Carlisle Kingmoor Shed: Black 5 no 44685 hurries past Kingmoor shed with an up freight on 3 December 1966.

Carlisle Kingmoor Shed: B1 61278 on the turntable at Kingmoor on 3 December 1966 prior to taking the Last B1 Excursion back to Edinburgh.

Hawick [2nd]: Just one more before the light gives out completely.... a final silhouetted image of 61278 with the 'Last B1 Excursion', about to leave Hawick on its way back from Carlisle to Edinburgh on 3 December 1966.

Riddings Junction: The Last B1 Excursion, behind 61278, heads home in fading light at Riddings Junction in December 1966, with the road clear for the Waverley Route... I wonder what I'd have thought if I'd known then that 40-odd years later I'd be living in Langholm?

Carlisle Kingmoor Shed: Jinty 0-6-0T no 47471 at Kingmoor in December 1966, the month of its withdrawal by BR.

Leyland: 87020 North Briton heads a passenger service south through Leyland on 3rd December 1980. Rather unusually the train is on the Up Slow line. 87020 continued in BR/Virgin service until 2009 and has since been exported to Bulgaria.

Leyland: Brush Type 4 47555 The Commonwealth Spirit always seemed to be kept in good condition and is seen here passing through Leyland, with silver buffer embellishments, on a passenger train that is taking the Up Slow line. A BRCW three car Class 104 DMU has called at the Down Slow platform with a Manchester to Blackpool service. The Class 47 was in service for a further 19 years but withdrawn in 1999 and dismantled the same year at Springs Branch Component Recovery Centre in Wigan.

Edinburgh Waverley: A GNER Kings Cross train leaves the east end of Waverley in December 2004.

Edinburgh Waverley: A GNER Aberdeen - London HST calls at Waverley in December 2004.

Edinburgh Waverley: A Glasgow shuttle stands at the west end of Waverley in December 2004 sporting the livery applied by the previous franchise holder, National Express Group. FirstGroup had taken over ScotRail operations in October that year.

Edinburgh Waverley: The last few passengers hurry to board the 1100 First ScotRail service to Glasgow Queen Street, amid various shouts and whistles, on a cold December morning in 2002.

Challow: 67005 westbound at the site of the defunct Challow Station on 3 December 2006 with a special to Bath, [the rostered King class locomotive 6024 King Edward I had failed at Didcot].

Edinburgh Waverley: Progress on the new Balmoral through platform, photographed on Sunday 3 December 2006 looking west from the crossover, with the Virgin 0850 to Birmingham New Street boarding at platform 19.

Edinburgh Waverley: The neglected looking sub platforms 20 and 21, seen from the car park on 3 December 2006 - out of use due to construction work on the new link between the walkway and the new Klondyke platform (via the south wall). It would be another 6 years before work got underway on a replacement canopy (see image [[47124]]).

Waverley Valley: Meantime, back at the Waverley Valley development....scene on 3 December 2006 with development work halted and the Canongate dig now taking up most of the site.

Manchester Piccadilly: Manchester Piccadilly Station on 3rd December 2007. Classic architecture, well re-developed. What a shame the arrivals boards speak with forked tongue.

Manchester Piccadilly: A Virgin Manchester - London Euston service at Manchester Piccadilly.

Manchester Piccadilly: TransPennine 185 151 at Manchester Piccadilly.

Poulton-le-Fylde: 156452 on a Blackpool North service heads westwards away from Poulton on a day when the frost never left this shallow cutting. the line of trees in the middle distance is the closed Poulton Curve that allowed through running between Blackpool and Fleetwood.

Bristol East Goods: Sir Nigel Gresley's eponymous A4 Pacific no 60007 passing Bristol East goods, a mile out of Temple Meads, with a special on 3 December 2008.

Poulton-le-Fylde: View eastwards as 156471 approaches Poulton No 3 box and station from Blackpool North. The station booking office stands on the bridge, overlooking the junction with the disused Burn Naze/Fleetwood line.

