br2975

Some snaps of Cowbridge Road (Bridgend), taken 10th August 2006 during final works for the Vale of Glamorgan line re-opening to passenger service. . Brian R

".... Yes Brian - that is the standard ground level version at Llantrisant West (didn't include the 'Level Crossing' in its title at one time) - very similar to the one at Cowbridge Road in your part of the world (well nearly)......." . The delapidated structure at Llantrisant West is still in situ alongside the crossing which holds me up every time I visit my daughter ! . Cowbridge Road is less than half a mile from where I am typing this, but I don't know if the box is extant ? . Brian R

Does this one count as well ? . http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=south%20wales&page=2&serial=36&img=G-104-07 . Brian R

Bargoed 'box can be seen here in a former life. . http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&serial=1&img=Y-36-17A http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-36-21A&serial=3 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-36-35A&serial=6 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-35-34A&serial=8 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-35-35A&serial=9 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-35-36A&serial=10 A location just begging to be modelled. Brian R

".... Fitzalan Technical High School ....." .......................................... Does that mean it wasn't really a 'high school' just 'technically' a high school ? .......................................... Brian R

So we won't be seeing one with "DANEMOUTH BEACH ROAD SIGNAL BOX" emblazoned across it in the forseeable future ? . Brian R

A selection of layouts that have inspired me over the years. ................ "BURNFOOT" by Ian Futers, again blue diesel urban grot. ................ "MILL DALE" the first plausible 009 layout I recall seeing, in the late 60s. ................ "PENHYDD" nothing more to say there (yes I know it's up to date). ................ "BUCKINGHAM" a complete concept. ................ "TETFIELD" - archetypal GWR BLT, you have to be of a certain age to remember this. ................ Brian R

My mind drifts back to 14th. May, 1971 and passing the classroom window trundling back and forth to Radyr I noted ....... . Cl.35:- 7063, 7078, 7087 Cl.37:- 6601, 6603+6998, 6606, 6607, 6879, 6956, 6958, 6977, 6978, Cl.45:- 80, Cl.47:- 1712, . Funny, my parents always expected more of,academically. I wonder what went wrong ? . Brian R

In 1967 I was overtaken by a sense of foreboding as 'the big school' approached. ......... A trip to the premises of "Donald Knight" in Canton, Cardiff confirmed my fate was sealed as we left with a blazer, cap, short grey trousers and a satchel ! ......... What made it worse, the 'big school' was directly across the road from home, so my mother could watch me leave, line up in the yard and traipse into the building. ......... What amazed me were the things she never noticed such as virtually no other child was attired in the same way, or that the most popular playground pastime was playing ‘touch and pass’ using some unfortunates headgear as a rugby ball !. ......... Any protestations were met with "that uniform cost me a lot of money" and was compounded by mothers trait of buying everything too big so that I could "grow into it" ! ......... As for what I wore when spotting . . . . . . . Our school covered three sites, with the Lower School, Forms 1 & 2 opposite my home, but the Middle School (Forms 3 & 4) and Upper School (Forms 5 & 6) were about a mile away, and alongside the Cardiff - Radyr freight line which allowed me (by now in only semi-uniform)to record the continual procession of Peaks, occasional Warships, the odd Western, Brushes, "Ingis", "Type 2s" Hymeks and "nine-fivers" travelling to and from Radyr Yard and beyond. ......... For 'trips' to distant spotting locations I was presented with another piece of iconic spotting attire ....... a duffel bag, like most other things - a hand me down, that cramped my style – unfortunately, it was ruined when I left a harvest of conkers in it over the winter one year. ......... And so, armed with some left over Christmas money I bought an "Inter-City" bag from the travel centre at Cardiff Central (it had just been renamed from Cardiff General) . . . . does anyone remember those dark blue shoulder bags ? This proved just the thing to hold my Heinz Sandwich Spread sandwiches and unflavoured salt 'n' shake crisps, the basic sustenance on journies that always seemed to start on the 07:05 Cardiff-Gloucester, which invariably turned out to be a Swindon Cross-Country unit.. ......... My 'combine' remained at home, only a 'Locoshed' accompanied my notebook on awaydays. ......... For notebooks, many of us who frequented Platform 3 7 4 at Cardiff General/Central standardised on a small black 'referees' notebokk with elastic to hold the used pages in place as you moved through the book. ......... Over forty years down the line (yeeeuch, I should be a journo !) I still have all my 'combines' - 'Locosheds' - 'Locoshed Directories' and all the notebooks that never fell apart. ......... I've no doubt a Los Angeles based 'psycho-analyst' could make a fortune out of the treatment he believes I so desperately need ! Brian R

