East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line

[Trog]

Often seems to be change for changes sake.

 

At Willesden the Low Level Goods become passenger lines and were renamed as the Reliefs, what would have been wrong with calling them the Low Level lines. Because that is what they are not Western Region Slow Lines, and every one knew where and what they were.

 

At Bletchley the Up and Dn Cambridge suddenly became the Up and Dn Marston, why? We all knew that they did not go to Cambridge any more. But changing the name is just an invitation for confusion.

[Nearholmer]

Some years ago an edict was issued by somebody with a very impressive job-title that, henceforth, no more power supply locations (substations, TPHs, TSCs etc) were to be named after the nearest pub, as it gave 'the wrong impression'.

 

I'm not sure how many are actually so named, but "Jolly Farmer" has a suspiciously pub-like ring to it.

[Pannier Tank]

53 minutes ago, Trog said:

 

 

Probably not the S&T seem to enjoy dreaming up un-necessary new names for things often with a Western Region taint.

 

 

Well they moved Swanbourne Siding(s) to Bletchley, so maybe Claydon LNE will become Verney Junction !

[Trog]

One of the perks of my job was that I got to assign names to track relaying jobs, I made it a rule not to have two jobs in the same year with the same name, to reduce the risk of confusion. This was not usually a problem but occasionally a cluster of jobs would require a bit of creativity. I got no end of stick for North Wembley North and North Wembley South.

 

Another confusing thing about working on the Western was the east and west business, because after 35 years of working on the LNWR mainline I was deeply programmed to believe that Penzance was 300 miles north of Paddington. So I put a Somewhere South job in the Western programme for a job to the east of one of the stations.

[Davexoc]

5 hours ago, lmsforever said:

There is a daily train to Calvert tip via Aylesbury usualy am  

 

There can be three per day, an overnight one returning south am, then a DB and a GBRF.

 

39 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

If you're going to do it proper Western style it would have to be 'Calvert Junction' as the absolute minimum but preferably something like 'Aylesbury Vale Parkway Junction'.  'Shepherd's Furze Junction' would give it a distinctly GNR flavour and would undoubtedly cause even more questions to be asked but if the GNR/LNER could name a junction after a field (Joan Croft Junction) I see nothing wrong with naming it after the nearest farm.   Mind you when the GWR adopted that sort of approach they often as not spelt the name wrongly so it would be something like 'Shepherds Firs Junction'.

 

Always good fun naming junctions - my biggest contribution to the art was naming 'Portbury Terminal Junction' at Avonmouth - which happens to be on the opposite side of the river from Portbury

 

They can use several different ones, as there will be a few there giving access to and from the HS2 infrastructure yard as well.

I reckon Shepherd's Furze for the EWR - Aylesbury link, as that is what the new junction will be sitting on.

[Zomboid]

12 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Some years ago an edict was issued by somebody with a very impressive job-title that, henceforth, no more power supply locations (substations, TPHs, TSCs etc) were to be named after the nearest pub, as it gave 'the wrong impression'.

 

I'm not sure how many are actually so named, but "Jolly Farmer" has a suspiciously pub-like ring to it.

I always liked that one, and there is (or was) a Jolly Farmer pub in the Frimley area.

I couldn't name them all, but none of the others I can think of have pub like names. I like 'Cow Green TSC' on the Norwich line though

[Nearholmer]

Withy Bed is my favourite, not a pub, but so wonderfully redolent of a time before railways, let alone electrified ones.

[corneliuslundie]

It gets a bit difficult if the junction is at Elephant & Castle or Bat and Ball! Berney Arms Junction anyone? A pity Three Cocks is no more.

Jonathan

[Nearholmer]

Of junction names, I like Bo Peep best, and that is named after a pub.

 

I think Elephant & Castle is too, the Infanta di Castilla.

 

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Nearholmer

[melmerby]

46 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Of junction names, I like Bo Peep best, and that is named after a pub.

 

I think Elephant & Castle is too, the Infanta di Castilla.

 

 

"The inn's name is sometimes explained as an English corruption of "La Infanta de Castilla", a reference to a Spanish princess with an English connection, such as Eleanor of Castile or Katherine of Aragon (who before her marriage was la ynfante doña Catalina de Castille y Aragon, "infanta of Castile and Aragon"), or perhaps the 17th century Maria Anna of Spain, unsuccessfully pursued as a bride by Charles I. This is considered an improbable etymology."

 

"Previously the site was occupied by a blacksmith and cutler – the crest of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers features an elephant with a castle (representing a howdah) on its back, which in turn was used because of the use of elephant ivory in handles; this association with the Worshipful Company of Cutlers is considered a far more likely explanation for the name"

Edited March 23, 2020 by melmerby

[corneliuslundie]

I stand corrected. I had always assumed it was named after a coaching inn.

Better than being named after a graveyard (Quakers Yard).

Jonathan

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, corneliuslundie said:

I stand corrected. I had always assumed it was named after a coaching inn.

Better than being named after a graveyard (Quakers Yard).

Jonathan

The full description (wiki admittedly but I don't see why it would be wrong) is that the coaching inn was the first to use the name and it has been "passed on" to become a district name.

[The Stationmaster]

13 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

You sir, are a road learner's nightmare...! 

