Sunday 28 June 2015

22nd - 27th June 2015

Sunday 21st June: 57315 + 34067 T+T 5Z85 09:30 Swanage - Southall one two
Monday 22nd June: 66426 0Z70 00:54 Crewe - Eastleigh; 67003 5O61 09:53 Wembley - Eastleigh one; 47727 5Z47 (barriers) 16:53 Eastleigh - Doncaster one two three; 31601 0F74 13:30 Eastleigh - Romsey - Barton Hill one two three four;  (Eastleigh Works)
Tuesday 23rd June:
Wednesday 24th June:
Thursday 25th June:
Friday 26th June:
Saturday 27th June:
Sunday 28th June: 56303 + 50021 6Y56 13:03 Derby (one two)- Eastleigh one two three four (but has gone off-piste at Dr Day's Junction and should be in Taunton)

Eastleigh Works: 11th May - 12th May - 13th May - 14th May - 15th May21st June

Eastleigh and Colas 70/8's - Friday 26th June 2015


70803 leads 70804 + 70802 + 70801, alongside 66722 and 66717, with 70019 paused with 4O09 11:52 Basford Hall - Maritime.
70809 has just arrived with 6Y42 13:54 from Hoo Jct.
70809 proceeds to shunt a rather worn 66522 and an LQR train, which eventually proceeded to Hoo. 66522 had earlier worked in with 66585 as 0Y80 12:43 from Stoke Gifford.
70806 arrives light engine as 0O31 17:34 from Westbury.
Later it returned with 6V31, routed via Chandler's Ford, and then seen here passing Romsey.

Sunday 21 June 2015

The Welshman returns, 20th June 2015

1Z83 16:38 Cardiff - Poole


Passing Crampmoor in evening sun at 20:30.

Almost side-on.


99127 was originally 3117 completed to Lot 30697 at Swindon in 1963. In the late 1970s this one was vacuum braked and dual heated  To SLOA /Pullman Rail from November 1984 running as Cheryl, and to West Coast from January 1993.now dual braked and dual heated, running as CHRISTINA.

Four other train watchers in the field, as 57315 follows through on the rear.

Saturday 20 June 2015

The Welshman, 20th June 2015

Empty stock from Corfe Castle, then 1Z82 06:35 Poole - Cardiff

34067 Tangmere dashing through Redbridge, right on time.
Detail at Redbridge.
99723 (35459) Mk1 BSK built at Wolverton in 1963, to Lot 30721, new with vacuum brake and dual heat, riding on Commonwealth bogies. Withdrawn from service in December 1988, but reinstated inMay 1989, then withdrawn in June 1990. To Train Tours in June 1990, then to West Coast Railway Co from 1995, who have converted it to dual brake. Apparently there is a bar in the brake compartment.
57315 was originally 47234. The train was of 11 coaches (including support coach), the new limit being set by the ORR for steam trains.
The power is on through Romsey, as the locomotive is on the "main line" from Eastleigh to Salisbury.
99371 VICTORIA (3128) built at Swindon as an FO to Lot 30697 in 1963. Later running as an RSO (Restaurant Second Open) 1058 (air braked and dual heated) and then SO 3600 until withdrawn in September 1987. Preserved by Grampian Railtours, then via Green Express Railtours and to West Coast Railway Co,
57315 on the rear with Romsey Station (parts from 1847) in the background.

A View of the West Somerset Mixed Traffic Gala, 7th June 2015

Images by Ian Knight.

D832 ONSLAUGHT arriving at Minehead.
D1661 (47840) NORTH STAR at Watchet.
D7017 at Watchet.
59003 YEOMAN HIGHLANDER arriving at Blue Anchor.
59003 YEOMAN HIGHLANDER at Washford.

8th - 20th June 2015


66420 at Southampton Maritime, 20th June. Still in DRS based colours.

Monday 8th June: 68015 6Z70 05:43 Willesden Brent - Eastleigh one two, 6Z68 12:38 Eastleigh - Willesden Brent one two three four
Tuesday 9th June: 66763 + 59003 + 56006 + 45060 0O59 08:00 Bishops Lydeard - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen; 0M59 12:57 66763 + 56006 + 45060 Eastleigh - Leicester - Barrow Hill one two three four five six seven eight nine
Wednesday 10th June:
Thursday 11th June: 47760 1Z61 05:30 West Brompton - Havant - Eastleigh - Romsey - Bishops Lydeard one two three four five six seven eight nine, 1Z62 18:13 Bishops Lydeard - Romsey - Eastleigh - Havant - West Brompton; 37605 + 37607 3Q01 19:10 Hither Green - Eastern Docks - Northam Jct - Redbridge - Laverstock - Ludgershall - Laverstock - Redbridge - Winchester Baltic Siding - Eastleigh
Friday 12th June: 67003 5M61 21:26 Eastleigh - Wembley; 37605 + 37607 3Q57 22:07 Eastleigh - Romsey - Yeovil Jct - Derby
Saturday 13th June:


70806 6O31 17:34 Westbury - Eastleigh, 12th June, arriving into destination

Monday 15th June: 67003 5O61 09:53 Wembley - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 16th June: 66754 5O19 01:23 Peterborough - Eastleigh
Wednesday 17th June:
Thursday 18th June: 31601 6O86 20:18 Willesden - Eastleigh one two three
Friday 19th June: 57315 + 34067 T+T 5Z80 09:45 Southall - Swanage (Corfe Castle) one two three four five six seven
Saturday 20th June: 34067 + 57315 1Z82 06:35 Poole - Cardiff one two three four five six, 1Z83 16:38 Cardiff - Poole one two three
Sunday 21st June: 57315 + 34067 5Z85 09:30 Swanage - Southall

Eastleigh Works: 6th May

Sunday 14 June 2015

47soton is running late, 14th June 2015

It's all a bit busy just now, normal updates hopefully again in a week.

