| The Great Eastern main line was closed each weekend during March 2006 between Ipswich and Diss for relaying around Needham Market. A series of trains were dispatched from Whitemoor in an anticlockwise direction via the Bishops Stortford line and then up through Ipswich on Saturdays, returning to Whitemoor via Bury at regular intervals during Sunday.
Sunday 5th March was a bright blustery day, but deceptively cold as anyone standing on top of a bridge for two hours in deepest Suffolk can confirm! The locomotives this weekend were a mixture of GBRf and EWS 66s, although Freightliner 66s and a class 60 put in an appearance later in the month. This group of photographs were mostly taken between Stowmarket and Elmswell, each train's halt at Haughley Junction giving the car driver an advantage over the train, I would like to apologies to the distressed residents of Haughley for the strange antics of one car that Sunday... |
66713 heads west from Haughley Junction to Whitemoor with a mixed rake from the Needham Market possession. 1000x665 2006_03_001.jpg |
66713 in the morning sunshine heads back to Whitemoor. 1000x665 2006_03_003.jpg |
Looking west along 66713's train as it emerges from Haughley bridge. 1000x1504 2006_03_004.jpg |
Redundant track panels on 66713's Needham to Whitemoor train. 1000x665 2006_03_005.jpg |
66711 opens up as it pulls away from Haughley Junction with a rake of empty 4 wheel opens heads for Whitemoor. 1000x665 2006_03_006.jpg |
66711 with a rake of empty 4 wheel opens heads for Whitemoor from Needham Market. 1000x665 2006_03_007.jpg |
66711 heads towards Wetherden on it's way west. 1000x665 2006_03_008.jpg |
66707 'Sir Sam Fay' approaches Wetherden bridge with empty bogie opens from Needham Market. 1000x665 2006_03_012.jpg |
66228 is caught with the sun behind it north of Stowmarket. 1000x1132 2006_03_015.jpg |
66228 creeps between Stowmarket and Haughley Junction with a heavy train from the Needham Market possession. 1000x665 2006_03_016.jpg |
66228 approaching Wetherden, ballast handlers and flats for concrete sleepers make up most of the long train. 1000x665 2006_03_020.jpg |
The tail of 66228's train with concrete sleepers and ballast handling equipment. 1000x665 2006_03_022.jpg |
