AberdeenBill

Hi Liam, Diagrams 1/565 and 1/621 here... http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/BRBDocuments/Freight_Stock_RDO_Issue.pdf Thanks, Bill

If I haven't missed these already mentioned above... Warships (class 42) worked the Waterloo-Weymouth newspaper train in the late 1960s. 31s hauled Portsmouth to Bristol/Cardiff services for a while in the late 1970s and were also occasional visitors to Bournemouth on inter-regional trains. 46s worked stone trains from the Western Region to places like Botley. Bill

Hi Brian, please could you post the link to this. Many thanks, Bill

And this... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-46028596 Thanks, Bill

What's happening at Eastleigh these days? Bill

BBC report here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-46003096

Interesting head-codes with the letter O. Didn't that normally signify an inter-regional train bound for the Southern Region? Bill

Great story about the "wrong kind of sheep" Bill

There's a picture taken in 1971 of a Palbrick conversion (as Andy notes above) of a steel Medfit with a B-prefix number in Robert Hendry's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Railway-Wagons-Modeller-Historian/dp/185780094X Thanks, Bill

It also accelerated out of the station like a rocket... Bill

And here are some views taken today (17 October 2018) of the 16:39 from Dyce to Edinburgh Waverley. Is the combined first class + buffet coach (code TGFB, vehicle number 40601) a new type? The power cars were 43183 and 43033. Thanks, Bill

Interesting vehicle. Did it have a special code in BR days? Thanks, Bill

Hi all, Seen at a distance from the A96 road yesterday (24 September 2018): a 'short' HST in FGW colours heading south entering Stonehaven just after midday, presumably this 'unadvertised ordinary passenger' working off realtime trains... http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/G69982/2018/09/24/advanced Thanks, Bill

Hi all, We all know that in the 1950s and early 1960s, the vast number of BR wagons constructed were built by various BR workshops and numerous outside contractors. In terms of wagon building, did each establishment actually construct everything, or were key components (wheelsets, buffers, Instanter couplings...) obtained from elsewhere? (and if so, where...?) Thanks, Bill

Hi all, I am having some slight technical difficulties in copying pictures from my camera to laptop, but before I forget, here are the interesting shunting manoeuvres accompanying the change from steam to diesel haulage of The Dalesman excursion (1Z47) at Hellifield tonight (28 August 2018)... We start off at about 6:45pm with 47746, 47245 and 37669 stabled in the down (towards Carlisle) siding. 1) 47746 heads out of the siding and stops to the north of the station. 2) The Dalesman hauled by a magnificent looking 45699 Galatea arrives in the up loop. 3) 47746 shunts onto the rear of The Dalesman. 4) Galatea + support coach uncouple and shunt forward a few metres in the up loop to take water. 5) 47245 shunts forward to the signal guarding the exit from the siding. (Unlike most locations, the signals at Hellifield are not numbered). 6) A class 158 stops at the station on a Leeds to Carlisle service. 7) At the same moment, a class 66 heads south on (according to real-time trains) 6D77 from Arcow to Hunslet. 8) 47245 shunts out of the siding into the down loop. 9) 47245 shunts back from the down loop to the up Skipton line beyond the station. 10) Galatea + support coach shunt forward from the up loop to the up Clitheroe line. 11) Galatea + support coach reverse into the down loop. 12) 47245 backs onto the coaches of The Dalesman in the up loop and couples up. 13) Galatea uncouples from its support coach and shunts back onto the Clitheroe line. 14) Galatea shunts along the down platform line to the north of the station. 15) Galatea shunts back into the down loop and couples up to the other end of its support coach. 16) The Dalesman departs for Leeds and York, top and tailed by 47245 and 47746. 17) Galatea (now running tender first) + support coach shunt forward in the loop. 18) Galatea and support coach shunt back into the down siding and couple up to 37669. 19) Galatea, support coach and 37669 depart for Carnforth. 20) The signaller, who must have pulled off every signal (including ground discs) in his/her 'box during these manoeuvres, which lasted for around 75 minutes, probably has a well-earned cup of tea. Who says modern operation is boring... Thanks, Bill

Hi all, Back in the 1970s (a mere 40 years ago) I went on a good number of charter trains either organised by the local "railway travel association" or from school. Does anybody have any idea how much it would have cost to charter a train from (say) Bournemouth to Tenby on a summer Sunday to sit up to 500 people (10 Mk 1s)? Thanks, Bill

Thanks chaps. I will hopefully post pictures taken from those very spots. Bill

Hi all, We're off to Hellifield on holiday next week. Are there any good photography locations in the vicinity (apart, obviously, from Hellifield Station itself)? The amount of freight passing through, not to mention steam locos, looks truly mouthwatering compared to north-east Scotland. Thanks, Bill

Great shots Dave, thanks for posting... In post 124, photo DAS000298, what is the purpose of the calling-on arm (if that's what it is)? There seems to be plain track extending into the distance? Thanks, Bill

Hi all, Any updates on Scotrail HSTs? A recent video on Facebook showed a pair of Scottish liveried power cars heading through Newton Abbot on their way to Laira :-O Sorry no pictures, but Dyce station now has 'HST stop' boards at the platform ends. Thanks, Bill

Not to mention avoiding the dung-heap in the foreground Bill

Diesel down the street... 66532 parked up in Dyce as part of the Aberdeen to Dyce redoubling project. There are two trains on the project working out of Dyce Raith's Farm sidings, one of Salmons for new sleepers and one of auto-ballasters, both top-and-tailed by Freightliner 66s. Bill

The nameplate of Hall 5960 'St Edmund Hall' is or was on the wall of the college bar of the eponymous Oxford College. Bill

Hi all, These photos (copyright Mark Priest) of pioneer diesels 10000 and 10202 come from a Facebook group. Any ideas as to the location? Thanks, Bill

Hi all, This picture, believed to have been taken ca. 1950, was posted to the Geograph website as an 'unknown location'. It could be a 'visitor attraction' or somebody's rather elaborate 'personal' garden railway. Does anybody recognise it?? Thanks, Bill