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Class 37 Photos...


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Some more photos around Abergavenny in 1989 but unfortunately, once again I have not put any details on the slide mounts

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No doubt at all at least about this train, 6S55 Burngullow - Irvine, the 'Silver bullet' but with a shorter consist than usual. When they first started running they seemed to make a real effort to keep the tanks clean (steam cleaned at one end of the route or other?) but then they stopped, was it when Imerys took over? Certainly the sobriquet seemed less than fitting, 'Cruddy bullet' may have been more apt!

 

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Probably a Llanwern to Dee Marsh in the up loop at Abergavenny. If the signalman times it right he will pull the board off just as the driver picks up the phone!

 

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Another train of rolled steel coils. I can remember putting one of these trains in the up loop at Abergavenny once. The loop was some way on the approach to the box so all you could see was the front of the engine. The traincrew had to ring to give you tail lamp advice. On this occasion a slightly panicked guard rang in telling me not to let anything pass them. The band around one of the coils had snapped and the stanchion must have dropped out and the coil had started to unwind, foul of the opposite track. A lucky escape for all. We detached the wagon in the yard. Later one of the terminating DMUs ran in, the driver gave me a friendly wave and I pointed to the wagon in the yard. The drivers grin promptly vanished. It did not take much imagination to see what the possible consequences could have been. Incidentally the local per way gang never believed me when I told them the coils where still hot. This day they ended up stood on the wagon spitting on the coils and watching them sizzle! 

 

The wagon that derailed in the earlier photo. I was not there at the time but according to one of the signalman a junior manager had suggested jacking the wagon up and the track being repaired under it by people wearing hard hats. I believe the second word of the reply was 'off'!

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Pre 1986 as the new station building was opened on 3rd January that year and therefore should be visible beyond the bufferstops. I would suggest the date would be 81-85, prior to the large logo 37/0's and 37/4's appearing.

 

Probably quite early 1980s as 112 became one of Eastfield's 'experimental' locos for livery, with a very early version of large logo and white stripe which it clearly doesn't sport here. When in this livery the loco's number was bodyside as opposed cabside as I recall, which even included a period with highland terrier being applied cabside. Quite a celebrity at the time.

 

The oleo buffers and skirts also seem to date the photo to early 80s.

 

Looks like typical Oban weather mind!

 

Dave

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Hi guys,I'm pretty sure it's 86 because we travelled back to Glasgow on it.My son was just a baby and he was born in February 86.It was the only time we travelled by train,after that I had a car.

And yes it always rained in Oban.

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Hi guys,I'm pretty sure it's 86 because we travelled back to Glasgow on it.My son was just a baby and he was born in February 86.It was the only time we travelled by train,after that I had a car.

And yes it always rained in Oban.

 

This one got me thinking, so I've had a trawl through various online sources and I can only conclude that these two photographs must have been taken between summer 1980 (transferred North to Eastfield in June 1980) and summer 1981 as there are photos on Flickr of 37112 in her revised BR Blue/Pre large logo livery (as mentioned by Dave above) in August 1981 and still with bufferbeam skirts. Whilst still in that livery she lost those skirts during Summer 82 prior to repaint back to normal BR blue in 83/84. As can be seen in your photographs, she still sports the bufferbeam skirts.

Records also show 37112 was fitted with a headlight in December 85, was then transferred to Cardiff in Feb 86, at which time it went to (Crewe?) works for conversion into a 37/5 emerging as 37510 in mid 1986.

I'm pretty sure that when the new station building was opened in January 1986 all passenger trains were already in the hands of Eastfield large logo 37/4's, indeed 37 403/404 were named Isle of Mull/Ben Cruachan in Oban that same day.

Could these have been from a previous spotting/bashing trip presumably not long after the 37's had displaced the 27's?

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You had me baffled for a while because I could'nt think of any other occasion when I had travel behind a 37 to Oban.

But the more I thought of it I do remember being up before we were married for a day in 1980,and that day we spent in the old station bar because it was so wet and the photo certainly backs that up.

I bow to your superior knowledge gentlemen,many thanks.

Al.

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You had me baffled for a while because I could'nt think of any other occasion when I had travel behind a 37 to Oban.

But the more I thought of it I do remember being up before we were married for a day in 1980,and that day we spent in the old station bar because it was so wet and the photo certainly backs that up.

I bow to your superior knowledge gentlemen,many thanks.

Al.

 

No worries Al, certainly got the grey matter going about things which are now sadly a distant memory. My watering hole of choice was always the Oban Inn which was adjacent to the North Pier, unfortunately when you ended up having 'one for the road' it was one hell of a run round the harbour to catch the evening Glasgow train crawling out of the station!

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Just to add to my previous post,I was looking at my photos on my blue diesel post.The shots of the 27 at Oban suggest that was the loco we travelled behind that day as the weather is the same in both.That's why I was puzzled because I was certain the 86 journey was the only one behind a 37.

I shall now retire to bed with an aching brain.

Regards Al.

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No worries Al, certainly got the grey matter going about things which are now sadly a distant memory. My watering hole of choice was always the Oban Inn which was adjacent to the North Pier, unfortunately when you ended up having 'one for the road' it was one hell of a run round the harbour to catch the evening Glasgow train crawling out of the station!

 

Good old Oban Inn. Last time I ventured in there was for 55022's 1st visit to Oban, and it was on top form with some beers from Fyne on the go. Ended up in the bar over the road to watch England beat the Aussies in the Rugby World Cup. Cue a quick exit for me & my mate when we cheered at the final whistle following an English win!!! Last time I was in Oban the placed was sadly closed.

 

 

You had me baffled for a while because I could'nt think of any other occasion when I had travel behind a 37 to Oban.

But the more I thought of it I do remember being up before we were married for a day in 1980,and that day we spent in the old station bar because it was so wet and the photo certainly backs that up.

I bow to your superior knowledge gentlemen,many thanks.

Al.

Al,

 

Glad to be of help....don't know about superior knowledge mind, more just happened to spend a lot of time on the WHL in the 80s and something didn't stick as beng right.

 

Dave

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Eggesford Box - thanks for the photos at Pontrilas.

 

Is the siding adjacent to the box the one EWS used for timber traffic to Pontrilas Timber in 'Enterprise' days?

Hi,

yes it is. I had moved to pastures new by then so never saw the traffic only heard mention of it but it is the only siding at Pontrilas.

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A few more shots at Pontrilas

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The hut in the right foreground of the top shot played its part in preventing an accident. The signalman at P ontrilas one night noticed a red glow reflected back from the window of the hut as a freight passed. He sent 'stop and examine' to the next box where it was discovered that one of the wagons had a 'hot box' on the opposite side to the signalbox

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