For details and photos of test train running before 2012 see the index here.

The line is leased by LUL in order to test and commission the next generation of London Underground trains, known as Sub Surface Lines (SSL) trains. Serco Assurance were awarded the contract to manage the whole of the test track of behalf of LUL which will give them the opportunity to attract other interested parties to the line.

December

20th

Colin Aldworth has released the updated copy (2012) of his excellent study of the line which is available in paperback from Melton Books, Melton Mowbray and in Kindle format from Amazon (which look particularly good on an iPad). Although Melton Books immediately sold out it does now have stock.

10th

It transpires that 66062 & 66072 are in fact ex-French 'Euro Cargo Rail' variants of the normal EWS class 66. Therefore, they have the black & yellow 'wasp stripes' at the bottom of each cab front, along with alternative branding/logos. This is the first time one of these 66's has visited the test track.

The Structure Gauging Train visited the test track on Mon/Tues (17th  and 18th ) for calibration, with class 31 traction (normally 31233 or 31285 and DBSO 9708), timings included here.

The latest delivery 7X23 09.33 ex-Litchurch Lane to Old Dalby was on Friday 14th with 20901, 20905, (GBRf) and 20311 and 314 (Harry Needle) which had been at Litchurch Lane all week.

October

GBRf liveried 20901 & 20905 along with BR blue liveried 20107 & 20096 are now seemingly settled into the S-Stock delivery moves. On Saturday 20th they worked 6M20 Peterborough - West Ruislip with the barrier wagons and on Tuesday 23rd  will be taking the first of 38 S-Stock units back to Derby Litchurch Lane for modifications, departing Amersham just after 0200 and arriving at Litchurch Lane around 1130. 7X23 from Derby to Old Dalby is then down to run on Friday.

3Z10 with new vehicles TIC2 & PLPR1 ran last week with 31106 & 31233 (top and tail), arriving on Thursday morning 18th in the normal 3Z10 path and returning to Derby as 3Z11 on Friday 19th. The vehicles have now entered use on southern test train diagrams with top and tail class 73's.

September

7X09 1142 Old Dalby - Amersham recommenced  w/c 24th with HNRC's BR blue liveried 20096 & 20107 top and tail with his orange liveried 20311 & 20314, running both Wednesday 26th and on Monday 1st October.

31233 worked 3Z10/3Z11 on Monday 10th with UTU2.

66742 & 66743 worked 7X23 Derby Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby and 6E21 Old Dalby - Peterborough with the barrier wagons on Friday 7th .

7X23 / 6E21 are down to run again this coming Friday 14th .

3Z10 was booked to run with the Structure Gauging Train on Monday Sept 3rd, traction was 31285 & DBSO 9708. It stayed on the test track for calibration until Tuesday evening before returning to Derby in the normal 3Z11 path. However it ran as 1Q06 both ways

20901 & 20905 are in the process of being repainted into GBRf livery at Barrow Hill in readiness for the recommencement of deliveries to Amersham at the end of this month.

Rumour has it that at some point from early October onwards, 37 S-Stock sets (not 30 as originally thought) are to be returned from LUL to Derby Litchurch Lane for modifications. There is expected to be a requirement for 10x class 20 locomotives until July 2013 once these moves start, as the existing deliveries will continue at the same time.

August

Book on Kindle

'The Nottingham to Melton Line 1872 - 1990' by Colin Aldworth of Keyworth, Notts. (ISBN number 0 9516845 0 7.) has now been re-issued as an ebook for Kindle and the like - see 'Further Reading' for more details

The return movement of 47714 took place on 15th and was operated by Devon & Cornwall Railways but using the two orange class 20's on hire from HNRC. 20311 and 20314, which ran approx 45mins late

7X23 0933 Derby Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby ran again on Tuesday 7th,  with top and tail GBRf class 66's. Booked Melton Up Loop 13:45 - 14:14, Old Dalby 14:40. 

3Z10 is booked to run with the Structure Gauging Train on Monday 20th August, traction should be 31285 & DBSO 9708. It will stay on the test track for calibration until Tuesday evening before returning to Derby in the normal 3Z11 path. It is down to visit again on September 3rd/4th as well.

