Operations
CLASS 91 No. 91132 was taken by road from Doncaster to Sims Metals, Beeston, on March
18, the first of the class to be scrapped. By April 4 very little remained of the locomotive.
OBSERVED working between Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh on Sunday, April 4 at 17.10 was Class 166 No. 166220, along with an unidentified unit on a Cardiff-Portsmouth train that was routed from Romsey via Eastleigh and Hedge End, as opposed to the normal route through Southampton Central. Our correspondent speculated this was due to engineering work around Southampton as buses were replacing services from Romsey to Southampton.
A SERIES of moves on April 13 found Class 66 No. 66748 move power cars Nos. 43086+43196 from Nemesis
Rail, Burton to Long Marston.
The Class 66 then took Nos. 43056+43087+43193+43197 from Long Marston to Laira. Returning to Long Marston, the following day the Class 66 moved Nos. 43196+42094+43086+4307 8+42095+43069, also from Long Marston to Laira.
FOLLOWING the completion of the two-week resignalling programme by Network Rail into Clacton station on March 14, by the morning of March 16 all Class 321s on the recommissioned line to Dovercourt had dispersed, with some of the units making their way back to Clacton
EMUD. The weekly scrap run of Class 321s to Sims (Newport) continued but with Clacton now resuming as the source of departure.
A visit to the line at Dovercourt on Saturday, March 20 revealed more Class 321s in this holding area and none in their usual weekend haunt of Harwich Parkeston Quay yard, where sightings revealed a Class
720/5 No. 720558, Class 745/0 No. 745006 and Class 322 No. 322483. There was also a siding with 317723 heading a line of unidentified Class 317s. Over the weekend of March 20/21, eight Class 321s were noted parked on the recommission second line to Dovercourt, with No. 321355 heading Nos. 321354, 321365, 321444, 321359, 321408, 321439 and 321362.
On March 22 at approximately 14.45, Nos. 321355 and 321354 pulled off the line heading through Harwich International station and by early morning the next day, all the units on the line had been relocated. Three days later, on March 24, the eight Class 321 units had reoccupied their position on the recommissioned line to Dovercourt in exactly the same positional order.
On April 6 after removal of a siding full of NR track re-laying equipment in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard, it was possible to identify another two Class 317s in potential ‘warm storage’ here – namely Nos. 317714 and 317344.
Class 720/5 No. 720558 was still present and appears to be used for ongoing driver familiarisation of that class in situ. Class 321/3 No. 321360 also headed a siding of Class 321s additional to that on the recommissioned line to Dovercourt. Class 321/3 Renatus-upgrade units were operating the branch service to Manningtree that same day in the hands of No. 321301, while Nos. 321320 and 321311 were present at Platform 3 for the later evening service to London Liverpool Street.
DELIVERIES of Class 720 units found No. 720561 top-andtailed by Class 56 No. 56081 and Class 47 No. 47739 from Derby to Wembley on March
18. The same locos moved No. 720563 from Derby to Wembley on March 25. This was followed by No. 720504 being moved to Worksop by Class 47 No. 47727 and Class 56 No. 56081 on
April 7.
DISPOSAL of the Class 321 units is taking place on a regular basis. Nos. 321349+321366 were hauled from Clacton to Sims Metals Newport by
Class 57 No. 57312 on March
19. These were followed on March 26 when the Class 57 took Nos. 321364+321425 to Newport. The next reported move followed on April 9, when Class 37 No. 37884 took Nos. 321346+321353 from Clacton to Newport.
Class 57 No. 57312 was back in action on April 13 to convey Nos. 321422+321352 to South Wales. A change of disposal location followed on April 16, when Class 37 No. 37884 took
Nos. 321354+321360 to C F Booth, Rotherham.
CLASS 317 units are also leaving for scrap, with Nos. 317659+317671 being taken from Ely to Raxstar at Eastleigh Works by Class 37884 on March 25. These were followed by Nos. 317505+317670 being moved to South Wales by Class 66 No. 66711 on April 7. A further move to Newport on April 12 involved No. 66713 taking Nos. 317667+317665, followed two days later when No. 57305 moved Nos. 317658+317650 to Newport. The next day, April 15, Class 37 No. 37884 hauled Nos. 317651+317654 from Ely to Raxstar, Eastleigh Works.
