Ghosts in the Machine.

[rockershovel]

No pics of this (it's a difficult spot to get pictures) but a crossover from the Peterborough North thread, the small group of pre-grouping buildings at Mayor's Walk E of Spital Bridge which are still in use by Network Rail, or whatever they are now called..

 

I've lately been out and about in the Peterborough/Wisbech area and various remnants of the former Rings End viaduct and river bridge can be seen, including remnants of disused formation and occasional plate-layers cabins W of the A47 and A16 (which itself uses a former railway formation near Spalding). Pillbox are also to be seen in the fields around Newborough and Thorney

 

Other inaccessible spots include a former formation running parallel to the A605. Barnwell Station is preserved as a house, and the former station and alignment of the A605 crossing near the Fox Inn is plainly visible 

 

 

 

[96701]

On 02/01/2023 at 12:16, rockershovel said:

No pics of this (it's a difficult spot to get pictures) but a crossover from the Peterborough North thread, the small group of pre-grouping buildings at Mayor's Walk E of Spital Bridge which are still in use by Network Rail, or whatever they are now called..

 

 

I used to work in that yard. The multistory building that backs onto Mayors Walk was built by the GNR as a temporary building. It,s single skin brick built with brick internal pillars.

[brushman47544]

On 14/06/2022 at 11:34, The Stationmaster said:

The interesting thing about that is that via a slighty tenuous connection it is still in operation although on a completely different basis.  The Touring Club sprang out of an organisation known as Repta - which offered all sorts of discounts for rail staff members - and another thing associated with both was something known as 'Mac's Tours' which actually organised tours both for all comers from railway staff, including that touring club.  It advertised through the Repta handbook and I think possibly 'Rail News' at some time.

Is that the REPTA that was recognised by the naming of 47085 as “REPTA 1893-1993”? I always wondered what the name referred to but never bothered to try and find out.

[The Stationmaster]

17 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

Is that the REPTA that was recognised by the naming of 47085 as “REPTA 1893-1993”? I always wondered what the name referred to but never bothered to try and find out.

The very same - the Railway Employees Travel Association.  

 

But by the 1960s it was also effectively a major discount club as well and for a fairly small annual subscription (which wasn't always necessary if a member was bulk buying certain things and passing on the saving to their friends etc). I used to buy all my colour transparency film that way for several years (until I moved to another location) saving a touch over 30% on the shop price.  And if you were the marrying kind or a time watcher there was a choice of several large jewellery retailers, including a couple of national chains, who gave Repta members a discount of c.20%

[TheSignalEngineer]

22 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

Is that the REPTA that was recognised by the naming of 47085 as “REPTA 1893-1993”? I always wondered what the name referred to but never bothered to try and find out.

Originally the "Railway Employees Priviledge Ticket Association" now known as the Railway Employees and Public Transport Association.

Reciprocal travel concessions were started by the GER in 1890. REPTA was formed in 1893 to co-ordinate arrangements between companies.

 

https://www.repta.co.uk/

[eastglosmog]

The remains of a bridge over the East Gloucestershire Railway at Alvescot.  The bridge structure and the hump in the road remains, although infilled some 10-15 years ago.  The fill settled a bit, though, and voids had to be infilled with foam concrete last May - hence the new patch of tarmac.

[PhilJ W]

160 year old girders still in use.

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the-unexpected-heritage-of-london-bridge-stations-iron-girders-59688/?utm

Edited January 8, 2023 by PhilJ W

[rockershovel]

51 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

160 year old girders still in use.

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the-unexpected-heritage-of-london-bridge-stations-iron-girders-59688/?utm

I don't believe any part of it is visible to the public, but the old running tunnels of the City and South London Railway - one of the first "deep tube" railways are still in use as part of the piston duct system at London Bridge Station - they connect to the Northern Line platforms through gratings in the Crown of the station tunnels. 

[PhilJ W]

The Tower Subway (opened 1870) is still in use for carrying telecoms cables. Originally it had a 2' 6" gauge cable hauled carriage but after only a year of operation it was converted to a pedestrian tunnel.

[The Stationmaster]

I'm not sure if we've had this one before but this is on the IDR (Inner Distribution Road) in Reading where one of the road signs is somewhat outdated.

 

[ess1uk]

Tiverton Junction

Wiland

 

[woodenhead]

On 02/01/2023 at 08:55, Ray M said:

Out on the motorbike in 2010

i took this pic.

i`ll let you guess where it his.

But i used to love looking through these gates in the late 60s- 80s.

Didn't make it......