Bristol East Goods: A DMU runs through Bristol East goods on 3 December 2008 heading for Temple Meads.

Bristol East Goods: Freightliner 66596 heading towards Bristol Temple Meads with a freight on 3 December passing Bristol East Goods.

Clifton Bridge: 66075 running light engine westbound from Bristol to Portbury on 3 December 2009, passing the site of Clifton Bridge station, closed in September 1964.

Clifton Bridge No 1 Tunnel: Network Rail sign warning PW staff that the Avon Gorge is a SSSI and they must proceed only with proper authority. December 2009.

Glan Conwy: Glan Conwy's location, overlooking the Conwy estuary, is as picturesque as they come. It was named Llansaintffraid when it first opened and was a Beeching casualty in 1964 but reopened in 1970. The shelter is on the original low level section of platform with a newer raised area beyond the entrance. View south towards Llanrwst and Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Glan Conwy: First station on the Blaenau Ffestiniog branch from Llandudno Junction is Glan Conwy, overlooking the Conwy estuary. The station house is now in private ownership and a shelter is provided at the north end of the platform on the lower section. This view looks north and the distant colour light for the junction with the main line can just be seen.

Lawley Street Freightliner Terminal: Freightliner locomotives 66534 and 66418 (the latter still in former operator DRS livery) under a large container straddle crane at Birmingham Lawley Street Freightliner Terminal on the morning of 3 December 2012.

West Maitland Street: Traffic lights on the corner of Palmerston Place and West Maitland Street on 3 December, with a tram signal now added to the right hand side.  

Drybrook Halt: The site of Drybrook Halt looking south in December 2013. The line of the route to Cinderford can be seen centre left above the shed roof. Drybrook Halt was the northern limit of the short-lived passenger services on this line; Drybrook Road on the Severn and Wye Railway was several miles away in the Forest (and not even on a road!). Behind the camera, a new house has been built on the filled-in cutting.

Haymarket [Tram]: Looking west along the tram line at Haymarket Yards towards Murrayfield on 3 December 2013, with class 334 and 221 units passing on the main line.

Pitlochry: Plaque commemorating a Pitlochry success in the National Railway Heritage Awards (see news item).

Newcastle Central: ScotRail 156478 in east end bay 1 at Newcastle Central on 3 December 2014 after arrival with the 07.45 ex Dumfries service.

Doncaster: Three former Gatwick Express class 460 DVT style driver luggage vehicles are stabled in the Wabtec facility at Doncaster on 3 December. The units are awaiting removal of the tapered noses and conversion of the shell to create intermediate vestibuled carriages to extend South West Trains class 458 sets. See image [[30507]]

Wakefield Westgate: A Yorkshire circuit RHTT working, with 20305 leading and 20304 tailing, photographed on 3 December. The train is running north into Wakefield Westgate on the down through road shortly after 08.30, with the high pressure jets operational for a short distance further.

Hexham: A parking and drop off area has been created on the former sidings behind the eastbound platform wall at Hexham Station as seen in this late afternoon view along the entrance road on 3 December. A DDA compliant access ramp has also been provided for disabled access to the platform .

Doncaster: Early evening on 3 December with 60035 standing on the goods line opposite platform 8 at Doncaster, attached to the north end of a rake of wagons containing new Peugeot & Citroen vans. Contrary to expectations the train moved off heading south, not north, with the Class 60 tailing the rake, possibly heading to Belmont Yard or direct to Doncaster Europort for off-loading.

Hexham: View east through Hexham station, showing no material change in the platform structures from that of 50 plus years ago, apart from the modern high output lighting. The figure awaiting the 16.15 departure to Middlesbrough appears to be an alien, with a green beacon where the head would normally be.

