18th - 23rd August 2025

 

69004 RIDC Melton in platform 3 at Eastleigh with 6V41 14:48 Eastleigh - Westbury, 22nd August

68028 approaches as 0O86 11:00 Loughborough Brush - Eastleigh. It made a previous visit with the Northern Belle on 23rd July 2017.

Monday 18th August: 66722 + 66748 (+ 8 coach Britannic Explorer) 5Z65 08:09 Eastleigh - Stewarts Lane one two three; 68032 5Q69 09:43 Eastleigh - Banbury one two, 5Q86 16:08 Banbury - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 19th August: 68032 5Q69 09:43 Eastleigh - Banbury one two, 5Q86 16:08 Banbury - Eastleigh one two three; 69010 0Z76 21:51 Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh
Wednesday 20th August: 68032 5Q69 09:43 Eastleigh - Banbury one two; 50008 0R08 10:09 Eastleigh - West Ruislip; 800311 5X80 10:49 Eastleigh - Reading one; 69010 (+ 701508) 5Q90 12:53 Eastleigh - Derby one two three four
Thursday 21st August: 800108 5X82 10:18 Eastleigh - Reading one two; 66748 + 66702 (+ Britannic Explorer) 5Z96 10:30 Victoria - Eastleigh one two; 43013 + 43274 1X23 15:28 Salisbury - Southampton - Salisbury (earlier at Westbury one two)

Friday 22nd August: 68028 0O86 11:00 Loughborough Brush - Eastleigh one two three four
Saturday 23rd August:
Sunday 24th August: 68029 (+ CH02) 5Q86 10:00 Eastleigh Arlington (Zg)- Eastleigh Trsmd; 68020 (+ TP13)? 5Q87 11:05 Eastleigh Trsmd -Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) - 68032 is at Banbury

59003 continues to sit it out in Eastleigh East Yard.

66791 came out of the paintshop at Eastleigh Works on 20th in a Heidelberg Materials scheme, later removed to the East Yard and worked 0E15 21:17 Eastleigh - Scunthorpe Trent. On 21st it was at Horton in Ribblesdale for naming as Settle & Carlisle 150 at the Heidelberg operated quarry (video), recently reconnected to rail, returning as 0D81 15:20 Horton-in-Ribblesdales Quarry - Doncaster one two. Returned to Eastleigh on 22nd working 6X01 10:18 Scunthorpe Trent - Eastleigh one two three

The Settle & Carlisle opened for goods traffic in August 1875, with the first passenger trains starting in April 1876. The 100th anniversary article in Railway Magazine May 1976 was of note as a key introduction for me, the first copy of that magazine which I purchased, also covering the centenary of passenger service at Ravenglass.

69015 is expected out from the paintshop in the middle of next week.

Another Trans Pennine Nova 3 train for Chiltern, Eastleigh, 15th August 2025

68020 + TP13 (to be CH13) 5Q86 11:31 Longsight T.M.D. (D) - Eastleigh Trsmd

Approaching Eastleigh. Image by The Image Team.


Slightly further along, as seen from platform 2. 

68020 working into platform 3. Believed to be a first visit to Eastleigh, but was in Southampton on a test train on 30th June 2016.


The leading Mk5a coach was 11513.

Driving Open Brake Standard 12813 on the rear.

11th - 16th August 2025

 

66847 Terry Baker, Eastleigh, 11th August.

66613 working 6Y83 at Eastleigh, 12th August. 66615 has also been present, on intermodal workings. Image by Ian Knight.

800108 was receiving cosmetic attention at Eastleigh Works with completed visible full crack repair modifications and reassembled yaw damper, 15th August.

66030 at Eastleigh, 15th August.

Monday 11th August: 37401 0Z57 08:17 Crewe -Eastleigh one two three; 69009 (+701060) 5Q77 12:34 Long Marston - Eastleigh one two three; 66067 6O25 15:45 Acton T.C. - Eastleigh (Ermewa JNA wagons)
Tuesday 12th August: 37401 (+ 3312 + 80043) 5Z57 09:42 Eastleigh - Crewe one two three four five six seven eight; 69009 0V76 12:55 Eastleigh - Bicester; 68029 + 68032 T+T (+ TP05 + TP02) 5Q86 12:34 Long Marston - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight

Wednesday 13th August: 56051 0Z56 11:50 Eastleigh - Basingstoke - Eastleigh one two three; 68029 (+ TP02) 5Q86 14:30 Eastleigh Trsmd - Eastleigh Arlington link; 67006 + 67007 1Z92 16:34 Pulborough - Eastleigh - Victoria one two
Thursday 14th August:
Friday 15th August: 68020 (+ TP13) 5Q86 11:31 Longsight - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight nine
Saturday 16th August: 50008 (+ 10563) 5V50 10:07 Eastleigh - Reading one, 50008 (+ xxxxx) 5O50 14:26 Reading - Eastleigh

Trans-Pennine / Chiltern workings scheduled for Mon - Tue 18 - 19 Aug:
5Q69 09:43 Eastleigh Trsmd - Banbury
5Q86 16:08 Banbury - Eastleigh Trsmd

More HST power cars in the bin

Sent to EMR Kingsbury  on 14th for scrap, 43174 (BREL Crewe, August 1981), seen at Westbury, 8th February 2019.

