Carlisle: The unique A3 Pacific 60097 Humorist adds to the fog hanging over Victoria Viaduct as it leaves Carlisle on 22 December 1962 with the 1.40pm to Edinburgh. Standing on the right is local favourite Jezebel see image [[30631]].

Carlisle: Royal Scot 46128 The Lovat Scouts approaching Carlisle from the south past a busy looking Crown Street goods depot on an overcast 22 December 1962. The train is the 9.35am Liverpool Exchange - Glasgow Central.

Carlisle: Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 no 43139, photographed on a wet and miserable morning in December 1962 alongside Carlisle No 4 box. Allocated to Canal shed at that time, this locomotive (known locally as Jezebel) was a regular on the Langholm and Silloth trains. 43139 ended her days at Kingmoor, where she moved in June 1963 following closure of Canal shed. See image [[30631]]

Carlisle: Stanier Coronation Pacific no 46245 City of London takes the 9.56 am ex-Glasgow Central south out of Carlisle on a wintry 22 December 1962, heading for Euston.

Preston: Stanier 8F 48056 approaches Preston from the south with a coal train on a gloomy December afternoon in 1967. On the right an 08 diesel shunter is in Christian Road yard amongst some goods wagons. This is now the site of the Royal Mail sorting office, unfortunately no longer rail served.

Preston: On a murky December afternoon in 1967, a coal train headed by Stanier 8F 48081 is held by signals in Preston station. Using this side of Preston station this train could well be bound for the Courtaulds factory on the old Longridge branch, which at this time was still receiving three coal trains a day. [[34401]]

Preston: Black 5 45353 makes a vigorous start from Preston, with the Blackpool portion of a Euston to Windermere express, in December 1967. Just over seven months later the last two steam hauled regular passenger services left this station, for Blackpool and Liverpool respectively.

Tebay: A rain-soaked December morning during the final weeks of steam over Shap, with a freight heading off uphill from Tebay. The banker was Standard 4 75030 and the train engine Black 5 44878.

Preston: Stanier 8F 48463 brings a load of coal, probably for Fleetwood Power Station, through Preston on a rainy December afternoon in 1967. A short parcels departs south behind Black 5 45287.

Hardengreen Junction: The signal box at Hardengreen Junction, looking north along the Waverley line towards Eskbank in December 1968. To the left is the trackbed of the Peebles loop. Minimal locomotive servicing facilities and a turntable were also located here with the location classified as a sub shed of 64A St Margarets. Eskbank station is on the other side of the bridge in the background. See image [[62036]]

Leyland: 87015 Howard of Effingham heads for Euston on the Up Fast through Leyland in 1980. Apart from the stock used on the express trains Leyland station has changed little in the years since this picture was taken. Although many of the Class 87s are now embarking on a new lease of life in Bulgaria 87015 was withdrawn in November 2004 and cut up the following October at MoD Caerwent.

Skew Bridge Junction: 87026 'Redgauntlet' and 87033 'Thane of Fife' pass Skew Bridge Junction on the Down Fast with a freight for the north on 22nd December 1980. Both these electric locos were exported to Bulgaria at the end of their later service with Virgin Trains.

Leyland: 87031 'Hal o' the Wynd' speeds through Leyland with a Euston to Glasgow service on 22nd December 1980. The loco was just over six year's old at this time and lasted in service until 2005. It was originally intended for export to Bulgaria, but that didn't go through and it was scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in 2010.

Paisley Gilmour Street: Tartan, famous local names and landmarks along with EMU 380011 are on display in the underpass to greet visitors to Paisley Gilmour Street. Thankfully, haggis does not feature in the artwork.

Stratford: Class 313 at the 'North London Line' platforms at Stratford in 2004. This is now the terminus for NLL services from Richmond following absorption of much of the former route to North Woolwich by the DLR in late 2006.

Carstairs East Junction: The Dolphinton Branch (opened 1867) met the mainline of Caledonian Railway at Dolphinton Junction, Carstairs. This junction was also (from 1872) the east junction of the Carstairs triangle and is today more appropriately called Carstairs East Junction. This 2004 view looks west from the former Dolphinton Branch trackbed (closed 1950) and shows a train taking the east to south curve. Dolphinton Junction was slightly further west than Carstairs East Junction as today's curve is an amalgam of the original curve and a later additional curve on an easier alignment - the curve incorporates the original hard curve away from the east end of the station and the later curve's further east junction.

Carstairs East Junction: An east coast service slowly joins the single track east to west curve at Carstairs East Junction (formerly Dolphinton Junction) in 2004. The view looks east.

Lampits Junction: This view looks south at Lampits Junction, Carstairs, in 2004. This junction was the north east end of the curve from Float Junction, Carstairs. The triangular junction (Carstairs, Float, Lampits) opened in 1848 and the east side closed officially in 1860 being replaced by the more sharply curved Strawfrank to Dolphinton curve (opened 1872). The Dolphinton Branch cut through the disused trackbed.

Carstairs East Junction: An East Coast service from Glasgow at Carstairs East Junction leaving the west to east curve. The trackbed of the former Dolphinton Branch can be seen running to the left from the centre of this 2004 view and beyond it the south running mainline to Carlisle.

