At incredibly short notice (at 12:00 today!), it was announced that two RailAdventure class 20s were to be en-route to Harwich to collect a failed milling machine with a hydraulic failure.
Being off work on a rest day, the opportunity arose to go and get these ‘whistling wardrobes’, and three shots of them were obtained.
We start at Wrabness where the pair are seen shutting off up grade on 0Z20 from Kings Norton to Parkeston.
Next up, the ‘choppers’ are seen opening up off the junction at Manningtree with 6Q01 from Parkeston to Rugby, and with DR79105, 104, 103 and 102 in tow, which is a Network Rail milling machine that had failed the previous night before leaving Parkeston after with a problem with its hydraulics.
Finally, the ensemble is sighted whistling along through Hatfield Peverel.
We think this is the first working of a class 20 on this section of the ‘GEML’ since February 2015. If you know any different, pop a comment below!
Thanks for watching, South East Train Hub.