Thanks to bit of a mishap a Pendolino has been put out of service and so to maintain service levels, Virgin has once again put a class 90 on a daily Birmingham diagram, but this time its an all day one rather than at peak times! I took the 0743 EUS-BHM, 0930 BHM-EUS and 1143 EUS-BHM to give it a go.

A quick trip to Wolverhampton on an ATW 158, and then over to Shrewsbury on 67013, before a First Class dining experience thanks to WSMR's 1607 SHR-MYB.

It has to be said that WSMR in terms of onboard service are making themselves to be the new GNER! Much better than what Virgin offer, and certainly than National Express.

WSMR passenger loadings do seem to have picked up, the one I caught to Shrewsbury was particularly busy, but the 1607 was quite quiet. Staff report however, that its return at 2003 would be full and standing! So good on WSMR really!

FCC brought the very first 377/5 into Public use today on the second day of the new Key Out Put 0 timetable.

CRIKEY!!

As part of the £5.5billion Thameslink Programme, First Capital Connect have this evening closed the Moorgate branch, to allow new 12 car trains to call at Farringdon from 2015. FCC Celebrated in style with Thameslink Programme units on hand to work a last special trip from Moorgate to Kentish town.

A good time was had by all, and it felt quite humbling to be involved in a project that whilst sadly seeing the end of an era, will herald a new one, transforming travel for all of our customers.

Ods and Sods from January

With being busy upholding the best railway in the former NSE, I've not done much uploading this year, but here are few odds and sods, including my first attempt at high speed motion blurs, some have worked, some haven't whats presented here is just my first attempt.

A day out with WSMR:

Marylebone - Anyho Junction - Banbury - Leamington Spa - Tysley - Grand Junction - New Street - Stour Line - Wolves - Bushbury Junction - Down Fast to Crewe - Chester - Saltney Junction - Wrexham - Shrewsbery - Nantwich - Crewe - Up Fast to Bushbury Junction - Wolves - Stour Line - New Street - Tysley - Marylebone!

67013 For Haulage!

Various HST trips to Edinburgh:

20th was to Aberdeen with NCL-EDB mainline.
21st was down to York and back to Edinburgh and then back to Newcastle.
27th Via Carlisle

Various shots from Heaton Open Day, weather wasnt great as you can tell.

A Trip with 90019 on a rare outing for WB64 (Remaining VWC MKIII rake) beyond Birmingham to Wolverhampton. I ended up travelling back with WSMR from Smethwick Galton Bridge, but the light had all but gone by that point.

323223 Finally released in our corporate colours! Some days it makes ya proud to be a Northerner!

Various bits and pieces from accross the North.

Darlington - Kings Cross - Grantham on the 86, Over to Norwich, down to Ipswich, thence to Cambridge via Bury St Edmunds, back to Peterborough, Doncaster, York, and then Grand Central back to Sunderland.

Due to my exams finishing a week earlier than everyone else, I had a bit of a wander around Yorkshire.

A trip out with Hull Trains and Grand Central, Darlington- Kings Cross with NatEx, Hull Trains 86101 back to Doncaster, around to Sheffield, up to Leeds, accross to York and then Grand Central down to the Cross and back to Sunderland

A trip into Newcastle for a few shots with the new camera, my first SLR, Canon EOS 400D. Its a steep learning curve from a compact, but I'm getting there.

Down to Kings Cross, up to Crewe, and then in place of an HST, Grand Central hired a Class 67 and Mk II's :D Ace.

The launch of Grand Central, onboard 0646, and the 1127 off KGX back to York.

Newcastle - Doncaster
Doncaster - London
London - Doncaster

The end of an era, my first trip aboard the Harrogate HST, and the last bit of GNER I'd not done.

My first forray onto the continent, and a trip aboard HS1.

Then back for the end of an era the end of GNER.

Thanks to "ftr" and Grand Central of course, managed to get a run aboard 1A62 and 1N28, the 1405 and 1650 from York and Kings Cross. Fantastic run, great to meet all of the guys who have worked so hard, and so tirelessly over the years to bring GCR to fruition. I think I have been won over well and truely.

After the GCR run, went back to the cross on the 2007 off York and to Leeds via Askern on the 2330.

A trip over to Manchester and up to Glasgow followed then home via Carlisle.

Went chasing the Hull Trains 86 this morning, wasnt to be but had a pleasent run on a 222 instead.

Went down the East Grinstead line with Southern, and thanks to their guard, had a very informatvie and entertaining trip.

