Operations Track Record
taken and left at the far end of the platform. The remaining five coaches sat in the platform until 2 minutes before the 17.24 was due and these were taken out of the station, presumably to Branksome depot. The arrival of the 17.24 was slightly delayed due to the moves at Bournemouth Central and after departure was held just outside Branksome, presumably while the five cars from the 15.05 were reversed from the station into the depot.
Charter Trains
The British Pullmans had a day out for Chatsworth House on September 7, with the 1E02/08.46 London VictoriaChesterfield and 1O07/17.09 return being top-and-tailed by Class 67 Nos. 67024 and 67006. Two days later the same locomotives were seen arriving at Victoria with the Pullman empty stock train 5Y40 from Stewarts Lane T&RSMD. The Pullman stock was to form the 1Y40/11.07 departure to Gillingham.
The Goodwood revival event took place on September 16-18 and to mark the occasion on September 16 and 17, the Belmond Pullman train ran from Victoria to Chichester via Sutton, Dorking and Horsham. Locomotives involved were
Class 67 Nos. 67021+67024 in top-and-tail mode. However, the return trip on September 16 ran via Worthing, Hove and Haywards Heath. The same locomotives also worked to Chichester the next day, with the return trip running via its booked route.
SR Bulleid Pacific No. 34046 Braunton with Class 47 No. 47805 Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013 on the rear worked a Paddington via Reading, Basingstoke, Eastleigh,
Fareham and on to Chichester on September 18. Arrival at Chichester was on time. After passengers were detrained,
No. 47805 took the stock into the sidings before doing a special to Southampton for tea and scones. It then returned for the 18.10 return trip to Paddington via Fratton to get No. 34046 leading once more.
LSL’s green liveried Class 20s Nos. D8096 (20096) + D8107 (20107) ran light on September 20 from Crewe (0Z60/11.21) to Carlisle. On the following day these two Class 20s took over at Carlisle from Class 86 No. 86101 Sir William A. Stanier FRS which, along with Class 47 No. 47828 on the rear, had top-and-tailed 1Z62 The Ayrliner from Crewe (dep 07.27).
The Class 20s plus No. 47828 then took 1Z62 from Carlisle (dep 10.32) to Stranraer and back. From Carlisle the Class 86 and Class 47 then worked The Ayrliner back to Crewe arriving at 00.48 on September 22. Later that day, the two Class 20s returned, running light, from Carlisle (0Z65/09.32) to Crewe.
After working a 1Z63/13.26 Crewe to Oxenholme via Settle and Carlisle on September 27 LSL’s BR ‘7MT’ No. 70000 Britannia pulled the ECS (5Z63) back to Crewe with Class 47
No. D1935 (47805) on the rear.
GBRf/Belmond ‘Royal Scotsman’ liveried Class 66s
Nos. 66743+66746 top-andtailed a rake of matching maroon coaching stock on September 28 on 1Z75/07.58 from Dundee to Chester.
On Friday, September 30, the ‘Royal Scotsman’ ran from Gloucester to Bath via Newton Abbot behind Class 66 Nos. 66743 and 66746 and passed Bradford Junction at 09.40. They returned this time top-andtailed on their way to Banbury via Salisbury at 14.23 nearly one hour late.
Class 66 No. 66133 worked the 6X13 Dollands Moor-Toton
North Yard loaded car train through Market Harborough on September 16, a working usually routed via Corby and Oakham rather than the main line.
Class 66 No. 66124 worked a scrap train from Liverpool to Swindon and back on September 19. A similar move on September 26 was powered by No. 66140.
Class 66 No. 66044 worked an empty rake of charter train Mk.2 stock on test on September 25, running as the 5Z60/09.00 Knottingley Sidings-West
Hampstead Thameslink and 5Z62/14.51 return.
Class 66 No. 66534 passed through Earlestown on September 6, working 4G99 Seaforth CT to Hams Hall Parsec. When observed on September 12 and 13, No. 66546 worked this service.
The following were seen by a correspondent travelling to Liverpool and Manchester on September 12. No. 66555 was piloting Class 90 Nos. 90014 and 90004 on a Felixstowe freightliner exiting Primrose Hill Tunnel and heading towards the North London Line. Class 66
No. 66419 and Class 90 No. 90047 were noted passing Nuneaton heading north with six hopper wagons and two-coach Class
197 No. 197006 in the formation being moved from Wolverton to Crewe.
Class 66 No. 66605 was seen running light engine on the
10.20 from Leeds Midland Road to York on September 21.
Observed through Woodlesford on September 21 were Class 70 No. 70017 and Class 66 No. 66509 on the 01.26 Freightliner service from Southampton to Leeds Freightliner.
