Picture of the Day 1 March 2010

The South Devon Railway operated the preserved 'Bubble' car No. 55000 on 28 February 2010 along with trailer coach No. 43147. The 15.00 departure from Totnes Riverside to Buckfastleigh is seen passing Hood Bridge near Staverton.
Nathan Williamson

Picture of the Day 3 March 2010

This is the unusual formation of GBRF Class 73 No. 73212 Southern Class 442 No. 442422 and GBRF Class 73 No. 73204 heading away from Tonbridge as train 5Z42 the 09.42 Chart Leacon to Chart Leacon (via Tonbridge/Folkestone) on 2 March 2010. As it turned out the train was running nearly two hours late due to issues with a Class 442 going to Folkestone and It is believed that the formation did not actually reach Folkestone in the end? The unit itself was one of the last to leave Eastleigh and at one time it was not thought that it would ever work again. It has been externally refurbished but internally it is a total mess! A few windows are also boarded up. The unit was later towed to Stewarts Lane so presumably it will be repaired and returned to traffic.
Mark V. Pike

Picture of the Day 4 March 2010

On 3 March 2010, Colas Rail operated train 5Z47, the 10.00 Eastleigh Works to Barrow Hill, formed of Class 47 No. 47730 Robin of Templecombe hauling preserved Class 421 (4-CIG) No. 1881. The train is seen passing Tyseley South Junction.
Matt Wilson http://www.trainpics.net

Picture of the Day 5 March 2010

Freightliner Class 66 No. 66563 pilots the ever-popular Class 86/5 No. 86501 on train 4L41 from Ditton to Felixstowe on 3 March 2010. The train is seen passing South Tottenham. During the 14 week blockade on the Gospel Oak to Stratford line, an average of four freights per hour work over the Gospel Oak to South Tottenham route. With our photographer reporting a staggering 31 freight trains through South Tottenham in seven hours on 3 March 2010.
Paul Davis

Picture of the Day 6 March 2010

A slightly different railway for today's Picture of the Day - The Babbacombe Cliff Railway in Devon, which commenced its 84th season of running on 6 March 2010. The first descending car was loaded with ladies from Riviera Sound all wearing red and are seen heading down grade to Oddicombe Beach for some singing, along with charity stalls, raffles, a band and a display of Birds of Prey.
Nathan Williamson

Picture of the Day 7 March 2010

Direct Rail Services Class 37/4 No. 37423 leads a Maryport to Workington flood relief shuttle service south past Siddick Wind Farm on 4 March 2010. This windfarm, consisting of 7 turbines produces 4.2 mega-watts of electricity.
Nathan Williamson

Picture of the Day 8 March 2010

Class 450/0 'Desiro' set No. 450098 hurries past Hersham station on the South West main line on 8 March 2010 with a semi-fast service from London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour. The 444 and 450 'Desiro' sets are the mainstay of operations on the South West Trains network, with Class 455s and 458s operating on suburban and Reading line duties and Class 158 and 159 units on the Waterloo - Exeter corridor.
Colin J. Marsden

Picture of the Day 9 March 2010

A chance meet at Dawlish on 8 March 2010, when DBS Class 67s Nos. 67022 and 67017 depart from Dawlish station forming the 08.00 Cardiff to Paignton, while Amey Railways track machine DR73911 Puma a P&T 08-16 4x4C-RT machine approaches the station in the 'up' direction while on a transit move from Tavistock Junction to Exeter.
Ann Hill

Picture of the Day 10 March 2010

On Wednesday 10 March 2010, First Great Western named Class 43 No. 43053 University of Worcester at Worcester Shrub Hill station to celebrate its fifth anniversary. The naming was performed by H.R.H. The Duke of Gloucester the University’s Chancellor, who is photographed unveiling the nameplate.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 11 March 2010

Preserved Class 31s Nos. 31128 and 31108 working train 1E46 from Wansford to Peterborough on the Nene Valley Railway passing Castor on Sunday 7 March 2010 during the NVR diesel gala. No. 31128 was visiting the railway for the gala after being recently outshoped in its new livery at Barrow Hill. It arrived at the NVR along with Nos. 46045 and 20048 in a convoy hauled by 47826.
Joshua Day

Picture of the Day 13 March 2010

The original station at Hednesford closed in 1965 but reopened as the terminus of the first stage of the reopening of the Chase Line from Walsall in 1989. The service was extended to Rugeley Town in 1997 when a second platform was added. The station is set to undergo a major refurbishment under the National Stations Improvement Program (NSIP) in 2010. The work will include new CCTV, ticket vending machines, and passenger waiting shelters. On Friday 12 March 2010, Freightliner Class 70 No. 70006 slogs through the station in the rain running four hours late hauling the 6Z70 Avonmouth to Rugeley Power Station loaded coal train.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 14 March 2010

DBS Class 59/2 No. 59205 becomes the first Class 59 to work to Westerleigh Oil Terminal on 11 March 2010, after several failed trials. Here the train passes Westerleigh village with Class 66/0 No. 66067 coupled behind for insurance powering train 6B13 from Robeston.
Chris Perkins

