The human side of the railway...

[John M Upton]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

It is indeed a circle, click on the photograph and a + sign should come up. Hover that over the point you wish to examine and click.

PS The locomotive number appears to be 2835 or 2836.

 

I have just taken a look at the original full size scan (I reduced it for posting here) and it is almost certainly 2836.  Not bad for a Box Brownie!!!

[Mike 84C]

The man is a guard, look at the large leather shoulder bag and the lamp he is carrying ,he is wearing a dark serge cloth uniform, locomen had a serge jacket and overalls which washed to a pale colour.

. lamps stayed with the loco from start to finish of trip. And I think you can just see a crewmans head in the cab over the top of the tender. Good to see a clean 28 a really excellent freight loco. I hope the rest of the photos are as good, please keep posting. 

[The Stationmaster]

On 12/03/2022 at 23:24, John M Upton said:

From my Father in Law's old Box Brownie photos which I recently had the pleasure of sorting through and managing to get new prints from those original negatives we could still locate, this being about the only human interest shot.  The driver heads across to his (I believe) 28xx 2-8-0 with all the familiar kit of the period, the loco waits with a recently ex works 15ton mineral as the first vehicle.  Location unknow but might be Gloucester area?

 

The location is indeed Gloucester - east end of Central (former GWR) station

[Southof1E top tmd]

After working the final East Croydon- M.Keynes Southern service (the 1710 ex East Croydon) the Selhurst based train crew pose by the traction 377214 and 377201 on May 14th 2022 prior to working the 1913 ex m.Keynes back to East Croydon. Unfortunately the servic eis being cut back to and from Watford Jn from the timetable change tomorrow

 

progress???

 

 

[4630]

An exchange of tokens at Corfe Castle on 5th May 2022 as 37067 draws into the station with the last train of the day from Norden.

[Trev52A]

The crew of 80002 ready for the 'off' at Keighley in August 1999

 

Trevor

[Blackthorn]

The driver of pannier tank 7752 takes a rest.

 

I think I took this in 1991. It was at the Avon Valley Railway at Bitton, Bristol, on a trip home. 

[Rugd1022]

''It's a family affair....'', my younger brother Mick running round a trip job at Nuneaton in the early '90s - the 31 is probably long gone but then so is my brother's hair....!

 

 

 

[Oldddudders]

On 14/05/2022 at 21:00, Southof1E top tmd said:

After working the final East Croydon- M.Keynes Southern service (the 1710 ex East Croydon) the Selhurst based train crew pose by the traction 377214 and 377201 on May 14th 2022 prior to working the 1913 ex m.Keynes back to East Croydon. Unfortunately the servic eis being cut back to and from Watford Jn from the timetable change tomorrow

 

progress???

Presumably a service that might be resurrected after HS2 takes the heat off the southern end of WCML? 

[Davexoc]

5 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Presumably a service that might be resurrected after HS2 takes the heat off the southern end of WCML? 

 

Depends what happens with the EWRA services when they start up, as they will take up some capacity at MKC.

If they ever electrify the line, and build on to Cambridge, how about Croydon to Cambridge, via Bletchley and Bedford?

[Mike Storey]

19 hours ago, Davexoc said:

 

Depends what happens with the EWRA services when they start up, as they will take up some capacity at MKC.

If they ever electrify the line, and build on to Cambridge, how about Croydon to Cambridge, via Bletchley and Bedford?

 

Is that to improve track utilisation perhaps? Because it does not make sense otherwise! Thameslink is far faster for the end-to-end journey.

 

[Oldddudders]

7 minutes ago, Mike Storey said:

 

Is that to improve track utilisation perhaps? Because it does not make sense otherwise! Thameslink is far faster for the end-to-end journey.

 

I am thoroughly ignorant about EWR proposed WTTs and frequencies, but assume they will not initially exceed hourly each way. So MKC will indeed require some degree of careful programming for bounce-backs. But if that proves difficult, maybe the Croydons could run on to Northampton and back? Or am I talking Cobblers?

[Mike Storey]

5 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I am thoroughly ignorant about EWR proposed WTTs and frequencies, but assume they will not initially exceed hourly each way. So MKC will indeed require some degree of careful programming for bounce-backs. But if that proves difficult, maybe the Croydons could run on to Northampton and back? Or am I talking Cobblers?

