Monday 18 February to Friday 8 March 2019. The Great Western Main line was closed for the completion of re-lining work in Whiteball Tunnel (between Exeter St Davids and Taunton). All freight and a reduced Great Western Railway service was routed along the 'Southern' line from Exeter St Davids to Yeovil (Junction and Pen Mill) rejoining the GWR line at Castle Cary. The pain is being concentrated as a closure of one bore of Marley Tunnel (near Plymouth) started the previous day) Possibly the last time to see full length HST sets as their withdrawal is planned for May whilst IET units are their replacement. A selection of photos follows.

18 January 2019 HST @ Yeovil Pen Mill, coming off spur from Yeovil Junction. (Photo courtesy Roland Groom)

HST @ Yeovil Junction. (Photo courtesy Roland Groom)

IET @ Yeovil Junction. (Photo courtesy Roland Groom)

59205 with stone empties from Exeter Riverside to Whatley Quarry @ Yeovil Junction. (Photo courtesy Roland Groom)

HST @ Yeovil Junction. (Photo courtesy Roland Groom)

Celebrity HST Power Car @ Yeovil Junction. (Photo courtesy Roland Groom)

59205 @ Yeovil Pen Mill. (Photo courtesy Bradley Marshall)

Power Car 43185 @ Yeovil Pen Mill. Upper quadrant semaphore (above coach) indicating route set from Yeovil Junction (Photo courtesy Bradley Marshall)

59205 and HST @ Pinhoe. (Photo courtesy Dave Tozer)

IET near Pinhoe. (Photo courtesy Dave Tozer)

19 February 2019 IET @ Yeovil Junction. (Photo courtesy Brian Haigh)

59205 seen again on stone from Exeter to Whatley. (Photo courtesy Brian Haigh)

IET 802103 @ Yeovil Junction. (photo courtesy Bradley Marshall)

59205 @ Yeovil Junction.

20 February 2019 Mendip Rail's Aggregate Industries liveried 59005 "Kenneth J Painter" brings the 7C28 1328 Exeter Riverside N.Y. to Whatley Quarry empty stone bogies through Whimple almost an hour late having been held for down trains at Pinhoe. (Photo courtesy Dave Tozer)

159102 leads another 159 unit past Whimple on the delayed 14.25 Exeter St Davids to London Waterloo (terminated at Salisbury due to late running). (Photo courtesy Dave Tozer)

25 February 2019 802104 at Yeovil Pen Mill waiting for route to Yeovil Junction (electric lights in semaphores show better than oil lamps!).....

....and crossing with an HST.

27 February 2019 Colas Rail 70811 powering 6C35 Aberthaw Tarmac Colas Rail to Moorswater Tarmac Colas. Seen near Pinhoe. (Photo courtesy Dave Tozer)

59206 John F Yeoman Rail Pioneer with 1430 Westbury to Exeter Riverside (at Yeovil Junction)....

....and crossing with an HST.

1 March 2019 Yeovil Pen Mill -(A poor photo but for the record) - DB Cargo operated Bow to Burngullow (top and tailed by Class 66s) empty sand wagons run through and cross at Yeovil Junction....

....with Cross Country Voyager set (understood to be) 220019 on 22.12 Exeter St Davids - Bristol Barton Hill for maintenance. Later set 220001 ran to Exeter in exchange. Was this the first Voyager through the Yeovil stations?

Voyager's tail lights disappearing past the signalbox at Pen Mill.

3 March 2019 IEP at Yeovil Junction. (Photo courtesy Malcolm Dennes).

6 March 2019 Colas Class 70 70802 seen at Pinhoe running a mere 267 minutes late with the Aberthaw Tarmac Colas Rail to Moorswater Tarmac Colas cement tanks. This day was full of disruption in additiion to the regular late running. Flooding adjacent to the recent £9m flood works near Axminster closed the route for around 4 hours, vandals placed road signs on the track with an IET found causing another hour+ of delays and finally a trespasser in the evening at Gillingham. A day to forget. (Photo courtesy Dave Tozer)

HST powercar 43161 seen at Cranbrook. (Photo courtesy Dave Tozer)

8 March 2019 HST powercar 43191 tailing a down Paddington to West Country service passes the steam age turntable at Yeovil Junction. However it is likely the turntable will outlast the HSTs! This was the final day of diversions although it is understood that the work at Whiteball Tunnel was not completed so another period of diversions is likely - may be tied in with flood prevention works at Cowley Bridge, near Exeter due in Autumn 2019?

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