Operations
RHTT
The Railhead Treatment season came to an end in December with a few reports being received in the final weeks. Class 66 Nos. 66421 Gresty Bridge TMD and 66434 were noted on the 3S60 Stowmarket-Stowmarket southern GEML circuit on the afternoon of November 19, passing Marks Tey heading for Colchester and thence the Clacton-on-Sea branch. Noted at Chitts Hill Level Crossing, Colchester on the morning of November 22 it was the turn of Class 37s Nos. 37069 and 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/ Concrete Bob on the RHTT heading towards Shenfield and the Southend Victoria branch.
The RHTT operating over the southern section of the Midland Main Line continued in December with the 3J92/23.42 Toton TMD-West Hampstead Thameslink and 3J93/12.01 return was top-and-tailed by DB Cargo Class 66 Nos. 66194+66015 on December 3. When next seen on December 10 and 13, it was back to the usual pairing of Nos. 66121+ 66111, with December 13 being the last day of operation on this route for this year.
By mid-December, the Covid-19 situation had begun to affect Avanti services with staff self-isolating. A number of Glasgow diagrams could not be covered, and trains were either cancelled or started from Preston for Euston. On the morning of Monday December 13, the 06.30 Glasgow-Euston started 31 minutes late using the crew of the 07.40. The 07.37 from Glasgow started at Preston; the 08.36 started at Oxenholme; and the 09.40 from Glasgow was cancelled. Class 390 No. 390009 ran south ECS from Gretna Junction (dep 08.52) to Preston where it later departed for Euston at 10.38 on the 1A91.
Due to WCML engineering work taking place between Wigan and Preston on Sunday, January 2, Avanti West Coast trains were diverted via Bolton and Manchester. That day’s first London-bound service from Glasgow was the 1M05/09.34 operated by Class 390 No. 390155. Also, on that Sunday the first northbound service from Euston to Glasgow (dep 08.52) was operated by Class 390 No. 390141. On Sunday, December 19, the LNER 12.36 King’s Cross-Aberdeen service arrived in Waverley on time, ready to depart at 18.35. However, a passenger was taken ill and had to be taken off the train. As a result, the train departed 35 minutes late. Some eight minutes were made up by the time the train reached Stonehaven.
The last Gatwick Express Class 387 on loan to GWR No. 387203 left Reading to return to Hornsey on Saturday, December 18, hauled by Class 57 No. 57306.
The opportunity was taken by a correspondent on Tuesday, December 21 to check the units being used on the Reading to Newbury trains by making a journey from Reading to Reading West and back. The 12.12 from Reading to Newbury was formed of GWR Class 387 No. 387147 and the 12.09 from Newbury to Reading on loan from c2c No. 387301.
A signalling problem that affected the Chiltern parliamentary train on Wednesday, December 22 (see Chiltern) also had an impact on Great Western’s Greenford branch service. The 2G23/11.12 from Greenford, formed of Class 165 No. 165120, was seen arriving at West Ealing using platform 4, rather than bay platform 5. This train had apparently originated at South Greenford rather than Greenford, and on arrival at West Ealing worked empty stock into the sidings. The 2G26/11.57 departure from West Ealing to Greenford was cancelled.
A visit to Marks Tey station on November 19 revealed Stadler Class 755/3 No. 755334 on the non-electrified Sudbury branch. A further visit on November 23 saw classmate No. 755338 on the 13.01 service which returned at 13.44. However, diesel fuel
