nigb55009

Wild swan, Magnum

Ain't no fun waiting round to be a millionaire, AC/DC

Fire and ice, Pat Benatar

Don`t call it love, Girlschool

Standing on the edge of tomorrow, The Damned 

Nothing else matters, Metallica

Urban Guerilla, Hawkwind

I have recently read a book entitled "Great Train Robbery Confidential" by Graham Satchwell. He is a retired 

Detective Inspector who was in charge of the case against Tom Wisbey and others who were involved in thefts

from mail trains similar to the Great Train Robbery. When their paths crossed again years later, they worked

on this book which looks at some of the rumour, facts and fiction about the robbery.

It also gives details of the " South Coast Raiders". It`s a fascinating insight into  who and what were involved

in the events before and after the robbery, as well as the people, on both sides of the law, connected with it.

I have no connection with the author or anyone else conncted with the book, but I would recommend 

it to anyone interested in the robbery.

Lost in Hollywood, Rainbow

Bird of prey, Uriah Heep 

Always somewhere, Scorpions

Re; Scarborough DMUs. There is a photo on the Railcar website, in the section about class 108s. 

It shows the cab, including the engine lights panel. There are 12 engine lights, ie; 6 power cars,

along with  6 air & axle lights. The photo is from 1977, the caption says the cab is refurbished,

but the lights are of the old type.

I`ve still got some of the badges we were given at the time. I was a Guard at Springs Branch at that time. In May 1988, with all the MGR traffic having gone over Driver Only Operation,

several of us were made redundant. Six of us went to Preston and one to Blackpool. I hated it, passenger work and ticket machines, give me a shunting  pole and a rusty coupling anytime.

Fortunately it only lasted until September, then we went back to the Branch. Some of us passed the aptitude test and became Traimen D, later becoming Drivers. When the Branch closed

in 1992 a lot more of us were made redundant, we moved Mancheter Vic, Picc, Lime St, one even went to Skipton. The freight work went to Warrington. Some Drivers moved to Wigan

Wallgate, to cover the DMU work.

Thinking about the Local Trip Notice I mentioned earlier, it was later than 1982. Probably more likely 1987/8. The trip workings covered an area including

Warrington, Springs Branch, Preston, Carnforth, Barrow, Workington and Carlisle depots, as well as Crewe, Chester, Llandudno Jn and Holyhead.

Garston and Ellesmere Port, which had include work transferred from Birkenhead. I think by that time Northwich had closed, the work andsome of the 

men, moving to Warrington. Around the same time, Buxton and Manchester area freight traffic came under the responsibility of North West Freight, were

as previously freight had been part of each Area Managers control. I can`t remember when Buxton`s freight work was moved to Peak Forest, I think it would

have been a little later. 

No, I mean North Wales freight services. Trains to Holyhead, Amlwch, Transffyndd etc. I used to have a Local Trip Notice, from 1982  I think, which included Llandudno Junction workings as well as Chester and Holyhead. 

There was also North West Railfreight, based at Warrington. The area covered up to Carlisle, including the Cumbrian coast. ISTR it also covered the

North Wales coast, Buxton area and Crewe, including MGR workings from Silverdale Colliery. I`m not sure about the Stoke area, that might have become

part of one of the Midlands areas.

Beyond the realms of death, Judas Priest

I have a copy, you can have it if you like.

Ain`t talkin` bout love, Van Halen

Only six?

Bickershaw Colliery, near Wigan used two GE diesel locos. I think they were built at Vulcan Foundry, about 1979. They were named Western King and Western and Western Queen. 

After the Rapid Loading Bunker came into use, around 1988, the locos were transferred to Littleton Colliery in Staffordshire. They were moved via BR metals and

under their own power. A Springs Branch Driver acted as route conductor as far as Crewe. The move happened during daylight hours, IIRC. I`m sure there would have been a lot

of restrictions regarding speed and which lines the two were allowed to operate. Of course in those days there wasn`t the same access to the internet and social media, so the

working seems to have gone unnoticed. I haven`t been able to find any photos on line of the locos on BR metals, although I have seen photos of Western King at work after it`s

at Littleton. I wonder what Network Rails reaction if someone were to propose such a working today?

The lights burned out, Magnum

That`s Haverthwaite, not Lakeside.

The signal could be put back as soon as the train has passed it. The points would, probably, only be reset when the train has cleared the crossing and is no longer occupying the track circuit. As you say, clarification from someone with more specialised local knowledge would confirm, one way or the other.

The 33 isn`t running wrong line, it`s arriving in the platform having crossed from the Down line. The class 50 is doing the same thing, the signal is visible in the picture.