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Western memorys


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Growing up in Cornwall in the 60s it was Westerns to the fore!  Of course, there were the Warships and the North British Type 2s, but the Westerns were stylish.  My first memory was as a little lad of about 7 or 8 and seeing a Maroon Western at North Road station.  

 

After that D1007 Western Talisman became a favourite, as it was often seen at St Austell in my pre-camera days.  Perversely, it does not knowingly appear in my slide collection.  Post camera purchase, D1005 loomed large.  Firstly on 22/09/73 on the Diesel hauled Plymouth - Newport (Mon) 'Atlantic Venturer's Express.  Next seen at OOC on 8/12/1973.  She was my last BR sighting on 18/09/76 at Middleway Crossing (St. Blazey) with an up Newquay through train.  She must have been one of the last Westerns to run on the branch.

 

Roll on 30 years to 21/10/2006; Taunton to Penzance behind 6024 'KE1', return behind D1015  :sungum:

I was in the first coach behind the Western, ventilator windows open as far as I dare!  There appeared to be three throttle settings, idle, mid-way or full bore.  Mainly idle or full bore if the truth be told. We gained over 10 minutes on the non-stop run back to North Road, with 8 on.  I primarily went for the run behind 6024, but the Western put on a real show, to put the icing on the cake.  Seventh heaven!!  

 

1005 was certainly not the last Thousand to run on the Newquay branch Paul, there were others but the one which sticks in my mind the most is good old 1056 on the epic 'Western China Clay' tour of 4th Decemebr '76, my very first railtour, never to be forgotten... this commerative book from 1977 has a shot of it on the Fowey branch on the same day but there's a shot of it at Newquay inside...

 

post-7638-0-91940500-1363014861.jpg

 

I think 1041 ventured up the branch in January '77 but I'd have to check.... ;)

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  • 2 months later...

Born in 1970 and living in Newton Abbot I was too young to recognise Westerns in service. I have memories of being a kid on the beach at Teignmouth, seeing trains accelerate north bound, rakes of blue& grey with Sulzer up front, or so I thought until I had my first Western in preservation. D1010 on the Bodmin & Wenford in 1991, slipping in the wet on one engine, it hit me ,I know that sound!

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  • 1 year later...

Growing up on the west side of Cardiff, both the South Wales main line and the Cardiff-Radyr freight line via Penarth Curve North were within walking distance from home.

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In fact my school was next to the Penarth Curve - Radyr line, which saw Westerns occasionally, whereas on the main line they were ten a penny.

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As a spotter from the late 60s I managed to underline them all.

 

The sound of one getting away from a station stop, or under load was always what impressed me.

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One abiding memory was travelling to Severn Tunnel Junction in October 1971 to see the return to steam special with 6000 KGV.

 

I wonder how many others that day marvelled at the Westerns as they roared up the bank out of the western (down) portal of 'the big hole'

 

I still have a vivid memory of 'Enterprise' herself bouncing like mad as she cleared the summit and clattered through STJ station.

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So, here's what we saw on October 2nd. 1971 at Severn Tunnel Jct. - not just the Westerns (which I recall more clearly than the King !).

 

60, 85, 104, 107, 114, 140, 156,

1000, 1028, 1047, 1055, 1058, 1062, 1068, 1072,

1602, 1604, 1610, 1648, 1656, 1661, 1667, 1903, 1909, 1918,

3806, 3990, 4162, 4170,

5182, 5228+5268, 5264,

6781, 6788, 6996,

7000, 7070, 7080, 7084, 7092,

(50665+59040+50715), (51063+59422+51091),

6000 ‘King George V’

 

Brian R

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Smashing stuff one and all

 

Two split box 37s at STJ Brian?

 

Wonder what they had worked down on, not common at that time

 

Cheers

 

Phil

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Posted 08 March 2012 - 17:22

Thanks for your input guys and great pics that bring the memorys back.

Its only fair for me to share my memorys.

Although a western class 52 fanactic since the days i 1st see one i was actually born and throughout my life to date brought up around the eastern regoin,born hitchin/lived just outside biggleswade and now peterborough.

I have regretted since that due to this and brought up in a poor family that i did,nt see all the westerns and like some nether had a camera until 1976.

MY 1st sightings were infact on the midland my 1st D1030 at bedford midland rd 1973 followed by D1023/D1036 and D1045 at bletchley on stone workings in 1974.

