Notes from Fife: 'Royal Scotsman', Test Trains, Civil Engineers, 'Flakes' and a Heavy Haul 70 - October 2026

 

Electrification works are visible in the background, as 66743 approaches Kirkcaldy with the 'Royal Scotsman' 1H79 13:45 Edinburgh - Keith on 9th October. The last run of this train through Kirkcaldy before a two week closure of the railway along the Fife Coast.

On the following Monday, 12th October, 1H79 13:45 Edinburgh - Keith was on the alternative route through Fife, seen at Cowdenbeath.

43124 (+ set HA15 + 43163) coming off the Dunfermline route at Inverkeithing, 17th October.

153311, now VIU-1, runs through Inverkeithing as 2Q71 11:10 Slateford Depot - Inverness Millburn C.Rail, 17th October.

DR 73111, a Plasser & Theurer 09-3X-D-RT Tamper/Liner/DTS, operated by SBRail running as 6U17 1136 Inverkeithing - Kilwinning. 17th October.

43152 (+ set HA11 + 43169) passing with 1A81 11:30 Edinburgh - Aberdeen. 17th October.

66109 Teesport Express, in PD Ports scheme, with autoballasters as 6K06 11:26 Thornton South Jn - Millerhill. 66136 was on the rear. 17th October.

800109 arriving off the Dunfermline line as 1E15 09:49 Aberdeen -Kings Cross.

DR 77905, a Plasser & Theurer USP5000RT Ballast Regulator, operated by SB Rail, 6U11 12:39 Inverkeithing - Kilwinning, 17th October.

Unusually, 66736 Wolverhampton Wanderers with the 'Royal Scotsman' 1H79 13:45 Edinburgh - Keith Branch Platform Gbrf at Inverkeithing, 26th October.

43036 HA12 1B82 1311 Aberdeen to Edinburgh, passing the site of Donibristle Halt, 27th October.


99013 + 99006 7E06 10:00 Inverness - Craigentinny, 27th October.

70009, once again on hire to Colas from Heavy Haul Rail, 6B32 16:49 Craiginches Aberdeen C.Ra - Oxwellmains Lafarge Colas, passing Aberdour, 27th October.

66746 Pipe Major Iain Grant leads late running 1H89 13:45 Edinburgh - Boat Of Garten, 30th October.

24 Touax red JNA wagons hired to GBRf

Taken from the Mendip Rail fleet of red Touax JNAs, delivered during the Covid period in 2020, into a hire with GBRf, moved by 66780 4Z55 12:05 Merehead -Tonbridge West Yard on 20th October. These were then noted at Barnetby by 23rd October.

81.70.5500.818-6, Romsey, 18th May 2026.

81.70.5500.844-2, Eastleigh, 16th January 2026.

81.70.5500.855-8, Romsey, 24th July 2025.

81.70.5500.804-6
81.70.5500.806-1
81.70.5500.809-5
81.70.5500.810-3
81.70.5500.813-7
81.70.5500.814-5
81.70.5500.816-0
81.70.5500.818-6
81.70.5500.820-2
81.70.5500.824-4
81.70.5500.825-1
81.70.5500.830-1
81.70.5500.832-7
81.70.5500.835-0
81.70.5500.837-6
81.70.5500.838-4
81.70.5500.839-2
81.70.5500.844-2
81.70.5500.849-1
81.70.5500.851-7
81.70.5500.852-5
81.70.5500.855-8
81.70.5500.856-6
81.70.5500.857-4

Freight across the Alps, 4th - 6th June 2026

 Mostly seen at Bozen - Bolzano, south of the Brenner Pass. The Brenner Base Tunnel will bring change, from about 2032.

X4 E-702 (Siemens 22367 of 2018, 91 80 6193 702-8 D-DISPO) + X4 E-709 (Siemens 22400 of 2018, 91 80 6193 709-3 D-DISPO) are Vectron MS locos, leased from Beacon, which work for Mercitalia Rail, a wholly owned subsidiary of FS. Here the pair are working north towards Brenner, with a road trailer train, on 4th June. A note on these locos when new, owned by MRCE, later acquired by Beacon. 

11 minutes later, a similar road trailer train, operated by ÖBB with Vectron MS locos. 1293 125 (Siemens 23729 of 2024, 91 81 1293 125-1 A-ÖBB) + 1293 014 (Siemens 22336 of 2018, 91 81 1293 014-7 A-ÖBB).

