45. My first Class 69?-25.07.21

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2021 > 45. My first Class 69?-25.07.21
Today I had planned to get my first sighting and photograph of a Class 69 (former Class 56) as one was due to be dragged from Tonbridge to Bescot. Unfortunately, something went wrong with just a lone Class 66 heading north on the WCML. Never mind, I consoled myself with a couple of infrastructure trains and a Class 57!
Click here to search The Archive Files


Images 1-4 of 4 displayed.

66779, 10.15 Willesden West London Junction-Bescot (6G51, 2L), Victoria bridge After a week of brilliant sunshine with associated hot temperatures, the weekend has proved to be grey and dull; not the best weather in which to photograph a Class 66 in this retro livery! 66779 'Evening Star' leads the 10.15 Willesden West London Junction to Bescot returning engineering train. It is leading a number of flats some of which are carrying some used track panels along with some HQAD bogie autoballaster wagons towards the rear. The train is seen passing Victoria bridge just south of Roade in Northamptonshire. Keywords: 66779 10.15 Willesden West London Junction-Bescot 6G51 Victoria bridge Evening Star
66781, 12.30 North Wembley Junction-Bescot (7G52, 7L), site of Roade station The second northbound infrastructure of the day heads north in almost a repeat of the first gave me enough time to nip home and have some lunch! This time, 66781 'Wensleydale Railway Association 25 Years 1990-2015' leads the 12.30 North Wembley to Bescot running as 7G52 (the first being 6G51) pass the site of Roade station leading a set of MOA low-sided bogie box wagons dubbed as 'monsterboxes'. Right at the rear of the train were a couple of lone Plasser & Theurer TJC60 self-propelled heavy-duty twin jib cranes numbered DRP78210 and DRP78215 in Balfour Beaty's white p[aintscheme. Keywords: 66781 12.30 North Wembley Junction-Bescot 7G52 site of Roade station Wensleydale Railway Association 25 Years 1990-2015 GBRf
57309, 12.45 London Euston-Rugby (0Z05, 43E), site of Roade station This light engine move was not scheduled to run on RTT appearing to have been added at the last minute. DRS' 57309 'Pride of Crewe' heads north along the down fast line passing the site of Roade station as the 12.45 Euston to Rugby 0Z05. Periodically the West Coast Thunderbirds (rescue locomotives) are swapped around from location to location but I have not seen these rather ad-hoc that often. Keywords: 57309 12.45 London Euston-Rugby 0Z05 site of Roade station DRS Direct Rail Services pride of Crewe
66706, 15.04 Tonbridge West Yard-Bescot (0M69, 4E), site of Road station A very ordinary photograph in particularly poor lighting for the last week in July shows 66706 'Nene Valley' passing the site of Roade station with one of the village's two water towers dominating the scene. The Class 66 was running as 0M69, the 15.04 Tonbridge West to Bescot that was supposed to have been conveying a brand new 69001 'Mayflower' (formally 56031). Unfortunately, something went wrong with just GBRf's 66 returning to Bescot on its own passing here exactly on time. The wait for me to see a Class 69 continues......! Keywords: 66706 15.04 Tonbridge West Yard-Bescot 0M69 site of Road station GBRf Nene Valley

Images 1-4 of 4 displayed.