16th February 2022

D818 Glory at Swindon
Michael Adams

Hello Roger, Here is the first of some pictures taken by my good friend Michael Adams.(Now living in Herts) He is happy for you to put his pictures on the site,which he looks at avidly each day. It shows D818 at Swindon works on 6 June 1981. The loco. was broken up in 1985 ; Thanks and best wishes, Copyright Michael Adams

Many thanks Michael

47836 Near Oxford
Michael Forward

Hello Roger, Another shot from the bridge at Port Meadow Oxford taken 8th September 1989, this time showing a very smart 47836 with the 07.50 from Glasgow to Poole,14,30 at Oxford. Best wishes, Michael. Copyright Michael Forward

Many thanks Michael

An interval at
Bradford on Avon
Guy Vincent

Guy spends a while at delightful Bradford on Avon.

Today (15th February 2022) a STP oddity was posted out on various Gen groups although with little detail as to what it would be.   50008 on empty stock was mentioned but as it transpired this loco did not appear.  Instead the working, 5Z20 1211 Eastleigh T&RSMD - Crewe L&NWR was hauled by no less than a pair of veteran class 20 locos, 20007 and 20142, the former being the oldest main line certified diesel on the network.  Delivered new to Devons Road, Bow on 19th September 1957  D8007 was one of  British Railways  pilot scheme locos so has had a remarkable career firstly with BR, then from 1993 in preservation and now the private sector.   20142 carries a non authentic London Transport commemorative livery and the name 'Sir John Betjamin'.  Coaching stock was an unbranded Grand Central liveried short set comprising Mk 4s 12222 12461 12323 10330 11321 and DVT 82227. Quite what it will be used for will no doubt become evident in the coming months. Grand Central operate open access services between London Kings Cross and Sunderland / Bradford Interchange using a fleet of class 180 'Adelante' units formerly operated by Great Western Trains.

Guy Vincent 

Bradford on Avon 20007 and 20142 5Z20 15th February 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent

Bradford on Avon the stock of the 5Z20 15th February 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent

Wouldn't this stock be very well suited to our Cardiff-Portsmouth and Cardiff-West of England services?

Bradford on Avon 82227 5Z20 15th February 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Following the passage of the special ECS working that utilised class 20s 20007 and 20142 I hung around to see a couple of regular daily freight services pass through Bradford-on-Avon.  First was 66957 on the 4O57 1329 Wentloog-Southampton Maritime semi-loaded container train followed around 30 minutes later by 66103 with the empty 6B33 1335 Theale-Robeston bogie fuel tanks.  This latter service normally produces a DB class 60 but sadly today was an exception.

Bradford-on-Avon 66957 4O57 Wentloog to Southampton Maritime on the 15th February 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent

Bradford-on-Avon 66103 6B33 Theale-Robeston 15th February 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Many thanks Guy, smashing photos,  I notice the water on the platform so obvious in the early pictures has dried off.

