{"id":9047,"date":"2023-11-23T14:53:47","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T14:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/therailwaydog.co.uk\/?p=9047"},"modified":"2023-11-23T14:53:47","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T14:53:47","slug":"yoshi-returns-to-tonbridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/therailwaydog.co.uk\/?p=9047","title":{"rendered":"Yoshi Returns to Tonbridge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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GBRf Class 57 No.’s 57306 ‘Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate’ and 57310 ‘Pride of Cumbria’ head into the yard after reversing in Tonbridge station working 3W01 0907 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf to Tonbridge West Yard GBRf – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
November 18th 2023 to November 23rd 2023<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I\u00a0may have mentioned previously that I have a list of locomotives or unit trains I would very much like to photograph. These include named examples to livery variations. One such loco is GB Railfreight\u2019s (GBRf) Class 66 No. 66743 which can be usually found North of The Border operating the luxury Belmond Royal Scotsman train along with sister locomotive No. 66746. GBRf took over the running of these excursion trains from West Coast Railways (WCR) in 2016. Outside the Scottish railtour season, the Royal Scotsman locos have to earn their keep on more mundane tasks, and last week No. 66743 was shuttling backwards and forwards from Scunthorpe or Doncaster to Eastleigh East Yard on freight or engineers related workings. At least until the weekend when she ended up on one of the engineering trains involved in the 16 day closure of the railway line between Salisbury and Yeovil Junction. This, I observed, meant she was stabled at Eastleigh East Yard on Sunday following her outing to Wiltshire. So with hopeful abandon, off I set at 0730 thinking the locomotive might well be parked in an advantageous position for a photo. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case with No. 66743 being somewhat obscured by a row wagons. It\u2019s like that, this hobby, you win some and you lose some. The trick is not to be disheartened because next time, things may well go your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Belmond Royal Scotsman liveried Class 66 No. 66743 partially hidden behind wagons in Eastleigh East Yard – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While I was in Eastleigh I took advantage of the lull in between rain showers to walk Yoshi and photograph other trains parked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Class 66 No. 66303 stands in Eastleigh East Yard – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 66 No. 66730 ‘Whitemoor’ alongside stablemate No. 66303 at Eastleigh East Yard – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 66 No. 66740 ‘Sarah’ stands at Eastleigh CTT Forwardings – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A view across to Eastleigh East Yard – with Class 66 locomotives No.’s 66730\/66303\/66740 resting between duties – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 66 No. 66782 at Eastleigh East Yard alongside a Class 08 shunter – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 08 No. 08511 in Eastleigh East Yard – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Colas Class 70 No. 70810 at Eastleigh – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 153 DMU Network Rail Video Inspection Unit No. 153385, Eastleigh – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eschewing a FatMacs breakfast (I’m on a diet, don’t you know), I decided to press on and drive over to Tonbridge in the hope that the Rail Head Treatment Trains (RHTT) based there would be engaged in leaf clearing as runs were scheduled across the day to and from Tonbridge West Yard. These are dependant on requirements and don’t always run however. Coincidentally, we started this blog two years ago on November 22nd 2021 with a brief clip of a steam hauled Belmond British Pullman tour through Tonbridge taken the previous day. I\u2019d forgotten just how short those early blog entries were \u2013 something to be mindful of now, perhaps! We made another visit to Tonbridge on 12th\u00a0November 2022, so this is becoming rather like an annual tradition. I felt the visit this year was one of diminishing returns, although we were able to capture an assortment of Class 57’s and Class 73’s!