Operations Track Record
worked a train from Marchwood to Southampton Docks and then through to MoD Kineton. The following day it worked from Kineton to London Gateway. However, somewhere on route it failed and had to be rescued by Class 57 No. 57308.
A further move on March 29 saw No. 66704 work from Southampton Docks to MoD Kineton. The following day it took the train from Kineton to London Gateway. Here the flats were loaded with containers which the Class 66 took to MoD Donnington (Telford) the next day before taking the empty flats to Bescot.
A further move on April 4 found No. 66733 move a rake of new flat wagons from Kineton through to Eastleigh and Marchwood. Another MoD move followed on April 7 with No. 66763 working a diagram from Kineton to Bicester.
A weedkiller train worked on March 30 powered by Class 66 Nos. 66721 Harry Beck and 66799. Our correspondent first saw it at Birmingham New
St and overtook it at Cofton. According to reports, it went to Leamington and Bromsgrove, presumably for Hatton bank and the Lickey incline.
Colas Rail’s Class 56 No. 56090 ran light from Crewe (dep 13.30) to Carlisle on March 14. Just south of Lancaster No.56090 was held at signal PN226 for 10 minutes before being looped into Platform 5 at Lancaster station. This was so that TPE
Class 397 No. 397010 working the 1S66/14.10 from Manchester Airport to Edinburgh could call at platform 3 at 15.27 and then take the main line north, ahead of the Class 56.
Colas Rail’s Tamper No. DR73921 was moved, on March 15, from Edge Hill Liverpool dep 07.23 to Sellafield, seen through Lancaster at 09.33.
Raising echoes up the 1-in-98 Ripley Bank out of Lancaster at 15.03 on March 16 was Colas Rail’s Class 56 No. 56096 pulling 13 loaded VTG mineral wagons plus ‘dead’ Class 70 No. 70809 en route to Longport (Stokeon-Trent) from Carlisle (dep 13.03). This freight train was then signalled into the goods loop at Outbeck to allow two late running Avanti West Coast services to overtake. First this was the Glasgow to Euston (1M13) operated by Class 390 No. 390151 followed by
No. 390127 working an Edinburgh to Euston (9M27) service.
A Grangemouth-Sinfin tank train was observed on March 20 hauled by Class 20 No. 56094.
A pair of Class 56 Nos. 56078+56096 worked the Preston-Lindsey bitumen tanks on March 21.
A convoy of three Class 66s, Nos. 66850+66136+66106, was observed on March 21 heading north through Berwick into Scotland.
Class 70 70801 passed through Prestatyn soon after 09.30 on March 26 with the 08.25 Crewe Basford Hall to Menai Bridge ballast train, ready for weekend track works.
Colas Rail’s Class 70 No. 70809 ran as a light engine on March 31 from Crewe (dep 13.41) to Tebay and back, observed through Lancaster at 15.11 and 16.17.
At approximately 14.55, running about 30 minutes late, on Monday, March 14 the 5Z37/12.00 Carnforth Steamtown to Bo’ness Junction Exchange Siding was observed passing Thankerton. The train was formed of Class 47
No. 47815+Class 37
No. 37668 plus coaches
Nos. 3096+3150+5028+ 1859+99723+4973 with
Class 37 No. 37518 bringing up the rear.
Retro green Class 47 No.
47815 and WCR maroon Class 57 No. 57316 top-and-tailed an ECS rake of Northern Belle coaches on March 22 from Carnforth
(dep 12.55) to Southall.
On Wednesday, March 30 the 5Z52/04.26 Carnforth to
Fort William (Tom Na Faire depot) was observed passing Thankerton. The train was led by Class 37 No. 37516 and former LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier, then the coaching stock 35517+ 35508+94225+4960+99326+99 329+21266+1840+4951+13306 with a second ‘Black Five’
No. 44871 bringing up the rear.
The Class 37 No. 37516 expired at Dalmuir. The leading steam locomotive No. 45407 was used to move the train forward to Craigendoran loop. The following Scotrail service, the 11.14 Airdrie to Balloch, was held at Singer between 12.05 and 12.28 and was terminated at Dumbarton Central 30 minutes late.
Two locomotives were sent from Bo’ness running as 1Z99, presumably one to take 5Z52 forward and one to recover
Class 37 No. 37516, reported to have arrived at Craigendoran Loop at 17.55.
It would appear that
No. 45407 propelled No. 37516 into Helensburgh Upper station and then returned to its train, with No. 37685, one of the locos from 1Z99 picking up
No. 37516 and No. 37518, the other going onto 5Z52, departing Craigendoran loop at 19.20. Nos. 37685 and 37516 were reported as ready to depart Helensburgh Upper at 18.25.
On Wednesday, March 30 the 5Z22/08.25 Carnforth to Assenta Rail, Hamilton was observed passing Thankerton formed of Class 33 No. 33029+ Class 37 No. 37706 and coaches 6528+99675+6000.
Class 47 No. 47848+Class 57 No. 57316 top-and-tailed an ECS rake of Northern Belle coaches from Carnforth 5Z70/09.03 to Liverpool Lime Street on
April 1. This formation then made a circuitous trip around the northwest of England via Hellifield to return to Liverpool at 16.55 before moving on to terminate at Manchester Victoria (arr 18.02), observed passing Lancaster at 09.17 and again at 15.36.
The same pairing of Nos.
47848 and 57316 top-andtailing the 5Z47/11.00 Arrochar and Tarbet to Carnforth Steamtown was observed passing Thankerton on Tuesday, April 5, running about 80 minutes late.
