Rivercider

It had a rebuilt end following collision damage in 1980, see post 212, cheers

More Met-Cam sets between Bristol and Taunton Set B806 (50319, 59123, 50335) at Weston-super-Mare had recently been transferred from Tyseley, 31/12/79 Set B820 rejoins the main line at Uphill Junction on the 10.27 Bristol Temple Meads - Taunton, 7/5/80. Set B822 runs into Bridgwater on the 08.30 Taunton - Bristol Temple Meads service, 12/9/80 cheers

At Morganstown north of Radyr. Class 116 set C307 passes under the M4 on a service from Cardiff heading up the valleys, (this photo was taken from a public foot crossing) 11/8/82 (edit for date) cheers

Here are a couple of shots from 1980. Taken at Nuneaton, not the best as I was beaten for pace! 86218 is heading for Euston at Nuneaton, 23/7/80 86243 is also Euston bound at 1843 on a Wednesday afternoon, 23/7/80 cheers

Three blue views from one of my rare visits to Bescot. 85009 brings a southbound Freightliner working through Bescot, 26/3/82 A short air braked freight service approaches Bescot behind 86037, 26/3/82 87021 Robert the Bruce at Bescot with a Speedlink service 26/3/82 cheers

A class 81/85 combo at Warrington 81021 and 85039 at Warrington Bank Quay with a northbound train of SUKO tanks, 23/3/82 cheers

Hi Jonny, you are correct, I have a filing error in my notes. The shot of W55033 at Severn Beach was taken 11/2/80, and some time between then and 18/6/80 the collision at Severn Beach occurred. I have amended my earlier post and added a shot of 55033 when stopped at Marsh Junction cheers

Bristol normally had two class 121 single power cars allocated in the 1970s and early 1980s. Their regular use was on the Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach service. 55032 and 55033 were the regular units and had set numbers B132 and B133 respectively. Both of these photos have appeared on earlier threads. In January 1982 there was unusually heavy snowfall in the Bristol area which affected the train service and may explain the presence of a single power car at Weston-super-Mare. 55032 (set B132) departs Weston for Bristol, 11/1/82 In 1980 55033 was in collision with the stop blocks at Severn Beach and was stored out of service for a time before being returned to traffic. 55033 (set B133) is seen at Severn Beach waiting to return to Bristol Temple Meads. Although there are stop blocks behind the set at one time this was a through route which rejoined the South Wales Main LIne via Pilning Low Level station, 11/2/80 (date amended) edit - here it is stopped at Marsh Junction 55033 (B133) at Marsh Junction 18/6/80 cheers

Two more of my instamatic photos from the 1970s First a 6 car formation at Castle Cary A 3 car class 119 set trails a 6 car formation past the wartime built signal box at Castle Cary on the 08.08 Bristol Temple Meads - Weymouth service 27/9/79 A view of the DMU stabling sidings at Bedford Class 127 DMUs are stabled at Bedford on a Sunday, 51642, 51621, 5???? and 51650, 7/10/79 cheers

I do not remember seeing these units often, but from my 1982 spotting book I see I had recorded all the survivors bar one. I pictured a 2 car set on the Helsby - Rock Ferry working in March 1982, here is another view 50399 and 56159 call at Ellesmere Port on a Rock Ferry - Helsby working, 23/3/82 cheers

My earliest photo of a class 87 was taken on an instamatic camera in 1975 but does show something of a contrast of motive power. At Allerton 87031 is stabled next to a withdrawn class 02 loco still in green livery, no. 02004, 22/6/75 cheers

Here are some more DMU photos from Weston showing some of the different classes that worked there. Class 101 I think this was one of the later class 101 sets transferred to Bristol, W51462 is on the rear of a Bristol to Taunton service, 31/12/79 Class 118, probably the sets I most often rode on when commuting to Bristol, One of the Bristol class 118 suburban sets B472 arrives at Weston on what my notes say was the 10.22 service from Bristol Temple Meads, though the tail lights already seem to have been changed, 5/4/80 Class 119 Cardiff allocated cross-country class 119 set C593 (51085, 59431, 51072) arrives at Weston on the 15.03 Bristol Temple Meads to Taunton service. The dogfish hoppers seen behind the DMU in the up sidings in this picture and the previous one were an unusual occurence by this date, and were either for weekend engineering work or crippled wagons waiting repair, 12/1/80 cheers

