Railways of Cumbria http://daviddockray.photos.us.com/ 4 rows en-gb 60 West Coast Main Line Carnforth to Carlisle http://daviddockray.photos.us.com/c1460168.html Traffic on the WCML has changed dramatically since the early 1980s. In those days virtually every train over Shap was electric loco hauled. Freight traffic included mail, newspapers, oil and chemicals. As British Rail became "sectorised" in the late 1980s a lot of freight went over to diesel haulage. In recent years coal and intermodal traffic has dominated, mostly hauled by class 66 diesels. Scheduled daytime passenger trains are split beween diesel units and electric Pendolinos, so locos can be few and far between. In addition photographers have to contend with new electrification masts, fencing and signs! Sunday 17 February 2008: Traffic on the WCML has changed dramatically since the early 1980s. In those days virtually every train over Shap was electric loco hauled. Freight traffic included mail, newspapers, oil and chemicals. As British Rail became "sectorised" in the late 1980s a lot of freight went over to diesel haulage. In recent years coal and intermodal traffic has dominated, mostly hauled by class 66 diesels. Scheduled daytime passenger trains are split beween diesel units and electric Pendolinos, so locos can be few and far between. In addition photographers have to contend with new electrification masts, fencing and signs!

With the snow capped Lake District fells in the distance 86207 passes Meal Bank with a Virgin Cross Country service 19/2/00 37109 hauls the daily Carlisle-Crewe engineers train near Penrith 7/5/04 In multiple 56072 + 56032 hurry north from Oxenholme with a lengthy engineers train at 7am 19/6/03 60095 passes Sedgwick with Jarrow-Stanlow empty tanks 8/6/96 RES 90016 approaches Oxenholme with a short mail train 12/6/96 90150 sweeps past Greenholme with a northbound Freightliner 7/6/96 87101 Unique Transrail blue 37116 was a regular visitor to Cumbria during 1996, seen here at Beckfoot 16/7/96 with a short engineers train 87007 cruises up to Shap summit with 87030 and the 14.40 Euston-Glasgow in tow 16/7/96 A lucky hole in the cloud afforded this shot of 56058 on the petfood train at Well Heads 9/7/96 One of the first locos to receive EWS red livery was 56057, seen here in the Lune Gorge dragging failed 87007 on the 14.37 Carlisle-Euston 14/7/96 An amazing spectacle at Greenholme as 37191/214/255/178 pass with a rail train 7/6/96 56123 passes Docker with the Deanside-Wisbech petfood train 28/6/96. Yes the sky really was that dark! 56059 climbs Shap bank at Greenholme with HEA coal hoppers 30/8/96 87004 56007 hauls a timber train near Oxenholme 7/9/96 56083 heads north at Docker with coal empties 12/11/96 With the Howgill fells covered in snow 37255 passes Docker with a ballast train 22/12/96 60008 heads through