26th - 31st August 2019

Monday 26th August: 66711 + 50007 5Z53 00:16 Didcot - Eastleigh one two; 37057 3Q29 18:48 Derby - Eastleigh
Tuesday 27th August: 802210 5X80 06:12 Eastleigh Works - Eastleigh T&RSMD one; 802211 5X81 06:54 Eastleigh T&RSMD - Eastleigh Works one; 800108 5X82 08:12 Eastleigh - Acton one two; 33012 0Z33 09:31 West Ruislip - Swanage one two; 801203 5X84 14:22 Eastleigh T&RSMD - Eastleigh Works one two; 3Q24 20:49 Eastleigh - Hither Green; 60024 7O43 21:12 Westbury - Eastleigh
Wednesday 28th August: 60024 7V98 03:28 Eastleigh - Merehead; 60044 6O35 05:00 Westbury - Fareham one two (with 66544 on the Chi stone) three four, 6V16 11:55 Fareham - Whatley; 47815 5M59 15:56 Eastleigh - Leicester one two; 37057 3Q25 22:55 Hither Green - Eastleigh
Thursday 29th August: 60039 6O35 05:00 Westbury - Fareham, 6V16 11:55 Fareham - Westbury (Whatley) one two; 50007 + 50033 Eastleigh - Romsey - Kidderminster one two; 43013 +43062 1X23 15:13 Salisbury - Southampton UGL - Salisbury one two three four; 37057 3Q28 20:49 Eastleigh - Reading Triangle
Friday 30th August: 70003 0Z71 17:10 Maritime - Grain (Foster Yeoman) - for a further trial ?
Saturday 31st August:

60044 has now increased the Class 60 fleet at Westbury to three locomotives.

South Western Railway strike: Workers begin four-day walkout

60024 works 7O40 to Eastleigh, 23rd August 2019

60024 Clitheroe Castle working 7O40 13:35 FO Merehead - Eastleigh, passing Romsey.

60024 originally Elizabeth Fry, was overhauled to Super 60 standard in 2013, but was more recently in storage from February 2016 to April 2019. Note the rather rough removal of the 'Schenker' from the side of the locomotive.

19th - 24th August 2019

For the last of the four summer specials to Swanage D6515 (33012) was turned out and led in both directions, The down train is seen passing Millbrook on 18th August. Image by Ian Knight.

73107 was on the rear of the train.Image by Ian Knight.

Sunday 18th August: 33012 + 4TC 8028 + 73107 5Z73 07:55 Eastleigh - Waterloo one two, 1Z73 09:44 Waterloo - Swanage one, 1Z74 16:26 Swanage - Waterloo one two three, 5Z74 21:18 Waterloo - Eastleigh - Flickr for the day
Monday 19th August: 60024 7O35 05:00 Westbury - Fareham , 6Vxx 11:56 Fareham - Merehead one; 47245 5Z30 09:33 Bristol - Eastleigh one two, 0Z29 Eastleigh - Salisbury (ghoster) to meet 60009 and return to Southall one; 800108 5X41 11:17 Acton - Eastleigh one two three four; 33012 + 8028 5Z33 16:58 Eastleigh - West Ruislip one
Tuesday 20th August: 60039 7O35 05:00 Westbury - Fareham one two three four, 6V16 11:55 Fareham - Whatley one two three; 802209 5X82 08:10 Eastleigh - Acton one two
Wednesday 21st August: 66610 7O52  03:02 Merehead - Chichester one, 7V07 12:41 Chichester - Merehead one two three; 66722 + 73969 0E33 08:11 Eastleigh - Doncaster one two three four five six seven eight; 50007 + 50049 0Z50 09:30 Eastleigh - Romsey - Kidderminster one two three four five six
Thursday 22nd August: 60024 7O35 05:00 Westbury - Fareham , 6V16 11:55 Fareham - Whatley one two; 60009 + 47802 T+T 1Z82 08:45 London Victoria to Weymouth, 1Z84 16:35 Weymouth to London Victoria - Flickr for the day
Friday 23rd August: 60024 7O40 13:35 Merehead - Eastleigh one two three four, 7V33 20:05 Eastleigh - Merehead one two
Saturday 24th August: 47815 + 57305 0O86 11:26 Leicester - Eastleigh one two

Eastleigh Works: 22Jul - 23Jul - 24Jul a - 24Jul b - 31Jul - 01Aug - 10Aug

59202 seems to need engine repairs, it has been moved Westbury - Margam - one two - Middlesborough - one two three - Doncaster - Toton

The usage of DB Class 60s on Mendip duties continues, but Freightliner has now started to handle the Chichester stone working (66610 on Wednesday, above), this leaving about 10 weeks for DB to be in charge of stone workings in this area.

