M62- A Soviet Monster

I am slowly developing my own thoughts on what my 'favourite' non-British locomotives would be. Certainly there are many worthy contenders throughout the world and while I am not sure that they would win an outright 'favourite locomotive in the world' category, the M62 would certainly top a 'Soviet' group.

Built between 1965 and 1980 the M62 is most definitely a monstrous class with a massive 7164 (according to Wikipedia) single sections produced to be formed into more than FIVE THOUSAND locomotives! To put that into context the most locomotives of any single class to ever operate in Britain were the class 47's at a meagre 512 pieces!

The locomotives have been common throughout former Soviet states from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Belarus, Poland and of course Hungary (from where the designation M62 originates) to name just a few. Some M62 locomotives have even found their way to Cuba!

In Poland the class (known as ST44) have been in decline for many years now due to their huge fuel consumption and excessive track wear. Despite this many private operators continue to use the reliable locos, and even within PKP cargo rebuilt locomotives of this type are seeing something of a renaissance.

One of the highlights of my recent trip is photographed above- Privately owned Pol Meidz Trans loco M62-1199 heading a heavy ballast train through Poznan Staroleca on 2nd March 2012. This was the second PMT loco we had seen within the hour, the first being M62-3101. While 3101 gave the air of having been re-engined, M62-1199 with it's characteristic sound and exhaust was most definitely the real deal!

All being well I hope to be able to post some further M62's over the coming months...

Picture of the week- 19th March 2012

An interesting overview of the urban landscape of Newport (Gwent). While the ideal location for the photograph would have been the car park visible to the right this was sadly not accessible. Instead I found a perch high up with the pigeons in another city car park with a view looking east. While the River Gwent is obscured by trees the rolling landscape of rooftops still creates an interesting backdrop.

The train headed by 66127 is, I believe, a service from Exeter Riverside to Bescot conveying China Clay- it is about to head left onto the marches line towards Hereford, though quite how it would come to be travelling east through South Wales I am not entirely sure!

The photograph was taken on 17th March 2012.

Good things come in pairs

On February 19th 2012 GBRf liveried 73206 and 204 heading a train from the Thameslink worksite at Cricklewood. 73141 and 73213 are on the rear.

The humble class 73's have now been serving the railway for 50 years since the first JA arrived on southern metals in 1962. Despite having reached their half century mark many of the locos are still hard at work hauling trains just as they were designed to do. Since 2005 when 4 locomotives were overhauled by GB Railfreight the class have become common on weekend engineering trains across the former Southern region. As well as their core work on the SR the class have also found uses slightly further afield- often due to their narrow body design which permits the class to travel on lines barred to larger locomotives. It is for this reason that in early 2012 class 73's have found extensive use on engineering jobs in the Thameslink tunnels- where loading restrictions only permit class 31, 33 and 73 hauled trains.

On March 10th 2012 GBRf 's 73208 (in BR blue) and 73212 (in ex-first group colours) lead a loaded train from Cricklewood back towards the Thameslink tunnels through West Hampstead Thameslink .

Over 5 weeks GBRf has provided up to four pairs of locos for the trains which enter the tunnel from the northern end with wagons being marshalled at Cricklewood. The large requirement for locomotives has seen many of the more interesting 'ED's hired in to supplement GBRf's own fleet on these trains.

March 10th saw both ex-SWT 73109 and 73136 hired to supplement the GBRf fleet. The locos are seen stabled at Kentish Town.

73201 and 73107 were two further hired in locos working on 10th March 2012. The pair of ED's from RT rail are seen leading a spoil train out of the worksite between Kentish town and West Hampstead Thameslink.

The complete train of hired in locomotives- 73201 'Broadlands', 73107 'Redhill 1844-1994', 73136 'Perseverance' and 73109 'Battle of Britain 50th anniversary' trundle towards Cricklewood station.

Poznan Diesels- How long can they survive?

Not so long ago Poland was awash with diesel hauled passenger trains travelling to all manor of small destinations, on single track routes, where a diesel locomotive would haul anything upwards of a single coach.

Sadly those days are gone- the break up of some of Poland's railways together with line closures and an influx of new DMU's have resulted in scores of former passenger locos being laid up. There is still however a small amount of diesel haulage still available for the enthusiast in some parts of the country.

In Poznan there is now only one daily diagram (Mon-Fri) that brings diesel haulage to the city- a 5:53 Leszno-Poznan Gl and 15:34 return. The train is booked for an SU45, though in reality it could also produce an SP32 or SP42.

