"8th December was my last mainline shot of 2023 and the last time the Bridgwater ran for the year
So December starts and with the timetable change saw the end of the Castle sets having booked diagrams north of Exeter and with TPE finishing with their MK5's meant we had our first pairing of TPE68's
So November 2023 finished with a trip back to London on what would be my last Castle from Weston but also allowed me to get the Barton Hill pilot at long last even though through a train window
November starts with a change of loco on the RHTT then on the 12th went to London for the night which found three loco's stabled in East Depot
October draws to a close with me returning from Tonbridge on a castle Set and with not much longer for these around here its a nice way to end the day then the following day gave me the opportunity to get 3S59 further out of Weston as it goes to Highbridge Loop to reverse and on Halloween we saw 2Q08 which seems to be the only daylight test train to visit Weston SM station loop now
October found the start of the RHTT season which this year is booked to go to Highbridg Loop to reverse and yet again same pair of Colas 66's but this was also the month CrossCountry cleared Laira off all Off Lease stock
September 2023 found the down line through Worle being relaid with other work going on as well between Weston SM & Parson St so on the 17th had a morning trying to track down all the PW trains then on the 18th and having a day in London and with the line closed there was only one way to go so out via Taunton
August led in to September but i did try somewhere a bit different before going default location for what has to be the most bizarre working of the year when you consider XC HST's had less than a month in traffic and then a day when i even wonder if it was worth going out but that was the morning of Dean Forest gala
Well july ended with a trip out so IET out for a castle Set back and then a rare 88 on the Flask and ran as 6Z67 due to being routed via the Licky on the return
So July ended with a flurry of activity around Weston including Caroline's seemingly annual visit, the first sand working to longport as a trial and another Castle set going off lease along with some of the more normal local workings
July strats with Bill & Ben making another daylight appearance (Those of a more mature age will get it) then the first 88 on the Bridgwater for some time followed by LSL@s Lady Diana who seems to be stalking me currently paid a visit to the South West
May finished with 43272 returning after a power unit change so in to June with two firsts 69's in daylight on the station loop and the first Castle to go off lease
May started with the rareity of a Colas power car running solo but with Swanage & Severn valley Galas this month i haven't had much time at home for anything else locally
March ends with 4E18 running and April begins with 6M67 and i thought i would try something a little different for it
From the 20th March 2023 for four days there was a blockade on from Bridgwater for relaying work in Taunton station which involved all PW workings passing through Weston so being on Rail Replacement for the first two days gave me the chance to get out for some of them
March 2023 starts with a flurry in more ways than one first is all the cutting back done close to home and the first week of the month also included a daylight sleeper run
February finished with two days out see Jan/Feb 2023 and on the last day of the month a mad dash to Patchway which was meant to be for an hour ending up being nearly 3 hours due to an incident around Slough delaying 5Q99
February has been one of those months where by it started well then a mad dash after work for 0Z21 resulted in camera playing up but more likely operator error but my luck then changed with getting my last Castle plate. I was able to get a shot of 6V74 heading south at Uphill Junction showing all the clearance work done lately this was followed by 6V74 being in the late morning path again so a bit further out for it to find a location was still on then home to wait for Castle-an-Dinas on its penultimate day in traffic
January ended with a trip to Cardiff but first a Castle bash to Bridgwater then change at Temple Meads and get the first loco of 2023 to stable in the spur
January continued with 4E18 and 6M63 both running as well as my first Castle shot as the run down of them starts
On 9th January 2023 saw the Bridgwater flask run for the first time in 2023 and was unusually load 4 and i would like to say this is the first unusual working but that would have to go to 59201 the following day on the Exeter Riverside stone which was off route via Bristol and then even diverted via Weston station while i was sat on 1A06 waiting to depart so no shot