Rail line in Hampshire is world's first to be powered by solar farm - for perspective, 30kW equates to 10 domestic electric kettles. Some further details at 'Riding Sunbeams'.

Assortment of Freight, Eastleigh, 22nd August 2019

66711 Sence continued as stand-in for 59003, arriving with  6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh, which was a rake of empty OBA and OCA wagons.

Three pictures of 60024 Clitheroe Castle working back with 6V16 11:55 Fareham - Whatley.

66136 passes with 4O39 09:43 Morris Cowley - Eastern Docks. 'First London - Yiwu Train' markings.

• Minister Ma Hui Witnesses the Departure of the First London-Yiwu Train
• Yiwu–London railway line
• From London to Yiwu in 17 Days: OBOR's British Connection
• First freight train linking UK with China arrives in Yiwu
• First direct London-China train completes 12,000-km run in 20 days

• Yiwu, China - "Yiwu is the terminal for a number of long-distance international container trains. At 8,111 miles, the Yiwu-Madrid container train route can be viewed as the longest goods railway line in the world. Shipping containers moved along this route travel from China via Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, France to Spain. In 2016, a similar route was inaugurated connecting Yiwu to Tehran, Iran."
• Location on Map
• Music Video: The Belt and Road is How (Xinhua is funded in whole or in part by the Chinese Government)

66419 was repainted into the G&W colours in April at Eastleigh. Here seen working 4O90 06:08 Leeds - Maritime.

A shunting mishap, Eastleigh, 22nd August 2019

I was not paying much attention to 08511 which shunted a very long rake of MHA / MPA (Ballast / Spoil Open Box) and Auto Ballaster wagons. It stopped and paused at this point at 13:05. I did not really make any further vigilance.

 Walking up the platform, a group of orange hi-viz clad men had just spent some time looking at the incident, which appeared to be points related, at 14:19.

From the Lidl viewpoint, one axle of MPA 394330 is off the road. This appears likely to have been a jacking job to get back on the rails, but I had to go at this point.

'The Dorset Coast Express', 22nd August 2019

60009 Union of South Africa + 47802 T+T
1Z82 08:45 London Victoria to Weymouth
1Z84 16:35 Weymouth to London Victoria

The outbound working approaching Eastleigh.

Two pictures of the return train passing Romsey.

47802 had been shoving on the rear of the morning working, at this point the train was running against amber and red signals.

A Freightliner first and further freight at Dunbridge, 21st August 2019

66712 Peterborough Power Signalbox leads 6V44 12:18 Marchwood Mod Gbrf - Kineton Mod Gbrf.

66199 with late running 6V16 11:55 Fareham A.R.C. Sidings to Merehead Quarry. which was a Class 60 working in the preceding days.

66541 hauls 4M65 1346 Southampton M.C.T. to Lawley Street F.L.T.

66610 makes the first working by Freightliner of the"Chi stone", a further increment towards the transition to Freightliner haulage of the Mendip stone contract from November. At this point the working was a one time STP schedule. The returning train seen here was 7V07 12:41 Chichester Recp. - Merehead Quarry. Flickr for the day.

There was a 5th loco hauled within the same hour, 66711 6V40 14:05 Eastleigh East Yard - Westbury Down T.C.

Interesting Freight, 20th August 2019

The STP working to Chichester did not run. Rumoured to be Freightliner on Mendip stone, there is a similar path in for Wednesday 21st.

 66711 Sense approaches Redbridge with 6O41 from Westbury. Image by Ian Knight.

60039 Dove Holes passing Crampmoor with 6V16 11:55 Fareham - Whatley.

Locomotive Variety at Romsey, 19th August 2019

59003 has made one of its periodic trips to Roberts Road (0Z59 22:15 Eastleigh - Doncaster on 16th), so 66711 Sence worked 6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh.

47245 working the Torbay Express ecs, 5Z30 09:33 Bristol - Eastleigh.

For the second week, 60024 Clitheroe Castle was active from Westbury, here working 6Vxx 11:56 Fareham - Merehead (not Whatley as is the usual working).

12th - 17th August 2019

59104 passing Romsey with 7O40 13:35 Merehead - Eastleigh, 16th August.

47245 passed Shawford with 5Z25 to Bristol, 17th August.

D6515 (33012) with 4TC 8028 and 73107 1Z84 17:04 Warminster - Waterloo, returning from Imberbus, passing Dunbridge.

73107 on the rear.