Descending from Brenner, EU43-007 is seen with a train of new cars. The Bombardier/Adtranz E412s were nuilt for PKP in Poland, but were not accepted, and the 8 locos were sold to Rail Traction Company where they work between Verona and Brenner, although they are technically capable of operating on 15kV ac.

TX Logistik Vectron MS 7193 330 (Siemens 24296 of 2025, 91 80 7193 330-6 D-TXL) + 7193 339 (Siemens 23999 of 2025, 91 80 7193 339-7 D-TXL) working down from Brenner with road trailers. TX Logistik is owned by Mercitalia, and is thus a property of FS.,

EU43-008 arriving at Bolzano on Saturday 6th, with a train of box wagons, heading to Brenner. EU43-003 joined off a southbound, and paired up to work this train uphill.

ÖBB 1293 092 (Siemens 23452 of 2023,  91 81 1293 092-3 A-ÖBB) + 1293 045 (Siemens 22582 of 2019, 91 81 1293 045-1 A-ÖBB) at Brenner, waiting to proceed into Italy, again with road trailers.

HST 'Flying Scotsman' at Totton, 21st October

 

43465 + 43484 + 60103 Flying Scotsman + 99953 (35468) 5Z43 09:00 Didcot - Swanage at Totton Yard, 21st October. Image by Ian Knight.

Further pictures: one two three Flickr

Millbrook and Southampton, 15th and 17th October 2026

Images from Ian Knight.

Thursday 15th September

GBRf 66695 Bescot LDC (66/6 geared, formerly 66795, renumbered in July 2026) passing Millbook with 4O46 03:12 Trafford Park - Western Docks


Heavy Haul Rail 59206 John F Yeoman Rail Pioneer leading failed 59201 Westbury PSB (rumoured to be for a repaint into a National Power retro-scheme) with late running 6O55 07:09 Westbury Tarmac - Up Yard.

Saturday 17th September

34028 Eddystone leading 'The Bournemouth Belle' 1Z28 07:14  Waterloo to Swanage soon after passing Southampton Central (2 pictures).

47746 Chris Fudge 29.7.70-22.6.10 on the rear.

More coverage of this working from other photographers.

Notes from Fife: 'Royal Scotsman', Test Trains and another 'Flake', September - October 2026

43146 (+ set HA02 + 43176) passing the site of Donibristle Halt with 1B80 12:07 Aberdeen - Edinburgh, 21st September.

Looking in the other direction, 66746 Pipe Major Iain Grant leading the 'Royal Scotsman' 1H79 13:45 Edinburgh - Keith, 21st September. 66746 since moved onto freight duties in England and Wales, noted on Avonmouth - Penyffordd cement workings on 2nd October.

With loco changed to 66743, the 'Royal Scotsman' 1H89 13:45 Edinburgh - Boat Of Garten, passes at Dalgety, 30th September. 

43135 (+ set HA13 + 43124) at the west side of the bridge at the former Donibristle Halt, 1A81 11:30 Edinburgh - Aberdeen, 1st October.

153383 is now VIU-4, seen working 2Q54 11:10 Slateford Depot - Inverness Millburn C.Rail, 1st October.

43168 (+ set HA05 + 43144) passing Aberdour with 1A75 07:31 Edinburgh - Aberdeen, 3rd October.

99002 was brought from Leicester to Dundee on 5th October, to take the place of 99009, which has wheel flats, on the Inverness based RHTT working, which it coupled up to at Dundee in the early hours. Seen passing Aberdour as 0Z99 18:56 Millerhill - Dundee.

43026 (+ set HA21 + 43148) 1B80 12:07 Aberdeen - Edinburgh, passing the site of Donibristle Halt, 6th October.

Working in the other direction was the 4-weekly 1B80 12:07 Aberdeen - Edinburgh, formed of PLPR1 rather than the NMT.

This was led by former Cross Country 43301, with 43303 on the rear.

43301 + 6262 + 72631 (PLPR1) + 6117 + 72612 + 43303. 'Support coach' 6117 was previously in passenger service on this Fife Circle route.

21 Mendip HOA wagons sent for storage, 8th October 2026

21 HOA wagons, 81.70.6957.095-7 to 81.70.6957.115-3 built by Astra Rail, Romania, in 2015-2016, and leased from VTG, have been moved to the East Lancashire Railway for storage.

7th October: 6M01 13:49 Whatley - Arpley one two
8th October: 6J03 14:04 Arpley - Bury one two three

81.70.6957.097-3 at Eastleigh, 22nd September 2023.

81.70.6957.104-7 at Westbury 19th September 2024.

81.70.6957.111-2 at Romsey, 20th November 2025