Coxbench station was closed 01/06/1930 and has been a private residence for many years, the passing of a few slow moving coal trains would cause the residents little trouble, the station is delightful and the garden area on the opposite side of the railway completes the picture. This scene suggests a gentle photographic amble on a warm summer day along this twisting country branch line to Denby.
In truth it was the usual hasty scramble, wait and hope the train will appear at Little Eaton, photograph, leap in car, tear to Coxbench, photograph then leap once more to try and catch the train at as many crossings as possible until it got to Denby. I know these antics cause much merriment to the train crew!
On this day we were pleased to see a pair of class 20's but it would have been better in this harsh light if they had not had the black windscreen surrounds, the old blue with full yellow ends would have photographed better than the Dusty Springfield look!
20215 was built at English Electric as D8315, it entered service new to Thornaby 20/05/1967. The loco was withdrawn 01/03/1992 and cut by C.F. Booth nearly 17 years later in November 2009.
20108 was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn Ltd, it entered service new to Eastfield 20/12/1961, it was withdrawn 13/09/1991 and cut by the Harry Needle Railroad Company (at Kingsbury) in October 2005.
Copyright Geoff Dowling 12/07/1990: All rights reserved
Tags: Coxbench Little Eaton Denby 20215/20108
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37411 & 37677 were making a fine noise as the climbed the grade at Hasland, they were at the head of 6M26 the Earles sidings to Handsworth cement train. The cement is closely followed by a class 47 on a passenger service but I didn't bother photographing it so the number remains unknown. This location was very popular with photographers because of the view of the twisted spire of St Mary and All Saints church Chesterfield, like so many churches this one has had various additions and 'restorations' but the spire was built around 1362 and its top is 228 feet high, the church is a grade 1 listed building.
37411 was built by English Electric it entered service new to Cardiff Canton 18/06/1965 as D6990, under TOPS it became 37290 03/1974. The loco was selected to receive ETH and as such became 37411. 28/05/1987 it was named "The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers" at Fort William.
It was withdrawn 14/02 2013 and cut at C.F. Booth (Rotherham) 18/05/2013
37677 was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn Ltd, it entered service new to Cardiff Canton 19/04/1963 as D6821, under TOPS it became 37121. During a visit to Crewe works it was renumbered to 37677 20/05/1987. The loco was withdrawn 18/02/2008 and cut at C.F. Booth 10/10/2008.
Copyright Geoff Dowling 10/07/1990: All rights reserved
Tags: Hasland Chesterfield 37411/37677 cement
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If memory serves this picture was the result of a very quick dash down the path to the left, we heard the train echoing in the rock cutting and just went for it! I could have cut the un-sharp left hand side out to improve the picture but that scramble and the grab shot was part of the day.
20214 & 20210 are nearing Langwith Junction with a short raft of MGR wagons
20214 was built by English Electric, it entered service new to Thornaby 20/05/1967 as D8314, it was withdraw 09/06/1993. It is preserved
20210 was built at English Electric, it also went to Thornaby and entered service on the same day, it was numbered D8310. It was withdrawn 09/06/1993 and scrapped at M.C. Metals 03/11/1993
Copyright Geoff Dowling 10/07/1990 : All rights reserved
Tags: 20214 20210 Shirebrook mgr
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Tram 48 in Broad Street
Copyright Geoff Dowling: All rights reserved
Tags: Broad Street
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This is the A609 crossing on the Denby branch, the locomotives had left their empty MGR train and were re-positioning the brake vans for the return (loaded) trip.
This branch line had so many crossings on it, to have put barriers in would have cost more than the revenue it generated. The working of a train had an MGR set with brake van(s) at the rear. On arriving at a crossing the train would stop, the second man would open the gates, the train would pass through, stop, and the guard would close the gates, the train would then proceed to the next crossing and repeat the performance.
We took many shots this day, I think it was the day we were given a cab ride along the last mile or so and into the yard on the pair of 20's. Good? You bet!
20108 was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn Ltd, it entered service new to Eastfield 20/12/1961, it was withdrawn 13/09/1991 and cut by the Harry Needle Railroad Company (at Kingsbury) in October 2005.
20215 was built at English Electric as D8315, it entered service new to Thornaby 20/05/1967. The loco was withdrawn 01/03/1992 and cut by C.F. Booth nearly 17 years later in November 2009.
Copyright Geoff Dowling 12/07/1990: All rights reserved
Tags: 20108/20215 Denby Kilburn sidings A609
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