keefer

Production HSTs were numbered in their own DEMU series:

40xxxx - catering coaches

41xxx - TF

42xxx - TS

43xxx - Power Cars

44xxx - TGS 

The only ones I knew about off-hand were the DMU cars in the third pic - Swindon Inter-City 79xxx series vehicles, originally WR but later used on the Edinburgh-Glasgow express shuttle.

https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/swindon-79xxx/non-passenger-use

33 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

Is that true?

 

Blue Star MW does (did?) not provide throttle control for locos operating in multiple, that being done by the white 'Reg(ulator) Air' pipe on the buffer beams of MW equipped locomotives.

Maybe I should have said Blue-star equipment - i.e. the control jumpers and air pipes.

Presumably the test rake of coaches was fitted with these (as eventually were the Mk2s used for E-G push-pulls).

The drawback being that you couldn't just use any coach available, they had to be so fitted.

4 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

https://www.railwayherald.com/imagingcentre/view/593582/RD

 

Google is your friend.

 

Mike.

And the reason why D1938 was propelling at high speed was because it had been fitted with Blue-star control jumpers.

IIRC it was also tested on Paddington-Birmingham runs.

4 hours ago, DaveF said:

Dent LMS 8f 48641 with snowplough up goods May 66 J523

Interesting for the yellow disc signal - when 'on' (as in the picture) it allows a movement past it into the headshunt/yard.

When 'off', it would signal a move onto the mainline.

Forgot to say earlier, Westfield mentioned above was also the site of an open-cast coal mine.

Also, historically, the line continued westwards from Westfield, through what is now Lochore Meadows Country Park, to join up with the mineral railways around Kelty. 

I never knew Birmingham Transport had a University Society?

Bus and train drivers go on guided visits to labs and lecture theatres 😁

10 hours ago, DaveF said:

A few places in Scotland.

 

 

Near Rannoch viaduct 37259 and 37121 Newcastle to Fort William 11th May 85 C6864

 

 

Thornton Class 08 and Class 26 24th April 92 C16800

 

 

Wemyss Castle trackbed Aug 74 J3971

 

 

Westfield view east 22nd April 92 C16801

 

 

Westfield view west 22nd April 92 C16802

 

David

C16800 I think that's the start of the Westfield branch curving under the camera (ISTR a local-road overbridge). Also shows the modern Thornton Junction shed (TJ) - the old steam depot was some distance to the east (off to the left of shot).

C16801 The disconnected siding in the centre was, I think, where three wagons were held (1960s/70s) - to be used as barrier/reach wagons for propelling tank trains into the wonderfully named 'Lurgi' plant (named after the petrochemical process, not because the staff were ill 🤧).

They were used again to draw out departing tanks and were then returned to the siding (this was a Sectional Appendix instruction).

EDIT: thread about the Westfield site & traffic:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/143663-westfield-tanker-traffic-fife-1960s/

3 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Weren't they part of the 'Land Cruise' (?) trains operated by BR in the sixties/seventies?

Pictures of similar stock on Robert Carroll's Flickr site (linked to before) mention Euston-Oban 'Merrymaker' excursions.

Must be - it's 116 which according to derbysulzers list was GYFE from 8/69-10/70.

https://www.derbysulzers.com/45headcode.html (scroll down for Livery Details).

Not unknown to happen but usually with bigger stuff like cab doors!

2 minutes ago, DOCJACOB said:

Very interesting image, assuming my geography is correct it’s heading away from Waverley (Scott monument in background) towards Haymarket. 

Correct, it's on the Down North Line which would usually signify going through Fife on the ECML (although the numerous crossovers before and after Haymarket would enable it to cross onto the South/Glasgow/Central Scotland lines)

I thought the one on the SEMG Online site might have more info but unfortunately it's undated:

https://sremg.org.uk/sr_map/lswrmap.html

The large quantity of legal/financial passengers between Waverley and Queen St. was the main reason that the fast trains were continually upgraded to the newest/fastest stock as well as having 1st class & dining. 

The dining went with the cl.27 push-pulls but by then, the driving factor was competition from coaches on the new M8 motorway.

