Class 70

• 70003 passes the disused Washwood Heath yard at 11:10 on Monday 15th March 2010. This diagram originated at Portbury or Avonmouth, and the loaded 6Z70 working reached Rugeley via Worcester, Stourbridge and Bescot. This is the 4Z70 Rugeley - Stoke Gifford return empties, which ran-round at Bescot before proceeding via Sutton Park and Birmingham. Running loaded trains via Stourbridge, even with Class 70s at the helm, was evidently deemed unsuccessful after a couple of incidents with Class 70s getting into trouble on 6Z70 in the Stourbridge area. FLHH trains from the Bristol area to Rugeley soon reverted to the established route via Hereford and Shrewsbury, irrespective of what was hauling them.
• 70003 again, this time heading 6M55 Portbury - Rugeley through Walsall station at 13:06 on Friday 26th March 2010. 6M55 is routed via Newport, Hereford and Shrewsbury, and when running normally follows the 12:39 New St - Rugeley TV which departs from Walsall at 13:00.
• 70006 passes Bloxwich at the head of 4V61, the 16:55 Rugeley - Stoke Gifford coal empties. This shot was taken at 17:20 on Friday 11th June 2010. Like most empty trains on this route this train runs to Bescot, where the loco runs-round before the train proceeds via Sutton Park, Camp Hill and Bromsgrove. From August 2013 such trains should be able to reverse in a specially provided run-round facility just south of Pleck Jct, rather than go into Bescot.