Newcastle Central: Two of a kind, plus an interloper. East Coast DVTs 82227 and 82220 stand at the west end of platforms 3 & 4 at Newcastle on 3 December, with the former on the rear of the 08.00 ex Kings Cross to Waverley and the latter leading the 09.30 ex Waverley to Kings Cross. The CrossCountry Voyager at platform 9 is the 11.35 to Southampton Central via Birmingham.

Newcastle Central: Various regimental crests adorning East Coast Railways 91111 'For The Fallen', photographed at Newcastle Central on 3 December 2014.

Woodacre Crossing: 92039 Johann Strauss takes a long rake of China Clay tanks north through Woodacre on 3 December en route from Dollands Moor to Irvine.

Newcastle Central: EWS liveried 66056 runs north through Newcastle Central with a rake of twenty three empty HHA coal wagons on 3 December 2014.

Newcastle Central: View across the platforms at the east end of Newcastle Central on 3 December 2014 showing the three goods lifts, the furthest being located in what is now the car park built on the site of the old North Tyneside bay platforms.

Emirates Royal Docks: Looking to the Royal Docks from a festive Emirates Air Line. This cable car connects Emirates Greenwich Peninsula (near North Greenwich station) to Emirates Royal Docks (near Royal Victoria station).

Northallerton Town: An alternate view, looking east from Finkills Way, of the former Northallerton Town Station, seen across a still undeveloped area of land just off Yafforth Road in December 2017.

Easter Road Junction: The curve between London Road Junction on the Abbeyhill loop and Easter Road Junction (behind me) allowed trains from Waverley to reach Granton without being hauled up Scotland Street tunnel. I believe it fell out of use in the late 1980s and was lifted some time afterwards. The area is being developed over a period of years, and London Road Junction site (in distance) is currently inaccessible, as is the trackbed here. It was thoroughly overgrown until quite recently; it looks like a temporary road has been created for plant. 3rd December 2017. [Granton Shell sidings closed in 1980 and, following a period of being mothballed for possible gasworks traffic, Granton-Powderhall was lifted 1986. So why did this curve survive, for turning engines?]

Perth: A Glasgow to Inverness service passes the northern throat (if it can be called that) of Perth station on 3rd December 2017. It is on the Platform 7 line: the running line in front of it is for​​ Platforms 3 and 4 in the train shed.

Brock: 48151 took the first of three sold out Santa Special trains ran round the Carnforth, Hellifield and Blackburn loop on 3rd December 2017. The 8F is seen in fading light at Brock heading back to Lancaster. The train is scheduled to run on the following two Sundays.

Farington Curve Junction: Ex LMS 8F no 48151 comes to a halt at the signal protecting Farington Curve Jct around 8 minutes early on 3 December 2017 whilst working the first of WCRC's three Santa Specials for 2017. The train had started in Lancaster and ran via Carnforth, Hellifield and Blackburn before returning to Lancaster and Carnforth. 47804 was on the back of the train, possibly to ensure the passengers were kept warm in case steam heat didn't reach the rear of this lengthy special.

Northallerton Town: View of GBRf 66738, which has just passed Low Gates level crossing with a rake of covered former coal, now biomass, wagons, heading south west towards the southbound low level bypass line that runs under the ECML twice before joining the main line south of the main station. The former Northallerton Town station is by the third wagon. Blackberry phone camera view from the cafe in Barkers Home Furnishing store.

Nairn: The westbound platform waiting room at Nairn is now a Men's Shed.

Nairn: The restored westbound platform building at Nairn is a 'Man's Shed'. Men's Shed Association

Pitlochry: The extensions to the platforms at Pitlochry are ready, with fencing going up. Southbound freight against the beginnings of a sunset.

Haymarket: Services continue to be disrupted on ScotRail. Announcement at Haymarket. How 'Watch your footing' is related is not immediately obvious.

Arkholme: 3-car 144019 passing the old station at Arkholme with a Lancaster to Leeds service on 3rd December 2019. On the jointed track the Pacer could be heard long before it came into view at the far end of this straight stretch of track. This proved to be the last week of regular Pacer operations on the Bentham line although the Class 144s are to continue with Northern into 2020.

