December 11th 2023 to December 31st 2023

The second part of our December blog is finally here! After our trip to the North, we didn’t have to wait long for some local railway themed action as another Class 458 EMU drag from Widnes Transport Tech to Bournemouth depot took place on Wednesday 13th running as 5X73 0722 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Bournemouth TRSMD. I kept one eye on its movement via the live maps available on the Open Time Trains website, and at one point almost left home early as the train was running well ahead of time.

However, the train was held outside of Eastleigh for a while so I was able to get to Branksome on the train as planned just prior to the arrival of GBRf Class 56 No. 56081 and Class 69 No. 69008 with South Western Railway (SWR) Class 458 No. 458424 sandwiched in-between barrier coaches. The return run taking another Class 458 for refurbishment in Widnes was set for departure the afternoon of the same day, but was afforded three different paths out of the depot. Avoiding the possibility of picking the wrong working and either missing the departure or having a lengthy wait I decided just to remain at home instead!

No. 56081 is to to be retired to Longport in the New Year. While the option for additional Class 69 conversions doesn’t appear to have been taken yet, the planned despatch of the Class 56 to Longport certainly places it in position for potential conversion to No. 69017.

Later on the same day, the Snow & Ice Treatment Train (SITT) ran from Totton to Dorchester South and back as 3Y89 2211 Totton Yard to Totton Yard with Class 66 No.’s 66743 and 66772 ‘Maria’. I toyed briefly with the notion of driving to Dorchester to get a photo of No. 66743 in its Belmond Royal Scotsman livery, but decided against it on this occasion.

Saturday 16th December was a bit of a road trip so I could see what could well be the final DB Cargo (DBC) Class 60 hauled railtour as the class are to be ‘retired’ in April 2024 by the Deutsche Bahn owned freight operator following an announcement it is to eliminate the use of its Class 60 locomotives by re-gearing ten of its Class 66 loco’s to provide an enhanced tractive effort.  As most of its services are operated by Class 66 locomotives, with the Class 60’s only seeing limited use, DB Cargo concluded that if services operated by its Class 60 locomotives could be transferred to Class 66’s with a higher tractive effort, it would benefit its customers and the company.

DB Cargo has also said that in the future they are going to focus on contractual railtour operations, with the likes of the Belmond British Pullman trains, and less on the ‘ad hoc’ operations for other tour promoters, such as Pathfinder Railtours who were running “The Festive Midland-Ian” which was promoted as an attempt to try and cover as many freight lines, loops and locations as possible in the West Midlands, featuring some “rare track”. The requested motive power had been Top & Tail DBC Class 60’s but, due to the low numbers of the class remaining in service, on the day DBC were forced to substitute a Class 66 for one of them.

Pathfinder named the railtour “The Festive Midland-Ian” after Ian Loveday who devises and helps with many enthusiast rail based excursions. Ian often advises and assists with access to heavily sought after lines including this 16th December charter.

The route for the tour was confirmed as:  GLOUCESTER, CHELTENHAM SPA, WORCESTER SHRUB HILL, Kidderminster DGL, STOURBRIDGE JUNCTION, Stourbridge DGL, Rowley Regis UGL, BIRMINGHAM SNOW HILL, Up & Down Small Health Goods, Caledonia Yard, Up & Down Small Heath Goods, Tyseley Up Through Siding, Dorridge UPL, Leamington Spa UCV, Fenny Compton UGL, Banbury DGL, Banbury Reservoir Sdgs – BANBURY (Break), Fenny Compton DGL, Kineton Branch NR Limit, Leamington Spa DCV, Hatton DGL, Dorridge UDGL, Birmingham New Street (non-stop), Wolverhampton Logistics Centre, Bescot Stadium, Bushbury DGL, Stafford RMT, Oxley Chord, Wolverhampton, Bescot Stadium, Bescot DGL, Aston, BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET, Rowley Regis DGL, STOURBRIDGE JUNCTION, WORCESTER SHRUB HILL, CHELTENHAM SPA, GLOUCESTER

I decided to head to Banbury as I remembered an accesible road bridge close to the Tarmac works which in turn is adjacent to Banbury Resevoir sidings. “The Festive Midland-Ian” is believed to be the first passenger train to visit to the Reservoir stone terminal sidings at Banbury. On the way, I took a slight detour so I could pick up @smithy.377 and looking at the timings available to us on real Time Trains, we realised we’d have a few passes of the train as it worked its way along Banbury Goods Loop and back before tackling the stone terminal sidings. We also enjoyed a few other passing passenger trains and a couple of freights.

