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Neil/Kevin

 

Those images above are fantastic.  Like doesnt do'em justice. 

 

Su bloody perb. (Edited original Anglo Saxon word as betraying poor linguistic skills).  F me.  (Whisper it but I have a bit of a thing about Western Blue Brush type 4 namers pre tops too, I mean Cyclops, Titan, Mammoth, Odin etc - what names)  I've fought it and tried but I'm addicted.

 

Naming went TU in the 80s, IMHO.

 

(And I like the 46 on the through road at Exeter)

 

Going to sit with a pint of Bishopsfinger and imagine that 46 making the rails sing on the cant (careful -  spelling) on the way down at Langstone Rock.  I can hear the wagons banging and wheel flanges screeching and see the oil lamp on the end wagon disappearing into the distance under Lady's Mile footbridge.

 

The 50 and Hymek at Reading, -smashing.

 

Cheers and thanks for posting chaps.

 

Matt W

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Cheers Matt, I'll dig some more 1970s views out later on (when I'd invested in a better camera) - including a couple taken on the Falmouth branch - but I think Rivercider's going for the full set......well, nearly! 

I really must get around to scanning my 1980s photos, I only ever got to 1979 and that was quite a while ago.

BTW, although I was aware that 50014 was the last one to be refurbished I hadn't realised until recently that it was the third one to be withdrawn - as a result it only ran in Large Logo livery for exactly four years, from Dec 83 until Dec 87. Consequently photos of it in this condition will be that much more uncommon.

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33 minutes ago, Neil Phillips said:

Cheers Matt, I'll dig some more 1970s views out later on (when I'd invested in a better camera) - including a couple taken on the Falmouth branch - but I think Rivercider's going for the full set......well, nearly! 

I really must get around to scanning my 1980s photos, I only ever got to 1979 and that was quite a while ago.

BTW, although I was aware that 50014 was the last one to be refurbished I hadn't realised until recently that it was the third one to be withdrawn - as a result it only ran in Large Logo livery for exactly four years, from Dec 83 until Dec 87. Consequently photos of it in this condition will be that much more uncommon.

I am not sure about a full set. I searched through the ones I had already scanned, I have more to do when I get round to them, so may reach 50. 

I did not realise that 50014 in Large Logo was rare, I do have one photo of it,

scan0007a.jpg.df62fbb62a0725ee97ce57a4aa8e0b20.jpg

50014 Warspite at Exeter Central on the 08.11 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo, 1/7/85

 

cheers

 

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Warning- thread drift.  Indulge me.

 

My favourite 50s were always 50 030 and 50 044.  Both ships lost in the far east.  Repulse alongside HMS Prince of Wales as the first ships to be lost exclusively to air attack.

 

Exeter, in the Java Sea a couple of days after HMS Jupiter. (Thats the origin of my d826 monicker).  Coincidentally, my grandfathers ship HMS Encounter, an E Class destroyer, went down in the same engagement. Sadly he never came back from Fukuoka B POW camp.  Any time I think I am having a hard time I think of what he went through and get a grip !   

 

Got his  seamans (ditty) box and postcards sent from Grandad to dad, bearing the ominous words "Imperial Japanese Army".  Includes one with return to sender on it from Dad to his Dad saying "here's to when we go to speedway at White City again".  The return to sender, addressee deceased always gives me pause for reflection.

 

The Battle of the Java Sea and loss of HMS Exeter a couple of days later in March 42 are a dusty corner largely forgotten corner of history.  Example of  international cooperation - American, British, Dutch Australian ABDA force- and total disaster which are barely mentioned these days. 

 

An object lesson in underestimating an enemy and the amazing performance of the Japanese Type 93 torpedo. The Exocet of its day. Extraordinary weapon in terms of range and speed.

 

Drift over. 

 

Back to the 50s.  Marvellous stuff.

 

Best regards

 

Matt W

 

 

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2 hours ago, D826 said:

Warning- thread drift.  Indulge me.

 

My favourite 50s were always 50 030 and 50 044.  Both ships lost in the far east.  Repulse alongside HMS Prince of Wales as the first ships to be lost exclusively to air attack.

 

Exeter, in the Java Sea a couple of days after HMS Jupiter. (Thats the origin of my d826 monicker).  Coincidentally, my grandfathers ship HMS Encounter, an E Class destroyer, went down in the same engagement. Sadly he never came back from Fukuoka B POW camp.  Any time I think I am having a hard time I think of what he went through and get a grip !   