the Lune Gorge with coal empties 28/5/00 20304 + 20305 pass Lambrigg with a Bristol-Newcastle railtour 14/9/96. This was the site of the 2007 Pendolino crash. In the mid 1990s several locos emerged from overhaul in light grey undercoat prior to receiving a repaint in EWS red livery. Here 56041 passes Sedgwick with a coal train 21/9/96 60041 passes Well Heads with the Irvine-Burngullow china clay tanks plus a couple of vans, 9/5/97 60044 approaches Shap with the Jarrow-Stanlow empty tanks 14/5/97 Lime dust blows off the wagons as 60024 accelerates the Hardendale-Tyne yard limestone train past Bessy Gill 12/4/97 86241 passes Rowell with the evening mail train for Bristol 8/5/97 Freshly painted 60043 is seen at Hardrigg with the Jarrow-Stanlow tanks 29/3/97 90132 passes Shap Beck with an intermodal train 11/4/97 56055 passes Docker with the Hardendale-Margam lime train 25/8/97 87016 sweeps through the gorge with a Euston-Glasgow express 7/8/97 60049 passes the former Burton & Holme station with northbound coal empties 18/7/97 60018 leads 60002 with the Jarrow-Stanlow empties in the Lune Gorge 9/7/97 One of 3 Mainline blue liveried 60s, 60078 is seen in the Lune Gorge with coal empties 14/8/97 This go-faster HST set formed a Blackpool-Glasgow working vice class 158 DMU through the Lune Gorge on 18/7/97 60008 was one of 5 class 60s to receive Loadhaul black livery, seen at Lambrigg with Stanlow-Jarrow tanks 9/9/97 In the summer of 1997 DRS ran a trial milk train from Penrith to Cricklewood running 7 days a week. DRS had very few locos at the time and hence the use of solo 20301 seen near Grayrigg on Sunday 6/7/97 56067 passes Beckfoot with a well loaded In British Steel blue livery 60033 passes Shapbeck with the Redcar-Hardendale limestone empties 9/9/97 This unique Caledonian blue livery was applied to 86245 for a short time, seen near Docker at the head of a Euston-Glasgow service 4/7/98 An unidentified 86/2 runs parallel to the M6 in the Lune Gorge with a Cross Country working 5/7/98 37212 + 37685 pass through the Lune Gorge on a Sunday ballast working 3/5/98 SNCB liveried 90028 hauls a southbound mail train near Great Strickland 2/7/98 DB liveried 90129 approaches Greenholme with an intermodal train 14/5/97 37370 seen in the Lune Gorge with another Sunday ballast working 3/5/98 56114 bowls along at Elmsfield with a lengthy A colourful convoy of 5 locos passes Beckfoot 1/5/99 - 56132, 56049, 37040, 37248, 37692 A rough sounding 56099 approaches Shap with a heavy coal train 22/8/98 At 7.11 am 29/4/99 37796 + 37707 climb Shap bank near Scout Green with coal empties The Hardendale-Margam lime train departs from the loop at Shap summit behind 56114 24/7/98 56065 breasts Shap summit with timber empties 24/7/98 The Howgill fells dominate the scene as an HST heads north through the Lune Gorge 17/10/99

Published in Railways of Cumbria

]]> Sun Feb 17 2008 Furness Line Carnforth to Barrow http://daviddockray.photos.us.com/c1455382.html The Furness line meanders round Morecambe Bay, crossing the estuaries of the rivers Kent and Leven by means of two substantial viaducts. Although the line runs along the sea wall through Grange-over-sands, the sea rarely gets close and the beach is mostly grass. Until the mid 1990s there were regular loco hauled passenger trains to Barrow, now it's all DMUs. Currently the only freight traffic is nuclear flask trains to Sellafield, even the chemical tank trains no longer use this line. Friday 8 February 2008: The Furness line meanders round Morecambe Bay, crossing the estuaries of the rivers Kent and Leven by means of two substantial viaducts. Although the line runs along the sea wall through Grange-over-sands, the sea rarely gets close and the beach is mostly grass. Until the mid 1990s there were regular loco hauled passenger trains to Barrow, now it's all DMUs. Currently the only freight traffic is nuclear flask trains to Sellafield, even the chemical tank trains no longer use this line.

56029 departs Barrow with 56114 on the rear with a portion of a Pathfinder railtour bound for Ramsden Dock, 25/4/98. 20304 + 20301 approach Kents Bank with 2 tanks 12/9/97 37713 crosses Arnside viaduct with the longest flask train I've ever seen 11/4/98 56114 approaches Grange with a Bristol-Barrow railtour 25/4/98. The sea only reaches the railway embankment during the highest tides. 37042 passes Plumpton Junction with a heavy rail train 23/9/99. The signal box and semaphores have since been removed. 20314 + 20315 approach Grange with a tank train 27/7/01. Arnside viaduct is visible in the distance. 37261 crosses Leven viaduct in the early morning of 18/8/98 with a short lived flow of paper pulp to Ramsden Dock 20302 approaches Kents Bank with the Heysham flasks with 20303 on the rear 29/8/07 Viewed from the top of Arnside Knott a return Carlisle-Euston charter crosses the viaduct 26/9/07 headed by 67012. 20303 brings up the rear of the Heysham flasks near Kents Bank 29/8/07 37042 passes Flookburgh with a rail train 30/4/99 20309 + 20311 lead 20313 + 20314 past Cart Lane with a flask train 29/4/99 31319 passes Furness Abbey with a flask train 6/7/96 47854 hauls an inspection saloon through Flookburgh 6/5/04 31188 passes Cart Lane with a flask train 30/8/97 37895 near Plumpton with a rail train 21/9/99 With the moon rising 37521 passes Black Dyke on a rail train 28/8/01 37609 growls up Lindal bank with chemical tanks from Sellafield 28/8/01 20309 top and tail with 20306 works a weedkiller train at Black Dyke 7/7/05 31450 shunts ferry wagons at Ramsden Dock 22/7/98 A burst of sunlight on a cloudy day as 37259 + 37611 rumble over Leven viaduct with the loaded tanks 23/9/05 31465 stands at Ramsden Dock ready to work a train to Sellafield 19/7/96 20303 leads 2 empty tanks bound for Folly Lane (Runcorn) away from Dalton Junction with 20302 idling on the rear 7/5/04. The train had come via the Dalton loop avoiding Barrow. 33025 + 33030 pass Flookburgh with 2 flasks 5/5/04 20314 + 20308 + 20312 + 20304 approach Carnforth with 6 flasks 16/6/04 Very unusually 56032 + 56072 hauled a rail train from Workington on 19/6/03 seen approaching Carnforth 40145 passes Kents Bank with a charter from Barrow to Aberystwyth early morning Bank Holiday Monday 5/5/08 20302 + 20306 pass Pennington with a flask train 8/5/08 Early morning on 12/6/09 and a jumbo flask train crosses Leven viaduct headed by 37612 + 37605. Heysham power station is visible in the distance. 47804 climbs Lindal bank with a Barrow-Blaenau Ffestiniog charter 11/7/09 37609 + 37604 cross Leven viaduct with a flask train 11/7/09

Published in Railways of Cumbria

]]> Fri Feb 8 2008 Cumbrian Coast Barrow to Carlisle http://daviddockray.photos.us.com/c1443121.html I'm defining "Coast" as the Barrow to Carlisle route via Whitehaven. (A separate collection will cover the Carnforth to Barrow "Furness" line.) Sadly rail traffic along the Cumbrian Coast is sparse these days. Apart from local DMU passenger trains, there are erratic nuclear flask and chemical tank trains to Sellafield which are often just 1 or 2 wagons, and a daily Carlisle to Workington freight. DRS which operate all the Sellafield traffic use a variety of classic traction and are notorious for having up to 5 locos on trains for positioning purposes. For many years there was a ban on loco hauled passenger trains north of Maryport due to restricted clearances but this has now been relaxed and there are more charter trains using the route. Tuesday 1 January 2008: I'm defining "Coast" as the Barrow to Carlisle route via Whitehaven. (A separate collection will cover the Carnforth to Barrow "Furness" line.) Sadly rail traffic along the Cumbrian Coast is sparse these days. Apart from local DMU passenger trains, there are erratic nuclear flask and chemical tank trains to Sellafield which are often just 1 or 2 wagons, and a daily Carlisle to Workington freight. DRS which operate all the Sellafield traffic use a variety of classic traction and are notorious for having up to 5 locos on trains for positioning purposes. For many years there was a ban on loco hauled passenger trains north of Maryport due to restricted clearances but this has now been relaxed and there are more charter trains using the route.