Edinburgh Waverley: A bit of urban art applied to a Class 170, seen at Waverley's Platform 20 on 3 December 2019. Perhaps they should have brought a ladder with them.

Millerhill East Junction: Millerhill East is at the southern end of that neat 'S' on the map that links the ECML at Monktonhall with Millerhill Yard. The chord to Millerhill South goes off to the left. It is very overgrown.

Edinburgh Waverley: With five days of the Virgin franchise to go, de-branded 390020 forms the 14.52 service to London Euston, at platform 9 in Waverley. From 8th December the franchise will be taken over by First Trenitalia operating as Avanti West Coast.

Millerhill South Junction: Millerhill South Junction (which is naturally north of Millerhill Junction) is still there among the trees on the right. A chord links it with the Monktonhall Junction to Millerhill Yard line at Millerhill East. I think we can say though that neglect has put the chord beyond use. The line to Millerhill Junction and former station (behind me) is not looking over-maintained either. On the left there is the course of the Monktonhall Colliery line and the Waverley Route was between them.

Arkholme: Northern has recently committed to retiring fifty five Pacers before the end of 2019. On 3rd December 142092 rounds the tight curve at Arkholme with a late-running Leeds to Morecambe service. This same week the first Pacer to be scrapped in 2019 (142005) was broken up by Booths in Rotherham with a number of others presently stored at Worksop expected to quickly follow suit.

Edinburgh Waverley: The 10.00 LNER service from Kings Cross to Aberdeen enters Waverley, formed by an Azuma set on 3rd December 2019.

King Edward Bridge: Three railway bridges hold four trains crossing the River Tyne on 3 December 2019. A Cross Country Voyager crosses King Edward Bridge on the approach to Newcastle Central on its journey From Bath Spa to Glasgow Central passing a Northern Class 156 heading towards Hexham on a service from Middlesbrough. Barely visible even at full resolution to the rear of the Voyager is a Tyne and Wear Metro unit crossing Queen Elizabeth Bridge towards Gateshead whilst to the left of the tower crane in the distance a Scotrail liveried Class 156 on the High Level Bridge awaits a path into the station.

Millerhill South Junction: This signal on the east-south cord at Millerhill looks like it might have sighting problems. You can't get close (this is a zoom shot) but this line seems to have trees growing between the rails. This signal would, I imagine, have controlled the stub of the Waverley Line (ahead) and the Bilston Glen branch. If I'm wrong, please don't let me know.

Sessay: A Class 800 Azuma races north at high speed after crossing Ilsebeck Lane, between Sessay and Thirsk, at 12.07 on 3rd December 2019, during the early part of the 7 hour long distance Northern Lights working to Aberdeen with the 10.00 ex Kings Cross LNER service.

Lostock Hall: Colas 70813 passes Lostock Hall with the empty tar wagons from Preston Docks to Lindsey Refinery on a dark December day in 2020. The train was running around two hours late at this point due to a three hour late arrival on the inward service.

Craigentinny Depot: A CrossCountry Class 220 leaves the refuelling point at Craigentinny and heads for Waverley on 3 December 2020. The driver presumably now qualifies for the full set of glassware. OK, that reference is about 30 years out of date, but it's good to reminisce, no? Please yourselves.

Craigleith: The intact platforms at Craigleith are seen on the fine winter's morning of 3 December 2020. The view looks north towards Craigleith Junction. The ticket office was on the main road, the furthest bridge. The nearer bridge, which serves a hotel, must have been built around the time the branch finally closed in 1968.

Brayton Junction: The last freight train to use the old Solway Junction line from Abbeytown to Brayton, near Aspatria, ran in 1933 (the last passengers had been carried twelve years earlier). This view from a surviving but infilled road overbridge looks south west towards the junction with the operational Cumbrian Coast line (which runs in the cutting to the left of this picture) along a well defined section of trackbed.