25. Roade cutting-31.03.20

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2020 > 25. Roade cutting-31.03.20
My daily exercise routine took me to Roade cutting. After checking that there were no drones watching me I took a seat on the grass in the warm afternoon sunshine and waited for the freights due to pass. As has become common practice, two were on the up and down fast lines via Weedon. In addition, I was pleased to see the weekly Dowlow to Theale limestone train that shortly ran into trouble partially blocking the WCML.
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350250, 350262 & 350246, LN 15.55 Northampton-London Euston (2Z46, 3E), Roade cutting The 15.55 Northampton to London Euston enters Roade cutting from the north formed by 350250, 350262 and 350256. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, this is one of the services put in place by London Northwestern as part of their emergency timetable. It may be that after the situation is resolved that London Northwestern look at their wildly over-complicated timetable and take some lessons from what they are offering now? Keywords: 350250 350262 350246 15.55 Northampton-London Euston 2Z46 Roade cutting
Class 221s, VT 14.35 Chester-London Euston (1A43, 2L), Roade cutting Given the low passenger numbers on the railways, running at about fifteen per cent of normal, I am surprised that Avanti West Coast are operating a pair of Class 221s on this 14.35 Chester to Euston service. I suppose it will mean that those making the journey can manage their social distancing easily on-board. The train is seen entering Roade cutting from the northern end. Keywords: Class 221s 14.35 Chester-London Euston 1A43 Roade cutting Avanti West Coast Voyager
66515, 12.57 Birch Coppice-Felixstowe North (4L57, 3E), Roade cutting 66515 swings into Roade cutting on the up fast having taken the Weedon loop thus avoiding Northampton. Normally this is extremely rare but given the dearth of passenger services due to the Covid-19 emergency timetable there are plenty of paths available. The 12.57 Birch Coppice to Felixstowe North 4L57 appears to be well loaded but looks can be deceiving as the boxes visible were the only ones being conveyed with the rest of the train being composed of empty flats as a result of the marked reduction of exports. Keywords: 66515 12.57 Birch Coppice-Felixstowe North 4L57 Roade cutting Freightliner
86605 & 86637, 11.13 Felixstowe-Trafford Park (4M27, 21E), Roade cutting Fast becoming the norm is the use of the Weedon line, thus avoiding Northampton, for freight due to huge gaps in the timetable as a result of the Covid-19 travel restrictions. A regular freight that is using this route almost daily is the 4M27 11.13 Felixstowe to Trafford Park Freightliner that is pretty much always handled by a pair of Class 86s. In this view of Roade cutting, 86605 and 86637 get a move on with the well-loaded train that arrived twenty-one minutes early at its destination later in the day. Keywords: 86605 86637 11.13 Felixstowe-Trafford Park 4M27 Roade cutting Cans Freightliner
66005, 10.00 Dowlow Briggs-Theale Hope Cement (6V11, 100L), Roade cutting 66005 'Maritime Intermodal One' leads the heavy 10.00 Dowlow to Theale 6V11 through Roade cutting conveying white limestone from the Peak District to west London. With the Maritime blue livery and rake of red DB branded MMA wagons, the scene is certainly a different one to the usual procession of Freightliner workings. Unfortunately, soon after this photograph was taken this train failed just south of Wolverton station blocking the up slow line. On any other day, this would have caused absolute chaos but with the emergency timetable in place, control was able to move trains from line to line pretty easily without too many delays. Later in the evening, the train was rescued by 66172 that hauled it to Bletchley. Later still it got on its way arriving a mere two hundred minutes late to Theale. Keywords: 66005 10.00 Dowlow Briggs-Theale Hope Cement 6V11 Roade cutting Maritime Intermodal One Crushed limestone

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