Friday 30 June 2017

Colas Cement Empties in Fife, June 2017


6B32 16:52 Aberdeen Craiginches - Oxwellmains

60085 at Aberdour, 19th June.

Marked clearly for ownership by Colas, 39.70.9316.016-6 was in the consist. This is the point where I have to confess that I don't yet have a 2017 Wagons Book. This group of JPA wagons, built by Feldbinder in Germany, with RIV exchange code '39' (Bogie wagon, fixed gauge, PPW compliant) were delivered into the UK in August 2016.

JPA VTG 12406 (Feldbinder, Germany, 2007) on the rear of the train.

60085 again, this time on Wednesday 21st, at Inverkeithing. JPA wagons leased from VTG are leading in the train.

PCA 10745 (BREL, Ashford, 1981) on the rear of the train. Although the JPAs were introduced in 2016, an amount of PCA usage continues.

New GBRf namers, Eastleigh, 29th June 2017


66756 was named Royal Corps of Signals at Swanage on 24th June, for Armed Forces Day.



66776 was named Joanne on 28th June at Peterborough one two three four five.



Thursday 29 June 2017

Inverkeithing then and now


26010 has the signal to enter the yard at Inverkeithing on Tuesday, 13th March 1979. This picture was taken on the way to a university exam, I saw 47701 for the first time when I arrived at Edinburgh that day, and then on to the exam. I took the picture, film and processing were on a limited budget, knowing that the semaphore signals were only there for a short while longer - the then new cabinets and trunking are visible on the right.

Inverkeithing Central Junction signal box, seen in the distance, dated from the 1890 developments for the Forth Bridge, and was closed on 30th July 1979. Images on Canmore.

26010 is a survivor, now based at the Llangollen Railway.

At a similar location, noting the small wall on the left, 68022 arriving with 2K14 18:16 Glenrothes with Thornton - Edinburgh, Wednesday 21st June 2017. The signalling cabinet is still at the right, but off-picture.

Saturday 24 June 2017

Kirkby Stephen West, 13th June 2017


LMS 8F 48151 (Crewe, 1942) passes with ‘The Dalesman’ Z45 07:48 Chester to Carlisle.

The BR (LMR) Type 15 signalbox structure was moved from Kendal in 1974.

The train proceeds northwards to Carlisle, and bridge SAC/182.



153352 + 158902 arrive with 2H89 11:55 Carlisle - Leeds.

In review of my video I found that this Pullman Parlour First (FP) coach is now "AMBER" which was a new one for me. It is car E325E, at one time "AMETHYST", then on the Strathspey Railway as their 108 (on BR1 bogies as BR wanted their Commonwealth bogies back), later stored at the Mid-Hants from April 2005 until December 2013. Returned to service by West Coast in June 2017, also now numbered 99025.


19th - 24th June 2017


Monday 19th June: 66102 10:10 Bristol - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 20th June:
Wednesday 21st June:
Thursday 22nd June: Class 707s working through Eastleigh one
Friday 23rd June: 66756 0Y67 Hoo Junction to Eastleigh one
Saturday 24th June: 66756 0Z56 07:04 Eastleigh - Swanage, {named Royal Corps of Signals one two three four }0Z41 15:35 Swanage - Eastleigh one two three

A Class 802 docked at Southampton. Also: one two three .

Eastleigh Works: 05Jun - 06Jun - 07Jun - 08Jun - 09Jun

66775 reported to have had nameplates attached at Eastleigh Works

'FAKE NEWS': Sorry, my story re 66594 being stored was actually 66954.

Wednesday 21 June 2017

Swanage Diesel Gala Focus: GBRf Class 73's


73119 Borough of Eastleigh was new to traffic as E6025 from English Electric Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows in March 1966. Withdrawn it was sold in 2003, eventually resident at the Keith & Dufftown Railway from 2004. Moved in early 2009 to Knight's Rail Services at Eastleigh Works,where it was named at the 2009 open day, and who ran it at the Swanage Diesel Gala in 2010. Acquired by GBRf in late 2011, and returned to traffic in 2012.

73961 Alison  was next in production at Vulcan Foundry, entering traffic as D6026 in April 1966. Renumbered to 73120 and later to 73209 when it joined the Gatwick Express fleet, later joining GBRf following storage between 2001 and 2003. Rebuilt at Brush in 2013- 2015 becoming 73961.

Arriving at Harman's Cross with 10:00 from Swanage.

