Eastleigh 23-07-04
Back again in glorious summers day & sunny July weather to visit Eastleigh. Hi-lights include 47703 working the Very Special Trains ecs to Poole and arriving late. 67022 leaving Eastleigh, a GBRF 66 appearing, 3 Class 56's in the Eastleigh's East yard and 2 in the stabling point and a fly past of a Lancaster Bomber a Spitfire and a Hurricane planes. Plus loads of sunburn! And three very very lucky duckling's that were run over @ 90 Mph by a Class 442 Wessex Electric and survived. Who are all living in Micheldever.
66093 leaves Eastleigh for Furzebrook with a rake of LPG tanks on the 6W65 Easttleigh Yard to furzebrook LPG empties. Whilst 66143 approaches with the 6Y30 Fawley to Holybourne Oil Wagons.
Class 442 waits for the nod at Eastleigh. There has been word that when the SWT's Class 444's are fully over here and working that these Class 442's will be withdrawn from service. Personally I cant see that happening. Quite possibly a refurbishment program but not withdrawal.
One EMU unit that will be going are the class 423's and most of the other Slam-door stock. Here 3811 has just turned up on a Waterloo to Brighton service. This unit attained recognition as being exported to Germany as the guys at Siemens did not believe how old our SR commuter stock was. This was used several times on the test track at Siemens test track in Germany. This is why the unit is still painted in the BR Network Southeast livery.
66033 accelerates from Eastleigh after a driver change with the 4M49 Southampton Eastern Docks to Castle Brommwich empty cartics.
Two views of 66212 comes off the Romsey line with the 7O39Merhead to Hamworthy goods Stone.
66507 slows down on the up slow to take the branch to Romsey on the 7V36 Southampton Western Docks to Westbury VQ* loaded stone.
Southwest Trains only Class 73 locomotive 73109 Battle of Britain approaches platform 3 with 3 slamdoor electirc units in tow. The train went off onto the Portsmouth line it looks as though it was heading for Fratton but I am not 100% certain.
Unfortunately I would have loved to have been closer for this shot of 3 class 56's in Eastleigh's yard. These were awaiting towing to the EWS depot / stabling point. These 3 plus 2 others at the far end of the stabling point will be re-painted and sent off to France for hire on a French infrastructure contract. The 56's were 051, 059 & 065. 60094 is in the background.
66030 leaves Eastleigh for the Romsey branch with the 6V62 Fawley - Plymouth consiting of Bitumen tanks as well as 4 wheel Oil tanks. A nice smell if ever you Have not smelt one before!!!
08765 is a new face working around Eastleigh these days. Its seen shunting a rake of Network rail liveried JHA's. 66107 later took these out northwards about 15:00.
Much like Virgin did with the demise of the class 47's, 86's and 87's, Staff at Wimbledon's Southwest Trains depot have painted a 4-Vep in the pre BR Corporate Blue livery. The lucky unit 3417 was also named Gordon Pettit. Its seen on a Brighton - Waterloo service.
Whilst waiting for 47703 on the Very Special Trains ECS to Poole for Saturday's Poole to Kiddiminster run, 66143 seen twice earlier on in the day comes through Platform 2 en-route to Eastleigh's Yard.
2 Shots of Class 221130 slowing to a stop on Eastleigh's Fast down line. This was due to the aforementioned Class 47 having passed through some minutes earlier.
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