W.R. Early 1980s London Division freight, - my photos

[Rivercider]

I have just a few more photos to post from the Acton area, these were taken in April 1983 from the platforms at Acton Main Line.

 

I remember the railman on duty in the ticket office had a word with me as each time I crossed the footbridge to get a different shot

he thought I had just got off another train and was fraudulently travelling to and fro. 

Though why anyone would make repeated journies to and from Acton on a DMU is anyones guess! (I had a pass anyway)

 

First up a Freightliner service heading west, I presume this would have been something like a Ripple Lane to Southampton Maritime working?

47361, a Thornaby loco, heads west on the down relief, 11/4/83

 

Next a shot previously posted on another thread.

47124 calls at Acton Main Line with a down stopping service as Slim Jim 33211 passes with empty clay Polybulks off the train ferry at Dover for St Blazey, 11/4/83

 

Looking the other way we can see the east end of Acton Yard. The roads that survived the major rationalisation here were the ones nearest the running lines,

and have since been largely used for stone traffic from the Mendips..

In 1983 on that day stone traffic was also in evidence, Bath Roads 47059 is on an inter-regional stone working from the Mendips, 

the MSVs are in TOPS pool no. 7609 if anyone knows where that set worked to, 11/4/83

 

cheers 

Edited March 29, 2015 by Rivercider

[Rivercider]

To conclude this short thread of my freight photos from the London Division in the 1980s here are two more from Acton.

 

Acton was important for inter-regional traffic to and from the Eastern, Midland and Southern Regions, and later, the new Anglia Region. 

Hither Greens 33060 departs the yard with a short vacuum braked formation for the Southern Region, any clues what the headcode KI means? 1/4/83

Edit - the train is 6O67 13.15 MWFO Acton to New Cross Gate - thanks to SED Freightman.

 

And finally, to bring the curtain down as it were, a trip from almost as far east as it is possible to get a freight move on the Western Region 

31321, a Toton loco, approaches Acton with a local trip from Westbourne Park, it is too far away to make out the contents of what appear to be three grampus wagons,

would they have been used to clear rubbish thrown onto railway property?  11/4/83

 

Thanks for all the feedback and additional information, I have learned a bit as I have been working my way through the photos.

I will in due course start another thread for the Cardiff Division, 

 

cheers

Edited December 29, 2020 by Rivercider

[Fat Controller]

To conclude this short thread of my freight photos from the London Division in the 1980s here are two more from Acton.

 

Acton was important for inter-regional traffic to and from the Eastern, Midland and Southern Regions, and later, the new Anglia Region. 

scan0010a.jpg

Hither Greens 33060 departs the yard with a short vacuum braked formation for the Southern Region, any clues what the headcode KI means? 11/4/83.

 

And finally, to bring the curtain down as it were, a trip from almost as far east as it is possible to get a freight move on the Western Region 

scan0011a.jpg

31321, a Toton loco, approaches Acton with a local trip from Westbourne Park, it is too far away to make out the contents of what appear to be three grampus wagons,

would they have been used to clear rubbish thrown onto railway property?  11/4/83

 

Thanks for all the feedback and additional information, I have learned a bit as I have been working my way through the photos.

I will in due course start another thread for the Cardiff Division, 

 

cheers

I wouldn't be surprised if the Grampus wagons were full of lineside detritus- I remember seeing a note in an early 1970s 'Weekly Operating Notice', or whatever they were called then, indicating that there was to be such a working between Pembrey and Llanelli during a Friday afternoon (the passenger service was a lot sparser then, so this wouldn't have posed a problem).

I look forward to seeing the next series of photos; thanks again for publishing them.

[Rugd1022]

More fantastic photos Kevin, many thanks for sharing these gems!

 

The shot of 47 124 and the 33 is very nice and a crop of the 47 on its own would make a lovely pic all by itself... steam heated Mk1 stock on the WR - lovely!

 

The local trip job with 31 321 is notable for me as in April and May '83 it was outbased at Stonebridge Park for crew training there, I have a colour shot of it in the yard at Stonebridge taken just before me and my driver 'Joe the Greek' took it down to the Brent to do some shunting. In your pic at Acton it must have been borrowed by an Old Oak crew for the day.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Rugd1022

[spbloke]

Late to this party, just found this website.  I worked at Reading Control from 74 to 76 as East freight controller (east of reading to Paddington, and branches), then 76 - 79 as AFA at Acton Yard.  Most of the posts are correct but there's a lot more detail could be added.  I'd recommend Brian Ringer's story in Back Track of March 2013 but it tells the story from after the decline had set in.  It was much busier in 74.  I sed to count about 150 freight movements on the night shift, both through freights, loco changes, trunk freights and local trips.  Most of the time we were short of staff and locos and it was a tribute to the men on the ground that the yard stayed fluid and the goods were delivered.

[spbloke]

At one time, the empties were worked from Wimbledon via Salisbury to STJ.

I remember seeing EDs (of both types, I believe) when staying at my uncle's flat near Malden Manor Station in the very late 1960s/early 1970s. Being used to 'six-eighters' on similar trains, I found the virtual silence of the electrics quite uncanny.

In the 70's we had an 0900 and a 1900 from Wimbledon West yard with coal empties, both working back to Tolworth.  The Morden Milk empties (mid afternoon, don't remember the time) worked back at 1850 to Chessington.  The Tolworths took coal fro Merton Abbey as well until that depot closed in the mid 70s. Trains were worked by both 73s and 74s.

