Containers

Yet another liner train, 66542 with 4L68 from Birch Coppice.

Streetly Station

An excellent early photographic postcard portraying Streetly station as it appeared probably during the 1920s/30s, kindly supplied by Richard C. An almost busy scene !

The picture is taken from the Thornhill Road bridge looking towards Walsall. The train is at the up platform with the steamer running tender-first, and what looks like four clerestory coaches in tow.

Jocko set free! (For a worthy cause)

On the first of October 2005 there was a charity event held at Walsall Railway Club with all proceeds going to breast cancer charities. During this day 08709 was named Molly's Day, Molly being the young daughter of a Bescot driver who had sadly lost her mother to this illness.

The naming took place in Walsall Midland Yard and this photo shows the loco passing Pleck Junction while making its way to Walsall.

Last of the 'Bones'

EWS-liveried 58050 'Toton Traction Depot', the last Class 58 in the series, is seen passing through Sutton Park in the late 1990s with an up empty MGR set, maybe bound for Daw Mill. The class were all withdrawn by 2002, a number being hired out for use in France and Spain.

Thanks to JT for the photo.

1990s Tamping Machine

A typical tamper of the era, seen on the down at the Aldridge crossover, late 1990s.

Photo JT.

37518

Bridges B55 and B56 provide an artistic backdrop as 37518 runs light through Aldridge in the early 1990s, probably en route Bescot.

The loco survives in preservation on the East Lancashire Railway.

Photo JT.

Tyseley Tour

Tyseley Class 115/116 unit, set T402, is seen passing through Aldridge in the late 1980s.

This was in connection with a Tyseley Open Day event of that time and the shuttle was running between Tyseley and Walsall.

Photo's JT.

Tyseley Tour Two

A second unit, T403, is seen on the up at Aldridge, having left Walsall a few minutes previously.

Photo's JT.

Celebrity Cement

Tata Steel-liveried 60099 passes Walmley with 6M82 Walsall-Tunstead on 30th September 2011.

Penns Station

A superb postcard full of detail, showing the neat little station at Penns (for Walmley) as it appeared around 100 years ago. The photo was taken from Penns Lane bridge looking towards Sutton Park and Walsall. A barrow crossing can be seen running across the railway nearest the camera, and bridge 22 known as the Big Span in the distance, with the New Hall Valley beyond. The last station master at Penns was Les Hollins, who served until closure in January 1965.

Today the site is shrouded by trees and all traces of the station have gone, except for some remnants of the upside (right) platform.

Walsall 31.....

31601 has been kicking about the Walsall area for the last few weeks and is seen here passing the box on Wednesday 31 August, heading for Bescot Virtual Quarry.

Stock Move 2

47270 passes Walmley with 5Z47 Carnforth-Tyseley 19/08/11. Nice to get some sunshine!

Stock Move

On 19th August 2011, 66723 moved 508210 & 508201 from Donnington-Eastleigh, seen here passing through Sutton Park.

Triple Twenties

Ex-DRS Type 1's 20305 + 20301 make for an interesting sight as they tow two barrier tanks across the Park on the afternoon of 8th August. Bringing up the rear of the formation was 20304.

6D20 Crewe - Derby.

Smoking can damage your health

What I think were 47712 and 47818 lay down a smoke trail through Aldridge this morning. The DRS engines were running to Southampton as 0Z58 to pick up a Cruise Saver train on Sunday morning.

Fastline lives on

66434 wearing the old Fastline Freight grey livery passes through Sutton Park on Friday 29th July.

Class 70s roll through

1. 70001 with 4O29.
2. 70010 with 6U76.
3. 70005 with 6F16.
4. 70010 with 6U77.

Out for a stroll

A nice day for a walk along the park line with your bike.

The Wedding Party

A photoshoot in Bracebridge Woods after a Boathouse reception, just as an unseen Class 70 roars past!

Tangmere at Aldridge

Ex-Southern Railway Battle of Britain Class steam engine 34067 'Tangmere' passing through Aldridge en route Crewe this afternoon.

1Q09 Recording Coach

97302 + 97304 open up with yet another test train passing through Sutton Park. 97304 has a red-backed nameplate 'John Tiley'.

The track recording coach DB 999508 was originally built at Swindon Works in 1960 as an inspection saloon. Converted to a recording unit the coach was then painted into the former Serco red and grey test car livery, before receiving her latest coat of Network Rail yellow paint.

1Q09 Derby - Machynlleth Monday 18th July 2011.

Jupiter and Karine

Two named Colas track machines seen at Streetly on 11th July.

We Don't Want No HS2 !

Funny how that when the country is in mega-billions of debt the govt. can still find hundreds more £millions to come up with a scheme to ferry over-rich businessmen about at high speed...

DCR 56311

DCR-owned 'Grid' number 56311 blasts through Water Orton early this afternoon with loaded scrap train 6Z56 running from Grimsby Town to Cardiff Tidal.

More like this please !

5O29 'Nunney Castle'

The steamer is pictured heading across Sutton Park early on Saturday afternoon, running with support coach to Bristol (from Tyseley).

9th July 2011.
.

Valley of Hope

FLHH locomotive 66601 'The Hope Valley' rushes through Aldridge on Saturday 9th July with a train of loaded sand hoppers from Middleton Towers to Crewe, an unusual train for the Sutton Park line, at least in daylight hours !

The Devonian

55022 'Royal Scots Grey' passes Water Orton on Saturday morning. 47804 brings up the rear.

1Z32 Doncaster - Paignton..

Class 37s to Tyseley

After a hard days testing on the Grand Junction and Cannock lines 37610 and 37604 return to Tyseley. Nice to see Class 37 action on the Park line on a Saturday.

Photo's taken at Aldridge old station site, 9th July.

Another look at 66152

DBS red-liveried locomotive 66152 leaves the Blue Hole cutting behind as she heads towards Aldridge with the 6E08 steel empties from Wolverhampton, Wednesday 6th July.

I had gone out to photograph 5Z47 from Tyseley, a train of two coaches for Carnforth with 47786, but missed this move by two or three minutes...

Class 57 and 20s

The unusual sight of a Class 57 heading a train of empty stock with two DRS Class 20s bringing up the rear. The ECS was running from Crewe to Gloucester to form an excursion to Penzance the following day.

57601 leads the move with 20309 + 20308 at the back. This train was stopped at Walsall's WL42 signal in Aldridge due to what I think were track circuit problems, the train driver then being given authority to pass this signal at danger and proceed slowly to the next signal at Sutton Park around four miles away.

Evening of Friday 24th June 2011.