Mendip Aggregates at Eastleigh, 4th July 2025

 

59102 Village of Chantry with 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley.

NACO 3900, the first of the series built by Marcroft at Stoke in 2000, and now the oldest wagons in the Mendip Rail fleet.

59005 KENNETH J PAINTER arrives with 6O70 11:15 Westbury Tarmac to Eastleigh Foster Yeoman. These ThFO STP workings are understood to be for infrastructure for the Welborne Garden Village.

The wagons were all hoppers, of the usual current Mendip Rail mix. The newest was HOA 81.70.6774.276-4, the third last of its lot, delivered in April 2025 from Greenbrier-Astra, Poland.

59205 passing through with 6V62 13:21 Up Yard - Westbury Tarmac.

The consist was completely formed from the 2000 vintage Marcroft JNA wagons, the last one was NACO 3943.

'Britannic Explorer', Eastleigh, 4th July 2025

 

66744 Heart of Wales approaching with 5Z75 08:48 Euston - Eastleigh Works. There appears to have been a press event over Thursday evening to Friday morning, in platform 16 at Euston.

99101 (87104, IR 7601) is a Mk3 Generator Van, built at BREL Derby, specifically for Ireland.

99108 (87101, IR 7171), now a Dining Car, was originally assembled at Inchicore Works.

New nameplates on 66748 St Michael's Mount.


Still working as 5Z75, 66744 and 66748 later worked a turning move for coach 99104, using station platforms and depot loop.

New nameplate Heart of Wales on 66744.

Coach 99104, which carried a label 'Waterford 99104' in the nearest window. This identifies it as the former 87003, IR 7129, rather than as printed in the current Platform 5 book, which does contain a note to say that confirmation of previous identities was not completed.

Detail of Central Door Locking light, similar to those on the 'Royal Scotsman'.


66748 St Michael's Mount on the turning move.

66744 and 66748 returned to the yard after the completion of the turning move.

Belmond Britannic Explorer

Rubbed down 57604 in platform 3 at Eastleigh, 4th July 2025

57604 Pendennis Castle was transferred from the T&RSMD into the Works, which needs to route via a station platform. Following its arrival on Saturday 28th, it has ben rubbed down for repaint, and like 90018, it is due to make an appearance at the Railway 200 event, 1st to 3rd August.

57604 was spray painted on.

30th June - 5th July 2025

 

66015 shunting in Eastleigh Yard, 4th July. It had arrived from Westbury in 6O41.

59102 Village of Chantry approaches Eastleigh from Chandlers Ford on 4th July, running as 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley.

Monday 30th June: 33012 0Z33 13:25 Tonbridge - Fareham - Swanage one two three; 73963 + 73964 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 1st July: 73963 + 73964 1Q52 10:47 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton - Barnham Chichester - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard  - Havant - Guildford - Havant - Fareham - Eastleigh - Winchester - Basingstoke - Woking - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh; 800028 5X84 13:15 Reading - Eastleigh; 37057 + 37175 3Q01 23:34 Woking - Eastleigh
Wednesday 2nd July: 73963 + 73964 1Q53 12:00 Eastleigh - Up Yard - Wimbledon - Up Yard one, 1Q53 18:05 Up Yard - Wimbledon - Totton - Romsey - Eastleigh; 37057 (earlier) + 37175 3Q03 22:36 Eastleigh - Redbridge - Salisbury - Redbridge -  Eastleigh - Brighton - Eastleigh
Thursday 3rd July: 73963 + 73964 1Q54 12:55 Eastleigh - Reading; 66748 (+ Britannic Explorer) + 66744 T+T 5Z74 15:59 Eastleigh - Euston one two three four; 37057 + 37175 3Q04 21:37 Eastleigh - Redbridge - Reading Triangle
Friday 4th July: 66744 + 66748 T+T 5Z75 08:48 Euston - Eastleigh one two; 66589 + 90018 0Z90 09:31 Basford Hall - Eastleigh (detach 90018) - Maritime one two three four five; 37057 + 37175 3Q40 23:53 Reading Triangle - Southampton - Woking
Saturday 5th July:

66748 outshopped at Eastleigh in 'Britannic Explorer' colours on 1st July (seen on 2nd), named St Michael's Mount. 66744 also now carries Heart of Wales nameplates.

The final Britannic Explorer coach 99105 is expected to arrive on Tuesday, 5Z43 17:24 (Mon) Hamilton Gbrf - Eastleigh Arlington (Zg).

Work starts to make classic ‘High Speed Train’ units fit for the future

90018 arrives at Eastleigh, 4th July 2025

The first attempt to get 90018 to Eastleigh Works, for the paintshop, on Tuesday 1st July, was turned around at Stafford, as Network Rail paperwork was said to not be in order for passage south of Fenny Compton. The same schedule, 0Z90 09:31 Basford Hall Yard - Eastleigh Works - Maritime, was run without incident on Friday 4th July, with 66589 as train engine.

90018 was new from BREL Crewe on 22nd December 1988 (seen in April 1989) and was acquired by Freightliner from DB Cargo in April 2024, along with 90040. It was on test in March 2025, followed by a return to traffic on 20th March. It even worked to Coatbridge and back after Tuesday' s failed attempt,

90018 is listed for a Railway 200 appearance.  Is it going to be a special livery?

66589 leads through platform 3.


A first view of 90018.


90018 is drawn away from the platform.


Seen from platform 1. Image by Ian Knight.

Going over the points.

Twenty minutes later, 08696 was shunting 90018 in the Works. Image by Ian Knight.