11th March 2019

There has been an intensive number of freights working daily between Burngullow in Cornwall and Bow, London, these past few weeks. I believe that the trains are carrying sand/aggregates for the building industry, loading taking place at the former china clay sidings alongside the main line at Burngullow. Having not been able to photograph any of these trains so far I was determined that today would be the opportunity.

At 13.22 DB Cargo Class 66 no. 66059, still in full EWS livery, leans in to the superelevated curve on the approach to Parson's Tunnel with a short rake of loaded JNA box bogie wagons on the 6C12 10.58 Burngullow to Exeter Riverside. The '66 will drop off these wagons in the yard there and return later light engine to collect a second rake. You can thank the challenging South Devon gradients for this split working, a full train being too heavy for a single locomotive. Curiously though, this train has been running frequently with two Class 66s, so why they still need to "double the hill" is unknown to me.

66059 is one of just a small handful that are allocated to banking duties up the Lickey Incline in Worcestershire. Evidence of this is in the additional headlight and drawbar gear just above the buffers.