Stagecoach Cumbria Enviro200s 36173/98 have been withdrawn for disposal with 36103 also expected to be withdrawn shortly. Now on the allocation at Carlisle are Enviro300s 27143/49 and 27914 with 27902 now at West Cumbria. Enviro300 27769 is expected to become a driver training vehicle

At Stagecoach Cumbria Optare Versas 25265/67 are now out of use and 25266 is expected to join them shortly. Classic Optare Solo 47731 at West Cumbria is also due to be taken out of service at the end of September.

Also at Stagecoach East Midlands, open top Enviro400 19169 (Lincoln Tour) is currently at Skegness. Enviro200s displaced from Hull are 37204/07 (Scunthorpe) and 36450/51, 36523 (Skegness) Scania/Enviro300s 28612/13 transferred Hull-Worksop and MAN/Enviro 300 24192 Worksop to Hull

Stagecoach East Midlands Enviro400 19183 (from Lincoln) and Dennis/Enviro300 27594 (from Gainsborough) which have been at Skegness for some time have now been formally transferred there. Enviro400 19130 at Skegness is now withdrawn and 19147 at Lincoln will be withdrawn shortly.

Another image where we don’t have any detailed information. On October 27 1985 Class 47/4 47541 ‘The Queen Mother’ is pictured early evening at Stirling. Photography after dark was always challenging at the time with the wait for the film to be finished and developed.

Look no wires! Pre-electrification on the East Coast Main Line at Peterborough with 47401 'North Eastern' approaching the station with a relief service from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh on April 9 1985 A London-bound HST has the road to continue its journey.

Unusually without an electric loco in tow, Class 45/1 45144 ‘Royal Signals’ rounds the curve at Galley Common, west of Nuneaton on April 22 1984 with the diverted 1J32 1400 from London Euston to Shrewsbury (according to notes from the time).

A Western Region (Cardiff) allocated Class 47/0 hard at work in Scotland. 47081 ‘ODIN’ comes off the single line section at Murthly (if my notes are correct) with a southbound service from Inverness on June 14th 1982 while a northbound service waits for it to clear the junction.

Pictured at Peterborough Rail Station is Eastern Counties 108 (F105 AVG), a Leyland Olympian with Northern Counties bodywork and dual-purpose seating. New in 1989, it was part of a batch of vehicles that were used on the X94 service which linked Peterborough and King’s Lynn.

With a rake of Sealink-liveried stock, Class 27 27014 makes its way out of Glasgow Central station on June 14th 1985. The loco also has a Highland Rail stag logo on the bodyside. We have not been able to find any info on it working a passenger train on this date so likely an ecs to Polmadie.

Dudley Bus Station on 16/03/1980 and West Midlands PTE (ex-Midland Red) S23 5973 (UHA 973H), on a photo hire from Stourbridge to Birmingham, Coventry and Nuneaton, is parked next to Dudley’s MCW Metrobus 6833 (SDA 833S), one of five prototype Gardner-engined Metrobuses bought by the PTE

To assist with a vehicle shortage in 1975 the West Midlands PTE took the unusual step of buying several Leyland Atlanteans with either MCCW or Roe bodywork from Kingston upon Hull Corporation. Pictured are MCCW examples 1145 (6345 KH) and 1143 (6343 KH). The Hull destination layout was retained.

Viewed from the road bridge overlooking the eastern end of Glasgow’s Queen Street Station on August 11th 1988, are three ScotRail ‘push-pull’ equipped Class 47/7s, 47707 Holyrood; 47701 Saint Andrew and 47703 Saint Mungo

On May 23 1989 Departmental Class 47 then numbered 97561 was named Midland Counties Railway 150 1839-1989 at Derby having been repainted in Midland Counties Railway maroon. The locomotive is pictured on Etches Park depot, Derby. The name was only carried until March 8 1990.

Painted in Railfreight Red Stripe livery, Class 31 31112 was pictured during a media visit to the Railway Technical Centre at Derby on September 25th 1990. The main event of the day was the naming of Class 47 47973 Derby Evening Telegraph, a name it carried until September 1996.

