Lower Thames Yard

[Tallpaul69]

22 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

In the down direction there were 5 freights that called. So I will be representing 5 trains by 3, but the number of freight trains needed can be reduced further because some ran in the hours  midnight to 4 am during which I am choosing not to  run trains!

One up train will arrive at 2355 as the 2240 class 9 Reading West to Southall (due away from Maidenhead at 0100!) and depart in the next running session at 0612 as the 0415 Class 9 Reading West to OOC (actually due into Maidenhead at 0512!).  

 

I will fill in more detail about the freight drop off and pick ups when I get to finish the shunting engine saga.

Good Day All,

So I thought that today I would fill in the detail on the Freight drop offs and pick ups at Lower Thames Yard.

As explained above, I am planning that a freight that arrives in an evening running session at 2355 will stay in the up Relief Loop until 0606 in the next running session, which is a morning session. Really as this session starts at 0400 the freight should not arrive until 0512, but this will have to be a rule 1 situation I am afraid! This train will both drop a cut of wagons and pick one up.

 

The alternative would be to run the 2355 from the evening session early so as to have it leave before midnight. I decided against this as I have already moved the 0014 to 0040 stay of the Aylesbury freight to an hour earlier because I wanted to portray the dropping off of coal wagons and collection of empties by this train. So moving the two trains earlier I decided was too unrealistic particularly as they would both then be in the scenic area together, which would stretch my limited sidings, although they were in real life, in Maidenhead together after midnight, but with the benefit of the real siding space!

 

There is one more up freight that I am ignoring because it was in the yard from 0130 to 0145, during my 1200-0400 shutdown. Also, although a class 8, it only stopped to let another train pass.

 

So the next stopping up freight is another class 9 this time the 1115 from Moreton Cutting to Slough, due in at 1224, staying until1239, and just picking up a cut of wagons.

 

No more freights call until the 1600 Class 9 Reading to OOC arrives at 1725 and stays until 1838 while dropping of a cut of wagons.

 

Meanwhile on the down side, I am delaying by an hour the first caller of the day the 0215 Class 9 from Southall to Reading West Junction which arrives at 0325 and leaves at 0358. So this will arrive at 0425 and leave at 0458. This train will drop a cut of wagons and also pick one.

The next down train is 0320 Class 9 from Acton to Reading West Junction. This is timetabled to arrive at 0506 and leave at 0540. It is a little unrealistic to run this to time meaning it arrives only 8 minutes after the previous train leaves, so I am delaying it to arrive at 0526, but, as there is a lot of up activity around 0600, I am only delaying its departure by  5 minutes to 0545. This train will just pick up a cut of wagons.

 

The final freight of the morning will run to time and represent the 0700 Class 9 Slough to Reading west Junction, arriving at 0814 and leaving at 0830 after dropping off a cut of wagons.

 

There is only one other down freight calling in the day and that is another Class 9 Slough to Reading West Junction, this time the 1900. This arrives at 1938 and leaves at 2000.  It picks up a cut of wagons and drops one off. I am considering delaying this train by an hour so that the 2010 Parcels from Maidenhead to Reading can leave before it, which would also allow the Parcels to be made up in the Down Relief Loop which this train would also need to use!

 

 The above set of train timings illustrates that there is quite a lot of goods shunting to be done when the shunter first arrives in the morning , and before it leaves in the evening, but that through much of the day the shunting is just for positioning wagons for loading or unloading.

 

So in the morning the following cuts await the shunter:-

A) Up side

1) cut off the 2355

 

B) Down side

1) cut off the 0315

2) cut off the 0700

 

And in the evening the following cuts must be left:-

A) Up side

1) cut for the 2355 (leaving 0606)

 

B) Down side

1) cut for the 0315 (arriving at 0425)

2) cut for the 0340 (arriving at 0526) 

 

Next post I will integrate these plus the daytime cuts to be collected and being dropped into the shunters routine.

