Steam at the Great Central Railway, 7th June 2025

 

6990 Witherslack Hall arriving at Quorn & Woodhouse. 


BR 5MT 73156 had been in traffic earlier in the week.


78019, first allocated to Kirkby Stephen in March 1954, at rest at Loughborough.

Also new to Kirkby Stephen in March 1954, and the loco involved in Snowdrift at Bleath Gill, 78018 approaches Quorn with a dining train.


6990 approaches Loughborough with a train from Leicester North.


6990 running around at Loughborough.

At Quorn, a newly married couple have their picture taken close to 6990.

15th - 20th December 2025

10 years ago, 70810 at Eastleigh Works, 19th December 2015.

Monday 15th October: 37501 0O86 06:50 Derby - Eastleigh one two three four, 37501 (+ 6393) 5M57 12:25 Eastleigh Arlington -Derby one two three four five (barrier coach later used for a Glasgow - Wolverton 334024 move one two three four); 47727 0O79 12:30 Leicester - Eastleigh; 73961 + 73962 1Q51 1150 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 16th October: 47739 0O69 08:00 Marchwood - Eastleigh; 47727 0Z84 08:25 Eastleigh - Marchwood, 47727 (+701032) 5Q84 11:01 Marchwood - Wimbledon Park, 47727 0Z85 15:17 Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh; 73961 + 73962 1Z52 1430 Eastleigh East Yard to Derby; 37421 3Q01 23:34 Woking -Eastleigh
Wednesday 17th October: 37421 3Q02 21:40 Eastleigh -  Weymouth - Fratton - St Denys - Eastleigh; 47727 & 47739 at Eastleigh one two three four five; 37421 at Eastleigh one two
Thursday 18th October: 47727 0Z84 08:25 Eastleigh - Marchwood; 47727 (+701029) 5Q84 11:01 Marchwood - Wimbledon Park one, 47727 0Z84 14:12 Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh; 73961 + 73962 1Q54 12:55 Eastleigh - Reading; 37421 3Q04 21:37 Eastleigh - Totton - Reading Triangle
Friday 19th October: 455727 + 455870 5Y51 14:32 Bournemouth - Wimbledon Park one two three (5727 for Farewell Runs this weekend); 37421 3Q40 23:58 Reading Triangle - Southampton -  Reading Triangle
Saturday 20th October: 455712 + 455717 5Y51 11:32 Bournemouth - Wimbledon Park one two three four (for tour)

Rail 200 exhibition train: one two three four

SRPS Diesel Gala, 1st June 2025. Part 1: Class 20s

 

20132 + 20118 Saltburn-by-the-Sea emerge from the sheds and sidings.


Detail of 20132, part of the second series, delivered from Vulcan Foundry as D8132 in March 1966 to Tinsley.

Detail of 20118, part of the first series, delivered from Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn, Darlington, in March 1962 to Polmadie.


The pairs of 20s move on to couple up to 66307 on the train.

Having returned from Manuel, the pair prepare to return to the sidings to await a later turn in the day.

SRPS Diesel Group

Outside at Barrow Hill, 7th June 2025

 

37419 was in a stored status, in the ownership of Swietelsky. It arrived at Barrow Hill on 28th May 2024. Now out and about in Swietelsky colours.


66798 Justine was coupled to a weedkiller train, with 66739 Bluebell Railway at the far end. 03066 lay alongside.

46010 + 45060 (D100) SHERWOOD FORESTER.

08956 in pool CDJD (Network Rail Class 08); 37402 Oor Wullie of Sheaf Engineering; and 50164 from the NYMR, who are understood to want their Class 101 twin to be serviceable again.

BR 62321 Class 423 4-VEP EMU Motor Brake Second Open Built 1969, being used as office space for Rampart.

20 or more of these new JNA-Z wagons, built by WH Davis at Mansfield in 2024, and intended for HS2 construction usage, were in storage. this is 81.70.5932.857.2.