Station Access
John Murray Roberts

Keith, re the query on 12th February, as you say the operators manage the customer interface and list their processes for helping passengers on NRES. They divide stations into five categories, and I've listed our area of interest as follows:
A - Step-free access - Plymouth, St Austell, Penzance;
B1 - Limited access - Up platform only, Down platform has steep ramp - Lostwithiel;
B1 - Limited access  - between some platforms via street - Truro, Camborne;
B2 - Limited access  - steep ramps - St Budeaux Ferry Road, Saltash, Redruth, Hayle;
B2 - Limited access - Up platforms only, Down platform has steep ramp - Liskeard;
B3 - Partial access - Down platform only - Devonport, St Germans, Menheniot, Bodmin Parkway, Par;
B3 - Partial access - Up platforms only - St Erth;
C - No access - Dockyard, Keyham.
Although some stations appear to be step-free, there is a specified limit to ramp gradient and those stations with steep ramps have to be put into a lower category. I recall that Hayle footbridge was removed in the 70s (?) and the barrow crossing provided with miniature red/green lights, but latterly there's a move to remove as many crossings as possible. Some may be used with staff supervision, but as staffing has been cut back this is increasingly rare. If you can reach the platform, some stations and trains have a portable ramp for those who cannot step up, but this is not permitted at Saltash, and the TOC may provide a bus or taxi to an accessible station.
Branch stations are generally more accessible as they have only one platform:
A - Bere Ferrers, Bere Alston, Sandplace, Looe, St Columb Road, Newquay, Perranwell, Penryn, Falmouth Docks, Lelant, St Ives;
B1 - Gunnislake, Coombe Junction, St Keyne, Luxulyan, Bugle, Penmere;
B2 - St Budeaux Victoria Road, Calstock, Causeland, Roche, Quintrell Downs, Falmouth Town, Lelant Saltings, Carbis Bay;
C - nil.
A good summary of current GB stations is here: National Rail Accessibility Map.
As to future projects, yes I'm afraid it is down to money. DfT has an Access for All programme which has addressed 1,500 stations, but to complete the remaining 1,000 stations would cost a further £4bn. DfT budgets about £50m per annum and invites bids from interested parties. The stations are then prioritised according to passenger flows and usage v likely benefits. It may be relatively easy to provide ramps or lifts but sometimes there's no space or it's not structurally possible. Projects should also consider wider benefits, so I would expect that St Austell was prioritised as a busy station, but also to ease the Par to London flow, however inconvenient it is to travel from Par via St Austell.
It's not possible to make every station accessible quickly. Sometimes the engineering is the easy part but delayed by wider issues. As an example, from privatisation to opening of the multimodal hub St Erth footfall has increased fivefold. It was designed in 2010, but as a listed building it's had to go through extensive planning and a ramped bridge and lift bridge were refused in 2013 and 2014. The government announced funding for it in 2019, for completion by 2024, and a lift bridge has recently been accepted, albeit reluctantly by the heritage bodies. If you want to know why it's so difficult, the planning application alone runs to over 400 pages, but contains a lot of interesting information which would be worth keeping in the CRS archive:
https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=Q5W2DDFGL2M00&activeTab=summary
I understand the existing footbridge is going to Cranmore.
I hope this answers Mr Martyr's question. Best wishes, John Roberts.

Many thanks John - all the details for Eli.
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35 years ago. demolition of 
Teignmouth Signalbox
Paul Barlow

We are just two days late to 'celebrate' the demise of Teignmouth box 35 years ago - how thing change.

HST passes Teignmouth box which was demolished that night. The box was closed on Friday 14th November 1986 14th February 1987 Copyright Paul Barlow

Inside Teignmouth box which was demolished that night. 14th Feb 1987 Copyright Paul Barlow

Many thanks Indeed Paul - one gets a very good idea of the signalmans visibility from your second view.  History now.
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Same loco past and present  
47077 & D1661 ' North Star'
Clive Smith

Two pictures of the same loco in different guises. Firstly 47077 'North Star' heads along the sea wall at Dawlish to Kennaway Tunnel with the 1Z19 07.35 Birmingham New Street - Paignton ADEX on the 25th May 1981. 47077 is owned by the Diesel Electric Group at the West Somerset Railway moving there in 2007. It is seen in two-tone green livery as D1661 'North Star' on the 9th June 2017 awaiting departure with the first train to Minehead of the day's West Somerset Railway Diesel Gala. The loco was soon to be repainted to BR blue livery and back to TOPS number 47077.  The loco has just been loaned out to the North York Moors Railway for a two year period arriving there mid January 2022.
Regards,  Clive Smith.

Firstly 47077 'North Star' heads along the sea wall at Dawlish to Kennaway Tunnel with the 1Z19 07.35 Birmingham New Street - Paignton ADEX on the 25th May 1981. Copyright Clive Smith

It is seen in two-tone green livery as D1661 'North Star' on the 9th June 2017 awaiting departure with the first train to Minehead of the day's West Somerset Railway Diesel Gala. Copyright Clive Smith

Also please try this link
Class 47 D1661 47077 47613 47840 “NORTH STAR” | The Diesel and Electric Preservation Group

Many thanks to you Clive for putting together pictures of a 'survivor'. Well done.
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