Dauntsey: 50002 Superb eastbound at Dauntsey on the GWR main line on 23 December 1983. The locomotive is currently being restored by the Devon Diesel Society.

Barrhill: 27005 at Barrhill on 23.12.1986 at 10.25 with an additional parcels working to Stranraer, due to pre-Christmas demand.

North Queensferry Tunnel: The lighting, which would now be deemed inadequate, makes the interior of this Class 117 seem rather cosy, as does the enforced intimacy of table-less facing seats (not so much fun at the time). Whatever the bloke with the glabrous pate is doing he isn't checking his phone; even if he could afford one in 1994 there would be nothing to check.

Auchencorth Peat Moss Railway: Shed scene on the Auchencorth peat railway to the south of Penicuik, Midlothian, with petrol locomotive T1 standing in the yard. The photograph was taken two days before Christmas 2003, with operations closed down for the holiday period. The 2ft gauge system at Auchencorth Moss was operated on behalf of William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd. (Note the disc signal mounted on the shed roof.)

Auchencorth Peat Moss Railway: A petrol locomotive on the 2ft gauge peat railway operated by William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd at Auchencorth Moss to the south of Penicuik in December 2003.

Monktonhall Colliery: 2004 view looking south over the remaining looped siding, which latterly served a loading pad at Monktonhall for final coal extraction. The loop was accessed from the south. Monktonhall Colliery was off to the right. To the left is the overgrown site of the Millerhill Yard Down Sorting Sidings.

Straiton Sidings: View to compare with the more recent shot see image [[32922]]. There was a short siding (new in 1878) to the left of the line seen here and former cabin which stood to the left. This may have been for 'cripples'. Off to the right of the Straiton Branch exchange sidings was a rail served tip, accessed from the branch. At the time of the photograph the track a short distance behind the camera and up to the City Bypass overbridge was lifted.

Carstairs: A fine selection of track machines assembled in the sidings at Carstairs on 23 December 2005. Photograph taken looking north from the station platform under a weak winter sun. The gathering was part of the preparations for scheduled engineering works on the WCML over the Christmas holiday period.

Johnstone: Johnstone station, very early morning

Glasgow Central: The driver of the 0800 GNER service to Kings Cross awaiting the departure whistle.

Glasgow Central: 91122 Tam The Gun departs Glasgow Central propelling the 0800 service to Kings Cross.

Glasgow Central: 390001 Virgin Pioneer waits to depart with a London Euston service.

Glasgow Central: 91102 Durham Cathedral at Glasgow Central.

Glasgow Central: 67011 collecting the empty Caledonian Sleeper stock at Glasgow Central.

Glasgow Central: 334011 sitting at Platform 11a, Glasgow Central.

Glasgow Central: Mark 4 DVT at the front of an 0800 service to London Kings Cross.

Drem: The up Highland Chieftain in GNER days. The 0755 Inverness - London Kings Cross HST speeds south through Drem station on 23 December 2007.

Shields Road: Track stockpiled at Shields Road ready for the works over Christmas.

Dumbarton East: The newly cleaned and painted railway bridge at Dumbarton East. View looks east.

Wrexham General: The imposing former Great Western Railway staircase and lift tower to the footbridge at the North end of Wrexham General station, photographed in December 2009.

Chinley: The 1045 hrs Northern Trains Manchester to Sheffield service has just called at Chinley on 23 December 2009. The Class 142 and 150 combination are seen heading eastwards, away from the camera in winter sunshine and with a blanket of snow on the ground. Merry Christmas

Cardiff Central: DRS Malcolm Rail liveried 66412 stabled in the sidings at the west end of Cardiff Central station on 23 December 2009. Freightliner later acquired 66412, along with nine other DRS 66s, and in October 2012 it was exported and is now in operation with Freightliner Poland.

Manchester Piccadilly: Looking towards the buffers at Manchester Piccadilly on 23 December 2009. On the right in platform 1 is a Northern Rail service for Sheffield via New Mills and the Hope Valley, while on platform 4, a First TransPennine service to Hull is being prepared by coupling together a pair of two-car Turbostars.

Cardiff Central: DRS 66415 stands across Penarth Road bridge at the east end of Cardiff Central station in December 2009, in front of stored former Advenza Freight locomotive no 57005. As of December 2012 66415 is working with Freightliner, and 57005 is now with West Coast Rail Co but in store at Carnforth

Chinley: 142011 calls at the very wide island platform at Chinley on 23 December 2009 on the 1045 hrs Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield service. The unit has an out of use Class 150 attached to the rear on a positioning move... or was it for insurance?.

