This day in history 25 October
Images
Elderslie: 25 October 1963, and Black 5 45117 makes its way out of the Elderslie yard on a cold morning with a freight heading towards Glasgow.
Dunaskin Central Washer: NCB West Ayrshire Area 0-4-0ST No.10 (Andrew Barclay 2244 of 1947) draws some 16T mineral wagons away from Burnton Washer in 1974. The first (wooden) wagon in the train is the loco's tender. Model shop Hattons have recently announced a OO scale model of this locomotive.
Newton-le-Willows: 47410 passes the entrance to Parkside Colliery near Newton-le-Willows, hauling a Liverpool to Newcastle service on 25th October 1980. The former D1509 spent its career working out of Finsbury Park and Gateshead depots before withdrawal in 1987, followed by cutting at Vic Berry, Leicester in 1990.
Newton-le-Willows: A clean looking 47509 'Albion' heads west, passing Parkside Colliery near Newton-le-Willows on 25th October 1980. My notes show this as a special excursion but I can't say if it was heading for Liverpool or would be turning left at Earlestown towards Chester and North Wales. The former D1953 was withdrawn from Bath Road depot in 1992 and cut up there three years later.
Springs Branch Shed: A mixture of motive power at Springs Branch shed in October 1980. On the left is Brush Type 4 47042, later 47676 and withdrawn in October 1994. Peak 45005, the former D79, is seen moving onto the back road See image [[21616]] and after a further six years service was withdrawn in September 1986. Behind the Peak is Class 25 25074, which according to End of the Line had been withdrawn the previous month. The Type 2 is coupled to Class 08 shunter 08273 which was later withdrawn from Allerton in December 1982. All four locos have since been cut up. On my first visit to this shed, around 1970, an operational 03 (now preserved D2199) was working there.
Newton-le-Willows: 47409 rounds the curve at Parkside with the Liverpool portion of a train from Scotland that will have divided at Preston. The lines in the foreground were the access to Parkside Colliery, which continued to produce coal until 1993. The former D1508, from the first batch of Brush Type 4s, was withdrawn from Gateshead in 1986 and scrapped by Vic Berry in Leicester three years later.
Springs Branch Shed: 40023 Lancastria, 25286 and 08691 are stabled on the back road at Springs Branch Depot, just south of Wigan North Western station on the WCML. These three classes, along with the Brush Class 47s were the staple diet in the North West at the time although that would change during the 1980s. Springs Branch is still used to store locomotives although the component recovery function seems to have ceased.
Newton-le-Willows: The old Liverpool and Manchester main line sees split headcode Class 40 40132 heading west and approaching Newton-le-Willows station with a train of oil tanks. The train is just passing Parkside Colliery, whose exchange sidings are in the foreground. The M6 Motorway overbridge can be seen in the background and Parkside's two modern winding towers were a prominent landmark to motorists for many years until they were demolished after its closure in 1993.
Forth Bridge: Edinburgh - Aberdeen train above the rooftops of South Queensferry in 1982 on the approach to the Forth Bridge.
Forth Bridge: A type 2 pilots a type 4 on a southbound train coming off the Forth Bridge at South Queensferry in October 1982.
St Germans: 37674 and 37671 with 6S55, Burngullow to Irvine 'silver bullets', loaded with clay slurry photographed between Menheniot and St Germans, rural East Cornwall, at Bethany. By 1994 the silver bullet wagons as nicknamed were not so clean and were known locally as the rusty bullets!
Carlisle: 87006 George Reynolds at Carlisle in October 2003 with a Virgin West Coast service for Glasgow Central.
Bilston Glen Viaduct: A notable early example of steel box lattice girder construction, is the 1892 Bilston Glen viaduct on the former Glencorse branch. The viaduct, with its impressive 135m span, is seen here looking north towards Loanhead in 2003. The structure was restored during the 1990s.
Whinhill: Looking west, 334040 pulls away from Whinhill with a service for Wemyss Bay
Whinhill: Looking east towards Port Glasgow, this is Whinhill station which was opened in 1990. To the right of the Cartsburn tunnel, behind the path, is the disued second tunnel
Cartsburn Tunnel South: Looking east towards Port Glasgow, this shows the disused second Cartsburn tunnel. The trackbed here has been obliterated and is now occupied by Whinhill station.
Whinhill: Whinhill station, looking west towards Drumfrocher and Branchton. This station is typical of the stations that have either been newly opened or re-opened by SPTA and its successor, the SPT.
Paisley Gilmour Street: 156434 stands at Platform 4 with the Stranraer service while modified 318257 pulls into Platform 3 with a Glasgow Central service
Paisley Gilmour Street: 66511 passes through Paisley Gilmour Street with a loaded coal train
Paisley Gilmour Street: Leaf clearing train DR98966/98916 passing through Paisley Gilmour Street heading east towards Glasgow....
