May 2013

4 May. Resident Wolverton Works shunter 08649 Wolverton hauls the latest refurbished Heathrow Express set 332008 along McConnell Drive towards Centre Sidings where 66037 is waiting to return the unit south.

4 May. One of only a few GB 66's to be unnamed, 66711 passes Soulbury in charge of the 4M23 1045 Felixstowe - Hams Hall.

4 May. 66037 performs the honour of returning 332008 to more familiar territory as they pass Soulbury with the 7V03.

4 May. Refurbished 332008 passes Soulbury in the consist of the 7V03 1425 Wolverton Centre Sidings - Old Oak Common Heathrow Express.

4 May. The going away view at Soulbury showing the distinctive Vodafone livery as applied to one end vehicle.

4 May. Bearing cast plates, 92030 Ashford passes Cheddington with the 6A42 1442 Daventry - Wembley vans.

4 May. Recently repainted pioneer, 66001 passes Wolverton atop the 6R06 1646 Crewe Basford Hall - Wembley Central engineers. 66170 was on the rear.

4 May. 66238 takes a rake of side tipplers through Wolverton as the 6R08 Bescot - Willesden.

5 May. With 66136 on the other end outside the station, 66095 sits at Bletchley at 0115 on engineering duty.

5 May. All is quiet except on the railway as maintenance sees track panels being removed and lifted at Bletchley. Note to the far right the outline of 66136 on loaded ballast.

5 May. With the lines leading to Bletchley Flyover visible to the far left, 66011 sits at Denbigh north of Bletchley having arrived the previous night as the 6R01 Bescot - Milton Keynes Central.

6 May. Pink patrol police as the distinctive 57307 LADY PENELOPE passes Castlethorpe at speed working as the 0T74 1343 Northampton - Euston Up Carriage Shed. She is seen here running 13 minutes early.

10 May. One small cloud .... DBS 92016 passes south at Cheddington atop the 6A42 1442 Daventry - Wembley vans.

14 May. A hint of brightness on an otherwise poor day weatherwise as 168111 passes south on the approach to Banbury with a service for Marylebone.

14 May. 67010 the former Unicorn, heads out of Banbury leading the 1R16 0845 Marylebone - Birmingham Snow Hill.

14 May. Looking resplendent, FLOYD 7 and FLOYD 8 await onward movement to Willesden at Long Marston. Note the differing colour of underframes.

14 May. FLOYD 7 / 86228 awaits the arrival of 56303 from Washwood Heath for the onward movement to Willesden via the West Midlands. The former Vulcan Heritage carries the revised FLOYD livery which has dispensed with the pink stripe in favour of red and blue stripes which are the house colours of Eurogate, a German operator who now owns 51% of FLOYD.

14 May. FLOYD 7 and FLOYD 8 will undergo electrical tests at Willesden before onward shipping to Hungary. Note the revised FLOYD logo which is an adaptation of the Eurogate house logo.

14 May. Side view of FLOYD 7 showing the 'Ontomeg' or weight as 85t. Both FLOYD 7 and FLOYD 8 have been fitted with two pantographs.

14 May. The first seven FLOYD's all carry grey underframes but FLOYD 8 seen here, carries black underframes. The former 86242 was due to become 86703 and work was started on the underframe including painting it black before the decision to abort the conversion to 86703. She was then incoporated into the FLOYD program and so kept her black look.

14 May. FLOYD 8, the former 86242 James Kennedy G.C. poses with FLOYD 7 at Long Marston. 86242 was the first 86 to gain Intercity colours.

14 May. Front end detail of FLOYD 8 including the centrally fitted headlight which has the BR double arrow on the glass !

14 May. The Eurogate logo is identical to this except obviously for the wording. Seen her on FLOYD 7.

14 May. Underframe comparisons as grey FLOYD 7 squares up to black FLOYD 8.