Leyland: A service heading to Hazel Grove from Preston in the hands of 142046 calls at a snowy Leyland on 23 December 2009.

Airdrie: An Edinburgh Waverley - Helensburgh Central train formed by 334 001 heads west from Airdrie station on the afternoon of 23 December 2010.

Northampton: The 15.25 to Euston has a good think about venturing out into the rain at Northampton on 23rd December. Sadly, the route to Bedford - which can just be seen heading off under the bridge - has not been available for some 47 years.

Carnforth: 92041 Vaughan Williams speeds a rake of containers south past the remains of Carnforth's main line platforms in the last bit of the daylight on 23rd December 2011

Carnforth: The 1507hrs to Lancaster is already a few minutes late but will have to wait at Carnforth a little longer as a southbound container train has been given priority by the signallers. 153317 is on a Cumbrian Coast service with only the short run through Hest Bank to complete its journey.

Northampton: The 15.50 to Milton Keynes, soaking wet at Northampton on 23rd December.

Haymarket: View west at Haymarket on 23 December 2012, with and the second phase of the new footbridge now in position.

Haymarket: Work in progress at Haymarket. View from the platform on 23 December 2012.

Haymarket: Looking east along platforms 2 & 3 at Haymarket on 23 December showing the scale of the construction work taking place there at present. The top corner of the 1842 E&G station building can be seen centre left.

Loughton: LUL 1992 stock on a Central Line train to Epping departing from Loughton station, on 23rd December 2013. This is the Essex town's third station; the first was opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 22nd August 1856 as the terminus of the line from Stratford. It was replaced with a new station by the Great Eastern Railway which extended the line to Ongar on 24th April 1865, the extension diverging just outside the original terminus which became a goods yard. In anticipation of the electrification of the line for LPTB Central Line trains, the present station was opened on 21st April 1940 but World War Two delayed the scheme and it was 21st November 1948 before tube trains reached Loughton with extension to Epping on 25th September 1949. The goods yard on the site of the 1856 station remained open until 1966, served by steam trains using the original ECR route between Stratford (Loughton Branch Junction) and Leyton and which remained in use for early morning DMU staff trains until 1970.

Hest Bank: The last Christmas Postal Extra of 2014 heads south behind DBS electric 90035. The train is passing the Hest Bank livery stables approaching the level crossing on 23rd December. The return trip from Shieldmuir to Warrington has been made on most weekdays in December.

Alexandra Parade: ScotRail 334001, ultimate destination Cumbernauld, leaves Alexandra Parade heading north for Barnhill and Springburn on the morning of 23rd December 2014.

Shawfair: Looking south over Shawfair station on the afternoon of 23 December 2014, with notable progress on both the station footbridge and car park since the previous visit.

Christmas: To all contributors and visitors to Railscot during 2014 - have a Merry Christmas... and a Happy 2015!

Alexandra Parade: The 1053 service to Dalmuir seen from under the road bridge at Alexandra Parade on 23rd December 2014.

Alexandra Parade: 334037 bound for Dalmuir has just cleared the arched bridge at Alexandra Parade on the morning of 23rd December 2014.

King's Gate Junction: The points controlling the changeover between single and double line sections of the Borders Railway at Kings Gate, just south of the Edinburgh City Bypass, on 23 December 2014, with everything looking fairly tidy for the Christmas shut-down. The yellow sign reads, 'STOP - Points 536 - Contact BAM RLC before continuing'.

Alexandra Parade: 334037 forming the 1023 Cumbernauld - Dalmuir service arrives at Alexandra Parade on 23rd December 2014.

Bellgrove Junction: An unidentified electric multiple unit, sandwiched between two translator coaches, is hauled by 47805 up the gradient towards Eastfield on 23rd December 2015.

Farnworth Tunnel: A Blackpool to Huddersfield (via Manchester Victoria) service exits the southern portal of the new Farnworth Tunnel on 23 December 2015. On the left there is still track in place through the old small bore tunnel which had been used for all services for 7 months but it is no longer connected. A normal timetable was resumed on 14 December after the Down line was connected up.

Preston: Having arrived at Preston from Carlisle via the Cumbrian Coast, 37401 'Mary Queen of Scots prepares to head north to Barrow with the 2C47 1004 service on 23 December 2015.

Didcot Parkway: Freightliner 70011 takes an eastbound Freightliner past Didcot station on 23rd December 2015.

