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Rail Blue TOPS late 70s


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Had started putting some pictures up in other threads - Abbotswood for those in the geographical confines of the layout, and Worcestershire for local ones away from the layout. So time to start on the rest of the country!

 

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Heres 40109 on a railtour at Garsdale. Cant remember the date but IIRC the 40 ran from York to Newcastle to Carlisle then down the S&C. Look at all those happy punters! Any RMwebbers there I wonder?

 

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Its 13th February 1977 and D1010 calls at Swindon with the Western Requiem relief. We had D1010 all that day - fared better than the main tour on 20th when the Whizzo failed and 37 power was substituted for some of the valleys. Despite having a burned out exhaust valve on one of the Maybachs she lived up to her reputation as a top performer that day - IIRC she was logged at over 90 between Gloucester and Swindon on the way back. A cracking day out! And look at all those 70s hair cuts......

 

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Finally heres 25122 24036 and 08701 on the stops at Cockshute in Stoke

 

Enjoy - many thanks to Peter Brown for the loan of the slide scanner, more to come when time permits

 

Phil

 

Edited to correct 40109 location - thanks Bomag and DRJController

Edited by Phil Bullock
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 Thanks chaps duly amended. Please pull me up again if I faux pas encore!

 

Here are a few more...

 

Vintage sparkies to start

 

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76050 visits Crewe Works - hmm, why is 76038 chalked on the cab side I wonder?

 

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An unidentified Class 81 takes a northbound van train through Litchfield Trent Valley. Another dismal day!

 

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Also at Crewe Works a IUD disc headcode 40 has an 86 and a 47 for company.

 

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In the yard at Bristol Parkway is 47255 on a lovely train of hoppers - those more knowledgeable than me will identify the wagons for sure. Was that colour roof a Stratford trademark at this time?

 

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And finally for tonight down to Plymouth in the long hot summer of 1976 for Western Glory. Nice shot of the driver - if he had used his drivers name card holder we might know who he was.

 

Enjoy

 

Phil

Edited by Phil Bullock
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The 76050 was probably in for Multiple Working and air brake conversion. I think it then swapped numbers with 76038 to keep the batches of MW/XO, MW/AO and VO locos together. 76050 as 26050 was originally named Stentor, and 1 of 13 production series locos fitted with boilers.

 

Dear old D1072 too, the first and last Western I saw in service at Paddington aged 8.

Edited by stovepipe
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The hoppers behind the 47 are BR standard 21t coal hoppers (HTV); at the time the photo was taken, they were being used for both coal and stone traffic. To their right is a train of MSV stone tipplers, loaded at the nearby Tytherington quarry- this was served by a branch off the Gloucester line at Yate.

I'd guess this photo would have been taken around 1976. At this time, Bristol Parkway was in the middle of what was then open farmland; there was a small settlement at western end, and a few railway houses at the eastern extremity (the steps up to these, and their roofs, are visible behind the front of the loco), but none of the housing estates and other development. I was in my last year at what was then the new campus of Bristol Poly, and often used to use Parkway. The problem was that the station had been designed expressly for access by car; there were very few buses, and pedestrians were obliged to either take their lives in their hands and walk on the roadside, or stumble through muddy verges. It's changed a bit, hasn't it?

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The light grey (Rail Grey, as used on blue/grey coaches) was a Stratford trademark. They painted silver roofs on 47163 & 164, along with big Union flags on the sides for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Later roofs were done in the cheaper Rail Grey paint which looked almost the same after a short while in service. That would suggest a 1977 date at the earliest.

Edited by BernardTPM
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Brian (FC) has hit the nail on the head.

 

I too was at Bristol Poly - Coldharbour Lane AKA Colditz but 1977 to 1979. Used to travel down from Worcester on my trusty Suzuki GT380 and stay with my favourite Aunty in Southmead Rd. Was doing professional courses on a block release bases and we had a 2 week block in November followed by 2 1 week blocks in February and May. I would therefore guess that this was May 1978 - the slide isn't dated, wish I had been more diligent - which fits in with Bernard's roof colour timeline.  What course were you on Brian?

 

Just rummaging through the collection for a few more gratuitous pictures....

 

Phil

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Brian (FC) has hit the nail on the head.

 

I too was at Bristol Poly - Coldharbour Lane AKA Colditz but 1977 to 1979. Used to travel down from Worcester on my trusty Suzuki GT380 and stay with my favourite Aunty in Southmead Rd. Was doing professional courses on a block release bases and we had a 2 week block in November followed by 2 1 week blocks in February and May. I would therefore guess that this was May 1978 - the slide isn't dated, wish I had been more diligent - which fits in with Bernard's roof colour timeline.  What course were you on Brian?

 

Just rummaging through the collection for a few more gratuitous pictures....

 

Phil

BSc Economics (London External)- we were the last of the old guard before the Poly started awarding its own degrees. 

Colditz really was a cock-up in its early days; transport to and from site was one bus an hour, for somewhere over a thousand students, whilst on-site accomodation was enough for a couple of hundred. This was in the days before many students had cars; I think of the thirty-five or so of us, only three had cars (and one of those was an Alfa-Sud, so doesn't really count..)

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Right, heres the next batch

 

We continue a few themes from the earlier posts starting with another Stratford roof special

 

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70000 Britannia, as originally restored at Bridgnorth. Not sure about the red nameplates though.