 

Hope you are all well, and keeping active,

Stay safe.

Paul

 

[Tallpaul69]

On ‎14‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 22:56, St Enodoc said:

Excellent stuff Paul. For me, this sort of thing is the essence of how we make it feel "real".

 

Last night I trawled through some recent Steam World articles about Cornwall and found about 100 more examples of which actual locos were on which actual trains on specific dates in the 1950s. Nerd or what?

Your above comment on Tuesday set me off looking for any details in past magazines to help with missing details for the Lower Thames Yard operations.

Prior to moving to this house 3 years ago I had to do something to reduce the shelf space that my past magazines took up. So I went through them and either threw them out (to charity!) or extracted articles I wanted to keep. Now this job took longer than I wanted (I had to read some of the articles to decide whether to keep them or not didn't !??!!).

 

I ran out of time and instead of for instance dividing the articles on wagons into say Prototype 60s, Prototype 90s and similar subsections for modelling articles, I just put them all into a number of magazine holders!

Now as well as looking for the information, I am properly cataloging them, but it is taking quite a time!

Have yet to find any Maidenhead or Slough info But I have found a lot of pics relating to Paddington, OOC, etc., all of which will be useful.

So there will be no continuation of the Shunter, Parcels or Branch operation, postings today. It is a wonder with all these piles of mags that I could still find the laptop.

 

Hope you are all ok and those in the uk not too upset by three more (at least!) weeks of lockdown. Should mean I can complete this magazine job without doing it all day every day and getting fed up with it.

Stay safe

Best regards

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Good afternoon all,

 

Change of subject today as Thursday's decision by the UK Government to extend lockup  - oops meant lockdown (not unexpected!!) means a further 3 weeks delay on Lower Thames Yard build.

 

So in order to get something moving, as I am fed up with not having anything to "play" with, I am starting to plan the conversion of  my 4ft x2ft 6ins test track into a single track round and round layout.

 

The trick is going to be to do something that is near to Lower Thames Yard location wise to use some of the stuff acquired for that.

Might play around with one end of Cookham?

 

Anyway, as always, will update you on thoughts and progress and welcome any input!

Also I must keep main project planning simmering in the background!  

 

Hope you are all staying safe and keeping amused?

Best regards

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Hi All,

I am pleased to say that my thinking has moved on from yesterday.

 

Firstly, checking the size of the "test track" board I realized that the 4ft x 2ft 6in dimensions I quoted yesterday was not the size of the board, but the size of the old desk that it sits on!

 

So space is not (quite) so restricted as I first thought.

Secondly, having played around with the layouts of all the intermediate stations on the Maidenhead to High Wycombe branch, none quite fitted.

However, last night while thinking out something entirely non railway related I had a brainwave!

 

So I have now started to look at the detail for what I am calling "Lower Thames Goods Shed".

 

This has a viewing position across the Branch from that described some days ago when detailing the trains on the branch in 1960/2.

Thus I am standing on the base of the old Maidenhead Middle Signal Box. I can see the branch tracks left and right, the Branch siding to the left, and kicking back off of it to the right the siding I had put into "Lower Thames Yard" for the repositioned Goods Shed.

Also to the left on my side of the branch line track is a short siding that in "Lower Thames Yard" leads to a pair of sidings for coal wagons and wagons dropped off of up goods trains, but here is just long enough to hold a few wagons or maybe a parcels van. To my right is the station and the ends of platforms 4 /5 but platform 4 only has a line that connects to the branch line, there is no up (or down) relief line.

 

Compromises will be several:-

Trains can only be tank engine plus 2 or 2.5 coaches long,  freights 5/6 wagons.

Curves will be second radius.

Although DCC can be used, the points will be manual.

 

Positives are that this layout will enable me to make a start on the goods shed. I think that will be in two halves so that the longer shed for "Lower Thames Yard" can be constructed by inserting a middle section.