66709 in its new Medite livery and named 'Sorento' worked 7X23 from Derby Litchurch Lane to Old Dalby on 27th July 2012, top and tail with GBRf liveried 66732, hauling the latest SSL unit. The pair then returned the barrier wagons to Peterborough.

All of the UTU calibration runs (3Z10/11) which were booked for July failed to materialise, the next one is currently scheduled for Monday 6th August. Whether it runs or not remains to be seen!

Despite the Amersham S-Stock movements being on hold until late September (due to the Olympics and Paralympics) a pair of HNRC class 20's should have been  visiting the test track on Thursday 2nd August to haul 47714 to Tyseley TMD for tyre turning. The move would have been operated by Devon & Cornwall Railways (DCR) but was cancelled.

July

Nothing to report in July

June

The S-Stock movements continue to run weekly to and from Asfordby, at the moment still in the hands of 20227, 20189, 20901 & 20905 but this should change in the near future. HNRC liveried 20314 and BR blue liveried 20096 have been mooted as possible candidates for the moves, as replacements for 20901 & 905 which require attention.

3Z10 / 3Z11 ran Tuesday 26th with 37261, MENTOR, Track Recording Coach and unusually 97301, making it the first ever visit of a class 97/3 to the test track.

3Z10 / 3Z11 is down to run Wednesday 27th with Network Rail MPV No. DR98008 and is running again on 16th, 23rd & 30th July with 31's and UTU sets.

7X09 to Amersham also ran on 26th and is was booked to run again on 27th. There are no deliveries from Litchurch Lane to Asfordby this week.

May

31285 worked 3Z10/3Z11 29^th with UTU1 & DBSO 9701 but it would appear that the calibration trip flared up a few problems as the set was hastily scrambled back to Old Dalby again on 30th for more calibration, but with Direct Rail Services 37682 in charge, running in the normal 3Z10/3Z11 path again.

20227 & 20189 top and tail 20901 & 20905 (in that order) worked 7X09 to Amersham on 30th, hauling sets 21301 & 21302 (the first of the 'S7' batch of units to be delivered to Amersham/Neasden).

BR green liveried 20189 has now finally replaced BR blue liveried 20142 on the S-Stock movements. It worked the barrier wagons from Derby Litchurch Lane to Old Dalby on 28th May along with 227, 905 & 901 and then worked 7X09 1142 Old Dalby - Amersham with an eight-car set
7X09 is down to run again on Wednesday 30th whilst 7X23 Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby is down for Friday & Saturday. 7X09 is booked to run in a revised path next Monday 4th , departing Old Dalby around 1400, full timings still to be advised.
3Z10 / 3Z11 was cancelled on 28th but should still run 29th with Network Rail's new UTU1.

In other news, the first 30 S-Stock units are to be returned to Derby later in the year for modifications and should all be moved by rail.

31285 worked 3Z10/11 on 14th . 7X09 was cancelled due to a defect with 20189 which has now been swapped back for 20142. The 20s are now at Peterborough with the barriers.

TRC visited again on 15^th May, arrived in 3Z10 path and departed as 3Z11 on Wednesday 16^th evening. Booked for top and tail 67s but was 37s in reality.

20142 has now been returned to Barrow Hill for repairs, swapping places with BR green 20189. However, 20189 failed which means that 7X09 to Amersham may just be worked by 901, 905 & 227.

On 3^rd May UTU1 was worked by Network Rail's 31105 & 31233 in top and tail formation.

April

7X09 1142 Old Dalby - Amersham is running on Monday 30th & Wednesday 3nd whilst 7X23 0933 Derby Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby is down for Friday 4th. After Friday's move, the 20s should work 6H21 1700 Old Dalby - Derby Litchurch Lane with the barrier wagons so that they can receive attention at Etches Park over the weekend.

Network Rail's UTU1 test train will be also visiting the line for three days this week, it has been out of service for several years but is coming to the test track for calibration following a major refurbishment. It is booked to arrive in the 3Z10 path on Tuesday 1st at 1030, then spend the remainder of the day performing calibration runs before returning to Asfordby for stabling overnight. On Wednesday morning it will leave Asfordby depot (between 0800 and 1000) for another full day of calibration, before returning again in the evening for stabling. On Thursday it will do the same again, before returning to Derby RTC in the 3Z11 path at 1730.

