You may ask ‘What happened to week 13?’ and I’d struggle to tell you. It got lost somewhere along the way. I just seemed to have no interest in anything that week. Perhaps my body and mind needed a reset for some reason. I do know that the shadow of my departed Brother-in-Law crossed my path as I had to drive out to Milton Keynes to collect some of his possessions from my No 2 Wife – something I’ll need to repeat soon to complete the task. The week culminated in a home football match against Cray Valley Paper Mills. It was an absolutely dire affair – the visitors plan seemed to be to smother the life out of the game. This they did and also scored from the only 2 chances that fell to either team. After the game I came home and put the camera away. I have transferred the photos to the pc but I haven’t processed them. There’s an old saying – The camera never lies. Well, on this occasion it would have done because the images would have given the false impression that a game of football had taken place!
Week 14 started slowly but I finally got back in the swing on Thursday, April 3rd . I had a simple gameplan for the day – Get some photographs of freight along the Goblin. Of course, the Gospel Oak to Barking line is nowadays the Suffragette Line from a passenger point of view. It remains one of the key routes for freight to and from the ports of Tilbury and Dagenham on the Thames and one where I’ve rarely photographed.
First port of call was South Tottenham which gives excellent photo opportunities to the east and west. Here’s 66312 approaching with the Dagenham Dock to Garston cars…
…the strong lighting and morning haze serving to make the train stand out in its surroundings. Looking to the west 66585 provided a colourful spectacle…
…climbing to pass over the A10 road after passing under the line to Cheshunt.
Blackhorse Road was my next stop. Here you can find a reminder that this is The Goblin Line on a wall plaque…
Local services are operated by the 4 car Class 710’s – Here’s 710262 arriving on a westbound service to Gospel Oak…
The photographic options at Blackhorse Road are a bit limited but I did photograph some freight including 66513 approaching through the cutting to the east…
…with a London Gateway to Lawley Street intermodal. Between trains I also had a very pleasant chat with the lady Station Manager 😎
On to Wanstead Park where the tracks are raised on a viaduct above the surrounding streets and houses. Here I captured 66775…
…passing spring blossom while working a London Gateway to Hams Hall service and 66545…
…heading east with a Trafford Park to London Gateway service.
I took a convoluted trip home via Barking and Stratford where I got a late lunch. Overall it was a good day for photos but was never going to be good for new sightings or haulage – Tally: 116 logged of which I needed 4. 11 rides which only turned up 2 new for haulage.
The same evening saw the release of the Missouri DLC in American Truck Simulator with an associated set of achievements to collect. I planned on knocking out as much as possible on the Friday and Sunday as I was due to travel to Lewes on the Saturday. By Friday evening I had a painful lower abdomen such that I contacted the club and told them I wouldn’t be at Lewes after all – I’m told I didn’t miss much in the 0-0 draw. The pain was really bad on Saturday and Sunday but wasn’t affecting my trucking, so I pressed on with the event and completed the personal goal by Sunday evening. Things started to ease on Monday. It seems I had a bladder infection, though where I caught that from I have no idea.
I was fit to travel again by Thursday and went on a visit to Harrow & Wealdstone. For a change I decided to document some of the passenger services passing through. Here’s London Northwestern Railway 350104 departing platform 5 with a Euston to Tring service…
…It wears a special livery relating to Ukraine and the Eurovision Song Contest that the UK hosted on their behalf due to the current situation.
On the other side of the station, platforms 1 & 2 are served by the Bakerloo line which terminates here. Unit 3265, led by 3559, is seen running into the turnback siding…
These platforms are also served by the Lioness Line – The Watford DC Lines in old money – using a mix of 4 and 5-car class 710’s. Here’s 5-car 710375 arriving from Euston with a Watford service…
…surrounded by signs of spring. Someone needs to mow the tracks 😅
Trains don’t usually stop on platforms 3 & 4. Here the long distance express services of Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern pass through at speed. In this shot an Avanti Pendolino – 390006 – approaches with a Liverpool Lime Street to Euston service…
…It may be early spring but there’s still quite a heat haze out there!
I then headed back to Willesden Junction – I’d had a tip-off in the morning that there was to be a movement of new units for the Tyne & Wear Metro that afternoon from Wembley Yard using a pair of Class 43 HST power cars. I’d seen the new Class 555’s on my way to HRW and now I intended to photograph the 43’s and their entourage somewhere on the North London Line. Ultimately, Hampstead Heath would provide the venue. Here come 43467 and 43423, turning heads as they run through the station…
…and this is what they were delivering…
It’s sad to see the 43’s in that condition after 40 years as the prime motive power on 125mph express services between London and Scotland, Wales and the West Country. Some are being sold on to Mexico where they will provide hi-speed services once more. Network rail has a small fleet used for high-speed infrastructure surveys. Others have been preserved and a few, like these, are owned by RailAdventure and potter about on this sort of work. A couple have actually been repainted in ‘Adventure’s smart grey livery. I hope these two will also get a lick of paint soon.
Anyway -Tally for the day: 104 logged of which I needed 10 and I picked up 2 for haulage.
Saturday was a rail away day – a trip down to Cray Wanderers near Sidcup. The game was a well fought affair for the most part but the writing was probably already on the wall when we lost Zack after 10 minutes and the Ryan on the half-hour mark, both injured by strong challenges. Cray scored first with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box. We equalised through Jaiden. Then just before half-time Cray scored a contentious goal with a challenge on our keeper…
…The key decision that the Ref needs to make is ‘Has the keeper got the ball in his hands’ – If he has then it’s a foul on the keeper and should be a free kick. From the photo it certainly looks like the ball has been headed out of the keepers hands but the goal stood…
Worse was to follow in the second half when one of our younger players, Tommy – subbed on for the injured Ryan – was shoved off the pitch and into the fence by the stand. Both teams provided medical assistance and fortunately he was eventually able to leave the pitch on his own feet but with his face covered in blood and a broken wrist. The Referee’s action? – Did Nothing! Opposition player not even cautioned despite carrying out something that would be classed as Assault if it happened on the street. 😡 I understand our Chairman will be putting in a strongly worded complaint to the FA but as the FA is run by referees I doubt that will do much good. Here’s Tommy in action earlier in the game…
…And so – a 4-1 defeat on the road and 3 players who may not be fit to appear again this season 😠A disappointing end to the week but at least I got to pick up a little haulage 🙄
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