phil_sutters

How big does your big loco have to be? This were typical S&D 1960s trains on the Somerset Central.

Three from Dad's files. In the first I cannot see any further wagons after the first three. Maybe the next was an empty container wagon or something similar..

In 'Around Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge in Old Photographs' which I am sure you will all have in your libraries*, there is a great photo of at least five**- Babcock steam rollers arriving in 1926 at Highbridge - the Wharf I think - on various Lowmac-type wagons. for the local road mending company of Buncombe's. They were still around in the 1960s when I lived in Highbridge - the company - not necessarily the same rollers, although I think they still had some steamers. They carried out contracts way beyond the Somerset borders. *Actually those sorts of local history photo books are very good sources of background detail, especially in the first half of the 20th century, when they seemed keen on recording local life. ** Looking closely at the photo, there could have been as many as 7 rollers on that train.

The trafficator lights amidships must be a Brummie requirement, as I don't remember them on London cabs and have just done a quick search and not found any others elsewhere. Perhaps they wanted to have a specific signal for 'I am doing a 'U' turn in the middle of a busy street.' Perhaps they were for indicating that the taxi was available for hire, as one can only see the illuminated 'TAXI' sign from the front. I'll bet there's a RMweb member who knows the answers.

Hot pants?! Just made to fry the fishcakes featured a few posts back. From a 'tofs' (The Original Factory Shop) advert.

Weed-killing trains were also users of old tenders. There are a couple of photos - one from 1949 and the other undated at Wells - in Colin Maggs 'Branch Lines of Somerset' with short weed-killing trains with two or three tenders - ex-LNWR ones in the 1949 shot - and a couple of brake vans.

Living within 400 yards of the Highbridge - Burnham line in the 1960s, I could never get my head round the Berrow branch. I admired the modelling but the back-story was a bit bizarre. I never saw Bulleid light pacifics up the Somerset Central line and even 2P 4-4-0s rarely ventured up there. Dad refused to call the line the 'branch' as it was the original bit of the S&DJR. Quite hefty excursion trains to Burnham were handled by 4Fs. As for the Ring'o'Bells - East Brent is actually well east of the Bristol & Exeter mainline, so miles away from Berrow and the pub must have been inspired by one of the four Ring'o'Bells in other Somerset villages as East Brent doesn't have one. Did I spy some of my wallpaper on the Dodo's roof? It cuts the mustard on what is a quality bit of modelling. I like its rather uneven look when compared with the more precise plastic roofing.

I have just come across this fascinating photo album in the Great War Forum. The continental railway ones are at the beginning, with some UK ones at the end. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/265562-photograph-album-of-steam-trains-france-1919/

Sorry it's in mono, so the highly praised Midsomer Norton flower beds are a bit dull. Any more flowers - weedy or not - or do we want a w.c. - wild card - or perhaps a new theme 'toilets'!!!!

More railway flowers - with or without trains!

As this seems to be going nowhere, but inspired by the floral additions two posts back - how about station or signal box gardens or planters? Lewes has an excellent horticultural support group - More station flowers, preferably with some evidence that it is railway related, please

I have the same photo from the Aerofilms survey 1983 in book form. The colour is better defined. It looks like a slate grey with lighter ridges.

Is anything off topic here? A previous Pegg movie Shaun of the Dead was filmed in a redundant pub in New Cross, SE London. This was the sign that greeted me on my way from work nearby - I know I have used it on RMweb - I hope not here. I never saw one though.

It worked like that for me. Trains, trams and scooters - that's the transport solution for all our cities. It makes sense of the 'Cake-box Challenge'- the only size of layout you can transport on the back of a scooter, to go to your exhibition!

A few recent sightings

Now single tracked and unstaffed more downgraded stations please

One from an earlier Newhaven & District MRC exhibition - there is another next Saturday 27.10.2018 at Seaford Baptist Church. There seem to be less LMSR layouts about ---- unless you know otherwise .....................

Mr. Oram, the signalman at Highbridge East B box used to use a tea-towel to signal local movements in and out of the S&D goods shed. No photo of the SB or Mr. Oram - could do you several of the goods shed.

This is a modern version - in that area - so forget the mobiles and the bottled water - but I bet that bit of fake grass drapery was there in your time!

Them rhines do eat engines! Poor old 76 did vall in when er ad an argument wi a peat train. There is a steep bit in the middle of the Levels. Please do not start a discussion about the type of Nissen hut on the right. That was done at length in another thread. It's way out of period anyway.

Meanwhile about eight miles west, it's a lot easier going down according to my grand-daughter. That's her on the right, about to launch... It looks like that lot has been carved out of Celotex. I once saw a couple of cyclists who had ridden onto the path that runs along the bottom of the cliff, realizing that, having got on to the path on the level at Rottingdean, they were going to have to carry their bikes up the steps.These have been built into the carved out chalk cliffs at the eastern end of the path, where it finishes before Newhaven Heights.

Further to the above whinge, about organisations that should know better than to encourage people to stand on the edge of eroding chalk cliffs, shortly after posting that, I passed the window of a local undertakers, who seem to have a droll sense of humour. After all the local warnings about the potential fatal consequences of this activity, they displayed this reproduction of an old Southern Railway poster. Could it be they want to offer their services to the bereaved?

Did anyone click on the 'View film' button on the Eric Parry, Architects' webpage that was linked earlier? Although there was a bit of architect/critic spin talk, there was a good section with the master mason talking about the 'Needle' http://www.ericparryarchitects.co.uk/projects/masterplanning/southwark-gateway-london.html I appreciate that it is post-this era but if one is interested in the area it is worth a look.

Talking of wing-plates some of you may have missed a French visitor to the Festival of Britain. A friend of ours asked me to find out about a couple of photos showing a relative of hers firing on an old 2-2-2 (I suppose there aren't many 2-2-2s that aren't old). As usual RMweb members came up with the info - that it was Ouest No. 3 which had been brought over to represent the Crewe type, as there was nothing of the type in working order over here. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/122580-can-anyone-identify-this-2-2-2-loco-please/ There is some delightful footage which a RMweb member unearthed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=424&v=cUUl9wA9bLg There are interesting details that can be glimpsed in the background, showing rail and road vehicles in the Bricklayers Arms depot.