DRS rebuilt BSOs

Brodie Engineering in Kilmarnock has recently converted Mk 2E BSOs 9506 and 9508 into nuclear escort vehicles, which are fitted with hopper windows, and have had gangways removed and replaced with glazed ends. It is not yet clear if these will be in addition to, or will replace Mk 2A BSOs 9419 and 9428, which are currently in use.

There are few photographs so far of the converted BSOs. 9508 is seen here, but the reported hopper windows cannot be discerned.  UPDATE: can be seen here.

While in the ownership of Cargo-D, 9506 is the first vehicle in this railtour at Crampmoor, 14th August 2010.

Closer detail of 9506.

Before Cargo-D, 9506 ran for Wessex Trains. Here Mk 2F BSO 9525 is seen at Westbury, this also now being in the inventory of DRS.

9508 was kept at Barrow Hill in recent years, seen here on 6th July 2013.

9419 and 9428 are seen here at the Open Day at Gresty Bridge, 19th July 2014, soon after a repair at Eastleigh.

4th - 9th April 2022

 

At Eastleigh on 7th, 66708 Слава Україні Glory to Ukraine.

The unveiling was made the previous day at the Works.

It departed to Scunthorpe later in the day with 66707 as part of 6E15 21:17 Eastleigh - Scunthorpe. Track it on RTT, enter 66708 in the box at upper right - on an Immingham - Ratcliffe coal train on Saturday morning, returning in the afternoon.

Monday 4th April:
Tuesday 5th April:
Wednesday 6th April: 7699xx 5Qxx 08:58 Reading - Eastleigh, 769959 + 769938 5Q21 11:46 Eastleigh - Reading one two three; 56081 0O69 08:00 Leicester - Eastleigh (cancelled at Basingstoke) one two, 0O70 11:47 Basingstoke - Reading - Eastleigh one, 14:00 0E71 Eastleigh - Leicester one two Flickr for the day
Thursday 7th April: 73213 + 73212 6Y68 09:36 Tonbridge - Eastleigh; 47739 (+ 360116) 5Q80 10:54 Cricklewood South Sidings - Eastleigh, 47739 (+ 360101) 5Q81 15:59 Eastleigh - Cricklewood South Sidings; 69001 + 69005 0Z69 10:05 Longport - Eastleigh
Friday 8th April: 769928 09:34 Long Marston - Eastleigh; 73212 + 73213 + 69001 0Y62 09:34 Eastleigh - Tonbridge one two three four five six; 47739 (+ 701044) 5Q10 08:05 Derby - Eastleigh one two three Flickr for the day, 0M10 17:29 Eastleigh - Leicester curtailed at Eastleigh Yard
Saturday 9th April:

08451, of Alstom, now visible at Eastleigh Works having arrived from Polmadie in a swap in February. 

Hitachi Class 385, 395 and 80x emus are to be repaired on two lines at Eastleigh Works. This has been publicly confirmed in the ORR report into cracking found on these trains. 

The plan was for the majority of the vehicle modifications to take place away from operational depots, permitting a production line approach that would not disrupt depot operations. This phase of the modification programme will take place at Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh, Hampshire. Hitachi had previously assessed the time, cost and disruption of using various locations across the UK before selecting the option of setting up two repair lines at Arlington. The programme will address trainsets containing vehicles with cracks first, prioritising those with cracks in the vicinity of the yaw damper. All vehicles, whether cracked or not, will be modified, with the programme expected to be complete in 2028.

The Easter Highlander working is planned for 2 x DRS Class 37 68007, but there now may be a daylight picture opportunity from this area.

• ECS from Burton on Friday 15th (run-around at Southampton UGL) OR earlier during Thursday to Eastleigh Works
• Outward from Eastleigh 05:00 to Skipton (sunrise is at 06:12)
• Return from Dumbarton on Monday 18th running via Redbridge
• ECS to Burton

The PLPR test train scheduled 1X18 15:13 Salisbury - Salisbury for on Thursday 7th did not run, circumstances not known.

The DRS sale of coaches, some of which have previously been pictured in these pages, in Fife and on the Cumbrian Coast, appears to have been completed, with 57002 making a move from Motherwell on 6th April, then from Kingmoor to Barrow Hill on 7th, onward to Great Yarmouth for Eastern Rail Services.

Outcome believed to be:

• 5810, 5919, 6046, 9525 to Loram, Derby
• 5971, 5995, 6001, 6008, 6117, 6122 to Network Rail for test train usage
• 9704 and 9707 to Locomotive Services, Crewe
• 9705 to Europhoenix, Barrow Hill
• 5787, 5937, 6064, 6173, 9710 to Eastern Rail Services, Great Yarmouth
• 9488 last noted at Motherwell (the last Mk2D BSO in normal passenger service)
• 9709 last noted at Longtown, update expected in a couple of weeks