5th April 2020

Colas Rail Freight Class 70s are very rare on "The Mule" at the best of times, but today two graced the rails of this ex-Southern Railway main line to Exeter! I didn't get to see 70813 heading through earlier at 08.00 but I got the second train, seen here at 11.35. There was track maintenance being undertaken somewhere between Castle Cary and East Somerset Junction, and also around Cogload Junction on the ex-GWR main line so this was the only option available to get the two trains back to Westbury. And what a strange time it is, right in the thick of the terrible Coronvirus pandemic.

The train was running 72 minutes late, but keeping an eye on Real Time Trains allowed me to go out at the optimum moment! So a successful capture of 70807 on the 6C21 10.00 Yeovil Pen Mill to Westbury was made, seen here on the approach to the loop at Chard Junction, with the River Axe gently flowing in the foreground and the early signs of spring starting to appear in the trees.

The train is made up of Network Rail, and former EWS, MLA bogie open wagons and the train passed on the through line non stop. Despite being late I noticed that it eventually arrived at Westbury later in the afternoon 10 minutes early!

Watch the train pass through - go to my You Tube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmgs7Z-Nq7k
And apologies for the drooping iPhone half way through - the breeze was a little stronger than expected!