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Colin, How refreshing to see such nice steady shots and not need feel seasick watching these! Nicely restrained pans too. Very enjoyable stuff! Now, if you could just adjust your time machine back to 19xx.... TTFN Ben

Hi Dave, Thanks for supplying my daily fix of historic inspiration as ever, always much appreciated! I notice though that the "Ardsley Class 37 probably D6911 down empty coal Aug 67 J1098" is looking surprisingly full. Now, if you'ld said down Decoy, then I'd have understood that this was just a cover... TTFN, Ben

I'm guessing the lens is 8" diameter, so that's PAR64 size if so. There's a fixture called a Spectra PAR made by Altman that uses interchangeable lenses but they've been discontinued I think. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/494583-REG/Altman_18_SS_8_W_Wide_Flood_Lens.html There are some film lights that use them too... TTFN Ben

Yes, they certainly can be that big, and much bigger too, especially film lights! The Source Four Par is unusual in that it uses interchangeable lenses similar to car headlights. They are a developmental improvement of the PAR (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector) sealed beam They use a PAR 56 size lens, where the number is the diameter in eighths of an inch. So, a PAR56 is 7" diameter. They make a flat glass, a clear domed, stippled, and a number of lenticular versions. If it happened to be the right size, then it would be an easy option for a replacement! TTFN Ben

Out of interest, what diameter is the outer lens? They look very similar to those used in certain types of stage lighting fixtures, specifically the ETC Source Four PAR. TTFN, Ben

Loving the photos Dave, even the murky ones have something to show. In the shot C4341 of the two 20s on the "up coal" there's also a van and a wagon of what looks to be timber. How common was this sort of makeup as I've not seen it before as far as I can remember? TTFN, Ben

Cheers for the great pics as ever Jim! Who'd have thought that one could see such a collection of traction these days and not on a gala daytoo! It's interesting how modern loco's have failed to fill the requirements of our system and that the impending regulations have had the opposite effect really. Looking forward to the next installment... TTFN, Ben

Loving the photos as ever good sir, why you certainly do spoil us! Particulaly nice to see 56011 in that shot, perfect justification for me to run it on my planned layout set in '79 as I kept feeling it was too early to feature really. You're thread here is almost reason for RM web to exist in itself... TTFN Ben

...from my local sources who spoke to a member of the Orange army, the old bridge was lifed out at 4am! Must have been fairly quiet as they were blissfully unaware of all the goings on. Will be interesting if perhaps some pro footage was taking and maybe a timelapse...? TTFN, Ben

...and I chose last week to visit my folks who happen to live a hundred yards from that bridge, damn! We walked the dog past the blocked of footpath where the bridge is. Apparently there was a mysterious electric cable crossing the bridges that nobody seemed to own up to being responsible for which complicated matters. Footbridges like this one are really important to communities, it would mean much longer detours for quite a few people. I'm sure if it were just down to pounds and pence then this would have just been removed as a hindereance so it's credit to those that saw the local impact. The bridge was pretty rusty, I gather it had come from somewhere else on the network way back, I forget where. Will try to get them to take a few snaps on the dog's next stroll... TTFN, Ben

That shot of D7517, I feel David is sneaking in model shots again! The depth of field and lighting gives it away, sorry. Nice try... TTFN, Ben PS, love the thread, it's a roller coaster of emotions though, an inspirational collection!

Loving this photo! I feel this picture is worthy of another thread relating to looking like the real thing! Perhaps the hanging basket/static grass is a bit unrealistic, but otherwise I do like the attempt at making it look realistic. I think the use of the plain grey back scene and faded gasworks work well to give a feeling of depth. Nice weathering on the rolling stock, but there's no hiding that those buildings are cardboard... i'll get my coat. TTFN, Ben

...loving the snowploughs there. I particularly like the writing on them, do we have any hump yards left these days...?!! Or does any loose hunting go on? Glad to know that there are some of these in waiting should the white stuff arrive in serious quantity though. TTFN, Ben

Was going to say the same thing! I think perhaps the weathering on the 86 is a little too heavy on the airbrush.... Love that shot though, really top stuff. Keep 'em coming! TTF Ben

Fascinating little film. Obviously someone went to quite a lot of trouble to film it with all the internal scenes of the signal box etc. such a shame we can't have a drivers eye view like that these days (unless you happen to be a driver of course) just a sideways blur! Pitty the video's in such low definition, and I mean the video aspect, not the original. It's only in 360p and really does the old standard 8 an injustice. Also the motion artefacts are horrible in some places, such is the YouTube compression. Would live so have seen how it would look with a decent transfer and in a less lossy version... TTFN Ben

