Class 69, 69003

British Rail Class 69 Co-Co diesel locomotive 69003 as operated by GBRf (GB Railfreight) working a rake of empty JNA box wagons from Mountfield (East Sussex) to Southampton Western Docks at Eastleigh Station in the County of Hampshire (UK).

 

I think this is a daily GBRf service for the collection of gypsum from the Port of Southampton back to Mountfield.

 

69003 was originally built by Electroputere S.A. of Craiova, Romania and entered service for British Rail as Class 56, 56018 on August 23rd 1977.

 

56018 was rebuilt including a new low emission engine and other major improvements by Progress Rail for GBRf then reclassified as Class 69, 69003 in 2021.

 

Note the 'speed whiskers' which are a tribute to some pre yellow panel British Railways diesel multiple units from the 1950's/1960's.

 

All my Class 56's www.flickr.com/photos/stuart166axe/tags/class56

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_69

 

Photograph taken by and copyright of my occasional photostream contributor Mr Michael Foreman and is posted here with very kind permission.

Done