NOTES AND NEWS

WEST COUNTRY AREA

Avonmouth

04/06 A further boatload of stone from Ireland arrived at West Wharf for rail movement to Westbury.
06/06 The Avonmouth-Westbury stone was booked to run T,W,FO over the following week.
07/06 66181 was in charge of the 6C64 17.07 Westbury stone, the load looking rather lost in the 'giant' MBA bogie box wagons in use, this being the third wagon type to be noted used on this flow. This train was seen near Hallen village at 16.07, followed at 16.21 by the 6M33 Avonmouth-Wembley freight headed by Royal 'duo' 67006 + 67005. 59205 was later, unusually seen heading away from Avonmouth light-engine during the evening.
14/06 66240 worked the Westbury stone formed with 14 Hanson JHA hoppers.
16/06 For the following two weeks the Westbury stone was booked to run T,W,FO.
26/06 A driver route learning light-engine run commenced as 0Z12 08.52 (SX) Wembley-Avonmouth (11.58) and 0Z13 13.08 (SX) return.
27/06 66185 was noted on the 0Z13 return route learning light-engine run passing near Henbury at 12.42. 66177 worked a late running Westbury stone, the inward 6C63 empties were noted passing Old Field Park, Bath at 15.30!
Locos recorded on coal duty during the month have included;- 66015/019/057/061/063/095/100/101/141.
66162/185/218/228/242/244. 09003 continues as the area shunting pilot and the CAR brakevan B955172, reported out of use last month, has returned to traffic as the Chittening Estate propelling vechicle.
Locos recorded on the 6M33 16.23 (SX) Avonmouth-Wembley 'enterprise' freight service have included;-
06/06 67005 + 67006. 07/06 67005 + 67006. 20/06 67023 + 67028.
22/06 67023 + 67028. 27/06 67023.

Bristol Parkway and Westerleigh

11/05 Correction, under this date in the July Magazine;- 'the Cardiff Tidal-Swindon empty scrap MBAs should read 6H55 06.52 Margam-Swindon empty scrap MBAs, this service being booked to return loaded as 6H56 17.13 from Swindon.
01/06 60054, still retaining trainload petrol decals, worked 6B33 Theale-Robeston empty fuel tankers.
03/06 66210 was noted at Yate just before 12.00 on what was assumed a Westerleigh fuel tank working.
07/06 20306 + 20313 worked the 6V74 Crewe - Bridgwater flask train. 31454 was noted parked in the old parcel bay. Kingsland Road contained 66564/608/616.
12/06 60003 was at Westerleigh on the 6B13 loaded fuel tanks from Robeston. 50031 + 50049 passed late morning, light-engine as 0Z50 10.30 Cardiff Canton-Old Oak Common for the following week-end railtour duty.
13/06 Tytherington branch line traffic was to recommence during the day following a gap of around a year, as 6Z23 04.42 Westbury-Tytherington loaded stone (06.41) and 6C38 11.44 return empties. Also booked to run on Tuesday and Wednesday during the week, the day's working was however cancelled due to the condition of the track!
14/06 The Tytherington working ran as booked being noted passing Parkway at 05.56 behind 66239. There were problems on the branch line at Latteridge Road crossing where the train was delayed, arriving at Tytherington 34 minutes late, but the return 6C38 left at 10.08, 98 minutes early! The branch is expected to see 2 or 3 trains of inward blending stone a week, the Latteridge level crossing requiring an S & T engineer in attendance for the passage of train in each direction until the crossing gates can be repaired.
15/06 66240 worked the Tytherington stone, the return empties again leaving the quarry early at 09.49. 60061 was later recorded on the 6C23 Hayes-East Usk stone empties.
16/06 66239 was again on the Tytherington stone. Pathfinder's 'Orcadian' railtour (1Z27 06.40 Swindon-Inverness via Bath and Day's curve) called behind 50031 + 50049, carrying 50012 Benbow and 50028 Tiger names and numbers on one side of each loco only!
17/06 The yellow Met-Cam DMU set 901001 was noted stabled at the west end of the down yard at 15.00 having arrived as 4Z08 09.38 Derby-St. Phillips Marsh.
19/06 66182 powered the Tytherington stone, the service running M,TO this week. The Class 50 hauled 'Orcadian' railtour returned during the evening as 1Z27 08.15 Inverness-Swindon, the locos also observed carrying 'Highland Stag' emblems under their cabside windows!
23/06 Class 60 workings during the day included, 60096 at Westerleigh on the 6B13 fuel tanks from Robeston, load-haul 60059 on the 6B33 Theale-Robeston fuel empties (noted passing through Pilning loop at 16.35) and 60003 on 6C23 Hayes-East Usk stone empties.
24/06 60082 worked 6B80 Westbury-Machen and 60021 was on an additional 6B28 11.18 Westerleigh-Robeston fuel empties. The 7C79 10.13 Parc Slip-Westbury cement works loaded coal and 6B63 16.49 return has now changed from M,FO to M,ThO.
26/06 The 6B33 Theale-Robeston fuel tanks was seen running very late into the evening behind two unidentified Class 60 locos.
29/06 DRS 37609 + 37611 were noted stabled in the former Royal Mail depot head shunt at 07.30 on a Serco test train working. The locos departed at 11.28 for Derby, via Westerleigh junction and Charfield. 60002 was at Westerleigh on the 6B13 Robeston fuel tanks and 60090 was also earlier here on 6E41 Humber tanks. EWS silver 67029 was the 0Z12 and 0Z13 Avonmouth route learner, noted at Parkway between 11.00 and 11.15 only going as far as the end of the down loop.