Cheers, I had wondered about that, but not being able to see the "mouth" of the Toad wasn't sure. Gives me an excuse to paint up and old ebay one methinks... TTFN Ben I think I may be in danger of overdosing on nostalgia... ;-)

Dave! You spoil us with all these wonderful slices of history, truly addictive stuff. Out of interest, the van with the yellow ends and windows in front of the brake, can someone enlighten me as to it's type? I'm presuming it's rigging for the crane, with the other, flat truck as the jib-runner? I'm gleaning as much late 70's nostalgia as poss for my loft project... TTFN, Ben

...Thanks for the lead on the book. I've just ordered that as I haven't seen it before. Got my eye on the Effingham jct edition too as I live in Ashtead these days. Always intrigued to find more rail related local history... Ttfn, Ben

Ooh, wow, I only ever saw one or maybe two grain hoppers in the yard. Not sure i ever looked further up the sidings though, so maybe they only ever pulled a couple in at a time. I would have loved to see how they shunted them with the capstans. I'm still surprised how under documented this location was. Ttfn, Ben

I think a museum visit is called for some time, both Chertsey and Weybridge maybe. I feel like all the bits of the area I remember have been airbrushed out or carefully hidden from online searches as another place I remember is significantly invisible! Do you remember Whittets Ait on the Wey navigation, by the lock? There was a works that cleaned old oil drums and did solvent and chemical recovery. It was called Wastex or something? Anyhow, it's now expensive housing! Not a single image of the lock area showing it seems to exist on the web. Same as the more industrial view of Coxes lock. Maybe I'm just suspicious, but it feels like the developers would rather their swanky housing didn't have any grubby history! I moved house in 1980, so most memories are late seventies I suppose. I did used to visit the Wey lock later on, but all before the redevelopments in both. It's a little sad how we seem to be ashamed of our industrial heritage, we do like to keep industry and living so very separate now. I did find a couple of pics of coxes lock on flicker taken by a chap who used to deliver there, but his images are locked from downloading. Still looking for a track plan.... Ttfn Ben

I'm glad someone remembers this place! I started to feel like I was out on my own with this one. I'm rather surprised there's not more photographic evidence knocking about of it when it was working. Given the reletive lack of rail served industry compared to the more industrialised parts, I would have expected at least a few photos sculling on the net. It was quite an impressive place, I certainly remember being a bit intimidated as an 8 or 9 year old lad out on my own there. Everything's bigger when you are young, just remember wagon wheels... Would love to see any shots that anyone has! Ttfn Ben

Hi all, I grew up in Weybridge, Surrey and used to go off for bike rides with my mates back in the late seventies here. On the odd Sunday jaunt I remember seeing an occasional grain hopper sitting around. As the mill was operational I never made it there during the week, though it wasn't secured, it was not really the done thing. I know it was capstan shunted from on of the few pics I've managed to dig up, but I can find very little on this fascinating place. it was somewhat manacing as the main, (now demolished) grain silo was truely massive, esecially as a young lad! Does anyone have any info, pics or maps that show the track plan or workings out in RMweb land? Ttfn, Ben

I think you have misconstrued this figure of lost revenue (turnover) for profit! There's a bit of a difference in having 170 million going spare a week and turning over that. I hardly think the south west has that sort of cash jangling in it's pocket... TTFN Ben

Wow, would love to have witnessed that triple headed working in person. Todays traction is just so polite and sterile, no snarling beasts straining at the reins. I know noise is regarded as pollution I live near a motorway and a railway line) but somehow the sheer animalistic roar commanded respect. It said "out of my way, this is dangerous work"!. Nowadays people step out in front of safe electric cars as they slide silently along because noise is bad... ;-) I wonder if any audio recordings exist of these 37s working hard? TTFN Ben

His, Those insulators are glass by the way, don't think there are plastic ones on transmission lines? The brown glazed porcelain ones seemed to appear interchangably with the glass ones, though the glass type was less common as far as I remember. In my youth I had a bizarre collecting habit that included transmission line and telegraph insulators! As for PMT's (pole mounted transformers) I'm not sure, I've lost most of those photos I think... I'm surprised that there isn't more available commercially for this sort of detailing. TTFN Ben