Returning into Swanage with 11:30 from Norden.

Approaching Harman's Cross with 14:30 from Swanage.

Departing Norden with 16:00 train.

73119 was used as a brake translator, so was working on the train side through the day. Seen at Norden, having arrived earlier with 17:30 from Norden.

Sunday 18 June 2017

12th - 17th June 2017


Mon 12th June: 37518 + 33025 5Z24 11:35 Carnforth - Swanage one two
Tuesday 13th June: 
Wednesday 14th June: 70805 6C34 13:22 Eastleigh - Westbury one two three(Colas ferryvans from the Works to Westbury then Aberthaw for cement traffic)
Thursday 15th June: 37601 0O86 10:00 Leicester - Eastleigh one two three four
Friday 16th June:
Saturday 17th June:

Eastleigh Works: 22 May - 23 May - 24 May - 30 May - 31 May - 01Jun

Swanage Railway resumes service to Wareham: one two

          Service is in the hands of 33012, 33025 and 37518, using four coaches from West Coast Railway Company.

Friday 16 June 2017

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 5: Freightliner Class 70


70015 working 4E96 19:01 Maritime - Leeds.

70019 arriving with 4M04 19:14 Maritime - Lawley Street. This locomotive was stored for some time last year, returning to traffic in October.

Thursday 15 June 2017

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 4: Freightliner Class 66


66954 is on of  an order of 10 lower emission locomotives leased by Freightliner from JP Morgan / Beacon, of which 5 have just recently been stored. Here it was working 4O57 13:00 Wentloog - Maritime. [UPDATE: 66954 was stored at Wentloog on 10th June, after a movement from Southampton]

66534 OOCL Express was working the FO 4O25 16:25 Bristol - Maritime.

Tuesday 13 June 2017

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 3: DB Cargo working


66200 leads 6O42 11:31 Halewood - Eastern Docks. The train was loaded with Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport models for export.

66200 returned later light engine, to go onto the T&RSMD.

Sunday 11 June 2017

66954 stored at Wentloog, 10th June 2017 (corrected)

Updated 20th June

SORRY - "FAKE NEWS" It is 66954 that was stored in this way, and as noted when I took a picture of it on 2nd June, this one does belong to the JP Morgan / Beacon lease group. The other last pictures seen on Flickr were of workings on 2nd June, so I am wondering if this was its final day one two three .

66594 happily remains in traffic one.



66594 was reported as moved from Southampton to Wentloog on Saturday, and was stored in pool DHLT (awaiting maintenance / repair / disposal). It was working as recently as Friday 9th.

This locomotive is leased from Macquarie, so is not the same lot as those stored in recent weeks. It was built as works number 20058772-16, and unloaded into the UK on 21st April 2007.

At Maritime on 27th May.

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 2: Colas Workings


A mixture of Colas workings on a lighter June evening.

66850 David Maidment OBE (previously 66577, but now owned by Colas) picks up the JNA, MLA and IEA wagons for the 6Y43 19:55 Eastleigh - Hoo.

 MLA 503572 was built by Wagony Swidnica in Poland 2008, now Greenbrier, with current model.

70816 makes its arrival with 6O31 17:30 from Westbury.

This is believed to be the first arrival of 70816 at Eastleigh.

The consist was of about 38 four wheeled wagons, types MFA (cut-down reduced height MHA), MHA, MPA (brakes modified from MHA but still a 'Coalfish') & MTA.394942, originally an HAA, converted to MHA at EWS Margam in 2002-4.

From Adrian Nicholls on Flickr: "The 'Coalfish' traditionally carried TOPS code MHA but in an effort to modernize the vehicles being retained the braking system has been modified with the front mounted wheel brake pads removed for a new more readily available design braking on the wheel back. To distinguish the modified brake pad vehicles from the standard MHA's they have been re-coded MPA. Carlisle Kingmoor C&W have been carrying out the conversions ..."

66847 + 66848 (previously 66574 + 66575) depart for Westbury with 6V31, 20:13 departure from East Yard, running as a Long Welded Rail train.

Saturday 10 June 2017

70809 with 6O31 at Eastleigh, 8th June 2017

On the General Election Day, 70809 has arrived at Eastleigh, and is awaiting a signal to proceed to platform 2 and into the yard. 6O31 runs most weekdays, and departs from Westbury at 17:30. On this occasion the consist is a long welded rail train.

70809 had just arrived at this point.

Overlooking towards Southampton Road.

