Sunday 31 January 2016

Diesels at Loughborough, 29th January 2016


A combination of BRCW Sulzers which was likely never seen in BR days. Class 33/1 D6535 (33116, new in December 1960 to 73C Hither Green, withdrawn in July 2001) and D5401 (27112, 27056, new in July 1962 to 14A Cricklewood, withdrawn February 1987)
A further view of D6535.
45041 Royak Tank Regiment  (D53, new in June 1962 to 17A Derby, withdrawn June 1988)
D123 Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry (45125, new in October 1961 to 17A, withdrawn May 1987).In BR days the name was attached to 46026 (D163), and was formally unveiled on D123 on 22nd June 2000 at Loughborough.
A further view of D5401.
"10119" Margaret Ethel - Thomas Alfred Naylor (D4067, new May 1961 to 41A Sheffield Darnall, withdrawn in December 1970 and sold to the NCB - Class 10 were fitted with Lister-Blackstone ER6T engines, deemed non-standard and leading to early withdrawals). The names are those of the owner's parents.
D5185 (25035, new in May 1963 to 18A Toton, withdrawn in March 1987).

Saturday 30 January 2016

Great Central Railway Winter Steam Gala, 29th January 2016


LMS Ivatt 2MT 46521 light engine at Quorn & Woodhouse.
SR Rebuilt Bulleid 'BB' 34053 Sir Keith Park at Rothley.
LMS Stanier 8F 48624 at Rothley with a minerals train.
Passing 46521 which was in the loop at Swithland.
SR Maunsell U 31806 departs from Quorn.
GWR Hawksworth 6959 'Modified Hall' 6990 Witherslack Hall.
34053 returning northbound at Quorn

That covers up to lunchtime.



25th - 30th January 2016


66150 0O12 11:06 Margam - Eastleigh at Romsey, 30th January. Back to passing around 16:25 in  the current timetable.

Monday 25th January:
Tuesday 26th January:
Wednesday 27th January:
Thursday 28th January: 66151 6Z11  10:00 Dowlow Briggs Sdgs - Southampton Up Yard one, 6Z14 14:48 Southampton Up Yard - Wembley  
Friday 29th January:
Saturday 30th January:

37025 under test and training: one two three

59002 has a '30 Years Class 59' logo: one

66527 Don Raider, seen here on 24th January 2015 at Southampton, is the third Freightliner Class 66 identified to be prepared for service in Poland. Assigned and marked 92 70 066527-7 UK-FGL but still in the DFHH pool meantime, although it seems to be at Leeds Midland Road.

Saturday 23 January 2016

Easteigh, 23rd January 2016


66748. 66701 which is to retain original GBRf colours & 70806.
66502 shunts 4O14 07:37 Hams Hall to Eastleigh back into the yard, for forwarding to Maritime on Monday.
70017 has power applied on 4O27 05:21 Garston - Maritime.
66083 shunts the Railvac consist back into the yard.
ZCA 'Sea Urchin' 210330 (BREL Shildon, 1977-78) - originally a ventilated VDA van.
66589 leaves with 4O29 08:15 Basford Hall - Maritime.

18th - 23rd January 2016


Monday 18th January:
Tuesday 19th January:
Wednesday 20th January: 
Thursday 21st January: 66559 + 60024 7X27 10:19 Hinksey - Eastleigh one two; 66056 +60024 0V41 14:47 Eastleigh - Westbury one and into pilot use there
Friday 22nd January:
Saturday 23rd January:

Eastleigh Works: 04Jan - 12Jan - 13Jan - 15Jan

HSTs for Portsmouth - Cardiff rather than Class 165 ?

Developments at the Virtual Quarry, Eastleigh, 23rd January 2016


New lighting and new sidings.
The fabrications surround the virtual quarry, but their purpose is unclear. My guess is that it's beam equipment to protect the track from a ballast spill or movement

Eastleigh Works, 23rd January 2016


 58008 remains fenced off and appears to be under CCTV monitoring, breaking up still pending.
GERS4414 JNA Bogie Scrap Open (converted by WH Davis in 2002) arrived on 15th January for repairs.

Sunday 17 January 2016

"Diverts" at Romsey, 16th January 2016

A selection of diverted trains, including three of the current six Powerhaul liveried Class 66s in UK traffic.

12:34 - Not strictly a divert, 66561 is 0Y20 (?) 10:33 Stoke Gifford - Eastleigh, via Chandler's Ford.
12:49 - For the second week running 66420 is heading 4O27 05:21 Garston-Maritime.
Detail of the new logo on the recently repainted 66420.
13:28 - 66952 6O26 10:50 Hinksey-Eastleigh.
The  last vehicle in 6O26 was YWA 'Salmon' 50t bogie rail flat DB996220, with builders plate "Head Wrightson 1954 Lot No. 2534. On Head Wrightson: one two three & Lot 2534 four five.
13:45 - 66418 4O54 05:27 Leeds-Maritime.
The Leeds route is not yet W10 gauge permitted, so 4O54 uses KTA pocket wagons and FLA low platform flats. KTA GERS (General Electric Capital Rail Services) 97706 is an example of one of these, built by Arbel Fauvet in 1988.
Fading light at 14:44 - 66504 66504 4O29 0815 BasfordHall-Maritime.