'The Bath Christmas Market Express', Eastleigh, 12th December 2025

61306 MAYFLOWER + 47593 Galloway Princess T+T 1Z71 08:00 Three Bridges - Bath Spa.

61306 approaching platform 2.

Running through the platform.

FO 3122 (BR Swindon, Lot 30697, 1962).


47593 on the rear.

47593, built as D1973, new from BR Crewe in November 1965, allocated to 64B Haymarket, later 47272.


Shortly later, at Romsey. Video clip by Ian Knight.

8th - 13th December 2025

 

66536 prepares the stock for 4E65 13:13 Maritime - Doncaster Europort, 11th December.

66594 NYK Spirit of Kyoto 4O14 05:08 Garston - Maritime, arriving at Maritime, 11th December.

59202 Pride of Ferrybridge at Eastleigh with 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley, 12th December.


20205 + 395008 + 20007 passing St Denys, 12th December. Video clip by Ian Knight.

Monday 8th December: 47727 0O47 12:50 Leicester- Eastleigh one
Tuesday 9th December: 47739 (+ 701038) 5Q84 11:00 Marchwood - Wimbledon Park; 47739 0Z85 15:17 Wimbledon - Eastleigh; 71000 + 57311 + 1Z71 0729 London Victoria - Havant - Eastleigh - Salisbury - Bath Spa one two three four five six, 57311 + 47593 (one two)1Z72 17:56 Bath Spa - Salisbury - Eastleigh - Havant Victoria
Wednesday 10th December: 47727 0F94 09:47 Eastleigh - Leicester
Thursday 11th December: 20007 + 20205 T+T 5O27 06:20 Wembley - Eastern Docks one; 47739 0Z84 09:12 Eastleigh - Marchwood, 47739 (+ 701032) 5Q84 11:00 Marchwood - Wimbledon Park ("This service was cancelled due to a problem with the traction equipment (MC)."); 67027 + 66544 0Z27 09:05 Westbury - Didcot - Eastleigh Arlington one two
Friday 12th December: 20205  (+ 395008) + 20007 7Q28 10:30 Eastern Docks - Eastleigh Arlington one two three four, 20205 + 20007  5M29 14:00 Eastleigh - Wembley; 61306 + 47593 T+T 1Z71 08:00 Three Bridges - Bath Spa one two, 61306 + 71000 + 47593 1Z72 15:55 Bath Spa - Three Bridges one two three four five
Saturday 13th December: 34028 + 47802 1Z87 07:18 Three Bridges - Bristol one two three, 1Z88 17:17 Bristol - Three Bridges (34028 5Z89 19:28 Salisbury - Swanage)

Freightliner Agree Deal with Porterbrook for 150 Intermodal Wagons - "a new design based on 40ft platforms" - so not quite an extension of the FFA-G type.

Engine problems hit GWR IET fleet with root cause not yet identified - fuel pumps are failing.

70009 has been returned from Colas to Freightliner pool DFHH, currently at Midland Road, Leeds.

20007 + 20205 move 395008, Eastleigh, 12th December 2025

20205 + 96605 + 395008 (39082 + 39081) + 20007 7Q28 103:0 Southampton Eastern Docks - Eastleigh Arlington (Zg), a specialised move operated by Rail Adventure.

20205 bringing the train along the Up Fast.

20007 leads back to the station .

While timetable for platform 2, the train ran through platform 3, as typically used for Works approaches.

Damaged 39081 of 395008 Ben Ainslie.

Universal Barrier Vehicle 96605 Ernest.


The train entering the Works. The 20s and barriers later worked back to Wembley.

1st - 6th December 2025

 

66620 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley, 3rd December.

66750 Bristol Panel Signal Box + 66710 Karen Harrison + 66130 0O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh, passing Redbridge, 4th December.