Didcot Parkway: HST power car 43126, bedecked in Bristol - European Green Capital 2015 bodyside vinyls, speeds through Didcot on 23rd December 2015 passing under the temporary footbridge.

Didcot Parkway: Colas Rail Plasser & Theurer Switch & Crossing Tamper machine DR73935 passing through Didcot station on 23rd December 2015.

Hest Bank: A special ECS movement from Glasgow to Burton-on-Trent, presumably conveying coaches that had been used on the Forth Bridge extra services, makes a colourful spectacle as it heads south through Hest Bank behind Freightliner 90045. Rather unusually for December 2015 the train passed Lancashire in bright sunshine.

Farnworth Tunnel: A Blackpool North service leaving the new Farnworth Tunnel on 23 December 2015. The train is passing under the new Cemetery Road bridge and approaching the repositioned Farnworth station. To the right is a section of the old platform, with the former down tunnel in the background.

Milton Keynes Central: A Voyager at MK Central heading for London - there seemed to be such a service every two minutes. Something to do with Christmas, perhaps. see image [[46577]]

Milton Keynes Central: The sparse - six trains a week - service from MKC to Adderley Park may make you feel like a Minor Traveller see image [[42528]].

St Anton Am Arlberg (Old): The front of the old station building in St Anton am Arlberg, Austria, now an anex of the Post Hotel. 23rd December 2017.

St Anton Am Arlberg (New): Bahn Touristik Express from Den Hagg enters St Anton am Arlberg on 23rd December 2017, running some 50 mins late due to international problems according to the station announcer. This train is basically a sleeper/ couchette train departing on a Friday evening bringing skiers to the Alps.

St Anton Am Arlberg (Old): Platform view of the old station in St Anton am Arlberg on 23rd December 2017. The railway originally ran through the centre of town but this caused traffic problems and in 2001 a new 6km section of track was built to divert the line and a new station replaced the 1884 structure, which is now part of the Post Hotel.

St Anton Am Arlberg (New): Wien to Zurich Railjet service pulls into St Anton am Arlberg on 23rd December 2017. Having departed at 0530 it will arrive at its destination at 1320hrs.

St Anton Am Arlberg (New): Double headed EC163 from Zurich to Graz pulls into St Anton am Arlberg on 23rd December 2017. The first two coaches are Swiss 1st Class Gotthard Express Panorama coaches.

St Anton Am Arlberg (New): EC163 Zurich to Graz departs St Anton heading towards Innsbruck, next stop Landeck, on 23rd December 2017. The coach is an SBB Gotthard Express Panorama vehicle.

St Anton Am Arlberg (New): Point heaters working well at St Anton am Arlberg station on 23rd December 2017. The temperature at the time was -5C.

Newton: Comin' at ya. A westbound service pulls out of Newton on 16th December 2017. 318s are the most common fare on Argyle Line services, as seen here. 314s form the Cathcart Lines trains - for now, anyway.

Princes Street Gardens: Princes Street Gardens on 23rd December 2017, and a novelty steam train trundling around as part of the Christmas market with Santa Claus driving. To the right is Waverly station.

Edinburgh Princes Street: Edinburgh's impressive Caledonian Hotel at the east end of Princes Street, looking very festive and nicely decorated on 23rd December 2017. I wonder how many people now realise that there was a very substantial railway station behind the hotel.

Constitution Street [Tram]: Looking south along Constitution Street, Leith, at excavation work for the Newhaven extension to the Edinburgh Trams route, on 23 December.

Ashley: 66089 runs through Ashley in Cheshire on 23rd December 2021, working waste transfer wagons from Knowsley near Kirkby to Wilton on Teesside. These trains come off the Kirkby branch at Wigan Wallgate but rather than go direct through Manchester Victoria they head down the WCML to Hartford before joining this line to Altrincham. They then run through Stockport, Denton, Ashton Moss and Miles Platting before eventually gaining the Calder Valley route towards Yorkshire, an extra forty miles on the journey but avoiding Platting bank. Empties to Knowsley take the direct route.

Ashley: 150127 leads a 4-car Sprinter calling at Ashley on a Manchester Piccadilly to Chester service on 23rd December 2021. The station building here is a private residence as Ashley is now unstaffed. There was once a small goods yard to the right of the point where the train is.

Ashley: A grey day at Ashley as a Manchester to Chester service pulls away heading for the next stop at Mobberley on 23rd December 2021.