Steadfast

Ah righto. Top stuff Jo

Looks like the first freight could be 4M65 from Southampton Maritime. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:CUM/2023-06-09/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=freight&order=wtt 4M99 looks like it could be the next one after. Everything else looks cancelled. No loaded Mendips yet! Jo

More stone for HS2, Tytherington last week loading for Quainton. Linked from my Flickr if you want to see it big! Former Euro Cargo Rail 66032, returned to UK spec after its time in France, is seen sat in Tytherington Quarry as the shovel goes off to get one of last load of stone to finish the train off. It is amazing how quickly two of those Liebherr machines can fill a train. The loco has been run round, the train has been brake tested and is ready to roll, running as 6M58, the 01.53 departure for Quainton Railhead. Samsung S10 on Night Mode, still impressing me with its image quality. Jo

Brilliant. Love a bit of Green Day, I'd never heard that before. Thanks for the education! Jo

The other thing to bear in mind is the markers appear to flicker on camera due to the refresh rate of the LEDs not matching the shutter speed. https://flic.kr/p/2owtVb6 https://flic.kr/p/2ogsjhQ This shows how variably these clusters cab photograph in daylight. All 3 markers and both headlights were lit in both photos. I can confirm, because I was driving 66005 on both occasions. Jo

Towards the camera. The lights are lit, but these current spec BMAC clusters don't always look lit when viewed side on. You can see some white in both headlights and the LED markers look lit. Jo

One from about 12 hours ago. Former Euro Cargo Rail 66032, returned to UK spec after its time in France, is seen sat in Tytherington Quarry as the shovel goes off to get one of last load of stone to finish the train off. It is amazing how quickly two of those Liebherr machines can fill a train. The loco has been run round, train brake tested and ready to roll, running as 6M58, the 01.53 departure for Quainton Railhead. Samsung S10 on Night Mode, still impressing me with its image quality. Jo

And get a one arm sun tan 😄 I'm working on evening it up now, right arm tan in the car, left arm tan on the loco. Jo

Ah, but 66509 was actually moving over the points (note crew in cab) and into the depot, so that doesn't really count. To be honest, only two of the locos are "sheds"; two are 59s. But there were two other "sheds" out of shot to the left. There is the typical "random wheelset lying around" visible though... Particularly on a night shift you'll have locos stacked up on shed, potentially fouling pointwork. You'll get 3 locos in clear on each shed road (1.5 locos in the shed), one on the stump and a couple by the wagon shops. If that's all full, I've known locos sat by the bridge too. I think 11 was my maximum when I was down there. I've known a loco on the stump be blocked in by those stabled on the shed road nearest the camera. The curvature onto the shed is so tight, locos have to be split before going on so as to remove the buffer lock risk. If the loco is a dead duck, wind the coupling right out and the fitters assist. Chaos at Whatley, I don't miss it! Many was the time a call was made to loco control to say the booked 59 is blocked in, we're having the one at the front rather than a 2 hour shunt. Jo

Don't those white rimmed wheels look smart, 190 looks a credit to Toton. Jo

Still two tank sizes, the 60s are split over two pools. One big tank, one small. DCR's operational 60s feature 3 big and one small. 60029 has a sticker by the fuel gauge warning about the smaller tank. Jo

Heavy Haul had a load of 66/5s (75mph) too, it's only in recent years that the 66/5s have been common user between Heavy Haul and Intermodal. All 66/6s (65 mph) have been Heavy Haul only, but occasionally turn up on Intermodal if there's been a failure, a shortage or needing to be moved for maintenance. The issue then is that it limits the class 4 container train to 65 mph. Viewed after exiting Saltford Tunnel, heavy hauling 65 mph machine 66623 leads 66538 on 4O57 Wentloog - Southampton. It appears the move was to get the 66/6 off the aggregate workings based in the Bristol area to Leeds for maintenance. A day or two later, it had made its way to Midland Road via a liner from Southampton and was due maintenance there on TOPS. Note the Batman sticker between the windscreens! Jo

People have already commented but the updates have not made the list yet. Like I said, all it needs is a correct as of dd/mm/yy note on the page. Jo

Great find! 😃 what a list that is!! I guess Accurascale have well and truly got their work cut out 😅 Proceed with care though, that list is a bit out of date. Would be handy if it had a "last updated" date on it. Not all the orange and red 66 repaints are on there for starters. Jo

Ewww no. The wrap around yellow doesn't help it. Presume 721 will get redone similarly. Jo

It was busy back in the coal days, serving Avonmouth, Portbury etc. Also often saw the green and white aggregate hoppers there. Since taking over Mendips, they seem to stable sets here bound for Avonmouth and Machen loading, as well as sets for the Tarmac contract that sees loading in places like Moreton on Lugg and Port Talbot. East Usk seems to have similar usage. The picture was taken on a Saturday, most locos were on empty sets ready for Sunday night/ Monday, but may also have gone to Westbury or Hinksey for ballasts. There's a fair number of 0Y workings between Westbury and Stoke Gifford before and after ballast trains, though sometimes the locos for ballasts come of Mendip stuff. From what I could tell, my train ex Tytherington was the only loaded one, and that was only waiting time in the loop. Jo

That looks like it's printed on a UV printer, which works well for complicated liveries but isn't as crisp as tampo printing. Reckon they'd have got better results with mixed media, ie use the UV printer for the livery, and then tampo print the Scotrail, Abellio logos and other small labels. Jo

I enjoyed that yesterday. No tyre changes, lots of strategy and varying fuel loads. Ferrari by far the quickest car but didn't romp away with it. Best F1 race I've watched in the last couple of years. Jo

It's 66s galore at Stoke Gifford. Freightliner's 66509, 66542, 66547 and 66567 sit in the yard awaiting their next turn of duty, while 66107 sits in the Down Loop at Bristol Parkway with 6A12 Tytherington - Quainton Railhead, a train that runs most Saturdays. 6/5/23 Jo

Looks spot on mate, you'd never know they were there. Looking forward to seeing the layout again at Showcase Or just start modelling in a more sensible scale! N stuff fits printers lovely, I hear. Jo

Aww bless them. No doubt recycling the same anti ASLEF rubbish that came with the government issued press release Jo

Go on then, I'll join in the classic Tug love in! Linked from my Flickr if you want to browse it big. 60019, the first 60 to gain EWS colours, rolls along the Westerleigh branch, seen about to pass under Westerleigh Road in the middle of the village. 6B13 is nearing journey's end, with another train of fuel from Robeston for Westerleigh Oil Terminal. Being the first of the class to gain the new EW&S colours in 1996, Tug 19 uniquely had the reflective yellow stripe wrapped round onto the front of the loco and the cabside air vents painted EWS gold. Amazing to think that in this 2009 photo, the livery was already 13 years old! Jo

Cheers, was hoping a bit of searching would turn up more info, but no avail. Jo

As far as I know the Mendip trains are still the heaviest in the country, 4,500 t with a single 59 up front. Amazing to think 3,000t is commonplace across the country, amazing what Railfreight can deliver. Jo

Do you have a link to the picture on Flickr please? Jo