View from the platform 20250412--035
60002 Graham Farish 50th Anniversary 1970-2020 passes Pelaw, working 6N85 08.58 Lynemouth Power Station - Tyne Coal Terminal biomass empties.
The weather forecast for this morning was for full sun (with cloud rolling in later) and, unlike the previous day, it was correct and there was indeed a cloudless sky. If the forecast had been correct, I'd planned to head for the Ashington area for a shot of the mid-morning biomass arrival around Woodhorn. But when I checked Realtime Trains, that working had been activated exactly three hours ahead of booked departure (so automatically) and did not have a loco shown (the previous day it had had a loco shown hours in advance), so I guessed it wouldn't run. The early train had, however, but on Saturdays there are two schedules for the empties returning (at 08.58 and 09.59 from Lynemouth) - and both had been activated manually, with neither initially showing a loco.
Having had lots of early mornings for several consecutive weeks, I decided to snooze for a bit longer. By the time I'd stirred again, RTT showed 60002 allocated to the earlier train and there was not now enough time to go north of the Tyne (and, anyway, I had remembered - slightly incorrectly for April, it turns out - that the sun is not quite on the front for the earlier path). So Pelaw it would be, although I have done shots here repeatedly over the years!
I did, however, just have time to divert via Fellgate to look at the possibility of a shot from ground level (the bottom of the embankment, by the boundary fence) immediately west of the Metro station, using the pole. I'd seen shots here a few years ago, but knew that the vegetation had grown up since. I spent a few minutes wandering around without actually raising the pole, and decided that it might be better to experiment later with Metro services (which I didn't actually do) - plus I wasn't sure my pole was high enough to make it anything more than a "train on a railway line" shot.
The usual shot I do at Pelaw is from the tall concrete bridge over the Metro reversing sidings, east of the station. But since you can park very close to the station on Saturdays (it's resident permit holders only on weekdays), I thought I'd try the shot from the footbridge at the station - or at least have a look at it. To avoid the Metro OHL masts as well as a signal, you stand fairly head-on (although actually not much more so than on the other footbridge now that the trees have grown back). Again, I've done the shot several times, although I don't think with a biomass train. I photographed a four-car class 156 DMU.
And then I wondered what the shot was like from the Metro station platform. So, with 6N85 already at Park Lane Jn. and therefore less than five minutes away, I went to have a look - and I liked the angle I found. The PIS display showed the next Metro services due in two minutes and in nine minutes, while RTT was showing 6N85 expected at Heworth in three. The chances of being bowled were looking low. The first Metro service arrived, passengers boarded and alighted, and just as the door closing tone sounded, 60002 appeared under the bridge at Heworth. No sweat - although I did have to ask a couple of people waiting for the next Metro and walking backwards and forwards on the edge of my shot if they could stay back for a moment.
6N87 was, of course, approaching a red signal (they still "double block", I believe, with heavy rail trains being at least two signal sections behind Metro services), and was going very slowly. I fired a burst of thirty-one frames (although I think there might have a few more during that burst which, for some reason, didn't save to the memory card or didn't actually take - there are four occasions between frames where the train moves forward a greater distance), and this was the twenty-eighth, chosen because the shadow of Down Line signal T47 is between the first and second wagons. I was stood as far back as I could to be this wide, thus maximising the space to the left of the OHL mast on the right and its supporting cable, although afterwards I'd wished I'd stood slightly to the right and hidden the reflection of the sun in the DOO mirror on the extreme left. I could have changed to a wider lens (31mm, equivalent to 46.5mm; this is equivalent to 75mm), but it all fitted using this lens.
The train was moving so slowly (I think it briefly came to a halt) that I was able to walk back along the platform and take a second shot! I also tried to beat it down to the next footbridge (which meant returning to the car for my ladders, but I then drove down the access road), but as I got out of the car I heard the 60 accelerating from its signal stop.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.
View from the platform 20250412--035
60002 Graham Farish 50th Anniversary 1970-2020 passes Pelaw, working 6N85 08.58 Lynemouth Power Station - Tyne Coal Terminal biomass empties.
The weather forecast for this morning was for full sun (with cloud rolling in later) and, unlike the previous day, it was correct and there was indeed a cloudless sky. If the forecast had been correct, I'd planned to head for the Ashington area for a shot of the mid-morning biomass arrival around Woodhorn. But when I checked Realtime Trains, that working had been activated exactly three hours ahead of booked departure (so automatically) and did not have a loco shown (the previous day it had had a loco shown hours in advance), so I guessed it wouldn't run. The early train had, however, but on Saturdays there are two schedules for the empties returning (at 08.58 and 09.59 from Lynemouth) - and both had been activated manually, with neither initially showing a loco.
Having had lots of early mornings for several consecutive weeks, I decided to snooze for a bit longer. By the time I'd stirred again, RTT showed 60002 allocated to the earlier train and there was not now enough time to go north of the Tyne (and, anyway, I had remembered - slightly incorrectly for April, it turns out - that the sun is not quite on the front for the earlier path). So Pelaw it would be, although I have done shots here repeatedly over the years!
I did, however, just have time to divert via Fellgate to look at the possibility of a shot from ground level (the bottom of the embankment, by the boundary fence) immediately west of the Metro station, using the pole. I'd seen shots here a few years ago, but knew that the vegetation had grown up since. I spent a few minutes wandering around without actually raising the pole, and decided that it might be better to experiment later with Metro services (which I didn't actually do) - plus I wasn't sure my pole was high enough to make it anything more than a "train on a railway line" shot.
The usual shot I do at Pelaw is from the tall concrete bridge over the Metro reversing sidings, east of the station. But since you can park very close to the station on Saturdays (it's resident permit holders only on weekdays), I thought I'd try the shot from the footbridge at the station - or at least have a look at it. To avoid the Metro OHL masts as well as a signal, you stand fairly head-on (although actually not much more so than on the other footbridge now that the trees have grown back). Again, I've done the shot several times, although I don't think with a biomass train. I photographed a four-car class 156 DMU.
And then I wondered what the shot was like from the Metro station platform. So, with 6N85 already at Park Lane Jn. and therefore less than five minutes away, I went to have a look - and I liked the angle I found. The PIS display showed the next Metro services due in two minutes and in nine minutes, while RTT was showing 6N85 expected at Heworth in three. The chances of being bowled were looking low. The first Metro service arrived, passengers boarded and alighted, and just as the door closing tone sounded, 60002 appeared under the bridge at Heworth. No sweat - although I did have to ask a couple of people waiting for the next Metro and walking backwards and forwards on the edge of my shot if they could stay back for a moment.
6N87 was, of course, approaching a red signal (they still "double block", I believe, with heavy rail trains being at least two signal sections behind Metro services), and was going very slowly. I fired a burst of thirty-one frames (although I think there might have a few more during that burst which, for some reason, didn't save to the memory card or didn't actually take - there are four occasions between frames where the train moves forward a greater distance), and this was the twenty-eighth, chosen because the shadow of Down Line signal T47 is between the first and second wagons. I was stood as far back as I could to be this wide, thus maximising the space to the left of the OHL mast on the right and its supporting cable, although afterwards I'd wished I'd stood slightly to the right and hidden the reflection of the sun in the DOO mirror on the extreme left. I could have changed to a wider lens (31mm, equivalent to 46.5mm; this is equivalent to 75mm), but it all fitted using this lens.
The train was moving so slowly (I think it briefly came to a halt) that I was able to walk back along the platform and take a second shot! I also tried to beat it down to the next footbridge (which meant returning to the car for my ladders, but I then drove down the access road), but as I got out of the car I heard the 60 accelerating from its signal stop.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.