David Tozer
Ken Mumford/Colin Pidgeon
A question and answer
I was working for a car-hire company. A colleague and I had to take a hire van to this location from our Swindon depot. While my colleague was doing the finance transaction, I craftily took this photo BUT I KNOW NOTHING about the carriages. Maybe someone can help, please?
Kind regards, Ken (Mumford)
A reply, quick as that, from Colin Pidgeon:-
The 4 coaches were BR Mark 1s that were constructed by various railway works in the 50s & 60s. They entered service in carmine & cream livery.
Some of the Western Region coaches were repainted Chocolate & Cream for named trains, Southern ones were repainted in BR Multiple unit light green.
This was followed by BR Maroon & Inter City Blue & Grey & Network South Livery which is on the coaches in the photo.
Some even gained the livery that matches power car 43185 for charter work under British Rail.
They still provide the backbone to todays Charter Trains & Railway Preservation sites.
This site was supposed have to become a Preservation site. Unfortunately due to persistent vandalism the site was closed down.
Colin Pidgeon.
Many thanks for the above to Ken Mumford and Colin Pidgeon.
Craig Munday down west.
Been busy down west this week, but did snap a couple of trains.
Cheers for now, Craig. As usual many thanks Craig

Colin Burges
Enter these coordinates into the Google Earth Searchbox
50Deg 40'13.5N 3Deg00'57"W
See picture below:-
Moving south-east, a pillbox can be seen nearby.
Of course the two shapes seen could just be lineside cabinets opposite each other.
The stop lines were intended only to check light tanks and armoured cars, which would make as good progress along a railway as a road. In practice the defences were useless, and pointless anyway after 1941 when Germany invaded Russia. Had Panzer divisions been landed, with their air support and artillery, infantry and engineer's units, the stop lines would not have held for a moment.
It's amazing what you see - or think you see - from a carriage window if you're alert. Everyone else was engrossed in their little screens.
Cheers,
Colin
John Cornelius