04/11/19
Two GWR IETs left at this point... and one of them was active... so I thought I might as well nail it...
This time it was 377 125 + 377 108 to start off with, from Epsom to Cheam. At Cheam I set back by one train to 377 706 + 377 615 that was just a few minutes behind, for no good reason other than that I just could and still catch 700 032 at Sutton to Blackfriars; I was going the long way round to Paddington simply because I had enough time to do so and there was always the chance of getting a 700 off my photo hit list in the process. 21311 + 21312 was my conveyance from Blackfriars to Paddington.
Still with some time in hand, I did a spin to Acton Main Line which gave me required 345 049 outwards - and back again as 345 036 had experienced a failure of some kind and was sent back empty to Paddington. By the time I was back at Paddington, the diagram of my target was confirmed so it was time to work out an interception plan. Having said that, I should say that I made good use of the enforced extra 30 minutes at Acton to photograph 66 513, 66 537, 66 511, 66 525, 66 593, 66 550 and 313 048 on the back of a scrap move hauled by 37 800, with 313 049 in the middle.
Anyhow, my best interception point, not being willing to fester for three hours at Reading in cold wet weather, was Bristol Parkway. 802 016 + 802 019 were to be my haulages there. Passing Acton, I noted 59 102 and 59 004 while 66 777 was at Southall. At Twyford, 345 066 and at Reading 08 836. The last one noted prior to reaching Bristol was 59 205 at Wootton Bassett.
Just before reaching Parkway a Sleeper empties with 57 604 and 57 602 passed heading towards Reading; this was a result of an issue the previous night which had left the train unable to complete the journey. Having overtaken the class 313 scrap move en route, I was able to photograph this again - in a torrential downpour - and had time to note several locomotives, although most were unphotographable as they were behind a rake of wagons. These were 66 532, 66 555, 66 598, 66 605, 66 613, 66 601 and 66 504.
Then, after about 40 minutes since my arrival, my target rolled in exactly on the expected diagram. 800 001. On its own, but not particularly crowded - this was a late afternoon run after all... I stuck with this all the way back to Paddington, then grabbed 21327 + 21328 to Wimbledon where I had the good fortune to arrive just prior to one of the "Boeing" diagrams to Epsom so it was 707 022 + 707 001 home for me, a vast improvement on the normal class 455, and unfortunately something I can't currently do following the December timetable change which removed all the Epsom 707 diagrams.