Cement empties to Oxwellmains from Aberdeen Craiginches, 20th - 26th August 2015

6B32 16:52 Aberdeen Craiginches to Oxwellmains Cement Empties. All pictures at Aberdour.

On Thursday 20th, 66607 was working the return journey, but only with two Ferrywagons.

It was 66607 again on Monday 24th the consist was a longer 36 PCAs, which appeared to include those expected southbound on Thursday. 

On Wednesday 26th there were five Ferrywagons, again probably a rebalancing. 66619 Derek W. Johnson MBE.

There are three tank types oin use. PCA BCC 10802 (BREL Ashford 1981)

PCA BCC 10839 (CFMF France, 1980) ,with BCC 10678 beyond.

PCC BCC 11121 (Powell Duffryn, 1984-87)

Royal Scotsman workings including 47802, 19th - 23rd August 2015

47804 leads at Inverkeithing on the 19th with 'Highland Journey' 1H89 13:43 Edinburgh - Boat of Garten,

99960 Dining Car No. 2 as rebuilt in 2013 from Pullman Kitchen First 321 Swift.

99963 State Car No. 3 as rebuilt in 1990 from Pullman Parlour First 331 Topaz.

99968 State Car No. 5 as rebuilt in 1997 from Mk3a SLEP 10541, now 100mph rated, as is the whole Royal Scotsman set.

A private charter of the set took it to London on 21st, leaving from Victoria on 22nd for a night stop in Newcastle. Working into Scotland on Sunday 23rd, 1Z57 08:44 Newcastle - Kingussie, the train worked in the down direction via the Fife Coast, as it did on regular schedules until 2009. 47804 again leads, passing Aberdour.

Shiny 47802 was on the rear, believed to be on only its second outing for West Coast.

24th - 29th August 2015

Monday 24th August: 47739 5Z47 09:27 Eastleigh - Doncaster one two three; 57305 0Z68 12:38 Eastleigh - Willesden Brent one two
Tuesday 25th August: 73136 + 73107 T+T 5Z70 08:11 Eastleigh -Victoria one two three four five six, 5Z71 16:18 Victoria - Eastleigh one two three four; 47739 0Zxx 09:07 Wimbledon - Eastleigh one
Wednesday 26th August:
Thursday 27th August:
Friday 28th August:
Saturday 29th August:

73107 named Tracy and 73136 named Mhairi on Tuesday. At Eastleigh on Thursday.

Coverage of 37401 + 37405 +57307 22nd August: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty twenty-one  twenty-two twenty-three twenty-four twenty-five twenty-six

Eastleigh Works: 13Jul - 14Jul - 21Jul - 23Jul - 28Jul - 29Jul - 30Jul - 31Jul

South Tynedale Railway, 16th August 2015

Alston Station - completed in 1852.

Barber arriving at Alston.

Barber runs around. The locomotive worked at Harrogate Gas Works until 1948, and the permanently affixed wagon contains braking equipment.

Again running around, at Lintley.

South Tynedale Railway

A splendid welcome to ‘BARBER’ at South Tynedale Railway

Barber Steams Again

Barber Project 2015

Railways of the North Pennines The Rise and Fall of the Railways Serving the North Pennine Orefield By Tom Bell

17th -22nd August 2015

Monday 17th August: 66430 + 57305 0Z70 00:26 Crewe - Eastleigh one; 66429 0Z68 12:38 Eastleigh - Willesden Brent one two; 60056 (?) 6V32 22:26 Eastleigh - Hinksey
Tuesday 18th August: 60056 6O33 05:16 Hinksey - Eastleigh
Wednesday 19th August: 47818 + 975025 2Z02 08:50 West Brompton - Basingstoke - Laverstock - Redbridge - Southampton UGL - St Denys - Portsmouth Harbour - West Brompton one two three four five six, 70808+ 60056 0Z70 10:50 Eastleigh - Toton one two
Thursday 20th August:
Friday 21st August:
Saturday 22nd August: 37401 + 37405 + 57307 T+T 1Z37 06:17 Chester - Bournemouth one two three, 5Z38 12:53 Bournemouth - Eastleigh, 5Z39 14:44 Eastleigh - Bournemouth, 1Z39 16:52 Bournemouth - Chester

Welsh Narrow Gauge Miscellany

Images by Ian Knight.

