CAPPAGH 60028 heads for MEREHEAD! + AMERICAN EMD SHUNTERS in action at MEREHEAD & WHATLEY QUARRIES!

A great afternoon exploring Somerset’s two Mendip Rail served limestone quarries today, Aggregate Industries Merehead Quarry/ Torr Works and Hansons Whatley Quarry.

The highlight was DC Rails CAPPAGH liveried 60028 on an inbound and outbound working between Willesden DC Rail Sidings and during the two hours it was at Merehead there was plenty going on at both Quarries!

We see 60028 arriving into Merehead, bringing the rake of empty wagons in to the arrival sidings at the quarry where the they would be loaded for the return later on. In 1980 Foster Yeoman took delivery of an American built SW1001 locomotive from EMD in Chicago. The locomotive has since been a mainstay of Merehead operations, and 44 ‘Western Yeoman II’ made a welcome appearance today, both shunting around the sidings and relieving 60028 of its wagons, before coupling up and taking them into the Quarry to be loaded.

While that was happening, I headed up the road to Whatley Quarry, which had a number of Freightliner Class 59s and Class 66s including 66597, 59005 ‘Kenneth J Painter’ and 66605 on shed, as well as the other large resident American built General Motors Electro-Motive Division SW1001 Switcher Hanson 120 'Kenneth John Witcombe' which emerged from the shed to relieve 59001 ‘Yeoman Endeavour’ and move wagons around the quarry, and Class 08 Shunter 08650 was also in action to lend a helping hand!

The final scenes show 60028 heading the 6M18 Merehead Quarry - Willesden DC Rail Sidings, before we finish with some sunset shunting back at Merehead with 44 ‘Western Yeoman II’ bringing to a close a great afternoon of action! | 22.01.2025

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