 

Got his  seamans (ditty) box and postcards sent from Grandad to dad, bearing the ominous words "Imperial Japanese Army".  Includes one with return to sender on it from Dad to his Dad saying "here's to when we go to speedway at White City again".  The return to sender, addressee deceased always gives me pause for reflection.

 

The Battle of the Java Sea and loss of HMS Exeter a couple of days later in March 42 are a dusty corner largely forgotten corner of history.  Example of  international cooperation - American, British, Dutch Australian ABDA force- and total disaster which are barely mentioned these days. 

 

An object lesson in underestimating an enemy and the amazing performance of the Japanese Type 93 torpedo. The Exocet of its day. Extraordinary weapon in terms of range and speed.

 

Drift over. 

 

Back to the 50s.  Marvellous stuff.

 

Best regards

 

Matt W

 

 

Food for thought there Matt. We have problems now, but they just don't compare.

 

Thanks for explaining the relevance of D826, (they are real Warships in my mind, not the class 50s). I will probably have seen D826 several times pass near my house. We lived near the line just east of Exmouth Junction until late 1971 so I remember Warships and 63s  (class 22) passing by.

 

Back to the 50s, and I have a number of photos of 50044, I will dig some out later.

Meanwhile here are 50019 and 50020.

 

scan0014.jpg.2eb6afecb641f7caefbb63878189a6f0.jpg

50019 Ramillies departs from Newton Abbot with failed DMU set B471 heading for Laira. 3/7/82.

 

scan0092.jpg.6654d786bda91b5fe8a1da5348b1739e.jpg

Seen from Devils Bridge 50020 Revenge passes the site of Bleadon and Uphill station with the 07.40 Taunton to Paddington service. It will be slowing for Uphill Junction and the Weston Loop line. 15/6/82.

 

cheers

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Two more photos from the WR in the 1980s, 50027 and 50028.

 

scan0013.jpg.d5b5b4b373418ca349327dbe6b495d78.jpg

50027 Lion works empty stock from Paignton to Goodrington carriage sidings on a summer Saturday in July 1982. It would later work a service back to Oxford, 31/7/82

 

scan0005.jpg.43a67cbe445e1c385c3ff4d10a1013b7.jpg

Approaching Oxford on a northbound service is 50028 Tiger. 10/7/81.

 

cheers

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Here are 50029 and 50030 again in the west country.

 

scan0044.jpg.adc9149f95ac9e02d11c345438f2c4cc.jpg

On a grey morning 50029 Renown arrives at Exeter St Davids with the first down train of the day over the former SR route, the 06.52 departure from Salisbury. 19/7/80.

 

scan0043.jpg.d4bb9f27023a9c5f78a9b0c1dae50fdf.jpg

On summer Saturdays the local train service between Exeter and Newton Abbot was suspended during the middle of the day to create paths for long distance services some of which called at Dawlish Warren. In sunnier times 50030 Repulse has just called at Dawlish Warren down platform to disgorge more holdaymakers. 30/6/84  

 

cheers

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Aha - good old Repulse.  Fantastic Kevin. 

 

I never thought of 50s as 'proper' Warships either.

 

D826 looked like she had the same sort of camouflage as HMS Jupiter in the far east, prior to a Laira repaint in July 71.  Exmover in the wash plant meant you could see traces of most of her liveries before the repaint. Rail Blue with arrows on each cab (which I think suited the D800s) was replaced by a single arrow amidships in the Laira repaint. For some reason the single arrow never looks as balanced to me.

 

I liked the 50s mind you.  We were spoilt in the mid 70s with D1000s, 45s, 46s, 47s, 50s. That was just type 4, and even post 50 naming in 78, you could still see all them, save the Westerns, + 08s, 25s, 31s, 33s on the  mainline at Dawlish.

 

An 08 would pretty frequently be seen scuttling, (no other word for it), along through Dawlish, presumably from Newton Abbot. There a good image of one in the down platform loop at Dawlish Warren in one of the Strathwood books.

 

I always thought the 50s looked classy in rail blue with domino head codes.  Still do though like them in most liveries.  Original NSE seemed to weather really badly and bought earlier hydraulics to mind.

 

Love this thread folks.

 

Keep it going.  A very appreciative reader.

 

Best regards

 

Matt W

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Here are 3 more; 50035, (50036 is missing), 50037 from 1979, and 50038 

 

A bit of a long shot here literally.