Paisley Gilmour Street: ....and returning again 10 minutes later to have another go!
Cartsburn Viaduct: Looking east, this shows Cartsburn Viaduct, partially hidden behind trees with Cartsburn Junction just behind the trees to the centre-right of the picture
Cartsburn Viaduct: Cartsburn Viaduct looking east on the Princes Pier line
Cartsburn Viaduct: Looking East along Cartsburn Viaduct, the track has been lifted here and new ballast has been put down. This appears to be for the purposes of improving drainage and making sure any excess water is taken away via new down pipes on the side of the viaduct
Cartsburn Viaduct: Looking west from Cartsburn Viaduct, the track is still there, and just visible in the middle of the picture. This picture typifies the rest of the line, track in place but overgrown just now.
Cartsburn Viaduct: Cartsburn Viaduct looking east. Note the new drainage pipes on the side of the viaduct.
Cartsburn Viaduct: Cartsburn Viaduct looking west. This shot was taken from next to the Carts Burn itself
Paisley Gilmour Street: 334033 at Paisley Gilmour Street waiting to depart with an Ardrossan Town service
Edinburgh Waverley: View from Waverley Bridge showing progress at the west end on 25 October 2007. Electrification masts have now been installed covering all routes.
Lancaster: The Cotton Mill Express was diverted from its usual Yorkshire route on 251008 to run Blackburn Hellifield Carnforth and Wigan. Despite atrocious weather 45407 was on time climbing up the bank south of Lancaster heading for Preston.
Inverkeithing Tunnel: The main line through Inverkeithing has been closed over the weekend of 24/25 October. A minor bridge giving access to a cemetery to the south of the town has been replaced and track is seen here being reinstated on Sunday 25th.
Fiskerton: The signal box at Fiskerton station leans noticeably backwards. As can be seen here the new access steps are level but the box has a definite tilt. However, it still contains a lever frame controlling the semaphores protecting the crossing and the block section. The gates however are opened manually. View towards Nottingham.
Alfreton: This barrow crossing notice at Alfreton highlights a less than satisfactory situation for disabled travellers, or those with prams, who cannot alight here southbound but have to continue to Nottingham, change trains and return. There is a similar arrangement for those wishing to join southbound services who have to go north to Chesterfield first. Just to make sure, the gate, and that on the other platform, were both padlocked. Hopefully East Midlands Trains have a plan to improve facilities, but six years on from my visit there are still no lifts.
Alfreton: Opened in 1973 as Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway this station replaced an earlier one closed in 1967. In 1994, recognising the Robin Hood line developments, it became simply Alfreton. Here two Sunday morning services call at the station, both using former West Yorkshire PTA Class 158/9 units.
Denby: When I last visited the Denby opencast disposal point, in 1995, it was still in regular use but it closed in 1999. In the 1990s it regularly saw Class 56 and Class 58 locos on the coal trains. Ten years after closure the rails are still in situ and this view from the level crossing shows the start of the run-round loop and its associated point levers. Perhaps the location should be called Kilburn, the name of the passenger station on the opposite side of the level crossing, but that closed in 1930 along with passenger services along this line to Ripley.
Parsley Hay: Parsley Hay was formerly the junction between the Buxton to Ashbourne line and the Cromford and High Peak line. It closed to passengers in 1954 and goods in 1967. It is now a key location on the Tissington and High Peak cycle trails that follow these scenic old rail routes and a modern cafe serves the needs of the many cyclists who use them. View along the trackbed showing the line following the hillside towards Buxton. I believe this photo was taken from the same spot as John Thorn's 1963 picture See image [[26102]], but facing the opposite direction and the modern cafe occupies the goods yard.
Kirklington and Edington: Looking east from Kirklington and Edington station along the old trackbed towards Southwell. The station was some distance from both villages and closed to passengers in 1929.
Kirklington and Edington: Kirklington and Edington closed to passengers eighty years ago when through Mansfield to Newark services ceased and the line became a branch to Southwell from Rolleston. Freight continued to pass through until 1965 however and much of the old line is now a bridleway. This picture looks west past the old station to what is now a car park and picnic area.
Polkemmet Junction: 334 034 runs west past the site of Polkemmet Junction with a driver training run on 25 October 2010
Robertsbridge: Two Class 375 sets call at Robertsbridge, East Sussex, en route to London from the coast on 25 October 2010.
Robertsbridge: A London bound pair of Class 375 units pass the signalbox and approach Robertsbridge on the late afternoon of 25 October 2010.
Doleham: A Southern Class 171 DMU passes Doleham whilst working a service between Ashford and Hastings on 25 October 2010. A very rural woodland location with not so many commuters and not so many services that call.
