35A

27 002/019/036 arrived in April 1984, 27 040 following in July. I would suggest that 27 208 is a typo - I've no record of it being in Swindon at that time but I did see 27 028 numerous times after its arrival in September 1984. 27 034 arrived with it. The intention was to repair some locomotives and return them to service, using the others as donor locos. 27 002/036 and 040 returned to service. 27 019/028 and 034 were used for parts and cut up at Swindon. I have quite a few pictures of most of these locos around the works, plus one of 27 040 on Swindon stabling point at the end of September 1984, awaiting a tow back to Scotland. 27 036 went back north in May 1985, I observed it a couple of times on Gloucester (Horton Road), whilst en route. The Mid-Hants Railway's 27 007 also made a visit to the works for attention, in November 1985.

David, J4384 is definitely not 55 011 - it has an aluminium, two-line, sans serif nameplate. It's a Haymarket loco and, having blown up and sharpened the image as much as I can, I think that it's 55 010. Of the four with twin line plates (all of which were in traffic in June 1975) I don't think that the plate is large enough for 21 and it can't be 19, as there is another photograph of that loco in June 75 (on www.napier-chronicles.co.uk), similarly taken from no. 1 end, showing that it had a damaged "domino" on the driver's side. Perhaps a typo? Whatever, it's a lovely shot.

Well, that was a marathon "catching-up" session. Having been away since 23rd I have been very much looking forward to getting back and looking at the most recent pictures - somehow viewing them on a smartphone screen is less than satisfactory, so I tend not to do so whilst away from home. It was certainly worth the wait. Belatedly, a happy new year and best wishes for a healthy 2019 to all.

Thanks, David. Much appreciation for your efforts again, throughout 2018. It's such a joy to look at this thread every evening. Wishing you season's greetings and best wishes for your good health and happiness throughout 2019. Best regards.

FYI, re C6112: 20 070 is only recorded as having worked three times in August 1983, each time with 20 143. Firstly, on Sunday 28th August, on 1E28 (08:56 Derby - Skegness) and 1M83 (18:00 Skegness - Derby); secondly, on Monday 29th August, on 1E85 (08:58 Burton-on-Trent - Skegness) and 1M47 (18:37 Skegness - Burton-on-Trent); finally, on Tuesday 30th August, on 1E04 (09:37 Derby - Skegness, an unadvertised relief) which failed on arrival at Skegness. However, the second loco in the photo appears to me to be disc-fitted. The first is very clearly 20 070, so either the loco has worked again that month and not been reported in the RailGen archives or else there is a query over the date? Added: Looking further into it, 20 070 did work at the end of July 1983, paired with disc-fitted 20 073. On Tuesday 26th July they worked 1E04 (09:37 Derby - Skegness, an unadvertised relief) and 1M07 (18:10 Skegness - Derby, an unadvertised relief); on Wednesday 27th July they worked 1M47 (18:37 Skegness - Derby) but the outward working is not recorded, although it would almost certainly have been 1E85 (09:29 Derby - Skegness).

Thanks, Keith. I have no idea why I never thought to look on Amazon, seeing as I use it so often! I might give it a go.

Sadly, even digitals are becoming prone to redundancy - already! I have an Olympus C3030 Compact that I bought in 2000. I went to get a replacement memory card the other day (the old one is no longer being recognised by the camera, so I guess that it's got scratched or similar) only to be told by Jessops that that type of memory card is no longer available and there is no replacement or adapter for it. Luckily that's only been used as a backup in recent years but it's extremely irritating to have a camera, that's only eighteen years old, that is now redundant.

Another lovely set of South Lincolnshire pictures. Takes me back to the afternoons that I spent along that stretch over the same period, with the mix of blue-and-grey and maroon stock, the green and blue locos, some very familiar locos and some very familiar headcodes!

Lovely pictures from Embsay today, David. It's always lovely to see the formative years of today's preserved railways documented. I have quite a number of the Nene Valley, the Severn Valley, the Great Central and the Midland Railway Centre, taken in the late 70s and early 80s. It's always interesting to study how the sites have evolved over the years and to see them in their primitive states.

Most likely 1960 or 1961, both of which were Toton (D16 Nottingham Division) based locos at that time and frequent performers on the Midland main line. The earlier ones in that batch were all allocated to Crewe (D05 Stoke Division).

Indeed. I have a similar photograph of 43084 on the blocks at King's Cross, taken the following year on 20th September. The design of the "headboard" had been changed, using a mid-blue background, rather than yellow.

Lovely shots of Grantham, at the time when I regularly used to pass through (I had to look closely to make sure that you hadn't caught me!). Some 'old friends' amongst the green 47s, as well. I'd actually forgotten all about Grantham North box, so that came as a bit of a jolt.

It's a very reasonable guess, Andrew. I wouldn't, personally, be comfortable in either agreeing or disagreeing with you - for me the angle is a bit too acute to take a punt.

I don't think that I dare venture an opinion on J6415, other than to agree that it's 5, 11 or 14. I can't see any distinguishing marks to confirm identity and all three were in traffic in April 1979. 55 014 had a large patch of paint missing to the left of the footstep on no 1 end at the time - unfortunately J6415 is of no 2 end (no vacuum exhausters).

J6340 - ICBW but I believe that there was never a standard, it depended very much upon the works that overhauled the loco. Derby favoured cabside numbers (as per the rear loco) whilst Glasgow favoured bodyside numbers (as per the front loco). In later years the differentiation was also evident on class 27s, as some reverted to Derby for overhaul (and a couple went to Swindon). Again, Derby went with cabside numbers, against the Scottish standard for bodyside numbers.

Lovely, thanks David - and thanks for the additional information!

