All good things come to an end, and Friday 7th July 2023 saw the final runs in a season of regular use of the Classic early 1960's vintage Class 73 Electro Diesels on the Hoo Junction to Eastleigh East Yard Civil Engineer's train circuit. (Still doing what they were designed to do - using diesel power in yards and 3rd Rail electric power on the main line)
Here we see four runs including the last two which had a discreet Headboard in the offside windscreen of the leading loco - "The Hero Of Hoo":-
04/07/23 - 73202 + 73136 "Mhairi" passing West Byfleet with the 6Y48 09:01 Eastleigh East Yard to Hoo Junction Up Yard
06/07/23 - 73136 "Mhairi" + 73119 "Paul Taylor" passing West Byfleet with the 6Y42 14:05 Hoo Junction Up Yard, civil engineer's train (nearly blocked by SWR 455708 + 455727 - 2F50 16:33 Woking to Waterloo)
07/07/23 - 73119 "Paul Taylor" + 73136 "Mhairi" + 66301 passing Addlestone, with a "The Hero of Hoo" headboard inside the offside windscreen, on the 6Y42 14:05 Hoo Junction Up Yard to Eastleigh East Yard
07/07/23 - 73136 "Mhairi" + 73119 "Paul Taylor", on possibly the last regular ED hauled Hoo/Eastleigh civil engineer's circuit, with 66598 + 66848 + 66849 “Wylam Dilly” and 9 low cage FEA flat wagons on the 6Y43 19:56 Eastleigh East Yard to Hoo Junction Up Yard (Unfortunately SWR 444026 + 444021 rather blocked the view with the 1T69 21:09 Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour)