It was time for a visit to paddington and on a visit there with the youth club 15th april 74 1033/1046/1066/1029/1044/1015/1001/1009 and 1067 showed up in a space off 4 hrs.

I aimed to step up my visits to london as pocket money of 2 quid got me that far.

My 1st visit to old oak 22/3/75 i saw my 1st hymeks although by then all withdrawn with 7011/7016/7017/7018/7022/7026/7028/7029 and 7093 still there.

Throughout 75/76 my visits to old oak increased and not until 76 i had my 1st western haulage with 1010 paddington-reading and had 1022 back.

I can also remember being called to the scene of the wreck off 1055 at wocester and was not a pretty sight and the 1023 running through my village on the western talisman from kings x.

Going back D1030 started a love affair and D1011 stays with me forever as still see her in mind sitting at swindon all those yrs awaiting the torch and just a few yrs earlier see her on a top link express out of paddington.

memorys.

richard.

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It is quite interesting how older threads are suddenly resurrected, and I had not known of this one before. That second photo certainly made me sit up and take notice.

 

The photographer, presumably D1030western musketeer, must have been standing right next to me when taking that picture. How can I know this? Because I took this one, and I am certain they are of the same loco on the same service - 25th October 1976.

 

post-4474-0-95744300-1401957282.jpg

 

Looking at the position of d1010 to the rails of the adjacent through road, I would say that Campaigner has moved another couple of feet forward in my shot. Could that be the back of my head in the first photo? Probably not, as I don't seem about to hold a camera to my face, but what a small world it is.

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And how many of us formed part of that crowd of enthusiasts on the end of Reading platform that year?
 

I was there for at least 3 days...

 

Phil

 


 

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Smashing stuff one and all

 

Two split box 37s at STJ Brian?

 

Wonder what they had worked down on, not common at that time

 

Cheers

 

Phil

Not wanting to talk for Brian, but the number of off region locos turning up at STJ was always large.  Without looking up old Locosheds 6781/8 i would guess at being Tinsley/March locos, always common at STJ  and further West (Pengam dock line of happy memory) Lots of steel trains needed lots of locos from both ends, also look at the 3 LMR type 2's , 5228, 5268, 5264 turning up.  The Cardiff lads would frequently bike (not up to that at my age now ) drive ( if you knew someone with a car, or even splash the cash for a ticket to get there on weekends for a look round ( the natives were always friendly ! )

As the 70's moved on the number of foreigners  arriving moved upwards, STJ  could and did get anything from anywhere turning up, the only things i never heard of were Scottish type 2's and 73's ( well, the latter stated turning up after privatization and we know that a Scottish 26 got rebuilt at Canton !

 

John,  

 

who has just found out that the Canton footbridge is no more :-(

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As we are having a bit of a STJ interlude, we used to cycle across the original Severn bridge there many a summer Sunday to capture what was on shed. ER split box and other 37s, LMR 25s and ER 31s, a class 33 (swapped here for a 37 on trains from Eastleigh and Fawley) were staple fare plus the occasional pair of 20s and class 40s. All intermixed with WR duffs, 46s and many 37s. A magical place, and often never a soul in sight. BR staff were friendly too, when they were found. i remember one weekend clutching a wad of computer paper given to us following our requests from the TOPs computer, and being frustrated that 2/5 class 47s I needed to clear were on Crewe works that day. I understand that 44s even worked there.

 

Back to Westerns, I will never forget their distant roar climbing from Severn Tunnel into Stoke Gifford on Eastbound freight and passenger, growing into that familiar growl and drama as they rushed past. Westerns also used to sit rumbling away on stone trains in Stoke Gifford yard in their final throes, and it was always a welcome sight to be greeted by one cycling to parkway early on summer holiday mornings. Always a treat when they pulled away on fully laden trains. The embankments overlooking Stoke Gifford yard were a mid 1970s spotters dream, sadly now inaccessible with security fencing for decades.

 

Neil

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  • 3 weeks later...

Two split box 37s at STJ Brian?

 

Wonder what they had worked down on, not common at that time

 

Phil

.

There were a handful of workings that brought 'split box' 37s to South Wales about that time - but very much the exception rather than the rule.

eg

8V66 0320 Normanby Park - Cardiff Tidal Sidings or Cardiff Long Dyke Jct. which returned as 8E46 1250 Radyr-Normanby Park.

