Cheltenham Lansdown

[Joseph_Pestell]

Hi Seahorse,

Thanks for that link to the aerial photos. I will take a look at those later.

I have been using that 1954 OS map on old-maps but had not been quite able to work out an exact scale.

One variation that  maps seem to throw up is whether the down bay and down sidings at Lansdown had separate points or a three-way point (as shown in some photos). Are the maps wrong or was the track layout changed? (Note to self: check what is shown on SRS diagram).

If this project does go ahead (and I have had more than my fair share of false starts), I may need to cheat a bit anyway on exact era/timescale. But my preferred option is mid 50s - mid 60s by which time locos were having to go to St James to be turned or, if too big for the turntable there, turned on the triangle.

 

Joseph

 

Just checked the SRS diagram and that clearly shows two separate turnouts on the Down rather than a 3-way. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a date on the drawing.

 

The Down Bay is shown with a signal, so could have continued to be used for passenger trains departing southwards. But interestingly, it is shown with a trap point so it was expected that loose stock would be parked there which could runaway onto the main line.

 

Another interesting discovery on that drawing is a single gantry to cover both the GW and LMS routes southwards with three dolls for each (Banbury Branch, Down Slow, Down Fast). Presumably all arms would be GW lower quadrant as they would be the homes for Lansdown Jct, a GW box. But I have not yet seen a clear photo of this gantry.

[seahorse]

I'm surmising a bit here, rather than being definite, but I think the signal diagram will show two turnouts because both connect to the main line - the configuration is probably more correctly known as a tandem rather than a three-way where both connect to the centre road.

 

Have you found online the DJ Norton collection? - esp photobydjnorton.com/DDO-29_7_54.html? It shows this point and the signals for Lansdown station and Lansdown junction

[Joseph_Pestell]

I'm surmising a bit here, rather than being definite, but I think the signal diagram will show two turnouts because both connect to the main line - the configuration is probably more correctly known as a tandem rather than a three-way where both connect to the centre road.

 

Have you found online the DJ Norton collection? - esp photobydjnorton.com/DDO-29_7_54.html? It shows this point and the signals for Lansdown station and Lansdown junction

 

That's an interesting thought. I will see if I can find other locations where I know there are tandem points and see how they have been represented on signal diagrams.

 

Thank you for mention of that photo collection. Might take a look now as suffering from insomnia.

 

Edit to add: Very interesting website that is probably worth a thread of its own, certainly for anyone with an interest in Birmingham. I had seen most of the Cheltenham pics via other websites but not noticed the credit.