Interesting and inspiring photos from Flickr....

[Nearholmer]

There’s a low-roofed van in there too, possibly one of the “iron” ones that was used to carry bagged cement. 
 

I used to regularly see this train, and the other ‘inter regionals’ to Norwood, at this date, and the Acton ones were more often hauled by Westerns.

 

Would the cement wagons be going onwards to Southerham or Beeding, or was there a trip to Hither Green, or via Redhill and Tonbridge, to get them into the Medway Valley, which is where I remember the vans being?

[Rich_F]

13 minutes ago, rodent279 said:

Don't really associate 25's with the Southern, how common were they in later years, say post-1975?

They were before my time but from the Derby Sulzers pages:

 

Extensive usage around Redhill & workings in Kent

 

Class 25s at Clapham with lots of Norwood/Salfords freight

 

The similar predecessor class 24s were extensively used in the Southen Region. An old RM Web thread details this.

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by Rich_F

[Nearholmer]

I wonder if the photo is wrongly captioned, because I certainly associated 25s with the Willesden trains, Westerns with the Acton ones, and Peaks with those from Brent. The ER train ran outside of my working hours, so I didn’t see that.

 

What I can’t remember is what locos were used on the Reading-Redhill freight after the Hymeks, but overall 25 were quite rare on the Southern in the 1970s.

Edited October 13, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Nearholmer]

Yes!

 

Theres a discussion under the photo on Flickr wherein wise heads who can cite reporting numbers conclude that this is indeed a Willesden train, not an Acton one. They suggest that the two cuts of wagons are going to Beeding and Southerham, and that the van is a GPV, rather than for bagged cement, but TBH it could be either, because they looked pretty much the same.

 

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Rugd1022]

7 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Yes!

 

Theres a discussion under the photo on Flickr wherein wise heads who can cite reporting numbers conclude that this is indeed a Willesden train, not an Acton one. They suggest that the two cuts of wagons are going to Beeding and Southerham, and that the van is a GPV, rather than for bagged cement, but TBH it could be either, because they looked pretty much the same.

 

 

 

This makes sense because the Acton - Norwoods would have been worked by Old Oak men, none of whom signed 25s. The Willesden - Norwoods were worked by Stonebridge Park men, all of whom signed 25s.

[rodent279]

Preservation era I know, but just look at the difference in shade of blue on those two blue & grey mk1's.

 

 

 

[hmrspaul]

On 13/10/2023 at 14:18, Nearholmer said:

Yes!

 

Theres a discussion under the photo on Flickr wherein wise heads who can cite reporting numbers conclude that this is indeed a Willesden train, not an Acton one. They suggest that the two cuts of wagons are going to Beeding and Southerham, and that the van is a GPV, rather than for bagged cement, but TBH it could be either, because they looked pretty much the same.

 

 

Far too late for a Private bagged cement van (non had TOPS numbers), There are strips across the roof - Gunpowder van. 

 

Rather earlier but a 25 through Clapham https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/class2425/e5f8a4fa6 complete with two buses on bridge for added realism. 

 

Paul

Edited October 15, 2023 by hmrspaul

[Nearholmer]

4 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

Far too late for a Private bagged cement van (non had TOPS numbers), There are strips across the roof - Gunpowder van. 

Interesting.

 

Some must have survived in internal use, because I would swear that I used to see them in the Medway valley, somewhere north of Maidstone, in the mid/late 70s at me of the sites that had its own locos.

[hmrspaul]

10 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Interesting.

 

Some must have survived in internal use, because I would swear that I used to see them in the Medway valley, somewhere north of Maidstone, in the mid/late 70s at me of the sites that had its own locos.

I'm sure that Dave Larkin would have recorded them if they were in that part of the world. Or do you mean the APCM Vac brake vans https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/apcmvan which were longer than the van in this photo, which is a conventional 16ft 6 in or 17ft 6in length. Also the necessary vac brake. It is the ribs across the roof which are the clincher for me. 

 

Paul

[Nearholmer]

Maybe I’m remembering those stretched-looking ones. They certainly have a familiarity about them, and glimpsed from a passing train, or not taken all that much notice of when busy doing my job at the lineside (I oversaw HV cable renewal Maidstone-Strood in the early 80s) I might have mentally logged them as “pretty much like iron minks or gunpowder vans”.

 

As to what is in that train: I defer completely to your expertise ….. it’s only now looking at a Horby Dublo one that I realise that the roof ribs are such a good “spotting feature” on a GPV, which rather betrays my ignorance of wagon matters!

