The Pilotman

Yes. It's on a par with Surströmming, the almost rotten herring that they eat in Sweden. Outside.

Sounds like all is well in the Home Counties this morning...

I couldn't resist relating this story about wrong routings because it does have a funny side. It was the 1400-2200 shift one day in the early 90s and the signalman working the Didcot position in Reading Panel (before it was farmed out to Swindon B IECC) wrongly routed three trains all at the same time. He managed to get the 1703 Paddington to Cheltenham and the following 1710 Paddington to Hereford mixed up so that the former was on the down relief platform with the road set round the corner towards Didcot North and Oxford while the latter came to a stand at Didcot East junction with greens down the main towards Swindon. Perhaps somewhat unsettled by this turn of events, he managed the hat-trick by routing an Oxford to Paddington fast that was booked to call at Didcot via the up avoiding line. Luckily all three drivers were on the ball and queried their respective incorrect routings. As the fellow signalmen (me included) chimed in with sarcastic shouts of, "Sorry, driver!" the Panel supervisor suggested he take a break and so he was relieved by the standby signalman. As he headed for the kitchen the supervisor added, "and you'd better write a report before you come back." Anyway, the funny bit about it was that the signalman involved was off his normal shift, covering the position for the regular man. The regular signalman had a trainee learning with him and although he wasn't working that day, the trainee was. However, when the off shift signalman arrived on duty he was not too impressed with having to look after a trainee and said that the trainee would have to learn another position that day. When the supervisor asked him why he didn't want a trainee with him, the off shift signalman replied, "Because if he f***s it up, it's my name on the train register." Words that haunted him for a long time afterwards....

I never managed to pull that one off, Mike (if you'll pardon the pun) but I know it did happen!

Oh, yes; very easy to do! The signal protecting the junction on the down southern (R326 as it was then) could be set to work automatically for down trains and, as the vast majority of trains ran straight into platforms 4A/B, that was how most signalmen left it. For the few down trains that were booked up the bank to the western lines, there was not that much time, once the train had been described from Wokingham box, to put R326 back to manual operation. I know I got caught out a couple of times, as I'm sure everyone that worked there did at least once. At that time, the signalman controlling the southern lines was also responsible for Reading station, Twyford West, Ruscombe and the Henley branch so it was VERY easy to overlook what was happening on the juice rails. Because of that high workload, a wrong route at Reading Spur Junction was perhaps not regarded as being as serious as elsewhere.With the coming of DOO and cab telephones, you often got a bit of assistance if you'd forgotten to put R326 to manual. A helpful driver on a train booked onto the western lines would usually give you a call if he had a green at DS66 (the "distant" for R326) because he would know that, as R326 was approach-controlled for the western route, a green at DS66 meant you'd forgotten! Luckily, on the occasions I slipped up, the driver stopped at the junction signal. One of my erstwhile colleagues was not so lucky with a diverted Brighton to Manchester loco-hauled train one day. The driver took the wrong route towards the bay platforms at the junction signal but having realised his mistake, stopped too far past the junction to prevent the following 8 car Waterloo-Reading electric from reaching the junction signal behind. That took a lot of sorting out...

I had a look at this video and it's difficult to tell exactly what was going on here and I worked in Reading Panel for ten years. I find it very hard to believe that a Southampton-bound Freightliner with a 4O** reporting number would be routed down the goods in error (unless it was a 4Z**, in which case the signalman would definitely have looked to see where it was going). Although the cameraman says it went off round the curve towards Basingstoke, it could also have gone down the Berks & Hants so it may have been bound for Cardiff and was diverted because of some problem on the Swindon line in which case it may have been put down the goods waiting for a pilot driver. As for wrong routings, I could tell you a few stories there...

Are you, by any chance, a history teacher?

Those were the days! Classes 31, 40, 46, 47 and 55 at the Cross. We will not see that again, sadly.

In the late 80s British Rail ran a number of "great days out" to various places from London using white-roofed Mark 1 stock with full meal services on board (went on a few myself). It also did some so-called "VIP Land Cruises" that lasted a few days, went much further afield and had Mark 3 sleepers for the overnight stays. I suspect the picture in post 403 is such a train.

This thread is a highlight of my day. Some lovely, interesting and atmospheric shots. Thanks!

Do I win a prize?

Could it be Portsmouth Harbour?And if it's a short train it could possibly be a Cardiff to Portsmouth working.

Bit of a nuisance if you need to get the one in the middle...

The term was certainly used in the Reading area during the 80s by bashers, if not staff.

Great photos. The one at Westbury is 6V96, the Tonbridge to Meldon Quarry ballast empties which invariably was a pair of 33s.

When I worked at Reading in the early 90s I remember one evening when two unusual workings called on the down main platform in succession. First up was the Dover to Liverpool cross country running about 90 late. The original 47 had failed on the Southern somewhere and was replaced by a 56 through to Birmingham. Once it had left in a screaming hurry, the next train in was the 1748 Paddington to Westbury hauled by another 56 (I think it was 56001) throughout. It would have been nice for three in a row but the 1800 Paddington to Swansea was the booked HST, sadly.

From a brief perusal of my old notes, I'd say that any of the Old Oak, Bath Road, Canton, Bescot or Crewe Diesel 47s would be likely.

When I was a young basher in the Reading area I would sometimes get up early, cycle to Reading West and jump on the Newbury to Paddington loco-hauled train for the short run into Reading. Back round to Reading West on the Basingstoke thumper and into Reading again on the Westbury to Paddington train (praying it would be on time to avoid having to make a Mark Cavendish-style dash to school on the bike. In the evening there were four loco-hauled stoppers down the Thames Valley so you could go from Reading to Tilehurst on the first one, Tilehurst to Pangbourne on the second, back to Reading on a DMU and repeat the feat on the third and forth down trains. In all, six different locos in a day and all class 50s if you were lucky. Happy days.

I'd like to think the window-hanging commuter is savouring the sound of a Class 50 taking him home. A few years henceforth, the 50s would be gone from the Thames Valley and Class 165 and 166 units (from which window-hanging is impossible) would be employed on this sort of train instead. For the record, the train is the 1810 Paddington to Oxford stopper leaving Pangbourne on June 15th 1988. The loco is 50020 Revenge.

A couple of Hoover portraits: 50024 Vanguard hammering past Shottesbrooke Farm on a Paddington to Oxford train 50040 Centurion passing Southcote Junction on a Paddington to Newbury train

Yes, and no.

A quartet of 50s (8% of the fleet) at Penzance some time in the mid-80s. From left to right are 050 on the Paddington sleepers, 016 (hiding behind the third sleeper), 012 on a short rake of Mk1s and 039 on a rake of Mk2 aircons. Scanned from a negative.

There's never a dhal moment on this forum...

The noise is much better!

My guess for 18 would be the carriage sidings at Exeter. The track's too bendy to be a main line.