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30851

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Posts posted by 30851

  1. And now that I have a little more time, here it is - 

     

     

    attachicon.gif2-bil rutland 3:12:77.jpg

     

    Not that I am an expert on these but I would guess this is the remains of 4 Sub 4308 (motor coaches 8143/8144) which had been stored in 'as-withdrawn' condition for preservation in York until 1977. In 1977 it was taken for restoration - well 8143 was, 8144 was cannibalised to provide parts and then scrapped.

     

    Rob

  2.  

     

    If the 08 is not in the train then the gap between the two wagons behind the loco is not long enough for it to be another tube wagon - you will need a ruler against the screen to check that though.   In that case what wagon would be exactly the right length to fit behind the loco and leave the ends of both tube wagons visible.

     

     

     

    My 'guess' is that the 08 is on a different line with the last wagon on the left being on the same line so part of the 08's train and not part of the 31's train. Having no clue when these wagons started to be used in departmental service - is it possible that these are two works trains waiting to go somewhere?

     

    Rob

  3. Yes indeed they are the U Type Pullmans. I have been in contact with Hornby via email and they have confirmed this. I believe there is other smaller differences but apart from the lavatory Windows I'm not 100% sure of them. Possibly the roof corners over the doors are continuous like the Brighton Belle cars, instead of the cut outs as per the other cars we have seen so far

    Not sure if the Pullmans included in this set would be considered U type Pullmans.  From the Web I see that Hornby is including cars 34, 36 and Minerva. These were wooden K type Pullmans (built in the 20's) modified in 1951 to look the like the new U type Pullmans with the new square windows etc.

     

    Note - I would like to be wrong here and find out that Hornby is doing the U type Pullmans!

     

    Edit - I see I am too slow typing!

     

    Rob

  4. A very emotional day indeed, and I've never seen so many grown men crying, or with tears in their eyes (I was struggling myself),especially when Bocelli was belting out his stuff pre-match.

     

    Managed to pat the Chairman (along with hundreds of others) on his back whilst he was making his way through the crowd outside ground before kick-off.

     

    So much to commit to memory, as I am sure I'll never experience such sporting scenes or emotions ever again at the King Power and Leicester didn't play too badly either.

     

    I heard two excited old ladies yesterday outside a shop talking about the Leicester win - "first time for them" etc. Nothing unusual about that you might say - except I live in a rural area of California! They were American - and unlike what the BBC has been saying they could pronounce Leicester.

     

     

    Rob

    • Like 2
  5. That's a really good photo and an angle that I haven't yet come across. Plenty of detail there and certainly very helpful. Thanks for posting!

    I take it these two sidings were for stabling locos for the mail trains or were they actively used for loading?

     

    Best regards,

     

    Jeremy

     

     

    I couldn't see an answer to this old question so - these sidings are marked on early diagrams of new Euston as Restaurant Car docks. Don't know if they ever go used to restock restaurant cars or if they did when did they stop doing that. In the days of intensive use of coach sets it would seem an unusual thing to split the restaurant car out.

     

    Rob

  6. Dave -- you spoil us (but I'm not complaining...).    Can somebody please explain the purpose of the wrong-road miniature arm and the trap-point in the middle siding in J018?   The vacuum-fitted iron-ore tipplers in J1618 are interesting.    The magnificent scene of a Deltic in full cry in C1735 seems like yesterday, but it's actually over 40 years' ago...   

     

    Bill

     

    Maybe not a good explanation but the line with the trap isn't a siding but the exit from Tuxford sidings  so is a signaled running line - the siding on the left was, I believe, the head shunt for the sidings and the line on the right is a siding. You can see a photo of the other direction here http://signalboxes.com/tuxford-signalboxes.php (scroll down the page fro the shot of Tuxford Dukeries Junction)

     

     

    Rob

  7. Were the milk tanks unloaded at the 'Milk Dock', or was that a relic from the days of milk vans attached to passenger trains? It could be that the advent of tanks meant that they were dealt with somewhere else.

    The dedicated milk train (was it from somewhere called Donnington in Shropshire?) apparently used to run up the GWR route from Birmingham to Banbury; from there, it would be sent over the link to the former GCR route at Woodford Halse, where it would reverse again to travel down the GCR to Marylebone.

     

    The milk tanks were unloaded at the 'Milk Dock'.

     

    Rob

  8. Don't know if you are aware of this but there is a chapter in "The Great Central in LNER days volume 2" called Milk for Marylebone - this goes into some details of the working of the milk trains pre-war. It does state that "the procedure for deal with milk arrivals at Marylebone was always the same" - as soon as the train came to rest in the platform the pilot came onto the rear to shunt the wagons onto the dock. However this bit of text is after talking about all milk wagons were received at the end of passenger trains. It then talks about the dedicated milk train that started in 1937 so I don't know if the bit about how they were handled still applies. It is interesting to read that the dedicated train from Marylebone to Banbury ran via Woodford (reversing there) and not direct - just so the LNER could get more money from the train. This was one of the first things that got changed after BR was formed.

     

    On the topic of the up loop - according to the diagram for Marylebone Goods Yard in the Swift books you could not run directly into the up loop from the North, you had to shunt to get in to it. It should be noted that this isn't one of the best of the diagrams in the Swift books and could be wrong - but from what few  pictures I can find the bits I could see seems to match.

     

    Rob

  9. I would say that this is a train returning from Ruddington. Normally trains to and from Ruddington were propelled backwards between Trent Lane Jct and Weekday Cross. An example can be seen on the rcts mystery photo's site under G-241 - sorry embedding links doesn't seem to work for me! Of course - this could be an exception to the rule!