Lydney ? Brian R

Some shots of Waterloo Loop, taken 7th. July, 1973 appears at:- http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?page=7&serial=124&img=G-188-16 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?img=G-188-30&serial=138&page=8 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?img=G-188-32&serial=140&page=8 Does anyone know of any published drawings / sketches / dimensions of a 'typical' BR(WR) "plywood wonder" ? . Brian R

".....Once the subject of a £10m bid from Liverpool...." during King Kenny's last reign, that price for a donkey was par for the course ! . From a club that paid £35million for a long lanky ponytail ! . Brian R

Ian & Bill, thank you both. . I believe the van I saw was one of the BR built versions, which replaced the GWR originals. . So, that narrows it down ...... if only I knew the withdrawal date(s) - in fact seeing one in 1967 could mean the van(s) lasted longer than I thought. . I wonder if there are any photos out there of them being pushed by a diesel ? . Brian R

In 1967 I was wandering around Buttigiegs scrapyard in Newport Docks when I came across the only (rebuilt) Crosti boilered 9F (or should it be 8F ?) I ever saw, 92027. . Incongruously parked in front of the 'Crosti' was one of the BR built 'Pontnewynydd' brake vans or, as they were commonly known a 'Noah's Ark'. . I clambered all over the brake van, and nearly decapitated myself due to the low door, but never recorded the number. . Over the years I thought I may have imagined the episode, that is until I saw this ..... . http://www.flickr.com/photos/curly42/6628234531/in/photostream/ . So, after all these years, does anyone know which van it was ? (I believe BR only built two, as replacements for the GWR versions). . Answers on a postcard please addressed to 'an old codger' ! . Brian R

Here are some sightings from 1979 - all at Cardiff. Weds. 02/05/1979 47152+M31262M+80675+85503+85521+85512 added at Cardiff were:- 85514+85528+85517. Carmarthen / Swansea - Old Oak Common empty vans ? . Mon.14/05/1979 W2942+94445+S4289+81184+94190+94541+86227+S1855+M31252+81328+S1633 rake stabled. rare sighting of a Siphon'G' still in revenue service. . Tues. 15/05/1979 31286+94443+S1795+S1816+94765+M31004+94793+81070+94144+S1758+S1578+S1415+S1887+S1493+S1354 Swindon - Cardiff parcels. . Weds. 16/05/1979 37289+94899+87897+94522+94232+80616+86580+S1865+94221+86359+94503+S1333+94882+35134+94633+S1411 Swindon - Cardiff parcels. . Sat. 19/05/1979 81032+80868+86383+86198+86951+86439+86566+M31422+86413+86342+81277+86856+86180+80901 rake stabled . Tues 28/08/1979 47551+80545+S1836+S1778+81429+85528+85518+85503 Carmarthen / Swansea - Old Oak Common empty vans ? . Tues. 11/09/1979 94374+94919+80683+86825+ADB975788 (Siphon G)+86760+80959+94881+86532+S253+Sxxx+86543+81515 rake stabled. 80853+S268+94689+94558, S1277+94888 stabled . Tues. 25/09/179 35400+S2142+M31932+94407+94679+94229+S1450+M31422+94236+80532+94359+94830+S2534+S2530 rake stabled. . Brian R

I think it may be in the list, under MW 18" 0-6-0ST I recall it being featured in the RM during the early 1970s, and believe the drawing was by Don Townsley. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/33695-industrial-loco-drawings/ . I thing the article was called "Manning Wardle's magnum opus' or similar. . This article may help if the above info is duff:- . RM Sep. 1972 p287 HE 16" 0-6-0ST and Littleton Colly article . Brian R