CLASS 720 No. 720549 was reported on a Cambridge-King’s Lynn-Liverpool Street service on March 30.
ONE of the redundant HST sets stored at Dundee, Nos.
46010+42069+42118+44023, was taken south to C F Booth at Rotherham by Class 57 No. 57312 on March 24.
ON THE evening of Friday, March 26, the first of the fivecar HSTs, HA19, was out on test, reportedly for checking stopping places on station platforms. However, on April
10, the set was out, powered by Nos. 43015+43012, when it was derailed at slow speed near Dalwhinnie station at about 03.15. No one was injured but it took several days to re-rail the power car and reopen the Highland Main Line.
CLASS 73 No. 73970 working the 0M73/13.10 Craigentinny to Carlisle New Yard was observed passing Thankerton on Monday, March 15.
CALEDONIAN Sleeper Class 92 No. 92006 ran light from Polmadie (dep 07.05) to Preston and back on April 7, passing Lancaster at 10.09 and 11.48.
CLASS 158 No. 158789 was noted running ecs through Woodlesford on March 17 from Sheffield to Neville Hill depot.
THREE more Class 142 units Nos. 142068+142070+142065 left Heaton under their own power on April 8 bound for disposal by Sims Metals, Newport.
CLASS 323 No. 323228 ran through Chorley on the morning of April 12 on a Manchester Victoria to Preston and return route learning diagram. The following day No. 323223 was similarly employed.
THE Transpennine Edinburgh to Manchester Airport 10.12/1M95, worked by Class 397 No. 397003, was terminated at Lancaster at 12.30 on March 29 due to an unspecified fault. The unit then ran ecs to Manchester Piccadilly to form the 1S66 which departed from there at 14.26 rather than from Manchester airport.
CLASS 730 No. 730002 has been on test on the Birmingham Cross City Line. It did a test from Lichfield to Bromsgrove on Friday, March 12, stopping at all stations and testing the door opening systems. On Monday, March 15 it ran trials again, but this time to Redditch. The train was operated by staff from Rail Operations Group and not West Midlands Trains.
STOCK continues to leave for scrapping at Sims Metals, Newport. On March 16, Class 66
No. 66737 delivered former EMR Mk3 Nos. 41190+42286+42160+ 42330+42307+41185+41115+ 44051+41113 from Neville Hill.
A FURTHER rake of off-lease stock Nos. 43305+40705+42116 +42186+42191+42192+42193 +44077+43306 ran from Neville Hill to Ely on April 14. This was followed the next day by Nos. 43316+41099+40740+42128+ 44080+43319 making the same journey.
TESTING and training with the Class 360 units is underway. On Tuesday, March 30, Nos. 360120 and 360108 were seen passing through Cricklewood station into the depot.
CLASS 43 No. 43274 has been repainted in EMR colours for the final weeks of its use on the MML. It was out in traffic on April 13 along with InterCity liveried No. 43102 plus set NL57, starting on the 05.19 Leeds to St Pancras service.
THE use of Class 365 units is coming to a close. On April 7 Nos. 365511+365539 were towed from Hornsey to Crewe South Yard by Class 37 No. 37884. These were followed on April 12, when No. 365512 was taken by Class 57 No. 57312 to Ely.
TWO further Class 315 units have reached the end, with Nos. 315826+315851 being towed from Ilford to Sims Metals, Newport on April 15 by Class 57 No. 57305.
A JOURNEY was made from Sutton to Epsom Downs on March 29 on the 11.31 from London Victoria to Epsom Downs, which was formed of Class 455 Nos. 455834 and 455822. A little later, a journey was made from Epsom Downs to Wandsworth Common on the 13.09 from Epsom Downs to London Victoria, formed of Nos. 455843 and 455813.
While at Wandsworth Common, the 14.00 London Victoria to Epsom Downs was seen formed of No. 455822, now working on its own. Although Epsom Downs services are good for seeing Class 455, they do not have a monopoly and on Monday, March 29, the 13.39 Epsom Downs to London Victoria was formed of Class 377 Nos. 377151+377313+377315.
