With Class 707 EMUs starting to transfer from South Western Railway to the Southeastern franchise, set Nos. 707003/004 are seen at Paddock Wood on March 13 during a test run from Ashford to Tonbridge and back. When the units will enter passenger service has not been announced.
CHRIS LIVINGS
COMPILED BY ASHLEY BUTLIN Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk
COMPILED BY ASHLEY BUTLIN Call: 01507 529589 email: railway @mortons.co.uk
Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.
Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.
A REPORT on March 19 indicated that ‘Voyager’ Nos. 221103/05/ 09/10/12/14/15/42 had all received their new vinyls. Vinyling is taking about one week to complete. Regarding the ‘Pendolinos’, Nos. 390008/47/49, 390104/17/23/28/ 55/56 were completed by the same date. It is also reported that those units retaining their vinyl nameplates will be receiving new Avantistyled plates.
ALTHOUGH Covid travel restrictions were in place, Avanti West Coast still operated a few additional trains. One such service was on February 24, when Class 390 No. 390011 City of Lichfield worked a one-dayonly extra service 1Z54/12.30 from Carlisle to Preston.
AN EXTREMELY unusual event occurred at Euston on March 2 when Class 390 No. 390117, intended for the 21.00 service from London to Manchester, was held in Euston station because a cat was perched on the roof, just above the driver’s cab! With the animal unwilling to come down, passengers were transferred to a 21.14 departure for Manchester. Meanwhile, the cat remained on the roof for a further two and a half hours before climbing down, oblivious to the problems it had caused.
A RAKE of former LNER Mk3 coaches Nos. 42122+44031+ 42104+42161+ 42171+42172+ 42219+44056 were top-andtailed from store at Ely to Sims Metals, Newport, by Class 37 Nos. 37510+37611 on February 18.
OFF-LEASE Mk4 coaches in store at Worksop are gradually being moved to scrap yards, mostly by road. However, on March 8, Class 57 No. 57312 hauled Nos. 82202+11302+11299+10302+ 12302+12448+12450+12232 to Sims Metals, Newport; the first rake to go by rail. These were followed on March 15 when it took Nos. 82219+11411+ 11403+11303+12301+12478+ 12459+12201 to Newport.
MOVEMENTS of Class 769 units reported included No. 769928 being towed from Brush Loughborough to Nemesis Rail Burton by Class 37 No. 37800 on February 25. The next day, No. 769937 was moved by Class 57 No. 57312 from Nemesis to Wolverton. This was followed on March 9, when No. 769938 made the same journey behind Class 57 No. 57312. Class 37 No. 37800 was in use again on March 11 to move No. 769943 from Nemesis Rail to Reading.
A CAF Mk5 set powered by a Class 68 No. 68028 Lord President is, unusually, seen passing Sunderland Bridge, south of Durham, working from Tyne Yard to Leeds Balm Road Freightliner depot on March 17. Normally the sets work from Liverpool to Scarborough and are believed not to have previously ventured beyond Northallerton, but ahead of the easing of the lockdown, a programme of driver refresher training has started.
JAMES GARTHWAITE
FOLLOWING heavy snowfall in the area on February 7 and 8, it was not until February 11 that the 5P90 empty coaching stock from Norwich CP resumed into Harwich International and even then, the allocated unit Stadler Class 745/1 No. 745102, did not venture into the station, but parked in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard. On the following day, No. 745001 did progress into the still-snowy station confines. Further reports noted were: February 12, 745001; February 22, 745102; February 24, 745010; February 25, 745108; February 26, 745010; March 1, 745108; March 2, 745004; and on March 8, No. 745008 – its first reported appearance.
THE Harwich branch and Manningtree-Ipswich route were closed over the weekend of February 13 and 14 for engineering work, and the diagram resumed on February 15 with No. 745010 arriving on schedule into platform 1. Unusual for a Monday, maybe because of overrunning engineering works, was to see three sidings in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard with Class 321 traction occupying them and Class 321359 attached to 321421 in platform 3.
THE use of Class 317 units is slowly drawing to a close as more Class 720s become available. As a result, a number are now going for scrap, while others are stored. Nos. 317657+317672 were moved from store at Ely to Raxstar, Eastleigh Works, by Class 66 No. 66743 on February 15. This was followed on February 19, when Class 57 No. 57305 took No. 317890 from store at Wembley to Eastleigh Works.
The Class 57 was in use again on February 24 to move Nos. 317509+317649 from Ilford to Ely. These were followed two days later by Nos. 317650+317658, also going to Ely. Two more moved to Eastleigh Works for disposal, when Nos. 317346+317652 were taken south by Class 57 No. 57312. The Class 57 took No. 317345 from Ilford to Ely on March 5.
MOVEMENTS of new Class 720 units reported included No. 720519 top-and-tailed by Nos. 47727+56081 from Wolverton to Old Dalby on February 10. Two days later the same locomotives took No. 720553 from Litchurch Lane to Wolverton.