Bristol Temple Meads, Kingsland Road and Barton Hill

01/06 60076 worked the morning 6B65 Westbury-Newport ADJ departmental via Day's curve and the Royal Train, with dedicated locos 67005 + 67006 was reported as in the West Country, although the outward and return journey was reported via Westbury.
02/06 Following its West Country branch line railtour duties for Pastime Rail, steam 76079 returned through the area with maroon support coach 35517 calling at Temple Meads for water around 07.00. The working was 5Z49 05.40 Exeter-East Lancs Railway and routed via the Severn Tunnel.
03/06 A second Saturday of Summer 'hired-in' HST diagrams saw the following power cars in use on Virgin XC services; GNER 43113 + 43120 with 1C02 07.35 Temple Meads-Paignton / 1E46 10.22 Paignton-Newcastle, MML 43064 + 43066 with 1V49 09.41 Newcastle-Newquay / 2C75 19.15 Newquay-Plymouth, MML 43051 + 43081 with 2C34 06.51 Plymouth-Newquay / 1E47 09.40 Newquay-Newcastle and MML 43043 + 43075 with 1V29 07.24 Manchester-Newquay / 1M28 15.22 Newquay-Newcastle.
04/06 MML HST set with power cars 43064 + 43066 returned north as 5Z43 14.35 Laira-Derby empty stock. These HST diagrams are set to return for the summer on Saturdays from 01/07/06 to 02/09/06.
05/06 20306 + 20313 were paired on the 6M67 Bridgwater-Crewe nuclear flask service, and Met-Cam test DMU set 901001 ran 4Z08 10.00 St. Phillips Marsh-Derby. Network-Rail engineering works saw the Castle Cary-Taunton mainline closed from 10.00 05/06-13.30 09/06 and 10.00 12/06-13.30 16/06. All First/GW passenger services were diverted via Bristol, Bath and the Limpley Stoke valley between these times and dates, along with freight, including 66165 (noted at Temple Meads at 17.21) on this date with 6V62 (TFO) 13.18 Fawley-Tavistock junction loaded fuel tanks.
07/06 EWS silver liveried 67029 worked an 1Z50 06.25 Banbury-Penzance 'Edenex' and 1Z51 16.15 return each way via Temple Meads and Bath. The diverted Freightliner Heavy-Haul 6F95 10.30 (MX) Meldon-Oxford Hinksey yard ballast worked through the area behind 66519.
09/06 60032 was on the 6C79 Parc Slip-Westbury and 6B63 return empties, cement works coal.empties. Having arrived in Cornwall on a 16.30 Westbury-Par loaded rail train on 05/06, GBRf 66703 and 66715 returned north via Bristol on separate workings. 66715 passed Flax Bourton at 10.00 on a 5Z98 07.15 Laira-Derby stock move formed with Hst coaches; 42066, 42103, 42169, 42107, 42117, 42168, 44055 (all in unbranded GNER blue/red stripe colours) and green barrier vans at each end (which had departed Laira at 07.39), whilst 66703 appeared at the same location 20 minutes later on a 6G53 04.45 Truro-Westbury engineers. Also recorded just before the first GBRf working was the NMT yellow Hst set covering the monthly FO Swindon-Taunton and return test run diagram, which includes a South Wales visit during the afternoon. Later in the day, Anglian 'One' liveried 47818 hauled 37314 + 20227 as 0Z37 15.30 Gloucester-Totnes passing Yatton at 17.25 en-route to the South Devon diesel gala over the Buckfastleigh branch line. The Class 47/8 was not used however over the gala weekend due to its additional 'twin-tank' weight, Class 47/0, No. 47150 having appeared at the 2005 event.
12/06 Adjustments to the Virgin XC timetable from this date were as follows; the 13.58 Bristol TM-Newcastle will now start at 11.45 from Plymouth; the 11.24 Manchester Piccadilly-Birmingham NS (13.12) has been extended to Plymouth; the 12.19 Newcastle-Bristol TM (17.11) will run onwards to Plymouth and the 17.05 Edinburgh-Birmingham NS is also extended to Bristol TM.
13/06 First/GW services continued to be diverted for the second week of engineering works between Castle Cary and Cogload junction. The 6V62 Fawley-Tavistock yard fuel tanks were again diverted via Temple Meads with loco 66125 in charge, the train was noted leaving Westbury at 16.15. The return South Devon Railway diesel gala locos passed Flax Bourton at 15.37 early (booked Worle junction 16.19) formed 47818 + 37314 + 20227. A Temple Meads-Swindon driver route learning light-engine trip was noted with Inter-City liveried 31454.