 

Next some more vintage sparkies

 

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74007 at Eastleigh - then off to the other end of the Country for

 

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Tommies galore at Guide Bridge. Then over to the East Coast for some decent power at York....

 

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D1023 has arrived on the Western Finale tour from Exeter and heads off to the depot. This was the day she ploughed in to a herd of cows near Charfield and required her brake pipe to be repaired with a 2 bob bit! Now for some brand new (almost) heavy haulage at Staveley

 

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That's 56002 on a ballast working at Seymour Junction. Further north, who could resist a Class 03?

 

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03171 at rest - am pretty sure that's at Gateshead! Then across the country to a nicely lit Carlisle..

 

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40040 rests in the station prior to working a Glasgow train via the G&SW. Following her north - and a bit east - a teaser of more to follow...

 

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and finally back to Eastleigh for a 33...

 

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33018 in charge of TEAs from Fawley.

 

Hopefully there's something there for everyone although I despair at my inability to get a decently lit shot. Mind you, looking at the puddles a lot of those days were rather grey.

 

Plenty more where these came from!

 

Phil

Edited by Phil Bullock
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Lovely to see that shot of Cockshute Phil, nice and local for me.

                                  Simon

Welcome - we always called in there if we were doing a jaunt to Crewe from Worcester- was usually good for half a dozen 24s

 

Phil

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D1023 has arrived on the Western Finale tour from Exeter and heads off to the depot. This was the day she ploughed in to a herd of cows near Charfield and required her brake pipe to be repaired with a 2 bob bit!

 

Phil

 

The 50p bit for the whizzo, was raffled off i believe. Some nice photos here.

 

Nice memories indeed. But just in case the younger generation gets the wrong idea, 2 bob = 2 shillings = 10p

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Stand corrected, about the 2 Bob bit, remember seeing the last days of the whizzo's. I lived 5 miles east of Laira. 1009 Invader was there for ages, then one day, it vanished. Loved them.

 

I only remember the coinage as I moved back to the UK in 1974 from Malta, i'm now in my 50's. Still, some nice pics.

 

Edited by phixer64
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Thanks for all the encouragement folks.

 

My comments re underexposed phots were heart felt but I have now solved the problem. I had sorted all the decent ones in to one box - which I have now found!

 

So the themes can continue and now perhaps you might see a bit more detail.....

 

First up - Vintage sparkies again!

 

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83008 at Crewe - and perhaps better still, one of my all time favourites...

 

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84003 at Glasgow Central. Must have been one of the last NBL locos in traffic - and on home turf too. The next generation....

 

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86004 at Warrington Bank Quay, DIT behind a 40. And whilst we are in the area lets nip over to Arpley for the classic shot....

 

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Lever Bros factory makes a fantastic backdrop for a 40 on a classic train of 16 tonners. And to continue the theme...

 

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40036 at Guide Bridge on Covhops. As one of the first 40's I saw at Stourbridge Junction this was a favourite loco. So now down the WCML to Bescot

 

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A cracking light loco move through the station with a 24, 25 and 20. From there its over to the Principality

 

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The earth moves at Cardiff Central as 3 Class 37s lift Llanwern - Port Talbot ore empties through the station. Then west to Pantyfynnon

 

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37177 and another VF built 37 are in rather more peaceful mode. So we'll head up to North Wales - where according to the song men are from

 

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For a rather nicely posed refurbished Class 101 at Harlech. Then to the other side of the Country to resume ....

 

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The Stratford livery special string with 31005. Then finally off north of the border again

 

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For an unidentified 27 at Motherwell. Finally to Glasgow Works

 

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Where 25009 looks like its awaiting a decision....

 

That's all for a while folks .... but plenty more in the good box!

 

Phil

Edited by Phil Bullock
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A trip north of the border has forced a pause in posting - so here we go again with some more gratuitous images!

 

Back on the vintage sparkies

 

Its February 1977 and most of the 71s are dumped at Hither Green....heres 71004

 

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An experimental night time shot from New St - the camera was perched on a BRUTE as I remember. 83006 poses long enough for a timed exposure...

 

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And back at Litchfield 85027 rattles and roars through on a van train

 

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So now off to Scotland again - the lighting at Ayr was good for our visit to the depot, heres 27027

 

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Over at Perth 40066 has charge of an Edinburgh train. The square corners to the centre headcode boxes tell you this is one of the Scottish retro conversions from a disc headcode loco.

 

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And over at Haymarket 40142 is on shed. Always liked the split boxers.

 

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So back down to the Midlands to Barrow Hill for a pair of 20s - 20133 and 20022

 

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Hang on - that's a green 20, must be one of the last survivors in that livery. Then to Toton Open Day - two young spotters seem amazed as the gathered hordes play the "Lets see how many we can get in a Peak Cab" game with 44008. Looks rather tarted up!

 

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And finally we are over at Crewe for a 25 on a Llandudno - Nottingham with a confirmed Rat basher at the front droplight.

 

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That's all for today folks - more to come but as is SWMBOs birthday tomorrow probably wont be for a few more days

Enjoy

 

Phil

 

Edited to correct year for class 71 photo to 1977. Was taken on a Worcester Locomotive Society London trip.

Edited by Phil Bullock
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