Sunday 11th August: 73962 + 73964 1Q56 11:02½ (Sat) Tonbridge - Eastleigh one; 73107 + 4TC 8028 + 73201 5Z73 07:43 Eastleigh - Waterloo one two, 1Z73 09:44 Waterloo - Swanage one two three four, 1Z74 16:26 Swanage - Waterloo one, 5Z74 21:18 Waterloo - Eastleigh - Flickr for the day 73201 73107; 57601 + 57314 1Z80 10:05 Victoria - Weymouth one, 1Z82 17:01 Weymouth - Victoria one - Flickr for the day 57601 57314
Monday 12th August: 60024 7O35 05:00 Westbury - Fareham one two three, 7V16 11:55 Fareham - Whatley one two three four; 73962 + 73964 1Q64 19:08½ Eastleigh - Windsor - various London area - Eastleigh
Tuesday 13th August: 60024 7O35 05:00 Westbury - Fareham one, 7V16 11:55 Fareham - Whatley one two three four
Wednesday 14th August: 802208 5X82 08:10 Eastleigh - Acton one
Thursday 15th August: 61306 + 47802 T+T 1Z61 08:04 West Brompton - Havant - Weymouth one two three four, 1Z64 17:43 Weymouth - Havant - West Brompton one two; 73962 + 73964 1Q67 16:14 Eastleigh - Tonbridge one two
Friday 16th August: 33012 0Z82 1025 Swanage - Eastleigh one
Saturday 17th August: 33012 + 73201 5Z82 06:15 Eastleigh - Waterloo one two three four five, 1Z84 17:04 Warminster - Romsey - Southampton - Waterloo one two, 5Z85 20:28 Waterloo - Eastleigh; 47245 0Z25 10:31 Southall - Eastleigh one, 5Z25 15:45 Eastleigh - Didcot - Bristol one; 57305 5O86 07:48 Leicester - Eastleigh one, 0M87 (?) 13:10 Eastleigh - Leicester

60024 and 60039 arrived at Westbury on the 10th, lead engine 66087 carried on to Eastleigh. The 60s are active on Class 59/2 diagrams. 59202 and 59204 were out of traffic, although 59204 was returned mid-week. On Saturday 17th all of Class 59/2 were in Westbury Down yard, believed to be for inspection by potential buyers.

158960 was disbanded and refurbished 158769 is in traffic formed of two coaches from the unit. 158050 - 158955 expected to revert to two coach formations in Oct - Nov this year, 150001 and 150002 are expected to leave GWR by May. Portsmouth - Cardiff will see increased usage of 165 + 166 combinations.

Man stabbed at Millbrook railway station

Eastleigh Works: 28Jun - 03Jul - 04Jul - 05Jul - 09Jul - 10Jul - 17Jul - 18Jul - 19Jul

Elsewhere, 47524 has arrived at CF Booth, Rotherham, for disposal.

Cathedrals Express, Totton, 15th August 2019

61306 + 47802 T+T 1Z61 08:04 West Brompton- Weymouth

The support coach is 35479.

Sunday Special Trains, 11th August 2019

At Totton, 73201 Broadlands + 4TC 8028 + 73107 Tracy 1Z73 09:44 Waterloo - Swanage.

73107 on the rear, heading towards the New Forest.

A few minutes earlier at Southampton. Image by Ian Knight.

57601 Windsor Castle leads 'Northern Belle'  through Totton with 1Z80 10:05 -Victoria - Weymouth.

57314 was pushing at the rear.

A few minutes earlier, at Millbrook. Image by Ian Knight.

Freight at Eastleigh, 10th August 2019

The regular Saturday period at Eastleigh, but again no working from Garston.

66528 Madge Elliot MBE 4O05 07:03 Birch Coppice - Maritime.

66513 0B06 12:00 Eastleigh - Maritime, having brought flats for weekend storage in the East Yard.

66413 Lest We Forget 4O90 05:35 Leeds - Maritime.

66594 NYK Spirit of Kyoto 4O29 08:50 Basford Hall - Maritime.

66723 Chinook 4Y19 12:02 Mountfield - Western Docks

66087 had arrived from Margam.

Freightliner at Eastleigh, 8th August 2019

'PowerHaul' scheme with original headlights on 66420 working 4O05 07:19 Birch Coppice - Maritime.

70002 makes the regular smoky start while working 4O14 05:36 Garston - Maritime.

66549 working northbound 4M61 13:00 Maritime - Trafford Park.

66566 + 66518 DIT leading 4O90 06:08 Leeds - Maritime.

Running a few minutes late, 70005 on the front of 4O49 09:22 Basford Hall - Maritime.