Prototype More of Rogers rough old pictures - Blue locos in b&w!

[Roger Pound]

I was sufficiently encouraged to print off a few more pictures - a few more to perhaps to raise interest or at least have a laugh at - just forgive the quality. It all served a very useful purpose at the time by being excellent and effective palliative treatment when I was recovering from a bout of severe mental stress. First, a few more on the WCML near Rugby:

Please remember that these pictures were taken on a winter afternoon in failing light.
1. an AM10 on the Northampton spur from Rugby.
2. A class 86 on an up service



3. Another Cl 86 with a down express.
4. Leaving Rugby and moving on to Leicestershire in 1984, this was my attempt at a 'pcturesque' composition showing a pair of Class 20's travelling light from Kibworth towards Leicester. (Oh well - I can always try again with different subjects........ !)




5&6. Finally, Leicester MPD and a failed 45 043 being detached from its train by a sister 45 and duly dumped on Leicester MPD Yard for attention.


Leicester Yard has now altered completely as many will know. Rugby station and track layout has been equally revised beyond recognition too. More of Roger's rough old pictures showing layouts and locos of the past will appear ...........

Roger.

 

[Roger Pound]

Happy 2025 to all our readers!
Start the year with another look at some more efforts of a rank amateur........ ! This batch of pictures were taken from an over-bridge where the city and county environs of Leicester meet on the south side of the city. They seemed like a good idea at the time :-



These next two are unlabelled but show typical dmu's of the time on services to Birmingham.



That's it for this lot - sorry about the fact that some are a bit on the skew - well, it is a New Year starting and a single malt is too good to ignore .

I'll find a few more pictures for later, but if you want me to stop, just say so.

Roger

 

[timbowales]

Roger, just like Tim Mill's photos, these are an important historical record whatever their quality. Please keep posting!

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

BR Blue.... "Boring"?? Never - but you had to be there to understand.

And we thought it would last forever.....
More depressing thoughts for the new year available at The Back of the Class.

 

[Roger Pound]

Another little batch from both North and South of Leicester on what is now known as the MML. The stalwart classes 45 & 25 feature with a less common (for the time) class 31. The inevitable class 47 is also featured.
Firstly, north at Thurcaston:





Now to the Kibworth district:-





This is about the lot for the present - hope they are entertaining. Thank you for looking.

Roger

 

[D6356]

I like the 31 on the BHM - NRW service 8 on will have made the Ammeter cough or perhaps it was fun bimble at 40mph. In early 90s when 31s made a reappearance load 4 on eth 31/4 was just about able to keep to 156 sprinter times, more if heating turned off it was so close to limits, happy days and thanks for showing.
Robert

 

[mickoo]

The relief boat train from Harwich mid morning was often a 31, it didn't go as far as Manchester and I can't recall where it did terminate, but it was a regular 6+ coaches; across the fens (Ely-Peterborough) in a head wind you'd have farmers on horses pass you! Just hopeless.

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

I like the 31 on the BHM - NRW service 8 on will have made the Ammeter cough

I rode that service a few times c.1986, it was usually 6 on. I recall nothing about the speed or performance, I was just happy to be on a diesel hauled train. ....yes I was easily pleased, & it reminded me of my Airfix 31 I had at the time.

 

[Roger Pound]

Apart from taking the odd picture of 31's on the Birmingham-Norwich jobs, I also used the service between Leicester and Birmingham and return, getting trains that were 31 hauled. The services I used either originated or terminated at New Street. I remember they really struggled climbing out of Water Orton towards Nuneaton. The locos were definitely at their limit! The arrival of 150's and 156's was a most welcome improvement and the 158's even more so.

Roger

 

[Mike W]

I'm interested that you were using black and white in the 1980s, when ordinary shops had stopped selling the film, at least they had near me. I'm guessing you did your own processing? Sorry if this has been mentioned in a different thread that I've not seen.
Mike

 

[40057]

Apart from taking the odd picture of 31's on the Birmingham-Norwich jobs, I also used the service between Leicester and Birmingham and return, getting trains that were 31 hauled. The services I used either originated or terminated at New Street. I remember they really struggled climbing out of Water Orton towards Nuneaton. The locos were definitely at their limit! The arrival of 150's and 156's was a most welcome improvement and the 158's even more so.

Roger

Actually their limit was a lot more! I remember travelling on the 08.35 Newcastle—Yarmouth (SO) c.1981, usually a 37 or 40 from Newcastle, but on this occasion a 31 — with the usual load of 13 Mk1s. Very slow indeed re-starting after the stop at Durham. Pathed between HSTs!

 

[Joe's Garage]

Very nice collection of (now) historical photos Roger.
We all appreciate the sharing of these.
All the best
Julian

 

[Roger Pound]

I'm interested that you were using black and white in the 1980s, when ordinary shops had stopped selling the film, at least they had near me. I'm guessing you did your own processing? Sorry if this has been mentioned in a different thread that I've not seen.
Mike

Mike,
I had the pictures processed by a friend - that sort of thing is beyond my skill-set I'm afraid. However, the poor quality is entirely down to me pushing a simple camera beyond it's limits in most cases. I did get a bit better when I got a different camera and went on to colour - I might even find some worth putting up...........!

Roger