Ghosts in the Machine.

[Southernman46]

13 hours ago, melmerby said:

Those of you who are familiar with this:

 

Might not know it was originally a UK company with this "ghost in the machine" It's headquarters building, London:

👍 Yup - regularly look at this whilst waiting to catch the N551 at Trafalgar Square to Beckton DLR depot - Stop B ISTR - it's the one outside the Canadian Embassy anyway ................................

[Engineer]

Barbican Station in the City of London has featured in RMWeb  several times, including images of Widened Lines diesel and electric times.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/145709-backdrops-discuss/?do=findComment&comment=3673282

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/121467-overhead-emu-photos/page/4/#comment-4821713

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/172255-disused-lines-with-track-still-in-situ/?do=findComment&comment=4837085

Just to add a tiny present-day observation.  Here is a view taken just outside the Crossrail interchange lift lobby, looking along the Westbound/Inner Rail island platform towards Moorgate and Liverpool Street, with much of the former Widened Lines track removed and tunnels fenced off pending future developments.

 

A closer look at the outer end of the island platform's abbreviated canopy shows a sign that related to the electrification that's now removed.

At the centre canopy support, two further electrification warning plates that have no apparent information role now.

[D6150]

Not really sure if this qualifies as a ghost. However.... Does anyone know long the mural of HR locomotive 68 has been on the wall behind the buffer stops at Thurso? The stops themselves also look quite vintage, including one which appears to have taken a knock at some point...

 

Thanks 

 

Ken

[melmerby]

Photos on't web show at least 6 years

[keefer]

2 hours ago, Engineer said:

Barbican Station in the City of London has featured in RMWeb  several times, including images of Widened Lines diesel and electric times.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/145709-backdrops-discuss/?do=findComment&comment=3673282

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/121467-overhead-emu-photos/page/4/#comment-4821713

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/172255-disused-lines-with-track-still-in-situ/?do=findComment&comment=4837085

Just to add a tiny present-day observation.  Here is a view taken just outside the Crossrail interchange lift lobby, looking along the Westbound/Inner Rail island platform towards Moorgate and Liverpool Street, with much of the former Widened Lines track removed and tunnels fenced off pending future developments.

 

A closer look at the outer end of the island platform's abbreviated canopy shows a sign that related to the electrification that's now removed.

At the centre canopy support, two further electrification warning plates that have no apparent information role now.

And in the last photo, the roof warning sign would seem to be of Gill Sans 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' vintage.

[melmerby]

This factory centre is built on the site of the Midland Railway Camp Hill Goods depot.

Wherein is a small relic of what once was there (today's railway is behind the fence to the right):

 

There is nothing on the other side of these railings.

In this yard are more patches of original cobbles, a case of only removing what was necessary to create the factory units.

 

 

[melmerby]

Looking more closely, I think what has been done, is that cobbles from the original depot have been salvaged and then re-used in several places for parking spaces.

(BTW The grey lines are not rails but edging stones)

 

I was puzzled when I posted the original image, why they were just here, as that at this point would've been the throat of the sidings leading towards the main goods shed.

[cctransuk]

4 hours ago, melmerby said:

This factory centre is built on the site of the Midland Railway Camp Hill Goods depot.

Wherein is a small relic of what once was there (today's railway is behind the fence to the right):

 

There is nothing on the other side of these railings.

In this yard are more patches of original cobbles, a case of only removing what was necessary to create the factory units.

 

 

 

I'm afraid that whoever relaid them had not been apprenticed to someone who knew how to lay setts!

 

A semi-random laying pattern with widely variable joint widths is NOT a recipe for durability or long life.

 

They SHOULD be laid on a compacted stone bed; with minimal joints racked-up (filled) with fine stone chippings and dust. Finally, the joints should be sealed with hot bitumen poured from an old watering-can (without a 'rose').

 

John Isherwood.

[Bon Accord]

On 25/08/2023 at 20:24, D6150 said:

Not really sure if this qualifies as a ghost. However.... Does anyone know long the mural of HR locomotive 68 has been on the wall behind the buffer stops at Thurso? The stops themselves also look quite vintage, including one which appears to have taken a knock at some point...

 

Thanks 

 

Ken

 

It's been there at least 35 years.

[melmerby]

9 hours ago, Bon Accord said:

 

It's been there at least 35 years.

If they don't cure the rising damp it won't be for many more.

[Wickham Green too]

I see no monitors ! 

 

........ no need for short train monitors if you're only running eight or twelve cars. : 28/8/23

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Wickham Green too
no need

[big jim]

I took these pics about 10 years ago but this wagon is still sat in tyseley depot!

 

amazingly it was last repaired a month before I was born in by my stepdads company (although back then his dad will have still been running it)  

[The Lurker]

This is in one of the roads off Tooley Street under the lines out of London Bridge - I took it about 18 months ago. I assume it is still there but haven’t walked that way for a while.

[big jim]

This photo is on Twitter from Phil marsh, wants to know what the item is, one is obviously a token, what’s the other?

mid say it says ‘crossing’ I think it’s some sort of switch/lever to manually drop barriers at a crossing?

 

 

[melmerby]

On 31/08/2023 at 23:38, big jim said:

I took these pics about 10 years ago but this wagon is still sat in tyseley depot!

According to Google Earth, it wasn't there in DEC 2006 but was by AUG 2007, so 16+ years so far.

[Michael Hodgson]

56 minutes ago, big jim said:

This photo is on Twitter from Phil marsh, wants to know what the item is, one is obviously a token, what’s the other?

mid say it says ‘crossing’ I think it’s some sort of switch/lever to manually drop barriers at a crossing?

