Fat Controller Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Super pictures interesting wagons behind D6931 with coil loads - can anyone identify please? Phil 42t Bogie Strip Coil, probably to 1/401, though later modified to 1/407 (floor modified to load hot coil); the train's probably working to either Trostre or Velindre tinplate works from Port Talbot Abbey Works. The former used to receive two or three trains a day of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 19, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2013 Many thanks Brian Found them on Paul Bartlett now! Were they confined to South Wales or did they also work between there and Yorkshire? Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Many thanks Brian Found them on Paul Bartlett now! Were they confined to South Wales or did they also work between there and Yorkshire? Phil Many were scrapped at Sheerness in Kent so they could be justified just about anywhere. The Ratio Macaw A kit is the perfect length (standard GW chassis ?) - easy scratch conversion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 19, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2013 Cheers - was just looking at your scratchbuilding thread for details! Looks like a good project for a start at scratchbuilding Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 19, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2013 Cheers - was just looking at your scratchbuilding thread for details! Looks like a good project for a start at scratchbuilding Phil And the floor mod was very simple - I think there were a couple of metal beams to strenghthen the floor but the main addition was ballast, just ordinary track ballast spread fairly evenly across the wagon floor. The reason for this is that the coil was loaded hot (usually cherry red on loading and hopefully still cherry red in the centre of the coil on unloading in order to avoid too much reheating apparently). Lovely trains to stand next to on a frosty day BTW a further instalment will shortly be added to this thread (probably tomorrow) - all the pics have been scanned and are mainly WR steam with one or two foreigners on WR soil plus a couple of diesels - one of which is very white. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Richard E Posted January 19, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 19, 2013 Maybe not the Wurzels but Adge Cutler would have been quite young back then though. I do like the Western Hydraulic shots. Great locos they are/were. Adge Cutler and the Wurzels were formed in '66, Warships date from '58. Adge would have been 27 when the Warship was introduced. 4 character headcode locos were about before Adge Cutler and the Wurzels were formed. The Wurzels were only formed in 1975 after Adge was killed in 1974 when he crashed his MGB after falling asleep near Chepstow on the way home from a gig. Anorak will be put away in the cupboard now (until I go out for my pint or two of scrumpy later on) ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 20, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2013 And so to a few more and we'll first return to Twyford starting with a rather special train on 09 May 1964 - the last 'high speed' steam run to Plymouth run as an Ian Special and with all sorts of records in mind. First we see the ill-fated 4079 on the outward leg and long before its regrettable failure with burnt through firebars down towards Westbury - a regrettable lapse in choice of coal and loco preparation but alas such things happened. And now, still at Twyford and leaping out of the shrubbery, is 5054 on the return leg from Bristol to Paddington And now some more of the newer order with D1035 approaching Twyford on the Down Main - this bridge arch - dating from the quadrupling - has gone although the original arch dating from the opening of the line still survives spanning the Relief Lines (and is no doubt under threat from electrification?). The white patch on the wall to the right provided a sighting board for Twyford East's Up Main Home Signal - which had gone in 1961; the white patch, albeit now rather worn, is still there! Now a step back to 1963 and a rather poor picture, in far from nice weather, of 1000 on the Down Relief, 05 October 1963 Finally at Twyford we step forward to 07 July 1965 and see 7928 passing on the Down Main Now we take a trip on the train and get a snatched shot out of the window of a 61XX on a (semaphore) signal structure recovery train at Maidenhead West on 8 December 1963 And before we return to Reading will do something completely different and first have look out of the cab of 48527 on the Joint Line 0n 20 March 1965 - a legitimate footplate trip complete with a pass and accompanying Inspector but alas an 8F instead of a hoped for Western engine on a Banbury - North Acton train of coal for Kensal Green gasworks. I have the location as 'near Denham' but Big Jim assures me its near Beaconsfield and has a pic of the now verdant lineside on his thread (where this has also appeared) Now heading even further afield three views from Taunton shed on 06 September 1964 and thanks for the partial de-roofing of the structure - I was 'bunking' the shed that day and encountered no problems as a result of my less than legitimate presence, maybe because the place was obviously running down? I wonder if I would have taken the same attiitude a mere 14 years later when the site of the building was very much my responsibility - albeit with never more than one or two locos stabled in the vicinity? Now a dodge back east to meet 1636 about to go on shed at Slough (setting back off the Up Main at Slough Middle as once was) More to come shortly! