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Western memorys


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No afraid not Mike, they'd all gone by December '72 and by then the remaining members were all blue anyway! There were no maroon locos running on BR by '76, there were still some two tone green liveried 47s knocking about and the odd green 20 in the Midlands area, with a few green 08s scattered about the country. The very last maroon Western was D1046 which lasted in this livery until 1971. 

 

(I'm not trying to be pedantic and certainly don't mean to come across as a know all, it's just that these are all known and well established facts backed up by personal observations, photographic evidence and official Swindon Works paperwork, some of which belongs to friends and work colleagues of mine who worked on the WR back in the day (including two ex-Swindon painters who I knew at Old Oak). I saw all 74 Westerns by the end of '73 and can confirm 100% that they were all in blue livery  ;)) .

Edited by Rugd1022
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Mike - something has just occured to me which may shed some light on this.... is it possible you have your holiday memory mixed up with a visit to the preserved Paignton to Kingswear line at a later date, ie: 1977 onwards...? If this is the case then it's possible you'd have seen D1023 in maroon on that line as by then it had passed into the national collection, it had been painted in a slightly incorrect version of maroon and was being used on the branch for a while before going to York museum. Around this time, or possibly later (I'd have to check) one of the other preserved Westerns was repainted in a 'fake' version of desert sand livery so you may have seen this somewhere too.

 

As mentioned earlier though, there's no way you'd have seen any maroon or desert sand locos on the mainline at Dawlish in 1976!

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Mike - something has just occured to me which may shed some light on this.... is it possible you have your holiday memory mixed up with a visit to the preserved Paignton to Kingswear line at a later date, ie: 1977 onwards...? If this is the case then it's possible you'd have seen D1023 in maroon on that line as by then it had passed into the national collection, it had been painted in a slightly incorrect version of maroon and was being used on the branch for a while before going to York museum. Around this time, or possibly later (I'd have to check) one of the other preserved Westerns was repainted in a 'fake' version of desert sand livery so you may have seen this somewhere too.

 

As mentioned earlier though, there's no way you'd have seen any maroon or desert sand locos on the mainline at Dawlish in 1976!

 

Aha! now that does sound plausible! looking at the cassette I can make out that we had a trip on that very line, steam hauled Lydham Manor??? I was 12 at the time!! I wonder

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I still have that westerns record made by 2 members of a pop group and a classic.

In my records of the summer 75 i remember the day it snowed for about 5 seconds and was again at old oak common in which played host to 1013/1069/1011/1063/1072/1012/1026/1022 and 1070 and hymek 7029 was still there.

On all my visits to old oak in 75 D1026 was seen on every visit and alas on my 1st visit to swindon works may 76 was there having her fuel tanks dropped and sadly 1027 was being cut and 1050 just had cabs left.D1054 made up for the sadness of that day with haulage back to london.

westerns on the line dump that day 24th may 76 were.

1030/1046/1047/1016/1057/1064/1025/1012/1040/1027cut/1069/1059/1055/1026/1067/1006/1050cabs/1031/1003/1035/1011and 1034.

richard.

Always a sad sight passing the westerns in the scrapyard whilst travelling to London on a class 47.  Not sure if 1034 would of been there at that time I think it was laid up at Laira then. 

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We were talking about 8V66 Normanby Park - Cardiff back up the thread - well here it is heading south at Ashchurch , courtesy of the excellent Class 47 web site - but no interesting power, just a "boring" Brush 4!

 

http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_zoom_v3.php?img=0957050013200

 

Some nice steel traffic back in the train...

 

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

 

Phil.

 

Since my original post, I've come across images of both locos, taken at STJ on that day, namely Saturday 2nd. October 1971.

.

6781 displays the reporting number:- 8B25

6788 displays the reporting number:- -V62

.

In addition to the pair of 'split box Ingis' ;

 

104 displayed the reporting number:- 1E24, Cardiff - Newcastle

156 displayed the reporting number 8X04, a 'CWR' train that passed through the station.

1047 displayed the reporting number 4C15 - but this requires confirmation.

 

I'll consult 'the books' later in an effort to identify those workings.

.

Brian R.

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Phil.

 

Since my original post, I've come across images of both locos, taken at STJ on that day, namely Saturday 2nd. October 1971.

.

6781 displays the reporting number:- 8B25

6788 displays the reporting number:- -V62

.

In addition to the pair of 'split box Ingis' ;

 

104 displayed the reporting number:- 1E24, Cardiff - Newcastle

156 displayed the reporting number 8X04, a 'CWR' train that passed through the station.

1047 displayed the reporting number 4C15 - but this requires confirmation.

 

I'll consult 'the books' later in an effort to identify those workings.

.

Brian R.

I'm guessing you were one of the many to see 6000 return to the main line on this date? (I was at Pilning to see it)

 

1E24 was the 11.35 Cardiff - Newcastle, booked at STJ at 12.01.

