Eastleigh T&RSMD, 29th November 2019

Hull Trains 802303 arrived on Wednesday 27th, with numbers already applied. 802302 was visible from the Southampton Road car park, but the view was obstructed.

Mk IV DVT 82229 has been prepared in Transport for Wales colours. The DVT and following coaches arrived at Eastleigh on 1st October.

A side view of 82229.

The adjacent FO 11324 was still in a Virgin / LNER scheme. Originally numbered 11253. The next coach was RSB 10328, and it is understood that TSO 12447 and TSOE 12219 follow, these all being formerly in set BN24.

802208 remains visible in the sidings, and 67024 was just visible at the head of the VSOE rake.

800101 is the only LNER Azuma currently present.

Freightliner workings at Eastleigh, 29th November 2019

66414 in the Powerhaul scheme, departs with 4O15 07:19 Birch Coppice - Maritime.

70002 followed later with 4O14 05:36 Garston - Maritime.

66515 + 66551 4M61 arriving with 13:00 Maritime - Trafford Park.

Recently reinstated 70011 approaches with 4O90 06:08 Leeds - Maritime. This appears to have been its first working following repair attention since reinstatement.

The bogies of 70011 were clean, showing evidence of recent wheelsets maintenance, a known issue with the stored members of the class. The loco is also understood to have received a new engine. One panel in the upper middle appears to have come from a more faded member of the class.

25th - 30th November 2019

That 1970's Traction feeling at Eastleigh Works on 29th, with 47848 and 87002 Royal Sovereign. Work proceeds in the cab of 47848.

66713 Forest City leads the unusual working to Brockenhurst on 25th, seen passing Redbridge. Image by Ian Knight.

Sunday 24th November: 57301 0M59 Eastleigh - Leicester one two
Monday 25th November: 66750 + 801211 5X50 07:43 Eastleigh - Acton one two three four; 66713 +  DR79601 + 66769 6X69 23:17 (Sun) Doncaster - Brockenhurst one two three four; 73963 + 73965 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh
Tuesday 26th November: 66750 + 801213 5X50 07:09 Eastleigh - Acton one two three; 73963 + 73965 1Q52 10:37 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard - Havant - Guildford - Havant - Fareham - Eastleigh - Woking - Lymington Pier -Eastleigh
Wednesday 27th November: 66725 + 802303 + 802302 6X80 04:51½ Dollands Moor  - Eastleigh one two three four five six; 47805 + 47810 0Z48 10:49 Eastleigh - Crewe one two three four;73963 + 73965 1Q53 11:48 Eastleigh  - Southampton Up Yard - Wimbledon Park - Southampton Up Yard - Wimbledon Park - Totton Yard - Eastleigh - Romsey - Eastleigh one two three
Thursday 28th November: 73963 + 73965 1Q54 12:48 Eastleigh Works to Tonbridge
Friday 29th November: 61306 + 47802 1Z16 06:42 West Brompton - Bath one two three four five six seven eight, 1Z18 16:56 Bath - West Brompton; 67024 + 67004 1Z41 09:45 Victoria - Winchester one two, 5Z42(?) 12:42 Winchester - Eastleigh, 5Z43(?) 16:25 Eastleigh - Winchester, 1Z44 17:08 Winchester - Victoria
Saturday 30th November:  73963 + 73965 1Q57 11:18 Dollands Moor - Eastleigh

66503 The Railway Magazine has been released from the paint shop one two three four five

86101 has been rubbed down at Eastleigh Works.

450036 is now in a SWR scheme, emerging from Eastleigh Works, and then into the station. one two Also the 450xx units are being renumbered back to 4500xx as their first class is reinstated.

Some limited Class 442 testing is happening. 442413 + 442417 were out on the 27th.

59003 worked some stone trains last week, but is now back at Doncaster, probably for an inspection.

SWR - RMT Industrial Action: timetables (no Eastleigh - Chandler's Ford - Romsey service, nor calls at Mottisfont or Dean stations effectively for a month). Change of managing director at SWR.

The first ECML HST expected to go fo scrap is set NL65, along with power car 43061, all of which I travelled with on 6th September. It was expected to proceed to the Swansea area, but no movement reported yet.

A fire of some kind occurred at Motherwell affecting DRS coach 6001, which has seen service on the Fife circle. This coach has a retention toilet, so is more valuable for future usage. Seen above in service on 21st October.

