Sunday 30 August 2020

24th - 29th August 2020


Monday 24th August: 37099 3Z57 09:28 Hither Green - Eastleigh one two three four five, 3Q57 23:18 Eastleigh - Hither Green; 
Tusday 25th August: 66701 6O95 1645 Arcow Quarry - Up Yard (arrived Wed 09:00)
Wednesday 26th August: 66701 6N59 13:25 Up Yard - Hexthorpe Yard (Doncaster) one two
Thursday 27th August: 57002 (recently reinstated) 0Z02 08:30 Willesden Brent -Eastleigh one, 6Z02 12:30 Eastleigh - Dagenham Dock (car transporter wagons) one two three four five; 60046 6Z92 11:34 Willesden - Eastleigh one two; 67023 + 67027 1X23 15:13 Salisbury -Southampton UGL - Salisbury (earlier at Exeter one two)
Friday 28th August: 47813 5O86 09:38 Leicester -Eastleigh (ran via Laverstock) one two three, 5M59 14:20 Eastleigh - Leicester (ran via Laverstock) one two; 60046 6Z93 13:58 Eastleigh - Willesden (ran via Redbridge and Laverstock) one
Saturday 29th August:

Eastleigh Works: 09Jul - 10Jul - 20Jul - 21Jul - 27Jul - 30Jul - 31Jul - 04Aug - 10Aug

Landslip incident near Micheldever / Wallers Ash: Started on Thursday evening 27th, when 1M66 16.47 Bournemouth - Manchester ran through it, then through a tunnel. 220027 recovered to Eastleigh, then to Central Rivers. 221123 damaged, to Wallers Ash loop, subsequently moved to Eastleigh early on 29th. Line reopened Saturday 29th

The crane recently seen at Dunbridge has been moved to Aberdeen, via Inverness, to assist in recovery after the incident at Carmont near Stonehaven. Flickr for the move. The railway is now expected to be closed until late September

37s expected on Test Train 31st August - 2nd September, choose from 37057, 37175 and 37254?

Monday 24 August 2020

York, 14th July 1977


A first journey to Yorkshire for a visit to the NRM. DMU from Alnmouth, then Class 47 hauled Inter-City trains from Newcastle to and from York, back again on a dmu to Almouth, where I was behind the driver, who was chatty, but it was all Geordie, and little was comprehensible to me. A couple of these images have been shared before, but a long time ago, and have been re-curated this time around.

08525 and one other with parcels GUVs in the sidings.

08525 was new from BR Darlington as D3687 on 24th February 1959, and was first allocated to 34B Hornsey, but had migrated to York by 1971, when it was dual braked. Seen later by other photographers in 19781979 and 1982. For a period in late 1984 it bore the name Percy the Pilot. Remarkably, it is a survivor, named Duncan Bedford and shunting at Neville Hill, although of late it seems to be stored pending repairs: "awaits a top end overhaul its got 4 liners leaking and most of the cylinder heads are blowing .... we stood here down when the oil sample was reported fuel dilution to save 525 from either throwing a leg out or having the mains picking up ... on the brighter side"

08042 was also noted as the adjacent entry, and likely may be the other shunter shown, it was withdrawn in March 1979, and broken up at Doncaster in May of that year.

I was motivated to scan this because of the other notable features in the picture, not least the BR pattern fluorescent lighting, and also the signalling, which belongs to the York Power Signal Box, ordered before World War 2 by the LNER from Westinghouse, and in operation from 1951 to 1989. I have some interesting current related reading from the North Eastern Railway Association.

The sidings are now car parking. The Queen Street buildings, once an erecting shop and carriage shed, are now a Europcar location; and the York RI gymnasium, still such.

Two pictures of 47164, then of Stratford, which had arrived in platform 15, with what appeared to have been a seasonal extra. The Union Flag was applied, along with one on 47163, for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. This was news to me, in an era when most information came from Railway World, with occasional purchases of Railway Magazine, but information was on a delay of about one to two months - perhaps there was more fun in this.

47164 was new in May 1964, from Brush, Loughborough, as D1758, allocated to Tinsley, but making a round of Eastern Region MPD's over the next 15 years. ETH fitted and became 47571 in November 1979, and worked for London Midland locations. Renumbered 47822 in March 1989, and ran for Cross Country until May 2002. Rebult as 57305, and now under hire to Rail Operations Group, currently under repair at Eastleigh Works.

With electrification and modernisation, the centre road is now gone. Platforms 15 and  16 were 1938 additions to the station, and have subsequently been renumbered.

The NRM had not yet been open for two years at this time, and was fitted with its original roof. York MPD was active in the remainder of the building, and there was a fair selection of    locomotives visible through the fence to the left, as seen here - including 31272 and 40057.

No 512, tank capacity 2047 gallons, built by Darlington Wagon & Engineering Company for the North Central Wagon Company and registered with the North Eastern Railway in 1889. Now on display at LOCOMOTION at Shildon. The GNR somersault signals are still in position outside the museum.