Again, during 1987 I would try to get a glimpse of the return empty 'Old Oak vans' which would arrive Cardiff late morning (I believe originating at Carmarthen ?) and collect vans dropped off on the 'down' journey earlier that morning. . Since time immorial newspaper vans had been detached off a down Padd at Cardiff, and shunted over to either 8/9 or even the Fish Jetty (what is now Platform 0). . However, in the mid 1980s someone had a brainwave, and that for operational expedience the news vans would henceforth be shunted down to the Brickyard Siding opposite Cardiff Canton where they could be unloaded directly into delivery vans, under a brand new canopy. . Unfortunately, the local scroats wouldn't play ball, and one morning a rake of GUVs went up in flames - much to the annoynace of the local second hand car dealer whose premises were right next to the unloading canopy ! . Some of the rakes I noted that year, calling at Cardiff included:- . 11/04/87 Saturday 47473+94001+94003+84288+80202+94014+84160+92010+ (93315+17022+80586, added at Cardiff) 31/07/87 Friday 37278+50034(DIT)+94029+94011+84109+84287+80200+94005+84269+80671 But the highlight that day (in fact most of that week) was:- 40122+5350+W5251IC+5476+17165+6528+5253+5851 (1V05 0714 Holyhead-Cardiff/1M86 1300hrs. return) . Brian R

Correct Brian W . Original or pre-TOPS codes being:- POS - Post Office Sorting (van) POT - Post Office Stowage (van) . Brian R

Following on ...... . My brother and I spent the night of Wednesday 19th. August into Thursday 20th. August 1987 on Crewe recording the various day, sleeper, postal and parcels rakes. . These are an extract from my notes. . 47586+18705+21243+80355+80409+84242 (2002hrs ex Cardiff, into Plt.8) Returned as 47586+80409+80355+21243+18705+92317+93584+93185+93538+93766 (0204hrs. to Cardiff) 47599+18988+84024+80307+80311+84185 (1E24 arr Plat.7 2225hrs ?) 08739+92014, onto rear of 1E24 Shrewsury-York TPO) arr Crewe 23/08/87 86426+92207+80425+80356+80366+80416+80369+80342+80354+80401+80457+92015+92228+ 92225 (1S09 dn West Coast Postal arrived Plat.6 0003hrs.) 86249+92344+80438+80372+80382+80402+80344+80431+80395+80348+80321+80353+80425+ 80458+92371 (1M44 up West Coast Postal arrived Plat.5 0015hrs. dep. 0040hrs.) 47463+84281+80314+80310+80515+4873 (York – Shrewsbury TPO, thro’ Plat.5 86226+92237+84044+93126+92224+80204+92233+80981+92245+92320 add Crewe 93226+93624 (1H01 arrive Plat.5 0221hrs.) 47647+80663+18741+94065+94067+80507+84135 (1K83 Manchester newspapers, arrived Plat.5 0350hrs.) I hoped those notes may come in handy one day Brian R

