Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh: Mendip Rail / DB Cargo, 28th September 2018

This may be the last Friday opportunity for a while, as the evenings are steadily drawing in.

59002 creeps past with the late running 7O40 13:35 Merehead - Eastleigh. The train is seen earlier before Wilton and Salisbury.

OK 19312 is an outer JHA aggregate hopper, built by Orenstein & Koppel in Germany in 1989.

66162 leads 4V39 17:36 Eastern Docks - Morris Cowley. BMW plan to close Mini production for one month after a no-deal Brexit, which would interrupt trains.

66063 passes with 6O42 11:31 Halewood - Eastern Docks, loaded with Range Rover Evoque models.

One of which can be seen here, loaded on 4 vehicle Cartic Laadffoos IPA 23 87 4384 018-9.This French registered vehicle was built by SNAV in 1960 or 1982, then converted by SC Reva in Romania n 2007. JLR is already cutting UK production in advance of a Brexit.

London Underground wagons at Eastleigh Works, 28th September 2018

Through 2018, London Underground 'Turbot' wagons have been going through an overhaul programme at Arlington at Eastleigh Works. A small number of wagon bodies were disposed of locally earlier in the year, but the majority appear to be being repaired, and then returned to London.

60 of these 34 tonne 'Turbot' ballast wagons were prepared, and fitted with air brakes, at ABB Crewe in 1995 for London, taken from BR YCV stock already rebuilt at BREL sites from 1982-88, the underframes originating from bolster wagons built in 1961-62, these dates being on the bogie frame castings.

While the body of the wagon appears to have been shot-blasted, the '259' number is still on the frame.

Similarly, this is 287.

In September 2018, the programme appears to be continuing to the 'GP' (General Purpose) wagons, built by Procor in 1985. This is number 935, also noted have been 905, 924, 929 and 937.

London Underground Engineering Stock

London Transport Service Vehicles on the web

      - related picture

24th - 29th September 2018

 On Friday 28th 60095 was unveiled to the world in GBRf colours at Eastleigh Works. There was an 09:30 working scheduled to Doncaster, but this did not operate.

The two pictures here were taken around 16:45 when the nearby car park became free to park (16:30), and the sunlight had come around.

Recently repainted 67005 Queen's Messenger works through the station at Eastleigh, where it has been all week, 28th September.

Sunday 23rd September: 67005 5Z76 15:05 Didcot - Eastleigh one two; (50007 + 50049) + (73107 + 73141) 1Z45 20:39 Paddington - Eastleigh one two three four
Monday 24th September: 50007 + 50049 0Z50 12:10 Eastleigh - Tyseley one two three four five six; 73962 + 73964 T+T 1Q51 13:49 Hither Green - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 25th September: 73965 0Z73 12:20 Tonbridge - Eastleigh one; 73962 + 73965 1Q52 Eastleigh - Southampton - Guildford - Fareham - Eastleigh  - Winchester - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh (curtailed working after 73964 failure); 66027 + 60062 0O01 10:17 Scunthorpe - Eastleigh one two three, 0Vxx 19:43 Eastleigh - Westbury
Wednesday 26th September: 73962 + 73965 1Q53 11:48 Eastleigh  - Southampton Up Yard - Wimbledon Park - Southampton Up Yard- Wimbledon Park - Totton Yard - Eastleigh - Romsey - Eastleigh one two three four; 60062 working off Westbury one
Thursday 27th September: 73962 + 73965 1Q54 12:27 Eastleigh - Tonbridge one two three
Friday 28th September: 60095 rolled out in GBRf colours at Eastleigh Works one two three; G&W livery 66413 in Eastleigh Yard; 73136 + 73964 Eastleigh - Tonbridge, then later in day
Saturday 29th September:

Expect to be grounded for the weekend by M27 closure local traffic gridlock. Sunday 30th will also see train service disruptions in the Southampton area.

Eastleigh Works: 07Sep - 08Sep

Eastleigh, 23rd September 2018

After 6 months hidden away at the works, 444040 breaks cover, but nothing seems to have changed.

A view of the works, featuring 37901 Mirrlees Pioneer and 73136.Mhairi.

DB 967597 is a YLA, a Borail Flat coded "Mullet". Rebuilt at Shildon in 1981 to Lot 4012, from an earlier 1959-60 wagon.

112195 is an OCA wagon, built at BREL Shildon in 1981-82.

112002 is a further OCA built in 1981 at BREL Shildon.

