Skegness received some unusual visitors on the evening of 11 February, when a Network Rail gauging train visited the branch, remaining at the terminus between 1945 and 2025. The full train consisted of:
31602 (Locomotive)
DB975820
975081 (Structure Gauging Train Driving & Instrumentation coach. Formerly Laboratory 17 "Hermes")
DC460000 (Optical car in Structure Gauging)
9708 (Network Rail remote train operating vehicle - former Anglia DBSO vehicle)
DB977986 (Network Rail Support coach)
31454 (Locomotive)
Some photos of the train at Skegness can be seen below (please click on each for a larger version).
31602 "Driver Dave Green" producing plenty of clag whilst awaiting departure!
A general view of the train on platform 4. Note the beam visible on the platform from the Optical Gauging carriage.
31454 at the rear of the train.
(PW, with additional information from Departmentals.com)