Panelman

From a modelling perspective, the Working Timetable issued to staff is probably a much more useful (and user-friendly!) document, as it will show all the trains booked to run on a given route, including parcels, empty stock and light engine movements. There will be a clear indication of the originating and terminating points of the trains. There is usually a good selection of WTTs available on ebay. I have a modest collection of BR (WR) WTTs from the 50s and early 60s, so might be able to help if you need information on a specific location. I've been compiling a timetable for my Oxford-based layout so it's possible i have the information to hand. Kevin

There was a parcel train from Morris Cowley to Oxford which contained vans for various destinations. 3A78 18:55 Morris Cowley-Oxford Arr 19:10 1. Van Morris Cowley-Crewe Forward 3J06 18:45 Didcot-Shrewsbury 2. Van Morris Cowley-Newcastle Forward 1E50 19:33 Swindon-Sheffield 3. Van Morris Cowley-Cambridge Forward 3M23 23:30 Oxford-Bletchley 4. BSK (set S.14) Morris Cowley-Oxford Next working 3H90 04:40 Oxford -Kingham ECS 5. CK (set S.15) Morris Cowley-Oxford Next working 3H90 04:40 Oxford -Kingham ECS

I believe so. Must dig out my Jowett's atlas. There is a signalbox diagram here: http://www.signalbox.org/diagrams.php?id=281

Ray, I too would be very interested to see any documentation which exists as to the booked formation of the freights. There must have been something printed in the manner of the passenger carriage workings, to show which traffic was to be forwarded by which trains? The parcels workings were contained in the passenger WTTs, as were any milk and fish trains. There were 2 return parcels trains over the route in the 1961 WTT, and i have included the booked formations from the 1961 Carriage Working programme. Note that the WR used the term 'Van' for just about everything it seems, apart from BG-type vehicles which were referred to as 'Brake Vans'. I suppose the difference was provision of guard's accommodation. 3V04 04:55 Bletchley-Oxford parcels and mails (this ran as 1V20 with passenger accommodation mondays only, see 3M23 below) -Brake Van Bletchley-Oxford -Van Liverpool-Oxford -Van Liverpool-Reading -Vans 'as required' Norwich-Reading 3E27 06:10 Oxford-Cambridge parcels -Vans 'as required' (U.S.A.F. Mails) for various destinations -2 Vans Droitwich-Bletchley -Van Hartlebury-Bletchley -Brake van Oxford-Cambridge 3V06 22:10 Bletchley-Oxford Parcels -Brake Van Cambridge-Oxford -Van Bletchley-Oxford -Brake Van Cambridge-Wolverhampton Low Level -Van 'as required' Sandy-Birmingham Moor St. -Van Baldock-Birmingham Snow Hill -Van Baldock-Oxford -Van Baldock-Bristol -Brake Van Northampton-Bristol 3M23 23:30 Oxford-Bletchley parcels -Brake Van Oxford-Cambridge -Van Morris Cowley-Cambridge (on Saturdays this train conveyed a BSK and SK which returned on the Mondays only 1V20 04:55 Bletchley-Oxford) If you would like to see the passenger workings, i'll fetch in the WTTs i have tomorrow. I only have WR ones though for the late 50s,/early 60s, and they only show Oxford-Bicester in detail. I am sure i have an LMR passenger WTT for 1965 which has the workings for the Bletchley end. I seem to recall there were a few saturdays-only class 1 passenger trains to and from the south coast to the likes of Bradford/Leicester etc which went over the Bletchley-Oxford line. Regards, Kevin

