The empties from No. 1 siding are propelled gently (!) onto the Brake Van. Note that the side lamps have been removed, they'll be being trimmed before being replaced at the other end of the van. Only the two wagons nearest the brake van will be leaving, the HIFIT attached to the loco will be returned to No. 1 siding before the crew start to shunt No. 2 siding.
The three opens are Parkside Dundas kits, note that the two HIFITs have differing brakes, the furthest one having 8-shoe clasp brak
N class 31813 arrived at Cill with a through portion of a working from the Eastern Region comprising Gresley and Thomson non-corridor stock. After the Guard has ensured all passengers have left the train the stock is backed clear of the crossover and the locomotive uncoupled.
31813 runs to the end of the platform to use the release crossover to run round its train.
The Guard watches as 31813 buffers up to its stock.
31813 has propelled its train back into the platform
Following the departure of the 12.10pm to Epple peace descends upon Cill for three quarters of an hour, enough time for the signalman to have his lunch before Grenham signal box sends the next Call Attention. The mid-day goods leaves Epple at 11.35am arriving at Beresford at 11.51am. Here it crosses the morning goods which leaves Beresford for Epple as soon as the mid-day goods has cleared the section. Nine minutes are allowed to drop off wagons before departure at 12.00 noon for Grenham wher
Bulleid West Country 34001 'Exeter' rolls into Cill with the 8.16am from Epple consisting of a CCT and set 199. 34001 will take set 199 for a return trip to Epple whilst the CCT will be shunted by the locomotive off the morning goods, 31579, into the loading bay at the end of the loop. When 34001 returns at 10.51am it will collect the CCT and set off with set 199 for London at 11.10am.
34001 stands at the platform with its train. 31579 shunted the brake van from its train to the loop s
Guard Edwards and Signalman Oldbury chat whilst watching Fireman Davison guide Driver Williams on 31579 as he buffers up to the the brake van of the morning goods.
Guard Edwards accommodation today offers a somewhat more comfortable ride than he is used to, quite how an express goods brake van ended up on his branch trip is unclear, but he's not complaining.
The brake van will now be shunted into the loop following which 31579 will shunt the wagons into No. 1 siding leaving the
31227 runs round its ballast train and backs onto the brake van. The brake will be shunted into the loop, followed by the wagons in order to reverse the train which will then set off for tonights worksite.
Having uncoupled from its train 34001 'Exeter' runs to the end of the platform to use the crossover to run round its train. Bulleid pacifics have to run right up to the stops in order to clear the points, something I occasionally forget! Standing adjacent in the loop siding is the express goods brake van off the morning goods arrival. The Guard has already moved the side lamps to the other end but left the tail lamp in situ until the outgoing wagons have been shunted into place.
Exeter
Spotless Brighton built 4P Fairburn tank No. 42073 arrives at Cill with the 5.56am newspaper and parcels train from Epple. Once the platform staff have unloaded the remaining parcels No. 42073 will run round its train.
The stock from the parcels train is now shunted into the loop to clear the platform for the arrival at 7.01am of the first passenger service of the day, the 6.30am pull-push train from Epple. Today this is powered by M7 No. 30108.
After the driver has changed e
The five wagons arriving on the morning goods were: W118215 an ex-GWR diagram V22 MINK G 20 ton goods van carrying retail goods for local stores (Parkside Dundas kit PC48)
B452876 a diagram 1/002 12 ton LOWFIT carrying sundries (Red Panda kit RK01 body on a Parkside PA09 underframe).
B880637 a diagram 1/242 8 ton BANANA van (Ratio kit)
B723298 a diagram 1/050 12 ton SHOCK shock absorbing open carrying manufactured goods for local distribution (Parkside Dundas kit PC28)
The 9.30am from Epple pull-push service has arrived at the platform so the fireman climbs back aboard 31579 which is now ready to depart at 10.15am with the return morning goods trip.
The departing morning goods consists of the following wagons: B497624 HIFIT Dia 1/044 lot 2484 13 ton vacuum fitted 5 plank open with Morton four shoe brakes (Parkside Dundas kit PC02A).
