Class 40 at Aberdour, July 1976

From school holidays in Scotland 45 years ago. It was not as dry and hot as in England that year.

40085 passing the Hawkcraig Road bridge, Aberdour, sometime in July 1976, with what is likely an Edinburgh - Aberdeen train.

My notes on the back of the photo say '40086', but I also saw 40085 in that period, and there are crucial items which lean towards the latter - large BR arrows at each end, and no vertical rail as carried by 40086. 

40085 was completed as D285 at English Electric Vulcan Foundry, and entered traffic on 18th July 1960, allocated to 50A York North. Dual braked in June 1970, renumbered in February 1974. At the time of the picture, allocated to GD Gateshead, from where it was withdrawn om 30th March 1984. Withdrawn at and then scrapped at Doncaster by 6th January 1985.

23rd - 28th August 2021

57310 drags 319373 away from Eastleigh on 26th. Image by Ian Knight.

Monday 23rd August: 20007 + 20205 (484003 for the Island) 5Q90 15:00 Eastleigh T&RSMD - East Yard one two
Tuesday 24th August: 484002 car 232 on ferry to Isle of Wight (? one two three ?)
Wednesday 25th August: 59003 driver trainers to Weymouth and return (as MPV unserviceable) one two; 57310 0O86 11:46 Oxford - Eastleigh; 484002 in Sandown one two three
Thursday 26th August: 57310 (+ 319373) 5Q42 10:48 Eastleigh -Crewe South Yard one two three four five six; 67005 0Z75 08:32 Didcot - Laverstock - Romsey - Eastleigh - Redbridge - Romsey one, 0Z76 11:44 Romsey - Redbridge - Eastleigh - Romsey - Laverstock - Didcot; 484003 in transit to the Island one two
Friday 27th August:
Saturday 28th August:

20007 + 20205 appear to have arrived 0Z16 from Derby between 12th and 13th August.

59202 is now in G&W orange.

360121: "last I heard Eastleigh forgot they had it there and they took delivery of the second Class 360 to be refurbished resulting in a additional 3 week delay to 121."

Westbury, 29th January 1983 (part 1)

My first visit to Westbury, in the final days of the GWR / BR(W) signalling infrastructure. These pictures were taken on cheaper Boots film (3M - Ferrania, made in Italy) , where the colour printing was poor and has degraded with time.

47252 approaches the station with what appears to be a civil engineering train. 47252 was new from Brush, Loughborough, as D1929 on 7th February 1966, allocated to 82A Bristol Bath Road. Renumbered to 47252 in March 1974, ETH fitted and renumbered 47615 in June 1984. From May 1994 this was 47747, which appeared in Virgin Cross-Country and later EWS colours, later into Riviera ownership, but not operation, and similarly DRS, until disposal at Booth, Rotherham, in June 2013.

08935 was shunting, here seen to the surviving Westbury signal box, formerly Westbury (North). 08935 was new to 83B Taunton as D4165 from BR Darlington on 14th May 1962, so was 20 years old at this time, when allocated to BR, Bristol Bath Road. It was withdrawn in April 1994, and then broken up by Gwent Demolition, by 3rd September that year.

Further pictures of 08935 at Westbury in the 1980s: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve

Impressive signal gantry of lower quadrant GWR pattern signals. Further images:one two three four

08935 is now attached to ZUV Shark plough brake van DB 993926, built in 1962 to Lot 3285,on the rear of the train which arrived behind 47252. 993926 received workshop attention in July 1983. GWR signals on left with route indicators. 

33029 arrives at Westbury with an '89' Portsmouth - Cardiff train, formed of the typical five Mk 1 coaches. Only in 2020 did five coach trains return. Note the VR postbox at left.

33029 was new as D6547 on 25th March 1961, and was renumbered in January 1974. It was stopped by EWS in February 1997, sold to DRS in 2001, then West Coast Railway Co in 2005, for whom it is operational.

KDB 975047 was I recall marked up for the Project Mercury fibre-optic communications projects, although there was also re-signalling under way at Westbury. Other photographs suggest that it was here for some time, with wooden steps on the far side, and an arrangement of ladder and tv aerial at the left (also seen here, on the preceding Sunday). Originally BSK W34769 built at BR Wolverton to Lot 30157, delivered in May 1956 and taken out of traffic by March 1970. From November 1971 it was a S&T Staff & Dormitory Coach, as shown, coming out of use in 1989. Disposed of to the West Somerset Railway, where it was scrapped in 2002.