15/06 DRS loco activity during the day saw 37069 + 37612 paired on the 6M67 Bridgwater-Crewe nuclear flasks and 66407 ('on loan' to Freightliner Heavy-Haul) powered the 6M37 Moorswater-Hope sidings empty cement PCA 4-wheel tanks passing Yatton early at 18.02.
17/06 EWS silver liveried 67029 headed the 1Z56 08.13 Manchester-Bath and 1Z57 1717 Northern Belle dining special (both ways being via Bristol Parkway and Charfield).
18/06 The 2006 'T4' pop party concert on the beach at Weston-super-Mare saw additional Virgin and First/GW services calling at the seaside resort. However there were reports of serious over-crowding from Temple Meads not enabling passengers to join some services at Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton and Worle. For 2005 Wessex train's operated their top n'tail Class 31s on 'relief services' between Bristol and Weston over the same week-end.
19/06 The down First/GW sleeper service (1C99 23.50 Paddington-Penzance) failed at Exeter resulting in train loco 57602 an stock being dragged onwards to Plymouth by back to back Hst power cars 43132 + 43138. From here the empty stock was taken to Penzance by Cotswold 47813.
20/06 The return 1A40 22.00 Penzance-Paddington sleeper service, as a result of the previous day's events was headed by 47813 when calling at Temple Meads in the early hours. Later, 60007 in EWS 'load-haul' sticker livery was noted on the 6B65 Westbury-Newport ADJ engineers.
22/06 47828 worked a 5Z47 08.00 Gloucester-St. Phillips Marsh stock move then running 0Z47 St. Phillips-Laira light-engine. Later 47828 + 47818 were reported passing Worle at 14.55 on a return Laira-Gloucester working hauling HST power cars 43165 + 43197. 47828 during the following day, did a further move involving HST power cars hauling 43078 + 43153 + 43165 + 43197 (and a coach) between Landore and Loughborough for new engines to be fitted.
24/06 67018 worked a 1Z56 08.13 Manchester-Bath (Saltford 12.41) and 1Z57 17.17 return Northern Belle dining special and steam 6024 King Edward I headed a Steamy Affairs 1Z84 05.50 Ashford-Temple Meads and 1Z57 17.07 return special, from and return to Acton. This trip was originally planned to run on 18/02/06.
28/06 A 1Z58 09.53 Temple Meads-Minehead and 1Z59 13.40 return, took First/GW 158855 back to where it was named Exmoor Explorer on 19/05/04, but significantly formed the first through working on departure from Taunton at 10.30 over the newly re-signalled Norton Fitzwarren junction. New signals now mean the West Somerset Railway is no longer restricted to how many through trains it can receive during a year. The Mayor of Taunton, railway officials and West Somerset Railway volunteers and staff were some of the passengers on this special working. Other workings of note during the day were; 67017 on a VSOE working to Bath and 47828, which returned an HST set to St. Phillips Marsh from an unspecified location (possibly Didcot) arriving via Parkway around 21.30. There had been hot axle box problems with the Hst set en-route.
30/06 60010 powered the 6C01 Newport ADJ-Bristol East depot, and 6C02 return empties, steel service and 31190, in Royal Scotsman burgundy livery ran 0Z31 14.22 Derby-Exeter on a driver training run. For the 165th Anniversary of the opening of the Paddington-Bristol mainline, steam 6024 King Edward I worked a Pastime Rail, 1Z24 10.50 Paddington-Temple Meads and 1Z25 17.45 return throughout, the stock stabling near West junction. In preparation for the following days first Summer Saturday, Virgin XC hired MML HST set, with power cars 43061 + 43072 worked 5Z40 18.40 Derby-Laira ECS.