B495051 HIGH Dia 1/044 lot 2409 13 ton unfitted 5 plank open with Morton two shoe brakes (Parkside Dundas kit
Wainwright C class No. 31579 arrives with the morning goods trip from Epple. Due to the cramped nature of the goods facilities and the level of traffic three goods trips per day are usually required (far more than a town the size of Cill would probably require but I like shunting). 31579 left Epple at 5.40am, spent between 5.56 and 6.22am shunting the yard at Beresford and between 6.38 and 8.18am at Grenham before arriving at Cill at 8.30am. The long spell at Grenham is due to line occupancy o
With the empties removed from Cill's No. 1 siding 31086 now collects empties from No. 2. The wagons to be removed are the LOWFIT, ex-SE&CR van and wooden bodied coal wagon in the middle of the siding. Once these have been added to the outgoing train standing in the loop the incoming loaded wagons will be placed where they're required.
This shot shows the full width of the layout. Platform, loop and two sidings being all I could fit on the window cill! This image was taken with the bac
Now the goods is standing in the loop the crew of 31086 await the arrival of the 7.52pm from Epple which has just come to a stand at the platform behind the locomotive. Guard Tobin has been discussing the shunt with the yard shunter and is on his way to tell the driver what's required.
Relatively clean H Class 0-4-4T No. 31265 stands with Trio-C set No. 595 forming the last Up passenger working of the day from Cill, the 10pm to Epple. It must be high summer as it's still light. One more train is expected, the last Down passenger service of the day, due to arrive from Epple at 10.25 p.m. and work back ECS at 10.30 p.m. Although booked for a pull-push motor train it has been worked by a DEMU for the last few days.
Taken on a Fujifilm X-T30 with a 15-45m z
The last train of the day is diagrammed for a DEMU, today it is 2H 1108 as usual. This service left Epple at 9.56pm arriving at Cill at 10.25pm. The unit now forms the 10†30pm ECS return working and will berth at Epple ready for tomorrows duties. With this departure the days service has finished and everyone can head home, unless the signalbox is required to be kept open for any ballast trains that may be scheduled for tonight.
Billinton E4 No. 32556 coasts into Cill with the 7.20am from Epple. This service crosses Up trains at Beresford and Grenham then calls at Dane Road before arriving at Cill at 7.51am.
The Guard watches as 32556's driver is asked to compress the buffers before his fireman goes between to couple up.
32556 stands with set 242 ready to depart with the 8.05am through service to London Victoria. This train arrives at Epple at 8.34am where it will be attached to the rear of the 8.40a
There's now about twenty-five minutes available for shunting until the pull-push train leaves at 8.55pm. There's no headshunt at Cill so all shunting takes place using the main running line, hence shunting has to stop a few minutes before passenger departures and approximately ten minutes before arrivals. The pull-push train is at the platform on the right with the recently arrived goods in the loop. 31086 has run into No. 1 siding to extract two empties for the goods departure, a PIPEFIT and
The 8.47pm service from Epple has come to a stand at Cill. 31086 will now reverse out of No. 2 siding and couple up to its train in No. 1 siding.
The evening goods today is formed of: E267734 COAL 13: An 8-plank mineral wagon to LNER diagram 192 built for them by the SR in 1945 and almost identical to SR diagram 1390 apart from the lack of bottom doors (Cambrian kit C59). S 47173 VAN: A 10 Ton van of SE&CR design built by the SR at Ashford in 1926 to diagram 1426 (Cambrian kit C98)
Wainwright C class number 31086 rolls to a halt at Cill with the evening goods arrival. Leaving Epple at 6.22pm this train shunts the yard at Beresford and drops off wagons at Grenham where it waits until the 7.41pm Cill to Epple passenger train clears the section. At 7.52pm it sets off for Cill arriving at 8.10pm, where the crews first priority is to run round and clear the platform in time for the arrival of the 7.52pm pull-push train from Epple at 8.24pm. They then have just under an hour
31086 buffers up to Guard Tobin's brake van after running round. It's 8.14pm and the signalman wants the platform cleared so that he can accept the 7.52pm from Epple due to arrive in ten minutes. 31086's goods will be shunted into the loop, the imminent arrival is a pull-push service and nothing will require use of the loop for a further hour yet. Also the first vehicle in the goods is van E181497 loaded with parcels/smalls which is required at the dock at the end of the loop siding.
Another image of 31227 backing onto the ballast train's brake van before shunting it into the loop.
Having also shunted the ballast wagons into the loop 31227 departs Cill and heads for tonights worksite. With the days workings now finished the signalman can finally go home.
Wainwright C class No. 31227 rolls into Cill's platform with a short ballast working. Once uncoupled 31227 runs to the end of the platform ready to run round its train. I had planned to lightly weather this locomotive but then came across a picture of classmate 31716 working a Tonbridge-Brighton train in 1961 (p62 in Kent Steam by Michael Welch, Capital Transport 2002), so I decided to have a go at a more neglected state.
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