On Fridays and Sundays there is also an evening return trip from Poznan Gl to Gorzow departing Poznan at 16:27 and returning from Gorzow at 19:36. Again this turn is booked for an SU45 but other classes of loco can turn up as above.

Of course it is also worth mentioning the two steam trips each day from Woltszyn to Poznan and return- which can produce diesel locos in the event of the steam locomotive being unavailable.

Pictured above is Przewozy Regionalne SU45 079 awaiting the afternoon departure from Poznan to Leszno. The train is formed of a set of 4 articulated double deck vehicles- now quite a rarity. Running under the wires for the duration of it's trip the future for workings such as this must be fairly bleak.

Pictured below is SP32 202 ready to work the Friday Gorzow trip. Both photographs were taken on 2nd March 2012. Two days earlier a third loco hauled turn to Krzyz had reverted to EMU operation.

A long way from home...

At first glance there is little unusual about this photograph- it is simply one of the 250 built EWS class 66's- an almost ubiquitous sight on the UK rail network.

Look harder and you may notice a few oddities.

First of all- this is not the UK rail network! 66153, now under the umbrella of DB Schenker is one of the locomotives which has been exported to Poland.

The give aways are the low level platforms- unheard of in the UK but common through much of Europe. The wagons in the picture are also not of UK origin.

The locomotive itself appears largely unaltered (it certainly looks more 'British' than the French 'Euro Cargo Rail' locomotives), the only alterations are to the lighting clusters and the application of a UIC loco data panel.

The location is Wegliniec in south western Poland from where the locomotives is about to depart light engine. Unlike the French exports the polish 'sheds' are unlikely to return to the UK.

Picture(s) of the week- 24th February

This week there are two photographs, and they are both recent UK based!

Last Sunday (19th February) saw a couple of notable workings on the WCML within a 30 minute window. Coupled with fine weather I was pleased to have ventured out on a Sunday for the first time in... some while!

The first of the trains was a bit of a surprise- recently re-liveried 66434 was unusually working a daylight 'Tesco Express' as seen from the footbridge at South Kenton on the WCML.

The second train a short while later was the days main entertainment- DRS 37601 is seen heading north along the WCML with a test train stock move from Hither Green to Derby. The train had spent the previous week surveying areas of the Southern Region. 37059 is on the rear.

Picture of the week- 18th February

Back in 2007 Deutsche Bahn diesel 232-909-2 is seen passing through Rotterdam Centraal with an international freight working; undoubtedly bound for the deep sea ports of Rotterdam Harbour. On the closer platform an NS 'Koploper' intercity EMU can be seen. The 232 class locomotives, commonly known as 'Ludmilla's' were built for East German Railways (Deutsche Reichsbahn) in the 1970's to a Soviet design. With the reunification of Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall the new 'Deutsche Bahn' took control of the locomotives and their sphere of operation increased dramatically with the locomotives being employed on heavy freight trains across Germany and beyond.

Today the class are still in operation in many parts of Germany, all be it in greatly reduced numbers. How long they will remain in service remains to be seen, but hopefully these huge loco's will remain with us for a few years yet.

Electric trains just love the snow!

In South East England we generally get very little snow, and when it does come we tend to make a big deal of it. This year snow fell on the evening of 4th April and on into the night. Some areas, received quite a helping of snow, and while my local area received somewhat less (not a lot more than 3cm) it was still enough to provide some railway amusement.

It is quite widely known that trains don't like snow. Electric trains picking up from the 3rd rail in particular. While as a general rule I do not film trains, SWT's class 455's were putting on such a brilliant firework display as that I just could not resist!

Picture of the week- 1st February 2011

Not your usual view on the South West Mainline... With an abundance of engineering work this winter Colas rail have taken on a few engineering trains, presenting the view here of 66847 working a 6N06 from Eastleigh to Hampton Court Jcn passing through Hersham on 14th January 2012.

Special Delivery- London Underground S-Stock

One of the more unusual trains running in the UK at the moment is the delivery of new S-Stock for London Underground. The trains which will ultimately replace all A, C and D stock on the Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & City and District lines represent the largest ever order for the underground. The stock is being built at Bombadier's Litchurch Lane works in Derby, and following testing at the Ashfordby test track it is then transfered to Neasden Depot in London by rail.

Due to a weight restriction entering the LUL network, ageing class 20's are used for the delivery trains adding even more interest to the working. In the early hours of 12th January 2012 I travelled to Aylesbury to witness the train, worked on this occasion by 20142, 20227, 20901 and 20905 reversing for the final leg of it's journey to London. The nocturnal nature of the train in London is due to pathing constraints which dictate that it just wait untill the final service trains have finished before proceeding on to the LUL network.

