Operations Track Record

Grain train of concrete segments for London’s super sewer was observed on August 16 with Class 66 No. 66176. Passing through Woodlesford on August 18, Class 66 No. 66185 was noted on the 08.35 Lindsey Oil-Neville Hill loaded oil tanks. The same loco was on the diagram again on September 1. Class 66 No. 66087, in shabby EWS livery, was seen passing Reading West station on Thursday, August 19 at the head of a train from Tytherington to Calvert. Later the same day No. 66040 was seen pausing at platform 12 at Reading station on train 4V64 from Calvert to Tytherington. Class 60 No. 60001, in shabby DB red livery, was seen passing Reading West station on Thursday, August 19 when working light engine from Didcot Fuelling Point to Theale Puma. From Theale the Class 60 will have hauled the empty tankers to Robeston Sidings. Class 66 No. 66135, in DB red livery, was seen passing Reading West station at the head of a Southampton Western Docks to Birch Coppice Exchange Siding container train on Thursday, August 19. Class 59 No 59205 was noticed parked in Chichester yard whilst its train was being unloaded on August 31.

Silver liveried Class 67

No. 67012 ran light from Crewe to Mossend on September 1 and was seen passing through Lancaster at 11.25.

DB Cargo Class 67 No.67020 ran light from Crewe to Mossend on September 9 whilst in the opposite direction, on the same day, No. 67016 also with EWS on the side ran from Mossend to Crewe.

At Dollands Moor Yard on the morning of September 13 were Class 92 Nos. 92011, 92015, 92041 and 92042. THE Acton Terminal Complex to Tolworth Day Aggregates train hauled by Class 66 No. 66542 was seen arriving at platform 17 at Clapham Junction on Monday August 2, where it stood for more than 20 minutes before continuing to Tolworth. As it left, a Newhaven Day Aggregates to Acton Terminal Complex train came through platform 16 behind Class 59 No. 59103. The 4M58 from Southampton Maritime Container Terminal to Garston Freightliner Terminal was seen passing platform 15 at Reading station on Wednesday,

August 4, running around an hour late hauled by Class 66

No. 66507. On the same day at Reading, jumbo train 7A09 from Merehead Quarry to Acton Terminal Complex was seen running around an hour and twenty minutes late hauled by Class 59 No. 59206 John F Yeoman in orange livery.

Class 66 No. No 66571 passed through Barnham with a lengthy train of loaded long welded rail wagons heading towards Eastleigh on August 28 presumably from the engineers’ block on the Brighton Main Line.

White liveried FL Class 90

No. 90013 ran light from Crewe to Carlisle and back on September 7, being observed through Lancaster at 09.33 and 12.15. FOUR DRS Class 37/4s were present simultaneously at York on the morning of July 9. Stabled in the ‘parcels sidings’ were Nos. 37407, which on the day before had run light to Derby RTC to collect inspection saloon No. 975025 Caroline and was now coupled to No. 37425, and alongside was No. 37422, which was defective and being worked on by a fitter. Meanwhile, No. 37424 was departing with the aforementioned Caroline on a run to Scarborough and thence along the coastline to Hull. DRS Class 57s Nos. 57002 and 57003 ran as a light engine duo from Crewe to Kilmarnock on August 10, being observed passing Lancaster at 09.32. Class 66 No. 66305 ran light from Crewe to Carlisle and back on August 11, being observed through Lancaster at 11.34 and 15.17. Class 68s Nos. 68003 and 68007 worked a single flask from Sellafield to Crewe via Carlisle on August 11. Other flask workings through Saltcoats were on Friday, August 13 Nos. 68016+68001, and on Friday, August 20 Nos. 68002+68016. Class 68s Nos. 68004+68007 pulled, on August 24, a two flask payload from Sellafield to Crewe via Carlisle. A High Output Ballast Cleaner set was moved from Basford Hall to Plasser at West Ealing on August 16 by Class 37 No. 37425. Class 66 No. 66303 pulled No. 66432 together with TransPennine Class 68 No. 68019 from Carlisle to Crewe on August 20. Unbranded blue Class 37 No. 37422 Victorious ran light from Crewe to Carlisle on August 22. Seen passing through Lancaster at 11.52 on August 26 was DRS Class 37 No. 37716 pulling an ECS rake of six Mk.2 carriages from Motherwell to

Cardiff for future use by Network Rail.

Class 37 No. 37716 passed through Lancaster at 19.19 on September 2 pulling a single Network Rail bogie truck and Matisa vehicle No. DR78832 en route to Newcastle (Tyne Yard) from Cardiff Canton.

Observed on Saturday, September 4 were Class 37

Nos. 37407 and 37425 passing Thankerton light engine with 0Z74 the 18.10 Mossend Up Yard to Carlisle Kingmoor.

The first day of running the RHTT from Stowmarket as

3S60 to Shenfield and down the branch lines to Harwich and Clacton-on-Sea saw No. 37407 lead 37425 at the head of affairs, but disappointingly for our correspondent, the expected reverse out of

Harwich International failed to materialise with that manoeuvre being carried out at the west end of Harwich Parkeston Quay yard. ON Monday, August 2 the 4Y19 from Mountfield Sidings to Southampton Western Docks was seen approaching platform 5 at Clapham Junction behind Class 66 No. 66705 Golden Jubilee. Class 92 No. 92028 passed Carlisle light engine from Polmadie at 13.48 on its way to Crewe on August 7. GBRf Class 66 No. 66736 pulled three low sided four wheeled wagons from Carlisle to Kineton MoD on August 11. A further MoD train followed on August 17 when No. 66709 powered a MarchwoodEastleigh-Southampton Docks diagram. The 6M79 from Angerstein Wharf to Bardon Hill was seen approaching Acton Central behind Class 66 No. 66729 Derby County on August 11. GBRf Class 73 No. 73964 Jeanette ran light engine on August 13 as the 0Z73/11.30 Loughborough Brush-Tonbridge West Yard. Two Willesden-Barrington spoil trains ran on August 16 hauled by Class 66 Nos. 66771 and 66715 – possibly the first time two trains have run on the same day. On August 25, two weeks after its Swedish import classmate No. 66791, it was the turn of No. 66790 for its first foray on the Harwich Refinery-North Walsham diagram, making just the one trip back and forth though. Unusually, it spent the intermediate night in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard rather than the normal GBRf Reception

KEITH PARTLOW Class 37s Nos. 37175 and 37611 ‘top and tail’ the 1Q23/10.10 Welwyn Garden City to Cambridge Reception test train through Dovercourt, Harwich branch, on September 15.

CRAIG MUNDAY The moon shines bright for Colas’s No. 70803 at Goonbarrow as it became the first of the class to work on the Newquay branch beyond St Blazey overnight on September 21/22, with a rail train from Westbury. It is seen awaiting the possession to be taken, with the rails due to be unloaded at Bugle and Roche.

CHRIS GEE The morning mist begins to lift at Long Preston on September 16 as Nos. 31128+33029 get a very rare mainline passenger outing on the diesel leg of the ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ from Carnforth to York, where ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35018 took over.