Three Oaks: The access path to the remaining platform at Three Oaks between Ashford and Hastings. The path is actually longer than the platform that it leads to which can just accommodate a single carriage of a Class 171 DMU.
Robertsbridge: Looking south from the footbridge over the level crossing at Robertsbridge on 25 October 2010 as a Southeastern Charing Cross - Hastings service calls at the station.
Doleham: The short platform at Doleham looking towards Hastings on 25 October 2010. The platform is so short that SDO is required even for the 2 car Class 171s that run between Ashford and Hastings.
Rawtenstall: Caprotti Standard class 5 no 73129 gleams in the autumn sunshine as it runs round its train at Rawtenstall in October 2010 during a stay on the East Lancashire Railway. In this view from the end of the station platform the level crossing and signalbox at Rawtenstall West can also be seen.
Leamington Spa: Ladies and gentlemen, you are now entering Leamington Spa. Please remember to turn back your watches... around 85 years. This busy station is full of period touches - mostly Art Deco, so about 1930's should suffice.
Oskova Washery: Although all line work on the Banovici coal railway in Bosnia is covered by diesels, steam still has a role to play in hauling wagons through the unloading point at Oskova washery - here the catches are being loosened prior to coal being discharged. Motive power is No. 83158, a Jugoslavian built 0-8-2 dating from 1948. The Banovici system acquired six of these locos from the JZ but only two are now active, with one in use while the other is under overhaul.
Inverurie: Inverurie station's first-ever café - see adjacent news item.
Crewe: 86610 coupled to 86604 enters the low level avoiding line tunnel running below the former 5A Crewe North shed site on 25 October. Alongside is a loaded EWS coal train waiting for the road towards Basford Hall.
Wolverhampton Steel Terminal: 66137 at Wolverhampton steel terminal on 25 October 2012, having recently propelled a newly arrived rake of covered steel wagons into a stabling siding.
Loughborough Midland: Sunglasses recommended: the 1405 to Nottingham shows off its colours at Loughborough on 25th October. The leading power car seems to have recently dispatched an unfortunate bird.
Carnforth: Brush Type 4 47580 'County of Essex' in the Down Goods Loops at Carnforth in October 2013, prior to working some West Coast empty coaching stock over the Little North Western route to Settle Junction and Leeds. This location is not usually accessible but I had a meeting at West Coast ahead of a major emergency exercise (See image [[46481]]) and this was too good an opportunity to miss.
Loughborough Midland: Platform 3 at Loughborough is a recent addition, and not particularly photogenic. Nonetheless, unit 156405 strikes a pose with a Lincoln service see image [[45162]] on 25 October. That's the Brush works in the background.
Loughborough Midland: As the old saying goes - Look after your broom... Should you need it fixed however - go to Brush Transformers! Not quite as famous as the other sign see image [[45117]], but nonetheless well lit and highly visible.
Loughborough Midland: Freightliner 70013 rumbles north through Loughborough station on 25 October, hauling a trainload of stone from Barrow-on-Soar.
Loughborough: The famous neon sign, framed by the steelwork of the recently erected Loughborough station footbridge. View east in October 2013.
Carnforth: Crossing from the Barrow line platform to the Up Main line as it leaves Carnforth is Northern 150145. The train is the daily Leeds to Heysham Port service, which will reverse at Lancaster and Morecambe before connecting with the Douglas sailing.
Leicester Midland: Like the Flying Dutchman on rails, 156405 is condemned to shuttle between Leicester and Lincoln. This is the 13.25 departure, which called at minor stations like Barrow-on-Soar on its way to Loughborough. Nice to see stopping trains surviving alongside expresses; and good to see passengers arrive or depart at every stop.
Loughborough Midland: Looking North at Loughborough at dusk in October 2013. I decided not to include a train in the picture, as the flash could distract the driver. It is hard to tell from this distance that the footbridge is much more recent than the station. The chap on the right with the folding bike is clearly a multimodal transport enthusiast.
Loughborough Midland: You would have thought that a mural on Brush Court (built on Sidings Walk) would depict a diesel; but I'm not grumbling. This mural can be seen on the West side of the Midland Main Line, North of the station, if you are observant.
Loughborough Midland: A class 222 heading North meets an HST heading South at Loughborough Midland on 25th October. Not much sign of the goods yard now see image [[30501]].
Cranmore: Ex GWR Collett 0-6-2T no. 5637 arrives back at Cranmore station on the East Somerset Railway at just after midday on 25 October 2014.
Culross [2nd]: The Northern Belle skirting the Forth on its way from Glasgow Central to Dunfermline nears Culross on 25 October. The train is headed by 47790 and tailed by 57312.
Cranmore: A view west towards Cranmore station on the East Somerset Railway from the road bridge over the line from the mainline west of Frome.
