Operations Track Record
Movements of Class 701 units reported included No. 701005 being moved from Eastleigh to Derby by Class 47 No. 47749 on May 16. No. 701038 was moved back from Worksop to Derby by Class 47 No. 47749 on May 25. In the opposite direction, Class 47 No. 47739 took No. 701033 from Derby to Worksop on June 1. The Class 47 next took No. 701047 from Derby to Eastleigh on
June 7.
Class 701 units are out on test most days. On Wednesday, May 11, No. 701031 was seen at platform 7 Waterloo station forming the 5Q51/11.15 from Waterloo to Staines Up Loop. The unit worked to Staines via Poole, and Poole was displayed as the destination. Later the same day Nos. 701004 and 701025 were seen in the sidings at Clapham Junction. Returning to Clapham Junction on Friday, May 13
No. 701025 was again noted in the sidings, but No. 701004 was not there on this occasion.
On Saturday, May 14 the lines through Barnes were closed for engineering works and services to Reading and Windsor &
Eton Riverside ran via Kingston with a reversal at Twickenham. The Reading services stopped at Clapham Junction and Kingston, before resuming the normal stopping pattern after Twickenham. This again meant Kingston had a service of fast trains to and from Waterloo, improving on the normal service.
A journey from Kingston to Clapham Junction was made on the 10.42 from Reading to Waterloo, formed of Class 450 Nos. 450045+450022. The train ran through New Malden and Raynes Park on the Up Slow, but then went across to the Up Fast before passing platform 6 at Wimbledon.
Charter Trains
On Saturday, May 14, Class 67 Nos. 67016 and 67013 in EWS and DB liveries respectively topand-tailed UK Railtours’ 07.28 Ealing Broadway-Toton North Yard ‘Powerful Pieman Panorama’ tour, seen a few minutes early passing Market Harborough. Later the tour went on to visit Doncaster RMT with a Class 66 pilot.
Also on May 14, the empty stock train 5Z48 from Willesden southwest sidings to Windsor & Eton Riverside for The Railway Touring Company’s ‘The Windsor Flyer’ was seen approaching Brentford station top-and-tailed by Class 47 Nos. 47746 and 47815.
A Steam Dreams charter on Tuesday, May 17, from Eastleigh to London Victoria was seen approaching Barnes station headed by ‘B1’ 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower, with Class 47
No. 47772 at the rear.
The Northern Belle was seen at Chester station on Thursday, May 19, running as the 1Z23/16.00 from Holyhead to Stoke-on-Trent top-and-tailed by Class 47 Nos. 47812, in blue livery, and maroon 47813.
A private charter conveying Jeremy Hosking and his party from Crewe, and consisting of his own Locomotive Services
Ltd stock, was in North Wales between May 19-21. The 10-coach train, an eclectic mix of LSL rolling stock was top-andtailed by Class 37 Nos. D6817 (37521) and 37688 Great Rocks and arrived at Llandudno at 17.15 on May 19.
On Friday, May 20 three
Mk.1 coaches from the consist were detached and taken by
No. 37688 for a trip along the
Conwy Valley Line to Blaenau Ffestiniog, leaving at 11.22 and returning at 17.26. No. D6817 with the remaining carriages remained stabled in platform 3 at Llandudno. Upon their return from Blaenau the two trains were reunited for the departure back to Crewe the following day. The train returned double headed by the two Class 37s, with No. D6817 in the lead.
On Friday, May 20, Pathfinder Tours excursion ‘The Cambrian Coast Express’, which ran from Bristol Temple Meads was seen drawing up at platform 4 at Shrewsbury behind Class 66
No. 66034, in smart DB red livery. A little later, Network Rail Class 97 Nos. 97302 Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways / Rheilffyrdd Ffestiniog Ac Eryri and 97304 John Tiley were seen passing through Shrewsbury station in preparation to work the charter train over the Cambrian main lines.
A visit to Dollands Moor on the morning of Friday, May 6, in the loco storage sidings on the other side of the bridge that separates the exchange sidings from the loco storage facility found four Class 92s Nos. 92041 Vaughan Williams, 92036 Bertolt Brecht, 92019 Wagner and 92015. Apart from No. 92015 in very presentable DB Red, the others are still in their original two-tone grey and all looking a bit worse for wear with No. 92019 appearing very shabby.
Scrap metal trains reported included Class 66 No. 66080 on a Scunthorpe-Burton-Immingham diagram on May 12, the first for many months. On the same day, No. 66065 worked a Cardiff
Tidal-Sunderland-Cardiff Tidal diagram. A similar diagram followed on May 17 and 18 with No. 66129 at the helm. A further move reported was on June 6 when No. 66088 worked a regular Liverpool-SwindonLiverpool diagram with
No. 66149 on the same diagram on June 13.
