KeithMacdonald Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 Or, it might be connected at both ends? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 (edited) Great Shefford Quote Built on marshy ground, the station handled a considerable volume of traffic, far more than the other intermediate stations. In view of this, the original configuration of a single loop siding was enhanced by the GWR in 1910 as part of the line's general upgrading process. An 80-foot horse loading dock was constructed with rail access from the Lambourn end by means of a scissors crossover. An additional dead-end siding was installed to serve this newly built loading dock. More milk. Quote Traffic at Great Shefford gained rapid momentum from the early 1900s, its location being ideally suited to the many local farmers. The transport of milk from the surrounding area was a major factor, one farm alone being responsible for the daily despatch, in large churns, of more than 200 gallons of milk. Hay and corn were also dealt with in large quantities. That slip coach gets another mention. Quote A two-coach train awaits departure to East Garston. The rear-most coach is a former "Toplight" slip vehicle, now downgraded for branch line use. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/uploads/1/3/2/2/132230311/published/gt-shefford-0018.jpg?1590682313 https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/greatshefford.html It also had what seems like an unusual scissors crossover. Quote The scissors crossover (seen in the images below) was controlled from a ground frame (south) with three levers incorporating point discs. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/uploads/1/3/2/2/132230311/editor/gt-shefford-0003.jpg?1590497519 Well, I can't find a scissors arrangement in OO gauge that's as compact as that, so I've cheated. Calls to The Rivet Police may be recorded for training purposes. Edited October 28, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 On 03/06/2021 at 23:06, KeithMacdonald said: Here we go then ... Starting from Newbury, the order of the stations: Newbury Newbury Westfields Speen Stockcross & Bagnor Boxford Welford Park (with the sidings and spur for RAF Welford) Great Shefford East Garston Eastbury Halt Bockhampton Level Crossing Lambourn Nice subject matter Keith. The 'ghost/ley' story I recounted on the other thread, did actually pertain to this line, near to East Garston. Also I'm quite 'familiar' with Welford circa 1980s/1990s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Yes, RAF Welford is another one of the "white spaces" on OS maps, so we can only guess at the track layout from the few pictures that have ever been published, like the ones here. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/welfordairbase.html https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/uploads/1/3/2/2/132230311/published/welford-base-line018.jpg?1605220852 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 8, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 8, 2021 Only about fourteen years ago that I had a package to deliver to RAF Welford. One of the most secure bases that I visited with a lot of formalities to get let in. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) RAF Welford This 1950's layout, long gone now, is pure guess-work on my part, based on the spur visible on the OS map the LVR website pics https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/welfordairbase.html https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/uploads/1/3/2/2/132230311/published/welford-base-line018.jpg?1605220852 @CME and Bottlewasher - Do you know what kind of shunter they used? https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=51.45959&lon=-1.39591&layers=11&b=1 Edited October 28, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) East Garston Why do I feel I like this little station? is it because there's another Pagoda shelter? Or the level crossing? Nice as they are, I think it's because of the porter, Tom Liddiard. Quote Porter Tom Liddiard (above right) spent his entire working life at East Garston station. He started work here in 1913 and continued through until his retirement in 1957. Tom was an avid gardener and was in the enviable position of being able to combine his love for horticulture with his daily work. In fact, Tom's gardening skills on and around the station area won him several awards in the GWR and BR (Western Region) station competitions. ... The need to operate the level crossing gates ensured the station was permanently staffed from the very beginning. The GWR employed a Porter Class 1 from the outset, working a split shift from 7.30am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 8pm. Responsibility for the gates at all other times was that of the train guard, he was also required to oversee any necessary out-of-hours shunting operations. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/eastgarston.html Quote A fitting tribute to the horticultural prowess of Tom Liddiard. It is believed that the two ladies with Tom are the Lever sisters, village residents for many years. I've taken the liberty of extending the goods loop slightly, to give the station a goods dock and a small siding. In a parallel universe, perhaps it's for the "Liddiard & Lever Horticultural Supplies" business that blossomed (sic) and kept the line so busy it survived. Edited October 28, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) Eastbury No prize-winning blossoms, not even a Pagoda. But plenty more milk churns? Quote By far the largest proportion of what traffic there was came from the Baylis family. Milk from its sizable dairy herd was transported in churns to the station and left on the platform for collection, so the guard of the Sunday milk train regularly arrived to find anything up to two or three dozen milk churns awaiting onward transmission. It being Sunday, he was required to load these unaided, a task that must have taken some considerable time to complete. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/eastbury.html https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18.0&lat=51.49510&lon=-1.50300&layers=168&b=1 Edited October 28, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) Lambourn Station And so we reach the end of the line. Which era would you like? 1989 to 1939: https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/lambourn-1.html 1940 to 1950: https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/lambourn-2.html 1950 to 1960: https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/lambourn-3.html I wonder if I'm the only one that's wondered about the layout of Lambourn Station? Look at most other GWR branch line terminus, and the passenger station is usually on the straight track, with goods sidings off to one side. Here, it's almost as though the plans got changed after the main trackbed had been excavated, and the station and goods shed swapped sides. Which resulted in a slightly odd layout for the passenger train tracks. Or so it seems to me. Quote Lambourn has long been well-known for its connection with horse racing. Race specials were a common occurrence on the line especially throughout the 15 years between 1920 and 1935, a time when race traffic was at its pinnacle. Several of the Lambourn trainers had private horse boxes with their names sign-written on either side. These boxes were usually Paco 'A's which were dual-fitted for for working to Redcar or Newcastle over LNER tracks, where Westinghouse braking was a required commodity. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/lambourn-1.html That has the best pics of what makes Lambourn so distinctive, loads of horse box traffic. Either behind a railcar or steam. What kinds of Horse Box models would suit? e.g. Hornby R6562 GWR Horse Box http://www.hornbyguide.com/item_details.asp?itemid=3778 Or Hornby R6973 GWR N13 Horse Box number W665 in BR Crimson https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/67073/R6973-Hornby-GWR-N13-Horse-Box-number-W665-in-BR-Crimson-livery Or Hornby R6972 GWR N13 Horse Box number 540 GWR Brown livery https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/67072/R6972-WSL-Hornby-GWR-N13-Horse-Box-number-540-GWR-Brown-livery The last one looks better to me. Any others? Edited October 28, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 20 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said: Only about fourteen years ago that I had a package to deliver to RAF Welford. One of the most secure bases that I visited with a lot of formalities to get let in. Did you use the motorway access, with its red-lettered signage? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold D9020 Nimbus Posted June 9, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 9, 2021 Perhaps worth mentioning that this line features in the seminal work GWR Branch Line Termini (originally OPC, later Ian Allan). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 9, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 9, 2021 On 04/06/2021 at 20:33, KeithMacdonald said: The last pic on the LVR website for Newbury shows the junction where the branch line starts to diverge from the main line. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/uploads/1/3/2/2/132230311/edited/newbury-025.jpg?1591204153 On the right of the picture is what looks like extensions to the neighbouring back gardens. Is that Brussel Sprout plants we can see? I've never seen those modelled in OO gauge before. If you are interested in model vegetables, check out Maquette d'Art de Touraine, at Ballan-Mire near Tours. He has quite a range. 1:87 of course but that just makes them earlier in the growing season. Not sure if he does sprouts though. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 9, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 9, 2021 I am certainly interested in the Lambourn Valley. Ex-SWMBO and I moved to Speen in 2006 with our garden backing onto the remains of the line, a small estate of houses called The Sydings. We had to get a special addendum to our mortgage report about possible pollution from the former goods yard (siding). We had trees at the top of the garden (south) which had been planted by the GWR and blocked out all light to most of the garden, including the shed which was built to hold a layout. Freezing in there almost all of the year. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 9, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 9, 2021 On 04/06/2021 at 21:25, KeithMacdonald said: Speen Station I have to confess I was rather disappointed by this station. No sidings, no nothing much at all, unless we include the allotment gardens? This picture shows a slip coach being used on the branch line https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/uploads/1/3/2/2/132230311/published/speen7.jpg?1591180809 It does not have all the kit to be a slip coach. So an ex-slip coach converted to a very suitable purpose. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 3 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said: It does not have all the kit to be a slip coach. So an ex-slip coach converted to a very suitable purpose. Hi @Joseph_Pestell - you are completely correct, I'd neglected to quote the relevant text. Quote The Speen porter was usually kept fairly busy, for in addition to his parcel deliveries the station had to be kept clean and tidy, as did West Fields and Stockcross, all three being his responsibility. Note the re-purposed slip coach in the right-most image above. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/speen.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 On 08/06/2021 at 17:40, KeithMacdonald said: East Garston Why do I feel I like this little station? is it because there's another Pagoda shelter? Or the level crossing? Nice as they are, I think it's because of the porter, Tom Liddiard. https://www.lambournvalleyrailway.info/eastgarston.html I've taken the liberty of extending the goods loop slightly, to give the station a goods dock and a small siding. In a parallel universe, perhaps it's for the "Liddiard & Lever Horticultural Supplies" business that blossomed (sic) and kept the line so busy it survived. Charming. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 (edited) On 05/06/2021 at 12:10, Michael Hodgson said: That could well be the train I was on ! Yes, me too! I just had to be on the 'Hymek Swansong' tour of 22/9/73 and after that the Western Region's tour organisers kept sending me details of upcoming specials - this was the first (or second I suppose) of several tours I took advantage of in the mid-1970s. The 'Lambourn Valley Farewell' employed three 3-car DMU sets, running in this order: Class 118 - W51305/59472/51320 (L470) Class 117 - W51395/59505/51353 (L412) Class 118 (117*) - W51313/59509*/51328 (L479) This ensemble made a number of runs up the branch that day, I caught one of the earlier runs and on its return to Newbury I was able to nip around to the river to photograph the train on what may have been THE final run down the branch as the light was beginning to fail on what had been a murky day anyway and my first 35mm camera wasn't best suited to such lighting conditions. Still, on the grounds that any photo is better than no photo at all....... At the Welford Park end the train passed under the M4 motorway which had only opened throughout between Maidenhead and Swindon at the end of 1971, barely two years earlier. Granted the concrete