Steve's 1980s rail pictures.

[Davexoc]

2 hours ago, Rivercider said:

Regarding 46021 at Stratford, It had been withdrawn in January 1983 following collision damage

(details unknown), and as you suggest it and 46056 were at Stratford for component recovery,

 

cheers

 

Looks like a depot/yard side swipe. 'Shunting accident'

[SED Freightman]

4 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

The warehousing/distribution buildings you can see in the background of the second picture always seemed to be abandoned. I guess a casualty from when the docks finally closed and everything had moved further up river

Stratford LIFT suffered from the general run down of international freight traffic, but the kiss of death occured when the Government decided to allocate the area for CTRL construction after which BR were only allowed to renew leases on the various warehouses on a short term basis.  By mid 1994 the place had a very derelict feel about it and only four of the 10 warehouses still received any rail traffic, all of which passed via the Dover train ferry.  At this time the principal traffic was paper in 6 to 8 Cargowaggons daily from Gratkorn, Austria to Jerich in No.7 Shed, whilst Entire Wines in 9 Shed received one or two of wagons of wine ex Italy each week, traffic to the other tenants, DCA UK and Cargotrax was very sporadic.

[Mike Storey]

On 20/01/2021 at 16:00, SouthernBlue80s said:

Mystex to Margate

 

47072 at Margate 28th Aug 1983. On a rather wet day. The sidings where the stock was stored is now housing.

 

 

 

Good grief!! I worked there at about that time. I had not realised just how much has changed since then!!!

 

If a loco hauled "Special" is sent down there these days, I would guess it would have to go to Faversham for stabling, although I suppose Ramsgate is still a possibility.

 

[SouthernBlue80s]

14 hours ago, Mike Storey said:

 

Good grief!! I worked there at about that time. I had not realised just how much has changed since then!!!

 

If a loco hauled "Special" is sent down there these days, I would guess it would have to go to Faversham for stabling, although I suppose Ramsgate is still a possibility.

 

 

The small parcels/newspaper bay platform on the down side was still there a year or two back when I visited. Although full of rubbish, I am not sure if it is even connect to the main line any more.

 

Yes It would have to be Ramsgate these days. Did Ramsgate have refuelling facilities for 73s and 33s and therefore 47s?

[SED Freightman]

14 hours ago, Mike Storey said:

 

If a loco hauled "Special" is sent down there these days, I would guess it would have to go to Faversham for stabling, although I suppose Ramsgate is still a possibility.

 

Unless Southeastern have room and you were prepared to pay their Facility Access Charge, the options are probably either the Down Loop at Canterbury West or the Goods Loop at Sittingbourne - luckily there is no excursion traffic anymore.

[SED Freightman]

18 minutes ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

 Did Ramsgate have refuelling facilities for 73s and 33s and therefore 47s?

I think the nearest fuel point was Chart Leacon or latterly Dover Town.

[Fat Controller]

8 minutes ago, SED Freightman said:

Unless Southeastern have room and you were prepared to pay their Facility Access Charge, the options are probably either the Down Loop at Canterbury West or the Goods Loop at Sittingbourne - luckily there is no excursion traffic anymore.

I have seen Dolland's Moor being used, and a colleague who lives near Folkestone East tells me he's seen the 'Orient Express' stabled there

[SouthernBlue80s]

Back in the early 80s I know Chart Leacon was the refuelling spot, even for the shunters working down at Dover. 

 

So I guess 47s on excursions had enough in their tanks to get into Kent and back.

 

[SED Freightman]

35 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I have seen Dolland's Moor being used, and a colleague who lives near Folkestone East tells me he's seen the 'Orient Express' stabled there

Yes, I overlooked Dollands Moor which has been used for DBC operated charters, however the issues of capacity and facility access charges would arise for any other operators service as with Ramsgate.

[Mike Storey]

8 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

 

The small parcels/newspaper bay platform on the down side was still there a year or two back when I visited. Although full of rubbish, I am not sure if it is even connect to the main line any more.

