News Archive for December 2014

Goodbye HOBC

Published on 30th December 2014

Freightliner Heavy Haul and Network Rail cleared the final portion of the Network Rail HOBC from Fairwater Yard on the 30th December 2014.

Freightliners Class 66/5 No.66546 hauled the third and final portion of the HOBC from Fairwater Yard as the 6Y07 17:05 Fairwater Yard to Harwich Parkeston Quay Yard routed via Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa. The HOBC has been based at Taunton's Fairwater Yard for the past 7 years. The first and second portions ran on Sunday 28th December and Monday 29th December with evening departures. All that remains in Fairwater Yard are now are a few 'Sleeper Carriers', 2 'VM80' Vacuum Vehicles, and a 'Pike' wagon. *Photo was taken with permission by trained & qualified personnel with permission*

To view the gallery, please click here.

(Photo: Jason Prole)

Network Rail TRS/TRT visits Taunton

Published on 21st December 2014

The Network Rail TRT/TRS made a rare visit to Taunton for around a weeklong period.

The set arrived int he early hours of the 15th December as the 6X04 from Crewe. It then spent the following weeknights working at Wokingham replacing the track. Over the weekend of the 20th/21st December. The set returned briefly to Taunton on the 21st December 2014 before being sent back to Crewe, where it's normally based. Running a total of 169 minutes late, Freightliner Class 66/6 No.66606 leads the 6X04 07:50 Wokingham - Fairwater Yard through 40 Steps and into Fairwater Yard with No.66620 trailing on the rear of the set.

Trailing on the rear of 6X04 07:50 Wokingham - Fairwater Yard on the 21st December 2014 was Freightliner Class 66/6 No.66620 coupled with five Network Rail autoballasters. Upon arrival at Taunton behind No.66606 the set was recessed in Fairwater Yard before departing at 16:11 to return the set to Crewe Basford Hall. This view also shows the continued building of the Taunton NIDR. The latest estimates seem to suggest that the road will now not be complete until the Summer of 2015, some six to eight months later than planned.

(Photo: Brian Garrett)

40 Steps, Ramps are Now OPEN!

Published on 21st December 2014

After a build taking over a year from closure to opening the new disabled ramps have finally been opened at 40 Steps during late December 2014.

The ramps on the Chip Lane (Post Office) side of the bridge offer no new viewpoints to the railway. However, the ramps to the Cyril Street side of 40 Steps provide new views of the railway. The change of direction landing area provides a good view of the 'up' mainline and also affords a view into Fairwater Yard. Crucially, while the guardrails are high they do allow a 70mm lens to fit through the spacing without its lens hood fitted. Alternatively, steps would be an advantage, or the use of the lower handrail to stand upon could also afford a view over the top of the railings. We have provided some images below which show the views which are currently possible. These will come into their own on more cloudy days and for shots in the late summer evenings once the sun had crossed the line. It is however likely that Network Rail could erect palisade fencing to replace the current herrace fencing which is in place.

(Photo: Brian Garrett)

Class 70 'Thunderbird' Mission

Published on 12th December 2014

The Network Rail HOBC set based at Fairwater Yard has exclusively been hauled by Freightliner Class 66 locomotives since its arrival in 2006.

Owing to the failure of No.66510 on the night of the 11th December, 6Y07 17:33 Fairwater Yard - Grateley was hauled solo by No.66620 to Westbury. Once at Westbury a replacement second locomotive was hired in from Colas Rail Freight. Class 70/8 No.70807 became the first Class 70 to haul the Network Rail HOBC set. The locomotive is seen arriving back into Fairwater Yard hauling the 6Y07 04:00 Basingstoke - Fairwater on the 12th of December 2014. The photo was taken with permission by trained & qualified personnel.

To view the gallery, please click here.

(Photo: Jason Prole)

First Great Western - Sleeper Failures

Night Riviera Sleeper

(Photo: Taunton Trains)

Published on 11th December 2014

First Great Western suffered perhaps one of their worst nights of Night Riviera availability in quite some time on the 11th/12th December 2014.

The 1A40 21:25 Penzance - Paddington sleeper failed at Plymouth with Class 57/6 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' leading the train. Sleeper passengers were transferred onto an HST set for onward travel to London. Class 57/6 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' also failed after working the Empty Coaching Stock for the down Riviera into Paddington Station, thankfully this didn't delay the departure of the 1C99 23:50 Paddington - Penzance sleeper (which was hauled by DRS Class 57/3 No. 57310 'UK Railtours'), however, No. 57310 'UK Railtours' only made it as far at Dawlish Warren where the engine kept shutting down. The sleeper finally made it to Penzance 20 minutes late. Because of the cancellation of the 'up' sleeper, No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' was repaired at Laira during the day only to be sent out to London empty stock, where it failed on the mainline at Hemerdon less than 3 miles from the depot. It was eventually rescued by a Class 08 shunter from Laira depot.

You would have thought that having had such a poor performance on the 11th/12th December that FGW may have thought the worst was over with their current Class 57 reliability issues. However, the 19th of December 2014 proved to be just as embarrassing. The 1A40 21:45 Penzance - Paddington sleeper arrived at Taunton with DRS Class 57/3 No.57303 which was unable to release its brakes in the northbound cab. Customers onboard with connections for flights were woken up and put into taxi's to get them to Heathrow on time. A loco swap then took place whereby No.57303 joined the front of 1C99 23:50 Paddington - Penzance and Class 57/6 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' would return to London on the front of 1A40. As a result, 1A40 departed Taunton 150 minutes late, and 1C99 departed 92 minutes late.

To view the gallery, please click here.

Double Grids head West

(Photo: S A Ginn)

Published on 10th December 2014

Double Colas Class 56 locomotives were used on Colas Rail Freight timber traffic on the 10th of December 2014.

Colas supplied Class 56 No.56078 and No.56096 to operate the 6V54 05:33 Chirk - Exeter Riverside log empties. The pair are pictured passing Fairwater Yard while on route to Exeter. Exeter Riverside will be the new loading point for logs in the South West, operationally the nature of a yard provides a much easier location to load the logs, without the need to complete two-run rounds at Newton Abbot to access the Heathfield Branch. Those having arrived into Exeter by train will of noticed the new log mountain which has already been stockpiled at the south end of the yard.

To view the gallery, please click here.

DCR return Indomitable

(Photo: Adam Snow)

Published on 5th December 2014

DCR Class 31 No.31601 was used to haul Network Southeast liveried Class 50 No. 50026 'Indomitable' from Meldon to Derby Gas Works Sidings on the 5th December 2014.

The Class 50 (which had been towed to the Dartmoor Railway during November) had suffered a turbocharger problem. The locomotive was later replaced with Nemesis Rail Class 47/7 No.47701 which would make a return to service on the Dartmoor Railway for the Christmas season having been sold by its previous owners. No.31601 and No. 50026 'Indomitable' are pictured passing 40 Steps operating as 0Z31 11:00 Meldon Quarry - Derby Gas Tank Sidings.

To view the gallery, please click here.

Network Rail Electrification MPV

Published on 5th December 2014

During the 5th December 2014 Network Rail operated one of their Great Western Mainline Electrification Trains from Swindon to Taunton on a driver training run.

No.99 70 9131 005 is pictured at 40 Steps while waiting to return to Swindon. The rear MPV has now been named 'Brunel' by Network Rail. Also captured in the image is a clear view of the latest progress on the Taunton NIDR, with the new roundabout on Staplegrove Road which is now taking quite good shape.

(Photo: Adam Snow)

To view news stories from November 2014 click here, or for news from January 2015, click here.