This day in history 08 July
Images
Lakeside [FR]: Garstang historian Anthony Coppin was recently asked to go through the collection of historic photos amassed by the late Rev. Ron Greenall and found this image taken on the 'Swift' on Windermere on 8th July 1923, but titled Knott End Railway. Little was known about what the occasion was until Anthony was sent an article from the Fleetwood Chronicle, Fylde News and Advertiser of 13 July 1923 (See image [[82026]]). The Knott End Railway wasn't included in the 1923 'Grouping' of railway companies but did amalgamate with the LMSR six months later, becoming its smallest constituent. This was a 'staff outing' to mark the occasion. The LMSR introduced some innovations, including two new railmotor halts, in an effort to generate traffic but passenger services ceased in 1930, less than seven years after the amalgamation. The 'Swift' was in service from 1900 to 1981, and finally scrapped in 1999. W S Y on the life belts stands for Windermere Steam Yacht but the vessel was built for the Furness Railway. In 2020 a brand new 'Swift' was launched on Windermere to a very modern design.
Lakeside [FR]: This item in the 13th July 1923 edition of the Fleetwood Chronicle, Fylde News and Advertiser was the explanation for the photograph of the Windermere steamer 'Swift' entitled 'Knott End Railway', that was found in the late Rev. Ron Greenall's historic photo collection. See image [[82025]].
Evercreech Junction: Evercreech Junction showing the station buildings. The view is looking south east, away from the junction itself, in July 1960. See image [[34387]] for the post closure scene.
Shepton Mallet Charlton Road: Ex S and D 2-8-0 No. 53807 southbound with goods train on S and D mainline. Seen from northbound train to Bath.
Doncaster: Locally based K1 2-6-0 62036 runs light engine through Doncaster station in July 1961.
Doncaster: Holbeck based Stanier 8F 2-8-0 no 48090 takes a down freight through Doncaster in July 1961. In the background is Doncaster 'C' signal box, which controlled the down goods lines until closure in September 1969.
Doncaster: The 4.54pm train to March leaving Doncaster for the south on 8 July 1961. Locomotive is Gresley K3 2-6-0 no 61859.
Doncaster: Gresley K3 2-6-0 no 61859 standing at Doncaster on 8 July 1961 with the 4.54pm train to March.
Doncaster: Britannia Pacific no 70023 minus its Venus nameplate, together with a selection of other ex-works locomotives heading through Doncaster station on 8 July 1961 on their way to 36A shed.
Doncaster: An up goods trundles south through Doncaster in the summer of 1961 behind Class O2 2-8-0 no 63969.
Cowlairs Works: Ex-LNER J39 0-6-0 no 64733 awaiting scrapping at Cowlairs in July 1962, having been withdrawn from Carlisle Canal shed 9 months earlier and arrived here via Eastfield see image [[45637]].
Jamestown Viaduct [Balloch]: View of viaduct over River Leven at Jamestown looking towards Balloch. Signals still visible in the distance.
Campsie Glen: Campsie Glen Station on the Kirkintilloch to Aberfoyle Line.
Drymen: Drymen station at Croftamie looking towards Balloch.
Busby Viaduct: Fairburn tank 42276 crossing Busby Viaduct on 8 July 1964 with an evening train for East Kilbride.
Hillington West: Standard Class 4 2-6-0 76071, not long after passing Hillington West with the 17.20 Glasgow Central to Gourock.
Hillington West: The 17.13 Glasgow Central to Wemyss Bay, on the fast line between Hillington West and Arkleston, hauled by Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80086. 8th July 1965
Hillington West: Black 5 45160 on the 4.17pm Gourock to Glasgow meets Standard 5 73060, as the latter leaves Hillington West with the 4.55pm Glasgow to Gourock.
Glasgow Central: The 2.00pm FSO to Liverpool leaving Glasgow Central behind Britannia 70003 'John Bunyan' on 8th July 1966.
Strawfrank Junction: South end of Carstairs in July 1971. 5307 on a ballast train held in the sidings, with 6905 coming off the down main line. Meantime 444+437 pass through with an up WCML express.
Strawfrank Junction: 6905 approaching Carstairs from the south with a PW train in July 1971.
Dumfries: An unidentified Peak drifts past the kiosk on the down platform at Dumfries in July 1975 as it slowly draws to a halt with a Sheffield - Glasgow Central train.
Liverpool Street: Class 37s at the buffer stops at Liverpool Street station in July 1980.
Liverpool Street: Parcels train arriving at Liverpool Street in July 1980 behind a class 31. The 37 in the background has recently been released and is waiting for the road back to Stratford diesel depot.
Baker Street: Looking north from the Metropolitan platforms at Baker Street in July 1994 with A60 stock at Platform 2 about to head off into Metroland.
Millerhill Marshalling Yard [North]: The returning Dalzell - Lackenby steel flats approaching Millerhill yard on 8 July 1997 on their way south. Locomotive is 60031 in BR Railfreight Distribution (Metals Sector) livery.