The 6A27 from East Usk Yard to Hayes & Harlington Tarmac Sidings was seen passing platform 14 at Reading station on Wednesday, September 21 hauled by Class 66 No. 66621.
Class 70 No. 70008 was observed at Runcorn on September 23 working 6J34/11.31 Folly Lane to Brindle Heath. Later on the same day, No. 70020 worked 6H35/13.45 Folly Lane to Northenden RTS.
The 6O02 from Acton Terminal Complex to Tolworth Day Aggregates was seen on Monday September 26 between Raynes Park and Motspur Park, being hauled by Class 66 No. 66556.
Class 66 No. 66606 ran light engine on the 11.21 Hunslet Yard-Crewe service through Woodlesford on September 28.
New coal flows are running from Immingham to West Burton PS with Class 66 No. 66592 being observed on September 29, and No. 66419 being observed on the same diagram on October 3.
Observed on September 12 were Class 57 Nos. 57307
Lady Penelope and 57312 with snowplough Nos. ADB 965576 and ADB 965577 heading out of Crewe towards Chester. On the same day Class 66 No. 66429 and Class 68 No. 68003 were seen exiting Basford Hall Yard with a long rake of empty car-carrying wagons heading south. Later Class 68 Nos. 68008 and 68013 were noted passing Stafford heading towards Crewe on a nuclear flask.
Class 66 No. 66427 was observed passing through Doncaster station on September 13 on the 6D73/11.13 Redcar
BSC Mineral Terminal-Doncaster Up Decoy Yard with NR loaded aggregate consist and again later in the afternoon moving into West Yard.
The northbound Tesco train on the morning of Monday, September 19 was hauled by Class 68 Nos. 68002 and 68004 instead of the usual single Class 88 loco.
Not often reported are trains to Georgemas Junction where Class 68 Nos. 68007+68001 took a flask from Kingmoor on September
20, reportedly the first Class 68s on this service.
On the morning of September 22, the overhead wires were brought down near Lockerbie disrupting freight and passenger services. The 1M41/05.34 Shieldmuir RMT to Willesden PRDC was stranded near Ecclefechan with 4S10/22.25 Tilbury IRFT to Coatbridge hauled by Class 88 No. 88010 in the down passenger loop at Lockerbie, and the 4M27/05.48 Mossend to Daventry IRFT hauled by No. 88006 in the up loop at Beattock. After eight days of strike action at Felixstowe Port and very little intermodal activity resulting, on August 30, the last day of the strike, Class 66 No. 66779 Evening Star coupled with No. 66720 arrived overnight from Doncaster on 4L55. No. 66720 was allocated 6P40/04.30 Harwich Refinery-North Walsham empty condensate tank run but for some reason, after assembling its consist in the yard, was some six hours late leaving. No. 66779 worked 4R43 round to Felixstowe Port later in the morning. No. 66720 worked 6A32 back to Harwich Refinery on September 1, returning to Peterborough MPD as 0E06 later that same evening. The intermodal stopover resumed on September 3 in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard and had a football feel with No. 66725 Sunderland on 4L03 (Tinsley) and No. 66735 Peterborough United on 4L28 (Doncaster). Early doors on September 5 saw No. 66742 ABP Port of Immingham Centenary 1912-2012 arrive for 6P41 empty tank run from the Refinery while the stopovers left the yard as 4R43 and 4A03 round to Felixstowe. No. 66742 returned to Harwich Refinery on September 6 as 6A32, and the following day took another empty tank trip to North Walsham returning with a full consist on September 8. The following weekend No. 66768 was on 4L28 from Doncaster and No. 66725 was back with 4L03 from Tinsley with both leaving as normal the following Monday September 12. While standing at Ipswich for 90 minutes on September 13, after this correspondent’s advance ticket to Doncaster was thwarted at the first fence when the first local branch of the morning from Harwich at 05.29 was inexplicably 10 minutes late and the connection to Peterborough at Manningtree due to leave 05.49 had decided not to wait, No. 66782 passed through Ipswich station at 07.41 on September 13 on 0P41 from Peterborough heading for the Harwich Refinery. It stayed at North Walsham until September 15 to bring the loaded condensate tanks back and was held at Ipswich for nearly an hour as it became clear the overhead cables on the Down Line between Manningtree and Ipswich had been damaged for about a 1km stretch. No. 66782 arrived in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard nearly an hour late and although it worked the consist into the Refinery grounds, its normal exit to Peterborough MPD on 0E06 later in the evening was thwarted by emergency repairs to the overhead cables, work that took much of the following day too, and it remained in field sidings in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard until 15.00 on September 17 before making its escape. By that time, two stopovers were in the yard too, No. 66725 for the third week running on 4L03 (Tinsley) and, though a change, keeping to the football-team theme with No. 66738 Huddersfield Town on 4L43 (Doncaster). The distinctive white, underground-mapped No. 66721 Harry Beck arrived into Harwich Parkeston Quay yard on September 19 as the usual 0P41 light engine move but then spent the next two days parked outside the Refinery gates waiting for its diagram to commence, which it did on September 21 returning the loaded tanks as 6A32 the following day. Weekend stopovers in the yard were No. 66706 Nene Valley on 4L43 from Doncaster, while No. 66738 Huddersfield Town moved over from Felixstowe late on September 24 and, unusually, moved off on the Monday morning at 06.00 bound for Tinsley as 4E63. Tuesday, September 27, proved a busy day with No. 66785 coming round from Felixstowe overnight and taking 6P40/04.30
empty condensate tanks out to North Walsham, returning the same day with the loaded consist on the normal 6A32, departing North Walsham at 13.34. Also, with the Port of Felixstowe about to succumb to a second eight-day strike too, two intermodals arrived at Harwich Parkeston Quay yard around midday, firstly No. 66721 on 4L03 (Tinsley) and an hour later No. 66748 West Burton 50 on 4L28 (Doncaster). A visit to London on August 31 saw No. 66794 Steve Hannam on an Acton TC-Tonbridge Yard loaded aggregates pass through Kensington Olympia while No. 66764 Major John Poyntz Engineer & Railwayman worked through the station the opposite way at the same time. On a return trip from Doncaster on the 16.26 service on September 13 and passing Peterborough MPD, there were several GBRf Class 66s on show, with No. 66781 Darius Cheskin, 66773 Pride of GB Railfreight, No. 66712 Peterborough Power Signalbox, No. 66708 Glory to Ukraine with its Ukraine flag side-vinyl, No. 66761 Wensleydale Railway Association 25 years 19902015, No. 66798, and somewhat unexpectedly Class 69 No. 69004, which was on a short stop after coming up from Tonbridge in the morning en route to Doncaster Roberts Road. On September 14, Class 66 No. 66771 passed through Leeds working the 6D50/10.25 Hull Dairycoates Tilcon to Rylstone Tilcon empties. Later, No. 66756 passed through working the 6M31/09.53 Hunslet Tilcon to Arcow Quarry empties. Container loadings on the weekday Hams Hall (Birmingham) 4S57 to Mossend freight service still continue to be light. On September 15 this service, pulled by Class 66 No. 66747 Made in Sheffield, had only two containers. On the following day the same 4S57 service, again pulled by No. 66747, consisted of just 10 containers. No. 66747 was in use again on September 29, hauling just a single container. Trainload Construction-liveried Class 66 No. 66793 worked the 6M79/12.01 AngersteinBardon Hill empty stone train on September 16. MoD traffic reported includes Class No. 66728 working a Marchwood-Kineton-Longtown diagram on September 20, returning to Kineton the following day. A further move on September 29 had No. 66781 work from Southampton Docks to Kineton. October 4 found No. 66736 work from Marchwood to Kineton, going forward to MoD Donnington, Telford on October 6. The 6Y48 from Eastleigh East Yard to Hoo Junction Up Yard was seen passing Twickenham station on Wednesday, September 21, hauled by Class 66 No. 66781. Viewed at Tuebrook sidings on September 23 were Class 60 Nos. 60026 and 60056, along with Class 66 Nos. 66304 and 66305 stabled at Tuebrook sidings. At Woodlesford on September 28, Class 66 No. 66726 was noted on the 09.24 Doncaster-Hunslet Tilcon train running 27 minutes late. An interesting manoeuvre is involved at Hunslet. As there is no direct link from the Leeds bound track to the site, the train has to travel through Leeds station to Neville Hill yards, the loco then runs round and travels back down to Hunslet where it is able to park on site.
Former DRS Class 66 No.
66303 was seen passing through Reddish South with 6G89 Hindlow-Hams Hall loaded GBRf Stone Box Wagons on October 3.
With Colas now hauling the Lindsey oil trains, Class 56 No. 56113 was noted on the 08.35 Lindsey-Neville Hill tanks through Woodlesford on September 14. When observed on September 28 Class 70 No. 70814 was in charge of the service.
Colas Class 56 Nos. 56094+ 56096 top-and-tailed a train of ballast wagons from Westbury to Haverfordwest past Bradford Junction at 08.35 on Sunday, September 25. The following day the pair returned from Haverfordwest with the empty wagons and passed Bradford Junction at 08.05. After a quick refuel at Westbury, they returned light engine to Port Talbot and were seen at Bradford Junction at 10.00.
