Swanage Diesel Gala Focus: 26043

26043 was new as D5343 from BRCW on 2nd October 1959, and allocated to 64B Haymarket, although by July 1960, 60A Inverness was its home depot.

Renumbered to 26043 in January 1974. Heavy General overhaul and air brake fitted at Glasgow Works, completed in May 1985,

Withdrawn on 19th January 1993, following a power earth fault.

Preserved by the Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group, and based at Toddington since April 1994. Restored to use in 2013, but did have some traction motor issues, now resolved.

I first saw this locomotive in Glasgow Works when I visited on 4th October 1980 (RCTS visit?). The repair work was completed the following month.

Further locomotive history.

Easing empty stock out of the carriage siding at Harman's Cross.

Running around the empty stock.

Arriving at Swanage with 10:45 from Norden.

Laying over at Swanage.

Non-stop through Harman's Cross with 14:50 from Norden.

Arriving at Norden with 17:16 from Swanage.

8th - 13th May 2017

1001 at Totton, heading to Fawley, 13th May. Image by Ian Knight.

73961 + 73119 Swanage - Eastleigh at Redbridge, 8th May. Image by Ian Knight.

Recently repainted 37254 at Totton, 9th May. Image by Ian Knight.

37099 with the test train at Redbridge. Image by Ian Knight.

Ye Olde 313 at Bedhampton, 8th May. 313216 originally 313016 delivered from BR York in June 1976.

Sunday 7th May: 56096 0Y68 17:45 Swanage - Eastleigh one two three
Monday 8th May: 56096 0Y68 10:00 Eastleigh - Washwood Heath; 73961 + 73119 0Z73 13:00 Swanage - Tonbridge one two three; 37099 + 37254 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two three four
Tuesday 9th May: 66741 + 20188 + 20059 + 45041 + 47192 + 50026 0Z41 09:05 Swanage - Princes Risborough one two three; 37099 + 37254 1Q52 10:37 Eastleigh - Portmouth & Southsea (vice Harbour) - Littlehampton - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard - Havant - Guildford - Havant - Eastleigh - Woking - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh one two three four five
Wednesday 10th May: 57002 + 66428 (for repain, after recent collision repair at Wolverton) 0Z70 01:10 Crewe - Eastleigh one two; 37099 + 37254 1Q53 11:38 Eastleigh - Southampton Up Yard -  Woking - Wimbledon Park -  (AWS fault on 37254, 37099 continued solo) - Eastleigh - Southampton Down Loop - Wimbledon - Basingstoke - Laverstock - Romsey - Eastleigh - Totton Yard - Eastleigh - Romsey - Eastleigh one two three four five six
Thursday 11th May: 37099 + 37254 1Q54 12:27 Eastleigh - Hither Green one two three four; 56303 6Z16 10:00 Willesden - Eastleigh one two, 56303 + 56312 6Z17 Eastleigh - Wembley one two three
Friday 12th May:
Saturday 13th May: 1001 1Z11 06:30 Hastings - Fawley, 1Z12 11:50 Fawley - Southampton, 1Z13 13:04 Southampton - Fawley, 1Z14 13:55 Fawley - Southampton, 1Z15 15:15 Southampton - Fawley, 1Z16 16:15 Fawley - Hastings

08571 has arrived at Maritime.

West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala, 30th April 2017

Images from the camera of Ian Knight.

GWR '15XX' 1501 at Watchet.

GWR '5101' 5199 at Blue Anchor

MR '4F' 43924 + LMS '4F' 44422 approaching Watchet.

SDJR '7F' 53808 approaches Blue Anchor.

Swanage Railway Diesel Gala, 6th May 2017 - my little movie

And so to Swanage, Saturday 6th May 2017

A first look at the Swanage Diesel Gala, in class order:

20188 + 20059 at Swanage.

26043 at Harman's Cross. 

 45041 between Corfe and Norden.

 47192 at Swanage.

56096 + 33012 arriving at Swanage.

 50026 at Swanage.

 73961 + 73119 approaching Swanage.

1st - 6th May 2017

57308 awaits completion of its repair at Eastleigh Works, and return to DRS service. All pictures on evening of 4th May.

08879 has been run under its own power, but is back at its Raxstar barricaded position.

57011 - rumours suggest that DRS may wish this to be repaired to support a requirement for 2 @ 2x Class 57 for nuclear traffic.

LT 1967 stock 3103, withdrawn on 7th June 2011, moved to Eastleigh 16th June 2011.

KFA TIPH 93482 has been in internal use at the works for at least a year.

Case Poclain 888P / Rexquote 116 Road/Railer Excavator 99709 940642-0 / E003 / 'K319 PCV' works in the carriage sidings at Eastleigh.

Monday 1st May: 
Tuesday 2nd May: 57306 + 57303 (+ 5919 + Northern Belle coaches 325 + 3067 + 10729) 5Z40 16:18 Eastleigh - Kidderminster one two three four
Wednesday 3rd May: 73119 +50026 + 73961 0Z56 11:00 Eastleigh - Swanage one two three four; 66741 + 47192 + 20059 + 20188 + 45041 0Z45 09:20 Kidderminster - Swanage one two three four five six
Thursday 4th May; 56096 0Z40 13:00 Washwood Heath - Swanage one [26043 is seen at Swanage one]
Friday 5th May:
Saturday 6th May:

24th - 29th April 2017

56312 Jeremiah Dixon has been resident at the works in recent weeks, apparently awaiting wagons to complete repairs. This is the oldest surviving Class 56, originally delivered from Romania as 56003, reaching Zeebrugge on 13th August 1976, as the second delivery from Craiova, entering traffic on 28th February 1977. Withdrawn in 1999 with worn centre castings, it reached Booth's scrapyard in Rotherham from Toton in February 2004.  In April 2004, it was sold into preservation, initially at MOD Ashchurch, and later at the Nene Valley Railway. In 2008 it became 56312 Artemis in the Hanson Traction fleet, a predecessor to DC Rail.

57303 Pride of Carlisle has been on the works since 25th January, and is believed to have swapped bogies with 57011. 57303 was D1957, delivered on 14th January 1967, later 47554 from October 1974 upon ETH conversion, and 47705 from March 1979, then allocated to Haymarket. Rebuilt in March 2003 to 57303 Alan Tracy, later to Network Rail and then DRS. This locomotive has seen use on GWR sleeper services.

56312 and 57011.

Mk 1 BSK 35469. BR Wolverton Lot 30721 1963.

Monday 24th April: 66096 5O61 09:53 Wembley - Eastleigh one
Tuesday 25th April:
Wednesday 26th April:
Thursday 27th April: 70812 was on the Westbury - Eastleigh - Westbury; 70014 returned to traffic with Freightliner one two
Friday 28th April: 70014 was on the Maritime - Wentloog - Maritime
Saturday 29th April:

Eastleigh Works: 10Apr - 11Apr (08879 operational) - 18Apr - 19Apr - 20 Apr - 24Apr - 25Apr - 26Apr - 27Apr - 28Apr