60163 - The Red Rose - 11/02/17

Me thinks you must be carrying a step ladder with you to see over that parapet Alan!

...and I like the going away shot through the bars of the footbridge Scott
(the electronic sign warning of the fast train approaching makes me smile as well)

 

Looks like the return will be delayed after Rugby. Overhead wire problems at Hilmorton so everything via Northampton currently.

 

Hello Ian,

My small step-ladder was destroyed during a recent tree trimming exercise, so I had to improvise with a Council recycling box - just high enough to see over the parapet!!

Weather was totally shonky today, but great photos from yourself and Scott despite the gloom, would have loved the snow that was promised.....

Cheers,

Alan

 

Glad you like them, I saw the sign come up last year when I photographed 34046 on the nighttime test run there and decided I could do something with it given the chance, today's weather made it an ideal choice.
The going away shot was a grab but does sum up the conditions --- only five minutes back home this time !

 

Into Arley Tnl at 45 mph and over Nuneaton flyover. Now watering N of Rugby sta. Sbd trains crawling past.

 

Stechford outwards: http://daviddepperphotography.zenfolio.com/p641555092#h834b7f37

Coleshill return: http://daviddepperphotography.zenfolio.com/p641555092#h834b7f36

 

Lol - so recylcing is good for photography!

Back a good many years ago it was common for steamers to shed over night on the old carriage sidings to the right of your pic, these days it's the DMU depot. I've got various photos from 25 odd years ago where they were relaxed about people wandering down there. In fact I spent a good time on the footplate of 80080 when the crew invited me up to have a look around whilst they were getting ready for a main line run from down there. Back in those days there were no gates or fences into the yard at all. (You could also freely wander lineside at the firestation whilst they were watering. British transport police sometimes came down, but weren't too worried - they'd keep an eye on things but otherwise chat with everyone). After steam got kicked out of the yard they'd sometimes stable engines overnight on the headshunt right up tight to the monkmoor overbridge where you were stood. I know how tall the wall is because the only way I could get a photo was to hold my medium format camera I was using at that time over my head and look up into the waist level finder. ....it was a lousy photo! Lol. West Coast still tend to use that headshunt these days for watering, they'll throw a hose over the fence to a hydrant by the houses on the right.

I agree about the weather - was sleet and snow as I rattled up the motorway through Telford

 

Stop start on the Northampton loop.

 

Its my fault, while I was stamping my feet trying to keep warm this I was looking at the OHLE, pondering how few problems there are on the WCML compared to the badly strung knitting on the ECML.

ooppps

 

Love the second shot - nice to see something different

 

X up fast after Bletchley

 

deleted.

 

A video still of pure dullness, but a bright display from Tornado on the climb towards Telford.

 

Nice location - where's that?

 

Climbing up Lower Upton, about 1 mile west of Cosford.

 

Back to up slow at Bourne End

 

Ah - on the outward leg!
I was trying to visulise the couple of over bridges between Shrewsbury and Wellington.

Next question then, given that I was at Lower Upton on the outskirts of Shifnal - where the heck is that bridge?!! lol
Is it the one with a private track and footpath going over it, with a couple of farms. "Bonemill Bridge" is it?
...and if so, did you abandon a couple of tripods and microphones a long way behind you by the edge of the field?

 

FL again after WFJ

 

Yes, I left my static on record, I was about another 1/4 further down. There's another bridge where I was but it hasn't got a name. We parked up the top field on Upton Lane.

 

Lol - I'll send a belated wave in that case! Lol.

I was parked up the top there as well (1960's landy rover). Whilst trying to keep warm Dad commented on spotting someone walking down the field in the far distance. Back before the reservoir was built there was a nice scenic long shot... then the reservoir got built right in the middle of it! Last time I went there was a number of years ago. Myself and some others spent a long windswept time stood on the bottom dam wall waiting for a charter that got diverted up the WCML, so we never did really get to see what it was like from there. That's where I went to today. Whilst huddling waiting trying to keep warm I spotted an aparently abandoned microphone/tripod on the far side of the track with nobody seemingly near it. Even after I'd walked back, looking down the field I still didn't see any movement on the far side!

Needless to say, the weather was pretty poor and the exhaust was blowing across in my direction <sigh>.
Oh, and I was somewhat fixed in choice of lens focal length to use the fastest one I've got.