1818527293_scan0004(2).jpg.ec9ece5632cefd55ff17915ce2b551e9.jpg

50035 Ark Royal passes Exeter Riverside with the 09.20 Paddington to Plymouth as 47110 waits in Riverside Yard with ballast empties for Meldon Quarry. 21/7/80.

 

50036 missing in action

 

scan0083.jpg.69db15f10e204c42c74596e2c91855e6.jpg

50037 Illustrious stands in platform 5 at Bristol Temple Meads with the 11.15 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly. The East End pilot with brake van attached as usual is 08644. 19/6/79.

 

scan0132.jpg.fc4336ab174e03663a6759eda35819de.jpg

50038 Formidable is stabled at Exeter St Davids with stock for a Waterloo service. alongside is 31424 with six mk1 coaches. 5/11/81

 

cheers

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Ah, the infamous 50041 - on 23rd November 1983 (5 months and 14 days after your photo) I had to get from Swindon to Bristol (Clifton area I think) to attend an interview to get enrolled on a course, only to find the trains in chaos because Bulwark, heading the overnight sleeper from Penzance, had hit the Paddington approach pointwork at 55mph instead of 15 and ended up on its side. I made it just in time, albeit in a bit of a sweaty lather, but it was worth it because the course landed me a job at a company I was with until just two years ago when I retired.

 

At the end of July I learned that Covid-19 had wrecked the company.

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Here are 50042 and 50043, one on the LMR for a change.

 

scan0033.jpg.6bbf8db1d1242c3f92061845a364d2c1.jpg

50042 Triumph stands at Plymouth waiting to work the 10.00 service to Penzance. This loco and stock had arrived as the 06.35 service from Bristol Temple Meads to Plymouth with booked tail traffic of vans. 23/6/82

 

Now one photo from the London Midland Region.

1424276356_50043Banbury.jpg.2512c594afdc22bd3096399e861fad65.jpg

50043 Eagle calls at Banbury with the 14.50 Paddington to Liverpool Lime Street. 17/11/82,

 

cheers 

 

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Following on from the post by Matt (D826) earlier, where he mentioned the history of some of the warships that were commemorated by naming BR locos, I have deliberately posted 50044, 50045, and 50046 together.

 

Being an Exeter boy I learned about the WW2 Battle of the River Plate when I was quite young. In December 1939 HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles fought a successful action against the German heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee. I have included two photos of 50044 Exeter, because I can!

 

scan0139.jpg.512f794b9ff2a87d06ea6cc562aa3670.jpg

50044 Exeter arrives at Exeter St Davids with the 10.23 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth service. 5/11/81

 

And another view of 50044 the following year after refurbishment.

scan0152.jpg.26d62e88711aeea66c2e89cf37e27f74.jpg

50044 Exeter brings summer Saturday empty stock from Goodrington into Paignton, 31/7/82.

 

The main line through South Devon was very busy on summer Saturdays in the early 1980s.

scan0238.jpg.9a25e68107b856c7c7a397e1230a8d70.jpg

50045 Achilles departs from Newton Abbot with the 09.30 Paddington to Penzance and meets 47240 with the 12.20 Paignton to Manchester Piccadilly service, 31/7/82

 

scan0115.jpg.8e8eaad9f8de68d74d0e6840f07b9384.jpg

Nearing journeys end at Paignton is 50046 Ajax, which was one of the later members of the class to be called into Doncaster Works for refurbishment in October 1982. 31/7/82,

 

cheers

 

 

 

 

 

 

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50044, my fave Kevin.  Some brilliant images there.   The signal flag from HMS Exeter from the Battle of the River Plate hangs in Exeter Cathedral.

 

For all we know we might be shaving with it after she, HMS Encounter and all the other Java sea wrecks - war graves no less,  were illegally salvaged a few years back.  Ironic and potentially a good twist if models of 50s from the far east have a bit of recycled metal from the real thing.  Who knows.

 

I've got John Vaughans Power of the 50s, published by OPC in 1979. It's all pre large logo and pre refurb but 50s on the Milks and on the clays, perishable, parcels , and on the proper Motor rail trains loading to 16 bogies. Theres a cracking image of 50044 on the up milk and 50 047, Swiftsure on a down express on Hemerdon bank.  You can hear the exhaust of Exeter in the picture.

 

Its brightening the January evenings this thread.  Spot on.

 

Cheers Matt W

 

You can never post too many images of 50044 or any other 50, (or  any other diesel traction in the west in the 70s by the way) !

