synthnut

Whilst researching a dairy siding on a future project, I found this film from Express Dairies that features South Morden Bottling Plant on the BFI website: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-daily-round-the-story-of-milk-production-and-distribution-1954-online It shows that the road tanker turns right just after the rail bridge, into what is now the mosque site. There's some shots of the sidings at aound 8:00 minutes for those too impatient to watch the journey from udder to tanker! TTFN, Ben

There's a video on Youtube showing operations at the dairy. There are shots of road tankers in a shed, which could well be the same shed that's visible in the rail connected era, just converted for road vehicles maybe? Express Dairies Morden - 1991 - Youtube There are people connected to the dairy in the posting thread, so they may be able to answer questions. TTFN, Ben

This picture is actually of the Unigate distribution yard, which is/was a little further up London Road and on the opposite side to the main dairy. Here's what it looks like now on Google Streeview. Unigate distribution centre site London Rd, Morden Streetview link The Express bottling pland was adjacent to Morden South station and is now the site of the Mosque. Frustratingly, looking at various old maps on the NLS site, they dont' seem to show any rail connection that ties up with the photos. However, the chimney may well be the same as on this map: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=18&lat=51.3967&lon=-0.1996&layers=170&right=BingHyb

Out of interest, what's the going rate for such lovely decorative garden features? I don't think my original scheme of a set od wig-wags was too popular... Ben

If you are interested in the history of Cookes Explosives, I found a 45 minute (Sadly mute) film showing the day to day workings at the factory. There's a brief snippet of loading gunpowder wagons towards the end. Also some amizing inclines and ropeways too. Sorry if someone's already posted this, I'd not noticed if they had. https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-cookes-explosives-limited-an-account-of-explosives-manufacture-in-penrhyndeudraeth TTFN, Ben

I'm suprised to see smoke eminating from the stove on the brake van considering the tanks here. What was being transported and was there a policy about lit stoves and hazardous loads? TTFN, Ben

There's clearer views of the proposed route on the New Civil Engineer website: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/business-culture/engineers-pitch-m25-for-high-speed-trains/10028836.article (though you may need to be registered unless you sneek in via an image search) Was suprised that the images didn't enlarge in the original page. I remember the fuss made about the original Central proposition and it never really was more than a pipe dream. Maybe this actually has more merrit? If it's the same corridor along the M25 in Surrey then that's the bottom of our garden, currently a nice field of horses. Then there's the Heathrow Southern Railway proposition that was announced last year: http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/2017/08/heathrow-southern-railway-the-new-1-2-billion-train-line-which-could-link-heathrowwith-guildford-and-waterloo/ I managed to miss thi, but looks like they might clash a bit! TTFN, Ben

So it looks like someone is trying to suggest a new high speed route linking up HS1 and 2 with Gatwick and Heathrow as a passenger route. https://expedition.uk.com/thinking/hs4air-an-m25-for-high-speed-trains/ Part of the plan looks remarkably like the route that the ill fated Central Railway was intended to take, namely following the M25 through South London and Surrey and then diving ito a tunnel in the bits deemed to be "sensitive". One has to wonder if this has any more chance of taking off...? TTFN Ben

Well, look what Oxford have just announced! https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/brm/information/oxford-diecast-january-2018-announcements?utm_source=Communicator&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=imageLink38&utm_campaign=A+surprise+announcement+by+Oxford+Rail&_ccCt=CCMcwRuh0obDylsrSog3G561Awbl_kaTuK2qNnItF7Tx1PcBMOkD7d%7egqpRqXqVn A few potential candidates here! I do wish they would have chosen a Hymac 580c as opposed to the newer JCB excavator though, already quite a few of those around and too late for my chosed era. The Hymacs seem to be a much overlooked make and were really the main machines until the Japanese units like Hitachi started to appear. TTFN, Ben

I don't think it's actually dropping the ramps that lifts the barriers, you can see a couple of guys forcing them up. There's no reason why they would need to interact that way really either. The issue is more that in order to stop people jumping the lights they would need to pop up before the barriers came down, so pretty hazardous.

Colin, you are spoiling us with this amazing footage! When can I buy the it on Blueray in HD??? You really have some priceless stuff here, Woodhead and Tinsley are just great, even got shots of the Class 13 at work. The fact that you have sound too is simply incredible. So little cine footage has sound let alone decent atmospheric stuff that you seem to have make this all the more enjoyable. I know I'm gushing again, but this really is top stuff and I'll be first in line to buy it if you should release it... TTFN, Ben

Hi Colin, Wow, that Elmo did you well I think! The sound is suprisingly good for an on camera type on Super 8, most were pretty rubbish and were drowned out by camera noise. You obviously didn't worry about the shot time like I tend to on 50ft carts, with you nice long shots. Sadly I came to cine just too late to be able to buy sound film. I would really be interested to see a comparison between the reduced definition and the HD capture. Might you be able to do a short clip of it perhaps? I hope you get some commercial interest in those for some historic stuff too, it would make a nice Blueray. So much enthusiast stuff is hung up on locos and cab numbers that your footage make such a refreshing change, I know I keep saying it! It's so frustrating to watch those when you really want to see (and hear if there's sound) the whole formation run through the shot! TTFN, Ben

Hi Colin, Thanks so much for posting these! I particularly like the Peak stone stuff. So nice to have sound on these too as so much cine is mute. Great camerawork as ever, much steadier than the average home movie for sure. What camera/stock were you using, can you remember? I'm gussing it was something with a 200ft capacity as the sound is better than the usual 50ft carts! The transfer looks nice, were you happy with it, who did you use in the end? TTFN Ben

Just checked mine (NCB preorder) and all looks OK internally thankfully. One of the handrails is rather distorted which is a bit naff though. One omission I noticed though, no NEM blanking pieces for the bufferbeam? TTFN, Ben