
Rugby June 29th 2005
My first ever stop at Rugby turned up a few loco & unit needs for me as well as dislike for traveling on Pendolinos. They smell like a sewage farm and make me feel rather sick when they tilt!!! Anyway here's a few photos of the day.

57307 Lady Penelope stands in the northern bay at Rugby.

Lady Penelope's eye catching nameplate. YES M'lady!!!!

Alan Tracy nameplate

57308 Tin Tin sits behind 57303 and 57308 in the Northern bay at Rugby.

Tin Tin nameplate. No its nothing at all to do with the Comic hero. Why have Virgin named all their Class 57/3's after characters from the Thunderbird TV series. Well in the mid 90's the TV show made a welcome comeback to the British TV screens. Some people saw the resemblance of International Rescue and locomotives going to the aid of failed units, other loco's or other trains, thus the term Thunderbird Duties became the norm. So why does virgin call them Thunderbirds then? Well For the sole purpose of rescuing their stricken Pendolino's or Voyager's Or loco hauled Virgin services along the West coast mainline, whilst the Pendolino's were entering service.

Brush Traction the makers of the Class 57 " Bodysnatchers" Builders plate.

When I arrived at Rugby 66518 was berthed in the Southern bay.

Network Rail owned 86901 Chief Engineer is stabled along side its sister loco 86902.

57303 Alan Tracy in between 57307 & 57308 in the Northern bay.

66171 came down from a Northerly direction and then went back the same way after waiting some 30 minutes.

At this point in time a Network Rail track gang had appeared on the scene and had started to replace about 4 wooden sleepers with new concrete ones on the Up fast line.

Both photos are of 390023 passing the track gang.

The driver of 90047 looks over at the working P-Way men.

Whilst waiting for 90047 to clear 67022 went past as a light engine move possibly to Wembley Yard.

Again whilst waiting for 90047 to depart 92038 came through on an EWS intermodal service bound for Wembley and ultimately Dollands Moor and the continent via the chunnel.

Unfortunately 90047 got the green light and 92038 had to wait. Still I managed to get a shot of FKA 81 70 4908066-3 an international registered Intermodal wagon owned by EWS.

Another variant of the GM class 66. This one and nine more are owned by Direct Rail Services (DRS). Here 66401 passes the aforementioned P-way gang who appear to be having a breather!!

92016 Brahms powers a light engine move consisting of 90023 & 67015. These are heading for EWS's Wembley yard.

66517 passes on a southbound liner service.

DR72201 and DR72208 both Dynamic track stabiliser machines pass southbound after coming up from the South ( I passed them about an hour and a bit earlier at about 100 mph in the Pendolino). These are heading for the yard to the right of the pic.

66714 Cromer Lifeboat passes the P-way gang on a Southbound liner.

Along way from its former Southern Region home of Ashford Chart Leacon 09022 now allocated to Bescot shunts empty Network Rail JNA's out of Rugby's yard. This was the first Class 09 shunter I had seen for quite a few number of years.

Another kop for me for the day and yet another DRS colored GM66. 66410 heads south on a Intermodal train.

66518 waits at the head of the rake of empty JNA's that 09022 was pulling out of the yard.

Ahhh the life of a loco driver!!! The driver relaxes while he waits for his booked path.

92010 Moliere passes on a European bound, via the chunnel freight service. Apparently these had some new Spanaish registered wagons amongst the consist.

The weather has closed in now and its begining to pour with rain as 66613 prepares to slow for and berth with an empty automotive train.

66092 passes with a rake of loaded self discharge PHA wagons.

Empty IKA Intermodal wagon 33 68 49430762 fitted with Freightliners Automotive car deck sits at the back of 66613's train.

A head on shot of 57308 showing its Dellner coupler.

With the top half of the 6 missing from the front of 66562 in charge of the 6M16 Soton Western docks - Crewe Gresty Lane Transit's and Ford KA's from Southampton Maritime has arrived.

66190 came up from the South with a rake of MHA's plus other assorted EWS aggregate wagons. He was held at a signal North of the station where 09022 was sent to couple onto the back and pull the whole train back across the mainline's and into the yard.

66622 arrives in the North bay during the thunderstorm as 325001 passes.

The builders plate for 66622. Manufactured in January 2005 with a serial number of 20028462-25.

Northern bay GM line up. 66622 & 57308.

Another head on shot, this time of 66622.

Network Rail operated Class 43 43062 (ex Virgin HST) Stands at the head of Network Rails New Measurement Train at Euston.

NR977993 in the consist of the NMT. This is a new addition to the train as this coach has a Pantagraph fitted. Note the electrical equipment inside the coach.

43154 at the rear of the NMT at Euston.
On Location Gallery Index