I can also start on the Plat form 5 (Branch platform)Poverall roof, although this will probably need altering on the larger layout!

I can also build one or two other buildings that can serve on both layouts. 

 

And of course the big Positive, I can get to run some trains not just engines under test!!

 

Thus I am feeling positive about this idea, and if the weather stays good, later this coming week, I hope to make a start!

However, I mustn't get ahead of my self, there needs to be some further planning and some drawing first.

 

I hope your models are all proceeding well, and that you are all safe and well?

Best regards

Paul 

[Tallpaul69]

Hi All,

Today I've made a start on Lower Thames Goods Shed.

I have cleared all the boxed and unboxed locos that had accumulated in the middle of the board from running tests. Tomorrow I need to move the desk and board out from the corner it is currently in so that I can get to all sides.

 

Just realized that I didn't actually say what the size of the board is in yesterdays post!

Anyway, it is 5ft 6ins by 3ft.

Might see if I can add a strip down the side to make it nearer 3ft 3ins which will work better.

 

Not sure how I can maximize the fiddle yard area at the back to try to have six trains there, so the sketch pad will have to come out to see what is possible. If I can house six trains at the length I talked ablut yesterday plus a couple of LEs, should be able to work a reasonable likeness to the branch timetable!

I will try either tomorrow or Wednesday to put up a sketch of what I am trying to do. 

 

I hope everyone is well, keeping safe, and making progress with their models.

Best regards

Paul  

 

 

[Tallpaul69]

Good Afternoon one and all,

 

Yesterday, while clearing the accumulations from the middle of the "Lower Thames Goods Shed" board I came across a box of part built Coopercraft kits.

So last night I sorted these out and found that there were 5 Cattles and 4 Minks. One cattle was actually an Airfix.

All the parts were there, although a bit muddles up, except for one cattle roof and one mink roof.

So instead of just putting the whole box onto the "when I get round tuit" pile, I extracted the two roofless wonders and their bags of bits, which I transferred to a "awaiting parts" box. They could be there some time as usually I beg, "borrow" or if I must "buy" such missing bits at exhibitions.

No idea when I 'll get the chance to do that again!

Might have to think about some form of conversion for them, no idea to what??

 

Meanwhile, my morning exercise was to move the desk and board so I can get all round the board. This took a while as even after I had shifted the accumulation of magazines etc. from under the desk, and with the desk drawers out, it was extremely heavy (They don't make desks like that any more -thank goodness do I hear you say?)

 

Now I have started to play track pieces jigsaws for the fiddle yard side of the layout. This needs more work, but I now know some thinks not to sketch out on the drawing pad! 

 

Hope all your modelling is proving productive,

Stay safe, keep smiling.

Best regards

Paul

 

 

[Tallpaul69]

Afternoon All,

I am not going to try to make any progress today on the modelling front, unless I decide to take my frustrations out on one of my old gash models?

 

The reason for saying this is that I spent the morning trying to sort two problems indirectly related to modelling, and not really cured either!

 

Firstly, I found that a shelf on one of the Ikea Billy units full of magazines had collapsed. On taking everything off that shelf and the shelf above found that the pins supporting the shelves had worn their mounting holes too large so needed to change the shelf spacing and also reduce the weight on the shelf.

Trouble is while there are plenty of never used holes for the pins, the shelf spacing is not right. So need to think this one through. Did spend some time taking the pages I really wanted to keep out of some of the mgazines, so at least the weight problem is cured. Unfortunately , as the fortnightly recycle bin collection was Monday, we will be tight for space in that bin until the next collection!

 

Other problem that occupied wasted(!) my time was that the battery wall clock in the railway room has stopped working. Thought it was just that the battery had packed up after the winter, but no such luck! New battery, no movement! After a lot of fiddling around concluded it is another thing to replace when things get back to normal!

 

On a positive front I think I have sketched out a solution to the Fiddle Yard track puzzle. I'll try it with track tomorrow and if it works I'll try to post either a sketch or a pic on Thursday.