Royal headcode 1X01 but for whatever reason, only the Saloon was required from Royal stock.

Perhaps the full train was parked up in Edinburgh (rest of the Family staying at Holyrood?)

Otherwise, a nice train to model - don't have to weather anything and only one non-RTR coach!

I have the 1969 R.O. so will have a look for any mention.

The 1866 OS Town Plan map is also available as a continuous, geo-referenced map:

View centred on Latchmere Junctions etc.

Last word on the 1N77 saga.

Thanks to all for pointing out there was another, more direct, route involved before the train went via York.

Not my era/area but interesting anyway so I'll go back and have a look at some maps etc.

Thanks again.

6 minutes ago, iands said:

@keefer just beat me. The 6th May 1968 WTT shows the 1N77 as the 08:56 Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle, not stopping at York. 

I knew ECML limited-stop expresses sometimes missed out York but it seems strange that such a useful cross-country train wouldn't stop there.

8 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

What's that train in J1184? Running through without stopping wasn't normal on cross country workings.

7 hours ago, DaveF said:

 

Sadly I haven't got a copy of the workimg timetable for late 1967, but it seems very odd to me as well.  It's one of dad's photos and all the information I have is in the caption.

 

It doesn't even seem right for a train terminating at York.

 

David

Did a quick Google search and this site came up:

https://peakdieselarchive.co.uk/gallery-46-051-46-056

Scroll down to 46052/D189, gives 1N77 as Liverpool-Newcastle in Feb. '67.

Also, this page:

https://peakdieselarchive.co.uk/the-daily-diaries

Scroll down to 1967 and 1N77 is stated as 0900 Liverpool-Newcastle in March '68

I wonder if Dave's pic is D88 as the loco is green but the 'daily diary' spreadsheet on that site has the loco in blue in December '67?

2 hours ago, 50A55B said:

It looks to have 8 seating bay windows though, so it may be one of the early TSOs built without the centre door.

And toilets at one end of the coach too, so definitely TSO.

Mk1 FO had a toilet at each end, inboard of the door/vestibule

42 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Expect a visit from shadowy figures Mr Keefer!!!

 

Dammit I quoted you and there is a knock at my door now as well

On 31/12/2023 at 21:49, adb968008 said:

Are we talking about this…

 

both flickr/not mine

 

of which its modern equivalent is this…

https://www.accurascale.com/products/kua-nuclear-flask-carrier

 

Theres a zillion pictures of it.

I remember reading (which book I can't remember) that they weren't nuclear flask carriers as such but for the reactor core fitted to submarines.

Pictures on Flickr of one having come off the Rosyth Dockyard branch at Inverkeithing.

EDIT: to use the word I meant to in the first place.

3 hours ago, D7063 said:

Is it just me, or are there a lot of people in the cab of the warship?

Maybe drivers hitching a ride light-engine back to Old Oak?

6 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/50559291@N03/albums/72157716707318451/

Love the covered sidecar in the background!

6 hours ago, hexagon789 said:

The West Highland sets split at Crianlarich though, not Fort William. The service pattern being three workings to Crianlarich, splitting into an Oban and a Mallaig portion; plus one Fort William to Mallaig and return working

Thanks for that, I couldn't remember the exact details! I'd read that a normal split of 6 cars meant that the 2-car was overloaded.

Just realised too that the extra DMS didn't need to go inside the 2-car, it could just be plonked on the end - no sense in splitting all three units when you only need to split one!

Can't remember offhand the ScR units used but there's a Glasgow Queen St. video on Soi Buakhao's YouTube channel that features them.

22 minutes ago, DaveF said:

Carlisle 156455 Leeds to Carlisle 24th Oct 90 C15433

Interesting to see cl.156 as a 3-car.

There were three units in Scotland reformed into two 3-cars on the West Highland Line (to enable an even split at Fort William) but I didn't realise it happened elsewhere.

This was built into the 156 design as inner couplings were mechanical BSI couplers with a separate control jumper - there was also a jumper socket on the cab end which all meant a driving car could be placed in the middle of an existing 2-car unit.