Photos from the Midlands of England

Having recently bought a DSLR, I have been taking some photographs from some local places.

Sadly the weather, as usual, has not been so good, also I am still learning how to use the camera, so please bear with me.


This is near a place called Barnt Green, which is at the top of the famous Lickey Bank. This is a 1 in 37 bank on the famous former Midland Railway route from Derby to Bristol (via Birmingham).

This is a class 60 locomotive on a steel train from Sunthorpe in Lincolnshire to South Wales.



The next shot is of a Class 323 EMU operating a suburban service from Lichfield to Redditch



Barnt Green station still retains its old Midland Railway footbridge, under which the 1630 from Hereford to Nottingham is passing at about 70 mph.



Moving to the main station in Birmingham, which is New Street, we find a preserved diesel electric locomotive on a special enthusiasts special last Sat night 22nd April.



Finally we move to Rugby in Warwickshire, on the main West Coast main Line from London to Scotland, where under a grey sky a Class 60 locomotive passes on an aggregates train.

Dear UK Railwayman
Thanks for those pics...personally, I have little interest in the trains or locos, but high interest in the ROWs. If you know Barnt Green, you also know Longbridge (and its sadly redundant auto workers). Have you any knowledge of the line from Longbridge thru Halesowen to Old Hill, abandoned, I think, in the 60's? How about the line from Redditch to Ashchurch? And, especially, the segments remaining of Brunel's attempt to connect the GWR with New Street Station by way of a never connected ROW, still extant, in south Birmingham, starting just north of Bordesley Station? Thanks, Sam

Semaphore Sam wrote:How about the line from Redditch to Ashchurch? And, especially, the segments remaining of Brunel's attempt to connect the GWR with New Street Station by way of a never connected ROW, still extant, in south Birmingham, starting just north of Bordesley Station?

19 years ago when I was a student at Aston University, I could look down on that landscape from my top floor student flat. The brick viaduct, apparently uncompleted, was still visible.

UK Railwayman,

For a person learning to use a new camera and less than perfect conditions... I think you have captured some rather decent images of everyday British railroading. Just out of curriosity, what is the class of that "preserved diesel-electric" in the consist of the enthusiests' special?

george matthews wrote: 19 years ago when I was a student at Aston University, I could look down on that landscape from my top floor student flat. The brick viaduct, apparently uncompleted, was still visible.

Those remaining sections of the Duddeston Viaduct tell a fascinating tale. Originally Brunel wished to bring his line into New Street Station, and made an agreement with the LNWR to do this (Act of 1846)...the viaduct was constructed from Bordesley Station to the edge of LNWR land, but disputes arose, and the project was abandoned when the GWR built its own station at Moor Street. Since then, the only trackage the viaduct ever held was 200 yards south of Bordesley Station for cleaning cattle cars; for 150 years this massive, useless, curving structure has been chipped away in sections for industrial usage, but substantial sections still exist (I walked both ways in late Oct 2001; when I figure out how to digitilize old photos, I'll put them on here). Sam

How old is the catenary on this line? It reminds me of the catenary on the PRR and New Haven. I thought most British catenary was fairly recent, since third rail was until the 1960's the method of choice for electrification.

M&Eman wrote:How old is the catenary on this line? It reminds me of the catenary on the PRR and New Haven. I thought most British catenary was fairly recent, since third rail was until the 1960's the method of choice for electrification.

Third rail, I believe, except for a few isolated lines close to urban areas, was limited to Southern Rail and urban underground. Overhead catenary predominates in all other non-diesel areas. The West Coast line was electrified in the 60's, and the East Coast was just recently wired, both with catenary. Concerning Birmingham, the LNWR route is part of the WCML, but the GWR is still unwired, as are the old Midland line twixt Bristol & B'ham; correct me if I'm wrong. Sam

Semaphore Sam wrote:

M&Eman wrote:How old is the catenary on this line? It reminds me of the catenary on the PRR and New Haven. I thought most British catenary was fairly recent, since third rail was until the 1960's the method of choice for electrification.

