Chris Turnbull

I shan't be able to match your longevity. You must have a complete room given over to colour slides! I'm glad you say that some of your slides are of very poor quality as some of mine are the same, especially my early attempts. At the age of 16 I could only just afford a second-hand 35mm camera. An exposure meter was out of the question. This left me having to estimate / guess the lighting level; easy on a summer's day, less easy in January in the depths of Manchester Victoria. And, of course, you didn't know what you'd got until the slides came back from the developer. Like you, I've been digital for some ten years which makes life a lot easier but I still find myself trying to compose a shot rather than just clicking away and deleting the dross. Old habits die hard. Chris Turnbull

One fine preserved railway we haven't visited yet is the Bluebell. My first visit was on 7th April 1980... Here's Standard Class 4 No. 75027 at Horsted Keynes. Here she is again running round her train at Sheffield Park. Ready to depart now with SECR No. 263 arriving. No. 263 running round her train this time. Now ready to depart with a wonderful clerestory coach. On 30th October 2010 I visited Sheffield Park again, this time with "Battle of Britain" No. 34059 "Sir Archibald Sinclair" in action. Taken from a footbridge that wasn't there in 1980. In 1968 No. 75027 was in a sorry state at Rose Grove. Here she is on 10th July - see also post #297. Thanks to Jonny777 again Chris Turnbull

Yes, they do have red roofs but that isn't always obvious. Here's two shots of 37174 at Toton on 29th August 1998 which shows the roofs as a dirty grey but only because the washers don't reach that far. From ground level they would probably look grey. Note how the top of the nose is also a dirty grey. "Why does this bloke take photographs of loco roofs?" I hear you say. Well... I reckon that on a model the roofs are the most important part as it's what we see most of. We largely look down on models from a scale height of between 100 and 200 feet depending on the scale and height of the layout. At the time I was building a 7mm Class 58 and wanted some detail shots. I had photographed 58037 in the yard from every conceivable angle but needed some of the roof and I think the shed staff would have taken exception to me climbing up on to the loco. I therefore went up on the A52 road bridge and waited. Sure enough a Class 58 came by as did a 37. Just in case I might build a 37 one day I took some shots of that as well. I have still to build a model but at least I have the roof detail. Chris Turnbull

If by "the coloured tile" you mean the print extent, that can be switched off. Just click on the cunningly labelled "Switch Print Extent Off" icon in the top right-hand corner. If you then click on the adjacent "Switch Full Screen mode On" icon next to it and the enlarged map will, er, fill the screen. Granted, you can't enlarge as much as you used to but that's probably to stop the likes of you and I doing what we do! Chris Turnbull

Some 28 years later this is Cambridge on 12th January 2008 before the addition of the island platform. 317886 from Hills Road bridge. The guided busway is under construction in the foreground. Looking north from Hills Road bridge. Taken from the old cattle market road. Looking in the opposite direction. 365503 in Platform 3 365509 in Platform 4 Chris Turnbull

Back to Ely and Cambridge today. On 29th March 1980 this is 37109 in Platform 3 at Ely with the Harwich boat train. Two days later at Cambridge here's 37107. On the same day 37116 comes under Hills Road bridge, Cambridge. Looking south from Hills Road bridge this is 37075 on a Down passenger, 13th May 1980. On the same day looking north 37107 enters the Down Goods Loop (if that's what it was called). LNERGE will soon put me right if I have got that wrong! Thanks to Jonny777 as usual. Chris Turnbull

Today we conclude the Fakenham & Dereham Railway Society's West Norfolk Freight Lines Railtour on 29th March 1980. From South Lynn we headed to Kings Lynn which is seen here, along with a great view of a telegraph pole, from the DMU on our way to the Kings Lynn Docks Line. 37110 is going on shed. This was the limit of the BR tracks - the A148, John Kennedy Road. The pub on the left is still there, according to Google Earth, and is called "The Retreat" although it looks like it was called something else in 1980. Leaving the Docks Line we headed to Middleton Towers where there was, and still is, a substantial sand quarry. This is the quarry shunter. I don't know any details of this locomotive but I'll bet someone does (D2054 - see below). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any better shots of it as we were asked not to trespass on the private quarry land. This is Middleton Towers station, closed to passengers in 1968. Looking from the cab of the DMU along the line towards Dereham. No shortage of sand ballast! Thanks to Jonny777 again. Chris Turnbull

