The
predicted doom and gloom had so far failed to materialise. Despite an
infestation of Class 66s and a downturn in loco-hauled passenger services,
there was no shortage of activity from the older loco classes. This
instalment make the most of it!
FREIGHT TRAFFIC & TRACTION:
The unveiling of 47 635 and 56 078 in Large Logo blue, Inter City
re-paints for 31 454 and 37 685, ACTS-liveried Class 58, 37 174 rescued
by 37 517 on the Bow-Heck Plasmor empties, 56 100 ventures to Brighton
on a stock delivery move, 67
029 on the Eastleigh-Quidhampton china clay tanks, 47 843 on the
Moorswater cement, 37 248 working the Swansea-Willesden mail, GBRf’s
66 715 ventures to Hunterston and Longannet on a coal trial, 56 006 on
the Acton-Westbury Mendip Rail empties, 47 292 on the Dagenham-Calvert
‘Bins’, 47 778 hauling the Brentford-Appleford ‘Bins’, 37 114 +
37 216 working the Longbridge-Swindon Rover vans…and 37 308 takes star
billing in our regular ‘Dead Shed’ spot!
PASSENGER TRACTION, WORKINGS, RAILTOURS & SPECIALS:
Virgin 47 841 on its extraordinary trip to Inverness hauling the
Scotrail ‘sleepers’, 47 784 leaving Gourock with the ‘Royal
Scotsman’, ‘Top & Tail’ Class 37/4s on Arriva’s new
loco-hauled service from Leeds to Harrogate and Carlisle, the first test
run of First Great Western’s 57 602, the visit of 87 001 Stephenson
to Newcastle, D1015 Western Champion hauling the Orient Express,
the first Class 50 out of Waterloo in nine years, Load Haul ‘Grids’
visit Paignton, 33 202 deputising for steam over the Chiltern Line, 67
002 hauling the Royal Train…and 59 002 hauling a failed steam charter
into Merehead Quarry.
THERE’S ALSO: 86 631 hauling a Crewe-Wembley
Serco test train, 45 112 hauling the measurement HST, Class 31s visit
Aberdeen with the ultrasonic test train, Class 86s en-route to Immingham
for scrapping, Class 37s on snowplough tests, ‘top & tail’ 47s
on the Dungeness branch, 40 145 in green on the S&C and in blue
livery on the ECML, D9016 re-painted back into original two-tone green
livery, former-Gatwick Class 73s being towed from Shoeburyness to
Norwich, 47 367 debuts at the Glocs & Warwks, 47 292 visits
Bo’ness,…plus highlights of the Severn Valley, East Lancs and
Keighley & Worth diesel galas!
