Operations Track Record
69 locomotives do not have a monopoly of the gypsum traffic. On Monday, June 13 Class 66
No. 66784 was held at Barnes station for a few minutes when heading train 4Y19.
However, on Thursday, June 16 No. 69004, in red/blue livery, was seen passing St Margarets at the head of 4Y19. No. 69001
Mayflower was back in charge when seen passing Barnes station on Tuesday, June 28.
Class 66 No. 66764 Major
John Poyntz was seen passing Clapham High Street on Saturday, June 11 at the head of train 6O60 from Bow Depot to Tonbridge West Yard. The service was seen again on Tuesday,
June 14, this time at New Kew Junction hauled by No. 66702
Blue Lightning.
Class 66 No. 66793, in grey livery, was observed on Sunday, June 12 stabled at the end of the line at Colnbrook. It had arrived the previous day on the 6V04, from Grain Oil Terminal.
A convoy of three Class 66s Nos. 66754+66784+66702 was seen passing Acton Central station running light engine as train 0Y62 from Eastleigh East Yard to Tonbridge West Yard on Sunday, June 12.
The 6M79 from Angerstein Wharf to Bardon Hill was seen passing Barnes station on Monday, June 13 hauled by
No. 66742.
An Eastleigh East Yard to Hoo Junction Up Yard engineer’s train was seen between Richmond and North Sheen stations behind Class 66 No. 66772 Maria on Tuesday, June 14. No. 66790 was seen passing Richmond station on Thursday, June 30 running light engine as train 0Y48 from Eastleigh East Yard to Hoo Junction Up Yard.
On June 15, Class 66 No.
66775 HMS Argyll failed at about 05.15 while working the 4E14/04.05 Felixstowe South GBRf-Doncaster iPort between Haughley Junction and Bury St. Edmunds blocking the Ely crosscountry route and the main line to Norwich. No. 66724 Drax Power Station was on its way from Peterborough to Harwich Refinery to handle the empty condensate tank run that day, but was diverted en-route to help and at approximately 06.30 was seen hauling the intermodal back through Stowmarket and into Ipswich Yard where it continued its rescue mission but running round the consist and attaching itself ahead of
No. 66775. Later that day, 4E14 was noted at Peterborough when No. 66724 (with 66775
DIT) passed through some six hours late.
On Friday, June 17, the 6O37 from Willesden Euroterminal to Cliffe Brett Marine was observed passing Kensington Olympia behind Class 66 No. 66764 Major John Poyntz.
With three separate rail strikes in the week commencing June 20, our regular correspondent was interested to see if the Harwich Refinery-North Walsham condensate tanks diagram would run at all. As it transpired, No. 66701 was dispatched on Monday, June 20 and took 6P41 to North Walsham roughly on time but was around an hour late arriving.
The next day, the first of the RMT’s strike days and with all normal passenger traffic on Greater Anglia branches curtailed, it was of interest to see what happened, and, like all intermodal freight from Felixstowe taking the London North Orbital to proceed north, 6A32 was worked from North Walsham, leaving slightly late, and was the sole user of the Harwich branch that day. Probably not that surprising because at the Harwich Parkeston Quay yard end at least, most of the shunting and reversal in the yard itself and into the Harwich Refinery is facilitated using manually operated points, either by the driver or their shunting assistant.
The diagram was then repeated on June 22 and back again on the second strike day, June 23. No. 66701 then waited until June 24 before heading cross-country on to Peterborough MPD. On Monday, June 27, No. 66793, in two-tone Trainload Freight grey with Construction decals, arrived for the 6P41 diagram to North Walsham, the second time this year it has been allocated to the diagram. It returned on June 28 with 6A32 loaded tanks, stayed overnight outside the Harwich Refinery, and took 6P41 empty tanks out to North Walsham on June 29.
Class 66 No. 66770 pulled an MoD train made up just of five small Seco containers from Bescot (11.12/6C01) to MoD Longtown on June 17. Later it returned south (16.20/0Z44) running light to Crewe. A further MoD train ran on June 22 with No. 66751 working a Marchwood-Bicester diagram.
Class 66 No. 66712 Peterborough Power Signalbox pulled a mixed train load of small containers and covered merchandise from Southampton to Carlisle on June 29. The following day it continued working the 4S99/05.13 Carlisle New Yard to Inverness Freight Sidings. The train conveyed an assortment of wagons, including boxes, and vehicles. It would appear that a 9ft 6ins container had been loaded and struck three bridges just north of Perth station. A further MoD service reported was on July 8 when grey liveried Class 66 No. 66793 pulled a train of eight small containers and a covered wagon from MoD Longtown to Kineton.
Although many freight services were cancelled on
June 21 due to the strike, one service which did run on that day was a train of 24 empty mineral wagons from Tuebrook (Liverpool) the 07.38/6Z19 to Shap pulled by grey liveried
GBRf Class 66 No. 66794. Later that afternoon the loco returned south on the 14.56/6Z20 with the 24 loaded mineral wagons bound for Tuebrook.