Starcross: 37668 and 37674, a St Blazey pair of clay locos, head 6M72 1655 St Blazey to Cliffe Vale, passing the well known Cockwood Harbour near Starcross in 1999. This is a photographers' favorite spot in this part of the world.
Fawley Hill House: The Fawley Mountaineer on Sir William McAlpine's private railway at Fawley Hill on 8 July 2001. See image [[32731]]
Fawley Hill House: Scene on Sir William McAlpine's private railway at Fawley Hill, near Henley On Thames on 8 July 2001. The locomotive in action here is a Hudswell-Clarke 0-6-0ST named 'Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons No 81'. The ascent into the station on what is effectively a large 'garden railway' is both highly audible and enjoyable. The railway can be visited by invitation or via a club/society party booking. The collection of railwayana and other transport delights must be seen to be believed.
Fawley Hill House: Hudswell-Clarke 0-6-0ST 'Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons No 81' photographed at the private Fawley Hill station on 8 July 2001. See image [[32731]]
Newcastle Central: A GNER Kings Cross - Glasgow Central service rounds the sweeping curve off the King Edward Bridge to enter the west end of Newcastle Central in the summer of 2004.
Ledbury: Disused bridge of the Ross and Ledbury Railway at Ledbury. The line was not completed to Ross but joined the Newent Railway to provide a Ledbury-Gloucester line. Now a walkway.
Edinburgh Waverley Goods: The Waverley Valley development, with the new Edinburgh Council HQ building starting to add its own unique contribution to this part of the Old Town. View east from the North Bridge on 8 July 2006.
Turnhouse: A Dundee - Edinburgh service runs along the eastern perimeter of Edinburgh Airport near the site of Turnhouse station (closed September 1930) on a July afternoon in 2007. The horizon to the south is formed by the Pentland Hills.
Turnhouse: EWS 66236 sporting one of the latest low-emission roof mounted exhaust attachments takes a ballast train north past Edinburgh Airport on 8 July 2007. The recent proposals for a direct rail link into the airport appear to have proved too difficult/costly and look like they may be dropped! Is it just me or ...??
Edinburgh Waverley: Sunday morning 8 July at the east end of Waverley with the hole at the end of the loco bay now almost filled in. Meantime 90018 and 67020 remain cut off.
Dalgety Bay: Autoballaster alongside the relaid down line between Dalgety Bay and Aberdour on 8 July 2007.
Inverness: A busy evening at Inverness. L to R 170406 ready to leave for Glasgow. 158714 is going to Aberdeen. 170394 has just arrived and is masking 158719. Behind the photographer is the Caledonian Sleeper hauled by 67009.
Turnhouse: 66236 with a ballast train in front of the terminal building at Edinburgh Airport on 8 July 2007, with a memento of the former West Lothian shale mining industry in the right background.
Manchester Oxford Road: Looking west along Platform 1 at Oxford Road station on 08 July 2009 as an ATW Class 175 waits in Platform 2 with a service to Chester and an eastbound FTPE Class 185 approaches with a Manchester Airport Service.
Doncaster: Freightliner 66605 passing through Doncaster on 8 July with the works dominating the background. The train is the Manchester Binliner, from Northenden waste terminal heading for Roxby, Lincolnshire, location of a major landfill on the site of a disused ironstone mine around 4 miles north of Scunthorpe.
Manchester Oxford Road: Arriva Trains Wales services passing at Manchester Oxford Road on 8 July 2009. On the left is 175107 heading to Manchester Piccadilly (having originated in Llandudno) whilst on the right is 175113 with a service for Chester.
Manchester Central: The former Great Northern Railway Company's Goods Warehouse still proudly displays that name. This is located just to the north (right of shot) of the former Manchester Central station, now an exhibition and conference centre.
Coatdyke: Glasgow bound service about to leave Coatdyke station on 8 July 2009.
Coatdyke: The errr... functional entrance to Coatdyke station in July 2009.
Bathgate STVA Aborted Siding: View East from the B792 overbridge as electrification masts and Stop boards for shunting moves appear. The overbridge in the distance will shortly be rebuilt for electrification. To the right is the headshunt for the now mothballed STVA yard.
Manchester Oxford Road: A busy scene at Manchester Oxford Road on 8 July 2009 with three trains waiting to depart. From Left to right a Class 142 in the bay platform waits to head to Liverpool with a stopping service. Next is a Class 150 on the rear of a service to Manchester Airport with another Class 142 leading. On the right is a service to Barrow.
Charing Cross [GC and DR]: An eastbound train about to plunge back into the gloom at Charing Cross in July 2010.
Rishton: Now well into their third decade of service the Pacers are still working hard. 142067 is on a diagram that starts with a departure at 4.45am and does not finish until after midnight. In that time it will cover 480 miles between Blackpool South and Colne including 258 station stops (I should get out more!). The other three diagrams that cover these services are only marginally less arduous. Here the unit heads east from Rishton, next stop Church & Oswaldtwistle. The houses occupy the site of the station goods yard.