Picture of the week- 31st December 2011

Another year has passed by in a flash- In railway terms I have had quite a year, with my trips abroad to Poland, New York and to France. My travels in the UK however seem to have diminished somewhat- the perils of work and an active life making time to get out on the railways much more difficult to find these days!

There are many plans in motion for 2012 which I look forward to writing about, but for now, it is time for the final 'Picture of the week' from 2011- This picture is from a similarly dull week of weather between Christmas and New Year in 2010 and features a First Great Western HST set at Waterloo. For several days over the holiday period trains were being diverted to avoid Reading which was shut for major renewal works. Trains to South Wales were routed via Didcot, Banbury and the Chiltern line into Paddington, while West of England services left their normal route at Westbury to travel by way of Salisbury, Basingstoke, Woking, Staines and into Waterloo.
Pictured is the 10:26(?) departure from Waterloo to Penzance on 30th December 2010. Power car 43034 'TravelWatch SouthWest' will lead 43040 'Bristol St Phillip's Marsh' to Westbury before the set reverses to continue to Penzance.

May I extend a very Happy New Year to you all,
James

Picture of the week- 20th December

Back in the peak of the summer steam season Gresley A4 locomotive 60019 'Bittern' (masquaradeing as long scrapped sister 4492 'Dominion of New Zealand') is seen passing over the River Mole on the South West Main Line with a returning 'Dorset Coast Express'. It was amid much surprise that the locomotive came back from winter maintainance at the start of 2011 sporting full side valences and painted into pristine LNER blue. The A4's lost their original side valences during WWII for ease of maintainance and were never reinstated.

Picture of the week- 16th December 2011

With a potential forecast for snowy weather over parts of the UK over the next few hours it would be silly not to take a look back at the snowy weather experienced around this time last year.

The first snow in the south east came even before November 2010 was out giving a rather odd image of snow on the trees of which many had not lost their leaves!

Further periods of snow continued virtually up until Christmas before a mild new year quashed any hopes of snow in early 2011.

The photograph above shows Black 5 45379 paused at a festive Ropley on the Mid Hants Railway with a Santa Special. Due to the snow both trains out that day were top and tailed by diesel locomotives- 33053 can just be made out at the back. The date is 19th December 2010.

Picture of the week- 8th December 2011

The curtain is now coming down on another year's RHTT season. As usual this period of the year provides some interesting opportunities for the railway enthusiast. Special trains (many of them loco hauled) descend onto many parts of the network, including those which usually see nothing out of the ordinary.

While the majority of routes this year have had 'normal' traction on their trains in the form of class 66 and 67 locomotives from DB Schenker, there have been exceptions. The circuit covering the North Wales coast and Cumbrian line has been covered by Network Rail class 97's (as ERTMS is required) while lines in the Anglia region have once again seen Heritage traction in the form of DRS class 37's. The most interesting circuits however must have been those operating in Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire where weight restrictions caused DB Schenker to hire in six Class 20 locomotives. The locos have come from private operators and preservation groups and with their varied liveries have provided a splash of colour to the Autumn scene.

The images above shows 20227 leading a train (with 20142 on the rear) from Hull to Hatfield and Stainforth via Selby and Knottingly at Gilberdyke. The date is 26th November and the weather could scarcely be better!

Picture of the week- 2nd December 2011

Photographing trains can require an awful lot of patience at times. This was one of those times. On my first trip to Poland during February 2011 we found ourselves at a small crossing beyond the station at Koslow (we had originally been on an overbridge- but the wind and rain had forced us to the relative shelter of ground level).

The reason we were standing in this location some two hours from our base at Krakow in the cold, wet and rain of February- The LHS broad gauge line. This is to my knowledge the most westerly penetration of Russian broad gauge into Europe running some 400km from the Ukranian border to a location close to Katowice in Poland. Traffic levels are low- on average no more than 10 trains a day, but when they do come they are a sight to behold. Having waited almost 3 hours we had all but given up on the LHS line (and the standard gauge mainline which had also produced little traffic) when our ears began to home into a distant rumbling. In a state of disbelieve that the train was *actually* coming, the mamouth train emerged in the distance some minutes later with three distinctive yellow and green ST-44 locomotives.

Known better by their Hungarian class designation- M62, these locomotives are common throughout the former Soviet states- more than seven thousand single locomotive units having been constructed since the mid-60's.

More than a thousand locomotives found use in Poland, designated as class ST-44. 68 of these were gauged to 1,524mm for use on the LHS line. Today the numbers in operation are vastly reduced, though the broad gauge line retains a good number of the locomotives alongside a batch of VERY heavily rebuilt machines now designated ST-40.