The West Midlands PTE bought 80 former London Transport DMS Daimler Fleetlines with MCW bodywork. The buses were supplied by Ensign Bus who converted them to single door layout and repainted them into PTE blue and cream colours. JGU 285K became WMPTE 5519. (Repaired Image)

In its later National Bus Company (NBC) days vehicle presentation at Midland Red could be poor. That was the case with Alexander-bodied Daimler Fleetline 6273 (YHA 273J). The AVONBUS local identity branding looks like an afterthought.

Awaiting their turn to enter the paint shop at the West Midlands PTE’s Harnall Lane Garage in Coventry in 1979 are Coventry-based East Lancs Fleetlines 1135 (PDU 135M) and 1140 (PDU 140M) along with Metro-Cammel bodied Bristol VRT 4368 (NOB 368M) from the PTE’s North Division.

Alexander-bodied Dainler Fleetline 6286 (YHA 286J) was new to Midland Red in 1970 but passed to the West Midlands PTE in December 1973. In January 1976 it was rebuilt from dual door to single door layout. The PTE's Works at Sandy Lane in Coventry did many of these conversions.

Midland Red favoured Alexander for the bodywork on its Daimler Fleetlines. 6277 (YHA 277J) was one of four (6274-77) that were delivered new to Nuneaton. A dual door vehicle, the centre exit never found favour with drivers and was rarely used.

Operating from Stagecoach Viscount’s Peterborough depot, Bristol VRT 713 (LOD 723P) had received Stagecoach Viscount logos on its previous Millerbus livery. The bus was new in 1976 to Western National and had also operated with Buckinghamshire Road Car

During the late 1980s and early 1990s Trainload Coal marked landmark events with several locomotive namings at Collieries and Power Stations. This saw a number of Class 56s named. We attended many of these event, which always saw immaculately presented locos and rakes of MGR wagons.

A Birmingham City Centre scene from 50 years ago (1976). Midland Red 2226 (LRF 993F) joined the fleet on 07/09/1974 with the takeover of Harper Bros of Heath Hayes. It is a Leyland PD3A/1 with Northern Counties H40/32RD bodywork which was new in March 1968.

This negative was in a dire state and was almost consigned to the bin, but it does represent a historic view and has been extensively repaired. It shows West Midlands PTE Park Royal-bodied Daimler Fleetline 4333 (NOB333M) on the Hard Shoulder of the yet to be opened M42 Motorway. Year unknown.

29x5-car Adessia Stream battery-electric units featuring level boarding have been ordered by TransPennine Express. Alstom will build them in Derby with construction beginning in 2028. www.modernrailways.com/article/alst...

Alstom to build 29 battery-electric units for TPE

Alstom wins a £1 billion contract to build and maintain 29x5-car battery-electric units for TransPennine Express with the trains being delivered from 2032.

modernrailways.com

Having been withdrawn in August 1981, Class 40 40173 was moved to Dunfermline Townhill in July 1983 and then to Peth Goods Yard. During early 1984 it was lifted off its bogies which were reported to have been used with Beilhack snowploughs. The bodyshell was pictured on 13/06/84.

Not a usual Birmingham location for an electric loco. Class 86/2 86226 was at Birmingham’s Moor Street Station on January 22 1985 when it was named Royal Mail Midlands. Assistance to and from Moor Street was provided by Class 31/4 31410.

Perhaps this should have been an Olympic sport!

New to Greater Manchester in 09/77 as its 7840 (UNA 840S) Leyland Atlantean with Park Royal bodywork later joining Western Buses and then operating as part of Stagecoach’s A1 fleet. It then moved south to Stagecoach Midland Red (as 992) in 09/97 where it was pictured in Nuneaton

That looks close...... The use of a zoom lens foreshortens the view as a large loco Class 37 with its West Highland service awaits a southbound special train to clear the single line at Arrocar and Tarbet