Last part
More class 47's, up first, a nice spangly class 47 at Beach Road station
An ETH London bound train at Ipswich, this is just before electric services started from here.
Up to the smoke at Liverpool Street finds a 47 released from it's train and waiting a cross over to the small stabling point there.
This wouldn't have been a Norwich service, they tended to go form Platforms to the right, these platforms tended to be Cambridge and Kings Lynn services and I think some Norwich services via Cambridge and Ely, not really up to speed on that section of the GE.
Back to Ipswich and what looks like a special stock move. The loco looks ex works so could be a running in turn from Stratford and back.
Next up, Baylham and a UID 47 hammers south. Looking at the stock I don't think this is a London bound service, most or all were air con MKII by then, this could be a Harwich bound cross country train.
Last 47 is at Haughley Jct, of note here are the wheels to the right, these are from parcels coaches after we had quite a large derailment of a parcels train. What's left of the station and last remaining buildings of Haughley station are on the left. The little glass cuddy is actually as look out post for the small signal box that remained to control the junction, this was soon to close when the line was electrified and this section came under I believe Colchester PSB.
Grids, or class 56 to y'all non believers
For a time we had 56's on Freightliner trains to Felixstowe, they looked great, they sounded great and they allowed times to be accelerated and loads increased. First up, Derby Road, a Felixstowe bound service runs through non stop and the driver has just grabbed the tablet from the bobby for the section to Trimley.
Trimley, Grid heaven, both trains have come to a stand, 084 will be first away and has come up from Beach Station and FLXS, nice start with the train on a gentle gradient to get the loco worked up, the path is straight ahead so full power to line speed. 003 will follow once 084 has cleared the single line section to Derby Road, typically takes around 7 mins today, back then around 8 or 9mins required. 003 has almost 75% of her train on Clickett Hill, however it's not a straight start, for 300yds in front is the junction where the branch will join the main and is rated at 30mph. There will be noise, and there will be smoke, lots of it, there will also be sand laid and big grins for Grid anoraks
Moving on....shame...but more Grid photos in the future
we head back to Ipswich, on the right is a local service from Ipswich to Harwich, in the centre road is 86 227 waiting to take the next express to London, for a while Ipswich was the change over point between diesel and electric and they got pretty bloody good at it, down to about 3-4 mins in the end.
Same location but a bit colder, it's that winter of I haven't a clue again, the EMU will again be on a Harwich service, the 86 waits for the next London train and I'm going to guess the DMU may be for Cambridge, but could be Lowestoft, I saw Lowestoft as it has what looks like the antenna used for single line working and communication that I think they trialled and used on the East Suffolk line.
Another 312, this time at Chelmsford, I'm off to my digs in London on a Sunday and grabbed this going away shot from the rear of the London train.
And finally for EMUs a Southend train at Tilbury Town, what an earth I was doing out here is beyond me, I dimly recall driving down there to try and find the Tilbury container terminal or was out ship spotting on the Thames or something.
Last few shots for tonight, DMU's, no idea what service this is but could be for Harwich, this is in the days of electrification, it can't be far off as they're working at the tunnel end and the scaffolding is awfully close to the OHLE for it to be live, in fact touching at one point by the looks of things, all be it insulated by what looks like a plastic bag!
Over in the yard and long before electrification we find a DMU resting between duties. I do like these and I think I could probably kit bash a Easybuild 105 into one of these. What has just struck me is that I cannot find these (E54422- E54426) coach numbers in any of my books from the period I think I took them, I'm currently guessing they are renumbered from 5'6'422 and 5'6'426 but why or when I don't know yet.
Finally it's back to Trimley to catch the Felixstowe bound train arriving, note the junction mentioned before, this must be in the last days of the old GE signal box, it looks like the signals have now been replaced by MAS, the crossing is still original but once it all goes live then the signal box will close and a new cabin erected on that waste ground to the left behind the white picket fence. The bobby will reside there and tablets will still be exchanged for several years to come, but the old GE box will be demolished. The DMU looks like one of the ones adapted for the East Suffolk line with it's antenna on the front.
That's all folks....for this evening.