There was a 6Z10 0831 Derby RTC - Old Dalby and 6Z11 1642 return on Tuesday 24th which was an MPV vehicle DR98008 returning to the test track for further calibration.

Due to unavailable 67s, 3Z10 was  worked by 37605 & 37610 (top and tail) on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th with vehicles 977868 , 6264 (generator), 999508 (TIC) and 977983 (TRC).

31285 with UTU2 worked 3Z10 / 3Z11 on Monday 16^th, and was on time arriving at Old Dalby. It left the test track approximately half an hour early. The class 20's worked 6M20 Derby Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby also on Monday 16^th, then 7X09 to Amersham with S-Stock sets 21097 & 21098.

7X09 ran again on Wednesday 18^th whilst the next delivery to Old Dalby is (rather unusually) happening on Saturday 21^st, departing Derby Litchurch Lane at 0933 and arriving on to the test track around 1430, running as 7X23. The Amersham deliveries are planned to run on Monday (23^rd)  and Wednesday (25^th) again next week as well. 

The Track Inspection Coach & Track Recording Car are still planned to visit on Thursday/Friday (19^th /20^th), arriving using the 3Z10 0830 Derby RTC - Old Dalby (arr. 1028) path and then leaving again on Friday as 3Z11 1728 Old Dalby - Derby RTC. It is booked for top and tail class 67s, one of which might be royal liveried 67005, making it the first royal 67 to visit the line.

3Z10 was cancelled on 26th March. It is next down to run on Monday 16th April with UTU2, with the Track Inspection Coach & Track Recording Train both booked to arrive on Thursday 19th April to undertake two days of calibration, returning to Derby on the Friday evening.

The track machine that has been present at Widmerpool for several months has finally left the test track, running as 6X68 to Hither Green on Friday 30th March.

20227, 20142, 20901 & 20905 have remained on the S-Stock movements with no reported problems. HNRC are said to be prepping another four 20's for use with GBRf which will be used to convey the redundant A-Stock from Neasden to Rotherham for scrapping. These could be 20096, 20107, 20132 & 20189 but this is subject to change. It is currently anticipated that the A-Stock movements will begin in May.

According to sources, there will now be six S-Stock deliveries to Neasden (from Old Dalby) every month until June 2012, alternating between one and two trains per week. This means there will be regular Derby to Old Dalby trips too

March

The Amersham deliveries have now settled down, 7X09 runs on Monday and Wednesday. Next week it will run Wednesday only, with 7X23 from Litchurch Lane to Old Dalby running on Tuesday and Friday respectively. After next week it is rumoured that the Amersham deliveries will be twice a week until June.

On 20th Neil B took these pictures of three SSL sets stabled in the former Army base headshunt near Old Dalby

	Three SSL sets in the sidings on 20th June
	Three SSL sets in the sunshine on 20th June
	Another angle

More news on the class 20s:- 20308 is going back to DRS as it is required for a railtour on Saturday. It is planned to swap it for 20303 which carries the old DRS livery (with light blue roof). 20308 should be taking 20301 (which has severe wheel flats) from Peterborough back to Crewe on Tuesday morning (21st), booked to pass Melton at 0940.

Also on Tuesday, the 20/3's are then booked to work a 6Z20 Peterborough to Old Dalby, hauling the barrier wagons. This is booked to arrive on the test track at 1600. Presumably there could be an S-Stock move from Asfordby on Wednesday.

The following Monday (27th June) 950001 (TRU) is coming back to the test track for more calibration, running as 2Z08, but using the 3Z10 path. It will run the length of the line on Monday and Tuesday, before returning to Derby on Tuesday evening (28th June) as 2Z08 (in the 3Z11 path, 1730 off Old Dalby).On Monday 13th 3Z10/11 and the SSL delivery train ran and Neil Booton took the pictures

	Nose to tail 20302 and 20308 - unusual
	20302 and 20308 at Asfordby
	20305 at Asfordby Crossing
	31285 somewhere on the test track

The UTU was delayed at Old Dalby due to engineering work at Widmerpool. Trackwork is relaying the line past the buffer stops at Stanton Tunnel that was originally lifted due to a rare species of Deptford Pink flower being discovered.

