Saturday 26 October 2019

14th - 26th October 2019


Monday 14th October: 66754 + 801207 5X96 07:41 Eastleigh - Acton one two three
Tuesday 15th October: 800101 5X96 Eastleigh - Acton one two
Wednesday 16th October: 802214 5X98 08:10 Eastleigh - Acton one two three
Thursday 17th October: 802215 + 800102 5X41 14:18 Acton - Eastleigh one two three four
Friday 18th October: 57305 0O86 17:24 Leicester - Eastleigh one; 66754 + 801211 5X99 21:55 Acton - Eastleigh
Saturday 19th October: 57305 + 220019 5M98 11:30 Eastleigh - Barton under Needwood one two three four five six seven



Monday 21st October: 800208 5X96 07:46 Eastleigh - Acton one two three
Tuesday 22nd October: 800102 5X98 07:43 Eastleigh - Acton one two three
Wednesday 23rd October: 800202 5X96 Acton - Eastleigh one
Thursday 24th October: 47813 0O86 05:49 Leicester - Eastleigh; 800209 5X99 13:10 Acton - Eastleigh one two
Friday 25th October:
Saturday 26th October: 66722 + 801213 5X99 02:36 Acton - Eastleigh (801213 on 28th)



70001 has been reinstated, seen on test on 13th one two. It got to Ipswich, and then eventually back to Basford Hall on Friday, for dead in tow to Southampton then Leeds. Freightliner have started to deploy Class 70 to Hope workings, as part of the forthcoming Mendip shuffle.

Eastleigh Works: 01Oct - 02Oct - 03Oct - 04Oct - 09Oct

Apologies, but these updates are going to be less frequent for the forthcoming period.

Wednesday 16 October 2019

Freight at Romsey, 10th & 11th October 2019


66552 4M65 13:46 Maritime - Lawley Street, 10th October.

66151 7Z52 14:52 Southampton Up Yard - Whatley, 10th October.

59103 Village of Mells 7O40 13:35 Merehead - Eastleigh, 11th October. This ran late, and was over 20 minutes between Dunbridge and Romsey, possibly held to let the Romsey local train proceed ahead of it to Eastleigh.

Little light was left for 66559 working 4M98 17:24 Maritime - Garston, 11th October.

Sunday 13 October 2019

Miscellany at Westbury, 9th October 2019


09:51 - Smoky 66025 shunts a rake of VTG JNA wagons, and appeared to be a yard shunter through the day. The platform extension appears to be one of Network Rail's slower projects, plenty of the orange army coming and going into the fenced area, but this has been happening on all my visits in 2019.

10:24 - 66160 + 66168 return from Salisbury with RHTT duty 3J13 08:50 Westbury - St.Blazey. Both of these locomotives were reinstated from storage in September for RHTT duties.

11:12 - 66533 arrives with the HOBC train as 66533 6C72 09:20 Fairwater Yard to Westbury Up T.C. for attention at the virtual quarry. This was much the same train as seen in February 2018. In this area we did see the MOBC train, but this was removed as a capability in Network Rail CP6.

"The CP5 settlement for renewals was based on a strategy of “maintain assets in broadly the same condition” and has been described in hindsight as a tight settlement. Looking forward, the Route’s renewals submission for CP6 was for a significant improvement over CP5 levels, but was then constrained to a level some way below the unconstrained level. Whilst it represents around a 15% increase on the CP5 level, it is heavily skewed by the need to provide adequate funding for the Feltham resignalling project. This has resulted in a tough decision being made to remove the funding for the medium output ballast cleaning programme that was planned. I understand that this decision is likely to lead to the relevant MOBC system being mothballed in CP6. The Route has recognised that this decision means that average asset condition of ballast will deteriorate through CP6 and that this is unsustainable in the longer term."

11:17 - 66774 ran light engine 0V07 07:55 Kineton - Warminster-, where it picked up a MoD train to Eastleigh. I believe that these are the wagons, seen the next day.

16:11 - 70807 0F75 14:09 Cardiff Canton - Westbury.

16:41 - 66018 + 66069 RHTT 3J41 14:53 Didcot - Westbury - Didcot.

66018 + 66069 pause with the RHTT train. Both locomotives were again reinstated in September.

Saturday 12 October 2019

Aggregate Workings at Westbury, 9th October 2019


Just under 4 weeks to go for Mendip Rail workings to move from DB Cargo to Freightliner. We still await the actual outcome of the sale of Class 59/2 locomotives, although the rumour mill suggests that this is coming soon, and that they could be remaining in the area. Overall, this Wednesday felt underwhelming with some long gaps, where two Acton-Merehead workings, one with returning 59202, passed without visibility on the avoiding line.

12:14 - 59104 Village of Great Elm 7B12 11:23 Merehead - Wootton Bassett.

13:47 - 66021 running around 7V16 11:55 Fareham - Whatley.

13:57 - 59203 heads into the down relief line with 6C68 12:25 Avonmouth - Whatley.

14:01 - 66034 6C58 11:45 Oxford Banbury Road - Whatley, which came by an alternative and quicker route via Melksham.

14:14 - 59005 KENNETH J PAINTER departs with 6L21 13:24 Whatley - Dagenham (arrived 13:39).

16:02 - A crew change was completed for 59004 PAUL A HAMMOND running 6V18 11:25 Allington - Whatley.

16:59 - 66151 ran the 7Z52 14:52 Southampton Up Yard - Whatley for several days, here seen running around. The lower height KEA wagons are 3172, 3213 and 3208.

17:52 - 59103 Village of Mells approaches the station with 7A15 17:05 Merehead - Acton.

59101 was also noted working 7V12 15:38 Woking - Merehead.

