Operations
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RHTT
RAILHEAD Treatment Trains reports included on Sunday, October 3, at London Marylebone, Class 66 Nos. 66519 with 66510 at the rear working on Chiltern Lines.
Seen in East Grinstead Station on October 11 were GBRf Class 73 ‘EDs’ Nos. 73141 Charlotte and 73128 OVS Bulleid. A further visit on October 21 found Nos. 73119 and 73201. The driver said they were based at Tonbridge West Yard and that Class 73s were used because of weight restrictions on Riddlesdown viaduct.
Observations of MPVs at Littlehampton produced Nos. DR98916+DR98966 on October 13 and 14; Nos. DR98917+DR98967 on October 13, 15, and 18; and Nos. DR98918+DR98968 on October 15 and 16. A railhead treatment train passed through Prestatyn shortly before 10.00 on October 21 top-and-tailed by Class 56 Nos. 56094 and 56096, en route from Shrewsbury to Holyhead via Crewe.
Passing DRS’s Stowmarket RHTT base, early morning of October 11, revealed six Class 37s on view, namely, Nos. 37059, 37069, 37407 Blackpool Tower, 37422, 37424 (37558) Avro Vulcan XH558, and 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob with a sole Class 57/0 No. 57003 tucked at the back as preparations were under way for the two daily RHTT north and south circuits from Stowmarket on the GE mainline and branches. TORRENTIAL rain caused serious disruption in southern Scotland on Friday, October 29, resulting in the West Coast Main Line being subject to a 40mph speed restriction.
The adverse weather conditions caused the cancellation of many services north of Preston, and that day’s first through Euston to Glasgow was the 1S52/10.30 worked by Class 390 No. 390118, and the day’s first Glasgow to Euston direct service was the Fridays-only 1M13/12.43 worked by No. 390115. Although the situation improved during the afternoon and evening, the following day speed restrictions were reimposed in the high risk areas following a further overnight deluge.
‘Pendolino’ No. 390121, in a newly-applied COP26 livery, was observed passing Thankerton working the 1Z26/13.27 Euston to Glasgow Central on Saturday, October 30. THE weekend of October 9/10 saw the fourth weekend of East Coast services being diverted via the Tyne Valley, Carlisle and Carstairs. The units seen passing Thankerton on Saturday were Nos. 800101/02/05/07-11/13, 800203/06-10,801103/06/09/11/12; and on Sunday Nos. 800101-03/05/07/09-11/13/16,800202/05/06/08-10,801102/03/08/09/11/12. The last of the autumn East Coast Diversions occurred on October 23 when among the units seen were Nos. 800102-05/08/09/11-13, 800201/02/05-08/10, 801102/03/08-10/12.
RED-liveried Class 387 No. 387206 was seen passing Hanwell station on October 6, forming empty stock train 5Z81 from West Ealing EMU Sidings to Reading Traincare Depot. On the same day, and still at Hanwell, red No. 387204 and green No. 387162 were seen forming the 11.08 from Didcot Parkway to Paddington. On October 27, the short hop to Reading West was made on the 17.10 from Reading to Newbury formed of white No. 387301. A little later on the same day, a journey from Reading to Tilehurst found the 17.20 from Paddington to Didcot Parkway formed of red No. 387206 and green No. 387143.
CLASS 720 No. 720568 was noted at Harwich International on October 11, working the 06.52 Harwich Town-Manningtree service and then worked back with the 07.24, the five-car ‘Aventra’ just fitting into the bay platform at Manningtree.
