A visit to Eastleigh, about January 1997

Probably a Sunday afternoon in January 1997, but I have failed to record any details.

33051 Shakespeare Cliff, in 'Dutch' engineers livery. This was exchanged for BR blue by March 1997. This Crompton was a railtour favourite for a while. Withdrawn in August 1998, disposal came in September 2003, at Eastleigh Depot.

33035 was one of two locomotives painted in Network South East colours, the other being 33114. 33035 had been withdrawn in October 1996, and was sold into preservation in March 1997, initially being moved to Crewe Heritage Centre, and has most recently been working in Wensleydale.

47019 had been withrawn in February 1997 while on the Tinsley allocation, and was broken up at Eastleigh Depot in March 1997. Another image from with  the depot.

4-CEP 1620 was withdrawn in mid-January 1997, sent to Eastleigh, and sold to GEC Alstom, for traction package development. There were door lock experiments, and the unit later ran as 932620 as a 'Juniper' emu development test bed. This work finished by 2001, and disposal took place in 2005 - coach 70660 seen in March 2005.

The Cable Drum Train lies beyond 47019.

Two images of D3816 / 08649 G H Stratton, with WTL (Wessex Traincare Ltd) logo, named after Gordon Stratton, a former employee, with nameplates carried from 1993 -2011. The plates were later in the, now closed, Eastleigh Museum.

In 2020, after time at Wolverton Works, it was transferred to Meteor Power of Silverstone, for conversion to hybrid / electric. It eventually went into storage at the former railway location at Brackley (Great Central Main Line) one two, with Meteor Power then entering liquidation, and was relocated to RSS at Wishaw in late October 2025.

D2991 (07007) wearing green colours, with what I believe to be 77398 of 5-WES 2417. 

Statfold 'Spectacle of Steam' 8th March 2026 6: Oak Tree Halt to Workshop Halt

 

Lautoka No.19 (Hudswell Clarke 1056 / 1914) and Sragi No.1​ (Krauss 4045 / 1899).

Fiji / Lautoka No.11( Hudswell Clarke 972 / 1912).

12¼" gauge Carol Ann (Exmoor Railway 250 / 2024) runs around at the terminus of the 'Mease Valley Light Railway', opened here in August 2024.

Carol Ann out in the park.

Carol Ann on the turntable at Works Halt.

25th - 30th May 2026

 

59003 awaiting its future at Eastleigh Works, 29th May. Coach 10211 lies beyond, and 142007 was inside the shed, on the works since 6th April 2020.


I believe that this is 802105, which arrived on Works on 21st May, and appears to be receiving the cosmetic refresh actions. The other GWR IEP in the Works is 800017. which has received a previous cosmetic update.

69016 British Transport Police seen while shunting in the yards at Eastleigh, 29th May.

Monday 25th May:
Tuesday 26th May: 57306 (+ 701027) 5Z50 12:54 Eastleigh - Wimbledon Park one two three four; 43049 + 43055 5O47 08:17 Crewe - Eastleigh one two three
Wednesday 27th May: 43049 + 43055 1Z30 05:39 Eastleigh - Scarborough one, 1Z31 16:35 Scarborough - Eastleigh one two
Thursday 28th May: 43049 + 43055 5Z32 13:50 Eastleigh  - Crewe one; 43013 (?) + 43062 1X23 15:28 Salisbury - Southampton - Salisbury (later one)
Friday 29th May:
Saturday 30th May:

Eastleigh Works: 24Mar - 25Mar - 31Mar (1) - 31Mar (2) - 02Apr

A year after nationalisation, is South Western Railway delivering?

DMUs on the Severn Valley, 10th May 2026

 

Derby Class 108 DMCL 52064 leads away from Highley with the 10:45 Bridgnorth - Kidderminster.

DMBS 51941 on the rear of the train. The centre car is TSL 59250.

Class 101 DMCL 50170 at Bewdley, in a set which arrived in 2024, from the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

Centre car TSL 59303, which was allocated to Dundee (DE) in my more youthful years.