These are the Bletchley-Oxford line workings as shown in the LMS winter 1962/63 freight WTT. I imagine the WTT was largely irrelevant once the snows of '63 arrived! Up Line (times in bold are Verney Junction times where applicable) 5E09 13:00 Neath-Cambridge 01:00 7B98 02:05 Swabourne Sidings-Pooley Hall empties - - - - 4M26 20:30 Fawley-Northampton 03:00 calls at Winslow to take water 03:06-03:12 7M32 01:15 Yarnton-Toton empties 03:12 (recesses at Claydon L*NE Jn. for passage of 4M26. also stops Winslow for water 03:17-03:22) 3E76 04:30 Swanbourne Sidings-Cambridge - - - - 8M14 03:00 Yarnton-Irthlingborough Iron Co's Sdg 04:25 (Swanbourne Sidings 04:47-05:05) 9F02 04:40 Swanbourne Sidings-Lloyd Sidings - - - - FSO 9T22 17:20 Swanbourne Sidings-Wolverton - - - - 7P64 17:30 Swanbourne Sidings-Overseal - - - - MO 9T08 17:35 Swanbourne Sidings-Bletchley - - - - via Bletchley No.1 9A43 17:55 Swanbourne Sidings-Bletchley - - - - via flyover 8M16 04:20 Hinksey Yard-Swanbourne Sidings 05:38 9F02 06:15 Swanbourne Sidings-Corby Sidings - - - - MO 9E75 06:45 Swanbourne Sidings-Sandy - - - - 9F04 07:40 Swanbourne Sidings-Lloyds Sidings - - - - 9A06 07:53 Swanbourne Sidings-Tring Cutting - - - - 9T23 09:20 Swanbourne Sidings-Bedford St. John's - - - - 9T08 09:40 Swanbourne SidingsCambridge - - - - 8M18 07:55 Yarnton-Swanbourne Sidings 09:40 9A13 10:35 Swanbourne Sidings-Leighton Buzzard - - - - 8M19 08:35 Hinksey Yard-Swanbourne Sidings 10:34 MO 9T24 09:50 Quainton Road-Swanbourne Sidings 10:42 calls at Winslow to take water 10:50-11:00 8M20 10:15 Yarnton-Swanbourne Sidings 11:40 9T10 09:45 Banbury Merton St.-Swanbourne Sidings 12:00-12:18 (calls Brackley Town, Fulwell and Westbury, Buckingham and 'as required' at Farthinghoe and Winslow) 8M21 11:27 Oxford Rewley Road-Swanbourne Sidings 14:10 (calls 'as required' at Launton, Marsh Gibbon, Claydon, Verney Jn, Winslow) 0Z00 14:00 EBV Quainton Road-Swanbourne Sidings 14:28 EBV-engine and brake van. WTT states 'off T24'. T24 refers to the 08:10 Swanbourne Sdgs-Quainton Rd. 9T12 15:14 Swanbourne Sidings-Newton Longville - - - - MWFO 9T18 16:20 Swanbourne Sidings-Tring - - - - 9B70 16:35 Swanbourne Sidings-Northampton - - - - 7M34 16:00 Oxford South Yard-Swanbourne Sidings 17:18 8M22 19:45 Yarnton-Swanbourne Sidings 21:03 8M23 20:45 Hinksey yard-Swanbourne Sidings 22:05 8M24 21:30 Yarnton-Northampton 22:48 Down Line 9T07 20:40 Bedford St. John's-Hinksey Yard 00:53 (interesting that this didn't run as a 'V' headcode) 9T08 03:32 Bletchley-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 8A99 01:20 Willesden-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 9T10 05:42 Swanbourne Sidings-Banbury Merton St. 06:02 (calls 'as required' at Padbury, Buckingham, Fulwell and Westbury and Farthinghoe. Booked at Buckingham Goods from 06:32-07:50) 8V63 06:14 Swanbourne Sidings-Hinksey Yard 06:34 MO 9T24 08:10 Swanbourne Sidings-Quainton Road 08:30 8V65 08:45 Swanbourne Sidings-Oxford Rewley Rd. 10:05 (calls 'as required' at Swanbourne, Winslow (09:15-09:55), Verney Junction) 8V64 06:05 Wellingborough Midland Rd.-Yarnton 10:50 calls at Winslow to take water 10:35-10:40 0A13 08:45 Leighton Buzzard-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - (light engine to work 9A13 10:35 Swanbourne Sidings-Leighton Buzzard) 8A03 06:15 Nuneaton-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - MO 9T12 11:10 Bletchley-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 9T24 11:45 Swanbourne Sidings-Quainton Road 12:27 (calls at Winslow 12:02-12:20 for pathing purposes) 8V68 12:55 Swanbourne Sidings-Hinksey yard 13:15 9A16 08:50 Toton-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 8V70 14:36 Swanbourne Sidings-Oxford Rewley Road 14:56 8V71 11:52 Irthlingborough-Yarnton 15:49 calls at Winslow to take water 15:38-15:43 9T04 14:00 Aylesbury-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - MWFO 0M22 16:05 Bletchley-Yarnton 16:35 (light engine to work 8M22 19:45 Yarnton-Swanbourne Sidings) 9T13 16:18 Lamb's Siding-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 9T12 16:45 Newton Longville-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 8V73 14:10 Irthlingborough-Yarnton 17:34 calls at Winslow to take water 17:12-17:26 0M23 17:40 Bletchley-Swanbourne Sidings 18:10 (light engine to work 8M23 20:45 Hinksey Yard-Swanbourne) 9T08 15:04 Cambridge-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 8A12 20:00 Rugby-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 9A34 22:10 Northampton-Swanbourne Sidings - - - - 4O09 21:50 Northampton-Northam 23:09 calls at Winslow to take water 22:54-22:59 8V75 19:50 Corby Sidings-Hinksey Yard 23:29 calls at Winslow to take water 23:14-23:19 5V06 19:23 Ipswich-Cardiff 00:16 The LMR WTT shows more vividly how the line's freight traffic is centred on the yard at Swanbourne Sidings. Must have been an interesting spot to visit.

