Moving 59001 to Eastleigh 'for paint', 10th April 2026

Following an extended heavy maintenance at Merehead, 59001 YEOMAN ENDEAVOUR 0Z59 11:00 Westbury Tarmac - Eastleigh Arlington (Zg). The locomotive encountered engine difficulties between Warminster and Salisbury, so 66551 (hired to Colas from Heavy Haul Rail) was cut off from preceding 6O41 in platform 1 at Salisbury, to position it to then drag 59001 to Eastleigh: one two three four five

There is an expectation that 59001 will be returned to the Foster Yeoman scheme of 40 years ago, as it was delivered in.

66551 leads across the East Junction.

Running through platform 2.

A last look at the Aggregate Industries scheme on 59001, which still bore its '30 Years' stickers from a decade ago.

The mismatched window rubber has been black since the 2019 period.

The shunt signal has the 'W' indicator for entry into the Works.

Aggregates at Eastleigh, 5th November 2025

 

59005 KENNETH J PAINTER arriving with  6O70 11:00 Westbury Tarmac - Eastleigh F.Y. Agg (Flhh).

HOA wagon 81.70.6957.085-8, built in 2016 by Astra Rail in Romania.

The last wagon was HOA 81.70.6774.127-9, built by Greenbrier, Poland, in 2024.


Two images of 59101 Village of Whatley 6V16 11:55 Fareham Hanson Aggs (Flhh) -Westbury Tarmac.

Aggregates at Eastleigh, 30th October 2025

 

59205 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley, which ran late through the Test Valley and then was held at Eastleigh East Junction to go forward one hour late. A 'Romsey Rocket' was cancelled short at and resumed from Eastleigh at 11:20.

HOA wagon 81.70.6774.277-2 on the rear of the formation.

59004 PAUL A HAMMOND 6V62 13:21 Up Yard - Westbury Tarmac.

JNA wagon VTG 3958 was the last in the formation.

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.

All of the Class 59/2's, Westbury 19th September 2024

 

59201 passing through with 59201 6V26 15:37 Woking Down Yard (Flhh)- Merehead Quarry (Fhh), heading to Westbury Cement to runaround. However, there was a delay of 30 minutes at Heywood Jcn, which led to further delays of trains from the Trowbridge direction, my own included.

59202 Pride of Ferrybridge 6A61 13:02 Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh - West Drayton Frays Sidings.

One of the delayed trains in the backlog from Trowbridge was 66619 + 59203 6V60 14:18 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh which remained foul of the line while a 3rd locomotive was added, and further delayed my train.

59204 6C48 1249 Appleford Fhh to Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh.


59205 sets off with 6O68 09:11 Westbury Tarmac - Crawley F.Y.(Flhh.

59206 John F Yeoman Rail Pioneer 7B12 12:07 Merehead Quarry (Fhh) - Wootton Bassett F.Y. (Flhh.

For class 59/0, I missed GBRf 59003 which departed earlier, but saw 59001 / 004 / 005. 59002 is stored at Leeds.
For Class 59/1, I saw only 59101.59102 and 59104 are in use, but 59103 seems to be parked at Merehead.

Old and New Wagon Notes, Westbury, 19th September 2024

 

On the way out: JFA wagon ARC 17901 in the formation of 6C31 10:10 Theale - Whatle. The 'LTF' JHA hopper wagon prototype, built by Standard Wagon in 1988, for Amey roadstone traffic. The LTF wagons, named for the Gloucester RC&W 'low track force' LTF-25 bogies, are now in course of fleet reduction. Previous coverage from February 2018.

Production JHA ARC 19895, built by Procor in 1990, in the same train.

ARC 17913, a JHA, built by Standard Wagon in 1990, seen in 6V60 14:18 Wembley - Whatley.

In with the new: 203 new HOA hoppers are coming on lease from VTG, with 34 delivered at the beginning of August. However, 30 of them were sent for storage in Exeter Riverside Yard on 27th August, for reasons unknown, leaving only 4 in traffic, of which I saw 2, coupled together. This is 81.70.6774.109-7 in the same train as 17913.

It was paired with 81.70.6774.099-0.

Soon to go: None of the regular fleet of former Yeoman JHA wagons have gone for disposal so far, but will also be replaced. 'Outer' wagon OK 19305, built by Orenstein & Koppel in 1989, was being moved in a 7Z40 from Westbury to Westbury Tarmac, after a wagon in the earlier 7A40 caused a problem, leading to splitting of the train. The O&K JHAs are limited to 45 mph.