Locomotive Services Ltd
Having arrived earlier at Milton Keynes ECS from Crewe on Saturday, March 12, LSL’s Class 47s Nos. 47614+47501 (D1944) departed at 06.52 doubleheading a rake of Pullman liveried coaches on a 474 mile journey to Fort William. Two days later on March 14 this train, again double headed by the same Class 47s returned south from Fort William (dep 09.19) to Milton Keynes.
On March 18, Class 47 Nos. 47501 (D1944)+47810 (D1924) were sighted passing through Reddish South while working 5Z70 Crewe H.S-York Holgate Sidings empty charter stock for a tour the following day.
LSL’s Midland Pullman Class 43s Nos. 43046+43056 passed through Lancaster at 10.27 on Saturday, March 26, on a 604mile journey from Slough (dep 06.13) to Inverness. Two days later this same formation ran back to Slough from Inverness (dep 08.50).
LSL’s green and silver liveried Class 43 No. 43058, complete with matching coaching stock and with BR ‘Swallow’ liveried No. 43049 on the rear, ran ECS from Crewe (dep (09.15) to Carlisle and back on April 7.
Locomotive Services Class
47s Nos. 47614+47501 were seen at Rochdale on April 2 while working the returning 1Z45 Whitby-Wolverhampton Statesman Rail Charter.
Class 50 No. 50008 Thunderer moved HST Nos. 43054+40728+43066 from Brush Loughborough to the
Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway on March 28, routed via Leicester, Nuneaton, Tyseley and Banbury.
Cappagh-liveried Class 60
No. 60028 passed Newport light engine at 13.39 on
March 2, travelling west.
On March 15, Class 60
No. 60055 moved a rake of empty stone wagons from Willesden to Machen quarry. The following day it took the wagons loaded to Oxford Banbury Road going through to Hackney yard, Newton Abbot the next day. On March 21 it paired with No. 60046 and took a rake of wagons from Hackney yard back to Willesden.
No. 60046 worked a rake of stone wagons from Willesden to Hitchin and back to
Willesden on March 24.
On Friday, March 25, an Oxford Banbury Road sidings to Willesden DC Rail sidings was seen passing platform 15 at Reading station, hauled by Class 60 No. 60028 looking very smart in Cappagh blue livery. The same Class 60 took a further rake of wagons from Willesden to Machen quarry on March 29. It was reported on a similar working on April 5.
Sims Metals, Newport
Arrivals at the yard reported in recent weeks included Class 365 No. 365525 delivered on March 15 from MoD Bicester by Class 37 No. 37884. This was followed on March 18 by Class 317 No. 317709 brought south from Ely by Class 57 No. 57310. A further move from Bicester followed on March 29 when Class 37 No. 37884 moved
Nos. 12177, 12178, 12179, 12181, 12183, 12184, 12185, 82307, 82308, 82107.
Class 319 No. 319374 was taken by road from Long Marston in early April. A pair of Class 315s Nos. 315848+315839 were taken from Ilford by Class 37 No. 37884 on April 7.
The penultimate Class 365
No. 365536 was moved from Doncaster Belmont by Class 37 No. 37800 on April 13.
Derby RTC & Network Rail
Colas HSTs 43274 and 43272 arrived in Redditch at 03.50 on Tuesday, March 8, with a 1Q56 Derby RTC to Derby RTC, having come down the branch line through Alvechurch, before returning at 03.55. This is thought to be the first ever visit of an HST into Redditch. Previous workings have usually been Colas Class 37’s top-andtailed. On Wednesday, March 23 the 1Q66 from Woking up carriage holding siding to London Waterloo was seen passing platform 8 at Reading station. The train was formed of GBRf Class 73 No. 73963 Janice, Generator No. 6261, Track recording coach No. 999550, Special vehicle No. 1256 and Staff coach No. 977969, with GBRf Class 73 No. 73964 Jeanette at the rear. The train was operated by Colas.
Colas Rail’s Class 37 Nos. 37069+37116 top-and-tailed a set of Network Rail Track Inspection coaches from Derby (dep 11.00) to Carlisle via Whitehaven on March 15.
SB Rail’s Dynamic Tamper
No. DR75013 was moved from Warrington (dep 10.35) to Carlisle on March 25, observed through Lancaster at 11.38.
Class 73 Nos. 73107 Tracy and 73128 O.V.S. Bulleid
CBE visited Littlehampton twice on March 30, working the Tonbridge West Yard to Tonbridge West yard weed killer train via Havant and along the West Coastway Route.
Colas Rail’s Class 43
No. 43257+43299 top-andtailed a rake of yellow liveried Network Rail measurement coaches from Derby to Edinburgh on March 30. On the following day this set ran south from Slateford, Edinburgh (dep 07.56) via Shap to Crewe.
Network Rail’s Plasser & Theurer Tampers Nos. DR73115+DR77905 were moved on April 1 from
Rugby (dep 08.56) to Penrith. A further pairing of Nos. DR73113+DR77906 were moved on April 4 from Newcastle’s Tyne Yard (dep 08.26) via Carlisle to Crewe.
Network Rail’s Class 950
No. 950001 was seen stabled in Manchester Piccadilly headshunt on April 2 after having worked 2Q08 from Carnforth H.S the previous day.
Our thanks
THE Railway Magazine’s thanks for information go to: Paul Atkinson, Mike Bechley, Gene Collins, Mike Cooper, Kevin Driscoll, Peter Fletcher, Mike Gregory, Malcolm Hutcheson, Barry Knock, Sean Morris, Richard Moxon, Dorian Porter, Mark Reynolds, R. D. Richardson, Howard Robinson, Terry Smart, James Speed, Mike Thompson, Roy Thurley, Craig Wellum and Chris West.