1st - 6th January 2018

 66016 (to be 66781) and 66058 (66783), with 66238 (66788) obscured behind, Eastleigh Works, 1st January.

 66524 with a "we're hiring" message from Freightliner, the second example after 66564. Eastleigh, 1st January.

'Royal Scotsman' colours on 66743, Eastleigh, 1st January.

Monday 1st January: 37025 3Z39 10:08 Eastleigh - Woking one two three
Tuesday 2nd January: 180108 5E80 11:02 Eastleigh - Bounds Green one two
Wednesday 3rd January: 66717 + 47739 0Z47 08:36 Bescot - Eastleigh (47739 now owned by GBRf and for repaint) one two three four five six seven
Thursday 4th January:
Friday 5th January:
Saturday 6th January:

Robin of Templecombe nameplates were removed from 47739 and attached to 56049, still within Washwood Heath.

Eastleigh Works: 11Dec - 12Dec (47810 now under overhaul for Locomotive Services) - 13-Dec - 14Dec - 18Dec - 20Dec - 21Dec

Notes from Scotland, December 2017

68006 with 2K14 18:15 Glenrothes - Edinburgh at Aberdour, 22nd December.

60056 passing Aberdour with 6B32 16:52 Aberdeen Craiginches - Oxwellmains, also on 22nd December.

Video follows below.

Artemis power for a ScotRail Class 170

Artemis, part of Mitsubishi, have installed a digital displacement hydraulic pump to run the ancillary hydraulics on a ScotRail Class 170 dmu - which is not yet identified.

• Artemis and Rail Projects
• ScotRail trials Artemis technology to cut fuel costs
• Scotsman: Revolutionary pump to cut ScotRail diesel use on trains
• Insider: ScotRail trials Artemis fuel-saving technology on trains

Meanwhile here is the shunt end of 82113 / 19001 at Bo'ness for Artemis.

ScotRail decides to not make booked stops with their trains

The Courier: Fury after rush hour train completely bypasses commuters at Fife station

"A spokesperson for ScotRail described the practice as “very rare” and said it was only done to limit disruption elsewhere on the network, but critics believe stops are being missed to hit punctuality targets."

Signalbox closures

Greenhill, Larbert North, Carmuirs East and Grangemouth Junction to close after work on 24th - 27th December. 

Larbert North (seen in August), opposite a Network Rail training centre, understood to be retained for training purposes.

On the remaining semaphore signals in Scotland.

Class 158 for the West Highland lines

The Scotsman: New trains to serve iconic ‘Harry Potter’ rail route

51346 awaits its fate, Eastleigh Works, 1st January 2018

DMBS 51346 seen heavily stripped outside Eastleigh Works.

Class 117 was built by Pressed Steel at Linwood (near Paisley). 51346 was new in May 1960 to Lot 30546, was refurbished with added gangways in April 1980, and was withdrawn in July 1993, having run as part of unit L411 from Reading.

From about March 1994, the unit went to the North Norfolk Railway, then to Swanage from June 2003.

More info:

http://preserved.railcar.co.uk/51346.html

http://srstock.co.uk/

37025 McPet on New Year's Day 2018

The Scottish Thirty-Seven Group's 37025 Inverness TMD, "McPet" based at Bo'ness, and leased to Colas Rail, spent Christmas and New Year stabled at Eastleigh Works. For New Year's Day, it worked to Woking as 3Z39 10:06 Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) - Woking Up Yard Recp, but in practice running one hour later. My first encounter with this Scottish locomotive in the South, and very appropriate for New Year.

Also with Scottish connections is coach 9702, from the Edinburgh - Glasgow push-pull period, starting in 1979, and 'Royal Scotsman' liveried 66743 was noted in the sidings at Eastleigh.

The Ultrasonic Test Train consist was 37025 + 6262 + 96609 + 6264 + 999606 + 9702. It is not known why there were two generator vans - both now more than 60 years old in their original brake van guise.

37025, new from Vulcan Foundry as D6725 on 31st August 1961, leads the train between the works and the station at Eastleigh.

Earlier the locomotive is seen in preparation at Eastleigh Works, where it was stabled through the Christmas holiday period.

A closer view of the locomotive, complete with Highland Rail stag symbols.

999606 is Ultrasonic Test Coach UTU4, once MBSO 62356 from 4-CIG 1850, stored in June 2003.

9702 was originally Mk2f BSO 9517 the first coach to Lot 30861 completed at Derby in 1974, then converted to DBSO at Glasgow in 1979.

SRPS Diesel Gala, 29th December 2017

With forecast, and soon delivered, snow to contend with, to Bo'ness for the Diesel Gala. Colas 56087 had a forward / reverse relay problem at Grangemouth, so 56078 was allocated to work on the Prestwick tanks, instead of attending at Bo'ness. A 70/8 fancied earlier was reported as unserviceable.

Credit to the SRPS Diesel Group for organising the event, especially with the morning weather conditions being against them.

A full set appears on OneDrive.

88005 Minerva arrived at Manuel, and after attention to points, advances to couple up with 47643.

47643 providing ETH on the first train of the day, seen in the snow at Manuel.

A bit less snow at Bo'ness, with 88005 "awaiting the off".

88005 prepares to come on a train at Bo'ness.

At the beginning of the day, and before the snow, 37067 (37703) is ready with the first train.

A front view taken shortly later, and in full dullness.

27001 has been patched up to support the diesel fleet while 37025 and 37403 are active on the main line, 26038 is at the NYMR, and 20020 has been sidelined.

Happy New Year 2018

27001 and 47643 at Bo'ness, 29th December.

25th - 30th December 2017

Monday 25th December: 66016 and 66058 rest at Eastleigh Works one
Tuesday 26th December:
Wednesday 27th December:
Thursday 28th December:
Friday 29th December: 37025 rests at Eastleigh Works one
Saturday 30th December:

TSO 5632 19th August 2014 on Fife Circle, following an internal and external refresh.

The same coach, now at Eastleigh on 9th December for spares donation, after some careful stewardship of assets by DBC at Thornton Yard, Fife.