Just 'click' the thumbnails for a fullpage image! (1280 +827 nominal)
Class 68
A new class of 3800HP Bo-Bo locomotive for the UK constructed by Vossloh in Spain from 2013.19 are now in service (End of 2015) with a further 13 on order.Currently working for DRS/Abellio-ScotRail and Chiltern Rly's
68014 in its 'Hybrid'-On Track for a Greener Future livery passes Kings Sutton working '1J49' the 17:07 from London-Marylebone to Stourbridge Junction evening commuter service.
..5 september 2023..
Here is a rare sight passing up though Berkley Marsh nr Frome.A pair of Class-68's,68008&68018 returning to Willesden-Brent from Taunton's Fairwater Yard having brought an HOBC-Set down from High Marnham the previous evening as ''6X37'.They were running as '0Z68' departing Fairwater Yard at 10:53.
..12 february 2022..
'6M63' the 12:00 from Bridgewater to Crewe Coal Sidings moving spent nuclear fuel rods passes Malago Vale in Bristol going North.DRS's 68004 'Rapid' and 68007 'Valiant' in different liveries doing the duty.Double heading for this seemingly small loading is necessary for reliability and security purposes.
..6 october 2021..
The immaculate DRS owned 68009 'Titan' lifts '5Z51' ECS from yesterdays railtour from Bristol to York-etc to mark the end of the DRS Class-20's over the top of the Upton Scudamore Bank whilst returning the stock from Bristol-TM to Eastleigh Arlington (ZG). A superbly sunny day given the conditions of late.
..19 january 2020..
68010 'Oxford Flyer' with its matching set of six coaches plus DVT-82301 runs up through Kings Sutton in the rapidly yellowing evening light with '1K54' the 18:15 from Marylebone to Kidderminster.Hats off to Chiltern-railways for running 'proper' trains on this route giving customers a decent level of comfort and sufficient seating to not be too overcrowded most of the time!
..5 july 2018..
This working here at Kings Sutton is actually an ECS '5U50' from Bicester North going up to Banbury Depot-Reception.Note the coaching stock has a slightly different livery than the previous couple of LCHS's that had already passed this evening and also is an extra coach longer.Loco here is 68012 with 82305-DVT on the back.
..5 july 2018..
Highlight of the evening here at Kings Sutton is probably the sight of this Blue-DRS 68008 'Avenger' working '1K50' the 17:15 from London-Marylebone to Kidderminster.DVT 82304 being on the capital-end.
..5 july 2018..
First of tonight's procession of Class-68 hauled workings out of Marylebone through Kings Sutton is '1C45' the 16:15 going to Kidderminster.Silver Chiltern-Railways liveried 68011 doing the business.DVT 82303 being on the London end.
..5 july 2018..
Todays '6M63' the 11:58 from Bridgewater to Crewe-Coal Sdg's was in the hands of 68004 'Rapid' & 68001 'Evolution'.Here seen passing the former government owned but now disused Oil Stogae Depot at Flax Bourton.
..26 june 2018..
This working was the main incentive to make the trip to Bristol this morning given there was a reasonable change of some bright conditions. Sadly it seems the days of heritage traction on this working now seems to be a thing of the past with Class-68's now seemingly being on it continuously these days.So here is 68017 'Hornet' with 68016 'Fearless' with just a pair of 'Flask' carriers working as '6M63' the 11:58 from Bridgewater F.D going up to Crewe Coal Sidings.This shot now being even more back-lit than usual here at Parson Street in the western suburbs of Bristol given the change of the clocks back to GMT the previous weekend. ..1 november 2017..
Today a 'Northern-Belle' ran from Paddington to Llandrindod.It was an 07:09 departure from Paddington as '1Z39'.Motive Power today was supplied by a pair of the DRS operated Vossloh UK-Lights. 68016 'Fearless' led with classmate 68024 'Centaur' on the rear.Seen passing Duffryn on the South-Wales mainline nr Newport.
..3 september 2017..
Todays '6M63' the 11:58 from Bridgewater-FD going up to Crewe Coal Sidings was in the hands of 68001 'Evolution' and nameless 68030 on possibly its first ever revenue earning run in service in rather damp and dull conditions.The sole flask wagon in tow being '550049'.It is seen passing South Liberty Lane Footbridge in the western suburbs of Bristol. With a total of 34 of these new loco's in service plus another 10 Class-88's the DRS fleet of heritage traction,20's,37's and 57's look increasingly threatened with being pensioned off. You know things are now getting iffy for those classes when pairs such as this are allocated to this working. Note 68030 is in plain-DRS Blue as opposed to 'Compass' styling as per 68001. Also it carries no name.No doubt because it is due to be dedicated to the new Trans-Pennine loco hauled services when they are introduced. ..28 june 2017..
Today a 'Northern-Belle' operated between Cardiff-Central and Swindon as '1Z12'.DRS today provided a pair of their Blue Class-68's instead of the now seemingly out-of-favour dedicated Class-47's.68016 'Fearless' was leading as the train passed over Newton Meadows on the approach to Bath- Spa.Classmate 68023 'Achilles' being on the rear for operational purposes. Of note this is my first shot in sunshine of a 'Blue' Class-68 although they have been in service now for over two years,mainly in the Midlands and the North apart from the Chiltern-six.
..7 december 2016..
Today the 'Northern-Belle' running as 'The Armada' the 06:47 from Stevenage to Plymouth '1Z70' gave me my first sighting of the now not so new DRS Class-68's around Frome-Somerset. 68003 'Astute' was leading whilst somewhere in the distance on the rear was 68019 'Brutus'.Lighting conditions here at Styles Hill on the Frome avoider were predictably appalling requiring the use of a 35mm F2 prime lens and 1600-iso to give me any chance of a reasonable shot.
..22 october 2016..
After '1Z52' the 'Northern Belle' has dropped off its passengers at Bath Spa here it is having just departed there for the final leg to its destination of Bristol passing Oldfield Park.68002 'Intrepid' now being the lead locomotive.It had departed Cleethorpes at 07:07 this morning taking over 5 hours to get here.
..24 september 2016..
Well it was quite sunny when I left home an hour before this was due and as Bath is only 15 miles from my home I though I had a bit of a chance of some brightness.However the cloud front beat me to it by about 10 minutes hence this dull effort. Anyway seeing as it is still a rare event to see a 'Northern Belle' nr Bath with Class-68's on I have presented the shot anyway. This is 68017 'Hornet' running through Oldfield Park heading for its Bath Spa stop.Most passengers disembarked here although as '1Z52' the 07:07 from Cleethorpes,its advised final destination is actually Bristol-TM. Note the three headlights.I took about 5 shots as it approached and this was the only one with all three lit.This is due to the strobe effect of the LED lights coinciding with the camera shutter or not as the case may be.
..24 september 2016..
Here is the 17:21 away from Marylebone that only runs as a service train '1N50' as far as Bicester-North.It then continues on northwards as the 18:28 empty coaching stock '5U50' to Banbury-Depot Reception.Hauled by 68012 the stock is slam-door Mk-3's that until quite recently were in Blue&Cream.Note the livery is somewhat different to the other LCHS services seen here this evening.Viewed passing Kings Sutton (Where else?)
..15 august 2016..
68010 hauls its set of Chiltern Railways 'power-door' modified Mk-3's up past St Peter & St Paul's Church at Kings Sutton.This working '1K50' is the 17:15 away from Marylebone going to Kidderminster. This one actually managed to get there unlike the previous service which was caped at Leamington Spa.
..15 august 2016..
This is my first shot of one of these new Class-68's in sunshine! So here is Chiltern Railways liveried 68015 heading north at Kings Sutton on the 16:15 from Marylebone supposedly going to Kidderminster but due to a fatality north of Leamington Spa was terminated there.Its report number being '1K45'. sadly also due to that same fatality the later Class-68 service '1K50' to Kidderminster was also cancelled completely!
..15 august 2016..
