On the WSR. Copyright John Conelius
A returning stock move from Laira
Andrew Triggs
Andrew Triggs
161229a 57605 Totnes Castle returns from Laira working 5Z79 10.08 Laira to Long Rock with two barrier coaches that conveyed a defective sleeper day coach to Plymouth the previous day. Copyright Andrew Triggs
161229b The train passing the former Marazion Station building. Copyright Andrew Triggs
161229c 57605 Arrives at Long Rock, the driver is scene leaving his engine and coaches in the reception road. Copyright Andrew Triggs
Bradford on Avon
Oil today
Guy Vincent
Oil today
Guy Vincent
DB Cargo's pioneer class 60, 60001, heading a rake of 20 loaded 100 ton TEA bogie tanks through Bradford-on-Avon as the extremely late-running 6A11 2249 (Wed) Robeston Sidings-Theale Puma Energy. The train was 430 minutes late passing me at 1417hrs, having been delayed reportedly because of over-running engineering works in the Cardiff area followed by a track circuit fault near Bath and consequential regulation to fit in with other trains. Nicely caught in low winter sun with plenty of ground frost still in evidence. Had it run at it's booked time though I wouldn't have seen it! Many thanks Guy
A smashing winter shot up in Wiltshire as 60001 passes through Bradford on Aavon with the 6A11 on the 29th December 2016 Copyright Guy Vincent
Looking back
Why Dundas was done in 2015
Guy Vincent
Why Dundas was done in 2015
Guy Vincent
66955 on a diverted 4L32 1228 Bristol FLT - Tilbury container train passing through the restricted clearance of Dundas Aqueduct in the Avon valley south of Bath on a bright but cold 29th December 2016. During August 2015 the entire formation here was dug out and relaid to a lower and improved alignment to enable trains such as this to be routed along the Avon valley. Prior to this it would have been necessary to send the train to Swindon, run the locomotive round and then continue back via Melksham to Westbury. Alternatively a top and tail loco would have been necessary in which case reversal could have taken place at Chippenham.
Special note: These images were recorded with a telephoto lens from a publicly accessible area on the public side of Network Rail's boundary fence. Close by is a footpath leading to the Somerset Coal Canal.
Many thanks for your article and pictures Guy.
Special note: These images were recorded with a telephoto lens from a publicly accessible area on the public side of Network Rail's boundary fence. Close by is a footpath leading to the Somerset Coal Canal.
Many thanks for your article and pictures Guy.
The low winter sun illuminates the unusual arches of Dundas Aqueduct in the Avon valley south of Bath on a bright but cold 29th December 2016. The nearest single arch carries the tow path and now cycleway, the twin arches bear the weight of the Kennet and Avon Canal. Copyright Guy Vincent
Dundas Aqueduct as 66955 passes through with the 4L32 29th December.2016. Copyright Guy Vincent
The consist of 4L32 passes through Dundas Aqueduct 29th December 2016 Copyright Guy Vincent.
The low height of the empy vehicles at the tail end of the train allows a view of the arches spanning the ever widening river Avon at this point. 29th December 2016 Copyright Guy Vincent.
More on
Sheephouse Crossing
Guy Vincent
Sheephouse Crossing
Guy Vincent
Sheephouse Crossing was located on the upper section of the steep 6.5 mile Brewham bank between Brewham Signal Box and Castle Cary. From Brewham summit the line falls at varying degrees starting at 1 in 81, with the crossing on a relatively sharp right-hand bend with very poor visibility, close to MP 125.1 (measured from Paddington via Swindon, Melksham and Frome). At the crossing the line is falling at 1 in 98. Timber was required to be hauled from Cogley wood from time to time and a handsignalman had to be present before this could take place hence the provision of the hut. In later years cows were taken to and from milking the same way and farm staff would call for permission to cross. The hut contained a telephone connected to Witham Brewham and Bruton Signal Boxes.
John Francis's e-book 'An Entry in the Train Register' contains a short reference on page 74 to Sheephouse Crossing in the 1960s or early 70s, it can be read online but sadly page 75 which contains some relevant text, does not download. The book is well worth reading however. Adrian Vaughan, then a signalman at Witham, also mentions an incident there in 1974 when some livestock strayed onto the line and he believed the character telling him of the event was a fellow rail worker pulling his leg! This is on page 141 of his book 'Signalman's Nightmare'
The best place to look now is on Google Earth, I started off at Bruton and moved east along the railway until the farm came into view. Sheephouse Farm is located on the side of a hill between Brewham Road and the railway. The crossing was removed many years ago, probably in the late 1970s when the line was upgraded for HST's, and a concrete track was laid from the farm down a field to pass beneath the railway via an existing occupation underpass bridge. Looking at the aerial view there appears to be a small chalk pit in the valley below that is accessed from this track. Beyond the pit are the woods referred to and from where timber was once hauled over the crossing (see extracts from BR Sectional Appendices attached).
