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A walrus and a Shark share one of the sidings at Charwelton on a Sunday afternoon in June 1987

A Walrus and a Shark share one of the sidings at Charwelton on a Sunday afternoon in June 1987.

Absolutely agree! Thought long and hard about the prospect of buying new but decided the Newcastle- Poole we were recreating would be from my ancient Dapol collection including Mainline buffet. Quite a bit of work but saved £100’s.

The Motorail MK1’s look great (I have done two myself for the Motorail service on Charwelton). What is good is the fact they were predominantly if not all first class coaches on the service so picking up the surplus firsts was easy and relatively cheap!

37033 running south on the ‘Clyde-Thames tractor’ railtour is captured just south of Catesby tunnel on a hazy summer Saturday in 1987

37033 running south on the ‘Clyde-Thames tractor’ railtour is captured just south of Catesby tunnel on a hazy summer Saturday in 1987

A couple of pics taken around Charwelton circa 1987

A couple of pics taken in and around Charwelton circa 1987.

I would just like to say you are misguided in your generalised assumption! There are many RMT local industrial & Health & Safety Reps that are ‘Dyed in wool’ -to quote your post that have worked for the past 30 years plus keeping the balance between running a safe railway and pushing back against the private companies that were only interested in total profit! Jarvis were a prime example, they would force us as employees to book job numbers to the detriment of Railtrack with the threat of the sack right up to the demise of both Jarvis & Railtrack!

Agreed -it isn’t relevant for those unfortunate folk that fall outside of those remits! I started BR in 1989 so fell well within the timescale to retain staff travel facilities and it’s always upset me that railway staff taken on after privatisation didn’t receive these perks! Sheer greed from my point of view as the restrictions for staff receiving free travel don’t impinge on the everyday traveller as they wouldn’t normally travel due to cost of tickets (matter of fact talking to the guys I work with who don’t due to the cost) and you have to give up seats for fare paying passenger

https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/rst.html All your questions about (current) Staff travel answered here.

As mentioned it’s all in the detail that define exceptional layouts! Once I had stopped admiring the 25 the S&T in me noticed the troughing bases discarded next to the scrap rail! It’s exactly how it would be left as no one ever cleared them away after new works! They are heavy/numb and always avoided like the plague!

Newcastle 13th March 90 C15457.jpg Great photo - but a sight to strike fear into any S&T technician! Arriving on a site that looks like a bomb has just hit home!

-Just as I was becoming old enough to get interested! I love the crossover that always rears it’s head throughout time. BR blue/Revised,IC,NSE,Exec/ Sector liveries. I fell out of love with/during privatisation. It’s what makes us tick! No ones right and no ones wrong! We all love it at our own pace and era!

Those who know the area will perhaps know where the road goes this side of the crossing. We hired a lovely cottage in the village several year so ago now, I’m sure the crossing led to a path and we did a 5/6 mile walk next to or near the river, crossing the railway further east via a bridge I think.