DMBS 50253 at the other end of the train.

Later in the day, 52064 departing Arley with the 14:05 Bridgnorth - Kidderminster.

DMU Group (West Midlands)
Severn Valley Railway

56051 + 56049 Marchwood - Westbury, Romsey, 23rd May 2026

56051 + 56049 0Z56 16:57 Marchwood Mod Gbrf - Westbury Down T.C., following the delivery of 56094 and 56302 for export to Ghana. At least 56049 was out later from Westbury, on a Civil Engineering train. These are the two currently operational Class 56s with Colas, mainly working on Civil Engineering trains, or standing by on ECML Thunderbird duties.

56051 Survival leads into Romsey station.

Closer shots running through 'platform 2'.

56049 Robin of Templecombe on the rear.

1970s style smoke from the Ruston Paxman 16RK3CT in 56051.

56s for Ghana, Redbridge, 23rd May 2026

56051 (+ 56302 + 56094 - both for export to Ghana) + 56049 0Z55 08:54 Rectory Jn (Colwick Colas) - Marchwood. 

The convoy of locomotives skipped the Walllers Ash stop, but ended up waiting at the Redbridge end of the Down Loop past Maritime. A surprise for the handful of photographers, which grew into an assembly over half an hour.

All locomotives seen here are, or were, the property of Colas Rail, where the 5th is 56078, and the other five are leased from Beacon.

Approaching the signal at Redbridge, at the west end of the loop, led by 56051 Survival.

Closer view of 56051.

Cabside view of 56302, showing "Supplied by ROMIC" flashes.

Data panel of 56302, with Max. speed in km/h.

56051 clags on departure from Redbridge.

No. 2 end of 56302, which was 56124 when new from BREL Crewe on 25th September 1983 (one - may have been on test before release).

No. 1 end of 56094, which was new from BREL Doncaster on 9th August 1981.

No. 1 end of 56302.

While various parts of a livery had been covered by white vinyls, these had become damaged on 56302, revealing that the customer is the Ghana Railway Development Authority.

No. 2 end of 56094.

56049 Robin of Templecombe on the rear.

Seen entering the loop at Totton, to proceed to Marchwood. Image by Roger Homan.

Flickr for the day.

18th - 23rd May 2026

 

59206 John F Yeoman Rail Pioneer 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley, Romsey, 18th May.

Much of the rake was Marcroft JNAs. but the last wagon was a newer Greenbrier example, 81.70.5500.818-6 .

69010 NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY 1975 - 2025 THE POPPY LINE + 66730 Whitemoor 6O39 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh. The first wagon was NLU 93465, the tunnel ventilation wagon, classified JZA.

Nameplate of 66730.

34028 Eddystone running through Romsey on the evening of 20th.

47848 on the rear of the train.

Monday 18th May:
Tuesday 19th May:
Wednesday 20th May: 802007 5X82 09:20 Eastleigh - Reading, 800111 5X83 16:18 Reading - Eastleigh one; 34028 + 47848 T+T 1Z88 0821 Victoria - Swanage one two three four, 1Z89 16:35 Swanage - Southampton - Redbridge - Laverstock - Victoria one two three
Thursday 21st May: 802105 5X82 09:20 Eastleigh - Reading; 57306 0O52 0946 Reading - Eastleigh, 57306 (+ 701027) 5Z50 13:02 Eastleigh - Wimbledon Park ("service was cancelled due to a problem with the brakes")
Friday 22nd May: 800017 5X81 1316 Reading to Eastleigh
Saturday 23rd May: 56091 (+ 56094 + 56302 - both for export to Ghana Railway Development Authority) + 56049 0Z55 08:54 Rectory Jn (Colwick Colas) - Marchwood one two three four five six seven eight nine ten, 0Z56 17:02 Marchwood - Eastleigh - Westbury one two three four five six seven

Parkway House Business Centre's great railway history - article covers that the building is out of use because of the Campbell Road bridge restrictions.