This view shows the approach roads for the T&RSMD and the carriage sidings, which have recently been de-electrified, possibly related to the equipment observed on 4th May. These rails may have been de-engergised for about a decade. Interestingly here is a 1966 picture.

DB 979514 is a 'Porpoise' YEA 51 tonne Plasser & Theurer LWRT chute wagon, built by BREL at Crewe in 1985, and seen here thirty years ago at Woking.

DR 89008 is a YXA built by Cowans Boyd in 1985. This Flat Power Wagon provides an onboard generator facility.

More about these wagons - one two

5th - 10th June 2017


Sunday 4th June: 66771 5Z97 08:59 Ferme Park - Eastleigh one
Monday 5th June: 73961 + 73965 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh (73961 failed Cricklewood - dragging brakes) one two
Tuesday 6th June: 73963 + 73965 1Q52 10:37 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard - Havant - Guildford - Havant - Fareham - Eastleigh - Woking - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh 1Z73 22:00 Cricklewood - Eastleigh
Wednesday 7th June: 66428 0Z68 10:19 Eastleigh - Willesden Brent one; 73963 + 73965 1Q53 11:38 Eastleigh - Southampton Up Yard - Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh - Southampton Down Loop - Wimbledon Park - Totton Yard - Romsey - Eastleigh (fault at Woking) one two three four five
Thursday 8th June: 73963 + 73965 1Q54 12:27 Eastleigh - Hither Green one two three
Friday 9th June: 
Saturday 10th June:

Freightliner 66597 has returned to service with Freightliner following brief storage at Wentloog - returning to to Southampton on 6th before returning to service on 7th one two

DRS 37409 now appears to have entered storage at Longtown

HNRC 37607 and 37612 are now at Barrow Hill and are expected to be hired to Colas. This seems to mean that 37146 and 37188 will not be returned to service.

The 'Slinger' train, observed on 24th February, was moved into Eastleigh Works for storage in early May.

Netherlands Railways "all electric trains powered by wind" - and debunked as an acccountants' fantasy.

Friday 9 June 2017

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 1: Mendip Rail / DB Cargo Aggregates Return Working to Merehead


An advantage of the longer June evenings is the opportunity to photograph some evening workings.

When it operates:
7O40 13:35 Merehead - Eastleigh (loaded)      passes Romsey 16:32½, arrives Eastleigh 17:00
7V33 20:00 Eastleigh - Merehead (empties)    passes Romsey 20:33½

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD Mendip Rail Limited runs around the train, which it had already pushed back from the aggregates unloading area.

Ready to depart.

JHA OK19374,built by Orenstein & Koppel in Germany in 1989.

JHA OK19374 is a similar vehicle, configured as an outer vehicle in the rake (away from the camera).



Wednesday 7 June 2017

Swanage Diesel Gala Focus: 20059 + 20188


D8059 was new on 12th May 1961 from  Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn Ltd,, Darlington, and was allocated to Sheffield Darnall, later to Tinsley. Renumbered to 20059 in January 1973, and later 20302 in 1986-87, withdrawn in May 1993. Preserved by the Somerset & Dorset Locomotive Company, initially located at Yeovil, later at Tyseley, to the Severn Valley Railway in 2009.


D8188 was new on 21st January 1967 from English Electric Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, allocated to Nottingham Division (Toton). Renumbered to 20188 in January 1973, and withdrawn in January 1990, similarly now preserved by the Somerset & Dorset Locomotive Company. In the mid 2000's the locomotive was at the Swanage Railway, but departed to the Severn Valley to support the embankment repair activities following storm damage. Like 26043, I first saw this locomotive at Glasgow Works on 4th October 1980, in which month it completed a classified repair, followed by one further in March 1985 at the same location.

The rumour network suggests that this pair may shortly be moving from the SVR base to a new location or locations.

D8188 leads from Swanage with 10:45 to Norden.

(Above and below) D8059 returning into Swanage with 11:50 from Norden.



Approaching Harman's Cross with 14:16 from Swanage.

Saturday 3 June 2017

Flying Scotsman, 31st May 2017


60103 Flying Scotsman + 47746 Chris Fudge 29.7.70 -22.6.10
1Z80 08:55 Salisbury - Romsey - Redbridge - Southampton - Eastleigh - Romsey - Salisbury

Dunbridge

 Dunbridge

 Lockerley

 Lockerley

Lockerley

47746 provides a helping hand on the rear of the train.