 

4C15 was the 08.27 SO Stoke Gifford - Margam A.C.S. steel liner, STJ 08.49-08.52

 

8X04 CWR train probably coming from Shrewsbury (Hookagate PAD)?

 

-V62... there was an 8V62 08.10 Washwood Heath - Stoke Gifford - Then LD to STJ?

 

8B25. . . Depending on which end it its on, if its on the East, it could be a freight to Bristol Divn. or if its on the West, it could very well of been a code for a local trip in the NE or wherever the loco came from.

 

On the ScR they used O for Edinburgh - Glasgow trains (presumably the O meant Circle - Edin - Glas - Edin - Glas etc, i.e going around in circles?).

Edited by mark alden
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I'm guessing you were one of the many to see 6000 return to the main line on this date? (I was at Pilning to see it)

 

And I was at Winterbourne (and on the return journey at the eastern portal of the Severn Tunnel). I've sadly lost the Instamatic slides I took on these occasions.

 

I believe this event coincided with the last weekend of Warships on Waterloo-Exeter.

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And I was at Winterbourne (and on the return journey at the eastern portal of the Severn Tunnel). I've sadly lost the Instamatic slides I took on these occasions.

 

I believe this event coincided with the last weekend of Warships on Waterloo-Exeter.

 

Yes, the Saturday was 100% solid 800s but on the Sunday 1V11 was 6535.

 

The last 3 Up trains on the Sunday were 1O16 812 1O17 811 1O18 823 and on the Down it was 1V17 817 and 1V19 822..

 

On that Saturday 2nd 806 was at STJ in the afternoon...

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I'm guessing you were one of the many to see 6000 return to the main line on this date? (I was at Pilning to see it)

 

 Too right I was........................

.

But, do you know what ?

.

I have NO recollection of 6000 KGV that day, my clearest recollection was D1000 bouncing up and down, at the top of the incline up from the west portal of 'the tunnel'

.

Here's a full record of my sightings that day

.

Saturday 02/10/1971

Cardiff – Severn Tunnel Jct.

Cardiff General

60,

1065,

1591, 1618, 1927,

4019,

7041, 7070, 7093,

Cardiff, Newtown Goods

3423, 3604, 3743, 3748,

6956,

Marshfield

1918,

6607, 6972,

Newport, Ebbw Jct.

1003,

1585, 1625, 1717,

6600, 6907, 6979,

7088,

7677,

Newport, High St.

3196, 4182,

Newport, East Usk

3185, 4021,

6929, 6984,

7624+7625,

East Usk – Severn Tunnel Jct.

806,

159,

1590, 1611,

6930, 6992,

Severn Tunnel Jct.

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’

Severn Tunnel Jct – Newport

1585, 1611,

Newport, Ebbw Jct.

1607, 1625,

6608, 6929, 6979,

7084,

7624+7625, 7677,

Cardiff Canton 86A

52,

374,

1055,

1665, 1916, 1929, 1930,

3262,

6875, 6921, 6955,

7059, 7067, 7068, 7075, 7087, 7090, 7093, 7096, 7098,

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 Too right I was........................

.

But, do you know what ?

.

I have NO recollection of 6000 KGV that day, my clearest recollection was D1000 bouncing up and down, at the top of the incline up from the west portal of 'the tunnel'

.

Here's a full record of my sightings that day

.

Saturday 02/10/1971

Cardiff – Severn Tunnel Jct.

Cardiff General

60,

1065,

1591, 1618, 1927,

4019,

7041, 7070, 7093,

Cardiff, Newtown Goods

3423, 3604, 3743, 3748,

6956,

Marshfield

1918,

6607, 6972,

Newport, Ebbw Jct.

1003,

1585, 1625, 1717,

6600, 6907, 6979,

7088,

7677,

Newport, High St.

3196, 4182,

Newport, East Usk

3185, 4021,

6929, 6984,

7624+7625,

East Usk – Severn Tunnel Jct.

806,

159,

1590, 1611,

6930, 6992,

Severn Tunnel Jct.

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’

Severn Tunnel Jct – Newport

1585, 1611,

Newport, Ebbw Jct.

1607, 1625,

6608, 6929, 6979,

7084,

7624+7625, 7677,

Cardiff Canton 86A

52,

374,

1055,

1665, 1916, 1929, 1930,

3262,

6875, 6921, 6955,

7059, 7067, 7068, 7075, 7087, 7090, 7093, 7096, 7098,

 

Not a bad afternoon out Brian?! 374 on Canton too.

 

Tony

Edited by valleymodeller
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Over a year late to comment on the wonderful shot of D1047. It’s taken at Dr Day’s junction rounding the Rhubarb curve. 1975 was the year that the Badminton route was closed for HST upgrades, and us Parkway passengers had to change at Stapleton road for a shuttle DMU service to Bristol Parkway. For some reason 3H units were often used on the shuttles.

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