Saturday 25 April 2015

Gypsum empties from Mountfield - off the usual route, Crampmoor, 25th April 2015


 2014 delivered 66757 with 4Y19 11:30 Mountfield - Western Docks.

FEA-S 640676 is a GBRf marked spine container flat built at Greenbrier, Poland in 2004, originally for infrastructure use.

20th - 25th April 2015


Diverts at Romsey 25th April
 11:28 66558 + 66571 0O59 10:57  Wentloog - Maritime, running 121 mintes early.


 70805 + 70806 11:05 Eastleigh - Hoo Jct


 66164 with 4O43 06:31 Birch Coppice - Eastleigh
66569 with 4M61 11:57 Maritime - Hams Hall

Monday 20th April: 60017 6X01 10:17 Scunthorpe - Eastleigh one two three four five six; 6E15 21:06 Eastleigh - Scunthorpe one two
Tuesday 21st April:
Wednesday 22nd April: 37059 + 37605 5Z71 11:45 Hereford - Eastleigh one two three four five more
Thursday 23rd April: 37059 + 37605 5Z58 11:11 Eastleigh - Crewe one two three more
Friday 24th April:
Saturday 25th April: 

58008 reported being prepared for removal from Eastleigh LNWR.

158/9's are to be transferred to Devon and Cornwall in 2016-17, and replaced by 165/166's in 5 car formations on Cardiff - Portsmouth operations: Refererences 1) Modern Railways May 2015, 2) RailNews. Will clearances be satisfactory?

A further look at the Fife Circle, Tuesday - Wednesday, 14th - 15th April 2015


68007 is correctly matched with the ScotRail set at Aberdour with 2K14 18:15 Glenrothes with Thornton - Edinburgh on 14th.
 The same train on the following day, in sunshine. 68003 has now also been seen on the Fife Circle.
68006 with a DRS set 5L70 18:24 Cardenden - Motherwell. The set had 6064 removed and replaced by Mk2E 5810 (BR Derby, Lot30844 1972-73), seen as first coach. ScotRail liveried 5952 has subsequently joined this set.
 TSO 6001 (BR Derby Lot 30860, 1973-74). 
66602 with 6B32 16:52 Craiginches - Oxwellmains cement empties.

Sunday 19 April 2015

13th - 18th April 2015


Monday 13th April: 47813 5Z45 11:20 Stewarts Lane - Eastleigh one two, 5Z46 16:27 Eastleigh - Stewarts Lane; 67006 5O61 09:53 Wembley - Eastleigh
Tuesday 14th April: 73128 + 73201 1Q10 08:59 Hither Green - Eastleigh
Wednesday 15th April: 73128 + 73201 1Q04 06:21 Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh - Portsmouth and Southsea - Southampton - Eastleigh one two
Thursday 16th April: 73128 + 73201 1Q11 06:21 Eastleigh - Brockenhurst - Hither Green; 67012 1X23 13:39 Salisbury - Romsey - Southampton - Eastleigh - Romsey - Salisbury one two three four
Friday 17th April:
Saturday 18th April: 56312 0Z56 00:16 Bristol Barton Hill - Eastleigh, 5Z31 02:53 Eastleigh - Derby - removed DBSOs 9704 + 9709 + 9710

Fife Circle and related activity at Aberdour, 13th April 2015


The new order on the Fife Circle, 68004 Rapid with 2K14 18:15 Glenrothes with Thornton - Edinburgh
 Mk 2F BSO 9539 (Lot 30861, Derby 1974) was until recently in the Riviera Trains reserve fleet, and had run for Arriva Trains Wales.
Mk2F TSO 6177 (Derby, Lot 30874 1974-75) was in the Riviera Trains operational fleet, and was in the rake which ran on the Fife Circle in May 2014. Dots on the roof show a re-livery at Derby, this detail was not performed at Eastleigh, as shown on the following coach.
68006 Daring with 5L70 18:24 Cardenden - Motherwell, formed from DRS Mk2F coaches
 Current Scottish celebrity 170414 in Borders Railway promotional scheme. 1B54 15:51 Inverness - Edinburgh.
43299 (BR Crewe, September 1978) bears the new Virgin flash, running with The Aberdonian 1S20 14:00 London KX - Aberdeen
 66618 Railways Illustrated with 6B32 16:52 Craiginches - Oxwellmains cement empties

Saturday 11 April 2015

6th - 11th April 2015


Monday 6th April: 56301 0Z34 10:00 Eastleigh - Romsey - Westbury - Derby one two three four five six seven; 37402 3Q08 20:20 Eastleigh - Basingstoke - Salisbury - Romsey - Eastleigh - Romsey - Salisbury - Hither Green one two; 37602 + 37218 1Z73 08:18 Inverness - Salisbury - Eastleigh one two three
Tuesday 7th April: 37218 + 37602 5Z74 15:24 Eastleigh - Crewe one two
Wednesday 8th April:
Thursday 9th April: 31190 0Z31 08:30 Bristol Barton Hill - Eastleigh one two, 31190 + 50035 0Z50 14:20 Eastleigh - Romsey - Westbury - Derby one two three four five
Friday 10th April: 67026 5M61 21:26 Eastleigh - Wembley
Saturday 11th April:

59003 seen in undercoat at Eastleigh Works

West Coast Railway Company situation is much as covered a week ago. The Hooton - Chester - Chichester - Littlehampton tour on Saturday 11th was cancelled.

