POWERSCENE
Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.
Class by class notable workings.
CLASS 20
WITH the scheduled steam locomotive unavailable, English Electric Type 1s Nos. 20189+20227 undertook the Sunday ‘Shakespeare Express' trips between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon on August 1. Departing from Snow Hill at 10.00 and 14.07 and returning from Stratford at 12.52 and 16.18, the two Class 20s also handled the diagram on the following three Sundays prior to 4-6-0 No. 7029 Clun Castle returning to action on Bank Holiday Sunday, August 29.
They also managed a return to former haunts on August 4 when powering ‘The Jolly Fisherman' 1Z85 07.27 Tyseley Warwick Road-Skegness and 18.25 return, while Nos. 47773+20189 double headed the 1Z25 08.45 Tyseley-Scarborough and 18.05 return on August 25 with the Brush Type 4 leading on both journeys.
A further trip to the seaside was planned for August 11, when Nos. 20189+20142 were paired together for the 1Z20 08.18 Tyseley-Llandudno. Disappointment soon followed, however, as 20142 (which had only returned north from Eastleigh the previous day with
No. 20007) suffered a fault at Bordesley Junction just six minutes into the journey. Eventually the train was dragged back to Tyseley depot by No. 20227 and the venture cancelled.
Elsewhere that morning, Nos. 20118+ 20901 set off from Chaddesden to run light to Merseyside (see below) where they provided the unusual sight of Class 20s at Kirkdale TMD. The pair returned as 0Z61 13.35 from Kirkdale running via St Helens Central, Bamfurlong and Warrington Bank Quay as on the outward trip. Back on August 6 Nos. 20118+20901 had charge of Railvac No. 3 forming the 6X62 15.59 Basford Hall-Lichfield Trent Valley, returning the machine to Crewe three days later. Nos. 20118+20901 passed Alfreton on August 26 heading for Chaddesden, having visited Leeds Midland Road for tyre turning.
CLASS 33
FORMER LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 continued to provide the traction for Steam Dreams' regular Tuesday tours, undertaking two round trips from London Victoria to Windsor &
Eton Riverside, followed by an evening circular from Victoria to Chertsey via Staines and back through Guildford and Crystal Palace. West Coast
Railway Company diesel traction was used for the moves from Windsor back to London and on August 10 this was provided throughout the day, appropriately enough, by former Southern Region BRCW Type 3
No. 33025. Indeed, the loco covered familiar ground on August 12 when heading from Southall to Eastleigh with a pair of former SR motor luggage vans (originally S68001/2). Having collected two former ‘4-VEP' coaches Nos. S61229/30, No. 33025 hauled all four back to London as the 5Z46 13.37 Eastleigh Arlington-Southall.
CLASS 37
PLENTY of passenger work came the way of Class 37 during August, starting with the 1Z52 07.35 Chester-Carlisle on August 3, handled as far as Hellifield by Nos. 37668 and 47746 prior to working the return leg from Carnforth. Nos. 37668+37706 were then paired together for the ‘Scarborough Spa Express' working to Holgate Sidings, York on August 5, while ‘The Dalesman' 1Z62 08.25 York-Carlisle reached Hellifield on August 12 top and tailed by the reunited duo of Nos. 47746 and 37668. The following Thursday, August 19, found Nos. 37668+37669 at the head of the 1Z24 06.00 CarnforthScarborough when breasting Copy
Pit summit before handing over to ‘Merchant Navy' No. 35018 at York.
Nos. 37069+37716 powered the 1Z39 09.55 Bescot-Crewe leg of the Direct Rail Services tour on August 7, taking No. 68002 along for the ride at the rear of the train and running via
Coalville and the Sutton Park freight line. Pathfinder Tours' ‘Cambridge and Norfolk Explorer' on August 14 found
No. 37069 in action once again, this time paired at the business end of the 1Z10 05.19 Eastleigh-Norwich with large logo blue classmate No. 37402. Network Rail examples Nos. 97304+97303 traversed the Cambrian main line with the 1Z52 10.17 Shrewsbury-Pwllheli on August
20, the ERTMS-fitted Type 3s having taken over from No. 67001 at Shrewsbury. They returned from Pwllheli at 16.20 and the Class 67 took the train forward from Shrewsbury to Bristol Parkway. Rail Operations
Group locomotives Nos. 37510+37800 sandwiching Mk.3 coach No. 11092 undertook a turning move from Derby RTC to Sheffield and back on August 26, prior to setting off with the ‘Retro Cumbrian Coaster 2' tour two days later as the 1Z28 05.56 ChesterfieldWorkington via the Hope Valley, Diggle and Copy Pit and with No. 57312 at the rear. The return journey by the same route saw all three locomotives at the head of the train led by No. 37510.