Longridge (Lancashire): Beyond Longridge station a freight only line continued towards Tootle Heights where it split into two short branches. One line turned east and passed through one quarry and then a tunnel See image [[18528]] into Tootle Height Quarry itself. The second branch went north east to Lord's Quarry and, although it closed around the time of WWI, part of the trackbed lies in a recreation area and can still be followed to the old quarry as seen here. Map Reference SD 611380. The half mile or so of trackbed between here and the old passenger station site has disappeared under housing developments.
Daisyfield: The track has been relaid since my last visit to Daisyfield See image [[26413]]. 150207 runs onto the single line over the level crossing and through the closed station on its way from Clitheroe to Manchester.
Farington Junction: DRS Class 47 no 47790 in 'Northern Belle' livery heads south from Preston on the WCML at Farington with the Glasgow Central to Southampton Docks cruise liner charter on 8 July 2011. On previous runs the train has been double headed but this time it was top and tailed with a Class 37 on the rear.
Ramsbottom: 37518 stands alongside 37901 at Ramsbottom on Sunday 8th July during the East Lancs Railway Diesel Gala.
Bury Bolton Street: Deltics D9016 Gordon Highlander + 55002 The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry pictured at Bury Bolton Street on Sunday 8th July 2012 during the East Lancs Railway Diesel Gala.
Stourbridge Town: This is the rather pleasant modern station at Stourbridge Town, seen from the adjacent bus station. The two-strong class 139 is possibly the only class of British railway traction to have all members photographed on RAILSCOT see image [[34453 for the other one]].
Bo'ness: BR 20020 shunts empty stock at SRPS Bo'ness, having worked the last service of the day on 8 July 2012.
Ramsbottom: 37518 with a train at Ramsbottom on Sunday 8th July during the East Lancs Railway diesel gala weekend.
Attadale: The evening Sunday service from Inverness to Kyle passes tiny Attadale station as it runs alongside the head of Loch Carron. As the 158 ran along the jointed track it could be clearly heard all over the glen.
Ramsbottom: D9531+D7076 stand at Ramsbottom on 8 July during the East Lancs Railway diesel gala weekend.
Ramsbottom: 37275+37109 leaving Ramsbottom on 8 July 2012 during the East Lancs diesel gala.
Stourbridge Town: Having sampled the People Mover see image [[34438]], we ventured into Stourbridge town to answer the question, 'Do they sell duvets in Stourbridge?' On the way back, we found this rather nice sign for the station. Notice the curved metal bars resembling splashers - and the appropriately sited Subway shop, to the right of the subway.
Avalanche Shelter: A Kyle bound Class 158 approaches the avalanche shelter near Attadale, as seen from the north shore of Loch Carron. There are only two trains each way on this line on Sundays and this unit will stay at the terminus overnight before forming the early morning service to Inverness on Monday.
Stourbridge Junction: 'twas the day before Monday, and all over the junction, not a unit was stirring, not even - hang on, there's a People Mover. I can't make up my mind whether this shot more closely resembles an innocuous dream, or a railway postcard. It certainly doesn't look like a densely developed suburb. That's 139.002 on the shuttle from Town to Junction, by the way.
Beccles: In December 2012, a passing loop was brought into use at Beccles on the East Suffolk line to allow up and down trains to occupy the section between Oulton Broad and Halesworth at the same time. Previously, this had not been possible since 1985 when the section was singled. The loop has permitted the service between Saxmundham and Lowestoft (and vice versa) to become hourly instead of two hourly, a major improvement for regular users. Shown here are Lowestoft and Ipswich services crossing at Beccles on 8th July 2013.
Totenfels Tunnel: One of the two daily freight trains to Blankenstein approaches Totenfels Tunnel on 8th July 2013. Due to the combination of steep gradients and sharp curvature, the freights are powered by three medium-powered Class 261 diesels - two at the front, and the third banking.
Bad Blankenburg: Immediately beside the old Iron Curtain formed by the River Saale (with Bayern to the left and Thuringen to the right), the track of a long-abandoned horse-drawn narrow-gauge railway - linking paper mills in Bad Blankenburg with the nearby standard-gauge railway at Blankenstein - still survives as a footpath on 8th July 2013.
Swanage: Train arriving at Swanage on 8 July 2013 hauled by BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T no 80104.
Blankenstein: Not your average rural branch line. The 39km single-track route from Hockeroda to Blankenstein has only a 2-hourly passenger service - but this village of just 650 inhabitants also houses a cellulose factory employing 400 people and generating two DB freight trains daily! Seen here on 8th July 2013, an Erfurter Bahn single-unit railcar awaits departure while one of two diesel shunting locos from the giant Zellstoff Rosenthal plant rests in the DB exchange sidings.
Swanage: 80104 leaving Swanage with the 16.40 departure on 8 July 2013.