Looking at the car park, a HB Viva, a Commer FC camper van, and a Mk1 Ford Transit camper van are recogisable.

A final view before catching the return train. Looking at this scan in 2020, I was interested in the former good station buildings, on the right, which were then the NRM Peter Allen Building, not open to the the public. Now open as Station Hall.

I appear to be standing on platform 16, as switch 506 was on the Scarborough Goods Lines heading to York Yard South, removed in the 1980s. The view now appears to be blocked by the Unipart Rail Service Centre, which was closed in June 2020 to make way for the York Central redevelopment, which will further block the view seen above.

The cars are again a snapshot in time, I recognise a Triumph Herald, a Mk2 Ford Cortina, Ford Capri, Morris Minor, and a Hillman Avenger. Others are more difficult to reccognise.

While studying the image, I wondered if I could see the outline of a steam locomotive in the middle distance, and which it could be. Eventually, I flipped the photograph, and found that I had noted it as LNWR 790 Hardwicke, which was then main line approved. Now on display at LOCOMOTION at Shildon.

Here is my spotting list from the day, for which highlights are:
  • 40s on secondary workings and freight
  • Workings for Class 55 identified through the Napier Chronicles. including the Flying Scotsman in both directions
  • DMUs mainly Metro-Cammell, but include Trans-Pennine, Cravens and BRCW units
  • NRM display


Essential background for this research: 

I bought this copy of 'Moors Line' No 40 Summer 1977 at the WH Smith bookstall at York Station, for the great sum of 20p. I was utterly impressed by it at the time, as publicity it was well positioned. As mentioned before, the editor Murray Brown had articles of interest which were well prepared, went on to edit national publications, and remains involved at the NYMR and the Deltic Preservation Society.

Saturday 22 August 2020

17th - 22nd August 2020


 
47812 returns 442418 to Bournemouth, passing Redbridge, 18th August. 442418 went to Wolverton on 14th May. Motion picture by Ian Knight.

Monday 17th August:
Tuesday 18th August:
 66127 (+2922) 07:52 5Z61 Eastleigh - Wolverton; 47812 + 442418 5Q86 10:30 Wolverton - Bournemouth one two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Wednesday 19th August: 50007 + 50049 5Z50 08:00 Eastleigh - Leicester one two three four five six seven eight nine ten47812 5M21 09:00 Bournemouth - Derby one two three four
Thursday 20th August:
Friday 21st August:
Saturday 22nd August: 

Eastleigh Works: HST power cars - 143032

Saturday 15 August 2020

10th - 15th August 2020


Monday 10th August:
37175 3Q36 22:30 (Sun) Eastleigh - Havant - Alton - Guildford - London area - Basingstoke - Eastleigh one, 3Z09 21:10 Eastleigh - Woking
Tuesday 11th August:
Wednesday 12th August:
Thursday 13th August:

Friday 14th August: 66723 + 701007 + 66721 6X24 07:35 Derby - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven
Saturday 15th August: 

319373: Press tour on 10th August - Tweets: one "The 769s will work as tractors on London Gateway branch with 319, three daily returns gateway to liv st planned with 8-car formations" two three four five - article

Totton: Call for crossing to be replaced with bridge


Thursday 13 August 2020

Observations at Eastleigh, 11th August 2020


59003 YEOMAN HIGHLANDER arrives as 0O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh. It returned with a load as 6V41.

66621 passes through platform 2 with 7V16 11:56 Fareham - Whatley.

'Pink Un' 66587 AS ONE, WE CAN departs from Platform 2 with 4O14 04:59 Garston - Maritime.

66605 passes immediately after 66587 departed, with an early running 7V62 13:21 Up Yard - Whatley.

08460 doing what 08460 does.

OBA wagon 110045, now about the 5th oldest remaining on the books, built at BREL Ashford about 1977 to Lot 3909.

701005 awaits further trials in the airport sidings. 701002 was working its tests on the SWML.


70001 PoweerHaul is the current regular on 4M61 1300 Maritime - Trafford Park.

Wednesday 12 August 2020

Class 50s at Eastleigh, 11th August 2020

50007 Hercules + 6377 + 6376 + 50049 Defiance arrived on Friday 7th, and await their next move. Follow The Fifty Fund on Twitter.












Tuesday 11 August 2020

Eastleigh Works, and a modern tragedy, 11th August 2020


319373 finished in Orion High Speed Logistics vinyls. The destination indicator has now been covered in vinyl - solves the random station display observed last week!

Another view of 319373. The modern tragedy is this wooden fence, which will now block off some of the better photo views going forward.
 
The front coach of 442421 appears to be in a mangled state in the scrap area, offset to the right, and partly obscured. 70817 is recorded as being at Eastleigh this morning.