No. 37425 (Regional Railways blue/grey) handled the 6Y03 06.46 Eastleigh-Long Marston (August 2) with a HOBC set for store and had a similar consist in tow when forming the 6Y57 08.28 Basford Hall-West Ealing at
Northampton on August 16. Nine days later, No. 37425 turned its hand to the 6G94 12.22 Basford Hall-Bescot and 6D95 14.41 Bescot-Toton Yard.
Back on its old hunting ground,
No. 37418 was sent to rescue a Class 769 unit on August 7 which had failed at Llanbradach and was assisted to Rhymney by the Type 3. ROG examples Nos. 37601 and 37611 moved empty coaches from store at Worksop to Doncaster Wabtec on August 9 and next day left Donnington RFT with West Midlands DMU No. 196109 bound for Tyseley, but only reached Walsall before returning the set from whence it came.
August 13 found the same Type 3s in charge of Aventra EMU set No. 730003 heading from Old Dalby to
Oxley Depot, while on August 23 they successfully transferred No. 196109 from Donnington to Tyseley TMD. The 5V22 08.55 Motherwell-Cardiff Canton formed of six Mk.2 coaches (August 26) was hauled throughout by No. 37716.
CLASS 40
THE item in our September issue regarding No. 40013 (D213) working the 1Z40 07.40 Bangor-Bristol Temple Meads on July 1 should have stated that the diesel locomotive took the train throughout its journey to Bristol rather than handing over to steam motive power at Crewe. Stanier ‘Black 5' No. 45231 and 4-6-0 No. 46100 hauled the return journey with the Class 40 at the rear of the train as far as Crewe, where D213 took over for the remainder of the trip back to Bangor.
CLASS 43
LOCOMOTIVE Services' ‘Blue Pullman' power cars Nos. 43046+43055 returned to base on August 12 running as the 0Z21 09.23 Neville Hill-Crewe HS and topping the summit at Copy
Pit during the early afternoon. No sooner had they reached Crewe than they were off to Dundee next day with their empty coaches to form the 1Z43 07.31 Perth-York special on August 14. Routed via Beattock and the Settle & Carlisle, the blue train passed its green stable companion (power cars Nos. 43058 and 43059) on the northbound ‘Staycation Express' near Selside.
The Pullman's next jaunt occurred on August 21 when forming the 1Z50 06.18 St Pancras-Carlisle, this time running 40 minutes behind the Skipton to Carlisle HST, before returning south via Shap. Great Western Railway sets have been running between Plymouth and Doncaster during the month on trips to and from the Wabtec plant. For instance, on August 12 power cars Nos. 43004 and 43154 had six trailers for company on the 5V84 09.31 DoncasterLaira TMD when recorded at Tamworth High Level. Next day No. 43154 was paired with No. 43029 and four trailers on the 5E23 08.28 from Laira.
CLASS 47
STILL running in ‘standard' BR blue as
No. 47614, No. 47853 tailed the 1Z84 07.50 Crewe-Carlisle on August 4, hauled north by No. 46100 Royal Scot. The same steam locomotive had charge of the 1Z80 05.26 Wigan-Cardiff Central on August 11 with No. 47853 at the rear from Crewe, the diesel locomotive having worked the initial leg of the tour from Wigan to Liverpool Lime Street with No. 90002 leading from there to Crewe.
No. 47853 reached Crewe with the 1Z50 06.19 Wolverhampton-York (August 18), being relieved by Bulleid Pacific No. 34046 Braunton with
No. 47828 tailing the train throughout, and three days later No. 47853 was detached from 1Z60 08.17 ShrewsburyCarlisle at Chester, allowing Nos. 34046 and 47805 to go forward.
On August 28, however, Nos. 47853 and 47828 visited Devon with the
1Z68 05.52 High Wycombe-Kingswear, returning the ‘Statesman' stock to Crewe ready to form the 1Z28 08.35 Bangor-Appleby on August 30 hauled solely by No. 47805.
