The Border Reiver

Still on 9th August 1965, I took this West Country 34004 Yeovil departing from a station between (or at) Eastleigh and Southampton.

The next negative is Modified Hall 6959 Peatling Hall passing by on a freight. I have this as beside Basingstoke shed.

Doh... Looking closely, I can see a Woking sign behind the tender..

We now jump forward a year to 9th August 1965. I had just bunked Guildford shed and was in my way to Bassingstoke when I took this West Country 34056 Croydon passing through a station. Which ststion?

Six days later I am in the Nottingham area. I have this as Kirkby-in-Ashfield Station on 20 August 1964. The negatives before are at Annesley shed and after Langwith shed.

I have this shot of Warship D842 Royal Oak as passing through Swindon station. Is this correct?

Can anyone tell me what class this loco is? 6100, 5101 or another....

I have done a bit investigating to try and identify the Castle at Pontypool Road shed. There were 19 Castles with double chimneys. I eliminated those that were cut up before the date of the photo 14-8-1964 and 7029, which left eight possibles. I then looked at the What 'Happened to Steam' web site for Castle info: http://www.whathappenedtosteam.com/volumes/the-great-western/gwr-volume-two/ Looking at the records for the eight, I eliminated them one by one by checking the 'varified sightings' on various sheds for the date in question. Also, being at Pontypool Road, it was most probable the loco had come from north of there. Finally I was left with one loco 7003 which was withdrawn from Gloucester Horton Road on the 10-8-1964. Ther is an 'unverified' note from the original WHTS data on the web page that it was stored there from 8-64 to 10-64. However, a lot of the original WHTS data was by the infamous 'Zulu' who reported false information. I am therefore 99.99% convinced the loco is 7003 Elmley Castle.

Continuing my railrover, the next day 14 August 1964, I visited Cardiff East Dock shed, Newport Ebbw Junction shed and Pontypool Road shed. I then took these photos at a shed (or different sheds) and have no record of where. My next recorded location was Hereford, so they are somewhere between Pontypool Road and Hereford (or Gloucester/Worcester area). This is an unknown double chimney Castle of which there not many left by this date. I was wondering if it was 7029 Clun Castle? This one is a 6100 class and I think the number is 6155. If so, it was shedded at Worcester on that date.

Thanks for all your hard work Johnster... I have put a copy of the photo on the 'Memories of Llanelli' Facebook page asking if anyone recognises the area..

Hi Johnster, Thanks for that... I have done a high definition scan and I am 99% sure it is 9677. The only reason I would have gone to Llanelli was to bunk the shed and would have headed down New Dock Road. It's possible that I saw the loco from a distance and went and took a photo of it. Surprisingly, I didn't take any photos of the shed area. Possibly got chucked out.

Just found some more notes which say the photo was taken between Cardiff and Llanelli

After Barry, I returned to Cardiff and took this shot of D1062 Western Courier, at what I now know is Cardiff General station. I think I then headed down Bute Road to Cardiff East Dock shed. Before arriving at the shed, I came upon this pannier tank in distress. A motley crew are in the process of trying to re-rail the loco with a variety of tools, including a sack barrow! This photo was taken before I got to the shed and I'm not sure if I went somewhere else before... can anyone identify the location? Edit: Just found some more notes which say the photo was taken between Cardiff and Llanelli

Ah... Thanks for that Andy. No wonder I could not find any matching images of Pontypridd!

Thanks for that Mike. I had just bunked Reading shed and was on my way to Westbury. The next day 13 August 1964, I was in the Welsh valleys again on my way from Abercynon to Barry. I have this 5600 class loco No. 5686 recorded as passing through Pontypridd station. Using Google images I can't seem to find a corresponding view at Pontypridd station.

We move on to 1964 now. I have this Blue Pullman as passing through, what I have recorded as, Reading station on 12 August 1964 Is there any way to tell if it is the Bristol or South Wales Pullman?

One more from 28 August 1963. 5037 Monmouth Castle in a station siding which I have down as Swansea.

Thank you Mike and The Johnster for the info. Here we have a couple more from 28 August 1963. The first one is taken from a carriage window looking forward while passing a yard between Swansea and Cardiff. The Western Class loco is D1046. Anyone recognise the location? The second one is an 2-8-0 tank 5238 passing through a station which is between the photo above and Cardiff. Initially I had it down as Cardiff General but on reflection, it hasn't got a footbridge.

You are correct. Checking my notebook against my catalogue, the next photo in the film strip was a Class 37 D6819 taken at Radyr shed, so I must have alighted from the train there. My notes should actually have referred to this photo, which again I think was taken at Radyr station travelling back from Treherbert to Barry. Here is the Class 37 photo

Hi, Sory, no photos om milk trains. I was born and bred in Carlisle and only visited Wales and southern England once a year on a railrover which was mainly a shed bashing fortnight.

I have this photo of 3406 recorded as taken at Radyr Station on 22 August 1963 in my catalogue. Can anyone confirm this location. Again, taken from the train while I was on my way from Cardiff to Abercynon.

The photo was taken on 22 August 1963 while on a all line railrover

Spot on Mike. Found this on Flickr which matches the houses in the background.. https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3879/15165595735_8b92bd20bc_b.jpg Thanks.

A couple more here taken on 22 August 1963, I think at the same location. It was a grotty dull day, not ideal weather for an Ilford Sportsman with no light meter! Not a lot here to identify the station which I think is South Wales. The next photos on the film roll are at Cardiff east Dock shed The first is Large Prairie 5101 class 4174 which was shedded at Pontypool Road. The second is an unidentified 2800 class.

This was the next one I was going to put up as an unknown location. However. thanks to Google images, I have identified it as Quaker Yard Low Level station. Here we have pannier tank 9668 approaching the station on a freight (trip working C13?). Aberfan tips can be seen in the distance.