Sunday 31 July 2016

Another BSO for ScotRail, Eastleigh Works, 31st July 2016


9527 is a Mk 2F  BSO built at BR Derby to Lot 30861, entering traffic in June 1974. Owned by Riviera, it arrived at Eastleigh Works on 27th April, and at that time it was suggested it was for Northern Rail (Cumbrian Coast, on which it worked in 2015), however this has switched to DBSOs, It has been out-shopped as another coach for the ScotRail Fife Circle loco-hauled fleet, providing a spare BSO for these rakes.

66760 GBRf Charity Train: Crewe - Eastleigh "The Crystal Maze - Part 2", 31st July 2016

1Z19 11:05 Crewe to Eastleigh, returning the tour stock from the preceding day's tour to Blackpool.

Arrival at Eastleigh.



New nameplate David Gordon Harris, which was unveiled on the 30th.

Having returned the stock to the carriage sidings, 66760 is seen amongst the vegetation of the sidings.

Passing the works offices.

Saturday 30 July 2016

25th - 30th July 2016


"Life in the slow lane" DFHJ pool 66419 arrives at Romsey with 6Y19 17:38 Fairwater Yard - Billingshurst on 25th July.

66564 on the rear of the train.


The first GWR green 158/9 is 158956 recently returned to traffic, on 1F10 17:30 Cardiff - Portsmouth.


The setting sun captures the driver and cab of 66849 + 70807 0V31 20:13 Eastleigh - Westbury.

Monday 25th July: 67015 + 67018 (+ Pullman Car 99537 'Audrey') 5Z61 09.04 Stewarts Lane - Eastleigh Works one two; 66093 5Z29 12:08 Bristol - Romsey - Eastleigh one two three four five
Tuesday 26th July:
Wednesday 27th July: 442418 5O43  10:52 Eastleigh - Basingstoke one (warm store working) one, 11:29 Basingstoke - Eastleigh
Thursday 28th July:
Friday 29th July: 66721 5Z22 10:05 Eastleigh - Doncaster (for GBRf charity tour) one two three four five; 67015 + 67018 5Z88 (?) 12:00 Chichester - Eastleigh one two , 5Z89 (?) 17:05 Eastleigh - Chichester
Saturday 30th July:

Flickr: Yahoo services are expected to be purchased by Verizon, completing in 1Q17, including the Flickr service, where the general plan appears to merge with AOL.

Reading: one two thee four five . No one yet knows for sure what the future of Flickr will be. I think that there may be possibility that Verizon could focus upon service for the USA. I recall that BT and Yahoo were allied for consumer service, although their Flickr relationship already changed in 2013.

Advice: I would not suggest Flickr as your only storage provision for photos - many of us remember the sudden demise of Fotopic. Look for other services for storage or ensure your own provision. One suggestion: RAID 1 (dual HDD) NAS: link link link

Thursday 28 July 2016

Two "Generators", Swanwick, 2nd July 2016


You may blame this one for this website! This is the first Class 47, D1500, completed at Brush, Loughborough, and making its debut on 28th September 1962. Withdrawn in 1992 and preserved from July 1993, currently in operational use.

 I first noted this one on 3rd November 1978 passing HA, when it was still allocated to FP.

D1516 (47417) was new from Brush on 10th April 1963. Withdrawn in March 1992, and sold for preservation in December 1994. Currently in the course of a rewire, as part of restoration. Apparently the wiring of the two preserved locomotives is quite different, even though they are both in the 47401 - 47420 "Generator" group.

I first noted this one passing HA on Tuesday 3rd October 1978, the first week that I attended university, and indeed during Freshers' Week.


An hour at Vác, 26th June 2016

Some miscellaneous pictures at Vác, there has been an invasion of Stadler FLIRT since I last was there. The station has been much modernised in 2012 -15 with improvements made for platform safety, using EU funding.

The refurbished station in typical Hungarian style, from rebuild in 1926. The first railway in Hungary was that from Budapest - Vác, opened on 15th July 1846.

The plinthed 2-6-2T was moved from one side of the station to the other during the changes. 375.1029 appears to be one of the last of its class, to a design originating in 1907, completed in 1959.

The new platforms can compared with the previous provision in this photo.

