69. A day trip to Eastleigh-11.06.20

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2020 > 69. A day trip to Eastleigh-11.06.20
With apologies to Fiddler's Dram, 'Didn't we have a lovely time the day we went to "Eastleigh"!' 47712 enjoyed a day trip from Crewe to Eastleigh and back again hauling two different and very interesting stock. It's just a shame that the weather was so awful; what's happened to our summer?
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47712 & 43083, 07.14 Crewe HS-Eastleigh Arlington (5Z36, 2L), site of Roade station I so nearly missed this working! I had spotted postings about the progress of this move from Crewe to Eastleigh and realised that it was fairly early. But it's a good job that I had Open Train Times running as when it got to Hilmorton Junction south of Rugby it suddenly was put on the fast. I was not even dressed and had not taken my wife her morning coffee so had to dash about and then jog the relatively short distance to the site of Roade's station to get the train and I did so by the skin of my teeth! It was such a dull morning for early June but the superb 47712 'Lady Diana Spencer' brightened up the scene in its reproduction ScotRail livery. It was leading a Mk.1 acting as a barrier coach to five former GWR HST Mk.IIIs that I believe were going for painting as they belong to LSL which is trying to develop its place in the contemporary charter market. At the rear was EMR branded HST power car 43083. Keywords: 47712 43083, 07.14 Crewe HS-Eastleigh Arlington 5Z36 site of Roade station Lady Diana Spencer LSL Arlington Fleet Services FGW East Midlands Railway EMR
43083 & 47712, 07.14 Crewe HS-Eastleigh Arlington (5Z36, 2L), site of Roade station I don't like taking 'going-away' photographs and this one clearly shows why! I have positioned the trailing power car 43083 badly between the two signalling posts but as the movement of an HST, with the exception of the NMT, on the WCML, even if it is dead in tow, is so rare it has made the cut. Along with five former Great Western Railway Mk.IIIs 44078, 40801, 46006, 40802, 46014 and Mk.I 5366 the HST combo is seen passing the site of Roade station as the 5Z36 07.14 Crewe to Eastleigh Arlington hauled by 47712 'Lady Diana Spencer'. Now running some thirty-five minutes early the train ran fast all the way to Ledburn Junction where it was moved to the slow to continue its journey south towards London. Keywords: 43083 47712 07.14 Crewe HS-Eastleigh Arlington 5Z36 site of Roade station EMR East Midlands Railway GWr Great Western Railway HST Mk. III Lady Diana Spencer
66063, 13.15 Trafford Park-London Gateway (4L56, 10E), site of Roade station It is quite staggering that eleven years after the rebranding of EWS commenced following its take over by DB two years earlier in 2009 that there are still a fair number of Class 66s that are not only in the original livery but still wearing full EWS branding. 66063 is one of these locomotives seen passing Roade leading the 4L56 13.15 Trafford Park to London Gateway Freightliner train. I have said this a number of times but I wonder when the last three beasts and EWS lettering will be removed from the flanks of a Class 66? Keywords: 66063 13.15 Trafford Park-London Gateway 4L56 site of Roade station EWS Freightliner
47712, 90001 & 90002, 15.56 Eastleigh Arlington-Crewe HS (0Z37, 12E), site of Roade station A photograph that could have been taken in the early 1990s perhaps? It shows 47712 'Lady Diana Spencer' towing former GA 90001 and 90002 as the 15.56 Eastleigh Arlington to Crewe HS running as 0Z37 passing Roade. The two Class 90s look absolutely superb in their shiny new Intercity Swallow livery complete with cast birds attached to the side of the locomotives. There was considerable debate on the internet about whether this is an authentic livery for this class. To be honest, I don't care too much as I think its suits them well and hope that I will see them hauling trains again run by Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) from their Crewe base. Incidentally, I saw and photographed 90001 when it was leaving its former operator making its way to LSL back in April, see...... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/28968884604/x90001-82127-82118-08-42-norwich ; I wonder what has happened to the nameplates? Keywords: 47712 90001 90002 15.56 Eastleigh Arlington-Crewe HS 0Z37 site of Roade station Lady Diana Spencer Intercity swallow

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