22nd - 27th September 2025

 

69004 RIDC Melton has recently been a solid regular performer on the Eastleigh - Westbury cycles. Seen approaching Romsey with 6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh on 22nd.

70004 The Coal Industry Society 4M61 12:56 Maritime - Trafford Park, at Eastleigh, 23rd September.

66594 4O90 04:55 Doncaster Europort - Maritime, at Eastleigh, 23rd September.

66568 4E65 13:13 Maritime - Doncaster Europort, at Eastleigh, 23rd September.

66749 Christopher Hopwood MBE 60 Years Railway Service 0B44 12:18 Marchwood - Eastleigh, approaching Redbridge, 24th September.

37884 passing Romsey on 24th September.

37884 dragging 68031 at Eastleigh, 25th September. Image by The Image Team.

Monday 22nd September: 57305 + 57303 + 57310 4Z58 0916 Eastleigh - Taunton one two three four five six seven eight; 37409 + 90026 (+ 6394 + 6393) 5Z90 07:41 Crewe - Eastleigh one two three; 37510 + 68031 T+T 5Q86 10:47 Long Marston - Eastleigh one two three four; 73963 + 73964 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one
Tuesday 23rd September: 47593 + 57311 3Z45 03:06 Southall - Poole, 1Z46 06:05 Poole - Canterbury West one two, 1Z47 15:59 Canterbury West - Poole; 37510 0H71 09:41 Eastleigh  - Wembley one two; 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; 69009 0O15 14:51 Milton Keynes - Eastleigh

Wednesday 24th September: 47593 + 57311 1Z50 00:13 Poole - Crewe; 69009 0Z82 07:57 Eastleigh - Marchwood one, 0Z84 10:19 Marchwood -Eastleigh (after failure to collect a Class 701); 47810 + 47805 1Z16 05:35 Nottingham - Weymouth one two three four, 1Z17 15:37 Weymouth - Nottingham one two; 73963 + 73964  1Q53 12:00 Eastleigh - Up Yard - Wimbledon - Up Yard one, 1Q53 18:05 Up Yard - Wimbledon - Totton - Romsey - Eastleigh; 37884 0Z86 17:20 Newport (Unimetals) - Eastleigh

Thursday 25th September: 69009 0Z82 07:57 Eastleigh - Marchwood one, 69009 (+ 701026) 5Q84 10:19 Marchwood - Wimbledon Park one two three; 68020 (in new Chiltern vinyls) 5Q69 09:43 Eastleigh - Banbury one two three four;73963 + 73964 1Q54 12:55 Eastleigh - Reading; 37884 0Z86 14:03 Eastleigh -Marchwood, 0Z87 14:59 Marchwood - Totton, 0Z88 15:13 Totton - Marchwood, 0Z89 15:30 Marchwood - Eastleigh one (training for Alliance Rail?), 37884 + 68031 0H72 17:45 Eastleigh - Wembley one two  three four five (for attention at Loughborough)
Friday 26th September: 68026 0O86 12:50 Loughborough - Westbury - Romsey - Eastleigh one
Saturday 27th September: 

CMA CGM announces the acquisition of Freightliner UK Intermodal Logistics, a leading rail freight operator in the United Kingdom. The Class 70 locomotives may be allcoated to the Heavy Haul operation which will have a new brand.

Pathfinder Railtours will close in December 2025

GB Railfreight Class 99s to start appearing on other regions from next month - including the Southern Region

08764 was moved out from Eastleigh Works to the East Yard on Thursday 18th.

Eastleigh Works: 12Aug - 13Aug - 14Aug - 21Aug - 26Aug - 27Aug - 28Aug - 02Sep - 04Sep

Class 47s to the Seaside, 24th September 2025

47810 (+ 17056 + 3229 + 3231 + 80043 + 3438 + 3312 + 3426 + 1863 + 3344 + 3348 + 3384) + 47805

1Z16 05:35 Nottingham - Weymouth, 1Z17 15:37 Weymouth - Nottingham

'The Statesman' made a return to serice on 10th September, and this was the second tour, and first to the South, following an extensive refurbishment.

D1924 Crewe Diesel Depot (47810) leads the train into Redbridge.

Running through Redbridge.


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

Eastleigh Works, 23rd September 2025

 

37409 Loch Awe had arrived on the preceding day, and was coupled with barriers 6393 and 6394.


66701 + 66744 Heart of Wales had arrived overnight with the 'Britannic Explorer' stock as a VSTP (very short term planned train) 5Z66 21:11 Stewarts Lane T&R.S.M.D to Eastleigh Arlington (Zg).

66701 was last repainted in its original scheme, in late 2014, seen leaving the Works for the East Yard.

07007, and 08567 shunting 'Britannic Explorer' Observation Coach 99110.


Dining Car 99109 had been moved into the van shop for some kind of attention.

Refliecting other work by Arlington, Ermewa owned IHA Steel Carrier wagon 33 87 4915 006-0, which arrived on 23rd August.

GBRf 57/3's for RHTT duties, Romsey, 22nd September 2025

57305 + 57303 + 57310 6Z58 09:16 Eastleigh East Yard - Taunton Gds Recp, to be ready for RHTT seasonal workings. Thr fourth GBRf 57/3, 57306, appears to be at Loughborough for repair.

