stovepipe

Only the right hand socket was orange or more likely buffer beam red, the left hand plug looks to have been black or green. The MW cables started being removed around 1964, but a handful had them reinstated around 1968/69, e.g. D857. I can't recall seeing a maroon loco with them fitted, but a photo reference is advised! 584 by Alan Curtis, on Flickr

I can see the difficulty in what to include and what not to - most photos were taken at large stations, and comparatively few at the extremities. But there are enough photos out there, to convince me at least, that the Devon and Cornwall summer trains were NBL worked reasonably often. I completely agree about excluding W'loo - Exeter though, and other outposts like East Usk, Barry Docks and Hither Green. The livery chart is very good by the way. https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/8155662878/ Edit: this shot might help with getting all that roof detail on. https://www.flickr.com/photos/lombardstown/12526372154/

Nice review in BRM, anticipation really starting to build around these parts...... Though the 'Where did the class 43s work' map misses a few lines off to my mind - Barnstaple/Ilfracombe for one, and I'm sure Minehead and Newquay would have had a few visits in the summer. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwakely/17995601402/

The dock sidings were removed in Feb 1965.

A while back I was interesting in seeing where they got to, so I trawled Robert Carroll's coach working diagrams. The 1971 diagrams on the WR were: 13.25 TFSO Newton Abbot - Sheffield 19.12 GUV+2TCV+4TCV+3FK+3SLSTP+BSO 23.50 TFSO Sheffield - Newton Abbot 05.50 GUV+2TCV+4TCV+3FK+3SLSTP+BSO 18.40 WO & Sun Newton Abbot - Stirling 06.00 3FK+3SLSTP+RU+BSO+4TCV+2TCV 23.03 MThO Stirling - Newton Abbot 09.35 3FK+3SLSTP+RU+BSO+4TCV+2TCV Sorry I don't have the headcodes for 1971, but the first one would have passed through on Saturday afternoon. I've only ever seen two photos of them in transit on the WR. No wonder they were always dirty, they didn't seem to stop anywhere long enough to be cleaned! Yes, there was a set of carflats that did alternate days on the NA - Stirling train. The SPM models look pretty good, although the bogie well looks like it might be a tad deep. You may be right about RTR one day, they were certainly pretty individual stock.

In 1971, the Newton Abbot to Stirling/Sheffield motorail trains (5 up and 5 down per week) were diagrammed for 6 TCV car carriers, a type more normally associated with the ECML overnight services. Only ever seen photos of Westerns and 47s on them. Southern Pride Models do a kit.......

Very nice. Those MW cables will have to come off the blue one though.

As I understand it, the ban was because arcing to the horns was possible in these tunnels. I suppose EMUs were not a problem because the panto had electrical protection built in already. I don't have a Sectional Appendix for the GE lines, but this would no doubt give further details. Prior to when the voltage changed, which is inferred as 1975, I don't think there was a problem with the centre headcode locos using the route. If one did find itself on a Cambridge service aftert the ban it was supposed to be routed via Seven Sisters I believe. Edit: Here's a link to a BR Periodic Operating Notice which gives details of the ban on page 42.

A fine photo of Liverpool Street, though some time before my visits there. Some of that D6960-8 batch were at Stratford for a very long time, and got dual brakes fairly early on, for freightliner traffic I suppose. I read the Cambridge line tunnel restriction began in 1975, which I presume was related to the system voltage changing around then. My personal memories fit into the period when the restriction was in place from 1975 to 1983, and the centre headcode locos did seem to be extinct at the city end then, at least when I visited.

I have had a bit of a dig; in 1974 and 1976 1F25 was 14:40 Parkeston - Harwich 'The Kristiansand Service', running once per week either Weds or Thurs, from mid June to early Sept, and I assume something similar for 1975. You did well to capture it! Based on a Flickr search it seems a few centre headcode locos did make it to Liverpool Street, though very much in the minority. Stratford had a few it seems in this period.