The Hardendale Quarry (Shap) (dep 18.02) to Margam via Hereford was unusually doubleheaded on May 16 by Class 66s Nos. 66040+66059.
The Mossend to Seaforth (Liverpool) overnight container train left Mossend 34 minutes early at 01.36 on May 17, but passed through Lancaster at 10.07 (254 mins late) pulled by DB Class 66 No. 66177 having been delayed at Penrith.
Observations of the Boston steel train produced Class 60
No. 60011 on May 18 on a Bescot-Boston-Swindon diagram. An observation on
May 24 from a passing train, near Soho East Junction found the same Class 60 at the head of a train from Wolverhampton Steel Terminal to Boston.
The Lindsey-Jarrow-Lindsey oil train was observed on
May 20 with Class 60 No. 60066 in charge.
Class 66 No. 66113 was noted at Woodlesford on the 08.35 Lindsey oil Terminal-Neville Hill loaded tanks on May 22. This has become an infrequent working with Neville Hill not serving as many diesel units as previously. When observed on June 8
No. 66183 was noted running 35 minutes late on the service.
EWS liveried Class 66
No. 66129 ran light on June 6 from Carlisle (dep 08.46) to Seaforth (Liverpool). Later that afternoon it returned north (dep 13.44) with a fully loaded train of containers and liquid tanks bound for Mossend.
Class 66 Nos. 66502+66613 worked the West ThurrockTunstead empty bogie hoppers through Luton on May 6.
Throughout May, Freightliner’s Ipswich Depot has been deploying a Class 66 to shunt in Harwich Parkeston Quay – the pink No. 66587 As One We Can being noted on May 10 and 66598 on June 7 moving around the consist of rail-carrying lowloader wagons that had arrived from NR’s Whitemoor yard into the Parkeston Aggregate siding. There the wagons have had their internal metal struts dismantled and stacked together on the ground at the northern edge of the compound and the wagons returned to sidings in Harwich Parkestone Quay yard.
Observed on June 7 at Ipswich, Class 90 Nos. 90043, 90008, 90045 and 90046 were in the field sidings off Platform 1 – with the last two consecutively numbered classmates picking up the 4M63/09.12 Felixstowe North FLT – Trafford Park FLT from Ipswich yard and taking the middle road through Ipswich at 10.50. Later No. 90003 led 90042 through Platform 2 at 11.04 on the 4L91/02.10 Trafford Park FLT – Felixstowe North FLT and 25 minutes later Nos. 90015 and 90006 Modern Railways Magazine/Roger Ford eased through Platform 3 with the 4L89/04.10 Crewe Basford Hall SSM-Felixstowe North FLT intermodal; the latter halting for a crew change while in the opposite direction on the middle road Class 66/5 No.
66518 headed south with 4M88 to Ditton O’Connor FLT sidings. Whilst Freightliner has built a new depot on the east side of Ipswich Yard, Class 66s and
90s are still to be found in the Ipswich Holding Sidings and the Freightliner Service Area. During the morning of June 7, it looked like a new bunch of Freightliner driver recruits were being instructed in both cab-ends of No. 66563 as it moved up and down one of the sidings.
Class 47 No. 47830 Beeching’s Legacy was observed on Southampton Maritime MPD on May 10. It was still there in the identical position on June 2, an unusual visitor to the site.
Class 66 No. 66564 was observed berthed in Eastleigh yard on May 10, with a large plaque advertising for Locomotive drivers.
Class 66 No. 66547 moved a rake of 42 withdrawn cement tanks from Oxwell Mains to Millerhill yard and then forward to EMR Liverpool on May 17. On Monday, May 16 the 6Z66/11.25 Mossend Down Yard to Carlisle New Yard was
observed passing Thankerton with Class 66 No. 66429 hauling Class 88 No. 88007 and the ballast train.
DRS Class 66 No. 66126 pulled an additional fully loaded container train from Daventry (16.30) to Grangemouth via Dumfries on Sunday, May 15, observed through Lancaster at 20.36, 47 minutes early.
Container loadings on the Saturdays only Tilbury (dep 07.54) to Coatbridge service still continue to be light. On May 28 Class 88 No. 88003 Genesis was seen passing Lancaster at 16.36 with a payload of just six containers.
Class 88 No. 88009 Diana ran light from Crewe (dep 09.10) to Carlisle on May 31 and later returned (dep 13.18) to Crewe pulling Class 68 No. 68016.
