TRACTION 276

[steverabone]

 

TRACTION 276 will be on sale in the shops on 26th May with digital copies available a few days earlier.

 

It is often fascinating to be able to hear about events which were not generally public knowledge at the time. David Clough has been looking at the often complex decision making when procuring new locomotives. Using original source material he reveals how BR decided to build the Class 90s and 91s during the 1980s.

 

Andrew K Overton returns with the second part of his photographic adventues on the East Coast Main Line near Doncaster, this time concentrating on freight operations.

 

Colin Boocock, a former senior BR manager, describes the recovery of two Class 31s that crashed down onto the North Circular Road in London. It’s a hair raising tale!

 

Jonathan King looks at the final years of mail trains in Devon and Cornwall.

 

We have two features about sand traffic: David Hayes describes the operation of traffic from Holmethorpe in Surrey, whilst David Ratcliffe gives us the details of the wagons used on these trains.

 

In this issue’s photographic feature we concentrate on the Basingstoke to Salisbury line using a selection of photos by Gavin Morrison.

 

Roy Kethro continues the story of the early years of his career when he was a lowly apprentice at Bristol Bath Road depot.

 

In TRACTION MODELLING we showcase Oldshaw, an EM Gauge layout with a West of England flavour. Purchased ready built by three friends, they modified it and assembled sufficient rolling stock to exhibit the layout.

[C126]

Thanks again to all concerned.  Got my copy at last after a week away with no decent newsagent's to patronise.  Enough in it to please this Southern Region wallah, and some interesting 'peripheral' articles and useful photographs to supplement.

 

I think there might be a transposition of photograph captions on p.13: Photos 4 and 5.  I do love the perfect silhouette of photo 6.

[ruggedpeak]

Really enjoy reading the articles in Traction, one of the benefits of RMWeb Gold 🙂

 

Intriuged to read about the Staples Corner 31 pile up!

[steverabone]

On 04/06/2023 at 08:46, C126 said:

Thanks again to all concerned.  Got my copy at last after a week away with no decent newsagent's to patronise.  Enough in it to please this Southern Region wallah, and some interesting 'peripheral' articles and useful photographs to supplement.

 

I think there might be a transposition of photograph captions on p.13: Photos 4 and 5.  I do love the perfect silhouette of photo 6.

You are correct  about the transposition of the captions. Sorry about that!

[David J Hayes]

ANOTHER good issue with a nice variety of features, although image reproduction in the printed version is, again, a bit "hit and  miss" with some images appearing a little on the dark side or (in the case of colour) a little too saturated (it's not only me noticing this). However, having said that, the current issue (276) is much better in this respect than in previous issues. The image reproduction in the printed version of issue 275 was particularly poor, I thought, including some of those pictures accompanying Part Two of my CO2 article, but which looked fine for the most part in the digital version.

 

I'm pleased with how my Holmethorpe Sand article has been used in this current issue and I very much hope it will be of interest to the readership. This will be my last offering to this publication and I would therefore like to thank those of you who have enjoyed my many contributions over the years, the first of which appeared in issue 28 (February 1997).   

 

Kind regards and long may TRACTION continue.

 

David J. Hayes.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by David J Hayes