23rd - 28th March 2026

69010 NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY 1975 - 2025 THE POPPY LINE +  66734 PLATINUM JUBILEE + 66716 LOCOMOTIVE AND CARRIAGE INSTITUTION CENTENARY 1911 - 2011 + 66551 (on hire to Colas) 6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh at Romsey, 23rd March.

59204 at Romsey on 25th, with 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley, which started an hour early from Westbury, but was held here to be closer to time, and behind the 10:07 from Romsey via Chandlers Ford.

The consist contained a number of hoppers which were not the typical Greenbrier HOA pattern.  83.70.6955.314-2 is a HYA, which is a coal hopper, which was shortened for aggregates traffic. It had spent the winter period in storage in Exeter Riverside Yard, and was returned to Merehead on 2nd February.

370410 is a HHA, again a shortened coal haopper, this work being completed at WH Davis in 2019-21.

69010 6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh, 25th March with a mighty load of one FEA-wagon.

Monday 23rd March: 68014 0M42 10:52 Eastleigh - Gresty Bridge one two (returned to Chiltern base colours as delivered in 2014).
Tuesday 24th March:
Wednesday 25th March: 37667 (+ 6706 MOUNT MGAHINGA) 5O47 08:17 Crewe - Eastleigh one two three four
Thursday 26th March: 37667 at Eastleigh Works (reported as for repaint to LSL black, similar to 37521 currently within the Works.); 66730 + 66748 5Z38 13:30 Stewarts Lane - Eastleigh one (earlier one two three)
Friday 27th March: 
Saturday 28th March: 

Closure of Eastleigh by Network Rail for 4 days through Easter.

47727 is now back in use by GBRf at Old Dalby (Melton RIDC).

Colas Class 70: There is a rumour that these could be parked once more Class 66s become available to lease, as part of a 'Standardisation' activity. Another rumour is that Heavy Haul Rail may go in a similar direction.

455712 + 455732, the last pair in service on 20th, were moved to Derby on 27th for disposal. 455712, new in 1984, is seen departing Eastleigh Works on 24th February 2017, after being repowered with a Kiepe ac traction package.

Two consecutive trains at Romsey, 27th March 2026

 

59203 approaching with 6O70 11:00 Westbury Tarmac - Eastleigh.

A closer view of the Class 59, which was delivered in 1995.

The train included a number of HHA and HYA wagons, both of which are coal hoppers shortened for aggregates traffic. These had been in store from late October - early November at Exeter Riverside, and were returned in 6C28 12:48 Exeter Riverside - Merehead on 2nd February. This is HYA 83.70.6955.341-5, originally built as an IIA by WH Davis in 2012-13, and shortened by them in 2022.

The last wagon was HHA 370378, originally built by Greenbrier in 2004, as a coal hopper, and shortened by WH Davis in 2019-21. Like the HYA above, this was at Exeter Riverside through the winter, and returned to Merehead on 2nd February.

The following working was a one hour late 0O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh, with 69010 NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY 1975 - 2025 THE POPPY LINE + 70806 + 70811 + 66553 (hired to Colas).

A closer view of 69010, in its second week on the Westbury circuit.

66553, currently hired to Colas, on the rear.

Snapshot at Eastleigh and the Works, 24th March 2026

 

Heavy Haul Rail 66606 6V62 13:21 Up Yard - Westbury Tarmac.

NACO 3931, a Marcroft JNA built in 2000.

Freightliner 66512 4E65 13:13 Maritime - Doncaster Europort.


4-TC coack 76324, rebuilt in 1967 from TSO 4009 built at Eastleigh / Ashford in 1956. 59003 is at the far end, following its viewing day last week, as part of the sale process.


73202 continues to model the dirty look.

Work continues on Brighton Belle coach 93 / 293 (Metropolitan-Cammell, 1932) to be CELIA.

More marketing information for CELIA:

• Belmond
• Celia, the British Pullman Carriage by Baz Luhrmann & Catherine Martin
• YouTube short
• YouTube short
• House & Garden
• Forbes
  
• Journal des Palaces

319380 was anticipated to be heading to Unimetals at Newport, but that business is in liquidation, so it lingers.

16th - 21st March 2026

 

66751 Inspiration Delivered Hitachi Rail Europe + 66787 Three Bridges ASC 6O39 10:14 Westbury -Eastleigh, at Crampmoor, 16th March. The CWR train uses this headcode and route to be in the chosen direction upon arrival at East Yard.

Still carrying 'Freightliner' lettering, Heavy Haul Rail 59101 Village of Whatley 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley, passing Romsey, 20th March.


66766 Gail Richardson + 66010 + 66716 LOCOMOTIVE AND CARRIAGE INSTITUTION CENTENARY 1911 - 2011 6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh, at Romsey, 20th March.

66010 makes a first appearance on these pages.