Re Church Lane level crossing Class 37 up ex pass June 75 C2082 It seems strange to me to see a centre headcode class 37 on GE lines - I always thought the split-headcode variety were completely dominant - because of poor OHL clearance with the roof mounted horns of the later type. But a little googling reveals that the centre headcode locos were only barred through Queens Road and Clapton tunnels on the Cambridge line. This was apparently resolved in 1983 when the track was lowered through the tunnels. Even so, I don't remember seeing any centre headcode locos at Liverpool Street.

Yep 2C25 was the 09:15 SO from Plymouth in 1969/70. Train looks to be entering Platform 4 at south end of station.

Although not an 'insider', I too thought it was before Sectorisation. I can find photos up to about 1976 with flasks in general freight trains. After then it seems to be separate trains, though this could be because all other traffic had dwindled away by then.

Some of the Carstairs - Edinburgh portions were only 2 coaches in the early to mid-1970s, although they generally increased up to 4 or 5 by the 1980s. Also in the 1980s the Kensington Olympia - Clapham Jct trains were 2 coaches - a TSO and a BCK. https://flic.kr/p/bwjK29

Thanks for another photo; this one had been blue since early summer 1967. I've found a shot of E5024, the original E5000, just before it's conversion to E6104 at Crewe. https://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?serial=2&img=WRD00503 I don't think red stripe and yellow panels existed except in Preservation.

And E5001 between (at least) April and June 1969. https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5408159022/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/6521389047/

Yes indeed, and another one here at Bromley with same headcode 7E. https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5430823269/ From Dungeness A, heading for Sellafield I suppose. I'm not sure how widely it was known at the time that waste radioactive materials were transported by rail. It seems the traffic started up around 1965 with the first Magnox reactors, of which Dungeness was one.

Like these on E5001 and E5012? https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5431431222/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/6521259261/ It looks as though someone might have been thinking about the position of the headboard. The rounded corners implies to me they were done before the other versions, of which there were a few: Lower Panel - narrow, as on E5016, E5018 and E5022 https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5076609650/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/6521278323/in/album-72157628444465985/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5375766545/in/photolist-9gUoxX-9gXvBN-9c3d76-qfN3Ff-pRontT-khFsyP-oeG1aB-8pDcwR-8pDcwP-8pDcwF-82GNKw Lower Panel - medium, as on E5002, E5007, E5009 and E5011 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/13100387945/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/6499093497/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5357110245/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/7367846236/ Lower - Panel - wide, as on E5008 https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5448033094/in/photolist- and Large Panel - wide as on E5014 https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5500563450/in/photolist-8PhHms-9o4PSS-9o1LDH-9k1fUn Only E5016 above was converted to a class 74s, the rest remained 71s. Given that yellow panels weren't applied until early 1967, and the cl74 conversions started later that year, the future 74's can only have carried yellow panels for a few months, if at all. Of those that stayed as 71s, only 10 are confirmed to have yellow panels. The unaccounted ones are E5004, E5010*, E5013, and E5020 if anyone has any photos. They were all blue by late 1969, so it's a pretty narrow period. * E5010 was Green FYE by March 1968 so may not have had a panel at all. Which ones are you doing again Dave? Edit: found E5018 with SYP

I think the date of that one is a little out - I would say more like after 1968. E5004 has new paint in this 1967 shot. E5004_PettsWood_1030-Vic-DoverM_GoldenArrow_25-6-67 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

Falcon seemed to work 9E61 a lot. I'm told this was a 'trip' headcode that 'generally' serviced Alexandra Dock Jct / East Usk yard and Llanwern. PS: you might want to check this link out.... https://www.flickr.com/photos/walterburt/12568061874/

Photos are hard to come by, but the earliest date I have for yellow panels is April 1967.

High Level Kits do a replacement chassis, though the price will put some off. http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/ When is the Western due? I might have a dabble this month.

Probably not. All the 1971 withdrawals had them as far as I can see, with the possible exception of D7064 and D7072.

Yes I would say so too. D7024 certainly had green with small yellow panels to withdrawal - and confirmed by next photo. https://flic.kr/p/axHaoY The one on the left is D7020.

Yes I think so. See 3:04 in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3K4mUC9m4w