Southern Snow

70006 leads a very lightly loaded Freighliner south at Worting Junction. Weekend engineering works which should have seen the train diverted via Andover had been cancelled due to the cold weather. 02/02/2019.

Repatriated from Germany by GBRf, 59003 crosses Battledown
Flyover heading from Eastleigh to Westbury. 02/02/2019

Conditions of snow and sunshine are rare in the UK, but these are the conditions that much of the country woke to on 2nd February 2019. Heavy snow had fallen across much of the UK over the previous 24 hours- including a blanket over much of the south of England. Many locations saw up to 5cm of snow settle but in some spots local accumulations were much larger. One area which saw more than its fair share of snowfall was Basingstoke which saw around 30cm of snow falling the previous day. This caused local transport chaos with roads blocked and cars abandoned- main routes including the M3 motorway became virtually impassable.

The railway was not unaffected either with a number of snow-laden trees falling onto the line between Basingstoke and Eastleigh rendering the route blocked. Over the weekend the route was scheduled to be blocked for engineering work, however the low temperatures resulted in the work being postponed. Freight services due to divert via Andover were able to continue running down the mainline however the planned diverted passenger services could not be altered back at such short notice.
Conditions were a photographers paradise and I was certainly not alone trekking out into the freezing conditions. Thanks also to those who got together to get our cars out of the car park at Worting Junciton!

159007 in the first variation of South Western Railway livery passes under Battledown Flyover with a West of England service. 02/02/2019

A 9 car class 159 formation wears a variety of liveries typifying the transition
from South West Trains to South Western Railway as it crosses Worting
Junction with an Exeter bound service. 02/02/2019

After a successful few hours at Worting there was one more target for the camera- A4 Pacific 60009 Union of South Africa working the Bellmond Surrey Hills Pullman. Unfortunately the snow diminished as I drove towards Guildford and by the time I reached Gomshall bank there were only remnants of the previous snow- however as the train appeared, a little late, the sky cleared to perfect sunshine for what may be the last appearance of 60009 on the Pullmans before it is retired as a static exhibit later in 2019. A cracking day of photography all in all and definitely a good day not to have been in the office!

60009 'Union of South Africa' makes a fine sight as it hammers up Gomshall bank with the VSOE Surrey Hills Luncheon. The Gresley Pacific was standing in for the usual traction, Merchant Navy 35028 which was on winter maintenance. 02/02/2019