43191 (BREL Crewe, May 1982) was sent to Kingsbury on 13th, seen at Newport, 25th January 2018.

56051 at Eastleigh, 13th August 2025

 

56051 Survival was returning from a  0Z56 11:50 Eastleigh East Yard - Basingstoke - Eastleigh East Yard.


56051 was built at BREL Doncaster, and entered traffic on 24th August 1980.


"This locomotive runs on Green Fuel for a Greener Future. ACT now for a sustainable future."


MXA wagon 950151 is marked GRID 😊 .

Trans Pennine Nova 3 trains for Chiltern, Eastleigh, 12th & 13th August 2025

The Nova 3 trains, supplied by CAF as Mk5a coaches, built in 2017-18, with Class 68 push-pull power, were underutilised at Trans Pennine, and entered storage after completing service in December 2023. After extended negotiation with DfT and lessor Beacon, they are now being prepared for work with Chiltern, to replace Mk3 stock, which would otherwise be in need of extensive corrosion repairs. Work on the trains is based at Arriva in Eastleigh T&RSMD, but fresh vinyls are to be applied at Arlington Fleet Services in Eastleigh Works.

After news was released on 5th August, the trains have started to arrive at Eastleigh.

A third set may arrive on Friday 15th, 5Q86 11:31 Longsight T.M.D. (D) - Eastleigh Trsmd.

Tuesday 12th August

68032 + TP05 + TP02 + 68029
5Q86 12:34 Long Marston - Eastleigh Trsmd

68032 arriving at Eastleigh. Image by Ian Knight.


68029 at the rear. Image by Ian Knight.

Wednesday 13th August

Initially expected to be a transfer of the whole formation to the Works, it came as 68029 + TP02.
68029 5Q86 14:30 Eastleigh Trsmd - Eastleigh Arlington (Zg).

68029 approaching platform 2.


Driving Open Brake Standard 12814, built as spare, but in TP02 since March 2021.

Detail of the connections between Mk5a coach and Class 68 locomotive.

Moving onwards into the Works.

Eastleigh Works, 13th August 2025

 

800311, which arrived 28th July, was receiving paint attention.

69015, which entered the paintshop on 30th July, and is expected to be completed in late August.

RMB 1863 of Locomotive Services.

Nearly 10 year old Ermewa JNAs are now receiving attention at the Works. 81.70.5500.008-4 and 81.70.5500.006-8 arrived on 11th August.

37401 arriving at Eastleigh, 11th August 2025

 

37401 Mary Queen of Scots 0Z57 08:17 Crewe H.S. to Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) - a return with ECS is arranged for Tuesday. 69004 in the background prepared for 6V41 to Westbury.

56051 parked in the background.


Affectionately known in Scotland as 'Mary Doll'.


Nameplate and West Highland terrier.

Almost 40 years ago, an unnamed 37401 on show at a Haymarket open day, Edinburgh, 24th August 1985, having worked north from Crewe after Heavy General + ETH repair on 28th June 1985. Naming came on 4th November 1985, at Linlithgow, which was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.

4th - 9th August 2025

 

(33025 + 33029) + 47812 T+T 1Z22 16:01 Barrow Hill - Eastleigh, passing Redbridge, 2nd August. Video clip by Ian Knight.


66015 repainted at Toton in late April, at Eastleigh, 7th August.

There are less 70s working this way, as some more are working on Peak stone trains. 70002 passes Eastleigh with 4O14 05:08 Garston - Maritime, 7th August.