Finally, a look around the brand new London St Pancras and what has been done to transform the station into a 21st Century Cathedral to the Railways. The Eurostars look amazing, the station is awe inspiring and as for the ride on HS1...Well that will come next week...

A day out to see what EMT are doing in over in Lincolnshire, and to get some new coverage in. Newcastle-Peterborough-Sleaford-Skegness-Sleaford-Lincoln-Doncaster-Newcastle-Seaham

Trip One: Midland Mainline bash down to St. Pancras from Sheffield, including a trip on the GOBLIN line and North London Line.

A few shots from the 12th of November, and the launch of CrossCountry's new livery on 220017 at Newcastle.

Trip Two: GNER to Kings Cross, FGW to Cardiff Central, onwards to Manchester, Virgin from Manchester to Carlisle and back, overnight on TPE, and then in and around the West Midlands on Central Trains.

From 16th of October and 20th, although the photos are principally from the 20th.

Seaham - Carlisle (142 15 late at Seaham - Late off Heaton, only 4 late by Carlisle)
Carlisle - Glasgow Central (390)
Glasgow Central - Glasgow Central (Cathcart Circle 314)
Glasgow Central - Largs (318)
Largs - Kilwinning (318)
Kilwinning - Ardrossan Harbour (334)
Ardrossan Harbour - Glasgow Central (334)
Glasgow Queen Street - Falkirk Grahamston (via Cumbernauld SPT 170)
Falkirk Grahamston - Edinburgh Waverely (170)
Edinburgh Waverely - Newcraighal (158 (Northern))
Newcraighall - Edinburgh Waverely (158 (Northern))
Edinburgh Waverely - Newcastle (91)
Newcastle - Sunderland (Metro)
Sunderland - Home (Cab)

Arriving into Euston from Inverness, then home on a 91 for a little rest!

An amazing trip from Aberdeen to York and thence to Inverness

Paddington - Penzance on the sleeper - Birmingham - Euston - Birmingham - Euston - Aberdeen

Holyhead - Birmingham - Sheffield
Sheffield - London St Pancras, fast from Chesterfield via the Erewash valley, amazing run and overtook a Meridian, superb. Straight back up to Nottingham, accross to Norwich, down to London, Gat Ex to Gatwick, Southern to Brighton and back to London.

A trip to Bangor on the C3Ks, down to Dublin, then up to Howth on the Dart.

My trip to Ireland, overnight ferry crossing from Holyhead, arriving into Dublin Fair City at 0600 in the morning, for the 0700 to Cork. Cork - Cobh (Cove) and return, back to Dublin and then the Enterprise from Dublin Conolly to Belfast. C3K from Belfast Central to Antrim for my hotel for the evening!

A couple of bashes from Manchester to Brimingham on 350's, to kill time while waiting for the ferry

A farewell to Virgin, Newcastle-York-Leeds-Birmingham (via Hambleton Jn on a Voyager-Brighton-Winchester-Bournemouth-Birmingham

Fresh from my trip on the HST the previous Saturday, and with the gen coming directly from VXC Control, thanks to my favourite Virgin Train Manager, a trip out on te XC90 was on the cards.

It was going so well, and then the DVT developed a Speedo fault and we terminated at Stockport. A waste of £11 on a return from MAN -BHM, but I did get a destination label, but I am likely to be hospitalised soon as I have spend the preceeding 6months waiting for this to run again...

A trip down to Birmingham to sample the delights of Virgin's hiring in of HST's. Class 43's are set to return to XC regularly when Arriva take over.

Rainy days in Yorkshire foiled our plans, so the trip went as follows:

Seaham - Newcastle
Newcastle - York
York - Manchester Picadilly (Via Bradford on a diverted 185)
Manchester Piccadilly - London Euston
(Our Donald went off and did St Albans Abbey and Bletchly-Bedford)
London Euston - Birmingham New Street
Brimingham New Street - London Euston
London Euston - Inverness

27th
Inverness - Kyle and return

Penzance - St Ives - St Erth
St Erth - Bodmin Parkway
Bodmin & Wentford Railway
Bomin Parkway - Truro
Truro- Falmouth Docks and Return
Truro- Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot - Paignton

First proper day of the ALR.

Seaham- Newcastle
Newcastle - London Kings Cross
London Fenchurch St - Shoeburyness
Shoeburyness - Pitsea
Pitsea - Upminster
Upminster - Romford
Romford - London Liverpool St
London Paddington - Heathrow T4 and return
London Paddington - Greenford and return
London Paddington - Penzance

Various trips out in the lead up to my Summer ALR, mostly covering Northern routes.