Peebles [2nd]: The site of Peebles station (now occupied by the A703 Edinburgh Road) in July 2013. I saw 64587 on the last steam hauled train to Peebles through Morningside Road on 3 February 1962, but didn't realise that by the time it got there it had turned from a black 0-6-0 into a green 4-4-0! See image [[39520]]
Uddingston West: No trace remains of this station now, but the footbridge steps on the down platform would have started somewhere just above the more solid part of the white fencing on the left of the picture. On the other side of the fencing is the deep cutting made during the construction of the M74 which obliterated most of the station site, the excavation made for the motor dealer's yard accounting for the rest. The line of the railway continued across a bridge long removed and through the trees in the centre of the photo.
Burnley Central: A Colne to Blackpool South calls at Burnley Central on 08 July 2013. This station used to have two platforms and a sizeable goods yard however rationalisation has seen most of that go and the double track line to Colne (and originally Skipton) reduced to a 'long siding' from Gannow Jct near Rose Grove.
Lyne Viaduct: The attractive bridge that once carried trains across the Lyne Water into Lyne Station. Looking east on 8 July 2013. The old station building (now a private residence) stands off to the left.
Peebles Goods: The surviving former goods/weighbridge office in what was once Peebles goods yard (now a car park), seen here on 8 July 2013.
Lyne Viaduct: The bridge over the Lyne Water on the approach to Lyne station in July 2013. View is east, back towards Peebles. See image [[43800]]
Bilston Glen Viaduct: Looking across the 135m span of Bilston Glen Viaduct in July 2013.
Burnley Central: Approaching the last remaining platform at Burnley Central through an avenue of trees, 142030 is on a Colne to Blackpool South service in the early evening of 08 July 2013. The land on the left once accommodated a very large goods yard. This former double track line, prior to 1970, ran through to Skipton and although a local group is trying to have the Yorkshire link reopened, the present line from Gannow Junction to Colne is just a 'long siding'.
Totenfels Tunnel: The afternoon DB freight from Blankenstein to Saalfeld approaches Totenfels Tunnel on 8th July 2013, headed by a single Class 261 and banked by two of the same class.
Par: The branch train for Newquay at Par station on 8 July 2014 after switching platforms. See image [[47916]]
Morningside Road: GBRf 66736 passes the surviving Edinburgh suburban Inner Circle platform at Morningside Road on 8 July with the 6S45 North Blyth - Fort William alumina train.
Balgreen [Tram]: A jogger about to overtake an eastbound Edinburgh tram at Balgreen on 8 July 2014.
Northampton: Freight terminals adjacent to stations were once common, but are now rare. DBS 66001 is splitting its train (the 6B30 from Mountsorrel) at the Lafarge terminal in Northampton on 8 July 2014, with the WCML Northampton loop visible in the left background.
Dunblane: View south east across Dunblane station from the upper level of Stirling Council's Springfield Terrace car park on 8 July 2014. Work continues apace on the new unified footbridge which will connect the lower level of the car park to the station. The original station-only footbridge is visible centre frame. See image [[17453]]
Lyon Saint Exupéry: Another busy day at Lyon Saint Exupéry TGV station on 8 July 2014. A fantastic building still awaiting its moment. The destination screen showed four departures over the next two hours.
Lyon Saint Exupéry: All aboard the Rhônexpress! Unit 101 is one of six Tango 12 Tramsets built in Berlin by Swiss manufacturer Stadler. Opened in 2010, the service runs 14 miles into the city of Lyon, serving four stops, the termini being the Airport and Lyon Part Dieu.
Newquay: The old Newquay Harbour branch, part of which has now been converted to a cycle/walkway. Photographed in July 2014, some 88 years after closure.
Northampton: The new - and considerably enlarged - Northampton station is almost ready for use on 8 July 2014. What was previously an awkward entrance from Black Lion Hill (the road in the foreground) has been turned into a drop-off bay, with a new main entrance from St Andrews Road.
Par: A colourful train for Newquay about to switch between main line and branch line platforms at Par station on 8 July 2014 following its arrival from Penzance.
Grenoble: A morning commuter train of double deck stock approaches Grenoble from the Lyon direction on 8 July, running past the stabling sidings. Photographed from the Lyon airport-bound bus which was negotiating the extensive and on-going tramworks in that part of town.
Braehead Viaduct: A Class 67 locomotive running light passes the Bargeddie Bridge construction site on 8th July 2015. The plant for moving the bridge to its final location is now in place below the structure itself.
Morecambe: You just never know what will be on the Heysham flasks. A very shiny DRS 57301 Goliath eases onto the Heysham branch at Torrisholme Junction behind EE Type 1 20305 and a single flask wagon. New to Canton in 1965 as D1653 it has enjoyed a varied 50 year career, and prior to being leased by DRS was Virgin Thunderbird Scott Tracy.
Braehead Viaduct: The wheeled vehicles in place for lifting and moving the completed structure on 8 July. The work to move the bridge has now commenced.