My notes also show this list of late 1980’s early 1990’s TPO Workings. After some twenty years I cannot recall the source. Brian R Lines in FULL CAPITALS are the correct GPO titles for the trains. SOUTH WESTERN TPO DOWN Waterloo 22.52 - Southampton - Weymouth 03.32 SOUTH WESTERN TPO UP Weymouth 22.38 - Southampton - Waterloo 03.36 Stock sets work up and down on alternate nights. GREAT WESTERN TPO DOWN Padd 22.25 - BTM 00.35/00.58 - Plymouth - Penzance 06.25 GREAT WESTERN TPO UP Penzance 19.27 - Plymouth - Bristol 00.32/01.00 - Padd 03.50. Sets work up/down alternate nights. BRISTOL - DERBY TPO BTM 01.10 - Gloucester - BH New St 03.45/04.12 - Derby 05.13 DERBY - BRISTOL TPO Derby 20.10 - BNS 21.07/21.37 - Gloucester - BTM 23.53. Stock works out and back from Derby each night. MIDLAND TPO GOING NORTH BTM 19.35 - Gloucester - BNST 21.49/22.40 - Derby 23.27/00.19 - Sheffield - Doncaster - York 02.17/02/30 - Newcastle 04.06. MIDLAND TPO GOING SOUTH Newcastle 20.00 - York 21.26/21.49 - Sheffield - Derby 00.12/00.29 - B.N.ST 01.27/02.02 - Gloucester - BTM 04.28 Sets work north and south, alternate nights. SOUTH WALES TPO UP Carmarthen 20.44 - Swansea 21.28/21.46 - Cardiff 22.49/23.03 - Newport 23.19/23.28 - BTM 00.10 SOUTH WALES TPO DOWN BTM 01.24 - Newport 01.53/02.05 - Cardiff 02.26/02.48 - Swansea 03.58/04.15? - Carmarthen 05.06. Passenger train throughout. Stock works out and back each night and returns to Swansea for servicing. CARDIFF - CREWE TPO Cardiff 20.00 - Newport 20.13/20.21 - Hereford - Shrewsbury 22.17/22.25 - Crewe 23.07. CREWE - CARDIFF TPO Crewe 02.04 - Shrewsbury 02.38/02.48 - Hereford - Newport 04.46/04.56 - Cardiff 05.14 Stock works out and back each night. Passenger train northbound. Stables CF. WHITEHAVEN - HUDDERSFIELD TPO Whitehaven 18.50 - Barrow - Preston 22.01/23.09 - MCR Vic - Hudd'field 00.34 HUDDERSFIELD - WHITEHAVEN TPO Huddsfield 01.06 - Preston 02.20/04.00 - Carnforth - Barrow - Wh'haven 07.09 Stock works out and back each night and stables at Workington. Southbound working includes Stowage Vans en route Workington to Preston for attaching to the PRESTON - LONDON BAG TENDER. SHREWSBURY - YORK TPO Shrewsbury 22.50 - Crewe 23.26/00.11 - Stockport - Huddersfield - Leeds - York 02.50 YORK - SHREWSBURY TPO York 22.34 - Leeds - Huddersfield - Stockport - Crewe 00.11/02.25 - Shrewsbury 03.02. Passenger trains throughout. Sets work east and west on alternate nights. PETERBOROUGH - CREWE TPO Peterborough 20.25 - Leicester - Derby 21.51/22.03 - Stoke - Crewe 23.16 PETERBOROUGH - CREWE TPO LINCOLN SECTION Lincoln 20.03 - Newark - Nottingham - Derby 21.30 CREWE - PETERBOROUGH TPO Crewe 00.44 - Stoke - Derby 01.55/02.10 - Leicester - Peterborough 04.02 CREWE - PETERBOROUGH TPO LINCOLN SECTION Derby 02.16 - Nottingham - Newark - Lincoln 04.04 Lincoln section adds/detaches at Derby. Both trains are out and back each night. EAST ANGLIAN TPO DOWN Liverpool St 23.00 - Ipswich 00.40/01.50 - Norwich 02.49 EAST ANGLIAN TPO DOWN PETERBOROUGH SECTION Ipswich 01.01 - Ely - Peterborough 03.09 EAST ANGLIAN TPO UP Norwich 23.45 - Ipswich 00.55/02.05 - London 03.55 EAST ANGLIAN TPO UP PETERBOROUGH SECTION Peterborough 23.20 - Ely - Ipswich 01.38 East Anglian Down is passenger train to