'Twas on a fine May morning…

Except that it wasn't… It was an awful morning with horizontal rain and just enough of a breeze to chill you through once you were soaked!

But I'd made up my mind to pop out and photograph Compass Tours 'The Canterbury Tales Explorer' rail tour as it stopped at Langley Mill this morning so off I went…

37402 and 37405 pause at Langley Mill, 28/05/14

The tour started off from Crewe at 05.23 and was due to arrive in Canterbury (via a circuitous route) at 13.46 for a three hour stop before making the return trip. 37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954-8.6.2013 and 37405 seemed to be making light work of a multicoloured rake of nine coaches and departed bang on time at 08.05.

Compass Tours have an interesting and varied programme of trips with starting points all over the country and although I haven't yet travelled with them I've heard very good reports from those who have and I'm very tempted by one of their Scottish tours.

Now, if only they could do something about the weather!

A railway related pint - The Alexandra Hotel, Derby

In addition to my love of railways I'm also very fond of a pint of real ale and am never happier than when I can combine the two such as at The Alexandra Hotel in Derby.

Situated on Siddals Road, a (very) short walk from the station the Alexandra is now owned by the Castle Rock Brewery from Nottingham and naturally serves their beers but also has a good number of guest ales on at any one time too (as befits the birthplace of Derby CAMRA in 1974).

The bar of the Alexandra Hotel, Siddals Road, Derby, 26/9/13

The bar is packed with railway memorabilia, ranging from photographs and signs through to an illuminated colour light signal and there's plenty to interest the enthusiast while inside the pub. More signs can be found outside as can a very recent arrival in the form of the No.1 end cab from Class 37, 37411 (or English Electric type 3 D6990 depending on your age).

Railway signs and the No.1 cab of 37411 (D6990), 26/9/13

I only had time for a quick drink but my pint of Castle Rock 'Elsie Mo' was perfect, very smooth and not too bitter and the pub itself was friendly and comfortable and I can thoroughly recommend it if you're in the area.

From the (Vuescanned) archives - part 1

A recent purchase of the excellent Vuescan software has led to me digging out my files of old negatives and slides. Surprisingly (considering my somewhat anal-retentive nature) they don't seem to be in any sort of order but hopefully something of interest will appear here from time to time.

37381 at Derby station, 1/8/88

First up is a negative of 37381 taken at Derby on 1st August 1988. Renumbered from 37284 less than two months earlier when fitted with regeared 'CP7' bogies 37381 stands underneath the footbridge at the south end of the station that led to Derby locomotive works. 37381 (originally D6984) was stored unserviceable in October 1993 and finally went to the cutters' torch in May 2000 at Frodingham MPD.

I didn't make any notes regarding train services or operation in those days, something that websites such as Freightmaster now help enormously with but can only assume some kind of North-east to South Wales steel working, if anybody out there can enlighten me then please do.