 

Yes It would have to be Ramsgate these days. Did Ramsgate have refuelling facilities for 73s and 33s and therefore 47s?

 

It did have a diesel "refuelling point" behind the main maintenance shed when I was there, but that just consisted of a few barrels mounted on slings. It was very little used, mainly for Cromptons on E/Works, that had overstayed, and the odd 09 that used to appear occasionally to shunt vans and CCT's that were often repaired there, sent up from Dover. But I would imagine that is all long gone now, and almost certainly illegal!! I don't think it would have been enough for a thirsty 47, even assuming one could have negotiated the back roads there.

[Mike Storey]

8 hours ago, SED Freightman said:

Unless Southeastern have room and you were prepared to pay their Facility Access Charge, the options are probably either the Down Loop at Canterbury West or the Goods Loop at Sittingbourne - luckily there is no excursion traffic anymore.

 

I had forgotten the down loop at Canterbury West. Whilst I saw it used quite a lot in the 1980's, I wonder why it is kept now? I can only imagine engineering trains perhaps. Does anyone have any photos?

 

Faversham was a favourite for outberthing, but I see that almost all the sidings on the down (Margate) are now an industrial estate. 

 

The Sittingbourne loop was a bit dodgy for freight stock, even in my day. I am not sure I would want to risk any Mark 3's on that, unless it has been radically overhauled!!

 

It is true that Excursion business (even pre-Covid) has waned, so the debate is a little academic. 

[SouthernBlue80s]

Setting the points.

 

Down sidings at Faversham for you here Mike.

 

I was hanging around Faversham station waiting for the daily 47 to work up from Dover Town. The chap in Faversham signal box very kindly asked me up into the box and let me set the points for it.

 

It doesn't seem much but it provided me with a fantastic memory. So thanks whoever you were. I think he was a bit of an enthusiast as he was chatting to me about Pinza on the Man of Kent rail tour a few years previous.

 

It turned out to be 47 233 CF

 

 

 

[SED Freightman]

20 hours ago, Mike Storey said:

 

I had forgotten the down loop at Canterbury West. Whilst I saw it used quite a lot in the 1980's, I wonder why it is kept now? I can only imagine engineering trains perhaps. Does anyone have any photos?

 

Only a rather poor photo to hand at present, showing 34016 Bodmin propelling ECS off the 1Z86 1150 Charter Service ex Victoria back along the Down Loop on 04/04/2001.  Generally charter services will arrive from the Ashford direction and after calling at the Down Platform the ECS will draw forward to St Stephens Crossing, then propel onto the Goods Loop, the procedure being reversed prior to departure.  If a steam loco is involved, water is usually replenished via hoses from a road tanker parked in the adjacent St Stephens Court, if coal is needed then the ECS remains on the Goods Loop whilst the loco has to shunt to / from the short spur located behind the country end of the Up Platform where road access is available.

[SouthernBlue80s]

East Kent 73s

 

Sticking with East Kent. Around about 1980.

The first picture was taken at Herne Bay.

 

The second two at Faversham. I am especially interested in the details of the working in the last picture. A 73 used to arrive at Faversham in the morning and shunt a bg or the like about, I have good memories of watching it do it's thing on sunny mornings. Has anyone a few more details of what this was about?

 

 

 

 

 

Also everything covered in that red rust Brake dust is very atmospheric for me.

 

 

[Simon Lee]

17 minutes ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

East Kent 73s

 

Sticking with East Kent. Around about 1980.

The first picture was taken at Herne Bay.

 

The second two at Faversham. I am especially interested in the details of the working in the last picture. A 73 used to arrive at Faversham in the morning and shunt a bg or the like about, I have good memories of watching it do it's thing on sunny mornings. Has anyone a few more details of what this was about?

 

 

 

 

 

Also everything covered in that red rust Brake dust is very atmospheric for me.

 

 

This was 5K00, 0852 Dover WD - Faversham via Sittingbourne. It conveyed the BSK that was stabled at Faversham for the 0455 Fav - Dover WD papers, the vans of which were  detached from the Victoria - Ramsgate papers.