The 4M47 from London Gateway to Hams Hall Intermodal was observed on June 22 headed by Class 66 No. 66755 Tony Berkeley OBE passing East Tilbury station. It was observed again on June 27 with No. 66767 King’s Cross PSB 19712021 in charge of the service.
An exhibition of Wascosa rolling stock was held at London Victoria station on June 28. The train worked in as 4Z99 from Eastleigh Works via Reading and Kensington Olympia, headed by No. 66720 freshly painted in GBRf blue and orange livery and carrying the slogan ‘Wascosa – Europe’s first provider of freight wagon systems.’ At the rear of train 4Z99 was No. 66729 Derby County.
The wagons on display were Intermodal Flats Nos. FEA 81 70 4524 098-0, FEA 81 70 4524 064-2, FEA 81 70 4524 070-9 and FEA 81 70 4524 066-7, and Bogie Open Wagon MLA 81 70 5932 284-9 and Bogie Open JNA 81 70 5932 167-6. The wagons carried Network Rail logos. It was reported back in October 2020 Network Rail was to lease from Wascosa 570 wagons to be built by Greenbrier Europe and maintained by GBRf.
Class 66 No. 66776 moved a rake of new wagons from Dollands Moor to Hoo Junction on June 28. The following day No. 66703 moved a rake of new flat wagons and boxes from W.H.Davies, Shirebrook to Doncaster.
A most unusual working on June 29 found Class 73 Nos. 73109+73136 powering the Mountfield-Southampton empty gypsum wagons as far as Tonbridge where they were replaced by Class 66 No. 66706 for the remainder of the journey through to Southampton.
Multicoloured No. 66721 Harry Beck was seen passing Reading
station on Thursday, June 30 working 4B77 from Colnbrook Lafarge to Avonmouth West Wharf.
A reported first working on July 1 found Class 66 No. 66796 on an Isle of Grain to Sinfin and return oil train.
Class 66 No. 66798 worked a rake of empty MJA box wagons from Thrislington to Shap
Quarry on July 4 where they were loaded with limestone and taken to North Blyth via the Tyne Valley in connection with the construction of a car battery plant near Blyth. The same locomotive was on the service again on July 7.
Class 66 No. 66703 was also seen while passing through Manchester Piccadilly on July 4 with 4M46 Southampton Western Docks-Trafford Park
Euro Terminal GBRf Intermodal.
Observed on Tuesday, July 5 at 14.00, two unidentified
Class 66 locos ran light engine over Longroyd Bridge viaduct towards Springwood Junction on the Huddersfield-Penistone line which is normally freight free.
GBRf Class 60 No. 60087 pulled the early morning Shap (dep 03.58) to Tuebrook (Liverpool) loaded mineral train on July 7 observed passing Lancaster just after sunrise at 05.01.
Class 70 No. 70816 was observed passing Thankerton with the 6M36/10.35 Ravenstruther to Carlisle New Yard on Wednesday, June 15. The number of trains being loaded at the reactivated facility continues to increase and has certainly removed numerous long-distance lorry movements from our roads.
Colas Rail Class 70 No. 70814 ran light from Bescot to Carlisle on June 14.
The stillness of an early morning sunrise at Lancaster was broken at 05.30 on June 15 as Colas Rail Class 60 No. 60076 Dunbar pulled a runs-asrequired train of 24 loaded mineral wagons from Shap to Tuebrook (Liverpool). On the previous evening the empty wagons were brought north to Shap from Tuebrook (dep 21.35).
A reported first working on July 3 found Class 70 No. 70807 on a Lindsey-Kingsbury-Lindsey oil train. The following day
No. 70814 had charge of the service, with No. 70812 reported on July 5.
On another service taken over by Colas, Class 70 No. 70805 worked a Lindsey-JarrowLindsey oil train on July 4. Blue liveried Class 47 No. 47270 pulled three chocolate and cream ex Riviera Mk.1 coaches Nos. 3098+3120+4959 on June 13 from Southall to Carnforth. Class 47 No. 47813+Class 57 No. 57313 top-and-tailed a rake of Northern Belle and Pullman coaches from Crewe to Edinburgh via Liverpool and back on June 14.
WCR Class 37 No. 37706+Class 47 No. 47813 ran light from Carnforth (dep 08.40) to Crewe and back (dep 11.31) on June 15.
Class 47 No. 47776 pulled a short train of WCR maroon liveried Mk.2 empty coaches from Southall to Carnforth on June 22.
On the same day Class 57s Nos. 57314+57315 top-andtailed a rake of Northern Belle coaching stock from Carnforth to Burton Wetmore. On June 27 the same two locos and coaches returned to Carnforth from Burton. Then, on the following day the Class 57s and stock again ran ECS from Carnforth, destined on this occasion for Norwich via Doncaster.
