Yoshi with English Electric Class 40 No. D345 (40145) in Salisbury awaiting departure of 1Z42 Salisbury to Burton On Trent “Winchester Christmas Excursion” – 25/11/2023
November 24th 2023 to November 30th 2023
DRS Class 68 No. 68012 at Hamworthy working driver training move 0Z67 0917 Southampton Central to Winfrith Sidings – 24/11/2023
The morning of Friday November 24th produced an early Christmas present when Direct Rail Services (DRS) ran what is believed to be a driver training / route learner light engine move to Winfrith as 0Z67 0917 Southampton Central to Winfrith Sidings and its associated return 0Z68 1140 Winfrith Sidings to Willesden Brent DRS with Chiltern liveried Class 68 No. 68012, which is as far as I know, the first locomotive in this livery to make it to Dorset. Chiltern Class 68 hauled services operate out of London Marylebone.
DRS Class 68 No. 68012 having passed through Hamworthy as 0Z67 0917 Southampton Central to Winfrith Sidings – 24/11/2023DRS Class 68 No. 68012 at Dorchester South working 0Z68 1140 Winfrith Sidings to Willesden Brent DRS – 24/11/2023 (G E Barrett)DRS Class 68 No. 68012 runs light engine through Hamworthy as 0Z68 1140 Winfrith Sidings to Willesden Brent DRS – 24/11/2023
On Saturday we took another trip to Swindon in a bid to see English Electric Type 4 Class 40 No. D345 (40145) hauling Pathfinders Tours “Winchester Christmas Excursion” which originated from Burton upon Trent and was bound for Salisbury. I’d chosen Swindon in the hope that I’d get another chance of getting a photo of the Class 67 top and tailed Rail Head Treatment Train (RHTT) which is operating out of Swindon Transfer Yard. But once again , due to my lack of checking on how the train was running, I managed to miss it by a matter of moments as I was unaware it was 150 minutes ahead of time! I also failed to get a photograph of the Class 40 storming through Swindon because the train was helpfully blocked from my view by a fellow enthusiast at the critical time. However friend of this blog @da_buckley967 has kindly shared some images from the day which can be seen below.
Class 40 No. D345 (40145) on the approach to Swindon with the outward “Winchester Christmas Excursion” 1Z40 0707 Burton On Trent to Salisbury – 25/11/2023 (@da_buckley967)Class 47 No. D1935 (47805) ‘Roger Hosking MA 1925 – 2013’ approaches Swindon working “The Bath Christmas Statesman” 1Z88 0543 Chesterfield to Bath Spa rail tour – 25/11/2023 (@da_buckley967)Class 47 No. D1935 (47805) ‘Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013’ at the head of “The Bath Christmas Statesman” 1Z88 0543 Chesterfield to Bath Spa rail tour at Swindon – 25/11/2023Class 47 No. 47712 ‘Lady Diana Spencer’ at the rear of “The Bath Christmas Statesman” 1Z88 0543 Chesterfield to Bath Spa rail tour at Swindon – 25/11/2023DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66005 ‘Maritime Intermodal One’ waits in Swindon East Loop with 6C03 0928 Northolt Sidings to Severnside SITA at Swindon as Class 800 IET No. 800031 approaches Swindon working the 1B13 1148 London Paddington to Swansea service – 25/11/2023 (@da_buckley967)DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66005 ‘Maritime Intermodal One’ hauls 6C03 0928 Northolt Sidings to Severnside SITA at Swindon – 25/11/2023 (@da_buckley967)DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66005 ‘Maritime Intermodal One’ hauls 6C03 0928 Northolt Sidings to Severnside SITA at Swindon – 25/11/2023Freightliner Class 66 No. 66622 stands in Swindon East Loop working 6V28 1306 West Drayton Frays Sidings to Whatley Quarry Freightliner Heavy Haul as IET Class 800 No. 800316 passes with 1C13 1200 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads – 25/11/2023 (@da_buckley967)Freightliner Class 66 No. 66622 running 230 minutes early on the approach to Swindon working 6V28 1306 West Drayton Frays Sidings to Whatley Quarry Freightliner Heavy Haul – 25/11/2023 (@da_buckley967)Freightliner Class 66 No. 66622 running 230 minutes early at Swindon working 6V28 1306 West Drayton Frays Sidings to Whatley Quarry Freightliner Heavy Haul – 25/11/2023
We found the Class 67’s and its RHTT train parked up in Swindon Transfer Yard as we popped to Tesco to fill the car with petrol for the journey home. Some rather desperate shots over a fence are posted below:
Colas Class 67 No. 67027 at Swindon Transfer Yard – 25/11/2023Colas Class 67 No.’s 67027 and 67023 ‘Stella’ at Swindon Transfer Yard having arrived 150 minutes early with the 3S32 RHTT working from Cheltenham – 25/11/2023Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’ at Swindon Transfer Yard – 25/11/2023
We decided on another attempt at capturing the Class 40, so on our way back to Dorset, our next port of call was Salisbury where the excursion train was due to depart at 1540.
