Earlier this week DB Cargo finally confirmed that their Class 60 fleet would be stood down in early 2024 as regeared Class 66s come on stream.

After the company lost the Teeside potash contract earlier this year, the fleet was reduced and has been soldiering on with just a handful of active locomotives but with further traffic losses and also a change of policy at owning company Deutsche Bahn, the plug has finally been pulled. This is despite a significant amount of time being dedicated to a Super 60 (II) project in 2023 which would have seen the fleet undergo another overhaul to extend their working lives.

Nevertheless, one of the final four is 60062 in its eye-catching 'Steel on Steel' livery seen here passing Daresbury in the harsh morning frost with the empty hoppers from Warrington Arpley to Tunstead Sidings.

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DC Rail Freight have a semi regular flow from Peak Forest to Brandon conveying aggregate to the former station yard. Due to signalling system limitations at Brandon, once the train is discharged, the loco brings the wagons out of the terminal and then has to run to Ely and back to run round the train - a distance of approx 15 miles each way!

Having completed its extra 30 miles, 60055 'Thomas Barnardo' seen approaching Lakenheath with 6Z84 1334 Brandon to Kings Lynn running just over an hour behind schedule.

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For the last few years ČD Cargo have been removing the last of the Class 372 from traffic but they just keep going! They are not too often seen this far into Czechia but here is 372007 between Velký Osek and Veltruby with a train of empty cereal wagons from Germany heading for refilling.

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It is a freezing cold January morning, the temperature is below freezing even in the sun and the blue ČD Cargo livery of 363248 and its train of innofreight wagons on Nex 66364 from Počerady does nothing to bring any feeling of warmth to the image.

(Re-uploaded as I wasn't happy with the original colours)

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These iconic late 1970's built Škoda machines are coming close to the end of their working lives with the introduction of ETCS on certain main lines within Czechia from January 1st 2025. These machines - nicknamed "rats" or "princesses" or "bananas" depending on who you listen to - will be entirely replaced by brand new Siemens Vectrons locomotives.

Originally E499.2001 then 150.001, it became 151.001 after some modifications which saw the maximum speed increased from 120 km/h to 160km/h.

151.001 seen here approaching the stop of Tatce with EC115 1019 Praha to Bohumín, running 40 minutes late. To the right, in the distance, can be seen a Hradec Králové - Praha train which will join the main line at Poříčany for the final sprint to the capital city.

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