Blue liveried Class 47 No. 47813 ran light on June 30 from the WCR base at Carnforth to Crewe. This loco later returned to Carnforth from Crewe pulling chocolate and cream liveried Class 57 No. 57313, observed passing through Lancaster at 12.46 and 17.29.
A trio of WCR maroon Class 47s Nos. 47802+47804+47826 ran on July 7 from Carnforth to Craven Arms.
Class 60 No. 60029 Ben Nevis was noted passing through Peterborough at 10.26 on June 15 heading for Brandon Down Sidings from Derby Chaddesden Sidings to rescue the blueliveried Cappagh-branded classmate No. 60028 which had failed the previous day. Later that day, some 90 minutes later than scheduled, both Class 60s, (60028 DIT) headed north on the avoider through line for Derby Chaddesden Sidings.
There was also another visit from a DCR Freight locomotive in Peterborough on June 15 with Class 56 No. 56091 Driver Wayne Gaskell on driver or route-learning exercise at
10.47 and later at 14.00 before returning to base at Leicester LIP.
wo days later it was in traffic working empties from Chaddesden to Middleton Towers, going forward with the loaded wagons the following day to Ravenhead.
Locomotive Services Ltd
On July 1 LSL’s Class 37s No. D6817 (37521) pulled Nos. 37259+37409 from Carlisle to Crewe, observed through Lancaster at 10.03. LSL’s Inter-City ‘Swallow’ liveried Class 43 No. 43049 and Midland Pullman Blue No. 43046 plus matching blue coaching stock ran ECS on July 1 from Crewe (dep 11.10) to Dundee. On the following day this formation made a 668-mile trip from Perth (dep 06.15) to Llandudno and back (dep 15.37). On Sunday, July 3, it returned ECS to Crewe from Dundee (dep 13.51).
Sims Metals, Newport
In addition to the Class 455 units listed in Southern notes, other arrivals included Class 91 Nos. 91122+91128 top-and-tailed by Class 37 Nos. 37608+37601 from Crewe on June 29.
Derby RTC & Network Rail
SB Rail’s Plasser & Theurer ballast profiling machine No. DR77903 was moved on June 17 from Guide Bridge (dep 09.11) to Carlisle. Multi-purpose vehicle Nos. DR98911+DR96961 was observed passing Thankerton whilst working 3Z18/10.32 Wigan LIP to Mossend Down Yard on Monday, June 20. During the evening of Monday June 27, the New Measurement Train was seen leaving platform 8 at King’s Cross as train 1Q20 to Derby RTC top-and-tailed by Nos. 43257+43290. Colas Rail’s Tamper No. DR73922 John Snowden was moved on June 28 from Warrington (dep 10.08) to Carlisle. Later that afternoon DR73910 Jupiter was stabled in the downside long siding at Lancaster having arrived from Guide Bridge at 15.10. On June 29, another Colas Tamper, No. DR73942, was also moved from Guide Bridge to be stabled in the downside siding at Lancaster. Class 73 Nos. Nos 73962 and 73963 visited Littlehampton twice in one afternoon on June 27, working the Tonbridge to Tonbridge via Littlehampton. Brighton and return via Crystal Palace to Tonbridge West Yard. Network Rail Multi-Purpose stoneblower No. DR80302 was noted heading south at Cambridge on July 1, momentarily being held at a red signal. Network Rail stoneblower No. DR80301 Stephen Cornish was diverted into Littlehampton for turn round purposes due to a defect on July 1. Network Rail’s rail grinder No. DR79251 Martin Elwood ran south on Sunday, July 3 from Carnforth to Preston then north to Oxenholme and then returned south to Carnforth to arrive at 01.59 on the Monday morning. Colas Rail’s Nos. 43274 topand-tailed with 43272 were seen in Manchester Piccadilly on July 4 while working 1Q14 York to Manchester Piccadilly and 1Q15 Manchester Piccadilly to Derby RTC Network Rail ‘Mentor’ Test Train.
Colas Rail’s Class 37s Nos. 37116+37421 top-and-tailed a rake of Network Rail track inspection stock on July 5 from Derby (dep 11.40) to Carlisle via Whitehaven.
Network Rail Class 153
No. 153385 was noted in Eastleigh East Yard during the morning of 7 July. In the afternoon, it made a trip to Winchester Baltic Siding and return, passing Winchester station at 15.00, before returning to Eastleigh.
Our thanks
THE Railway Magazine’s thanks for information go to: Paul Atkinson, Simon Auger, Mike Bechley, Gene Collins, Mike Cooper, Barry Knock, Sean Morris, Richard Moxon, George Orriss, Mark Reynolds, RD Richardson, Frank Roebuck, Terry Smart, Garry Smith, John Wagstaff, Craig Wellum and Chris West.