Stadler FLIRT 415.102.

242 262-4 of PSŽ is a Skoda built electric locomotive, which appears to have been granted permission to run in Hungary in October 2014. PSŽ is a Slovakian company, and the locomotive was sold in 2014 by ČD of Czech Republic.

Bzmot 117.342 with a branch line train.

Saturday 23 July 2016

"The Cheshire Cat", Eastleigh, 23rd July 2016

Pathfinder Tours "The Cheshire Cat" for DRS Crewe Open Day, Anderton Boat Lift, Tatton Park and Stockport

1Z10 05:57 Eastleigh - Stockport, 1Z12 16:46 Stockport - Eastleigh (with 57309 on rear)

Prepared for departure from Eastleigh.

A few minutes earlier, arriving into the station from the depot. Sunrise this morning was at 05:19 although it had only just popped up over the former carriage works.

37609 was new from English Electric Vulcan Foundry (Newton-le-Willows) on 22nd February 1963 as D6815 allocated to Sheffield Darnall. Renumbered 37115 in May 1974, when allocated to Tinsley. Refurbished to 37514 in March 1987. Renumbered 37609 in April 1995 and transferred to European Passenger Services, then transferred to DRS in July 1997. The current logo style was applied in August 2014, and is unique amongst Class 37/6. 

37606 was new from English Electric Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns (Darlington) on 28th January 1963 as D6790 allocated to Gateshead. Renumbered 37090 in May 1974, and transferred to March at that time. Refurbished to 37508 in May 1986. Renumbered 37606 in July 1996 and transferred to European Passenger Services, then transferred to DRS in May 2002. 

Mk 2f TSO 5985 in former Anglia colours. Built at BR Derby in June 1974 as part of Lot 30860.

Mk 2f FO 3364 built at BR Derby in 1974 in Lot 30859. In more recent years this ran as Shakespeare in the Great Briton set, but was repainted into the blue grey scheme at Derby in May 2016.

66170 in the distance with 6O66 00:46 Garston(Speke) T.C. - Western Docks

Train was formed:
37609 + 37606 + 5998 5964 5985 1200 3386 3345 3325 3397 3390 80042 3356 3364  35469

DRS Crewe Open Day

18th - 23rd July 2016


46115 Scots Guardsman with 1Z67 to Weymouth at Totton, 19th July.

47746 Chris Fudge 29.7.70-22.6.10 on the rear.

MXA 950865 (utilising BDA frames).

Sunday 17th July: 68003 5Z72 14:38 Fairwater Yard - Romsey - Eastleigh one two three four, 0Z72 18:45 Eastleigh - Crewe one
Monday 18th July:
Tuesday 19th July: 46115 + 47746 T+T 1Z67 08:42 Victoria - Weymouth one two three four five six, 1Z69 16:35 Weymouth - Southampton - Laverstock - Waterloo one two three four five
Wednesday 20th July: 57304 0Z70 Crewe - Eastleigh one
Thursday 21st July: 60017 7O35 06:05 Westbury - Fareham, 7V16 13:03 Fareham - Westbury one two
Friday 22nd July: 37606 + 37609 0Z10 09:38 Crewe - Eastleigh one two three four
Saturday 23rd July: 37606 + 37609 1Z10 05:57 Eastleigh - Stockport one two three four, (37606 + 37609) + 57309 T+T 1Z12 16:46 Stockport - Eastleigh one two; 66093 5Z26 (?) 13:41 Eastleigh - Bristol one two
Sunday 24th July: (37606 + 37609) + 57309 T+T 5Z14 14:31 Eastleigh - "Burton ot Wetmore Sidings" (this took me a week - "ot" means "on Trent", but lacked a capital - at or adjacent to Nemesis Rail) one two three four five six seven

08887 arrived by truck at Eastleigh Works on 20th.

Friday 22 July 2016

Sulzer Type 2's at Barrow Hill, 2nd July 2016


1160hp Sulzer D5054 later 24054 was built at BR Derby and introduced into traffic in December 1959. Stored from Crewe Diesel in May 1976 and withdrawn on 17th July 1976 (almost exactly 40 years ago !). Sent to the Western Region in August 1976 as ADB968008 a  carriage heating unit. Arrived at the East Lancashire Railway for preservation in October 1983.

