Operations
COMPILED BY ASHLEY BUTLIN
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RHTT
THE Railhead Treatment season is well underway. On Thursday, September 2 the 3W75 from Tonbridge West Yard to Tonbridge West Yard was seen passing through Tonbridge station. During the afternoon the train, ‘top and tailed’ by Class 73 Nos. 73109+73107 visited Paddock Wood, Swanley, Sittingbourne, London Victoria and Sevenoaks.
On Friday, September 24, the 6S99/0612 Carlisle to Inverness was heard passing Thankerton. The train was hauled by Class 66 Nos. 66122 and 66126 and conveyed a number of Railhead Treatment Vehicles.
Class 37 Nos. 37059 and 37425 were noted at Cromer on September 27 working the 09.22 Sandite circuit from Stowmarket. Two days later at East Grinstead, the service there was powered by GBRf ‘ED’ locos Nos. 73107 and 73213. On October 5, this train was topand-tailed by Nos. 73141+ 73128.
DRS Class 66 Nos. 66434 and 66426 were noted in the bay platform at Grimsby on October 1 ‘top and tailing’ a Railhead Treatment set waiting to work the 11.38 to York Thrall Europa.
Observed at Llandudno Junction on October 6, a service was ‘top and tailed’ by Class 56
Nos. 56094 and 56096 awaiting the passage of the 06.45 Cardiff to Holyhead, powered at the rear by Class 67 No. 67014.
Merseyrail’s veteran Class 507 EMUs (built in the late 1970s) are now in the final phase of their working lives with the imminent introduction of new Stadler-built Class 777s. This twilight line-up at New Brighton on September 26 shows (from left) Nos. 507030, 507007, 508125, 508130.
TOM MCATEE
AT Doncaster on September 15, Class 91s and Mk.4 stock were still operating: No. 91101 with DVT 82213; No. 91119 with 82205; and No. 91107 with 82208 were all observed on King’s Cross to Leeds services.
Weekends have seen the East Coast Main Line closed between Heaton and Drem. ScotRail provided replacement buses for services to and from Dunbar. LNER services were diverted via the Tyne Valley, Carlisle and Carstairs. Trains were worked by nine-coach bi-mode units and combinations of Classes 800/2 and 801 five coach units in 10 coach formations. Observed on September 18 were Nos. 800103/06-09, 800201-03/05- 10, and 801101/03/05/09-12.
On September 19 were Nos. 800101-03/07-10/12, 800201- 03/05-10, and 801103/09-11.
The second weekend of diverted East Coast traffic via the Tyne Valley, Carlisle and Carstairs produced on September 25 Nos. 800102/04-06/08-13, 800201/02/04/07/08/10, and 801102/04-06/08-13; and on September 26 Nos. 800102-06/08/09/11-13, 800201/02/04/05/08, and 801104/05/010-12.
Reported on the third weekend were October 2 Nos. 800101-06/09-11/13, 800201/06/07/09/10, and 801104-06/08/09/12 and October 3 Nos. 800102- 06/10/11/13, 800203/07/08/10, and 801101-03/05/07/08/10.
Witnessed on September 23 at York as Class 801/2 No. 801223 arrived on time into platform 5 with the 1E14 Edinburgh-King’s Cross, was an unfortunate incident that saw an elderly man fall between the platform and the coach as he alighted. Station staff, quickly alerted by another passenger on the train, rushed to the scene, while one person ran to the front to inform the driver who then alerted the problem to signalling. Within minutes, first aid station staff were assessing the state of the person beneath the carriage while another phoned for an ambulance.
Old and ‘new’ at Abergele & Pensarn on October 11 as DVT No. 82216 leads the 1W93/11.22 Cardiff Central to Holyhead, powered by No. 67017 at the rear, arriving at Abergele and Pensarn on Monday, October 11, 2021. The signalbox here was taken out of action in March 2018 when the semaphores were replaced by colour lights.
EDMUND WEAVER