Saturday 29 April 2017

24th - 29th April 2017


56312 Jeremiah Dixon has been resident at the works in recent weeks, apparently awaiting wagons to complete repairs. This is the oldest surviving Class 56, originally delivered from Romania as 56003, reaching Zeebrugge on 13th August 1976, as the second delivery from Craiova, entering traffic on 28th February 1977. Withdrawn in 1999 with worn centre castings, it reached Booth's scrapyard in Rotherham from Toton in February 2004.  In April 2004, it was sold into preservation, initially at MOD Ashchurch, and later at the Nene Valley Railway. In 2008 it became 56312 Artemis in the Hanson Traction fleet, a predecessor to DC Rail.

57303 Pride of Carlisle has been on the works since 25th January, and is believed to have swapped bogies with 57011. 57303 was D1957, delivered on 14th January 1967, later 47554 from October 1974 upon ETH conversion, and 47705 from March 1979, then allocated to Haymarket. Rebuilt in March 2003 to 57303 Alan Tracy, later to Network Rail and then DRS. This locomotive has seen use on GWR sleeper services.

56312 and 57011.

Mk 1 BSK 35469. BR Wolverton Lot 30721 1963.

Monday 24th April: 66096 5O61 09:53 Wembley - Eastleigh one
Tuesday 25th April:
Wednesday 26th April:
Thursday 27th April: 70812 was on the Westbury - Eastleigh - Westbury; 70014 returned to traffic with Freightliner one two
Friday 28th April: 70014 was on the Maritime - Wentloog - Maritime
Saturday 29th April:

Eastleigh Works: 10Apr - 11Apr (08879 operational) - 18Apr - 19Apr - 20 Apr - 24Apr - 25Apr - 26Apr - 27Apr - 28Apr

Sunday 23 April 2017

17th - 22nd April 2017


66515 66554 66418 are lined up at Maritime, 22nd April.

A pair of 66541 and 66593 were operating as a super shunter, which seems rather unusual.

08785 (D3953 BR Derby, 23rd April 1960 - 57 years old today)

Monday 17th April: 37259 + 37609 1Z43 08:17 Inverness - Salisbury - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 18th April: 37259 + 37609 0Z37 15:55 Eastleigh - Crewe one two
Wednesday 19th April:
Thursday 20th April:
Friday 21st April:
Saturday 22nd April.

Hamworthy Stone: Tue 18th: 59101 one; Wed 19th: 59204 one two

New book - just about to order my copy.


by Nigel Bray

Eastleigh Works: 29Mar - 30Mar - 04Apr - 06Apr - 07Apr - 56312 is still at the works (22nd April)

The Flying Scotsman LineUp, ECML, 23rd April.

Shenzhen and Hong Kong, China, April 2017


A handful of transport variations from China and Hong Kong. Activity related to this travel has rather restricted my recent time for '47Soton', and trainspotting was not really on my agenda while there.

A Class SS8 electric locomotive, built 1994 - 2001, believed to be SS8 0163, is arriving at Shenzhen from the north,15th April. This train may be proceeding to Hong Kong, the locomotive class is the only China Railways Class permitted to run on to the East Line there (Kowloon Canton Railway). These locomotives run on 25kV 50Hz electricity supply and are rated at 3600 kW (4830 hp). 

For reference, a China Railways map. The picture was taken from the Di Wang Tower.

A MTR SP1900 emu, constructed by Kinki Sharyo, rolls into the terminus of the East Rail Line at Lok Ma Chau in the Frontier Closed Area (linked by footbridge to the Futian Control Point), 20th April. I travelled in car M225.

Alexander Dennis Enviro 500 MMCs of Long Win Bus, and an older ALX500 of Kowloon Motor Bus at Sheng Shui station, while making a transfer from the MTR to a bus to the airport. 

UM4055  1542   12.8m   new 13Dec16  
UL8336   5534   12m      new 01Dec16      

KMB and LWB are in a common ownership.

My first sighting of an Airbus A350. Cathay Pacific B-LRJ was delivered in late 2016, and was going to be on a flight to Bangkok.

Departure for London on Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-367ER B-KQB.

Sunday 16 April 2017

UP / SP in Northern California, September 1997


A southbound train, Chico, California, 8th September 1997.

9823, with a small UP sticker over its leading 'SP' marker, is an EMD SD70M (EMD serial 936438-24), the second last of the only SP order of 25 locomotives delivered in June to August 1994, and intended for service on the I-5 corridor. Renumbered to UP 3998, and still in service with that railroad. The power unit inside is a 4300hp EMD 16-710-G3, a 16 cylinder variant from the same series as the 12 cylinder in Class 66.

9815 is a similar locomotive, delivered in July 1994 (EMD serial 936438-16). Currently running as UP 3990.

