Saturday 30 June 2018

25th - 29th June 2018


Monday 25th June: 442406 + 442417 5Q44 10:12 Bournemouth T&RSMD - Eastleigh Works one two three four
Tuesday 26th June:
Wednesday 27th June: 66744 + 66755 T+T 5Z66 07:42 Eastleigh - Victoria, 5Z67 16:55 Victoria - Eastleigh one two three; 442406 + 442410 working Bournemouth to / from Southampton UL one two
Thursday 28th June: 442406 + 442410 working Bournemouth to / from Southampton UL one; 67023 + 67027 1Q23 Salisbury - Southampton UGL - Salisbury - Winchester - Reading (after equipment failure in high temperatures) one two three four
Friday 29th June: 37521 3Z80 10:21 Hither Green - Eastleigh East Yard - Hither Green one two three four five
Saturday 30th June: 66755 + 66786 T+T 5Z66 04:00 Eastleigh - Ashford, 1Z66 07:55 Ashford - Weymouth one two three four five, 1Z68 18:14 Weymouth - Ashford one
Sunday 1st July: 66755 + 66786 T+T 1Z76 11:04 Tonbridge - Eastleigh one two three four

Eastleigh Works: 14May - 15May - 16May - 17May - 18May - 22May - 23May - 25May - 29May - 01Jun

Wednesday 27 June 2018

Midsummer Friday evening at Eastleigh, 22nd June 2018: Miscellany


70810 arrives over an hour early with 0O31 from Westbury.



'Coalfish' MFA 391034 is a rare example in DB red. These were 641 MEA wagons, originally converted from HEA in 1990-93,  then on 135 the sides were cut down to become MFA. Not that long ago, 391034 was noted in Scotland, so it seems to get about.

Monday 25 June 2018

Midsummer Friday evening freight at Eastleigh, 22nd June 2018: DB Cargo


66024 on 4O21 0912 Trafford Park - Western Docks.The same loco and much of the same stock as two weeks previously, and Flickr suggests that it recently has been dedicated tot the working.

66063 4V39 17:36 Eastern Docks - Cowley return empties for BMW Mini. BMW have uncertainties over handling Brexit for this business.

66118 worked 6O42 11:31 Halewood - Eastern Docks, with loaded Range Rovers. 66118 too appears to have been dedicated to the working in recent days. Halewood production is currently under some downsize pressure.

66118 returned from the docks to proceed to the T&RSMD.

Sunday 24 June 2018

Midsummer Friday evening freight at Eastleigh, 22nd June 2018: Freightliner


70007 had been returned to traffic on the preceding day, after a week out of use. Seen here towing 66552 Maltby Raider in 4E76 19:01 Maritime-Leeds. 66552 moved on to Midland Road for attention, 70007 returned to Southampton on Saturday.


Earlier, 66555 with 4M99 17:00 Maritime - Trafford Park.

66502 Basford Hall Centenary 2001 leads 4O57 13:29 Wentloog - Maritime.

The light has started to fade as 66591 arrives with 4M04 1914 Maritime - Lawley Street.

Midsummer Friday evening freight at Eastleigh, 22nd June 2018: Mendip Rail / DB Cargo


59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer arrives with 7O40  FO 13:35 Merehead - Eastleigh.

Having picked up the local crew, the train proceeds towards the Yeoman facility.

OK 19320 is a JHA (outer) with traditional buffer gear - at some time converted from an "inner".

Having run around, the empties are ready to form 7V33 20:00 Eastleigh - Merehead.

Saturday 23 June 2018

Eastleigh Works, 20th and 22nd June 2018


55028 for Swanage, with 73136 alongside, 20th June.

08567 (D3734, BR Crewe, April 1959 to 64A St Margarets) has re-emerged from the works, its repair status is unclear.

22nd June: 73963 Janine and 73962 Dick Mabbutt had arrived after the change of plan with Lang Marston charters and stock mid-week. The 4TC set is also outside at the works, but not in a good position for photography.


18th - 23rd June 2018


66118 comes onto Eastleigh T&RSMD, from Eastern Docks, 20th June.

Monday 18th June: 66133 5Z54 13:04 Bristol - Eastleigh
Tuesday 19th June:
Wednesday 20th June: 73962 + 73963 + 4TC 5Z74 17:40 Worcester - Salisbury - Romsey -Eastleigh one two three four five (after a failure on return from Long Marston, 73962 received damage to relay, 4TC had wheel flats, door problem and ETS problem - which blew the relay)
Thursday 21st June: 73962 + 73963 T+T (4 car Mk1 set) 5Z73 04:50 Eastleigh - Paddington one, 5Z43 17:58 Paddington - Eastleigh one two
Friday 22nd June:
Saturday 23rd June:

70007 appears to have been towed to Leeds on Monday night, and re-entered traffic on Thursday. There are six Freightliner Class 70 in traffic.

Anger as half-mile long freight trains to be driven through Southampton - after extension plans get green light

Daily Echo, 21st  June

Sunday 17 June 2018

Freightliner Class 70 in decline, 16th June 2018


Will it be a case of a "fall and rise"? 14 Class 70s are reported to be in a row at Leeds Midland Road:
70013, 70009, 70016, 70018, 70001, 70019, 70005, 70010, 70006, 70017, 70004, 70003, 70002, 70008

Only 5 or 6 Class Freightliner Class 70 locomotives seem to be available for traffic, and most activity seems to involve workings to and from Southampton.

