HillsideDepot

The line between Swindon and Bathampton is closed this weekend, I believe in connection with re-signalling works. I'm not sure what work is being done, but the gantry protecting Thingley East Junction in the Down direction (SN72 and SN672) has now gone and is replaced by a pair of line side signals. The Down appears to have a banner repeater now (visible side on from the A4 Bath Road). The Up gantry (SN27 & SN627) at Thingley East Junction was still in position mid afternoon today, with no sign of activity. I'm not sure when the Down gantry went as its a few weeks since I've been that way. I remember those two gantries going in, with their 45 degree feathers pointing towards each other, ready for the bi-directional running (although the signal for running Down the Up was covered for many years). In some ways that style of WR gantry is as typical as the classic WR lower quadrant, and now its gone, replaced by something that could have come out of a Lego set. I plan to have a look east of Chippenham tomorrow to see if anything has changed there.

The new footbridge at Chippenham was opened this afternoon, a combination of electrification works and access for all improvements. The news paper article includes a time lapse video of the project. I know its progress, but the old bridge has a special place in my life as I spent (far too) many hours watching the trains there in the 70s and 80s. http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/towns/chippenhamheadlines/14224687.VIDEO__New_rail_bridge_opens_but_passengers_suffer_electrification_delays/

I too thought that the distant shots of the railway were interesting, showing very little visual intrusion from that location. Arguably a silver painted Voyager, or a string of brightly painted containers trundling to or from Southampton would show up more, albeit as transitory features. Just as well GWR are switching to green for their livery. The shots of the railway portals next to some, none to pretty, domestic electricity and telephone poles seemed an odd choice too, given the context of the video. The overall appearance isn't great, particularly from certain angles, but is Goring Gap any more special than the Vale of the White Horse, or the Dauntsey Vale? Some have said that we shouldn't just accept these sorts of things, but a planning application has just gone in to build a housing estate on green fields across the road from here, green fields which I enjoy walking through. I'm not keen on the idea, but 25 years ago a developer built this very house as part of an estate on a green field. I feel I'm on weak ground to object, really; why should I sit smugly in my house, but deny others? What would Goring be without its fast regular commuter railway service? I wonder how a proposal to convert the railway to coal fired trains, belching black smoke, hauling unfitted wagons clanking and banging would go down? Anyway, back to the Project, the temporary road, on the Down side of the Foster Yeoman terminal at Wootton Bassett, is progressing well, but the new public footbridge has hit a snag at Chippenham. The work is complete, but the bridge is too long (happily accommodating the sidings if they ever wish to relay the Up yard). As such it compromises the entrance/exit of the Up side car park, and they are unable to provide a safe "pavement" to and from it. So it remains closed, with pedestrians having to walk along the same supposedly unsafe route, but then continue all the way through the car park to the station footbridge. Yes, there is a problem with the design of the new bridge, but keeping it closed actually increases the risk to pedestrians. I believe that the signalling from Rushey Platt to Thingley transfers from Swindon to Thames Valley this weekend, or at the least they are doing preparatory works to enable that switch. Overall electric trains still seem a very long way off down here in Wiltshire.

Will it be finished by then? The electrification, not the book!

And so a new year begins, not that time seems to move on at Mortimore’s Yard. I have been slowly working on the brake van fleet, as mentioned in the last post, and now have a few repaints nearly done. I’ve noticed that quite a few bauxite liveried vans had grey ends, so I’ve done one like that. This seems bit of an odd mix, I can only assume that they were repainted in the later standard bauxite, but the grey ends helped identify them as un-piped (but that’s only my guess, based on Paul Bartlett’s photo). I’ve also done an Air-Piped version with the yellow panels, which is unlikely to have found its way to Mortimore’s Yard in the ‘70s, but it’s good to have a variety. The ex-MR van also has had a partial coat of bauxite. Project brake van continues But I got distracted. While searching out some of the brake van photos I’d saved off the web as inspirations I came across a few older signs and logos which I’d previously saved and I spent an afternoon working on these. Something which has long been missing from outside the baker’s shop has been a litter bin, the sort of thing shop keepers used to look after, but which were provided various firms to advertise their wares. One which I remember is R White’s Lemonade, which had a three-sided design on short legs. A suitable image was found on the web, and edited in Photoshop before being pasted and resized in Word. Of course one thing leads to another, and an A-board for an ice cream company soon appeared too. I’ve only printed out some samples so far and simply folded up the paper, but I think I’m heading in the right direction. There are a few more items on the sheet of signs which I’ll work on in the coming weeks and which should appear in time. With the temptation of a Lyon’s Maid just across the road, we must remember to “Follow the Green Cross Code!”