Newtongrange: View south over the partially constructed platform at Newtongrange shortly after a downpour on 25 October 2014. The empty ballast train is on its way back to Millerhill following trackbed preparation work near Fushiebridge.
Galashiels: A hive of activity in Galashiels on 25 October 2014, looking north west from Station Brae road bridge. On the left construction is well advanced on the transport interchange see image [[48198]], while on the other side of the A7 Ladhope Vale work is underway around the site of the new station.
Cranmore: GWR 0-6-2T no.5637 during a run-round at Cranmore on 25 October 2014 in this view looking west.
Inverkeithing Central Junction: 57312 leads the Northern Belle past Inverkeithing Central Junction on its way to Edinburgh on 25 October. 47790 is bringing up the rear.
Castle Cary: A Weymouth service departs from Castle Cary on 25 October 2014 and as the feather on the signal indicates the train is about to take the Heart of Wessex line to Yeovil Pen Mill. For the same view nearly 30 years earlier see image [[13435]].
Brock: With its exhaust clinging to the boiler 46233 Duchess of Sutherland forges north at Brock on 25 October with the Appleby Explorer. The Pacific hauled the train from Crewe direct to Appleby via Shap avoiding Carlisle by using the curve at Upperby.
Newtongrange [1st]: An empty ballast train emerges from under the A7 at Newtongrange on 25 October 2014. The empties are about to return to Millerhill following trackbed preparation work on the new Borders Railway.
Castle Cary: A 4 car FGW service from Gloucester to Weymouth approaches Castle Cary on 25 October 2014 made up of 150249 (leading) and 150234. The train will take the single line to Yeovil Pen Mill after the station stop.
Musselburgh: The Virgin Trains East Coast 1000 Edinburgh Waverley - London Kings Cross runs south through Musselburgh station on Sunday 25 October 2015.
Shawfair: Scene at Shawfair station on 25 October 2015, where Margaret Hurst unveiled a plaque in memory of the former NBR Study Group chairman, Jeff Hurst.
Tweedbank: The new bus shelter (no really, it is for connecting buses) recently installed at Tweedbank, in use on 25 October 2015.
Musselburgh: The Sunday 1008 CrossCountry Edinburgh - Penzance service, formed by an HST, runs through Musselburgh on 25 October 2015. The train is approximately 5 minutes into its ten and a half hour journey.
Tweedbank: The connecting Border Weavers bus stops at the new bus shelter at Tweedbank station in October 2015. The station is just off to the right. See image [[53035]].
Port Glasgow: New Port Glasgow murals funded by ScotRail and Riverside Inverclyde.
Port Glasgow: This new mural is in memory of the nine arch viaduct, the Devol Glen Viaduct, which brought the Glasgow and South Western Railway into the town via the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway line. The viaduct was 480 feet long and 100 feet high. On the 31st of October 1970 the viaduct was brought down with explosives.
Copenhagen Central: An EMU uses the bridge and flyover track to pass above a DSB diesel-electric loco of type ME(II) built by Henschel in the 1980s. With many lines now being electrified throughout the country these locos are likely to be withdrawn in the next few years. Taken from a passing train by K. Johansson.
Grantham: This picture was taken just over five years ago in October 2017; but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, on the railways and elsewhere. A Virgin HST is seen leaving Grantham on the down fast. Power car 43320 went to East Midlands Railway after the ECML but is presently stored.
Althorpe: The rail head treatment train at Althorpe in October 2017, returning from Grimsby to Bridlington, with 20305 at the front and 20312 at the rear.
New Cumnock: Very fine. The view from the restored New Cumnock station. The platforms are to the left.
Edinburgh Waverley: Nobody knows the rubble I've seen... Excavated matter from the Platform 12 extension temporarily piles up on the site of the Platforms 5/6 extension. Photographed 25 October.
Dundee: The concourse and cafe at Dundee station are temporarily gone, and this area is open to the air for the first time in decades. Photographed 25 October.
Dundee: The new entrance to Dundee station takes shape on 25 October. This is part of a larger development transforming this area.
Althorpe: 60056 with the 0855 Preston Docks to Lindsey empty bitumen tanks at Althorpe in October 2017.
Shettleston: Even in 2017 not all trains on UK railways have Controlled Emission Toilets yet, but at least passengers at Shettleston can look forward to the end of the uncontrolled emissions in the station car park now that the drains are being replaced after many years of problems. Staff will also welcome the end of having to work with an Absolute Block situation.
Fallgate: The things you find on BLS visits. These tramway rails cross the aptly named Jetting Street, and used to lead to quarry screens. They were photographed some 67 years after closure.
Livingston North: A Milngavie service at Livingston North on 24th October 2017. Neither of the Livingston stations are at all central: North is in Deans and South in Murieston. Even the pre-newtown Livingston station was so far from the village that a separate, larger community grew up around it. 'Livingston Station' was larger than Livingston village - though this wouldn't be difficult.