 

Now you young Nidge should be more than aware that things which sound or look a bit different will always stick in the mind when learning the road    So for instance one of my Drivers at Westbury trying to remember a suitable braking point approaching Basingstoke from the Salisbury direction wrote very carefully in his notebook 'yellow digger in field, mark for braking for  ......'.  It took him a long time to live down that one with his colleagues.

[Zomboid]

14 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Of junction names, I like Bo Peep best, and that is named after a pub.

Bopeep is a substation too of course.

I like Junction Road Junction. And Stoats Nest. There's so many around that there's plenty of fun ones.

[highpeakman]

I recently posted a couple of old photos of Stewartby and Millbrook taken in the 70s and 80s.

I have finally managed to locate a few more.

The one of Stewartby is taken from a similar angle to my previous picture but a few years different in time I think. The others show the work when the "new" St Johns was put in place.

 

Hope they are of interest.

 

Looking from just above the new St Johns over the chord to the Bletchley Line. The old St Johns was to the left and, in the left distance, is the bridge that went over the old original Midland line, through Shefford, to Hitchin.

 

 

Old St Johns Station. Looking at Google Satellite view, the old trackbed is still not built on. Is that still true?

 

Stewartby

 

Stewartby Level Crossing Frame

 

Edit: Added some titles to photos.

Edited March 27, 2020 by highpeakman

[highpeakman]

Bedford Steam Shed

Not sure if it is strictly within the remit of this thread but while searching for the other photos I found these taken about the same period (70/80s).

 

The building still appears on Google (both satellite and street view) but surely must have been redeveloped by now? It looks like some work is happening on the site on street view and I guess that is a few years ago now.

[stewartingram]

I remember going to the centenary event at Bedford, was it 1968? When we arrived- by car, we walked to the old goods yard where it was being held, from the direction of Midland station. The entrance was by the railway bridge; the site would be where the present St.Johns station is However the event entrance was set up at the (old) St.Johns station end- we got in free! I saw my first class 50 there, D444 (was that specially chosen?). Such an ugly loco in the drab plain blue with the ends dipped in custard - I hate those locos!

[rodent279]

The old steam shed was certainly still there when we left Bedford in 2006.

[Rugd1022]

It's still there, albeit surrounded by weeds and shrubbery. The whole area around the shed is now a Network Rail compound.

 

Great pics by the way highpeakman, keep 'em coming!

Edited March 27, 2020 by Rugd1022

[highpeakman]

12 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

Great pics by the way highpeakman, keep 'em coming!

 

Unfortunately I think that is most of what I have of the Bedford to Bletchley line (I do have some of the Midland Main Line near Ampthill tunnel but they are not really for this thread I think). I do have some of EMUs and HSTs around the time Bedford Station was rebuilt but, again, am not sure if it fits with this thread.

I am currently slowly working my way through, what seems like thousands, of old negatives to see what else turns up. I accept that I was a poor photographer but, even then and in common with many others I guess, I am kicking myself for not taking many more shots of the "scenes" that were around then. Why is it that we all seem to think that things won't change much in future? Of course, again in common with many others, there was a cost associated with taking lots of pics then unlike now.

 

Just one shot of the "New" Bedford Station and new EMUs.

 

[highpeakman]

The resignalling of this line has been mentioned earlier.

 

I took a few shots of Woburn Sands while this work was taking place but had not been completed. I guess the box didn't have a much longer life judging by it's condition.

[melmerby]

4 hours ago, highpeakman said:

Bedford Steam Shed

Not sure if it is strictly within the remit of this thread but while searching for the other photos I found these taken about the same period (70/80s).

 

The building still appears on Google (both satellite and street view) but surely must have been redeveloped by now? It looks like some work is happening on the site on street view and I guess that is a few years ago now.

 

 

The lean-to's are gone but the basic rectangle was still there in may 2019:

https://goo.gl/maps/AiyaLqg8LwdzjfEv7

 

And roofless (2009):

https://goo.gl/maps/FU9V8RprKsonXkdG7

Edited March 27, 2020 by melmerby

[31A]

6 hours ago, stewartingram said:

I remember going to the centenary event at Bedford, was it 1968? When we arrived- by car, we walked to the old goods yard where it was being held, from the direction of Midland station. The entrance was by the railway bridge; the site would be where the present St.Johns station is However the event entrance was set up at the (old) St.Johns station end- we got in free! I saw my first class 50 there, D444 (was that specially chosen?). Such an ugly loco in the drab plain blue with the ends dipped in custard - I hate those locos!

 

I went to that as well, yes I think it was 1968.  I've got the booklet somewhere.  The preserved Met No. 1 0-4-4T was there as well, I seem to recall.  D444 was the first 50 I'd seen too, and I've never been a fan either!

[lmsforever]

The area around Bedford St Johns was always a rather scruffy one quite a few years ago and some dererlict rail lines were still present.I found St Johns to be an interesting station to visit as was Woburn Sands an interesting station building.

[Trog]

9 hours ago, highpeakman said:

 

 

 

If the radius of that curve was tighter by 1m it would need to be fitted with a check rail. It was deliberately designed as a 201m radius to avoid that. Not using F19 sleepers would also have been a good idea, as most of them had to be changed as the longer bogie wheel base locos tended to break the clip housings off the sleepers.