I made an early start to the day and decided to try for the GBRf liner which had been diverted via the Thames Valley the previous week. At that time of the day the number of suitable shots is quite limited so I went for the shot at Culham again.
A few other photters obviously had the same idea as there was a small crowd waiting for the same working. 66716 was yet again at the head of 4M21 Felixstowe – Hams Hall, I think this loco has some kind of strange attraction to my camera as this is the 4th time now this loco appears on this site!
My next move was a bit of a hunch, I drove out to Calvert to see if the Avon bins was running due to the two recent bank holidays. Calvert was empty so I thought it wasn’t running however I was just getting back in the car when I noticed the Avon bin containers across the field! I moved down the line to Islip to phot the train on the single track line. Although the train was in Claydon loop ready to depart at 10am it waited for its booked path and 66519 finally passed Islip nearly two hours later.
As the line was shut at Basingstoke again this weekend all the liners were diverted via Swindon and Westbury so the only option I had for freight was to head West. I hopped in the car and set off for Shrivenham in the hope of beating the bins there. I made it to Shrivenham with plenty of time and while waiting 60008 arrived on 6B33 Theale – Margam tanks.
The avons bins must have been looped along the way as it passed Islip at 11:50 and finally 66519 passed Shrivenham again at 13:37 with 4V60 Calvert – Bath/Bristol. I had been hoping that shiny 66584 would have been up front today as it had been working the train all week but must have been swapped overnight.
The final shot of the day is something a bit more unusual, I had recieved gen saying that a 6Z46 Halewood – Southampton was running today. It was due late afternoon so I set of for Culham again for the view across the fields. 66225 was the motive power and the consist was a rather nice rake of Landrovers on open flats bringing a bit of variety to this neck of the woods.
I waited time hoping they would roar off into the night but was disappointed as they just trundled off down the relief with hardly a change in exhaust note!
