Thames Rail

Saturday 18th October 2008

It’s the weekend again so it must be time for the fastline coal train! Someone at Fastline HQ is playing ball as I awoke to find 66303 would be doing the honours on todays working. Intially I was only planning on heading out locally to Culham as it was pretty murky out but driving down the road I noticed the clouds were breaking up so I changed direction and headed off to Denchworth on the GWML hopefully to get a better phot.

It has been a long time since I have ventured out to Denchworth for phots, mainly due to the new bridge that replaced the original a few years ago. The view is probably better now than before although parking is now trickier due to the barriers that now line the bridge. I wouldn’t be stopping long so that wasn’t too much of a problem. While waiting for the Fastline coal 60076 trundled along on the 6B33 Theale - Robeston empty tanks although unusually straight down the main line in cracking light!

66303 had been reported 41 minutes early at Bristol Parkway but it must have been held enroute presumably at Swindon as it passed me at Denchworth running only 10 mins early at 13:08 in a very lucky patch of sun which it had been chasing all the way from the old Challow station site far in the distance! Right, so when does the boat with 66302 dock, four down, one to go!

Saturday 11th October 2008

Another week, another Fastline coal train and another brand new location for this website. I was off this weekend so I had to chance to get out lineside further West so decided to try the shot at Brinkworth which looked promising. After last weeks murkiness the Sun had returned once again, I seem to be getting pretty lucky with this working so far.

I arrived at Brinkworth just after 12:00 to find a couple of other photters already waiting for this working. Luckily after the farce a couple of weeks ago when it was delayed nearly two hours todays working was running slightly early and glided almost silently around the curve with 66304 at the helm of 6M90 Avonmouth - Ratcliffe in glorious light, lets see what happens next week.

Saturday 4th October 2008

Welcome to week three of the Fastline Coal from Avonmouth. It was due to run in the same path as last week with a early afternoon path through Didcot although hopefully it would be running to time this week. I had to work this week which limited my options of where to go as I didn’t have much time to get lineside so opted for Radley.

The weather finally had to turn after the intial two workings operating in glorious weather and today I was greeted by murky grey. 66304 was the power for todays 6M90 Avonmouth - Ratcliffe seen passing Radley about 10 minutes early on todays working. Can we have 66303 next week plus lots of sunshine please!