Wednesday 14th December to Wednesday 21st December 2022
Seaton Tramway’s Polar Express – 15/12/2022
This week Yoshi’s mum and I took a trip on the Seaton Tramway’s Polar Express. We enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies and received the first gift of Christmas from the big man himself. Unfortunately, doggos were not allowed on the festive trams, but Yoshi had fun at his cousins’ for a few hours, as did we in the company of the conductor, chefs and elves on our journey to the North Pole.
In 2018 a new £3m station building was opened suitable for operation all-year round, and which acts as a venue for a range of tramway and community based events including The Polar Express – 15/12/2022
Established in 1970, the Seaton Tramway is a 2ft 9in narrow gauge electric tramway located in Devon and runs for approximately 3 miles along the Axe Estuary and the River Coly between Seaton on the coast and Colyton and operates over part of the trackbed of the former Seaton branch line railway which closed in March 1966. The tramway was established by Claude Lane, founder of Modern Electric Tramways Ltd, which had previously operated in Eastbourne between 1954 and 1969.
Fourteen trams, all based on classic British designs and varying in size from half-scale to two thirds-scale, run on the tramway, which sees over 100,000 visitors per year. Most of the trams were built from scratch by Claude Lane or his successor Allan Gardner, however three were rebuilt from full-size tramcars which originally ran in London, Bournemouth and Exeter.
TRAM 19 – 1906 – EX-EXETER TRAMWAY CAR Built in 1906. An Exeter Corporation Tramways 3ft 6in gauge open topper, 1906 – 1931. Rebuilt at Seaton, 1994-1998. The only Exeter tram in preservation. Enclosed tram for wet weather – 15/12/2022Tram 19 at Colyton – 15/12/2022TRAM 15 – 1988 Built in 1988 at Seaton. Previously Car 17 and based on the Manx Electric Railway “toast-rack” cars. Rebuilt at Seaton in 2016 and transformed into an all-weather, enclosed single-deck tramcar – 15/12/2022TRAM 14 – 1904 – EX-METROPOLITAN TRAMWAY CAR Built in 1904, the oldest tram in the fleet. A metropolitan Tramways “type A” originally numbered car 94 (Standard Gauge), rebuilt at Eastbourne and Seaton between 1962 and 1984. Enclosed tram for wet weather – 15/12/2022TRAM 16 –1921 – EX-BOURNEMOUTH TRAMWAY CAR Formerly Bournemouth car No. 106, built as a 3ft 6in gauge open-top double-decker in 1921 and withdrawn on the closure of the Bournemouth system in 1936. The body was subsequently discovered in use on a Dorset farm, acquired by the Bournemouth Transport Preservation Group and then donated to Seaton Tramway in 1974 where the body was narrowed, and then rebuilt in its current form. Launched in to service in 1992 – 15/12/2022
Video of the Seaton Tramway from 1996:
The recent cold spell saw the Snow & Ice Treatment Train make its second run this winter along the Bournemouth to Weymouth line with a daylight outing on 15th December.
GBRf Class 66 no.’s 66753 ‘EMD Roberts Road’ and 66745 top and tailing 3Y88 0908 Totton Yard to Totton Yard via Weymouth though Hamworthy – 15/12/2022
3Y88 0908 Totton Yard to Totton Yard via Weymouth – additional video by kind permission of @dabuckley967 – 15/12/2022
For The Record
The final two scheduled test trains of 2022 failed to materialise with Monday evenings 1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard being cancelled at source due to ‘a problem with the train’ and Wednesday 21st December’s visit of the New Measurement Train operated by Colas Class 43 HST power car No.’s 43272 and 43257 via the West running as 1Q18 0754 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road was turned around at Yeovil Pen Mill because of late running.
That brings us to the end of another blog entry, and indeed, our final Railway Dog of 2022. All things being equal, we’ll be back in January 2023 – thank you for reading and all your comments, corrections and contributions over the last 12 months. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Wednesday 7th December 2022 to Tuesday 13th December 2022
LMS Coronation Pacific No. 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ at Worting Junction working The Railway Touring Company’s “The Bath & Bristol Christmas Market” 1Z82 0847 London Victoria to Bristol Temple Meads – 10/12/2022
This week, Yoshi and I took a trip along the Southern Railway West Coastway route to witness the final days of the Class 313 electric multiple units (EMU), saw LMS Coronation Pacific No. 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ storming past Worting Junction and took in some Great Western Castle Class HST’s in frosty conditions.
