Swindon Scrap Line, 1983

[Richard E]

Small world, isn't it?  I was there 1984-87 at the Coldharbour Lane site.  Had a great time, met my future wife and actually managed to get a degree - nobody more surprised than me!  Still have fond memories of the place, though it looks a bit different round there now: in my first year I walked across open fields to get from Parkway to the Poly.  A bit trickier to do nowadays, I suspect.

 

Best wishes,

 

Paul

 

 

Small world indeed - I was there 1985 - 1988

Spent many a Wednesday night at Unity Street.

Graphic Design at Bower Ashton, so I am always interested in the pictures of that area when they surface on here now and then.

I worked behind the bar at the Dug Out Club in its last year of operation.

Steve

Very small world! I moved to Bristol in the 1960's with my parents and did my A levels in 1970/71 at Bristol Poly on the Ashley Down site, now the City of Bristol College, ended up working in the Bristol area until 1988 when I moved to Nottingham.

[Tim V]

I was at Bristol Poly 1980-84, at St Matts. Remember Unity St Wednesdays, Bower Ashton, Redland, occasional visits to Colditz!

 

Seen here is the scrap line a bit earlier, on a visit I made to the remains of the MSWJR at Swindon.

 

[Grampus]

I was at Bristol Poly 1980-84, at St Matts. Remember Unity St Wednesdays, Bower Ashton, Redland, occasional visits to Colditz!

 

Seen here is the scrap line a bit earlier, on a visit I made to the remains of the MSWJR at Swindon.

 

Swindon from MSWJ.jpg

Only saw Westerns on the scrap line on my first visit to Swindon (the works open day in 1979, if I recall correctly); and then only from a distance. I remember there was a list of those present on a piece of paper, pinned to the fence.  The public were not allowed into the storage/scrapping area on that occasion.   A very good day out: I remember climbing up into the cab of a freshly painted 03382, the first one of the type I had seen; and our school society set up basecamp for the day in a refurbished DMU (117, I think?) that was on display.  Sadly, no camera that day.

 

Best wishes, 

 

Paul

[Grampus]

From a quick scan back through an old Combined Volume, I logged D1001/1028/1056/1058/1065 that day.  1015 was there in the old wheeldrop building(?) looking somewhat scruffy in undercoat: and I cabbed D1041 for good measure.

 

For what it's worth, just found a note in the front of said Combined Volume which said, 'Ending Swindon Trip, 19 May, 1979'.  :-)

Edited January 26, 2019 by Grampus

[SouthernBlue80s]

So inadvertently this has become the Bristol Poly old boys Western Region appreciation thread.

Little did Paul know that when he initially posted a few pictures of the Swindon scrap line.

[Davexoc]

So inadvertently this has become the Bristol Poly old boys Western Region appreciation thread.

Little did Paul know that when he initially posted a few pictures of the Swindon scrap line.

Ah, but I went to South Bristol Tech. - Bedminster. That was the BR(WR) college for all depots except Swindon, who went to North Star - Swindon. We did block release, they did day release.

 

Dave

[SouthernBlue80s]

Sorry Dave.....Bristol Poly only - you are not allowed to participate

 

I lived in Bedminster/Southville in the 80s. Victoria Park end at first and then Ashton closer to the City ground and eventually ventured north of the river.

Cheers

Steve

[Killybegs]

You youngsters. I was at Bristol Tech in the early sixties before it morphed into the Poly!

[Downendian]

Sorry Dave.....Bristol Poly only - you are not allowed to participate

 

Steve

Oh can I join in? Bristol Poly at Coldharbour lane 1980-1984 for my BSc. Then I worked there as an academic (UWE, Bristol by then) 1999-2009.

Swindon unfortunately only went twice, both in the 1970s, January 1975 (loads of Hymeks and Westerns and D806, D824, D818) then in 1979 at the open day when the last of the Westerns were there and class 24/25 scrappings were ongoing.

I've some snaps of peaks and 40s from a passing train in June 1982, never found out what ones they were.

Neil

[griffgriff]

I did my PGCE in Bath..... which obviously doesn’t count but my placements were in deepest Bristol

I did my PGCE in Bath..... which obviously doesn’t count but my placements were in deepest Bristol

[Phil Bullock]

Coldharbour lane for me too - 4 weekly blocks for each of 2 years 77-79

 

Phil

[Grampus]

Funnily enough, after posting here yesterday evening, I googled (other search engines are available...) Swindon Works Open Day, 1979.  Imagine my delight when the first picture that came up was of Western Prince, with a gang of folk waiting to cab it that day.  Didn' t see me though, which was just as well.

 

Also enjoying the banter on here!