Both Nos. 47815 and 47848 made a welcome return to passenger operation on August 26. Neither had hauled a passenger train since 2017 and, having both been repainted this summer, it was good to see them taking charge of the 1Z24 07.40 CarnforthScarborough, which they worked right through to the Yorkshire resort.
Two days later No. 47848 was back in action tailing the 1Z86 06.59 Crewe-Carlisle headed by No. 47746. Shuttle services between Colchester, Bury St Edmunds and then Norwich were hauled by B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 on August 14, with Type 4 No. 47772 hauling each trip back to Colchester. Both locomotives remained in harness for the Victoria to Windsor and Chertsey jaunts on August 17 and for the final running of those services on August 24. In between they took the 1Z25 09.44 Paddington-Stratford-uponAvon on August 22.
No. 47245 led a return charter from Weymouth to Victoria as far as Southampton on August 5, whereupon the train reversed, allowing ‘Jubilee'
No. 45596 Bahamas to head to London. The Class 47 was then paired with
No. 47772 on the 1Z62 05.55 NorwichCarlisle as far as Hellifield (August 7) while the duo covered the 1Z42 16.47 Lincoln-Chelmsford from Peterborough on August 28 – there was little respite for either as No. 47772 took the 1Z22 08.46 Slough-Par to Taunton next morning (steam forward) and No. 47245 handled the return working, taking over from ‘Jubilee' No. 45690 Leander at Taunton.
CLASS 56
LITTLE outside their ordinary duties seems to have come the way of the Colas Railfreight ‘Grids' recently, although on August 13 Nos. 56105 and 56051 top and tailed a formation including Kirow crane No. DRK 81626 and Railvac No. 4 forming the 6X56 13.30 Brewery Junction-Basford Hall. Meanwhile, No. 56049 was the chosen motive power to take refreshed railhead treatment train wagons on the 6Z56 10.07 York Works-Shrewsbury (Coleham) as autumn nears. No. 56078 proved a regular and reliable performer on the Baglan Bay-Chirk (Kronospan) timber traffic in August, while No. 56302 handled the 6S95 13.45 Derby (Sinfin Sidings)-Grangemouth on August 16 and the Prestwick aviation fuel tanks next day and again on August 19 and 26. At Longport the Romanian-built former No. 56018 is well on the way to becoming No. 69003 in the GBRf fleet.
CLASS 57
FOLLOWING a stint of almost four months outbased in the western Scottish Highlands, No. 57001 returned to Carnforth with No. 47237 on the 5Z57 12.18 from Fort William on
August 4, conveying a set of ‘Jacobite' coaching stock for tyre turning. During its time in Lochaber, No. 57001 assisted the afternoon ‘Jacobite' at the rear on 11 separate occasions when the dry weather dictated the steam locomotive should be worked lightly.
Classmates Nos. 57002+57003 hauled the 6K97 19.33 Toton YardBasford Hall on August 5 and two days later powered the 1Z42 20.27 BescotEastleigh final leg of the ‘Blue Boys Merrymaker' railtour. Their workload was extended on August 10 when, sandwiched between two Beilhack snowploughs, the two ‘57/0s' formed the 7Z98 15.24 Kilmarnock-Basford Hall, stopping off at Carlisle Kingmoor, where No. 57003 was detached for repairs. Having completed the journey to Crewe, No. 57002 was next reported leaving Northampton at 11.55 on August 13 in charge of a set of new high output ballast wagons and running as the 6Y57 10.13 West Ealing-Basford Hall.
After some weeks out of use,
No. 57310 moved Class 769 bi-mode unit No. 769947 from Burton Wetmore to Wolverton on August 5, before hauling EMU set No. 323240 from Soho LMD to Doncaster Wabtec next day. The Class 57/3 was seen coupled to EMUs Nos. 365512/28 forming the 5Q23 10.05 Ely Papworth-Doncaster Belmont on August 10, following up next day with a similar service, this time hauling sets Nos. 365530/38. Another trip from Burton to Wolverton on August 12 found bi-mode No. 769922 in tow, while No. 57310 reached Crewe on August 26 hauling ‘Orion' unit No. 319373 from Eastleigh.
CLASS 60
UK Railtours' ‘Tinsley Tugger' charter on August 14 provided the highlight of the month for Class 60 afficionados.