Thursday 9 April 2015

Not just trains ....., 9th April 2015


G-NLSE Network Rail helicopter over Havant, 9th April. Assigned to London and South East. (...LSE).

Saturday 4 April 2015

30th March - 4th April 2015

Good Friday - One Hour -Three Freightliners and one DBS pass Romsey
15:27: 66085 with 6v41 14:47 Eastleigh - Westbury loaded with only 3 wagons.
 15:28: 70009 with 4O54 06:12 from Leeds to Maritime
 15:36: Running late, having lost time at Swindon, is 70019 with 4O51 09:58 Wentloog to Maritime.
 16:02: 70016 on the 4O49 09:22 Crewe Basford Hall to Maritime.
KFA TIPH93342 on the rear of 4O49. Wagon is from the 1998 build period.

Monday 30th March:
Tuesday 31st March: 70000 5Z70 10:00 Bishop's Lydeard - Swanage; 37402 3Q01 22:31 Eastleigh - Southampton - Woking; 56301 0O30 19:16 Willesden - Totton (to cover delinquent 66758) then onto Railvac duties with 66729 6G30 22:30 Totton - North Camp
Wednesday 1st April: 66729 + 56301 6G30 05:35 Wokingham - Eastleigh one two three37402 3Q08 23:08 Woking - Wimbledon - Basingstoke - Reading - Basingstoke - Wimbledon - Eastleigh
Thursday 2nd April: 37218 + 37607 5Z67 07:18 Crewe - Eastleigh
Friday 3rd April: 37607 + 37218 1Z68 05:20 Eastleigh - Inverness; 37402 3Qxx 22:41 Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh
Saturday 4th April: 

David Warwick: Two days on the Isle of Wight with W24 Calbourne

Friday 3 April 2015

70000 Britannia moves to Swanage, 31st March 2015

70000 Britannia 5Z70 10:00 Bishop's Lydeard - Swanage - was operated by West Coast Railway Company.

Three pictures taken from a footpath at Crampmoor near Romsey.
Britannia was completed at Crewe in January 1951.
The support coach is BSK 35465 (Lot 30721, Wolverton 1963). Originally withdrawn in February 1993, and into support coach usage from February 1994 as 99991.
A few minutes later at Redbridge. Image by Ian Knight.

The Easter Chieftain at Romsey, Friday 3rd April 2015

37607 + 37218 1Z68 05:20 Eastleigh - Inverness. 5Z68 on Thursday did have issues with stock coming from Crewe, leaving four coaches of seven at Hereford, after what appears to have been dragging brakes. Further coaches were shunted at Eastleigh to complete the rake of 12 coaches. With news elsewhere, this appears to be the only charter train operating in the UK this weekend the only other charter this weekend is from Cleethorpes to Llandudno, with DBS as operator.

37607 + 37218 pass Romsey about 5 minutes early at 05:31.
Sparks are captured flying from 37607. New as D6803 on 09Jan63 to Sheffield Darnall, renumbered to 37103 in February 1974. Refurbished and converted to 37511 at Crewe in February to July 1986, then 37605 in November 1995 for European Passenger Services, then to DRS in July 1997. It was seen on a Cruise Saver working to Southampton on 2nd September 2011, and was also on the Easter tour in 2013.
Closer detail of 37607.
37218 was built as D6918 by English Electric, entering traffic in January 1964 at Landore. Stored by EWS in September 1998, and restored to traffic by DRS in early 2003. Latest DRS colours were applied in May 2014.

5Z67 07:18 Crewe - Eastleigh, Thursday 2nd April: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven
More pictures of 1Z68: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen

Discussion of the tour and whether 37401 will be attached to it (it won't be - not yet registered).

Thursday 2 April 2015

Network Rail: STATEMENT - West Coast Railways suspension notice

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/statement-west-coast-railways-suspension-notice

Network Rail has issued West Coast Railways with a suspension notice with effect of Friday 3 April.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Network Rail has issued a suspension notice to West Coast Railway Company Limited (WCR) as a result of ongoing safety concerns.
“This decision has not been taken lightly, however safety will always be our number one priority.
“We have set out a number of actions to address the safety concerns raised and will continue to work with WCR to ensure their services can run safely in future.”
The suspension notice issued can be read in full



& has been broadcast on Radio 4 news.

https://www.facebook.com/westcoast.railways/posts/423234477843850
Network Rail and West Coast Railways
West Coast Railways are working hard to reverse the current suspension imposed by Network Rail by fully satisfying their concerns. Passengers booked to travel with West Coast Railways and on their associated trips should not be concerned, if necessary West Coast Railways will charter the service of another licensed operator using the same traditional carriages and trips will be unaffected, but West Coast Railways hope this won’t be necessary and trust any issues will be resolved to the satisfaction of network rail.

3rd April update from West Coast
http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/download/Important.pdf


Discussion threads:
http://www.wnxxforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6685
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=114100