 

Best wishes all, 

 

Paul

[SouthernBlue80s]

Oh can I join in? Bristol Poly at Coldharbour lane 1980-1984 for my BSc. Then I worked there as an academic (UWE, Bristol by then) 1999-2009.

Swindon unfortunately only went twice, both in the 1970s, January 1975 (loads of Hymeks and Westerns and D806, D824, D818) then in 1979 at the open day when the last of the Westerns were there and class 24/25 scrappings were ongoing.

I've some snaps of peaks and 40s from a passing train in June 1982, never found out what ones they were.

Neil

 

Oh go on then... I do remember seeing the odd 27 at Swindon, but can not remember the exact year, obviously a touch later than when you went.

 

I never did get any shots from Swindon strangely, most of my Western stuff is Bristol or Reading, so I am liking the pictures being posted

[tomparryharry]

I travelled to Swindon some months back. The Works turntable looks very unloved, as is the broad gauge turntable uprooted from its old spot.

 

Swindon has always looked forward, and never really backwards. My gut feeling is that the museum will someday be dismantled, purely & simply because there will be no possible way to convey the true meaning of a large industrial concern. It's all very well showing dummies working in a smokebox of a 42xx, but where is the heat from the forge, or the sheer noise & vibration? Where's the riveter's tic-tac? (Riveters used sign language to talk to the throwers & catchers, where's the cone?) Once you lose the skills, it's gone, and gone for good.

 

It would have been better if Swindon filmed everything, and then knocked it flat. At least, you can wipe the slate clean, and start again. There is a beautiful 'apprentice piece' of a locomotive cylinder, in 1/4 scale. It's in the entrance lobby. How can you relate to a new apprentice, when people don't actually know what it's for?

 

I 'd better sign off now. Getting a bit emotional.

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

[adb968008]

It would have been better if Swindon filmed everything, and then knocked it flat. At least, you can wipe the slate clean, and start again.

 

Ian.

Like this.. (theres 2 hours worth below)..

https://youtu.be/rehHmPTWdRM

 

And this..

https://youtu.be/anVa4uer0jw

 

And this

https://youtu.be/RJPAon15G4Y

 

And this...

https://youtu.be/5oxyetLsE9s

Edited January 27, 2019 by adb968008

[tomparryharry]

Like this.. (theres 2 hours worth below)..

https://youtu.be/rehHmPTWdRM

 

And this..

https://youtu.be/anVa4uer0jw

 

And this

https://youtu.be/RJPAon15G4Y

 

And this...

https://youtu.be/5oxyetLsE9s

Thank you. I remember a Swindon open day, with Shannon on a well wagon. Down past the scrap line was an old tin hut, with hundreds of dets, all ready for disposal. The safety screen was a pair of side tanks, still faithfully inscribed 'great Western'. I regarded everything I saw as 'normal'. After all, it's a very large industry, with very large machines. The size & scale didn't overawe me; I understood the perception, and the scale required.

 

However, those same perceptions hit home hard when I returned last year. The old saying 'don't go back' came true in spades. The foundry would have held professional fascination for me. It takes a lot of space to show a foundry in full flight. Perhaps dangerous to the visitor, but even a 'dummified' demonstration would be better than nothing. The entire operation compressed into a space perhaps 50x20 feet. I felt rather sad. I'm not a Swindonian; I never 'worked inside', but I do know what it takes.

 

Museums should hold directories of aspects of production. If you want to see Western locomotives, go to Didcot. If you want to see iron, go to any of the many educational museums that retain the skills. Blaenavon, Black Country, that sort of thing.

 

Don't let a graduate curator set the scene. I'm not knocking curators in any way, but they will have very little practical experience, and most important:- First hand Interpretation.

 

It's very, very difficult to interpret something, when the 'Rosetta Stone' is thrown in the skip. I like Swindon; The flavour offered is a bit too bland.

 

I know there will be counter arguments about the pros & cons of museums versus real life. I'd accept any of those views. But, 30 years down the road leaves precious little hard evidence.

 

My last example is this; Who remembers old money? Who has still got a florin, or old penny or (even) a farthing? Not many, I'd guess. "We used to use these" You get the picture....

 

I guess I'm just a sad old man..

 

Ian.

[dvdlcs]

Oh go on then... I do remember seeing the odd 27 at Swindon, but can not remember the exact year, obviously a touch later than when you went.

 

Some Class 27s were overhauled at Swindon in the early-mid 1980s. I forget the reason why, perhaps Glasgow was fully booked. As I type this the thought "frost damage following a hard winter" came into my head so perhaps that was the cause.

[SouthernBlue80s]

To pick up on the way you feel Ian -

 

I think the pace of change over the last 100 or so years has been so immense that the human mind can not cope.