Welshpool & Llanfair. 823 Countess at Llanfair Caereinion, 26th July.

822 The Earl, at Welshpool Raven Square, 26th July.

Talyllyn. Now 149 years old, number 2 Dolgoch, at Nant Gwernol, 24th July.

Douglas at Tywyn.

 Welsh Highland Railway 138 at Porthmadog, 23rd July.

Ffestiniog Railway Merddin Emrys at Porthmadog.

9th - 15th August 2015

60056 still based at Eastleigh, 14th August, with 70810 and 66508.

70801 arrived with 6O31 with Railvac 1 in tow.

9970 9515 001-4 RAUK-1 Railvac 1

The wagon underframe heritage of the Railvac can be recognised here.

At the works, a number of KTA pocket container wagons have arrived from Freightliner service. KTA GERS97719 is one of these,

Sunday 9th August: 47739 + 60056 6C05 Romsey - Eastleigh (appears to have run directly from worksite near Romsey, not via Salisbury, and also much earlier than scheduled)
Monday 10th August: 47739 0Y58 11:57 Eastleigh - Wembley one
Tuesday 11th August: 60056 6V30 10:39 Eastleigh - Westbury one, 6O31 17:25 Westbury - Eastleigh (ran late)
Wednesday 12th August: 61306 + 47746 1Z67 08:44 Victoria - Weymouth one two three four five six seven eight nine, 1Z69 16:35 Weymouth - Southampton - Waterloo one two three four five
Thursday 13th August: 60100 6X01 10:17 Scunthorpe Trent - Eastleigh one two three four five, 6E15 21:06 Eastleigh - Scunthorpe one, 60056 6V30 10:39 Eastleigh - Westbury one two, 6O31 17:25 Westbury - Eastleigh, 6C19 21:49 Eastleigh - Earlswood one
Friday 14th August: 60056 6C19 05:00 Purley - Eastleigh one
Saturday 15th August: 47739 5Z47 08:10 Wimbledon - Eastleigh one two

Eastleigh Works: 02Jul - 03Jul - 06Jul - 07Jul - 08Jul - 09Jul

60056 at Eastleigh: one two three four five six seven eight nine

60095 and its travels, 5th to 7th August 2015

0O31 17:25 Westbury - Eastleigh, Wednesday 5th August.

Between Spaniards Lane bridge, in background, and Lee Lane, south of Romsey.

60095 was new in March 1992.

Heading onward towards Nursling,

A few minutes later at Redbridge. Image by Ian Knight.

Between turns at Eastleigh, Thursday 6th August.

Detail pictures - taken while in the holding sidings.

6O31 17:25 Westbury - Eastleigh, Friday 7th August.

 Passing Romsey, running early, with an almost empty LWR train.

Colas Variety at Eastleigh, 7th August 2015

60056 was only returned to traffic on 1st August, following its Toton rebuild for Colas. 

It was worked to Eastleigh from Hinksey with two other locomotives, on Friday morning. 60056 was new in May 1991 to Immingham and was named William Beveridge,

One day earlier, 56087 (BREL Doncaster, December 1980) resides in the yard on one end of the LWR train. 56105 was at the other end.

47739 Robin of Templecombe (BR Crewe, August 1964) was at Eastleigh Works on the 7th, following its little incident there on Tuesday.

66846 (formerly 66573, delivered to UK December 2003) worked south from Hinksey on Monday, but has been out of service since then.

"The Dorset Coast Express", 5th August 2015

61306 + 37706 1Z67 08:44 Victoria - Weymouth, 1Z69 16:35 Weymouth - Waterloo

61306 Mayflower coming through Totton having recovered lost time through the Southampton area.

Passing Totton Yard and the junction for Fawley.

37706 on the rear.

Later, running through Christchurch. Image by Ian Knight.

The return leg passes through Redbridge. Image by Ian Knight.

A few minutes later at Lee.