DRS Class 68s Nos. 68004 Rapid+68009 Titan pulled a single flask payload on June 7 from Sellafield (dep 16.49) to Crewe via Ulverston. Two days later, the same Class 68s returned to Sellafield from Crewe (dep 06.14) again pulling a single flask. Class 66 No. 66731 Capt Tom Moore A True British Inspiration made two trips between Harwich Refinery and North Walsham, so besides doing the trip back and forth in one day on May 3, it then did the empty tanks on May 4 and returned with the loaded on May 5. Stopover intermodals in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard on May 7-9 were Nos. 66772 again on 4L03 (Tinsley) and 66769 on 4L28 (Doncaster). No. 66707 Sir Sam Fey Great Central Railway turned up at the Harwich Refinery on May 11 for 6P41 empty tanks to North Walsham, returning the next day with its loaded consist. While it sat with its consist in Harwich Parkestone Quay yard on May 11, Nos. 66799 and 66741 Swanage Railway turned up from Ferme Park via Cambridge with a weed-killer set. Overnight on May 12/13 they worked down the GEML and branches with the weedkiller unit but a run out on May 14 was cancelled and both locomotives left Harwich Parkeston Quay yard for other duties on May 15. A visit to the yard on May 17 revealed that the unit was languishing in its siding and a mobile crane was deployed from the adjacent roadway to the Parkeston Aggregate site and was engaged in lifting a section of the unit off the tracks so that a wheelset problem could be addressed in situ. On the same day, No. 66751
Inspiration Delivered Hitachi Rail Europe was dispatched from Ipswich GBRf early in the morning but spent the day in field sidings just off the main branch line through Harwich Parkestone Quay yard, presumably because its diagram was subsequently cancelled. It did, however, spring into action the following day on 6P41/10.34 empty tanks consist to North Walsham and returned the following day with the loaded condensate tanks to the Harwich Refinery under diagram 6A32. Normally No. 66751 would have returned to Peterborough MPD later that evening but with classmate No. 66719 Metro-Land deployed from Peterborough under 0L99 at 17.27, they both teamed up top-and-tail to take the repaired weed-killer set to Ferme Park GBRf Reception Siding, which both then took on to Westbury yard on May 22. Weekend stopovers in Parkeston Quay yard on May 21-23 amounted to Nos. 66707 on 4L03 (Tinsley) and 66769 on 4L28 (Doncaster i-Port) and both left on May 23. Observed at Dollands Moor on May 6 were ED Class 73 Nos. 73964 Jeanette and 73965 Des O’Brien top-and-tailing a four coach Network Rail Track Inspection Train in the freight exchange sidings. Class 66 No. 66732 worked the first Margam to Dee Marsh steel train for GBRf on May 9. Class 08 No. 08683 was seen shunting wagons in Eastleigh yard on May 10 by the line to Botley. The St Pancras-Ketton empty cement tanks were noted on May 11 at Luton hauled by Class 66 No. 66778. MoD traffic reported includes Class 66 No. 66710 on a KinetonTilbury-Donnington diagram on May 17. The following day it ran from Donnington to Southampton before heading north back to Mossend, being observed through Lancaster at 15.39 formed as a partly loaded train made up of short sized containers. It was then observed again the following day on a train of empty container flats bound for Kineton. A change of locomotive on May 31 saw No. 66702 work a KinetonTilbury-Mossend. The following day it went south from Mossend to Kineton with a train of six containers. Empty gypsum train 4Y19 from Mountfield Sidings to Southampton Western Docks was seen passing Barnes station on Tuesday, May 17 doubleheaded by Class 69 Nos. 69005 in BR green livery, and 69004, in blue/red livery. The train was running almost an hour late, which was reportedly due to a brake problem on the working to Mountfield, which in turn may have been the reason for double-heading. No. 69004 was in sole charge of the train from Mountfield Sidings to Southampton Western Docks seen passing through Barnes station on Friday, May 27. Ukrainian National Flagliveried Class 66 No. 66708 Glory to Ukraine was noted stabled at Bescot Yard during the late afternoon of May 27. Class 60 No. 60056 was seen arriving at Heaton Norris Junction as 1Z99 from Tuebrook Sidings on June 7 to rescue GBRf Class 60 No. 60021 that had previously failed on 6E09 Liverpool-Drax Aes loaded Biomass about two hours earlier at Heaton Norris Junction. HS2 Green liveried Class 66
No. 66796 was also seen passing through Heaton Norris Junction while working 6E10 LiverpoolDrax Aes loaded Biomass.
