Goss Moor Loop
Jason Prole
Jason Prole
Just before the rain started on Friday 31st January 2025, (around 02.00), and thanks to a Tower Light illuminating the East end of the workite, 66550 is seen alongside the area that is being dug out to lay the new passing loop at Goss Moor. The 10 'Falcons' being loaded with spoil, and departing as 6Y60, 05.30 Goonbarrow Junction - Westbury Yard. Copyright Jason Prole (Freightliner Driver, Taunton Depot)
Many thanks, Jason
The Channel Islands Boat Train
by Roger Winnen
Part 2
24.07.1974 - 33111 with the Channel Islands Boat Train runs through the streets of Weymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen
24.07.1974 - 33111 with the Channel Islands Boat Train runs through the streets of Weymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen
24.07.1974 - 33111 with the Channel Islands Boat Train runs through the streets of Weymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen
Re: Churchill's funeral train
Roy Hart
Gents,
I enjoyed reading Mike Roach's piece on this. (click here)
BR were faced with a number of logistical difficulties for this operation: Handborough station (until the 1960s it was HANDBOROUGH FOR BLENHEIM, but today both Village and station are HANBOROUGH) had its main buildings and road approach on the up side, but the train would (obviously) arrive on the down. This was clearly impossible, for Handborough had a signalbox and there was a crossover, but this would require an undignified and unseemly reversal. The solution was that a temporary facing crossover was laid in double-quick time and the train glided in direct to the up platform.
The station building at Handborough, being the station for Blenheim palace, had a special entrance with rather grand double doors for ceremonial occasions. They were never used much - indeed, the last time that they were opened before Churchill's funeral is when the German kaiser visited in 1901!
The funeral train returned the party to Paddington after the burial, hauled by a 'Western' class diesel.
Today Hanborough (without the 'd') is a halt on the Oxford to Worcester line: it is single track at this point with just the old up platform in use. The buildings are long gone.
Hope this is of interest,
Roy
I enjoyed reading Mike Roach's piece on this. (click here)
BR were faced with a number of logistical difficulties for this operation: Handborough station (until the 1960s it was HANDBOROUGH FOR BLENHEIM, but today both Village and station are HANBOROUGH) had its main buildings and road approach on the up side, but the train would (obviously) arrive on the down. This was clearly impossible, for Handborough had a signalbox and there was a crossover, but this would require an undignified and unseemly reversal. The solution was that a temporary facing crossover was laid in double-quick time and the train glided in direct to the up platform.
The station building at Handborough, being the station for Blenheim palace, had a special entrance with rather grand double doors for ceremonial occasions. They were never used much - indeed, the last time that they were opened before Churchill's funeral is when the German kaiser visited in 1901!
The funeral train returned the party to Paddington after the burial, hauled by a 'Western' class diesel.
Today Hanborough (without the 'd') is a halt on the Oxford to Worcester line: it is single track at this point with just the old up platform in use. The buildings are long gone.
Hope this is of interest,
Roy
Many thanks for the additional information, Roy - quite a length to go to, interesting stuff.
The days clay
Jon Hird
Making a return to traffic after several weeks spent in warm store at St. Blazey is 66152, which has replaced locomotive 66131 on the local clay traffic. It's pictured coming off the Parkandillack branch with 6C10 on 30.01.2025. The growth of the hedge/trees on the left hand side of this scene have now reached such a height that the shadows across 'the shot' are quite severe. Copyright Jon Hird.
A little further on, 66152 waits at a signal, with the rather sad-looking remains of Burngullow behind it. 30.01.2025, copyright Jon Hird.
Re: Ken's 'Mystery bridge'
Mike Bellew
As an 'out of area' reader of your excellent website I noticed that mystery bridge photograph adjoining the Cotswold Water Park. I too had wondered what it was when visiting one of my sons who lives nearby - the very handy National Library of Scotland maps website provided me with the answer: it was a bridge carrying the road (parallel to the current one) over the MSWJR railway line from Cricklade to Cirencester.
The line closed during the Beeching cuts.
The line closed during the Beeching cuts.
Ken's mystery bridge near the Cotswold Water Park, which we now know carried a road over the former MSWJR railway line from Cricklade to Cirencester. Copyright Ken Mumford.
Many thanks for the additional information Mike, mystery solved. I'm glad to hear you enjoy the website, too.
Neil Phillips also writes:
Hi Roger, Keith and Jon,
I saw Mike Bellew's explanation for the 'mystery bridge' and immediately wondered why I hadn't thought of that! It wasn't as if I was unaware of the MSWJR, but its position in the former gravel pit now Water Park area threw me. Of course none of that was there when the railway was open, all I had to do was check old maps, as Mike has done!
The area is very flat so bridges to cross the former railway had to be built up both sides. It seems ironic that this extravagant structure is still standing over nothing much, while a couple of miles away the bridge at Blunsdon with its earth embankments has caused the Swindon & Cricklade Railway quite a lot of trouble over the years!
Best regards,
Neil Phillips
And Rich McLeish writes, too:
G'day,
Love reading the site - thanks to all involved.
Re. Ken Mumford's recently posted photo of the 'mystery bridge' - this is an abandoned road bridge over the former Midland & South Western Junction Railway near South Cerney.
Regards,
Richard McLeish
Thanks Rich and Neil - glad the photograph has drawn so much interest, hopefully Ken's mystery is now totally solved!