inside a locked station. Other passengers have complained of being dumped at Edinburgh Waverley at 4am 90 minutes early. |
| 2020 | Bus loses roof after driving under Dumbarton Central Station bridge [Evening Times] | A bus was left without a roof after driving under a low-lying railway bridge on Saturday morning. |
