1st November 2023

Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street
Tony Shore

11.49 Worcester Foregate Street. to Worcester Shrub Hill Copyright Tony Shore

Worcester Shrub Hill 43027 2T44 unit 31-10-2023 Copyright Tony Shore

Worcester Shrub Hill Banner Repeater and Calling on signal 31-10-2023 Copyright Tony Shore

With reference to todays website photograph of the signal at Worcester Shrub Hill. The signal shown is incorrectly described as a 'Banner Repeater Signal'. Its actually a 'Stop Signal' and consists of a 2ft 3" diameter disc as opposed to a normal 11 1/4" diameter shunting disc, and is used for main running movements. The signal below it is correctly described as a 'Calling On' disc. There were once quite a few of the larger discs around that were used when sighting was very restricted, Gloucester being another place where they were once quite numerous.

Hope that clarifies things a bit?

Take Care,
Chris Bellett
CRS Member

Gloucester -Worcester Foregate Street .Copyright Tony Shore

43162 TNT 43027 2T46 13.49 WorcesterF foregate st Sreet -Bristol Temple Meads 31-10-2023. Copyright Tony Shore

Worcester Foregate Street. Copyright Tony Shore

Many Thanks Tony
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NINTEEN SIXTY TWO
PART 49
Michael L. Roach

Centenary of the Castles (2)
The year 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the appearance of the first of the Great Western Railway's Castle Class 4-cylinder express steam locomotives, when 4073 “Caerphilly Castle” rolled out of Swindon Works in August 1923. 155 were built new and 16 were converted from earlier locomotives between August 1927 and August 1950. On 1 January 1962 Laira Shed had five Castles allocated to the shed, as follows:
4087           stored August1962
4095           to Reading September 1962
5029           stored March 1962
5069           withdrawn February 1962
7022           to Hereford November 1963
Thus at the end of 1962 there was just one Castle left at Laira – no. 7022 Hereford Castle which moved from Laira to Hereford. All the photos in this part were taken in 1962 at a time when most express trains to Plymouth were diesel hauled with just a very few steam rosters left. By the end of that year there would be almost no rosters for steam engines on express passenger trains from Newton Abbot and beyond. Of the 171 Castles built there were 151 in service at the start of 1962 and 97 at the end of the year, but many of those were stored.
Other writers are far better better qualified than me to comment on the star qualities of the Castle class. This is what Richard Foster wrote in the October 2023 copy of Steam World: “From 1902 until the late 1920s, the GWR led the way in locomotive development. George Jackson Churchward showed incredible foresight when he combined the latest thinking from France and the United States with his own radical ideas to create a superlative locomotive. What made his vision extra special was that he then used parts to create a standardised range of locomotives in order to cover all traffic requirements. Not only were the designs a success but they were built to a standard that other railways could only dream of.” Praise indeed.
NOTE: Centenary of  the Castles (1) was published on this website on 27 February 2023 in 1962 – Part 7  
MLR /  30 October 2023
 

7160 5094 Tretower Castle of Bristol SPM Shed approaches the top of Dainton Bank with 7C on an unidentified train on 16 June 1962.. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

7253 5060 Earl of Berkeley of OOC shed is standing on the coaling line loop on 28 July 1962. Behind 5060 is 4949 Packwood Hall of Westbury Shed where it had moved from SPM just a couple of weeks earlier. Westbury engines were not common at Plymouth as they normally worked to Salisbury (and beyond), Weymouth, Bristol, Oxford and London. There is a good chance that 4949 had been called on to assist or replace an ailing diesel loco. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

7536 With a D8xx diesel as train engine 5042 Winchester Castle of Newton Abbot Shed storms up the bank past Laira steam shed with 14C on 22 September 1962. For a couple of years it was possible to see regular double-headers of steam and diesel locos. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

7539 5049 “Earl of Plymouth” of SPM stands outside the long shed at Laira on 20 October 1962. The long shed was built in 1931-32 using Government Grants and Loans to relieve unemployment. The Earls of Plymouth do not appear to have any connection with the town, and later city, of Plymouth. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

Many thanks Michael on another extremely well researched and informative article this time on the changeover from steam to diesel traction. We are so very grateful that you recorded the events of 61 years ago.  We look forward to your half century of artcles as next time we reach number 50.

Clay to Fowey
Mark Lynam

​I have attached 3 photos 66190 of the clay working yesterday (Monday) to Fowey Docks.

1. 66190 at Middleway Crossing with 16 JIAs working 6G19 1232 Goonbarrow Junction Dbc to Fowey Dock Carne Point.

2. 66190 passing Lostwithiel about to go into the goods loop.

3. The wall at Coulson Park has been recently cleared opening up this shot again.

Thanks,
Mark Lynam

66190 Middleway Crossing, St Blazey. 30th October 2023. Copyright Mark Lynam.

66190 Lostwithiel. 30th October 2023. Copyright Mark Lynam

66190 Coulson Park, Lostwithiel. 30th October 2023. Copyright Mark Lynam.

Many thanks Mark - keep up the good work.

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