 

Most excellent!! You are on form tonight!

 

 

[Davexoc]

1 hour ago, Mike Storey said:

 

Is that to improve track utilisation perhaps? Because it does not make sense otherwise! Thameslink is far faster for the end-to-end journey.

 

 

I don't think there is anything definite at the moment. Track is going down, slowly towards Winslow, but when you get to Claydon/Calvert, there is a small project called HS2 currently in the way. Oxford - Milton Keynes is fairly obvious, with alternate services perhaps not serving MKC to keep journey time to Bedford down. But I believe extending out to at least Swindon is being considered. And as for Cambridge, I don't think we have a definitive answer on the route yet. Aylesbury should appear in the plan, but there is alot to do around Calvert, which should get reconnected at Quainton so they can feed the waste plant by rail again....

[DY444]

On 15/06/2022 at 17:45, Oldddudders said:

Presumably a service that might be resurrected after HS2 takes the heat off the southern end of WCML? 

 

It was cut back in part to reduce the number of units required for the service and thus assist in back filling the gaps left by getting rid of the 455s.  Another shake up is coming with the intent to get rid of the 313s so I guess the future return of the MK service will in part depend on the size and utilisation of the Southern fleet at the time. 

Edited June 17, 2022 by DY444

[Oldddudders]

2 hours ago, DY444 said:

 

It was cut back in part to reduce the number of units required for the service and thus assist in back filling the gaps left by getting rid of the 455s.  Another shake up is coming with the intent to get rid of the 313s so I guess the future return of the MK service will in part depend on the size and utilisation of the Southern fleet at the time. 

I love the idea that service spec is dictated by stock availability. In NSE days, colleagues tightened diagrams to enable services on newly-electrified routes. Hastings, E Grinstead, Howard's Way all resourced without a single new vehicle. Too difficult in the modern era, apparently. 

[DY444]

2 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I love the idea that service spec is dictated by stock availability. In NSE days, colleagues tightened diagrams to enable services on newly-electrified routes. Hastings, E Grinstead, Howard's Way all resourced without a single new vehicle. Too difficult in the modern era, apparently. 

 

I know what you mean but I think it probably is the case that the service levels deemed to be sufficient for current traffic drove the process to see if the 455s could be dispensed with.  If covid hadn't happened I doubt they would have been withdrawn.  So I suspect it is still the dog wagging the tail just, albeit with some collateral damage such as the MK service and a few peak services which ideally should be longer.  Still plenty of 10 car circuits off peak in the metro area though but I suspect that may change when they start to withdraw the 313s.

[Southof1E top tmd]

A hobby for all ages, the class 09 at Kidderminster SVR station gets some tlc/oiling on June 18th 2022

 

nr

 

www.leightonlists.org

[Rugd1022]

The last Stationmaster at Sheffield Victoria, Mr.Williamson....

 

 

 

[keefer]

Even that sign is evocative of a long-gone age, a separate office just for Telegrams!

[Oldddudders]

Quelling the fearsome buddleia at Newton Abbot last week. 7 or 8 blokes, four vehicles. Stihl kit much in evidence. 

 

[Rugd1022]

Somewhere along the ECML in Hertfordshire - Roger Moore during filming of 'The Saint' in August 1965, the episode is called 'The Contract'....

 

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by Rugd1022

[iands]

44 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

Somewhere along the ECML in Hertfordshire - Roger Moore during filming of 'The Saint' in August 1965, the episode is called 'The Contract'....

 

 

I think the 'somewhere' in the top photo is just south of Hitchin. 

[Not Jeremy]

On Friday I was impressed by this natty guard at Staverton Bridge on the South Devon Railway, smart operation amidst a jolly beer festival on the station.

 

 

Great to see younger people in charge!

 

Simon

 

 

[petethemole]

On 08/08/2022 at 20:14, iands said:

I think the 'somewhere' in the top photo is just south of Hitchin. 

Benslow Lane Bridge; I used to spot there when visiting grandparents in Wymondley Road.  The sidings on the right were part of the Civil Engineer's Depot, a treasure trove of seemingly ancient departmental coaches.  Some were definitely ex-GNR.  There was a footpath at the east side of the sidings that I could get to from my aunt and uncle's house; the oldest coaches seemed to be stored alongside it.