ON April 7 at about 12.20, a person was hit by a train at Southbourne, between Chichester and Havant. Services were cancelled and disrupted until approximately 16.00, with knock-on effects being felt until 17.30. Most services terminated at Chichester westbound and restarted from there. Eastbound services were cancelled at their departure points of Portsmouth Harbour or Southampton Central. Service 1O98 from
Great Malvern to Brighton was terminated at Cosham, and the return working, running as 1V98 to Bristol Temple Meads, was started from Cosham, unusually, at 18.03. It was reported later that the person had suffered fatal injuries. THE Brighton Main Line shut for the day on April 11 due to engineering work at Copyhold
Junction, just north of Haywards Heath, meaning all London services were diverted via Littlehampton and Horsham, resulting in a variety of stock including Nos. 377619/20/24 and 377703, along with Nos. 387201/02/09/12/16/18/ 22/25/27, together with the normal class 377s, all visiting Littlehampton working the Brighton to London Victoria services. Arguably the best part of the day (for Littlehampton enthusiasts) was when an engineers’ train top-and-tailed by Class 66 Nos. 66726 Sheffield Wednesday and 66750 Bristol Panel Signal Box was formed wrongly and had to divert into Littlehampton for turn-round purposes.
IN A dramatic U-turn, South Western Railway has announced it has halted the project to refurbish 18 Class 442 units for the London Waterloo to Portsmouth service. It is likely the units will now be disposed of for scrap.
The refurbishment programme had involved the replacement of the English Electric traction equipment originally supplied in 1966/67 for use in 4-REP EMUs. Kiepe Electric had a contract worth £45 million to supply an AC traction package featuring IGBT technology. SWR has instead reached agreement with Porterbrook to extend the leases of 28 of the 36 Alstom-built Class 458 units for use on the London to Portsmouth service. The Class 458s will be refurbished when they are displaced from London to Reading services by the new Class 701 Arterio EMUs. The refurbishment will convert the Class 458s to four-car 100mph units and make them suitable for longer-distance journeys. THE lines between Staines and Windsor were closed from March 8 to March 12 for maintenance work. On March 9, the 10.28 from London Waterloo to Staines, which would normally have continued to Windsor & Eton Riverside, was seen passing over Richmond Bridge, formed of Class 450 Nos. 450107 in the new SWR livery, and 450033, still in South West Trains blue.
OBSERVATIONS of the Chessington branch on
Monday, March 15 saw the
14.24 from London Waterloo to Chessington South approaching Motspur Park station formed of Nos. 456011+456004+(45)5871.
DELIVERIES of new Class 701 units saw No. 701025 moved from Derby to Eastleigh on March 17 by Class 66 No. 66737. This was followed on March
26, when No. 701505 was top-and-tailed to Worksop by Class 56 No. 56081 and Class 47 No. 47739. New No. 701023 was taken south from Derby to Eastleigh on March 29 by Class 66 No. 66752. It was No. 701506 that next left Derby for Worksop on April 8, top-and-tailed as per No. 701505. In a move on April 12, No. 701005 was taken north from Eastleigh to Alstom Widnes by Class 66 Nos. 66748+66788, the reason currently uncertain.
WITH the transfer away of the Class 707 units to South Eastern Trains, one service still reported as a stronghold of the Class 707s is to Shepperton. On Monday, March 29, a journey was made from Kingston to Hampton on the 10.12 from London Waterloo to Shepperton, which was formed of Nos. 707029+707020. A return journey from Hampton to Wimbledon was made on the 11.11 from Shepperton to London Waterloo, formed of the same two units. The Shepperton branch is not the only place to see Class 707s. On the same day Nos. 707009+707011 were seen approaching Brentford forming the 15.22 from London Waterloo to Weybridge. NOW that the use of the Class 483 units on the Isle of Wight has come to a close, the first two units, Nos. 002+009, were removed from the island at the end of March and are reported to be going to Booths at Rotherham for disposal. The remaining four units have been secured for future use. No. 004 is reportedly going to a café on the island; No. 007 to the Isle of
Wight Steam Railway; and Nos. 006+008 to the London Traction Group on the mainland.