 

Hope you are all keeping safe and well?

Cheers

Paul

 

  

[wamwig]

Yes if you are going to store magazines you really need the narrow Billy units, found that one out to my own cost, unless you just put them on the bottom shelf.  However it does remind me I need to 'cull' some magazines myself!

[Tallpaul69]

Hi All,

A number of house and family things got in the way of modelling yesterday, but I have managed to sketch out a plan for Lower Thames Goods Shed, which is attached.

 

I should remind readers that the idea of this small 5ft6in x 3ft 00 DCC layout is to allow me to run a few trains testing some of the High Wycombe Branch elements of the timetable for my 00 Lower Thames Yard 12ft x8ft layout set in 1960/2, the building of which is delayed by the dreaded virus which prevents the people due to do the baseboards, track and electrics for this from working, and of course the installation of their efforts in our self isolated home.

 

Other things to bear in mind:-

I want to have this up and running with materials (such as the baseboard). that I have to hand in as quick a time as I am able, bearing in mind other calls on my time for home and family etc.

 

The trains will only be short - engine + 2 coach or 6/7 trucks long, there will not be any signals and only the fiddle yard points will be electric with surface mounted point motors.

The layout will not be ballasted, or have the "ground" covered or dealt with, only in so far as I need to "test" alternatives for the main layout.

 

Similarly only the buildings will be more than skeletons where they can be used in the main layout. So only the houses (see A and B on sketch), the goods shed and the train shed overall roof (F on sketch)  will be fully built. 

 

I am currently looking at ways to extend the baseboard to 6ft x 4ft allowing increased track radius but the track plan will stay the same. 

 

Hope you are all safe and well and making good progress with your modelling?

Cheers

Paul

Edited April 24, 2020 by Tallpaul69
left out facts!

[Tallpaul69]

Hi there,

 

Perhaps a word or two about the operation of Lower Thames Goods Shed" might be useful?

 

All the trains though short, when operated in "serious" mode, will be according to the 1961 WTT for the Maidenhead to High Wycombe branch. So most trains will run from the fiddle yard to the station round the single track left side of the layout and reverse

 

Also included will be a couple of morning Paddington Trains (one steam and one DMU) from Maidenhead and their evening returns.

 

Some Reading to Maidenhead and Maidenhead to Reading trains will be portrayed by making them Maidenhead to Slough trains or the reverse.

So the morning Reading to Princes Risborough Parcels , reversing at Maidenhead, will become a Slough to Princes Risborough parcels. Its return working the evening Maidenhead to Reading Parcels will become a Maidenhead to Slough parcels!

 

As the layout will only hold some 8 trains and 2/3 LEs, most trains will portray several workings! 

 

The station will have its shunter, although the amount of shunting will be limited. I might try to fit in an additional siding off the goods shed siding. 

 

In "Play" mode, trains will just circulate passing each other in the station loops. I aim to use this mode mainly while doing jobs on the layout, buildings or rolling stock.

 

Lastly the layout will be used in "test" mode for setting up DCC on locos and units and testing new/ tinkered with items.

 

Here is a repeat of the plan so that you can look at it while reading the above.

 

 

 

Please stay safe and keep smiling.

This morning's paper suggests we may be allowed as a first easing of the Lockdown to interact with a named list of up to 10 friends and family, goodness knows how they plan to police that! Hope I can change my group when I fall out with some of the members??!!

 

Cheers

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Good Afternoon All,

Here are my latest thoughts on Lower Thames Goods Shed after a session checking the timetable moves, which suggests I need two more sidings in the scenic area:-

 

One is needed to hold:-

a) an early morning GUV or Syphon G that arrives from Paddington. In reality it was on the 0430 Paddington to Westbury Parcels, but as I cannot portray that train, we will assume it arrives on the early morning shunter. Now this shunter in reality worked LE from Slough to Twyford alternate mornings to shunt then worked back to Taplow LE to be the early shunter there.

