With January 2nd 2022 being the 40th Anniversary of the last day of the Deltics, I've looked out some old pictures from their heyday on the ECML. These are scans of 35mm Kodachrome 64 slides.
In 1975 I had the privilege of living and working in Newcastle upon Tyne for five months after leaving school and before going to university elsewhere. My Geordie spring and early summer weren't that kind for the weather, and I scarcely knew what I was doing with a camera anyway!
However I did get lucky in the middle of June, and here 55006 "The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry" is seen approaching Manors station with what I'm confident is the up "Flying Scotsman", the 10.00 off Edinburgh Waverley.
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In the early afternoon "Argyll and Sutherland Highlander" headed north away from Manors with what I think is the down "Flying Scotsman", the 10.00 from Kings Cross. With Kings Cross to Edinburgh services at two hourly intervals in those days, there aren't really any alternatives for either of these workings.
Like most enthusiasts I suspect, I had my favourites of these locos, and these two were mine. Probably no coincidence that they were both cared for by Haymarket 64B!
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The view from the Castle here is perhaps the best known on the ECML, with the remarkable set of crossings at the east end of the station.
The train, probably the 08.00 from Kings Cross to Edinburgh, is heading for Manors, with the lines off to the left about to cross the Tyne into Gateshead.
I didn't have a clue which Deltic it was, but John Turner has kindly supplied an answer below, so I'm going with 55019 "Royal Highland Fusilier", heading back home to Edinburgh. I don't have a precise date, although I'm confident it's sometime in May 1975.
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...crossing the Tyne on the King Edward VII bridge, close to Gateshead 52A, 47087 is seen again heading for the W.R. I'm guessing this is shortly after 19.30 as I seem to remember this was timing from Central.
I suspect the Newcastle skyline has changed a bit in the last 46 years, visible dead centre above the fourth coach is tower of the Civic Centre, now a listed masterpiece of its genre.
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The early evening view from the platform here, with a Sunday working for the Western Region. I will confess that the original slide is not as crisp as it might be.
Named 47's from the original group were something of a rareity away from the W.R. and with the train having a layover in Central station I walked, very fast, to Gateshead for the next shot...
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