A distinctive sound....

There's the distinctive throbbing hum from a pair of EDs alongside the Van Shop, it's more of a feeling than a sound! 73119 and 73109 are formed up with GLV 68505 making ready to leave shortly. Also on site are 73208 and 73213 which arrived as a foursome yesterday with the other two but are now sat on the short road alongside the Fareham line awaiting their next duty.

57310 and 57305 have just arrived back and are sat running on the fuel point.

Raxstar have scrapped four more coil carriers this week. There are still some more to do before they resume scrapping C Stock. There are currently seven C Stock in the yard awaiting the chop. Work continues on processing the rest of the C Stock with 5601 currently over the pit.

Work is underway in the old Cleaning House which Arlington are turning into a diesel loco servicing shed. A new pit is being built and the track was surveyed yesterday to see what work needs to be done to bring it up to scratch and extend into the shed.

Earlier this week the yard boys broke their record again when they dispatched 24 wagons on the trip to Maritime.

Just like the old days.....

Bit of an ED fest today with five in the yard and one in the shed!

73107 and 73201 are stabled with a Test Train. 73138 was taken off this train yesterday and replaced by 73201. 73109 and 73213 arrived this morning for repairs. E6005 (73005) is stored down the back of Bay 1.

Also in Bay 1 is class 3 D6515 (33012). Add that to 07007 trundling around the place and it's just like old times!

455846 is almost complete and is due to depart on Monday 20th.

Siemens are working on 450075 and 450095.

There are 20 completed wagons to go out but the trip isn't running today after all so these will have to wait for another day.

Scrapping of C Stock has halted temporarily while Raxstar concentrate on scrapping some coil carrier wagons with three dealt with so far this week.

How did I miss that?

Firstly, Happy New Year to all of you who spend a few minutes now and again reading this blog.

This morning, an almost completed 66712 was shunted out of the Arlington Paintshop! I missed this one arriving, apparently over Christmas sometime, and didn't realise it was here. Woops! Shows how busy we've been.

Underground deliveries have stopped for now and Raxstar are crunching their way through the vehicles in the scrap line, only 5 left this afternoon. We still have 16 vehicles to process, including two that are currently inside our shed, so plenty to do.

The two additional AIT cars were shunted into the Paintshop this morning. The rest of the AIT cars are being moved from Bay 1 South into one of the Test Sheds which has been kitted out so they can be worked on to get the six vehicles put together.

Kof 539-7 emerged from the Paintshop before Christmas painted in Arlington green, to match the Ruston, and wearing the name 'Cheviot'.

 

 

C Stock in abundance

We had 30 C Stock vehicles in November and 12 so far in December. We are due to get another 18 before Christmas. As you can imagine, we're busy processing them as fast as we can. The scrap line had 9 vehicles in at the start of yesterday, and now has seven as Raxstar have scrapped two. Six of the vehicles are trailers as they are quicker for us to process and are usually turned round and in the scrap line within hours of arriving. The motors take a bit longer , hence the lines of them awaiting processing in the yard.

Also scrapped in the last week have been three of the stored KIB coil carrier wagons.

Northern Belle 47790 is back out the front after completion of repairs.

The remaining Kof, 539-7, is in the Paintshop.

The 07 now sports working head and marker lights on each end. Something the veteran loco hasn't had for many years.

Record breaking.....

The Maritime trip earlier today departed with 23 wagons.... this beats the previous known record of 22 wagons. 66542 was in charge of the trip and brought in 12 wagons for repair before departing with the mammoth consist;

66542
92574
97734
97769
97719
608103
608102
608368
608367
608059
608495
92573
92571
608109
608110
608193
608194
608271
608269
97742
608298
607012
607110
608498

Also out and about today are two of the GLVs being prepared for de-icing duties now that the weather is getting colder.

Farewell 'Splutter'

Having arrived on 19th October 2011, the two Kof locos have proved their worth over the last two years. They've hauled all sorts around the Works, including mainline locos (47s, 57s and 66s) and electric units, not to mention dozens of Underground vehicles and wagons.

323 674-2, nicknamed 'Splutter' having developed an engine fault that made it sound rather unwell, is now departing for pastures new at Wansford on the Nene Valley Railway.

323 539-7 remains on site and is used out the back of the Works for shunting locos and wagons between bays 1, 2 and 3.

Here's a look back of some of 'Splutter's varied duties over the last two years.......

Arriving with 323 539-7

 Shunting overhauled wagons

 



Shunting Underground units for warm storage

Shunting Class 57s

Shunting Undergrounds for decontamination and disposal



 Hauling a Class 66 out of the Paintshop

Shunting Class 508s for warm storage

In the Rain....

Four EDs (73136, 73212, 73141 and 73119), two Translators (975875 and 977087) and the two 508 vehicles (64710 and 64720) are waiting at the gates to leave for the docks. Once there they will be loaded onto lorries for the journey to their new home.

47853 and 66589 are back out the front of the Works, almost ready for departure following repairs.

'Celebrity' 66s, 66718 and 66721, are sat in the pouring rain by Eastleigh station. Released from the Arlington Paintshop on Monday reliveried and one of them renamed, they did a GBRf charter yesterday from Victoria which included a naming ceremony for 66721 'Sir Peter Hendy CBE'.


66718 sports graphics of various modes of transport around London as well as famous quotations relating to London.

66721 retains its 'Harry Beck' nameplates and is cream on one side with graphics depicting the Harry Beck's original 1933 Underground map. The other side is white and depicts a 2013 version of the map.

 

Yesterday saw the return of three 57s from RHTT duties, 57312, 57301 and 57306 arrived with the Arlington Translator vehicles. The comment on the side of 57306 said it all for me...'Also available in Yellow'.

 

01508 was used to shunt the Translators giving the first chance to see the matching livery....