An odds and ends week, bits of MOBC/HOBC trains moving around, a trial Freightliner working and a Radio Survey Train.

A three day week due to weather and lack of traffic. Over to Cholsey on Thursday for an interesting livery combination on 6Z48. Otherwise just a couple of local sessions.

An excellent week after a quiet start. A very different GBRf worked Fairwater-Whitemoor on Wednesday then a busy Thursday with several different consists including the ex Redland PGA rake.

Some interesting workings and consists this week. Went to Cholsey on Thursday afternoon to fot the Colas steeler but the Duff lived up to its name dumping the train at Dorridge while it went to Tyseley for water. Steam engines have to keep filling up with water but Diesels aren't supposed to! It eventually came down some three hours late and well after sunset.

Quite a good week with some variety, sleeper sets out in daytime, back to back power cars, Fairwater-West Ealing HOBC and return plus the new VTG/MRL IIAs on their first trip to Theale.
Some very useful gen from those who share, thanks.

More about this week with some nice and varied consists. Traction variety too with the Shanks Fred putting in an appearance, 59/0s on 6M20 and the first Tug on a Mendip working for a long while that caused much Frothing on the gen groups!

Highlight of this week was Hangar 11's P51D Mustang 'Jumpin' Jacques' on an otherwise quiet Wednesday at White Waltham. Riviera Duffs on the Colas again and a Banana for Friday's lunch!

The quiet trend continues. A few double headers this week - Mendip, Freightliner and hired in Riviera Duffs on the Colas steel. Schenker Shed on some smelly mud.

Another quiet week, the Medite liveried 66 fotted on 4L31 at last, FGW barriers and an unusual Saturday fuel tank working.

A common sight in the Reading area during 2005/6 was the High Output Ballast Cleaner(HOBC) which stabled at the High Output Operations Base(HOOB) in Reading West Junction Yard. The complete train went out to worksites usually overnight but occasionally daytime at weekends. Between those outings trips ran Reading - Appleford to dump spoil and Reading - Hinksey to load fresh ballast.

Concrete sleepers manufactured by Tarmac Precast Concrete Ltd at Tallington north of Peterborough are conveyed in block trains to either Reading or Fairwater yards for use with the Network Rail Track Renewals Train. NR YXA bogie sleeper carriers are used and traction is provided by GBRF throughout though at one time Freightliner took over the trains at Reading.

Not being one to hide away from the rain, there is nothing better than standing out in a downpour under a brolly!

A couple of HSTs in the rain then of course when the showers pass out comes the sun and.........rainbow! Naturally nothing came down the relief line until it had faded(23/5/06)

Further photos will occasionally be added.

While movement of freight by rail is under normal circumstance environmentally friendly just occasionally the combination of wind, speed and a dusty load produces rather unfriendly pollution!

A fairly quiet week with a rare GWML test train working, a stoneblower move, stone to Merehead and some very short freights. Unbranded Fred 66612 'Forth Raider' makes a couple of appearances on the Burngullow-Bow.

A few variations this week with the PGAs to Theale and a nice double headed GBRf working.

Not a lot this week, a FLHH extra, two decent length Didcot-Carlisle enterprises, one tripple headed, plus some varied consists on the usual Mendip workings.

A nice double headed Mendip, mixed boxes on a Lugg, DRS powered empty steel and a couple of HSTs with an extra coach are the highlights of a quiet week all at Shottesbrooke Farm.

Some consist variations, a diverted departmental and the Sunday tanks.

Four days local this week with the usual workings but some nice different consists.

A mixed week with all sorts of different workings including Freightliner HeavyHaul out of Moreton-on-Lugg, weekday PGAs, some odd consists and a load test for a FGW 57.
Some very useful gen this week, thanks to all the posters.

A week and a half from the beginning of July with the rare sight of ATW 158s and daytime FGW sleeper moves. A few double headers along with the usual.

Rather than drive home I sat out the day at Burn watching and fotting the passing trains, a location chosen as there was an Advenza scrap working due.
An enjoyable couple of weeks and a big thanks to all those who provided information on locations and train workings.

Return visits to both these location mainly for the GBRf hauled coalers.

Another new location for me at Bolton Percy south of Colton Junction on the Leeds route. I had driven over the bridge several times but never stopped there before. Back to Burn for the evening.

Started the day at Blackburn Lane crossing just to the east of Knottingley on the line to Goole that serves both Eggborough and Drax power stations. This line was opened in 1848 as part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway being conceived as the Wakefield, Pontefract and Goole, an extension to the Manchester and Leeds Railway.
Moved on to Heck Ings Crossing , a fascinating railway location bounded by the east-west Pontefract and Goole, north-south ECML and the northeast-southwest trackbed of the old Hull and Barnsley. The branch to Drax power station follows the old H&B trackbed and as far as I know is the only part of that system still in use other than around Hull.

Back to Hagg Lane as I could sit in the car out of the rain and wanted to be close to Monk Fryston as I planned to fot the Butterwell coal there. Finished up at another new location for me, Field Lane on the ECML just south of Hambleton.

A day at Knabb's Crossing near Barnetby for the usual coal, oil and ore.

Two new locations today.
Hagg Lane crossing just east of Gascoigne Wood sidings on the Leeds and Selby, one of the earlier railways opening in 1834 and later part of the NER.
West Lane bridge near Burn on the ECML Selby diversion that opened 149 years later in 1983! Built to avoid the Selby coal mine complex and the bottleneck caused by the Selby swing bridge.

First visit to Clay Cross since the track layout was changed making it even more difficult now as the down signals are effectively out of sight so you don't know when trains are approaching from the south.

A day on the one time Great Central route between Doncaster and Sheffield. Not that busy for freight but it does have regular passenger services to provide entertainment in the inevitable gaps.
Location found via http://www.trainspots.co.uk being TS486.

The busiest spot for freight on the Pontrefract and Goole is the level crossing on Sudforth Lane as it's between Kellingley Colliery that despatches trains to Drax and Sudforth Lane siding where Freightliner HeavyHaul stable sets of coal hoppers.
Joan Croft is the junction on the ECML north of Doncaster for traffic to/from Scunthorpe and Immingham via Hatfield & Stainforth.
Both locations have power lines crossing the tracks but they're only present because of the power stations that require the coal trains!

After yesterdays stint on a busy road bridge I went to an even busier one on the A19 at Whitley Bridge Junction. The line to Eggborough power station branches off here at what was once a triangle with a now removed curve towards Goole.

A couple of trips over to Cholsey this week to try and fot some new Freds along with the usual local outings.