News Archive for December 2022

Wagons for Store

Published on 30th December 2022

DB Cargo moved a rake of intermodal container flats from Margam Yard to Exeter Riverside for storage on the 30th December 2022.

The EWS-liveried Class 66 No.66030 operated the movement as 6V08 10:18 Margam - Exeter Riverside.

The train consisted of nine wagons formed of a mixture of FCA, FYA and FIA wagon types. The train was also delayed in the Pilning area due to flooding in Patchway Tunnel, it finally passed Taunton 42 minutes late. Once at Exeter Riverside the locomotive returned light engine to Margam.

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(Photo: Brian Garrett)

Christmas Eve - National Rail Strike

Published on 24th December 2022

With national rail strikes over pay and conditions continuing to affect rail services across the UK it's fair to say service patterns and train operations have been adversely affected.

A planned strike on Christmas Eve 2022 did see a lower than normal amount of services operating, but GWR did its best to get passengers where they needed to be for Christmas Day. We were able to feature a small pocket of mid afternoon services passing through the Taunton area.

(Photo: Brian Garrett)

Platform 6

(Photo: 50006 Neptune)

Published on 21st December 2022

Platform 6 at Taunton is not a place you normally expect to find at GWR Hitachi IET set.

On Wednesday 21st December 2022. No. 800033 'Martin Heath / Emma Hurrell' was operating 2C67 Cardiff Central - Penzance when the service had to be cancelled at Taunton. A Cross Country service ahead (1V42) had a fault which had been caused by the service having hit an animal. The GWR service behind at Taunton had to be cancelled where it was moved to Platform 6. The unit stabled in the bay platform for the majority of the day. It later departed to Exeter to pick up its booked return diagram to London. The animal (which turned out to be a deer) which caused the original incident was found in the Cogload area but the fault on the Cross Country Voyager did not manifest itself until Tiverton. It's thought that although the driver did not see the deer, it may have leaped as the train passed and took a blow from the side of the moving train.

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DEPG Test Run

Published on 17th December 2022

DEPG locomotives No.D7017, No.D7018 and Class 33 No.33048 (D6566) operated between Williton, Bishops Lydeard and back to Williton as part of a test run following recent repairs on Saturday 17th December 2022.

The three locomotives were captured during their short journey providing the rare sight of triple locomotives operating over the line. 33048 was on test following the repair to a heat exchanger, D7017 was on test following engine repairs carried out since the Diesel Gala earlier in 2022, and D7018 was on test to check if it would now change gear automatically after further repairs at Williton.

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(Photo: Mart Ball)

Frosty the Castle

(Photo: Adam Snow)

Published on 16th December 2022

In picture postcard sub zero temperatures GWR 'Castle' HST No. 43016 'Powderham Castle' and No. 43009 'Nunney Castle' pass Allerford on Friday 16th December 2022 during a National Rail Strike.

The pair were operating as part of a revised limited service timetable as 2C67 08:59 Bristol Temple Meads - Plymouth.

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Winter Arrives

(Photo: Adam Snow)

Published on 11th December 2022

On a cold and frosty winters day EWS Class 66 No. 66079 'James Nightall G.C.' passes Creech St Michael on the 11th December 2022.

The loco was operating 6W98 08:25 Totnes - Westbury with No.66028 (out of sight at the rear of the train). The appearance of No.66028 was especially rare as the loco has spent many years operating for Euro Cargo Rail in France, and last visited Taunton in 2005.

To view the gallery, please click here.

To view news stories from November 2022 click here, or for news from January 2023, click here.