Hi, Welcome to my blog. It will contain my latest sightings, links to my latest photos and info pages and any relevant news updates. It will be updated when possible.
Scotrail Class 365's withdrawn
Week beginning 11th March saw the class 365 'Happy Trains' run their final services for Scotrail.
The 365's were on loan for a year due to the initial delays to the class 385's entering service and a shortage of stock as some of the DMU fleet going off lease.
10 of the 365's saw use for Scotrail, initially on the E&G line and laterally on the Edinburgh - Dunblane line, however there are now enough 385's available for service to allow the 365's to be stood down.
The 10 class 365's: 365509, 513, 517, 519, 521, 523, 525, 529, 533 and 537 are currently stored at Yoker, Shields and Eastfield until they are moved back south and returned to their leasing company.
The photo shows 365523 pausing at Linlithgow on its first driver training working for Scotrail with 2Z52 Glasgow Queen Street - Linlithgow UPL on 10th May 2018.
70812+56087 on Dalston Tanks 19.3.19
Running double headed, Colas liveried 70812 and 56087 pass through Holytown with 6S36 Dalston - Grangemouth Oil takers 19.3.19
Possible further use for 314204?
When 314204 was hauled to Glasgow Works on 13th March by 37884, it was expected that the set would be stripped for spares, then transported by low loader to Kingsbury for scrapping, however in a twist to this story, the unit was loaded onto 3 separate low loaders on 14th March and transported south with it's ultimate destination expected to be Eastleigh.
There are rumours that 314204 may see further use with London Overground until their new fleet of units are ready for use.
314206 was hauled by 37884 from Shields to Newport Docks on 14th March for scrapping. 314201 was also expected to be taken for scrapping at the same time, however it had developed air leaks and was unable to be moved so is still stored at Shields depot.
37884 hauls 314204 to Glasgow Works 13.3.19
On 13th March, 314204 became the third class 314 to be taken to Glasgow Works to be stripped for spares before scrapping. It was hauled by 37884 on 5Q06 from Yoker to Glasgow Works via Glasgow Central Low Level, Bargeddie and Gartcosh.
This was 314204's first and last journey via Gartcosh and its final ever journey by rail. The class 314 disposals are set to continue this week with 37884 hauling 314201 and 314206 from Shields - Newport docks for scrapping on Thursday 14th March. Unfortunately the move is at night, leaving Shields at 22.14 so it won't be possible to photo it.
The photo shows Europhoenix liveried 37884 hauling Scotrail Saltire liveried 314204 on its final journey by rail as it passes through Gartcosh on 5Q06 Yoker - Glasgow Works.
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Hartlepool - Inverness pipe train at Holytown 12.3.19
On 12th March, 66099 was seen passing through Holytown with 6X88, Hartlepool - Inverness pipe train.
The pipes carried are for the Subsea 7 fabrication plant near Wick. After Holytown, the train would head into Mossend Yard, where it would be stabled until later in the day, when it would make the journey north up the Highland Main Line to Inverness. From Inverness, the train would then move to Georgemas Junction, where it would be unloaded.
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| A rear view of 6X88 showing the size of the pipes being carried |
6 Nations Rugby Charter at Carstairs Part 2 11.3.19
The return working of the Pathfinder Welsh 6 Nations Rugby fans Charter heading to Carmarthen from Motherwell ran on 11th March. 68016 was again used to haul the set, which was made up mainly of Blue / Grey Mark2's. Starting from Motherwell, where supporters staying in Glasgow were picked up, the charter worked south to Carstairs before diverting east over the Cobbinshaw line to Edinburgh Waverley.
At Edinburgh, it picked up its remaining passengers before returning along the Cobbinshaw line to Carstairs East Junction. As the charter was running early by this point, it was held here awaiting its correct time and for a southbound Pendilino from Glasgow to pass.
The charter then joined the West Coast Main Line and headed south. At Carlisle, 68016 was replaced by First Transpennine Express liveried 68019 for the remainder of the journey to Carmarthen.
For completeness, the table from the part 1 post, now containing the return working's loco allocation.
| Carmarthen - Carlisle | Carlisle - Motherwell | Motherwell - Carlisle | Carlisle - Carmerthen | |
| 2015 | 68005 | 68002 | 68002 | 68005 |
| 2017 | 68024 | 68004 | 68004 | 68024 |
| 2019 | 68001 | 68016 | 68016 | 68019 |
The Main photo shows 68016 waiting at Carstairs East Junction until its right time while working 1Z27, the return Pathfinder Welsh 6 Nations Rugby fans charter from Motherwell - Carmarthen. The smaller images below show the charter at Carstairs East Junction and on the approach to Float Bridge south of Carstairs. Click on the image to see a larger version.
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Blackpool and Fleetwood 40 leaves Blackpool
On 2nd March, Blackpool and Fleetwood Box Car 40 ran in Blackpool for the final time. It's loan spell in Blackpool is now over and on Monday 4th March, the tram was moved by low loader to Beamish, where the tram will enjoy a spell on loan before moving to the Crich Tramway Museum.
Built in 1914 by the United Electric Car Company in Preston, Box Car 40 was one of a batch of 4 additional trams built for all year round use on the tramroad thus giving the tramroad 15 enclosed trams. 40 was a mainstay on the Fleetwood to North Station service until 1928 when the Pantograph Cars were introduced to the service. 40 was renumbered to 114 in 1920 when the Tramroad was bought by Blackpool Corporation Transport.
After 1928, 114 found use on the promenade and occasionally on services on the Lytham Road route. 114 was withdrawn in October 1937 (probably around the same time as the Brush Cars came into service) and found a new life as works car 5 and was used as a mess room and to transfer workmen to the trackwork sites. The tram continued in this role until 1960 when it was restored in time for the 75th anniversary of the tramway and regained it's original number (40).
40 then left for Crich in 1963, later moving to Heaton Park tramway and finally returning to Blackpool for seasonal use on specials in 1995. 40 has remained almost continuously at Blackpool since them with the exception of a return to Crich to celebrate its centenary in 2014.
The photo shows Blackpool and Fleetwood 40 paused at Bispham with a heritage service to Pleasure Beach on 22nd September 2018.
Busy spell at Carluke 9.3.19
I nipped up to Carluke for around 40 minutes this afternoon and saw no fewer than 4 freights!
6 Nations Rugby Charter at Carstairs 8.3.19
Biannually, there is a Pathfinder Railtour running from Carmarthen in Wales to Wishaw / Motherwell via Edinburgh Waverley in connection with the Scotland v Wales 6 nations rugby match at Murrayfield.
As has been the case since 2015, the tour has been hauled by a DRS Class 68.
The tour has been hauled by the following locomotives:
| Carmarthen - Carlisle | Carlisle - Motherwell | Motherwell - Carlisle | Carlisle - Carmerthen | |
| 2015 | 68005 | 68002 | 68002 | 68005 |
| 2017 | 68024 | 68004 | 68004 | 68024 |
| 2019 | 68001 | 68016 | tbc | tbc |
This morning, 68001 operated the tour from Carmarthen - Carlisle, with 68016 taking over at Carlisle for the rest of the trip north. I photographed the train at the Down Passing Loop at Carstairs with 1Z22 7.05 Carmarthen - Wishaw Pathfinder 6 Nations Welsh Rugby Supporters Charter.
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