4th November 2023

Friday 3rd November Sightings
Guy Vincent

Hello Keith / Roger

Friday 3rd Nov.  Photos 1,2 and 3.      A special movement from Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh Works, to Locomotive Services, Crewe  unusually running via Salisbury, Bath, Severn Tunnel Jcn and the Marches line.  LSL's class 37s D6851 (37667, 37151) and D6817 (37521, 37117) powered the train consisting of refurbished coaches 3140, 41162 and HST Power Car 43049 'Neville Hill'.  The PC was repainted into 1987 style Intercity Swallow livery just two years ago but now sports a newly applied coat of Nanking Blue with Midland Pullman branding.   An unusual combination of a Mk 1 coach running coupled to a Mk 3 HST carriage.   Caught approaching Bradford on Avon at 1220 between showers.

Also on 3rd (Photo 4).  DC Rail's 60028 in one-off Cappagh blue livery heading down the Frome avoiding line at 1325 with 6Z60 1002 Willesden DC Rail Sidings - Merehead empty JNA-T  101.6t box wagons.  This returned later, loaded, as 6Z61 1628 Merehead-Willesden.  The train was due to run on 2nd but delayed by 24hrs due to the inclement weather conditions across Southern England. 

Finally, from today's postings and Michael Adams' photo of 33008 arriving at Southampton Central station on 9th December 1986. The actual working, fortunately recorded in one of my notebooks at the time, was the 1O39 1007 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour, due Southampton around 1300hrs. 

Regards for now

Guy Vincent.

Bradford on Avon 5Z43 (1) D6851 D6817 3140 41162 43049 5Z43 ESL-CWE. 3rd November 2023. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Bradford on Avon 5Z43 (2) D6817 3140 41162 43049 5Z43 03. 3rd November 2023. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Bradford on Avon 5Z43 (3) 41162 43049. 3rd November 2023. Copyright Guy Vincent

Frome Avoiding Line 60028 6Z60 1002 Willesden-Merehead. 3rd November 2023. Copyright Guy Vincent.

With, as usual very many thanks to you Guy for your support with another of your very regular and detailed reports.

​

Egloskerry
Alan Jones

Dear Sir/Madam
I have renewed an interest in railway modelling and would like to build a scenario based on Egloskerry Station and associated track layout, about 1954.
My aunt, uncle and cousin (Doris, Roy and Muriel Grylls) lived in a house at 3,Red Down View opposite this station, and I spent one amazing school holiday staying with them in about 1954 from my home in South East London, and spending much of my holiday on the station with Mr.Thomas, the station manager. I remember the manually operated level crossing and the signal box and the use of tokens for single track working. It was a very memorable experience for a 10 year old lad from London.
Can any of your members supply me with any layouts of the station and its tracks, and even possibly any memories of Mr.Thomas or my family, the Grylls?

Thanks very much
Alan Jones aged 79 of West Sussex. 

Egloskerry. The signal box was located at the Launceston end of the station and operated the points of the loop and of course access to the goods yard which was from the Launceston end of the station. There was a boarded level crossing to give pedestrian access to the down platform, seen here on the left. The level crossing gates were operated by hand necessitating a walk along the up platform. Copyright The late Sid Sponheimer

Thanks for the memories Alan.  Can anybody help Alan please.

---

Egloskerry
​ - a foot note from Roy Hart

Dear Keith,

Alan Jones needs to obtain a copy of AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE NORTH  CORNWALL RAILWAY published by Irwell press ISBN 13  978  1  903266 V89  2,

This as good as you will get, with many pages devoted to each station, with plans, signal diagrams etc.  Unfortunately the volume is haphazard --  a sort of vast bran tub, with no index and only general chapter headings. you will find every conceivable fact about the line - it just might take a few hours!
Roy

Many thanks Roy for your additional advice from Rangoon. 

​