Third rail, I believe, except for a few isolated lines close to urban areas, was limited to Southern Rail and urban underground. Overhead catenary predominates in all other non-diesel areas. The West Coast line was electrified in the 60's, and the East Coast was just recently wired, both with catenary. Concerning Birmingham, the LNWR route is part of the WCML, but the GWR is still unwired, as are the old Midland line twixt Bristol & B'ham; correct me if I'm wrong. Sam

750 v DC third rail is used in the south of England. The furthest west it goes is Weymouth (installed in the 1980s). North of the Thames is the North London line (former LMS) which is now partly overhead. It reaches from Woolwich to Richmond, with an overhead section in between. Another branch reaches from Euston to Watford.

There is another third rail network in Liverpool, with one branch reaching as far as Chester.

There was another non-standard (side contact) third rail line in Manchester. It has now been converted to the Manchester tram known as Metrolink.

I think there was a third rail system in the Newcastle area which is now converted to the Tyne and Wear light rail system. Overhead supply.

In 1945 the LNER began to electrify the lines out of Liverpool Street. They chose the 1500 volt DC overhead system. This system was also used for the LNER-begun Woodhead route. That too was 1500 v DC. (Its locomotives were sold to the Dutch railways. I saw one preserved near Rotterdam about 7 years ago.) Another 1500 v DC route was the former LMS system from Fenchurch Street to Southend.

British Rail eventually decided on the AC system that is now the European standard for new lines. All the 1500 volt systems were converted (except for Woodhead which was abandoned when its heavy coal traffic disappeared.)

Glasgow got a modern overhead suburban system which was eventually connected up with the West Coast electrification, and the East coast system also.

An experimental electric route ran between Lancaster and Morecombe Bay. This was abandoned. It was overhead, but I don't know what electric system it used. It may have been started by the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway (before 1923).

The first overhead route south of the Thames is the Channel Tunnel connection, which will soon be finished from St Pancras to Folkestone. No others are planned for the south.

The Glasgow-Edinburgh main line may be the next big electrification project (not very big, really). A second currently diesel route via Bathgate is also planned.

There were small overhead lines round coal mines and power stations, especially a line in the newcastle area. Probably low voltage DC.

In the current edition of Modern Railways there is a discussion of the 1981 electrification plan of British Rail, and a suggestion that now that diesel has increased in price so much this may be a good time to start considering more electrification.

One interesting line being considered is the Bidston-Wrexham line - a possible extension of the Merseyrail third rail system. It would allow trains from Wrexham to enter Liverpool. At present diesel trains cannot use the deep tunnel under the Mersey and therefore passengers have to change at Bidston.

Komachi wrote:UK Railwayman,

For a person learning to use a new camera and less than perfect conditions... I think you have captured some rather decent images of everyday British railroading. Just out of curriosity, what is the class of that "preserved diesel-electric" in the consist of the enthusiests' special?

Thank you Komachi, that is high praise indeed, and I am sure is really unwarranted for my poor pictures ! Once again thank you.

The preserved diesel electric locomotive is a Class 45, sulzer engine, with Crompton Parkinson traction motors and control gear.

http://www.preserved-diesels.co.uk/engines/index_45.htm

Just to whet the appetite a little, I went out again on a couple of evenings after work and caught the following. Unfortunately, as usual the weather was poor.

A Virgin Trains Voyager service to Newcastle



Just to prove the sun sometimes shines in England, this was taken on our one summer's day

Again it is a Virgin Trains Voyager service this time travelling towards the West Country



Finally a South Wales to Lackenby (in the North East) empty steel train. This is the return working of the earlier shot, taken late in the evening.




Semaphore Sam
I think George Matthews has answered your questions much better than I could ever hope to have done !

