Railtour photos and comments

[jonny777]

Yes, the blue lorry has "Airfix" written on the back. 

 

 

[eastwestdivide]

Could it be on the Angerstein branch? The triangle would mean the photographer has their back to the Thames, looking broadly south, so the high ground could be Blackheath/Greenwich Park?

[eastwestdivide]

Yes, I think it is there: See the articles about the old tram depot at Felltram Way at
http://greenwichindustrialhistory.blogspot.com/2014/04/charlton-tram-depot.html

https://charltonchampion.co.uk/2012/07/06/charlton-where-londons-last-trams-went-to-die/

Quote

But there’s two sites in Charlton that are key to London tram history. The first is the repair depot, which was, naturally, in Felltram Way, right at the western edge of SE7. Opened in the days of horse trams, the Central Repair Depot served all the capital’s fleet and remained open until the end. Later, it became a factory making Airfix models. Before it was demolished in the early 1990s...

 

Felltram Way being right next to the Angerstein branch. Success!

Edited November 26, 2019 by eastwestdivide

[jonny777]

It looks as though the third photo is just the second location but from a different angle. 

 

 

[eastwestdivide]

The faint church spire in the background would be St Johns at Blackheath, aligning with the railway as it does.

[luckymucklebackit]

Apologies for the small size of these photographs, they were originally scanned for a website in the dark days of dial up and photos had to be kept to around 40kB if the page was to be loaded in a reasonable time

 

First off, when you are told that a pair of class 33's are scheduled to head a railtour to Inverness and back you would expect to be surprised. When you are then told that the date of the tour is April 1st then the reaction is "Pull the other one - it plays Jingle Bells". However that is exactly what happened on April 1st 1995, 33116 and 33109 are seen returning south through Stirling on the "Skirl o' the Bagpipes" railtour. 

 

 

Next we have 58011 with 47972 providing ETH on "The Worksop Wanderer" 9th March 1994 photographed near Croy on the Edinburgh to Glasgow main line.

 

 

Lastly we have a real rarity, I think this is the only appearance of a Western in Scotland, D1015 returning south through Coatbridge Central after a three day tour of the highlands on the "Western Chieftan" Sunday 21st June 2009

 

 

Jim

Edited November 26, 2019 by luckymucklebackit

[jonny777]

4 hours ago, eastwestdivide said:

The faint church spire in the background would be St Johns at Blackheath, aligning with the railway as it does.

 

Here is another North Kent tour photo, which presumably is at Grain? 

 

 

[eastwestdivide]

Yes, Grain. I've stood on that platform while on a railtour myself!

[jonny777]

Was anyone on this? 

 

Skirl O' The Pipes 4 at Arisaig behind 37022. The other half of the tour did the trip in the opposite direction. 

 

 

[ColinK]

I was on the Western Chieftan - brilliant trip.

[jonny777]

A little late for the anniversary of the date, but this is 45104 on the 'Festive Fiddler' rail tour on 27th December 1986. 

 

The loco ran from Temple Meads to Uckfield and Oxted; which must have been something of a rarity - and then returned the tour from Norwood Junction to Temple Meads. 

 

(A peak at Norwood Junction - now that must have been a photo to treasure). 

 

 

 If someone can ID the station here, it will be a bonus.....

 

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 07/10/2019 at 21:58, jonny777 said:

On September 30th 1961, 60022 'Mallard' is seen at Blackpool with the Northern Rubber Special from Retford for the illuminations. 

 

On that day around 40 special trains ran from various parts of the UK. 

I was on a special from New Street. The Midland Compound piloted in 45548 on another incoming train and I cabbed both. I was on the next platform when Mallard came in and saw it ready for departure double headed with the Compound.

 

[96701]

Sunday 3rd June 2007 - "The Bristol Coal-Stone Haul" (The Railway Children/Network Rail Bristol)(WCRC)

 

http://www.railtourinfo.co.uk/030607rc.html

 

That was quite fun, and the last railtour that I've been on.

 

 

[96701]

Not really a railtour, but one was not supposed to be on this train without a valid ferry ticket from Weymouth.........

 

 

[96701]

I have no idea where this one went. I know I got on it at Guide Bridge because I have a couple of snaps from it, but have no memory of it at all.

 

[96701]

Western Requiem (extra tour) into Wales.

 

Waiting to set off from Paddington.

 

In Treherbet.

 

 

I'm not sure where the headboard kept disappearing to.

