57306 Chalford 13 May 2016

57306 Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate 175 passes Chalford, as it climbs Sapperton Bank on 13 May 2016 with the 1Z10 06:34 Sheffield to Bristol Temple Meads 'Northern Belle' luxury charter. It may have been Friday 13th, but I had some good luck rather than bad, as this passed in one of the few sunny spells. The state of the line here is unbelievable, with trees and bushes sculpted to the shape of the trains, and the down line so overgrown that the sleepers can hardly be seen! It's hard to believe that this is a mainline, such is Network Rail's total neglect of the track.