 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Nearholmer

[KeithMacdonald]

A rather sweet picture from Chard, in 1962. Somehow I identify with the three children standing beside 4663, as I was probably much the same age then, also in short trousers and doing much the same.  Was 1962 the last year of passenger services?

 

 

[Lemmy282]

Passenger services ended 10th September 1962

[montyburns56]

D5705 at Matlock, Peak Rail, 1986 by John Whitehouse

 

 

[97406]

25 minutes ago, montyburns56 said:

D5705 at Matlock, Peak Rail, 1986 by John Whitehouse

 

 

 

I remember that. I’d just learnt to drive. Think Peak Rail was also in Buxton at the time, too with the hope of reinstating the railway line all the way over what is the Monsall Trail now.

Edited October 19, 2023 by 97406

[billy_anorak59]

13 hours ago, montyburns56 said:

D5705 at Matlock, Peak Rail, 1986 by John Whitehouse

 

 

 

A bit better than my effort from the time...

 

[papagolfjuliet]

On 13/10/2023 at 12:15, Rich_F said:

 

"Andrew Barclay 0.4.0F (1472/16) was shunting a pair of BP oil tankers into the Proctor & Gamble works from the exchange sidings at West Thurrock on 22 November 1974"

 

That one survives and is now at Bressingham, although sadly as is the fate of many 'preserved' firelesses it is not very well loved.

 

http://ukprsl.uk/final-results.asp?action=display&Id=1208

[KeithMacdonald]

On 19/10/2023 at 19:08, montyburns56 said:

D5705 at Matlock, Peak Rail, 1986 by John Whitehouse

 

 

 

This looks the era when Marvin The Paranoid Android tried hiding in a shed in disguise as a railway locomotive.

But the sad face gave him away.

“Railway life? Don't talk to me about railway life!”

[97406]

On 20/10/2023 at 20:08, KeithMacdonald said:

 

This looks the era when Marvin The Paranoid Android tried hiding in a shed in disguise as a railway locomotive.

But the sad face gave him away.

“Railway life? Don't talk to me about railway life!”

 

If you drive a Class 37 into a brick wall fast enough, that’s what you end up with! Gotta love ‘The Object’ nevertheless!

[Matt37268]

Would a Co-Bo be entrusted with the Royal Train though? 🫣

[KeithMacdonald]

1 hour ago, Matt37268 said:

Would a Co-Bo be entrusted with the Royal Train though? 🫣

 

I think so.

 

Quote

BoCo is a tame diesel engine, who is sensible, kind, and has a decent sense of humour. He is also very disciplined, as seen as he stops Bill and Ben from their pranks. Upon his arrival, he was unfortunate enough to be set upon by the mischievous Bill and Ben, when (thinking he had intentionally stolen their trucks) they pretended to be one engine and nearly made his eyes pop out. BoCo is now wise to the tank engine twins' pranks though he still somewhat humours them to a point. He is also good friends with Bill, Ben, Edward, and Duck. He is a true friend and is often willing to stick up for the underdog. BoCo is firm, but fair and friendly in his nature, not being afraid to speak his mind.

 

Even Gordon approves.

 

Quote

Even Gordon soon thought of him in high regard when he "saved" him from Bill and Ben's antics. BoCo upholds a more praiseworthy and respectable, likeable image for diesel engines everywhere, being happy to show the more pompous steam engines that diesels have their uses. BoCo helps bring good order across Edward's Branch Line, even occasionally pulling Main Line trains, as the Fat Controller recognises how versatile he is.

 

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/BoCo_(T%26F)

[montyburns56]

This is another one of those "places that I wish that I'd visited back in the day"

 

Standard Wagon Works Heywood by Dallam Dave

 

 

[eastwestdivide]

Anyone recognise the wagon far right? Beyond the last “clay tiger”?

[nigb55009]

It looks like a side tipping wagon. They were built at Heywood and used on stone traffic around Montrose, TOPS code PTA.

[keefer]

Thomson's MagLime tippers

[Steven B]

The same wagon,

(Chaddy Goods on Flickr)

 

They were still in use in 1999, with EWS Class 56 for haulage: https://flic.kr/p/MhYWso 

 

 

 

 

Standard Wagon came up with some interesting stuff in the 1980s. My favourite (apart from the self-discharge train) was the in-line tipper:

Prototype Standard Wagon 78T In-Line PTA Tipper REDA28100 at Mountsorrel 17 Sep 1987 by Dave Bower, on Flickr

 

SB