RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 4, 2011 I have a guilty secret. For the last couple of years, at least since I became closer to fifty than forty, I have been diverting some of my modelling time and funds away from my first love of pre-group SDJR in 2FS and going back to my youth in the early 70's. I have been collecting blue diesels with the idea of building something to remind me of those far off spotty spotting days. Our favourite haunt was Westbury where we would go to the 'triangle' and watch trains going up the bank to Warminster, stopping trains on the mainline or expesses thundering around the avoiding line on the third side. A model of Westbury in this period would be fascinating but huge and hopelessly ambitious so I have decided to start researching for a model of my home town of Warminster where, from about 1973 through to about 79 I could found, along with my mates, hanging around the station on our pushbikes (home assembled, frame and wheels from the dump, cow horns etc) most weekday evenings, taking numbers and generally annoying the station staff. When I look back it was a great time to be a spotter. We had the last few years of the Hymeks and in particular the Westerns (I was just too young to remember the Warships well) along with a host of other classes, the occasional 25, 31's, 33's, 37's, 46's, 47's, and a host of DMU's. I can remember the annoyance of some of the big kids (they were probably 12 or 13!)who moaned about the fact they were 'changing all the b***** numbers', whichdates it to 1973. Sadly I didn't have a camera back then and, although much of the station remains in tact, things like the goods shed, signal box, semophore signalling and the old Geest bannana factory have long since been swept away. Did any RMWebber take any pictures in or around Warminster in this period or can point me in the right direction? If anyone can help with this blue diesel fuelled mid life crisis I would be most grateful. regards Jerry http://www.jerrycliffordmodels.co.uk/ 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 16, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Its been over a year since I posted this appeal and I haven't had a single reply so thought I would give it a bump just in case anything came up. thanks Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Sorry Jerry but at that time it was 'just over the border' and although I visited the station a couple of times by road plus one trip up there on a banker I never took any pics up there. By the time we had swopped it for Tisbury etc with the Southern I was away from the area although I made a subsequent, short, 'guest appearance' but was far too busy trying to get the Guards back to work and putting the boot into a certain someone at FY to have time for a look up the bank. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 16, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Sorry Jerry but at that time it was 'just over the border' and although I visited the station a couple of times by road plus one trip up there on a banker I never took any pics up there. By the time we had swopped it for Tisbury etc with the Southern I was away from the area although I made a subsequent, short, 'guest appearance' but was far too busy trying to get the Guards back to work and putting the boot into a certain someone at FY to have time for a look up the bank. Thanks anyway. I am still very much collecting stock and information, being far too busy with other projects at the moment but it would be helpful to get back to you at some time in the future as a former railwayman in the area. Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Thanks anyway. I am still very much collecting stock and information, being far too busy with other projects at the moment but it would be helpful to get back to you at some time in the future as a former railwayman in the area. Jerry Welcome to (and I'll be at Taunton all being well if you're attending this year). BTW you know that allegedly some of the buildings at warminster were attributed to the same architect as the station building at Frome? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 16, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Welcome to (and I'll be at Taunton all being well if you're attending this year). BTW you know that allegedly some of the buildings at warminster were attributed to the same architect as the station building at Frome? I usualy go down to Taunton for the day and meet my old mate John Greenwood who comes up from Cornwall. The station buildings at Frome and Warminster (both still exist) are indeed very similar, even more so when Warminster had its overall roof until the late 1920's. Frome still has its roof, and I believe is listed. Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted March 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 I've recently seen some photos of Warminster cabin, try flickr or googling ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 16, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 I've recently seen some photos of Warminster cabin, try flickr or googling ? Hi Beast, just done a search of Flickr and Google with no joy - although I did find some other useful bits. If you remember where you saw them I'd be very interested. cheers Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Depending on the changes to Warminster station, have you tried English Heritage who have all the historical RAF aerial photographs and other bits and pieces. Gordon A Bristol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted March 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Have you got the Middleton Press book ? Salisbury to Westbury, Warminster on pages 81-91 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 16, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Depending on the changes to Warminster station, have you tried English Heritage who have all the historical RAF aerial photographs and other bits and pieces. Gordon A Bristol Hi Gordon, my man at English Heritage who sorted out the Bath obliques for me is doing the same for Warminster. There are two particularly good ones taken in 1973. Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 16, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Have you got the Middleton Press book ? Salisbury to Westbury, Warminster on pages 81-91 I do have that one, and a few other pics, either prints or in other books but pictures of Warminster station seem to be pretty thin on the ground - particularly from the seventies. Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggesford box Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Hi, the Signalling Record Society list 5 photographs of Warminster signalbox, obtainable through their link with the Kidderminster railway museum. One of the leading lights in the SRS was John Morris, now sadly dead, who had been a signalman at Warminster at one point. Whether he left anything to the SRS which may be of any use to you I do not know but it may be worth enquiring. Somewhere, in the back of my garage, piled under mountains of junk valuable artefacts is the signalling diagram from the box towards the end of its life. When I can next round up my trusty native bearers I will mount an expedition to the darkest regions of the garage, photograph said elusive creature and post the results. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 17, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17, 2012 Hi, the Signalling Record Society list 5 photographs of Warminster signalbox, obtainable through their link with the Kidderminster railway museum. One of the leading lights in the SRS was John Morris, now sadly dead, who had been a signalman at Warminster at one point. Whether he left anything to the SRS which may be of any use to you I do not know but it may be worth enquiring. Somewhere, in the back of my garage, piled under mountains of junk valuable artefacts is the signalling diagram from the box towards the end of its life. When I can next round up my trusty native bearers I will mount an expedition to the darkest regions of the garage, photograph said elusive creature and post the results. Many thanks for this tip - I have emailed them and will see what they come up with. If you and your trusty bearers survive the trip to the nether reaches of the garage I would be very interested in seeing a copy of the signalling diagram. regards Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted March 17, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17, 2012 I would be very interested in seeing a copy of the signalling diagram. The diagram is available from the S-R-S 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted May 20, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2012 Recieved my envelope of photos from Kidderminster Museum this week and am very pleased. I managed to get shots of both the inside and outside of the box in the early 1970's as well as a number of more general views of the period. Overall, an excellent service which I can highly recomend to anyone researching a particular prototype. Jerry 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold bcnPete Posted May 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2012 blue diesel fuelled mid life crisis Can't believe I missed this first time around Jerry...especially as its the one you told me you were collecting a stash of rolling stock for... I will have a look through some of my old books and see if I can assist on this very worthy mission... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggesford box Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 Well, finally, after finding it once and then promptly misslaying it again, in the depths of the garage, have come up with what I think must have been the final diagram from Warminster box. Not much left by this time and working TCB to Westbury. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 Just spotted this thread Jerry, I've got some photos from the 70s. I haven't been there for a long time, so I don't know how much is missing these days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 (edited) Any use? I should have the date somewhere, but sometime in the mid seventies. Edit 25/01/13 - Just discovered these were taken in July 1975 Edited January 25, 2013 by BG John 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted November 26, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 26, 2012 Just spotted this thread Jerry, I've got some photos from the 70s. I haven't been there for a long time, so I don't know how much is missing these days. Be great to see them Tim. The main station is remarkably intact although the goods yard is the inevitable car park. Geest is long gone. Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted November 26, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 26, 2012 Well, finally, after finding it once and then promptly misslaying it again, in the depths of the garage, have come up with what I think must have been the final diagram from Warminster box. Not much left by this time and working TCB to Westbury. Many thanks for posting this. This is pretty much the track layout I remember. Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted November 26, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 26, 2012 (edited) Any use? I should have the date somewhere, but sometime in the mid seventies. These are fantastic and certainly bring back some memories. The first picture is particularly interesting showing, as it does, a banana train for Geest. We rarely saw these as they came in during the day when we were at school. Its also much longer than I remember - probably for the same reason. I'd be interested in the details of the banana train workings if anyone has any ideas. I think they were tripped up from Westbury as I have a picture by the late Alan Newman of a 37 running light down Upton Scudamore bank having just worked a banana train. When I was very young my dad told me that they used bend the bananas at the Geest factory!! As for date, they are post 1973 as that is when the goods shed was demolished. Jerry Edited November 26, 2012 by queensquare 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DavidLong Posted November 26, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 26, 2012 How come the deliveries for Geest are in ordinary Vanfits and not in banana vans? David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted November 26, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 26, 2012 How come the deliveries for Geest are in ordinary Vanfits and not in banana vans? David Hi David, I've no idea. If its not a banana train that makes it even more intriguing. Where's Mike the stationmaster when you need him, he worked at Westbury around this period:-) Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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