Bethesda Sidings - Western Region in rural Mid-Wales

[Captain Kernow]

I have now updated the 14XX blog - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/21/entry-21669-new-chassis-for-the-hattons-14xx-part-4/

[Captain Kernow]

British Railways, Western Region

 

Operation of Class D95XX diesel-hydraulics between Leominster (Kington Junction) and Capel Bethesda.

 

Following successful clearance trials, D95XX 0-6-0 diesel-hydraulic locomotives are permitted to work between Leominster (Kington Junction) and Capel Bethesda goods sidings. All movements are limited to a maximum of 20 mph over this route subject to other prevailing permanent speed restrictions.

 

The operation of these locomotives remains prohibited between Titley Junction and Presteign and between Capel Bethesda and Gunstone Junction.

 

 

A. Cuthbertson

District Operating Superintendant,

Hereford

 

29^th March 1965

Edited December 19, 2018 by Captain Kernow

[St Enodoc]

Gunstone Junction.

Nice.

[Re6/6]

Ah...Cuthbertson re-appears!

[Captain Kernow]

Nice.

It is the junction on the GW Leominster - Kington - Rhayadar line, where it connects to the L&NWR Central Wales line. In my era, the line beyond Gunstone Junction to Rhayadar is closed.

[Captain Kernow]

I decided to leave the circle of Lima track in place, after giving my second Hattons/DJM 14XX a good running, and so have now completed running in the Sentinel (for the military depot at the end of the VoRLR), the Dean Goods (Bethesda Sidings, early-ish period) and a cute little 'P' class 0-6-0T, which is waiting to receive the name 'Brynllefrith' (another VoRLR loco that will be given 'running powers' into the BR goods yard).

[Captain Kernow]

I recently bought one of the Michael Clemens series of DVDs, based on his father Jim Clemens' cine footage shot in the 1960s. This one covered 'Rural Herefordshire' and showed the workings of the Kington and Presteigne branch goods in some detail. It was really good stuff and very inspiring, because these workings would have been extended through to Bethesda Sidings in my alternative reality.

 

There was one thing that puzzled me, though. The branch was freight only by the early 1960s, when this footage was taken, but was otherwise 'fully operational'. Mr Clemens accompanied a typical working along the branch (and clearly visited by car on other occasions for 'infill' shots).

 

The train in question seems to have run past Kington Jct signal box at Leominster without slowing down to accept the One Train Working Staff for the single line, but has then stopped just around the corner, clear of the main line junction, for the guard to lay three detonators 'to protect the train while it's down the branch'.

 

On the return working, the train stops to pick the detonators up again and then slows at the signal box for the footplate crew to hand the One Train Working Staff over.

 

Whilst I can accept that the OTW staff may have been handed to the crew in the yard at Leominster on the outward trip (although that's not too credible) and whilst I can also accept that Mr Clemens may actually have filmed the trip on separate occasions (ie. the returning trip was not the same as the outward one he filmed), what I don't understand is why it was necessary to lay detonators at the main line junction 'to protect the branch?'

 

Surely the signal man has 'protected the branch' by handing over the OTW staff and can also use a reminder appliance in the signal box and make a note in the Train Register?

 

Does anyone else know what was going on, please?

 

Thanks.

[Captain Kernow]

There is a further blog update on the Hattons/DJM 14XX here, which includes a couple of short clips of the loco running on 'Bethesda Sidings' - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/21/entry-21839-new-chassis-for-the-hattons-14xx-part-5/

[Re6/6]

Here's a short film of 1458 on 'Sheep Lane'. It ran superbly as would have been expected considering all the work CK has put into making and fitting a new chassis. Best watched with your sound turned off. Too much exhibition noise!

 

[NHY 581]

I have to say the 14xx was very impressive. Craftsmanship of the highest order. 

 

Rob. 

[Captain Kernow]

Sometimes, it's the simple pleasures that provide the most fun.

 

A very good and kind friend recently sent me a couple of Ian Kirk 'basic' wagon kits for GW open wagons (along with some other nice stuff). The wagon kits were a complete surprise and most welcome.

 

These kits didn't come with wheels, buffers or couplings, but fortunately I had the necessary items to hand, so I decided to make them up for use on 'Bethesda Sidings'. These won't be wagons in BR service, rather they are a pair of old GW wagons, sold to the Vale of Radnor Light Railway.

 

Whilst I could easily have ditched the running gear and found some etched brass equivalents, for example, that would not have been the point, so I simply provided those items that weren't included in the kit and built them like that, and it proved to be a great deal of fun.

 

These are the finished but unpainted pair:

 

[Corbs]

Very nice detail on them for plastic kits, Cap’n. Might have to have a go at some of those.

[NHY 581]

I have to agree with Corbs,  Mein Kapitain. 

 

Very nice. 

 

Rob. 

[bgman]

As I mentioned in another thread, sometimes its just pleasant to do a "fun" build without the need to put a model under the microscope and make it "comply". I have found it most therapeutic on occasions to do as you have Tim and your time looks to have been very well spent.

I haven't made too many Kirk kits but those I have seem to have almost fallen together in a most pleasant fashion.

 

These will doubtless be finished in a manner as befits your skills and add more atmos to the layout which I will look forward to seeing at some future date.

 

G

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Sometimes, it's the simple pleasures that provide the most fun.

 

A very good and kind friend recently sent me a couple of Ian Kirk 'basic' wagon kits for GW open wagons (along with some other nice stuff). The wagon kits were a complete surprise and most welcome.

 

These kits didn't come with wheels, buffers or couplings, but fortunately I had the necessary items to hand, so I decided to make them up for use on 'Bethesda Sidings'. These won't be wagons in BR service, rather they are a pair of old GW wagons, sold to the Vale of Radnor Light Railway.