7th - 12th October 2019


66727 Maritime One was the Westbury - Eastleigh captive, passing Romsey on 7th October 6O39 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh.

66735 Peterborough United was being dragged at the rear of the train, and took over as the Eastleigh - Westbury captive.

With 4 weeks to go for DB Cargo operations, 59203 passed with 7V16 11:56 Fareham - Whatley on 7th.

Sunday 6th October: 73963 at Eastleigh one
Monday 7th October: 66774 + 801205 5X82 Eastleigh - Acton one two three; 73963 + 73965 1Q64 18:38 Eastleigh - London routes - Eastleigh
Tuesday 8th October: 802213 5X82 08:23 Eastleigh - Acton one two three four five six; 73963 + 73965 1Q65 19:27 Eastleigh - Waterloo - Horsham - Waterloo - Eastleigh
Wednesday 9th October: 73963 + 73965 1Q66 10:37 Eastleigh - Marchwood - Fawley (?) - Eastleigh - Laverstock - Woking (?) - Laverstock - Eastleigh; 73951 + 73952 0Z73 10:14 Derby - Eastleigh one two three;
Thursday 10th October: 73951 + 73952 0Z76 12:55 Eastleigh - Staines - Eastleigh; 73963 + 73965 1Q67 14:37 Eastleigh - Tonbridge; 66731 + 60026 + 73970 6E15 21:06 Eastleigh - Scunthorpe one two three four
Friday 11th October: 73951 + 73952 0Z76 12:55 Eastleigh - Staines - Eastleigh one two; 67021 + 67024 1Y91 11:31 Victoria - Hove one two
Saturday 12th October: 73951 + 73952 0Z73 09:05 Eastleigh - Derby one two three

59202 is now back in circulation at Westbury, with a drag to London on 8th then a run with 59204 in 7C77 12:41 Acton - Merehead on 9th, then a working at night to Eastleigh and back. However on Friday it was at Eastleigh and was moved within the consist of the afternoon 6V40 back to Westbury.

Eastleigh Works: 14Sep - 18Sep - 19Sep - 20Sep - 23Sep - 24Sep - 26Sep - 27Sep - 30Sep

Five DB Cargo Class 66 on long term lease to DRS: 66031 - 66091 (08Feb19)- 66108 - 66122 - 66126 (08Dec18). Anticipation is for DRS to exit from 'heritage' traction in near term.

Prototype HST power car 41001 to be returned to the NRM - 125 Group tweet - NRM tweet (critical of 125 Group). My ride in 2015. More positively, Porterbook have announced that they will donate 43048 & 43089 to the group once these have completed EMR duties.

Thursday 10 October 2019

Eastleigh Works at dusk, 4th October 2019


314204 continues its sojourn, now moved to a more visible position.

70808 entered the works earlier in the day but was only present for a short period.
.

Wednesday 9 October 2019

Diesels at the West Somerset Railway, 3rd October 2019


Hymek D7018, repaired after a 23 year long overhaul, approaches Watchet with 11:00 from Bishops Lydeard.

 Hymek D7017 is in semi-stored status at Williton.

End view of D7017 - more pipes than I expected for a vacuum train brake loco, they must be for the multi-working, but matches the class leader.

'Teddy Bear' D9526 at Williton.

Diesel-hydraulic No. 2 Barclay 579 of 1972 as supplied to the Royal Ordnance Factory at Puriton, Bridgwater.

D6566 (33048) at Bishop's Lydeard.

D6575 (33057) at Williton.

Tuesday 8 October 2019

Eastleigh on Friday afternoon, 4th October 2019


The light became rather challenging as the afternoon progressed.


66724 Drax Power Station 4M51 14:23 Western Docks - Trafford Park.

66712 Peterborough Power Signalbox ran without stopping through platform 3 with 4Y19 12:30 Mountfield - Western Docks.

66774 + 66764 4Z66 09:55 Peterboro Maint Shed Gbrf - Eastleigh Works Gbrf, with IIA coal hoppers for change to minerals use.

66077 Driver Benjamin Gimbert GC 4E68 15:53 Western Docks - Wakefield Europort.

66142 Maritime Intermodal Three 4O21 09:15 Trafford Park - Western Docks, emerging after a timetabled pause in the yard.

59103 Village of Mells 7O40 13:35 Merehead - Eastleigh.

70020 4M99 17:00 Maritime - Trafford Park.
66151 draws forward some MXA wagons.

66116 4V39 17:36 Eastern Docks - Cowley.
70006 4O57 13:29 Wentloog - Maritime.

Monday 7 October 2019

GWR tender locomotives at the West Somerset Railway, 3rd October 2019


7822 Foxcote Manor (GWR Swindon, 1950) completes the climb into Washford, running in the rain.

7828 Odney Manor (GWR Swindon, 1950) prepares to depart from Minehead.

7828 at Minehead.

7822 waits for a train to cross at Crowcombe Heathfield (where the Beatles once cycled along the platform).

7822 has completed another journey at Bishop's Lydeard.

WSR 9351 passes Williton with a freight train.

Sunday 6 October 2019

Pannier Tanks at the West Somerset Railway, 3rd October 2019


WSR Autumn Steam Gala - 'A Country Railway'

64XX 6412 (GWR Swindon, 1934) waits with 53808 on the first train of the day from Bishop's Lydeard.

6412 upon arrival at Minehead.

57XX 7714 (Kerr Stuart, Stoke on Trent, 1930) enters the platform from a siding at Williton.

7714 in a country railway setting at Williton.

7714 departs Williton for Bishop's Lydeard.

57XX 7752 (North British, Glasgow, 1930) arrives at Williton from Minehead.

7714 running around at Bishop's Lydeard in the rain later in the day.

4612 was receiving repairs at the South Devon Railway, but was present for the second day of the four day gala.