TRACTION 2026 Part 1

FREIGHT TRAFFIC & TRACTION: GBRf’s new Class 99s on driver training runs; DCR’s 56103 ventures to Newhaven in East Sussex; ESH Rail’s overhauled 60063 on a loaded test run with DB Cargo; DCR’s overhauled 60099 makes its long-awaited return to traffic; GBRf take over the Cornish china clay traffic; former Chiltern loco 68012 rescuing 66763 on an intermodal service at Tring; 66537 receives the new Heavy Haul Rail livery; 20302 ‘bonnet first’ on a tamper move from Wigan to Guide Bridge; 56094 & 56302 being towed to Marchwood for export to Ghana; the first of twenty DB Class 66s on its way to Romania; 93006 being trialled by DB Cargo; 59001 receives as-built Foster Yeoman livery; 20142 & 20189 on Balfour Beatty’s second ‘drain train’...and 08822 on a Bletchley trip working.

PASSENGER TRACTION, RAILTOURS & SPECIALS:  LSL’s 47593 dragging a defective Avanti West Coast Pendolino out of Manchester Piccadilly; the return of LNER Class 91s to Newcastle; 31128 & 20205 double-heading the ’West Midlands Deviator’ railtour; D1015 on ‘The Golden Hind’ charter to Plymouth; all four LSL Class 20s feature on ‘The Worksop Whistler’; 45118 becomes the first Peak to reach Oban; heritage-liveried 73119 & 73128 on the Belmond British Pullman; 50050 on the ‘Fearless Express’ from Crewe to Euston; D9000 on the Crewe to Euston ‘Deltic Express’; 56006 topping 66032 over the East Lancs Railway; 89001 undertaking test runs between Crewe and Tebay; DCR’s 56103 pounding up the Lickey incline with the ‘Paxman Quarrier’...and all six ‘off lease’ Chiltern Class 68s running in a single convoy from Crewe to Eastleigh for storage.

THERE's ALSO: Redundant GWR HST sets leave Laira; 56098 at Old Dalby shunting new LUL Piccadilly Line tube stock; 73109 & 73213 hauling the Rail 200 exhibition train to Bognor Regis; DB Cargo hauling SouthEastern ‘Networker’ units from Slade Green to Dollands Moor for storage - and ROMIC Class 20s taking them back; 37510 with two ex-EMR ‘Sprinters’ in tow from Ely to Wolverton Works; 31128 hauling a failed maintenance train from Basingstoke to West Ealing; 93002 & 93010 on an EMR ‘Adelante’ move from Ely to Derby Litchurch Lane; 20205 & 20007 with the final delivery of Tyne & Wear Stadler units; the 125 Group’s 43060 & 43025 hauling Scotrail Mark 3s from Haymarket to UKRL Loughborough for overhaul; 37884 with the final move of withdrawn SWR Class 455s from Wimbledon Park to Derby; 99004 making the Class 99 passenger debut at Swanage…and GWR’s 57604 attends the SVR diesel gala.
.