Grantham: 153311 pulls into Grantham to reverse and form the 17.45 EMT service to Nottingham. 25th October 2017
Broughty Ferry: Up close and personal. An Edinburgh to Inverurie service pulls out of Broughty Ferry and over the level crossing on 25th October 2017. The service here is not great, though better than the token one it had for many years. It suffers, like Invergowrie, for being a suburban location with no suburban service. Broughty Ferry and Invergowrie will have an hourly service from May 2019.
Dundee: The (41 year old) New Era training set at Dundee Platform 4 on 25th October 2017.
Grantham: A down HST, in East Coast livery and led by power car 43238, arrives in Grantham in October 2017.
Bingham: The former station building at Bingham, Nottinghamshire. Opened in 1850 but clearly in non-railway use nowadays. View north towards the platforms from the car park side on 25th October 2017. [Ref query 5 april 2018]
Fallgate: The passenger shelter at Fallgate is a remarkable survivor, some 70 years after closure. The narrow gauge track passed to the left of the shelter.
Fiddich Viaduct: Fiddich Viaduct on the Keith and Dufftown railway. Just southeast of Dufftown Station. The station was being Spooked up for Halloween services.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Foundations for the permanent staff buildings taking shape at the east side of the station in late October 2017.
Royal Border Bridge: 66744 crossing the Royal Border Bridge with an engineers train from Tyne Yard to Millerhill on 25th October 2017.
Royal Border Bridge: A CrossCountry service from Bath Spa to Glasgow Central crossing the over the River Tweed on 25th October 2017.
Grantham: In case you weren't aware that the National Railway Museum has been open for 40 years, study the side of this HST power car. View south at Grantham in October 2017.
Cumbernauld: On 25 October 2018 a service for Dalmuir via Motherwell enters the Up platform at Cumbernauld after reversing in the busy siding. Its place in the siding is about to be taken by the terminating train from Dumbarton Central. Does anyone else remember the days when the only trains here were a shuttle to Springburn and there were no intermediate stations?
Carluke: A Glasgow Central to Lanark service calls at its penultimate stop on 25 October 2018. It is formed of a Class 320 leading with a Class 318 behind. Only the different height of the door indicator lights show that its a mixed formation.
Motherwell: A Glasgow Central to Lanark service calls at Motherwell on 25 October 2018
Wishaw: A Glasgow Central to Lanark service pulls into Wishaw on 25 October 2018. This station, on a line of its own, also has an unhurried link to Edinburgh.
Carluke: Carluke station looks as though it has been modified to make it as unvandalisable as possible, but is nonetheless well-maintained. Seen here in October 2018.
Wishaw: A Lanark to Glasgow Central service approaches Wishaw on 25 October 2018. Note the colour-coded car stop sign, seen only at a few stations.
Motherwell: A service for Dalmuir via Hamilton pulls into Motherwell on 25 October 2018. To avoid confusion these services are publicised as terminating at Motherwell, though they are here for only a few minutes before moving on back to Dalmuir. The street-level building here is about to be upgraded; at the moment it is a child of its time, to be charitable.
Lanark: The driver has changed to headlights but not yet altered the EMU destination blind to Glasgow Central on 25th October 2018. Lanark station is well preserved, though the building on Platform 2 seems to be just for show as the platform is very little used.
Camelon: An Edinburgh to Dunblane train calls at Camelon in the last months (surely) of diesel services in the area. 25th October 2018.
Lady Victoria Pit Signal Box: A definite winter chill in the air on 25 October 2018, as the 0959 Tweedbank - Edinburgh approaches the National Mining Museum at the former Lady Victoria Colliery, with the Newtongrange platform visIble just beyond.
Carluke: A Lanark to Glasgow Central service approaches Carluke on 25 October 2018.
Interiors: It's a good thing this lady has something to read as there's not much of a view from the priority seating on Class 385s. That advert must be baffling to non-Scots (and some Scots unfamiliar with the demotic).
Drumgelloch: An Edinburgh service calls at Drumgelloch on 25 October 2018. The street off-camera to the right is called 'Station Road' but the station was the Lanarkshire Clarkston (closed 1956), substantially on the same site which is, indeed, Clarkston rather than Drumgelloch which was the site of the previous Drumgelloch station further west. The two (Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire) Clarkston stations didn't acquire suffixes until BR days. I can't believe there wasn't confusion hitherto; they are not too far apart, after all.
Gartcosh: A Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston service enters a wet Gartcosh on 25 October 2018. These services are soon to be electrified and extended to Edinburgh - presumably at the same time. As far as I know this will give Cumbernauld its first direct link with the capital.
