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: 80xxxx 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.

'Royal Scotsman' at Dalgety Bay, 25th February 2026

66704 Colchester Power Signalbox 66704 1H79 13:45 Edinburgh - Dundee, which later returned to Edinburgh in an unusual pre-season afternoon trip.

On the climb, after a 'staffng reasons' stop at Inverkeithing, 66704 approaches the Hillend overbridge.

Two shots as the trrain approaches Dalgety Bay station.

66704 was in use, rather than one of the dedicated Royal Scotsman liveried pair of Class 66s. 66743 was at Peterborough, and 66746 at Bescot.

DINING CAR NO.2  99960 (321 E321E SWIFT), which was rebuilt in 2013.


Introduced to the train in the 2025 season, 'STATE CAR No.4' is a rebuild of Pullman Kitchen First 315 (E315E) HERON. Displaced car 99964 is now in Eastleigh Works for overhaul. 

Dawlish Warren, 9th May

 A set of images from Roger Homan, taken within 100 minutes at Dawlish Warren.

66744 Heart of Wales + 66748 St Michael's Mount 1C02 09:05 Bishops Lydeard Gbrf - Penzance


60007 Sir Nigel Gresley 1Z07 05:52 Northampton - Kingswear.

47593 Galloway Princess on the rear.

'The Great Britain XVIII', Aberdour, 24th April 2026

45407 + 47812 1Z10 09:10 Aberdeen - Edinburgh

45407 working hard on the climb from Burntisland to Dalgety.

47812 making a substantial contribution on the rear.

11th - 16th May 2026

 

99004 seen from Campbell Road bridge, Eastleigh, 11th May.

Two pictures of 33025 passing Totton, 15th May.

Monday 11th May: 37667 (+ 1666) 5K47 09:44 Eastleigh - Crewe one two three.; 73141+ 99004 (+ 4TC) 5Z73 09:30 Swanage - Eastleigh one two three four five six; 99004 0Z47 12:31 Eastleigh - Leicester one two three four five six; 73141 0Z74 13:33 Eastleigh - Tonbridge one
Tuesday 12th May: 37607 + 26007 + 58023 0Z37 07:19 Swanage - Leicester one two three four five six seven eight; 47805 + 47810 T+T 5O47 09:40 Crewe - Eastleigh one two three four five
Wednesday 13th May: 47805 + 47810 T+T 3Z60 04:02 Eastleigh - Bournemouth, 1Z61 05:33 Bournemouth - Eastleigh - Romsey - Salisbury - Shrewsbury one, 1Z62 16:15 Shrewsbury - Salisbury - Romsey - Eastleigh - Bournemouth; 59001 0Z59 11:44 Eastleigh - Kidderminster one two three four five six seven
Thursday 14th May: 47805 + 47810 T+T 5Z64 00:01 Bournemouth - Eastleigh, 5Z65 14:41 Eastleigh - Southall one
Friday 15th May: 800103 5X80 12:29 Eastleigh - Reading; 33025 0Z33 14:23 Swanage - Southall one
Saturday 16th May:

59003 does seem to be going to leave the UK again, although whether or not it is Norway bound, is unclear. TÅGAB operate some GM powered diesels in Sweden and Norway.

Marchwood: Alliance Rail reopening rejected by regulator - More

Great Western Railway to be nationalised in December

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has sold BR 4MT 76079 to the Strathspey Railway. Seen above at Romsey on 1st July 2007.