A day to Eastleigh to meet up with others from the Freightmaster Interactive Forum kicks off for me with 66143 running through the station light.
One of the yard pilot loco's 08664 goes about its business while the driver looks over at the gaggle of gricers on the platform end. What is he thinking? Answers in the comments......
The day started cold and wet with heavy rain falling, but that didn't stop the freight. 66060 rumbles round the back of the island platform with 6B42 TThO 0810 Fawley to Eastleigh Yard loaded fuel tanks, 15 TTA and 1 TEA bogie tanks.
The TEA bogie tank is removed from the rake by 08664.
Freightliner 66536 enters platform 1 and comes to a stand to allow a crew change to take place.
The rain falls heavily as 220021 charges through the down fast road with 1O04 0546 Crewe to Bournemouth Cross Country service.
66536 gets away from a crew change at Eastleigh. The train is 4E44 0929 Southampton to Leeds freightliner.
The use of class 57 locos is on the decline with Freightliner (6/07) as more class 66s are acquired. 57008 runs into the station with 4O18 MX 0444 Lawley Street to Millbrook freightliner, it is about an hour late.
Stagecoach's South West Trains operate a small fleet of class 170 turbostars and 170604 is rostered to the Totton to Romsey and return shuttle. This service is 2R34 1001 from Totton.
All of the mkI slam door stock has long been withdrawn, except on the Lymington branch, and replaced by various classes of Desiro units. 444027 is the lead unit of a pair forming a class 2 local working to Waterloo, 2B36 1055 from Southampton.
This Freightliner working has travelled down from the Merseyside depot at Garston with 66575 working 4O14 MX 0435 to Southampton.
A gap in the consist of 66575's train allows 66516 to be recorded during its crew change on 4M58 1100 Southampton to Ditton freightliner.
66516 gets away with a fresh driver on board, the destination is near Runcorn.
The rain has stopped and the day is brightening up. SWT liveried 73109 flees through the station heading for Bournemouth for Thunderbird duties. It has come down from Woking and will be swapping with the ED on standby at Bournemouth.
The London end of Eastleigh station can be a little cramped for photographing some movements like this. 66506 fronts 6B36 0948 Southampton Western Docks to Eastleigh Virtual Quarry loaded ballast boxes.
Having been held outside Eastleigh station for some 20 minutes, 66052 now enters the station to run through platform 3.
66075 is held at the down platform 2 starter heading for Eastleigh Depot having come from Westbury Yard as 0O41 1005 off. Beyond is 66052 getting away with an Intermodal service from Wakefield Europort to Southampton Maritime depot, 4O53 0430 off.
66506 heads away from Eastleigh Yard as 0B36 to Southampton. It had earlier come in with 20 loaded JNA ballast boxes on 6B36 0948 Western Docks to Eastleigh Virual Quarry.
Former National Power class 59 loco, 59206 fronts a rake of 15 empty JYA bogie hoppers for Whatley Quarry. 7V16 is the 1149 departure from Fareham.
170392 comes off the Romsey line and will cross the main up and down lines to run into platform 2 for its Eastleigh station stop. This service is 2R31 1200 from Romsey to Totton.
As 170392 departs, 66143 comes into view on full chat with the General Motors 12N-710G3B-EC 3200hp power plant punching out the clag. Its working is a well loaded 6V38 1140 Marchwood to Didcot MOD stores. The Haynes Manual says it shouldn't clag like that!!
These locos are not meant to put out a heavy exhaust when working hard so there could be a problem with 66143.
The day is definately brightening up as 221140 tears towards the station at speed on the down fast road with 1O10 0640 Newcastle to Bournemouth Cross Country.
A busy scene at the country end of Eastleigh station with 221140 sandwiched between 444018 and 1T29 1109 Waterloo to Portsmouth on the left and 170304 and 2R42 1201 Totton to Romsey on the right.