Braehead Viaduct: Detail of the heavy duty road vehicles being used to move the bridge structure on 8th July see image [[51909]].
Braehead Viaduct: View south of the construction site from Brediholm Road on 8 July. Sleepers for the trackwork over the new bridge have started to arrive, and work is underway to remove the temporary embankments constructed on the north side of the line.
Morecambe: DRS 20305 approaches the boarded crossing at the start of the Heysham branch hauling a single nuclear flask and DRS 57301 Goliath, which had brought the train to Morecambe from Sellafield. 2015 was the last year of Class 20 operations on these flask trains. The blue building to the right of the Type 1 sits on the trackbed of the old line to Lancaster Green Ayre, most of which is now an urban cycleway.
Saltcoats: The Cafe at The Station in Saltcoats is in the building on the right of the old photograph on its wall.
Rowley Regis: This station - whose name sounds wonderful when pronounced in a West Midlands accent - fits in well with its surroundings, as it resembles a small factory.
Linlithgow: Beautiful new banners have been hung by the stairs to the eastbound platform at Linlithgow, replacing previous ones installed there many years ago. Banners commissioned by Burgh Beautiful Linlithgow. Designed and created by the Embroiderer's Guild, Linlithgow & District. Funded by The ScotRail Foundation.
Bay Horse: GBRf 66743 at the head of the Royal Scotsman set heading south at Bay Horse with the Edinburgh to Chester leg of the Grand Tour on 8th July 2018. 66746 was on the rear of the train on this leg of the tour.
Lancaster: Headlights displayed on both these trains at Lancaster are an indication that something unusual was happening on 8th July 2018. TPE 350401 arrived at Lancaster on time but was then held in Platform 3 due to a Tamper machine breaking down in Cumbria. 185143, on a Northern service from Preston to Barrow, was diverted into the usually southbound Platform 4 to overtake the EMU, which eventually left 33 minutes behind schedule.
Lancaster: Freightliner 66556 tows three classmates along the Up Through line at Lancaster Castle station as a Voyager arrives in Platform 4. The other locos, presumably returning to Crewe from weekend engineering works, were 66568, 545 and 520. Sunday 8th July 2018.
Lancaster: An unusual sight at Lancaster on Sunday 8th July 2018 as a five coach DMU leaves Platform 5 heading for Barrow-in-Furness. Single unit 153304 is sandwiched between two Class 156s. Is this what West Highland trains might look like when the cycle carrying trial starts?
Brunstane: A slightly agitated lone passenger looks on as ScotRail 380006 fails to stop at Brunstane on its way to Waverley on 8 July 2018. The train is in fact a Sunday morning empty stock movement from Millerhill EMU depot. Following some 'Railscot reassurance', a much happier looking lady subsequently boarded the 0845 ex-Tweedbank, which arrived some 6 minutes later.
Niddrie North Junction: ScotRail 380006 about to pass between the remains of the Lothian Lines bridge abutments at Niddrie North Junction on 8 July 2018. The train is an empty stock movement from Millerhill EMU depot on its way to Waverley.
Niddrie North Junction: GBRf 66743 receives a green at Niddrie North on 8 July 2018 enabling it to continue on its way clockwise around the sub. The locomotive is on its way from Craigentinny sidings to the west end of Waverley, where it will pick up the 0949 Edinburgh - Chester leg of the 'Royal Scotsman Grand Tour'. 66743 is between two of the surviving supports of the Lothian Lines bridge that once spanned the formation here. The high level Niddrie North signal box stood just beyond the abutment on the right see image [[33008]].
Shawfair: Approaching Shawfair station from the north on 8 July 2018 is the 0931 Edinburgh - Tweedbank. Construction work continues in the background on the Edinburgh and Midlothian Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre on the west side of the former Millerhill marshalling yard. The facility is scheduled to come on stream in the spring of 2019. It will treat 135,000 tons of household waste, plus 20,000 tons of commercial waste annually and, in so doing, generate sufficient electricity to satisfy the energy demands of 32,000 households.
Purton: GWR 166209 northbound at Collins Lane Crossing near Purton heading for Cheltenham Spa on 8th July 2018
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Station manager's CCTV view of the works in progress to extend platforms 2 and 3 during the second week of July 2019. (By kind permission)
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: View over the south part of the works to extend platforms 2 and 3 on 8th July 2019. What looks like pack ice centre and left is the pile of polystyrene blocks which were used for a temporary infill of the 2016 excavations. The view is courtesy of one of the CCTV monitors used by station management. (By kind permission).
Stonehaven: 70813 passes through Stonehaven with the 6A34 China Clay service on 8th July 2020, as I try out my new 8mm 'fisheye' lens.
Upminster: 357005, with 357001, from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Basildon, arriving at Upminster on 8th July 2021. A train of LUL S7 stock can be seen at the District Line terminus on the right.
