The regular Plain Line Pattern Recognition (PLPR) test train along the South West Main Line to Weymouth ran on Monday 2nd June giving a rare opportunity of catching it in the last throes of daylight through Poole. Reporting as 1Q51 1115 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Eastleigh East Yard the PLPR was in the charge of GBRf Class 73/9 electro-diesel locomotives No.’s 73961 ‘Alison’ & 73963 ‘Janice’. We also saw the return leg passing Hamworthy – 02/06/2025

A Monday trip to Bridgwater to see Direct Rail Services Class 68 locomotives No’s 68005 ‘Defiant’ + 68009 ‘Titan’ on nuclear flask working 6M63 1200 Bridgwater F.D to Crewe Coal Sidings (DRS). This was followed shortly after by Rail Adventure Class 43 power cars No.’s 43465 + 43484 hauling the West Somerset Railway guest locomotives; Class 50 No. 50015 ‘Valiant’, Class 45 No. 45108 and Class 52 No. D1015 ‘Western Champion’ in convoy reporting as 0Q84 1242 Bishops Lydeard to Kidderminster S.V.R. This video also contains a few CrossCountry and Great Western Railway service trains at Bridgwater to add a little flavour to proceedings – 09/06/2025

**Grateful thanks to @smithy37688 for allowing me to use his video in this compilation

Colas Railfreight Class 43 power cars No.’s 43251 + 43257 work the Heart of Wessex Plain Line Pattern Recognition train through Maiden Newton & Dorchester West, reporting as 1Q22 0747 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Bristol Kingsland Road – 11/06/2025

*with thanks to Gerry Barrett for additional video

We took a trip to Canada and Alaska in late June. I was able to see some freight trains and the Rocky Mountaineer at Banff:

A snapshot of train movements in Skagway on The White Pass & Yukon Route – a U.S. and Canadian Class III 3ft narrow-gauge railway which links Skagway, Alaska with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. The railway is an isolated system and has no direct connection to any other rail network. The railroad began construction in 1898 as a means of reaching gold fields during the Klondike Gold Rush and was completed in 1900. Services continued until October 1982 when financial difficulties forced its closure. However, in 1988 the line partially reopened as a tourist route as far as White Pass following the growth of visitors to Skagway arriving on cruise ships. By 2007 the line had been extended to Carcross and is co-owned by cruise ship operator Carnival:

https://youtu.be/7Tdyq4hbzX4

The monthly PLPR test train was set to run to Weymouth on 30/06/2025 as 1Q51 1115 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Eastleigh East Yard in the hands of class 73/9 locomotives No.’s 73963 & 73964. The service was however cancelled and reversed at Totton sidings due to equipment failure.

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And don’t forget the first episode of The Railway Dogcast is still available:

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/…/The-Railway-Dogcast…

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Shgg86eCQh4?si=MDKhufV9X0x7gyg8

Our second episode dropped on 14th June. Watch the trailer here:

In this, the second episode of The Railway Dogcast, our guest is Jamie Smith from You Tube’s “Jamie Smith Going Loco”. Jamie shares how he became interested in trains, how he almost joined the railways and his interest in video & photography.

The episode is available on Spotify and / or YouTube. Links are below:

Be seeing you!