OK 19344, 'inner' with knuckle couplers,in the same formation.

A trip to Fairwood Junction, 15th April 2024

Aggregates workings, all images from Roger Homan.

59001 YEOMAN ENDEAVOUR 7A60 10:50 Merehead Quarry (Fhh) - Colnbrook Foster Yeoman Fh.


59204 7B12 11:43 Merehead Quarry (Fhh) - Wootton Bassett F.Y. (Flhh.


66606 6A61 12:24 Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh - West Drayton Frays Sidings


59104 Village of Great Elm 6C31 10:14 Theale Hanson Aggs (Flhh) - Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh.


66587 AS ONE, WE CAN 6A70 14:08 Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh - Dawley Loop.

59101 Village of Whatley 6C28 12:48 Exeter Riverside Hanson - Westbury Tarmac.

Mendip JNA wagons moved to storage at Gascoigne Wood, 4th December 2023

VTG 3450 passing Romsey, 25th July 2023.

On 4th December, it was reported that 70016 was hauling 6E53 10:20 Basford Hall - Gascoigne Wood. The consist was of 32 JNA wagons from the Mendip pools. listed below, most of which were seen on the aggregates trains from Merehead and Whatley to Chichester, Fareham and Southampton Up Yard, typically one or two per train.

After the KEA and JYA wagons were removed from usage last year, these were the oldest wagons in the Mendips box wagon traffic. I have added links below where pictures have appeared in 47Soton.

These JNAs were converted by Marcroft in 1998, using the running gear of ranker wagons.

The movement, which was preceded by 7M05 03:02 Wembley - Basford Hall on 2nd December, appears to eliminate the type from Mendip traffic.

My last sighting was VTG 3447, on 15th September.

VTG 3445 JNA
VTG 3443 JNA
VTG 3455 JNA
VTG 3467 JNA
VTG 3428 JNA
VTG 3414 JNA
VTG 3439 JNA
VTG 3457 JNA
VTG 3430 JNA
VTG 3406 JNA
VTG 3431 JNA
VTG 3450 JNA
VTG 3448 JNA
VTG 3423 JNA
VTG 3453 JNA
VTG 3463 JNA
VTG 3461 JNA
VTG 3444 JNA
VTG 3419 JNA
VTG 3447 JNA
VTG 3404 JNA
VTG 3454 JNA
VTG 3459 JNA
VTG 3456 JNA
VTG 3462 JNA
VTG 3410 JNA
VTG 3466 JNA
VTG 3408 JNA
VTG 3469 JNA
VTG 3437 JNA
VTG 3424 JNA
VTG 3411 JNA

Another chapter closes.

59201 and 59101 Eastleigh Works paintshop exchange, Romsey, 4th December 2023

 Introducing the Heidelberg Materials livery scheme. But firstly ....

59201, the last DB red scheme Class 59/2 was sent to Eastleigh, 0Z59 07:38 Whatley (actually started from Westbury) - Eastleigh.

Noting the bell at one end of this locomotive. The next time we see this it should be in Freightliner G&W orange and black.

59201 had to a wait in platform for the 'Romsey Rocket' to arrive from and depart to Eastleigh.

59101 Village of Whatley returned 0Z60 11:58 Eastleigh - Whatley, outshopped in the new scheme.

Detail of one cab end, with retained nameplates.

The Heidelberg Materials logo, this now being the branding of the quarry operator at Whatley, following from ARC and later Hanson.

The other cab end.

The locomotive was held at the signal by a late running GWR train ahead of it, and then headed to Westbury and Whatley.

Aggregates watching, week of 15th May

 

No wagons for 66605 0V62 13:21 Up Yard - Whatley, 15th May, at Romsey. The working to Up Yard was only 20 minutes late in the morning.

Now an apology, I brought my camera, but left my SD card behind, so I used my mobile phone at Romsey on Tuesday 16th May.

66507 6V62 1321 Up Yard - Whatley, these being the wagons from Monday.

66538 6V07 13:41 Chichester - Merehead.

81.70.5932.627-9 (above) and 81.70.5932.633-7 (below) are among a group of 5 highest numbered JNAs in the Mendip pools, and appear to work from Merehead. The others are 628-7, 636-0 and 638-6.

66558 on a later path, 6V16 13:00 Fareham Hanson Aggs (Flhh) - Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh, Eastleigh, 17th May.

The first time that I had seen 66618 Railways Illustrated in these parts, 6V62 13:21 Southampton Up Yard (Fl) - Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh.

The older Marcroft 1998 JNA wagon in the rake was VTG 3453.