It was a lucky update for today as I had just got home and was checking my emails and notice a pair of tractors had just departed Barton Hill on an ECS move to Old Oak Common. I quickly grabbed my camera and jumped in the car. The nearest point of the GWML to me is Didcot so I head over to Moreton cutting to try and grab a shot. As I was walking up to the bridge I heard a distinct horn and 67030 crossed from the main to the relief in the cutting with another ECS from Bristol. As soon as it had cleared the crossing a bright headlight appeared under the bridge.
It was 66603 on a rather long and rather heavy section on the HOBC (High Output Ballast Cleaner) train which is based at Reading and it was working very hard as it passed me with its train. I had to wait another half an hour until the tractors finally put in an appearance.
They came up the relief and 37427 and 37401 were pounding away nicely as they accelerated away from the signal check, it was a shame I forgot the video camera as it would have made a nice clip to put on the website. I think the 50s are out next weekend so fingers crossed for good weather!
Sorry for the abscence of updates over the last couple of months but I can rectify that today for you with a double helping. Today Hertfordshire were running a railtour featuring GBRf motive power entitled ‘The Bluebirds on Tour’. First of a 66/7 was due to haul the train from Victoria to Stafford via the Chiltern line but due to the tunnel being built at Gerrards cross for a Tesco store to be built upon collapsing onto the tracks below the tour was rerouted via Reading and Oxford. The weather had been wall to wall sunshine with temperatures hitting the 30s during the week and it continued on Saturday.
As the train was virtually passing my backdoor I didn’t venture too far for my first shot of the day as I decided to head to Radley. 66715 was traction for the tour and was hammering along as it passed through Radley running about 20mins early! I only planned to photograph the 66/7 hauled leg of the tour intially but once I got home I found out 87012 in the psuedo NSE livery was due on the second leg and I hadn’t managed to get a shot of it while it was still in service with Vermin.
I head out over to my favourite WCML haunt at Cheddington to photograph the 87, thanks to another photographer on the station we found out the tour was on the relief line so I could get in position and not worry about having to make a mad dash over the bridge when it appeared in the distance. The Olympian passed Cheddington pretty much on time with 66715 dead on the rear. Check out the larger image and look at the front of the 87, how many dead flies on there!
