Strathwood

Yep got that one it was browsing through this the other day that gave birth to the thoughts about Cambridge Street. Although after looking at the maps kindly provided by Clive one wonders why it was not called Camley Street as that was the name of the road it was on. Kevin

Thanks Clive, I had forgotten just how many sidings there were around St. Pancras and Kings Cross goods yards, no wonder there were always a few 08s about the place even into the early 70s.It was very remiss of me not to walk along the banks of the Regents Canal too in the area. I was amazed after watching the TV programme with Timothy West and Prunella Scales recently on just how much developement there has been along the canal hereabouts too. Residing in Inverness these days and having moved away from London in the early 80s you forget about thirty years of progress. Kevin Kevin

Oh yes I had forgotten about those, by that stage I was chasing Westerns, girlfriends, pop concerts and pubs, not always in that order... Kevn

Whilst both Ranelagh Bridge and Kings Cross stabling points have gained good coverage over the years, it seems Cambridge Street stabling/refueling point is often overlooked. Certainly as a Londoner in the 1960s & 70s I ignored it too often myself, never bothering to attempt to get around it. Why would I, having seen everything ever likely to be found there beforehand and always content with getting most of what was ever on the stabling point as I passed by on an express to somewhere more "exotic" such as Toton or Tinsley (well they would be to us Londoners intent on hunting down missing Classes 20 and 25s). Does anyone have any plans of the stabling point, drawings or photographs by chance? As I have often thought it could influence a number of small stabling point layouts being built. I recall personally seeing Classes: 08s (14A allocated), 24s & 25s (DO1 mainly sometimes a rarity from 55A, D16 or DO2) Peaks and 47s of course (from the D16 pool mainly but again 55A Peaks sometimes too) 27s (D01/D15/D16 pool before they migrated to Scotland) 20s (not so common from the D01 pool and once one of the 30A batch too) Aside from perhaps specials in the 1970s and 1980s what else visited except perhaps the Class 40 or just maybe 10201/2/3 or 10000/1 and the Co-Bos in the early 1960s. Can anyone help with pics, plans drawing etc please? Kevin

Closest I ever saw one of the Old Oak allocation to the Southern was shunting the milk tanks at Kensington Olympia, or standing next to rakes of Hals & Bils at Reading General. As an aside sister NBL product D6122 did stop over at Hither Green on its way for scrap at Woodhams in Barry to be used for re-railing practice. Like Geoff above I seem to recall seeing a photo of D6356 at Clapham Junction somewhere in the past, but I cannot recall where. Kevin

This reminds me we published a shot of D6356 at Stratford 30A taken in April 1967 on page 68 of Looking back at Western Region Hydraulics, also on page 67 a shot of D6328 near Witney c1968. Kevin

The Old Oak allocation also saw use on Sunday PW trains too, taking them out along the Berks & Hants and beyond Didcot, I think Hymeks were the first choice for these duties though. Likewise Gloucester used Class 22s for the same purposes too I believe. Kevin

Come on Andy a number of us have our eyes upon your thread too for inspiration, how about an update there too, please? All of this keeps leaning me back towards 2mm/N gauge and the Western Region. Might bite the bullet and list a host of 4mm stuff on eBay tomorrow as a result of all of this, and get cracking with clearing the area above my bookshelves for that promissed layout. You see the power of some good updates lads... Kevin

On a similar vein I saw D0280 Falcon arrive at Reading c1971 having picked up a brace of pheasants, remains of which clinging to the vac pipes and a lot of feathers stuck to the buffers, that might be one for you to model Phil on Abbotswood. Kevin

I trust the baseboards were passed for the running of a King that far west of the Tamar... Kevin

How many of us moved those older type of trolleys or BRUTEs to a more suitable position in the sunshine and closer to the platform ends at Paddington when nobody was looking? The staff at Kings Cross used to flush us off them and send the tractor up to run a wagon train load of them all back up to the concourse, to try and discourage spotters during the half term breaks and the summer holidays. Passengers had to run for their lives as some West Indian gent with a gleeful smile charged back up the platform at full tilt driving the tractor with a rake of trolleys snaking and clattering along behind. Or there was the steel sand/salt/grit bin at Royal Oak station opposite Ranelagh Bridge, that made an improvised seat albeit uncomfortable one during the summer holidays in the sunshine to watch the comings and goings whilst taking in the fumes drifting across from the loco yard. If you were lucky the shunters would move the offending rakes of wagons or even the Class 08 itself that you couldn't get because its number was hidden from view in the once large expanse of sidings to the north of the LT station before you either went home or moved on. Yours truly never leaving until the evening Pullmans had departed westwards of course. One highlight around 1968/9 was the ever so brief arrival of a Class 27 D53xx from Cricklewood with some mail vans, before scurrying off light towards Mitre Bridge and home teritory once more. Cannot recall which one it was I am afraid as spotting notes all lost over FORTY years ago when I left school, my how time flies by! Happy days... Kevin