Monday 4th August: 69011 + 56051 7Y48 09:01 Eastleigh - Hoo one two; 66744 + 66748 T+T (Britannic Explorer) 5J03 09:00 Wellingborough - Eastleigh one two three
Tuesday 5th August: 69009 0Z76 21:52 Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh

Wednesday 5th August: 69009 (+ 701520 + 701522) 5Q75 09:20 Eastleigh - Long Marston one two three four five six seven eight nine; 73963 + 73964 1Q14 10:59 Woking - Laverstock - Eastleigh - Marchwood - Eastleigh - Salisbury - Ludgershall - Woking one; 50008 0Z50 16:30 West Ruislip - Eastleigh; 33012 0Z34 19:23 Strawberry Hill - Swanage one two
Thursday 6th August: 37057 + 37116 3Q36 23:33 Westbury - Southampton - Bristol Kingsland Road (earlier in day)
Friday 7th August: 66748 + 66708 (8 coaches Britannic Explorer) 5Z65 08:09 Eastleigh - Stewarts Lane one two three; 57602 0V74 12:52 Eastleigh - Reading one two
Saturday 8th August: 66748 + 66708 (8 coaches Britannic Explorer) 5Z65 14:43 Stewarts Lane - Eastleigh one two

Network Rail has said it does not support Alliance Rail’s plans to run open access services to Marchwood.

Former Trans-Pennine Mk5a stock is going to Chiltern, entering traffic in 2026, and it has been reported that initial maintenance will be at Arriva, Eastleigh T&RSMD under contract with CAF (coaches) and UK Rail (68019 - 68032), an agreement agreed by Beacon Rail, but the long term arrangement from late 2026 may be elsewhere, with Central Rivers a leading candidate.

56051 was back at Eastleigh by Friday 8th.

455868 may have entered a deal for preservation, following display at Derby.

Elsewhere power cars 43311 and 43315 have arrived at EMR Kingsbury for disposal.

43311 at Doncaster with 1E13 07:55 Inverness - Kings Cross, 7th February 2014.

43315 at Aberdour with 1S20 14:00 Kings Cross - Aberdeen 'The Aberdonian', 17th April 2018.

New Freightliner route to Doncaster, Eastleigh, 7th August 2025

• 4M65 to Lawley Street is no more, and has been replaced in the path by 4E65 13:13 Maritime - Doncaster Railport (which feeds to Teesport)
• 4O90 from Leeds recently stopped running, and has been replaced in the path by 4O90 04:55 MX Doncaster Railport -  Maritime
• These trains run through Eastleigh within 10 minutes or so of each other, although 4E65 may run through without stopping.
• At the same time, the DB Cargo intermodal flow between Southampton and Wakefield appears to have ceased.

66598 on 4O90 departing from platform 3 at 13:27.

66516 running through platform 1 with 4E65 at 13:33.

Eastleigh Works, 7th August 2025

 

57602 Restormel Castle arrived in 8th July for replacement of the main generator. It would appear that this has been completed, and there is a VST  schedule 0V74 12:52 Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) - Reading Traincare Depot posted for Friday 8th.

66791, seen in the Paintshop, was returned to GBRf by Colas in July, joining the GBBT pool. It arrived at Eastleigh Works after a move via 6O01 on 22nd July one two, following attention at Doncaster Roberts Road. It ran in the interim blue scheme for 4½ years, based upon its Norwegian CargoNet scheme.

After letting the side down at Bedford on 1st August, 8 coaches of the 'Britannic Explorer' can be seen. There is a path in for another working on Friday 8th.

08764.

Test Train to Marchwood, Redbridge, 6th August 2025

73964 + 9523 + 1256 + 999550 + 6263 + 73963
1Q14 10:59 Woking Up Yard Sidings - Woking Up Yard Sidings, via Laverstock, Eastleigh, Marchwood, Eastleigh, Salisbury, Andover and Ludgershall.

This test train runs 6 monthly, previously as 1Q99 on 19th February, and before that 1Q99 on 7th August 2024, which failed at Marchwood on that occasion. It runs in the week following a set of 1Q5x test trains based around Eastleigh. In years past the train used to run to Fawley.

The stock was the same as on 1Q53 on 9th April.

73964 (73205, 73124, E6031 new in May 1966) Jeanette leads into Redbridge, on the return from Marchwood.


Brake Force Runner / Support Coach 9523, built at BREL Derby as a BSO to Lot 30861.

Track Recording Coach 999550, built at BREL Derby for this purpose, as the last Mk 2 coach, to Wagon Lot 3830 in 1976.

73963 (73206, 73123, E6030 new in May 1966) Janice on the rear.

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Diesel Gala, 25th July 2025: Winchcombe

 

47376 Freightliner 1995 2B41 11:55 Cheltenham - Broadway.

D2182.

Southern Railway 'Queen Mary' S 56305 Goods Brake Van Built 1936.

45149 2C42 12:45 Broadway - Cheltenham.


D6700 2B12 12:40 Cheltenham - Broadway

D6948 2C13 12:30 Broadway - Cheltenham.

50021 Rodney 2B13 13:25 Cheltenham - Broadway.

45149 2B14 14:10 Cheltenham - Broadway.

20228 + 20137 2C14 14:15 Broadway - Cheltenham.

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway