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Class 59/1(After 01 August 2023)
Formally ARC Engines but now owned by Hanson in turn owned now by Heidelberg Cement.based at, or around the Mendip-Quarries.
Its been 6 weeks since this loco 59101 'Village of Whatley' returned from Eastleigh after its new 'Heidelburg Materials' livery make-over.It is booked to have an 'F'-exam in 5 days time (23-Jan) at Merehead so will be out of the running for a couple of months at least.However here it is returning from Exeter-Riverside (12:48 off) to Westbury on '6C28' with empty jna's still looking pretty clean.Seen at a very cold (-1 degree's C) Berkley Marsh under totally clear skies.
..18 january 2024..
Its been a week since reliveried 59101 returned to work on the Mendip Circuit having been pressed immediately back into use.Here is my first sighting of it hauling a service albeit in extreemly dire lighting in late afternoon.It was returning to Whatley as '6C48' the 12:49 from Appleford.Definetely not a 'Hanson in the Sun',that's for sure!
..11 december 2023..
Long time liveried as 'Hanson' 59101'Village of Whatley' has become the first of the 59/1 sub-class to get a new colour scheme after over 20 years!.Not G&W-Tango but this style for Hiedelburg Materials. Here pictured in incredibly dull,dire and depressingly dank conditions returning as '0X60' the 11:58 from Eastleigh Works (Alstom-FL) to Whatley Quarry..Viewed passing Clink Road Junction.
..4 december 2023..
'Hanson in the Sun' 59101 runs through a very autumnal looking Clink with '6C77' the 12:21 from Wembley Reception Sdg's to Merehead.This is the final weekday(friday) before the clocks revert from BST to GMT so its the last shot of the year of this working at this location.'6V18' to Whatley was just 40 minutes behind it and this cutting was in almost complete shadow.A testement as to how fast the sun drops at this time of year.
..27 october 2023..
59102 'Village of Chantry' slows for Westbury with '6M20' the 10:45 from Whatley going up to Churchyard Sidings at St Pancras.Seen at Fairwood.Of note is that every single hopper on this train of 22 wagons were completely defaced by utterly pointless grafitti.
..5 october 2023..
'Good Ol Boy' 59101 runs up through Berkley with its set of multi coloured JNA's on '6A24' the 10:18 from Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road.This load to be used in the construction of the soon to be re-opened West-East route from Oxford to Bletchley and beyond.At least this project has progressed sufficiently far enough for the government not to be able to cancel it as that looks like the fate of the northern section of HS2?
..3 october 2023..
59104 creeps over Clink Road Junction with '6M20' the 10:45 from Whatley heading up to Churchyards Sidings in the Capital.This 'Hanson' livery which is the longest lived on the Network these days may soon be replaced by G&W-Tango once the 59/2 sub-class are fully repainted.They are the next to go apparantly?
..7 september 2023..
59104 passes Berkley with '7C31' the 10:08 from Theale to Whatley Quarry.