 

 

Looks a bit ancient for anything to do with barriers; more likely for mechanically locking/unlocking a gated crossing or a ground frame

[SM42]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

This photo is on Twitter from Phil marsh, wants to know what the item is, one is obviously a token, what’s the other?

mid say it says ‘crossing’ I think it’s some sort of switch/lever to manually drop barriers at a crossing?

 

 

 

It looks like it could be a key a crossing keeper has to get released by the adjoining signalman in order to open crossing gates for road traffic.

 

Andy

[The Stationmaster]

On 15/09/2023 at 22:12, big jim said:

This photo is on Twitter from Phil marsh, wants to know what the item is, one is obviously a token, what’s the other?

mid say it says ‘crossing’ I think it’s some sort of switch/lever to manually drop barriers at a crossing?

 

 

It looks like a key for something - maybe a ground frame or such lke (although I've never seen one like that).  As far as local control of barriers is concerned  I've definitely never seen anything like that and it looks far too old and hefty to be anything to do with barrier local controls but could it, again, be for sme sort of lock on a level crossing ground frame ?

[big jim]

Mikes got it pretty much correct, Phil has revealed it’s the key to lock the gate mechanism from millbrook groundframe 

 

 

what was throwing me was the Claydon to Aylesbury token in the pic, which made me think it was from that area but there were only ground frames at Calvert and I know there’s no crossings, then I got thinking it may have been something to do with the now removed fisons siding at grendon underwood, but again no crossing that I was aware of , I was well out geographically with my assumptions! 

Edited September 16, 2023 by big jim

[adb968008]

On 25/08/2023 at 20:24, D6150 said:

Not really sure if this qualifies as a ghost. However.... Does anyone know long the mural of HR locomotive 68 has been on the wall behind the buffer stops at Thurso? The stops themselves also look quite vintage, including one which appears to have taken a knock at some point...

 

Thanks 

 

Ken

Its been there since at least the 1980’s… I remember it with 37/4 haulage days.

[TheSignalEngineer]

14 hours ago, big jim said:

Phil has revealed it’s the key to lock the gate mechanism from millbrook groundframe 

Looks like a Black's Lock key. Could only be removed from the gate with it locked across the road. Putting it into the lock on the frame and turning it released the signals. 

[The Stationmaster]

15 hours ago, big jim said:

Mikes got it pretty much correct, Phil has revealed it’s the key to lock the gate mechanism from millbrook groundframe 

 

 

what was throwing me was the Claydon to Aylesbury token in the pic, which made me think it was from that area but there were only ground frames at Calvert and I know there’s no crossings, then I got thinking it may have been something to do with the now removed fisons siding at grendon underwood, but again no crossing that I was aware of , I was well out geographically with my assumptions! 

I think Grendon Underrwood was all hand points and no ground frame but I only went down there once  (on an Inspection Special 30 years ago and we didn't do much 'inspecting there but simply reversed and headed back to the former GC main line).   Probably one of the more interesting Inspection Specials as the route was specified by someone who used to plan rail tour itineraries for the Monmouthshore Railway  Society so it started off with a more or less non-stop run (signalling requirements, and a passenger stop at Oxford aside) from Swindon to the first crossover past the east end of Bletchley flyover then from there to Grendon Underwood.

[KeithMacdonald]

Many people have visited the GWR Steam Museum in Swindon. But might never notice these gates, tucked away next to some newish flats, unless they are walking to or from the museum, past Isambard House and English Heritage and through the underpass tunnel towards the station.

 

 

The words on the sign to the left of the gate read as follows:

 

These gates came from the old Great Westem Railway sports ground In Swindon. They were rescued in 2012 by the STEAM Museum when the site was being redeveloped for housing. They have been restored by Thomas Homes and returned here for display on the old site of Swindon Railway Works. The gates were made from steam boiler tubes in 1950 at the Works by Fred Vellender, Chief Foreman to the Coppersmiths, Welders and Sheet Metal Workers. They bear the initials BRWRAA which stands for British Railways Westem Region Athletics Association. The Great Western Railway and British Railways had a strong sports and social presence in the town. Railway employees took part in numerous sports activities including football, rugby, cricket and swimming. The GWR ground opened in the early 1930s and finally closed in 2005. It catered for most of the popular sports, as well as rifle shooting and bowls. The pavilion was built in 1935 and housed a skittle alley and games room. These gates are a reminder of the sporting excellence of the GWR and the heritage of Swindon.

 

Somewhere near there, c.30 years ago, there was still an active GWR/BR(WR) Social Club. M'Lady and I used to go there once a week for dancing lessons. Sadly, I never troubled the judges for a podium finish. Something to do with two left feet. Strictly Useless. We were about 40 years old at the time, and the youngest ones there. We found the same with our local Gardening Club. Which is a mark of how so many community groups have aged and withered. 

 

[Wickham Green too]

12 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

... Which is a mark of how so many community groups have aged and withered. 

... and the average age on RMweb is ............................................................. probably frightening !

[4069]

On 17/09/2023 at 15:05, The Stationmaster said:

I think Grendon Underrwood was all hand points and no ground frame but I only went down there once  (on an Inspection Special 30 years ago and we didn't do much 'inspecting there but simply reversed and headed back to the former GC main line).   Probably one of the more interesting Inspection Specials as the route was specified by someone who used to plan rail tour itineraries for the Monmouthshore Railway  Society so it started off with a more or less non-stop run (signalling requirements, and a passenger stop at Oxford aside) from Swindon to the first crossover past the east end of Bletchley flyover then from there to Grendon Underwood.

Grendon Underwood in 1977- ground frame hut (containing 2-lever frame and token machine) on left. The Fisons sidings were at Akeman Street, a couple of miles up the line to the right.

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by 4069