dr tim

One week to go. Please note that all transactions will be cash only. Thanks Tim

Colchester and District MRC will be holding their Spring Open Day on Sunday 7th April 2024 at the Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt CO6 3BW. Opening times 11:00 to 15:30; layouts, demonstrations, second hand stall and light refreshments. Tim Chandler

Sorry, I should have made it clear that all transactions will be CASH ONLY. Tim

Colchester and District MRC present our Autumn Open Day at the Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt, CO6 3BW on Sunday 15th October 2023 from 11:00 to 15:30. Layouts, modelling demonstration, second hand stall and light refreshments. Free entry. Tim Chandler Secretary, Colchester and District MRC

I need to add that all transactions at the Open Day are cash only. Tim

Colchester and District MRC will be holding their Spring Open Day on Sunday 23rd April 2023 at the Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt CO6 3BW. Opening times 11:00 to 15:30; layouts, demonstrations, second hand stall and light refreshments. Tim Chandler

That's it. On closer inspection the containers have been added - each sits firmly on a piece of balsa glued to the wagon deck. I may have to see if I can get the balsa off cleanly enough to get the wagon back to stock. Thanks Tim

This wagon has turned up in a collection I've been asked to deal with. No makers marks, the wagon is lettered in a Departmental series, the containers appear to have standard lettering. OO gauge. I've never seen one before and my searches haven't got anywhere close. Thanks Tim

As we are unable to hold our normal exhibition, we have a second Open Day event on Sunday 30th October at the Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt, CO6 3BW. 11 am to 3:30 pm; layouts, second hand stall, demonstrations and light refreshments.

Colchester and District MRC Open Day on Sunday 10th April at the Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt, CO6 3BW. 11 am to 3:30 pm; layouts, second hand stall, demonstrations and light refreshments.

Due to the current situation, our exhibition venue (Colchester County High School for Girls) is unavailable this year and so our exhibition planned for 1st November 2020 is cancelled. We hope to bring you our 2021 exhibition on 31st October 2021 at the same venue. Tim

Colchester and District MRC's Open Day on Sunday 5th April has been cancelled. Tim Chandler Secretary C&D MRC

Following the latest guidance relating to Corona virus, the Colchester and District MRC Open Day scheduled for Sunday 5th April has been cancelled. Tim Chandler Secretary C&D MRC

I think sand and gravel is the origin of the site. Tarmac are still busy digging up what was originally Stanway Heath not very far away and the various maps suggest other smaller pits even closer. One site I looked at suggested sand and gravel extraction dating well back before the railway albeit on a very small scale. I suspect that what happened is that when the railway was built where it runs in a cutting the sand/gravel deposits were exposed and the railway decided to use them. When the need for a depot arose with electrification the site was already there probably still with the rail access in place even if it hadn't been in use for a while. For anyone wishing to look at some maps: The 1923 1:2500 is here: https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/599500/225500/12/101068; this shows the old (presumably quarry) sidings The 1969 1:2500 is here: https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/599500/225500/12/100955; this shows the depot layout The site is easier to see on Old-Maps as it lies very close to the original sheet boundary - Old-Maps stitches the sheets together - but there are some maps (but not all of them) on the National Library of Scotland site without any watermarks... Tim

A little more research (i.e. checking my copy of the regional history) confirms that the sidings were built as a depot as part of the electrification in the late 1950s. Not clear if this was EMU sidings or PW - possibly initially EMU before space became available at North Station after (I assume) the goods yard was eliminated sometime in the 60s? The large scale maps of the time show the depot clearly labelled "Stanway Depot". However, earlier maps show some sidings on this site back to at least 1923 and it looks as though the railway excavated quite a large area on both sides of the line. It has to be the railway as there is no sign of any road access. This is the bit which has me stumped as I can't see what they would be excavating. Tim

Yes. The road names are all butterflies for some reason...

Until relatively recently there were some sidings on the Up side of the Great Eastern mainline at Stanway (about 2 miles west of Colchester North station), now built on. In the eighties they were used for storing redundant Class 306 units prior to scrapping, but what were they originally for? The 25 inch map also shows a siding going off the Up side of the line into some woods? Thanks Tim

Colchester and District MRC Open Day on Sunday 5th April at the Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt, CO6 3BW. 11 am to 3:30 pm; layouts, secondhand stall, demonstrations and light refreshments.

Yes, I've had another look and it's North Weald. As far as I can tell the only disguise is the signalbox nameplate. Right county but that's about all it shares with Witham. From the shadows, filmed in the late afternoon in the summer. Tim

Does anyone know where the "Witham" railway station scene in White House Farm (episode 3, Wednesday 22nd January) was filmed? Clearly not the real Witham in Essex, best that can be said is that the fields looked fairly East Anglian! Thanks Tim

Colchester and District MRC 2019 Exhibition will be on Sunday 27th October at Colchester County High School for Girls, Norman Way, Colchester, CO3 3US from 10:00 to 16:00. Details available on our website at http://www.colchestermrc.org/exhibition.htm Tim Chandler

Colchester and District MRC Open Day on Sunday 7th April at the Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt, CO6 3BW. 11 am to 3:30 pm; layouts, secondhand stall, demonstrations and light refreshments.

And the top photo is Stratford Road from Colchester and District MRC which will be there displaying the usual mix of late steam/early diesel, mostly Eastern Region! Tim

OK, that makes sense although I would have thought it would be easier to build an end-loading dock. Thanks for the information - I will pass it on to my enquirer at club. Tim