Southof1E top tmd

67004 at a snow free Fort William on January 22nd 2013 after working S25 forward from Edinburgh. Snow was thick over Rannoch and Corrour that morning, much bellowing! NR

Off topic as the 25s had long gone by about 2005 when some sort of shambles affected the WCML at Bletchley. Pendolinos etc were being switched from the down slow to down fast at Bletchley North via the "middle long siding" crossover. We watched several drivers get our of their Pendos to query the route set at Bletchley station, "is it wired" was overheard, of course it was , Bletchley PSB the "nerve centre" never got it wrong!

25300 approaches Leighton with a down electrification train for Bletchley, its Sunday session over on June 5th 1983. This train used to be stabled in between the Up fast and down Slow just North of Bletchley station,all long gone NR

Mar 9th's BLS tour took 47746 (33029 tailing) to the gates of Park Royal aggregates terminal, rare track after venturing down the old Wycombe main line from Greenford. There was a burnt out brake van in an adjacent siding and from the reaction of local enthusiasts and the fact a tree was growing out of it it must have been dumped there for many years. Anybody the history of this abandoned vehicle ,has it been there since the 80's? photo of sorts here taken from tour many thanks NR

A rare Dunstable photo. Viewed from the Reed offices 25244 passes a vine array of employees cars with the "small cements" from Houghton Regis to Northfleet in December 82.Everything in this view is history except the pylons, the loco (sort of) and possibly 1 of the cars..Progress Dunstable style NR

Bletchleys celebrity gronk in 08011 Haversham in the Field Sidings on May 11th 1986 NR

afraid i don't know, but with the availability of the home fleet there must be a good chance 33053 will stay a good while NR

New "Hankton" for the Chinnor and Princes Risborough, heres recently delivered 33053 with a Chinnor - Thame Jn ECS working at Horsenden crossing on March 12th 2020 NR

33037 arrives at Warminster with 5 comfortable Mk I's forming the 1010 Bristol - Portsmouth on February 24th 1986. The waiting "Ada" will have no problem finding a seat, less so on todays overcrowded rancid units.

"This traffic is both before my time (first commuting from Reading Feb 1994) and after my period of interest (pre-Grouping) but can anyone say when this traffic began?" First recorded log of an Earley bound oil train i have found to date is Stratford's 6819 back on September 19th 1969. NR

Many thanks your replies on Earley oil traffic to date, helping to build a classic picture. Below is a snapshot of observed oil traffic to Earley in Nov/Dec 76. I assume the oil depot has now closed to all traffic. Earley oil train power variety 011176 73105 021176 47114 051176 37261 081176 73105 101176 73140 151176 73140 221176 73004 021276 73105 101276 73138 141276 37264 151276 37064 161276 73121 so obviously at least 2 refinaries served Earley back then cheers NR

87002 returned to the WCML en route to Crewe from Eastleigh works after a repaint in the old swallow livery. 2 x 47 dragged the "seven" North and is seen here at a very soggy old Linslade on February 28th 2020 NR

morning, looking through a colleagues spotting records primarliy for the 70s he often used to record the power at Earley on the oil train. It seems an almost daily runner with a variety of Eastern, Southern and occasional Western power. Did Southern 73s return the empties east? or was it a mixture of refinaries that served Earley? Any information on this terminal very welcome as it certainly saw a variety in power up front! thanks, NR

phot of the Bulgarian "seven" here. taken at Pirdop, Bulgaria on Oct 5th 2011 so more weathered now.. nr

Timeless, 33062 on 1O79 1205 Cardiff- Portsmouth H at Bath on April 6th 1984 NR

Pancras "peaks". 45103 is nearest in this typical St Pancras scene on February 3rd 1983. A scene very different now NR

Stockport on December 1st 1984 and Mike Fielding? of F & W tour fame quizes the driver of 25089 and 25245 which have brough the "Buxton Bullet" tour from Bescot Yard NR

D3026 never carried a TOPS number due early withdrawl. The "gronk" has been photted at Wolverhampton Low Level in 1966. Thanks to Geoffrey Robinson for this image NR

85013 roars out of Crewe with 1P70 1606 Birmingham - Preston on May 23rd 1986. The early Mk II stock was some of the best on BR, today its "vomit" quality on such services NR

An oil streaked workhorse in 40158 at Preston after working 1P33 1614 ex Liverpool on June 18th 1983 cheers, NR

Deep and crisp and even at Lairg on January 27th 1985. 27055 has just arrived with 1K02 0805 Inverness - Lairg. We were hours late due awaiting connectioning papers at Inverness and the "tippie's" boiler had given up at Dingwall making the train a tad cold.!! NR

"Circuit power", 27063 at Waverly blocks with 2J44 1630 ex Dundee July 30th 1986 thanks to the "Mad Axeman" for the phot NR

By this time a restricted engineers loco, 50032 has been borrowed to work the scratchset forming the 1402 Barnstaple - Exeter SD on September 15th 1990. NR

By then 27208 was quite a rare "tippie" on passenger and a rare turn for her on the late afternoon of August 1st 1983 saw her dragging a demic DMU on the Edinburgh - Glasgow Central via Shotts. NR

By then a rare duo at the blocks at Euston. 81012 is on her booked ECS duties in this case the TPO emcars. 85037 has arrived with the 1345 Glasgow Euston relief on August 24th 1990. That Friday night all Northbound overnights were fully reserved except for the 2200 Euston - Holyhead which got , yes, 85037 to Crewe! happy days! NR