Gloucestershire

03/05 Correction under this date in the July Magazine. 960014 (977893) should read 960012 (977873), on a Cardiff-Tyseley driver route-learner.
30/06 50049 hauled refurbished Arriva Trains Wales liveried one-car DMU 122132 (55032) from Crewe-Cardiff, the unit is to see use on the 'heritage' Bute Road branch line from Cardiff Queen Street.

Portbury Branchline

12/06 A Class 66 hauled train of loaded coal HAA wagons was noted stabled on the general cargo branch line over the weekend.
The following have been recorded on the 6X52 16.30 Portbury-Washwood Heath loaded cars, which operated T,W,FO for the week ending 24/06;-
20/06 66087. 27/06 66087.

Units noted during the month included
143603/612/617/619/620.
150219/244/248/253.
153305/329/355.
158745/793/794/855/871/872/961/963/964/966/967.
180109/110.
220006/013.
221115/123/128/132/137.

SOUTH WALES AREA

Newport

07/06 66601 worked 6Z98 Cardiff Tidal - Beeston empty scrap service. 66603 passed through on a track laying train.
16/06 66561 headed the 6Z98.
17/06 66561 returned on the 6V97 Beeston - Tidal Sidings, it was noted stabled on Cardiff Central the following day.
23/06 66524 was on the 6Z98.
29/06 The Network Rail inspection DMU visited the Ebbw Vale branch today. 47828 hauled four HST power cars from Landore to Brush, Loughborough.
30/06 6Z98 was hauled by 66555.

