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I had some excellent trips
in the spring - but high summer was not very productive photographically.
This trip started in the rain, but improved later on...
It was dull when we left
home, heading for the east midlands to see what was going on. By the time
we had cleared Birmingham, the rain had set in. "Let's spend an hour
or so at Tamworth - we can get some shelter if it gets heavy"
suggested Steve. The traffic on the west coast main line was heavier than
the rain - above is a representative sample (minus the sprinters...)
 We
then headed further east - "There could be some interesting movements
on the Midland main line north of Leicester, and maybe something doing on
the Great Central".
 Well,
there were plenty of interesting movements - but only if sprinters and
HSTs come into the category of "interesting".... So, sandwiches
eaten, we went to have a look at the GCR. And guess what - all the locos
had their faces on. (sorry, no photos!) At least the
rain had ceased, and it was turning very warm, but still no sun.
| Flashback:
 "I've
been here before", I thought, as we stood waiting for something
interesting. A quick trawl of the archives revealed these pictures
taken in more interesting times - 11 March 1978, to be precise... |
 We
decided to head north, and see what was going on at the Midland Railway
Centre at Butterley. Here, "Jinty" 47383 was operating on the
main line, and on the 2' gauge line, Motor Rail 60s364 of 1968 was in
action - a golden yellow locomotive
on the Golden Valley Railway. We had to have a ride, of course.
 We
had visited the Swanwick Junction site some years previously, when the
narrow gauge line remained within the confines of the depot. Since then it
has been extended, partly along the route of the Butterley Company's
tramway to Codnor Park forge, to the Newlands Inn. The total run of just
under a mile seems about right for the ride in former colliery manriders.
 And
so we called it a day - just time for a last snap of the "Jinty"
leaving Butterley station, and a quick look in the bookshop, before
heading for home, after a day which had improved considerably as it went
by.
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; "57010 on southbound freightliner, Tamworth")
; "60089 on northbound freight, Tamworth")
; "Spotless 86 258 heads a northbound passenger, Tamworth")
; "Southbound HST near Cossington")
; "170 110 on a northbound service near Cossington")
; "A \"Peak\" hurries southwards near Cossington")
; "Another member of the class heads northwards, Cossington")
; "M79900 - original Derby Lightweight \"bubble car\"")
; "Hudswell Clarke D1121 of 1958")
; "A \"Peak\" and a pair of 20s")
; "50 007 \"Sir Edward Elgar\" - are you sure you're in the right spot?")
; "\"Campbell's Brick Works\" - MR 60s364 of 1968")
; "The MR sets off down the Golden Valley line")
; "The MR returns from the Golden Valley")
; "The MR on the headshunt at the Newlands Inn")
; "Ready to return from the Newlands Inn")
; "47357 pulls away from Butterley station")