Class 40 No. D345 (40145) at platform in Salisbury awaiting departure of 1Z42 Salisbury to Burton On Trent “Winchester Christmas Excursion” – 25/11/2023
For the Record
Colas Class 37 No. 37607 worked test train 3Q07 2031 Exeter Riverside N.Y. to Exeter Riverside N.Y.through North Dorset in the early hours of 24th November 2023.
Tuesday 28th November was scheduled for another DRS run to Winfrith for the collection of more low level nuclear waste. However, due to driver sickness, the train was cancelled shortly before its timed departure from Crewe in the early hours of the morning. Scheduled locomotives on the associated workings 6Z62 0100 Crewe Coal Sidings (DRS) to Winfrith Sdgs / 6Z95 1551 Winfrith Sdgs to Crewe Coal Sidings (DRS) were Class 68 No.’s 68006 and 68034. No. 68006 carries a green livery which aims to showcase the environmental benefits of rail freight and how a diesel locomotive can reduce emissions by using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel and would have been the locomotives first visit to Dorset.
Class 68 No. 68006 in its special green livery at Crewe Gresty Road during the 2022 DRS Open Day – 16/07/2022
The recent HST farewell railtour to Swanage from Leeds raised almost £65,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of CrossCountry colleague Jo Taylor.
XC Class 43 No. 43008 crosses Corfe Viaduct working “The Bournemouth Belle” 1Z25 1310 Swanage to Bournemouth part of the CrossCountry HST Farewell celebrations – 26/09/2023
Train services between Bournemouth and Woking will be significantly reduced from Friday 8th December 2023 to Sunday 10th December due to emergency works to repair a landslip adjacent the railway near Woking following the discovery of cracks up to 148ft long and 3ft deep.
Members of the RMT union have voted to accept a pay deal from 14 train operating companies, ending their involvement in a series of long running strikes. Train drivers, represented by the union Aslef, will continue with their rolling programme of walkouts between 2nd and 8th December however, with different train companies affected on each day. Drivers will also enforce an overtime ban from 1st to the 9th December which will also cause disruption to railway timetables.
From the Archive
Friend of this blog @smithy.377 has very kindly sent us the following images and video of Colas Class 67’s on the RHTT circuit from a couple of years ago, just so I could see what it might look like in operation having narrowly missed this formation twice now!
Class 67 No. 67023 at Gloucester leading on RHTT 3S33 Cheltenham Lansdown Loop to Swindon Transfer – 23/11/2021 (@smithy.377)Class 67 No. 67023 top and tails 3S33 Cheltenham Lansdown Loop to Swindon Transfer with classmate No. 67027 at Gloucester – 23/11/2021 (@smithy.377)Class 67 No. 67027 at the rear of 3S33 Cheltenham Lansdown Loop to Swindon Transfer departing Gloucester – 23/11/2021 (@smithy.377)Class 67 No.’s 67027 and 67023 work 3S33 Cheltenham Lansdown Loop to Swindon Transfer through Gloucester – 23/11/2021 (@smithy.377)
Video of Class 67’s working an RHTT at Gloucester in November 2021 courtesy of @smithy.377
Mainline steam at Swindon:
After working Santa and Mince Pie specials in the West London area in December 1994, Ivatt Class 2 No. 46521 and BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80079 worked a railtour from London back to the Severn Valley Railway. The pair are seen at Swindon on 1st January 1995
Class 47/7 No. 47712 then named ‘Artemis’ working Steam Dreams “The Sunny South Special” in August 2005:
Steam Dreams “The Sunny South Special” with Class 47 No. 47712 and unique BR Standard Class 8 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive No. 71000 ‘Duke of Gloucester’ at Bournemouth working 1Z91 0836 Kensington Olympia to Weymouth. The Duke had failed at Totton on the outward leg and was rescued by the Class 47 which worked the return 1Z92 1825 Weymouth to Kensington Olympia solo – 03/08/2005
Thank you for reading and as always for your commments and corrections. We are taking a short break and will be back in a couple of weeks. Be seeing you!
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