Some really interesting info on here now! Especially as to the makeup of the only 'express' freight on the line. I have to hand the WR WTTs for summer 1958, winter 1960 and the LMR WTT for winter 1962. I really must scan these sometime, saves a lot of typing... Times in bold are passing times at Verney Junction. I have only included weekday (SX) trains. 1958: Up Line: 12:10 Llandilo Jn-Cambridge class 'D' 01:05 01:15 Yarnton-Saffron Lane Junction class 'F' 02:56 03:00 Yarnton-Irthlingborough class 'J' 04:20-04:45 (booked for regulating purposes) 04:17 Hinksey Yard-Swanbourne Sdgs class 'J' 05:36 06:25 Yarnton-Corby Sdgs class 'J' 07:35 Mondays Only 07:55 Yarnton-Swanbourne Sdgs class 'J' 09:38 08:55 Hinksey Yard-Swanbourne Sdgs class J' 10:14 Mondays Only 10:15 Yarnton-Swanbourne Sdgs class 'J' 11:33 10:55 Yarnton-Cambridge class 'H' 12:38 11:27 Oxford-Bletchley class 'K' 14:10 calls at Islip, Bicester No.2, Bicester L.R., then 'as required' at Launton, Marsh Gibbon & Poundon, Claydon. WTT also shows Islip Crossing, Oddington Crossing and Bicester R.A.F siding as 'as required' stops. 13:10 Hinksey Yard-Bicester London Rd. class 'K' - - - 15:55 Oxford South Yard-Fletton's Siding* class 'F' 17:15 *WTT shows 18:12-18:25 in Fletton's Siding 'loop'. The next entry is Bletchley arrival as a light engine. 19:45 Yarnton-Swanbourne Sidings class 'J' 21:03 21:35 Oxford-Swanbourne Sidings class 'J' 22:50 22:50 Yarnton-Northampton class 'J' 00:08 Note: Class 'H' from Swanbourne Sidings Down Line: 22:25 Forder's Sidings-Hinksey Yard class 'J' 00:53 06:05 Swanbourne Sidings-Hinksey Yard class 'J' 06:25 mondays only 08:55 Swanbourne Sidings-Oxford class 'K' 09:18-10:09 calls at Bicester No.1 10:34-11:00, Bicester No.2 11:05-11:20, also Islip, Islip Crossing, Oddington Crossing, Oxford Road Jn. Arrive Oxford 12:18. 09:50 Cambridge-Cardiff class 'D' 12:38 12:45 Swanbourne Sidings-Hinksey Yard class 'K' 13:05 06:10 Wellingborough Midland-Yarnton class 'J' 13:20 11:40 Irthlingborough-Yarnton class 'J' 15:45 16:00 Bletchley-Yarnton class 'G' (light engine) 16:30 mondays only. To work 19:45 to Swanbourne Sidings. 14:00 Irthlingborough-Yarnton class 'J' 18:20 18:00 Bletchley-Oxford M.P.D. class 'G' (light engine) 18:30 mondays only 19:45 Corby Sidings-Hinksey Yard class 'J' 23:48 19:14 Ipswich-Cardiff class 'D' 00:16

The winter 1960/61 WR WTT shows the following freight traffic booked for the Oxford-Bletchley section: DOWN LINE Days Run From/To Bletchley Swanbourne Sdgs Bicester Yarnton Oxford North Jn Headcode 8V61 MX 20:40 Bedford-Hinksey 00:20 01:29 01:50 8V63 MO 06:06 Swanbourne-Hinksey 06:05 06:55 07:37 8V65 SO 08:45 Swanbourne-Oxford* 08:45 10:34-11:10 12:08* * presumably Rewley Road 8V65 SX 08:45 Swanbourne-Oxford* 08:45 10:34-11:20 12:18* * presumably Rewley Road 8V64 SO 06:10 Wellingborough-Hinksey 11:20 12:29 8V64 SX 06:10 Wellingborough-Yarnton 11:25-11:45 12:35 8V68 SX 12:47 Swanbourne-Hinksey 12:47 13:38-13:44 15:00 8V68 SO 12:45 Swanbourne-Hinksey 12:45 13:38-13:44 15:15 9A28 SX 15:25 Bicester-Hinksey 15:25 17:10 8V70 14:43 Swanbourne-Oxford* 14:43 15:35-16:00 16:45* *presumably Rewley Road 8V71 MSX 11:55 Irthlingboro'-Yarnton 14:50 16:24 17:10 8V71 SO 11:40 Irthlingboro'-Yarnton no time shown 15:54 16:40 0V00 MSX 16:00 Bletchley-Yarnton 16:00 17:00 17:45 "to work 19:45 Yarnton-Swanbourne and 20:45 Oxford-Swanbourne" ( 2 light engines) 8V73 SX 14:00 Irthlingboro'-Yarnton 16:43 18:08 19:00 8V75 SO 15:50 Corby Sdgs-Hinksey 19:10 20:10 21:00 8V75 SX 19:50 Corby Sdgs-Hinksey 22:55 23:55 00:45 5V06 SX 19:14 Ipswich-Cardiff 23:52 00:50 01:21-01:31 I'll get on and transcribe the Up line shortly! I'm not too sure what these trains actually conveyed, though 5V06 is mentioned in the Ian Allen 'Express Freight Trains' book and had continental ferry vans attached to the rear. The class 5 'D' headcode reflected the air-braked-only vans in an otherwise fully-fitted train. The E.R. type 2 was replaced with an LM class 5 at Bletchley. Hope this helps?

Hi Ray, I have some WR WTTs for the late 50s and early 60s which show traffic for the Oxford-Bletchley line, and a couple of WTTs for the Bletchley end (1965 i think). If i can be of any help please let me know. Kevin