| On Saturday 10th of October it was off to Leyland in Lancashire to catch a number of charters as they headed north on the West Coast Main Line.
Three charters in 15 minutes, that's not something you see very often, though we almost didn't see them at all thanks to a blanket of fog which was severly limiting visibility when we arrived. Thankfully this started to clear, though I then wished it hadn't as the bright Sun made photographing anything coming from the south a bit more difficult - some days it seems you just can't win! 
The first of the charters was the "Cumbrian Mountain Express", which was hauled by a DBS Class 66 shed (66152), and was on it's way to Hellifield where Tornado was due to take over as it travelled on the Carlisle. Next up was the "North Wales Lakelander", this was hauled by a Class 67 - 67005 as it made its journey from Holyhead to Carlisle. Last up it was the turn for some steam, and none other than the Duchess of Sutherland, 6233 herself, as she took the "Royal Scot" up to Carlisle from Crewe. After the charters had passed we jumped on the train and spent the day in the Blackpool area, not only to photograph some trams (these are now available in my other Tram Gallery, which is accesible from the link on the main page), but also to get a few shots of some remnants of the old line that used to run up to Blackpool Central before the powers that be turned it into a road and car/coach park, Blackpool South Station, and also the current stations at Pleasure Beach and Squires Gate. After this and a look at the now closed and disused Pontins Holiday Camp nearby, it was back north again, and after an enjoyable session of tram photting, off to Blackpool North Station for the return trip home again. |
Pendolinos in the mist 1024x785 IMGP4897.jpg |
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66152 - Cumbrian Mountain Express 1024x751 IMGP4906.jpg |
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66152 - Cumbrian Mountain Express 1024x773 IMGP4907.jpg |
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67005 - North Wales Lakelander 1024x799 IMGP4910.jpg |
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The Duchess arrives with the Royal Scot 1024x797 IMGP4912.jpg |
The Grand Old Duchess 1024x813 IMGP4913.jpg |
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57601 on the rear end of the Royal Scot 1024x760 IMGP4914.jpg |
Thunderbird 'John Tracy' on standby at Preston 1024x760 IMGP4915.jpg |
old railway was near to where the Blackpool Central Station once stood 1024x769 IMGP4925.jpg |
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more remnants of the old railway 1024x746 IMGP4926.jpg |
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You can tell this was once a railway bridge 1024x733 IMGP4929.jpg |
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unused side of the platform at Blackpool South, now just looking onto a car park 1024x715 IMGP4930.jpg |
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the other side of the platform, still in use, but now leading to a dead end 1024x752 IMGP4932.jpg |
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looking south from Blackpool South along the disused southern half of the current platform 1024x700 IMGP4933.jpg |
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platform at Squires Gate 1024x748 IMGP4938.jpg |
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looking north from Squires Gate Station 1024x714 IMGP4939.jpg |
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the view south, showing the current platform at Squire's Gate, and the old disused one. That's the now closed Pontins Holiday Camp in the background 1024x694 IMGP4941.jpg |
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the view north from Squires Gate towards the Pleasure Beach 1024x726 IMGP4944.jpg |
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Pleasure Beach Station, opened in 1987, formerly Burlington Road Halt from 1913 to 1949 1024x737 IMGP5001.jpg |
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that's the 'Big One' in the background, and no you wouldn't get me up there, the footbridge was quite high enough for me!:-) 1024x734 IMGP5003.jpg |
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that canopy looks much older than the station 1024x729 IMGP5006.jpg |
the view south from the Pleasure Beach Station 1024x730 IMGP5007.jpg |
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Blackpool North Station 1024x715 IMGP5078.jpg |
