Trainspotting

Water Orton: 2002
 

Water Orton is only a 15 minute drive away from my home. In the 1970's I would drive over, and sit on the grassed slope at the south end of the station car park, and watch the 45/46's on the North East-South West expresses, and the pairs of 20's and 25's that passed by at regular intervals on the freights. Things now are rather different. The grassed slope has been built upon, and Water Orton station has become the place where the graffiti artists and the druggies congregate. And the motive power is vastly different.  
But there is still much of interest. In 1998, I resumed my visits, and I particularly enjoy viewing from the metal overbridge which is directly above Water Orton North Junction.

So below you will find the results of two visits I made early in 2002. Both in February in fact.
 
   WATER ORTON: TUESDAY 5th FEBRUARY 2002: 9.30am to 3.20pm: 
 
A six hour spell at Water Orton just as the Voyagers arrived on the scene. Express services were all HST's with the exception of the class 47 hauled 12.10 Bristol to Newcastle.  Most freight services were class 66 and class 60 hauled. But class 56's and 37's were still fairly common in early 2002. Water Orton is an excellent place for viewing, either from the metal overbridge to the north of the station, or from the southern end of the station platform. But for photography it is far from ideal, with high trees both to the north and the south.  
 
 SOUTHBOUND TRAINS   Locomotive hauled services only:
 
09.31 pass 220023 Empty Voyager (4)
09.42 pass 60067 Light engine (see 14.15 northbound)
09.56 pass HST 43102/43091 on 06.45 Newcastle-Plymouth (7)..18 late
09.57 pass 60090 on Daw Mill-Ironbridge Loaded MGR (36) W
10.12 pass 60072 on Daw Mill-Ironbridge Loaded MGR (36) W
10.16 pass HST 43078/43087 on 07.40 York-Swansea (7)..5 late
10.57 pass 60090 on Daw Mill-Ironbridge Loaded MGR (36) W
11.15 pass 60080 on Freight (Steel bar) (24) W 
11.34 pass 47848 Light engine (see 14.12 northbound 1E33) 
11.43 pass 56046 on Loaded MGR (covered) (31)
11.44 pass 66013 on Freight (Steel Rod) (see 14.54 northbound) W 
11.54 pass HST 43153/43069 on 06.20 Edinburgh-Bournemouth (7)..14 late
11.55 pass 66169 on Daw Mill-Ironbridge Loaded MGR (36) (see 10.02 northbound) W 
12.19 pass HST 43094/43103 on 07.10 Edinburgh-Plymouth (7)..6 late
12.45 pass 66189 on Loaded MGR (36) (see 14.12 northbound)
13.01 pass 66215 on MBA bogies (16) W
13.15 pass HST Unidentified on 06.40 Dundee-Penzance (7)..6 late
13.55 pass 60091 on Freight (Steel empties) (22) W
14.08 pass 60051 on Freight (Steel slab) (24)
14.09 pass 47721 on Freight (Toton-Bescot Enterprise) (14) W
14.28 pass HST 43013/43184 on 11.08 Newcastle-Bournemouth (7)..1 late
14.54 pass 66151 on Daw Mill-Ironbridge Loaded MGR (36) W
15.10 pass HST 43100/43160 on 12.08 Newcastle-Plymouth (7)..1 late
W indicates Whitacre Junction line.
 
Never have I seen so many MGR's in such a short space of time. Ironbridge Power station must have run out of coal. No doubt many of the loaded trains would be staged at Bescot. The Southbound loaded MGR which passed on the Derby line at 12.45, turned round at Washwood Heath, then headed north on the Whitacre Junction line at 13.37, is a mystery. And why were so many of the MGR hauled by class 60's?. This was probably as busy as it gets at Water Orton. In addition to the above, there was the usual endless procession of 2 car and 3 car DMU's on both the Derby and Nuneaton lines. Mainly class 170's and 156's, with an occasional class 150 or 153 to add to the mayhem.

It should also be borne in mind that many of the southbound freights from the Derby line, came via Whitacre Junction. The Kingsbury-Whitacre-Water Orton acts as a useful relief line, though only in the southbound direction. 
 
 NORTHBOUND TRAINS   Locomotive hauled services only:
 
