GW loco picture identity help

[melmoth]

1 hour ago, Not Jeremy said:

Sorry, hijacking my own thread.

 

Distracted by other things - here is a scan of another of Peter's slides for Mike (Statiomaster), a slightly obscure Reading location I believe...

 

 

Simon

 

Reading Central Goods - the line that branched off at Southcote Junction?

[Not Jeremy]

Peter has the slide mount labelled as "Coaley Goods", so I think yes.

[The Stationmaster]

13 minutes ago, Not Jeremy said:

Peter has the slide mount labelled as "Coaley Goods", so I think yes.

But kindly note that he has misspelt Coley, the official name of the location was Reading Central Goods Depot but it was usually referred to as either 'Reading Central' or 'Coley Goods'.    The regular engines for Coley branch trips were 2251s in BR days (and possibly earlier) although the line survived long enough for the trip to be dieselised, normally using a 350hp diesel shunter from Reading West Jcn yard but it's possible that D63XX might also have been used.  

 

The photo was taken from the Berkeley Avenue overbridge at the entrance to the yard - said bridge is still there but the yard is long gone.  here is a view - from Google Maps - looking in the opposite direction - as the bridge now appears.

 

 

 

Here's a link to the Wiki article although I do wonder about the closure date it quotes

[phil_sutters]

I have had a quick look in Dad's spotting log for 1953 - the first year we were down west. I imagine that these would have travelled through Lympley Stoke, although my knowledge of that area is more limited than West of Bath.

These entries are  from Bristol TM. 18.3.1953

Caerhays Castle was on the 2.38pm to Reading via Devizes and Launceston Castle was on the 4.32pm to Portsmouth

24.8.1953 at Westbury

Chirk Castle 10.34 Portsmouth to Bristol and Evesham Abbey 2.36pm Westbury to BTM

BTM 11.9.1953

Fairey Battle 10.30 Cardiff - Portsmouth and Tregenna Castle 1.00pm Cardiff - Brighton

BTM 28.11.1953

Treago Castle 4.32 BTM to Portsmouth

There are also records of a goods empties train with a Castle, empty carriage stock and running-in turns out of Swindon - in various locations, but to indicate that Castles could turn up on a variety of duties at that time.

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2023 by phil_sutters

[phil_sutters]

On 15/01/2023 at 21:14, johnofwessex said:

Thinking back to the Colin Maggs book on the Frome to Bristol via Radstock one of the Boat Trains to Bristol arrived after the last train to The North had left, so the passengers for The North changed at Frome for a service via Radstock, the only occasion when a B set carried Class 1 lamps.

 

AFAIK though the Bristol to Weymouth services were mostly in the hands of Moguls

 

[Tim V]

On 17/01/2023 at 20:30, phil_sutters said:

 

By 1959, the timetable had been curtailed, and the 6.6pm off Frome ran under B headlamps. The 5.55pm ran under A lamps. This from the 15/6/59 - 13/9/59 timetable.

Edited January 20, 2023 by Tim V
added what timetable it was from.