London Willsden, Old Oak Common, Temple Mills & Dagenham 27-12-2004
First up on this cold day was Willsden depot in North West London. 325010, 66703 & 87025 are at the top of each line of locos.
Just before we were going to leave discontent in the knowledge that we had not go any of what we wanted, 66703 started up and began to move out coupled with 66701 (what was my last GBRf 66 needed). These reversed back to the depot but I didnt see where they were going, as we went round the back later on and they were not there.
Going round to the back of the depot, we managed to see the following, from the far right :- 57302, 87xxx, 57306 & 57301
Both 57306 & 57301 were up and runnning.
Our trip was to get to Old Oak common as well as Temple Mills and Dagenham, We came across North Pole Eurostar Depot as well.
After a few minutes of gathering photos 180109 came to a stand opposite North Pole A couple of Seconds later First Great Western HST 43025 + 43172 (at the back) whizzed past us.
It looks as though the 180 was on an ECS ( empty coach stock ) move from Paddington to Old Oak common as just after I took this shot we decided to go down to the Grand Union Canal to see what was in OOC, and this followed us in about 5 minutes later.
Shot in about the same position as 47535 on the 3rd of Jan 2004 31465 stands awaiting its fate.
Peculiar one this. 31306+31308 pictured through an open VEA van's doors.
58045 with some of its side doors open to the elements awaits it fate at the shed end of Old oak common. I remember the first time I saw this loco was in the sub assembly area of Doncaster works in about 1987 with 58046, 047, 048, 049 & 050. All of these were in various stages of being built but 58045 was by far the complete. Ahh those were the days.
One full circuit from Willsden to Old Oak common via North Pole later, we ended back up at Willsden High Level Junction where 313123 was ready to depart on a Richmond service.
The only 2 EWS sheds we saw the whole day were these two:- 66178 & 66070. These were at Temple Mills to the North of where Stratford used to be. Around this part of London there are various areas of Construction/Rail works all in various stages all to do with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from St. Pancras. Stratford was no exception.
Dagenham..... What a shit hole!!!! Whizzing along the A13 @ 70 MPH in a Peugeot 306 trying to gain an entrance to Freightliner's Ripple Lane depot was a nightmare (its the first time I have been here, and quite possibly the last). We spotted the Shanks liveried 66 on the 3rd run along the A13. We then managed to do 3 laps of Ford's Dagenham Car Plant, damn thats a big garage!!!! to find a place where to photograph.
With fading light we eventually found a place HERE On a Bridge where Kent Road crosses. You will know where I mean because there are 2 Mahoosive Water towers , like they have in the states, with FORD plastered on the top of them, and South of that, on the same road is a huuu-mungus Wind Turbine.
Looking East and from center left to right then back to the left we have:- 47197, 66951. To the left of the first two we have 66608, then on the left at the rear we have 66522 and 66952. This is the CTRL yards at Dagenham. Further up the line are a few rail carriers and Railtrack auto-ballasters. Four class 66 kops in one place for me. I was a happy chap. Unfortunately because of the fading light the photos I took with the 35mm camera never came out. I was gutted :( To the extreme left is the new CTRL line that the 66/9s are working on.
On Location Gallery Index