D826

Oh no chaps, there she goes off to the dump. Poor old Jupiter, that Laira repaint could've lasted another 2 or 3 years. I love all this nostalgia- shame we're not round a table in a quiet pub - a virtual cheers to you all. Sounds daft, but the other elements of railway rolling stock that are indelibly etched in my memory and promote happy memories are images of Siphon Gs, 6 wheel milk tanks, motorrail trains with the flats and coaches together, and clayhoods/flat tarp clays with roller bearings on the clay liner. Lower quadrants at Exeter down west too. I can still hear the signal wires twang and hear the lower quadrant outside Kennaway tunnel bouncing a millisecond later in my minds ear. I loved that bloody signal and its sighting board - no idea why, but with the pegs you could see what was happening for a long way whether you were in front or behind them. I spent so much time on that footbridge outside Kennaway. Hearing the muffled approach of an up train and then it bursting out on the line next to Marine Parade - we were spoilt for variety. There goes another pint. I'll naff off as I'm getting very "jumpers for goalposts" - My round - cheers. Matt W

The variation was in the motive power and rolling stock. More than compensated for lack of variety in colour.

Spot on, thank you kindly 860, and what a list of locos there. I wonder if 826s paint was on the way to being the tatty battered, but gorgeous machine it was prior to its Laira repaint.

I like the Hymek paint job, but my fave 50 - 044, Exeter lurking in the background is even better. Soft spot for locos sharing names with HM ships lost in the Far East, Repulse, Exeter and yes, the d826 Jupiter I use on here. Exeter and Jupiter were both lost around the time my Grandads' ship, HMS Encounter went down. Great photo that. Matt W

I used to like watching the 08 from St David's shuffling the wagons around in the Blue Circle cement depot. All gone now. Bit like the mail sidings at the east end of St David's. Lots of happy memories of 50s barrelling through Dawlish with down papers and parcels and up empties. Also seemed to be the loco of choice on the Milks after the Westerns had gone. Brief period of domino headcode pre refurb named 50s on 6 w tanks. I really miss the milk trains, they sounded heavy, loco invariably working hard, had a unique staccato wheel beat over any rail joints and always seemed so fast by comparison with other freight back in the 70s. Oh for any more freight west of Exeter now. The 50s sounded great opening up on the climb up from St David's to Central. Cracking pictures Jonny. Triggered happy memories of when I was listening to them up in Howell Road. Matt W

Cracking pictures, and note the platforms at Teignmouth still clear of vegetation under the skew bridge in1985. Lovely pictures Jonny, thanks for posting. Matt W

Beeching provided an excuse for much of the pruning that happened. Some of it was needed, but much was short sighted. Road congestion will get worse in this country and building more road capacity generally is like treating obesity by buying a bigger belt. I suspect that transport patterns in the UK will change more when the pain of road travel means people look to, or are forced to consider alternatives. I've been wondering if the appalling congestion on the M5 to the South west might resuscitate the dearth of railfreight west of Exeter, well west of Bristol... That the routes closed, and land sold/lost as a consequence of Beeching, could have played some part in that I have no doubt. Witness the resurgence of Okehampton to Crediton - if the route had gone or been lifted I doubt it would have happened. I have been idly wondering how many people stuck on the M4/M5 would have happily paid to stick their motor on a flat wagon outside Reading or such place for a modern iteration of Motorrail. (I'd happily pay a few hundred quid , and sit in a Mark 1 too, preferably hauled by D1015). Sadly I suspect the loss of railway land and space will do more to limit innovation and railfreight resurgence as part of Britain's 21st century transport policy. (I won't use the word integrated when describing transport policy as it is anything but). The post covid railway needs to offer comfort, convenience and flexibility, it also needs to integrate with other public transport modes and active travel. (Cycle storage on the 800s* is pathetic). Matt W *IET things, not the products of Swindon and Glasgow.

Trip from Umberleigh to Exeter today- even with covid nervousness, loadings heavy on 9.43 to Exeter and 3.15 back to Barney. Great to see shiny railheads on route to Okehampton. Exeter Riverside depressingly devoid of freight of any description. A lot has changed in 45 years, but the Tarka line is certainly on the up. Most convenient way of visiting Exeter from up here near Umberleigh. Cheers. Matt W

Like is not good enough, and now you've reminded me why I loved Westerns. Isn't that a peach.

