Brush Traction at Eastleigh, 9th July 2026

 

31128 CHARYBDIS of Nemesis Rail  + 4-VEP 3417 Gordon Pettitt 5Z31 13:50 Strawberry Hill - Alton, approaching Eastleigh. 31128 was new as D5546 from Brush, Loughborough, in August 1959.

Running into platform 3. Unfortunately 31210 had to be left behind at Strawberry Hill with a potential axlebox issue.


Brush meets Brush, as D1924 (47810, Brush, Loughborough, December 1965) Crewe Diesel Depot passes with 1Z84 15:37 Weymouth - Stafford.

D1645 (47830, BR Crewe, December 1964) on the rear of the train.

31128 departing in the Fareham direction.

S76273 in 3417 has adjusted unit number 7717 at one end only, this reflecting the original unit number when it entered into traffic on 8th July 1967.

Loco workings at Eastleigh, 8th July 2025

 

33012 (D6515) Lt Jenny Lewis RN departing 0V33 17:08 Eastleigh Trsmd - Reading Traincare.


About to run under the Campbell Road bridge. There is a small Hanson + Hall headboard.


33012 later returned after dark with SLEP 10590.

Three minutes later, 37501 Teesside Steelmaster + 57602 Restormel Castle 0O86 13:45 Reading Traincare - Eastleigh.

Rail Operations Group 37501 was previously running as 37601, and earlier was D6705 and 37005, thus the oldest mainline Class 37.

Some detail of 57602, which was rebuilt from 47337. It was dragged from Plymouth (?) to Paddington and then Reading with the Cornish Sleeper on Monday 7th. An alternator failed at Penzance on Friday 4th, and will be replaced by one from 57605, which is under overhaul at Laira.

This and That, Saturday 28th June 2025

 

66747 Made in Sheffield 5X43 07:55 Salisbury - Eastleigh (was 5Z43 17:24 Hamilton - Salisbury)

'Britannic Explorer' Sleeping Car 99104. This is believed to have been Irish Rail Standard Open 7158, which was built at Inchicore. I have seen the coach again, and it had a paper label 'Waterford' in the window which would actually correlate with Irish Rail 7129, which was built at Derby.

A going away view of 99104. This move leaves 99105 to be delivered from Hamilton.


57604 Pendennis Castle approaches Eastleigh as 0O57 10:01 Reading - Eastleigh T&RSMD, where it has now arrived for a repaint, following a lengthy repair from Autumn 2023 to Spring 2025.

This may have been the first visit of a GWR 57/6 to Eastleigh, worked by Hanson & Hall. In its earlier life, 57604 was 47209.


The return working for the Hanson & Hall crew was this short-notice rerouted 5X50 12:55 Eastleigh - Salisbury, seen approaching Romsey with 50049 Defiance in charge.

A closer view of the locomotive, which was to return to Kidderminster later in the day.

The repainted coach was 10534, which was worked to Eastleigh over this route on 14th June.

16th - 21st June 2025

 

50008 Thunderer passing Romsey with 5O50 14:47 Reading - Eastleigh, 14th June.

The next GWR sleeper for a 2 week refurbishment is SLEP 10534.

66053 4Z68 17:19 Western Docks - Wakefield Europort, Eastleigh, 17th June.

70017 4M98 17:55 Maritime - Garston, on the same day.

66719 is the second 'Railway 200' painted locomotive for GBRf, at Eastleigh works on 19th. By Saturday it was in Doncaster. Image by Roger Homan.

Monday 16th June: 50008 0E50 11:40 Eastleigh - Knottingley one two
Tuesday 17th June: 800108 5X82 14:47 Acton Main Line - Eastleigh one; 37409 5Z20 12:42 Crewe - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven
Wednesday 18th June: 43049 + 43050 5Z43 00:06 Chelmsford - Eastleigh
Thursday 19th June:
Friday 20th June: 66748 in process of repaint at Eastleigh Works - this was the West Burton 50 / Safer scheme
Saturday 21st June: 43049 + 43050 1Z70 06:02 Eastleigh - Scarborough one two, 1Z72 16:15 Scarborough - Eastleigh

37409 had a fuel leak on arrival at Eastleigh on 17th. This was also visible on a video, and was involved in a third rail flash on approach to the station. Still visible outside at Eastleigh Works on Saturday 21st.

Where are the Class 701s? Here.

66028 the last example painted in the original EWS scheme, but unbranded, was at Eastleigh on 21st.

An overnight path to bring south the remaining 'Britannic Explorer' coaches was in the system as 5Z43 17:28 Hamilton GBRf (departing 24th) - Eastleigh Arlington (arriving Wed 25th) but has quietly vanished.

Another move of stored KFA wagons from Barassie for disposal, with 6F88 13:31 Gresty Green -Liverpool Euro Metal in plan for Sunday 22nd, including these examples:

TIPH 93396, passing Romsey, 10th November 2022.

TIPH 93453, passing Dunbridge, 6th January 2018.

RLS 92626, at Romsey, 13th January 2018. An earlier example, built by Standard Wagon in 1985.

Swanage Railway Diesel Gala, 9th May 2025 (part 1)

Images from the camera of Ian Knight.

37706 approaching Norden.

20066 at Swanage, now on the railway for the summer season.


50008 Thunderer in repose at Swanage.

33012 Lt Jenny Lewis RN arriving at Swanage.

69007 Richard Trevithick finally made it to the ball! Seen departing Swanage.

50008 on a GWR Sleeper coach move, Shawford, 19th April 2025

50008 Thunderer + RFM 10217
5V50 13:07 Eastleigh Trsmd - Reading Traincare Depot

Approaching and passing Shawford, running 37 minutes early at this point, later into the loop at Wallers Ash.

50008 on GWR sleeper coach drags, Eastleigh, 5th April 2025

 

50008 Thunderer approaching with Kitchen Buffet First 10217 as 5O50 12:41 Reading Traincare Depot - Eastleigh Trsmd.

10217 was converted from Mk 3 FO 11051 built to Lot 30878 at BREL Derby in 1975-76. One of three in the GWR fleet.

50008 trundles away from the T&RSMD.

Approaching the Campbell Road bridge.

SLEP 10589 built at BREL Derby to Lot 30960 c. 1982 has been refurbished in the past fortnight.

It may be half in Cornish.

Enough time to walk to the station, where 50008 is seen approaching platform 3.

The exterior refinish did not extend to the bogies.

A class 50 in Eastleigh station. It could almost be the 1980s.

50008 on a GWR sleeper drag, Eastleigh, 22nd March 2025

50008 Thunderer (+ 10589) 5O50 12:25 Reading Traincare Depot - Didcot - Eastleigh Trsmd.

50008 had run through platform 2.

In the approach line for the T&RSMD.

Passing the Works Offices (Parkway House), now more substantially boarded up.

SLEP 10589 built at BREL Derby to Lot 30960 c. 1982