37602 + 20311 with empty tanks near Nethertown 8/5/06 33025 Redness Point 22/2/03 37605 + 37606 + 33030 + 33025 near Nethertown 10/5/03 33025 + 33030 Nethertown 5/4/03 37606 + 20311 pass Mossbay with a flask train 29/5/06 20310 + 20307 in fabulous conditions near St Bees 22/5/99 20301 + 20302 near Foxfield with a flask train 15/5/03 56107 approaches Maryport with the daily freight trip from Workington Dock to Carlisle Yard 10/5/03 33030 + 33025 top & tail 2 chemical tanks over the Mite viaduct at Ravenglass 13/5/03 31188 + 31154 pass the former Bullgill station with a rail train 9/7/97 Loadhaul black 37698 approaches Kirkby with the Heysham flask train 14/7/97 37709 near Workington with the daily trip freight from Carlisle 9/7/97 A lucky fluke near Maryport as 31188 + 31154 on a northbound rail train pass 37114 with empty rail wagons bound for Workington 9/7/97 37262 Nose first 20301 heads back to Sellafield with empty wagons from Drigg 8/7/97 Solo 20301 passes Seascale with the Drigg trip 8/7/97 Ex works 37611 + 37612 head a flask train over Eskmeals viaduct 6/5/03 Newly painted in EWS colours 37419 crosses Eskmeals with a flask train 17/7/96 33030 + 33025 lead 20304 + 37608 and 2 chemical tanks at Parton 3/5/03 With the mountains of Scotland visible across the Solway 20902 and 20903 top & tail a weedkiller train at Parton 15/7/96 With the Old Man of Coniston in the distance A train of long rails snakes round the bends at Parton headed by 37042 30/4/99 31467 winds along the coast near St Bees 9/7/96 37218 + 37059 lead 37611 + 37602 and 3 flasks southbound near Askam 5/5/04 31128 + 31459 head a return Workington-Leamington Spa charter at Park South 13/7/02 33030 + 33025 with a train of imported flasks via Ramsden Dock pass Millom 4/5/04 20301 + 20303 at St Bees on a glorious summer morning 15/7/00 37059 + 20306 + 37608 head north from Barrow 7/6/03 With St. Bees Head in the background 20305 + 20303 head for Sellafield 28/4/99 20301 + 20303 approach Sellafield with flasks from the north 1/7/00 37010 comes off the single line section at Parton with a mixture of flasks and barrier wagons 8/10/98 20302 hauls tanks from Runcorn Folly Lane over the Mite viaduct with 20303 bringing up the rear 4/5/04 31459 + 31602 with a Workington-Huddersfield return charter weave along the coast at Nethertown 31/3/01 With snow on the Coniston fells 66123 hauls a massive rail train at Kirkby-in-Furness 3/3/01 20906 + 20904 take 3 tanks over the Mite viaduct at Ravenglass 30/5/00 20903 + 20904 head south at Nethertown with 2 tanks 1/2/03 37612 heads north at Park South with 3 chemical tanks 21/9/99 47851 56049 backs Hoyer containers up the Workington Dock branch 9/8/03 56115 passes Curthwaite with the Hoyer containers from Workington Dock 21/2/04 On bank holiday Monday 2/5/05 a Pathfinder railtour from Cardiff eases on to the Workington Dock branch lead by 37427. 37612 + 37605 pass Flimby with a flask train 14/5/05 37259 + 20306 head north at Parton with flasks 15/7/06. Spitfire Tours ran a charter from Birmingham-Carlisle on 8/3/08 out via Shap and return around the coast. 37667 leads 37688 away from St Bees with 57601 on the rear. The empty stock for the Ravenglass-Fort William leg of the 47804 and 47851 top and tail a Carlisle-Hull charter approaching Barrow 2/5/09 37610 and 37605 top & tail a train of construction materials from Workington Docks to Drigg at Parton 1/6/09 37229 66415 and 66419 top & tail a rake of box wagons over Eskmeals to Millom 3/6/09. These would be loaded with stone overnight and taken to Drigg the next morning. Bringing up the rear of the previous train was 37610

Published in Railways of Cumbria

]]> Tue Jan 1 2008 Settle to Carlisle http://daviddockray.photos.us.com/c1443064.html The Settle and Carlisle railway must be the most famous line in Britain. The combination of engineering and scenery appeals to most people, not just railway enthusiasts. Its deliberate rundown pending closure in the early 1980s, and subsequent repreive and rennaissance are well documented. In this collection I aim to combine the best of the scenery and structures with the sheer variety of motive power which has appeared in recent years. As any regular visitors the the S&C will know sunshine is at a premium, especially on the more scenic "mountain" section from Ribblehead to Ais Gill summit, but the challenge keeps us all going back for more. Thursday 17 January 2008: The Settle and Carlisle railway must be the most famous line in Britain. The combination of engineering and scenery appeals to most people, not just railway enthusiasts. Its deliberate rundown pending closure in the early 1980s, and subsequent repreive and rennaissance are well documented. In this collection I aim to combine the best of the scenery and structures with the sheer variety of motive power which has appeared in recent years. As any regular visitors the the S&C will know sunshine is at a premium, especially on the more scenic "mountain" section from Ribblehead to Ais Gill summit, but the challenge keeps us all going back for more.