The railtour had to arrive at Resevoir Sidings prior to the arrival of a scheduled GBRf stone train which was confirmed as running on the 16th. The Pathfinder tour was then diagrammed to head into Banbury for a brief layover before heading back up the mainline towards Wolverhampton. I had read the previous day that the Class 66 would be leading towards Banbury, but I was very pleased to see the Class 60 at the front as it rounded the distant curve heading for down goods loop. This meant that we managed to get numerous shots of the leading locomotive and led me to abandon any thoughts of chasing the train up to Fenny Compton and possibly beyond.

After seeing the Class 66 No. 66194 taking “The Festive Midland-Ian” back towards Wolverhampton, I opted to return home via Didcot in the hope that I could get a photo of special King Prince Charles Coronation liveried Class 66 No. 66023 which had been showing as being on Didcot Fuelling Point. On arrival at Didcot railway station, we were allowed up onto the platforms by Great Western Railway gateline staff, but unfortunately, the No. 66023 was nowhere to be seen. @smithy.377 later discovered the locomotive was inside a shed and therefore out of sight of our cameras. We were able to photograph a few other DBC Class 66 locomotives however.

Engineering works at Middle Stream Bridge near Wool on Sunday 17th December meant there were no trains running in the area. Yoshi and I had a little “family” trip out to Weymouth and I grabbed a couple of photographs of track machines resting between duties on our way home.

Monday 18th December and with all lines re-opened, it was the turn of the monthly Colas test train from Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard via Weymouth running as 1Q51 1115 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Eastleigh East Yard employing the usual traction of GBRf Class 73 locomotives. This time it was the turn of No.’s 73964 ‘Jeanette’ and 73962 ‘Dick Mabbutt’.

Another day out to see a railtour took place on Saturday 23rd December, this time closer to home as DB Cargo Class 67 No. 67006 ‘Royal Sovereign’ was in charge of UK Railtours “Carols At Sherborne Abbey” 1Z15 0715 Peterborough to Yeovil Jn Heritage Platform. No. 67006 is one of two class members painted in a special Royal Claret livery and as such would be primarily tasked with working the Royal Train. However, the locomotive is often used for special charter trains and other occasional passenger services when not fulfilling her Royal duties. We took a roundabout route to see the railtour, taking in Totton Yard so I could finally get a clear photograph of GBRf Class 66 No. 66743 in Belmond Royal Scotsman livery as it is was still being employed on the SITT along with No. 66772 ‘Maria’.  I also popped in on Freightliner Southampton Maritime and Eastleigh (which admittedly was rather quiet!)

Always looking for a new photographic location, I had time to scout out the western portal of Gillingham tunnel. After parking up at the side of the road above the tunnel, Yoshi and I made our way along a public footpath through fields which are adjacent to the railway track. A trio of sheep were not too sure about our arrival and took off to the opposite corner to watch us from afar. Yoshi, thankfully, showed little interest in the ovine beasts and settled down at my feet as we waited for the Class 67 to turn up hauling its train.

After seeing the train at Gillingham tunnel, I popped into Yeovil Junction in time to see the locomotive running around her train which was being serviced after dropping off the passengers in Sherborne for the festive carol service at the Abbey the tour was named after.