Time for another Fakenham and Dereham Railway Society railtour I think. On 29th March 1980 the F&DRS organised a trip from Ely to various lines in west Norfolk. Travelling north from Ely towards Kings Lynn we reversed at Denver onto the Stoke Ferry branch travelling as far as the site of Abbey and West Dereham station. Post #1 shows our four-car DMU at this long-closed station. The line from Abbey and West Dereham to Stoke Ferry had closed in 1965 but had remained open from Denver to Abbey to provide access to the Wissington Railway and Wissington sugar beet factory (lots of those in East Anglia). This is the start of the Wissington Railway. Here is the railway as it was in 1980: note the flat-bottomed rail spiked to timber sleepers. During the food production drive of the Second World War the "Wissy" was very extensive but by 1980 it just fed the sugar beet factory. For more details see: http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php On the return to the main line we were held on the branch for 47180 "County of Suffolk" to pass with a Down express. From Denver we headed towards Kings Lynn forking left at Harbour Junction to travel down the Kings Lynn Harbour branch. This is the view from the cab of the DMU back down the branch towards Harbour Junction. The bridge you can see is that over the River Nar. From the Harbour branch it was only a short hop to South Lynn and M&GN territory. This was the site of South Lynn station; the A47 dual carriageway can just be seen to the right of the photograph. For the DMU aficionados amongst you the unit numbers were E56447, E51270, E56448 and E51293. This was the view from the other side of the road bridge looking east with South Lynn locomotive shed (31D) on the right. To be concluded tomorrow. Thanks to Jonny777 as usual. Chris Turnbull

Over the Bank Holiday weekend of 29th, 30th and 31st August 1998 Toton was thrown open to the public; I expect quite a few of you were there. These were all taken on 29th. Railway photographers take the opportunity to capture a trio of brand-new Class 66s. A look inside the cab of 57001 proved very popular as it also did for... ... 92001 "Victor Hugo". Nice to see a couple of ladies admiring a fine locomotive. This one rather caught my eye, 90028 "Vrachtverbinding" in SNCB livery And not forgetting the "heritage" stock as well. A most well-organised and enjoyable event, I thought. Chris Turnbull

A few shots of the Severn Valley Railway this evening all taken on 12th April 1980. At that time Bewdley was as far as services went. This is 7812 "Erlestoke Manor" awaiting the "right away" to Bridgnorth. The next stop is Arley, a delightful station on the banks of the Severn. Class 5101 "Large Prairie" No. 5164 is the train engine. And here she is again, this time at Hampton Loade. An unusual visitor to Bridgnorth was LNWR No. 3020 "Cornwall", sadly not in steam. Finally Highley, another delightful station where we see 4930 "Hagley Hall". At this time I was a volunteer on the SVR and one of my abiding memories is riding in a brake van from Bewdley to Highley on a warm summer's evening after the last service train with a raft of wagons laden with loco ash. We quickly shovelled the ash from the wagons onto the side of the track for use as ballast and adjourned to the pub at Highley where we set about slaking our thirst while the loco simmered in the station. Happy days! Taken 12 years earlier on 25th August 1968, this is "Hagley Hall" in Woodham's scrap yard at Barry. Not a bad bit of restoration! Thanks to Jonny777 again. Chris Turnbull

Back to the northwest this evening and some more "death of steam" nostalgia. Stanier Class 8F 48448 leaves Rose Grove yard headed westwards on 10th July 1968 Later the same day at the other end of the station is Class 8F 48773. Out on the line at Hoghton on 11th July 1968 "Black Five" No. 45156 "Ayrshire Yeomanry" heads towards Blackburn with a Class K freight. Coming in the opposite direction is sister locomotive No. 45305 with a Class H freight. At Carnforth on the previous day is another "Black Five" No. 44963 on the Furness & Midland Joint line to East Junction although whether the locomotive was reversing or working "wrong line" I can't remember. Taking the Furness line to Barrow in Furness is No. 45209 It wasn't all steam. This was the latest in WCML motive power, English Electric Type 4 D416 on an Up passenger at Carnforth on 12th July 1968. Thanks to Jonny777 as usual. Chris Turnbull

Thanks for that, caption changed. I must admit that I did wonder if I'd got that right. It makes more sense for it to be a Down train as I was waiting for an Up train at the time. Chris Turnbull

I've had a play around including scanning the original at a much higher resolution but still can't read the writing. Sorry. Chris Turnbull

