Transport

It's a good job that traffic light is showing red! A two car Aveiro to Sernada do Vouga diesel railcar takes priority over the car on the Rio Vouga road/railway bridge just to the south of Sernada station. The way it should be! HFF everyone. Have a safe weekend.

Over in bay platform 2 the Sheffield train is formed of a 3-car Class 144 Pacer dmu. I arrived on this service but returned to Leicester via Wakefield. Huddersfield station's Victorian trainshed forms a splendid frame. HFF to everyone. Have a great weekend.

Corona Fence! Stalybridge station Greater Manchester. HFF and have a great weekend everyone.

In August 2018 it was 50 years since the end of regular BR steam but here are two British Railways Standards passing on a double track main line today! Who would have thought? Pacific 70013 Oliver Cromwell seen storming up the bank out of Rothley was running on that day in 1968 although our engine, 2MT 2-6-0 78018, was languishing in Woodham's scrapyard in Barry at the time. The train reporting number 1L50 was an RCTS special hauled by 70013 on August 4th 1968 from Lostock Hall - Euxton Jn - Chorley - Bolton - Salford - Manchester Victoria - Miles Platting - Reddish South - to Stockport Edgeley.

It's midnight on shed at Fort William and under starry skies Thompson K1 2-6-0 62005 is gently smoking away in preparation for working the Jacobite to Mallaig the following day.

Is this the light at the end of the tunnel that we keep being told about? Great Oxendon tunnel (414m) is on the closed ex-LNWR Northampton to Market Harborough line & today the Brampton Valley Way foot/cyclepath passes through one of the 2 single line bores. This is the northern portal and another candidate for HFF! The line was opened in 1859 by the LNWR and closed to passenger services in 1960 although sleeper services from St Pancras passed this way until 1973 and freight until full closure in 1981.

L'Etat pacific 231G558 races through the darkness of Villepreux station southwest of Paris with the returning Rouen - Paris Austerlitz steam special.

SNCF 9200 class Bo-Bo 1.5kV DC electrics BB-9272 and BB-9266 stand at the head of their trains in the Gare d’Austerlitz in Paris.

An unidentified TransPennine Class 185 dmu heads towards Stalybridge station with the first eastbound train of this Sunday morning - 1K11 the 08.32 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull service. The Pennine mountains fill the horizon. The two large cotton mill buildings, Clarence Mill to the left & Whitelands Twist Mill on the right, have been put to other use but it is good to see them still standing. HFF and have a good weekend from lockdown Leicester!