Lockerbie: The 1S51 Preston to Glasgow Central, operated with TPE 397003, departs from Lockerbie on 8 July 2021.
Hopetown Carriage Works: The frontage of the refurbished Hopetown Carriage Works building, see image [[77224]], with the main office centre section and south wing seen in this view across Hopetown Lane in July 2021. The centre section is emblazened with the legend 'Darlington Locomotive Works' in recognition of this part of the building having been used for the construction of Peppercorn designed A1 60163 'Tornado', by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, and at present for building the Gresley designed P2 2-8-2 2007 'Prince of Wales'.
Gas Factory Junction: Gas Factory Junction in Bow is where the LTSR's 1858 cut-off route to Barking was opened from the London & Blackwall Railway's 1849 Bow branch to reduce the payment of tolls for LTSR trains running on GER metals (Eastern Counties Railway before 1862) between Stratford and Forest Gate Junction. A local passenger service over the Gas Factory Junction to Bow Junction section, where the line from Stepney met the GER line from Liverpool Street, ceased in 1949 including the closure of Bow Road station, although the nearby LU station remains open. This section is now singled but has been electrified to provide an all-electric link between the Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street lines and can be used for emergency diversions of present day C2C trains. The first railtour I went on, on 21st October 1967, was an East London Railtour organised by the RCTS that started at Fenchurch Street and travelled along this section, passing through the old Bow Road station that had at that stage been shut for 18 years. Its platform remains and stairwells on a high embankment are still there today while the former ticket office at street level now operates as a betting office. This view is from a C2C service to Fenchurch Street, about to join the part of the Bow branch still in regular use as it approaches Gas Factory Junction with the line through Bow Road going off to the north on the left.
Hopetown Carriage Works: An 0-4-0 diesel shunter, from memory of BTH construction, is seen stabled in the compound for the north wing of the former Hopetown Carriage Works, now occupied by the North East Locomotive Preservation Group, in July 2021.
Hopetown Carriage Works: Hopetown Carriage Works north wing seen in this view across Hopetown Lane in July 2021. This section of the former works is occupied by the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG). A diesel shunter can just be seen stabled at the far end of the building.
Eaglescliffe: A grab shot looking east capturing Northern Trains Class 156 DMU 156454 as it crosses the bridge across the A67 road west of Eaglescliffe, near Ulley Nook, with the 15.22 Saltburn to Darlington working on 7 July 2021. I had just got out of the vehicle to take a view of the bridge, and by chance turned on the camera, when the DMU appeared on the bridge.
Darlington [Bank Top]: The dual UK & IEC carriage numbering as applied on the new built Transpennine Express rolling stock, seen here on Hitachi built Bi-Mode diesel & 25KV electric multiple unit 802204 as it departed Darlington Bank Top with the 13.54 Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle working on 8 July 2021.
Romford: Class 345 unit with a TfL Rail service from Liverpool Street to Shenfield departing from Romford on 8th July 2021. This service should have been running between Reading or Heathrow to Shenfield via the Crossrail tunnels from December 2018 but in 2021 these have yet to start. Currently, TfL Rail works in two separate sections between Paddington and Heathrow or Reading and between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.
Darlington [Bank Top]: Former Scotrail class 156 DMU 156465, now with Northern Trains, is seen stabled on an internal up side non platform road within Darlington Bank Top in July 2021.
Wanstead Park: Wanstead Park, now part of the GOBLIN section of the London Overground, on 8th July 2021. I remember this station as a youth in the 1960s when it still had its original serrated wooden canopies, swept away in the 1970s and replaced with ghastly bus stop style waiting shelters with no regard for architectural merit and none whatsoever for passenger comfort. The shelters seen now replaced those that replaced the canopies. Similar canopies existed at Leyton Midland Road and Walthamstow (renamed Walthamstow Queen's Road in 1968) while those at Blackhorse Road were removed long before the station was re-sited in 1981 to provide better interchange with the LUL Victoria Line. 710267 heads away from the camera as it departs for Barking.
Bow Road: Bow Road, opened by the Whitechapel & Bow Railway on 2nd June 1902, looking west on 8th July 2021. This station is at the foot of the steep incline down from the surface sections of the line and is partly in the open and partly in tunnel. The platforms can be seen curving round as they go into the tunnel beneath Bow Road and its continuation Mile End Road too to Whitechapel, where they briefly surface again. The tracks are shared between District and Hammersmith & City Lines trains but this is NOT a tube line as it was built on the cut-and-cover method and runs just below the surface among the mains and drains.
London Euston: HS2 works at Euston, seen from a late running Pendolino in July 2021.
Joppa [2nd]: This 1980s bridge carries the Sir Harry Lauder Road over the ECML a little to the west of Joppa station site. This road pretty faithfully follows the course of the Lothian Lines 'main' line which curved round Portobello Yard (behind me, left) before crossing over the ECML then the Waverley Route on its way to Niddrie North and Monktonhall.
London Euston: HS2 enabling works at Euston in July 2021 - a fine view for crane enthusiasts.