A selection on the East Coast Main Line this evening. On 12th July 1968 "Deltic" D9019 "Royal Highland Fusilier" passes through Doncaster on an Up Down express. Taken from the train on the same day, this is a view of the MPD Class 55 No. 9004 "Queen's Own Highlander" passes High Dyke Junction on 29th March 1973 on an Up express and is about to enter Stoke Tunnel which lies just behind the photographer. High Dyke was the junction for the freight-only line to iron ore mines west of Colsterworth and lies a few miles south of Grantham. The branch into Colsterworth itself had closed in 1966 while the branch from Skillington Road Junction to Stainby Quarry had closed in 1972. This left only the line to Sproxton Quarry open at the time this photograph was taken, 29th March 1973, which was itself closed later that year. An unidentified Class 31 brings a train of iron ore into the exchange sidings. Moving further south to Peterborough this is Brush Type 2 D5535 in Platform 5 on 9th September 1968 And this is "Deltic" D9006 "The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry" in Platform 2 on a Down express. Thanks to Jonny777 as usual. Chris Turnbull

Glad you like the photos. As far as I can recall the track was rationalised in the station in 1965. The Down through road was removed entirely but the Up through road was left as a siding. If you look at post #34 you will see there is no connection at the Up end of the station. Here's a couple of shots of Bury St Edmunds taken in 1963 by a railway-mad 11 year-old, black and white I'm afraid as a 35mm camera and colour slide film was an unattainable expense to a lad receiving 2/6d (IIRC) weekly pocket money. In this shot the Down through road is still signalled as such. Note the GE water crane adorning the yard. The track in the foreground led to Gough's Maltings where there was a wagon turntable. Only once did I see the yard shunter venture down this siding and didn't have my camera with me at the time (probably hadn't any money for the film). An unidentified BR shunter potters about the yard. The Thompson coach was one of a two-coach rake that up until 1961 ran between Bury St Edmunds and Long Melford. The rake remained in the yard for years, probably until it had to be moved to allow the sidings to be re-aligned when the engine shed was demolished and the track removed. I don't remember the railings being any colour than black but as a lad I didn't really look at railings, I was more concerned with locomotives! Chris Turnbull

Back to East Anglia tonight and a few more views of Bury St Edmunds. Brush Type 2 D5581 passes Bury St Edmunds Yard signalbox on 12th June 1968 An unidentified Brush Type 2 hauls failed English Electric Type 3 D6752 on 8th March 1969 Another Brush Type 2 D5628 and B.R. shunter D2006 on 28th March 1969. The barren area in the foreground was the site of the locomotive shed, 31E. Brush Type 2 D5629 departs westwards, again on 28th March 1969. Thanks to Jonny777 again. Chris Turnbull .

One railway that has always fascinated me is the Listowel and Ballybunion Railway. Since the original closed in 1924, a casualty of the Irish Civil War, I never thought that I would see a working example of a Lartigue monorail. However, a 1,100 yard replica has been built in Listowel and thanks to the Railway Study Association organising a long study weekend in Limerick in 2008 I was able to see and ride on this most unusual railway. All photographs were taken on 22nd May 2008. The replica locomotive is seen here ready to depart. This is diesel powered, the original locomotives being steam powered which meant two independent boilers and fireboxes which had to be kept balanced. Another view of the locomotive This is the arrangement for a point which also doubled as a turntable. Two shots of the train in action. The arrangement of the passenger coaches. Seats are longtitudinal and passengers must be balanced either side. My apologies if you consider that this shouId be in the Irish section but I think this is a fascinating railway and well worth a visit if you are in the area. For more details see: http://www.lartiguemonorail.com/ Don't forget to click on the History and Gallery tabs. Chris Turnbull

Back to Cambridge for today's selection. In the 1980s I worked close to Hills Road bridge and a favourite lunchtime jaunt in good weather was to the railway. Its 11th March 1980 and 37052 is leaving on the 13.26 to Liverpool Street. The new Cambridge power signalbox can be seen under construction behind the locomotive. The old cattle market is to the right and was still in use at this time. Moving down to the railings in the foreground of the previous photograph, this is 37021 on the 13.39 arrival from Liverpool Street taken on the same day. Nine days later the 13.26 departure was hauled by 37017. An interesting working was always the lunchtime arrival of the CIBA-GEIGY train from their plant at Duxford. This is 45071 on the working on 26th March 1980. The factory was connected to the rail network in the mid-70s but the connection is now overgrown and disused. Thanks to Jonny777 as usual. Chris Turnbull

