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Recent round-up
Craig Munday
From famine to feast! A noted lack of loco hauled interest has been reversed with a staggering bounty of interesting workings into the Duchy, many after dark sadly.
A round of recent pictures are below, featuring Colas test trains at Merthen Farm during daylight (the NMT) and on the Newquay branch overnight.
Four different class 37s, two class 37/4s and one of each classes 37/0 and 37/6's, all in differing liveries have been in action.
Added to this variety have been the many ballast trains bound for the Tregoss worksite nightly along the branch. These are pictured at St Blazey and Goonbarrow.
A round of recent pictures are below, featuring Colas test trains at Merthen Farm during daylight (the NMT) and on the Newquay branch overnight.
Four different class 37s, two class 37/4s and one of each classes 37/0 and 37/6's, all in differing liveries have been in action.
Added to this variety have been the many ballast trains bound for the Tregoss worksite nightly along the branch. These are pictured at St Blazey and Goonbarrow.
37610 heads 1Q18 past Merthen Farm on 07.02.2025. Copyright Craig Munday.
'Split box' 37057 tailing 1Q18 on 07.02.2025. Copyright Craig Munday.
66419 pauses at Goonbarrow with 6Y45, a ballast train for the Mid-Cornwall Metro passing loop on 09.02.2025. Copyright Craig Munday.
Freightliners turn up the branch, 66556 at St. Blazey with 6Y60 on 11.02.2025. The train was returning from the Goss Moor worksite. Copyright Craig Munday.
37425 'Concrete Bob'/'Sir William McAlpine' calls at Goonbarrow on its way to Newquay with 3Q52 on the 12.02.2025. Copyright Craig Munday.
37402 heads the returning trip from Newquay and is seen at the Goonbarrow Token Exchange. 12.02.2025, copyright Craig Munday.
37425 powers through St. Austell on its way to Penzance with 3Q52 on 12.02.2025. Craig thanks Colin Marsden for cleaning up this image taken at iso8000 - freezing a moving train in the dark is no mean feat. Copyright Craig Munday.
Many thanks for this fine selection, Craig - much appreciated.
Class 50s at Exeter
Michael Adams
Michael Adams
Hello Roger, More excitement at Penzance with two different 37s to see.I was lucky enough to see 37402 in London last week, I can still smell the fresh paint and the sound of it—with 37610—leaving the cavernous Liverpool Street station made my knees go to jelly. This is why we turn out in the cold! Any way here are two pictures from Michael Adams of class 50s working hard from Exeter St'Davids. Firstly we see 50018 'Resolution ' about to storm up the bank to Central with the 12 noon departure for Waterloo.on 4 April1991. Thanks, Michael Forward. 
Roger, Now on 25 June 1983 we see 50031 'Hood' assisting the 08.10 Newcastle to Penzance HST ,as the rear power car 43172 had failed. Thank you for dealing with these,all the best, Michael.
Many Thanks Michael
4O57 Wentloog - Maritime 'Liner'
Guy Vincent
Living close by the Bathampton - Westbury line one highlight nowadays is the passage of the M-F 4O57 1329 Wentloog - Southampton Maritime Freightliner container train. This service is the return working of the overnight 4V53 outbound 'liner which often runs via Basingstoke, Didcot and Badminton rather than via Westbury. Before major works to increase gauge clearance were undertaken at Dundas Aqueduct in the summer of 2015 the train was routed via Reading West Curve. More often than not a class 66 is rostered but occasionally class 70s put in an appearance, sometimes for several days in a row. This week, 70005 was used on Tuesday 11th, captured first at Freshford and, thanks to a slack schedule and clear run for me along the A36, again at Upton Scudamore. Here, 70005 could be heard over half a mile away as it tackled the 1 in 75 gradient from Dilton Marsh.
On Wednesday 12th 70005 was again at the head, seen coasting along through Bradford on Avon station on the stroke of 3pm.
On Wednesday 12th 70005 was again at the head, seen coasting along through Bradford on Avon station on the stroke of 3pm.
Freshford - 70005 on 4O57 1329 Wentloog - Southampton Maritime. 11.02.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Freshford - 70005 on 4O57 1329 Wentloog - Southampton Maritime. 11.02.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Upton Scudamore - 70005 on 4O57 1329 Wentloog - Southampton Maritime. 11.02.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Bradford on Avon - 70005 on 4O57 1329 Wentloog - Southampton. 12.02.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Many thanks, Guy - those 70's do make a good noise.
Purton & Swindon
Ken Mumford & Colin Pidgeon
1L78 [IET unit 800007] passing Purton (Collins Lane) with a Cheltenham Spa to Paddington train. 12.02.2025, copyright Ken Mumford.
5Q89 Long Marston to Eastleigh passes Purton. Loco 47739 hauling 701059. 12.02.2025, copyright Ken Mumford.
Now to Swindon where we see 59001 on 6B12 Merehead to Wootton Bassett with a train of almost brand new HOA Hoppers passing on the UML. How long before these NEW wagons attract THE artists? 12.02.2025, copyright Colin Pidgeon.
Next up was 59204 on 6C48 Appleford Sidings to Whatley Quarry passing along platform 4. 12.02.2025, copyright Colin Pidgeon.
We again see 5Q89 Long Marston to Eastleigh East Yard. Loco 47739 hauling 701059. Colin adds that this train becomes 5Q90 Eastleigh East Yard to Wimbledon Park Sidings after the loco has run around its train. 12.02.2025, copyright Colin Pidgeon.
EMU 701059 being hauled through Swindon. 12.02.2025, copyright Colin Pidgeon.
Thanks as ever to our 'Swindon area correspondents' Ken and Colin!
Taunton to Westbury
Part 3
Roger Winnen
08.04.1980 - A Class 08 hauls cement wagons out of Westbury Cement Works. Copyright Roger Winnen
10.04.1980 - Hawkridge Junction looking towards Westbury straight ahead. Copyright Roger Winnen
10.04.1980 - A Bristol bound service at Hawkridge Junction. The lines to the right enables a service to bypass Westbury Station and head for Bath, Chippenham etc avoiding reversal at Westbury. Copy
10.04.1980 - A Paddington-Plymouth HST enters Westbury. Copyright Roger Winnen
10.04.1980 - A Paddington-Plymouth HST Arrives at Westbury. Copyright Roger Winnen
16.04.1981 - Frome Station with a Class 33 seen in the distance hauling stone from one of the local quarries. Copyright Roger Winnen
16.04.1981 - Westbury Station as a Class 47 leaves with a stone train. Copyright Roger Winnen
16.04.1981 - Clink Road Junction, which controlled the lines from Frome. Copyright Roger Winnen
16.04.1981 - 50003 Temeraire passes Clink Road Junction with a London bound express. Copyright Roger Winnen
More of the Penzance
'Loco extravaganza'!
Mark Lynam
37425 "Concrete Bob / Sir Robert McAlpine" on the Western end. 12.02.2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
37402 "Oor Wullie" on the Eastern end. 12.02.2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
From the wall overlooking the station, note the other tractor behind 402! 12.02.2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
Hire-in 57312 was on the up beds after coming down the night before - 1A50 2145 Penzance to London Paddington. 12.02.2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
37402 at night just after the engines had been started with the wind blowing the exhaust in land. 12.02.2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
Lit up 37425 on the other end, shortly before working 3Q51 2232 Penzance to Exeter Riverside N.Y. 12.02.2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
Many thanks, Mark - great that so many people got out to see these pair.