So I am working it 5 days a week with the Van. Then LE back from Maidenhead to Taplow.

The Van is added to the 0620 Parcels (now Slough to Princes Risborough) for the trip up the branch to High Wycombe.

 

b) Later, for most of the morning the Class 121 and trailer need a siding, and from 1300 for the afternoon the class 121 drops the trailer so that also needs a siding.

One possibility is to cut bach the straight bottom side of platform H in my sketch and fit a siding there. The only disadvantage to that is that it may not be long enough for the 121 and trailer. I am not worried by the loss of part of the platform, it was never going to be very realistic any way

 

In reality the siding used for this was the East end siding which ran off the Platform 5 (Branch) loop parallel to the up relief line.

 

The second siding is an addition to the goods yard to make the employment of a shunter a little more realistic.

If I have a three way point I will substitute it for the right hand point out of the Branch siding/ Goods Shed siding, and run a siding across the goods yard.

 

I might also alter the alignment of the road along the centre of the layout and the position of the bridge across the branch so that I can make the Branch siding longer, and the goods yard a little bigger (and less symmetrical).

There will need to be a bit of trial and error as the bridge cannot move too far round the curve otherwise it will not hide the first curved Fiddle Yard point!

 

So some time this week there might be a version 2 layout plan.  

 

Best regards, and keep safe

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Hi Everyone,

 

Only time for a few comments today.

 

Firstly, I've been doing some work on how I might increase the size of Lower Thames Goods Shed. The materials I have to hand will, I think, allow me to increase the size from %ft 6ins x 3ft to 6ft 2 ins x 3ft 9ins. This will allow me to increase the radius of most of the curves in the scenic side of the layout from Hornby R2 and R1 to Hornby R3 and R2.

I should be able to fit in the two extra sidings in the scenic area that I mentioned yesterday and also alter the alignment of the roadway so that the length of the Branch siding can be increased.

So over the next couple of days I will do some full size track fiddling and revise the layout sketch.

 

A few days ago I mentioned in a post somewhere (not necessarily in this thread(!)) that I had a problem with some Coopers Craft Cattle wagons and Mink vans that were missing roofs. I now have to hand several curved pieces of card and plastic from various packaging which I hope will solve the problem.

 

After I have made and fitted the roofs I will post some pics, I just need to remember to take some how to do it pics as I go along!

 

So I hope you are all keeping sane in this continuing lockdown, but please stay safe.

Best regards

Paul

 

[Tallpaul69]

Good day to you All, from a wet and breezy Bedfordshire,

 

I have completed the first redraw of the Lower Thames Goods Yard layout to the larger size as per my yesterday's posting., but have put it on one side until tomorrow to look at it with refreshed eyes as I'm not quite happy with it..

I need also to fiddle around with a couple of bits of track to verify they work in reality, before I am happy enough with it to share!

 

So I have now been fiddling around with bits and bobs to make up the missing Coopers Craft wagon roofs. The problem on the Cattle wagons is well on the way to being solved as I have found that our toilet roll card centres are of the correct radius to fit. They do need careful cutting, and I am not satisfied with the dimensions of the first few, but I know what I need to do to improve them.

 

Also, while the curve is just right the card is too thin, but the obvious solution of two thicknesses gives less than ideal edges.  The other problem is how to replicate the four narrow bands that fixed the canvas to the roof. Card ones are too flimsy to handle, so I think I need to look in my scrap box for some thin metal that can easily be curved. At least these vans don't have the curved rain strips that the more modern vans have!

 

Take care, best of luck with your modelling

Paul

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

The other problem is how to replicate the four narrow bands that fixed the canvas to the roof.

Strips of insulating tape might work Paul.

[Nick Gough]

18 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

!he other problem is how to replicate the four narrow bands that fixed the canvas to the roof.