Today the line speed is 90mph in both directions at the site of the former crossing, were it still in-situ I am sure that it would have to be less at least on the down line due to poor visibility. I found a shot of the area close to the crossing site that was taken from the back of a down train during a route refreshing trip in 2014, the approximate mileage is 125.30ch. Guy Vincent Many thanks Guy
John Francis's e-book 'An Entry in the Train Register' contains a short reference on page 74 to Sheephouse Crossing in the 1960s or early 70s, it can be read online but sadly page 75 which contains some relevant text, does not download. The book is well worth reading however. Adrian Vaughan, then a signalman at Witham, also mentions an incident there in 1974 when some livestock strayed onto the line and he believed the character telling him of the event was a fellow rail worker pulling his leg! This is on page 141 of his book 'Signalman's Nightmare'
The best place to look now is on Google Earth, I started off at Bruton and moved east along the railway until the farm came into view. Sheephouse Farm is located on the side of a hill between Brewham Road and the railway. The crossing was removed many years ago, probably in the late 1970s when the line was upgraded for HST's, and a concrete track was laid from the farm down a field to pass beneath the railway via an existing occupation underpass bridge. Looking at the aerial view there appears to be a small chalk pit in the valley below that is accessed from this track. Beyond the pit are the woods referred to and from where timber was once hauled over the crossing (see extracts from BR Sectional Appendices attached).
Today the line speed is 90mph in both directions at the site of the former crossing, were it still in-situ I am sure that it would have to be less at least on the down line due to poor visibility. I found a shot of the area close to the crossing site that was taken from the back of a down train during a route refreshing trip in 2014, the approximate mileage is 125.30ch. Guy Vincent Many thanks Guy
Sheephouse Crossing on the 2nd June 2014. Note concrete track to left. Copyright Guy Vincent
From Guy Vincent
From Guy Vincent
From Guy Vincent
From Guy Vincent
Sheephouse Crossing A note from Tony Hill
There was a very nasty incident here in the early 1970's, when a Down Express hit and killed several Friesian cows which were crossing the line.
Subsequently a new concrete track was soon made (presumably mostly or entirely funded by BR) westwards for several hundred yards along the field side of the upside rly fence to a farm underbridge and Sheephouse Occupation LC was then closed. This farm, like many, now has no dairy cows.
A similar incident occurred, within a few years at Castle Farm Occupation LC, just east of Sherborne, when early one morning the cows were coming in for milking.
This was caused by the Relief Milker either not being aware of the need to first check with the signalman that it was safe to cross or forgetting to do so.
This dairy farm still survives and the farm LC is still in use, as it was not deemed viable to build a costly overbridge, which was the only way to replace the LC.
Tony Hill Many Thanks Tony
There was a very nasty incident here in the early 1970's, when a Down Express hit and killed several Friesian cows which were crossing the line.
Subsequently a new concrete track was soon made (presumably mostly or entirely funded by BR) westwards for several hundred yards along the field side of the upside rly fence to a farm underbridge and Sheephouse Occupation LC was then closed. This farm, like many, now has no dairy cows.
A similar incident occurred, within a few years at Castle Farm Occupation LC, just east of Sherborne, when early one morning the cows were coming in for milking.
This was caused by the Relief Milker either not being aware of the need to first check with the signalman that it was safe to cross or forgetting to do so.
This dairy farm still survives and the farm LC is still in use, as it was not deemed viable to build a costly overbridge, which was the only way to replace the LC.
Tony Hill Many Thanks Tony
Sheephouse Crossing Nameplate.
Sheephouse Crossing was ‘renowned’ for being one of those places where the nameplate was longer than the front of the hut on which it was placed, so it must have been on some form of board or frame to enable it to be secured by the holes at each corner. The nameplate was ordered from Reading Signal Works in 1918 or 1919, which seems to confirm the suggestions about the date of the original installation, and it was the last plate of that particular type to be ordered. [Information from MVE Dunn’s “GWR Signal Box Nameplates”.]
Chris Osment Many thanks indeed
Sheephouse Crossing was ‘renowned’ for being one of those places where the nameplate was longer than the front of the hut on which it was placed, so it must have been on some form of board or frame to enable it to be secured by the holes at each corner. The nameplate was ordered from Reading Signal Works in 1918 or 1919, which seems to confirm the suggestions about the date of the original installation, and it was the last plate of that particular type to be ordered. [Information from MVE Dunn’s “GWR Signal Box Nameplates”.]
Chris Osment Many thanks indeed
For a tiny and now long gone crossing Sheephouse Crossing has generated a lot of material. Many thanks to Roy Hart, John Cornelius, Guy Vincent, Chris Osment and Tony Hill.