UK: Class 59 59001 accelerates from a signal check on a loaded Merehead to Acton aggregates working

UK: Class 59 59001 'Yeoman Endeavour' carrying Aggregate Industries livery accelerates from a signal check on loaded aggregates working 7A09 from Merehead Quarry to Acton Terminal Complex.
Clip recorded 8th June 2021.

The Class 59 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives were built and introduced between 1985 and 1995 by Electro-Motive Diesel for operation in Great Britain. A total of 15 locomotives were built for three different operators.

They were the first privately owned diesel locomotives to operate regularly on the British main line, also the first diesel locomotives built for it in the United States.

While the locomotives were owned by Foster Yeoman, the operation of trains on the main line was by British Rail drivers based at Westbury and Old Oak Common in London. Maintenance was at Foster Yeoman's Merehead depot but mostly carried out by British Rail staff from Bristol Bath Road depot.

EMD presented a non-working American-style locomotive bell which was fixed to special brackets above the front windows of 59001.
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Mendip Rail - To better manage the utilisation of their locomotives and wagons, ARC Southern and Foster Yeoman founded Mendip Rail in October 1993. The assets were still owned by each parent company and the staff were seconded. Class 59 maintenance was concentrated at Merehead, leaving the depot at Whatley to focus on wagons.

Mendip Rail continued to contract the operation of their trains to British Rail. After this was privatised the contract was given to English, Welsh and Scottish Railway then DB Schenker Rail which was later rebranded DB Cargo UK. This contract expired in 2019 and was awarded instead to Freightliner UK. The contract included the sale of the eight class 59s to Freightliner.

DB Cargo UK's contract to operate the Mendip Rail stone trains expired in 2019 and was awarded instead to Freightliner. The new contract included the sale of Mendip Rail's eight class 59s to Freightliner. With their work gone DB put the six Class 59/2s up for sale and they were also purchased by Freightliner who continue to operate them on these stone trains.
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Freightliner Group is a rail freight and logistics company, formed in the United Kingdom in 1995, and now having expanded into Australia, The Netherlands and Poland. Freightliner Limited is the largest intermodal freight transport operator in the United Kingdom[3] and the second largest freight operating company in the country by revenue, behind DB Cargo UK. It is a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming.
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Reading West railway station serves West Reading, Berkshire, about 1 mile (1.6 km) west from the town's main retail and commercial areas. The station is served by local services operated by Great Western Railway.

To the north of the station the line crosses a railway bridge over the Oxford Road, followed by Oxford Road Junction, which is the southern apex of a triangle of tracks. The tracks to the west curve round to join the Great Western Main Line towards Bristol at Reading West Junction, and are largely used by freight trains between Southampton Docks and points to the north. The tracks to the east lead to Reading station and are mostly used by passenger services.

The station has two platforms, which were linked by a footbridge until it was demolished as part of the electrification of the Reading to Newbury line. There is a ticket office on the up (Reading-bound) platform, which is open only in the morning, and canopies provide some shelter on each platform. There is separate pedestrian access to the northern end of both platforms from Oxford Road, together with access to the southern end of the down platform from Tilehurst Road.
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Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in the county of Berkshire, England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway. Reading is located 36 miles (58 km) east from Swindon, 24 miles (39 km) south from Oxford, 36 miles (58 km) west of central London, and 14 miles (23 km) north from Basingstoke.

The Borough of Reading has a population of 145,700 (2008 estimate) and the town formed the largest part of the Reading/Wokingham Urban Area which had a population of 369,804 (2001 census).
The Borough of Reading has a population of 145,700 (2008 estimate) and the town formed the largest part of the Reading/Wokingham Urban Area which had a population of 369,804 (2001 census).
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