[Ray M]

Welcome to the forum.

[Rivercider]

Late to this party, just found this website.  I worked at Reading Control from 74 to 76 as East freight controller (east of reading to Paddington, and branches), then 76 - 79 as AFA at Acton Yard.  Most of the posts are correct but there's a lot more detail could be added.  I'd recommend Brian Ringer's story in Back Track of March 2013 but it tells the story from after the decline had set in.  It was much busier in 74.  I sed to count about 150 freight movements on the night shift, both through freights, loco changes, trunk freights and local trips.  Most of the time we were short of staff and locos and it was a tribute to the men on the ground that the yard stayed fluid and the goods were delivered.

Hi spbloke, welcome to RMweb

the London Division was the part of the Western that I knew least about, I mostly tended to pass through quickly on the way to Paddington.

Thanks for the additional information, and if you have any photos from the time please feel free to add them. 

 

When you were AFA at Acton do you remember a  female TOPS clerk that moved up from Bristol?

 

cheers

 

cheers

[hmrspaul]

Late to this party, just found this website.  I worked at Reading Control from 74 to 76 as East freight controller (east of reading to Paddington, and branches), then 76 - 79 as AFA at Acton Yard.  Most of the posts are correct but there's a lot more detail could be added.  I'd recommend Brian Ringer's story in Back Track of March 2013 but it tells the story from after the decline had set in.  It was much busier in 74.  I sed to count about 150 freight movements on the night shift, both through freights, loco changes, trunk freights and local trips.  Most of the time we were short of staff and locos and it was a tribute to the men on the ground that the yard stayed fluid and the goods were delivered.

 

Welcome

 

May I ask about the Acton Brake tender. These appear to have persisted long after most other allocations elsewhere had gone. What workings were they needed for? http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/braketender/e1f8a2141 http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/braketender/e1e05e8c9  Such writing persisted into the early 1980s, although my observations are of the tenders in South Wales.

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[Andrew P]

Yet more excellent pics for 1980's inspiration, Thanks for sharing them.

[SED Freightman]

On 29/03/2015 at 15:53, Rivercider said:

To conclude this short thread of my freight photos from the London Division in the 1980s here are two more from Acton.

 

Acton was important for inter-regional traffic to and from the Eastern, Midland and Southern Regions, and later, the new Anglia Region. 

Hither Greens 33060 departs the yard with a short vacuum braked formation for the Southern Region, any clues what the headcode KI means? 11/4/83.

Belated thanks for posting your London Division photos, I had cause to visit some of the locations for work during the 1990's so it has been interesting to see photos of them taken a decade earlier.  I read the comments about propelling from Didcot North Jn to Foxcote Jn with interest as I once travelled on an 08 (08904 I think) propelling a Cargowaggon along this route, whilst proceeding from Didcot Yard to Milton Freight Terminal for a gauging trial.

 

With regard to your query concerning headcode KI, it applied to SR services between Acton Yard and New Cross Gate via the West London Line and Crystal Palace.  The train in your photo is 6O67 1315 (MWFO) Acton Yard to New Cross Gate, which was the return working of 6V18 1120 New Cross Gate to Acton Yard.

[Rivercider]

On 29/12/2020 at 20:20, SED Freightman said:

Belated thanks for posting your London Division photos, I had cause to visit some of the locations for work during the 1990's so it has been interesting to see photos of them taken a decade earlier.  I read the comments about propelling from Didcot North Jn to Foxcote Jn with interest as I once travelled on an 08 (08904 I think) propelling a Cargowaggon along this route, whilst proceeding from Didcot Yard to Milton Freight Terminal for a gauging trial.

 

With regard to your query concerning headcode KI, it applied to SR services between Acton Yard and New Cross Gate via the West London Line and Crystal Palace.  The train in your photo is 6O67 1315 (MWFO) Acton Yard to New Cross Gate, which was the return working of 6V18 1120 New Cross Gate to Acton Yard.

Thanks for the info regarding the identity of the train worked by 33060. 

I have included a copy of that photo in my latest book 'Freight of the Western Region in the 1980s'.

When compiling the book I tried to check all the info I put in the captions, but confess I have messed up on this one! I did not know the London Division as well as the West of England as I worked in Bristol. Despite searching for other other photos, and lists of headcodes, I decided it may have been a headcode for Bricklayers Arms at some point. 

 

cheers

 

[Rivercider]

While looking through part of the photo collection of my late brother Steve Redwood I found he had taken a small number of railway photos in the late 1970s or very early 1980s. Although he was a railwayman he was not an enthusiast, so did not make any notes (though he was a better photographer than me, he liked good composition or angles). A couple of the photos were taken on the London DIvision. 

Here are a couple of photos he took obviously from a HST passing Didcot power station.

  

Once an everyday scene at Didcot Power Station. Class 47s were the first class to work there and 47189 (possibly) heads off around the power station loop with a loaded MGR train. SJR 1978-82?

 

Three of the cooling towers at Didcot Power staton (there were six in total), as seen from a passing HST. Steve liked good composition of his photos. SJR 1978-82?

 

cheers

[brushman47544]

19 hours ago, Rivercider said:

Once an everyday scene at Didcot Power Station. Class 47s were the first class to work there and 47189 (possibly) heads off around the power station loop with a loaded MGR train. SJR 1978-82?

 

Hi Kevin,

 

I've already commented on flickr but for those reading here, if its 47189, I can't see evidence of a black dominos headcode panel, which would put the photo later than October 1981, the latest date I can find a photo with dominos.