Operations Track Record
of passengers swapped over, with No. 67025 going back to Cardiff and No. 158832 back to Holyhead.
On March 7 the 11.22 from Cardiff and 16.36 back were Nos. 153303+153906. The following day the 17.16 from Cardiff was No. 158827, going back on March 9 on the 05.33 from Holyhead. The 05.33 on March 14 ran ECS from Holyhead to Bangor, then thence No. 67010 to Cardiff. The 11.22 from Cardiff and 16.36 back from Holyhead had
No. 158825 instead.
The second half of March saw only two days when the full loco-hauled service of three trains each way between Holyhead and Cardiff operated on March with Class 67 Nos. 67010 and 67017. The rest comprised cancellations in whole or in part, or DMU substitutions. These were mainly by Classes 158 and 175, but the 17.16 from Cardiff on March 30 could only achieve Class 150 No. 150250.
On a better note, the Wales vs Italy rugby match on Saturday, March 19 provided a bonus, with the 06.31 DMU Holyhead to Maesteg converted to
Class 67 No. 67017 and stock, only running to Cardiff Central. The return 17.23 from Cardiff was the same loco and stock, vice DMU.
New Class 197 No. 197102 was stabled in Chester yard opposite the station on April 1.
New Class 730 No. 730005 was noted on test at Stafford on March 3, arriving from the Rugeley direction at 13.38.
A number of Class 319 units have been taken out of traffic and put to store at Nemesis Rail, Burton. Nos. 319013+319218 were moved from Bletchley to Burton by Class 57 No. 57310 on March 22 with the same Class 57 taking Nos. 319216+319460 the following day.
Two of the stored Class
196 units at Bletchley, Nos. 196010+196104 returned north to Tyseley on March 23.
New Class 730 No. 730002 was top-and-tailed from Derby to Oxley on April 9, by Class 37 Nos. 37601+37510.
Saturday, March 19 proved to be an incident-packed day in the Derby area. There were large crowds on the platforms for both Uttoxeter races and the Derby v Coventry Championship match kick-off at 12.30. Midland Main Line trains from London were terminating at Bedford due to engineering works and there were reports of signalling problems, shortage of stock, animals on the line and finally trespassers, with the 12.31 to Bristol announced 58 mins late. However, the Northern Belle charter was on time top-andtailed by Nos. 57316 and 47813.
Class 180 No. 180109 failed at Luton Airport Parkway on the morning of April 5, resulting in the unit needing to be moved on a wheel skate later in the day by fellow class member
No. 180113, at slow speed as far as Kettering. It later continued through to Etches Park where it was reported on April 8.
Class 377s continued to dominate the west-bound services from Littlehampton on March 11, when Nos. 377103 and 377460 were noted on such services instead of the Class 313s. On March 17,
No. 313203 was taken out of service at Littlehampton due to a unit fault and No. 377473 was booked to cover the rest of the diagram. However, due to signalling problems at Barnham, No. 377473 remained at Littlehampton to work the 10.55 service to Portsmouth.
Further issues started to arise when the Bognor Regis services were suspended with arriving services from Portsmouth forming the return to Portsmouth. No. 313201 eventually worked the 10.55 to Portsmouth. No. 377473 was sent back to the sidings and
No. 377103 worked the 11.55 service to Portsmouth and carried on with that diagram.
The 16.32 Brighton to Chichester service on March 31 terminated at Hove due to a train fault on unit No. 313208. Passengers were detrained and boarded the 15.45 service from Victoria which was used as a stopping service to Littlehampton rather than its booked stopping pattern, as the 16.52 Brighton to Littlehampton was cancelled as the unit
No. 313204 was required to assist and take No. 313208 to Brighton Depot.
Movements reported for the new Class 701 units include
No. 701042 hauled from Derby to Eastleigh by Class 47
No. 47749 on March 16.
No. 701031 was returned to Derby from Woking on March 18 by Class 47 No. 47739.
A further delivery to Eastleigh occurred on March 29 when Class 56 No. 56096 took No. 701043 from Derby. The following day Class 47
No. 47739 conveyed No. 701038 from Worksop back to Derby. The next delivery to Eastleigh followed on April 8 when Class 47 No. 47739 took No. 701044 south.
A move on April 13 saw Class 47 No. 47739 take No. 701024 from Derby to Worksop. The next day the Class 47 took new No. 701045 from Derby to Eastleigh.
Charter Trains
LMS ‘Jubilee’ Class 4-6-0 No. 45699 Galatea running as No. 45627 Sierra Leone was observed heading the 1Z53/11.32 Preston-Derby ‘Peaks Express’ steam charter, with Class 47 No. 47802 in WCR maroon livery at the rear on March 6. Class 37s Nos. 37218 and 37425 Concrete Bob, both in DRS livery, were observed on
March 12, heading the 06.19 Bristol Temple Meads-Bolton Pathfinder Tours charter ‘The Pennine Wayfarer’, off Bradley Curve from the Calder Valley line onto the Leeds-Huddersfield line at Bradley Junction.