It was more the other way round, the Pennine 47s were replaced by 158 DMUs so, with less work, the depot closed - although it fuelled and serviced parcels sector locos after the Pennines had finished. As SGL said the loco's were allocated to Crewe, so only visited Gateshead for fuel and minor servicing.

Having thought, over on my Mortimore's Yard thread, about goods brake vans to end 2015, it is perhaps appropriate to welcome 2016 with an arrival at Westonmouth Central. So, Happy New Year (1972, that is)!

Thanks. Now that First have a bus in Badgerline livery (after years of denying "our" existence) I suppose anything is possible.

As it's a month since the last update I thought I ought to post something by way of a year end message. Not much has happened at Mortimore's Yard for a while, although following the move layout of the layout to allow the extension to fit I decided to move the supporting trestles slightly too (they are spaced to allow either Mortimore's Yard, or Westonmouth Central to be supported) better suit the longer layout. But that's no easy task as the area under the layout is filled with my EFE bus collection, so I had a project lasting several evenings to remove, sort and restack the fleet. Of course it's never that simple as I also decided to change the vehicles on display downstairs at the same time. Still, it all looks a lot tidier now and I even have a rough idea where to start looking for a VRT or a Volvo B10BLE. I then made a small bus diorama for a local bus operator as a "thank you" for storing a couple of Dennis Dart buses that I am part owner of. As well as storing the buses between purchase from First and finding a barn as their long term home, he has also allowed us to strip a withdrawn example from his fleet for spares and was quite happy for his fitter to do some work on our buses in company time. Here's a quick snap of the diorama as it neared completion. The relevance is that the company is the current operator of the route shown here on the Bristol LD. The proprietor was delighted with the model, the other office staff were more interested in the tin of Quality Street! So, as a year ends, what is more appropriate than to look at brake vans? For some time I've had just enough vans to get by (OK, plenty really, but just like locos, how many is "enough"?) but a couple of recent Bachmann releases have helped as have several ex-trainset London Transport livery versions bought cheaply from Cheltenham Model Centre a while back. A few hours have been spent going through Paul Bartlett's wonderful site to find likely examples to reproduce (or be inspired by, at least) plus a reread of the HMRS book on the subject to refresh my memory on livery application. I think I've now decided what I'm doing and hopefully getting a prototypical selection. One van which interested me on Paul's site is B951383 which is branded "To work between EER Calvert and Lawrence Hill" and recorded at Hitchen in January 1977. Given it's location presumably it's branded use had ceased, but I wonder what it was used for? I know of the 6V73/6M71 Calvert - Cardiff London Brick Company Train, which detached a portion for Lawrence Hill, so was it part of this? I know the wagons were delivered to Lawrence Hill by a Trip from East Depot, but collected by the main train. Was the van used for the propelling movement out of Lawrence Hill? Or am I way off the scent? As I have "borrowed" the brick train for Mortimore's Yard it's a little detail which pricked my curiosity. On the left of the photo are an SR Pillbox and a MR van with duckets. The later will become DM298174 which Rivercider photographed at Tavi Junction in 1980 (a bit late for M Yd, I'll have to do it in a less weathered state). So, as the Guard leans on the veranda and the van swings out onto the mainline may I bid you all a Happy New Year, and thank you for all likes and comments in 2015.

As a comparison... Great Western Railway enabling Parliamentary Act passed 31st August 1835 Line opened throughout Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads 30th June 1841 (trains actually ran as far as Bridgwater via the B&E)

I've surprised myself as the relevant Working Time Table is in my collection (a bit early and north of my main WTT interest) and 1B56 is the 1635 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa, none other than the Cheltenham Spa Express. It was due in Gloucester at 1859 departing at 1903.

Thanks Pete, I'm pleased you like it. Thanks John. As a follower of your Hintock layout that's praise indeed.

Interesting idea, but I wonder about the architect's abilities - most seem to have designed the bus station bays the wrong way round! OK, probably easy enough to reverse the flow in the designs, but if something that basic is wrong I wonder about other aspects which are outside my area of knowledge.

HSDT also ran for a while with a Mk1 catering vehicle (in the blue band livery and running on BT10s) before the Mk3 versions were available. I'll happily settle for 7 Mk3s, Western Region style, though.

The majority of passenger trains using the bay platforms at Westonmouth Central are DMUs, but in the rush hours some loco hauled trains are scheduled. One such working arrived at platform 9 behind a class 25 which now rests on the blocks as the stock is drawn out by the Station Pilot. This is the Shunter's view from the rear drop light of the empty stock as he waits to direct the propelling move back into one of the middle roads.

