Variety at Aberdour, March - April 2024

 

43062 John Armitt leading 1Q26 13:45 Edinburgh - Slateford, 26th March.

43013 Mark Carne CBE on the rear.

Two pictures of the return working of the 'Easter Chieftain'. 66034 + 66110 1Z74 08:51 Aviemore (Speyside) - Eastleigh (loco change to 67005 at Tyne Yard.

66746 leading the first 'Royal Scotsman' of the season, 3rd April.


Observation Coach 99965 has received new pattern windows after the winter period.

66746 on the return working 1H91 08:00 Dundee - Edinburgh, at Aberdour, 5th April.


A view of the new windows on 99965 (formerly 319 SNIPE). Here is how it was.

22nd - 27th July 2024

 

66724 Drax Power Station leads into Romsey with 6O41 1014 Westbury - Eastleigh, 24th July.


The consist included 12 of the YKA 'Osprey' wagons. The last was DB 996469 (GR Turner, Lot 2926, 1956-57).

Monday 22nd July: 50008 0V50 0948 Eastleigh - Bristol Barton Hill Flickr for the day
Tuesday 23rd July: 800105 5X31 07:28 Eastleigh - Reading (for Bounds Green) one Flickr for the day;
Wednesday 24th July: 44871 + 47812 1Z91 08:45 Victoria -  Laverstock - Southampton - Weymouth (the train lost time in the Dean area, track fault reported 3 hours earlier, and the line between Laverstock and Romsey subsequently closed for track inspection), 1Z96 17:36 Weymouth- Waterloo Flickr for the day
Thursday 25th July: 43013 + 43062 1X23 15:28 Salisbury - Redbridge - Salisbury (later in day one two);  69010 (+ 701030, sent for storage on 5th April 2023) 5Q86 12:30 Long Marston - Eastleigh one two Flickr for the day
Friday 26th July: 33012 0Z65 09:35 Swanage - Eastleigh Flickr for the day
Saturday 27th July: 33012 + 4TC 5Z65 07:00 Eastleigh - Basingstoke (for tour to Parkend) one Flickr for the day

Southampton: Train station reopens south side after £5.5m revamp

Romsey railway station part of SWR's improvement project
- the station was repainted, and there is anew roof over the steam age water tank

18015 in Eastleigh Yard.

47830 has been sold to Locomotive Services, although Freightliner have clauses to allow its hire.

Tuesday's planned move of 701518 + 701524 from Long Marston did not take place, and 69010 waited two days before moving 701030 on Thursday.

Sir Kenneth Grange: one two

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Diesel Gala, 12th July 2024 2: 26010

26010 and I go back a long way, back to my 1978 book, and certainly a photo from March 1979. It was new to traffic as D5310 on 6th January 1959, and was withdrawn in December 1992. Earlier preserved on the Northampton & Lamport, it went to the Great Central and SRPS Bo'ness for repairs, then settled at Llangollen in 2009.

Numbered 5310, 26010 approaches Toddington.


Later in the day, approaching Winchcombe...


... where it made a Highland style like meet with 24081.

Waiting in the loop at Gotherington.

'The Dorset Coast Express', Romsey and Redbridge, 24th July 2024

44871 (+ 35508 9493 6115 6724 3395 3431 3326 1961 3352 3392) + 47812 1Z91 08:45 London Victoria - Laverstock - Southampton - Weymouth

44871 (LMS Crewe, 1945) approaches Romsey. 

Owner Ian Riley has just leased another Black 5, 45163, for a main line overhaul, with a target of 2027, which is when 45212 will be due a 10 year overhaul.

Going away scene.

Mk 2d BSO 9493 (BREL Derby, Lot 30824, 1971), part of the Central Door Locking fitted rake.

Ml 2f 3326 (BREL  Derby, Lot 30859, December 1973).

47812 on the rear, new as D1916, from Brush, Loughborough, on 18th November 1965.


44871 passing Redbridge a few minutes later.Image by Ian Knight.

The evening 1Z96 17:36 Weymouth - Waterloo passing Redbridge. Image by Ian Knight.

SRPS Diesel Gala, 29th December 2023. Part 4: Miscellany

 

47643 has been a stalwart at the Bo'ness and Kinneil for close to 30 years, However it was sitting this gala out ...


... as its tyres are now worn out.Replacement tyres have been authorised, but are the reason for an appeal for funding.

Ruston Pioneer 275883 of 1949, formerly South of Scotland Electricity Board No 7, which latterly worked at Denny Power Station. In 1972 it was driven the short distance into preservation at Falkirk.

Progress continues on 37261, although much work is internal.

37214 is only present to yield spare parts.

