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FEBRUARY 2017 NEWS : 

	Running around one hour late and having been routed via Weston-super-Mare station Freightliner Heavy Haul Class 66/9 No.66953 leads the 6Y37 08:15 Swindon - Fairwater Yard HOBC set back to Taunton passing Creech St Michael on the 26th February 2017. Classmate Class 66/5 No.66552 'Maltby Raider' was on the rear of this impressively long and colourful train. (Photo: Brian Garrett)
	A multitude of Colas Rail Freight operated engineers trains passed through Taunton on the 25th February in connection with track renewal work taking place between Castle Cary and Westbury. Having run round its train in Fairwater Yard, Class 66/8 No.66847 pauses at Taunton to drop off the shunter prior to departing with the 6C22 18:23 Westbury - Castle Cary via Taunton. (Photo: Nathan Williamson)

Colas Rail Freight Class 70 No.70807 is pictured passing Norton Fitzwarren with 6C36 Moorswater-Aberthaw empty cement tanks on the 16th February 2017. The Colas Class 70's are very much at home in the South West with upwards of 5 or 6 class members visiting the area during any given week working Cement, Engineers and Stone trains to various locations (Photo: Quentin Hawkes)

Returning to Fairwater Yard on a freezing cold morning in February, Freightliner Heavy Haul Class 66/9 No.66953 passes Creech St Michael while working the Network Rail System 5 set on the 6Y37 08:40 Swindon East Loop to Fairwater Yard. Classmate Class 66/5 No.66552 accompanied the train on the rear of the set. The service departed Swindon running 83 minutes early but was held in the Chippenham area eventually arriving back into Taunton around eight minutes behind it's original booked arrival time. (Photo: Brian Garrett)

At Taunton Trains we are always tinkering and tweaking parts of the website in the background. It may not look like much has changed other than the updating of news, but this is far from the case. Our most recent project to add Archive Steam images to the website is ongoing, and we have about another 15 - 20 images to scan and add to the site. As soon as upgraded scanning equipment arrives these fabulous old images will be added to the current gallery. Recently we also sourced two further previously unseen images taken at Wiveliscombe in 1960 and 1965, these have been added to the 'Along the Barnstaple Line' memories page. Two further images have been located and added to the 'GWR 150' memories page. A large chunk of time was also taken up by updating the 'HST Pictorial' page with all the latest colourful powercars operated by GWR through Taunton. Updates have also been made to our 'Now and Then' gallery page in recent months. Our Taunton Archive Logs are now also being updated again, and work is also ongoing to backdate the others from 2015. The 'Tours' page has also been recently updated with some of the charters due to visit/ pass through Taunton in the next few months. We would like to thank everyone who contributes to Taunton Trains on a daily, weekly, monthly basis your support in the project of ensuring information and images are recorded for future generations to enjoy is always appreciated, even if we can't update the site fast enough at times!

It's always nice to receive Emails and information from readers of Taunton Trains. The world wide web gives the ability to view our website where ever there is an internet connection, this image was sent in by regular contributor Nathan Williamson while sat in the Airport departure lounge at Toronto, Canada where passengers are provided with internet access at every table. With Taunton Trains proudly on display adjacent to the giant A380 peering through the window in the background. This gave us an idea, why not send us photos of the places where you view Taunton Trains, and we will add them into a gallery if enough get submitted! Over to the readers. (Photo: Nathan Williamson)

