Freightliner Intermodal Class 70 Diverts, Romsey, 27th April 2019

Three, kind of one after another.

70003 4O05 07:03 Birch Coppice - Maritime. The strong winds of Storm Hannah can be seen in the trees. Further pictures: one two.

A closer view of 70003.

70007 4O27 05:21 Garston-Maritime. Further pictures: one two.

70006 4O90 05:27 Leeds - Maritime. Further pictures: one two.

Civil Engineering Trains, Romsey, 27th April 2019

A series of trains, mostly JNA wagons, all except the first carrying loads of fresh ballast to Swaythling.

10:49 - 66121 6N02 0730 Eastleigh East Yard - St Denys (20 empty 'Falcon' wagons for spoil). Another view at Grateley.

11:27 - 66769 6G11 08:01 Eastleigh - St Denys (15 loaded 'Falcon' wagons). Another view at Andover.

14:32 - 66846 6C02 10:51 Eastleigh - St Denys (20 loaded wagons). Further views: one two.

15:25 - 66526 Driver Steve Dunn (George) 6Y81 11:51 Eastleigh - St Denys (15 loaded 'Falcon' wagons). Further views: one two.

66165 + 66187 0O12 1055 Margam - Eastleigh. Other views one two three four five.

This pair went on to work 7N04 21:45 Eastleigh - Vauxhall and return.

66415 moved to Southampton, headed for an Eastleigh paint job, 27th April 2019

66545 + 66415 DIT 4O29 08:50 Basford Hall - Maritime. 66415 is the last Freightliner Class 66 running in the DRS Compass base colour scheme, and is understood to be expected shortly at the paintshop at Eastleigh Works. The train stopped at Romsey, presenting opportunity to record the working, a crew change was likely taking place.

The lighter blue cabs appear to be from cab refurbishment activity in February to mid-March this year.

Eastleigh Works and T&RSMD, Thursday 25th April 2019

Coach 831201 of  Trans-Pennine AT300 unit 802201, with an adjacent similar train.

London Underground 3122, originally 1972 stock, for scrap.

London Underground 3007, 1967 stock, for scrap.

RLS 92628 KFA wagon, arrived on works 24th January, now sporting fresh wheelsets.

22nd - 27th April 2019

08460 at work at Eastleigh, 25th April.

70006 passing Campbell Road, running 20 minutes late with 4E76 19:02 Maritime-Leeds, 25th April.

Monday 22nd April: 800105 5X82 08:26 Eastleigh - Acton one two three; 68033 1Z29 09:10 Aviemore - Salisbury - Eastleigh one two three; 60021 0Z59 23:10 Landor Street - Eastleigh
Tuesday 23rd April: 37059 5O61 09:40 Willesden Brent - Eastleigh (with Anglia short set) one two three four, 13:09 0L59 Eastleigh - Norwich one two; 68033 5Z31 16:10 Eastleigh - Crewe one; 66755 + 314204 moved from East Yard - Works one two three (as a final segment of 5Y68 09:15 from Ferme Park); Underground 3107 unloaded at Eastleigh ; 66419 outshopped from paint shop with 60021 just entered one
Wednesday 24th April: 73965 + 73963 +  802203 + 802204 6X80 03:40 Dollands Moor - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve, 73965 + 73963 6O80 14:09 Eastleigh - Dollands Moor one two; 73962 + 73964 1Q66 09:00 Woking - Laverstock - Eastleigh - Fawley Totton Yard  Eastleigh - Laverstock 1- Woking one two three four
Thursday 25th April:
Friday 26th April:
Saturday 27th April: 800105 + 801111 5X41 04:40 Acton - Eastleigh one

66847 has been named Terry Baker at Eastleigh Works

London Underground hybrid 1967 + 1972 stock unit, at one time intended for departmental use, has arrived at Eastleigh for scrapping. Further info, and 1980s information on the renumbering (see page 2).

3007 in the works one (1967 stock)
3107 unloaded in the works one (1972 stock 3325 renumbered to 3107 in the 1980s)
3022 ?? (1967 stock)
3122 in Campbell Road one two (1972 stock 3320 renumbered to 3122)

A brief ride on the Class 68 hauled Fife Circle, 18th April 2019

2K14 18:17 Glenrothes with Thornton - Edinburgh, from Kirkcaldy to Aberdour.
68004 Rapid + 6027 + 5955 + 6177 + 9539 + 6117 + 6122

Arriving at Kirkcaldy.

A closer view of 68004.

Interior of coach 5955, seat coverings rather worn. This Mk 2F coach was new in August 1973, and has been in the Riviera Trains fleet since leaving service with Virgin.

A better presentation in the adjacent 6177, although it has a similar ownership history since it was new in 1975.

The DRS liveried pair at the end of the rake.

ScotRail HSTs, Thursday 18th April 2019

The majority of the 4 coach sets appear to be still in ex-First Great Western condition, in the 'dynamic lines' colours. About half of the power cars are in the ScotRail InterCity scheme, which is starting to suffering from rain marks from the ventilation area. Power cars do seem to rotate a bit around the defined coaching sets.

