Dave F's photos - ongoing - more added each day

[beast66606]

C810

 

D215 was seen heading to Chester, this could be the return of whatever that was, the train is certainly running off the Chester line although it would still be named in '72 but I think the plate would be behind the stanchion so difficult to be 100%

[Mallard60022]

Crewe, like so many other places in the early 70s, looked like steam had just moved away briefly and would reappear at any minute.........but didn't.

There were places in Scotland where this was the case in the early 80s, probably due to the use of old steam sheds e.g. Grangemeouth.

Great shots as always D.

[woodenhead]

Ah Manchester to Crewe and return on a 304 - many an adventure started with one of those services via the Styal Loop.  

 

Picture C508 with my train home.

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. I love the photos of Crewe. It looked a little frayed around the edges back in those years. As stated earlier, it was as if steam could return at anytime! We had to wait until 1985 for things to be modernised.

 

Wth warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[lmsforever]

Looks like services to Manchester had to cross the throat to gain the right route not like now ?

[beast66606]

Looks like services to Manchester had to cross the throat to gain the right route not like now ?

 

The resignalling in '85 removed the connections to Manchester from the West of the down main platform

[luckymucklebackit]

That was the Crewe I loved to visit, there seemed to be electric locomotives stabled in every available siding, lots of locomotive changes and lots of variety.  I last visited the station a few years ago and despite the improvements for through train working, the place looked a sad shadow of the place it had been

 

Jim

[DaveF]

Bits and pieces from the West Highland today, but no locomotives.  Some of the photos may be useful to modellers.

 

 

Bridge of Orchy 11th May 85 C6857.

 

 

Bridge of Orchy July 73 J3327

 

 

Gorton approaching from southn 11th May 85 C6860

 

 

Rannoch view south 11th May 85 C6886

 

 

bridge over A82 on narrow gauge line from pier to smelter and betond July 74 J3871

 

 

Fort William Aug 76 J5405

 

 

David

Edited April 13, 2016 by DaveF

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. A good selection of photos of the West Highland line. A pretty stark appearance to Fort William station compared to the old one. The Scottish scenery can never be beaten, and I hope you have many more photos to post from Scotland.

 

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[DavidBird]

J3871 is just about 100 yards from Mallaig Junction, (since RETB radio messages known as Fort William Junction) on the "puggy line", the narrow-gauge line linking the pier at Fort William with the aluminium smelter and then beyond to the hydro-electric scheme intakes (pipes can just be made out on the hillside to the right of the picture) and eventually all the way to Loch Treig.

 

This bridge is long gone, but the embankment off to the left has an unofficial footpath that goes over the bridge that is still in place over the main line, virtually right over the top of the points at Fort William Junction. A good spot to watch the 66s shunting oil tanks in the sidings.

 

The A82 crosses over the railway at almost the furthest point seen in the photo, the gentle rise in the road is for the bridge, not the natural ground level.

Edited April 14, 2016 by DavidBird

[TheSignalEngineer]

Crewe, like so many other places in the early 70s, looked like steam had just moved away briefly and would reappear at any minute.........but didn't.

There were places in Scotland where this was the case in the early 80s, probably due to the use of old steam sheds e.g. Grangemeouth.

Great shots as always D.

That was the problem with electrification and resignalling on the West Coast in the late 1950s / early 1960s. It was still a busy steam railway with unfitted freights, wagonload traffic etc operating throughout the job being done. The existing layout had to be maintained so it just got resignalled and wired  as it was. Took about the next 30 to 40 years to rationalise the layout to fit the changed traffic patterns.

[woodenhead]

That was the Crewe I loved to visit, there seemed to be electric locomotives stabled in every available siding, lots of locomotive changes and lots of variety.  I last visited the station a few years ago and despite the improvements for through train working, the place looked a sad shadow of the place it had been

 

Jim

it was a railway town and without all the changes of traction, the Works and the need for locomotive stabling it really is a shadow of what it was.  I spent an afternoon there once, it was so sedate and quiet.

[DaveF]

J3871 is just about 100 yards from Mallaig Junction, (since RETB radio messages known as Fort William Junction) on the "puggy line", the narrow-gauge line linking the pier at Fort William with the aluminium smelter and then beyond to the hydro-electric scheme intakes (pipes can just be made out on the hillside to the right of the picture) and eventually all the way to Loch Treig.