If you think about the majority of human life over the 1000s of years, most people (not all) did not see too much change in what was say often a 50 year life span. The natural/comfortable condition for the human mind is to be grounded/surrounded with some kind familiarity.  The world is now so radically different when we die to world we were born in many of us often feel rather displaced the older we get. I guess that is why so many of us on here are busily trying to recapture worlds we remember in miniature we feel more at one with.

 

This is also coupled with the understanding that the modern world is one of less substance, largely smoke and mirrors. Cookie cutter housing of questionable quality on top of a railway works is just the physical manifestation of that.

Edited January 28, 2019 by SouthernBlue80s

[Pannier Tank]

On 28/01/2019 at 11:07, dvdlcs said:

Some Class 27s were overhauled at Swindon in the early-mid 1980s. 

 

My "Spotting" Notes show the following were present at Swindon Works 27002, 27019, 27036, 27040, 27208  22/08/1984  and  27034 25/09/1985 

Edited February 18, 2019 by Pannier Tank
27208 possibly a typo, see further down the thread.

[Grampus]

My "Spotting" Notes show the following were present at Swindon Works 27002, 27019, 27036, 27040, 27208  22/08/1984  and  27034 25/09/1985 

Just goes to show what turns up when you aren't looking.  Until now I was completely unaware that Swindon had ever overhauled 27s - Wish I had known at the time.  Mind you, I was a bit busy!

 

Best wishes, 

 

Paul

[Pannier Tank]

Some Class 27s were overhauled at Swindon in the early-mid 1980s. I forget the reason why, perhaps Glasgow was fully booked. 

 

During a down turn in Business ( Miners Strike ? ) a lot of Locomotives were sent to Swindon Works for Storage. Subsequently some Locomotives were "Shopped" before a return to Service. 

[Downendian]

Getting a post in before the 24-48 pause in rmwebbing this week. I'd realised on the day of my previous post in this thread that it was 44 years to the day of my first visit. I may have missed some numbers as I'm sure 818 must have been there. Below is adapted from an old "on this day in history" thread from an old version of rmweb.

27 January 1975

Hymeks D7000; D7016; D7031; D7032; D7054 (in green, small panel); D7055; D7068; D7074: D7097: D7098

Warships D806, D824

Westerns D1007, D1008, D1014, D1017, D1045, D1061, D1062, D1066, D1073

DMUs 50648/695/706/835/888; 51132/307/322/367/409/412; 55031/035; 59034/296/474/519

Scrapped ScR inter city units SC79086/089/090/100/103/105/155/156/158/161/166

Eastern region EMU 452

 

I firmly remember seeing the chassis frame of a further (alas unidentified) Hymek, but was surprised when I read this list that D7001, D7089, D7100 and D818 weren't recorded. It was one of those sad transition times- all the NBLs had gone, a handful of Warships left, the class in the majority were still the Hymeks, but within a week or two the Westerns were the most numerous.

D1007 was the Ealing crash victim of 19 December 1973 and I was pleasantly surprised to see non-dual braked D1017 Western Warrior still there. Alas all the early Western withdrawls had gone, including D1000 which I'd never recorded. I passed Swindon works on 24th October 1974 and i wonder if anyone has records of what was in the con yard on that date, as I may have seen her!

edit : D1000 had gone by then, but the power of RMweb brought up a photo of D1032 and D1038 the day after I passed the con yard in October 1974.

I have noted as being "cabbed" D7000; D7032; D7068; D824; D1008; D1017, some of which were devoid of flooring in the cab! I'm sure this wouldn't have been allowed today.

Edited February 2, 2019 by Downendian

[Cheekypaul]

On 1/25/2019 at 12:56 PM, brushman47544 said:

 

 

I too thought Reading, but wouldn't that mean the Hall was in Platform 2 and the HST in Platform 3, which were both short bays?

Haven't been to Swansea by train since the early 80s, but I seem to recognise the building behind, so not sure it's there either.

 

I don't think it's Reading. I'm born & bred and I don't recognise the buildings within the station area at all

[caradoc]

My first visit to Swindon Works was a school trip in October 1971; We had a permit for the Works (where, IIRC 1200 Falcon was inside) but could not visit the scrap lines, so we ended up wandering around the backside of Swindon trying to get what numbers we could from outside the fence. That was the only time I saw any Class 22 or 43 locos. When I get a Time Machine and an Invisibility Cloak, that will be one of the first places I visit !  

[Northmoor]

On 1/24/2019 at 8:46 PM, Nick Gough said:

Swansea?

6960 did some runs from there to Carmarthen that year.

Correct, Swansea and on the last weekend of September 1985, from memory.  The Pembroke Coast Express headboard is a giveaway.  The red offices behind are the (then new) Royal Mail building.