Monday 16th March: 66775 (+801210) 5X66 10:52 Eastleigh - Reading (and onward one); 701060 new Legoland livery 5Y51 14:32 Bournemouth - Clapham Yard one two three four five; 68025 0Z86 10:10 Leicester - Eastleigh one
Tuesday 17th March: 800103 5X80 14:26 Reading - Eastleigh one
Wednesday 18th March: 57306 0O45 06:11 Leicester - Eastleigh, 57306 (+ 701055) 5Q45 13:00 Eastleigh - Wimbledon Park one two three
Thursday 19th March: 37421 3Q02 2003 Westbury - Romsey - Eastleigh - Dorchester - Eastleigh - Romsey - Westbury (seen earlier on Monday)
Friday 20th March: 66313 + 66748 T+T 5Z66 11:45 Eastleigh - Stewarts Lane (Britannic Explorer) one two; 4M04 19:11 Maritime - Lawley Street derailed 2 wagons while making departure - seems to have been resolved with services resuming after about 4 hours.
Saturday 21st March:

69010 has been noted on the Eastleigh - Westbury circuit on Monday - Thursday one two three four five six, then was moved to Westbury in 0V41 on Friday afternoon.

Heavy Haul Livery now on 66537.

455712 + 455732 are the last of their class, and are believed to have had their last usage on Friday 20th, including a trip from Waterloo - Basingstoke and return one two three four five six Flickr for the day.

Network Rail have started a procurement procedure as a first step towards replacing the YKA 'Osprey' track panel carrying wagons, which run on 1950s 'Salmon' underframes. They are looking for a quantity of 80 - 130 wagons, to replaee 125 YKAs, to be delivered from 2027. Expect something similar to a FEA-W like offering.

I am reading of a 2026 delivery of wagons for Mendip Rail, but no details. The Marcroft JNAs from 2000 are the oldest wagons, and were built with low track force bogies.

47355 is reported as being for the chop at Carnforth. Seen in better days, while labelled for Fragonset, on hire to Freightliner, at Southampton Maritime, 30th August 2003. Other images around that time: one two three four

800103 is the latets LNER Azuma to enter the repair programme at Eastleigh Works. Seen near Dalgety working 1S11 10:03 KingsCross - Aberdeen, 28th February. The heavier 8001xx appear to be getting priority.

Eastleigh, 16th March 2026

66004 approaching with 4O21 13:38 Didcot - Western Docks.

66004 is dressed in a 'Climate Hero' green scheme.

68025 arriving 0Z86 10:10 Leicester L.I.P. - Eastleigh Trsmd, where it may be expected to be vinyled for Chiltern.


66524 4S59 14:57 Maritime - Coatbridge.

701060 5Y51 14:32 Bournemouth - Clapham Yard following re-vinyling in a Legoland scheme.

The front and rear cars are marked 'Arterio Legoland Locomotive'. Oh dear.

Heavy Haul Rail 66620 working 4Y20 12:22 Mountfield - Millbrook, which stopped in platform 3.

Statfold 'Spectacle of Steam' 8th March 2026 2: Statfold Junction to Strawberry Park and Oak Tree

A parallel walkway runs between these two locations, where some of parallel lines are of different gauges.

Marchlyn (Avonside 2067 / 1933) and Sybil Mary (Hunslet 921 / 1906) climbing up towards Statfold Junction.

Howard (Hunslet 1842 / 1936) passing Strawberry Park.

Carnegie (Hunslet 4524 / 1954) providing cab rides on the 18" line. Originally supplied to Woolwich Arsenal.

  Minas de Aller No. 2 (Corpet-Louvet 439 / 1884) running alongside Sragi No.1​ (Krauss 4045 / 1899).

Isibutu Bagnall (2820 / 1945) passing Strawberry Park.


Howard arriving at Oak Tree from Cogan Halt.

9th - 14th March 2026

 

66716 LOCOMOTIVE AND CARRIAGE INSTITUTION CENTENARY 1911 - 2011 + 70816 + 70811 0O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh, 13th March.

70816.

70811.

Monday 9th March: 57012 + LT 4-TC 5Z33 10:31 Southall - Eastleigh one two three four five six, 57012 0Z33 16:05 Eastleigh - Southall one
Tuesday 10th March:
Wednesday 11th March:
Thursday 12th March: 
Friday 13th March:
Saturday 14th March: 66743 5O22 09:28 Hamilton - Eastleigh one two three four (Britannic Explorer)

RMS Locotec 08871 reported as moved from Chesterfield to Eastleight on 13th - it is in the T&RSMD.

73962 + 73965 were allocated to the 1Q5x series of test trains, but were 'cancelled due to a problem with the traction equipment'.

Brighton Belle car 93 / 293 of 1932 is expected to emerge from Eastleigh Works as CELIA.

801210, which entered Eastleigh Works on 13th January is close to the end of its repair procedure by Hitachi ar Eastleigh Works

A number of 'Salmon' wagons were moved to EMR Attercliffe on 4th March, inlcuding YSA DB 996294, originally built by Head Wrightson to Lot 2534 in 1954-55. Here seen at Romsey on 30th August 2022.

Also included was YWA DB 996627 GR Turner, Lot 3067, 1957-58), which was a crane runner when seen at Eastleigh on 23rd February 2024.

They 'Salmon' are not yet all gone, the first wagon in 6O41 on 12th was YWA DB 996897.