 

This bridge is long gone, but the embankment off to the left has an unofficial footpath that goes over the bridge that is still in place over the main line, virtually right over the top of the points at Fort William Junction. A good spot to watch the 66s shunting oil tanks in the sidings.

 

The A82 crosses over the railway at almost the furthest point seen in the photo, the gentle rise in the road is for the bridge, not the natural ground level. 

 

Many thanks for the information.  It's one of Dad's photos and although I've visited the place many times I never thought about whether the caption matched the place as I remembered it.

 

Please do continue to add and correct my notes when appropriate.

 

David

Edited April 14, 2016 by DaveF

[DaveF]

Back to Carlisle again for today's photos which are from various visits during 1986.

 

Yet again the weather was dull for much of the time - does the sun shine much in Carlisle?

 

 

Carlisle 27012 down parcels 11th April 86 C7398

 

 

Carlisle 318250 test run 30th July 86 C7713

 

 

Carlisle Class 101and 110 Leeds to Carlisle 30th July 86 C7722

 

 

Carlisle 85014 26th Aug 86 C7947

 

 

Carlisle 40122 D200 Carlisle to Leeds 26th Aug 86 C7950

 

 

David

Edited April 14, 2016 by DaveF

[The Pilotman]

Is that a brace of Vauxhall Vivas I spy in the car park in C7398?

[talisman56]

Is that a brace of Vauxhall Vivas I spy in the car park in C7398?

 

Yes, but what is noticeable from that small corner of the car park, is that there are no 'foreign' cars there at all. All Fords, Vauxhalls and various Leyland marques...

 

EDIT: On second glance, the yellow one second from left in the second row and the half-car on the right of the first row look suspiciously 'foreign', but certainly there is a lack of the BMW/Audi/VW/Japanese/French makes that are the overwhelming staple of today's roads.

Edited April 14, 2016 by talisman56

[Echo]

There is at least 1 Japanese car in the photo. Also the Vauxhall Novas were made in Spain, so not really British. The yellow one you mention is a Talbot Samba, I think.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Echo

[leopardml2341]

C7713 above; didn't realise that second generation emus carried regional prefix letters, or is it just that I forgot?

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. Excellent photos of Carlisle. The class 111 DMU in C7722 is one of two car sets to have one engine removed from each of the power cars.

 

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[phixer64]

Hiya Dave, excellent photos of Carlisle, liked the pic of the roarer.

 

Regards Jeff

[DavidBird]

Yes, but what is noticeable from that small corner of the car park, is that there are no 'foreign' cars there at all. All Fords, Vauxhalls and various Leyland marques...

 

EDIT: On second glance, the yellow one second from left in the second row and the half-car on the right of the first row look suspiciously 'foreign', but certainly there is a lack of the BMW/Audi/VW/Japanese/French makes that are the overwhelming staple of today's roads.

 

And at least three Minis...

Edited April 14, 2016 by DavidBird

[ben pez]

Great photos as always dave

 

As already been said,at the time you will have been taking a shot of the loco at carlisle,without giving the cars in the carpark a second thought...and now they suddenly become an intrest years later!

 

Mk1 & mk3 escorts,a rover sd1,mk1 xr fiesta,novas etc parked up.

 

Brilliant stuff.

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[Mark Forrest]

...mk1 xr fiesta...

I think the Fiesta is a SuperSport rather than an XR2.

[DaveF]

Back to Scotland today, this time on the Oban line.  Once again most of the photos are of the line rather than just trains.

 

 

Crianlarich Lower view east 29th March 89 C11803

 

 

Pass of Brander stone signals 11th Oct 86 C8070  Corrected to say stone signals not avalanche signals.

 

 

Glen Cruiton crossing 11th Oct 86 C8095

 

 

Connel Ferry oil terminal 11th Oct 86 C8075

 

 

Oban 11th Oct 86 C8088

 

 

Oban 15th Aug 76 C2982

 

 

David

Edited April 15, 2016 by DaveF

[LMS2968]

Yes, that's how I remember Oban. Went there just over a year latter for our honeymoon!

Edited April 15, 2016 by LMS2968