Pannier Tank

My order of Pannier Papers Part 6 & 7 arrived in the post yesterday, some very nice photographs and useful information.

The Comet kit has been available for at least 6 years and the 247 version a little longer.

You mean the one in my cupboard ! !

The Leisure Centre has been re-developed although the town centre is a shadow of what it used to be! The old Co-op store is still empty and very few shops to attract much custom. So not a lot of re-development!!

Nor Bletchley

I wouldn't have thought an engine swap took place at Bletchley, more like the 47 was substituting for a 25 and worked throughout.

The units used to arrive at Bletchley at around 19:00 hours for servicing, never saw the return working, now I know why (04:30!!).

WR repaired coaching stock was bought up from Wolverton Works to Bletchley and then marshalled in the 14:00 ? (There was a 14:00 Bletchley to Buckingham Passenger so the actual departure time may have been a little before or after 14:00) Bletchley to Oxford Parcels which was hauled by a Bletchley Black 5 or Std 5.

The Great White Elephant was the Bletchley Flyover, maybe it's time will eventually come.

It was busy enough to have it's own Diesel Shunter (either 12073 / 12074) and open at least 6am to 10pm, I can't remember if there was a night shift.

They still cast at Sandiacre.

It does look black but if you look at the Boxes on the running plate you can see a hint of blue.

08 249, that's how I remember them!

Sold to NCB, so obviously a bit of life left in her!

12063 was withdrawn Dec 1971.

08 616, wan't that the last Class 08 overhauled at Swindon Works (ZL) ?

That's the plan apparently. The Platform (s) would be level with the current bridge so shouldn't be too bad to link to the other platforms.

No the Flyover was commissioned circa 1961/2 and the carriage shed closed circa 1964/5.

Roughly at that point there used to be a Signal Box called "Fletton Sidings" which controlled the junction to the Flyover and Bletchley Station Line. Also in the early sixties it controlled the exit from the Fletton Brickyards and also the exit from the "Chord Line" which was a link from the down fast to the Oxford Branch. This chord was used on daily basis for a short brick train that ran from Bletchley Yard to Lambs Siding (Lambs Brickworks) it then used to shunt before making it's way via the Chord Line to Newton Longville (London Brickworks) and then onto Swanbourne Sidings a couple of miles to the west. Incidentally the London Brickwork Sidings were located between Selbourne Avenue and the current end of line at the Newton Road Bridge.

and also Woburn Sands & Newport Pagnell!

The Oxford Branch is now truncated at that point; I don't think the recent track renewals is on the same alignment as the original track. When they start on reinstating the Oxford Branch I would think it will be double track, so it will all need relaying / realigning again.

It'll be interesting to see the results of this weeks Engineering Works at Bletchley Station. Bletchley Power Box is supposedly shutting this week, I remember I paid a visit or two when it was first commissioned in 1965. Hopefully the Oxford Branch will re-open as double track with a new station at Winslow.