8594 is a SD40M-2 in an SD45 housing, with flared radiators. New in October 1971 as an SD45 to Seaboard Coast Line as their 2037 (EMD serial 37728). Renumbered to 8937 upon acquisition by CSX, then rebuilt as shown for SP usage from July 1994, later UP 2670) with a EMD 16-645-E3 at 3000 hp - rather similar to that in Class 59. Retired by UP on 24th October 2005. Last noted in the storage lines at Sterling, IL in 2011 - 2013, understood to then be in the ownership of Citibank. Thirty of these were still present there a year later.


Further north at Redding, I found 7624 (marked as allocated to El Paso) and 4841 (Roseville, just outside of Sacramento)

7624 is a GP40-2 delivered to SP in February 1978 (EMD serial 776071-17), later UP1381. Still in UP service in 2017. GP40-2 locomotives have turbocharged 16 cylinder EMD 645E3 3000 hp prime movers.

4841 is a GP38-2 delivered to SP in June 1980 (EMD serial 786272-42) later UP 600. GP38-2 locomotives have mechanically blown variants of the 16 cylinder EMD 645E3 of 2000 hp. This locomotive is additionally fitted with snow shields, and is designated for snow service, with equipment on the cab roof which can be extended to catch icicles. Still in UP service in 2017.



Further north to Dunsmuir, where Tunnel Motor SD40T-2 8282 was stationed on pilot duties for the grades up to Shasta and beyond.

8282 was delivered in June 1980 (EMD serial 786265-53) and later became UP 2942, until retirement in 12th April 2010, at near the 30 year point, along with many of the other survivors. Picture soon after retirement, at Denver where it was auctioned.


Saturday 15 April 2017

10th - 15th April 2017


Monday 10th April: 66773 + 66760 + 66776 5Y62 09:42 Eastleigh - Peterborough (barrier coaches) one two three four five; 73961 + 73964 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two three
Tuesday 11th April: 73961 + 73964 1Q52 10:37 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton -Portsmouth Harbor - Totton Yard - Havant - Guildford - Havant - Eastleigh - Woking Up Yard - Eastleigh - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven
Wednesday 12th April: 73961 + 73964 1Q53 11:38 Eastleigh - Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh - Southampton Down Loop - Wimbledon Park - Totton Yard - Eastleigh - Romsey - Eastleigh one two three four five
Thursday 13th April: 73961 + 73964 1Q54 12:27 Eastleigh - Tonbridge; 37259 + 37609 0Z37 08:55 Crewe - Eastleigh one two
Friday 14th April: 37259 + 37609 1Z37 05:12 Eastleigh - Romsey - Salisbury - Inverness one two three
Saturday 15th April: 37611 0Zxx Eastleigh - Derby one

Hamworthy Stone: 12th & 13th - 59101 one two three four

70813 worked to Eastleigh on 11th: one

Sunday 9 April 2017

"Strictly Bulleid" at the Swanage Railway, 2nd April 2017


What would Mr Bulleid have thought?

Images by Ian Knight.

'34052 Lord Dowding' at Corfe Castle.

34053 Sir Keith Park arriving at Corfe Castle.

34053 on a passenger working at Norden.

34070 Manston at Swanage.

34081 92 Squadron between Corfe and Norden.

34092 City of Wells at Corfe.

34072 257 Squadron could be viewed undergoing restoration at Herston Works on Saturday and Sunday at Herston Works. The main frame of 34010 Sidmouth was on a wagon at Corfe Castle Station and could be viewed from the platform.

Saturday 8 April 2017

Archive Shots - Class 40s at Haymarket, 7th March 1979


Four Class 40 locomotives at Haymarket, on an organised visit on the afternoon of 7th March 1979.

40162 (HA), a Class 47/4 and another Class 40, which from my notes and elimination of nose end types, is 40148 (HA).

40162 was new to 64B Haymarket as D362 on 11th October 1961, and while reallocated latterly to KD (Carlisle Kingmoor) it was withdrawn from HA on 14th December 1982, since overdue classfied repair, and had bogie fractures. Dual brakes had been fitted in 1972. After withdrawal it sat in a siding at Haymarket for a long while, as it was missing a pony wheel for one of its bogies. Eventually it was dragged to Millerhill for disposal by McWilliam in April 1986.

40148 was new to 55H Neville Hill as D348 on 7th June 1961. Transferred from the ER to HA in early 1978. After HA it was allocated to LO (Longsight). It remained only vacuum fitted. Withdrawn on 4th August 1982, to provide bogies for 40012 and power unit for 40074, after which it was stored at Stratford, Doncaster, and Healey Mills before disposal at Doncaster Works in July 1985.

