15th April 2023

15/4/2023

Southampton/Hampshire
Millbrook
Mick House

1) 166 217 at Millbrook. 14th April 2023. Copyright Mick House

2) 165 137 at Millbrook. 14th April 2023. Copyright Mick House

3) 158 745 At Rebridge. 14th April 2023. Copyright Mick House

4) 158 749 at Redbridge. 14th April 2023. Copyright Mick House

5) At last - steam in the shape of 70000 Britannia appears at Redbridge. 14th April 2023. Copyright Mick House

6) An excellent broadside of 70000 Britannia pasing through Redbridge. 14th April 2023. Copyright Mick House

Many thanks Mick - the steam bonus made it all worthwhile!

Peaks in Cornwall
Simon Howard

As covered earlier this week, the Royal Albert Bridge was strengthened in 1969 with additional links between the suspension chains and the decking and was thus upgraded to ’double red’. I remember speculating with Neil Phillips at the time that Peaks could now work into Cornwall, however that seemed a distant possibility as typically they only worked as far as Exeter. So it’s fair to say that we were dumbfounded when on 31 December 1969 D151 worked the 1C30 to Penzance – an event recorded by Neil and in the ‘Cornwall Galleries’ section of the website.

So I’m pretty sure that was the first ‘double red’ working into Cornwall – but stand to be corrected!

(Mind you, I’ve got a funny feeling it may have been 30 December and Neil caught the second appearance on camera – he’ll put us right!).

Many thanks Simon.

First Peak in Kernow.
A P.S. from Neil Phillips.

Regarding Simon Howard’s comments on the Royal Albert Bridge 1969 strengthening possibly being the reason for Class 46 D151’s appearance in Cornwall at the end of that year, Simon is correct – D151 had been spotted at Truro 24 hours earlier, on 30th December* (this was 2 years to the day after the mass withdrawal of those other local diesels with prominent noses, the five D600 Warships). I had received a phone call about it that evening and made sure my camera and I were ready for a re-run the next day – just hours from the end of the 1960s.

*The first visit of a Peak to Cornwall........to the best of my knowledge (having been tripped up with my ‘last Hymek’ claim last year!)

Best regards,
Neil Phillips

Bench Ends
Roy Hart & Peter Munaghan

There is no mystery: the bench ends had the letters GWR cast on them (this logo dates from the 1930s, I believe. It appeared on locomotives , posters etc).

After nationalisation, they simply painted over the G and the R!
Cheers, Roy.

Hi Keith, I can throw some light onto Chris Nunn's query about the W bench ends photographed at Liskeard in the late 1960s. BR staff felt that acknowledging the former pre-nationalisation companies was old fashioned and a bit disloyal, but many of the fixtures and fittings were still good for further service. So benches such as these had the middle W picked out in paint, with the G and R either side being 'hidden' in the background colour. Similar thinking occurred on the Southern Region where the splendid cast iron No Trespassing plates had the word Southern picked out in white paint, but the word Railway painted in the background green. Of course the wheel has turned full circle now with with certain railways now proudly using their former names! Best wishes, Peter Murnaghan.

Many thanks Gentlemen. Great minds think alike, I thought the same but the G & R were very indistinct in that picture.

Kens Contribution
Ken Mumford

[1] and [2] IET London bound 831105 and an 'artist' tried to enhance the livery!!

[3] and [4] Both ends of a westbound IET were suffering with LOCKJAW!

[5] and [6] 66519 passes slowly on the UML with 7B12 [Merehead Quarry to Wootton Bassett] crosses to Transfer Yard for the loco to run round for the final part of its journey - NOTE the artistc work on the wagons!

[7] 66022 'Sonia' [with engine shut down awaits further duty] wearing a colourful fashion and intersting slogan!

[8] + [9] 37610 with 3Q64 [Cardiff Canton Vale Sidings to Cardiff Canton Vale Sidings via the 'world'. Worth looking at REALTRAIN TIMES for this train especially between Gloucester and Swindon and the return to Gloucester - can ayone explain these interesting [strange??] timngs, please?

Kind regards,
Ken

Pictures 1 to 9 read left to right then down. All Copyright Ken Mumford.