Brilliant Neil. Thanks for posting. Ps your comment on the Laira repaint of D826 Jupiter above resonated. 826 was in a terrible state before that repaint. Always had a soft spot for 826 though. Matt W

Purring with pleasure at the Western namers Rugd1022....made my Sunday. Cheers. Matt W

Ah, thank you there Rugd1022. Oh for a time machine. I'd go down west and watch the procession of variety of traction (and freight) at Dawlish. The 'Like' reaction is never good enough for the original western 'namer' Brushes. Love that shot. Cheers. Matt W

My Dad would probably have been having a brew in the steam shed if he was on shift. Cracking pictures. Thanks Matt W

Great picture inside Swindon Monty. I hope the two gents were able to find employment when they closed the works in 1985. Best regards Matt W

There was a turntable - and rails, for moving lockgate components, at the Canal workshops at Bulbourne near Tring on the Grand Union. They closed years ago, but I was fascinated by the wagon with lockgate components at an open day about 1995. You can see the location of the turntable in this image here: https://images.app.goo.gl/p4vwsggh5ZAmZxs18

Good spot there Nearholmer. Your radar for incoming missiles working well sir. Its an Exocet and its been on the screen for a little while this one. The Queens speech includes fundamental reform to the planning system which since 1947, hasn't served this country badly, notwithstanding increased and endless political interference for the last 40 years, the last 10 particularly. When it started out there was political honesty about policies of restraint being balanced by growth ie New Towns (the mark 1 crop plus MK) and expanded towns,of which Aylesbury was one - my folks went there from the smoke in 66). Discussion has become confused as the Green Belt has become conflated with a no development ever anywhere in the eyes of the public and media and some politicians keen to appeal to populism rather than lead healthy debate. That definitive, never change role for Green Belt was never the intention but now the planning system itself is blamed for 'under delivery's of housing. Affordability of housing is a whole additional issue. So, of course, things must change (apparently) - and because few care that change is easy to achieve, maybe. Not as loved as the NHS, though born at the same time and with the public interest at it's heart - in the long lost days of post war social optimism and responsibility. In the words of Joni Mitchell "don't it always seem you know that you don't know what you've got till it's gone". It is my friends 'a big deal'. Still it's got to get through the Commons and the Lords first and is already arousing opposition from within the ranks of Conservative MPs. Keep your eyes on it because this could affect you - and don't complain to Councils as Local Planning Authorities after the event. They will simply be doing their best to accommodate the latest, admittedly seismic, change to Local Plan and decision making emanating from Westminster. Yup, a betting man might conclude that some locations on EW rail would make ideal places for new development at scale. Timescales and the process around delivery of the Local Plans , what issues they can cover and an assumption of planning permission in principle in areas identified for growth will massively foreshorten time for delivery. Whether that's good or bad depends on the detail and your point of view. Delivery mechanisms and even strategic planning frameworks cross administrative District and County boundaries are making a comeback. (Structure Plans long gone and Regional spatial strategies out of vogue since 2012 - but everyone's realising its a bit silly without a broader view). Interesting times. (Allegedly). Google Abercrombie's London Plan - its thought provoking. Best regards Matt W

Those 800s had superb names, and made a much much better noise too Phil, especially double headed to the west. When men were men and inhaled blue smoke on the road west...not just from their Woodbines and Players, also from MAN and Maybach ! (With a single pair of Paxmans) !

Original Blue Pullman, Brighton Belle maybe ? The 125s and all other locos basically on squadron service providing seats for second class, and for the locos, pulling passenger, parcels, goods, whatever else needed moving around. Not solely utilised on premium services. I'd always rate western hydraulics of all varieties higher than other diesels, (a strange genetic disorder and obviously never had to maintain them). * Now being a resident of the Eastern Region, be remiss not to mention Deltics. Duffs (47s/Brush 4s) were two a penny when I were a lad, except the better variety of western namer ! (The western names alone elevated them above normal duffs - I mean Odin, Thor, George Jackson Churchward, IKB, North Star, Mammoth, Sir Daniel Gooch, etc, what names). For some strange reason 46s always appealed too, especially on the proper north east to south west trains with 11 or 12 bogies on in the 70s. Probably cos with their 138 ton weight, the rails would start singing on the cant of the curve at Langstone Rock about 5 minutes** before the train hove into view. That was the thing with BR in the 70s, so much variety. A day at Dawlish could see the occasional 08 (seriously), scuttling from Exeter to Newton Abbot, 25s - I can still hear that Sulzer chatter as they left the loop at the Warren with 4 or 5 on for Paignton), the odd Hymek, (pre 74/5), 31s, 33s, 45s, 46s, 47s, 50s (post 74 and named from 78), 1000s, (until 77), and more DMUs than you could shake a stick at. Post 78 you might see a 37. Plus the 125s when they came into squadron service. Its the total collapse of railfreight to Cornwall/Devon that depresses me. The variety of freight traffic in the 70s was huge. Best regards Matt W * seeing a Western give a blast on the Desilux Horns and scream out of Kennaway tunnel with a string of Milk Tanks with their distinctive three wheeled staccato tap on the railjoints is a sight I loved, and haven't seen captured in the many films of the rail blue era I watch. **maybe an exaggeration!