No. 60062 Stainless Pioneer paired up with No. 66007 to take the tour from Doncaster to Tinsley Yard and from there to Woodburn Junction, Chesterfield, Newark Castle, Lincoln and Doncaster Wood Yard. There was also a return to action on August 8 for the popular Cappagh blue liveried
No. 60028 at the head of the 6Z26 15.38 Chaddesden-Peak Forest.
Returning to Derby overnight,
No. 60028 powered the 6Z28 07.08 Chaddesden-Brandon next day. Nos. 60046+60055 were noted at the head of the 6Z89 17.00 Northampton-Ravenhead Junction on August 22, No. 60055 having failed the previous day. No. 60046 William Wilberforce reached St Helens singlehanded, however, having detached
No. 60055 at Warrington Bank Quay.
First of the class No. 60001 passed Penyffordd on the morning of August 13, in charge of the late running 6M76 00.34 Margam-Shotton Steelworks. Class 60s are rare visitors to the route north of Wrexham these days. Similarly unusual was the use of GBRf example No. 60002 on weekend engineering work around Dinting, the ‘tug' heading out on the evening of August 14 with No. 66704 on the 6G55 22.26 Basford Hall-Godley Junction auto-ballasters.
CLASS 66
REPAINTED at Eastleigh Arlington,
No. 66769 emerged sporting GBRf-style black and yellow and the recognised logo to help raise prostate cancer awareness. Following its naming ceremony at
London Victoria on August 12, No.
66769 and No. 66725 Sunderland top and tailed a special, running as the 1Z82 11.14 Victoria to Gillingham (Kent), returning from there in mid-afternoon. Subsequently, No. 66769 began regularly working the 4M19 11.50 Southampton Western Docks-East Midlands Gateway containers and the 4O19 21.51 return from August 16, covering the diagram on a further nine occasions during the month.
Pathfinder Tours' ‘Cumbrian Freighter' charter on bank holiday Monday, August 30 ran as the 1Z95 05.32 Banbury-Appleby in the hands of Nos. 66068 and 66110. Following the ‘Tinsley Tugger' railtour, the PD Ports blue-liveried No. 66109 was used to assist No. 67006 on the 5Z16 10.18 Wembley Yard-Burton Wetmore empty stock on August 16.
No. 66754 Northampton Saints awaited movement by road from Whitemoor to Longport towards the end of August following its unfortunate altercation with a farm tractor and trailer at Kisbys Level Crossing, Three Horse Shoes on August 19 while hauling the 4L02 04.10 Hams Hall-Felixstowe.
The locomotive was derailed and damaged in the incident. It was hauled away to Whitemoor that evening.
On August 26 No. 66729 was recorded in charge of the 4H06 11.34 Whitemoor-Peterborough with a short train of containers, some of which had been in the consist of the derailed 4L02.
CLASS 67
WITH ‘Pullman' liveried No. 67024 out of action at Crewe IEMD for the first two weeks of August, its VSOE team-mate No. 67021 was accompanied by
No. 67001 on a handful of occasions. The latter Class 67 still sports the blue livery applied during its days on Arriva Trains Wales passenger work between Holyhead, Manchester and Cardiff.
The pair top and tailed the 1Z82 08.50 London Victoria-Oxford Parkway on August 4 and ventured to Whitstable on August 13, returning as the 1Z22 15.58 to Victoria via Dover Priory.
Both locomotives reappeared at Dover early the following afternoon on a circular tour from Victoria to Gillingham (Kent). As an aside, on August 9 Nos. 67001+67021 worked the 5Z28 08.12 Stewarts Lane-Ashford taking Bulleid Pacific No. 35028 Clan Line to the wheel lathe. Once No. 67024 returned to the fold, No. 67001 was released to handle the outward leg of Pathfinder Tours' ‘Cambrian Coast Express' on August 20 as the 1Z50 04.57 Bristol ParkwayShrewsbury. No. 67006 Royal Sovereign partnered a Class 90 on the 'Aln Valley Venturer' tour on August 7 and a week later set off heading the 1Z54 06.54
Finsbury Park-Tinsley railtour. A locohauled summer Saturday relief service in North Wales has been running as the 1K67 10.05 Holyhead-Crewe and the 1D68 14.45 Crewe-Bangor using the Class 67 and Mk.4 stock off the weekdays Holyhead-Cardiff service. On August 14 No. 67015 had charge of 1K67, while No. 67008 was noted propelling the return 1D68 to Bangor on August 28.
