Steadfast Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Yesterday, 19th March 2013, saw the final train to Didcot Power Station before its closure on Friday. 66117 worked 6D17 from Avonmouth, and 4D18 return. Here's a few of my favourite photos that I've taken of these previously common trains. I only managed to photograph them in the era that they were worked by 66s with 25 HTA hoppers, if anyone would like to share any other photos, especially the older workings with more varied traction and wagons, please post away! I'd love to see some, especially with 60s at the helm. So, from Avonmouth to Didcot... 66112 sits in the sidings at Avonmouth Bulk Terminal with a set of empty hoppers, shortly afterwards it took them forward to be loaded 24/11/09 66069 passes Westerleigh with 4D10 Didcot - Avonmouth 14/1/12 66069 passes Acton Turville on 4D12 Didcot - Avonmouth 2/2/12 66006 passes Pig Lane, near Hullavington with 6D13 Avonmouth - Didcot 10/2/12 66139 passes Callow Hill with 6D17 Avonmouth - Didcot Power Station. Exactly one month later, on 19th March, 6D17 was the final train into the power station before it shuts down on Friday 22nd March 2013, having started generating in 1970. 19/2/13 66053 passes Denchworth working 4D10 Didcot - Avonmouth. Didcot power station is on the horizon, only a few months of generation here remain until its closure in spring 2013 4/12/12 Not the best shot in the world, but it's the only one I have at Didcot, and I did say Avonmouth to Didcot, so here's 66225 heading into Didcot Parkway to run round its coal train 2/8/07 Occasional trains of oil ran to the power station too from Lindsey, here's the only shot I have of one of these 60063 and 60011 provide the sight of two 60s at Hinksey. 60011 is the current 'super shunter' and 60063 is working 6E48 Didcot power station - Lindsey, having brought heavy oil into the power station over night. The 10 tanks in tow hardly tax the power of the class 60 8/11/12 As they say, "That's all folks", I've put my photos of Didcot coal train into a collection here if anyone wants to see a few more: http://joalder.smugmug.com/Trains/Headcode-by-Headcode/6Dxx4Dxx-Avonmouth-Didcot/28522924_X2Csvg#!i=2140769731&k=rXDSQF3 It seems strange to think these will never run again and the power station will now fall quiet. It is of course only the 'A' station closing, 'B' remaining to be gas fed. jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Have they cleared those enormous stacks of coal? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Yup - freight tumbleweed on the GWML now west of Didcot (mostly)............................. Lovely photos - that Westerleigh shot is just sublime........................ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted March 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2013 Nice photos - but a shame to see the end of a substantial coal flow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Very nice photos Jo; your framing and location positioning are spot on and really enhance the railway in the landscape look. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 great pictures Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted March 20, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2013 Nice photos - but a shame to see the end of a substantial coal flow. To be replaced by an extra flow of FNA's from Somerset.......... Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2013 Although I have posted one of these before I make no excuses for showing a couple taken on the day we were doing the first clearance tests at BBHT. All a big chunk out of my past possibly going onto the scrap heap as I planned the track layout and wrote the signalling spec for BBHT plus the crafty layout alteration at Didcot to allow the running round to take place between Foxhall and the west end of the station and the re-quadrupling between Challow and Wantage Road. Seems like a lifetime ago but it only 20 years - although that does mean that it has almost lasted its planned scheme life and it has been nice to watch the operation, especially the awkward run-round at Didcot, working exactly as it emerged from my mind those couple of decades ago. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if we'd ever got the earlier variants of the scheme - the first proposed site fro the import terminal was at Milford Haven but that quickly fell by the wayside to be replaced by Port Talbot and I did quite a lot of work on the planning for that, the detailed PWay design was well under way plus the initial signalling design when a very secret decision was made to switch to Avonmouth and I was left kidding the technical depts along on the Port Talbot/Margam scheme while at the same time doing initial assessments on Avonmouth to see if we could get to a workable operating proposition - just as well BR didn't have to pay for any of it! Oh and BBHT was planned to take pairs of Class 37s on the Didcot trains but much to my disappointment Trainload Coal decide right from the start to run them with Class 60s. I've got some more pics somewhere of the test train I used for various timing and run-round trials east of Swindon when I was working up some of the scheme detail and I'll try to dig them out Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Well I got one 37 in there Mike when a 60 failed. I had to remind the powers that be that 37/7's are slow speed fitted so there is no reason I can't use it to unload a short set and take the empties back to Avonmouth. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 46444 Posted March 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2013 Yesterday, 19th March 2013, saw the final train to Didcot Power Station before its closure on Friday. 66117 worked 6D17 from Avonmouth, and 4D18 return. 66006 passes Pig Lane, near Hullavington with 6D13 Avonmouth - Didcot 10/2/12 Hi Jo, Some brilliant photos once more but I really love the composition of the above photo of 66006 in the snow. Great shot and thanks for sharing. Cheers, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2013 Well I got one 37 in there Mike when a 60 failed. I had to remind the powers that be that 37/7's are slow speed fitted so there is no reason I can't use it to unload a short set and take the empties back to Avonmouth. 37710 Didcot 19-12-98.jpg 37710 Didcot P.Stn #1 19-12-98.jpg 37710 Avonmouth 19-12-98.jpg Excellent Brian - we did test it with a 37 as it was always planned to use them on the Aberthaw trains (which, of course, never materialised) although I'm not sure if I got any pics of it (they're on film so would take some delving to find) and it was officially cleared for them but it's nice to know that someone actually managed it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted March 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2013 Fantastic photos Joe. The modern scene is not my "bag" but truly atmospheric shots. The one of 66006 through the gate into the snowy field has a touch of Ivo Peters about it. Very well composed shots, and very different to the norm of the railway in the landscape. Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Don't forget we had the odd 37's back in the early days but they needed towing through with our Power Station Pilot, usually a Cardiff slowspeed fitted 47. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted March 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2013 fastline got in there too with a few services, i never got down there personally though which is a shame Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWT442 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Some fantastic shots there Jo! Unfortunately, not being local to the Didcot area meant I only managed a few shots in these past few weeks when I found out that the trains were to stop. First up are two views of (I think) 4D08 Didcot P.S to Avonmouth empties at Denchworth. 66154 doing the honours on 5/3/13. 66122 on 13/3/13. And finally one at Didcot, with 66117 ready to run round on 13/3/13. I don't know the headcode of this working. I guess with the closure of the power station, the writing could be on the wall for this service? DCR 56303 screams through Oxford on 13/3/13 with 6Z91 Calvert to Didcot P.S. Looking forwards to more shots, especially some earlier ones! Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Shame, I wonder if this will lead to any staff reductions at DB in the Bristol area. I do hope not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Very nice photos Jo; your framing and location positioning are spot on and really enhance the railway in the landscape look. Looks like N gauge to me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted March 21, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2013 Lovely shots Jo A few videos of coal traffic - I've got more shots but I'll need to dig them out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted March 21, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2013 And finally one at Didcot, with 66117 ready to run round on 13/3/13. I don't know the headcode of this working. Andy - that's 6D15, Didcot - Avonmouth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1059 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Looking out of my office window it appears that Didcot A may have already ceased generating as the cooling towers are steamless and there is no output from the chimney. A great shame to see the end of operations and the cessation of MGRs. I only remember them from the late 70s onwards after becoming interested in what was then the 'modern' scene - wall to wall 47s, then gradually 56s and 58s, all from the north. I missed most of the Class 60 era, having lost interest in the early 90s, before returning and seeing 66s from Avonmouth. I understand from photos that pairs of Class 20s were common in the early days coming east along the GWML from south Wales before handing over to a slow speed fitted loco at Didcot. The GWML will be quieter freight wise west of Didcot, but there is still intermodal to/from Wentloog, aggregates traffic from Somerset/Bristol to/from the London area, Appleford, and Banbury, the empty fuel tanks back from Theale, steel between Dollands Moor and Margam and MoD traffic from Ashchurch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Although I have posted one of these before I make no excuses for showing a couple taken on the day we were doing the first clearance tests at BBHT. All a big chunk out of my past possibly going onto the scrap heap as I planned the track layout and wrote the signalling spec for BBHT plus the crafty layout alteration at Didcot to allow the running round to take place between Foxhall and the west end of the station and the re-quadrupling between Challow and Wantage Road. Seems like a lifetime ago but it only 20 years - although that does mean that it has almost lasted its planned scheme life and it has been nice to watch the operation, especially the awkward run-round at Didcot, working exactly as it emerged from my mind those couple of decades ago. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if we'd ever got the earlier variants of the scheme - the first proposed site fro the import terminal was at Milford Haven but that quickly fell by the wayside to be replaced by Port Talbot and I did quite a lot of work on the planning for that, the detailed PWay design was well under way plus the initial signalling design when a very secret decision was made to switch to Avonmouth and I was left kidding the technical depts along on the Port Talbot/Margam scheme while at the same time doing initial assessments on Avonmouth to see if we could get to a workable operating proposition - just as well BR didn't have to pay for any of it! Oh and BBHT was planned to take pairs of Class 37s on the Didcot trains but much to my disappointment Trainload Coal decide right from the start to run them with Class 60s. I've got some more pics somewhere of the test train I used for various timing and run-round trials east of Swindon when I was working up some of the scheme detail and I'll try to dig them out BBHT does it fit time.jpg Class 60 at BBHT 1993.jpg Excellent photos of the class 60 Mike! They were rather nice looking locos but I was never sure about the styling of the front ends. All the best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 21, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2013 Excellent photos of the class 60 Mike! They were rather nice looking locos but I was never sure about the styling of the front ends. All the best Simon Thanks, but it helps when you can 'pose' them Simon The front end has always struck me as lacking something but I can't quite work out what/where! They were a massive load of trouble at first and getting them into traffic was apparently a major technical slog and took quite a time but their traction abilities were undeniable and, from my relatively brief experience, they were/are a comfortable loco to ride on. Incidentally once they were working they probably performed nearer to the BR Train Performance computer model than any other class of diesel procured by BR with their fuel consumption being almost exactly spot on. I will try to delve out some of my other BHT and Didcot trials pics and get them scanned although most of them are in black & white - even in the early 1990s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Aug 2005 - 66054 heads west past Swindon with empties, 66172 is in the loop with an empty stone train... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Swindon again, Oct 2006. 66228 heads for Didcot with loads, and crosses 66220 heading West with an empty set... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 A few Didcot MGRs from 1986, all class 58: Banbury Aynho area Oxford Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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