A crossover will be put in here to provide a run round loop. The SSL stock will then start to be stored at Widmerpool as a set at Asfordby has recently been vandalised with 4 carriages being sprayed with graffiti.

Also although it was always understood that all the SSL sets would be tested at Old Dalby apparently only 20 more will be tested which was always planned, also a new signalling system will be installed.

The 20s also ran on 13th bringing in a 7 car set but 20 301 was not in the consist due to failure with a severe wheel flat and DRS 20308 is now on hire to GBRF, it ran in a rather unusual formation with cab to nose- see photo above

On another subject it looks like the Pullman Inn has been shut for some time as it looked very overgrown this week

NR test trains continue to appear sporadically and SSL trains are now arriving weekly - see here for details of the testing they undergo.

20901 & 20905 top and tail with 20142 & 227 worked 7X09 1142 Old Dalby - Amersham on Monday 5th. Next move is 6E20 West Ruislip - Peterborough on Tuesday 6th night, then 6M21 Peterborough - Old Dalby / 7X09 to Amersham again on Wednesday 7th, followed by 6M13 West Ruislip - Derby Litchurch Lane on Thursday night 8th and  7X23 0933 Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby on Friday 9th. A busy week

February 2012

20301/302/304/305 were handed back to DRS at Crewe, end of the month seemingly for good this time. The HNRC / Privately owned class 20s will be taking over again from March.  

66736 & 66719  worked 7X23 0933 Derby Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby on 28^th February, and then worked 6E21 1635 Old Dalby - Peterborough with the barrier wagons. 

20901 & 20905 and/or 20142 & 20227 should be moving to Peterborough on Tuesday 28^th (from Barrow Hill and Derby Etches Park respectively) and will work 6M21 Peterborough - Old Dalby and 7X09 1142 Old Dalby - Amersham on 29th, then 6M13 West Ruislip - Derby Litchurch Lane on Thursday night 1^st March followed by 7X23 again on Friday 2^nd to Old Dalby.

The class 20s worked 7X23 Derby Lit Lane dep 09:33 to Old Dalby arr 14:40  on 24th with the locos and barriers returning from West Ruislip over night on Thursday 23rd on 6M13 20.02 West Ruislip to Derby 00.38. Once delivered the locos returned to Peterbrorough on 6E21 Old Dalby dep 16:35 Peterborough arr 18:07

7X23 0933 Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby ran on 14th with the usual four class 20s.

7X09 1142 Old Dalby - Amersham ran on 15th, then 6M13 2100 West Ruislip - Litchurch Lane on the night of 16th. The class 20s  then worked an additional and re-routed 7X23 0300 Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby (arr 0705) via Spondon, Loughborough, Leicester Humberstone Road (reverse) and Syston.

3Z10 was meant to run on Monday 13th with a 31 and UTU2 but was cancelled.

The 20/3s worked 7X23 0933 Litchurch Lane - Old Dalby on both Monday and Tuesday 6th and 7th February, before working 7X09 1142 Old Dalby - Amersham on 8th. They returned north to Peterborough Yard on the night of 8th with the barriers, in preparation for the following week.

31105 once again worked 3Z10 and 3Z11 on Monday 6th  with UTU4.

January 2012

6M21/7X09 ran on Wednesday 25th with 20227/142 & 20901/905 but this is expected to be the last time (for now) that the HNRC/Privately owned class 20s will see use on these moves.  

20301, 302, 304 & 305 ran light engine from Crewe to Derby Litchurch Lane on Wednesday evening, probably so that they are in place for 7X23 to Old Dalby on Friday. 

UTU4 confirmed to be visiting on 3Z10/11 on Monday 6th February.

6M21 Peterborough to Old Dalby and 7X09 Old Dalby to Amersham ran on Monday 23rd , with the barrier wagons booked to come back North to Peterborough on Tuesday night.

The running of 6M21 and 7X09 on Monday meant a very busy day for the test track indeed, what with UTU2 also visiting as 3Z10/11 with class 31 traction,  0830 Derby-Old Dalby / 3Z11 1730 return path.

