45015 revisited

45015 at Shackerstone station, 30/4/11

The Battlefield Line in Leicestershire is one of my favourite Heritage Railways. The view from the train window is very pleasant, the catering is good and the trains themselves are usually in pretty good order. We (my wife Joy and I) decided to pay a visit on Saturday 30th April for a number of reasons… The first was that GWR 2884 class 2-8-0 3803 (visiting from the South Devon Railway) was rostered for the day's services and I have a fondness for all things Great and Western. The second was to visit the recently reopened Market Bosworth station and the third was to see if 45015 (the former D14) was still around… Which it was, albeit looking very tatty indeed, missing many parts and dumped at the south end of Shackerstone station right at the side of the running line. I did manage to take a photo (of sorts) but only by leaning out of the carriage window.

In the beginning…

45015 at Derby station, 25/4/84

I'd been 'trainspotting' for nearly a year before I took my first railway photograph. I'd borrowed a Zenit TTL 35mm SLR for a school trip and decided to finish the roll of film at my usual haunt of Derby station. I saw four Class 45 'Peaks' on this particular day and have no idea why I chose to photograph this particular one, 45015 (the former D14) especially as I had to point the camera almost directly into the sun to do so!
I remember being happy with the shot at the time though and that was all that mattered…
As far as I'm aware 45015 is still in existence (although apparently not for long…) at the Battlefield Line in Leicestershire.

 

Welcome

Welcome to my railway related ramblings… For the last 27 years I've been interested in railways… Real ones, model ones… If flanged wheels running on steel rails are involved chances are I'll find it interesting.

As the word 'Rudderless' may suggest there'll be no definite direction to what I write so hopefully all sorts of things will feature here and I hope that you'll be able to find something of interest.