Welcome back to week two of the Fastline coal out of Avonmouth although slightly different this week. The inbound working had been retimed to run under the cover of darkness which was disappointing but the weather forecast was showing wall to wall sunshine…
Fatal last words as I awoke to thick fog! I had planned on heading out past Swindon but decided to stay local due to the fog but that was scuppered as I recieved a message to say it was still loading at Avonmouth the time it was due to pass me at Grove and would probably depart 2 hours late!I decided to bail and head off to Hatton North Junction due to the late running and I’m glad I did as I got a cracking shot as 66305 thrashed up the bank on 6M90 Avonmouth – Ratcliffe.
As they saying goes, ‘Make hay while the sunshines’ then I will do just that. Not much happens on a Sunday but as I still haven’t managed to get over to the Chiltern line for a single shot of the Wrexham and Shropshire Railways loco hauled workings I thought I would make the effort as it was so nice again. Due to engineering works either end of the line the first working was slightly different as it was originating from Raubon and terminating at London Paddington giving the track bashers something to go for.
As my knowledge of the Chiltern line is fairly limited I browsed a few galleries for locations and I found Fritwell near Bicester which looked pretty good so I set off, unfortunately there was an accident on the A34 at Oxford and I was delayed and thought I might miss the working but luckily it was running about 20 minutes late through Hatton. 67013 did the honours of hauling 1P50 Raubon – London Paddington running about 15 late as it passed me at Fritwell.
A very early start today, getting out of bed at 04:00! I had managed to get hold of a timetable for all workings through Didcot Parkway for today and noticed a couple of workings from Fairwater Yard (Taunton) – Bescot which both had a two minute stop at Didcot which I was guessed was for a crew change.
First up we had 6P80 Fairwater – Bescot which was due at Didcot 04:50-04:52, I was hoping they might be Freightliner hauled but in the end EWS 66013 rolled into Platform 3 at 04:45 with the first of the workings and half the HOBC set.
I had an hours wait until the next working and it was a bit chilly, a number of freights passed on the west curve including an EWS Intermodal and two Freightliners. Also 66053 departed the yard with 6X12 Carlisle – Eastleigh with 37422 DIT for company presumably enroute for some work at Eastleigh depot. On time 66111 rolled into Platform 3 again at 05:53 with 6P81 Fairwater – Bescot, and the other half of the HOBC, all going to plan today should be quite a busy update with the forecast looking good.
I’m back with probably the working I was most looking forward to today, the first actual revenue earning train operated by Fastline to Avonmouth. It was a chance to bag my first phot of a Fastline 66 and the weather which has been dreadful for weeks finally kicked into gear with glorious sunshine! 66301 appropriatley did the honours hauling the empties as 4G90 Ratcliffe – Avonmouth passing Didcot North bang on time at 08:45. 
Next up are trio of southbound Freightliners due within 1½ hours, I passed on the first two due to poor loadings and opted for the final working. 66594 was doing the honours on 4O54 Leeds – Southampton as it passed me at Moreton Cutting. I was planning on photographing 6B33 Theale – Robeston tanks but as I was packing up it passed me running some 1 hour early!
This is the final update for today, I decided to try the shot at Kings Sutton which is my first trip to this location which is surprising seeing as it is quite local to me. I arrived early about 15:45 due to never being there before and the return working had a number of pathing stops which could have been missed out giving early running. In the event it was running pretty much bang on time as it passed Kings Sutton at 17:38 with a friendly blast on the horn! 