57305 leading the RHTT formation.

57310 on the rear.

Eastleigh. 19th September 2025

 

70004 The Coal Industry Society 4O14 05:08 Garston - Maritime.

66090 4O39 09:43 Morris Cowley - Eastern Docks.


66568 4O90 0455 Doncaster Europort - Maritime, meetin 70802.


70002 4M61 12:56 Maritime - Trafford Park.


66512 4E65 13:13 Maritime - Doncaster Railport.


70802 6V27 13:49 Eastleigh - Hinksey.


66797 3F01 12:18 Marchwood - Kineton.

701009 may be ready for service, 5Q96 12:19 Eastleigh - Wimbledon Park.

5 year old 701001 is on reliability proving, 5Q51 11:14 Waterloo- Staines Up Loop.

66602 working from Tunstead, 19th September 2025

Images from the camera of Roger Homan.

66602 + MWA wagons
6V51 22:33 (Thu)  Tunstead Sdgs (Fhh) - Southampton Up Yard (Fl)
6Z52 16:19 Southampton Up Yard (Fl) - Wembley Receptions 1-7
6Z53 19:15 Wembley Receptions 1-7 - Tunstead Sdgs (Fhh)

66602 approaches Up Yard from St Denys station, working aa 6V51.

66602 in the shunts at Up Yard.

A further view of the shunts from Horseshoe Bridge.

15th - 20th September 2025

 

56049 Robin of Templecombe, shortly after arrival at Eastleigh, 19th September 2025.

Monday 15th September: 
Tuesday 16th September:
Wednesday 17th September: 800028 5X80 10:57 Eastleigh - Reading
Thursday 18th September: 70802 + 70809 + 56113 6V27 13:49 Eastleigh - Hinksey one (and to Carlisle on 19th one; 800032 5X84 5X84 13:23 Reading - Eastleigh; 43013 + 43062 1X23 15:28 Salisbury - Southampton - Salisbury
Friday 19th September: 66602 6V51 22:33 (Thu) Tunstead - Up Yard one two; 70802 + 56049 6O24 09:25 Hinksey - Eastleigh one two; 57303 + 57305 0Z57 10:19 Leicester - Eastleigh one two three; 57310 0Z68 14:06 Tonbridge - Eastleigh one (the arrival of the 57s has been rumoured for a few weeks, to move on to Taunton for RHTT)
Saturday 20th September:

All 15 of the Class 18 locomotives owned by Beacon have been offered for sale via Romic. 18014 + 18015 are currently within Eastleigh works.

Network Rail has declared Marchwood to Fawley as "out of use". Level crossing barriers have been removed.

Diesels at Blaenavon, 14th September 2025

 

37216, which was new from English Electric Vulcan Foundry as D6916 in January 1964.

5627 (31203) new from Brush in June 1960.

Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway

Steam Gala at Blaenavon, 14th September 2025

 

72 Fenchurch working uphill to Furnace Sidings.

72 running around at Blaenavon High Level. 62 years ago this locomotive was working on the Hayling Billy line.

Newstead (Hunslet 16" 1873/1937) running around at Blaenavon High Level.

Harold (Illingworth Hudswell Clarke 1208/1916) at Furnace Sidings, before working to Big Pit.

Caledonia Works  (Barclay 1219/1910) and 72 pushing a mineral train. The Barclay will shortly return to Williton.

Jessie /(Hunslet 18" 1873/1937)bringing the mineral train uphill from Blaenavon, while Harold heads away to Big Pit.

Jessie at rest at Furnace sidings.

Two short clips from the Steam Gala.

• 72 'Fenchurch' departing from Platform 2 at Blaenavon High Level. This was reopened 2 days previously by Lynne Neagle MS (Member of Senedd).
• Then Barclay 'Caledonia Works' is seen with 72 while working mineral wagons approaching Furnace Sidings.

Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway

Brecon Mountain Railway, 13th September 2025

Just off the newly completed Heads of the Valleys Road, at Pant, to the north of Merthyr Tydfil. On Saturday there were three departures at 10:30, 12:30 and 14:30. 

No 1 Santa Teresa seen in the rain at the start of the day.

No 1 is attached to the train at Pant.

Arrival at Torpantau. The highest former railway tunnel in the British Isles is a short distance beyond.

No. 1 running around at Torpantau. The locomotive was built by Baldwin in Philadelphia in 1897, for usage in a Brazilian sugar plantation.


There is a 35 minute stop to admire Pontsticill (Taf Fechan) Reservoir, with Pont y Fan, the highest mountain in the UK south of Snowdonia, in the distance.

No. 3 ('the Forney locomotive') under construction in the workshop with No. 2 (Baldwin, 1930) beyond.

Brecon Mountain Railway

2024 acquisition by the Vale of Rheidol
Brecon & Merthyr Railway

A Class 756 at Merthyr Tydfil, 13th September 2025

My first encounter with a UK specification Stadler 'Flirt'. Transport for Wales 756103 is an ac electric - diesel - battery tri-mode train. It is seen at Merthyr Tydfil station.

Just arrived as 1M36 13:22 Aberdare - Merthyr Tydfil

The power pack vehicle.

The other end of the train, close to the buffer stops.