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Malvern Link Common

MALVERN LINK COMMON

Grid Reference: SO

After leaving Malvern Link Station the Worcester to Hereford line is in a cutting as it crosses the ancient grassland of the Link Common. The common is a favourite area with visitors and locals alike. It also provides a number of photographic opportunities as demonstrated by the following photographs.

158780

Central Trains livery class 158 dmu No.158780 has charge of the 15:14 from Birmingham New Street to Great Malvern. The train has just left Malvern Link Station. Photograph was taken by Andrew Smith on 6th August 2002.

50043

Class 50 diesel locomotive No.50043 has just departed from Malvern Link Station (just visible beyond the Worcester Road bridge in the background) on its way to Hereford with a train from Paddington on 23rd April 1978. This locomotive was later named 'Eagle'. Photograph by Adrian Booth.

47094

Brush Class 47 locomotive No.47094 (originally D1680) is seen at the head of the evening Hereford to Paddington express at Moorlands Road on 26th May 1974. Photograph by Adrian Booth.

47484

Class 47 locomotive No.47484 (the former D1662) and named 'Isambard Kingdom Brunel' is seen midway between Great Malvern and Malvern Link with an express to Paddington on 23rd April 1978. Photograph by Adrian Booth.

4151 at Malvern Common

This is Collett 2-6-2T No.4151 of Stourbridge Shed seen shortly after leaving Malvern Link Station on the 16:25 from Worcester Foregate Street to Ledbury. This is the legendary 'School Train' that conveyed pupils from schools in Worcester, notably Worcester Royal Grammar School (boys) and Worcester Girls Grammar School. By this time an ancient rake of six corridor coaches had replaced the traditional non-corridor compartment stock thus allowing easier interaction between the sexes.

Both photographs by Robert Pritchard.

47081

Recently repainted class 47 locomotive No.47081 ‘Odin’ is seen at the head of the evening express from Hereford to Paddington on 7th June 1974. The white square painted onto the brickwork of Moorlands Road bridge was to allow train crews easy visibility to a long gone distant signal on the 'down' line. No.47081 was originally No.D1666 and subsequent to being No.47081 it became No.47606, No.47842, No.47606 (again) and then No.47778.

D7026 at Malvern

'Hymek' class diesel hydraulic locomotive No.D7026 at Malvern Common on an evening express from Paddington to Hereford in September 1973.

Below:Two more photographs of the same evening express but this time with Class 31 diesel locomotives in charge.

Class 31

Class 31

All four photographs taken by Andrew Smith.

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