 

Whilst I could easily have ditched the running gear and found some etched brass equivalents, for example, that would not have been the point, so I simply provided those items that weren't included in the kit and built them like that, and it proved to be a great deal of fun.

 

These are the finished but unpainted pair:

 

I have many original Kirk kits on my layout, including 20 china-clay wagons. Other than van roofs, which were very basic and are now showing their age, they pass muster very well with more recent models.

[The Stationmaster]

On 10/01/2019 at 19:49, Captain Kernow said:

I recently bought one of the Michael Clemens series of DVDs, based on his father Jim Clemens' cine footage shot in the 1960s. This one covered 'Rural Herefordshire' and showed the workings of the Kington and Presteigne branch goods in some detail. It was really good stuff and very inspiring, because these workings would have been extended through to Bethesda Sidings in my alternative reality.

 

There was one thing that puzzled me, though. The branch was freight only by the early 1960s, when this footage was taken, but was otherwise 'fully operational'. Mr Clemens accompanied a typical working along the branch (and clearly visited by car on other occasions for 'infill' shots).

 

The train in question seems to have run past Kington Jct signal box at Leominster without slowing down to accept the One Train Working Staff for the single line, but has then stopped just around the corner, clear of the main line junction, for the guard to lay three detonators 'to protect the train while it's down the branch'.

 

On the return working, the train stops to pick the detonators up again and then slows at the signal box for the footplate crew to hand the One Train Working Staff over.

 

Whilst I can accept that the OTW staff may have been handed to the crew in the yard at Leominster on the outward trip (although that's not too credible) and whilst I can also accept that Mr Clemens may actually have filmed the trip on separate occasions (ie. the returning trip was not the same as the outward one he filmed), what I don't understand is why it was necessary to lay detonators at the main line junction 'to protect the branch?'

 

Surely the signal man has 'protected the branch' by handing over the OTW staff and can also use a reminder appliance in the signal box and make a note in the Train Register?

 

Does anyone else know what was going on, please?

 

Thanks.

Now, and further to our conversation at the Cardiff Small Show, I have done some delving and have come across a vaguely similar situation applying at Tetbury - albeit it was the terminus end of the branch.  I wonder if in fact it might not have been the job of the traincrew to place the detonators but it is equally possible that it was arranged that way in the Sectional Appendix.  In very simple terms the detonators appear to have been a substitute for a fixed stop signal and thus acted as a limiting point for any movements towards the branch while a train was on it - as I previously suggested.

 

At Tetbury the detonators basically served as a substitute Home Signal and were handsignalled when a train required to approach the station.

[Captain Kernow]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Now, and further to our conversation at the Cardiff Small Show, I have done some delving and have come across a vaguely similar situation applying at Tetbury - albeit it was the terminus end of the branch.  I wonder if in fact it might not have been the job of the traincrew to place the detonators but it is equally possible that it was arranged that way in the Sectional Appendix.  In very simple terms the detonators appear to have been a substitute for a fixed stop signal and thus acted as a limiting point for any movements towards the branch while a train was on it - as I previously suggested.

 

At Tetbury the detonators basically served as a substitute Home Signal and were handsignalled when a train required to approach the station.

Thanks Mike, that is interesting.

 

One thing that puzzles me, though, is that in the context of Kington Junction, Leominster, there ought to have been a fixed signal to protect the branch, even if it was a bracket signal on the main line, which could then have been maintained at danger and a reminder appliance used.

 

That wouldn't apply, of course, in the scenario of a second movement needing to occupy the Single Line at the Kington Jct end, whilst the original goods working was 'down the branch'.

 

Interestingly, a further suggestion and also confirmation of the use of detonators to protect a freight movement has come to light, courtesy of the good offices of Geoff Forster and Richard Ough. Richard has suggested (quoting from a book by Eric Mountford on the Cardiff Railway) that the freight-only section of the Coryton branch at the trap points just beyond Coryton platform to Nantgarw was protected by three detonators, whenever a freight movement was occupying it.

 

It would clearly be very useful to have sight of both a signalbox diagram for Kington Jct for 1964 and also a copy of the relevant entry in the Sectional Appendix (unfortunately the Clemens website doesn't have Sectional Appendices, although there are some interesting copies of Working Timetables, although that for Kington Jct doesn't address the issue of the use of detonators to protect goods workings).

 

[Captain Kernow]

I would just mention, though, that whilst this is certainly very interesting from an historical point of view, it isn't strictly relevant to the future operation of 'Bethesda Sidings', as I have left Kington signalbox open and the section back to Leominster (Kington Jct) worked in accordance with the Regulations for Working Single Lines by Train Staff.

 

There is a further One Train Working section beyond Kington to Bethesda Sidings, although that is shortly to be replaced by C2 arrangements (I might invoke those if I operate some diesels).

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Captain Kernow

[Stubby47]

Scale, working detonators would be a novel feature though...

[bgman]

28 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

Scale, working detonators would be a novel feature though...

 

Might work in O Gauge ?

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

Scale, working detonators would be a novel feature though...

 

[keefr2]

That brings back happy memories! I wonder where my suspension bridge went....

 

Keith

[bgman]

2 hours ago, keefr2 said:

That brings back happy memories! I wonder where my suspension bridge went....

 

Keith

 

Angelsey ? 

[Stubby47]

7 hours ago, bgman said:

 

Angelsey ? 

I got married a stone's throw from that bridge.

[bgman]

3 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

I got married a stone's throw from that bridge.

 

Is that a Welsh tradition ?

 

I had paper confetti thrown at mine !