Today at
Hawkeridge Junction
Guy Vincent
Hawkeridge Junction
Guy Vincent
Today around lunchtime I happened by chance to get news of an extremely rare and unusual working through Westbury and was able to get out for an hour to record it. Rail Operations Group 47813, formerly owned by Direct Rail Services and named 'Solent', also once operated by Great Western Trains for many years and named 'SS Great Britain', came through at 1420 with a rake of JSA wagons running as 6O86 0900 Long Marston-Eastleigh Arlington. These wagons were converted in 1996 by Marcroft at Stoke-on-Trent for use between Shotton and Llanwern, before that they were iron-ore bogie tippler wagons used on Ravenscraig steelworks traffic. The '47' may have once been a common sight but the wagons were quite possibly making their debut here.
Shortly after that train had departed GBRF 66701 came through on 6M46 1218 Marchwood-Bicester MOD stores train which runs 'as required' via Westbury, Melksham and Oxford. Waiting on the 'down Trowbridge' for it to pass through Westbury North Junction was recently-arrived 'Turbo' 166214 on 2C18 1242 Gloucester-Frome.
Guy V Guy your efforts are very much appreciated as we in Cornwall would say 'By one and all'. Thank you very much.
Shortly after that train had departed GBRF 66701 came through on 6M46 1218 Marchwood-Bicester MOD stores train which runs 'as required' via Westbury, Melksham and Oxford. Waiting on the 'down Trowbridge' for it to pass through Westbury North Junction was recently-arrived 'Turbo' 166214 on 2C18 1242 Gloucester-Frome.
Guy V Guy your efforts are very much appreciated as we in Cornwall would say 'By one and all'. Thank you very much.
Hawkeridge 47813 6O86 0900 Long Marston - Eastleigh Arlington JSA's 5th June 2018 Copyright Vincent
Hawkeridge 66701 6M46 1218 Marchwood to Bicester MOD 5th June 2018 Copyright Guy Vincent
Saltash Station
Gateway to Cornwall
Regeneration Project
Roger Winnen
Gateway to Cornwall
Regeneration Project
Roger Winnen
180603k Saltash Station 'Gateway to Cornwall'. Copyright Roger Winnen
180603j Welcome to Cornwall, Saltash Station regeneration project viewed from the 08.05 Penzance Paddington service. Copyright Roger Winnen
The 'Milky Way'
Julian Stephens
Julian Stephens
Hello Keith
You have had some good input regarding the local creameries recently and the attached is the only bit I have that is of any relevance.
It is an unremarkable shot of an area you already have covered. However, it shows milk tankers in the siding and behind the signal box along with a rake of Clay Hoods. I believe that at the time of the picture the tankers had been redundant for about five years.
Best wishes, Julian Many thanks Julian
You have had some good input regarding the local creameries recently and the attached is the only bit I have that is of any relevance.
It is an unremarkable shot of an area you already have covered. However, it shows milk tankers in the siding and behind the signal box along with a rake of Clay Hoods. I believe that at the time of the picture the tankers had been redundant for about five years.
Best wishes, Julian Many thanks Julian
50049 Defiance leaves Lostwithiel on the 5th July 1986 with the 1M83 1030 Penzance to Liverpool Copyright Julian Stephens
Yeovil Pen Mill
'Weymouth Wizard'
Clive Smith
'Weymouth Wizard'
Clive Smith
Following on from Ron Kosys's suberb 1970s pictures, here is 47008 passing through Yeovil Pen Mill with a Swindon to Weymouth holiday extra on 16th August 1982. Five years on from Ron's 1977 photo, the yard still seems to be in use albeit a solitary 4-wheel van-fit wagon.
'The Weymouth Wizard' was a midweek additional service that B.R. ran in the high season holidays between 1981 and 1985 when extra rolling stock was readily available to supplement the existing timetable at busy times. The train was routed via Melksham which for the first four years of its operation was a freight-only line.
The following is an unreferenced extract from Wikipedia "A special, large, commemorative headboard was often carried by the locomotive heading the train, this had been produced by Swindon Works carriage shop and was designed by works sign-writer / illustrator Ernie Hewlett. At the time the Chippenham to Trowbridge stretch of line was under threat of closure and the success of this train went some way to laying the foundations for the route to re-open under the terms of the 'Speller Act' with a limited, experimental passenger service commencing in May 1985. With this came the re-opening of Melksham station". It would be interesting to know if the train called at the newly re-opened Melksham in 1985.
Regards Clive Smith Many thanks indeed to you Clive
'The Weymouth Wizard' was a midweek additional service that B.R. ran in the high season holidays between 1981 and 1985 when extra rolling stock was readily available to supplement the existing timetable at busy times. The train was routed via Melksham which for the first four years of its operation was a freight-only line.
The following is an unreferenced extract from Wikipedia "A special, large, commemorative headboard was often carried by the locomotive heading the train, this had been produced by Swindon Works carriage shop and was designed by works sign-writer / illustrator Ernie Hewlett. At the time the Chippenham to Trowbridge stretch of line was under threat of closure and the success of this train went some way to laying the foundations for the route to re-open under the terms of the 'Speller Act' with a limited, experimental passenger service commencing in May 1985. With this came the re-opening of Melksham station". It would be interesting to know if the train called at the newly re-opened Melksham in 1985.
Regards Clive Smith Many thanks indeed to you Clive
Yeovil Pen Mill - 'The Weymouth Wizard' complete with colourful headboard. 6th August 1982 Copyright Clive Smith
Westbury
John Cornelius
John Cornelius
Copyright John Cornelius