Wickham Green too

How about 'Ghosts in the machine' thread for this one ??!?

Without one to hand, I don't know how the thing is put together - but could the whole boiler be on the skew ?

I'm not sure anyone got round to discussing it - but someone did make a plea many pages back ! I'm tempted to turn off the tyres and fit Gibson ones ........ but I reckon the wheels'll still need pushing out ; not top of my priority list I'm afraid !

I've no doubt AC/DC overhead could be made switchable - and I've no doubt it happened / happens sur-le-continong - but it's far simpler to keep the traffic flows separate. I'm sure Man.Picc. was totally separate 'til Altrincham & the Woodhead rump went AC - but I doubt if there's much interchange - with the latter, at least - even now, apart from ECS. One place in the UK had four different electrification systems at one time - and another one earlier in its history ! ...... Stratford retains four rail DC for the Central Line and 25kV overhead on the mains ( long ago this started out as 1500V ) - Side-contact third rail appeared with the DLR while the North London Line was still operating 'conventional' third rail ........... ne'er the twain ever met, fortunately !

Got his comeuppance ................. but did he ever get his comedownance ?

Yeah - the old grey cells were playing tricks there ....... ! ............................ Maybe singling would have provided a little economy ? - it didn't help Addiscombe though !

At least the Hastings / Thumper family had windows you could see out of ................. passengers as well as the driver, that is !

I'm still intrigued by that reference to silver-painted roofs ........ would that be better for deflecting Dawlish seawater p'raps ??!?

Whoever built that semi-roundhouse a) didn't get it anywhere near concentric with the 'table and b) seriously over-did the false perspective !

No ......... and yes !

indeed, Eden Park, on an embankment near me, was a 'typical' South Eastern building in timber - seriously damaged by fire at least once and rebuilt as per ............. most people wouldn't spot the difference but it's actually clad in UPVC now !

The late '67 Locoshed Book lists no steam at Barrow and the only diesels I've spotted are a few shunters - but I've not worked through every page with a fine-tooth comb ! ( The MetroVicks are listed at Upperby ). The most likely source of 'Fives' in the area would have been Carnforth which had a significant number of Standard 4s and a handful of 9Fs too. A very fluid situation at that date, of course ........

...... or Stroudley's 'Improved Engine Green' !!?!

Apologies - I'd forgotten that the junction still had its own 'box to the end : the Disused Stations website says "Selsdon Junction signal box was closed on 1st April 1984 and subsequently demolished and the oil siding finally closed in March 1993 and the junction with the Oxted line was severed but in 2008 most of the track to Croham Road is still in place." ............ what's more, my index says I took a photo showing it !

I think the obvious connection between the eastern and western bays at Reading, to give another electrified route to Blazingsmoke, was rather thwarted when some guy called Brunel plonked a Grade II listed station building in the vicinity.

Now, before you get to the next ( South Croydon ) 'box you come to the delights of Selsdon ( Junction ) which might fit the OP's bill ! The electrified Woodside and South Croydon veers off to the right with a single platform for a peak-hours only service and a back-shunt into the old goods yard for oil traffic while the 'main' Oxted Line passes between the remnants of its long-disused platforms and drops down to the aforementioned 'box and back onto third rail territory. It's not all MUs, of course, as there were a handful of Crompton-hauled business trains between East Grinstead & London Bridge.

Indeed ...... now, putting Merz & McLellan into the search too, we find a page on good ol' rmweb ! : mweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/14790-imaginary-locomotives/page/23/

Well, nobody seems to admit to putting their mits in the air ....... I guess the GWR would have built locos similar to that but with railcar-style beaks on the end ( a bit like the class 89 all those years later ). Any search for 'GWR electrification', or the likes, only comes up with references to the current ongoing project, of course - or what it might have been if funded .......................

Not for long - that sign has disappeared since ! ( I wonder if someone put it up for the duration of the model railway show - just in case some smart-arse spotted it ??!? )

...... it was a long time ago !

We know the Lady in question used to travel on the Midland line regularly - but that doesn't mean that she never popped up to Buxton .......... I don't think anyone else has offered another possibility in the right timeframe.

The Honourable ( WHAT ? ) Member for Wickham Green thanks you for your clarification ........ but still hopes that the two-year schedule can be made a little elastic ( whenever it does commence ) to squeeze in even more quality wagons, carriages and engines.

Not Plough-Into Roundabout ?

Uckfield !

....... but further up towards the 'Smoke' I'd offer Sanderstead : a one time electrified oasis within the non-electric Oxted line - though within arcing distance of the Brighton Line.