Nostalgic May 2: Rocketman (50 p.)

Railroadforums.com is a free online Railroad Discussion Forum and Railroad Photo Gallery for railroaders, railfans, model railroaders and anyone else who is interested in railroads. We cover a wide variety of topics, including freight trains, passenger and commuter railroads, rail news and information, tourist railroads, railway museums and railroad history.

ronik24

Proud Earthling
Hi,







To the previous part of the series:






Video for this part:








May 14 2005



33-037 emerged from the Bohinj Tunnel at Podbrdo after 6 p.m.

mainost0201.jpg








The charter approached Most na Soči in the rain.

mainost0202.jpg








View of two bridges.

mainost0203.jpg








Across Soča River near Kanal.

mainost0204.jpg








It got darker und rainier but that does not deter us...

mainost0205.jpg








The steam train thundering past Branik station (nowadays rebuilt to single track) at 8 p.m.

mainost0206.jpg










mainost0207.jpg










mainost0208.jpg








After an 8:40 arrival at Sežana, I travelled home overnight.

mainost0209.jpg














May 28 2010



I took the Thursday evening Easyjet flight from Vienna Schwechat to Gatwick five years later.

After a short night at an airport hotel, I captured the six o'clock morning mood at the station still featuring the relatively short-lived class 460 "Juniper" as Gatwick Express.

mainost0210.jpg










mainost0211.jpg






British Airways Boeing 777-236ER G-VIIO on final, the same plane suffered an engine fire at Las Vegas five years later:




Usually the most practical connection to avoid London for me: First Capital Connect class 319 as "Thameslink" to St. Pancras.

mainost0212.jpg








From there I boarded an East Midlands "Meridian" to Loughborough where the Great Central Railway was just preparing for the "Golden Oldies" gala at 9 p.m. We are looking at the former northern end of Loughborough Central where the heritage railway had later built its loco shed. Now the line is being extended into this direction towards Nottingham again. Below, we can see LSWR class 0298 "Beattie Well Tank" BR 30585 (Beyer Peacock & Co Ltd #1414 / built in 1874).

mainost0213.jpg








To the right BR 63601, a GCR class 8K / LNER O4 from 1911.

mainost0217.jpg










mainost0214.jpg








Coaling lite.

mainost0215.jpg








Furness Railway #20 (Sharp Stewart #1448 / built in 1863), the oldest working standard gauge steam engine in Britain.

mainost0216.jpg








Class L "Sir Berkeley" (Manning Wardle #1210 / built in 1891) as station pilot to the left.

mainost0218.jpg








A famous highlight for every rail enthusiast worldwide: Liverpool and Manchester Railway "Rocket" (1979 replica - original 1829).

mainost0219.jpg










mainost0220.jpg








I walked to the southern end of the station towards Leicester North.

mainost0221.jpg








The first train of the day at 10:18 was hauled by GNR class N2 1744 (North British Locomotive Co. #22600 / built in 1921) which had been equipped for the underground Metropolitan Railway Widened Lines in London as a condensing engine.

mainost0222.jpg








Furness Railway #20 departing below a plume of smoke.

mainost0224.jpg










mainost0225.jpg








Picture from before during shunting, BR 30585 was added later at the rear.

mainost0223.jpg










mainost0226.jpg








Not much disturbing the illusion...

mainost0227.jpg








The next train to Leicester North at noon.

mainost0228.jpg










mainost0229.jpg








The older engines remained between Loughborough Central and Quorn & Woodhouse.

mainost0230.jpg










mainost0231.jpg








I hiked back to the station.

mainost0232.jpg








You usually don't need to hire extras in England…

mainost0233.jpg








The first ever locomotive class: "Planet" #9 - a 1992 replica, originally built in 1830. The ninth locomotive delivered by Stephenson to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the first design built in a series of ten engines, three produced by another manufacturer.

mainost0234.jpg








I took the train to Quorn & Woodhouse and captured the return of the class N2.

mainost0235.jpg








"Rocket" in front of futuristic signalling equipment - during its heyday, signals were only given by hand.

mainost0236.jpg








Of course, I had to enjoy the special ride. I already had done it once in the 90s in front of the York railway museum, however, not in such fitting surroundings.

mainost0237.jpg










mainost0238.jpg








"Rocketman" after arrival.

mainost0239.jpg








Three flags in the garden, three lions on the shirt... the football world cup in South Africa was about to start soon afterwards.

mainost0240.jpg








"Planet" shunting as the class N2 departed at four o'clock, then I walked to the mainline station.

mainost0241.jpg








East Midlands was one of the last bastions of Paxman-powered HSTs which usually sped past the narrow platforms of the university town at about 100 mph.

mainost0242.jpg








After changing at Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly, I reached Arnside in a lovely evening mood.

mainost0243.jpg








Some balloonists and me could enjoy a lovely sunset at the River Kent estuary featuring a view of the Lake District.

mainost0244.jpg








On the beach during low tide.

mainost0245.jpg










mainost0246.jpg










May 29 2010



I stayed overnight at Barrow-in-Furness - the peninsula coincidentally was the same where Furness Railway #20 had been in original service - and travelled up the Cumbrian Coast Line to Parton early morning.

The coast might seem romantic, however, the nearby Sellafield nuclear site is regularly served by goods trains.

mainost0247.jpg








A Northern Rail class 156 as a Carlisle-bound service in front of Whitehaven harbour.

mainost0248.jpg








Trains slowly meandered along the coast, a virtual "sandwich" in the background.

mainost0249.jpg








Departing Whitehaven.

mainost0250.jpg






Next time, we will continue in a nostalgic way, with a lot of 8F... :)
 




RailroadForums.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

RailroadBookstore.com - An online railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used railroad books. Railroad pictorials, railroad history, steam locomotives, passenger trains, modern railroading. Hundreds of titles available, most at discount prices! We also have a video and children's book section.

ModelRailroadBookstore.com - An online model railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used books. Layout design, track plans, scenery and structure building, wiring, DCC, Tinplate, Toy Trains, Price Guides and more.

Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top