Class 313
In preparation of spending a day on the Western Coastway route to see Class 313 emu’s, we had pre-booked our Southern Daysave ticket well in advance, and paid extra for next day delivery to avoid the postal strikes. It was a good job we did, as the ticket still took four days to arrive. So, on Friday 9th December we set off on a South Western Railway (SWR) service for Southampton (where we saw a couple of passing Class 66 hauled freight workings) to pick up a Southampton to London Victoria train which would take us to Barnham where we changed platforms to get a Class 313 operated shuttle to Bognor Regis. These are the last days of the Class 313’s and we hoped to record some of the units still in service.
The three-car Class 313’s were the first production, second generation, EMU’s built as a direct result of trials in 1972 with the PEP prototypes on British Rail Southern Region. I remember seeing at least one of the PEP units at Wimbledon on my first train journey to London in the early 1970’s. I may not have been an avid rail enthusiast at the time, but I’d clearly read about the new trains being introduced by British Rail. None of the prototypes survive and they were all cut up by 1990.
PEP Unit No. 4002 in the sidings at Wimbledon – 27/08/1982
The production-run classes which are most visibly similar to the PEP Stock are the dual voltage 750 V DC third rail / 25 kV AC overhead power collection Class 313, the 25 kV AC Classes 314 and 315, and the 750 V DC Classes 507 and 508. We covered the 507’s and 508’s earlier in the year when we visited Stockport. You can read about that adventure here.
A fleet of 64 three car sets were built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) in York in 1976/1977 and were intended for the then newly modernised and electrified Great Northern inner suburban lines. The front end doors were designed for evacuation in an emergency in a single bore tunnel and the fleet were constructed to take in the slightly restricted loading gauge between Drayton Park and Moorgate.
Class 313 No. 313008 at Finsbury Park with a service to Moorgate – 30/10/1980
Upon privatisation, the 313’s were operated by Silverlink Railways and West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) and later, in 2007, the class were transferred to London Overground who ran them until September 2010.
19 Class 313’s were modified for DC pick up only at Wolverton works and transferred to Southern to operate on the Coastway services out of Brighton from May 2010. These were deliveries into GTR Southern green and white with pictogram route branding. The remaining Great Northern members of the class were all withdrawn from service and scrapped by the end of 2019.
Yoshi gets up close to Class 313 No. 313207 at Bognor Regis having worked in with the 2P26 1053 service from Littlehampton – 09/12/2022When the Class 313’s were transferred to GTR Southern from May 2010 the sets were overhauled and the interiors refurbished with new seating in low-density 2+2 style using high backed seating – 09/12/2022Southern Class 313 onboard diagram – 09/12/2022Faded branding detail applied the intermediate coach of Coastway Class 313 No. 313207 (and other members of the class) on transfer to GTR Southern promoting the route Portsmouth, Chichester, Bognor, Littlehampton, Worthing, Brighton, Lewes, Seaford and Eastbourne – 09/12/2022In 2017 No. 313201, the first of the class to be built and therefore the oldest operational EMU in use in the UK, was repainted into as near as possible the BR blue/grey livery and it is believed the unit is destined for the National Collection. Because of disability reasons, the unit has contrasting colour doors and is seen here at Barnham – 09/12/2022On transfer to GTR Southern, the fleet was repainted in GTR Southern white and green. Class 313 No. 313210 at Brighton having arrived with Not being used on the day of our visit, Class 313 No. 313216 in the sidings at Brighton – 09/12/2022Class 313 No. 313206 at Brighton having arrived with the 1453 service from Seaford – 09/12/2022Class 313 No. 313203 has a short rest at Brighton prior to working the 1511 Brighton to Seaford service – 09/12/2022
Coastway Class 313’s – 09/12/2022Class 313 No. 313121 transferred to Network Rail in 2013 for use as a dynamic test vehicle for the development of the European Traffic Control System (ETCS). The set is based at Eastleigh Arlington where it is seen here – 30/01/2022 Development set 313 No. 313121 at Arlington Works, Eastleigh – 02/07/2022
Sherwood Forester
While on our Class 313 mission, we spent an hour at Chichester to coincide with the arrival of the steam hauled “Chichester For Carols” rail tour operated by Steam Dreams. Arriving just over half an hour late and with some confusion as to which platform the train was going to arrive on, LMS Black Five No. 45231 ‘Sherwood Forester’ hove into view.
