"Just been painted - must be closing"

[Guest Phil]

I was browsing Gerald Robinson's fantastic Flickr site and came across an image apparently taken on 18th July 1964, of 6911 "Holker Hall" departing Rugby Central on the 10.34am Bournemouth West-Bradford train. A lovely 1960s monochrome image, full of character, but it doesn't look right !!!

 

There are four tracks through the station with that very typical Great Central island platform in the middle, and the also typical very slighty reverse curve to squeeze just a few more inches of platform in between the Up and the Down. What stands out is that three of the four tracks are flat bottom rail with modern fixings, and the platform surface looks fairly new, oh and the loco has just passed what appears to be at least a two aspect, if not three aspect colour light signal.

 

It appears that a considerable amount of money was spent on the track and the platforms in the early 1960s, just a few years prior to closure, and probably only one of thousands similarly treated in that era.

 

Here is the link to the picture

 

http://farm9.staticf...efe02b567_b.jpg

 

EDIT

 

This thread has subsequently revealed that the caption for the photograph is wrong, and rather than being a line slated for closure, it is actually the Great Western Main Line which was very much being renewed with top quality track.

[Guest Phil]

Just noticed something else in that image. In the "four foot" of the other track that surely isn't a GWR/BR(WR) ATC ramp is it ? I cannot imagine iot is at that location, but what do you reckon ?

[Merfyn Jones]

Just noticed something else in that image. In the "four foot" of the other track that surely isn't a GWR/BR(WR) ATC ramp is it ? I cannot imagine iot is at that location, but what do you reckon ?

 

I would doubt it. May just be an odd spare length of rail.

Merf.

[The Stationmaster]

I was browsing Gerald Robinson's fantastic Flickr site and came across an image taken on 18th July 1964, of 6911 "Holker Hall" departing Rugby Central on the 10.34am Bournemouth West-Bradford train. A lovely 1960s monochrome image, full of character, but it doesn't look right !!!

 

There are four tracks through the station with that very typical Great Central island platform in the middle, and the also typical very slighty reverse curve to squeeze just a few more inches of platform in between the Up and the Down. What stands out is that three of the four tracks are flat bottom rail with modern fixings, and the platform surface looks fairly new, oh and the loco has just passed what appears to be at least a two aspect, if not three aspect colour light signal.

 

It appears that a considerable amount of money was spent on the track and the platforms in the early 1960s, just a few years prior to closure, and probably only one of thousands similarly treated in that era.

 

Here is the link to the picture

 

http://farm9.staticf...efe02b567_b.jpg

 

Looks like a slight major c*ck up on the captioning front as that train is very clearly on the Up Main Line passing Iver (Bucks), on the GWML between West Drayton and Slough. The train is passing a 4 aspect signal which dates the picture as post January 1963.

 

I see the train has side destination boards which suggests that itf it was still a booked steam working it is probably a Worcester train.

[Rugd1022]

A lovely shot that - some very tidy P/Way too, ripe for accelerating the Bristol and West Of England line timetables of the period. As Mike says it's post January '63 with the newly installed colour light signal and if the loco is 6911 Holker Hall which was withdrawn in '65, then going by the lack of leaves on the trees and 6911's general condition along with it's ''Oxford Shed touch up paintwork'', I'd say it was taken in late '64 / early '65.

[mjcampbell]

Just noticed something else in that image. In the "four foot" of the other track that surely isn't a GWR/BR(WR) ATC ramp is it ? I cannot imagine iot is at that location, but what do you reckon ?

 

That line has concrete sleepers, and probably has continuous-welded rail, so it could be an expansion joint. What you can see might be a beam (old rail) attached to the sleepers through the joint to stop them moving. You can buy one from PECO!

[Guest Phil]

Looks like a slight major c*ck up on the captioning front as that train is very clearly on the Up Main Line passing Iver (Bucks), on the GWML between West Drayton and Slough. The train is passing a 4 aspect signal which dates the picture as post January 1963.

 

I see the train has side destination boards which suggests that itf it was still a booked steam working it is probably a Worcester train.

 

Well there ya go.

As I said in my opening thread - something isn't quite right !!!!!! It was far from right.

 

Thanks Mike

Does anyone know Gerald ?

[The Stationmaster]

That line has concrete sleepers, and probably has continuous-welded rail, so it could be an expansion joint. What you can see might be a beam (old rail) attached to the sleepers through the joint to stop them moving. You can buy one from PECO!

It's an ATC ramp - the signal it applies to is just out of sight at the far end (of course) of the platform. If It was a breather switch it would be much shorter and include two parallel pieces of flat bottom rail. If you look carefully you can also see the ramp in the Up Relief - by the far end ramp just this side of the barrow crossing.

[Poggy1165]

I remember Belle Vue Station being painted because Princess Margaret was to get off there on her way to somewhere. It was the talk of Gorton for weeks. I think the previous paint job had been authorised by Sir Sam Fay.

 

Photographs prove that Southport (Lord Street) had its platforms extended and new signals erected only a short time before it closed completely. Planning ahead obviously was not a strong suit in 1951.

[RANGERS]

An accountant employed in a nationalised industry once told me the worst thing that could happen to a site was for someone to decide to spend some money on it! The cost of any improvements were usually written off over a single accounting period and hence showed an often massive cost increase against virtually no increase in revenue. The resulting sudden and dramatic deficit would give an excuse for closure or at least massive cost cutting.

[Fay Singpoint]

I'd say it was taken in late '64 / early '65.

 

I think the photo pre-dates October 1963, which is when Slough PSB was commissioned, as the signals don't appear to have any cables connected to them.

[The Stationmaster]

I think the photo pre-dates October 1963, which is when Slough PSB was commissioned, as the signals don't appear to have any cables connected to them.

If you look very carefully at the one on the Up Relief there does appear to be something going over the edge of the concrete nearest camera. Note also the ATC ramps in position on the Reliefs - they were very rarely put in before commissioning in those days.

[TheSignalEngineer]

I think the photo pre-dates October 1963, which is when Slough PSB was commissioned, as the signals don't appear to have any cables connected to them.

Not a good idea to put ATC ramps in place prior to commissioning the signals, upsets the drivers somewhat.

 

Also I didn't think waistline destination boards came in until about the time of the XP64 train

[Fay Singpoint]

If you look very carefully at the one on the Up Relief there does appear to be something going over the edge of the concrete nearest camera.

 

The signalling locations are to the right of the Up Relief signal (off picture). It actually appears that the cables are buried which now puts us post October 1963...

 

Note also the ATC ramps in position on the Reliefs - they were very rarely put in before commissioning in those days.

 

As mentioned, installing ATC ramps before they were commissioned would give drivers a bit a stir.

[Rugd1022]

Regards to the date of the photo - my main reason for going with the later date is the presenceof the white paint on the Hall's smokebox door straps and buffer heads, this was carried out by one of Oxford Shed's fitters (in his own time with his own paint!) during the period when many remaining locos were in a woeful condition right at the end of WR steam. Oxford was for all intents the last outpost in this respect!

[jjnewitt]

I don't think the loco in the photo is 6911. I did a quick websearch and in all the photos I've came across of 6911 she had a Collett tender rather than a Hawksworth one. I'd have put the photo before late 64/65 as the loco in the picture still has her nameplates.

[Barry O]

They painted our village station (Horden, County Durham) for a visit by the Queen (she went to inspect the new town of Peterlee.

 

Then that nice Dr Beeching shut it.....

[sn]

I think I am right in saying that almost all of the Ruabon - Barmouth route was relaid a year before closure