European Railroad Discussion > Summer or autumn?

The UK Met Office classes September as the start of autumn even though, astronomically, autumn only begins at the equinox (21st/22nd) when the sun passes over the equator on its way south and the nights are longer than the days.

Yesterday was one of those in between sort of days, plenty of fine sunny weather but misty at dawn and with shadows lengthening ever earlier in the evening. I carried my camera with me to work as usual and took a few shots.

1: The misty one, dawn in London yesterday was 06:30, about 35 minutes later the 6E35 Grain to Ferme Park (London Concrete) came drifting along the Gospel Oak to Barking line, approaching the Harringay Park Junction signal, which would route it up to the East Coast Mainline and Ferme Park Yard. There was the trace of mist hanging in the cutting
2: Yesterday was the second day of Southern's two days guards strike so I routed myself to work via Blackfriars and Thameslink. This is the (relatively) new trans-pontine Blackfriars station, with a pair of 25 years old class 319s on a Thameslink train bound for Luton, the rear unit still in First Capital Connect's City Lights livery. The roof of Blackfriars is quite interesting, on the exterior it is lined with photo voltaic cells and there's a display in the ticket office which tells you how much electricity has been generated in terms of the number of cups of tea which could have been brewed - so far this year it is many hundreds of thousands. From the platforms at Blackfriars there are great views up and down the Thames.
3: At lunchtime I took myself off to Balcombe, the next station south of Three Bridges (where I work). A trio of new Gatwick Express 387/2s speed through on the 12:00 London Victoria - Gatwick Airport - Brighton service.

How times have changed, when the Brighton Line was electrified in 1933 the Southern Railway built a fleet of six car express EMUs (6PULs) featuring open and compartment stock, 2+2 in 3rd class, 2+1 in 1st class, with well padded comfy seats and a composite (1st & 3rd class) Pullman car serving light meals and snacks. Today the new 387s feature 2+2 ironing board seats, which are no different whether 1st or standard, and no refreshments, not even a perambulating trolley. Journey time in 1933 was 60 minutes non-stop, today its 54 minutes with one stop. Progress?

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4: Climbing the grade from the Ouse Valley amid a blizzard of rosebay willowherb seeds is the 6V00, carrying 1600 tonnes of PFA (Pulverised Fuel Ash) from the waste to power plant at Newhaven. usually this train carries stone to Newhaven, returning empty but once a week or so it transports PFA back to London for use in the building trade.
5: Another EMU type, and one becoming increasingly rare these days, is the class 442, used for the past seven years by Southern on Gatwick Express services but now being retired to storage, with a few exceptions which are being retained by Southern for services such as this, the 12:30 Victoria to Brighton.
6: And finally on my ride home from Blackfriars, it's 18:20 and the shadows are already lengthening, this is the 18:14 London King's Cross to King's Lynn train, first stop Cambridge.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/16 04:43 by 86235.

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Meteorologists in US also consider September to be the start of the fall season.
Thanks for posting more great photos. I like them all.
ALLEN

Look at all of those wires.......

great photos Nick, thanks

A fine collection of shots, Nick. Impressed by 06:30!! Tio me that would be the end of a night shift!! Chris UK (presently in Toronto).

Nice shots!   During my year in London I had hoped to ride the Class 442s on the Gatwick Express.  But every time we went to Gatwick, I was always foiled by newer stock!