on the NMT today
David Tozer
Exe Estuary (2)
Paul Barlow
Julian Stephens
Best wishes
Julian
Julian Stephens
LNER Livery Power Car 43299 on the NMT today David Tozer Thanks David Around the Exe Estuary (2) Paul Barlow 47806 heads Vrigin trains 13.03 Preston to Penzance running two hours late. Seen from Powderham. The loco formerly D1931 then became 47254 then 47651 and now rebfurbshed is 57309. Seen on the 23rd June 2002. Cross Country loco hauled trains ceased with effect from the 19th August 2002. Copyright Paul Barlow. Many thanks as usual Paul,also for the 'mine of information' you supply - true enthusiast. St Austell Casualty Julian Stephens The attached may show the last service train to use that section when 57603 failed with the Down Sleepers on 16th December 2003 Best wishes Julian Many thanks Julian, a rare moment in history captured. St Austell Julian Stephens Over the period of the 'shut down' for the replacement of Trewoon Bridge other things were happening. Unfortunately another quarter mile of Cornish track was lifted when the remains of the line, laid in 1931, which served the St Austell Goods Yard was lifted. Julian captures the action. Many thanks for your comprehensive coverage Julian.
Newton Abbot Roger Winnen It's all there, the signal box, the semaphores, the David and Charles coaches, even the depot in the distance. Many thanks Roger. Sir Daniel Gooch at Reading Michael Forward Many Thanks Michael Around the Exe Estuary (1) Paul Barlow Paul kindly provides us with a series of distant pictures taken from various viewpoints near the estuary. Many thanks Paul. Southampton Ron Kosys Many thanks Ron. An old friend, driver and CRS Member the late:Len Baker told us how they had to watch out here as within yards 33101 is going to pass by some elderly houses which almost overhang the line - a hazard here was that the inhabitants occasionally emptied the contents of their tea pots over the wall onto the line.
DON'T FORGET Paul Negus advises us to make sure you watch this tonight on the 'Yesterday Channel' at 8PM. Bristol Temple Meads. Wootton Bassett Neil Phillips Neil was based at nearby RAF Lyneham during the period in which these pictures were taken.
Many thanks indeed Neil for your pictures and details. 47626 Arrives at Hayle Michael Forward Thanks Michael Bevois near Southampton Ron Kosys 33116 passing Mount Pleasant level crossing with a train of rails from the now closed Redbridge depot on the evening of 7th September 1988 Many thanks Ron. South Marston Swindon Ken Mumford Congratulations to Ron and Tim Hall for your records. From the footplate (1) Alan Peters Alan Peters a driver with Colas is currently unwell and is home based near St Blazey. However, thankfully he is able to delve in his archives and bring us real life scenes from the foot plate - we are both envious and very grateful. Get well soon Alan. Picture (1) My first cab ride in a HST was on 13th August 1986 aboard 43015 from Cardiff Central to Bristol Parkway, departing from platform 4 where a single yellow is displayed. This is a scene that has changed with electrification, note the class 37 waiting on the Up Main, the flower beds and T lighting, also of note the P Way with a trolley wearing just short H/V vests before the days of full orange and hard hat. The Driver is Ken Mitchel at the time a Saltley Driver originally starting at Edge Hill and later moving to St Blazey, unfortunately I have no notes on the workings although being a Saltley turn this was possibly a Cross Country service via the tunnel in the days before the Cardiff to Nottingham service. Picture (2) Taken at speed entering the Severn Tunnel on 13/08/86, thankfully 43015 is still working with ScotRail and it is still possible to travel to Cardiff Central on a HST. It would be easier to take a picture nowadays with a mobile phone rather than a SLR camera which I always felt awkward with on duty. Maybe at the time passengers would be listening to 'Chris de Burgh - The Lady in Red' recorded on cassette tape on their Sony Walkman, the number one in music chart at the time! Picture (3) Bristol Parkway on 13th August 1986, on not so much of a summers day where 50047 'Swiftsure' is seen arriving, although Bristol Parkway is an unattractive modern station an extra two platforms have since been added and the scene changed with overhead wires. The class 50 was an early casualty being withdrawn just a few years later and scrapped at Vic Berry's in 1989 Alan Peters On board pictures and experiences - can't beat it. Thank you. A query was made concerning operation of scrap trains on the stub of the Highworth branch.