	Heritage Green Class 37/0 No.37057 returned north from Devon on Thursday 9th February. The 1Q06 18:35 Exeter Riverside - Westbury test train for Network Rail paused at Taunton for a short period of time before continuing its recording trip up to Westbury. (Photo: Phil Izzard)
	Having stabled overnight in Taunton and collected their supplies from the Taunton Station Sushi Bar 'Dashi'. Class 73/9's No.73952 'Janis Kong' and No.73951 'Malcom Brinded' depart Taunton on Wednesday 8th February working the 0M50 light engine move back to Derby RTC. (Photo: Paul Clarke)
	GWR customers were treated to a rare splash of colour and comfort on the 8th February 2017 when hire in unit No.158880 from South West Trains was employed on the Taunton - Cardiff stopping diagrams. South West trains are well known for their comfy seats, clean trains and bright interiors which are a far cry from the Class 150's normally used on this route. No.158880 is pictured at Taunton working the 11:08 Taunton - Cardiff stopping service. (Photo: Paul Clarke)
	It is true to never say 'never' where the railways are involved. Bets taken that a pair of Class 73's would visit Taunton in 2017 would have been fairly high odds, but yet again the UK railway system never fails to impress. On the 7th February Network Rails' pair of 'Super ED's' worked light engine from Derby to Plymouth and back to Taunton before stabling for the night. The 0V84 10:03 from Derby was formed of Class 73/9 No.73951 and No.73952. The pair are pictured arriving into Taunton breaking new ground for the class. (Photo: Paul Clarke)
	Network Rail super ED's No.73951 'Malcolm Brinded' and No.73952 'Janis Kong' amble through 40 Steps, Taunton while working the 0V84 10:03 Derby - Plymouth. The intrepid pair later returned to Taunton, arriving under the cover of darkness to stable for the night. (Photo: Thomas Courtney)
	After a brief spell operated by its contact operated DB Cargo, the Mendip Stone flow is now back in the hands of Colas Rail Freight who continue to fill the lack of crew issues faced by DB Cargo. On the 7th February Class 70/8 No.70807 was at the helm of the lunch time empties returning to Westbury. (Photo: Paul Clarke)
	GWR were unable to operate yet another of their overnight sleeper services on the 5th/6th February. As a result passengers were transferred onto a HST set from Penzance. The locomotive and sleeper stock finally decided to make an appearance during the daylight hours with Class 57/6 No.57603 hauling the empty stock from Long Rock Depot to Old Oak Common depot ready for the next nights service. The train is seen passing Taunton at 10:55. (Photo: Paul Clarke)

Heritage Green liveried Colas Rail Freight Class 37/0 No.37057 visited Taunton on the 6th February while working the 1Q06 18:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Laira test train for Network Rail. The former persevered Class 37 is now owned by Colas and operates on many Network Rail test trains around the UK. (Photo: Thomas Courtney)

	On a wet and soggy Sunday morning Freightliner Class 66/5 No.66524 slowly rolls back into Fairwater Yard hauling the 6Y19 08:00 Swindon East Loop to Fairwater Yard HOBC with class mate No.66953 at the rear of a good size train been out on overnight ballast cleaning duties for Network Rail. (Photo: Simon Harling)
	It's not often you see a Great Western HST with its powercar missing, so this image was defiantly of newsworthy inclusion. While working the 1A73 05:46 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington, lead power No.43172 'Harry Patch' suffered a seized axle at Castle Cary at 07:08. This effectively closed the main line to London via the B&H forcing all passenger and freights services to be be diverted via Bristol. After the service was cancelled the power was subsequently removed from the set and shunted into an adjacent siding at Castle Cary. Rear powercar No.43094 was then used to haul the set (LA08) back to Laira (presumably to find a new partner powercar). The odd sight of an HST set missing its powercar is seen passing Taunton at 11:09 when the line to Castle Cary had just been reopened after the four hour closure. (Photo: Paul Clarke)
	Colas Rail Freight delivered a sweedish Railvac from Westbury to Lostwithiel on the 3rd February. Class 66/8 No.66850 passes through the pouring rain at Taunton Station while working the 6X54 07:57 from Westbury.The locomotive later returned light engine to Westbury (Photo: Paul Clarke)
	With echo's of Eric Carmans hit 'All by myself' playing, lonely Colas Class 70/8 No.70804 trundles back to Westbury on the 1st February in a rare light engine movement. The locomotive had hauled the 7C27 05:27 Westbury - Exeter Riverside stone however the loader at Exeter broke down and wasn't able to unload the stone. Rather than leave the expensive locomotive sitting idle until the loader could be repaired, No.70804 returned to Westbury without its normal rake of wagons in tow. It's seen here at Oath in the large expanse of the Somerset Levels. (Photo: Simon Harling)
	GWR green is slowly being out shopped on various GWR fleet members, a recent newcomer to the area (normally based at Reading for used on the Basingtoke Shuttles) is three car Class 150 No.150002. On the 1st February the clean unit was captured working the 2U18 13:08 Taunton - Cardiff service, seen here passing Fordgate nearing Bridgwater. (Photo: Simon Harling)

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