17th - 22nd September 2018

Monday 17th September: 66091 5O61 09:53 Wembley - Eastleigh one
Tuesday 18th September: 66091 6Z25 11:02 Eastleigh - Llanwern (converted JSA wagons) one
Wednesday 19th September: 73961 + 73963 0Y68 Tonbridge - Eastleigh one two
Thursday 20th September: (73961 + 73963) + 66782 T+T 5Z10 05:06 Eastleigh - Victoria one to work 1Z10 to Port Talbot Sig 3462 (on line to Maesteg) one two three, 43013 + 43014 NMT 1X23 15:23 Salisbury - Redbridge - Southampton UGL - Redbridge - Salisbury (elsewhere on the day: one two three)
Friday 21st September:
Saturday 22nd September:
Sunday 23rd September: 60095 in GBRf colours 0Z60 14:54 Eastleigh Works - Doncaster Roberts Road (runs as required) - as of Saturday evening one commentator said "will not run". Did not run, paint job understood incomplete. I have heard Friday 28th from two sources in the rumour mill.

Eastleigh Works: 29Aug - 30 Aug - 31Aug

Timber workings proposal from Brockenhurst, replacing the earlier one for Totton. On Tuesday 18th 70806 ran 0F70 Eastleigh - Bournemouth - Eastleigh as a route training procedure. The proposed trains would be split and need to continue on in two workings from the yard at Brockenhurst to Bournemouth to run around before returning to Eastleigh. However there is a very recent indication that the plan may have been cancelled?

GBRf started a new flow from Southampton to iPort Rail at Doncaster, a facility which opened in February. 66752 ran the first 4E34 departing at 05:07 on Tuesday 18th with services on TThFO going forward. The corresponding working is 4O33 departing Doncaster at 18:10, arriving at Western Docks at 03:00. From the first week: one two three four five six

Freightliner have stored 70011, which was only returned to traffic about 24th August, seen here at Eastleigh on the 30th.

Rail Operations Group have returned 47815 to their active pool,  although it is yet to emerge from Eastleigh Works, while 47813 was stored at the same time.

ColasRail is to receive a new logo / identity, not yet reflected on their website, but is on Twitter.

"On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, Colas Rail is adopting a new corporate visual identity. Colas Rail has opted for the Colas Group’s symbolic yellow diamond, a logo that reflects Colas Rail’s entry into a new period of growth."

With thanks for updates to Gregory Beecroft.

Eastleigh Works, 15th September 2018

Recently repainted 37901 Mirrlees Pioneer and 73136 Mhairi, which has received new wheels. Note the now unique roof profile over the engine on 37901.

59003 YEOMAN HIGHLANDER is back at the works - it last seems to have worked about 8th August.

66782 appears to have been towed to Eastleigh on Monday.

Another unidentified JSA has been shot blasted and awaits repainting.

Eastleigh on Saturday afternoon, 15th September 2018

Starting with two Class 70s. 70806 departs with 6C02 13:53½ Eastleigh East Yard - Horsham.

70020 (one of 8 nominally active with Freightliner) with 4O29 08:50 Basford Hall - Maritime.

66054 appears to have been the DBS yard shunter in recent days.

66097 4O40 10:44 Morris Cowley - Eastern Docks.

66715 VALOUR 4Y19 12:02 Mountfield - Western Docks gypsum empties.

66952 + 66538 + 66540 arrive 0W29 16:04 Maritime - Eastleigh for weekend CE duties.

SWR were again under RMT industrial action.

As I was just about to leave the Southampton Road car park, a Class 66 brought in 6O12 (?) 12:42 Alexandra Dock Jct (Newport) to Eastleigh East Yard with a single Touax marked TDA tanker TIP 78207, which will be bound for Eastleigh Works.

10th -15th September 2018

800107 and 800317 at Eastleigh, 15th September. Picture taken at this location, standing on the armco barrier at the railway fence, holding the camera above me.

Monday 10th September: 
Tuesday 11th September: 800317 5X50 11;20 Doncaster Carr IEP Depot -Eastleigh TRSMD one two three, 66780 outside at Eastleigh Works one two three
Wednesday 12th September: 
Thursday 13th September: 60009 + 33207 T+T 1Y50 08:45 Victoria - Swanage, 1Y52 16:55 Swanage - Southampton - Laverstock - Victoria (60009 for the day) & one two
Friday 14th September: 57313 + 57314 T+T 5Z74 05:35 Southall - Winchester, 1Z74 07:30 Winchester - Par one two three four five six, 1Z76 17:30 Par - Winchester, 5Z77 22:46 Winchester - Southall; 66780 0E08 09:30 Eastleigh - Doncaster one two three four five six seven eight nine; 67006 5M61 21:30 Eastleigh - Wembley
Saturday 15th September:

37901 Mirrlees Pioneer at Eastleigh one two

Eastleigh Works: 20Aug - 21Aug - 22Aug - 23Aug -24Aug

Two IEPs at Eastleigh:  13th September (better than mine, a ladder was used)

66507 and 66522 are in pool DFHJ (Freightliner Class 66 Restricted Use) and are tripcock fitted for pending RHTT duties.

