Carry On Up The Lickey

The southbound platform is covered in a layer of frost as 170102 draws into Bromsgrove station for its stop while working 1M56 0745 Cardiff Central to Nottingham. The white on the platform is frost being melted by the sun through the slats in the fence.

The driver of 170502 is well wrapped up against the cold of the cab as the train reaches the bottom of the incline working 1V09 0738 Nottingham to Hereford Central Trains service.

After its station stop, the driver of Central Trains 170102 gets the power on for the departure climb up The Lickey Incline.

221126 reaches the bottom of the grade and powers onwards without stopping at Bromsgrove. The train is 1V29 0705 Leeds to Plymouth cross country.

Virgin Voyagers pass through Bromsgrove every 30 minutes in each direction (at the time of my visit), 221131 approaches taking a run at the most famous of banks. The service is 1S49 0622 Plymouth to Edinburgh. In the background is 66057 on banking duties.

This is what The Lickey Incline looks like from the platform end looking up the 2 miles of 1 in 37 3/4. 170637, working 1M57 0850 Hereford to Nottingham, will make the ascent from a standing start on the rising 1 in 186 grade in the station. The crossover just ahead allows descending banking locos to access the loop and siding.

Storming north and about to take a run at the Lickey is 221116 with 1S51 0725 Plymouth to Glasgow Central.

Voyager unit 221116 bends onto the incline as it charges the upgrade with a train heading for Glasgow Central. It left Plymouth at 0725, 1S51.

Central Trains Turbostar 170115 makes its station stop at Bromsgrove wtih 1M59 0959 Hereford to Nottingham.

A Newcastle to Bristol Temple Meads service, 1V39 0723 off, reaches the bottom of the 2 mile drop which starts at Blackwell. The unit is 220005.

Caught in exactly the same spot as the previous photo, five vehicle unit 221115 comes towards the station with 1V41 0607 Edinburgh to Plymouth Virgin Cross Country working.

The first freight of the day is 66208 at the head of 6V39 2020 Lackenby to Llanwern loaded steel slab train running late. The driver would have been very active on the brake keeping the descent under control.

A northbound freight approaches Bromsgrove station at speed. 66196 has a rake of empty TEA bogie tanks on the drawbar working 6E77 1022 WO Westerleigh to Port Clarence.

66196 literally lifts its train up the southern part of The Lickey Incline. The change in rising gradient from 1 in 186 in the station to 1 in 37 3/4 on the incline itself is most noticeable. Unfortunately the banker was not deployed.

As the empty tank train toils up towards Blackwell, 66017 comes off the incline working 4Z72 0800 Rugeley to Portbury empty coal hoppers.

170513 approaches the station with a Nottingham to Great Malvern train, 1038 off 1V22, as 66083 sets off northbound. The loco was put inside the loop to allow a northbound train to overtake. It is running in the path of 6E35 Llanwern to Lackenby, whether it will run all the way to Lackenby is not known.

A move away from Bromsgrove to Vigo Crossing about 2/3 of the way up The Lickey. 170117 descends with 1V23 1100 Nottingham to Cardiff Central. Vigo is a public foot crossing of the railway.

170636 grinds upgrade with 1M63 1218 Great Malvern to Nottingham.

Coming up the climb at a good speed is 220010 with a train to the Eastern Region and Newcastle, 1E45 1048 from Exeter.

This train was a real surprise and made my day. A pair of English Electric type 1 class 20s scream at the bank as they bring their single FNA wagon and flask skywards.

The locos sounded AWESOME as they passed, the combined 2,000hp of their English Electric 8SVT mkII powerplants roaring on full chat.

Coming down the incline is first generation sprinter 150012 on what may be a running in turn as the set is immaculate in exworks condition.

170105 approaches Vigo Crossing making steady progress climbing towards Blackwell with 1M64 1145 Cardiff Central to Nottingham.

221138 romps down grade at Vigo working one of the longest of cross country services, 1V49 0640 Dundee to Plymouth.

Despite how it looks this is a legal shot, well it was when I took it. Vigo Crossing is a foot crossing and this is the view looking downgrade towards Bromsgrove station.

Turning round to look up towards Blackwell and the top of the climb. I never went up there and regret it now.

Virgin Cross Country's longest working is 1S66 0830 Penzance to Dundee. 221106 works this service as it blasts up The Lickey with 3,750hp available for the five vehicles, providing all the underfloor engines are working!

Another northbound freight heaves itself and its train up the steepest UK pull. 66131 fronts 6E09 0920 Margam to Lackenby empty steel flats. Again no banker is required.

66057 was the rostered banking loco and now its day is done as there will be no more freights that might require its services. So the loco scurries off to Washwood Heath and its next turn. It is one of several locos fitted with a spot light which shines down onto the coupling.

A Central Trains sprinter 158788 approaches Vigo with 1V28 1238 Nottingham to Great Malvern.

A southbound empty coal train descends towards Vigo Crossing with 66016 controlling 19 or so empty HTA hoppers running as 4V09 1336 Washwood Heath to Portbury.

My first and only class 60 of the day comes by running about 80 minutes late. 60032 is in charge of 6V92 1010 Corby to Margam empty steel flats. Time for a move due to the sun moving round.

This is the view from "Bankers Bridge" just to the south of Bromsgrove station. 66189 wheels a heavy train of loaded steel slabs past working 6V36 0817 Lackenby to Margam.

The West Midlands Police helicopter G-WMID flies overhead and the observer looks down at me. This airframe is a McDonnell Douglas MD900, serial No 900-00062. It was built in 1998 and is powered by two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW206E engines.

Voyager 220014 powers past the site of Bromsgrove shed, on the left of the shot, with 1V59 1219 Newcastle to Bristol Temple Meads.

The southbound view from "Bankers Bridge" and 170117 runs in heading for Nottingham from Cardiff Central, 1M71 1445 off. The banking loco sits in the siding to the right back beyond the turnouts.

221123 passes by with 1V61 1210 Glasgow Central to Penzance cross country working. A new station was built here and opened in 2016.

With most of the units seen this day being class 170 Turbostars, a change is recorded as Sprinter 158788 rattles by with 1V03 1619 Birmingham New Street to Worcester Shrub Hill.

An unknown class 220 Voyager unit speeds south with one of several daily Newcastle to Bristol Temple Meads trains. This one departed at 1333 as 1V61

158788 returns north with an unknown working from Great Malvern. I was unable to find any details of the working.

The driver of 170104 will be running hard to get as fast a run at The Lickey Incline as he can once he clears Bromsgrove station just ahead. The train, 1M73 1545 Cardiff Central to Nottingham, is not booked to stop here.

There are still numerous sidings and loops at Bromsgrove but many are out of use. The northbound loop sees use possibly most days for banking traffic. 221113 comes south with 1V65 1205 Edinburgh to Plymouth.

Just two minutes after the previous unit went south, this unidentified sister unit powers north with a working on the opposite diagram, 1S91 1425 Plymouth to Edinburgh.

The sun is lowering and the shadows are lengthening as 170102 comes south heading for the Welsh capital with the 1600 Nottingham departure, 1V48.

The last shot of the day is 66180 hauling a rake of HAA MGR hoppers back to Portbury for reloading with imported coal. It is 6V17 1705 from Washwood Heath, Birmingham.