A trip to Scotland via the GSW, accross to Edinburgh, North Berwick and return to Glasgow. Down the WCML and back via the Tyne Valley

A day out on the local patch, Saltburn and Bishop Auckland, and a look around the NRM Annex at Shildon

1A04 to London, Photting in KGX, Liverpool Street-Norwich and Return, out to Heathrow T4 via HEx and return, Charing Cross, to Waterloo East, down to Waterloo and then around the Hounslow loop, getting out at Clapham on the return for a spot of photting, down to East Croydon and upto Kings Cross Thameslink for the 20:30 back to Newcastle.

A trip around the Cumbrian Coast, down to Preston, onwards to Blackpool, and then back to Newcastle via Leeds

This day began in Newcastle, up to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Queen Street via Falkirk thence to Dundee, back to Edinburgh on an HST and upto Inverness on the Highland Cheftain, and then to London Euston on the Sleeper.

Just a note as well, that this was the day that the scare occured at Heathrow with the plot to blow up 5 planes, so all flights from UK airports were grounded and Anglo-Scottish train services were jam packed, I just say managed to get a seat in First Class on the Cheiftan.

I promised a friend that I would post pictures of my adventures on the sleeper on RT06 a year ago, well Chris, here we go buddy a year late...Col Ord appologises for any inconvenience that this may have caused you...

Saturday I started at Padington, then to Bristol, over to Taunton, back to Paddington, upto Oxford, then to Birmingham, down to Plymouth. Overnight Ply. Sunday, Plymouth - London - Plymouth, Plymouth - Penzance on a Voyager, and then Sleeper up to London.

After a tour of Durham with my Uncle taking in some of the breattaking sights this city has to offer, I moved back to the railways, and yet another jaunt on the MML VXC HST! HEADSOUT!!!

I was a bit bored and started taking pictures in Sunderland, ended up in Newcastle, and then for my second jaunt on the MML VXC Hire-in HST!

East Anglian Wanderings:
Durham-London Kings Cross-Liverpool Street-Noriwich-Shenfield-Liverpool Street - Stratford - Richmond - Waterloo - Waterloo East - London Brdige - St Pancras - Sheffield - Leeds - Skipton

Newcastle - York - Edinburgh Waverely - Haymarket - Edinburgh Waverely - Durham

Nelson - Blackburn - Bolton - Manchester Piccadilly - London - Gatwick Airport - Southampton Central - London Waterloo - Waterloo East - London Bridge - Kings Cross Thameslink - London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly - York - Durham

Durham - York - Leeds - London - Plymouth - Newton Abbot - Birmingham New Street - Liverpool Lime Street - Leeds - Skipton

A trip to Berwick to Sample the delights of the Royal Border Bridge. Some nice 225 action! I didnt realise that my train back down didnt stop at Durham and was overcarried to Darlington...but we didnt mind that!

A Spare Day from Uni, and I'm again off down to Darlington this time to kill a few hours before that most dreaded of things...work!

Robrailtd and I went for an HST bash from Leeds - Sheffield via Doncaster, then a 158 to Nottingham, a 170 to Cardiff, A 175 to Manchester via Shrewsberry, and then a 185 to Sheffield, so after doing in order all modern Express DMU's...we end up on a 142 on Sheffield-Leeds fast!

A trip down to sample the delights of Wakefield Kirkgate, and the Knottingly Line, and then back to Leeds, onwards to Bradford, Skipton and then down to Doncaster, stopping off at Shipley on the way.

Day three on my Northern Rover and its off to Liverpool on a Sunday via Wakefield and Healy Mills due to the mainline being shut. Dispointed with Liverpool City Centre, I have to say, I expected more. Off to the new Frenchgate Centre at Doncaster to see what its like at the top..

Day two on my Northern Rover and we're off to Sheffield on the Leeds-Sheffield Fast, up to Huddersfield via Penistone, onwards to Leeds via Bradford Interchange and Brighouse.

Then onto "The Triangle" for various trips, which I cant remember the order of now!

First day of my Northern Rover. Out to Manchester, then up to Blackpool North to sample the 185s on their newest duties. Back to Manchester a for a few hours non-rail photting, over to Huddersfield, Huddersfield to Wakefield Westgate, and then back to Leeds and home

I had a spare day from Uni and Work, so I went down to Leeds, on to Doncaster on the Silverlink 321, Thence to Cleethorpes anc back.

The highlight of the trip was seeing my first First Livery 66

The first few shots are from my first set of free Virgin tickets from Durham to Edinburgh Waverely. The plan was to do the Fife Circle, but only managed as far as Kirkcaldy. Got the Shotts line in, but it was too dark for photographs.