Ipswich. Peterborough sections detach and add at Ipswich. Sets work up and down on alternate nights. NORWICH - LONDON TPO Norwich 18.45 - Ipswich - Liverpool St 21.04 Passenger train throughout. Stock returns as LONDON - NORWICH BAG TENDER. DOWN SPECIAL TPO Euston 20.35 - B'ham 22.18/22.37 - Crewe 23.38/00.01 - Preston 00.49/00.58 - Carlisle 02.09/02.20 - Cartairs - Perth 05.15/05.25 - Aberdeen 07.20. CREWE - GLASGOW SORTING CARRIAGE part of DS TPO from Euston, function changing at Crewe. Splits from main train at Carstairs and runs to Glasgow 04.00. UP SPECIAL TPO Aberdeen 15.47 - Dundee - Perth 17.40/17.48 - Motherwell - Carstairs -Carlisle 21.13/21.23 - Preston 22.37/22.56 - Crewe 23.50/00.22 - B'ham 01.25/01.52 - Euston 03.58. UP SPECIAL TPO GLASGOW SECTION Glasgow dep 19.30, attaches to US TPO at Carstairs. UP SPECIAL TPO EDINBURGH SECTION Edinburgh to Carstairs Bag Tender Duty. Formed of one BG + P.O. Staff. NORTH WESTERN TPO NIGHT DOWN Euston 22.50 - B'ham 00.29/00.47 - Crewe 01.45/02.11 - Preston 03.13/03.30 -Carlisle 04.45. One sorting carriage removed at Crewe, returns ECS to London to be part ofnext nights NW TPO. One stowage tender removed at Preston and sent ECS to Workington for servicing. One sorting carriage returns ECS Carlisle - Preston to be part of next nights PRESTON - LONDON BAG TENDER. Remaining stock continues ECS to Glasgow and forms part of next nights US TPO - Glasgow section. CALEDONIAN TPO DAY DOWN Carlisle 20.50 - Carstairs - Motherwell - Perth 00.01. Passenger train throughout. CALEDONIAN TPO DAY UP Perth 21.11 - Coatbridge - Carstairs - Carlisle 00.37. Sets work up and down trains on alternate nights. CALEDONIAN TPO DAY UP EDINBURGH SECTION Edinburgh 21.45. Added to Caledonian TPO UP at Carstairs. Stock returns with Glasgow Section Coach to Edinburgh as Carlisle - Edinburgh sorting carriage. CALEDONIAN TPO DAY UP GLASGOW SECTION Glasgow 21.40 to Carstairs. Other details as Edinburgh Section. CARLISLE - EDINBURGH SORTING CARRIAGE Carlisle 02.20 - Carstairs - Edinburgh 04.20. Added to DS TPO at Carlisle and detached at Carstairs. One remains at Edinburgh and the other travels to Glasgow ECS, both to form next nights workings of Caledonian Edinburgh and Glasgow sections. LONDON - YORK - EDINBURGH TPO Kings Cross 20.20 - Peterborough 21.29/21.46 - York 00.01/00.17 – Newcastle 01.36/01.52 - Edinburgh 04.13. Stowage Tended detached Newcastle - forms part of next nights UP NE TPO. Sorting Cariage continues to Edinburgh - eturns ECS to Newcastle and is also added to next nights NE UP TPO. NORTH EASTERN TPO NIGHT DOWN Kings Cross 22.30 - Peterborough 23.32/23/48 - York 01.41/01.53 – Newcastle 02.28/03.30 - Edinburgh 05.45. Except for one Sorting Carriage, train terminates at Newcastle and forms part of next nights UP NE TPO. The one Sorting Carriage continues to Edinburgh and forms next nights Edinburgh - York TPO. NORTH EASTERN TPO NIGHT UP Newcastle 20.54 - York 22.24/22.34 - Newark 23.16/23.31 – Peterborough 01.07/01.19 - Kings Cross 02.47. Passenger train throughout. Stock forms next nights 2 down workings. EDINBURGH - YORK TPO Edinburgh 20.30 - Newcastle 22.44/23.16 - York 00.37. Stock conveyed to Newcastle on the DOWN NE TPO for adding to next nights UP NE TPO.