WITH further reference to the Class 707 units, Nos. 707007+707008 ran from Wimbledon to Grove Park on April 3.
Charter Trains
CLASS 57 No. 57001 piloted ‘Black Five’ steam locomotives Nos. 45407 and 45212 passed Thankerton on Monday, April 12 while working the 5Z60/04.26 Carnforth to Fort William Junction Yard in preparation for the upcoming Jacobite service to Mallaig.
OBSERVATIONS of the Boston steel trains included Class 60 No. 60074 working from Toton to Boston and back to Swindon on March 15. The same loco was out again on March 19 on a Bescot-Boston-Wolverhampton diagram. A change of power on April 5 had No. 60100 on a Bescot-Boston-Swindon run, while on April 12 it did a TotonBoston-Swindon turn.
A CONVOY consisting of
Classes 67 and 90 Nos. 90036+90019+67020+90039+ 90029 ran on March 15 from Crewe (dep 15.58) to Mossend, through Lancaster at 17.29. INCREASING numbers of scrap metal trains have been reported in recent weeks. All worked by Class 66s, on March 16 No. 66007 was on a Cardiff Tidal-BeestonCardiff Tidal diagram. The following day No. 66155 worked a Liverpool-SaltleyLiverpool turn, with No. 66074 on the same diagram on March 21 and 23. On March 22 No. 66111 was in charge of a LiverpoolSwindon-Liverpool working, while the same loco hauled a Liverpool-Kingsbury-Liverpool on March 24. A Cardiff TidalBeeston-Cardiff Tidal diagram on March 25 was powered by No. 66082. No. 66111 was out again on April 2 on the LiverpoolSwindon-Liverpool working. The following day No. 66049 was on a Cardiff Tidal-Saltley-Cardiff Tidal diagram. Three workings on April 5 had No. 66171 on a LiverpoolSwindon-Liverpool working; No. 66111, again, Liverpool-SaltleyLiverpool move; and No. 66013 on a Cardiff Tidal-Beeston-Cardiff Tidal diagram. Two days later,
No. 66070 hauled a LiverpoolKingsbury-Liverpool service. Unusually, on April 11, No. 66171 worked a Liverpool-AttercliffeLiverpool turn, rare on a Sunday.
CLASS 66 No. 66002 headed the 08.35 Lindsey loaded oil tanks to Neville Hill through Woodlesford on March 17.
DB LIVERIED Class 90 Nos.
90019 Multimodal and 90036
Driver Jack Mills pulled the runs-as-required Mossend (dep 06:59) to Daventry freight made up mainly of Tesco containers on March 26, seen passing through Lancaster on time at 11.11. A PAIR of DB Class 90s Nos. 90020+90037 Christine ran light engine from Carlisle (dep 08.45) to Crewe on March 30.
A further reported light engine move followed on April 11, when Class 90 No. 90039 was noted heading south with Nos. 90030 and 66024 on a move from Carlisle to Crewe Electric Depot.
CLASS 60 No. 60092 was noted on the 08.35 Lindsey Oil Refinery-Neville Hill loaded oil tanks on March 31. THE Acton Terminal Complex to Day Aggregates, Tolworth train, which runs on Mondays and Wednesdays, was seen no fewer than five times during March. Of note is that observation during 2021 has found the train consistently headed by a Class 66, with no appearances by Class 59s. The train continues to run as class 6 (i.e. as train 6O02) on occasion and class 7 (train 7O02) on others. The class 7 would suggest a slower maximum speed, but in practice the timings are unchanged whatever headcode is used. By way of illustration, on Wednesday,
March 31 the train ran with headcode 7O02 and left Acton 10 minutes late, yet passed Motspur Park 30 minutes early.