When we had ferries of fruit for Woods at Sittingbourne they would be attached to this working, which often led to some bizarre formations as the BSK was vac fitted, and the ferries could be any combination of vac fitted or piped wagons.

 

The BSK was possibly the most rancid flea infested coach on BR being, regularly changed out for fumigation at New Cross, after the guard and regular passengers usually Sealink or BR complained of bites !

[SouthernBlue80s]

Thank you Simon.

It looks like the BSK features in my picture of 47233 at Faversham in my previous post.

 

Where we you based during this period Simon?

Edited January 28, 2021 by SouthernBlue80s

[young37215]

3 hours ago, Simon Lee said:

It conveyed the BSK that was stabled at Faversham for the 0455 Fav - Dover WD papers, the vans of which were  detached from the Victoria - Ramsgate papers.

 

The 02xx ex Victoria to Ramsgate was 73 hauled in addition to the 0455 ex Faversham. For hard core desperados it was a move to score 2 x 73 which, prior to the Gatwick push pulls, were hard work to get for haulage. I only did the move a couple of times on all line rovers and clearly recall what a rancid environment the rolling stock was. Mind you after several days on the 1980's BR network, a rancid environment was about all that I would have been fit for. 

Edited January 28, 2021 by young37215

[50A55B]

3 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

Thank you Simon.

It looks like the BSK features in my picture of 47233 at Faversham in my previous post.

 

Where we you based during this period Simon?

Looking at it more closely, it appears to still have at least one roof periscope. Late retention of these seems to have been a peculiarity of the SR.

[SouthernBlue80s]

2 hours ago, young37215 said:

 

The 02xx ex Victoria to Ramsgate was 73 hauled in addition to the 0455 ex Faversham. For hard core desperados it was a move to score 2 x 73 which, prior to the Gatwick push pulls, were hard work to get for haulage. I only did the move a couple of times on all line rovers and clearly recall what a rancid environment the rolling stock was. Mind you after several days on the 1980's BR network, a rancid environment was about all that I would have been fit for. 

 

Like you I did that Victoria Ramsgate once or twice. I think after nights out in London. From memory I was so knackered the rancidness passed me by.

Edited January 28, 2021 by SouthernBlue80s

[Simon Lee]

15 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

Thank you Simon.

It looks like the BSK features in my picture of 47233 at Faversham in my previous post.

 

Where we you based during this period Simon?

I was at Dover from 1981 until the ferry closed in 1995, and then Dollands until 1999. 

My time at Dover was the best of my railway career, working on a unique operation, and privileged to work with some very great and experienced railway men. 

[SouthernBlue80s]

Simon - Dover 1981

 

I tried to find the same spot a couple of years ago.

 

 

 

[Simon Lee]

8 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

Simon - Dover 1981

 

I tried to find the same spot a couple of years ago.

 

 

 

The Military platform was very popular with photographers, more so when the fuel point was built in the late 80s.

[Simon Lee]

20 hours ago, 50A55B said:

Looking at it more closely, it appears to still have at least one roof periscope. Late retention of these seems to have been a peculiarity of the SR.

The majority of the BSKs were low numbered ones, 34624, 34950, 34953 are 3 numbers that spring to mind. 

I guess being captive to the SR they were fairly low profile on the works list for modifications. They were in quite poor external condition, the contrast being most noticeable when the LM sets used to arrive on the Lourdes pilgrimex from Liverpool, sparking clean sets with CW bogies quite a contrast.! 

[SouthernBlue80s]

There were still quite a few semaphores in East Kent in the 1980s. Would the periscopes have been used....or were they a redundant thing of the past.

[SouthernBlue80s]

Severn Tunnel Junction

 

This I think was the first refurbished 37 I had seen. It was a bit of novelty wasn't sure what to make of the new fangled thing. Took a pic anyway.

 

 

What we were used to seeing. Rows of them.