 

 

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7 hours ago, Rivercider said:

scan0033.jpg.6bbf8db1d1242c3f92061845a364d2c1.jpg

50042 Triumph stands at Plymouth waiting to work the 10.00 service to Penzance. This loco and stock had arrived as the 06.35 service from Bristol Temple Meads to Plymouth with booked tail traffic of vans. 23/6/82

 

That BG is either heavily loaded, or it needs new springs at the far end at least....

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4 hours ago, Rivercider said:

 

scan0139.jpg.512f794b9ff2a87d06ea6cc562aa3670.jpg

50044 Exeter arrives at Exeter St Davids with the 10.23 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth service. 5/11/81

 

And another view of 50044 the following year after refurbishment.

scan0152.jpg.26d62e88711aeea66c2e89cf37e27f74.jpg


If you look at the two photos of 50044, you will see that the crest has moved up after refurbishment. I noticed that at the time and wondered why. When I visited Doncaster Works during their refurbishment, none of the nameplates and crests were removed (except perhaps in the paint shop), so what happened to see the original crest attached to the body side being replaced by a crest on a wooden (I always assumed) plinth?

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Here are 50047 and 50048, again both in the 1980s in the West Country.

 

scan0006.jpg.dca42d85e5ea53f28dc69061c43adc17.jpg

50014 Warspite stands in platform 3 at Exeter St Davids as 50047 Swiftsure calls at platform 1 with the 06.35 Bristol to Plymouth service. 17/7/85.

 

scan0060.jpg.d2da0c8a4fff3612cbc513983cbaee94.jpg

50048 Dauntless is on an unidentified working up from the west and is seen passing Taunton Fairwater Pre-Assembly Depot (PAD). 24/8/81.

 

cheers

 

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Here are the final two class 50s 50049 and 50050 (with 50029 in the background).

 

354515279_Salisbury50049.jpg.a6516f7599aa15c008da69617e94f280.jpg

Crew change at Salisbury, 50049 Defiance is working the 11.10 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids.  16/6/86.

 

scan0027.jpg.a2774f5528bafcbe702bfef3564b258e.jpg

50029 Renown lurks under the footbridge as 50050 Fearless calls at  ExeterSt Davids with the 07.52 Paignton to Paddington service.  9/3/81.

 

 

I am now going to look through my photo records to see if I can find whether I photographed the other missing locos 50005, 50008, 50015, 50032 and 50036

 

cheers 

 

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On 09/01/2021 at 10:06, D826 said:

Warning- thread drift.  Indulge me.

 

My favourite 50s were always 50 030 and 50 044.  Both ships lost in the far east.  Repulse alongside HMS Prince of Wales as the first ships to be lost exclusively to air attack.

 

Exeter, in the Java Sea a couple of days after HMS Jupiter. (Thats the origin of my d826 monicker).  Coincidentally, my grandfathers ship HMS Encounter, an E Class destroyer, went down in the same engagement. Sadly he never came back from Fukuoka B POW camp.  Any time I think I am having a hard time I think of what he went through and get a grip !   

 

Got his  seamans (ditty) box and postcards sent from Grandad to dad, bearing the ominous words "Imperial Japanese Army".  Includes one with return to sender on it from Dad to his Dad saying "here's to when we go to speedway at White City again".  The return to sender, addressee deceased always gives me pause for reflection.

 

The Battle of the Java Sea and loss of HMS Exeter a couple of days later in March 42 are a dusty corner largely forgotten corner of history.  Example of  international cooperation - American, British, Dutch Australian ABDA force- and total disaster which are barely mentioned these days. 

 

An object lesson in underestimating an enemy and the amazing performance of the Japanese Type 93 torpedo. The Exocet of its day. Extraordinary weapon in terms of range and speed.

 

Drift over. 

 

Back to the 50s.  Marvellous stuff.

 

Best regards

 

Matt W

 

 

 

My Grandfather served on Repulse for quite a few years. But had left that ship by the time the war started. So I have a soft spot for 50030. 

 

And cracking pictures Kevin.

 

Cheers

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26 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

It's not the last two class 50s  - its first and last 50050 was D400

Yes, good point, errr I wondered who would spot that first!

 

I have looked through my notes and see that somewhere I have photos of 50008, 50015, 50032 and 50036.

Frustratingly I noted  50005 Collingwood more than once when out with my camera, but do not to appear to have taken a photo, and never will now. 

 

cheers

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