[Trev52A]

In 1967 'Jubilee' 4-6-0 No 45562 'Alberta' was a regular choice for rail tours (let's face it, there weren't many other working examples to pick from!) and it was always turned out in immaculate condition. Here are three examples:

 

At Newcastle on 25th February with 'The Border Countryman' it had brought from Carlisle

 

About to pass under the Coast Road, climbing from Percy Main on the route of today's North Tyneside Steam Railway on 10th June with the 'Ashington Rail Tour'

 

Climbing past Shap Wells on 7th October with the 'South Yorkshireman' tour. The fireman had just put a round on the fire a second or so before I fired the shutter

 

Trevor

Edited January 2, 2020 by Trev52A

[keefer]

20 minutes ago, 96701 said:

I have no idea where this one went. I know I got on it at Guide Bridge because I have a couple of snaps from it, but have no memory of it at all.

 

Presumably the 'Midlander' on 5/1/74, Liverpool Lime St. - Derby works & return

Unfortunately that's all the details sixbellsjunction has!

https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/70s/740105lc.html

(There was another 'Midlander' on 5/10/74 but that was 1Z39 from Euston, 6000 Loco Association)

[keefer]

Trev's first pic is interesting for the mk1 BSO with NE-prefix and still has a painted chalk-panel on the van door (by all accounts a feature provided but little used)

[Trev52A]

41 minutes ago, keefer said:

Trev's first pic is interesting for the mk1 BSO with NE-prefix and still has a painted chalk-panel on the van door (by all accounts a feature provided but little used)

 

Here's a close up of the left edge of the neg for more detail. If I remember correctly I had the camera balanced on a porter's barrow (remember them?) for a longish exposure.

 

Cheers

Trevor

[jonny777]

13 hours ago, 96701 said:

Western Requiem (extra tour) into Wales.

 

Waiting to set off from Paddington.

 

In Treherbet.

 

 

I'm not sure where the headboard kept disappearing to.

 

 

 

The nice feature of this tour (13th Feb 1977) was that D1010 made it into the Welsh valleys, whereas on the original trip (run a week later) the loco was failed at Cardiff (after developing a fault soon after departure apparently) and replaced by 37179 until D1023 reached Pontypridd (from Old Oak) and took over the train for the rest of the trip. 

[jonny777]

15th October 1966, and a railtour ran from Waterloo to Westbury via Salisbury behind 35023 'Holland Afrika Line'. The train then reversed and ran to Exeter St Davids via Taunton behind 35026 'Lamport & Holt Line'. The tour ran back to Salisbury via Honiton, where 35023 took over again for the last leg to Waterloo. 

 

This train was banked between St Davids and Central stations by D866; one of the very few times a Warship had any involvement with a railtour. 

 

 

Here we see 35023 having arrived at Westbury (minus a nameplate) with the first leg of the tour, and two shots of 35026 awaiting departure to the West. 

 

[jonny777]

30837 has arrived at Reading with the Wessex Downsman rail tour from Waterloo on 4th April 1965. The S15 was detached here and 6963 'Throwley Hall' took over for the run to Bristol via Newbury, Devizes and Bath Spa. The train then proceeded to Bath Green Park via Mangostfield with D7007 and 44466 (the Hymek uncoupled at Mangotsfield), followed by a run down the S&D to Bournemouth West behind 48309. From there it was back to Waterloo with 34051 'Winston Churchill'.  

 

 

(Tour info from Sixbellsjunction)

 

Edited February 6, 2020 by jonny777

[Rugd1022]

On 16/01/2020 at 13:06, jonny777 said:

15th October 1966, and a railtour ran from Waterloo to Westbury via Salisbury behind 35023 'Holland Afrika Line'. The train then reversed and ran to Exeter St Davids via Taunton behind 35026 'Lamport & Holt Line'. The tour ran back to Salisbury via Honiton, where 35023 took over again for the last leg to Waterloo. 

 

This train was banked between St Davids and Central stations by D866; one of the very few times a Warship had any involvement with a railtour. 

 

 

Here we see 35023 having arrived at Westbury (minus a nameplate) with the first leg of the tour, and two shots of 35026 awaiting departure to the West. 

 

 

I can just picture that being shoved up the bank to Central with D866 in green / small yellow panels, presumably all of the stock was BR (SR) green too Jonny...? No doubt a nice sight, as quite a few Warships had been painted maroon by then.

[jonny777]

From the few photos I have seen, the stock looks to be mostly Bulleid and so yes Nidge, an all green spectacular. 

 

I only saw one Warship doing any banking, D811 on 25th Aug 1969. It banked D7014 and its goods train up the hill. I have posted my box camera effort before, but another outing would seem harmless....