The Snow & Ice Train (SITT) continued running in March featuring GBRf Class 66 No.’s 66720 ‘Wascosa’ & 66776 ‘Joanne’ as visits to Dorset took place on 3rd and 5th with the final run taking place overnight on 29th/30th March 2025.

On 6th March we popped over to Wool to see Network Rail’s Linsinger Rail Milling Train MG31/ SF06-UK No.’s DR79105/79104 & DR79103/79102 at rest in the sidings.

The track machines had been working around the Dorchester area having arrived from Crewe on Sunday 2nd March 2025 working as 6Q01 0940 Gresty Lane Down Sidings to Wool.

Railway tracks are subjected to constant wear. In order to extend rail service life and to extend traffic safety, rail profiles have to be regularly maintained. Linsinger develop mobile rail milling machines that enable fast rail head reprofiling and minimise traffic disruption.

GBRf Class 73/9 Electo-Diesels No.’s 73961 ‘Alison’ & 73963 ‘Janice’ working the monthly PLPR test train 1Q51 1115 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Eastleigh East Yard. The train is seen passing Holton Heath and Dorchester South – 10/03/2025

GBRf Class 66 No.’s 66734 ‘Platinum Jubilee’ and 66797 passing through Christchurch with a rail delivery train reporting as 6G24 2223 Eastleigh East Yard to Brockenhurst. The train ran to Bournemouth where it reversed and headed back to Brockenhurst – 11th/12th March 2025

The annual Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) Stakeholders Open Evening took place on 12th March 2025.

Rail related highlights were:

It was revealed Capital Expenditure for 2025/26 includes £1m for reinstatement of the port rail link.

The previous government had ambitious targets to grow rail freight. Waiting to see what the current government’s targets for rail freight will be.

Talking to Brittany Ferries with a view to bringing container traffic through the port and out via rail.

The only question from the floor during the Q&A was rail related: “How long before the rail link is actually going to appear?”

PHC CEO Captain Brian Murphy: “That’s a great question and the rail link is there now, it just needs upgrading and reinstating. So the first train, the first cargo out of Poole is likely to be towards the end of the year. We’re planning January next year – hopeful late in the year this year.

Q: “So it actually goes from the port to Hamworthy.. Junction is it?”

Captain Murphy: “Correct. And then onwards to West London”

There was a supplemental question which I think was going to ask how the train would turn round, but this was lost as the session was wrapped up.

Colas RailFreight Class 43 HST power cars No.’s 43257 and 43357 working the monthly “Heart of Wessex” Plain Line Pattern Recognition (PLPR) train, reporting as 1Q22 0745 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Bristol Kingsland Road, in and around Dorchester. As the train was running almost half an hour late on reaching Dorchester West the decision was made to reverse at Dorchester Junction, foregoing Weymouth – 19/03/2025

GBRf Class 69 No. 69014 in its striking unique Electro Motive Division (EMD) demonstrator livery of yellow and black with EMD branding is seen at Eastleigh having departed the works working 0M45 1020 Eastleigh Works Gbrf to Longport F.D. The nameplates were covered over, but are believed to read “Longport EMD”. The video also features selected trains running through Eastleigh around the time No. 69014 ran through the station – 20/03/2025

GWR 4900 Class 4-6-0 No. 4953 ‘Pitchford Hall’ arrives on Swanage Railway metals in advance of the 2025 Spring Steam Gala Built at by the Great Western Railway at Swindon Works at a cost of £4375, No. 4953 entered traffic in August 1929. The locomotive worked from a wide variety of sheds all over the GWR network, until withdrawal by British Railways in May 1963. Acquired for scrap by Woodham Brothers in Barry, South Wales during October 1963, she was purchased for preservation by Dr John Kennedy in 1984. ‘Pitchford Hall’ is owned by and based on the Epping Ongar Railway and currently carries British Railways lined black livery. – 24/03/2025

As the clocks were getting ready to move forward, I was at Brockenhurst waiting for a DB Cargo engineering train reporting as 6N01 2348 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth. Surprisingly both Class 66 locomotives – No.’s 66013 & 66089 – retained the diminishing EWS livery, a sight set to disappear from the railway scene. The train is also seen racing through Christchurch – 30/03/2025

Bark Along to the Swanage Railway Spring Steam Gala 2025 as we join Yoshi in the Purbeck Hills. The gala took place over the final weekend of March 2025. As well as home fleet locomotives in action, we also saw visiting guest locos; GWR 4900 Class 4-6-0 No. 4953 ‘Pitchford Hall’ and BR built LMS Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41313

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