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1970s Class 50 Photograph - Location Please?


Commoner
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I have just purchased a number of negatives featuring the work of railway photographer John Vaughan.  The attached scan is captioned Witham 25.07.81.  The date is incorrect as by this time the leading power car from 253 012 had an exhaust cowling fitted.  My hunch is this photo was taken on 29.09.79 as JV had a photographic expedition to the eastern end of the Berks and Hants line on this date.  At the time HST working was limited to two up and down workings a day, and one of the up workings was formed by HST set 253 028 with 43024 from 253 012 replacing 43125 on 29.09.79.  The question is where is the shot taken?  There is no station at Witham just east of Castle Cary. I wondered if any of the RMWeb contingent with a more intimate knowledge of the B and H could name the location please.

1979.09.xx  253 012 B and H 2021 E1.jpg

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  • Commoner changed the title to 1970s Class 50 Photograph - Location Please?
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Another John Vaughan negative I recently purchased with an incorrect date.  Photograph is dated 1977, but 50s weren't named until 1978.  Location is given as Wolfhall which I believe is near Savernake?  The signal in the photograph has not been commissioned.  A confirmation of the location combined with the date from which MAS was commissioned for this part of the B and H line would go some way to more accurately dating the photograph.  Any help would be much appreciated.

1978.xx.xx  50035 Wolfhall.jpg

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The signal, DW69, is between Crofton crossing and Savernake GF.  According to the signalling notice it was commissioned between 2200 on 9/9/78 and 0600 on 11/9/78.

Edited by DY444
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13 hours ago, DY444 said:

The signal, DW69, is between Crofton crossing and Savernake GF.  According to the signalling notice it was commissioned between 2200 on 9/9/78 and 0600 on 11/9/78.

 

12 hours ago, Western Aviator said:

 

Many thanks to you both for the above information.  RMWeb proves again that its membership has all the answers.  Obviously photograph dates from summer 1978.  Thanks.

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7 hours ago, keefer said:

Never knew that any locos got market lights in the headcode box before refurbishment.

I am not a 50 expert so but I don't think this mod was widespread before fleet refurbishment.  50035 was the first 50 to be named in a ceremony at Reading in January 1978.  I am not sure if the mod pre-dates that event for which the loco was turned out in superb external condition.

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10 hours ago, keefer said:

Never knew that any locos got market lights in the headcode box before refurbishment.

A few did I think (possibly as many as 6), the light design in the picture  is unusual being the sealed beam type fitted to many locos (eg refurbed class 37's, no2 end of class 47s) rather than the opaque discs used on the majority of class 50s, 37/0s etc. Unusually it seems that those that had the marker lights were converted back to the opaque discs, for example 50003 had a plated headcode with sealed beams but later converted to standard:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/113816008@N03/49136592623/in/photolist-2hS2T6r-eS5KBG-9cNSnq-fk8ZEi-2ekHttz-9RukKe-dCh9Tr-9HRWtj-codjC-TUSgnX-mHwqoC-9HRZMj-dL2mj3-9HRZRQ-amAe96-hvcU26-amD4CA-5rTH8b-2icHka3-cZJ7cu-hvepjF-8ToHi6-9v8LuQ-a7D6vs-7tKxR8-ab9zFo-2wKLSe-amD4Zs-Heu2Dc-p78MAp-dCnzGu-2NeAPf-i5LPg9-bxhLGk-HRABha-29651K2-SJKGgi-peHYr8-a9fZYT-e34ArK-qseQYN-S1o82u-kE3CJS-pGhpCN-nh9aq5-9GAU6M-28mVFVk-2iBybrq-Kh4xEg-be5jmR

 

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3 hours ago, Commoner said:

I am not a 50 expert so but I don't think this mod was widespread before fleet refurbishment.  50035 was the first 50 to be named in a ceremony at Reading in January 1978.  I am not sure if the mod pre-dates that event for which the loco was turned out in superb external condition.

Looks like it was modded before if the date on this photo is accurate

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5653601947/in/photolist-9BAbTD-FS2jC9-po9EfP-GqzAmt-Neyh6H-N4huWS-HeTZpc-NbsaYd-F5KDpw-N6XWpp-HcxawG-G7zyh9-FUkCVn-2jfJwUf-2jhmSYm-2jhi4nr-qjR7Wj-9sWWZY-drprLQ

 

I suspect it is 50035 in the photo posted on this thread earlier as well as the loco has a crest above the name plate while the name is also one of the shorter ones...

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/11770062825/in/photolist-bu2CnQ-iW5DBF-RfiwwH-9BAbTD-ssDRrM-Yr5tH4-NbsaYd-Y7Eyt3-WnSdzX-N6XWpp-phrDfX-2kjnXoB-7RFT1k-dX2hm3-zfP4Mq-Neyh6H-ZuBAgB-N4huWS-dbPExw-2ciVpVh-dWgAn3-7EL5jd-8TX2Po-2jxc3Sk

 

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3 hours ago, 37114 said:

Whoops.  I should have pointed out that the accompanying detail with the negative confirms 50035 as the loco featured.  It was the accuracy of the date that appeared to be in question.  Thanks for the link to Jon Woolley's shot which I hadn't seen before.  Thanks Kevin (Commoner) 

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50003 and 50035 were both modded in 1976. 50035 had white rims to the light fittings, 50003 had blue.

 

50003 Truro 26 June 1976 photo by Richard Billinge

1809407028_50003Truroa1A8523_06_76.jpg.e00d0fbbc5bcc520fb3af8a34de7444d.jpg

 

50007 had no. 1 end only done in 1978.

 

The next batch were done around the time of the first refurbs and had the later rubber grommit style fitting. From what I can remember thery were modded before refurb due to water ingress, the examples were:

5, 10, 11, 14, 20, 24, 27, 30, 46 and 49

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