31190 & D306 are seen arriving at Kidderminster for the SVR Diesel Gala starting on the following day. Photos of these 2 locos  have been seen on the other site, but this update includes many of the news Class 172 units. Also seen is 66516 on route learning from the Bristol area to Rugeley, apparently some coal trains will run this way instead of via Hereford, probably due to engineering works.

New units are 172213, 172215, 172216, 172338, 172339, 172340, 172341 & 172342. Looks like I travelled on 172341 & 172342. Old units seen are 150012, 150018, 150106, 150107, 150116, 150117 & 150125.

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D306 & 31190 are seen alongside 172215

I always have to change trains at Stourbridge on the way home from Kidderminster, at least there was a freight train to see on this date. Unfortunately there were delays & 172337 seemed to have problems, as it was shunted into the loop. Note the large number of people waiting for a train towards Kidderminster!!

My train was made up of  new 2-car units, 172212 & 172218, and the only time so far that I have travelled on one of these, all others having been 3-car units. 66075 is on 6M41 Margam to Round Oak steel train.

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Headed to Kidderminster for the SVR Diesel Gala, arriving just before the empty steel train from Round Oak was due. I was pleased it was hauled by 60007 as I hadn’t photographed any of the locos in the new DBS livery. Also seen are 172338 & 172340 at Kidderminster.

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The 50 & 52 have already been uploaded on my other site. 150002 was my train from Stourbridge to Cradley, to see 50049 haul D1062 to Tyseley from Kidderminster. The Class 150 units will soon be history around here, so I get photos whenever I see them

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150002 at Stourbridge

Had to change trains at Stourbridge on the way home from Kidderminster last weekend. 172339 had been my train to Stourbridge, 172333 taking me onwards from there. I had the camera with the long zoom lens, so the photos are a bit different from the usual shots.

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172339 heads towards Birmingham

It seems a long time ago that I had my first ride on one of the new trains (nearly 2 months!) but since then I have travelled on many of them. On the first day, 172339 & 172345 were the units in service. The timings were quite convenient for me, as I was able to see both units in a short space of time before travelling to Cradley Heath to catch 172339 into Birmingham, but whilst waiting I saw a 3rd unit, 172341, on a training run. Once in Birmingham, I didn’t have too long to wait to return home on 172345.

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172339 is seen next to Class 150 150010

I seem to be getting slower on uploading photos, and even slower posting links to the updates on here. Maybe now that less time will be spent in the garden there is a chance I might catch up.

So, I’ll try and add some more postings over the next few days & work backwards through the photos.