1250hp 27066 was completed by BRCW as D5386 in May 1962, allocated to 14A Cricklewood East. Reallocated to ScR at Eastfield in October 1969. Air brakes were fitted in July 1971, and the locomotive acquired push-pull specific items to become 27103 in January 1973. In March 1975 a Deutz ETH generator was installed, and the locomotive became 27212 - which I remember at Edinburgh from my student days. After the push pull specifics were retired, the locomotive became 27066 in November 1982. Withdrawal came in July 1987, along with most of the remaining class members, followed by preservation at various locations, latterly the Dean Forest Railway, and now Barrow Hill.

Saturday 16 July 2016

Eastleigh, 15th July 2016


73962 Dick Mabbutt 73963 Janice 73107 Tracy 73128 OVS Bulleid CBE were at Eastleigh pending their use on the "The Herd of Wildebeest" railtour to Paignton. Problems were encountered with starting the locomotives for the ECS move, so the tour was started from Basingstoke.



66156 leads 4M66 16:40 Western Docks - Birch Coppice.

66097 arrives with 6O42 11:31 Halewood - Eastern Docks.

70805 has arrived from Westbury via Romsey as 0O31.

Eastleigh Works, 15th July 2016


47818 awaits its future usage with Arlington. Some suggestions are towards spot hire opportunities.

66425 was the last DRS Compass livery Class 66 in traffic, and has arrived for repainting.

01508 shunts an unidentified Murco TEA wagon under overhaul.

The accommodation bogies appear to be of ex-London Underground origin.

"Royal Scot" at Romsey, 14th July 2016


Believed to be the first rebuilt "Royal Scot" at Romsey, 46115 Scots Guardsman was originally built in 1927 by the North British Locomotive Co. in Glasgow, and rebuilt in 1947. There were various operational delays, so there was time to admire the other passing trains.

 66551 arrives with 17:38 Fairwater Yard - Billingshurst, continuing to work in the DFHJ restricted usage pool.

DR76324 RM95-RT Ballast Cleaner and DR92264 NB-PW Ballast System Propulsion Machine.

66419 on the rear of the consist.

70802 passes with a short 6V31 20:13 Eastleigh - Westbury.

46115 passes with the return train from Swanage.


11th - 16th July 2016


Monday 11th July: 66757 5Z66 05:11 Bristol - Eastleigh; 66725 5O65 09:55 Peterborough - Eastleigh one
Tuesday 12th July: 66746 + 66743 1Z81 13:30 Bath - Southampton - Oxford one two three four five six, 37219 3Zxx 22:41 Reading - Eastleigh (earlier seen Derby - Reading)
Wednesday 13th July: 66425 0Z70 01:10 Crewe - Eastleigh one
Thursday 14th July: 46115 + 33207 T+T 1Z94 08:43 Victoria - Swanage one two three four five, 46115 (tender first) + 33207 1Z95 16:55 Swanage - Southampton UGL, 46115 + 33207 Southampton UGL - Laverstock - Staines (terminated) (- Victoria) one two three four five- 33207 reporting as having an AWS fault; 37219 3xxx 15:30 Eastleigh - Romsey - Westbury
Friday 15th July:
Saturday 16th July:  (73107 + 73128) + (73962 + 73963) 5Z72 0532 Eastleigh - Waterloo (ran late, tour to start from Basingstoke) one two

66425 has arrived at Eastleigh Works, and appears to be being prepared for repaint. This is the last of the older livery in traffic with 'DRS Compass' livery, as 66428 is in Wolverton works following collision at New Cumnock 1st August 2015 on for which RAIB published report in the past week.

"Royal Scotsman" at Romsey, 12th July 2016

1Z81 13:30 Bath - Oxford via Southampton

Dedicated liveries on 66746 + 66743 approaching Romsey.

A wider angle. The headboard was changed this year with GBRf operation - I rather prefer the WCRC BR style version.

State Car No. 4 numbered 99964. Originally 313 'Finch' of 1960.

Dining Car No. 1 numbered 99967. Originally 317 'Raven' of 1960.

Observation Car numbered 99965. Originally 319 'Snipe' of 1960.