jonny777

GWR arrogance most likely. "We do not have slow lines, because our trains are never slow".

Hear hear. To have a dry day on Snowdon is something special. Usually it is horizontal rain, or hail, and a 100mph wind. (slight exaggeration possible).

If you perform a search of "Sonning Cutting" on Flickr, you get photos such as this https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6304366384/in/photolist-dyLHJM-4TVLL4-pLRNMP-aB6wu9-pJBzTw-8hpGvz-dvoRN4-pxYhTA-duKTBJ-8JKsiX-7pMmku-qGtQuj-dp1Hhe-j8bAhe-a2nVMS-oWKgTy-oWbiZE-dhe7vu-bCMgSU-b86UL8-eYk5rA-e7yLut-aBUA7w-dRnhJF-p312s6-bRA1FK-dLWLFu-bh58JT-d2Nqu9-aFeVQg-atZQRr-jdv7Yu-9fuT6R-nJ4CYU-cEuLco-adFmHq-7RVsU6-9ZS34x-cEuL9S-fFbk8w-nwrZ1Y-bSQbBV-pjdjeZ-joJfdz-moXJJa-dwZEfz-ffvaqS-pr3BJy-7RVpZR-hAi6ZWand this https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/8208919571/in/photolist-dyLHJM-4TVLL4-pLRNMP-aB6wu9-pJBzTw-8hpGvz-dvoRN4-pxYhTA-duKTBJ-8JKsiX-7pMmku-qGtQuj-dp1Hhe-j8bAhe-a2nVMS-oWKgTy-oWbiZE-dhe7vu-bCMgSU-b86UL8-eYk5rA-e7yLut-aBUA7w-dRnhJF-p312s6-bRA1FK-dLWLFu-bh58JT-d2Nqu9-aFeVQg-atZQRr-jdv7Yu-9fuT6R-nJ4CYU-cEuLco-adFmHq-7RVsU6-9ZS34x-cEuL9S-fFbk8w-nwrZ1Y-bSQbBV-pjdjeZ-joJfdz-moXJJa-dwZEfz-ffvaqS-pr3BJy-7RVpZR-hAi6ZW where it appears that, while all tracks are fb rail, the fast lines are cwr and concrete sleeper with the flat clips (sorry can't remember their name) but the relief lines are still shorter section fb rails with fishplates and 'pandrol' clips on what appear to be wooden sleepers. I would say, look at as many of these photos as possible in order to decide, because there are a variety of angles from this https://www.flickr.com/photos/54a_south_dock/11895703733/in/photolist-dyLHJM-4TVLL4-pLRNMP-aB6wu9-pJBzTw-8hpGvz-dvoRN4-pxYhTA-duKTBJ-8JKsiX-7pMmku-qGtQuj-dp1Hhe-j8bAhe-a2nVMS-oWKgTy-oWbiZE-dhe7vu-bCMgSU-b86UL8-eYk5rA-e7yLut-aBUA7w-dRnhJF-p312s6-bRA1FK-dLWLFu-bh58JT-d2Nqu9-aFeVQg-atZQRr-jdv7Yu-9fuT6R-nJ4CYU-cEuLco-adFmHq-7RVsU6-9ZS34x-cEuL9S-fFbk8w-nwrZ1Y-bSQbBV-pjdjeZ-joJfdz-moXJJa-dwZEfz-ffvaqS-pr3BJy-7RVpZR-hAi6ZWwhich are almost overhead, to this https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6745438099/in/photolist-bh58JT-d2Nqu9-aFeVQg-atZQRr-jdv7Yu-9fuT6R-nJ4CYU-cEuLco-adFmHq-7RVsU6-9ZS34x-cEuL9S-fFbk8w-nwrZ1Y-bSQbBV-pjdjeZ-joJfdz-moXJJa-dwZEfz-ffvaqS-pr3BJy-7RVpZR-hAi6ZW-pt5jKd-8bW6oi-9dWAWb-7o2CdL-7o2ANd-q1nDW3-9bKu7R-dwb7Vy-dwb835-myaWhT-a6GfWo-9bKuNT-byJSLC-8NJxNr-dBC9sy-eddwEx-dw5yRR-dXVdyx-f8UjZj-dwb7SY-byJSkU-edJ46k-9dWBe9-cffPeb-ccFHgA-8eWDpg-dw5yPM which is more side on. And if that was not enough variation, it would appear that one of the relief lines was chaired bullhead track until about 1975 as seen here https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6224042027/in/photolist-atZQRr-jdv7Yu-9fuT6R-nJ4CYU-cEuLco-adFmHq-7RVsU6-9ZS34x-cEuL9S-fFbk8w-nwrZ1Y-bSQbBV-pjdjeZ-joJfdz-moXJJa-dwZEfz-ffvaqS-pr3BJy-7RVpZR-hAi6ZW-pt5jKd-8bW6oi-9dWAWb-7o2CdL-7o2ANd-q1nDW3-9bKu7R-dwb7Vy-dwb835-myaWhT-a6GfWo-9bKuNT-byJSLC-8NJxNr-dBC9sy-eddwEx-dw5yRR-dXVdyx-f8UjZj-dwb7SY-byJSkU-edJ46k-9dWBe9-cffPeb-ccFHgA-8eWDpg-dw5yPM-dw89ot-bMDwLc-8eWEra

And here is 59005 in November 1989, also at Westbury. (This photo captures the little known and very short lived addition of two 'street lamps' to the cab roof at one end of the locomotive )

The original livery was mainly silver with broad blue bands top and bottom. Here is 59001 also at Westbury on 19/6/86 At this stage there were only 4 of the class, 59005 appeared a couple of years later.

