Matt Clarke Railway Photographs

57305 'John Tracey' heads the 1B53 15:18 Wolverhampton - Euston 'drag' through Coseley on 15th July 2006.

Another drag on the 15th July sees 57303 'Alan Tracey' in charge of the 1G12 Nuneaton - Wolverhampton. This shot was taken at Coleshill where the foot crossing has now been closed as the first stages in building the new Coleshill Parkway station take shape.

57006 passes through Badgeworth (between Cheltenham & Gloucester) with what could probably be classed as Cotswold Rail/Advenza's first proper freight train. Running as 10:05 (6Z71) Gloucester - Stockton the freshly repainted 57 returned the following day with classmate 57005 with a train loaded with scrap for Cardiff. 04/03/08.

'The Central Wales Explorer' railtour on 15th July 2006 ran from Leicester to Newport in the hands of two steamers which were replaced for the return leg by diesel traction, running as 1Z59 the tour is seen here at Defford just before 8pm with 57601 leading.

57309 heads a Pendolino 'drag' through Coleshill where the new Coleshill Parkway station was at an early stage of construction 3rd July 2007.

I was in Tamworth on 1st May 2008 and a number of decent trains were due to pass through the area that afternoon, with the prospect of sun and oil seed rape I headed off to Portway. Unfortunately of the 47, 56 and 57 due to pass within an hour of each other I only got the 57 in the sun. That said I was happy with the result. 57006 is seen here accelerating hard away from the Elford loop at Portway with 6Z72 10:25 Stockton - Cardiff Tidal loaded scrap.

The train was going slow enough for me to zoom out for a wide angle shot.

57005 (47350) 'Freightliner Excellence' is seen here at Moreton with Didcot power station providing the backdrop on 8th August '06. The working was the 4O51 Cardiff - Southampton which has been producing a Class 57 quite regularly of late.

57005 is photographed again, this time shortly after joining the Cotswold Rail / Advenza fleet and still looking superb following a high quality repaint at Brush Barclay. The working was 6Z71 Cardiff Tidal - Stockton conveying empty scrap wagons and 37704 which unfortunately was in the consist for scrapping at Thomson's Stockton. The location is Badgeworth on 15th April 2008.

57012 hauls the 4L93 Lawley Street - Felixtowe Freightliner Intermodal through Washwood Heath on 3rd March 2005. I was at this location to photograph the 1Z14 Serco test train that was booked from Derby RTC to Tyseley, unfortunately it was running 30 min's early so I missed it. The 57 was a good consolation shot though, along with 37669 which is at the front of the train seen on the left.

A week or two prior to the above shot and 4L93 has another FL 57 in charge, this time 57011 'Freightliner Challenger' on 18th March 2005.

One of the less photographed loco hauled passenger workings, 57604 still yet to recieve the new FGW blue colour scheme calls at Par station with 1A40 22:00 Penzance - Paddington Sleeper on 13th June 2008.

57006 passes through Spetchley with 6Z72 10:25 Stockton - Cardiff Tidal scrap. 14/05/08.

57006 passes Pirton level crossing in the last dregs of light with 6Z94 Shipley - Cardiff scrap. 11/10/08.

57006 passes the Avon at Eckington with 6Z95 Gloucester - Stockton scrap. 05/01/09.

57010 passes Bentley Heath with 5Z58 Crewe - Eastleigh ECS. 12/03/09.

57315 1W91 16:17 Cardiff Central - Holyhead. Hereford. 11/05/09.

57313 1V31 05:32 Holyhead - Cardiff Central. Leominster. Done by a lorry which had passed a few seconds before causing the cloud of shite which can be seen in the background. 01/06/09/

57003 5Z57 11:00 Crewe - Wolverton ECS move. Barby Nortoft. 09/07/09.