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 20, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2013 Before we return to Reading we'll dodge about a bit starting with the third view of 1368 at Wadebridge on 01 September 1964 - still in fairly clean condition and showing what a smashing little model one of these rare outside cylinder panniers would make Still at Wadebridge everything was still very Southern even well over a year after transfer to the WR and here we see 31840 at the coal stage on the same day Staying in a Southern groove but very firmly back on the Western we find 34087 standing in the Down platform at Oxford on 28 July 1963 Now back to Reading and starting at the station we find D7076 on the Up Relief, Platform No. 9 ('old' numbering of course) on 8 July 1963 A little earlier, on 15 June, a grubby 7004 could be found at the Down Main platform, No. 4, with Worcester train while in the background the skeleton of the new panel signalbox can just be made out By 09 May 1964 the panel box was very much a structure - with 9404 creeping in stage left on the Down Pilot Line While on the same day the Down pilot was a very much down at heel 5039 - compare its state with that of 5038 at Henley barely a year earlier But only a week later, on the 16th, over in No. 3 bay there was 6159 looking much more spruce and ready for work Now a look at Reading (GWR) shed - pics taken variously on 07 and 28 July 1963 and starting with an overall view of the east end 2261 2898 on the 7th 4972 on the 7th 6138 outside the lift shop on the 28th 7218 on the 28th and finally 48101 on the 7th And a Hymek to finish - D7085 on the Up Main at Twyford on 09 May 1964 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Superb selection there Mike... and I'm pretty sure that's the first published shot I've ever seen of a Thousand inside Reading shed... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 20, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2013 Sorry about the double posting above - not at all sure what has happened there! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Martino Posted January 21, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2013 Wonderful Sir. Very evocative as Slough, Maidenhead, Twyford, Reading and Henley were all my old stomping grounds. Very grateful from this far away both in time and distance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium brushman47544 Posted January 21, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2013 Wonderful stuff. The shot of 7004 at the west end of Platform 4 interestingly appears to show track that would explain why the west end of Platform 5 was cut back - presumably access from the line into the bay platform 6/7? Being just that bit younger, I only remember if cut back with no track. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pobrien Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Very useful photos of Taunton Shed in September 1964. It solves the mystery of what happened to 4103/31. They had been allocated to Bristol Barrow Road (together with 6148) until June 15, 1964. 6148 was reallocated to Taunton, but 4103/31 were never officially reallocated, although they were certainly not working off Bristol after June 15, 1964. I always suspected they had gone to Taunton with 6148, but your photos would seem to confirm this. Thanks for posting them. Patrick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 21, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2013 Wonderful stuff. The shot of 7004 at the west end of Platform 4 interestingly appears to show track that would explain why the west end of Platform 5 was cut back - presumably access from the line into the bay platform 6/7? Being just that bit younger, I only remember if cut back with no track. There was a connection back out of the west end of No.5 Platform line into the line leading into No.7 bay. Although I can't recall it too clearly there was also a siding off that connection as can be seen here http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S155.htm I think more of it might show up on some of my other pics which appeared previously (and which I will try to get round to recscanning as the originals weren't wonderful). However I can remember the connection being used by the Down pilot which in earlier years was often a 63XX and presumably it was mainly meant for shunting tail traffic to/from No. 5 (the trick being to try to 'cab' the pilot in No.5 and get a ride on it to No.7 bay - I never succeeded). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mod4 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Sorry about the double posting above - not at all sure what has happened there! It happens from time to time Mike. I have deleted the duplicate post. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hi Mike, Those are yet more ace shots - thanks for posting them! The comment about the choices of coal for No. 4079 being regrettable has always been a double edged sword. She would have undoubtedly passed through the 100mph barrier had she not failed. I talked to Doug Godden who was the fireman on the trip and she was accelerating when the guard put the brakes on. The thing about this is that had she accomplished this, she wouldn't have become marooned at Westbury and therefore she may not have been preserved. It bought her that most valuable resource - time. It was a shame she wasn't the last Castle at the official magic ton but I am more glad she is still with us... Keep posting these brilliant pictures and reminiscences please! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted January 21, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2013 Sorry about the double posting above - not at all sure what has happened there! A cunning ploy to get double-points!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 21, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hi Mike, Those are yet more ace shots - thanks for posting them! The comment about the choices of coal for No. 4079 being regrettable has always been a double edged sword. She would have undoubtedly passed through the 100mph barrier had she not failed. I talked to Doug Godden who was the fireman on the trip and she was accelerating when the guard put the brakes on. The thing about this is that had she accomplished this, she wouldn't have become marooned at Westbury and therefore she may not have been preserved. It bought her that most valuable resource - time. It was a shame she wasn't the last Castle at the official magic ton but I am more glad she is still with us... Keep posting these brilliant pictures and reminiscences please! All the best, Castle Still to come is a pic of 4079 while 'resting' at Westbury - taken some time after that sad day. The odd thing is that it probably wouldn't have happened if those preparing the engine had listened to some advice from a diesel engineer. But of course he was a 'diesel engineer' and they were steam men - so they didn't listen. From what I heard a few years later some far more exciting running took place when Jack Hancock was selecting locos for the run - he reckoned he had the Drivers trying to get 100mph out of every one of them that was tried although some were nothing like fit enough for that speed and were rapidly discarded, the ones that could manage the magic 'ton' down Honeybourne Bank weren't left by the wayside . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruffalo Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Still to come is a pic of 4079 while 'resting' at Westbury - taken some time after that sad day. The odd thing is that it probably wouldn't have happened if those preparing the engine had listened to some advice from a diesel engineer. But of course he was a 'diesel engineer' and they were steam men - so they didn't listen. From what I heard a few years later some far more exciting running took place when Jack Hancock was selecting locos for the run - he reckoned he had the Drivers trying to get 100mph out of every one of them that was tried although some were nothing like fit enough for that speed and were rapidly discarded, the ones that could manage the magic 'ton' down Honeybourne Bank weren't left by the wayside . That's it Mike, leave the readers wanting more! Which Castles were not "left by the wayside"? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hi Mike, That is true - I know that No. 4079 was a last minute substitution as the loco originally selected for her role was found to have cracked valve liners (I don't know what one this was and would very much like too - any ideas people?). She was taken to Honeyborne bank for the thrash treatment and made it - so was she the last Castle to the provable ton? None of the engines on the day made it and I don't know if there is a record of one going that fast after that time - unless you know different... I was told that several people on the shed that day advised Andress and Coles about the need to put some cruddy coal in with the Ogalvie 1A that she had been provided with. Not least of these was her driver Alf Perfect (WR Royal Train Driver), who apparently took great pleasure in leaning over the cab side and shouting down to Andress "I told you so..." when she ground to a halt! That came from her fireman Doug Godden himself. The approach with Clun Castle was that she was fuelled as suggested above and there was no problem (but also no record!). A shame but also her salvation! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 21, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2013 Still to come is a pic of 4079 while 'resting' at Westbury - taken some time after that sad day. The odd thing is that it probably wouldn't have happened if those preparing the engine had listened to some advice from a diesel engineer. But of course he was a 'diesel engineer' and they were steam men - so they didn't listen. From what I heard a few years later some far more exciting running took place when Jack Hancock was selecting locos for the run - he reckoned he had the Drivers trying to get 100mph out of every one of them that was tried although some were nothing like fit enough for that speed and were rapidly discarded, the ones that could manage the magic 'ton' down Honeybourne Bank weren't left by the wayside . I imagine 5054, 7011 7022 and 7023 were prime candicates for this magic ton as they survived at Worcester until after this railtour - on the basis of selection the failures were withdrawn? Kind regards Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I imagine 5054, 7011 7022 and 7023 were prime candicates for this magic ton as they survived at Worcester until after this railtour - on the basis of selection the failures were withdrawn?Kind regardsPhil Hi Phil, Towards the end, locomotives were withdrawn on build date alone which is why No. 7029 lasted as long as it did and why No. 4079 (1924 build date) was lucky to be both withdrawn and unfit to travel at a shed that the scrap man couldn't get to easily. All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBill Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Thanks Mike, Fantastic shots... What is the vehicle behind D7076? Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 21, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hi Phil, Towards the end, locomotives were withdrawn on build date alone which is why No. 7029 lasted as long as it did and why No. 4079 (1924 build date) was lucky to be both withdrawn and unfit to travel at a shed that the scrap man couldn't get to easily. All the best, Castle Cheers I know there were a lot of 70xx amongst the final survivors - but how does 5042 at 85B fit in to that, survived until June 65 I think Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hi Phil, There was an intention to scrap the 1923 pair (4073/4) in the late 1950s purely on age alone but examination at Swindon found them to be in far better condition that was though and they soldiered on. In 1964, being a front line express locomotive on the Western Region built in 1924 was a recipe for being scrapped as it was 40 years old - most definitely a life expired asset in economic terms. It was just an arbitrary notion and just a way of controlling the withdrawal of a large class. As a result there were always going to be engines that were exceptions as it is for any of these 'rules' that are handed down to us as absolute facts. No. 5014 lasted until February 1965 too but she was built in 1932 and was nearly a decade younger than No. 4079... The last two 40XXs were gone by October 1964. By January 1965 there were only 3 50XXs left and by December it was only good old Clun left... By the very end of the castles, the age related scrapping was simply overtaken by just scrapping! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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