Dawlish Trains www.dawlishtrains.com
March 2015
Its Friday, so its NMT day in the West Country, now running every other week, the NMT operated its 1Q18, 05.07 Old Oak Common to Old Oak Common via Paddington and Plymouth run on 27 March 2015. In dull conditions the set led by No. 43013 and tailed by No. 43062 passes below the station footbridge at Dawlish. By the time the train reached Dawlish in the outward direction it was running 89mins late.
170102 departs from Stamford on 25 March 2015 forming train 1N57 13.27 Stansted Airport - Birmingham New Street.
170102 departs from Stamford on 25 March 2015 forming train 1N57 13.27 Stansted Airport - Birmingham New Street. 170519 departs from other platform with 1L42 13.22 Birmingham New Street - Stansted Airport.
DB-S Class 66 No. 66085 passes Stamford on 25 March 2015 with the 13.20 Chesterton Redland Siding to Mountsorrel empty self discharge ballast train.
Pity the sun could not find a way to illuminate this today. Colas Rail Freight Class 70 No. 70804 approaches the new footbridge at Powderham on 24 March 2015 powering train 6V54, the 05.35 Chirk Kronospan to Teigngrace empty logs. First time a 70 had operated the duty. The train today was powered by Freightliner Class 66 No. 66555 from Chirk to Exeter from where the 70 took over, arriving light from Westbury.
Top and tailed by CrossCountry power cars Nos. 43378 and 43366, train 1V50, 06.06 Edinburgh Waverley to Plymouth approaches Powderham on 24 March 2015.
43131 and 43091 provide the power for FGWs 1C79, the 11.06 Paddington to Plymouth approaching Powderham on 24 March 2015.
Yet again in dull conditions, Network Rail Class 950 No. 950001 passes Powderham on 24 March 2015 forming test train 2Q08, the 06.24 Bristol Temple Meads to Plymouth via Whatley and Merehead.
First Great Western's popular daytime sleeper service from Penzance depot to Old Oak Common operated on 23 March 2015 powered by FGW-green liveried No. 57604 piloting failed DRS No. 57306. Running as train 5Z70, the 10.25 Penzance Long Rock depot to Old Oak Common depot, the train is seen passing through Dawlish station. Last evenings up Penzance to Paddington sleeper was a failure with brake defects at Penzance and was formed of an HST set, with No. 57604 hitching a ride west on the down sleeper to rescue the train and take it to London for this evenings westbound service. How many times in recent months has this train failed?
Only 317 minutes early, Colas Class 70 No. 70804 passes Powderham with train 6C30, the 15.25 Newton Abbot to Westbury after dropping ballast along the Newton Abbot to Heathfield branch. Pity the sun was not out!
These Colas men like to turn up early! 6C30 05.20 Westbury Down TC to Newton Abbot for the Heathfield branch loaded ballast train passes Dawlish at 06.49 some 32min early on 23 March 2015. The train is powered by Class 70 No. 70804, and providing all goes to plan it will be the first 70 over the Heathfield branch.
Every day the sun improves for this view. Freightliner No. 66520 emerges slowly from Kennaway Tunnel, Dawlish on 21 March 2015 powering train 6Y54, the 19.25 Exeter St Thomas to Westbury, running between the worksite at Dainton to Exeter.
Always looks nice, the full Royal Train is seen passing Dawlish on 20 March 2015, returning as 1Z40 to Wolverton Works for safe keeping. The train operated west overnight from Euston to the Heathfield Branch (Newton Abbot) before continuing to Plymouth this morning to drop off HM The Queen who is visiting HMS Ocean. The train is 'top and tailed' by Class 67s Nos. 67005 and 67026 and is seen passing the work platform at Dawlish. The trains formation was (from near end) 2920, 2915, 2917, 2923, 2904, 2903, 2921.
Rear view of above train with No. 67026 nearest the camera.
43146/-/43168 up Teignmouth, 1A16 07.41 Penzance - Paddington, 18 March 2015.
43183/-/43143 down Teignmouth 1C04, 07.30 Paddington - Paignton, 18 March 2015.
143612 + 143619 up Teignmouth, 2F21 10.21 Paignton - Exmouth, 18 March 2015.
153377 up Teignmouth, 2E40 10.33 Paignton to Exeter St Davids. 18 March 2015.
221125 up Teignmouth, 1M41 10.07 Paignton - Manchester Piccadilly, 18 March 2015.
150121 down Teignmouth, 2T10, 09.23 Exmouth - Paignton, 18 March 2015.
221123 up Teignmouth, 1S45 09.25 Plymouth - Aberdeen, 18 March 2015.
220012 down Teignmouth (Parsons Tunnel) 1V42 06.10 Derby - Plymouth, 18 March 2015.
143620 + 143621 up Teignmouth, 2F17 09.13 Paignton to Exmouth, 18 March 2015.
143620 + 143621 up Teignmouth, 2F17 09.13 Paignton to Exmouth, 18 March 2015.