Coach 35185 shows new paint at the corridor connection end, where it has received crash post repairs as part of a programme to return the SRPS Railtours set to the main line.

Coach 3115 has been receiving attention, alongside 80105, which awaits its boiler, which has now been steam tested. 3115 moved to Cranmore in June 2024 for completion of repairs.

15th - 20th July 2024

 

66523 stabled at Eastleigh, 15th July.

66030 similarly stabled.

Monday 15th July: 47810 0Z45 10:25 Southall - Poole one two, 47810 (+ 11082) 5Z44 16:14 Poole - Southall; 50008 (+ 4-TC) 5Z50 11:21 Alton - Eastleigh Flickr for the day (50021 expected to move by road to Spa Valley); 802007 5X83 12:29 Royal Oak Sidings - Eastleigh one two Flickr for the day
Tuesday 16th July: 69010 (+ 458408) 5X64 11:27 Wembley - Southampton, 5Q64 15:31 Southampton -Bournemouth, 69010 (+ 458509) 5Z66 20:18 Bournemouth - Eastleigh Flickr for the day
Wednesday 17th July: 69008 (+ 701025, sent to store 13th April 2023) 5Q86 12:30 Long Marston - Eastleigh, 69008 0Z87 19:20 Eastleigh - Wembley Flickr for the day; 69010 (+ 458509) 5Q95 18:31 Eastleigh - Widnes Flickr for the day
Thursday 18th July:
Friday 19th July:
Saturday 20th July:

Class 18 18015  harrived in Eastleigh East Yard on 18th, and training is expected to start next week.

701046, removed from storage at Marchwood last week, worked up to Wimbledon on Monday 15th.

43290 and 43299, which saw work on the NMT from 2021 to 2023, ran out of hours, and are now being disposed of, it seems for spares. 43290 was trucked to Boden Rail on 16th. 43299 may similarly be going to Network Rail. Colas and Network Rail lease their power cars from Porterbrook, who have no other stock of these.

66301 is in Eastleigh Works, and may be being painted.

Network Rail is being abolished as "run by engineers for engineers".(quote from Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh, interviewed on LBC).

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Diesel Gala, 12th July 2024 1: 47105

While I had seen 47105 working as part of a rainy event in the 1996 period, in my more recent visits it had been under overhaul. Since 2020, back in operating condition.

47105 was new as D1693 on 6th December 1963, allocated to 82A Bristol Bath Road, and was withdrawn as 47105 on 13th December 1993, at 30 years and 7 days. Its second life has now exceeded that working for BR, following delivery to Toddington in April 1994.

47105 coupled up on the rear of a train operated by 37248, leaving Toddington for Broadway.

47105 is seen departing Toddington for Winchcombe and Cheltenham. Mid 1970s 'domino' headcode panel , but no headlight.


Now working from Cheltenham to Broadway, 47105 has come to a stand at Winchcombe.


Two pictures of 47105 departing from Winchcombe towards Toddington and Broadway.

Freight at Eastleigh, 15th July 2024

 

70015 with a late running 4O14 06:06 Basford Hall Yard (Fl) - Southampton M.C.T.

66799 Modern Railways Diamond Jubilee 6V01 12:18 Marchwood Mod Gbrf - Carlisle N.Y.

70002 4M61 12:56 Southampton M.C.T. - Trafford Park F.L.T.

59204 6V62 13:21 Southampton Up Yard (Fl) - Westbury Tarmac, a working apparently held over from Friday 12th.

66570 4M65 13:12 Southampton M.C.T. - Lawley Street F.L.T.

66755 Tony Berkeley OBE RFG Chairman 1997-2018 + 66724 Drax Power Station + 66846 + 66309 Charley Wallace 6V40 14:05 Eastleigh East Yard - Westbury Down T.C. Not mega-power, only the lead engine was working.

66744 Crossrail 4M46 14:21 Southampton W Docks (Gbrf) - Trafford Pk Euro Tml Gbrf.

Notes from Eastleigh, 15th July 2024

 

458427 5Q94 11:18 Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D - Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs. - possibly heading to join the working fleet.


73141 Spa Valley Railway arrives as 0Y72 08:42 Tonbridge West Yard Gbrf - Eastleigh Works Gbrf. 73961 later came off the Works, but just after I gave up waiting.


47810 Crewe Diesel Depot 0Z45 10:25 Southall Loco Services Ltd - Poole S. S.


The locomotive was paused in platform 3, before working onward to recover Mk 3 coach 11082.


802007 5X83 12:29 Royal Oak Sidings - Eastleigh Works Gbrf, for work by Hitachi.

The final coach was PDTRBF 835007.

56094 arrived light engine from Hinksey.