71000 ‘Duke of Gloucester’ returns to the main line – October 2025

The unique BR Standard Class 8 4-6-2 No. 71000 ‘Duke of Gloucester’ returns to the main line after a thirteen year long major overhaul. Resplendent in the BR Green early crest livery she first carried in 1954, this iconic locomotive departed Crewe on a test run bound for Shrewsbury on Tuesday 7th October 2025.

The following day, Wednesday 8th October 2025, ‘Duke of Gloucester’ worked 1Z45 1029 Crewe to Shrewsbury “The Impossible Dream” charter, for trust supporters which we saw passing Beeston Castle running 147 minutes late. The delay was caused by cows on the line on the scheduled route past Chester.

Shed, Grid & Fugly Action! Dorset Engineering Trains – October 2025

October 2025 saw a couple of engineering trains visit Dorset.

We saw DB Cargo’s ‘Railway 200’ liveried Class 66 No. 66200 passing Christchurch on 18/10/2025 working a short engineers train.

The following week it was a surprise visit to the county by Colas Grid Class 56 No. 56051 with Class 70 No. 70813 working a rail delivery train from Eastleigh to Dorchester and return. We saw the outward and return trips passing Poole on 23 & 24/10/2025

Swanage Railway Ghost Train

LSWR T3 No. 563 runs as the Swanage Railway Ghost Train – 28/10/2025

Trains at Eastleigh – Flashback to 2020

Having got wind that Locomotive Services Limited’s new Blue Pullman liveried High Speed Train was departing Eastleigh Works for the first time on a Friday afternoon at the end of October 2020, Yoshi and I set off in a bid to photograph this iconic train.

Unfortunately the departure of the HST was delayed several hours and it eventually left under cover of darkness. Yoshi and I also found ourselves on the wrong platform with our view of the oncoming blue High Speed Train set blocked by a DB Cargo container train. We hurried over the footbridge, just in time to see the back end of the LSL racing past platform two. In the rush, I knocked the video setting on my phone to slow-mo, but I’ve added the clip to the end of this featurette – 30/10/2020