Railscene No. 26

Contents
Opening Scene: 777 in the snow again, at Blea Moor in February.
Snow Scene (Part One) Mid-Hants Mid-Winter: A BR Mogul on a typical cross-country
three coach train struggles ‘over the Alps’ in the snow.
Cab Ride – Swansea to Swindon: On 1 February 1991 we travel aboard an HST through
South Wales to the Severn Tunnel and then from Bristol to Swindon via Badminton.
The 26 Interlude: Inside Glasgow’s Springburn Works the BRCW class 26s are undergoing heavy overhaul for the Engineers. We see 26001/5 under repair, together with
37128/427 and then see 26s at work elsewhere, 26002 at Cockenzie, 26004 in two liveries,
26046 at Falkland Yard and 26038/41 at Mossend.
Railfreight Customers (Part Two) Fitzgerald Lighting: The most unlikely Speedlink
working – over the preserved Bodmin Branch, with a green 08 and main line 47s.
BR Newslines: The ‘Dutch 50’ railtour in Cornwall, with 50015/08, 50s at Laira, 144 in
the snow, 25 at Skipton a green unit (017), EPB on tour, Centro units, Weymouth’s HST
(a first!). 37s at Aberdeen and on the Welsh Borders, 56/47 passenger train, last TransPennine, diverted 91 at Lincoln after the 321s – the 456s, at Byfleet and 60s in service.
Nightmare on Table 145: We chanced our arm to film 50s in 1990/91 but we recorded
NSE’s ‘problem children’ and their replacements such as 47702 at Winchfield, 33109
at Whitchurch, 50033 with TCs, 50024 on the ‘Brighton’. 73109 repaired, the first 50 at
Winchester (031), 50036 and 207005 at Salisbury, Britain’s best kept medium and small
stations, 50007 at Andover, ‘Moses Junction’ with two 33s and 50003 with a/c stock.
Snow Problems: BR’s headache with the ‘wrong sort of snow’, with an HST at Ribblehead, 142 at Skipton, 156s and a 156/158 pair at Aviemore, units at Basingstoke
and Hook (455 and 442) EPB/CIG at Faversham, 321s and 310s at Northampton and a
diverted 87/82 from the WCML.
Snow Worries: Preservation coped well on the Middleton with Mirvale and Harry at
Embsay with Primrose, 5407 and the P3 on the KWVR, then the P3 struggling uphill on
the KWVR, ‘Big engines’ on the East Lancs with 75078 and 76079 and on the GCR with
5029 Nunney Castle, 5593 Kolhapur and 35005 and 34072 on the Swanage Railway.
Snow Scene (Part Two) Strathspey Hogmanay: In early January 5025 works over the
picturesque Strathspey line in a thick layer of snow.
Main Line Steam: ‘Many a slip’ with 5305 in Monessie Gorge, 6201 at Cumwinton, 5407
in snow at Skipton and 71000 on the S&C. 771 at Howe & Co. and Kirkby Stephen, 35028
on the ‘Last’ Marylebone, 46203 at Oxford, 6024 at Oxford and Didcot, 71000 at Conway
and 34027 at Little Stretton.
Approximately 120 minutes.