Rugby: 'Something's wrong'. As soon as I saw this double Voyager, in platform 1 at Rugby on 25th October 2019, I had a feeling it had been there for a long time; as indeed it had see image [[71000]], with the WCML to London closed. The classic rally car in the foreground (a Vauxhall Chevette HSR) offered some small consolation.
Rugby: 66185 looking rather moody at Rugby in October 2019 - due to being several hours late leaving see image [[71000]]
Rugby: A Penny for your thoughts - well, I was just wondering how to retrieve every electric train stranded between here and Wembley. 57307 'Lady Penelope' waxes lyrical in the midst of a line closure from Wembley to Rugby and Northampton due to a single trespasser in an awkward location (in the OHLE at Wembley).
See query 2183
Cambus o' May: Part of the official plan shows the proposed position of the planned Aboyne and Braemar Railway as two red lines. At that time the name Cambus o'May only applied to the farm and Inn-there was no village. The red lines were drawn over farm outbuildings (numbered 44) and 'cut off' a corner of the main block. There seems to have been a mill building to the north east of the railway. Thus whilst most of the buildings were demolished the inn/farmhouse itself was saved from demolition by removing a small part of it. The building is now referred to as the 'dockit hoose' or 'Cutaway Cottage'. An historically important building was saved even if its farmyard 'offices' were demolished. In 1866 the inn would also have been provided with a slated roof, as, according to a contemporary Ordnance Survey description, it had previously had a thatched, probably heather, roof. It stopped being an Inn the following year after the death of James Ogg the last tenant Farmer and Innkeeper. The railway company seemed to have leased and later bought it as a house for its track workers (Waymen) and the early Cambus o'May Station Agents. BR/ABR/3/1 Copyright Department for Transport. Original held by National Records of Scotland. With kind permission. Used under OGL 3.0 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
Rugby: 66185 'DP World London Gateway' on a Freightliner and 56091 'Driver Wayne Gaskell' (named just a week before) on a pw train await Southward paths at Rugby on 25th October 2019. The 66 left at about 18.45.
Rugby: What a splendid pub sign - appropriately located on Railway Terrace in Rugby.
Rugby: You take the high road, and I'll take the low road; and I'll be in Scotland afore ye. The Pendolino had been the 17.06 to Euston on 25th October 2019, but was turned back to become a Glasgow train due to an emergency closure of the WCML from Rugby to Wembley. I believe the double Voyager in platform 1 had a similar fate, but I missed the details.
Limekilns Harbour: Limekilns. This view looks eastwards and up what I think was the route of the waggonway through the back of Limekilns which then proceeded to run to the east of Broomhall and on towards Crossford. The lighter stone in the wall ahead seems to indicate the route.
Limekilns Harbour: Limekilns. Turning around at the same spot where I took the photo looking eastwards, this interesting view looks westwards at the back of Limekilns in the direction of Limekilns Pier and possibly shows the route of the 1772 Elgin Waggonway. The unusual half arch in the building on the left might well indicate the waggonway's route and it has been partly blocked by the house on the right which was built in 1817 or at least the extension to it which was added later. The waggonway was closed from the start of 1810, with all traffic thereafter going to Charlestown along the branch which had been opened in 1799.
High Morlaggan Railway Cottage: A northbound 'Highland Explorer' for Oban passes a temporary work site above Morlaggan, about a mile north of Glen Douglas. In addition to the earth mover seen here there was another below the line off to the right.
Finsbury Park: Remains of the former Alexandra Palace branch platform at Finsbury Park, looking south, on 25th October 2021. Even if the 1935 scheme to link the branch to the Northern Line had been successful, this platform would have fallen into disuse as it was intended to widen the bridge carrying the up line from Alexandra Palace over the ECML to take both tracks, with tube trains running either side of a new island platform on the east side of the station. The scheme was almost complete by September 1939; had the war been delayed by six months, tube trains would now be running to the walls of Alexandra Palace (unlike the present station on the main line that was called Wood Green until 1982) but after 1945 London Transport had second thoughts and the line closed instead in 1954, leaving the populous north London suburbs of Crouch End (where I live) and Muswell Hill entirely dependant on buses for nearly 70 years.
High Morlaggan Railway Cottage: The Midland Pullman approaches a temporary work site above Morlaggan, Loch Long. The hill track on the right is used by The Three Lochs Way.
High Morlaggan Railway Cottage: Between heavy showers, a 'Highland Explorer' from Oban approaches Glen Douglas from the north on 25th October 2021.
High Morlaggan Railway Cottage: The rear of the Midland Pullman passing a large rock above Loch Long on the way from Fort William to Reading on 25th October 2021.
Finsbury Park: The very first Lumo service to Edinburgh Waverley to carry passengers heads away from the camera as it speeds past Finsbury Park station at 10.50, 5 minutes after its departure from King's Cross, on the morning of Monday, 25th October 2021.
