20th Sept 2019

At 18.23, hot on the heals of the preceding Milford Haven service, Class 66 no. 66097 rolls through Haverfordwest station (platform 2) with the TWFO (Q) 6B41 11.15 Westerleigh to Robeston Sidings empty oil train, made up of 25 (assuming I counted correctly) TEA bogie oil tank wagons. The train rolled to a brief stop before starting off again for the last few miles to Robeston.

I had been expecting a Class 60 on this train, so was rather disappointed to see the '66. I suspect that locos were exchanged at Margam during the trains booked 90 minute layover there, as 60015 was showing as being present on Westerleigh on TOPS reports that day, and I presumed it would be working this train. I might be wrong. 66097 is branded DB Schenker, it being one of the earlier repaints into the DB red & grey scheme.

Colas Rail are clearly on-site for some planned engineering work soon. Visible is Matisa B41 ballast tamper DR75407 "Gerry Taylor". Out of sight to the right was a P&T tamper, no. DR73908, which had arrived earlier in the week from Didcot. The goods yard is fairly intact here, as can be seen by the presence of sidings and the old goods shed.

Video of this train can be viewed on my YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qj1zdcZWcE