Here's a part of the world that hasn't featured as yet in this thread - Bromsgrove on 8th March 1980. Here we see Class 46 No. 46010 on a Down passenger. At this time there was only one platform and all stopping Down trains had to cross over to the Up line and back again. This was at the height of the BR rationalisation and could not have helped to improve track utilisation. The famous Lickey Bank started just at the end of the platform and the gradient can clearly be seen in the track and the last few coaches of the train. Class 47 No. 47035 passes Class 37 Nos. 37210 and 37206 that were acting as bankers that day. March 8th was a Saturday when few freights were running so sadly I didn't see any banking being carried out whilst I was there. Passing the Up sidings Class 47 No. 47123 is about to commence the ascent of the bank. Taken from the bridge at the end of Railway Walk (what a great name for a road) Class 47 No. 47519 approaches Bromsgrove from the south with an Up express. Finally here's a relatively new Class 253 No. 253003 passing the bankers having just descended the bank. I don't have the expertise of David Ford to post a Christmas card on here but may I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Special thanks to Jonny777 for vetting all these colour slides as I am unable to do so. There's still quite a few to go! Season's Greetings Chris Turnbull

Since the Ruddington working has sparked so much interest, here's another photo of No. 38 either about to enter or just leaving Victoria Street tunnel. Chris Turnbull

You could well be right, the train could have been reversing to Trent Lane West Junction. There was no run-round loop at Weekday Cross Junction so it would make more sense for it to be reversing when the photograph was taken. My notes make no mention (I suppose it seemed obvious at the time) and after forty years I can't remember! I've assumed you are correct and have changed the caption accordingly. Many thanks. Chris Turnbull

Tonight we have a visit to Nottingham in the 1970s. Here's Class 25 D5186 at Long Eaton on 16th December 1972 Class 08 3505 enters Nottingham Midland from the east on 21st March 1974. On the same day at the west end of the station these are Class 25s D5225 and 25132 Also on 21st March 1974, a pair of Class 20s pass through Nottingham Midland station; the first locomotive is 20170. They have just passed under the bridge that carried the Great Central main line which had closed in the mid-60s but this section remained open as far as Hotchley Hill Sidings, mainly to serve the army ordnance and supply depot at Ruddington. This is Class 45 No. 38 reversing at Weekday Cross Junction on 1st May 1974 on its way to from Ruddington. This section was to close later the same year when a new cord was opened connecting the GC line with the Midland main line at Loughborough. The bridge over Nottingham Midland was removed some years later only to be rebuilt in 2013 to carry the southern extension of NET. This is the station being remodelled on 27th July 2013 with the new bridge under construction overhead. Thanks to Jonny777 as usual Chris Turnbull

In June 1978, ten years after my first visit to Carnforth (posts #288, #290 and #299), I paid a return visit by which time it was Steamtown Carnforth. Many of the locomotives were painted in unauthentic and rather gaudy liveries as has already been mentioned but not all. This is Class "LN" 30850 "Lord Nelson" now to be found on the Mid-Hants Railway according to Platform 5's "Preserved Locomotives of British Railways". And here's Class B1 1306 "Mayflower" looking far better than she did in 1968. I'm not sure what the industrial locomotive is but I'll bet someone can tell us. Carnforth also had a number of Stanier Class 5s of which these are three. It is always nice to see these grand old ladies looking like this especially since the other option would have been this... ...but I shall always remember them like this... Class 8F No. 48765 at Hoghton in July 1968 with Class 7200 No. 7202 at Barry in August 1968 (above). <Nostalgia mode OFF> Thanks to Jonny777 again. Chris Turnbull.

We've had a lot of the East Coast Main Line recently so, to show there's no favouritism, this evening we pay a visit to the West Coast Main Line. All photographs were taken on 22nd June 1978. This is Bolton-le-Sands, just south of Carnforth, where we see 87020. Things had changed since 1968! Still at Bolton-le-Sands this is what I have helpfully called an "unidentified electric". I think it's a Class 86 but am I right? Moving south of Lancaster now, my notes are more helpful; this is 85005 South of Lancaster still, here's a panoramic shot of the lovely Lancashire countryside. Oh, and there's a WCML express speeding through it. It wasn't all 100 m.p.h. electrics; this is 40175. Even a humble DMU got to run on the WCML occasionally, again south of Lancaster. Thanks to Jonny777 as usual. Chris Turnbull

On 9th September 1973 I paid the first of many visits to the Severn Valley Railway. At that time it only ran between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade, if I remember correctly, but nevertheless was on its way to becoming the first-class railway it is today. This is one of the locomotives in steam that day at Bidgnorth, Collett 2251 Class 0-6-0 No. 3205 looking more spick and span than she had probably looked since she was last overhauled. And this is the other locomotive, Gresley Class K4 No. 61994 "The Great Marquess" repainted as LNER No. 3442. Here we are on the train leaving Bridgnorth with 3205 at the head. This is the goods yard at Bridgnorth... ...and this is the view from the footbridge looking towards Hampton Loade. Usual thanks to Jonny777 Chris Turnbull