On Wednesday 25th 6M21 and 7X09 ra again, then the barrier wagons go back to Derby on Thursday night, followed by 7X23 Derby to Old Dalby and 6E21 barriers back to Peterborough on Friday 27th.

20s worked 7X23 Derby to Old Dalby on Friday 20th, with another SSL unit for testing, after the cancellation of 7X09 on Wednesday. They were then booked to work 6E21 to Peterborough with the barrier wagons.

The DRS 20/3s appear to be returning to the fore on Wednesday evening, running as 0E71 Crewe to Derby Litchurch Lane. There is a possibility that these will swap with the HNRC/Privately owned class 20s at Derby on Thursday, but that isn't confirmed yet.
The class 150 TRU is due some time in February for Track Geometry calibration work before or after the fitment of new equipment.

7X09 to Amersham scheduled for 18th January was cancelled due to problems with shortage of match wagons. The class 20s have taken the barrier wagons to Derby, and are expected to work 7X23 to Old Dalby on 20th January as they were seen marshalling the train on the evening of 19th. The Amersham move 7X09 will now run on Monday 23rd and return for Thursday 26th. No running of 7X23 is planned next week as this might be pushing things a bit too far.

The class 20s worked 7X23 Derby to Old Dalby on Tuesday 17th and BW was there to record the event

Class 20's are working a 6M11 West Ruislip to Derby Litchurch Lane on Monday 16th afternoon (via the MML), so it looks as though they will work 7X23 0933 Derby to Old Dalby on Tuesday 17th, then 6E21 1700 Old Dalby to Peterborough. On Wednesday 18th they will work 6M21 Peterborough to Old Dalby (arriving at 1015) followed by 7X09 to Amersham.

Worth noting that 6E20 West Ruislip to Peterborough didn't run having now been replaced with the forthcoming 6M11 on Monday.

66718 and 66731 (top and tail) worked 7X23 Derby to Old Dalby on Monday and Tuesday 9th & 10th January, before returning the barrier wagons to Peterborough.

20227, 20142, 20901, 20905 worked 6M21 Peterborough to Old Dalby and then 7X09 Old Dalby to Amersham on 11th as expected. They will next work 6E20 West Ruislip to Peterborough on Friday night, for the next cycle of workings next week. There are rumours that these 20s will be in place for a fortnight, whilst the DRS 20/3s are having GSMR work done at Carlisle Kingmoor. There is also a rumour of two Amersham delivery runs taking place next week, watch this space. I think Neil got some pictures of 7X09, which he may have already sent you. I didn't manage to photograph any of the moves this week unfortunately, I had intended to go out for the 20s today but couldn't due to work commitments.

3Z10 1256 Derby RTC to Old Dalby also ran on Monday but with a less exciting form of traction, it was Network Rail MPV DR98008. This completed a series of calibration runs during the day on Tuesday, before working back to Derby as 3Z11.

Finally, the UK Railtours charter to the line on May 31st has been confirmed, it runs from London Euston and includes a pick up at Kettering for those wanting to join the train just for the Melton line and test track section. The trip on the test track will include Asfordby Sidings and the Asfordby North Chord plus all the way to Edwalton

Link: http://www.ukrailtours.com/tourshow.asp?tourtype=excursion_trains&tourfile=120531_THE_MIDLAND_MEDLEY.txt

Pictures from Neil Booton

7X23 Derby to Old Dalby is expected to run both Monday and Tuesday (9th and 10th) with two new S-Stock units for delivery. It seems the deliveries to TFL of the stock will now be resuming, as they want a large fleet in traffic in time for the June Olympics. 7X23 should be Metronet liveried 66718 and GBRf liveried 66731 (top and tail).

Then we also have 7X09 with the HNRC class 20s on Wednesday 11th. Their use might now only be a one-off, as the other 20s are supposedly having GSMR equipment fitted at Carlisle Kingmoor, but are expected to return to traffic in due course. However, if GBRf are impressed enough with the HNRC 20s, then who knows what they will decide to do in the long term.

Back to more mundane stuff and 3Z10 ran on 5th December with 31602 and UTU4. Next scheduled run is Monday 23rd January.

Thanks to Andrew Royle, Ben Wheeler, Neil Booton for news and photos

For details and photos of test train running since Alstom left and LUL took over see here.

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