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Track laying in the 50's


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What is it doing on YouTube? It comes from one of the DVDs of British Transport Films issued by the British Film Institute. There are nine of them and they come either singly or in a box set.

 

Chris

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What is it doing on YouTube? It comes from one of the DVDs of British Transport Films issued by the British Film Institute. There are nine of them and they come either singly or in a box set.

Many of them are on YouTube, although how many sales that has actually lost is another matter. I haven't watched this one in some years, but always found the brass band soundtrack a lot less sympa than the film and the narrator, which are first rate.

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Makes me feel old, as I can remember doing pre-fab surveys much like that in my younger days. Measuring the lead on the inside rail of the curves and putting in short 59'-7" rails (FB) when the lead got to 20 eighths. Happy days....

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And nice to see the Golden Valley back in the days of the 'old' railway.

I recognised that 99% for that location before reading your post here, Mike!

 

And where was the Pre-Assembly Depot? The surrounding landscape reminded me of Taunton Fairwater....

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I recognised that 99% for that location before reading your post here, Mike!

 

And where was the Pre-Assembly Depot? The surrounding landscape reminded me of Taunton Fairwater....

I'm not so sure about the PAD Cap'n - I don't think it's Fairwater (which didn't open until 1960) http://www.abrail.co.uk/Images/Fairwater%20Yard%20Map.gif http://www.abrail.co.uk/Images/Fairwater%20Yard2.jpg and it definitely isn't Radyr or Theale. However when the train departs the site at the end it is heading towards Gloucester so it could be going to Newland PAD - which seems to have been the earliest 'modern' PAD on the WR having opened in 1954, which in turn fits rather nicely with the date of the film http://www.abrail.co.uk/Images/Newland%20PAD%20Map.jpg

Dates sourced from the Abrail site - which seems fairly accurate on the bits I do know so I'm trusting it on the bits I don't know.

 

For the unitiated the station platform which appears in some shots (without one opposite it) is most likely Brimscombe Bridge Halt although I can't be absolutely positive with that ID. The final shot which shows the train departing with a siding in the background and a crossover and signals etc is definitely Brimscombe and that shot looks to have been filmed from Brimscombe West 'box. I presume that the relaying took place between Brimscombe and Brimscombe Bridge Halt.

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I'm not so sure about the PAD Cap'n - I don't think it's Fairwater (which didn't open until 1960) http://www.abrail.co...er Yard Map.gif http://www.abrail.co...water Yard2.jpg and it definitely isn't Radyr or Theale. However when the train departs the site at the end it is heading towards Gloucester so it could be going to Newland PAD - which seems to have been the earliest 'modern' PAD on the WR having opened in 1954, which in turn fits rather nicely with the date of the film

 

I also thought the PAD might be Newland, although I did not know the opening dates of the PADs (thanks Mike)

 

Here is a poor picture I took at Newland when I went along with my dad who was making an official visit,

it is at the Worcester end of the yard, the end the camera was pointing during the filming, do the poles match up?

 

post-7081-0-38977200-1338729070.jpg

PWM 654 receives attention at Newland 27/3/79.

 

cheers

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I'm not so sure about the PAD Cap'n - I don't think it's Fairwater (which didn't open until 1960) http://www.abrail.co...er Yard Map.gif http://www.abrail.co...water Yard2.jpg and it definitely isn't Radyr or Theale. However when the train departs the site at the end it is heading towards Gloucester so it could be going to Newland PAD - which seems to have been the earliest 'modern' PAD on the WR having opened in 1954, which in turn fits rather nicely with the date of the film http://www.abrail.co...and PAD Map.jpg

Dates sourced from the Abrail site - which seems fairly accurate on the bits I do know so I'm trusting it on the bits I don't know.

 

For the unitiated the station platform which appears in some shots (without one opposite it) is most likely Brimscombe Bridge Halt although I can't be absolutely positive with that ID. The final shot which shows the train departing with a siding in the background and a crossover and signals etc is definitely Brimscombe and that shot looks to have been filmed from Brimscombe West 'box. I presume that the relaying took place between Brimscombe and Brimscombe Bridge Halt.

I was only clutching at straws re Fairwater, Mike, but you could be right about Newland. Incredible to think that there was so much there, when you visit today...

 

You were right about Brimscombe Bridge Halt, however, as a photo in 'Great Western Halts, Vol.1' (Irwell Press) confirms this.

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