LOCAL FREIGHTLINER WORKINGS

4V50/4O51 Southampton - Wentlooge
05/06 66504. 07/06 66543. 08/06 57004. 09/06 57009. 12/06 66503.
13/06 57009. 16/06 57007. 19/06 66573. 20/06 66504. 21/06 57007.
22/06 57008. 23/06 57007. 26/06 66541. 27/06 57007. 30/06 57008.

4V08 Crewe - Wentlooge
06/06 66539. 07/06 66502. 08/06 66574. 09/06 66533. 15/06 66567.
16/06 66538. 23/06 66504. 28/06 66568. 30/06 66571.

LOCAL EWS WORKINGS

6B13 Robeston - Westerleigh
05/06 60015. 07/06 60061. 08/06 60047. 09/06 60052. 12/06 60003.
13/06 60003. 14/06 60003. 15/06 60021. 16/06 60019. 19/06 60096.
20/06 60096. 21/06 60096. 22/06 60096. 23/06 60096. 26/06 60003.
28/06 60002. 29/06 60002. 30/06 60002.

FREIGHT REVIEW (By Pete Merry)

Here we go with another effort reporting on the past month with regards to freight operations. Again, it's been a bit of a quiet month for me personally, only a few local visits to my usual locations over the past weeks. However, I will first touch on another location where freight services can be observed with regularity. The location this month was reported to me by a colleague and is not somewhere I would have chosen -- the location being March, Cambridgeshire. My colleague was on his way back from Stansted Airport one Sunday evening and called in with the purpose of hopefully seeing some or all of the new Metronet 66s. To his surprise, during the hours 1700-2000 he logged over a dozen freight movements, 90% being engineers' services returning/departing from Whitemoor Yard. Whether this is a regular occurrence I don't know, although I was on March station last October on a Saturday evening returning from visiting a friend and in the ten minutes I spent waiting from my train there were six movements, four engineers' services and two light engines. So it is worth a check anyway. On to my personal sightings, and speaking of the Metronet 66s, there has been a working of the new bogie vehicles (503xxx series) top and tailed by GRRf 66s through Leicester during the past couple of Saturday evenings. The vehicles are being parked at Wellingborough. Nuneaton on 3rd July provided a very busy evening between 18.15 and 21.15 with eighteen freight movements being logged. Amongst the regular workings was a Freightliner coal service from the Leicester direction hauled by 66529 the vehicles being: 370162/155/164/190/216/175/098/161/029/113/008/274/ 301/077/427/426/194/160/252. Quite what the working was, and why it passed through Nuneaton, is not known. The new DRS 66s are now evident on the W. H. Malcolm services, on the same evening, 3rd July, 66412 was noted on the first service. The second service, the new working, hauled by 66410, had the following vehicle consist: 33.83.4943.085/076/089/ 33.68.4909.915/650/796/169/396/911/395/393. A week later, 10th July, Three northbound Malcolm services were noted, 66412, 66405 and 66413 on the third at 2105 very early. Vehicles on this service being 33.70.4739.078/072/075/ 33.68.4909.151/139/419/702/414/410/415/388/407/ 402/408/344. Interestingly, the last couple of Monday evenings has seen the Royal Mail service being operated by the 325 units under their own power with no sign of the class 87s, which are rumoured by the locals to have ceased operating these services. However, just to redress the balance, 87002 and DVT 82126 were noted on a southbound Euston service! Also some shock news, the class 58, 58005, has been removed from Leicester Depot. It was taken during the first week in July by 67029 presumably to Toton. Like losing an old friend! All that remains on the old depot site now is another long-term resident, OCA 110025. Hope that's not too boring. See you next time.

Freightliner

66521 was finally stripped of all usable parts at Midland Road and placed onto a low loader on 23/06/06. It moved to Booths at Rotherham that evening and was quickly cut up the following morning. Booths was shut to all visitors during this operation.

