Tor Giffard's railway piccys

[Eggesford box]

Sheer class, lovely photos.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

A particularly good days weather forecast for Ayrshire in June 1988, contrasting with a rather poor one for the rest of the country led to a lengthy car journey from the Staffordshire Moorlands to the North of Dumfries for the day. Calling in at Carlisle station to check what was on the first loco hauled via the G&SW revealed 37012 SF at the helm. A fast car move to the scenery followed and at 06.49 the de-named No 12 motored past us at Kirkpatrick....thank goodness for a bright morning and some light levels

 

 

 

In the early evening the area around Bathampton offered various picture opportunities for the Bristol - Portsmouth services. Here 33005 EH has taken the Westbury route at the junction and is heading for Freshford and Bradford-on-Avon, May 1986. 

 

 

In February 1987 class 20s and 47s were the regular Mon - Sat traction for the Northwich hoppers. Pairs of class 37s tended to be used on Sundays as there was no banker turn at Peak Forest to assist on the climb out of the quarry. Sundays around this time often included diversions via Buxton & Stockport (rev) due to the building of the Hazel Grove chord. Here 37238 & 047 have just passed through the shortest tunnel on BR...Peak Forest at 29yds and are rounding what was the shortest leg of a triangle until the mid 60s, when the Midland route to Derby via Bakewell closed. They face a stiff climb to Buxton URS before reversing into the station to gain access to the former LNWR (the Wessie) route to Stockport and doing battle with a second climb...to Bibbingtons summit near Dove Holes.

 

 

The reversing of the train into Buxton station from the Up Reception Sidings (left) allowed time to overtake it again. Here the pair raise the echos around Buxton as notch 7 is applied for the climb to Bibbingtons summit. Note Solomon's temple on the horizon to the left of the train

 

 

Dave

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

....and there were the days when there were no clouds to cover the sun, no other trains booked...to get in the way, the train that you had gone to see actually turned up....but on the wrong track and potentially spoiling the composition. Here 50007 and D400 are seen at Sherbourne in May 1992 marking the end of loco hauled services on the Exeter - Waterloo route, however, the reversible running section at Sherbourne has obviously been used for their passage. 

 

 

 

Another day when the weather failed to deliver...initially. The weedkilling workings were shown in the STN's (Special Traffic Notices) of the time and the Bristol - Weymouth leg via Westbury seemed like a snip for rare traction on a scenic route, given the sunny forecast for the Bath area. However, when it passed me at the Dundas aqueduct (not far from Bath) I was struggling for a light reading due to thick cloud. Not one for giving up on the first attempt I recalled the number of times that I'd watched cloud form over Bincombe hill near Weymouth and spread inland but Weymouth town remained in the sun. A fast car move to Bincombe hill and the desired result was 'in the can'....here 20904 & 901 climb away from Dorchester towards Weymouth. April 1989. 

 

 

August 1984 was yet another month that year with plenty of long sunny days. This is the spot west of Northwich where the Weaver navigation passes beneath the former CLC route towards Hartford and Chester. 40150 KD is on engineers duties....working a crane and mess coach over the viaduct in the Hartford/WCML direction. This was probably the last picture that day though as a learner driver pulled out in front of me and knocked me off my motorbike.

 

Dave