Scotrail HSTs: the rather interesting 2W23 in November 2019

2W23 10:51 Haymarket - Dundee is an unusual STP Edinburgh  Dundee unadvertised passenger working, which is always an HST, unlike other ScotRail services diagrammed for these trains, when a 170 often is a replacement. It seems that it certainly started as a driver training run, and may still be so.

43030 passes Aberdour on 14th November. In a previous era, passing Romsey on 10th September 2011.

43130 at Burntisland on 15th.

43131 at Kinghorn on 18th.

43141 approaches Aberdour on 21st.

43141 again, passing Aberdour on 22nd.

LNER HST rundown: 1W11 10:00 Kings Cross - Aberdeen

1W11 10:00 Kings Cross - Aberdeen should convert to Azuma operation from 2nd December, along with the return 1E30 18:18 Aberdeen - Leeds.

43277 passes Aberdour on 8th November.

43305 on the rear. [Update:to EMR by early Dec]

The same set was at Inverkeithing on 13th.

Departing for the climb up the bank to Dalgety.

The returning 1E30 to Leeds is seen passing Aberdour on 18th. 43302 World Speed Record - HST leading ....             [Update: 43303 to EMR 29th November]

.... and 43295 on the rear. [Update: 43295 to EMR 6th December]

43239 [to EMR 10Dec] + 43309 [to storage marked for EMR 13Dec]  at Inverkeithing on 19th November.

LNER HST rundown: 1E15 09:52 Aberdeen - Kings Cross

1E15 09:52 Aberdeen - Kings Cross is to convert to Azuma operation from the 16th December, and should be the last LNER HST scheduled from Aberdeen through  the final week, along with 1W24 northbound arriving from London. [Operated by 43317 + 43290 on 14Dec, and finally 43316 + 43328 on 15th.]

The newly repainted all-red 43238 was seen on the last day of coverage, at the bottom here.

43208 (denamed Lincolnshire Echo) approaches Aberdour in low midday sunshine, on 14th November. [Update: to Ely 13Dec] 43290 was on the rear.

43367 (denamed DELTIC 50) leads at Burntisland on 15th. 43295 was the rear power car. [Update: sent to store with set EC55 on 6th December]

43306 has just passed Aberdour station on 16th. 43251 was on the rear.

43305 was leading into Kinghorn on the 18th, with 43277 on the rear.

43305 leading again, on Thursday 21st November, at Aberdour.

 On the rear was newly repainted all-red 43238, formerly in a NRM scheme. This may prepare it for a vinyl EMR finish?

57312 parked at Eastleigh, 24th November 2019

Four views of the newly outshopped 57312. The finish underneath is DRS, with vinyls for Rail Operations Group, reflecting the current lease arrangement.

LNER HST rundown: 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen - Kings Cross

1E11 07:52 Aberdeen - Kings Cross is due to convert to Azuma operation from 25th November (probably the 26th to allow for northbound working). Some pictures from the last month, all at Aberdour.

UPDATE: 1W20 of 25th and 1E11 of 26th operated by 800104.

 43314 leads on 5th November.

43312 was on the rear. [Update: this powercar repainted to an original scheme December 2019, then to go to store at Ely]

A frosty morning on 18th November found 43274 leading, still retaining its Spirit of Sunderland name. [Update:to EMR 29th November]

43319 was on the rear - and completed my underlining of all of the LNER power cars for 2019.

A short break near Lowgill, 23rd November 2019

Living in change, the final days of Virgin West Coast, and also the final period for Class 350 on TransPennine Anglo-Scottish trains.

The location, often recorded as Beck Foot, is to the west of the former Lowgill station, and to the east of Grayrigg, where there are still loops.

390153  9M53 10:00 Glasgow - London in the bare white DfT basic colours.

350405 1M95 1012 Edinburgh - Manchester Airport.

Demonstrating the Pendolino tilt is 390009 running as 1S48 09:30 Euston - Glasgow. The feather on the signal is for the up loop at Grayrigg.

A closer view of the white scheme on 390009, which also bears an Alstom logo.

Eastleigh Works and T&RSMD, 24th November 2019

A driving coach from 314204.

The unit has been split, all three coaches are seen here, with 47771 in-between.

Newly reinstated 47848 arrived from Ilford on the 12th. 73133 lies to the left, then to the right are obscured 87002 Royal Sovereign and 47810 Crewe Diesel Depot.

The same locos are obscured by FO 3325.

802208 appears ready to return to TransPennine Express.

835208 is the leading coach of 802208.

These are believed to be 801211 800101 and one of  801211 or 801213.