43012 of set 253006 has the off to proceed to Paddington. This power car was delivered from BREL Crewe in May 1976, and is now in ScotRail service. It was derailed at Dalwhinnie on 10th April 2021, later returned slowly to Haymarket on 18th April. Indications are that the derailment is associated with wiring faults in a recently replaced point motor.

Westbury (North) Signal Box 
Closure in May 1984 - BR Notice
Further archive for Westbury (at the bottom of the page)

16th - 21st August 2021

Ten year flashback, 66575 at Eastleigh Works in Freightliner scheme with Colas hard hat flash, 13th August 2011. It was outshopped in Colas colours as 66848 by the 28th.

Monday 16th August: 37402 + 37069 0Z11 09:57 Eastleigh - Willesden one two
Tuesday 17th August: 37800 (+ 360107) one two three four five 5Q86 04:10 Cricklewood - Eastleigh, 37800 0H72 09:09 Eastleigh - Bicester one two
Wednesday 18th August: 484003 + 484005 on test one; 67024 5Z82 05:05 Eastleigh - Victoria one, 5Z85 21:45 London - Eastleigh
Thursday 19th August: 67001 + 67021 1Z58 10:07 Victoria - Winchester one two three four, 5Z59 12:59 Winchester - Eastleigh, 67021 + 67024 5Z60 16:47 Eastleigh - Winchester, 1Z60 17:13 Winchester - Victoria
Friday 20th August: 67001 5Zxx 02:14 Eastleigh - Reading - Bristol Parkway one
Saturday 21st August: 67001 5Zxx 00:30 Bristol Parkway - Salisbury - Romsey - Eastleigh

66754 was in a collision with a tractor and trailer on 19th between Peterborough and Ely, where the train driver is reported to have sustained minor injuries.

Romsey, 12th August 2021

Two pictures of 59205 running as 6V07 13:41 Chichester - Merehead.

The rake was all modern JNA wagons, so could run as Class 6 - the O&K JYA wagons are 45 mph restricted and must run as Class 7.

66548 with a late running from origin 4O57 13:29 Wentloog - Maritime. There is still a long rake of KTAs, now continuous, but the other wagons have been swapped for KFA TIPH 93408, and a number of FEA spine wagons. The LED marker lights have been modified a second time, and are now larger, compare with July 2019.

The early bird catches the Tractors!, Romsey, 14th August 2021

"The Cambridge & Norfolk Explorer"
37402 Stephen Middlemore - 23/12/1954 - 8/6/2013 + 37069 1Z10 05:19 Eastleigh - Norwich.
35469 + 3110 + 3141 + 1671 + 3119 + 3123 + 3146 + 3149 + 1813 + 4927 + 4946 + 4991 + 4998

Arriving in Romsey at 05:30, taking only 11 minutes from Eastleigh.

Further along the platform. The new LED lighting appears to be an improvement for the localised area.

A closer view of 37402 ...

... and 37069.

FO 3146 built at BR Swindon to Lot 30717, entering traffic in February 1964.

RMB 1813 built at BR Wolverton,as the first of Lot 30520, entering traffic in March 1961.


A breakfast setting as a detail of 3123, built at BR Swindon to Lot 30697, entering traffic in 1963.

Ready for departure for the next call, at Salisbury, reached after sunrise. The Riviera Mk 1 coaches only returned to traffic in July following changes in Coronavirus regulations.

9th - 14th August 2021

 

4-CEP motor coaches 61229 and 61230 awaiting removal from Eastleigh Works, 11th August. These arrived in the Works in January 2014, but status appears to be as last documented in 2017. The EPB Preservation Group owns the units, and the MLVs which came to run with the CEP coaches.

66846 laying over at Eastleigh, 11th August.

