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February 2024
28 Images
'Tug' 60028 the Blue- Cappagh Flagship today handled '6Z60' the 09:44 from Willesden to Merehead empties to collect a load of aggregates and return to the Capital.Here seen at Clink running quite fast just prior to taking the Frome Avoiding Line heading for the Quarry.
..27 february 2024..
Now that the former regular loco on this duty (59003) has departed for use with 'Colas' hopefully some variety and maybe a few of the GBRf celebs will put in an appearence on this working '7V41' the 14:50 from Eastleigh East yard to Westbury regular daily engineering trip duty.Here is 66702 'Blue Lightening' emerging from under the Norton Bavant road bridge with its motley load of various wagons.Once again the fast moving clouds took the edge off the sunniness after standing there in full sun for well over 30 minutes!
..26 february 2024..
The recently re-liveried into G&W orange from DB-Red 59201 passes New Mill on the B&H hauling '6C31' from Theale (10:14 away) to Whatley Quarry.Not quite a sunny as the shot appears to be but just enough light to make the picture reasonably acceptable! Every single hopper on this working was heavily grafittied.Maybe Railtrack should concentrate on spiky fencing off its Freight Yards instead of obscure overbridges and empty fields in the middle of nowhere!
..26 february 2024..
With high winds and very patchy cloud cover causing any sunny periods to be rather short and sweet '6Z52' the 06:50 from Tytherington to Quainton Road loaded aggregates hauled by DCR;s 60055 'Thomas Barnado' passes Manningford Bruce on the B&H in good light.Mind you about 1 second after the shot was taken the loco was back in the shade from the fast moving shadows. Lucky or What!
..26 february 2024.
66593 '3MG Mersey Multimodel Gateway' leans through the bend at Great Cheverell' on the B&H with '6A40' the 08:40 from Merehead to Hanwell Bridge loop.Signs of Spring here with a Hawthorn Bush now into bloom!
..26 february 2024..
Ex-EMR Purple 43274 is seen on the back of '1Z22' the 07:47 from Derby RTC to Bristol Tester taking the route via Frome on its way down to Weymouth at Clink Road Junction.
..21 february 2024..
Thankfully despite the abject conditions a setting of 1600-iso was sufficient to enable this shot of '1Z22' the 07:47 from Derby RTC to Bristol-Kingsland Road via Weymouth 'tester' to be recorded. Ex-LNER 43272 c/w a Colas logo was leading with Ex-EMR Purple 43274 on the rear are seen approaching Clink Road Junction in readiness for taking the route via Frome Station.
..21 february 2024..
Today it was the turn of 60055 'Thomas Barnado' to work '6Z60' the DCR working from Willesden to Merehead to collect a trainload of aggregates.Viewed nr Clink Road Junction in some welcome weak sunlight.
..20 february 2024..
With its presentation Bell-End leadng AI-59001 partnered with G&W-59205 passes Click with '7V31' the 09:06 from Wembley Reception Sdg's 1-7 to Merehead empties.
..20 february 2024..
59204 just catches the final rays of the sun at Clink as the time approaches 16:00.Only a month or so to go before BST kicks in again! This is '6C48' the 12:49 from Appleford returning empty JNA's to Whatley Quarry.
..19 february 2024..
59003 'Yeoman Highlander' continues to sport GBRf livery but is currently on hire to Colas and will be shortly working their booked freight out of Westbury.However some crew training for Colas Crews is necessary and these workings between Eastleigh and Westbury are the designated runs to learn the Class-59 loco. So here is '0Z17' 14:03 from Eastleigh Works-GBRf and return via Westbury.Viewed passing through Warminster going to Westbury.
..16 february 2024..
Plain-Jayne Freightliner Green 66516 heads the virtually empty '4O57' 13:29 from Cardiff-Wentloog to Southampton-MCT Liner through Warminster.The dozen or so containers that were on the rear of the largely empty formation are out of sight obscured by the lineside vegetation.
..16 february 2024..
Regeared GM version 66606 hauls '6A61' the 12:25 from Whatley to West Drayton through Berkley.
..15 february 2024..
Still in its 'Hanson' colours (for now) 59103 draws '7B12' the 11:43 from Merehead bound for Wootton-Bassett up through Berkley Marsh.