[melmerby]

On 02/01/2023 at 12:16, rockershovel said:

No pics of this (it's a difficult spot to get pictures) but a crossover from the Peterborough North thread, the small group of pre-grouping buildings at Mayor's Walk E of Spital Bridge which are still in use by Network Rail, or whatever they are now called..

These presumably:

 

Edited January 17, 2023 by melmerby

[eastwestdivide]

Lived in Rotherham for years, but only just noticed this ghost bridge showing up on the Midland Road bridge at the old Masborough station, from rebuilding with different stone . The pinkish "Rotherham Red" stone is predominantly on the right over the "Old Road" lines, and the yellower stone on top of it and to the left is over the lines "round the corner" via Sheffield:

 

[D6150]

Hopefully the right place for this...

 

Here's the former goods shed at Keith Station earlier on today (sunny but freezing!). It looks like it hasn't been touched in years, with various bits of machinery still inside. 

 

The track in the foreground is what's left of the line to Dufftown and Speyside. There is a buffer stop just behind me, and then a gap of around a mile before the track starts again at Keith Town (now part of the K&DRA). Some of the late-BR era signage is still in place just where the track was lifted, and I will try and get some photos another time.

 

Thanks 

 

Ken 

[rockershovel]

On 08/01/2023 at 09:47, PhilJ W said:

The Tower Subway (opened 1870) is still in use for carrying telecoms cables. Originally it had a 2' 6" gauge cable hauled carriage but after only a year of operation it was converted to a pedestrian tunnel.

I was involved in the tunneling work sinking and connecting the new shaft on the S side, at Tooley St. J Murphy & Sons were the contractor. 

[rockershovel]

Another tricky spot where you don't stop to mess about with a camera, but the former line crossing the A47 on the Wisbech bypass still has a rather crooked 2 aspect signal in place on one side 

[melmerby]

If you look on google maps there was one the other side until 2017.

 

When did the line close? In 2008 it still looked OK.

[Wickham Green too]

11 hours ago, rockershovel said:

I was involved in the tunneling work ...

In 1870 ? 🙄

[keefer]

12 hours ago, rockershovel said:

Another tricky spot where you don't stop to mess about with a camera, but the former line crossing the A47 on the Wisbech bypass still has a rather crooked 2 aspect signal in place on one side

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/q1oNmykYpWShzxCE7
 

Edited January 21, 2023 by keefer

[rockershovel]

59 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

In 1870 ? 🙄

No, in about 1989. The original access shaft at Tooley St formed an obstruction to the development of the site, and needed a connection to the cable terminal building.

 

A shaft was sunk about 20m away and a tunnel driven to connect with the existing shaft, which was cleared and following the connection work, concreted up above the new chamber.

 

There are also water mains in the original tunnel, which was sold to London Hydraulic Power Company - a "ghost in the machine" if ever there was one!

Edited January 21, 2023 by rockershovel

[ess1uk]

On 17/01/2023 at 16:24, melmerby said:

These presumably:

 

Looks like these may disappear soon

[rockershovel]

10 hours ago, ess1uk said:

Looks like these may disappear soon

Hard to say. I have ceased to pay attention to the ever-changing plans for the town centre. Most of Queensgate is now closed and boarded, few of the pubs remain, the cinema and associated development appear to have been abandoned and turned to some sort of ad-hoc use.

 

Parking is freely available at any time (unknown before) and Bourges Boulevard, though defaced by a central divider of rusty scrap metal now has its long-necessary t-junctions restored (it is now possible to turn right out of the Station again, and at Morrisons)

 

Frankly I suspect that the Great Northern Hotel is rapidly approaching "ghost in the machine" status. It remains a popular wedding venue but why anyone would stay there is hard to imagine 

Edited January 22, 2023 by rockershovel

[eastwestdivide]

Chesterfield station yesterday, ghost paint from 4 colour schemes ago. Or to be more accurate, paint giving up the ghost!

On the trains, Midland Mainline "teal" as seen here was followed by a blue/white/silver-grey period, Stagecoach stripy red/white/orange/blue, and now the latest "aubergine".

Interesting article on the 1996 teal scheme here:

https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2016/11/02/mainlining-style-midland-mainline-visual-identity-1996-2004/

 

[jamie92208]

I found a set of negatives in the shed a couple of days ago.  At the bottom of a box from when we moved to France 5 years ago.   I scanned them yesterday and this popped out.  It was taken at Spring Bank Holiday in 1999 whilst we were on a canal holiday with a boat full of teenage kids and their friends.  Not far south of Rugby this was in a field to the west of the canal.   Many years since it last signalled a train on the GC main line.   I've no idea if it's still there.

 

Jamie