3rd - 8th August 2015

47739 Robin of Templecombe at Eastleigh Works, 7th August.

Monday 3rd August: 57305 6Z70 00:54 Crewe - Eastleigh one, 0Z68 12:38 Eastleigh - Willesden Brent; 66155 09:53 5O61 Wembley - Eastleigh; 56087 + 56105 0Z56 10:00 Tyne Yard - Eastleigh one two three four five six
Tuesday 4th August: 60095 6O31 17:34 Westbury - Eastleigh one; 47739 had a minor derailment within Eastleigh Works one two three; 56087 + 56105 T+T 6C15 20:40 Eastleigh - Southampton UGL - Hampden Park one two three four five six
Wednesday 5th August: 56087 + 56105 T+T 6C15 04:35 Southerham Jct - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight , 6C17 20:55 Eastleigh -Southampton UGL -Lewes; 61306 + 37707 1Z67 08:44 Victoria - Weymouth one two three four, 1Z69 16:35 Weymouth - Southampton - Waterloo one two three four; 60095 7V30 10:39 Eastleigh - Westbury one two three four five, 0V31 17:25 Westbury - Eastleigh one
Thursday 6th August: 56087 + 56105 T+T 6C17 04:35 Southerham Jct - Eastleigh one two; 6C19 21:50 Eastleigh- Southampton UGL - Ilfield; 60095 6V32 22:26 Eastleigh - Hinksey
Friday 7th August: 56087 + 56105 T+T 6C19 04:40 Billingshurst - Eastleigh one two, 0C52 11:52 Eastleigh - Tyne Yard one two three four five; 60095 + 66847 + 60056 6O33 05:16 Hinksey - Eastleigh, 60095 7V30 10:39 Eastleigh - Westbury one two three, Eastleigh - Westbury, 6O31 17:34 Westbury - Eastleigh one two three; 67008 1Y91 11:42 Victoria - Eastleigh - Hove one two
Saturday 8th August: 47739 + 60056 6C05 23:58 Eastleigh - Romsey one two three four five six

Colas Class 70/8 seems to be currently focused towards the Bath blockade one two, in turn giving us the opportunity to experience some summer fun with Classes 56 and 60, with some extra 66/8's. Some 70/8's continued to work on diagrams involving Eastleigh.

60095 (re)poses at Eastleigh: one two

60056 (re)poses at Eastleigh: one two three four five six

On the Bath blockade: Network Rail - First Great Western - Bath & NE Somerset Council.

Changed workings include new Colas
6O33 05:16 Hinksey Sdgs to Eastleigh East Yard
6V32 22:26 Eastleigh East Yard to Hinksey Sdgs

Also Eastleigh - Westbury has been changed, so 6O31 is running as before, but as a return of an earlier running 6V30 10:39 Eastleigh - Westbury operated by Colas (SSuX between 03/08/2015 to 28/08/2015).

In Scotland 66305 returned to work on Sunday afternoon. Road for 1000 tonne crane being built, no changes until crane erected to re-rail damaged 66428.

At Eastleigh Works it is understood that De-Icer GLVs 68501 / 04 / 05 are withdrawn and that Network Rail has them for sale. As a reminder.

66428 damaged in CE possession south of Cumnock

A train worked by 66428 appears to have collided in engineers' possession with that preceding, worked by 66305. The DRS locomotives were reported manned by FLHH crews, both drivers are reported to be OK. Large road crane seems to be required, and line closure anticipated to be for 10 days.

The Scotsman        BBC

Aerial picture         Location           Damage to loco 

Pictures Sunday 2nd Aug: one two three four            

In better days, climbing Shap at Greenholme, 23rd December 2008.

Earlier in 2008 this was a hire-in to Freightliner, and worked trains in and out of Southampton Maritime.

Tug at Eastleigh, 31st July 2015

A Tug-tastic Friday evening.

60095, which had arrived after dark on Thursday 30th.

Following his arrival on 70810 light engine, running one hour late from Westbury, the driver has started 60095.

60095 is prepared in the sidings at 20:40.

Eased from the sidings at 20:48.

Paused in the yard at 20:51 with 70810 beyond. 

Easing further into the yard, and away from my view at 20:53.  The return working to Westbury left at 21:28, some 75 minutes late.