10.02 pass 66169 on Ironbridge-Daw Mill MGR Empties (see 11.55 Southbound) (36) W
10.21 pass HST 43121/43098 on 06.20 Plymouth-Newcastle (7)..12 late
10.46 pass 66071 on Ironbridge-Daw Mill MGR Empties (36) W
10.56 pass HST 43087/43078 on 10.16 Birmingham Int-Newcastle (7) 2 late
11.50 pass 66064 on Empty Cartics (8) W
12.10 pass HST 43123/43097 on 08.21 Paignton-Newcastle (7)..16 late
13.04 pass HST 43193/43086 on 09.05 Poole-Newcastle (7)..10 late 
13.20 pass 60012 on Freight (Steel Coil) (20) W
13.37 pass 66189 on Loaded MGR (36) (see 12.45 southbound) W
14.12 pass 47848 on 12.10 Bristol-Newcastle (7)..18 late (see 11.34 southbound)
14.15 pass 60067 on Freight (Steel) (10) (see 09.42 southbound)
14.22 pass 57011 on Lawley St-Ipswich Freightliner (18) W
14.46 pass 66533 on Southampton-Leeds Freightliner (23)
14.49 pass 56088 on Oil bogie tanks (13)
14.54 pass 66013 Light engine (see 11.44 southbound)
15.07 pass 60079 on Steel empties (23)
15.20 pass HST 43014/43198 on 09.22 Penzance-Edinburgh (7)..26 late
W indicates Whitacre Junction line.
 
Northbound was less busy, though "less" is relative. 47848 had taken over 1E33, the 12.10 Bristol to Newcastle, at New Street, presumably to cover a class 47 failure.
 
Both the Derby and Nuneaton lines were awash with the usual class 170's, and 156's, on local and semi fast services. A minimum of two services per hour on each route, throughout the day, seems rather extravagant. Many of the Leicester bound services get checked at Water Orton South Junction, whilst a southbound service from the Derby line negotiates the Southbound Derby/Northbound Nuneaton "Single line", a layout that causes many delays, and, in the light of Ladbroke Grove disaster, should surely be considered unsafe. 
 
   WATER ORTON: WEDNESDAY 27th FEBRUARY 2002: 9.40am to 3.15pm: 
 
Another trip to Water Orton, lasting four and a half hours. This day was unusual since there were no MGR Coal trains from Daw Mill to Ironbridge. 
 
 SOUTHBOUND TRAINS   Locomotive hauled services only:
 
09.41 pass HST 43071/43068  on 06.45 Newcastle-Plymouth (7)..3 late
09.56 pass 57004 on Ipswich-Lawley St Freightliner (18) W
10.15 pass HST 43013/43160 on 07.40 York-Swansea (7)..4 late
10.55 pass 37667 on Freight (Sand MGV's) (36) W
11.02 pass 60060 on Freight (Steel Slab) (14)
11.33 pass 56087 on Freight (Steel Bar/Rod) (18) W
12.04 pass HST 43159/43099 on 06.20 Edinburgh-Bournemouth (7)..24 late
12.19 pass HST 43122/43155 on 07.10 Edinburgh-Plymouth (7)..6 late 
12.28 pass 66182 on Loaded MGR Coal (see 13.36 Up) 
12.33 pass 66017 on Freight (Corus rail)
13.11 pass HST 43194/43097 on 06.40 Dundee-Penzance (7)..2 late 
13.21 pass 60077 on Freight (Steel empties) (21) W
13.41 pass 47782 (Res) Light engine W 
14.24 pass 60002 on Freight (Steel Bar/Slab) (24) W
14.27 pass HST 43089/43093 on 11.08 Newcastle-Plymouth (7)..R Time
14.42 pass 66188 on Cartics (loaded) (8) W
15.13 pass HST 43098/43162 on 12.08 Newcastle-Plymouth (7)..4 late
15.13 pass HST 43098/43162 on 12.08 Newcastle-Plymouth (7)..4 late
W indicates Whitacre Junction line.
 
On this occasion there was a complete absence of Coal traffic from Daw Mill Colliery, though the Steel and other Freights were well up to their usual level. With one exception, Cross Country Passenger services ran on time or nearly so.
 
 NORTHBOUND TRAINS   Locomotive hauled services only:
 
10.04 pass 56117 on Freight (Steel bogies) (15)
10.21 pass HST 43078/43180 on 06.20 Plymouth-Newcastle (7)..3 late
10.56 pass HST 43087/43088 on 10.16 Birmingham Int-Newcastle (7)..2 late
11.59 pass HST 43014/43092 on 08.21 Paignton-Newcastle (7) 5 late
12.56 pass HST 43007/43007 on 09.05 Poole-Newcastle (7)..2 late
13.03 pass 66547 on Freight (JNA's) (13) W
13.23 pass 66533 on Southampton-Leeds Freightliner (25)  W 
13.36 pass 66182 on Loaded MGR Coal (see 12.28 down) W
13.55 pass 47806 on 1E33 12.10 Bristol-Newcastle (6) 1 late
14.05 pass 56037 on Freight (Jarvis Rail bogies) (6)
14.19 pass 57006 on Lawley St-Ipswich Freightliner (18) W
14.32 pass 66184 on MGR Coal empties to Daw Mill (36) W
14.55 pass HST 43178/43195 on 09.22 Penzance-Edinburgh (7)..1 late
W indicates Whitacre Junction line.
 
Northbound Cross Country services ran well, but coal traffic was less than usual.
 

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