43130/-/43140 down Teignmouth, 1C73, 07.06 Paddington - Penzance, 18 March 2015.
43198/-/43169 up Teignmouth (passing slip site), 1A78 06.45 Penzance - Paddington, 18 March 2015.
143619 + 143612 down Teignmouth, 2T08, 08.23 Exmouth - Paignton, 18 March 2015.
221125 down Teignmouth, 1V41 06.42 Birmingham New Street - Paignton, 18 March 2015.
221124 up Teignmouth, 1S43 06.28 Penzance - Glasgow Central, 18 March 2015.
150101 up Teignmouth, 2U12 06.00 Penzance - Cardiff, 18 March 2015.
153377 down Teignmouth, 2T07, 08.32 Exeter St James Park - Paignton, 18 March 2015.
Thunderbirds are GO. DRS 57306 runs light from Old Oak to Laira to rescue the failed sleepers on 17 March 2015. Last nights Paddington to Pnzance sleeper failed at Plymouth this morning with a GSM-R fault on 57602. The loco could not be repaired at Laira, they did try and an attempt was made to work the train to Penzance but again it failed. So a rescue loco was sent from Old Oak to power tonights up sleeper which is likely to start from Plymouth not Penzance.
Just 209 minutes behind schedule, DB-S Class 66 No. 66148 storms out of Kennaway Tunnel on 15 March 2015 powering train 6W10, the 09.55 Totnes to Eastleigh via Westbiry formed of 'Railvac-1' No. 709515001-4.
The afternoons entertainment on 14 March 2015 continued with the second of the ballast trains from the Dainton blockade, 66596 another of the five door machines, emerges from Kennaway Tunnel with the loaded Falcon set to form train 6Y67, 17.26 Exeter St Thomas to Westbury.
The first of todays (14 March 2015) returning engineering works trains from the Dainton worksite is seen emerging from Kennaway Tunnel, Dawlish at 13.57 headed by five-door shed No. 66585 'The Drax Flyer', formation was 8 YKAs. Train will form 6Y66 15.32 Exeter St Thomas to Westbury.
Not good photographic conditions, but a pair of '56s' on the Dawlish sea wall still awakes my interest. Colas Rail Freight Nos. 56078 and 56105 storm through Dawlish on 11 March 2015 powering train 6M51 the 08.56 Teigngrace to Chirk Kronospan loaded logs running 108mins late.
Running an hour early, Colas Rail Freight Class 56s Nos. 56105 and 56078 pass Dawlish on 10 March 2015 powering train 6V54 05.35 Chirk Kronospan to Teigngrance empty log train formed of 16 wagons. Sun a bit head on
Hanson Class 59/1 No. 59101 emerges from Kennaway Tunnel, Dawlish on 8 March 2015 working train 6W26, 09.55 Newton Abbot West Junction to Westbury with engineering stock off the Dainton relaying work.
Freightliner No. 66536 on train 6Y68 the 19.08 Exeter St Thomas to Westbury, emerges from Kennaway Tunnel working away from the worksite at Dainton on 7 March 2015.
A Freightliner take-over of the Dawlish Sea Wall - 7 March 2015. 66596 on train 6Y67, the 17.09 Exeter St Thomas to Westbury, emerges from Kennaway Tunnel en route from the worksite at Dainton to St Thomas.
Wonder how much longer this thing (43163) has to carry its Plymouth branding before it is removed? Seen passing Dawlish on 6 March 2015 leading the 1C84, 14.06 Paddington to Penzance. Cant get over the decent light for a change.
Former London Midland-liveried FGW-operated Class 153 'Bubble' No. 153325 now sports a rather stunning 'Citizens Rail' red and blue livery, applied as a partnership between Citizens Rail, FGW and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership. On 6 March 2015, the 'Bubble' departs from Dawlish forming the 16.05 Exeter St Davids to Plymouth.
Former London Midland-liveried FGW-operated Class 153 'Bubble' No. 153325 now sports a rather stunning 'Citizens Rail' red and blue livery, applied as a partnership between Citizens Rail, FGW and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership. On 6 March 2015, the 'Bubble' leads a Class 150 forming the 08.00 Cardiff to Paignton seen departing from Dawlish Warren.
143619+143617+150221 depart from Dawlish, train 2T19, the 14.24 Exmouth - Paignton, 4 March 2015.
The sun was out for this image of 43144 in FGW advertising livery leading 1A81, the 08.44 Penzance to Paddington on 3 March 2015, seen from the station footbridge at Dawlish. On the rear in 'my' power car No. 43197, a rare visitor to the sea wall.
Taken on 1 March 2015 this view shows that the majority of new concrete sections raising the height of the lower walkway are now in position and the process of joining this to the two existing sections is now underway. The 'trench' section formed by the new sections will now be filled with liquid cement pumped down from the Exeter Road prior to the top being fitted. Looks like the building team are working to a date of 1 May for some form of completion. A little different from one year ago! 153369 heads west past the worksite forming train 2C47 12.20 Exeter St Davids - Penzance.