CLASS 68
No. 68002 Intrepid hauled three DRS Class 37 stable companions, Nos. 37038, 37218 and 37419, from Crewe Gresty Bridge to Eastleigh on August 6, the Type 3s being earmarked for attention at the Arlington plant. The next morning found No. 68002 setting off with the ‘Blue Boys Merrymixer' tour as the 1Z38 05.31 EastleighBescot, prior to being joined by Nos. 37069+37716 for the next leg to Crewe via Coalville and the Sutton Park line.
TransPennine Express coaching set TP09 powered by No. 68026 Enterprise formed the 5Z27 11.14 LongsightLiverpool Lime Street and the 5Z28 15.08 return on August 13, travelling along the route of the old Cheshire Lines Committee via Irlam, Warrington Central and Hunts Cross and stopping at all stations. Two days previously, No. 68025 Superb handled the 6G94 12.22 Basford Hall-Bescot and the remainder of the diagram to Toton and back to Crewe with the 6K97 19.33 from Toton Yard.
Chiltern Railways' Nos. 68012/15, along with No. 37069 and TPE's No. 68019, were taken from Gresty Bridge to Carlisle Kingmoor during the late afternoon of August 17, passing Warrington Bank Quay behind No. 57002. Next day Nos. 37069+
68022 were recorded at Lockerbie, running as the 0Z68 13.06 MotherwellKingmoor TMD.
CLASS 73
HAVING covered Merseyrail's Wirral lines the previous night, ‘ED's
Nos. 73962 and 73965 took their test train from Crewe to Edge Hill and Southport, arriving there at 02.20, before retracing their steps to Hunts Cross and from there back to Southport, arriving soon after 05.00. The duo returned to the Lancashire coastal resort early the following morning, this time having run via Warrington Arpley and the low level line via Fidlers Ferry to Lime Street, St Helens Central, Wigan and Parbold. On August 30, Nos. 73961 and 73964 visited Buxton and Peak Forest on their journey from Derby RTC to Crewe, later passing Altrincham, before curtailing plans to traverse the Wirral.
Back on July 31 Nos. 73201+ 73141+73212 accompanied Nos. 66766+69001 on the 0H06 12.08 Tonbridge-Peterborough light engine transfer, while Nos. 73107 and 73109 top and tailed a brand-new weedkilling set from Tonbridge to Hastings and back on August 24.
CLASS 88
No. 88006 Juno was one of several DRS locomotives to work part of the ‘Blue Boys Merrymixer' tour on August 7. Having tailed the 1Z40 16.28 CreweStafford via Shrewsbury with
No. 66431 in charge, the bi-mode
Class 88 then worked the 1Z41 19.01 Stafford-Bescot leg, before handing over to a pair of Class 57/0 diesels. Nos. 88003 and 88010 paired up to move a single IDA flat on the 4Z19 10.14 Derby RTC-Motherwell on August 18, routed via Burton-on-Trent and Lichfield to the West Coast main line. Meanwhile, classmate No. 88002 Prometheus remained under repair at Gresty Bridge depot at the end of August, having arrived there on May 20.
CLASS 90
DESPITE advertising itself as the ‘backbone of the economy' No. 90039 has undertaken a minimal amount of freight work since its repaint. Nonetheless, the black-liveried AC electric hauled No. 66054 on the 13.35 Crewe IEMD-Wembley Yard light engine trip on August 4. Three days later it was at King's Cross ready to head north with the ‘Aln Valley Venturer' tour as 1Z50 07.15 King's Cross-Alnmouth, with
No. 67006 at the rear.
The pair later continued to Tweedmouth with the empty coaches, prior to a 17.17 return from Alnmouth. Having tailed the 1Z80 05.26 Wigan North Western-Cardiff Central into Liverpool on August 11, Locomotive Services' No. 90002 set off from Lime Street station bound for Crewe, where it was removed in favour of 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot, with Type 4 No. 47853 remaining at the rear of the train. Reported heading south through Northampton on August 20, No. 90009 was destined for Wolverton and a repaint into the new G&W Freightliner livery, making it the fifth example of the former Greater Anglia Class 90s to be so treated.