40184 (HA), nearer the camera and 40173(HA) are parked in one of the 'out of use' sidings. They sat as a pair from 2nd to at least the 15th of March.

40184 was new as D384 on 19th March 1962 to 1B Camden, and migrated from the LMR to Haymarket in May 1974. It remained only vacuum fitted. Later allocated to LO, and withdrawn on 21st December 1982 for a main generator flashover and poor bogies. Stored at Carlisle Kingmoor then Gateshead, before disposal at Doncaster Works in December 1983.

40173 was new as D373 to 1B Camden on 5th January 1962. Like 40184 it migrated to HA in May 1974 (at the completion of the WCML electrification), and remained there until withdrawn on 24th August 1981. It was then stored at Eastfield, Dunfermline and Perth, where it was stripped to a shell, before unusually being disposed of at Inverkeithing in May 1985, the circumstances surrounding this being an RCTS Diesel Dilemma.

3rd - 8th April 2017


66722 with the first GBRf MOD working to Marchwood, 6O44 08:16 from Bicester, 3rd April. Image by Ian Knight.

Sunday 2nd April: 37069 + 37716 5Z79 15:00 Crewe - Eastleigh one two three
Monday 3rd April: 37069 + 37716 0Z80 11:28 Eastleigh - Crewe one two three four
Tuesday 4th April: '34052' 5Z44 09:10 Swanage - Southall one two; 66506 + 47771 + 66588 moved Maritime - Eastleigh 
Wednesday 5th April:
Thursday 6th April: 47771 at Eastleigh one
Friday 7th April: 57306 0Z06 09:30 Old Oak Common - Eastleigh (for bogie swap) one two three
Saturday 8th April: '34052' + 57314 1Z43 06:47 Three Bridges - Weymouth one two three four five six,16:35 Weymouth - Wareham (detach '34052' - to Swanage one) - Three Bridges; 66005 + 66165 5Z91 05:05 Eastleigh - Waterloo, 1Z91 08:08 Waterloo - Eastern Docks - Northam Depot - Fawley one two three four five, 1Z92 12:48 Fawley - Eastleigh - Romsey - Salisbury one two three, 1Z93 15:52 Salisbury - Andover - Ludgershall - Andover - Waterloo one, 5Z93 20:25 Waterloo - Eastleigh
Sunday 9th April: '34052' 5Z48 11:00 Swanage - Southall one

Eastleigh Works: 23Mar - 24Mar - 27Mar - 28Mar

Hamworthy Stone: 03Apr - 66023, 04Apr - 59202

Saturday 1 April 2017

27th March - 1st April 2017


'34052 Lord Dowding' passes Millbrook in transit to Swanage, 28th March. Images by Ian Knight.


Monday 27th March:
Tuesday 28th March: '34052' (34046) 5Z43 10:31 Southall - Swanage one two three
Wednesday 29th March: 66304 0Z68 10:19 Eastleigh - Willesden one; 37038 + 37716 5Z74 10:44 Crewe - Eastleigh one two three; 56312 6Z07 13:15 Willesden - Eastleigh one two three
Thursday 30th March: 37038 + 37716 5Z74 11:28 Eastleigh - Burton one two; 56312 on the works one
Friday 31st March: 70812 6O30 17:30 Westbury - Eastleigh, 6V31 20:13 Eastleigh - Westbury; 56312 on the works one (but had vanished from view by sunset)
Saturday 1st April:

47771 is understood to remain at Maritime,

Colas 70814 + 70815 + 70816 + 70817 in test and transit in USA: one two three four

Eastleigh Works: 16Mar - 17Mar - 20Mar - 21Mar - 22Mar

Hamworthy Stone: 30 Mar - 59103 one two three; 31Mar - 59103 

37603 reported may be withdrawn to offer a power unit for 37407, which appears to have encountered issues in the late stages of its preparation at Loram Derby for mainline return.

Eastleigh Works, 31st March 2017


57011 awaits its future, following donation of its good bogies.

LT 1967 stock 3005 has been removed from covered storage, this may be pending break-up. Withdrawn on 15th June 2011, this was moved from Acton to Eastleigh on 30th June 2011.

FO M3123 built to Lot 30697 at Swindon in 1963.

EMU Translator Barrier coach 64707 Labezerin. Both adjacent 64664 Liwet and this coach are named after angels.

A stack of three KFA wagons has been present and visible since January. TIPH 93385 93485 (Rautaruukki, Finland 1987-88) & RLS 92639 (Standard Wagon, Heywood, Contract 114, 1986, for Railease, originally for Coba-Geigy Amino Resins traffic in 20ft curtain sided containers to Fishguard for Ireland). Typically seen in Freightliner service in the current period.