Late to this party, just found this website. I worked at Reading Control from 74 to 76 as East freight controller (east of reading to Paddington, and branches), then 76 - 79 as AFA at Acton Yard. Most of the posts are correct but there's a lot more detail could be added. I'd recommend Brian Ringer's story in Back Track of March 2013 but it tells the story from after the decline had set in. It was much busier in 74. I sed to count about 150 freight movements on the night shift, both through freights, loco changes, trunk freights and local trips. Most of the time we were short of staff and locos and it was a tribute to the men on the ground that the yard stayed fluid and the goods were delivered.
In the 70's we had an 0900 and a 1900 from Wimbledon West yard with coal empties, both working back to Tolworth. The Morden Milk empties (mid afternoon, don't remember the time) worked back at 1850 to Chessington. The Tolworths took coal fro Merton Abbey as well until that depot closed in the mid 70s. Trains were worked by both 73s and 74s.