This might be suitable:

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/wagons/c20/

Edited April 29, 2020 by Nick Gough

[Tallpaul69]

6 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

This might be suitable:

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/wagons/c20/

Thanks Nick,

I'll put that on my to get list after I've tried the insulating tape solution.

 

There might be other things Wizard can supply which would offset postage on the tape!

 

Cheers

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Hi everyone,

Down here in a wet and chilly Bedfordshire, where it seems like we have had all of April's showers (who is April??) in the last couple of days, I am still trying to get a round tuit, in terms of completing this week's modelling jobs.

 

Have managed to sketch version 2 of Lower Thames Goods Shed, and fiddle with a few points and bits of track to get rid of the worst howlers. Provided there are no violent objections, I will share that with you tomorrow? 

 

Sorting through some old mags this morning in the continuing quest to reduce the weight on my shelves I found a 1961 pic, admittedly pretty dark, of a train I have been trying to sort the model of for a while now.

This is the 0720 Reading to Slough Fish and Parcels. Had the Local Parcels formation from the 1961 Carriage workings for some time, but nothing better than having a pic, which also gives me the loco used. Luckily the caption is pretty good so that makes up for the difficulty in making out the last 3 of the 6 vans!

 

Looks like the rain has stopped so I had better sign off now and dash to my Railway Room to get some bits into the house , so I have finished some modelling this week!

 

Stay safe,

Cheers

Paul

[Nick Gough]

7 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

This is the 0720 Reading to Slough Fish and Parcels. Had the Local Parcels formation from the 1961 Carriage workings for some time, but nothing better than having a pic, which also gives me the loco used. Luckily the caption is pretty good so that makes up for the difficulty in making out the last 3 of the 6 vans!

 

Come on Paul!

Give us some details.

[Tallpaul69]

22 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

This is the 0720 Reading to Slough Fish and Parcels. Had the Local Parcels formation from the 1961 Carriage workings for some time, but nothing better than having a pic, which also gives me the loco used. Luckily the caption is pretty good so that makes up for the difficulty in making out the last 3 of the 6 vans!

Hi All,

Reference the above train the details I have are as follows:-

 

Carriage Working Diagram:-

Formation

Item                 From                      To

Brake Van      Oxford                Slough

Vans               Various         Twyford to Slough

 

Formed with Traffic from 1840 York, 2150 Shrewsbury, 2055 Birkenhead, 2222 York.

 

The Photo:-

From page 56 of the January 2011 issue of Model Rail:-

o720 Reading to Slough Fish and Parcels photo on 2nd August 1961 with 6 vans

Loco : 4148 (I need to check where it was sheded?)

Stock:-

Item 1 ex LNER Fish van

Item 2 ex LNER Fish Van

Item 3 exSR Bogie B brake Van (grn)

Item 4 BR Mk1 BG (maroon)

Item 5 GWR or BR Syphon G (maroon)

item 6 ex LMS or GWR BG (maroon)

 

The above is all the information I have. The photo is quite dark, so I was not able to take a picture of it to post that showed any worthwhile detail!

 

Cheers

Paul

[Nick Gough]

1 hour ago, Tallpaul69 said:

 

Loco : 4148 (I need to check where it was sheded?)

 

Looks like Oxford from 11/57 to 2/62.

[Tallpaul69]

26 minutes ago, Nick Gough said:

Looks like Oxford from 11/57 to 2/62.

Thanks Nick,

In that case it looks like the loco on the 0720 Reading to Slough had previously covered the 0535 Oxford to Reading Fish and Parcels, which makes sense because earlier in the 60s there was one through Oxford to Slough train.

 

Not sure why they split them, but the 0535 did stay a fair while and do a lot of shunting at Reading as it carried numerous vans for the SR!

 

I guess the Oxford Loco got back to Oxford via the morning  Slough to Hinksey freight using the High Wycombe and Thame branches.