David, With the Radcliffe photographs I was reminded of the experimental section of track on the line, to the east, where (at the end of the 1960s) the Nottingham-bound line was slewed onto a new parallel track (including some curves and points) to the south of the formation, to allow various compounds, fixings, sleeper arrangements, slab track etc. to be monitored by the Research Department under normal traffic conditions. The original westbound track was disconnected at each end but left in situ. If it hasn't already appeared in the previous 560 pages I'm curious as to whether your dad (or yourself even) took any images of that section whilst linesiding. I travelled that way many times throughout the 1970s and, most recently, a couple of weeks ago. Although the original formation has now been restored (reballasted, concrete sleepered, rerailed and line speed increased) I did notice that evidence of the experimental section remains in situ, albeit mostly hidden by a generous covering of weeds!

To be fair (or not) most of Network Rail's real estate could be described as that these days. I've rambled through many fields with less wild vegetation than many yards, stabling points and, in places, even running lines!

Going back a couple of days, to J4675, the trailing class 20 on the "Jolly Fisherman" would have been 20 014 (20 190 leading). That was the only pairing in August 1975 which included 20 190 - and 20 014 was green at the time (and, indeed, remained so up to withdrawal in 1976). As always, a lovely batch of pictures on the ECML today! I wonder if the class 40 in J2760 was working "The Highwayman", the budget fare train that ran between Finsbury Park and Newcastle for two years at that time? It's difficult to see the adhesive crossed gold pistols stickers on the windows, so it may just have been a 'normal' service train or a summer relief, like the King's Cross to Scarborough service, which was also rostered for a 40. "The Highwayman" was an early attempt by BR to cash in on the 'no frills', low fare type of service that companies like Stagecoach, EasyJet and Ryanair later adopted in their respective transport mediums, to try and capture some of the road and (limited) air competition. I still have some of the promotional brochures produced for the service - which, ultimately, was unsuccessful and discontinued after two seasons (possibly due to the unattractiveness of Finsbury Park as the source/destination at the London end).

Coincidentally, I was on the Grantham - Nottingham line this morning! Going back a few days (I've been away again!) the 'ano' in C5982 would be D9516. The pair were part of the Gerald Boden collection and, shortly afterwards, along with English Electric Type 4 D306, they moved on to the Nene Valley Railway for many years. Following Gerald's death the class 14s were split, with D9516 going to the GWS at Didcot and D9523 going to the Derwent Valley, whilst D306 was purchased by the Class Forty Preservation Society.

Thanks for confirming that, David. I've got a couple of shots taken in the opposite direction but, at that time, the train was alongside (we detrained in the yard and it was later pulled to the location in my shot by the Consett '08') and, as the yard curves away to the left, it doesn't give you much to go on. There is a very similar signal post to the right, as in your shot, although at the time that I was there, with pegs - hence my guess that these images may well match up.

David, C6352 - would this have been taken from the bridge in the background of the picture below? I only went to Consett the once, on this RPPR railtour (the "County Durham Crusader"), in May 1979, and my memories are much hazier than my photography! Looking back at old photographs it is often difficult to get the context. I hadn't actually realised that the steelworks had been razed so soon after my visit. If we're looking at the same point then it's quite shocking to see the complete elimination of the infrastructure (track excepted) in only five years. My suspicion is that it might have been taken from around the pile of sleepers in the bottom right of your picture (obviously looking in the opposite direction). Thanks.

I'm not sure that we can assume that the first one is a 'Toffee Apple', either, as a further 20 of the production batch were equipped with disc-fitted cab fronts, rather than headcode panels: the first ten (D5520-29) and then a further ten, entirely at random, in the number series between D5530 and D5562. Other than the red circle coupling code on the front I'm not aware of any obvious external detail differences by which to identify the pilot scheme engines, unless anyone can point me towards them?

Woah! That's a blast from the past. The number of times that I've been up and down that road (Hodney Road) in a car (with parents) or on my bike. We had friends that lived in the houses in the distance on the right. They had twin boys, my age. Ironically, one of the twins passed his 11+ and went to grammar school, with me, whilst the other failed and went to secondary modern school. We spent many Saturday afternoons in the early 1970s, with some of the other boys from Eye village, playing around the brick pits, to the left, roughly where the telegraph pole is. By May 1973, though, I think we'd moved on to other pastimes and groups of friends - so our paths would not quite have crossed!

In a way it's a great shame that that element of spontaneity has been lost (although in others RTT is quite helpful!). It's one of the things that I love about aviation. It's VERY difficult to get advance information on a lot of things, so surprises are ten a penny. Plus you don't have to go that far to see some interesting things (you can - but, unlike the railway, much of it comes to you). The BBMF publish their displays for the week - but not necessarily their flightpath - which is helpful. This week, in fact, I stepped into the back garden on Monday morning, only to see the Red Arrows passing low overhead, on their way back home. Spitfires are not that uncommon and, on Wednesday night, I heard the familiar Merlin sound outside and jumped out of my chair in time to watch one pass, heading eastwards. Five minutes later, the Bristol Blenheim growled over, heading towards Duxford. With the help of Twitter, I discovered that they'd been part of a display at an early evening show over Theale. Then, this morning, on my way to the supermarket, as I closed the front door, I heard the scream of approaching jets, only to see Reds 1-5, followed by Reds 6-10, heading south, presumably on their way to Farnborough. The new technology is very helpful, sometimes, for rail - but it helps if you look at it! Only ten days ago 50 008 "Thunderer" made a visit to these parts, on a route learning, light engine move (both out and back) during daylight hours. Sadly I hadn't checked RTT and completely missed the opportunity to photograph it. We haven't seen a class 50 in these parts for over 20 years! I'm still kicking myself!