Notes from Fife, early November 2026

 

43150 (+ set HA03 + 43127) passing Dalgety Bay with 1A65 12:38 Edinburgh - Aberdeen, 2nd November.


99003 + 99013 follow the HST as 0J03 12:45 Millerhill S.S.- Inverness T.C. - this pair working from England to particiapte in RHTT workings.


A closer view of clean 99006.


While 99013 was dirty from earlier RHTT work at Inverness.


66746 Pipe Major Iain Grant with the last 'Royal Scotsman' of the year, 1H79 13:45 Edinburgh - Keith Branch Platform Gbrf, passing Inverkeithing, 2nd November.

800105 passing Inverkeithing South Junction with 1S11 10:03 Kings Cross - Aberdeen, 2nd November.

43131 (+ HA21 + 43141) passing Aberdour with 1B80 12:07 Aberdeen - Haymarket. "This service was cancelled between Haymarket and Edinburgh due to a problem with the brakes (MN)." - went into platform 0 at Haymarket with almost an hour of delay.

43013 Mark Carne CBE leading 1Q26 13:45 Edinburgh - Slateford Depot through Aberdour.


43014 on the rear.

43035 (+ set HA14 + 43145) crossing the Links at Burntisland, 1B74 09:05 Aberdeen - Edinburgh, 4th November.

The return of the last 'Royal Scotsman' of the season. 66746 passing Aberdour with 1H84 08:00 Dundee - Edinburgh. Will a pair of ETH fitted Class 99s take over this duty in 2027?

With 99961 and 99964 passing through Eastleigh Works in 2026, will these be replacing 99962 seen above (closer) and 99963 (farther) at some time in the near future?

43138 (+ set HA20) 1B70 04:54 Inverness - Edinburgh ran through Aberdour shortly afterwards.

43177 was on the rear.

To Edinburgh, 31st October 2026

 

43183 (+ set HA17 + 43164) 1B70 04:54 Inverness - Edinburgh, passing Inverkeithing.


My train followed, but 43183 was still in platform at Edinburgh Waverley.


The set next next moved as 5B70 09:52 Edinburgh - Haymarket Depot.


385108 prepared to work 2D85 10:33 Edinburgh - Dunbar.


801209 arriving with 1S02 07:19 Northallerton - Edinburgh.


397002 had arrived with 1S32 06:03 Manchester Airport - Edinburgh, and returned 1M85 10:11 Edinburgh - Manchester Piccadilly ('This service was cancelled between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport due to late arrival of an inbound service (YI)').


220029 1Z58 prepared to work 10:05 Edinburgh - Darlington.

800109 3E10 0:751 Heaton - Edinburgh to form 1E10 10:00 Edinburgh - Darlington

Noted before the return journey, 43182 (+ set HA26) 1B84 14:03 Aberdeen - Edinburgh, next working 1A91 17:33 Edinburgh - Aberdeen, and  43134 (+ set HA06) about to depart with 1A89 16:30 Edinburgh - Aberdeen.

HST 'Flying Scotsman' at Southampton, 3rd November 2026

The return movement from Swanage, this leg being 43484 +43465 + 99953 (35468) +60103 5Z44 13:10 Swanage - Didcot Great Western Soc.

3 images at Southampton, by Roger Homan.

And one further, at St Denys, from Ian Knight.

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.