Saturday excursions to Portsmouth, 10th September 2011 (outward)

43030 Christian Lewis Trust leads 1Z30 Hereford - Portsmouth "Cotswold Portsea Express" past Romsey. 43030 was built at Crewe and was new to traffic in September 1976.

43181 on the rear, which went into traffic in December 1981.

 10 minutes later, running 8 minutes early, came BR Class 7 4-6-2 70000 with the "Pompey Pacific" 1Z34 Taunton - Portsmouth.

Two "Brits" through Romsey in one week! 70000 was also built at Crewe and was new in January 1951.

Ashfield Bridge

Ashfield Bridge carrying the A27 over the railway to the south of Romsey, originally built in 1865. An interesting skew bridge, this is due to be replaced in the bridge works, now rescheduled into 2012, for which there will be considerable road disruption. Despite the opportunity being presented, it seems that there is no plan to make value-add by providing an underpass for cyclists and pedestrians to make Lee Lane access safe from Romsey. Why cannot Network Rail and the councils engage in joined-up government, and where is there any return to the communities whose lives will be disrupted for weeks by this rebuilding? More imported goods in our shops, I don't really see as  a positive return.

5th - 10th September 2011

73141 + 73208 +3417 + 73206 at Mount Pleasant, 8th September. Image by The Image Team.

70013 on the Dorset Coast Express at Test Lane, 6th September. Image by Ian Knight.

Sunday 4th September: 34067 + 70000 1Z92 10:24 Waterloo - Newquay (34067 replaced by 47500 at Taunton) 1 2 3 4 5 and here is 34067 being towed to Carnforth on 8th
Monday 5th September:
Tuesday 6th September: 70013 +  47580 T+T 1Z94 08:45 Victoria - Weymouth, 1Z95 16:35 Weymouth - Southampton - Redbridge - Laverstock - Waterloo,  47500 1Z96 16:40 Exeter - Victoria
Wednesday 7th September:
Thursday 8th September: 73141 + 73208 +3417 + 73206 5Z73 11:28 Bournemouth - East Grinstead  1 2 3
Friday 9th September: 57306 + 57310 + 57312 0O57 12:09 Wembley - Eastleigh (Works) 1 2 3
Saturday 10th September: 43030 + 43181 1Z30 06:39 Hereford - Oxford - Swindon - Westbury - Portsmouth, 1Z31 16:40 Portsmouth - Westbury - Swindon - Oxford - Hereford, 70000 1Z34 07:00 Taunton - Portsmouth Harbour, 1Z36 16:52 Portsmouth Harbour - Taunton

66417 running for Freightliner

66411/412/413 which were off-lease from DRS have been taken on by Freightliner, and were moved by DRS to Crewe on Wednesday 7th

The Atlantic Coast Express, 4th September 2011

1Z92 10:24 Waterloo - Salisbury - Westbury - Bristol - Taunton - Exeter - Plymouth - Par - Newquay

While booked for 30777 to Westbury and then 34067 + 70000 through Castle Cary to Exeter, 30777 is reported to have an ashpan spark arrestor defect which caused fires alongside ECML on Friday. The planned double headed working of 34067 + 70000 was extended to start from Waterloo and rerouted via Bristol to avoid turning at Westbury.

 34067 Tangmere and 70000 work the Atlantic Coast Express through Andover, passing on time.

UPDATE: 34067 has been failed at Taunton with a 'cylinder problem' and will be replaced by 47500 to assist across the Devon Banks.

Dorset Deltic Explorer, 3rd September 2011

1Z76 15:36 Weymouth - Crewe

 55022 Royal Scots Grey passing Shawford, with the locomotive running in Autumn 1981 like condition -silver radiator grilles and fuel tanks, D9000 number.

Photography note: The foliage at Shawford continues to grow and photo possibilities are much worse than two years ago.

SWT442 has posted a corresponding video on YouTube
Micheldever
Basingstoke

29th August - 3rd September 2011

 4492 Dominion of New Zealand (60019) passes St Denys on its run to Bristol, 31st August. Image by Ian Knight.

 66848 outshopped for Colas, Eastleigh, 28th August. Image by Ian Knight.

66431 on hire to Freightliner, Martime, 28th July. Image by Ian Knight.

Monday 29th August:
Tuesday 30th August: 4492 1Z94 08:45 Victoria - Weymouth 1 2, 5Z76 19:23 Weymouth - Eastleigh, 34067 1Z95 16:35 Weymouth - Waterloo 1 2
Wednesday 31st August: 4492 (60019) 5Z86 04:50 Eastleigh - Poole, 1Z87 08:05 Poole - Eastleigh - Bristol 1 2 3 4, 1Z88 15:35 Bristol - Eastleigh - Poole 1 2, 5Z89 20:13 Poole - Eastleigh (timed to 35mph, tenders first)
Thursday 1st September: 4492 (60019) 5Z44 12:52 Eastleigh - Motala - Swanage 1 2 3, 67002 + 67028 5Z12 08:45 Victoria - Winchester, 1Z12 11:42 Winchester - Redbridge - Westbury, 1Z13 13:28 Westbury - Didcot - Southampton Airport, 5Z13 15:57 Southampton Airport - Eastleigh, 1Z14 18:18 Eastleigh - Victoria
Friday 2nd September: (37607 + 37608) + 47841 1Z59 05:45 T+T Glasgow Central - Eastern Docks 1 2 3 4, 5Z59 16:08 Eastern Docks - Eastleigh,  0Zxx Eastleigh - Southampton
Saturday 3rd September: 47841 + 37608 + 37607 0Z48 09:00 Southampton - Redbridge - Laverstock - Crewe Gresty Road 1 2 3, 55022 1Z76 15:36 Weymouth - Crewe 1 2 3 4 5 6

66417, 66431 on hire to Freightliner.

DRS seem to have become tight on Class 47s following storage of 47712 (which by all accounts is very run down - needing engine repairs and new tyres) and maintenance required for 47802. 47841 was only used as an ETH locomotive on Friday, and is also believed to be less than trustworthy, although it worked north as lead on Saturday.

Cruise Saver Express, 2nd September 2011

1Z59 05:45 Glasgow Central - Eastern Docks
5Z59 16:08 Eastern Docks - Eastleigh
0Z59?         Eastleigh - Southampton Central
0Z48 09:00 (Sat) Southampton Central - Redbridge - Laverstock - Basingstoke - Crewe Gresty Bridge

 37607 + 37608 lead the train through St Denys. Image by The Image Team.

 47841 on the rear of train supplying ETH. Image by The Image Team.

 47841 with the ECS in Eastern Docks. Image by Ian Knight.

0Z48 makes its way past Test Lane on Saturday morning. Image by Ian Knight.