The next trip was down to Brimingham with my Uncle, we did Birmingham - Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington - Stratford - Stourbridge Junction - Town - Junction - New Street

A trip to Glasgow:

Seaham-Carlisle
Carlisle - Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central - Neilston and return
Glasgow Central - East Kilbride and return
Glasgow Central - Gurock
Gurock - Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow - Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central - Newcastle

The Class 185 push continues, now in passenger service to Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Scarbrough and Liverpool.

In a big bang expansion, two diagrams took 185107 and 185115 to all parts of the North Transpennine Network, excluding Hull.

Only Blackpool, Barrow and Windermere are yet to see 185's in Passenger service.

I travelled on the 10:08 NCL-Manchester and 14:11 Manchester - Scarbrough and returned on it to York

A trip to Doncaster on to Leeds. Accross to Hull and then onwards to Manchester, although the camera batery ran out at Hull!

Day Four and Five, GNER down to Grantham, CT 170 accross to Sheffield, changed for a 185 TPX to Picadilly. Spent some time there and then onwards to Preston to take photographs of the sleeper. Back down to Manchester Airport, through to Leeds from the Airport, Leeds to Bradford Interchange, over to Forster Sqaure to catch the GNER service and thence to Doncaster. Doncaster to Newcastle, Newcastle to Sunderland on the Metro.

An afternoon out as to not waste a day, Newcastle-Leeds-Shipley-Leeds-York-Sheffield-Newcastle

Trip to London accross to Paddington-Heathrow-Paddington-Wimbledon-New Addington-Elmers End-Lewisham-Stratford-Liverpool Street-Kings Cross

First day of Railathon 2006, the start of the 'Photography Week' a series of day trips purely to take photographs of various trains.

Today saw me going Newcastle-Carlisle-Dumfries-Glasgow-Wemyss Bay-Glasgow-Milngavie-Glasgow-Edinburgh-Newcastle

Trip one: Out to Darlington on the 30th of June.

Trip Two: Up to Newcastle on a dull Saturday evening to catch the MML HST working for Virgin on the Saturday extra services.

Day out in Edinburgh and Glasgow, using GNER via Carstairs, and then back to Edinburgh using First Scotrail Shuttle via Falkirk.

An afternoon in Newcastle Central

Visit to Chillingham Road Metro Station to photograph Heaton TMD. Not much on depot visable, but a good mix of traffic running past. My first real attempt at 'lineside' photography

Travelled to Cardiff today, got a 37 and two 47's on a RugEx!

A trip from Newcastle to London, taking in the sights and sounds of East Croydon and Clapham Junction, where a fatality at Purley was disrupting the Birghton Mainline. Then onto Vauxhall and Waterloo. Up the West London line to Willesden Junction, down to Euston and accross to Kings Cross.

Then, on to a WAGN 365, with the intention of going to Huntingdon, but stupid me didnt realise that it was the Cambridge Cruiser and ended up in Cambridge. Then to Peterbrough, Doncaster and Home

York - Coventry - Nottingham - NET - Lincoln - Newark - Doncaster

The launch of the 185 introduced by TPE.

I travelled on the 02:10 to get to Picadilly for 06:21 and travelled on the unit on its first five workings to and from Hull

Day Three, my last day of my Rover Ticket, and I'm off to London. I head to York on an HST, there's some delay so I head to Doncaster on a Voyager. Then I get the 11:04 Hull Trains service from Doncaster to Kings Cross.

Then the 15:10 GNER to Doncaster, a GNER Doncaster - Newcastle and a Northern 142 home to Seaham

Day two, and I'm off to Brum!

After a dissapointing couple of hour in New Street, discovering that I'm not experienced enough to shoot there, I move on to Liverpool with some pretty nice results if I say so myself!

Then onto Crewe, and a Voyager to Carlisle via the Settle and Carlisle line. Unfortunatly, since it was pitch black, no foto's I'm afraid of the line itself.

This is my first attempt at serious photography using my new Fuji FinepixF10.

I bought the camera on the 23rd, and decided to give it a spin on a North Eastern rover. I excessed the ticket to go outside of its boundary.

FULL DETAILS TO BE INCLUDED AT A LATER DATE - SORRY I DONT HAVE THE TIME AT THE MOMENT GUYS=

Edinburgh and Glasgow, from Newcastle-Glasgow-Cathcart-Glasgow-Queen St-Edinburgh-North Berwick-Edinburgh-Newcastle-Seaham

Interior pictures of various classes of train.