Class 70 No. 70803 worked a rake of empty log carriers from Carlisle to Hellifield on October 9, for loading and then taken to Chirk. WCR’s Class 47 No. 47812 + Class 57 No. 57314 Conwy Castle top-and-tailed an ECS rake of Northern Belle coaches from Carnforth (5Z40/06.50) to Preston on September 21. From Preston (1Z40/07.43) this train then headed for Cardiff via Hereford. On September 23, WCR Class 57 No. 57314 + Class 47 No.47815 top-and-tailed the same ECS rolling stock from Carnforth (5Z29/13.24) to Crewe. The severely reduced Avanti West Coast timetable in recent weeks resulted in some extra trains being hired in for services to and from Euston at the time of the late Queen’s lying-in state and funeral. West Coast Railway operated services from Lancaster, using air-con Mark II stock hauled alternately by Class 86 Nos. 86259 Les Ross and 86401. Class 86 No. 86401 Mons Meg pulled WCR Class 47 No. 47848 from Carnforth (0Z86/14.43) to Preston on September 14. Later the same duo, with No. 47848 leading, returned from Preston (dep15.59) to Carnforth. On the mornings of September 17, 18 and 19, No. 86401 hauled a rake of Mk.3 blue and grey liveried coaches from Lancaster to Euston (1Z86) and back (1Z89) in the evening. On Monday, September 19 train 1Z89 arrived back in Lancaster at 22.07. On the following day this coaching stock was moved to Burton Wetmore Sidings from Carnforth (5Z42/12.41) hauled by maroon-liveried WCR Class 57 No. 57012.
Locomotive Services Ltd
Observed at Ealing Broadway on September 7 were Class 47 Nos. D1944 (47501) Craftsman + D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013 with the LSL/ Statesman stock running from Southall to Crewe. Locomotive Services Ltd also provided additional capacity into Euston to support the large number of people wishing to visit the capital to pay their respects to the late Queen. The use of the charter operator was necessary whilst Avanti West Coast drivers declined to work on their rest days. From September 15 two return trips a day were operated between Manchester Piccadilly and Euston by Locomotive Services using refurbished Mk.3 coaches powered by a Class 90 locomotive. A visit to Euston station on Tuesday, September 20 found the Locomotive Services 1Z94/12.33 departure to Manchester Piccadilly at platform 16. The train was headed by Class 90 No. 90002 Wolf of Badenoch with
DVT No. 82139 at the rear.
Class 55 No. D9000 (55022) Royal Scots Grey and Class 47
No. 47805 had a test run on September 22 from Crewe to Chester and back.
A move on September 26 found Class 43 Nos. 43049+ 43058 take Nos. 41166+ 44081+41187 from Crewe to Eastleigh Works.
Blue Pullman HST Power car No. 43059 and Intercity liveried No. 43049 were sighted passing through Reddish South on October 3 in back-to-back formation with 0Z43 Crewe H.S.Neville Hill T&RSMD light move.
Derby RTC & Network Rail
Track Recording Unit Class 950 No. 950001 worked a 2Q08/15.36 Derby RTC-Ferme Park service on September 12. Passing Coton Hill yard at Shrewsbury on September 14, it was noted that Network Rail was busy reorganising and relaying the trackwork, much of it had been overgrown. All three of Network Rail’s active Class 97s (ex-Class 37s) were at their home depot of Coleham Sidings, Shrewsbury: No. 97303 on a RHTT, and Nos. 97302/04 stabled alongside on September 14. Stabled in Lancaster’s down south side long siding on the afternoon of September 16 were two Colas Rail Tampers: No.
DR73909 Saturn that had arrived from Wigan (6J72) at 06.53 and No. DR73910 Jupiter which had arrived from Nuneaton (6J73) at 13.37. No. DR73909 was moved on September 23 from Carnforth (dep 08.56) to Guide Bridge.
Class 73 Nos. 73965 and
73961 were in Littlehampton twice in one day on September 19, working the Tonbridge
West Yard to Tonbridge via Redhill-LittlehamptonBrighton-LittlehamptonBrighton main line to East Croydon-Crystal Palace then on to Battersea Reversible before returning to Tonbridge West Yard. The stock was Nos. 977969+999550+1256+6262.
Class 73 No. 73952 Janis Kong was noted in the carriage sidings at Ashford International on Thursday and Friday September 1/2. On Saturday, September 3, No. 73952 was noted to have been joined in the carriage sidings by No. 73951.
Our thanks
THE Railway Magazine’s thanks for information go to: Paul Atkinson, Peter Boyce, Bob Bunyar, Gene Collins, Mike Cooper, Andrew Culliford, Kevin Driscoll, John Flack, Barry Knock, Sean Morris, Paul Moxon, Richard Moxon, Simon Pearce, Roger Phillips, Mark Reynolds, R.D. Richardson, John Roxburgh, Terry Smart, Colin Stoate, Craig Wellum and Chris West.