On four occasions the train was seen between Raynes Park and Motspur Park, as follows: March 1, train 6O02 was hauled by No. 66518; March 8, 6O02 was worked by No. 66501; March 15, 6O02 was seen behind 66591; and March 22, 7O02 was hauled by No. 66593. On Monday
March 29, the 6O02 from Acton Terminal Complex to Day Aggregates, Tolworth, was seen passing Wandsworth Common station behind No. 66568. On the same day, a Day Aggregates, Newhaven to Acton Terminal Complex train was seen passing through Wandsworth Common station behind No. 66524.
CLASS 66 No. 66951 was out light engine on March 15 when it worked an 08.12 Stapleford & Sandiacre-West Hampstead Thameslink and 12.55 return. The same loco worked a similar diagram the following day. CLASS 66 Nos. 66508 + 66418 were noted on March 17
running light from Leeds Midland Road, Hunslet to Crewe on the occasional 11.15 service.
CLASS 66 No. 66502 was seen passing through Stockport on March 19 while working 6F39 Runcorn Folly Lane-Bredbury RTS Binliner.
CLASS 70 No. 70011 ran light engine on the 10.38 Leeds Midland Road-Tees Dock freightliner service on April 7, being observed passing through Woodlesford. On the same day Class 66 No. 66598 ran light engine on the Leeds Midland Road-Crewe service.
CLASS 37 No. 37425 was noted passing Roughton Road station at 11.45 on March 17 on a Stowmarket-Stowmarket driver familiarisation run.
THE 06.12 Daventry to Mossend Tesco train was pulled by Class 66 No. 66428 and Class 88
No. 88006, with pantograph down, on March 19. Later that afternoon, No. 66428 ran light from Carlisle to Crewe.
DRS Class 88 No. 88002
Prometheus ran light from Crewe to Carlisle on the morning of March 22 and then returned to Crewe (dep 11.55), seen passing through Lancaster at 12.46.
DRS Class 88 No. 88005 Minerva and Class 66 No. 66422 together pulled the fully loaded 12.04
Daventry to Mossend container train on March 25.
CLASS 68 Nos. 68004 Rapid and
68016 Fearless pulled a fourflask train from Sellafield (dep 17.30) to Crewe on March 30.
LARGE logo Class 37 No. 37407 Blackpool Tower ran light from Crewe to Carlisle and back on March 31.
CLASS 88 Nos. 88004+88006 ran light on April 7 from Carlisle (dep 14.17) to Crewe. Two days later, Class 68s Nos
68001+68002 ran light from Crewe (dep 12.55) to Carlisle.
THE 6Y48 Eastleigh East Yard to Hoo Junction Up Yard on March 9 was seen passing over Richmond Bridge behind Class 66 No. 66761 Wensleydale Railway Association - 25 Years 1990-2015. The 6Y42 from Hoo Junction Up Yard to Eastleigh East Yard on March 29 was triple headed by Class 66
No. 66748 West Burton 50+Colas Nos. 66847 Terry Baker and 66850 David Maidment OBE when seen approaching Brentford.
IN A move on March 15,
Class 66 No. 66736 moved a rake of off-lease Mk3 coaches Nos. 44015+42504+ 44059+40713+42511 from Ely to Scunthorpe for the ApplebyFrodingham RPS.
CLASS 69 No. 69001 was top-and-tailed from Crewe to Longport on March 15 by Class 66 Nos. 66706+66758.
No. 66706 then took No. 69002 from Longport to Eastleigh Works. This will be the first Class 69 to be painted and we have been told to “expect something striking towards the end of April”.
MoD traffic reported included on March 16 Class 66 No. 66706 on a Bicester-MarchwoodKineton diagram. The same loco worked a Kineton to Newport Docks on March 20. Two days later, March 22, it worked Newport Docks to Kineton, followed on March 23 by a Kineton-MarchwoodKineton-Longtown diagram.
The next day it headed south past Euxton at 07.45 on a Longtown to Kineton light engine move. No. 66780 was out on April 6 working an EastleighMarchwood-Bicester diagram. The following day it went from Bicester to Kineton and Carlisle, and forward to Longtown the next day.
ON A rainy Wednesday, March 17, the white-blue-red liveried Class 66 No. 66747 Made in Sheffield worked the 6P32 to North Walsham from the Harwich Refinery. It returned the following day with loaded tanks following the normal weekly pattern.