Cardross: Blue train - a very blue 'Midland Pullman' excursion passes Cardross on its return journey from Fort William to Reading, fortuitously captured during a brief spell of bright sunshine between downpours. The previous day this train was the first HST to visit Mallaig.
High Morlaggan Railway Cottage: The Midland Pullman returns south from Fort William to Reading. Seen above Loch Long.
Glen Douglas Halt: The Midland Pullman tackles the reverse curves at Glen Douglas, while a Sprinter waits in the loop, on 25th October 2021. The MOD exchange sidings are on the left.
Padgate: 150106 passes Padgate on 25 October 2022 with a Manchester Oxford Road to Liverpool Lime Street service. On the left is a very smart former SR GUV number 4588 of 1938 (on a short length of track) which came from the Llangollen Railway a few years ago. It was to be used as part of the Plaice Station Chippy but it is understood that this may be 'on hold'.
Flixton: The EMT 0856 service from Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street passes Flixton with 158862 and 156404 on 25 October 2022.
Stockport: 150113 passes Stockport No.2 signalbox at the north end of the station in October 2022. The unit was on a Manchester Piccadilly to Chester via Knutsford service.
Woodsmoor: A Buxton to Manchester Piccadilly service, with 150226 and 150101, arrives at Woodsmoor on 25 October 2022.
Chassen Road: 195132 passes Chassen Road with a Manchester Oxford Road to Liverpool Lime Street semi-fast service on 25 October 2022.
Padgate: A limited stop Northern Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Oxford Road service with 195132 passes Padgate on 25 October 2022.
Girvan: 156494, on the 11.58 for Stranraer, departs Girvan on 25th October 2022. The tablet for the single line section was collected while stopped but the newspaper is handed over by the guard as the train leaves.
Girvan: The 11.58 for Stranraer arrives at Girvan on 25th October 2022.
Davenport: The 1508 Northern service from Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton arrives at Davenport on 25 October 2022. The service was operated by 150128 and 150125.
Events
Events from the chronology which occured on this day. This generally lists events before 1995, the creation of the website.
| Year | Companies | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Channel Tunnel Rail Link Phase 1 | Completion of the Medway Viaduct celebrated. Cost £30m. |
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 | ^Difficult^ start for new rail operator [Scotsman] | FIRST ScotRail^s initial week in charge of the country^s trains came off the rails as performance took a battering from autumn gales, track problems and breakdowns. |
| 2006 | Trains claim bike title [Scotsman] | REFURBISHED First ScotRail trains which serve the Edinburgh to North Berwick line have won a national award for being cycle-friendly. |
| 2006 | Sellafield train closes station [BBC News] | A railway station is evacuated after a train carrying nuclear material breaks down. |
| 2006 | New flow from Victa Railfreight [Highland Rail Partnership] | Victa Railfreight in conjunction with FM Rail are to start a 3 trains per week service between Hams Hall, Birmingham and Mossend on 1 November. In 2007 it is likely to start back from North Thameside on a 5 day/week schedule. (25.10.06) |
| 2007 | More misery for rail passengers [Scotsman Article] | HUNDREDS of rail commuters were hit by cancellations and delays to services between Newcraighall and North Berwick after a points failure yesterday. |
| 2007 | Five faults in five hours bring chaos to rail network [Scotsman Article] | THOUSANDS of rail passengers had to put up with cancellations and major delays yesterday after five separate track faults hit the network in Scotland. |
| 2009 | Flooding causes rail disruption [BBC News Article] | Rail passengers faced travel woes after heavy rain caused flooding which closed the line between Aberdeen and Dundee. |
| 2010 | Minister challenged over trains [Press & Journal] | UK transport minister Theresa Villiers was challenged last night to explain how she can keep a promise to maintain direct east coast mainline connections from London to the north and north-east while still saving on the cost of badly-needed new express trains. |
| 2013 | The wild abandoned railway in the centre of Paris [BBC] | Long before the Metro, the steam trains of Petite Ceinture (^Little Belt^ in English) connected Paris^s main railway stations carrying people around the city along the path of its ancient walls. The circular line went into gradual decline from the 1930s, when competition arrived in the form of the more modern underground Metro system. For 32km (almost 20 miles) the tracks of Petite Ceinture snake through bustling Paris, isolated and largely unseen from street level in deep trenches, long tunnels, and bridges. Nature has reclaimed the space and it has become a haven for wild flowers and animals. |
| 2013 | Labour could renationalise railways, spokesman says [Telegraph] | Labour could renationalise the railways, Mary Creagh, the party’s new transport spokesman has said. She has refused to rule out returning the industry to state hands as part of a review into the industry she will start over the next year. Ms Creagh cited the example of European state-owned companies running services in Britain and using the profits to invest in their own network. “If it works as a model for they, why can’t it work as a model for the UK,” she said. [From Mark Bartlett] |