 

Best regards

Paul

 

[Tallpaul69]

Good Afternoon everyone,

 

I thought I would round off the week by sharing the latest version of the Lower Thames Goods Shed Plan and (yet more) notes about the 0720 Reading to Slough Fish and Parcels train!

 

So the latest version of the Goods Shed Layout Plan, as I suggested a few posts back, has used the larger space to improve the radius of the scenic curves at the left hand side and add a couple of sidings.

I have also improved the usefulness of the fiddle yard sidings. Yet to be finalized are a couple of loco sidings shown in broken lines at each end of the fiddle yard.

I might possibly add two more loco sidings running off those, but following the curve of the fiddle yard lines.

 

My latest thoughts on the Fish train is that I need to try to locate where the photo I described in my earlier post was taken.

It looks to have been taken at ground level from the south side of the Main Lines with the train correctly on the Relief lines.. Unfortunately there is little showing of the background except that what appears to be part of a row of terraced houses at approx. rail level can be seen past the front of the loco. In the foreground is what appears to be grassed area on which the photographer is standing . There does not appear to be any fence between the grass and the track(!)

Now I don't know the lineside between Reading and Slough very well, but I can't think of anywhere where there is a row of terraced houses near the north side of the line, at line level.

If the location is between Taplow and Slough, this would explain why there are only two fish vans as others could have been dropped off at Twyford, Maidenhead, and Taplow?

 

If anyone remembers this area in the 60s and can help, I will be pleased to hear.

The article was by Robert Carroll, so I will contact him and see if he has some location details in his records, plus I am going to email the Model Rail team and see if they can find anything from their archives.

 

Keep safe and enjoy your modelling,

Best regards

Paul

 

 

[5BarVT]

6 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

My latest thoughts on the Fish train is that I need to try to locate where the photo I described in my earlier post was taken.

It looks to have been taken at ground level from the south side of the Main Lines with the train correctly on the Relief lines.. Unfortunately there is little showing of the background except that what appears to be part of a row of terraced houses at approx. rail level can be seen past the front of the loco. In the foreground is what appears to be grassed area on which the photographer is standing . There does not appear to be any fence between the grass and the track(!)

Now I don't know the lineside between Reading and Slough very well, but I can't think of anywhere where there is a row of terraced houses near the north side of the line, at line level.

If the location is between Taplow and Slough, this would explain why there are only two fish vans as others could have been dropped off at Twyford, Maidenhead, and Taplow?

I’ve seen the photo that Robert linked on BRCS and I’d like to add some comments! :-)

Looking at the telegraph pole shadow, the photo is taken from some way inside the railway boundary.  Looking carefully at the rails, I think there are only three lines not four.  Thus I think the train is on a loop somewhere with the Reliefs in shot  and the Mains  out of shot behind the photographer. Given the size of the wideway I think just off the end of a station platform.  Then look at the telegraph poles in the background: could there be a branch coming in?

Can’t help with where it actually is, but it might narrow it down for others to identify.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/4495931267/

 

Paul.

[Nick Gough]

21 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

My latest thoughts on the Fish train is that I need to try to locate where the photo I described in my earlier post was taken.

I believe the most likely location is the rear of Boyn Valley Road, Maidenhead, just west of the goods yard.

 

The 25" Ordnance Survey on the NLS website:

https://maps.nls.uk/view/104197312

shews two short terraces that back onto the north side of the railway embankment. On the opposite side of the line, at this point, the top of the embankment widens out for a short distance.

If you visit Google streetview you can't get a proper view of the backs of these houses but you can see that the chimneys and chimney pots (and the ridge tiles) are very similar to the ones in the photo.

 

I can't find any other location with similar features between Reading and Slough.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Nick Gough
More info.

[5BarVT]

43 minutes ago, Nick Gough said:

two short terraces that back onto the north side of the railway embankment.

After posting I remembered those terraces, and there may have been a wide way between the main lines along there so back to the train being on the Up Relief.  (It’s 40 years since I travelled that line very frequently.)

Paul.