26th - 31st December 2016

Monday 26th December:
Tuesday 27th December;
Wednesday 28th December:
Thursday 29th December: 66019 + 66177 5Z58 04:55 Eastleigh - Victoria, 5Z60 19:14 Victoria - Eastleigh one two three four
Friday 30th December;
Saturday 31st December:

08904 at Eastleigh has been reported as withdrawn by DBC, following sale to HNRC.

Rumour 1: some Freightliner Class 70 leases may not be renewed in 2018.

"FL Intermodal trains are running with more weight on them than a few years ago, i know as i drive them, the 70 problems are not enough fitters at Midland road that are passed on them, shortage of spares, shortage of wheel sets as there are a few on thin wheels, also a 70 has more down time for exams as it takes longer than a 66 and the gen ive been told is when the lease is up on them in 2018 for the early ones that they wont be renewed as FL have fell out of favour with them, and 90001-015 will be up for grabs by then to replace them ......."

Rumour 2: Class 159/9 will come off Cardiff Portsmouth in May 2018

Class 159/9 will be replaced by Class 165 as already expected. The new 165/9 sub-class will be jacked up in the suspension by 25mm to improve clearances.

08495 preserved at the NYMR

In the current round of DBC shunter disposals, 08495 has been delivered to the NYMR on 22nd December from Crewe.

New as D3610 from BR Doncaster in March 1958, allocated to 30A Stratford. Renumbered to 08495 in March 1974. Remote control equipment was fitted in 2009.

A few years ago this was a resident shunter at Eastleigh, and was stored from there in September 2013.

08495 Noel Kirton OBE Eastleigh, 27th November 2011. Kirton was Chairman, Cleveland Area Manpower Board in 1988.

DRS 2016 Class 37 disposals

Two Class 37s which have recently been sent to Booth's in Rotherham for disposal.

37194 British International Freight Association at Eastleigh, 2nd February 1997.

37194 at Shawford, 9th November 2014. I believe that this may have been its last visit to the South.

37194 was new from Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn as D6894 on 16th March 1964, and was allocated to 87E Landore. Air brakes were fitted in September 1969, and renumbering took place in 1973. Stored unserviceable in January 1999 and moved to Barrow Hill in August 2000. In October 2002 it joined the Harry Needle leasing fleet, and was sold to DRS in February 2005. Stored in January 2015, then progressively stripped at RVEL Derby. The remains were delivered to Booth's on 20th December 2016.

37682 at Romsey, 16th October 2012. Last seen in the Eastleigh area in November 2012.

37682 at Crewe, 19th July 2014.

37682 was completed at EE Vulcan Foundry in April 1964 as D6936 and allocated to Landore. Later renumbered to 37236. Rebuilt and renumbered to 37682 in March 1987 at Crewe. Last worked for EWS in 2004, then sold to HNRC in November 2007. Returned to traffic with DRS from January 2009. Stored by DRS at the end of October 2014, stripped at RVEL in 2015, then delivered to Booth's on 27th October 2016, where it was cut up by 4th November..

19th - 24th December

Monday 19th December: 
Tuesday 20th December:
Wednesday 21st December:
Thursday 22nd December:
Friday 23rd December: 57312 5Z70 01:10 Crewe - Eastleigh (may have brought in Northerrn Belle BFK 17167), 0Z68 10:21 Eastleigh - Willesden Brent
Saturday 24th December:

Eastleigh Works: 23Nov - 24Nov - 25Nov - 28Nov - 30Nov

Eastleigh, 17th December 2016

Alstom's 08790 is back, previously at the works June 2014 - February 2015. New as D3958 in May 1960.

66503 The Railway Magazine arrives with 4O27 05:21 Garston - Maritime.

66522 appears to have worked in from Hinksey, then proceeded in an STP path to Maritime.

70013 departs with 4O54 05:27 Leeds - Maritime. A considerable number of the class remain laid up at Leeds Midland Road.

66115 has coupled up with a rake of auto-ballasters.

12th - 17th December 2016

73965 + 73961 at Totton on Tuesday 13th. Image by Ian Knight.

Monday 12th December: 73961 + 73965 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 13th December: 73961 + 73965 1Q52 10:38 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard - Guildford - Havant -  Eastleigh - Woking - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh one
Wednesday 14th December: 73961 + 73965 1Q53 11:38 Eastleigh - Eastern Docks - Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh - Eastern Docks - Wimbledon Park - Totton Yard - Eastleigh one two; 44871 + 45407 1Z45 08:19 Ashford - Winchester - Eastleigh one two three, 1Z46 16:37 Eastleigh - Winchester - (steam to Hanwell Bridge Loop) - Ashford one
Thursday 15th December: 73961 + 73965 1Q54 12:37 Eastleigh - Hither Green, 37608 0Zxx 15:30 Wembley - Eastleigh (earlier 0Z08 Derby - Wembley one two three four five six)
Friday 16th December:
Saturday 17th December:

37608 has arrived at Eastleigh Works for a Europhoenix repaint.

08879 arrived at Eastleigh from Margam - now property of Raxstar one two and has been deregistered
08790 arrived from Wembley one two
08454 departed for Edge Hill one two

• Interesting page on live Freightliner train operations.

• Genesee & Wyoming Inc. to Acquire Pentalver Transport Ltd      (about Pentalver - they are located within Western Docks)

5th - 10th December 2016

Monday 5th December: 37175 0Z37 09:37 Tonbridge - Eastleigh - Southampton - Cardiff one two three four five; 37884 +4242417 5O86 12:06 Three Bridges - Eastleigh one two, 37884 17:30 Eastleigh - Wembley
Tuesday 6th December:
Wednesday 7th December:
Thursday 8th December: 20142 5O86 11:41 West Ruislip - Eastleigh one two, 20142 0H73 14:33 Eastleigh - West Ruislip one
Friday 9th December: 37884 0O86 09:30 Clapham Jct - Eastleigh one two, 37884 + 442417 + 442401 5L46 12:51 Eastleigh - Ely; 37219 + 37611; 0Z37 1226 Eastleigh East Yard to Derby one two three four
Saturday 10th December:

It appears that 37219 + 37xxx have been about in the area - pictured at Eastleigh on Tuesday night.
5th: 22:53 Hither Green - Eastleigh
6th: 1708 Eastleigh - Tonbridge (?)

But 37175 + 37611 worked south on Thursday one - was this a loco swap?

Update, still uncertain, but 37175 worked 3Z40 Paddington - Derby on the 9th.