47851 with a return Chester-Glenrothes SRPS charter at Sherrif Brow 10/6/06 60044 crosses Ribblehead viaduct with the diverted Redcar-Hardendale limestone empties 19/3/05 56067 approaching Garsdale with a rail train 14/9/02 D9016 in Porterbrook livery at Waitby with a Birmingham-Carlisle railtour 28/12/02 66565 passes Pen-y-ghent with coal empties 15/6/03 47756 approaching Dent with the Royal Scotsman 3/6/97 37079 + 37708 approach Blea Moor tunnel with a coal train 14/5/97 D9000 blasts out of Blea Moor tunnel 29/3/97 with the 57310 hauls a Pendolino over Arten Gill viaduct 29/4/06 66411 60011 crosses Smardale viaduct with coal empties 4/5/98 57307 + 390052 south of Ribblehead with a diverted Carlisle-Euston service 6/5/06 Metronet liveried 66722 with a northbound gypsum Gauber 25/5/07 47813 + 47714 Garsdale 3/6/06 Stafford-Carlisle charter 57303 at Ribblehead 5/3/06 with a diverted Carlisle-Euston service For a short time class 58s worked the S&C; 58039 passes Helwith Bridge with the morning gypsum train 2/9/98 D172 Ixion passes Lunds with a southbound charter 20/7/96 D172 heads a Bradford-Appleby VSOE special past snowy Ais Gill 5/12/99 37426 at Smardale viaduct with the Saturday Gascoigne Wood to Carlisle household coal train, 21/9/96 Preserved class 40 D345 with a railtour on Ais Gill viaduct in glorious summer weather 12/7/03 37047 + 37109 with a Carlisle-Bristol return railtour at Armathwaite 2/10/04 Seconds after a steam special had passed southbound Western D1015 heads north at Smardale 3/9/05 60054 approaches Shotlock tunnel with a coal train 13/9/97 50017 hauls a Northern Belle charter at Birkett 27/8/00 50031 + 50049 cross Smardale viaduct with a Salisbury-Carlisle charter 3/8/02 56050 assists 47778 on a southbound charter near Armathwaite 3/5/99 60013 crosses Arten Gill viaduct with a northbound gypsum train 16/7/96. Dent Head viaduct is visible in the distance The distinctive outline of Ingleborough dominates the scene as 60021 heads the morning gypsum train past Blea Moor 31/8/02 47757 nears Ais Gill summit with a VSOE special 19/9/98 31602 + 31452 accelerate a return Carlisle-Skipton charter away from Garsdale 3/6/02 60054 with northbound coal empties at Dandry Mire 22/6/99 47775 crosses Dent Head viaduct with a Warrington-Edinburgh charter 5/7/97 Only a few months old 66095 is seen with a coal train near Birkett tunnel 25/9/99 47702 + 47839 pass Birkett with a southbound diversion 13/3/99 47575 hauls a diverted Birmingham-Glasgow train over Ribblehead viaduct with snow covered Pen-y-ghent in the distance, 15/1/00 60011 approaches Dent with a southbound coal train 26/8/97 66083 heads coal empties near Lazonby 29/5/00 As a result of the Dent Head derailment in July 1998, gypsum trains ran to Newbiggin via the Tyne Valley. 56081 is seen at Staingills near Langwathby 24/7/98 Dirty grey 60069 passes snowy Ais Gill summit with gypsum empties 9/1/99 47840 60100 is dwarfed by Wild Boar Fell as it toils up to the summit with a coal train 9/1/99 37405 leads the 13.33 Carlisle-Leeds across Lunds viaduct 16/10/03. 37408 is on the rear. The sadly missed Arriva loco hauled Leeds-Carlisle service ran for just under one year from October 2003. On 18/10/03 37408 brings up the rear on Dent Head viaduct. 66198 crosses Ribblehead viaduct with a coal train 11/5/02. In the foreground is the Station Inn and bunkhouse. 47725 passes a wintry Waitby with a Birmingham-Carlisle charter 30/12/00 A Hull-Edinburgh charter approaches Garsdale behind RES 47725 1/5/00 31602 + 31452 pass Stockber with a charter bound for Skipton 3/6/02 With snow on Cross Fell EWS liveried 47757 hauls a diverted Glasgow-Euston at Birkett 8/2/04 Celebrity large logo 56078 worked a Crewe-Carlisle charter on 27/12/03 seen here at Waitby GBRf's 66709 in Medite black livery heads south from Garsdale with the evening gypsum empties 14/7/06

Published in Railways of Cumbria

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