Sounds like a good idea. Here are a couple from 1986, as I did not visit Westbury in 1985. 59003 heads west from the station with some rather new looking hoppers; 16th Sep 86 And a little further away from the station 59003 is about to meet 59002 with the more traditional Yeoman stone wagons of the time.

I suspect that the 25s were far less likely to catch fire on the 2010 service and after the fire brigade had departed, the offending loco shunted into a siding/loop at Dawlish Warren leaving the other loco to continue the journey on its own?

C916 the 47 is most likely to be D1569 in that early BR style. It could possibly be D1589 but that was a WR loco; and as D1569 was based at Immingham at the time of your photo, I think it is a pretty fair bet.

That evening stopping service from Exeter to Newton Abbot was also running in 1968 and 1969, at least in August when I was holidaying down there. And it was quite usual to see a pair of 22s on it.

Search no more - https://www.flickr.com/photos/21611052@N02/3650548331/in/photolist-dWcX9b-r7gJDj-8bEuVZ-7gwuKS-48gJL3-2krSB2-89EyEH-qc6YmL-9NPU8-qjW7Vw-6wWsEo-6yA1Qt-GDnKA-8iCHiN-bAvWNB-bmPwDG

C2029 - a Cravens MBS with a MetCamm DTC. A nice combo for running on a layout.

Although DaveF does have one at Taunton in Aug 1966 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/5572039804/in/photolist-7wSwUc-r2eoT3-gkvN4L-rh9LRN-c6tWzj-39oY6c-hXBtsG-9uoaiN-cCLZoU-pcbAui-g9T2MF-4ZVZ3A-nXeGeb-qxuPH5-4zhTbR-zCD68-zANak-9XTCuY-6ybPvZ-7SVK1G Note the headcode, and the first coach of the train.

Here is another one on Didcot shed - https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/5655112498/in/photolist-4B91tX-oiaQwN-pCq9TZ-rjoym3-opmZpE-pCbGDi-b3ePAa-9BHVVC-7UaVL9-axf5af-axcnGz-axcnpa-dczkgb-4F2mEm-4ZRKH8-qxuPLb-ocG38G-zCCZi-zANa1 And a lovely photo of D6332 at Wiveliscombe - https://www.flickr.com/photos/110691393@N07/12203387945/in/photolist-dZaHNi-aAKSiY-dF8R57-rjrNC6-axcoxH-jAoMQ8-jAny5r-pCbGDi-dJarau-hXBtsG-qmcSeL-axf6cQ-fzXZfH-4ZRKPK-ocGeL1-rbaYx8-4zhTfv-kCpY67-kCpWNN/

Here is one at Didcot - https://www.flickr.com/photos/126672348@N06/15504182545/in/photolist-bPjKWi-axco7p-r18mVv-dF3rwF-9DtDzW-pC3Zja-4ZVZHh-oeJuNZ-4zn85J-aMm9gt-cv1G9U-9yCbMf-9yzbu2

Wonderful. Just imagine living in the house by the crossing with those locos passing slowly by only feet from the garden fence.

Thanks Gareth, More excellent photos.

Hello David. What an emotional story of agony then ecstasy. I cannot even begin to imagine the lows that you have been through, but the 'all clear' must make that all worth while 100 times over. I often think about it but have no real idea how I would react mentally in the long term if the doc said "sorry Jonny, it's cancer". Therefore, I have the utmost admiration for those, and their families, who have been through it. Congratulations on coming out the other side feeling like a spring chicken again. Yes, we do have a wonderful NHS and although a few mistakes get hyped up from time to time, the millions of satisfied patients after successful treatments are the things we as a nation ought to be concentrating on. Thanks for your post. You have made me think far more seriously about what I ought to be doing from a good health standpoint. Best wishes for a long and healthy future, and the many decades of modelling ahead.

Langley fire was on Oct 5th 1973. I remember it well because Friday was the day I used to do a day release course at Slough College.

Don't give up hope just yet. I know that a week seems a long time, but you may not be aware of just how much regular food has been put out in other gardens over a period of many years, which the birds are used to. Birds appear to be creatures of habit, and they seem naturally suspicious of anything new - even if it is full of food. I bought a new circular shaped fat ball feeder which held about 12 fat balls as against my old vertical one's 4. The birds virtually ignored it for about 10 days, even though they had been feeding from the old one at very regular intervals, and there are other well used seed and nut feeders nearby in the garden.

Seconded. Thanks very much Gareth. I never knew that so many photos of class 14s in BR days existed.

I remember going to Shirebrook on a weekend in the 1970s and there were 12 shunters on the depot. I left wondering where they all worked. From there I drove to Worksop and saw another 8. I think there was a big surplus of shunters in those days, as reductions in yards/sorting sidings meant duties were curtailed.

I think you must be right Clive, and with so few coaches it can only be a local train. I don't have the relevant NE WTT.

7E16 was the 1315 Tees Yard to Whitemoor. 7D01 is a very strange headcode for a down service at Pilmoor, because most D services terminated at Doncaster, or in the Doncaster division. In fact the WTT lists an 8D01 which was the 0740 Scunthorpe to Doncaster Bank yard. 1A41 was the 1705 Newcastle to Kings Cross 1B84 is another mystery, because a B headcode was a service within or to the Kings Cross division, but there was a 1E84 which was the 1250 York to Doncaster stopper. 1N28 I can't find, but 1N27 was the 1820 SuO Kings Cross to Leeds, and 1N25 was the 1853 Kings Cross to Leeds, Bradford and Halifax.

Of course, after writing that I just had to discover a photo with over twice as many in the same shot - https://www.flickr.com/photos/19512875@N00/15542917997/in/photostream/

It is a bit of a minefield. Here is one of the early East Coast formations which I always took to be standard, but maybe I am jumping to conclusions. (Ooops, best to include the photo)