That's a shame. I haven't been up there since the footbridge has been finished, but when they were assembling it poor old Mortimore's building already looked over shadowed and insignificant. Still, that's one of the reasons I build models, to recapture the past. Maybe not exactly as it was, but the research takes me part way there, then I decide whether the reality fits the model I want or whether I'll "adjust" things to suit - and of course, when the research is often just one's memories that can be selective (faulty/incomplete) to begin with!

Thanks Andy. There are a few more photos to share, and then I'll set the layout up again and take some more. Thanks Rob, something to think about, and an offer I might take up once we see what Locomotion are offering.

I take "The final make up of the HSDT train pack has as yet not been finalised" in the original announcement to mean that there will be Mk3s, but they haven't yet decided how many will be in the train pack. But others are reading it differently.

Many of us will have visited Barnetby to watch the endless procession of freight trains controlled by the wonderful array of semaphore signals, signals which are now in their final weeks of operation. Fortunately Locomaster Profiles sent their cameras to the area and have now released a superb DVD which takes us to all the boxes in the area and will preserve these scenes for years to come. The DVD starts with an explanation of the Absolute Block system before visiting each box in turn. In some locations narrator David Maxey explains the working, but at others the signaller themselves explain their box. I appreciate that not every signaller would want to do a piece to camera, but the professional's explanation certainly adds to the programme. At each location we see a selection of trains being signalled with shots inside and outside the box as well as a few from the lineside. I found it a fascinating 110 minutes, and this is a DVD which will need viewing several times before everything sinks in, such is the variety and detail. But that's no bad thing, indeed it's a compliment. One minor point which grated with me was that David Maxey quoted each train reporting number using the letter rather than using the correct phonetic alphabet. But don't let that detract from the programme, there is a lot here to enjoy and absorb. I purchase my copy from the Locomaster web-site http://www.locomaster.co.uk/farewell_to_arms.htm and it arrived within a couple of days.

Whilst the world and his wife (or so it seems) is at Warley, here are a few shots from the 1970s. A class 50 stables buffer to buffer with a Peak, the throb of the English Electric engine contrasting with the thrum of the Sulzer unit. Less exotic fair, a humble plain blue DMU departs. Finally a question: how on earth will I fit the newly announced Rapido/Locomotion HSDT into a layout that is only 4 foot long? I rode on 252001, so it's always been a bit special to me, and having only just resisted APT-E I think this one will prove too much!

Another significant step was taken over the weekend just passed with Thames Valley Signalling Centre taking over control of the GWML as far as Swindon (actually down as far as Rushy Platt, I believe) from Swindon Panel. I assume all went according to plan, as a glance at the Real-Time Trains website a moment ago showed trains running within a few minutes of right time.

That matches what we say in Wiltshire. We had a visit a couple of years ago from a NR person to go through all the road closures required for bridge rebuilding, and while it was primarily the Highway Engineers at the meeting I was there representing the Passenger Transport Team. It was embarrassing that when a bridge was shown and the Highways people asked where exactly NR was talking about I knew far more of the structures having rested a camera on them than the NR guy did. And this wasn't a "PR" meeting, this was a meeting, supposedly, of competent people to start the process of securing the road closures and understanding each others needs. Suffice to say the first bridge they closed over-ran it's allotted time, and by chance the Councillor for the area was also the portfolio holder for transport! After a second over run on an adjacent bridge, but with several more road closures having been granted Wiltshire had enough and refused to grant any further closures until a thorough review of each project had been undertaken. We are still awaiting the rebuilding of several bridges at Royal Wootton Bassett, and NR originally had no proposal for alleviating the problems resulting from the huge diversion that would have been needed. That would be bad enough for locals, but RAF Lyneham is being rebuilt into an MOD training college and due to the poor road network in the area the planning permission for that work stipulates that all lorries must use the road over the railway at Royal Wootton Bassett. Once NR realised Wiltshire wouldn't grant the closure, as the MOD would have things to say they have now come up with a temporary road along side the Foster Yeoman stone terminal. But that certainly wasn't in the original plan. It might be wrong to blame those doing the planning if they simply haven't got the experience, but these few examples are no doubt repeated all along the line.

"Is that my train in the distance?" A class 47 stables with a class 46 beyond, waiting to work their respective trains forward.

Didcot West end, with Foxhall Junction behind. The new works are in connection with the start of imported coal trains from Avonmouth to Didcot Power Station.

Mixed fortunes this season, but the Area Manager is hoping he might be asked to provide some FootEx's later in the season if things get exciting.