24th April 2020

Track Renewals  Chacewater 1977
Roger Winnen

770625a 50024 together with 45031 heads east through Chacewater Station on the 25th June1977. The track in the foreground is a replacement for access into the siding. Copyright Roger Winnen

770625b Class 47 47244 opens up as she rounds the curve through the closed Chacewater.Station on the 25th June 1977 Copyright Roger Winnen

770621c Chacewater Signal Box with the only Blue Circle cement silo served by rail in Cornwall behind. Copyright Roger Winnen

Many Thanks to Neil Philips for further information on these locomotives and dates supplied which is most appreciated

Ivybridge Signal Box
Roger Winnen

770716a Dereliction showing the closed Ivybridge Signal Box. on 16th July 1977 Copyright Roger Winnen

770716b The closed Signal Box ay Ivybridge, note the broken windows. Copyright Roger Winnen

Ivybridge
Clive Smith

Europhoenix 37884 heads the 5V84 11.33 Doncaster Works - Laira stock move running 85 minutes early at Daveys Bridge east of Ivybridge. By chance I was taking my daily permitted exercise from my front door  and had walked fifteen minutes along the B3213 to the railway line and was just turning around to go home when this came around the corner ! Seems four people already knew about it as they had arrived in two cars and were leaning on the bridge parapet two metres apart so there was no room for me at my usual position.  The formation is five HST Castle class coaches for the final 2+4 set and two barrier vehicles. This loco was far better known as 37183 former doyen of South Wales and the Scottish Highlands.

Regards,  Clive Smith.

Ivybridge 37884 23rd April 2020 Copyright Clive Smith

Well done, and many thanks Clive - it seems that whoever else was there were going beyond permitted bounds and activities and being, in fact, very antisocial - poor show!!

Truro
Andrew Thompson

Named 47 623 Vulcan at Truro. gets the 'right away' Copyright Andrew Thompson.

Many thanks Andrew.

Old Mixon Siding
Tony Hill

Recently Tony Hill drew our attention to a little known siding  off to down main line just north east of Uphill Junction. This served an aircraft factory, built in 1940 at Old Mixon as a "shadow" factory complementing the then RAF Weston Super Mare, where test flights of the new aircraft were carried out. The factory was sited just outside the western boundary of the airfield. During World War Two it produced Bristol Beaufighter fixed wing aircraft for the war effort. From 1955 it was a centre of production for Bristol helicopters, later in 1960 taken over by Westland Helicopters. The factory is was part of an industrial estate (Weston Euro Park). Now developed for housing. Information from Pastscape.  This was served at one time by a siding. Does anybody know any more about this siding – when was it installed and removed etc?
 

This query was published at about 06.30 today - the answer came less than three hours later from Roy Hart - a resident of Rangoon, Burma.
​Roy says :-  ​The Bristol Aircraft plant was served by extensive sidings on the down side between Worle and Uphill junctions. Passenger trains for the workers ran from Bristol and could come straight off the main line into the plant, where there was a special platform.
The layout was controlled by Hutton signalbox, which opened on 18th August 1940. The box closed on 7th June 1964.

Roy

- And now we all know - many Thanks to you Roy. I'll add your info to the main site.

Experimenting with Google Earth
Brilliant Features

Further to the above, in researching using google earth I discovered a feature on this wonderful site which enables one to turn back the clock. On the top edge of the Google Earth screen you will see an ‘alarm clock’ icon.  Click on this and a ‘slider’ appears on the top of the image, now, using your mouse click on the slider and you will be able to see past Google Earth views.  In the case of Weston – super – Mare this didn’t help a lot as you can only go back to 1999, but it led me to look elsewhere and turn the clock back. For instance, take yourself to Chippenham on ‘Google Earth’ and click on the clock and slider.  You will see that it is possible to obtain images as far back as 1945 (These appear in black and white). You can, in fact, follow the Calne branch and even see stock in the sidings at that location.
 
Furthermore, zoom out to see the whole of the country, you will find several other sections in black and white, these include part of London, Cardiff and Glasgow.  A very interesting and valuable feature those less in the know have never seen.  Something to look at especially during the time of ‘Lockdown’.
                                               Enjoy