A NEW traffic flow commenced on March 25 when Class 66
No. 66787 worked a BurtonImmingham Docks train of scrap metal for export to Turkey. When observed on March 30, No. 66752 was hauling the service, with No. 66705 in use on April 1.
NEWLY delivered to the
UK, Class 66 No. 66798 was conveyed from Immingham Docks to Roberts Road by No. 66786 on March 25, No. 66798 then being taken forward to Eastleigh Works by Class 47 No. 47749.
THE 6K30/16.03 Millerhill yard to Carlisle New Yard was observed passing Thankerton at about 17.00 on March 27 with Class 73 Nos. 73971 and 73969 hauling the engineering train.
GBRf Class 73 No. 73964 Annette was seen approaching Brentford on Monday, March 29, running light engine at some speed and forming train 0Z20 from Tonbridge West Yard to Westbury Down Terminal Complex.
TWO Class 66 Nos. 66785 and 66720, along with DR79601/02, remained in Harwich
Parkeston Quay yard on April 7 and appeared to be working overnight on various parts of the GEML mainline. A very dusty-fronted No. 66742 ABP Port of Immingham Centenary 1912-2012 was noted at the Harwich Refinery in the early morning of the same day to work 6P41 to North Walsham.
CLASS 70 No. 70810 and 70812 were trialled top-and-tail on a test train from Eastleigh to Waterloo and return on March 11.
COLAS Class 68 No. 66846 worked the Carlisle to Chirk log train on March 15 and March 16 instead of the usual Class 70. It was back to Class 70 haulage when seen on April 9, when
No. 70817 pulled empty log wagons from Chirk to Carlisle, seen passing through Lancaster at 10.24
OBSERVED at 06.45 on March 22 was Class 56 No. 56094 working through Bradford Junction, hauling a train of auto ballasters from Penarth North Curve to Westbury.
CLASS 56 No. 56302 ran light from Carlisle (dep 10.23) to Nottingham Eastcroft on March 31.
THE Grangemouth-Sinfin tank train ran on April 4, hauled by Class 56 No. 56087.
CLASS 37 No. 37240 passed Wrawby Junction at 11.30 on April 10, running light engine from Derby RTC to Barnetby Colas sidings. It returned about half an hour later, taking Class 56 No. 56090 to Nottingham Eastcroft depot
CLASS 56 No. 56049 headed south on Monday, April 12 with an engineer’s track train from Carlisle to Crewe, with No. 56087 on the rear of the train.
IT IS reported that Class 47 Nos. 47812, 47813, 47815 and 47848 have been purchased from Rail Operations Group by West Coast Railway. They were delivered to
Carnforth on April 18 by Class 57 No. 57305.
‘BLACK Five’ No. 45407 ran on April 9 from Castleton ELR (dep 10.00) to Carnforth, pulling two Mk2 support coaches.
AN EXTRA working on Sunday, March 21 from Chaddesden to Carlisle consisted of 24 big open top box wagons, hauled by DC Rail Class 60 No. 60055.
CLASS 60 No. 60055 was seen passing Bradford Junction on a light engine move from Willesden to Bristol on March 30. The following day it made two return trips from Bristol to Westbury. It is believed to be route learning for a new flow from Willesden to Avonmouth Container Terminal.
DATS
THE DATS train was out and about again on March 5 when it was formed by Class 43 No. 43066, Class 91 No. 91128 Intercity 50, Mk3 DVT No. 82115, Class 90 No. 90035, Class 91 No. 91122, and Class 43 No. 43054. The diagram started as the 5Q61/07.42 Rectory JunctionKettering, from where it made several runs to Bedford and back before returning home as the 17.27 Kettering-Rectory Junction, which ran 130 minutes early.
A MOVE on April 9 involved Class 67 No. 67024 hauling Class 730 No. 730101 from Dollands Moor to Wembley. Here the Class 67 was replaced by Class 60 Nos. 60028+60046 for the remainder of the journey to Derby Litchurch Lane following the return of the unit from testing at Velim.