Sunday 8th August: 57002+ 57003 0Z45 14:33 Eastleigh - Crewe one two three four (were moving snowploughs from Kilmarnock later in the week)
Monday 9th August: 66773 6Z59 16:45 Bristol East - Eastleigh (Portbury stone wagons, diverted to Bristol East) one two
Tuesday 10th August: 20142 + 20007 0M20 08:13 Eastleigh - Tyseley one two three four; 66773 6Y58 11:45 Eastleigh - Tonbridge (wagons from 6Z59) one
Wednesday 11th August: 67001 + 67021 1Y91 11:31 Victoria-Hove one two; 69001 + 66796 0O69 11:00 Longport - Eastleigh one two three, 69001 0Y69 17:39 Eastleigh - Tonbridge Flickr for the day
Thursday 12th August: 66769 + 66725 T+T 5Z82 07:3 Eastleigh - Victoria (for naming), 5Z83 16:46 Victoria - Eastleigh one two Flickr for the day; 33025 (+ MLV's 68001 + 68002) 5Z38 08:49 Southall - Eastleigh one two , 33025 (+ 4-CEP coaches+ MLVs ) 5Z46 13:37 Eastleigh - Southall one Flickr for the day; 450069 1Z32 10:45 Bournemouth - Waterloo (Key Workers livery) one two three, 5Z33 13:39 Waterloo - Bournemouth one; 47727 + 701019 5Q10 07:11 Derby - Eastleigh, 47727 0Z47 15:59 Eastleigh - Wembley one Flickr for the day
Friday 13th August: 37069 + 37402 0Z10 11:35 Willesden Brent - Eastleigh one two three four five six
Saturday 14th August: 37402 + 37069 1Z10 05:19 Eastleigh - Norwich, 1Z11 17:03 Norwich - Eastleigh Flickr for the day

08785 completed the journey from Felixstowe to Ipswich on Saturday 7th one two three four five six seven

59003 is back out, on driver trainer activities one two, and now at Westbury.

43083 in Eastleigh Works (arrived 11th June 2020) has provided spare parts for the 'nose job'repair of 43055 at Neville Hill, now completed.

The Ferry Scenery Vans, 083644 and 083664, at the airport sidings in Eastleigh were moved to the Mid-Hants Railway on 18th June.

SWR December 2022: Timetable Consultation

"Even though passengers are now returning to the railways, all the forecasts suggest they will not return to pre-Covid levels for the foreseeable future. The December 2022 timetable is our opportunity to plan for a long-term timetable that will retain the reliability improvements we’ve made, meet the forecast demand and provide value for the taxpayer while balancing other local and national priorities."

 

Freight workings at Eastleigh, 11th August 2021

 

66705 Golden Jubilee passes on the down fast with 4Y19 12:30 Mountfield - Western Docks.

66517 arrives ...

... and departs with 4O35 09:31 Basford Hall - Maritime.

66093 arriving with 4E68 16:15 Western Docks-Wakefield Europort.

66186 rolls through with 4O21 09:15 Trafford Park-Western Docks, which has a scheduled holding period in East Yard,

70019 arriving with 4M99 16:57 Maritime - Basford Hall.

69001 and 66796 at Eastleigh, 11th August 2021

69001 + 66796 0O69 11:00 Longport F.D. - Eastleigh Works Gbrf
69001 0Y69 17:39 Eastleigh Works Gbrf - Tonbridge West Yard Gbrf

69001 (56031) has made a previous appearance on these pages, when only finished in primer. 

66796 was built by EMD at London, Ontario as builder's number 20038561-1, delivered in November 2004. Originally in the Mitsui Rail Capital Europe fleet, then sold to Beacon in July 2015, becoming registered as 92 80 1266 038-9 D-BRLL, which it has carried until now, latterly running as 561-01. 66796 was landed at Immingham on 15th June.

69001 Mayflower + 66796 run through platform 2.


Closer to the camera.


UIC data panel on 66796.


66796 is signalled to enter into the Works.


'66796' number pasted onto the end of the locomotive.

69001 moves into platform 3 for a reversal to go to Tonbridge.

Mayflower nameplate and flags.

Detail of the locomotive end at the platform.


66796 awaits entry into the paintshop at the Works.

DRS Class 57s at Eastleigh, 8th August 2021

When I arrived there was a double Class 57 cacophony around the neighbourhood, with the locomotives running through the works some 90 minutes ahead of schedule. 57002 is seen at the works exit where it held for about 15 minutes before departing at 13:29 as 0Z45 14:33 to Crewe Gresty Bridge (DRS). Buddleia is something of an Eastleigh feature these days.

