5 January 2009 At last some action and a very good start to 2009. As the WCML reopened 86637 and 86622 the last active grey 86s are paired on an empty 4L75 at Bradwell.

5 January 2009 321435 heads for Northampton at Bradwell in the welcome winter sun.

5 January 2009 92015/003 with a rake of cargowaggons on the 6L42 Warrington-Ripple Lane.

5 January 2009 86501 has NXEA 90008 for company to Crewe on 4M88 at Bradwell.

5 January 2009 Definitely highlight of the week was the use of 37087 on the 4M71 Tilbury - Daventry, even though it was pretty dark by the time it reached Bradwell.

6 January 2009 More overhead line problems and severe delays to some freight. 66504 and 66580 are just a couple of hours late on 4M94 Felixstowe-Lawley Street.

6 January 2009 Unconnected with the overhead problems 66721 and 66725 pass Bradwell around 7 hours down on 4M21 from Felixstowe-Hams Hall after 66725 had failed at Shenfield. The pair ran back empty via Peterborough.

6 January 2009 321412 approaches Bradwell. London Midland were operating a limited service all day, with many trains short formed.

6 January 2009 90045 has a marginally better load on 4L75 than yesterday. There is certainly an excess of ballast between the up and down slow following relaying.

6 January 2009 Still missing its logo on one side, 90046 on 4M81 an hour or so late. The previous liner which I though was 4M81, was in fact 4M45 running around 6 hours late due to the overhead line problems.

6 January 2009 The last of the sun catches 92026 on 4H17.

7 January 2009 Another day and more disruption due to overhead line problems at Wembley. 90043 is on a 4M89 Willesden-Crewe

7 January 2009 66230 passes a bitterly cold Bradwell with the 6B01 Forders-Npton

7 January 2009 Coming off the new up slow through platform 1, 86621/614 are on a 4Z81 Basford-Tilbury after the overnight closure at Wembley.

8 January 2009 Having worked up from Wembley as 6Z17, 66174 stands at Bletchley unloading the 4 RMC PCA tanks.

8 January 2009 5Z25 from Warrington to Wembley was showing as a loco hauled train, but I subsequently learned that all the mails are shown on Trust as loco hauled! (thanks Tony!). A pair of 325s pass Bletchley on a bitterly cold afternoon.

8 January 2009 153325 is the latest London Midland livery unit to make an appearance on the branch, it is seen awaiting the 1501 departure to Bedford.

8 January 2009 66174 finally departed Bletchley in near darkness at 1610 after a flurry of activity including three 57s and 66731 all heading south in the space of 10 minutes.

9 January 2009 159010 left Wolverton in the freezing fog on Friday following completion of collision damage repairs after a level crossing accident. The new front skirt is visible as the unit approaches the Distribution Centre crossing.

9 January 2009 The 159 heads for Salisbury at Bradwell. It was back in traffic with South West Trains the following day.

10 January 2009 If I thought Friday was cold, Saturday was much worse! A record shot of 66568 on the diverted 4O54 Leeds-Southampton at Wolverton.

13 January 2009 The Royal 67s worked a test train with three EWS executive coaches and test car Mentor cleared to run temporarily at 110mph. 67005 leads 1Q21 from Crewe to Euston at Bletchley.

13 January 2009 60010 in charge of 6H50 from Willesden to Tunstead rattles across Bletchley south junction.

14 January 2009 Freezing fog swirling around, but the last of the MK3s from the WB64 set left Wembley for Crewe. 57307 with 11027, 82101 & 11079 working as 5Z23 to Crewe at Bradwell.

14 January 2009 67021 passes Milton Keynes with the 5Z70 Wolverton-Brighton Lovers Walk and newly refurbished 442410. 66731 brought 2407 up to Wolverton on the 13th.

15 January 2009 60020 stands at Bletchley whilst unloading the 6B10 from Peak Forest.

15 January 2009 The Cemex wagons, both new IIAs and HOAs have had the Cemex logos crudely painted out. This is HOA 320067.

15 January 2009 Back from East Anglia, 321416 heads north at Bradwell.

15 January 2009 As 6H72 was likely to be around 90 minutes late, I headed for Bradwell on the off chance of catching a new 350/2 on delivery. I certainly didn't expect to see 378001 heading north!

15 January 2009 378001 returns from Northampton about 40 minutes later on a 5Z78 Willesden-Willesden mileage accumulation run via Northampton, Bletchley, Northampton and Euston.

15 January 2009 A very rare 60 on the 6A51 Coventry - Wembley Perrier empties. 60054 passes Bradwell. Thanks to Jason for the warning that this was early, though I did my best to miss it, I was watching the Forders-Northampton head north and didn't see it approach!

15 January 2009 66533 with low floor FLAs at the front of the 4M58 Southampton-Ditton passing Wolverton.

15 January 2009 319367 arrived at Wolverton on 23 December to replace 319364/5 in the refurbishment programme. Next in for treatment is 319377 heading north via Northampton with 319457.

15 January 2009 319457/377 return from Northampton to access Centre Sidings from the up slow due to points problems at the north end. 319457 was involved in an incident at Hassocks.

15 January 2009 08629 leads the pair under Stratford Road.

22 January 2009 A very unpromising morning gave way to sun just before 1230. 67006 had gone back light after the move of 442401 was cancelled, but 66504 catches the sun on the 4L93 Lawley Street-Felixstowe at Bletchley.