This is the book to get:- . "Coaching Stock of British Railways - 1978" P.Mallaband & L.J.Bowles pub. RCTS No ISBN. . It lists 116 'Siphon G' vans (TOPS NMV) of which 33 are recorded as being TOPS coded NNV newspaper vans. Two of the NNV variant are actually prefixed S i.e S1007 and S1011. . Brian R

From May 1987 most of the SR loco hauled air brake fleet was disbanded, leaving only the Southampton Boat Train set, the workings below were the remaining ‘booked’ loco hauled services. BR (SR) Newspaper services . South Eastern Section (3 workings) 0245hrs. London Bridge – Deal one Class 73 + BSK (AB2) plus vans. Returns as:- 1915hrs Margate – London Bridge parcels . 0310hrs. London Bridge – Sittingbourne one BSK (AB2) plus vans Returns as:- 1718hrs. Gillingham – London Bridge parcels . 0330hrs. London Bridge – Dover, Western Docks one BSK (AB2) plus vans. Returns as:- 2000hrs. Dover – London Bridge parcels . All stock is maintained at Ramsgate . Central Section (No booked workings) . Western Section 2252hrs. Waterloo – Weymouth BSK/TSO/BSK plus vans 2238hrs. Weymouth – Waterloo, then to Eastleigh (for maintenance), via Southampton, returning via Portsmouth on ordinary parcels working(s). 0140hrs. Waterloo – Yeovil Jct. BSK/TSO return as:- 0515hrs. Yeovil Jct. – Salisbury 0702hrs. Salisbury – Southampton – Eastleigh 2122hrs. Southampton – Waterloo parcels 0230hrs. Waterloo – Portsmouth via Havant BSK (unadvertised, seating reserved for newspaper packers) Returns via Eastleigh, then by means of 2200hrs. Southampton – Waterloo parcels. 0245hrs. Waterloo – Bournemouth BSK & Portsmouth BSK(plus TSO MO), via Eastleigh. Train divided at Eastleigh, with the Bournemouth portion strengthened by a BSK & TSO. returns as: 0624hrs. Fareham – Eastleigh (Portsmouth portion) and 0725hrs. Bournemouth – Eastleigh . All returns to London as:- 2141hrs. Eastleigh -Portsmouth – Waterloo parcels NOTES 1555hrs. Eastleigh – Fratton ECS booked to convey the stock for; 2252hrs.(3 vehicles plus vans), and 0245hrs. (2 vehicles plus vans) . Brian R

Well, to get started, here are some observations I made on Saturday, 14th. February 1987 - in connection with the following days Sunday papers. . The destinations were taken from what had been written or stuck on the side of each van. . PADDINGTON 2035hrs Platform 10 93362(Westbury)+93411(Taunton)+93952(Taunton)+93725(Gloucester)+93948(Stroud)+93878(Stroud,)Gloucester) Platform 9 93383(Chippenham)+93623(Swindon)+93644(Bristol)+93384(Bristol)+93834(Bristol)+94021(Bath)+95205(Bath)+84318 (?)+47534 Platform ? 80670(Transfers Milford)+84558(Haverfordwest+Whitland)+84125(Swansea)+93652(Swansea)+ 93938(Llanelli)+93367(Bridgend)+93506(Cardiff)+93694(Newport)+84416(Newport). . ST. PANCRAS 2115hrs 45062+93628(?)+93887(?)+93110(?)+93105(Bradford & Leeds) 45142+93149(Sheffield,Mexboro,Barnsley)+93766(?)+93593(?)+93916(Hull,Selby,Leeds overflow) . KING’S CROSS 2125hrs, 47640+93680(Grantham)+93825(Grantham)+93642(Newark)+93138(Lincoln)+93180(Doncaster, Retford,Worksop,Gainsbro’)+84094(Grimsby,Cleethropes)+93824(?)+84185(?)+80699(?) . EUSTON 2210hrs 81019+93451+93312+93910+93982(Liverpool,Crewe)+80678+93319+93241(Empty)+93157(M/C)+ 93117(M/C)+86241 . PADDINGTON 2250hrs. 47194+93293(Bridgend)+93711(Cardiff)+93192(Cardiff)+93914(Cardiff)+93852(Newport)+ 93265(Lydney,Chepstow)+93962+84332+94030 . Hope this helps . Brian R

Shocking - I can upgrade my grandsons ticket and watch a winning team for £17 (albeit, top of the Championship).. . Brian R

Brilliant Al.