Some views of DMUs in Bristol. First at Temple Meads Station. A pair of 3-car class 117 DMUs stand at Bristol Temple Meads. In the distance at platform 11 the set is probably for Weyouth. Nearest the camera in platform 12 is set B437 (51338, 59504, 51380) which was probably forming the 14.05 departure for Taunton my train home after working on early turn, 15/6/82 Despite the Bristol area DMUs being allocated to Bath Road depot on paper in practice they were fuelled and serviced at Marsh Junction. It was not until the mid 1980s when the Bath Road Daily Shed was rebuilt and extended that DMUs were fuelled and serviced there. When I first started to take a serious interest in trains in the Bristol area there were no class 101 Met-Cam sets allocated to the Western Region, but then four or five 3-car sets were transferred to Bristol, and later others followed. Here sets B805 and B801 are stabled at Marsh Junction, 18/6/80 Cardiff allocated class 120 set 555 stands at the refuelling point at Bristol Marsh Junction, in the right background is stored single power car 55033 (B133) following collision damage, 18/6/80 cheers

Possibly posted before on another thread, but here is a photo from the first day of service at the newly opened Worle Station on 24th September 1990. I was working late turn in Bristol and decided to drive from Weston to Worle specifically to catch the train there. There had been an opening ceremony earlier in the morning, but by this time normal service had commenced. Bristol set B961 formed, I think, of 53608 and 54208 was one of a number of class 108 units drafted into Bristol to replace the other various classes that had been either withdrawn or transferred away, it is working a Taunton to Bristol service. The class 108 sets worked alongside the newly introduced class 150/155/158 sets but mostly on local services from Bristol to Taunton, Severn Beach, Westbury, Frome etc. until replaced by class 143 units, cheers

Well done! Another RMweb post that had me chuckling to myself, cheers

I also got offered a cab ride after I had ridden a DMU up the valley from Cardiff, and was taking photos while the driver changed ends. I think it was this day at Rhymney, as the driver told me I had better go back into the passenger accomodation just before we reached Bargoed in case the signalling inspector was out doing his rounds. I have good memories of my visits to South Wales back then, and of the friendliness of the staff and locals, Cardiff class 116 set C302 at Rhymney while the traincrew change ends, there are more staff than passengers here, 14/4/81 cheers

Here are two views at Helsby. First two 2 car class 101 Met-Cam sets, the rear set in refurbished livery Class 101 Met-Cam DMUs 51184, 56342, and 51182, 56341 at Helsby 23/3/82 Then a 2 car class 103 set 56159 and 50399 wait at Helsby to form the 13.58 to Rock Ferry 23/3/82 cheers

Here is the Stalybridge service at Stockport in 1982, this time formed by a 2 car class 108 set On a damp day 51930 and 52045 wait in the bay at Stockport, 21/6/82 edit - and 87023 lurks in the background cheers

Two views of the West Somerset Railway on an enjoyable day down to the Exmoor Rail exhibition, Waiting time at Williton 6/8/2016 Right-away at Stogumber 6/8/2016 cheers

Here is a view at Norwich with part of the class 105 allocation at home On view at the depot are class 105 cars 51294, 51493 and 51272, 6/7/81 cheers

As a kid in the 1960s I spent many hours travelling around the rail network in the West Country, after brief memories of steam most of our family holiday trips and days out were in Laira allocated DMUs. It was not until the late 1970s that I started to take photos. Just how I remember them - a Laira class 118 set P461 at Exeter Central on its way to Exmouth, 24/7/80 cheers

I reckon it is 55009, as seen here at Truro https://www.flickr.com/photos/dmc1947/5994430821/in/photolist-a8H2rx-oo2CAf-doxQFt-rQF3Be-doxNtR-dnfszc-dnfDdW-iKaCiq-du2zt7-s9WZ3e-ekxPAA-dLXTNm-rSxUwF-7gLbRH-oL7yjq-rSxPQg-p3kmgt-aMSRLr-doxGC9-ruDeEV-doxJXQ-dmkFFQ-cGDzSd-acSwWA-doxL7U-dnfsJm-dnfvh4-dnfusQ-dnfzRC-dnfxW8-dnfunx-aokm6f-btLKZy-doxMpz-dnftpv-doxwAY-dnfwca-dnfCpJ-doxqY6-dnfyJX-dnfqX3-doxmzK-dnfE21-doxsc3-doxku6-doxueH-doxzSQ-dnfETC-doxr8G-doxvpV (no actual prize required!) cheers

The beach lawns at Weston hosts various events including vintage car rallys. I have no idea of the make of these bikes, does the nearest one even count as a motorcycle? Weston sea front 5/4/2015 cheers

On the Tyseley theme I took a couple of instamatic photos in the 1970s. It is not an area I know well, but my notes say that the depot/sidings had recently been extended to cater for the 'additional units required to work the enhanced Fiveways Litchfield/Redditch service' Tyseley sidings 26/2/78 cheers

I am hoping to get to Barnstaple again tomorrow afternoon, if I do I will certainly say hello as Portchullin was, for me, the star of the show when I saw it at Trainwest in 2014, cheers