I’m still not back on the tracks as we try to reduce the risk of spreading Corona Virus. So this response to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is archive shots from quite a while ago.
A couple of friends and I visited the railway lines on the Derby-Nottinghamshire border back in 1978. We were there to witness a dying industry though we didn’t know it at the time. The Coalfields in the area were a major industry and the main reason why the railways were built here in the first place. These images were taken near Tibshelf on the Erewash Valley line before the collieries closed in the 1980’s. In both photos we see Class 20’s being used as prime motive power for stock being moved back to Tibshelf sidings in preparation for the next week’s work. These locomotives, operating in pairs, formed the backbone of much of the freight traffic in the area at the time because their combined 2000HP and low axle weight meant they could go anywhere, even on poorly maintained tracks.
In this shot, 20173+20068 arrive at Tibshelf Sidings with a train of empty mineral wagons. They will continue under the bridge before setting back into the sidings which are visible on the right behind the semaphore signals. The tracks on the left are the main line from Sheffield. Tibshelf Sidings, along with Blackwell Sidings and Westhouses Depot served the many collieries in the area.
Here, another pair of 20’s come off the Alfreton-Sheffield main line as they approach Tibshelf Sidings with another rake of empty mineral wagons. The line to Blackwell Sidings from Blackwell South Junction is visible on the left. On the top left are wagons in the private siding of Alfreton Explosives’ Rough Close Works. With the closure of the collieries in the 1980’s the Blackwell Branch closed and the tracks have been lifted…
On Monday I went out for my first trainspotting day of 2020. Here’s a few electric units photographed on that day out. 378224 arriving at Highbury & Islington during the late morning rush…
I spent some time at Stratford before travelling over to London Bridge station. I think this is the first time I’ve actually gone to London Bridge for some spotting in nearly 30 years! Here’s 375910 wearing Southeastern Railway’s Blue livery…
Here are two Networker units, 465022 and 465242, with some detail differences between them…
And finally, on a Thameslink service we have 700019…
Taking up the challenge from Bushboy to show the last image on the SD card. I used two different cameras yesterday, so here’s 2 shots. Both have only been resized.
This first image is actually from a Compact Flash card as I am using a Canon 5D. This was the last shot from yesterday’s football match and represents the many ‘nothing’ shots that are captured during any match… …It’s also quite typical that the camera has lost interest in the players and decided it likes the advertising hoardings behind them much better – a common problem when the sun goes down and you’re taking action shots.
Taken earlier in the day on my way to the match, here is 465920 at Herne Hill where I was waiting for a train to Bromley South…..This time it is from an SD card as I took this with the Fujifilm X-Pro2.