And a lot of BRUTEs too... Kevin

Fantastic work once again on the timber platform. One sad point about this type of platform in reality, is that in both frosty and wet weather too they were VERY slippery indeed. I recall in the early 1970s one school boy from a nearby school who was foolishly trying to get aboard a 4-SUB which was already departing from Isleworth, duly slipped and dropped one of his legs between the platform edge and the train. Thankfully he survived, but one of his legs didn't... Needless to say both the local railway staff and schools in the area all learned a valuable lesson as a result. On a trip last year exploring the Far North Lines I noted that part of the platforms at Forsinard had been recently renewed once again in this fashion as one end of the station is across a burn, thereby saving weight and money. Keep up the good work you are inspiring us all to improve our scenery and buildings. Kevin

How has it gone with transfers etc on all of those very blue projects? Likewise with the progress on the eight car Pullman set? Must say I could go along with several Class 123s to make up a decent rake myself, might be tempted to do a couple of coaches though still in green as mixed sets were to the fore in late 1967 early 1968. Kevin

Used to enjoy fishing the Regents Canal by Mitre Bridge near Old Oak Common in the early 70s, caught the odd Roach, Gudgeon and Perch. But enjoyed watching the parade in and out of Old Oak much more and the endless too and fro in the carriage sidings, not to mention all the passing Warships, Westerns & Hymeks on the Mainlline. Lord knows how many bites I missed whilst watching the railway instead of my float... Kevin

Another top job is eagerly awaited by your followers, as you know the Swindon Class 123s are a favourite of mine, happy memories of them flat out through Southall under the footbridge heading for Oxford, first stop Slough. Kevin

Another superb creation is on its way to the Western Region's mainline near you soon. Out of interest what mods have you performed so far on your Dapol Westerns? Kevin

The shot was used in Seventies Spotting Days around the Western Region (now out of print) I think the green Class 43 is likely to be D854 Tiger. Kevin

We have seen shots of Hymeks too at Hemyock. Kevin

I think fresh supplies of rail for the London Transport network arrived at Lillie Bridge hauled by Class 25s who handed the wagons over to Panniers who also brought scrap units and other materials this way too for onward shipment to scrapyards via British Rail from photos I have seen. I only recall Panniers personally running either light engine & brake or with what looked like track trains on sundays away from Ealing Common and Acton a few times before the end I am afraid, as without the knowledge we have today and the use of mobile phones of course back then we only stumbled on such things as I was cycling from home near Kew Bridge to check out what was on shed at Old Oak Oak Common, Willesden and Cricklewood on sundays. Kevin

I heard on the grapevine that the Breakfast TV star mentioned in the promotion bumph was a one time famous TV sports presenter who claimed that all that white powdery stuff he was found with, was merely scatter for his christmas scene on his own layout, Inspector Nightly has gone off in search of his favourite handcuffs to deal with the blaggard... Kevin

I went to Landore and Margam a couple of times and even Radyr and the valleys once in glorious sunshine, but no camera... Likewise I have also been to most South and North Wales locations in pouring rain too! Has anyone else sheltered in the cabs of locos at Barry during a thunderstorm? Kevin

Great post and a good read too catching up with your modelling ideas. Still look forward to more shots of the grey/blue pullman with and without her transfers. Still sitting on the fence about 2mm over n gauge for a watching the trains go by layout based 1967/68 on the WR. I suspect a firm and final decision is very close on which of the four modelling projects will see it through to completion and which three will hit eBay. As for Seventies Spotting Days through Wales, have been trying to source material for several years with little luck on finding shots west of Cardiff in "sunshine", so have set aside the very best shots for a couple of chapters in Seventies Diesel & Electric Days Remembered I & II which should hit the shops in 2015 if we don't lose anymore printers or bookbinders that is, have sourced two new printers and binders with a view to taking on a third, so we don't get caught again should one go down again. Plans only at present for two more in the Seventies Spotting Days series one each on ECML and WCML, although the latter has "black spots" too ie Rugby, Nuneaton, Stafford, Stoke, Warrington, Wigan and Glasgow Central would you believe! Everyone has shots at Euston, Willesden, Crewe, Preston and Carlisle though, will keep going on this one even so, although the ECML is looking very good just now for a final edit soon. Anyways back to the grey/blue pullman now that everyone thinks I have hijacked your post, see the cover shot for Seventies Diesel & Electric Days Remembered, an 8 car set rather than the two 6 car sets with jumpers. Kevin

Any further progress on this, piccies would be most welcome please? Kevin