Roger
On shed at Bodmin!
On shed at Bodmin!
We are sorry to report that Roger had a bad day yesterday (12th January 2021), he had a fall at home and spent much of the night on the floor unable to get up. Eventually, via a call to his cousin the Police and an ambulance were called and to cut a long story short Roger was taken to Treliske Hosptal and from there after a check on to Bodmin Hospital - Habour ward. He phoned from there in cheerful mood saying that the food is good. Well done Roger and well done N.H.S. We all wish him well.
Best wishes to Roger.
Demolition Report
Weymouth Tramway
Guy Vincent
Weymouth Tramway
Guy Vincent
Work took me to Weymouth today (12th January 2021) where an hour was available to catch up with progress on the removal of the former tramway.
Starting at the ferry terminal the redundant track stored there from October onwards has all been removed. Track still remains in-situ in the terminal area but removal has been completed in the road leading to it (pics 1 & 2). The remains of several wooden sleepers could be seen. From the Royal Oak Inn to the paved car parking area behind the multi storey and Debenhams the rails are still in place, including the roadway under the town bridge. From Debenhams to the Bus station all traces of the tramway have been removed. Beyond this point most of the track remains in place, much dilapidated, up to the main line connection at Weymouth Junction.
Guy Vincent
Starting at the ferry terminal the redundant track stored there from October onwards has all been removed. Track still remains in-situ in the terminal area but removal has been completed in the road leading to it (pics 1 & 2). The remains of several wooden sleepers could be seen. From the Royal Oak Inn to the paved car parking area behind the multi storey and Debenhams the rails are still in place, including the roadway under the town bridge. From Debenhams to the Bus station all traces of the tramway have been removed. Beyond this point most of the track remains in place, much dilapidated, up to the main line connection at Weymouth Junction.
Guy Vincent
Weymouth Quay (1) Very near the terminus. 11th January 2021. Copyright Guy Vincent
Weymouth Quay 11th January 2021 Copyright Guy Vincent.
Weymouth Quay (3) 11th January 2021. Copyright Guy Vincent
Weymouth Tramway remains (4) 11th January 2021. Copyright Guy Vincent
Many thanks Guy, great that you are still able to get out and about officially.
Focus on Uffington
Mike Roach
Mike Roach
N.B. In those days Mike drove up from Plymouth to photograph Clun Castle - a journey which took him five hours each way!!
Uffington station in the 1950's, 25" OS map courtesy of the National Museum of Scotland - for non commercial use.
Uffington railway station is a former station on the Great Western Main line. The station was located north-east of the village of Uffington. In 1864 Uffington became a junction as the Faringdon branch. In 1886 the GWR took over the Faringdon Railway. Quote Wikipedia . Faringdon branch see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faringdon_railway_station
Using Google Earth one can see that nothing remains of the station, However just to the east of the road bridge which crosses the site a trailing crossover exists between the otherwise plan track up and down main lines.
Using Google Earth one can see that nothing remains of the station, However just to the east of the road bridge which crosses the site a trailing crossover exists between the otherwise plan track up and down main lines.
A 9F pounds its way eastwards through Uffington with a lengthy freigt train. Copyright Mike Roach N.B. The Farnigdon branch left from behind this island platform heading off right to the right of this approach road.
Uffington station being demolished about four months after closure to passengers - it closed CP 7th December 1963, Copyight Mike Roach -
7029 'Clun Castle' heads east through Uffington with a return railtour to Birmingham NS 3rd April 1965. Copyright Mike Roach
Looking east 7029 Clun Castle heads away. .3rd April 1965 Copyright Mike Roach.
Signalling at Uffington. - it will be noted that semaphore signalling was in use at the time of Mike Roach'es photographs - Uffington Signalbox opened in 1897 and closed in 1968 with the opening of Swindon Panel.
Gradients at Uffington. From Swindon virtually to Reading the line is on a falling gradient just west of the station site it is 1 in 754 easing to in in 880 at the station site and then continuing at 1 in 754 towards Wantage Road.
Gradients at Uffington. From Swindon virtually to Reading the line is on a falling gradient just west of the station site it is 1 in 754 easing to in in 880 at the station site and then continuing at 1 in 754 towards Wantage Road.
The branch to Faringdon.