LMS Stanier Class Five 4-6-0 No. 45231 ‘Sherwood Forester’ sits at Chichester having brought in Steam Dreams “Chichester for Carols” rail tour 1Z45 0649 Shoeburyness to Chichester – 09/12/2022Class 47 No. D1935 (47805) ‘Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013’ at the rear of Steam Dreams “Chichester for Carols” rail tour 1Z45 0649 Shoeburyness to Chichester – 09/12/2022
1Z45 0649 Shoeburyness to Chichester – 09/12/2022
Duchess
Saturday saw us heading towards London in order to capture LMS Coronation Pacific No. 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ which was heading the Railway Touring Company “The Bath & Bristol Christmas Market” excursion. Having elected to see the tour at Worting Junction we were greeted by bright sunshine on a beautiful frosty day. Yoshi didn’t much care for the approaching steam locomotive and made his concerns known.
Worting Junction and LMS Coronation Pacific No. 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ – 10/12/2022
Following our view of the Duchess we headed towards London in the hope of seeing a second steam excursion originating from London Victoria, but in the event the promised steam locomotive had been replaced by a Class 67 diesel (again). Our view of the Belmond Pullman train was obscured by the parallel running of a Southern service into the London terminus. You win some, you lose some!
London Victoria – 10/12/2022
Bristol Temple Meads
Sunday and we were in Bristol in the hope of capturing the Lilly’s Pet Food Christmas liveried IET No. 802106 which had been allocated to work the 1300 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington service. We were disappointed when this colourful unit did not materialise. However, we had a lovely few hours meeting new friends, downing festive coffee and getting photos of trains in wintery conditions.
5 car CrossCountry Voyager No. 221135 arrives at a snowy Bristol Temple Meads working 1S45 0927 Plymouth to Dundee – 11/12/2022
Great Western Railway (GWR) has confirmed that it intends to withdraw its fleet of Castle Class HST sets with the December 2023 timetable change with IET’s taking over their duties.
GWR Castle HST Class 43 Power Car No. 43155 ‘Rougemont Castle’ at Bristol Temple Meads forming 2E42 1338 service to Worcester Foregate Street – 11/12/2022What should have been the special Lilly’s Christmas liveried IETNo. 802106 was disappointingly plain old No. 802103 instead working 1A18 1300 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington – 11/12/2022CrossCountry Class 43 HST Power Car No. 43378 at Bristol Temple Meads working 1V48 0811 Leeds to Plymouth – 11/12/2022Yoshi with a snowman he made at Bristol Temple Meads – 11/12/2022
For The Record
The seasonal locomotive hauled Snow & Ice Treatment Trains (SITT) began running on 11th December 2022, with the first instance of the consist traversing the Bournemouth to Weymouth line in the early hours of 12th December. GBRf Class 66 locomotives No.’s 66745 and 66704 have been stationed at Totton Yard alongside the usual Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPV). Although running @25 minutes late, I remained tucked up in my warm bed and didn’t venture out in freezing temperatures to record the SITT pass. The Network Rail SITT scrapes any build up of ice from the Third Rail (the conductor rail from which electric traction pick up their power) using metal brushes and spraying anti-icing fluid to prevent further ice from forming. Without this process occurring, depending on the volume of ice, electric trains can struggle to pick up power and in really exceptional instances will be unable to move, which is what appears to have happened on Sunday 11th December when icy conditions between Weymouth and Brockenhurst meant all services were stopped. Engineering works taking place east of Brockenhurst prevented the SITT from running to Weymouth to rectify the situation. Limited services were later resumed, although South Western Railway (SWR) requested only essential journeys should be made. During the suspension of train services, passengers could source taxis between Brockenhurst and Weymouth and claim the cost back from SWR providing evidence of a train ticket and taxi receipt for the associated journey.
