Long distance DMU used mainly now in the south by Arriva-XC and Greater-Anglia in the East-Midlands (170) and on the Southern (171)
170201 passes Miskin with '2G66' the 16:14 from Maesteg to Lydney.The line beyond Lydney to Gloucester being completely closed currently for major engineering work.
..1 september 2022..
DMU-170271 approaches Park Junction in the northern suburbs of Newport with '2K86' the 14:21 from Newport to Crosskeys.
..1 september 2022..
A pretty much deserted Hereford Station with just a trickle of passengers see's 170533 going to Manchester-Piucadilly passing 175007 waiting to depart north to Birminghan-New Street with '1M63' the 11:39 from here (Hereford).
..9 april 2021..
3-car DMU 170636 runs into Gloucester with the 11:45 from Cardiff-Central to Nottingham service '1M64'.
..10 october 2018..
Arriva-XC service '1V08' the 11:10 from Nottingham to Cardiff-Central passes the freight yard at Newport-ADJ.3-car 170109 was doing the duty.
..19 april 2018..
Arriva-XC's 170111 speeds up through Defford with '1M75' the 16:45 from Cardiff-Central going to Nottingham.This is another favoured location that is on the cusp of being lost to rampant lineside bushes.Another year and it will be unusable unless the locals do something about it?
..28 august 2017..
170638 in Arriva-XC colours approaches March with '1N59' the 14:27 from Stansted Airport going to Birmingham-new Street.Note not one but two snowploughs parked in the sidings here.I didn't realise this area was particilarly prone to massive snowdrifts!
..8 april 2017..
170273 working for GreaterAnglia rolls into March at East-Junction with '2E78' the 13:58 from Ipswich going to Peterborough.
..8 april 2017..
170398 operates '1L40' the Arriva-XC service from Birmingham-New Street {12:22 depart) going to Stansted Airport runs non-stop past Manea Station a few miles east of March in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire.Another unspoilt small wayside country station with no palisade fencing and even semaphore signals still! This whole area railwaywise is a complete timewarp.
..8 april 2017..
GreaterAnglia service '2E76' the 11:58 from Ipswich going to Peterborough slows for the Whittlesea Station stop.170271 was the allocated DMU.
..8 april 2017..
Arriva-XC's 170639 speeds non-stop through Whittlesea with '1L34' the 09:22 from Birmingham-New Street to Stansted Airport.Note the manual crossing gates here.The staffman that operates those must be fairly fit,they are opened and closed (all 4 of them) about every 10 minutes or so on this very busy line!
..8 april 2017..
170109 passes Redwick Road in Magor with '1V06' the 09:10 from Nottingham going to Cardiff-Central.
..29 november 2016..
170115 passes Natton,just south of Ashchurch working '1V10' the 13:10 from Nottingham to Cardiff-Central.The reason for being here is just visible in the far distance sitting in Ashchuch Loop.It was 56104/56105 that were working '3S34' but was parked in the loop there due to a serious problem. Hoping it could be fixed and the train allowed to continue we set up here and waited,and waited,and waited.Eventually I gave up as it became obvious nowt was going to happen.In the event it did move but 8 hours later at midnight! Hot coffee and a burger was beckoning!
..7 november 2016..
Just occasionally I record the passing of one of these Arriva Class-170's that regularly operate along this line.Here is 170117 with '1M60' the 09:45 from Cardiff-Central heading for Nottingham speeding past Magor is South-Wales.The Arriva-XC livery, although it looks fine on their HST's does nothing for me on these nondescript DMU's.
..23 february 2016..
Just like the Magor footbridge the one at Undy was also removed and changed for an electrification friendly version,which also equates as very non photographer friendly as well though! Anyway with a short pair of steps it is still OK Here is Arriva-XC's 170117 droning past with '1V06' the 09:10 from Nottingham going to Cardiff-Central.
..19 january 2016..
170638 slows for its Burton-on-Trent Station stop whilst working '1g54' the 17:41 from Nottingham to Birmingham-New Street.Note the piles of Beer Barrels piled up in the yard behind.A product that this town is most famous for!
..31 july 2015..
Just as '6B13' with 60019 in charge rounded the bend at Undy Arriva-XC's 170112 on '1M60' the 09:45 from Cardiff to Nottingham sped into view on the fast-line.Naturally it completely ruined any chance of a properly composed shot.Actually if the lineside bushes had been kept well trimmed it would have been quite nice.However its speed was such that a 2nd shot was just available (see above) but still not ideal! Oh well it was only a grubby Schenker-60 on '6B13' after all!
..26 march 2015..
First-Groups Trans Pennine Express that left Manchester-Airport at 06:55 passes New Barnetby pretty much on time heading for Cleethorpes.Unit 170304 providing this service.Plenty of Network Rail action here today to keep me occupied in between the various workings passing this location.Interesting to watch though.Bouts of frantic activity then short periods of chit-chat and idleness! A pretty labour intensive job!
..13 march 2014..
The '1V13' 16:08 from Nottingham going to Cardiff operated by Arriva-XC passes the Lydney area down west bank of the Severn Estuary.170101 doing the job.Why is it that the livery that suits the HST-sets Arriva operates so nicely just doesn't seem to suit these Units not nearly so well ?
..27 april 2013..
Southern Railways 171723 gets away from Rye in East-Sussex with '1G50' from Ashford going to Brighton.The lighting for this shot was just about perfect and a good job too.I actually used a Samsung Galaxy S mobile phone for this picture and e-mailed it to my laptop...Amazing what you can do these days with modern technology!!!!
..20 april 2013..
170112 forming the 15:11 from Nottingham going to Cardiff passes Catholme south of Burton-on-Trent.
..28 march 2012..
Arriva-XC 170106 speeds through Ashchurch past the loop there with the 08:08 from Nottingham going to Cardiff-Central.
..28 march 2012..
170103 forming '1V10' from Nottingham going to Cardiff passes Badgeworth in a fleeting burst of sunshine.Well I had to picture something after standing there like a idiot for over 2 hours under a long streak of dark cloud that simply refused to reveal the sun.
..19 march 2012..
170636 speeds past the Bishton Crossing Box with the 12:45 from Cardiff going to Nottingham.This Box complete with its original GWR cast nameplate operates the single gate on either side of this 4-track section of railway automatically.No bells or sirens, just a gentle 'swish' as the gate swings silently open.Very traditional.I wonder for how much longer?
..27 january 2012..
170113 plus 170101 head for Nottingham past Magor with the 10:45 service from Cardiff.
..27 january 2012..
'1V05',the 08:08 off Nottingham to Cardiff speeds down the line adjacent to the Severn nr Lydney.170108 doing the duty. ..24 may 2011..
170115 seen approaching Lydney with '1M20' from Cardiff going to Nottingham. ..24 may 2011..
An unidentified Class-170 heads north with an early evening Cardiff to Nottingham service seen here skirting the River Severn at Purton.Across the river can be seen the abutments that mark the entrance to the Old-Docks at Sharpness.
..02 june 2009..
For a short period in the mid-2000's the Eastleigh/Romsey/Salisbury/Romsey and back to Eastleigh shuttle type service was operated by a small number of South-West Trains operated Class-170's.Here is 170304 during its booked stop at Millbrook Station in the suburbs of Southampton.However they were soon replaced by the newly introduced dedicated 2-car Class 158's. The entire SWT allocation went north becoming part of the First-Trans Pennine Express Fleet and now run out of Manchester going to such places (for example) as Cleethorpes.