London Euston: The ends of the platforms at Euston in July 2021. 1-14 are currently in use, while HS2 enabling works can be seen to the right.
Charing Cross [CCR]: The splendid frontage of Charing Cross station on 9th July - a day when the Tube was running a lot better than trains into Euston.
Lockerbie: The 1252 Edinburgh to Euston via Birmingham disappears southwards having passed non-stop through Lockerbie on 08 July 2021.
Darlington [Bank Top]: TransPennine Express Hitachi built Bi-Mode diesel & 25KV electric multiple unit 802204 departs Darlington Bank Top with the 13.54 Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle working on 8 July 2021.
Shap: The 1335 hrs Glasgow Central to London Euston rushes passed the site of Shap station on 8 July 2021. Although the station building on the downside still exists and is a private house, the remains of the building on the up platform is in less good condition, in fact is just the sides and rear walls with the wooden upper section missing.
Nigg Cattle Station: When first opened to the city in April 1850 the Aberdeen Railway Company (ARCo.) used sidings for cattle at Ferryhill Station. Anticipating that siding accommodation would not suffice for the winter traffic, later that year ARCo. proceeded to use the vacant ground beside the mainline just south of the Dee Viaduct, in Nigg Parish, as the site for their new cattle station. This had probably been used as a base for viaduct construction and had been part of Craiginches Farm. Sheds were erected there and deliveries of turnips, hay and straw were ordered for that location. Soon afterwards the local farmers, cattle-dealers and fleshers (butchers) established a tryst or weekly market at an adjacent site. However by 1859 the inconvenience of driving cattle through the city streets and crossing the Wellington (toll) Bridge from Waterloo (GNSR Co.) and Market Street (Deeside Railway Company) Stations induced the Directors to change back to having a cattle station at Ferryhill in 1860. At the time this map was surveyed the Nigg Cattle Station was still in regular use; the cattle sheds were located along the edge of Wellington Road. These would have been used for longer term keeping of livestock waiting to be transported south. The cattle sheds remained at the Nigg/Craiginches site for some years as a railway store with resident storekeeper and were later used by A&G Paterson as part of Craiginches Sawmill. Research and text by Charlie Niven. Map provided by kind permission of the National Library of Scotland. https://maps.nls.uk/copyright.html
Events
Events from the chronology which occured on this day. This generally lists events before 1995, the creation of the website.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Virgin boss loses rail line bid [BBC News] | Sir Richard Branson^s bid to to run Britain^s premier east coast main line has collapsed. |
| 2006 | Hogwarts loco fuels tourist boom [Scotsman] | LUCKY steam enthusiasts were able to travel on the Hogwarts Express yesterday when the train used in the Harry Potter films carried passengers for the first time on the Highland line where they were filmed. |
| 2006 | Children line up for rail safety show [Scotsman] | CHILDREN have been taking part in sporting activities aimed at keeping them off the train tracks. |
| 2007 | Now they^ve banned running for trains... [Scotsman] | HAS First ScotRail gone loco? For decades, sweating commuters had the right to run after a train as it left the station. And generations of movie-goers watched spellbound as one half of a besotted couple sprinted along the platform, waving to their... |
| 2008 | Urgent repairs required on Glasgow suburban line [Network Rail Article] | Collapsed mine workings will cause disruption to services on the Cathcart Circle line on the south-side of Glasgow, which are to be restricted between Tuesday 22 July and Sunday 17 August to allow for urgent repairs in the Pollokshields East area. |
| 2008 | Train firm back on right track - but it can do better [Scotsman] | PASSENGER satisfaction with Scotland^s main train operator is back at record levels – but travellers are still unhappy about delays, train toilets and parking. |
| 2009 | New station ^will be considered^ [BBC News Article] | The UK transport minister says a new station in the Borders could be part of a new tender for the East Coast rail line. |
| 2009 | Call for York ticket barriers plan to be scrapped [The Press] | CAMPAIGNERS say plans for ticket barriers at York Station should be permanently scrapped following the collapse of rail operator National Express East Coast (NXEC). |
| 2010 | ScotRail tempts tourists with Tayside wildlife [Green Traveller] | Scottish railway company ScotRail has teamed up with a local wildlife organisation to help passengers appreciate the wildlife along the River Tay and its estuary |
| 2013 | Lac-Megantic train blast: PM Harper visits ^war zone^ [BBC] | Canada^s Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the part of Lac-Megantic affected by Saturday^s crude oil explosion looks like a ^war zone^. At least five people died when runaway train cars packed with crude oil derailed and blew up early on Saturday. Some 30 buildings had been completely incinerated by fires which engulfed the historic centre, said Mr Harper. Police are trying to find 40 missing people: a nearby bar was said to have been crowded at the time of the blast. |
| 2013 | Scottish rail chiefs could be brought in to help Northumberland [Journal] | Scottish rail chiefs could be asked to help reopen a key Northumberland line if Metro bosses will not expand faster, a new council chief has said. Grant Davey said his biggest transport concern is to get the Ashington Blyth and Tyne railway line opened up to passenger services. The Labour council boss said he would focus on the county’s rail links ahead of long-term issues such as dualling the A1 |
