I have something slightly different today. I had recieved word that Virgin would be hiring in a HST set to work the 1V36 Derby – Reading to cater for music fans heading to the Reading Music Festival. As the HST was being hired in this meant it would either be a Midland Mainline or GNER set which is something of a rarity in the Thames Valley.
It was booked at Oxford at 09:36 so it was a fairly early start for me and the sun was shining so I head out to a location I haven’t visited for a couple of years. I’m glad I did as the trees that had begun to encroach on the shot when I last visited had been cleared opening up the shot. Traction for this special was a full Midland liveried HST set powered by 43045 + 43056 which is possibly a first for Oxford.
This is my final update from my Settle & Carlisle trip. I’m starting this update with the location that provided the most difficult to get a photo of that I was happy with. The location was Waitby and I attemped this shot on three occasions and finally on the final day I bagged it. The first attempt was my day of arrival and the weather was poor so I ditched that one, the next attempt no trains turned up during the time I was there and finally I got the shot on my final day of 66159 passing Waitby with 6S69 Gascoinge Wood – New Cummnock.
We will move back to Ribblehead for the next photo and a slighty different view to the standard Ribblehead shot. If you look back to my shot of 66193 in Part 3 which shows the view overlooking the station, well it was when I was looking for a location that day I saw a bridge furthur south which I came back to again to photograph the same working but this time with 66133 at the helm of 4M52 West Burton – Newbiggin.
I mentioned above that it took 3 attempts to get a shot from Waitby, well the GBRF gypsum that heads south in the evening was photographed every day partly due to the fact it was a nice change from the EWS red and gold but also it was the only thing to photograph for a couple of hours. One evening I was waiting for it at Garsdale and it was held at the signal for about 20 minutes giving me ample time to walk down the field and grab a nice shot of 66709 in cracking evening light!
Now we come to my final shot of the trip and my favourite location I visited during the week. It took some effort to get the shot but it was well worth it. The final view is of Arten Gill Viaduct one of the most impressive viaducts on the route. I went up the hill completley the wrong way as I had to then scramble down into the river at the base of the viaduct and then up the near vertical slope the other side. It was only on my way back down I saw a tack leading down the other side of the river which would have been much easier. Anyway it was well worth the effort to photograph 66171 with 6E64 Chalmerston -Drax heading south over the viaduct.
I had a fantastic week on the S&C with superb weather enabling me to get plenty of photos I was very pleased with. I will definitely be making a return visit in the future to visit some of my favourite locations from my trip and also attempt shots that I never had time to do. On a final note I would highly recommend any rail enthuiast visits this stunning part of our country!
This update features a loco class that I haven’t photographed since September ‘05 and is becoming somewhat less common around the Thames Valley with only 2-3 workings diagrammed for this class. I even managed to bag one of the celebrity liveries! Since the Buncefield oil depot explosion in December 2005 a number or extra Oil trains have been running to Colnbrook and Theale from Lindsey to meet demand. As a result there is quite often a Saturday working to both locations and even a Sunday trip too.
I decided to try for 6E38 Colnbrook – Lindsey which was due Reading West junction at 15:17 and went for my favourite local haunt of Moreton Cutting. Luckily I arrived early as within 5 mins celebrity 60500 rumbled through with a rake of empty tanks. Even the weather played ball for the shot as thunderstorms had been predicted for the afternoon! On my way back to the car I met a fellow enthusiast and he mentioned the earlier tanks from Theale had not been through so 60500 may have been a late running Theale working but I have no way of checking!