 Two pictures of 47727 Rebecca at Eastleigh Works, 13th June. The locomotive does not appear to have moved since Friday 5th.

Swanage Railway Diesel Gala, 10th May 2015 - Locomotive Profile: 45060

D100 was new from BR Crewe in May 1961, and named at Derby on 23rd September that year. Renumbered to 45060 in January 1975, although not through works and air braked until October that year. Withdrawn from Toton on 8th December 1985, after just over 24 years service, and in full working order, now almost 30 years ago!

I never saw it in BR service, not yet to this day travelling on the Midland Main Line south of Leeds area. I did see it on exhibition at the 1987 Basingstoke Railfair on 27th September 1987, where I was surprised, as I was unaware of its preservation, but was impressed with the restoration, including reinstatement of headcode panels (from 45053), and the rededication that day: one two three four five .

45060 at the Pioneer Diesel Locomotive Group, based at Barrow Hill.

Token exchange at Harman's Cross with 2N07 11:30 from Norden,

On the blocks at Swanage, having arrived with 2N07.
Two Derby Sulzers, but built in Crewe and Darlington, 45060 departs with 2N14 13:00 from Swanage.
Between Corfe and Norden with 1N10 15:46 from Swanage,
Between turns at Norden with late 70s to mid 80s style marker lights.


Sunday 7 June 2015

The Alpine Sunbeam, Eastleigh, 6th June 2015

1Z84 15:50 Ardingly - Waterloo, UK Railtours

73136 + 73128 OVS Bulleid CBE lead the train into Eastleigh.
73136 (English Electric Vulcan Foundry, September 1966) has been through a chapter of preservation, when it was Perseverance. Initially sold for scrap to Booth, Rotherham.
Similarly 73128 was also in preservation, via Booth's scrapyard, at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway.
2014 delivered 66752 The Hoosier State on the rear. 73107 and 66707 in the background.

Saturday 6 June 2015

1st - 6th June 2015


Recent build 66760 arrives at Western Docks with the gypsum empties 4Y19 12:19 from Mountfield, 2nd June. Image by Ian Knight.

158798 at Millbrook, 2nd June. Image by Ian Knight.

Monday 1st June: 47727 0V31 09:30 Eastleigh - Hinksey - Eastleigh
Tuesday 2nd June:
Wednesday 3rd June: 47727 0V31 09:30 Eastleigh - Hinksey - Eastleigh one two three four five; 66763+ 59003 0V27 10:18 Eastleigh - Didcot one two three four five six seven eight nine
Thursday 4th June: 47727 0V31 09:30 Eastleigh - Hinksey - Eastleigh one two
Friday 5th June: 47727 0V31 09:30 Eastleigh - Hinksey - Eastleigh; 67008 1Y81 11:42 Victoria - Hove
Saturday 6th June: 66752 + 73128 + 73136 5Z81 06:09 Eastleigh - Waterloo, 1Z84 15:50 Ardingly - Eastleigh - Waterloo, 5Z85 20:24 Waterloo - Eastleigh

59003 in action in Somerset: one two three

66760 was delayed at Eastleigh on 3rd June through an open door in the consist.

66748 failed on Monday on the Mountfield to Southampton, and a loco change took place at Tonbridge. Transferred over to Eastleigh on 2nd as 73128 + 73136 + 66763 + 66748 0Y68 10:40 from Tonbridge. Some thoughts were that this was to be allocated to the 6th June tour. one two three

Wednesday 3 June 2015

Diesels at Ruddington, 24th May 2015


D7629 (25279), new from Beyer Peacock at Gorton, allocated to Tinsley in September 1965. Withdrawn in March 1987 from Crewe Diesel.
20154, currently in need of generator repairs. New in August 1966 to D16 (Nottingham Division), which was Toton, also withdrawn from there in April 1993.
37009 later 37340. New from English Electric Vulcan Foundry in February 1961, and allocated to Stratford. Withdrawn in March 1995 at Immngham.

Great Central 5: Sir Sam Fay - the Awbridge connection

To conclude the Great Central theme, this brings our thread to Hampshire.

66707 Sir Sam Fay at Eastleigh, 15th May. Sir Sam was general manager of the Great Central Railway from 1902 - 1922. The locomotive was named at Ruddington in 2003 by his son Edgar Fay QC, who in 2008 rode on the preserved railway in Loughborough for his 100th birthday.

The grave of Samuel Fay Kt 1856 - 1953 in Awbridge churchyard, 17th May. Sir Sam resided at Awbridge Danes, and his father had roots in the village.