One of the elusive (In the South of England anyway) Class-68's operated by DRS worked a Railtour yesterday from Taunton to Carlisle and back.This is the ECS returning to Eastleigh T&RSMD from Fairwater yard in Taunton (14:38 off).It worked as '5Z72' with 68003 'Astute' working the 13 coach train.This loco fairly flew up the Upton Scudamore Incline with seemingly very little effort. Well it does have 3800bhp available! Pictured in yet more gloom at Arn Hill nr Warminster.
..17 july 2016..
68004 and 68020 swing through the reverse curves at Sherrington in the Wylye-Valley with its NMT-substitute train returning to Salisbury after going to Westbury as '1Q23'.This was my seventh location today chasing this 'first ever' DRS-Class 68 hauled Test-Train in the South of England and thanks to the good old british summer I only saw the sun once.That was at Salisbury when it wasn't needed unbelievably. Oh yes at Wilton as well but we got there a minute after it has passed.Annoyingly that was almost certainly in full light!
..30 june 2016..
Apparantly a paperwork issue nearly prevented these Class-68's from working this Test-Train today but common sense prevailed and the Exeter leg of '1Q23' proceeded as normal.However the late afternoon Salisbury to Westbury and return bit of the diagram wasn't even activated until 5 minutes after it left Salisbury for Westbury and return.Hence because of this doubt it was decided to take a trip to Salisbury station just in case it terminated there.We now know it didn't but this shot of it returning from the Salisbury to Southampton section was captured entering Salisbury amongst the 158/159 type DMU's that now infest this location.68020 was leading this time with 68004 somewhere out of sight on the back.Annoyingly the sun shone briefly only adding to the frustration of it all!
..30 june 2016..
Breaking entirely new ground today was a pair of DRS Class -68's operating a Network Rail Test Train '1Q23' down the SR route to Exeter and return.Here is the rear loco 68020 (68004 was leading) waiting for the road on the single line from this station-Gillingham to Salisbury. 159101 was working '1L29' the 11:20 from Waterloo going to Exeter St Davids.
..30 june 2016..
The almost brand new and still immaculate 68020 'Reliance' reposes on the rear o '1Q23' from Exeter back to Salisbury.68004 was leading.The train is awaiting an Exeter St Davids bound service from London Waterloo to clear the single line section here at Gillingham so it can carry on up to Salisbury.
..30 june 2016..
No mistaking the old long disused 'Southern' gangers hut here at Stoford west of Yeovil on the SR route to the west via Salisbury.What is remarkable is the novel new traction operating this NR-Test Train '1Q23' from OOC to Exeter and return.Due to the unavailability of the NMT this pair of DRS-Class 68's were pressed into service instead.It may or may not happen again so it was definitely worth the effort to record its passing.Here 68020 'Reliance' was on the rear of the rapidly disappearing working headed by 68004 'Rapid'.
..30 june 2016..
Never a dull moment on today's railway scene which is more than can be said for this years summer!I think this year has been possibly the crappiest for quite some time.It certainly seems like it!. Anyway here is a new happening! A pair of DRS-Class-68's were today used on the Network-Rail Test Train '1Q23' from OOC (04:56 off) to Exeter and return via various points of the southern compass.Here 68004 'Rapid' was heading the 4-coach formation with 68020 tagged on the rear.Viewed passing Stoford just west of Yeovil returning to Salisbury having earlier gone to Exeter.Strangely this is only my third sighting of a DRS-68 and every time it has been 68004--Weird of what?
..30 june 2016..
This is my first sighting of one of the new Class-68's now owned and operated by DRS working a freight-train..68004 'Rapid' powers through Tamworth-Low Level on '6U76'. This regular working departs Crewe-Basford Hall at 08:59 going to Mountsorrell to collect ballast.
..30 july 2015..
At last! my first sighting of one of the new DRS Class-68's albeit in a brief patch of dullness.This particular one being 68004 'Rapid' and it is seen at Ponthir with '5Z66' the ECS from Crewe-HS going to Pengham Sidings for overnight stabling in readiness for the next day's Railtour to Carlisle in connection with the Kingmoor Depot Open Day there.