Regularly visited Aberdour is winner of Small Station of the Year at the National Rail Awards 2018.

60009 'The Swanage Belle', Romsey, 13th September 2018

60009 Union of South Africa 1Y52 16:55 Swanage - Southampton - Laverstock - Victoria. Probably the last nocturnal pass of this locomotive through Romsey.

33207 Jim Martin on the rear.

West Coast Main Line in Change: Scout Green, 1st September

I am not at all sure about this latest Virgin livery,but it does seem to reflect changes to the brand also seen at Virgin Atlantic. At the same time the grey and black sections are driven by DfT micro-management, where the same pattern is present on the Class 442 repaints and others. 390050 1S52 12:41 Preston -Glasgow Central.

390002 1M12 1140 Glasgow Central to Preston.

390104 runs in a variant of the old colours, for the 175th anniversary of the Longsight TMD, where the coupling cover appears to be formatted for the new colours. 9Z32 10:06 Milton Keynes Central - Glasgow Central.

More rolling stock changes. The 2013 delivered 110 mph capable Class 350/4's, owned by Angel Trains, are shortly to come off-lease, and are expected to transfer to London Northwestern Railway. In the vinyl colours applied about a year ago, 350402 runs as 1S51 10:59 Manchester Airport - Glasgow Central.

Similar 350406 operates 1M96 11:09 Glasgow Central - Manchester Airport.

Hoovers pass Eastleigh, 8th September 2018

50007 + 50049 1Z54 15:35 Weymouth - East Midlands Parkway

Approaching Campbell Road bridge, the lead locomotive was 50007 running as 50006 Neptune.

This was followed by 50049 running as 50011 Centurion.

A side profile of the two locomotives.

Heading onwards to the station, Mr Knight can be seen trying to "look cool" on platform 2.

He eventually lifted his camera as the train approached. (Image by Ian Knight).

The TSO coaches at the back were 6054, 6158 and 5998, all Mk2F to Lot 30860 built at BREL Derby in 1973-74. In 2002, the first two were with Virgin West Coast, and the latter with Anglia.

Romsey, 6th September 2018

60009 Union of South Africa leads 1W50 16:35 Weymouth - Southampton - Laverstock - Victoria.

Two further trips seem to remain for 60009 through this station.

A closer view of the locomotive.

47760 on the rear of the train.

66846 + 70812 6O31 17:30 Westbury - Eastleigh.

394287 is a MHA wagon running on an HAA underframe, converted at RFS Doncaster in 1997-98.

Scotland in Change: Class 68s on the Fife Circle, August 2018

The "Fife Circle loco hauled" is anticipated to conclude with the December 2018 timetable change, following rolling stock cascades within Scotland. The last runs in the timetable would be on 7th December. The coaches would no longer be accessibility compliant one year later from January 2020.

This could be my last review here of these workings.

68007 passes Aberdour on 29th August with 5L70 18:24½ Cardenden - Mossend Down Yard.

68007 runs into Inverkeithing on 22nd August with 2K14 18:17 Glenrothes with Thornton - Edinburgh.

68006 on the same day at Inverkeithing with 5L70, which pauses in the up passenger loop just before Inverkeithing.

68007 at Manuel on 30th, with 5G13 1500½ Motherwell TMD (DRS) - Edinburgh, ecs for that evening's working of 2G13 17:09 Edinburgh t- Glenrothes with Thornton, then 2K14.

68003 at Aberdour on 31st, with 2K14, having displaced 68007.

9488 is Mk 2D BSO completed to Lot 30824 in June 1971. This was withdrawn from First Great Western Service in 2012, then was stored at Heaton for Grand Central, then at Barrow Hill, from where it was moved to Eastleigh for overhaul.The last Mk2D BSO in normal passenger service, in the ownership of DRS. Seen on 24th August.

5965 is a Mk 2F TSO built to Lot 30860 at BR Derby, entering traffic in June 1974. Owned by Riviera Trains, and prepared at Eastleigh in February - March 2015 for this ScotRail work.