On my way home from Yeovil, I made another slight detour to take a look at the Swanage Railway’s “Polar Express” operation, this years seasonal offering from the Purbeck Heritage line, which I had so far not managed to see in 2023. “Polar Express” trains started running on 17th December and continued through to 30th December. With failing light which rendered photography of moving trains difficult, I waited for the late running 1445 trip from Swanage to show at Corfe Castle with resident Class 33 No. 33012 (D6515) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ hauling the outward run and Southern Railway 4-6-2 West Country Class No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ with “Polar Express” emblazoned on her tender, working the return. I followed the train down to Swanage and as darkness fell this only enhanced the colourful lights within the carriages.

With SWR Desiro Electric Multiple Unit’s (EMU’s) remaining in the old South West Trains (SWT) livery now in single figures, it has been reported that Class 450 No. 450111 and Class 444 No. 444040 ‘The D-Day Experience Portsmouth’, both wrapped in a striped form of the South Western Railway grey livery, will be the last two units to be painted into standard SWR colours.

The original South West Trains train livery used the Stagecoach Group colours – red, blue and orange – in a similar style to the Network South East (NSE) livery. Some detail variations were introduced before a major updating of the group’s design identity in 2000. New logos and typefaces were developed, as well as new bus and train liveries.

The second-generation South West Trains liveries, designed by industry specialist Best Impressions, have swooshes of the Stagecoach colours, which sweep back from the nose of the train to give an impression of movement. There were three versions of the livery employed – white on the Class 444 and 159 trains used on many longer-distance services, red on Class 455 and 456, and blue used on Class 458 and 450 trains.

The final Desiro’s to be re-liveried from former SWT colours into SWR grey are No.’s 450031, 450099, 450116 and 444045.

The final railtour of 2023 bordering on the Dorset area was run by UK Railtours employing DB Cargo Class 66 locomotives booked for use in a top and tail formation. “Another Awkward Week Adventure”, named because of those so called awkward days between Christmas and New Year originated in Peterborough. Problems with one of the locomotives; No. 66185 meant the railtour left 60 minutes late from its originating station after No. 66028, which had been the rear locomotive, was removed from the back of the train and re-attached to the front with No. 66185 remaining inside. This was how Yoshi and I saw the train after it had passed through Winchester on its way to Eastleigh. Here passengers had the option to detrain and take a bus to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu or remain onboard for some rare track miles into Southampton Eastern and Western Docks.

I next moved onto Southampton where I fancied filming the excursion crossing Canute Road which is adjacent to the former Southampton Terminus railway station which served the Port of Southampton and Southampton City Centre from 1839 until 1966. The former Terminus station building is now a casino and The South Western Hotel opened by the LSWR in 1872 has been converted into private apartments. Of the station platforms, all that remains is the glass canopy and a single line that runs from Northam junction to the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal. The private road into where the platforms once stood is now a car park.

Our final location was the footbridge over the railway line between Southampton Central and Millbrook ready to catch the train head towards Western Docks and out again Yoshi waited in the car as the weather, already very windy, turned increasingly wet! I photographed the railtour on its outward leg into Western Docks, but by the time it returned (running late) the light had gone and I didn’t want another DSLR to fall foul of water damage in 2023! Instead I managed some dodgy video which can be seen lower down the page.

One final festive gift courtesy of GB Railfreight saw the SITT run to Weymouth on New Years Eve as 3Y88 1200 Totton Yard to Totton Yard, top and tailed by Class 66 locomotives No.’s 66723 ‘Chinook’ and 66772 ‘Maria’. The SITT with the same two Class 66’s in charge was also the first locomotive hauled train into Dorset early on New Years Day 2024 when it returned as far as Bournemouth in the early hours working as 3Y89 0100 Totton Yard to Totton Yard.

For The Record

Following 16 days closure for engineering work on the West of England Line, the line between Salisbury and Yeovil Junction re-opened on Monday 11th December while landslip repairs were affected by flooding at Crewkerne tunnel which extended the duration required for work to be completed with SWR advising customers not to attempt to travel between Yeovil Junction and Exeter St David’s until Wednesday 13th December.

Thanks for reading, that’s it for 2023! Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year. We’ll leave you with a pic of Yoshi at Durdle Door. Be seeing you!