Updated 19th June: 70007 moved to Leeds, 70008 back in traffic

On Saturday, the notable southbound working was 70011 on 4O27 05:21 Garston - Maritime.

70011 leads its train past Millbrook.

At Maritime, 70011 proceeded as far as Redbridge, from where the train was reversed, with a pause to separate the train into a second siding. Here 70011 passes the loco inspection area.

On the eastern side of the bridge.

70011 has now been detached from the train, seen behind it in two sidings.

70007 was also present at Maritime. This appears to have last worked on 4O29 15:13 Trafford Park - Maritime on Wednesday 13th, and is next expected to be removed dead-in-tow.


70014 may have worked to Garston in the early hours - having previously worked south on 4O29.
70015 is understood to be in the Southampton area, but no visibility.

Saturday 16 June 2018

37612 and test train, Eastleigh, 14th June 2018


37612 was sold to Harry Needle Railroad Company in 2017, and last month started a hire to Colas for test train working. Seen here at Eastleigh on Thursday evening, 14th June.

Originally delivered from Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns as D6879 on 2nd October 1963. entering traffic at Cardiff Canton. Dual brakes fitted in 1969, and renumbered 37179 in December 1973. Heavy General and converted with alternator to 37691 in February 1987. Transferred to European Passsenger Services as 37612 in December 1995. Allocated to DRS in July 1997, received attention in 2011 for work on nuclear traffic, but stored in March 2017, and sold to HNRC in July of that year.

The locomotive is seen to be running on cast bogies.

The maximum visibility of the locomotive from a public location, in Campbell Road.

Notice reads: ON HIRE FROM HARRY NEEDLE RAILROAD COMPANY www.hnrail.co.uk (but this appears to be a retail website)

Brake force runner 96604.

2nd brake runner 96608.

Generator Van BG 6263 (followed by Ultrasonic Test UTU-2 62287 and DVT 9703).

11th - 16th June 2018


66552 Maltby Raider working 4O71 TThO 16:30 Wentloog - Maritime "fresh air express", Eastleigh, 14th June.

66510 at Eastleigh with 4M04 19:14 Maritim - Lawley Street, 14th June.

59002 ALAN J DAY leads 7O40  FO 13:35 Merehead - Eastleigh, at Crampmoor, 15th June.

Monday 11th June: 66181 + 66102 Wembley - Eastleigh
Tuesday 12th June: 37612 3Q01 23:36 Woking - Eastleigh
Wednesday 13th June: 37612 3Q03 22:54 Eastleigh - Preston Park - Eastleigh one two
Thursday 14th June: 37612 3Q04 21:18 Eastleigh - Bournemouth Reading one two
Friday 15th June:
Saturday 16th June: 66133 5Zxx 14:03 Eastleigh - Bristol

Freightliner Class 70, the last half-dozen: 70003 (seen at Eastleigh on Tuesday) has now been added to the storage line at Leeds, and has been removed from the working locomotives on TOPS. 70008 was working on Thursday, but is now at Midland Road, having been transferred across from the Freightliner, and has been reported added to the storage line, which could reduce the active list to 5.

66785 (66132) in undercoat at Eastleigh Works

GBRf has an arrangement for 5 Colas Class 60 standard range fuel tank locomotives, and the remaining 5 with long range tanks could follow:  60047 / 076 / 085 / 087 / 095. Discussion: one two

GBRf acquires Class 56 locomotives, suggested to be: 56007 /009 / 018 / 031 / 032 / 037 / 038 / 060 / 065 / 069 / 077 / 081 / 098,  56104 (which once visited Totton) / 106 / 128 which are in varying states of repair.

Thursday 14 June 2018

Swanage Diesel Gala Focus, 12th May 2018: 50031 "Hood"


50031 Hood was new from English Electric, Vulcan Foundry in July 1968 as D431 allocated to the Stoke Division, which covered Crewe Diesel. Refurbished completed at Doncaster in November 1981.

Withdrawn from traffic in August 1991, and purchased by The Fifty Fund in operational condition.The InterCity livery, never worn by the class in service, was applied by RVEL at Derby in 2016.

On 22nd October 1983, I remember this passing through Romsey on "The Wessexman" railtour.

Class 50 waiting to work pose at Norden.

On the blocks at Swanage.

Another arrival at Swanage.


Approaching Harman's Cross.

Between Corfe and Norden.

Southbound, between Corfe and Norden.

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Friday evening at Eastleigh, 8th June 2018: In the yards


DRP 81517 is a YOB 12 tonne diesel hydraulic crane, built by Plasser & Theurer (number 5515 of 1980)

967608 is YQA "Super Tench" wagon, rebuilt at BREL Shildon as part of Lot 4012 in 1981-82. 

The Severn Valley Railway has recently acquired two similar YQA "Parr"wagons, and have a historical note on them, going back to when BR Derby built  these Bogie Rail Carriers, later TOPS code BRV, in the early 1960s.

112002 is an OCA built at BREL Shildon in 1981, originally for use on Speedlink services.

70815 brings RAILVAC3 99.70.9515.003-0 out from the yard.

The Railvac  RAUK-3, previously noted passing Romsey in February 2015.

YKA wagon 996562, originally built by Tees-side Bridge & Engineering to Lot 3065 in 1958, later rebuilt by Marcroft or DBS in 2009.

Tuesday 12 June 2018

Friday evening at Eastleigh, 8th June 2018: Freightliner


66556 4M99 17:00 Maritime - Trafford Park.

66526 Driver Steve Dunn (George) 4O57 13:29 Wentloog - Maritime.