Steves´s 1980s Rail Pictures.

[SouthernBlue80s]

Hello everyone. Well all the original pictures were lost in the big outage, so I thought I would post them again.

 

They are of varying quality taken on various cameras, but might be of interest, trigger some memories or useful for modeling.

 

The 1980s was my big decade as a rail fan mainly spent on the Southern and Western regions. I wasn´t a great photograper and wished I had taken more pictures of general infrustructure...but I was a loco obsessed young man.

Steve

 

Temple Meads mid 80s.

Edited May 13, 2023 by SouthernBlue80s

[eastwestdivide]

47 minutes ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

but I was a loco obsessed young man

It’s OK, you’re among friends here!

[SouthernBlue80s]

8 minutes ago, eastwestdivide said:

It’s OK, you’re among friends here!

 

You took some good pictures on the SE divison in the early 80s, which I have enjoyed over the years. I wish I had taken more.

 

One of my few shots that did not have a loco in it. A MLV at Dover Priory on a hot Summers day in 1980. Taken on some chepo instant camera, I soon progressed to a Zorki.

 

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

Early 80s view from that well known footbridge at Canton we used to hang about on.

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

Class 40028 at Kings Cross

Edited May 15, 2023 by SouthernBlue80s

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

The Seagulls den. Everytime I went to Saltley and Bescot it seemed to rain. Memories of the light fading, wet and Travelers Fare tea and a Mars bar used to keep me going on my long journey home.

[franciswilliamwebb]

20 minutes ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

Everytime I went to Saltley and Bescot it seemed to rain.

 

Saltley was definitely an early morning port of call on a day when the sun was out.  Not a lot of use if you weren't local enough to plan your day around that, of course 😎

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

The row of 31s at Stratford.

[SouthernBlue80s]

On 16/05/2023 at 19:02, franciswilliamwebb said:

 

Saltley was definitely an early morning port of call on a day when the sun was out.  Not a lot of use if you weren't local enough to plan your day around that, of course 😎

 

It was quite a long way for me, a place for the southerner to see exotic northern machines.

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

This never seemed to move. It was always there when I went to what was stabled at Reading.

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

A misty cold Clapham Junction

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

Sticking with large logo - 50010 Monarch Bristol Temple Meads. A good example to base a weathered loco on.

Edited May 23, 2023 by SouthernBlue80s

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

Westbury on a weekend.

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

Old Oak early 80s

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

A class 15 in green at Stratford. Of course it was very unusal to see anything green in the early 80s.

I seem to recollect a picture of a whole line of them there, withdrawn I think. I guess this was the last of them.

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

A Peak heading west from Temple Meads on one of those atmospheric evenings I have fond memories of. Note the Scotrail branding on the Mk2 - someone mentioned on the previous thread that they would find their way to the South West sometimes.

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

 

A class 15 in green at Stratford. Of course it was very unusal to see anything green in the early 80s.

I seem to recollect a picture of a whole line of them there, withdrawn I think. I guess this was the last of them.

Both are stationary train-heating generator vehicles, I believe.

[eastwestdivide]

3 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

the Scotrail branding

I’ve a photo somewhere of a coach with that branding in Kent on some excursion!

 

[SouthernBlue80s]

5 hours ago, eastwestdivide said:

I’ve a photo somewhere of a coach with that branding in Kent on some excursion!

 

 

If you get a chance dig it out. I never saw one in Kent.

[sb67]

Thanks for re posting the photos. There's some nice shots and they all bring back memories of the places I've visited. 🙂

[eastwestdivide]

10 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

 

If you get a chance dig it out. I never saw one in Kent.

1st August 1984, Strood, Cuxton Road, 47 on the front of a returning excursion with one Scotrail coach in the formation SC 18798.

That's the Medway viaduct (M2 motorway)  in the background.

[SouthernBlue80s]

1 hour ago, eastwestdivide said:

1st August 1984, Strood, Cuxton Road, 47 on the front of a returning excursion with one Scotrail coach in the formation SC 18798.

That's the Medway viaduct (M2 motorway)  in the background.

 

Thank you, a rare sight on the SE divison.

I have a record of 47301 with a service that started at Dover Town for that date, which sounds like a frieght train. Have you any more details on the service above?

Edited June 8, 2023 by SouthernBlue80s

[eastwestdivide]

1 hour ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

Have you any more details on the service above?

Just found those notes made when we were looking at how many 47s had visited E Kent, and one line reads:

"47301    01/08/1984    Rochester    down Mk1s excurson, return in evening" (yes, typo in excursion).

So maybe the loco stabled/got serviced(?) on Dover Town (a freight location), leaving its train somewhere like Ramsgate where they could service the coaches.

 

Vaguely recall that the rest of the train wasn't SC-prefix coaches (that would be a long day out, Glasgow-Margate). I'd noticed it in the formation when it went down to the coast in the morning, so made a point of getting a shot going back. 

 

Edited June 8, 2023 by eastwestdivide

[SouthernBlue80s]

4 hours ago, eastwestdivide said:

Just found those notes made when we were looking at how many 47s had visited E Kent, and one line reads:

"47301    01/08/1984    Rochester    down Mk1s excurson, return in evening" (yes, typo in excursion).

So maybe the loco stabled/got serviced(?) on Dover Town (a freight location), leaving its train somewhere like Ramsgate where they could service the coaches.

 

Vaguely recall that the rest of the train wasn't SC-prefix coaches (that would be a long day out, Glasgow-Margate). I'd noticed it in the formation when it went down to the coast in the morning, so made a point of getting a shot going back. 

 

 

Not sure where the Dover Town came from on the notes.

 

As you know, most of those excursions ended up in Margate. I know for a fact having witnessed it that the stock was stabled at Margate. I dont remember the 47s involved heading to Ramsgate for fuel, not to say they didnt but the fueling facilities at Ramsgate were apparently a bit basic.

 

A few of those out of region excursions ended up at Canterbury or more usually Folkestone. So in realation to the reference to Dover Town Folkestone would make more sense as an end destination. However would that have been routed via strood?

 

 

Edited June 8, 2023 by SouthernBlue80s

[SouthernBlue80s]

 

To stay on topic. 47072 backing onto its stock at Margate on a wet August day 1983. For those of us in the far corner of the South East Divsion is was not often a 47 got this far. This area of Margate station is now housing.