43149 + 43151 1A55 09:29 Edinburgh - Aberdeen, passing Aberdour. Set HA02 formed 43151 - 41144 - 42295 - 42301 - 44039 - 43149. This pair arrived from Laira on 15th December, after 43149 received a G-exam at Laira, following earlier attention at Brush. 43149 entered traffic in May 1981.

43151 on the rear. The pair of power cars arrived in Scotland on 15th December, from Laira. When new this power car was exhibited at the Rocket 150 Great Railway Exposition in Manchester in 1980, and entered traffic in May 1981.

A further set  (43183 - 46010 - 42069 - 42118 - 44023 - 43150) was stabled in the sidings at Dundee, once the approach to Dundee West of the Caledonian and LMS. As currently formed this set came from Ely on 2nd April, as part of a top up of three 'classic' trainsets. There was an issue with the horn, and it appears that they have been parked since arrival, possibly pending a visit to Glasgow Works. The power cars were earlier in set HA11, this may be set HA31.

43183 at the east end, this arrived in Scotland on 17th August 2018, having completed Great Western service in July. 43183 entered traffic in December 1981.

Viewed from the Seabraes footbridge, opened in 2015. 43150 arrived in Scotland on 23rd November, having completed Great Western duties in July. 43150 is another to have entered traffic in May 1981.

43036  (set HA07 43036 -41010 -42012 - 42013 - 44004 - 43021) was working 1T32 14:42 Aberdeen - Glasgow Queen Street,  seen here at Dundee. 43036, built in November 1976, arrived in Scotland from Brush in March 2018.

43140 (set HA05  43148 - 41024 - 42030 - 42010 - 44010 - 43140)  passes Kirkcaldy with 1A81 17:36 Edinburgh to Aberdeen. 43140 was new in  March 1980. It came out of service with Great Western in March 2018, and arrived in Scotland with 43149 (above).

43148 on the rear. New in April 1981, it came off lease at Great Western in September 2017, and was delivered to ScotRail in March 2018.

The next train was 1H17 17:39 Edinburgh to Inverness led by 43146, which has been in Scotland for over a year. Set HA08 43146 - 41180 - 42268 - 42296 -44024 - 43136. 43146 was new in March 1981. Abbotshall Church is on the right, as rebuilt in 1788.

Cement train workings in Fife, 15th - 17th April 2019

There appear to be fewer JPA bogie wagons in the Aberdeen workings, with more 4 wheel PCAs wagons in the formations, these always following at the rear. Some rumours that long JPA formations to Aberdeen may have been less preferable with the civil engineers.

70814 leads 6B32 16:52 Craiginches - Oxwellmains, Monday 15th.

The only other working of the train in the week was on Wednesday 17th, again with 70814. On Saturday the loco was noted, while passing on the M74, at Elvanfoot, on WCML Easter engineers' duties.

Surprise! On 17th 56087 had earlier worked to Aberdeen with 6Z56 08:00 Irvine Caledonian Paper - Aberdeen Waterloo - pictures for the day.

Class 70s at Maritime, Easter Monday, 22nd April 2019

Six class 70 locomotives visible at Maritime on Monday morning.

The sixth was ready at the east end on a train formed to go north, probably 70015. A seventh, 70003, was recorded as being on site, it may have been under the bridge.

There are only two other Freightliner active locos in the class, 70005 and 70008.

70002 + 70007 + 70010 + 70006  with 70020 on the left.

70002, and all of the others, appear to have arrived on Good Friday morning.

70007.

70010.

70006 was recorded coming south on Friday.

70020 arrived on Friday and was recorded as at Eastleigh over the weekend, it may have been working unloaded flats.

Class 68 loco hauled, Aberdour, April 2019

For how much longer? Deliveries of Class 385 and HSTs continue to ScotRail, which should allow re-distribution of the dmu fleet, also the end of year deadline to forbid the coaching stock approaches.

68006 Daring leads an all ScotRail liveried set, 2K14 18:17 Glenrothes with Thornton - Edinburgh, 15th April. After Wednesday morning duty, the loco appears to have gone to Carlisle.

68004 Rapid was on the Fife workings all week, here passing with 5L70 18:24½ Cardenden - Mossend Down Yard on the 15th.

The same set was working 2K14 on Wednesday 17th. 6122 is in English Department of Transport DRS colours. 

6117 is in similar colours, both of these Mk 2F coaches, new in May 1974, once ran for Virgin Trains. Later they were in the Wessex Trains pink set, moved on to hires from Cargo-D, and since 2011 period have been with DRS where they have worked in East Anglia and on the Cumbrian Coast.

68017 Hornet joined the circuit on Wednesday afternoon, passing with 5L70 that day.

68017 passes again on Thursday 18th with 5L70.

Lazonby, 13th April 2019

60163 Tornado, 1Z68 07:48 Birmingham New Street - Carlisle, steam from Crewe.

Heading past Bell's Bakery located in the former goods yard.

Earlier, 66536 + 66541 0K20 10:54 Leeds Balm Rd Loco (Fhh) - Carlisle New Yard. Balm Road appears to be adjacent to Midland Road.

158752 2H86 10:49 Leeds - Carlisle