After yesterdays failure to photograph the Class 70 on the Wentloog diagram today my luck would turn as overnight I had seen that 70003 was allocated to Fridays working. I decided to try the shot at Lower Basildon as I don’t venture down here very often so thought it would make a nice change of location.

It seems the Class 70 is still a draw at the moment as the novelty hasn’t worn off yet as a couple of photters were also on site when I arrived or maybe it was just the good weather finally bring people out. I didn’t have long to wait and running bang on time 70003 eased the 4O51 Wentloog – Southampton liner up the relief. I would still like to hear one of the class under full bore for myself as I have been told they sound quite good.

After bagging Betty at Lower Basildon I decided to try the shot at Purley on Thames but its still a bit too early in the year for the shot with shadows covering the cutting so I ended up heading back to spend the afternoon at Cholsey. It appears the Freds seems to stick to the same working as I bagged a second shot of 66592 again working the 4O27 Garston – Southampton liner.

Next up was a working I have only seen once before and never appeared on this site, the Network Measurement Train. It has never seem to have matched up to my time off work before and its schedule isn’t that great however today it all fitted into place. Running down the relief on this occasion the ‘Flying Banana’ as it is affectionately known worked the 1Z21 London Paddington – Derby RTC slowly through the Oxfordshire countryside.

Last up was a new working to the Thames Valley and the inaugural working had been the previous day which I did indeed photograph but I wanted the share the shots out over the two days and I preferred Fridays view anyway. DBS has won a new steel flow from Holland to Troste in Wales where upon the following day it heads to Llanwern before on the third day it heads back home on the 6Z14 Llanwern – Dollands Moor for onward transit through the tunnel to Holland. 66051 had charge of today’s working of 20 IHAs and 1623 tonnes in tow it was certainly giving the shed a good workout as it was struggling to get the train up to speed after its stop at Didcot.