We are not sure how this branch is operated these days. Andrew Crawley advises us that Hi The disused sidings beyond the scrap yard are for BMW and are where the Longbridge train used to load up. The train could go right in, run round and then pull the train through a wagon at a time past EMR for loading but I'm not sure of track condition at the far end so don't know if it is used for that anymore as I've never seen it going in, but I wouldn't be surprised if it probably propels it in and then just draws forward a wagon at a time, staying with the train all day. Someone else may know more. Cheers Andrew Crawley Paul Negus advises us to make sure you watch this... Bristol Temple Meads Tim Dunn is seen talking to Simon Gyde Bristol Temple Meads features on the Yesterday channel on Tuesday evening at 8pm in The Architecture The Railways Built. Tim Dunn is seen talking to Simon Gyde, a good friend of mine, who boned up on the history of Temple Meads in preparation for the programme. Simon tells me that he was amazed by Tim's knowledge of the station - far better than anything he had read! Incidentally, Simon was responsible for the "refurbishment" of Dawlish station footbridge a few years back where a wholly fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) look-alike was installed as refurbishing the original and making it durable was not cost effective. It became the first wholly FRP bridge structure to be Grade II listed. I would also like to say that I have been to a few meetings in the GWR Board Room (which you will see in this episode) and I always feel the presence of those pioneers including IKB. It will be a very nostalgic programme for me ... Here are a couple of shots to remind us of the impressive train shed and the additional platforms tacked on the outside, so to speak. The first is Harry Patch on 18th November 2019 on a Taunton to Cardiff service and the other is Flying Scotsman ready to meet her public on 8th October 2018 on The Cathedrals Express. Enjoy watching! Paul Negus Many thanks to Paul Negus for this strong reminder - now don't forget! Fully protected at Saltash Clive Smith 43158 leads the 08.00 Cardiff Central - Par into Saltash station with 43004 on the rear. The train terminated at Par due to lengthy engineering line closures in west Cornwall. There are five people on the station. All of them wearing masks. Well done. The refurbishment of Saltash station is nearing completion and with covid restrictions being gradually lifted it will start to become the new communal space that it has been intended for. A preview of the interior was shown on the excellent TV series 'The Architecture The Railways Built' shown on the Yesterday Channel back in late January fronted by the enthusiastic Tim Dunn. Regards, Clive Smith. Many thanks Clive. Highworth branch Ken Mumford The junction for the Highworth branch is situated about a mile east of Swindon station, however there is little left of the branch just a stub. Beyond the scrap terminal a number of sidings still exist apparently disused. Many thanks Ken. A query was made concerning operation of scrap trains on the stub of the Highworth branch. We are not sure how this branch is operated these days. Andrew Crawley advises us that the disused sidings beyond the scrap yard were for BMW and are where the Longbridge train used to load up. The train could go right in, run round and then pull the train through a wagon at a time past EMR for loading but I'm not sure of track condition at the far end so don't know if it is used for that anymore as I've never seen it going in, but I wouldn't be surprised if it probably propels it in and then just draws forward a wagon at a time, staying with the train all day. Thought for the day! Penzance & Didcot Coaling stages Trevor Tremethick Hi Keith and Roger
Just to keep you on your toes! Looking at Great Western coaling stages (for example, Penzance or Didcot) they tend to follow a fairly standard pattern as would be typical of the GWR. The coal wagons were propelled up the ramp and the coal transferred to wheeled tubs which were run out and tipped into the loco bunkers or tenders (not from a great height, as the Welsh coal was soft and would tend to break up with a long drop). All well and good, but what tends to be ignored in captions to pictures of coal stages (and, indeed, descriptions generally) is the 'ground floor'. There generally seems to be, on the lower level, a door and at least one window (reference the pictures of PZ coal stage on the CRS site). So, what was on the ground floor? Was it just a 'bothy' for the coal men or was it an office where they kept tallies for coal supplies, ordering paperwork, that sort of thing? The internet appears to be largely silent on this. I'd like to know, both for modelling purposes and general interest. Well, the devil makes work for idle hands in a pandemic, as you know! Any help gratefully received! Regards to all Trevor T Trewoon Complete Nathan Hadley A fine picture of a fine job well done - thank you Nathan. A few items of interest from Exeter. David Tozer 1) St James' Park is now nearly complete. Looking like only new lighting and patching of the approach paths needing atttention. 