First/GW

A multi million pound contract has been signed to upgrade and increase seating capacity in its HST carriages. £63 million is being invested for new interiors for over 400 carriages over the next 18 months with an increase in seating of around 10%. Bombardier Transportation is carrying out the work which is also to include further safety designs, new emergency lighting, double glazed laminated windows, more luggage racks, redesigned seats (with 'at-seat' power points), new toilets and through coach carpeting. A new 'dynamic' (wavey line) neon livery is also to be applied, although this is reported to be under review and is expected to be modified. Coaches 40752, 41003, 44049 with power cars 43004/009 (and not 43194, as previously reported on 26/04) are all now in this new colour scheme, with power car 43165 earmarked to become the first to carry the 'revised' colour scheme. Once established, it is expected the former Wessex Class 150s will become the first units to receive the new 'revised' livery with a possible 'area of working' variation included.

Swansea

Class 103 DMBS no.50397 sold to the Amman Valley ailway, formerly with the Coventry Railway Centre, has been noted in store at the haulage yard used by TDW at Port Tennant, Swansea.

ROAD MOVEMENTS

29/05 Former GWR steam 5764 (standing in for the planned 4566) was brought in by road on a low-loader for display in the village of Box as part of the Brunel 200 anniversay. The village is located close to Brunel's designed Box tunnel between Bath and Chippenham on the Great Western mainline.
06/06 153368 northbound road low-loader M5 Jcn 4 (afternoon).
06/06 Emu coach 78504 (377104) southbound road low-loader M5 Jcn 1 (afternoon).

PLANT & TRACK MACHINES

31/03 Hallen Marsh ; r/r excavator; (BCL) 36, BCL203. trailers; TRR249. TRR0410.
15/05 Penzance ; r/r excavator; BCL359.
15/05 Falmouth ; r/r excavator; WK52VWS.
27/06 Yatton (passing) ; DR72205.

TRIP REPORTS

Visit to Willesden and Didcot. R. Perry 31/05/06-01/06/06

Willesden (WN)
08454/934, 66704/707/711, 87007/08, 325010 (3-cars)

Willesden Junction(11.15 - 00.00HR)
20307/309, 37059/229/612, 43013/14, 56302, 57002/04/10/11, 57315
59001/04, 59101/102, 60027/92, 66020/44/63/69/71/77/78
66109/152/165/172/180/181/203/209/221/230/231/246
66503/517/527/531/537/542/567/568/570/580, 66709/715/718
67005/06, 73206/208, 86501, 86609/22/28/33, 90026/27/34/41/43/45/46/48
92005/22/24, 220002/009/028, 221112/138
350102/104/105/106/109/113/115/118/119/121/125/127/128
377205/206/209/210/215
390001/002/003/004/005/006/007/009/011/012/013/014/015/018/019/020/021
390022/023/025/026/027/028/029/032/033/034/036/037/038/039/040/041/042
390043/044/045/047/048/049/050/051/052/053
Not included Class 313 or 321.

Willesden Junction(00.00 - 05.00HR)
20306/313, 37059/612, 56302, 57004/07, 57301, 59202
66020/44/77/78/152/181/187/204/221/231, 66568/570/573/574, 66709
86501, 86607/09/13/22, 90041/42/44/46, 92002/22/24/36

Didcot Yard
08856/804, 60093(stored)

Didcot Parkway(06.30 - 21.00HR)
43013/14, 47145/355, 57003/09, 60054, 66030/33/34/79/87/99
66121/136/141/156/163/169/186/208/221/234/244/250
66504/505/532/533/535/563/571/575/576/577/579, 67003/17
180104/105/106/107/109/110/111/112/113/114
220002/003/004/007/010/015/022/023/024/027/028/032/033/034
221103/106/107/110/113/114/117/135/139/140/142
ADB977869 ADB999508
Not included Class 165 or Class 166 or HST's.

Kingsland Road SP
66514/519

Home ] July 2006 ]