From June 2007 SWT ceased to operate the popular class 442 5WES units on the Waterloo to Weymouth line. But today 2405 and 2416 storm the station with 1W31 1135 Waterloo to Weymouth.
The pair charge through the station on the down fast as Desiro 444015 enters with 1T42 1151 Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo.
66517 hauls its northbound freightliner working over all the lines at the southern throat as it crosses into platform 3. It is rostered to 4M99 1231 Millbrook to Trafford Park. It is on this side of the station to access the yard to recess for several hours.
Graham the birthday boy hands out the birthday cake made by his wife. We didn't give him the bumps!!
Bubblecar 153374 runs ECS through Eastleigh station as 5O09 Southampton to Romsey. A shortage of siding space at Southampton is the reason for the empty move.
There are, or at the time were, a couple of shunting locos at work in the yard. here Mainline blue liveried 09024 goes about its business shunting ballast boxes.
Desiro 444003 makes its station stop in platform 1 and waits its departure time with 2B44 1255 Southampton to Waterloo. In platform 2 is 66204 heading for the yard to pick up its train.
Desiro 450039 runs in for its station stop with 1Y30 1152 Brighton to Basingstoke. Over the other side of the fast lines is 66575 stopping for a crew change on 4M61 1300 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner service.
Southbound 221138 heads for Bournemouth from Manchester Piccadilly, 1O12 0924 off.
Bubblecar 153374 swings over the up roads off the Up Salisbury line with ECS 5V81 from Romsey to Southampton. There it will form 2V81 1427 to Bristol Temple Meads.
Looking into the yard from the end of the island platform and two engineers trains are visible with a shunter. 66075 is in charge of 7V41 1452 Eastleigh Yard to Westbury Yard and 66005 will take out 7Y40 1554 Eastleigh Yard to Hoo Junction.
The daily Southampton to Cardiff Wentloog Freightliner was usually booked for a class 57 loco as it tends to be lightly loaded. 57010 runs under the road bridge at the north end of Eastleigh with a well loaded 4O51 1002 from Wentloog to Millbrook.
Another arriving Freightliner service is 4O54 0613 Leeds to Southampton behind 66571.
The sun is now warm and lights up the fading Mainline blue livery of yard pilot 09024.
The other gronk is 08664 and it potter about earning its keep.
By mid afternoon the sun has come round enough to warrant a move onto the up platform 1. 220033 approaches at speed with 1O14 0600 Glasgow Central to Bournemouth Cross Country.
Freightliner Heavy Haul 66550 runs in with 29 empty PGA hoppers on 6O49 TThO 1051 Neasden to Wool empty sand hoppers. The train will run to Dorchester to split the rake and run round to head back to Wool.
Desiro EMU 444018 gathers pace away from the station and starts to cross onto the up lines with its train 1T50 1351 Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo.
73201 absolutely tore through the station at some speed only to expire and block the up line a few miles further on! It was heading from Bournemouth to Woking. It was rescued by a following class 442 unit and pushed to Winchester.
Desiro 450039 is caught by the shadow of the over bridge as it runs in with 2T37 1424 Basingstoke to Fareham class 2 service.
On time 66075 eases its long train of CWR out of the yard. 7V41 1452 Eastleigh Yard to Westbury Yard Departmental will run through the station and bear right at Totton for Westbury. Note the approaching BAE 146 aircraft visible in the top right hand corner.
As the engineers train passes through the station the landing aircraft as gotten ahead and is considerably lower with its Dunlops dangled!
Planes, Trains but no Automobile. 444034 turns into platform 1 with 2B52 145 Southampton to Waterloo local. Above and beyond the FlyBe BAE 146 aircraft with air brakes deployed is on short finals to land at Eastleigh airport.
With the failure of 73201 20 minutes previously, all up traffic has come to a stand. On the right is 444034, on the up fast is 2420 working 1B50 1401 Poole to Waterloo. Down trains were not affected so 2417 passed normally working 1B41 1405 Waterloo to Poole.
