11th - 16th November 2019

66709 with part of a ballast cleaner set, 6V41 Eastleigh - Westbury on Thursday 14th, also seen at Eastleigh. Image by Ian Knight.

Monday 11th November: 
Tuesday 12th November: 67025 0Z25 06:15 Eastleigh - Wembley; 67008 + TfW Mk4 set led by 82226 (this set one two?) 5Z25 16:53 Eastleigh - Willesden, 5Zxx 20:15 Willesden - Reading - Westbury - Romsey - Eastleigh one two; 47815 + 47848 0O86 21:16 Ilford - Eastleigh (47848 will need works attention, currently in SROG storage pool)
Wednesday 13th November: 47815 5M62 14:37 Eastleigh - Leicester one two three four
Thursday 14th November: 802204 5X99 13:04 Acton - Eastleigh one
Friday 15th November: 180108 5Q12 10:12 Eastleigh - Heaton one two; 802301 5Q53 07:42 Eastleigh - Doncaster one two; 66590 + 47830 4O49 09:22 Basford Hall - Maritime (47830 to Eastleigh works for air tank recertification) one two three four; 47813 0M61 20:50 Eastleigh - Leicester
Saturday 16th November:

Transport for Wales liveried 67025 had arrived at Eastleigh from Wembley by Sat 9th one two three four five six but later returned there on Tuesday 12th, as shown. It was returning south again on Fri 15th, at least as far as Wembley one.

70001's recent first return to traffic did not last long, it was returned to storage about 6th November, but is now once again reinstated and in the DFGI pool, noted on Thursday arriving from Leeds: one .

Brighton Belle set to Eastleigh in Spring 2020?

"The latest expectation is that testing of the Belle unit will be in spring 2020. When the systems and their wiring are all in place and static testing yields perfect results (don’t forget we are replacing all the electrical equipment and wiring on an original 1930s train.

When the interior fitting is complete, the Belle unit consisting of four of the six original cars will be moved from Shirebrook to Eastleigh for testing on the third rail, and the testing regime is currently unclear. Following the successful commercial test running, charter and public runs will start.This could be August 2020."

43300 retrospective (?)

Another power car crunch. This time it was 43300 Craigentinny, in a depot collision at Leeds Neville Hill, on 13th November, where 800109 appears to have run into the stationary HST.

Links: one  two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven

In East Coast grey, passing Dalgety Bay, 3rd August 2011.

Virgin colours passing Aberdour with 1S20 14:00 Kings Cross - Aberdeen, 16th May 2017.

Two days later, the same train passes Dalgety Bay.

Now 1W20, but still the 14:00 from Kings Cross, at Aberdour again, but this time with LNER logo, 4th September 2019.

At Doncaster on 12th September 2019, 1W96 12:00 Kings Cross - Inverness 

43313 retrospective

43313 has suffered collision damage at Bounds Green, which seems unlikely to be repaired.

Interim National Express livery based upon GNER, Edinburgh, 27th August 2009.

'East Coast' interim scheme, based upon National Express, at Aberdour with 1S20 14:00 Kings Cross - Aberdeen, 27th August 2013.

'Virgin' scheme, again 1S20 at Aberdour, 23rd August 2017.

Three recent 'LNER' pictures, above with 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen - Kings Cross, 31st August 2019.

At Doncaster, 12th September with 1E03 0526 Stirling - Kings Cross.

Returning the same day at Doncaster, 1D13 1203 Kings Cross - Leeds.

4th - 9th November 2019

Monday 4th November: 37116 3Z71 12:55 Eastleigh - Hither Green one two three four; 73962 + 73964 1Q64 18:38 Eastleigh - London area - Eastleigh
Tuesday 5th November: 800209 5Q53 07:40 Eastleigh - Doncaster one; 73962 + 73964 parked at Eastleigh one then 1Q65 19:26 Eastleigh - London area - Eastleigh
Wednesday 6th November: 802301 6X80 04:47½ Dollands Moor - Eastleigh (first of 5 Hull Trains IEP 'Paragon' trains) one two three; 73962 + 73964 1Q66 14:38 Eastleigh - Didcot - Petersfield - Woking - Eastleigh one two; 802208 5X99 13:55 Reading - Eastleigh one two three four; 66154 + 82216 + 11325 + 10312 + 12446 + 12217 5Z44 09:39 Doncaster - Eastleigh (Mk 4 rake for TfW) one two three
Thursday 7th November:  73962 + 73964 1Q67 14:37 Eastleigh - Cannon Street
Friday 8th November:
Saturday 9th November:

Eastleigh Works: 25Oct - 28Oct - 30Oct - 31Oct

Class 59/2 have been noted operating de-branded: one two three (partial) four (partial) five. All Freightliner Class 59/0, 59/1 and 59/2 are now in a DFHG pool. 59206 was stored some weeks ago requiring a new camshaft. GBRf 59003 is also at Merehead.

Now that Freightliner are operating the Mendip contract, it has been observed that fewer of the trains are running via Westbury station for crew changes in either direction.

'ONE' magenta 66587 was turned out on the Fareham stone on the 4th: one

A MkIV DVT has been noted in Transport for Wales colours at Eastleigh T&RSMD.

Raxstar have bought 60050.

68018 returned a rake of former Fife Circle coaches, which were hired from Riviera, back to Burton on Trent. DRS are now using many more of their own coaches on the service, as covered here earlier in the year, and it is now expected that the trains will continue until December 2020.

47500 has been broken up

47500 has now been broken up at Carnforth, some retrospective pictures are presented here. Parts from 47500 are now understood to be contributing to the repair of 47787.

In BR days, seen on shed at Haymarket on the morning of Saturday 2nd April 1983, which was the Easter weekend. Sporting white painted wheel rims, the Western Region OC allocated locomotive was sometime used for Royal Train duties, although it is not clear how it came to be in Scotland on this occasion.

On the rear of a steam special at Ashurst, 23rd October 2010.

On the rear of a steam special at Lockerley, 8th December 2012.

Class 59/2 to Freightliner

It is understood that Class 59/2 were sold to Freightliner this morning. They were all at Merehead or Whatley at that time.

Freightliner Class 66s arrived at Westbury:
0V07 16:35 Basford Hall - Westbury (66419 / 66508 / 66524 / 66587)
0V09 14:35 Whitemoor - Westbury (66511 / 66513 / 66525 / 66537 / 66593) - all actually delivered to Acton
0C66 East Usk - Westbury (66601)

Update: by Tuesday all 6 of the 59/2's are showing in pool DFGH 'Freightliner Class 59'.

Changes at Northern Railways: Class 319

Last year it was forecast that Class 323 were at risk of coming off lease at Northern. One year on, it is the replacement Class 319 units which will be leaving the franchise by 2021.

Some Northern Class 319 units in October 2018, as a snapshot of what is now expected to be a short term deployment.

319365 at Crewe, 17th October 2018.

319368 departs from Alderley Edge, 17th October 2018.

319369 at Handforth, 17th October 2018.

319375 at Stockport, 16th October 2018.

In DfT grey, 319446 departs Wilmslow, 19th October 2018.