Before the 57s could depart 66731 Capt. Tom Moore arrived with late running 6G11 09:09 Wandsworth Road - Eastleigh, seen earlier at Farlington Junction. The first OCA wagon was 112081.

The trailing OCA was 112104.


57002 (rebuilt from 47322) led 57003 (rebuilt from 47317) away on the return to Crewe. 

These are the surviving pair of active Class 57s with DRS. It would seem that they will be available for the forthcoming RHTT season, but a lot may depend upon the condition of their wheelsets through and after that. They already spent a short period in storage in mid-2020. They previously visited in January 2020.

Eastleigh Works, 8th August 2021

 
TF 41183 of Locomotive Services, alongside rubbed down 43468, for Hanson+Hall / Rail Adventure.

442407 is in the Raxstar disposal area, identified by its various scratches. This is the A end, so it appears that where DTS 77412 has already been disposed of, the MBC was already completed in 2020.

"The Dorset Coast Statesman", 7th August 2021

 47828 + 47805 T+T 1Z52 05:05 Ely - Weymouth

47828 leads through St Denys.


 D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013 on the rear of the train.

Some 10 minutes later, the train passed Totton Yard. Two images by Ian Knight.

Images from other photographers.

2nd - 7th August 2021

 

70002 was supershunter at Maritime, 31st July.

66764 Major John Poyntz passing Redbridge with 6O31 17:30 Westbury - Eastleigh, 5th August. The Colas 125 tonne Kirow crane DRK 81612 is leading in the consist  it was sent to Westbury and back again as a turning move. 59003 was observed to be poorly when running on 6V31 on Wednesday, and after return to Eastleigh with 6O39 on Thursday, it appears to be once again re-entering the works.

66503 The Railway Magazine + 66533 Hanjn Express / Senator Express with no load, as 0O27 06:51 Basford Hall - Maritime, 7th August.

Monday 2nd August: 37425 6Y03 06:46 Eastleigh - Long Marston one (and link in earlier coverage); 57312 0O86 09:16 Derby - Eastleigh, 57312 + 768001 5Q72 15:57 Eastleigh - Wembley one two three four (then to Hams Hall on 3rd one two three four five); 67023 + 67027 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 3rd August: 67023 + 67027 1Q52 10:37 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard - Havant - Guildford - Havant - Fareham - Eastleigh - Winchester - Woking - Lymington Pier -Eastleigh one two three four five
Wednesday 4th August: 67023 + 67027 1Q53 11:48 Eastleigh - Up Yard - Wimbledon - Up Yard, 1Q53 18:04 Up Yard - Wimbledon - Totton - Romsey - Eastleigh
Thursday 5th August: 67023 + 67027 1Q54 12:46 Eastleigh - Tonbridge; 08785 (G&W Orange) moved by road from Maritime, expected to Felixstowe then Ipswich; 45596 + 47245 T+T 1Z50 08:45 Victoria - Weymouth, 1Z52 16:35 Weymouth - Southampton - Laverstock - Victoria Flickr for the day
Friday 6th August: 68002 + 37038 + 37218 + 37419 0Z38 09:50 Crewe - Eastleigh one Flickr for the day 
Saturday 7th August: 68002 1Z38 05:31 Eastleigh - Bescot Up And Down Goods one two three four, 57002 + 57003 1Z42 20:27 Bescot Up And Down Goods - Eastleigh one two three; 47805 + 47828 T+T 1Z52 05:05 Ely - Weymouth one two, 1Z55 14:36 Weymouth - Ely one two

Eastleigh Works may be part of the Hitachi Class 8xx repair programme, potentially for the GWR sets, while Newton Aycliffe works on the other sets. It is understood that a repair plan has now been devised.

37038 is expected to yield parts at Eastleigh Works to repair 37218. 

59202 is being repainted at Toton, arriving there on 21st July.

08873 which has worked for Freightliner in Southampton for a couple of periods, has been disposed of in June, by Beaver Metals in Water Orton. Seen stripped shortly before movement from Barton-under-Needwood.

Roger Homan has shared these images of the rail to road bridge connection at Millbrook, taken on Tuesday - it was not yet available for public use (Images from roadside, then railside)