12th - 17th October 2020

 
70806 departs from Eastleigh Works, 15th October. It received attention following failure at Arundel on 9th.

Monday 12th October: 60029 6Z90 07:09 Up Yard - Westbury one; 66738 + 701011 + 66780 6X24 08:00 Derby - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven
Tuesday 13th October:
Wednesday 14th October: 156449 on test at Eastleigh
Thursday 15th October:
Friday 16th October:
Saturday 17th October: 156449 5Q12 09:28 Eastleigh - Heaton one two

"£17 million boost to Southampton’s rail freight capacity" - some of this is a re-heated government announcement, following work not completed by early 2019. Some longer trains have been running, 4M61 is a noticeably long train - may be 600m. Network Rail announcement for works through to February 2021.

Class 701 Arterio approved for public use by Office of Rail and Road. This is the authorisation letter.

Disposals offer package from Eversholt.

Freight at Dunbridge, 13th October 2020

 

4M65 13:46 Maritime - Lawley Street is running again, here headed by 66523, passing late at 14:39.

59003 YEOMAN HIGHLANDER is back in the circuit, 6V41 14:48 Eastleigh - Westbury.

KFA wagon RLS 92558 is seen running with a YWA equivelent platform, the second of these seen recently. It belongs to pool 0185 of about 20 KFA wagons "TOUAXGBRF 60FT-KFA-FLATS", which operate, sometimes at weekends from Eastleigh, but also noted at Peterborough, Doncaster and Carlisle.

Digger World at Dunbridge, 13th October 2020

 
Welcome to Colas Rail at the pop-up civil engineering depot at Dunbridge, previously reviewed on 26th September.

Entrance gate to the former goods yard.

RR105, a Caterpillar D5N dozer.


RR108, a Komatsu D41P dozer.

FR506 Komatsu PC138US Crawlerailer & FR509 Komatsu PC138US Crawlerailer

RR304 Komatsu PC138 & RR305 Komatsu PC138US

Green Energy cabin communications base, from High Motive.

Level crossing segments.

Mendip Rail at Dunbridge, 13th October 2020

 
Tuesday can be the busiest day of the week for Mendip Rail workings in this area.

66568 7V16 11:56 Fareham - Whatley passes at 12:37.

66508 6V62 13:21 Up Yard - Whatley, passing 14 minutes late at 14:03.

59201 7V09 13:41 Chichester - Merehead, passing at 15:43.

VTG 3961, built by Marcroft 2000-01, on the rear of the Chichester formation.

70007 returns from Wentloog, Romsey, 9th October 2020

 
With autumnal background, 70007 approaches Romsey with 4O57 13:29 Wentloog - Maritime.

70007 was in Covid downturn storage from early April until 23rd September. Following activity to return to service, it worked to Southampton on 2nd October, then had turns to Wentloog on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th. Ten of the class are now reactivated, with nine still in store.

KTA wagon GERS 97730, one of seven in the formation.

Tugtastic! - 60029 workings, 8th - 9th October 2020

60029 Ben Nevis makes its DCR debut in the South. Originally placed into traffic from Brush Loughborough on 26th November 1990. Stored for the final time in early December 2008 and moved to Crewe for secure storage on 2nd February 2009. Offered for sale September 2013, not taken up. Offered for sale November 2018, sold to Cappagh / DCR in February 2019, although for a while 60038 was anticipated to replace it. Tested from early August 2020, but only entered traffic for DCR on 1st October.

For 7th - 9th October, used spoil from Westbury:

• 6Z90 07:09 Up Yard - Westbury
• 6Z91 16:28 Westbury - Up Yard

In early light, the empties pass Dunbridge on the 8th. Note the temporary Colas radio transmitter in the former goods yard.

Later on the 8th, loaded 6Z91 is seen passing Test Lane. Image by Ian Knight.

On 9th, 6Z91 is approaching Romsey.

Closer to and passing the camera.

The last wagon was JNA 81.70.5500.683-4, built in late 2019, and leased from VTG.

5th - 10th October 2020

 

DR98976 waits for a green light while treating the rail-head, Romsey, 9th October.

Sunday 4th October: 73962 + 73963 1Q56 09:09 Tonbridge - Eastleigh
Monday 5th October: 73962 + 73963 1Q64 19:33 Eastleigh -  Waterloo - London area - Eastleigh
Tuesday 6th October: 73962 + 73963 1Q65 19:27½ Eastleigh - Waterloo - London area - Eastleigh
Wednesday 7th October: 57310 + 442411 5Q86 10:30 Wolverton - Bournemouth (442411 went to Wolverton on 29th June) one two three four five six, 57310 (+ 442408 ?) 5Qxx 1900 Bournemouth  Eastleigh; 60029 6Z91 16:28 Westbury - Up Yard; 73962 + 73963 1Q66 10:48 Eastleigh - Fawley - Eastleigh - Romsey - Laverstock - Andover - Ludgershall - Andover - Basingstoke - Eastleigh one two three four five six
Thursday 8th October: 60029 6Z90 07:09 Up Yard - Westbury, 6Z91 16:28 Westbury - Up Yard; 442410 + 442420 5Q01 09:00 Bournemouth - Portsmouth & Southsea (return path was cancelled); 57310 + 442408 5Q77 11:09 Eastleigh - Wolverton one two three (442408 was in traffic earlier this year); 73962 + 73963 (?) 1Q67 14:02 Eastleigh - Cannon Street
Friday 9th October: 60029 6Z90 07:09 Up Yard - Westbury, 6Z91 16:28 Westbury - Up Yard; 73962 + 73963 (?) 1Q67 05:16 Cannon Street - Tonbridge
Saturday 10th October: 

Pictures of 60029 on Flickr for Wed - Fri which was running with an 18 wagon formation.

47614 and 57305 shunted at Eastleigh on 7th.

59003 returned to the works by Thursday 1st, and returned to the circuit again on the 9th one two

Western Docks is planned for traffic expansion to 12 in & out trains per day, currently understood to be 7 trains. This acquisition may be related.

4O15 MX 06:44 Lawley Street-Southampton is reported to have resumed this week (11:23 at Eastleigh), seen here on Wednesday.

Engineering work at Dunbridge for this weekend and two further following. The yard at Dunbridge has many more worksite containers, a radio mast, several road-railers, and level crossing roadway parts are in the visible inventory.