     

     

     

    Rob

  10. The last few GC York Bournemouth trains had a blue/white MK1's in them. I would post a link but I don't see to be able to do that for some technical reason! So search for RCTS MYSTERY PHOTOS 67-66-19. The book 'Diesels in the Midlands' by Derek Huntriss has a colour picture of the train with two blue/white coaches arriving in Victoria station. These were all diesel hauled - I haven't seen a picture of a blue/white coach hauled by steam on the GC on a service train- yet.

     

    The MK2 looking coaches on the railtour were actually XP64 - search for 66-02-04 on the RCTS site for a discussion.

     

    Rob

     

    Edited to correct spelling issue I noticed as pressing save.....

  11. Thanks Rob, I never knew the link between Netherfield & Trent Lane was kept past the diversion of the Grantham line into the Midland Station.  On the 1976 OS map I mentioned above, it shows a short length of siding towards Racecourse stn, I assumed this was a headshunt to retain access to the Down Sidings GF, as shown on the Trent signalling plan.

     

    I am not sure why it was retained but as both tracks were retained for a short distance with a cross over at the end it could have been to allow trains from/to Gedling to run around if they wanted to go east as well as the siding headshunt. As for the siding - I have no clue what that was for! I also don't know when these tracks were finally removed. I do remember seeing them in the 70's but I never saw anything on them.

     

    Rob

  12. The original plan was to keep the lines through Victoria open until around 1970 and close them after Trent Power box was complete. However the traffic was falling off rapidly and I am sure the Victoria Centre developers made is worthwhile to BR to close the line early before they had got too far in the building process.  Even though most of the traffic went in May 68 the GN line between Netherfield and Trent Lane remained in use until Jan 1970 when it was closed along with the remaining signal boxes on the GC and the remaining lines singled.

     

    Somewhere on the RCTS site there is a reference to this by someone much more knowledgeable than me - I will try to search it out later today. 

     

     

    Rob

     

    I found the reference on the RCTS site - look at picture B-70-04 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=basford&page=5&serial=94&img=B-70-04 Mark Higginson says that the decision to close north of Weekday Cross was taken in Feb 68. Mark is the author of the excellent book "The Friargate Line" - so he does know a lot about those lines. On seeing that it made me recall that I had seen that bit of info. a long time ago - I just don't know where. The only thing I can think of is that I believe there was an article about the GN in Nottingham in the mid 70's in the Railway Magazine - perhaps it was in there.

     

    On the subject of these freight lines under Victoria Center - I wonder if they planned to vent them, if so how, if not then it would not have been pleasant down there (especially as Victoria Street isn't vented).

     

    Rob

  13. I've asked a question on this photo here http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?serial=35&img=G-241-09, but its worth asking here, I'm not sure if many are looking at the older photos on the RCTS Mystery site.

     

    Victoria Station was closed Sept '67, but my copy of the signalling diagram for Trent PSB (1969) as here shows a double line continuing to Trent Lane.

     

    attachicon.gifToTrentLane.jpg

     

    As double freight lines were relaid in the east side of Victoria Station during demolition (lasted until May 68), and the signalling diagram would be produced well before implementation in Sept 69, can anybody confirm if it was intended to retain this double line all the way from Colwick through Victoria?  Why was the plan abandoned (and the Vic Centre foundations extended all the way across the Vic Stn site)?

     

     

    The original plan was to keep the lines through Victoria open until around 1970 and close them after Trent Power box was complete. However the traffic was falling off rapidly and I am sure the Victoria Centre developers made is worthwhile to BR to close the line early before they had got too far in the building process.  Even though most of the traffic went in May 68 the GN line between Netherfield and Trent Lane remained in use until Jan 1970 when it was closed along with the remaining signal boxes on the GC and the remaining lines singled.

     

    Somewhere on the RCTS site there is a reference to this by someone much more knowledgeable than me - I will try to search it out later today. 

     

     

    Rob

  14. First two, I am genuinely at a loss: only place I can think of is Wolverton?

     

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's313.jpg

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's314.jpg

    Class 08 shunter, repainted in green as D4067.

     

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's315.jpg

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's316.jpg

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's317.jpg

    Three shots of almost new class 60, 60007 coming under the Brigg Road bridge at Scunthorpe, then in the west yard...the lighting is just right to see inside the loco.

     

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's318.jpg

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's319.jpg

    Two shots of a pair of Romanian-built class 56's at Toton, on the left 56012, "Maltby Colliery" and on the right, 56015.

     

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's320.jpg

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's322.jpg

     

    front end line-ups at Toton, classes 20, 56 and 58 are on view.

     

    attachicon.gifDiesels 70's and 80's321.jpg

    Last for tonight, just another class 56...or is it? Look closely at the bogies...they are designated CP3 and were the test bogies for those fitted under the class 58.

    56042 at Toton, mid 80's.

     

     

    The first two are on the GCR at Loughbourgh Central.

     

    Edited to add - D4067 is a Class 10 shunter.

     

    Rob

  15. T.R. Gourvish British Railways - A Business History  (1948 - 1973) lists the following closures by minister after the Beeching report up to the end of 1973.

     

    Marples (Con) - 1,436 miles closed.

    Fraser (Lab)  - 819 miles closed

    Castle (Lab) - 606 miles closed

    Marsh (Lab) - 419 miles closed

    Mulley (Lab) - 227 miles closed

    Peyton (Con) - 90 miles closed

     

     

    Note - Marples would have closed a lot before the Beeching report. But all the big ones S&D, GC, Waverley etc., were done under Labour. It is interesting to read how Barbara Castle tried to stop the rate of closures but struggled - she was too new at the job to fight the Ministry and the BRB!

     

    Rob

     

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