Monday 1st December: 37401 (+ 3091) 5Z90 09:44 Eastleigh - Crewe (ran 4 hrs late) one two
Tuesday 2nd December:
Wednesday 3rd December: 47739 0O77 12:31 Leicester - Eastleigh
Thursday 4th December: 47739 0Z84 09:12 Eastleigh - Marchwood, 47739 (+701038) 5Q84 11:19 Marchwood - Wimbledon Park ("This service was cancelled due to a problem with the brakes", loco appears to have quickly sneaked back to Eastleigh quite soon after arrival at Marchwood.)
Friday 5th December:
Saturday 6th December:

313201 has been relocated to Llanelli, further info from the owning group.

In the forums: "DB Cargo has won a 5 year contract to move electric cars for Jaguar from Halewood to the port of Southampton."

395008 - the two coaches at Eastern Docks are expected to move to Eastleigh Works next week.

Eastleigh Works: 19Nov - 20Nov - 25Nov - 26Nov (departure of scrapped 57007) - 27Nov

Ten minutes at Eastleigh, 2nd December 2025

 

59104 Village of Great Elm 6V62 13:21 Up Yard - Westbury Tarmac.

66533 4O90 04:55 Doncaster Europort - Maritime.


66419 Lionesses' Roar 4E65 13:13 Maritime - Doncaster Europort.

Miscellany at Eastleigh, 28th November 2025

 

59201 Westbury PSB crossing over the main lines with 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley.

66520 4O15 06:40 Lawley Street - Maritime.

69009 WESTERN CONSORT has been introduced to the Westbury circuit, seen arrriving as 0O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh.

66419 Lionesses' Roar 66419 4O14 05:08 Garston - Maritime.

59202 Pride of Ferrybridge 6O70 11:00 Westbury Tarmac - Eastleigh.

66124 4O39 09:43 Morris Cowley - Eastern Docks.

59104 Village of Great Elm 6V62 13:21 Up Yard - Westbury Tarmac.

66594 NYK Spirit of Kyoto 4O90 04:55 Doncaster Europort - Maritime.

66505 4E65 13:13 Maritime - Doncaster Europort.

24th - 29th November 2025

 

59204 at Crampmoor with 6O68 0911 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley, 26th November.

70020 at Maritime, 23rd November. Image by Roger Homan. By Thursday morning 27th, no Freightliner Class 70 was present or working in the South, with 70020 working from Earles Sidings.

68022 + CH12 5Q69 10:43 Eastleigh Trsmd - Banbury Depot, Eastleigh, 28th November.

Monday 24th November: 69006 + 56051 6O31 17:25 Westbury - Eastleigh
Tuesday 25th November: 59003 (+ Britannic Explorer) 6S20 07:30 Eastleigh - Tuebrook (Network Rail did not permit 59003 to go beyond Preston, so changed at Tuebrook to 66732 - Hamilton) one two three four five; 68021 0Z95 Eastleigh - Loughborough one two three
Wednesday 26th November: 59003 0Z59 11:00 Tuebrook - Eastleigh one two three four five
Thursday 27th November: 56051 + 70813 0Z13 08:52 Eastleigh - Westbury
Friday 28th November:
Saturday 29th November:

70009,  currently leased to Colas, is not expected to return to the Freightliner Heavy Haul fleet, which will be 18 units ahead of the company transaction.

Freightliner have ordered a further 150 FFA-G Ecofret wagons, to add to the previous 230 in the 81.70.4846.xxx-x series.

Class 455s now seem to be heading to Derby for disposal, as Unimetals' at Newport is in liquidation. 455731 was one of a pair moved on 24th, seen here at Eastleigh Works when being equipped with a Vossloh Kiepe traction package, 23rd September 2016.

Remains of 57007, seen earlier on 12th November, removed in two halves from Eastleigh Works to a local scrap yard (Bryan Hirst, Bullington Cross), 26th November.

57007 Freightliner Bond, Maritime, 27th November 2004.

Clayton Equipment Co, manufacturer of Class 18, is entering administration.

Eastleigh Works: 30Sep - 01Oct - 02Oct - 07Oct - 09Oct - 21Oct - 22Oct - 28Oct - 29Oct - 07Nov - 12Nov - 13Nov - 14Nov - 18Nov