04/12/2024
Southern Railway rebuilt Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35028 ‘Clan Line’ worked the “Sherborne Christmas Carol” railtour 1Z28 0842 London Victoria to Yeovil Junction Heritage Platform. We saw the train passing Worting Junction and its arrival at Yeovil Junction with ‘Clan Line’ later being turned on the turntable at the Yeovil Railway Centre.
08/12/2024
West Coast Railways Class 57 diesel-electric locomotives No.’s 57601 ‘Windsor Castle’ and 57315 top and tailed “The Northern Belle” into Castle Cary working 1Z25 1311 Paddington to Castle Cary before reversing and running back towards London as 1Z26 1540 Castle Cary to Euston.
10/12/2024
Overnight 09/12/2024 – 10/12/2024 saw Colas Railfreight running a Network Rail ballast train into Dorset reporting as 6C13 2251 Eastleigh East Yard to Dorchester South / 6C13 0455 Moreton (Dorset) to Eastleigh East Yard with Class 66 No. 66846 and Class 70 No. 70815 in charge. We saw the train passing Poole on the outward leg and at Hamworthy and Parkstone on the return.
12/12/2024
A day out in Somerset began with seeing Colas Railfreight Class 43 HST power cars No’s 43274 & 43303 at Yeovil Junction on the Network Rail New Measurement Train 1Q23 0552 Reading to Salisbury
A drive over to Highbridge saw HNRC’s Regional Railways liveried Class 37 No. 37425 which has been reunited with her ‘Concrete Bob’ nameplates in honour of Sir Robert McAlpine passing Highbridge & Burnham whilst working the 5Z11 0949 Bristol Kingsland Road to Bristol Kingsland Road test train
Later we caught up with the twice weekly Direct Rail Services flask train departing Bridgwater in the care of Class 68 No.’s 68009 ‘Titan’ and 68034 ‘Rail Riders’ working 6M63 1210 Bridgwater F.D to Crewe Coal Sidings (DRS)
16/12/2024
Having missed November, the monthly PLP test train utilising GBRf Class 73 locomotives made it to Weymouth in December. The train, in the charge of GBRf Class 73 No.’s 73962 ‘Dick Mabbutt’ and 73965 ‘Des O’Brien’, reported as 1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh Yard via Weymouth. I saw 73’s on their way from Weymouth to Eastleigh at Hamworthy having missed the outward leg as I was being entertained by the Christmas lights at Kew Gardens.
17/12/2024 – 19/12/2024
The trials and tribulations of delivering SWR Class 458/4 No. 458414 which was the final unit to be converted from a five car Class 458/5. Tuesday 17th December 2024, GBRf Class 57 No. 57310 reversed at Poole with the intention of delivering the refurbished EMU to Bournemouth depot as 5Q64 1603 Southampton Central to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D. However due to a points failure leading into the depot, the consist traveled back up the line to Eastleigh East Yard. The following day sister locomotive No. 57303 did the honours working 5Q64 1548 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D which saw the Class 458 safely delivered to its Home Depot. Finally on the morning of 19th December 2024, No. 57303 returned to Leicester with the barrier coaches formed from ex-Class 508 driving coaches working 5M09 0855 Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D to Leicester L.I.P. which I saw at Totton as it passed running 46 minutes late.
18/12/2024
The Heart of Wessex test train ran once again with ex High Speed Train Class 43 power cars – No.’s 43274 & 43303 – reporting as 1Q22 0647 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Bristol Kingsland Road. We saw the train at Yeovil Pen Mill and Upwey
19/12/2024
The Wessex Snow & Ice Treatment Train (SITT) arrived at Totton Yard on 7th December 2024 in readiness for the winter 2024/25 season. However, it wasn’t until 19th December that the train turned a wheel in anger and ran down to Weymouth as 3Y88 0905 Totton Yard to Totton Yard top and tailed by GBRf Class 66 locomotives No.’s 66 66768 ‘Yvonne Bradley’ + 66714 ‘Cromer Lifeboat’. Caught out by the late departure of this service from Totton Yard, I was able to see the train arrive back at base
24/12/2024
A Christmas Eve treat from GBRf and SWR as Class 57 No. 57303 hauls Class 458/4 No. 458419 with barrier coaches No.’s 64664 & 64707 past Baiter Park, Poole reporting as 5Q45 1118 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D. The train was running 46 minutes ahead of schedule on arrival at Poole. The EMU is the last member of the class to be delivered to Bournemouth depot following the completion of the 458 refurbishment programme carried out at Widnes Transport Tech. The locomotive and barrier coaches departed Bournemouth depot as the early running 5Z66 1851 Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D to Eastleigh East Yard, but by that time I was in the pub enjoying a festive drink.
27/12/2024
The video below is of trains during a post Christmas visit to the Southampton area on 27/12/2024, taking in Eastleigh, Winchester and St Denys.
My vote for the favourite ’spot of the day’ would have to be FL Class 70 No. 70008 carrying a new special yellow and green livery in a nod to the company’s past. The locomotive’s repaint was carried out by UK Rail Leasing in Loughborough, and completed on November 20th 2024 in readiness for Freightliner’s 60th anniversary in 2025. When sold by British Rail, Freightliner originally used a version of the old BR two- tone grey livery, before moving to a new green livery with yellow cabs – first for its Class 57’s and then its Class 66 locomotives. The arrival of the first Class 70 in 2010 resulted in a new ‘PowerHaul’ livery being introduced that was latter applied to a handful of Class 66’s, 86’s and 90’s. The takeover by Genesee and Wyoming saw a break from this, with a striking orange and black livery starting to be applied, as seen in this video being carried by Class 66 No. 66419 ‘Lionesses’ Roar’
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