The three and a half mile branch from Uffington was opened on 1st June 1864 between Faringdon and the GWR at Uffington , with construction funded by a consortium of local business men called the Faringdon Railway Company which was purchased outright by the GWR in 1886. The branch was constructed as a broad gauge line and was converted to standard gauge in 1878. The branch left the main line on a five chain radius curve and then headed generally NNW to Faingdon, the steepest gardient on the lightly engineered line was 1 in 88. Passenger traffic peaked in 1913, but later declined to such an extent that the passenger service was withdrawn on 31st December 1951. Freight traffic continued to use the line until 1964. there were no intermediate stations on the branch.
Faringdon Town Council proposed in 2005 to reopen the line this was not taken any further.
The station building is still extant, having been used for various commercial purposes; it has been a children's nursery since 2002. Info courtesy Wikipedia.
It is understood that the Faringdon branch was used to stable the Royal Train on occasions. Once around the bend away from the main station one can appreciate that the topography would have been a very pleasant place to spend a night away from home. Lucky them!!
There were no intermediate stations on the brnnch.
Details and pictures of Farringdon station can be found using this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faringdon_railway_station.
The Farringdon branch line link is https://www.google.com/search?q=faringdon+branch+line&oq=Faringdon&aqs=chrome.2.35i39j69i57j69i59j46i67i395i433i457j46i67i175i199i395j46i10i67i175i199i395j46i20i175i199i263i395j0i67i395j46i20i175i199i263i395j46i175i199i395i422i424.6993j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
The three and a half mile branch from Uffington was opened on 1st June 1864 between Faringdon and the GWR at Uffington , with construction funded by a consortium of local business men called the Faringdon Railway Company which was purchased outright by the GWR in 1886. The branch was constructed as a broad gauge line and was converted to standard gauge in 1878. The branch left the main line on a five chain radius curve and then headed generally NNW to Faingdon, the steepest gardient on the lightly engineered line was 1 in 88. Passenger traffic peaked in 1913, but later declined to such an extent that the passenger service was withdrawn on 31st December 1951. Freight traffic continued to use the line until 1964. there were no intermediate stations on the branch.
Faringdon Town Council proposed in 2005 to reopen the line this was not taken any further.
The station building is still extant, having been used for various commercial purposes; it has been a children's nursery since 2002. Info courtesy Wikipedia.
It is understood that the Faringdon branch was used to stable the Royal Train on occasions. Once around the bend away from the main station one can appreciate that the topography would have been a very pleasant place to spend a night away from home. Lucky them!!
There were no intermediate stations on the brnnch.
Details and pictures of Farringdon station can be found using this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faringdon_railway_station.
The Farringdon branch line link is https://www.google.com/search?q=faringdon+branch+line&oq=Faringdon&aqs=chrome.2.35i39j69i57j69i59j46i67i395i433i457j46i67i175i199i395j46i10i67i175i199i395j46i20i175i199i263i395j0i67i395j46i20i175i199i263i395j46i175i199i395i422i424.6993j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Faringdon Map in the 1950;s showing the terminus. Map from the 25" OS series Courtesy of The National Museum of Scoland - for non - commercial use.
Many thanks Mike your record and irreplaceable photographs are much appreciated.
Further to the above and general
Useful information from Guy Vincent
Useful information from Guy Vincent
Following on from Mike Roache's excellent feature on Uffington station the following may be of interest. Website http://www.railwaycodes.org contains a wealth of useful information on signalling schemes, signal boxes and much more. A valuable source of data for answering such queries as and when they arise. Uffington 'box opened in 1897 and closed on 3rd March 1968 when the new panel box at Swindon assumed control of the area. Since early 2016 Thames Valley Signalling Centre at Didcot has been in charge of the now electrified GWML and the operating panel formerly used at Swindon has been preserved in working condition in a new purpose-built building at the Great Western Society site, Didcot.
Also of interest will be the triology of 'Signalman' railway books by well known former Western Region Signalman turned author Adrian Vaughan. Signalman's Morning, Signalman's Twilight and Signalman's Nightmare are well worth reading and relatively easy to find for sale online. The middle volume describes in detail the author's experiences working on this section of the GW main line in the early-mid 1960s, a very dark period of rationalisation and closure following publication of the Beeching Report and modernisation of the British Railway network.
Guy Vincent.
Also of interest will be the triology of 'Signalman' railway books by well known former Western Region Signalman turned author Adrian Vaughan. Signalman's Morning, Signalman's Twilight and Signalman's Nightmare are well worth reading and relatively easy to find for sale online. The middle volume describes in detail the author's experiences working on this section of the GW main line in the early-mid 1960s, a very dark period of rationalisation and closure following publication of the Beeching Report and modernisation of the British Railway network.
Guy Vincent.