Mk2A BFK17056, built at BR Derby to Lot 30775 in April 1968, as the first of the Lot. Appears ready for collection by Locomotive Services.

Sunday 9 August 2020

Crane at Dunbridge, 7th August 2020


66850 David Maidment CBE 6X26 10:48 Hinksey - Eastleigh, via Westbury


66850 passes through Dunbridge.

Two views of the crane and its runners, converted from FCA wagons.
66605 running about an hour late with 7V62 13:21 Up Yard - Whatley.

Saturday 8 August 2020

Freight at St Denys, 5th August 2020


66503 The Railway Magazine running early with 4O14 04:59 Garston - Maritime.

66753 EMD Roberts Road running late with 4M19 11:50 Western Docks - East Midlands Gateway.

66509 gets away early with 7V62 13:21 Up Yard - Whatley.

70001 PowerHaul returned to traffic this week, and was at the head of 4M61 13:00 Maritime - Trafford Park.

A closer view of the reinstated locomotive, which does not yet feature the enlarged cabside decals.

3rd - 8th August 2020


47813 arrives at Eastleigh, 3rd August

A busy scene at Up Yard on 5th at 12:19. 444037, 377150, 37025 with the test train, 66509 preparing for return to Whatley.

Monday 3rd August: 47813 0O86 0922 Leicester- Eastleigh one two three four, 47813 + 47848 0M59 14:29 Eastleigh - Leicester one two three four five six seven eight; 37025 + 37421 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight
Tuesday 4th August: 37025 + 37421 1Q52 1Q52 10:37 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard - Fareham - Eastleigh - Woking Winchester Baltic Siding - Lymington Pier -Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen; 73961 + 73962 0Z03 Derby - Eastleigh one two; 37175 3Q01 23:37 Woking - Eastleigh one
Wednesday 5th August: 37025 + 37421 (unexpected extra day on the turn) 1Q53 1Q53 11:48 Eastleigh - Up Yard - Wimbledon - Up Yard one two three four five six seven eight, 1Q53 18:04 Up Yard - Wimbledon - Totton - Romsey - Eastleigh  one; 37175 3Q03 23:42 Eastleigh - Preston Park - Bognor Regis - Eastleigh - Winchester Baltic Siding - Eastleigh one
Thursday 6th August: 37025 + 37421 0Z37 11:30 Eastleigh - Nottingham one two; 73961 + 73962 1Q54 12:45 Eastleigh - Tonbridge one two; 37175 3Q04 21:19 Eastleigh - Southampton - Reading Triangle 
Friday 7th August: 50007 + 50049 5Z51 17:40 Reading  - Eastleigh East Yard one two three; 37175 3Q40? 23:58 Reading - Southampton - Woking (? - only tracked to Basingstoke, reported at Eastleigh on Saturday)
Saturday 8th August: 50007 +50049 at Eastleigh

70001 returned to traffic on Monday 3rd. Flickr for the week.


701005 made the first commissioning run from Eastleigh on the evening of 6th, crewed by GBRf one two three four five

313121 made some recent test runs, and moved to Ferme Park on 6th.


Friday 7 August 2020

Tractors on the Test Train, St Denys, 5th August 2020


37421 + 37025 Inverness TMD 1Q53 11:48 Eastleigh - Up Yard - Wimbledon - Up Yard
The same test coaches as seen at Dunbridge on 4th June, and also similar to those of August 2019.

37025 was allocated to Inverness until 19th January 1986, when it was transferred to Eastfield. 37421 was allocated to Inverness from 12th January 1986, following its HGR overhaul and fitting of ETH. One appears to have more or less been swapped for the other in these now far off times.

37421 lead through St Denys.

977868 Radio Survey Train Test coach

977983 Electrification Measurement Vehicle

5981 Plain Line Pattern Recognition vehicle "PLPR2"

6264 Generator Van

37025 makes the departure from the Up Yard

37421 was under blue star coupled power on the rear.

Thursday 6 August 2020

Test Train at Redbridge, 3rd August 2020


3rd August: Three pictures of 37421 + 37025 passing Redbridge with 1Q51 heading for Weymouth.

37421 was was new as D6967 from English Electric / Vulcan Foundry on 13th February 1965

The formation was 977868 + 977983 + 5981 + 6264.

Wednesday 5 August 2020

Freight at Eastleigh, 3rd August 2020


59003 YEOMAN HIGHLANDER on regular turn 6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh.

66775 HMS Argyll 4M19 11:50 Western Docks - East Midlands Gateway.

66544 4O18 07:24 Lawley Street - Maritime.

66041 4O40 09:43 Morris Cowley - Eastern Docks.

66784 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway + 66702 Blue Lightning STP 0Z70 12:31 Eastleigh East Yard - Brockenhurst Down Siding

70016 on regular turn 4M61 13:00 Maritime-Trafford Park for the fourth week.