Throwback to December 2019 and GBRf Class 66 No. 66717 ‘Good Old Boy’ at the head of the SITT waiting departure from Weymouth to Totton Yard – 17/12/2019
The start of the new timetable on Sunday December 11th 2022 saw the inclusion of a weekday path along the Hamworthy Branch originating from Westbury Tarmac and terminating at Hamworthy BCI. It came as no surprise that the service did not run.
Many thanks for stopping by. This weeks blog is slightly curtailed owing to the fact somewhere along the line I have picked up a cold. Or more likely an extreme case of man-flu! Anyway, you have been saved my witterings on Brighton Railway Station, Class 701’s at Clapham Junction, video from Bristol and more about the Coastway Route.
Postscript
As a codicil to the Class 313 feature above, there was a period when I spent a great deal of time in North London. My local railway services were provided by Class 315 emu’s which were introduced in 1980 and was the last variant of five to have their design based on the PEP prototype units. The Class 315’s were set to end over 40 years of service on 9th December 2022. One unit, No. 315856 which took part in a farewell tour of the class organised by the Class 315 Preservation Society and the Branch Line Society, has been saved for preservation. The Class 315 Preservation Society has acquired the unit from Eversholt Rail Group and is destined for the Dean Forest Railway where it will be restored to original BR condition.
Class 315 No. 315830 arrives at Highams Park with a Chingford to London Liverpool Street service – 18/09/2020Class 315 No. 315801 arrives at Highams Park with a London Liverpool Street to Chingford service – 23/03/2020Class 315 No. 315807 passes the signal box at Highams Park with a London Liverpool Street to Chingford service – 19/04/2020Class 315 No. 315812 crosses the A406 rail bridge with a Chingford to London Liverpool Street service – 11/06/2020
Yoshi at the top of the Fusee Steps at The Nothe, Weymouth – 04/12/2022Fusee Steps, The Nothe Weymouth – 04/12/2022Broad gauge rail attached to Fusee Steps, The Nothe Weymouth – 04/12/2022
On Sunday we had a wander around the Nothe in Weymouth where we had a close look at these rails fixed to walls either side of Fusee Steps and wondered what their origin was. Historic England dates the steps and inclined tramway as circa 1860 and describes them as “Three flights of steps with low flanking walls of rendered brick, on which are placed wrought-iron plate rails, forming an inclined tramway for trolleys with double-flange wheels. It was constructed for hauling trolleys transporting ammunition, spares and stores from the quay to Nothe Fort.” We asked the Nothe Fort for any information about the rails, and although there is some dispute about the age and purpose of the them it is believed the tracks themselves are Great Western Railway broad gauge rail, of which large amounts became redundant in the late 19th Century when the GWR converted to standard gauge and much of the track was recycled for use in engineering projects. Many thanks to Geoff Culver from the Nothe Fort Curatorial Team for responding to our questions.
Yoshi previously visited the Nothe Fort for a silent disco around Luke Jerram’s “Museum of the Moon” – 13/07/2019
Wednesday 24th November 2022 and it was time for the appearance of the regular 1Z22 0644 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road via Weymouth test train. This month the train was once again in the charge of two Class 37 locomotives, and we chose to see the train at Maiden Newton as it worked its way down to Weymouth running around eleven minutes late at this point.
Class 37 No. 37612 approaching Maiden Newton leading 1Z22 0644 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road – 30/11/2022Class 37 No. 37610 having departed Maiden Newton at the rear of 1Z22 0644 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road – 30/11/2022
30/11/2022 1Z22 0644 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road via Weymouth – many thanks for additional video from G E Barrett and @da_buckley967
We saw both of these locomotives, which are on hire from the Harry Needle Railroad Company at Barrow road earlier in the year:
Class 37 No. 37612 on static display at Barrow Hill 150+2 – 28/08/2022Class 37 No. 37610 Barrow Hill – 28/08/2022
The same pair of locomotives worked the equivalent test train in December 2020 which originated at that time from Tyseley LMD – 02/12/2020Class 37 No. 37610 at Weymouth having worked the 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 22/05/2019Class 37 No. 37521 assisted 37610 on this run of the 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding test train, seen here at Weymouth – 22/05/2019
With Christmas fast approaching, it’s the time of year when many UK heritage railways run steam and lights trains, and the Swanage Railway is no exception. Thursday 1st December 2022 saw festive light adorned Southern Railway (SR) U Class 2-6-0 No. 31806 and SR Bulleid West Country Pacific 4-6-2 No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ top and tailing a trial run for staff and volunteers. The previous evening saw the train operated empty with resident Class 33 diesel locomotives as the final Christamassy tweaks were made to the service.
