Set out to wander locally, once again on a Wessex Rover. Planned to start at Newport and maybe head over to Westbury or up to Gloucester depending on how things progressed. Time for much needed coffee at Temple Meads, and onwards to Newport, where I joined quite a crowd at the end of the platform. Ended up staying all day...

In the first hour or so, lots of activity - mainly Class 60s on a variety of workings. Lots of movement on and off Godfrey Road too. Kept busy dashing around to see everything.

Around lunchtime, some more familiar faces arrived. Settled in for the afternoon and had a pleasant and sociable time. Finally saw 158961 - the three car hybrid Wessex Trains unit, along with several of the newly repainted First Great Western power cars inherited from Midland Mainline earlier in the year.

Resolved to head back on one of the numerous diverted Voyagers we'd been seeing all day. Spent a little longer at Bristol before heading back to Weston behind yet another newly repainted power car. A friendly driver was also very keen to show us the cab and instruments of the Class 180 he was about to take off to the depot. A busy and pleasant day all in all, despite not getting very far from home.

Despite having to endure a lot of questioning and related ridicule when explaining why, managed to square things with colleagues to sneak out for an early lunch today. Arrived at the station just in time to see 67002 arriving with the empty stock of the Dunster by Candlelight railtour courtesy of Past Time Rail. Last time I saw 'Special Delivery' it was arriving at Inverness with the sleeper from London Euston. Its rare enough to see anything different at Weston during the winter, and it was pleasant to see a tour operator considering Weston as a starting point. With the attractive place settings for lunch on board, I was only sorry I'd soon be returning to the office.

Back to work and resigned to the remainder of a rather dull and irritating day. Got one or two bits of policy work approved which was heartening, and a major IT job hopefully finished. Time will, of course, tell. Headed home expecting a quiet night.

But then noticed messages on SWRG about 37896 heading from Barton Hill to Taunton as 0Z33 to help 67002 which was low on fuel. Watched the situation develop before heading out around 2200 to see what was happening. Friendly station staff confirmed situation on TRUST. Eventually, 37896 thundered in with 67002 dead in tow.


Seems even the least promising of days can have interesting endings...