Now today I have something of a rarity for you in more ways than one. Firstly the fact I have an update for you on a day I am actually working and secondly the working itself being pretty unusual. To set the story I had seen gen that a pair of DRS tractors were rostered for the Kineton and Bicester MOD trips out of Didcot today which is very rare considering these are DB diagrams! I wasn’t expecting to photograph these workings but once I saw that the return Bicester trip actually co-insided with my lunch break (sort of) I was off home to grab my camera.

Due to the tightness of time and getting back to work I only had one choice of location which is Radley as it is closest to work. I very rarely photograph these MOD trips so was a bit clueless of the timings but a quick scan of old gen messages showed the returned Bicester working arrived back at Didcot around 15:00-15:15. Luckily it was running bang on time as 37601/611 powered a lengthy rake of containers on the 6A48 Bicester – Didcot Yard, very nice indeed!

A brief update today as the weather played ball on my day off. The main reason I went out today was to try and bag the GBRF 66 on the 6O96 Mountsorrel – Eastleigh ballast working as it is a very ad hoc move that can run pretty much anyday of the week or none at all. However I would luck out again today but I did still bag a shot so not a complete waste.

I used to visit Radley quite a lot when I was more actively into spotting and had forgotten how the rails sing really well when a train is approaching and can alert you to an oncoming train well before you can see it and a slightly different noise suggested a slower freight was approaching. This was correct as 66177 did its best to impersonate an Intermodal train with the 6A48 Bicester – Didcot Yard MOD working with a number of refrigerated containers at the front of the train.

Well I have things back on track again this week as they are rail related although only a brief update after early promise of a good days photography. The forecast for Saturday morning was for clear skies and plenty of sunshine early on so with the alarm set for 05:40 I woke up to a glorious spring sunrise. As sunrise has moved forward gradually since my last early morning photting session it gave me the opportunity to bag a couple of workings this time.

I arrived at Radley just after 6am to hear the rails singing and 66623 in Bardon Blue livery trashing through on a FLHH coal working to Didcot Power Station but I still had a little wait for my first target, the ‘Blue Worm’. This working is infact the 4V40 Purfleet – Cowley empty car carriers and as it passes Radley at 06:40 roughly it is only really phottable for a couple of three months in the summer. 66034 was the power for today’s train and makes a nice sight as it passes through Radley in cracking light!

I didn’t have too long to wait for my next planned shot the 4E69 Southampton – Wakefield Intermodal which was due about 25 minutes after the empty cartics and running bang on time 66100 did the honours today. I did have a few more shots planned but the glorious start to the day fizzled out and turned to full dull and showers!