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GBRf 66779 EVENING STAR approaching Brighouse on 28th February 2023 with 6Z38, Scunthorpe Anchor to Bredbury Tilcon, loaded bogie hoppers.

Thanks. I'm pretty sure that this was 60087s first revenue working after its repaint. The 6M51 working, which is Sundays Only and runs from Doncaster Down Decoy rather than direct from Drax Power Station, is frequently used by GBRf to cycle locomotives from maintenance onto the biomass circuit.

Excellent news. 👍 Here's GBRf 60087, when fresh from its repaint, at Colne Bridge on 18th July 2021 working 6M51, Doncaster Down Decoy to Liverpool Biomass Terminal, empty biomass hoppers.

Freightliner 66419 Lionesses Roar brightens up the dull winter landscape at Deighton on 16th February 2023, working 7E53 from Crewe Basford Hall SSM to Gascoigne Wood Sidings... ...conveying a rake of JHA wagons, all of which had a covering of graffiti.

A TPE class 185 heads west from Deighton round the 2nd radius curve towards the fiddle yard on 16th February 2023.

TPE 68031 Felix providing the motive power for Nova 3 set TP06 working 1U47, Manchester Piccadilly to Scarborough, passing through Deighton on 16th February 2023.

With a friendly wave from the driver and a single tone horn, GBRf 66739 Bluebell Railway with loaded bogie hoppers approaching Brighouse on 14th February 2023 with 6Z38, Scunthorpe Anchor to Bredbury Tilcon.

Northern 158757 at Brighouse on 14th February 2023 working over the Pennines via the Calder Valley with 2I22 from Leeds to Wigan Wallgate.

Much relief here that I’ve been able to get a pack 2 as well. 68019 Brutus will have something to pull, or push, now.

That really does look very smart. Well done LSL.

The word 'Smart' also needs to feature somewhere too. Presumably as part of the marketing launch they'll be branded as 'Smart Tickets'. 🤮

Wow. That video brings the (mostly happy) memories flooding back from the 80s, Andy. In the context of this thread, that would be Lima and Hornby duking it out at the time.

Another weekend and another round of engineering work on the Huddersfield line. On 5th February 2023 GBRf 66710 Phil Packer BRIT heading west approaching Bradley Junction with 6G83, Ravensthorpe to Doncaster Belmont Down Yard. Also on 5th February, GBRf 66781 Darius Cheskin (former DB Cargo 66016) passing through Brighouse with 6G86, Thornhill LNW Junction to Belmont Down Yard.

On 5th February 2023 GBRf 60056 rumbles along the Calder Valley heading west approaching Brighouse with 6M51, Drax Power Station to Liverpool Biomass Terminal, empty biomass hoppers.

On a dreich 3rd February 2023, FirstTransPennine Express Nova 1 set 802214 passing through Brighouse working 3Q97 from Doncaster IEP Depot to Manchester Victoria. On this day, due to national strike action by members of the ASLEF union, there were no passenger services operated by TransPennine Express (or Northern) booked to run on either the Huddersfield or Calder Valley lines. This working was run by the Rail Operations Group.

Tom Brady retires 'for good' after 23 seasons in the NFL. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/64487463

TransPennine Express 68027 Splendid with Nova 3 set TP07 and 68019 Brutus head east at Mirfield on 29th January 2023 with 5Q16, Longsight Traction Maintenance Depot to Gascoigne Wood Sidings.

On 29th January 2023, GBRf 60056 leads 66733 Cambridge PSB onto the Calder Valley line heading west at Heaton Lodge Junction with the Sundays Only 6M51, Doncaster Down Decoy to Tuebrook Sidings, empty biomass hoppers... ...with 60087 bringing up the rear.

Locomotive Services Limited D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013 and D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot on 30th January 2023 approaching Heaton Lodge East Junction, working light engines with 0Z37, Crewe Holding Sidings to Bishop Auckland Weardale.

A few GBRf 66s from 28th & 29th January 2023 during an engineers' possession of the Huddersfield line between Thornhill LNW Junction (at Ravensthorpe) and Whitehall Junction (at Leeds), to allow Network Rail to replace the 'Down Huddersfield' through Morley. To support this work seven engineers' trains were run to and from Doncaster, either Belmont Down Yard or Up Decoy. On the 28th 66720 'Wascosa' waits at Ravensthorpe to exit the possession with 6G82 Thornhill LNW Junction to Belmont Down Yard... ...before edging forward... ...to approach Thornhill LNW Junction. A few hours later 66748 'West Burton 50' led 6G83, Thornhill LNW Junction to Doncaster Up Decoy, through Deighton heading west towards Huddersfield. There was a 6G84 but its timing precluded a photograph. On 29th January 66757 'West Somerset Railway' passed through Brighouse with 6G85, Thornhill LNW Junction to Belmont Down Yard. A few hours later 66756 Royal Corps of Signals, laying down a smoky trail, passing Colne Bridge with 6G86, Thornhill LNW Junction to Doncaster Up Decoy. A bit later at Deighton, 66720 'Wascosa' put in another appearance, this time with 66784 'Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 50th Anniversary 1968-2018', top 'n' tailing 6G87, Thornhill LNW Junction to Doncaster Up Decoy. The final working was of loaded autoballasters as 6G88, Belmont Down Yard to Mirfield East Junction, with 66748 'West Burton 50' making a second appearance passing through Mirfield heading west to Marsden to reverse, before heading back east to enter the possession.

Almost - it’s the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway. The Railway Heritage Trust has awarded a £25,000 grant to cover the costs of transporting it from West Yorkshire to the line in Kent.

The weekend of 28th/29th January 2023 sees the closure of the Huddersfield line between Thornhill LNW Junction (at Ravensthorpe) and Whitehall Junction (at Leeds) to allow Network Rail to replace the 'Down Huddersfield' through Morley. The full nature of the work at Morley, which is another piece of the Transpennine Route Upgrade I referenced in an earlier post, is detailed here. In total there are seven engineers' trains running to and from Doncaster, either Belmont Down Yard or Up Decoy, supporting this work. This was the position on the morning of 28th January looking west towards Morley station with 6G83, being operated by GBRf 66748 'West Burton 50', on site being filled with the spoil from the former Down Huddersfield. 6G82 had left the site earlier, with 6G84 - 6G88 scheduled to run over the next 24 hours. For those interested, these views were taken from the public footbridge here. This is the view looking east from above the entrance to Morley tunnel here. In the foreground is the footbridge for the current Morley station.

Interesting piece on Sky News at the moment - other 'news' providers are available - by Sam Coates their Deputy Political Editor. The photo at the head of the article is also useful as it gives an aerial view, I assume fairly recently taken, of the large construction site at Euston. This, for me, is the key quote; "The government has overcommitted to projects that can be funded from this money, but has not decided which will be axed and which will survive. In this context, no big projects - think Sizewell as well as HS2, for example - can be considered safe. There isn't enough money to go around." I guess it's all part of the softening up process to prepare 'us' for an announcement, presumably as part of the Budget statement, which is scheduled to be delivered, alongside a full forecast from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility, on 15th March. https://news.sky.com/story/jeremy-hunt-championing-brexit-freedoms-and-hs2-muddle-shows-gap-between-what-government-says-and-what-it-can-actually-deliver-12796940

Apologies if this has been posted before - I had a quick skim though and couldn’t see it. I was just browsing the Wizard Models website - link below - and this ‘test product’ came up. Brought a smile to my face. Test product = cat!

Strangely enough, that’s just the inevitable incident that I was anticipating too.