..15 february 2024//
Pairing 59004 & 66512 head '6A50' the 10:26 from Whatley going to Hanwell Bridge Loop where no doubt this long loading will be split to carry on to their seperate destinations. I expect that is why this working is a pair?
..15 february 2024..
DCR's 60029 'Ben Nevis' always looks pretty clean when doing this duty '6Z60' which it seems to be glued to. Here is the 09:44 from Willesden DC-rail Sidings to Merehead empties going in for a load of ballast.The JNA Box-Wagons are unusually completely free of graffiti,probably because they spend very little time parked up as they are currently very busy!
..12 february 2024..
59204 rolls up the straight towards Fairwood Juntion with '6A61' the 12:25 from Whatley Quarry going to West Drayton. Its been nearly 2 months since the massive rescheduling of most of the stone workings out of and into the Mendip Quarries.Without consulting my PC I still don't have much of a clue what's going on?
..12 february 2024..
9-car IET 800302 passes Master's Farm Crossing as it slows for Fairwood Junction prior to calling at Westbury Station with '1A81' the 10:55 from Paignton going to Paddington. Note the shiny new drainage covers just recently installed here,
..12 february 2024..
Annoyingly 66610 which was hauling a train of empty boxes from Avonmouth to Whatley was diverted into the Westbury-Tarmac sidings from where it ran as '0Z79' from there to Whatley.Here it is seen passing Master's Farm Crossing shortly after running over Fairwood Junction.
..12 february 2024..
G&W-Tango 59203 runs up through Clink with '7A60' the 10:50 from Merehead to Colnbrook.
..12 february 2024..
FL- No-Name 66549 running as '0C66' the 09:35 from Stoke Gifford Yard to Whatley passes Berkley Marsh under a cloudless sky.
..12 february 2024..
66506 'Crewe Regeneration' creeps up through Clink with the 10:26 away from Whatley to Hanwell Bridge Loop as '6A50'.This destination it just a freight loop being used by Freightliner as a staging point so as to avoid Acton Yard and the charges levied by DB for its use! So I am not to sure of the eventual destination for this loaded stone.Maybe it Churchyard Sidings at St Pancras?????
..12 february 2024..
With it's Cods-Mouth doors left in the wide open position GWR's IET-802013 runs up through Frome at Berkley with '1A77' the 08:35 from Plymouth bound for Paddington.
..12 february 2024..
HNRC's 37405 is viewed passing Warminster as '0Z37' the 10:07 from Coleham-LMD (nr Sutton Bridge Junction in Shrewsbury) to Eastleigh-Arlington.Its next duty is to drag GBRf's failed 66750 up to Longport for repair tomorrow.Pictured passing through Warminster Station.I nearly missed this working as a couple were interrogating me as to the location of a ladies toilet on the station?????????
..5 february 2024..
60055 'William Wilberforce' with '6Z60' the 09:44 from Willesden DC Sdg's to Merehead empties for reloading passes Clink at a fair speed in the sadly dull lighting conditions.We need something to brighten the afternoons as stone traffic is currently at a rather low ebb for some reason?
..2 february 2024..
'6C31' the 10:14 from Theale to Whatley Quarry is one of the few trains now that runs under its original reporting number and timings since the massive Mendip schedule revamp at the beginning of 2024. Here is 66539 slowing for Clink Road Junction in readiness for going down to the Quarry.
..1 february.
Since the beginning of the new-year there has been a significant downturn in the number of stone trains running too and from the Mendip Quarries.Several workings have dropped off the timetables completely and many of those remaining are simply not running currently.Maybe things will improve when Spring arrives?? So here is '6A50' the 10:26 from Whatley Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop passing Clink with the FL-pairing of 5-door 66953 and 66614 'The Poppy' in the nice bright cold morning sunlight.The new timetables in use since the end of 2023 really are a bit of an emigma?
..1 february 2024..
One of the few GWR-Turbo's to carry a nameplate 166204 passes Clink with '2C86' the 10:26 from Frome to Bristol-Temple Meads.The nameplate which is actually a vinyl 'stick on' version albeit in the classic nice red style commemorates 'Norman Topham MBE' who was a well remembered member of staff at Twyford in the Thames Valley.He worked on the railway for 53 years ending his career (retiring) there in Nov-2015.