bridge will have been there longer than that but I do wonder how many trains ever passed through it. Quite a few on 3/11/73! Eighteen months later I passed my driving test and had reason to travel along this stretch of the M4 every few weeks - I used to try to spot the bridge as I drove over it but it wasn't obvious from the car. What was more visible back then was the alignment of the branch off to RAF Welford which could be seen curving across a field on the north side of the motorway. This was marked by a line of bushes which gradually disappeared. Class 118 DMUs were more associated with the West Country than London commuting and in the late 1960s I frequently logged W51313/51328 running as a 2-car set down there. This will be the reason they gained a Class 117 centre trailer for their Thames corridor duties. The other '118' later returned to Laira and on 18/6/82 it became the very last all-blue DMU I would see in service, photographed leaving Truro for Falmouth. It was a considerable number of years after that that I discovered that I had photographed the same unit at Welford Park and that I may well have ridden on it on that memorable day! 'Tis a strange ol' world!! Edited June 11, 2021 by Neil Phillips Grammar (it's important y'know!) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 Regarding my photos above I now think I have the middle and bottom ones in the wrong order. It took me a while to walk to this location from Newbury station and during that time the train would have made another trip to Welford Park, so I caught it emerging from the trees on its way back to Newbury. I then moved a bit further back to get the whole train into view when it returned (along with some other photters!) However now I come to look at it............that train looks more like 12 coaches than 9 - can anyone who was there confirm that another 3-car set was added for what would have been a very impressive and presumably last-ever train down the branch? I can't recall noticing this at the time and wasn't close enough to identify an extra set anyway, hence no record in my notebook. In view of the increasingly dismal conditions I left for Newbury station after this train had passed as I had to get back to Swindon via Reading. Photos of diesels on the branch seem to be rare - I know Class 22s were used as I've seen a shot or two of clean blue D6332 (as modelled by Dapol) trundling through the countryside, and I think I've read somewhere that after they'd departed Class 31s stepped in but were seldom recorded. Perhaps the sporadic operation and nature of the goods carried had something to do with that....... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 Thanks, this is a most useful resource Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted October 28, 2022 Author Share Posted October 28, 2022 On 08/06/2021 at 17:40, KeithMacdonald said: Porter Tom Liddiard (above right) spent his entire working life at East Garston station. He started work here in 1913 and continued through until his retirement in 1957. Tom was an avid gardener and was in the enviable position of being able to combine his love for horticulture with his daily work. When we look at the WTT for 1949, we can see why Tom the Porter had so much spare time for his gardening! (insert envy icon here) - about two hours between trains. Quote The 8.0am and 6.5pm trains ex Lambourn may be run as "Mixed" Trains for the conveyance of Cattle traffic only. As it's Lambourn, I think that means horse boxes. Quote Engine working - 0-6-0 engines in the 23XX, 24XX and 25XX classes may work in emergency between Newbury and Lambourn subject to the observance of a special overall maximum speed restriction of 25mph and of the permanent speed restrictions of 15mph when employed for the haulage of goods trains; also adherence to the 20mph restriction at either end of the branch in the case of passenger trains and of 15mph at Welford Park "down line through station loop" (vide page 162) Which might explain the time allowances (below) and why Diesel Car was faster than Steam Loco. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted October 28, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 28, 2022 45 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said: As it's Lambourn, I think that means horse boxes. A passenger train with horseboxes attached - however many - would not be described as a mixed train, since horse boxes were coaching stock with, inter alia, continuous brakes. Cattle wagons, on the other hand, were goods stock. There's a bit of a grey area in the case of cattle wagons fitted with continuous brakes; one or two of these attached to a passenger train might not degrade it to the status of a mixed train. So I think this dispensation for these two trains to run as mixed for cattle traffic only means, unfitted cattle wagons may be attached. My guess would be that the passengers might well be sheep more often than cows but certainly not high-value horses. The Downs remain prime sheep-grazing land, by no means all given over to gallops. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted October 28, 2022 Author Share Posted October 28, 2022 Footnote: I've found a few more originals of the images lost in the "Great RMWeb web server disaster". Hence a few posts that say: Quote Edited just now by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted October 4, 2023 Author Share Posted October 4, 2023 A late arrival. With thanks to "Blue-pelican-railway" on Flikr. Quote Newbury station 1975, showing the disused Lambourn Valley branch bay platform in the foreground and Newbury West signalbox. Even in 2023, that bay could still have been useful for the local service from Bedwyn and Hungerford, but the Station Redevelopment plans need that space for access to the new multi-story car park. https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2021/06/exciting-new-plans-for-newbury-station-redevelopment-submitted-to-council.html 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted October 4, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 4, 2023 (edited) Thanks Keith, hadn't seen that shot before. Here is the former LVR bay in June this year, on the left overgrown: The recently built multi-storey car park sits right at the end of the old bay: Which is all well and good but these views of LVR trains in the same location are a tad more magical! Edited October 4, 2023 by Mikkel 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted October 4, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 4, 2023 PS: The Railway Magazine of May 1898 offered only a short comment on the opening of the LVR: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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