SR U Class 2-6-0 No. 31806 prepares to depart Swanage with a special outing pre-season opener for the 2022 Steam and Lights train for staff and volunteers – 01/12/2022
Video of the pre-season steam hauled lights train – 01/12/2022
The Railway Touring Company ran a steam hauled excursion from London Victoria to Yeovil, stopping to drop off passengers at Sherborne for a Christmas carol service held at Sherborne Abbey on Tuesday 6th April 2022. The rail tour, top and tailed by London Midland & Scottish (LMS) Stanier Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 and West Coast Railway Company Class 47 No. 47813, continued on to Yeovil Junction for servicing before heading back to Sherborne to pick up passengers for the return to London.
Ian Riley’s LMS Stanier Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 approaches Sherborne working 1Z82 0830 London Victoria to Yeovil JN DN Main Platform – 06/12/2022WCRC Class 47 No. 47813 pauses at Sherborne at the rear of “The Sherborne Christmas Carol” 1Z82 0830 London Victoria to Yeovil JN DN Main Platform – 06/12/2022
“The Sherborne Christmas Carol” rail tour at Sherborne – 06/12/2022 with additional video kindly provided by Caroline SmithWhile we were in Sherborne, we visited the Castle Garden Centre where Yoshi enjoyed watching the trains on the festive themed model railway – 06/12/2022
While waiting for the Class 37 test train at Maiden Newton last Wednesday, I remembered that previously the equivalent test train in recent years was often top and tailed by Colas Class 67 locomotives. During this period, the test train was often turned around at Dorchester and missed out the section to Weymouth, very frustrating for those of us waiting at the seaside terminus. The two Colas Class 67 locomotives which were repeatedly turned out for the Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding via Weymouth test train were No.’s 67023 ‘Stella’ and 67027 ‘Charlotte’. Formerly part of the DB Cargo fleet, in January 2017 these two Class 67’s were sold to Colas Rail and they were repainted into Colas orange and black at Toton Traction Maintenance Depot for use on Network Rail (NR) infrastructure monitoring trains. They received their nameplates in June 2017. In December 2018, the pair were included in a sale of 67 France and UK based locomotives to Beacon Rail Leasing. They were subsequently leased back to Colas Rail. More recently they have been acquired by GBRf for use on operations including charter, passenger and stock moves including hauling the Highland section of the Caledonian Sleeper.
The Bo-Bo Class 67 diesel-electric locomotives were built for DB Cargo forerunner English Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) between 1999 and 2000 by Alstom at Meinfesa in Valencia, Spain with the engine, generator and traction motors provided by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. The locomotives are able to supply Electric Train Supply for passenger train heating and air-conditioning. They were at first primarily utilised for mail trains, but with diminishing traffic, the contract finally ceased in March 2004.
High speed running tests were undertaken with No. 67002 at Alstom’s facility at La Sagra, Toledo, Spain and running on the standard gauge Madrid-Toledo high-speed rail line where a top speed of 143 miles per hour was realised.
Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’, Weymouth working 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 22/04/2020Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’ arrives at Weymouth heading 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 19/06/2019Nameplate detail for Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’, Weymouth – 19/06/2019Nameplate detail for Colas Class 67 No. 67027 ‘Charlotte’, Weymouth – 19/06/2019Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’ at the buffer stops at Weymouth having arrived with 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 15/07/2020Colas Class 67 No. 67027 ‘Charlotte’ ready to depart Weymouth with 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 15/07/2020A dirty Colas Class 67 No. 67027 ‘Charlotte’ at Weymouth working 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 19/06/2019
Various visits to Weymouth by Colas Freight Class 67 locomotives all mashed up
Another blog entry draws to a close. Thank you for reading and for your comments, corrections and contributions. We’ll leave you with this thought; “Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, filling an emptiness we don’t even know we have.” – Thom Jones (1945-2016)