158956 with 1011 St James' Park to Barnstaple 2) A general view of St James' Park. 3) Class 165 165134 became the first of this class to venture to and from Exmouth working the 1017 from St David's to Exmouth. Prior to this the unit had been engaged on driver training runs from Exeter to Goodrington on Mondays to Fridays. Class 166 have a regular Monday to Friday diagram. 4} Finally after many years of wrangling work has finally started on Marsh Barton Halt or is it station. The approach road is now closed off to motor vehicles and various markers/markings have appeared. In my photograph you can make out some stakes in the grass. Regards, Dave Tozer Work starts at Marsh Barton. Many thanks David Nanstallon crossing signal Andrew Jones Whilst researching this short article a number of surprising facts came to light. Please find a ‘then and now, July 1972 and March 2nd 2021’ view of the Nanstallon level crossing protection signal situated approx 4,000 feet from Nanstallon signal box looking towards Wadebridge. In common with a number of signals on this shared LSWR and GWR section it was of lattice work design and construction which gave the appearance of considerable height. Remarkably this signal survived for many years after passenger closure, but was disconnected when Nanstallon signal box was decommissioned. A signal wire repeater can be seen in photograph 2, which due to the considerable distance, used a balance weight pivoted to lessen the load on the signal box lever. These were not unusual but it would still have been an effort for the signalman, due in part, to the reverse curves on the approach to the long straight and signal position opposite Denby, (now the site of the Camel Valley Vineyard). The 1972 photograph illustrates just how well managed the lineside undergrowth was controlled 50 years ago. Within a year or so this view changed considerably, when the National Grid expanded the 400kv supergrid network and installed pylons across the Camel Valley causing much outrage at the time. The cost of burying the cables was looked into but proved to be extremely expensive due the the Camel River and the idea was dropped. During construction a BR lookout was employed to protect the railway even though only one train a day used the section at 06.00 am. Incidentally on completion of the supergrid, Hayle Power Station which had already been rationalised was decommissioned in 1973, and there is a very interesting article and some archive railway photographs at www.octelamlwch.co.uk/hayle or look up the Hayle section. who used the spent hot water from the power station and were the eventual cause of its demise. Hayle power station was subsequently completely levelled due to a construction agreement that stated that the surrounding area should be reinstated to its natural state on closure. Very best wishes Andrew and Diane Unfortunately due to the lower resolution of the Weebly Website the above photographs may not be as crystal clear as the originals. Many thanks for your time and trouble preparing this article Andrew. N.B. You will also find the material on Hayle Power station available on Andrews link very interesting. A further and much appreciated note received within minutes of our posting on the website from Chris Osment - Rail West.
Keith With regard to the item about the Nanstallon “crossing signal”, based on the location then that would have been the Down Distant (lever No 10) for Nanstallon. It is interesting to see, from the remnant of the spectacle plate, that this was yet another ex-L&SWR signal that was still a lower-quadrant at the time of its abolition, which had been sited on the right-hand side of the line presumably to improve its sighting by approaching trains. I can not find any official record for the distance of that signal from the crossing box, but based on Andrew’s assessment then at over 1300 yards it was certainly a long ‘pull’. When the crossing keeper put back lever 10 after a train had passed then there would have been a considerable length of slack signal wire which had to be ‘pulled in’. The purpose of the additional weight lever seen on the short post in the second photograph would have been to help to pull in that slack, to ensure that the signal arm and its own weight lever could return fully to the ‘on’ position’. It is possible also that elsewhere along the wire run there had been a ‘gain stroke’ lever to enable the relatively short stroke of lever 10, when pulled over to clear the signal, to be able to take up all the slack that would exist in such a long length of wire. Regards, Chris (One learns everyday - thank you Chris) The enhancement of the Long Rock Beach Cycle and Walkway Roger Salter Running alongside the mainline at Longrock is the cycle path and walkway which is now under transformation with trees being planted amongst the brambles. Once these trees grow views of the railway could be obscured over much of the length of this path. In the distance rock amour is being installed to protect the railway from the sea. Copyright Roger Salter Thanks Roger Silverton & Newbridge Ron Kosys 33103 passes Silverton with a short formed 7V80, 0408 Woking to Meldon Quarry ballast empties. It can be presumed the return working was expected to be heavier as 33113 was acquired to assist during runround at Exeter Riverside. 7V80 is seen for a second time at Newbridge Cross heading for Newton St Cyres and Crediton. 4th May 1990 Many thanks Ron. St Germans Roger Winnen Many thanks Roger. Wootton Bassett |
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