Tuesday and time I joined in with the Fun Foto Challenge for this week. Dan has provided me with an easy target this time – very much home territory😅👍 I report on my current trainspotting activities regularly with shots of the modern rail scene. So, for this post I’m going to use some older shots from my archives.
Lets start with 20040 and 20171 hauling coal wagons through Drakelow…
…Taken in 1979 before the Miners strike and the closure of many collieries. Coal was still a major commodity for British Rail to transport and Class 20’s were the tool of choice because of the weight restrictions on many of the routes.
Taken back in 1983, Blackpool Tram no 632 has just terminated at North Pier…
…The conductor is reattaching the collector to the wire for the return journey. 632 wears an allover advert for Wilson’s beers. The tramway was modernised in 2012 and these old Blackpool Trams are now museum pieces.
Staying ‘up north’ I have a photo of 40126 at Bank Quay, Warrington…
…hauling a train of cement wagons. Two hundred Class 40’s were built and entered service between 1958 and ’62, spearheading the dieselisation of express passenger services in the UK. They were soon superseded in that role by more powerful classes but found plenty of work on secondary passenger services and freight. By the time I took this photo in 1981 withdrawals were under way and the last was retired from service in 1985.
The Black Watch, 55013, is seen departing Peterborough back in 1980…
…The Class 55 ‘Deltics’ entered service in 1961/2 to operate the east coast express services. At the time of their introduction they were the most powerful diesel locomotives in the world boasting 3300HP. They immediately enabled the journey time from London to Edinburgh to be cut by an hour. Only 22 were built but they replaced over 60 steam locomotives operating the ‘Scotch’ expresses. At the time the photo was taken they had been relegated to secondary duties having been replaced by HST’s. All were withdrawn by December 1981.
ATAC tram 7101 at Roma Termini…
…operating route 5 to Piazza dei Gerani. Photographed in 2011, the design dates back to 1948 and 7101 was one of a new batch built in 1953. It gets very hot in Rome during August, so having all the windows open was normal!
33104 heads for Reading…
…Captured on a hot summer’s day in 1981 having just passed through Bramley. 98 Class 33’s were built between 1960 and 62. They spent their lives working mainly on the Southern Region hauling express passenger services on non-electrified routes as well as operating freight services. 33104 is one of a batch converted to operate push-pull services – hence the pipes on the front. 3 of the type remain in service with West Coast Railways (along with 1 stored for spares) and 24 have been preserved!
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