Caledonian Sleeper Class 73 movements, December 2025 - January 2026

 

On 24th December, 66301 Drax Power Station 50 + 73968 passes Aberdour as  0Z17 09:47 Aberdeen Clayhills Car.M.D - Craigentinny T.&R.S.M.D.

73968.


The same working one week later, 31st December, and the same combination, seen passing Dalgety Bay.

73968.

Returning north for duty, 73970 WS Sellar + 66759 Chippy 0Z25 11:40 Craigentinny T.&R.S.M.D to Inverness, running through Inverkeithing, 2nd January.





Similarly, 73968 + 66301  0Z26 15:19 Craigentinny T.&R.S.M.D - Aberdeen Clayhills Car.M.D, at Aberdour on the same day.

19th - 24th January 2026

66068 PRIDE IN MOTION with a late running 4M96 06:14 Maritime - Birch Coppice, at Southampton, 22nd January.

The name plates and paint scheme were unveiled in August 2025.

Monday 19th January: 800310 5X80 13:15 Reading - Eastleigh
Tuesday 20th January:
Wednesday 21st January:
Thursday 22nd January: 37254 3Q36 23:52 Westbury - Southampton - Bristol (earlier one two)
Friday 23rd January:
Saturday 24th January:

59104 has been stored after its incident last week, and 59002 is being prepared for a return to service.

25 DBC Class 66s are being sold by DBC to Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR) of Romania, for delivery 2026 - 2028. 66014 is first, and also identified are 66006/009/024/027/040/047/069/075/076/080/085-087/089/095, 66110/111/115/197 (20 locomotives). The remaining 5 may be 66018/037, 66138/145/160.

Freightliner Intermodal at Eastleigh, 16th January 2026

It is interesting to note that all of the Freightliner Intermodal traffic was in the hands of lower numbered Class 66's in the range 66501 to 66525. this representing the lower numbered approximate half of the DFIM pool. The Class 70s are now working for Heavy Haul. 

66515 4O15 06:40 Lawley Street - Maritime.

66514 4O14 05:08 Garston - Maritime.

66506 66506 4M61 12:56 Maritime - Trafford Park.

66518 4O90 04:03 Doncaster Europort - Maritime.

Miscellany at Eastleigh, 16th January 2026

07007 / 2991 Bruce about to enter the paintshop at Eastleigh Works. I waited a while, but it did not emerge in time for me.

Mk2e BUO 9804 and JNAs 81.70.5500.000-1 and 81.70.5500.013-4 which have arrived for repairs, from Acton on the 12th.

57311 (+ 9479 + 1666 + 3140 + 41176 + 3091) still as they arrived on 13th, later shunted in the Works at around 13:40, noted from the station.

56051 Survival (out of use) and 70809 in the Colas sidings.

Harsco RGH20C Rail Grinder DR 79274 + DR 79264 + DR 79265 CRG3 (Corrective Rail Grinder 3) 6U04 09:38½ Paddock Wood Keylands Sdgs - Brockenhurst Down Siding.

Kirow KRC810UK Heavy Duty Diesel Hydraulic Crane DRK 81602, built in 2001, which had arrived in 6O41 from Westbury.

FAA wagon 609037, loaded with cable handling equipment.

Loco workings at Eastleigh, 16th January 2026

 

59103 Village of Mells 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley approaching from Chandlers Ford.


70811 + 66544 + 66551 0Z64 10:45 Westbury - Eastleigh, arriving across the East Junction.

66551 and 66544 are two of the four Class 66s currently on hire from Freightliner to Colas.

66714 Cromer Lifeboat + 66769  LMA LEAGUE MANAGERS ASSOCIATION / Paul Taylor Our Inspiration + 66734 PLATINUM JUBILEE arriving with 6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh.

66174 4O39 09:43 Morris Cowley - Eastern Docks.

66717 6Z17 Eastleigh Trsmd - East Yard, a rake of CWR wagons.

12th - 17th January 2026

 

66542 passing Shawford with 4M55 08:32 Maritime - LawleyStreet, 14th January.

66711 Sence at Shawford with 4O46 03:10 Trafford Park - Western Docks, 14th January.

59103 Village of Mells, the last in the Hanson scheme, at Crampmoor, 14th January, with 6V62 13:21 Up Yard - Westbury Tarmac.

New arrangements at Crampmoor Lane foot crossing, until the 1970s a manned gated level crossing (shown from the other side) 

Monday 12th January: 73961 + 73963 1Q51 1150 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one
Tuesday 13th January: 73961 + 73963 1Q52 10:46 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton - Barnham - Chichester Havant - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard  - Havant - Guildford - Havant - Fareham - Eastleigh - Winchester - Basingstoke - Woking - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh one; 66751 + 801210 5X80 13:04 Reading - Eastleigh; 57311 (+ 9479 + 1666 + 3140 + 41176 + 3091) 5Z58 08:54 Crewe -Eastleigh one two
Wednesday 14th January: 20096 + 20107 + 90002 5Z59 09:20 Eastleigh - Crewe one two three four five six seven eight; 73961 + 73963 1Q53 12:00 Eastleigh - Up Yard - Wimbledon - Up Yard one two, 1Q53 18:05 Up Yard - Wimbledon - Totton - Romsey - Eastleigh; 68021 0O86 10:08 Loughborough -Eastleigh one two
Thursday 15th January: 73961 + 73963 1Q54 12:55 Eastleigh - Reading
Friday 16th January:
Saturday 17th January:

59003 has been placed into 'store' status, in the same set of changes which saw GBRf apparently cease their own company usage of class 60s. However, 59003 has been seem moving within the yard, noted on 13th, although it may have entered the Works by 14th, according to TOPS.

59003 operating as a shunter at Eastleigh, 29th December. Image by Roger Homan.

59104 is reported to have had a serious engine failure while working 6A15 04:24 Whatley - Appleford on 14th, a piston having departed the engine block, with attendance from the fire brigade. [GBRf have a suitable candidate available for hire 😊 ]

59206 failed on 13th, while working 6O68 to Crawley, blocking the junction at Havant. and was rescued by 66518, which appears to have recovered the train to Eastleigh. A continuing working ran on 15th, starting from Eastleigh, powered by 59203, which arrived 0O68 07:45 from Merehead. 59206 is reported as returned to Merehead, having been dragged 0Z59 20:39 Eastleigh East Yard - Merehead, later on 13th.

66544, 66549, 66551, & 66553 are now for a long-term hire arrangement into Colas. All have already been at Eastleigh this year.

801210 was worked to Ferme Park on Monday 12th, but 66740 didn't couple up, and returned to Eastleigh, recorded as entering the Works and then returning to the yard. 66751 completed the working on Tuesday 13th.

Eastleigh Works: 23Dec - 06Jan - 07Jan

CF Booth of Rotherham, well known as a scrapping location, are understood to have entered into bankruptcy procedures.

43017 and 43020 have been moved from Nemesis, Burton to EMR Kingsbury for disposal.

43017 at Westbury, 16th February 2018.

43020 at Newport, 25th January 2018.

20096 + 20107 + 90002 return to Crewe, Shawford, 14th January 2026

20096 + 20107 + 90002 0Z59 09:20 Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) - Crewe H.S. All the locomotives had received repaints, and 90002 a new cab roof, since arrival on 10th November.