Picture of the Day 15 March 2010

It is not often that four Class 47s are seen operating together even in a light loco move. On 15 March 2010, No.47815 (D1748) ‘Great Western’ paused on the northbound goods line at Derby station at about 11.55 hauling a rake of ex-Virgin Mk2s. After departing northwards, the loco returned through Derby at 13.40 as part of a convoy now including No. D1916, and blue liveried Nos. 47805 ‘Talisman’ and 47839 ‘Pegasus’.
Owen Evans

Picture of the Day 16 March 2010

West Coast Railway Class 47/7 No. 47760 operated an inspection saloon from Waterloo to Poole and return on 16 March 2010. The return working is seen passing Redbridge near Southampton.
Ian Knight

Picture of the Day 17 March 2010

On Tuesday 16 March 2010, Cross Country Class 221 ‘Super Voyager’ No. 221133 passes Kings Norton Junction and takes the Selly Oak line in South West Birmingham with the 10.06 Paignton to Manchester Piccadilly service. This is the point where the Camp Hill line (formerly the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway) diverges from the erstwhile Midland Railway Birmingham to Bristol mainline. The Camp Hill line (visible on the left) lost its passenger service in 1946 and is now used primarily as a freight route and for occasional Cross Country services.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 18 March 2010

Off to Pastures new former Class 86/2 No. 86232 no numbered 0450 003 - 3 was whisked away from Long Marston on 17 March 2010 hauled by Colas Class 47/7 No. 47727 to Worcester Yard where the locos then stayed overnight before moving to Crewe for testing on the 18 March. The smart liveried 'Pink Floyd' 86 is bound for Hungary and is seen passing Lower Moor between Evesham and Worcester.
Jack Boskett

Picture of the Day 19 March 2010

DBS VIP-liveried Class 67 No. 67029 hauls Gatwick Express Class 442 No. 442422 across Chelsea Bridge as train 5Z71, the 11.15 Stewarts Lane RSMD to Wolverton Works on 18 March 2010 for internal refurbishment, before entering service on the London to Brighton main line.
Mark Pike

Picture of the Day 22 March 2010

Barrow Hill-based Class 20 No. 20142 now painted in 1970s BR rail blue and restored with a Group Standard headlight and operational four-character route display is seen in company with green-liveried No. 20189 at March on Sunday 14 March 2010.
Ryan Tranmer

Picture of the Day 23 March 2010

DB Schenker are continuing their trials of Class 59/2s on the Murco Tanks to try and fill the gap left by the reduction of the Class 60 fleet. On a warm spring feeling day on the 16 March 2010, No. 59205 leads the 6B13 Robeston to Westerleigh tanks south through Cam & Dursley with No. 66007 tucked inside 'dead in train' incase of any problems.
Nathan Williamson

Picture of the Day 24 March 2010

In mid-March 2010, Freightliner Heavy Haul introduced a new short-term stone working from Croft Quarry near Narborough in Leicestershire to Brierley Hill in the West Midlands. On Wednesday 24 March 2010, Class 66/6 No. 66624 crosses Stourbridge Viaduct on the Brierley Hill branch (the remnant of the South Staffordshire line to Walsall) with the 09.39 (6G43) loaded bogie box wagons from Croft. The empties will later return as the 18.37 (6F43) working and will travel via Worcester Yard (reverse), Bromsgrove, Water Orton and Nuneaton to reach its destination.
John Binch

Picture of the Day 25 March 2010

With the announcement on 25 March 2010 that Jarvis/Fastline had gone into administration one wonders how much longer these locos will operate in this livery. On 25 March 2010 recently introduced No. 66434 is seen at Nottingham running light from Toton to Nottingham Eastcroft for fuel.
Ryan Tranmer

Picture of the Day 27 March 2010

HNRC-owned Class 20/0s Nos. 20901 and 20905 work train 6Z22 from Derby Chaddesdon to Peterborough Yard consisiting of 10 GBRf Coal hoppers. The train is seen passing East Goscote Leicestershire on 26 March 2010.
Joshua Day

Picture of the Day 28 March 2010

We go 'down under' for our Picture of the Day today, in fact to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The picture shows a BHP ore train operating on the ‘Fly In Fly Out’ (FIFO) system and includes GEC Dash 8 No. 5656, a 4,000 hp loco arriving into Port Hedland yard with a load of ore from the Yarrie mine.
Gary Sexton

Picture of the Day 29 March 2010

Track laying on the French LGV Rhin-Rhone line has now reached the village of Brans (North West of Besancon). There is still no tracklaying to the east of Villersexel, at present it is all westwards towards Dole/Dijon. On 24 March 2010 Ex-UK Class 58s Nos. 58039/049 are seen laying track panels near Brans.
Paul Davis

Picture of the Day 30 March 2010

Although the attention of British enthusiasts on the French LGV Rhin-Rhône scheme has naturally turned towards the UK-built Class 58s, the local trains delivering ballast to the construction base at Villersexel are also interesting. On 26 March 2010, a quadruple headed ballast train formed of SNCF BB 66000 locomotives 669238/669305/669204/669201 approaches Lure on the Paris-Belfort main line. After entering the yard at Lure it will reverse and head in top-and-tailed formation for the LGV construction base at Villersexel via the specially re-opened and refurbished single track branch line. Note the elaborate telegraph poles and wires in this view. .
Kim Fullbrook