| 2013 | InterCity East Coast tendering launched [Railway Gazette] | UK: The Department for Transport formally launched the competition for the next InterCity East Coast franchise on October 25, publishing documents setting out what potential bidders will need to consider when developing proposals for the operation of passenger services from London King^s Cross to Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh. |
| 2014 | Former trams figure to run Caledonian Sleeper [Scotsman] | SERCO is poised to appoint Aberdeen-born Peter Strachan to run the Caledonian Sleeper when it takes over the franchise in April, The Scotsman has learned. Strachan quit as the Department for Transport’s (DfT) head of major projects in the wake of the West Coast Main Line franchise fiasco and was a board member of Edinburgh city council’s tram development firm, TIE. [From Richard Buckby] |
| 2015 | Mountsorrel Railway opens again after 50 years [BBC News] | A railway that was dormant for 50 years has reopened after more than 200 community volunteers spent eight years restoring it. Mountsorrel Railway was originally an industrial steam line used for transporting granite from quarries surrounding the Leicestershire village. It fell out of use in the 1950s and the track was lifted in the 1960s. It has reopened as a heritage railway for passengers, and is an extra branch line for the Great Central Railway. |
| 2016 | Public sector body ‘ready to take over’ ScotRail if issues persist [RTM] | The Scottish government stands ready to take over the ScotRail franchise through the development of a new public sector body if problems with its performance continue, it has emerged. ScotRail’s moving annual average (MAA) for performance has fallen from 90.3% to 89.6% since Abellio took over the franchise, prompting Transport Scotland to ask the company for an improvement plan. Abellio holds the contract until 2025, but Transport Scotland can replace it at the ‘break-point’ halfway through in 2020. The Scottish government confirmed yesterday that, using new powers awarded in March, Transport Scotland has started work to establish a public sector body to take over the franchise. |
| 2016 | First new-look Northern DMU in traffic [Rail] | The first refurbished Northern Class 158 entered traffic at the end of October. Three-car 158752 has been fitted with new carpets and seat cushions, LED lighting has been installed, designated wheelchair spaces in the carriages have been introduced, and ‘call for aid’ buttons have been installed. The on-board toilets have also been refurbished and fitted with improved baby changing facilities. [From Mark Bartlett] |
| 2017 | ScotRail staff lose bonuses as train giant heads for second straight year of losses [Herald] | SCOTRAIL has been accused of ^punishing^ its staff by cancelling bonuses as it heads in to a second year of losses. The Dutch-owned train operator expects to end 2017 in the red despite ending a spell of of poor punctuality and reliability which angered passengers. The company, formally called Abellio ScotRail, had promised bonuses to staff if it improved performance but said only profits would ^unlock^ these payments. Now it has briefed trades unions that it is unlikely to break even in 2017 and that the bonuses, called Gainshare, would not be made even though performance has improved. |
| 2017 | Rail strikes: Fresh walkouts in row over conductors^ role [BBC News] | Fresh rail strikes by workers at five rail companies have been announced by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union. Members at Southern, South Western Railway and Greater Anglia are to stage 48-hour strikes on 8 November in a row over driver-only trains. Merseyrail and Arriva Rail North (Northern) are to walkout on the same day, but for 24 hours. Greater Anglia said it was disappointed and wanted to resolve issues with RMT. The union is in dispute with the rail companies over driver-only-operated trains which the RMT claim would be unsafe and lead to job losses. |
| 2018 | UKs first tram train services to run between Sheffield and Rotherham today [Sheffield Telegraph] | The UKs first tram train services, running between Sheffield and Rotherham, are to be launched today. The long-awaited Sheffield to Rotherham service will welcome passengers from today with the scheme almost three years late and five times the original budget. The service will see tram trains run from Sheffield to Parkgate Shopping via Rotherham Central railway station. |
| 2018 | Vital upgrade work for Highland main line [Network Rail] | Network Rail engineers will be delivering a multi-million-pound programme of enhancement and maintenance projects on the Highland main line over the next five weekends. |
| 2019 | Aberdeen as it used to be: George Washington Wilsons works will feature in new royal exhibition in 2020 [Press and Journal] | They are snapshots from a bygone age: a time when trams ferried people round Aberdeen and steam trains passed the Denburn en-route to the many stations dotted across the north-east. |
| 2019 | Greenock street to close for vital rail bridge refurbishment [Network Rail] | Dellingburn Street in Greenock will close for 20 weeks from Monday November 11 while Network Rail engineers carry out work to repair and strengthen the railway bridge over the B788. |
| 2019 | MSP Hamilton hits out at train cancellations [Border Telegraph] | Ongoing Borders Railway cancellations have triggered an MSP to call for improvements - and fast. |
