Swanage Diesel Gala Focus: GBRf Class 73's

73119 Borough of Eastleigh was new to traffic as E6025 from English Electric Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows in March 1966. Withdrawn it was sold in 2003, eventually resident at the Keith & Dufftown Railway from 2004. Moved in early 2009 to Knight's Rail Services at Eastleigh Works,where it was named at the 2009 open day, and who ran it at the Swanage Diesel Gala in 2010. Acquired by GBRf in late 2011, and returned to traffic in 2012.

73961 Alison  was next in production at Vulcan Foundry, entering traffic as D6026 in April 1966. Renumbered to 73120 and later to 73209 when it joined the Gatwick Express fleet, later joining GBRf following storage between 2001 and 2003. Rebuilt at Brush in 2013- 2015 becoming 73961.

Arriving at Harman's Cross with 10:00 from Swanage.

Returning into Swanage with 11:30 from Norden.

Approaching Harman's Cross with 14:30 from Swanage.

Departing Norden with 16:00 train.

73119 was used as a brake translator, so was working on the train side through the day. Seen at Norden, having arrived earlier with 17:30 from Norden.

12th - 17th June 2017

Mon 12th June: 37518 + 33025 5Z24 11:35 Carnforth - Swanage one two
Tuesday 13th June: 
Wednesday 14th June: 70805 6C34 13:22 Eastleigh - Westbury one two three(Colas ferryvans from the Works to Westbury then Aberthaw for cement traffic)
Thursday 15th June: 37601 0O86 10:00 Leicester - Eastleigh one two three four
Friday 16th June:
Saturday 17th June:

Eastleigh Works: 22 May - 23 May - 24 May - 30 May - 31 May - 01Jun

Swanage Railway resumes service to Wareham: one two

          Service is in the hands of 33012, 33025 and 37518, using four coaches from West Coast Railway Company.

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 5: Freightliner Class 70

70015 working 4E96 19:01 Maritime - Leeds.

70019 arriving with 4M04 19:14 Maritime - Lawley Street. This locomotive was stored for some time last year, returning to traffic in October.

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 4: Freightliner Class 66

66954 is on of  an order of 10 lower emission locomotives leased by Freightliner from JP Morgan / Beacon, of which 5 have just recently been stored. Here it was working 4O57 13:00 Wentloog - Maritime. [UPDATE: 66954 was stored at Wentloog on 10th June, after a movement from Southampton]

66534 OOCL Express was working the FO 4O25 16:25 Bristol - Maritime.

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 3: DB Cargo working

66200 leads 6O42 11:31 Halewood - Eastern Docks. The train was loaded with Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport models for export.

66200 returned later light engine, to go onto the T&RSMD.

66954 stored at Wentloog, 10th June 2017 (corrected)

Updated 20th June

SORRY - "FAKE NEWS" It is 66954 that was stored in this way, and as noted when I took a picture of it on 2nd June, this one does belong to the JP Morgan / Beacon lease group. The other last pictures seen on Flickr were of workings on 2nd June, so I am wondering if this was its final day one two three .

66594 happily remains in traffic one.

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66594 was reported as moved from Southampton to Wentloog on Saturday, and was stored in pool DHLT (awaiting maintenance / repair / disposal). It was working as recently as Friday 9th.

This locomotive is leased from Macquarie, so is not the same lot as those stored in recent weeks. It was built as works number 20058772-16, and unloaded into the UK on 21st April 2007.

At Maritime on 27th May.

June Friday Evening Freight at Eastleigh, 2nd June 2017 - 2: Colas Workings

A mixture of Colas workings on a lighter June evening.

66850 David Maidment OBE (previously 66577, but now owned by Colas) picks up the JNA, MLA and IEA wagons for the 6Y43 19:55 Eastleigh - Hoo.

 MLA 503572 was built by Wagony Swidnica in Poland 2008, now Greenbrier, with current model.

70816 makes its arrival with 6O31 17:30 from Westbury.

This is believed to be the first arrival of 70816 at Eastleigh.

The consist was of about 38 four wheeled wagons, types MFA (cut-down reduced height MHA), MHA, MPA (brakes modified from MHA but still a 'Coalfish') & MTA.394942, originally an HAA, converted to MHA at EWS Margam in 2002-4.

From Adrian Nicholls on Flickr: "The 'Coalfish' traditionally carried TOPS code MHA but in an effort to modernize the vehicles being retained the braking system has been modified with the front mounted wheel brake pads removed for a new more readily available design braking on the wheel back. To distinguish the modified brake pad vehicles from the standard MHA's they have been re-coded MPA. Carlisle Kingmoor C&W have been carrying out the conversions ..."

66847 + 66848 (previously 66574 + 66575) depart for Westbury with 6V31, 20:13 departure from East Yard, running as a Long Welded Rail train.