On Saturday, March 19, SR ‘Merchant Navy’ 4-6-2 No. 35028 Clan Line was seen approaching St Margarets station on the Belmond British Pullman train 1Z82 from Hounslow to Shalford, having left Victoria at 11.45 to Hounslow. Class 67
No. 67021, in Pullman livery, was at the rear of the train. Later the same day No. 35028 was seen arriving at Victoria at the head of train 1Y88 from Shalford.
Class 47 No. 47810 Crewe Diesel Depot from Locomotive Services Ltd was observed on March 22, top-and-tailing the 5Z50/10.43 Crewe H.SDoncaster West Yard, empty Statesman Rail stock, past Healey Mills Yard with No. 47593 Galloway Princess at the rear. The stock was for the following day’s Statesman Rail charter from Doncaster-Portsmouth Harbour.
Class 66 No. 66039 was noted waiting in the centre road at Hereford at 12.40 on March 2, working a Dee Marsh to Margam steel empties. It was later seen passing Newport at 13.49. EWS-liveried No. 66194 was seen passing Cardiff Central at 14.41 the same day, heading the 13.50 steel coils from Margam to Llanwern.
Class 66 No. 66170 was noted on the 08.35 Lindsey-Neville Hill loaded tanks on March 9.
On three successive days towards the end March Class 66 No. 66116, in shabby EWS livery, worked binliner train 6C03 from Northolt Sidings to Severnside SITA. On Wednesday, March 23 the train was seen passing Burnham station. The binliner was noted, from a passing train, waiting at the signals at Drayton Green on March 24. Then on March 25 the binliner was seen passing Taplow station.
On Thursday, March 24, Class 60 No. 60010 was noted, from a passing train, in the sidings at Theale on its train of tank wagons. A little later it was seen passing through Bedwyn working from Theale Puma to Robeston Sidings. No. 60010 was noted again at Theale, from a passing train, on Friday, March
25. This time it was running around its train. Later, at Bedwyn, No. 60010 was seen on the tanks heading from Theale Puma to Margam Terminal Complex. Class 66 No. 66531 passed Newport at 13.43 on March 2, heading a container train from Wentloog to Southampton Maritime.
Class 70 No. 70006 was a rare sight at Woodlesford on March 9 working light engine on the 11.21 Hunslet to Crewe. The 4L36 from Wentloog to Felixstowe North Freightliner Terminal was seen passing Burnham station behind Class 66 No. 66503 The Railway Magazine on Wednesday, March 23. The same train was seen again on Friday, March 25 passing Taplow, when it was powered by No. 66570. The 4M58 from Southampton Maritime Container Terminal to Garston Freightliner Terminal was seen on Wednesday, March 23, at speed past Burnham on the main rather than the relief line as usual with No. 66541 in charge. Two days later the same service was seen passing Taplow powered by No. 66566. Jumbo train 7A09 from Merehead Quarry to Acton Terminal Complex was seen on three successive days towards the end of March. On Wednesday, March 23 the train was seen passing Burnham behind Class 59 No. 59002 Alan J Day, in Aggregate Industries livery. The following day the jumbo train was seen passing Hanwell behind No. 59101 Village of Whatley. Then, on Friday, March 25, the train was seen passing Taplow doubleheaded by No. 59202, in orange livery, and No. 59102 Village of Chantry, in Hanson livery. On Wednesday, March 23 No. 59204, in orange livery, was seen passing Burnham station on the 7Z60 from Days at Brentford Town to Merehead Quarry. The same train was seen again the following day approaching Bedwyn station headed by No. 59103 Village of Mells in Hanson livery.
Further observations at Bedwyn station on Thursday, March 24 saw No. 59102 on the 7A77 from Merehead Quarry to Theale Foster Yeoman. Returning to Bedwyn on Friday, March 25 No. 59201 was on the 7A17 from Merehead Quarry to Colnbrook Foster Yeoman.
Still on March 25, No. 59104 Village of Great Elm was seen passing platform 15 at Reading station on a Whatley Quarry to Dagenham Dock A.R.C. train.
On Wednesday, March 30, the Acton Terminal Complex to Tolworth Day Aggregates stone train was seen between Raynes Park and Motspur Park behind Class 66 No. 66956.
The start of more regular services from Ravenstruther (pronounced locally as Renstrie) commenced on Monday, April 4, when Class 66 No. 66554 worked the 6K60/20.15 Ravenstruther (Cloburn Quarry loading point) to Millerhill. The train left Ravenstruther 140 minutes early and arrived into Millerhill 220 minutes early. This load was for onward movement to Thornton yard. The 6K61/12.30 Thornton Yard to Ravenstruther (Cloburn quarry loading point) on Tuesday, April 5, arrived behind No. 66554.