| 2013 | Rail line reopens after Hatfield Colliery landslip [BBC News] | A railway line has reopened five months after a huge landslip pushed up the track in South Yorkshire. The spoil heap at Hatfield Colliery in Stainforth collapsed in February, forcing the line to shut. |
| 2015 | Stagecoach to rebid for SWT after talks fail [Rail News] | TALKS have broken down between the Department for Transport and South West Trains, which is owned by Stagecoach Group, over a proposed direct franchise award of 26 months which would have allowed SWT to continue until 2019. The franchise will now end between February and August 2017, and Stagecoach will have to compete with other contenders for the next contract instead of carrying on unchallenged. [From Richard Buckby] |
| 2015 | Chaos as Tube strike gets under way [BBC News] | There have been scenes of overcrowding at London Tube stations, as rush hour started early with workers trying to get home before a strike by London Underground workers. Four trade unions have staged a 24-hour walkout in a row over the new all-night Tube service. The strike, which officially began at 18:30 BST, will affect all Tube lines and finishes at 21:30 BST on Thursday. |
| 2016 | Hull Trains rolls out real-time information screens [IRJ] | HULL Trains has become the first operator in Britain to roll-out real-time passenger information screens on its fleet of four five-car class 180 trains which operate 90 services a week between Beverley, Hull and London King’s Cross. In partnership with KeTech systems, Hull Trains trialled the screens last year before making the decision to install them on every train after positive feedback from passengers. The screens display live real-time train running information, fed from the national Darwin system, so that passengers can view precise arrival and departure times as well as information from connecting stations and services. Supplementary information is also available for passengers including departure boards when approaching interchange stations, London Underground status updates and weather conditions at destinations. [From Richard Buckby] |
| 2017 | Vale of Rheidol^s wheels for Aberystwyth Cliff Railway [BBC News] | ^When I tell people I^m a fireman, they think I put out fires and I^ve got to tell them I make them instead!^ Aged 19, Jack Evans is working in one of the country^s oldest and most nostalgic industries - the steam railway. ^It^s always different, the weather^s always different, you^re always on with different people,^ he said. ^I^m interested in engineering, I^m studying engineering at university at the moment and being here, it just ticks all the boxes for what I want to do later on.^ He works alongside Jac Smith, who recently passed his steam engine driving test on his 21st birthday - making him one of the youngest in the job in the UK. Although the Vale of Rheidol line no longer carries lead ore from the mines, as it did between 1902 and the 1930s, it does carry tourists from the seaside town of Aberystwyth to nearby Devil^s Bridge. |
| 2018 | Turkey train derails en route to Istanbul, killing 24 [BBC News] | Twenty-four people have been killed after a train derailed in north-western Turkey, Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdag says. The train was en route to Istanbul from the town of Kapikule on the Bulgarian border, according to reports. Six of the carriages derailed, with about 360 passengers on board, state-run TRT Haber TV channel said. The exact cause of the crash is unclear but authorities have blamed bad weather and a landslide for the accident. CNN Turk, though, reported that a collapsed bridge was the cause of the accident. |
| 2019 | Maud Railway museum open weekend [Press and Journal] | The Maud Railway Museum will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. |
| 2020 | George Stephenson^s links to Hetton rail engine proved false [BBC News] | One of the ^longest standing early railway mysteries^ has been solved with the pedigree of a locomotive proven to be false, researchers have claimed. The Lyon engine was said to be designed by George Stephenson and pre-dated his 1825 Locomotion No 1 and 1829 Rocket. But researchers at Locomotion National Railway Museum in Shildon, County Durham, said they can ^conclusively^ prove that to be false. The ^tall tale^ had ensured the engine survived though, the researchers said. |
| 2020 | Coronavirus: Transport giant First warns of ^uncertain^ future [BBC News] | The Aberdeen-based bus and train operator sees a huge fall in passengers, and losses of more than £150m. |
| 2020 | Network Rail carrying out preparatory work on East Kilbride line [Daily Record] | Work being carried out by Network Rail on the East Kilbride line is believed to be for the proposed upgrading of train services. |
| 2020 | Transport cuts in west Scotland still likely says Subway boss [Evening Times] | The head of Glasgow^s subway operator has said commuters in the West of Scotland are still likely to face service cuts despite the approval of a £9 million government rescue package. Transport Secretary Michael Matheson announced that financial support will be put place for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Edinburgh Trams from July to the end of September to ensure services can continue to run in the face of a continued decline in passengers. |
| 2020 | Scotland^s tourist industry can survive the long, hard road to recovery [The Scotsman] | Tourism came to represent the post-industrial palliative of the Scottish economy as the way that we had previously lived supplied a cause for celebration with our visitors. |