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But as for STJ, how about

7V63 1115 Tinsley STJ and 8E51 0100 MO STJ Tinsley

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'The Stationmaster' mentioned that a system known as 'blockplan' meant coal empties arriving in South Wales were run to East Usk or Jersey Marine and not necessarily STJ, which meant light engine movements with foreign power picking up return workings from other yards, or stabling at STJ etc. 

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I've seen mention of a Warship being employed on an STJ - Ebbw Vale and return steel train during a weekend layover, how I wish I'd seen that.

 

There were a number of paths each day for workings between STJ and Washwood Heath - where the Saltley men 'may' have used a 37 instead of their own locos ????

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Passing STJ (when using the SSC - Second Severn Crossing) nowadays and seeing but an expanse of weeds tugs at the heart strings.

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Brian R

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 a class 33 (swapped here for a 37 on trains from Eastleigh and Fawley)

 

In the late 60s there was an oil working to Cardiff Tidal that was Cl.33 hauled, the loco would return immediatley and we, at Cardiff General/Central were blissfully unaware. 

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They did eventually appear for several years on the summer dated 10:20 and 11:20 from Pompey Harbour.

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By 1971 the only Fawley - SouthWales oil working was a WO Fawley - Penarth Curve North and return - weekly fuel oil for Canton TMD, so this could well have changed locos at STJ; as it arrived and departed Canton in the wee small hours this is one 15 year old who didn't quit his pit to go and check what was on the front !

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Anyway, can my fellow hydraulic worshippers forgive the following shot of an Eastleigh 33/1 arriving at Cardiff General in the summer of '71 with a Pompey working.

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Brian R

post-1599-0-05186100-1403967790_thumb.jpg

Edited by br2975
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Phil

.

There were a handful of workings that brought 'split box' 37s to South Wales about that time - but very much the exception rather than the rule.

eg

8V66 0320 Normanby Park - Cardiff Tidal Sidings or Cardiff Long Dyke Jct. which returned as 8E46 1250 Radyr-Normanby Park.

.

But as for STJ, how about

7V63 1115 Tinsley STJ and 8E51 0100 MO STJ Tinsley

.

'The Stationmaster' mentioned that a system known as 'blockplan' meant coal empties arriving in South Wales were run to East Usk or Jersey Marine and not necessarily STJ, which meant light engine movements with foreign power picking up return workings from other yards, or stabling at STJ etc. 

.

I've seen mention of a Warship being employed on an STJ - Ebbw Vale and return steel train during a weekend layover, how I wish I'd seen that.

 

There were a number of paths each day for workings between STJ and Washwood Heath - where the Saltley men 'may' have used a 37 instead of their own locos ????

.

Passing STJ (when using the SSC - Second Severn Crossing) nowadays and seeing but an expanse of weeds tugs at the heart strings.

.

Brian R

There was a Whitemoor- Llandeilo Junction (which later became the second trunk route for the ABN) which used to produce either Peaks or 'six-seveners' as far as LJ. 

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There was a Whitemoor- Llandeilo Junction (which later became the second trunk route for the ABN) which used to produce either Peaks or 'six-seveners' as far as LJ. 

 

6E53 1543 Llandilo Jct. - Whitemoor. - not sure what the inbound working was tho'

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What about the daily 6M83 Llandilo Jct - Langley Green and 6V15 return Brian ?

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Any ideas as to what it's 'stock in trade' was ?

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Have recently acquired all three 1971-72 WTTs for (i) Swindon / Awre Jct - Swansea; (ii) Cardiff Valleys Branches and (iii) West Wales - so I'm on a buzz at the moment.

.

Brian R

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The eastbound working would have had a lot of Shock-Vans with tinplate traffic for Wisbech (and possibly also Sutton-in-Ashfield); also possibly ferry traffic, and almost certainly anthracite for whoever might have used it there.

6M83 sounds as though it could have been steel from Duport to Great Bridge, and possibly elsewhere in the area; in the late 1960s, mainly on Twin-Bolsters, later on Bolster Es. It was 4" Engineers' Bar, a lot destined for spring-making , the rest for other metal-bashing in the area. I wonder why Langley Green, a destination I've always associated with Albright and Wilson? Perhaps a convenient location to split/reassemble the train, without going to the lengths of sending it to Bescot? If it were for the Black Country steel terminals, there were probably only a couple of cuts to make.

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That's very useful traffic info Brian - many thanks!

 

Any idea what the make up of those trains was please?

 

Radyr - Normanby Park was coal (for Appleby Frodingham Steel Co. ?) in 'pools' (16 tonners) and 21 tonners.