My Dad, Ray Wood, was foreman at Neasden Steam shed. Loads of pictures of him in the book, Red Panniers. He started there on demob in about 1946. Got a picture of him leaning out the cab of L52, taken by CRL Coles in the 50s. He loved the Panniers. Said they were brilliant, would pull anything. Would never slip if being handled by a competent driver. He laughed at the very gentle handling of the engines at the steam on the Met events. He said when he started away with L44 there'd have been sparks, and cinders flying- and "always be ready to knock her back if she starts losing her feet boy" he always said to me. As for the Panniers, nothing but nothing sounds like the bark of a western loco working hard. Was full of tales Dad, - wish I'd recorded him. He was once given the road from the bay at Aylesbury about 20 minutes before the up Master Cutler was due through. I believe there was colourful language on the footplate that day, as his fireman and he worked hard to not get in the way of the MC. He loved driving steam locos. Battery locos and the Rolls Royce 0-6-0 locos they had at Neasden just weren't the same to him. He had to stop driving when diagnosed with diabetes in 76, and finished up as a ticket collector at Ricky, which he loathed. However,LT were really good as an employer to him. Love London Transport steam. That 45xx just doesn't look right to me though. Best regards Matt W

Good spot, I agree with you.

What a picture that aerial image is. Dawlish looking stunning. The amusement arcade right in the centre opposite Dawlish Water has always jarred with me. If I was able to selectively prune buildings that'd be gone, and the Beach Hotel would be back on Marine Parade. Best regards Matt W That's a beautiful image.

Tongue in cheek, - if they reopened Barnstaple to Ilfracombe then the curve from Barnstaple Junction over the Bridge to Victoria Road would be next. Demolish McDonalds, reclaim the site of Vic Rd. Then sod the cars and watch the grockles gasp as they are overhauled on the link road by a 93xx or D6300 reclaiming their iron road through Filleigh, South Molton and Molland on to Bampton, Wiveliscombe and Dulverton Norton Fitzwarren. God they're places I'd loved to have travelled to by train back in the day ! 1 in 36 from Ilfracombe up the Slade Valley. I bet those locos worked hard (West Country, 93xx or D800/D7000 which would sound best eh)? I bet approach to the buffers at Ilfracombe involved plenty of gentle, and not so gentle brake applications. Lovely lovely part of the world. Love using the old southern route from Umberleigh to Exeter and have Portsmouth Arms replica hot dog totem in Southern Green. I'm old enough to remember seeing a 25 on ball clay from Meeth running along the causeway beside the Torridge between Instow and Bideford. My ideas of rail Reopening might blow the budget a bit though. For now, services from Okehampton to Exeter is good news. Don't get me started on the Teign Valley, imagine departing Newton Abbot for Exeter via Christow ! We can always dream. Best regards me 'ansomes. Matt W

Not that I remember, though that's the 70s. Sometimes had a parcel van or Siphon G or two on (dont know what was in the Siphons).- There's a picture of one, 50 010 Monarch in 1978 in John Vaughans Power of the 50s, published in 79. Refers to a parcel van or 2. Best regards Matt W

With regard to splitting the order for the 1000s JK Lewis "The Western's Hydraulics" says ; 1) Swindon was still building D800s and distribution of work minimised delivery delay and preserved employment. 2) Crewe had a solid record of delivery on time to budget. The high cost of the D800s is cited as being a special concern for the British Transport Commission. Cheers. Matt W

It is said Swindon produced much tidier stressed body finishes - having had more practice with the principle on the D800s. Some colour shots of Crewe built 1000s you can see a ripple to the finish. There's one particular shot of a green D1000 somewhere near Brum where that is particularly evident. But then as XTC, the most under rated band in history said, Swindon "built the horses of the gods".* Best Regards Matt W