Class 66 No. 66621 was observed passing Thankerton in charge of the 6S62/01.09 Tunsted Sidings to Uddingston Viewpark siding on Thursday, April 7. Class 66 No. 66427 passed through Crewe Station light engine at 10.30 on March 2 on its way to Gresty Bridge depot. No. 66432 passed through Newport at 14.07 the same day heading the Tesco train from Daventry to Wentloog. DRS Class 68 No. 68034 was seen passing through Reddish South on March 18 while working 0Z95 York-Crewe Basford Hall light loco move. Later, No. 68033 The Poppy was seen passing through Reddish South while working 0Z68 Crewe Gresty Bridge-York DRS on another light loco move. On March 22 the Tilbury (dep 22.04) to Coatbridge fully loaded container train was 226 mins late through Lancaster at 10.21 on March 22. This was because DRS Class 88 No. 88003 Genesis had failed at Four Ashes Loop north of Bescot. After a lengthy delay the container train, together with the ‘dead’ Class 88 was pulled by DRS Class 66 No. 66122 for the rest of its journey north. On Sunday, March 20 DRS Class 66 No. 66434 and Class 68 No. 68018 top-and-tailed a rake of high-sided mineral wagons from Mountsorrel Sidings, Loughborough (dep 11.52) to Sellafield, observed through Lancaster at 16.35. The Class 66 returned south with the rake of empty mineral wagons from Sellafield (dep 07.00) to Mountsorrel Sidings (Loughborough) on March 31. Two-tone compass blue Class 37 No. 37425+Class 66 No. 66108 ran as a light engine duo on March 22 from Crewe (dep 09.43) to Carlisle, observed through Lancaster at 11.48. On Tuesday, March 29 Class 37 No. 37425 was observed passing Thankerton with the 4M69/11.20 Motherwell to Carlisle Kingmoor Sidings. The train comprised of a short rake of container flats.
The northbound Tesco train on the morning of April 4 was hauled by Class 66 Nos. 66432 and 66422 instead of the usual Class 88 loco.
The Daventry (dep 12.18) to Mossend container train on
April 4 was pulled by Class 88 No. 88003 Genesis with
No. 88004 Pandora coupled inside with pantograph down.
Class 88 Nos. 88005 and
88003 passed Thankerton both with pantographs raised whilst running as the 0Z88/14.05 Motherwell TMD to Kingmoor DRS siding on Tuesday, April 5.
Class 57 No. 57002 ran light on April 5 from Crewe (dep 13.47) to Carlisle. On the following day Class 88 No. 88001 Revolution also ran light from Crewe (dep 09.00) to Carlisle. Class 66 No. 66726 Sheffield Wednesday was seen pausing by platform 1 at Finsbury Park station for a crew change on Wednesday, March 9, whilst heading the 4L98 from Masborough N&W to London Gateway Intermodal. Class 66 No. 66711 Sence, in its grey-blue Aggregates Industries livery, provided the traction on Wednesday, March 10 for 6P41 empty tanks run from Harwich Refinery-North Walsham, returning loaded on March 12 under 6A32, before heading to Peterborough MPD later in the evening. Stopover intermodals on March 11-14, saw No. 66728 Institution of Railway Operators arrive from Felixstowe under 4A28 late Friday and 66702 Blue Lightning on the 4L03 Tinsley Yard-HPQ yard midday on March 12, with both leaving on March 14 bound for Felixstowe port. The Harwich Refinery-North Walsham trains did not run during the week commencing March 14. However, on Monday, March 21, No. 66721 Harry Beck arrived for the 6P41 diagram and left the yard 10 minutes early and returned under bright sunshine the following day with the 6A32 loaded consist. It then worked 6P41 again on March 23. Stopover intermodals in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard on March 19-21 amounted to No. 66702 Blue Lightning on 4E03 from Tinsley Yard on March 18, diverted from its expected terminus of Felixstowe for the second week running, and on March 19 No. 66736 Wolverhampton Wanderers on 4L28 from Doncaster iPort. Both left on March 21, 66702 on 4R03 and 66736 on 4A03 for Felixstowe Port, the latter some 24 minutes late at 12.15. On Thursday, March 17 the 6Y48 from Eastleigh East Yard to Hoo Junction up yard was seen between Barnes and Putney double-headed by Class 66 No. 66767 King’s Cross PSB 1971-2021 and Colas Class 70 No. 70816. Class 66 No. 66781 moved two wagons north from Marcroft to Kineton and then through to MoD Longtown on March 17. The following day it pulled a short train of six small containers and two covered wagons from MoD Longtown (dep 09.15) to MoD Kineton, seen passing through Lancaster at 11.24. A further MoD move on March 21 found No. 66752