Carstairs Shed: Building remaining alongside the former Carstairs MPD in 2004. Probably the 'Electricity Works' shown on OS maps of this location.

Cambus: Looking east through the morning mist towards Alloa from Cambus level crossing on 22 December 2006, with ballast trucks standing in the loop and all work suspended for the holiday period. The spire of St Mungo's Church on Bedford Place can be seen in the background through the haze.

Alloa: Advance preparations for next years tidiest station competition... or possibly just the Christmas shutdown. Alloa station site on 22 December 2006.

Kincardine Junction: Helensfield bridge, east of Alloa, on 22 December 2006. The new deck was hoisted into place the previous weekend.

Quorn and Woodhouse: Now this would look good on a chocolate box. BR Std 2MT 2-6-0 78019 hauls a colourful passenger train heading south from Quorn towards Leicester near Swithland in 2007, approaching Rabbit Bridge. Film was taken near here for use in the film Enigma, unfortunately it was used not just to represent the Bedford-Bletchley line, but also the West Coast Main Line!

Earn Viaduct [Forgandenny]: Unlucky? A thirteen coach special running to Dundee on 22 December passing the Forgandenny oxbow lake, T&T by EWS class 67s.

Cambus: A Longannet coal train on the direct route via Stirling and Alloa about to run over Cambus level crossing on 22 December 2008 behind EWS 66159.

Alloa [1st]: The 1318 from Glasgow Queen Street takes the platform line at Alloa Station Junction on 22 December 2008.

Nailsea and Blackwell: First Great Western 143621 with a service from Weston-super-Mare to Bristol Parkway via Temple Meads calls at Nailsea and Blackwell on 22 December on its journey north.

Alloa [1st]: A Glasgow Queen Street - Alloa service, approaching its destination on 22 December 2008, passing the site of the original (1850-1968) Alloa station.

Nailsea and Blackwell: Heading south west from Bristol for Weston-super-Mare is First Great Western 158767, photographed at Nailsea and Blackwell on 22 December 2008.

Cambus: One of the Hunterston - Longannet coal trains approaching Cambus level crossing from the west on 22 December 2008. The Diageo complex stands beyond the fence on the left.

Llangollen: Stanier Black 5 no 44806 at Llangollen on Santa Special duty on 22 December 2008.

Nailsea and Blackwell: 150266 on a Bristol Temple Meads - Taunton service on 22 December, photographed heading south between Nailsea & Blackwell and Yatton.

Tay Viaduct [Perth]: View of the Tay Viaduct curving east out of Perth. 22 September 2008.

Wrexham General: The old Great Western Railway Goods Shed (and later extension) still stands on the east side of line by Wrexham General Station. The former railway goods depot is now a builders merchants yard.

Airdrie: A Helensburgh - Edinburgh Waverley service, formed by 334 002, approaching Airdrie station on the afternoon of 22 December 2010.

Tondu: Remains of the north end of the redundant northbound platform at Tondu, which once handled services coming off the line from Margam. Two complete, but now disconnected, sidings remain in situ amongst the undergrowth behind the platform. See image [[18266]]

Ribble Steam Railway Workshops: A new addition to the Ribble Steam Railway stock is Railbus E79960, on long term loan from the North Norfolk Railway. It is planned to use the railbus on the midweek school holiday services starting at February half term 2013.

Cheddleton: A pair of class 37s resting at Cheddleton on the Churnet Valley Railway on 22 December 2013.

Hest Bank: In the gathering gloom at dusk on the shortest day of 2014, Freightliner 66545 takes a train of empty coal hoppers north alongside the shore at Hest Bank. The postal train that should have passed at this time was running twenty minutes late, by which time all remaining light had gone.

Congleton: In a path between frequent Virgin and CrossCountry expresses and with its destination blind showing its starting point, Northern Rail 323238 arrives at Congleton with a Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester stopping service on 22 December.

Congleton: With the rather uninspiring design of the station just visible in the background, the more attractive proportions and detail of the well preserved North Staffordshire Railway goods shed at Congleton are shown to advantage. Its condition is a credit to its owners.

Liverpool Lime Street: East Midlands Trains unit 158856 stands at Liverpool Lime Street on 22 December 2014 forming the 1452 service to Norwich.

Liverpool Lime Street: The frontage of Lime Street station, Liverpool, 22 December 2014.

Liverpool Lime Street: Northern 156421 arrives at Liverpool Lime Street on 22 December 2014.

Kingsway Tram Subway: View from above the northern portal of the old Kingsway Tram Subway at Southampton Row in central London, on 22nd December 2015. The subway was opened for single deck tramcars from Southampton Row to Aldwych on 24th February 1906 and extended to its exit on the Victoria Embankment below Waterloo Bridge on 10th April 1908. From 2nd February 1930 to 14th January 1931, it was temporarily closed for rebuilding to take double deck trams and for the next 21 years continued to provide a link between the London Tramways north and south of the Thames, crossing the river on Westminster Bridge. Between the two world wars, trams fell from favour and the subway closed after the last tram on 5th April 1952 although they continued to operate on other routes until the final demise of the London Tram System on 5th July 1952. (I was only 6 months old in April 1952 but was told I did travel on a tram through the subway on my mum's lap although of course, sadly, I have no memory of doing so.)