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Class 57’s have been employed on the Tonbridge circuit RHTT this year. No.’s 57305 and 57003 are seen in-between duties at Tonbridge West Yard – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 73 No.’s 73964 ‘Jeanette’ and 73128 ‘O.V.S. Bulleid CBE’ with Class 57 No.’s 57305 and 57003 in Tonbridge West Yard – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 73 No.’s 73964 ‘Jeanette’ and 73128 ‘O.V.S. Bulleid CBE’ at Tonbridge West Yard. A new GBRf shed can be seen during construction in the background – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 73 No. 73109 ‘Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary’ in seasonal RHTT livery in Tonbridge West Yard – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 73’s No.’s 73965 and 73961 at the rear of 1Z01 1300 Tonbridge West Yard to Derby RTC in Tonbridge West Yard with two unidentified Class 66 locomotives at the head of aggregate trains – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 73 No. 73136 ‘Mhairi’ in Tonbridge West Yard – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 73 No. 73963 ‘Janice’ at the head of 1Z01 1300 Tonbridge West Yard to Derby RTC awaits departure – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 69 No. 69008 was the only member of the class in evidence at Tonbridge West Yard during this visit – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 73’s No.’s 73961 ‘Alison’ and 73965 ‘Des O’Brien’ at the rear 1Z01 1300 Tonbridge West Yard to Derby RTC depart Tonbridge West Yard. No.’s 73963 ‘Janice’ and 73962 ‘Dick Mabbutt’ are leading – 19\/11\/2023 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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With four GBRf Class 73’s attached, Colas test train 1Z01 1300 Tonbridge West Yard to Derby RTC departs Tonbridge West Yard. No. 73961 ‘Alison’ is the trailing locomotive along with No.’s 73965 ‘Des O’Brien’, 73962 ‘Dick Mabbutt’ and 73963 ‘Janice’ – 19\/11\/2023 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 73 No. 73963 ‘Janice’ and 73962 ‘Dick Mabbutt’ leading 1Z01 1300 Tonbridge West Yard to Derby RTC out of the yard while RHTT 3W01 0907 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf to Tonbridge West Yard GBRf top and tailed by GBRf Class 57 No.’s 57306 ‘Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate’ and 57310 ‘Pride of Cumbria’ arrive at Tonbridge station where the train reverses – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 57 No.’s 57306 ‘Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate’ and 57310 ‘Pride of Cumbria’ pause as they enter Tonbridge West Yard working 3W01 0907 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf to Tonbridge West Yard GBRf – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 73 No. 73119 ‘Paul Taylor’ arrives at Tonbridge West Yard working 3W91 1026 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf to Tonbridge West Yard GBRf, with No. 73212 ‘Stephen Eaves’ at the rear – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 73 No. 73212 ‘Stephen Eaves’ at the rear of 3W91 1026 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf to Tonbridge West Yard GBRf – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 73 No. 73119 ‘Paul Taylor’ in retro BR ‘Dutch’ Civil Engineers livery at Tonbridge West Yard having arrived with RHTT working 3W91 1026 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf to Tonbridge West Yard GBRf – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On leaving Tonbridge, Yoshi and I had planned on seeing one more RHTT, this time passing through at Edenbridge Town Station as it was in the direction of home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Edenbridge Town railway station on the Uckfield branch, one of two stations serving Edenbridge in Kent, was opened in January 1888 – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We parked up in the station car park and checked Real Time Trains (RTT) to see that the train; 3W90 0715 Tonbridge West Yard to Tonbridge West Yard via the South East of England, top and tailed by GBRf Class 73 No.’s 73107 and 73213, was at Uckfield and had been for 20 minutes or so beyond its scheduled departure time. Passenger trains into Uckfield (which is a terminus station) were being turned around at Crowborough as the line beyond was effectively blocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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RTT information regarding partially cancelled passenger trains on the Uckfield branch – 19\/11\/2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I hung around in Edenbridge for a little while, but soon came to the conclusion that this RHTT was not going to be heading our way while there was still a decent amount of daylight left to photograph it. I briefly contemplated driving to Uckfield, but Google Maps informed me it was at least a 30 minute drive away and would substantially delay my arrival home, so instead made the decision to head for Dorset. Had I known there would be delays on the M25 caused by pedestrians “being loose on the carriageway”, I might well have taken the Uckfield option and returned home via the South Coast route!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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