Green livery Class 69
No. 69005 Eastleigh was noted at Littlehampton on
June 8, working light engine from Tonbridge West Yard to Eastleigh. Presumably diverted into Littlehampton for route knowledge or to avoid delaying Southern Services through Arundel Junction.
A new traffic flow reported saw Class 97 No. 97302+97303 move a rake of loaded log carriers from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury on May 18, where Class 56
No. 56113 then took the train forward to Chirk.
The regular GrangemouthSinfin tank train was reported running south on May 18 hauled by Class 56 No. 56094, the return working the following day worked by No. 56302.
On June 1, WCR Class 57
No. 57313 and Class 37
No. 37706 moved a single steel carrier wagon on a wheel skate from Shrewsbury to Dee Marsh sidings. Later the locomotives ran light engine duo from Dee Marsh to Carnforth.
Eastleigh Works
Information from Eastleigh received in recent weeks shows that, with the HST power cars, No. 43047 is now in Midland Pullman livery. H&H Nos. 43465 and 43468 did test runs to Fareham and back on May 29/30, and then departed for Kings Norton on June 10 and into service. No. 43059 is currently being repainted blue and white. Class 66 No. 66734 was released on June 1 in its Platinum Jubilee themed livery. Fellow classmate No. 66720 is currently in for a repaint, arriving May 31 and due out towards the end of June. Class 73 No. 73201 has arrived for new wheelsets. On the unit front, ‘Pacer’ Nos. 142032+142089 are both now scrapped, while No. 55752 from No. 142056 has had its body scrapped. Also scrapped are most vehicles from Class 317 Nos. 317729+317732. EMR Class 360s continue to arrive for repainting with No. 360120 being delivered by Class 47 No. 47739 on May 11, with No. 360116 being taken back to Cricklewood on the same day. Next arrival was No. 360108 delivered by No. 47749 on May 23, the Class 47 taking No. 360113 back to Cricklewood the following day. No. 360115 was delivered by No. 47749 on June 10 with repainted No. 360120 returned to Cricklewood on the same day. The Class 769 mods projects are now complete and the last units Nos. 769936 and 769940 left to Long Marston on June 10.
On the coaching front, Mk.1 FO No. 3107 is now repainted in BR Crimson and Cream and Mk.1 RBR No. 1671 is being repainted blue and grey. Class 37 No. 37521 arrived with No. 41059 for CET fitting on June 6, returning the following day to Crewe with CET fitted No. 41182 and repainted No. 3107. Mk.2 No. 5991 was used as a barrier for both moves.
Sims Metals, Newport
In addition to the Class 455 units (see previous Southern notes), the yard has also received a number of Class 317 units from store at Ely with Nos. 317348+317513 being moved by Class 37 No. 37800 on May 20, followed by the Class 37 moving Nos. 317342+317515 on May 27.
At about the same time, Class 144 No. 144012 arrived by road. Three Class 43 power cars Nos. 43069+43193+43197 arrived on May 31 from Laira behind Class 56 No. 56081. On an unknown date in May, two vehicles from Class 319 No. 319460,
Nos. 77457+77456, were also delivered by road.
Derby RTC & Network Rail
The engineer’s siding at Llandudno Junction has now been reconnected to the up running line. It was occupied by tamper No. DR73935 for much of April and May whilst weekend engineering work was being carried out on the North Wales Coast line.
Observed at lunchtime on Friday, May 20, resting between duties the NMT top-and-tailed by Class 43 Nos. 43251+43257 berthed at Blackpool North. It had arrived at 04.00 from Carlisle and later departed for Derby at 14.27.
Colas livery Class 37 No 37175 was noted parked in the sidings at Cambridge on May 30 on a Network Rail test train with a consist of Nos. 62287+9808+ 99606+9508+9701.
Colas Class 43 Nos. 43274+43272 were observed with test train running north through Berwick, during the early morning of May 30.
Colas Rail’s recently returned Class 37 No. 37421 top-andtailed with No. 37612 were seen in Stockport D.G.L while working 1Q45 Crewe cs-Derby R.T.C overnight Network Rail test train on June 10.
Our thanks
THE Railway Magazine’s thanks for information go to: John Atkinson, Paul Atkinson, Peter Boyce, Gordon Casely, Gene Collins, Mike Cooper, Malcolm Hutcheson, Barry Knock, Anthony Krawiec, George Maund, Peter Meadows, Sean Morris, Richard Moxon, Marjorie Murray, Paul Newman, George Orriss, Steve Peck, John Preston, Mark Reynolds, RD Richardson, Chris Sanders, Terry Smart, Edward Spearey, Malcolm Storey, Roy Thurley, Ian Walton, Craig Wellum and Chris West.