Haymarket: For Haymarket this looks a bit of a wait for the next train, but then this is the Brigadoon Platform 0, being used here to accommodate extra services added because of the Forth Road Bridge closure. The bridge was due to reopen the next day, 12 days earlier than planned. This screen will presumably therefore return to its usual static message, which is effectively 'you must have the wrong platform'.

Edinburgh Waverley: Detail from the Borders Railway liveried Class 170 set at Waverley on 22nd December 2015. Even though a couple of services are extended to and from Fife it's pushing it a bit to include the Forth Bridge as part of the route. Then again the Forth estuary is not known for whales, smiling or otherwise.

Huntington: View south along New Road at Huntington on the outskirts of York showing the significant hump just before the entrance to the Shepherd Group Portakabin production plant. A level crossing existed here on the York to Beverley line, closed 50 years ago in 1965. Earswick station was sited a short distance to the right, towards York, with Warthill the next station to the east. The former trackbed beyond the grassed area to the left, along the northern boundary of the Portakabin plant, forms a long linear car parking area. See image [[53739]]

Huntington: Looking east in December 2015 from the former level crossing on New Road at Huntington along the route of the York to Beverley line closed in 1965. The line continued along what is now the northern edge of the Shepherd group Portakabin manufacturing plant, running between the line of trees on the left and the building to the right, beyond the fence. See image [[53798]] for a view in the opposite direction.

Kingsway Tram Subway: View down the ramp to the northern portal of the old Kingsway Tram Subway at Southampton Row in Holborn, central London, on 22nd December 2015. It lasted less than half a century in service from 1906 until 1952 but the tram tracks are still 'in situ' all these decades later as a silent memorial to London's once vast but now sadly lost original tram network. See [[77328]] for a brief history of the subway.

Huntington: The solum of the former line from York to Beverley heading east from New Road, Huntington, York, See image [[53739]] is relatively unobstructed for many miles, whereas the westernmost section from the junction with the York to Scarborough line has been substantially built over. This view along the line of the New Road level crossing sees the first of the many houses obliterating the former trackbed through to Huntington Road.

Haymarket: 67 008 at the Fife end of a push-pull service using Platform 0 at Haymarket. This is one of the extra services put on to take increased traffic while the Forth Road Bridge is closed, though this train was conspicuously unbusy. Platform 0 has no regular services; it only comes into life when something has 'gone wrong'.

Norwich: 170201, on a service to Cambridge, at Norwich station on 30th August 2016

Glenfinnan Viaduct: Once I became aware of the drain pipes on the Glenfinnan Viaduct I realised they're everywhere. Oh and I should mention that I've not played with the colour. The marks left by the shuttering used when the concrete was poured are still obvious.

Aberdeen: I was leaving Union Square shopping Centre and I heard the distinctive noise of a ex GWR HST as I walked over the bridge over the North end of the station. On the right is the old entrance to the station, now Tiffiny Hair and Beauty, the office block on the left is earmarked for demolition and a new Square and entrance is planned for the station.

Wymondham: 170 201 from Norwich to Cambridge at Wymondham station, Norfolk, on 30th August 2016

Wymondham: Its actually Farewell to Wymondham as 170 201 departs the station with a Norwich to Cambridge service on 30th August 2016

Galway Ceannt: Iarnrod Eireann 03 22342 to Dublin Heuston at Galway station on 21st June 2017.

Mallow: Iarnrod Eireann 229 from Dublin Heuston to Kent Station Cork arriving at its penultimate stop at Mallow station on 19th June 2017. This is the junction for the branch to Tralee via Killarney, which until 1963 was part of a lengthy loop line back to Limerick Junction via Listowel and Abbeyfeale while Mallow was also the junction for the line heading east to Waterford via Fermoy and Dungarvan that closed in 1967.

Ayr: Although normal trains services have been resumed at Ayr, in the closed-off booking hall / concourse, the information displays play normally for no-one to see and work continues. 22nd December 2018.

Ayr: Back to operating normally at Ayr. The 1450hrs service to North Berwick is ready to leave from the fully-open Platform 3 on 22nd December 2018.

Noel Park and Wood Green: Allotments on the course of the Seven Sisters to Palace Gates branch in north London, between the now demolished stations at Noel Park & Wood Green and West Green looking towards Seven Sisters, on 28th January 2012. The line closed to passengers on 7th January 1963 and to freight on 4th October 1964. Curiously, if Crossrail 2 ever gets built, the proposed New Southgate branch from Seven Sisters will more or less follow the course of this long abandoned line but presumably will be below ground. However, don't hold your breath that this will happen anytime soon.

Leyland: 20+20 in 2020 and in BR Green! LSL sent the pair (D8107 and D8096) from Crewe to Carlisle on 22 December 2020 and are seen approaching Leyland on the Down Fast. The pair are scheduled to operate a train out of Aberdeen on 6th January 2021.