HANSON & Hall hired in Class 20 Nos. 20118+20132 to work 5X08/10.00 Arriva EastleighLong Marston via Worcester with Mk3 Nos. 11094, 12012, 12019, 12027, 12041, 12026, 12115 and 12151 on April 13.
Locomotive Services
A RAKE of former EMR HST coaches, Nos. 41063+41117+ 42220+42100+44047, were moved from Gascoigne Wood to Crewe by Class 37 No. 37667 on March 16.
LARGE logo Class 47 No. 47593 Galloway Princess ran light from Aberdeen (dep 07.34) to Crewe on March 31.
CLASS 47 No. 47805 (D1935) of the Locomotive Services Group was a surprise visitor, working light engine on a driver training itinerary of 06.51 Crewe H.S.-Wakefield Kirkgate, then to Skipton and return, then back to Skipton, on April 5.
Two days later, it was noted on the following: 09.30 Doncaster West Yard-Wakefield Kirkgate; and 11.13 Wakefield KirkgateSkipton.
Derby RTC & Network Rail
GBRF Class 73 Nos. 73961 Alison+73965 top-and-tailed an 11.30 Tonbridge West Yard-Derby RTC test train on March 15. The train was booked via Corby and Oakham but actually ran on the main line via Market Harborough. The same Class 73s had charge of the monthly 1Q69/12.22 South Croydon-Derby RTC test train on March 27.
COLAS Rail Class 37 Nos. 37116 and 37025 top-and-tailed on March 16 a train of Network Rail coaching stock from Derby to Carlisle via Whitehaven.
CLASS 37 No.37219 worked a Network Rail ‘Ultrasonic’ rake of coaches from Mossend to Derby RTC on March 17.
COLAS Rail’s Tamper No.
DR73922 John Snowdon ran from Wrexham to Shap on March 19. On March 23 it was observed working from Carlisle to Blackburn. It was next reported on April 2 when it was stabled in the south downside siding in Lancaster, having arrived at 12.21 from Maryport.
NETWORK Rail’s Tamper No. DR73114 ran from Crewe to Carlisle Upperby on March 19. BODEN Rail’s Class 37 No. 37240 top-and-tailed with Class 97 No. 97304 were seen in Stockport on March 19 while working 1Q45 Crewe C.S.-Derby
RTC Network Rail test train. It is reported that this is the first time Transrail Grey No. 37240 has worked with Colas on test train duties. DURING the week ending March 27, Littlehampton was visited by the Network Rail Train hauled by Classes 66 and 73 locos. On March 22, Nos. 66766 and 66774 arrived with the Tonbridge to Tonbridge via Littlehampton, Brighton, Haywards Heath and Barnham before returning to Tonbridge via Horsham. The same locos returned the next day on the same diagram. A change on March 27 had Class 73s Nos. 73107 and 73128 with the same train in Littlehampton twice in two hours, with a trip to Bognor Regis.
A NETWORK Rail train, topand-tailed by Class 37 No. 37116 with DVT No. 9702 and including the ultrasonic test unit coach, worked from Derby to Carnforth via Crewe on Sunday March 28.
A VISIT to Harwich Town terminus on March 31 saw Colas Rail 37/0 No. 37254 Cardiff Canton arrive on a Welwyn GC-Cambridge four-weekly engineer’s test train with the consist comprising Nos. 975091, 72631, 9701, 9523, and with Class 37 No. 37610 on the rear. It left some five minutes before its scheduled departure at 16.03 on its GEML southern section run-around.
A TEST train was observed at Littlehaven level crossing at 18.58 on April 8, top-and-tailed by Class 73 Nos. 73961 and 73965, en route from Tonbridge West Yard to Sleaford.
Our thanks
THE Railway Magazine’s thanks for information goes to: Paul Atkinson, Mike Bechley, Gene Collins, Mike Cooper, Joel Coulson, Nigel Crisp, David Gurr, Christopher Hinch, Barry Knock, Sean Morris, Paul Moxon, Richard Moxon, Richard Prentice, Mark Reynolds, John Roxburgh, Terry Smart, Peter Talbot, Craig Wellum and Chris West.