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As for the others, I can't really say

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Here's another service for a 'split box' Cl.37

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8V25 03:30 Bescot-STJ as shown here on Brian Tuckers Flickr site:-

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrailandmore/8684313424/in/set-72157635910618504

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Brian R

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Excellent gen gentlemen - many thanks!

 

As for Langley Green - would it perhaps have been a convenient location to trip traffic to locations on the truncated stub of the ex GW Snow Hill - Wolves LL line in the Handsworth area - IIRC the only access to this at this time was via Smethwick Junction and if therefore originating from Bescot would have to run round at Langley Green to gain access.

 

Cheers

 

Phil

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Here's another service for a 'split box' Cl.37

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8V25 03:30 Bescot-STJ as shown here on Brian Tuckers Flickr site:-

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrailandmore/8684313424/in/set-72157635910618504

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Brian R

 

My notes suggest this was Saturday 8th April, 1972; and amongst the locos we recorded at Severn Tunnel Jct.that day included :- 141, 1047 Western Lord, (1051 passing), 1691, 1740, 1906/30/96, 3189, 4001, 5180, 5842, 6782, 7512, 7513/15.

.

Brian R

 

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I also grew up in the South West and the first sight of a Western was of Enterprise in Dessert Sand at Laira steam shed in early 1962. The new diesel depot was still a week or two away from opening. A bit of a contrast from Laira's steam locos (IIRC still had a King & Castles on it's books at this time). Upon enquiries, we were told these new locos were to be trialled on The Mayflower.

One noteable occasion was the failure of a Western whilst climbing to Dainton from a Totnes stop in 1964. Rescue came from Newton Abbot in the shape of a single Class 22 (known for being unable to pull the skin off a rice pudding). After showers of sparks and lots of noise, the venerable NBL fetched the complete train  of Western and 10 into Newton Abbot in just over an hour. I suspect the Western did have some power available.

A favourite train for Western haulage was the overnight Sleeper from Paddington - Swansea in 1973. Virtually guaranteed a 1000 and the sounds at night were sublime.

It seems incredible that a Class which lasted for only 15 years had and still does have such a following.

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  • 7 months later...

What an enjoyable and fascinating thread!

I've always liked the Hydraulics but was a bit too young to take much notice at the time.

I recall a family holiday to Devon in 1976, visited Dawlish! and remember seeing Maroon, Blue and I think sand colored locomotives dashing past.

Mum would not let me waste photos on the box brownie so none were taken sadly.

 

Just of late I have been getting into them more, especially as a good friend and work mate used to work on them when he was at Old Oak back in the 70s :)

 

I recently made this video depicting them using my model collection but sounds of the real thing.

If you use imagination it's possible to place yourself anywhere on the Western.

 

It should carry you along on it's own but if not there is a link to a full script.

 

 

Hope you enjoy it :)

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3d82pk818c7eee/A%20Day%20with%20Western%20Hydraulics%20and%20others.pdf?dl=0

Edited by mikesndbs
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What an enjoyable and fascinating thread!

I've always liked the Hydraulics but was a bit too young to take much notice at the time.

I recall a family holiday to Devon in 1976, visited Dawlish! and remember seeing Maroon, Blue and I think sand colored locomotives dashing past.

Mum would not let me waste photos on the box brownie so none were taken sadly.

 

Just of late I have been getting into them more, especially as a good friend and work mate used to work on them when he was at Old Oak back in the 70s :)

 

I recently made this video depicting them using my model collection but sounds of the real thing.

If you use imagination it's possible to place yourself anywhere on the Western.

 

It should carry you along on it's own but if not there is a link to a full script.

 

 

Hope you enjoy it :)

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3d82pk818c7eee/A%20Day%20with%20Western%20Hydraulics%20and%20others.pdf?dl=0

 

Mike, are you sure about the date of your Devon holiday in '76...? There's no way you'd have seen any Westerns in maroon or desert sand livery at that time as the entire class had been painted blue by January '72! The only one to carry desert sand was D1000 which lost it in 1964 in favour of maroon.

 

;)

Edited by Rugd1022
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Mike, are you sure about the date of your Devon holiday in '76...? There's no way you'd have seen any Westerns in maroon or desert sand livery as the entire class had been painted blue by January '72!

 

Hi, 100% on the date and I had a little book where I had noted down headcodes but not numbers :( I vividly recall the loco colours, a cassette recording made at the time refers to them!

How very odd????

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