Saturday 16 January 2016

150232 returns the GWR to the South, Romsey, 16th January 2016

The first visit of a GWR green liveried DMU to the South. Flickr only shows pictures on St Philips March depot from November when it was returned from repaint, and I am wondering how much work it has had between then and now - even in November the bogies are not attended to. (Update: this does appear to have been first day in traffic.)

2O05 11:11 Westbury - Southampton Central
2M98 12:27 Southampton Central - Great Malvern (on which it later failed at Bristol and was replaced by 150249)

Dave Mant also saw it: one two .







11th - 16th January 2016


 73141 passes Redbridge with 1Q40 on 11th January. Image by Ian Knight.
 73138 returns 1Q41 from Ludgershall, passing Nursling on 12th January. Image by Ian Knight.
A short time later at St Denys. Image by Ian Knight.

Monday 11th January: 73138 + 73141 1Q40 08:48 Tonbridge - Fawley - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 12th January: 73138 + 73141 1Q41 07:42 Eastleigh - Redbridge - Laverstock - Andover - Ludgershall - Andover - Ludgershall - Redbridge - Fareham - Portsmouth & Southsea - Southampton DL  - Eastleigh one two three four; 57306 (+99546) 5Z71 11:30 Stewarts Lane - Eastleigh one two three
Wednesday 13th January: 57309 + 66422 (+17096 MNLPS 35028 Support Coach) 5Z70 01:27 Crewe - Eastleigh one two; 73138 + 73141 1Q43 08:42 Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight; 57306 (+9488 + 92724 + 92766) 6Z68 12:54 Eastleigh - Willesden Brent one two; 08611 delivered to Eastleigh Works from Alstom Longsight one
Thursday 14th January; 73138 + 73141 1Q44 05:49 Eastleigh - Romsey - Eastleigh - Fareham - Eastleigh - Tonbridge one two; 66184 6Z11 10:00 (Wed) Dowlow Briggs - Basingstoke - Laverstock - Redbridge - Southampton Up Yard one, 6Z14 14:48 Southampton Up Yard - Wembley
Friday 15th January:
Saturday 16th January:

37025 to go on 3 month hire to Colas


Moving to Cardiff Washwood Heath 0V25 on Monday 16th January.Will be fitted with strengthened windows for usage on Colas test trains, intially for three months.

Bo'ness 27th December 2014.
Do'ness 29th December 2007.


BG at Bo'ness, 2nd January


94544 was delivered to Bo'ness on 17th April 2014, for recovery of parts and bogies, to support the running of the SRPS Railtours train. Originally delivered as M81083 in August 1957 from Metro-Cammell to Lot 30228 riding on BR2 bogies. In July 1983 became M84083 and then in December 1985 M92345 when fitted at Derby with Commonwealth Bogies for 100 mph operation, dual brake and ETH cable rated 1X (600 Amps). It ran this way until September 1996. Following conversion to 'Super BG' it ran from November 2001 as 94544 until February 2004 and was formally withdrawn in Janaury 2005. My notes show that I did see this in the 1979 - 1985 period.

Friday 15 January 2016

Freightliner Heavy-Haul Fairwater Yard - Allbrook, 14th January 2016

6Y19 17:50 Fairwater Yard - Allbrook (for work on the section to Basingstoke).

Passing  through Romsey, 66563 at front and 66553 at rear. 9 minutes late here, but 62 late by Eastleigh and 76 by Allbrook. MOBC (Medium Output Ballast Cleaner) and the BDT (Plasser NFS-D Ballast Distribution System Train) as on 2nd December.


Thursday 14 January 2016

66535 for Freightliner Poland

Following the recent stopping of 66530 for transfer to Poland, 66535 has now also been allocated to pool DFEP (Freightliner Class 66 Poland).

Millbrook 14th January 2012.

66535 20008269-10 was built in September 2001 and was unloaded on 11th October that year.

Sunday 10 January 2016

SRPS Diesel Gala, 2nd January 2016 - video


Featuring a ride behind 56113, one of only three Colas Class 56 in traffic just now, and first passenger traffic of the Caledonian Sleeper 73/9's of GBRf.

Saturday 9 January 2016

4th - 9th January 2016


Diverts at Dunbridge: 66566 with 4O54 05:27 Leeds - Maritime
6169 with 6N01 13:49 St Denys - Eastleigh (via the world)
Genesee & Wyoming subtitled 66420 with 4O27 05:21 Garston - Maritime. This train lost about 90 mins just before Basingstoke, and was overtaken by the Leeds.
70013 at the head of 4O29 08:15 Basford Hall - Maritime. After this the light was gone, and the rain started to fall.

Monday 4th January: 
Tuesday 5th January: 73141 + 73212 1Q08 Woking - Southampton DL - Southampton - Southampton UGL - Woking
Wednesday 6th January: 37057 (Colas BR Green) 3Z08 19:00 Derby - Basingstoke; 00:09 Basingstoke - Wimbledon - Basingstoke - Reading - Basingstoke - Eastleigh one two
Thursday 7th January: 60039 6X01 10:17 Scunthorpe Trent - Eastleigh; 6E15 19:07 Eastleigh - Redbridge - Romsey - Laverstock - Basingstoke - Scunthorpe;37057 3Q08 21:57 Eastleigh - Redbridge - Salisbury - Bath - Salisbury - Redbridge - Fareham - Southampton - Eastleigh one two three
Friday 8th January: 37057 one 3Q06 21:52 Eastleigh - Redbridge - Romsey - Salisbury - Exeter - Basingstoke - Derby one two three four
Saturday 9th January:.