In respect of the OHL Equipment, the first few shots are of equipment that was installed in the 1990's, the Rugby shot shows both 1960's and 2000 equipment

M&Eman wrote:How old is the catenary on this line? It reminds me of the catenary on the PRR and New Haven. I thought most British catenary was fairly recent, since third rail was until the 1960's the method of choice for electrification.

On the first few pictures it is 1990's

At Rugby it is a mix of 1960's original electrification and the most recent UK1 series equipment (2000's)

Correction

george matthews wrote: Another 1500 v DC route was the former LMS system from Fenchurch Street to Southend. .

I now remember that this was started as an AC route, but ran to a lower voltage than is now used. I think it was an experiment in the process of making the final AC chouice. I can't remember the exact voltage chosen, but it may have been 12kv.

It was the development of electrical equipment that allowed the final choice of 25kv.

In some countries in Europe and the US of course there are lines stuck with standards devised when electrical equipment couldn't handle the high voltages now in use. The Netherlands still uses 1500v DC for most of its lines. However, the High Speed Line will use the higher voltage AC. Belgium is stuck with 3000v DC (except on the High Speed lines). France still has areas in the south where 1500v DC is used. Italy also (3000v DC)

Then there is the large area with German standards, in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland. (can't remember the details and I am too idle to look them up). I think Poland has 3000v DC.

george matthews wrote:Correction

george matthews wrote: Another 1500 v DC route was the former LMS system from Fenchurch Street to Southend. .

I now remember that this was started as an AC route, but ran to a lower voltage than is now used. I think it was an experiment in the process of making the final AC chouice. I can't remember the exact voltage chosen, but it may have been 12kv.

It was the development of electrical equipment that allowed the final choice of 25kv.

In some countries in Europe and the US of course there are lines stuck with standards devised when electrical equipment couldn't handle the high voltages now in use. The Netherlands still uses 1500v DC for most of its lines. However, the High Speed Line will use the higher voltage AC. Belgium is stuck with 3000v DC (except on the High Speed lines). France still has areas in the south where 1500v DC is used. Italy also (3000v DC)

Then there is the large area with German standards, in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland. (can't remember the details and I am too idle to look them up). I think Poland has 3000v DC.

German Standards: 15kV, 16,7 Hz. But Danmark has 25kV 50Hz. I believe this was a bad idea from Danmark....

Czech Republic has 3000V and 25kV 50hZ, also Slovakia and Croatia.
Slovenia has 3000V DC

george matthews wrote:Correction

george matthews wrote: Another 1500 v DC route was the former LMS system from Fenchurch Street to Southend. .

I now remember that this was started as an AC route, but ran to a lower voltage than is now used. I think it was an experiment in the process of making the final AC chouice. I can't remember the exact voltage chosen, but it may have been 12kv.

It was the development of electrical equipment that allowed the final choice of 25kv..

It was 6.25kV, George.

That was also the voltage used on the Liverpool Street to Shenfield section of the Norwich Main Line, when the LNER started electrification.

The sheer weight of the equipment coupled with the loss of power over long distances, together with the fact that faster trains required a higher voltage led to 25kV being adopted as the standard in the UK from the WCML electrification scheme.

UKrailwayman wrote:The sheer weight of the equipment coupled with the loss of power over long distances, together with the fact that faster trains required a higher voltage led to 25kV being adopted as the standard in the UK from the WCML electrification scheme..

I seem to remember some trouble with the LTS trains - transformers blowing up. Was that before the changeover? There was a period when most of it was 25kv but some remained at the lower voltage, because of lack of clearance.

(I have a memory of taking the train when it was still steam - about 1954. I also remember taking the train when going to camp as a wolf cub to somewhere near Billericay. At that time the Shenfield line was just being finished. It was the first Overhead I had ever seen, and I remember being fascinated looking at it.).

George
As to the transformer issue I cannot recall. I suspect that the transformer issue may be related to a fault in the 6.25/25kV changeover system.

Until the 1980s at least there was still a dual voltage system operating on the GE and the LTS.