Rivercider

Another HST, this time passing Totnes on the Down Main Set 253040 heads west through Totnes at 10.40, I did not record the service, but this may be 1B22 07.25 Paddington - Plymouth which was non-stop at Totnes, 3/7/82 cheers

I think the application of wasp stripes to brake vans was mostly to some of the few brake vans that survived later specifically for propelling purposes. In the Bristol area in the 1970s and 1980s we had a few regular propelling moves that involved a brake van, one main line from Avonmouth to Hallen Marsh, and another down the Avonside branch. There was no specific brake van allocated I think any suitable piped van fitted with a gauge and valve could be used. Later I think one was regularly used between Taunton Fairwater and the Taunton Cider plant at Norton Fitzwarren. As regards a use for your van, there were one or two Speedlink services that were booked to convey certain types of dangerous goods that regularly ran with an air piped brake van on the rear. EDIT - specifically on some flows of chemicals in tanks from/to the continent via Harwich or Dover. like this https://www.flickr.com/photos/johndedman/11292975313/in/photolist-pqBLfB-AT54UU-CmcYHv-dYwfZH-atQsLt-duCk9a-kq4Tc2-mhwo5u-q374Re-oQSfKx-e6W772-qmwe9z-x2hjS3-icVs7V-duHU9d-bYHYs3-cyiDLd (ref the cartics with police attendance, was that in the Barking area for car trains from Dagenham?) cheers

Here is a set of Tilbury PGAs arriving at Westbury from the London direction in 1982, https://www.flickr.com/photos/lickeybanker/14570020962/in/photolist-ocvaBY-re4ESj-8tWXTH-oup5Wj-ySzVYh-queXY3-hSA2D-pGar1-d4d24y-bkUmLd-npGEjb-reQFmj-esr8QJ-esr957-erc4Za-91S8YQ-91P21V-ghJeys-oup66N-64ALJA cheers

You are right, there is plenty of knowledge on here. I searched for '1970s ballast train' and found this thread, which would be a good start http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82384-p-way-engineers-trains-1975ish-to-1980/ cheers

I am not sure anyone has completely predicted all the possible effects that building a barrage might have, no doubt there will be some downsides. But if we are likely to see increased weather events and/or possible sea level rises in the future then it would also have a positive impact on flood prevention from the sea, cheers

Hi Adrian, good work with the pilots there. To continue the Taunton theme I think this photo shows 08483 also shunting at Taunton, probably early 1980s, https://www.flickr.com/photos/127699427@N02/16932420249/in/photolist-rNg5Ca-xNCTVA-sdyhGJ-sDzARi-aobYSE-cK8Q4A-qoJQcb-agP3zi-kwHRij-7YVNRs-BAJsay-9WTdGV-787i8z-gMM6R-oca5T5-8Nj5kF-bzBadG-wNhtfW-5L9wJZ-xxSxB-91Fds6-9QZmWx-8rXehy-boSCTr-qQDeas-pTxfPP-df3GQp-qQu9LY-bVzzHf-rvmXjo-bV3U5S-auSr2M-auS91X-4oLB9x-auS8GZ-ipynES-auS9EV-4sm4Ba-aAUUNT-auUQsL-bVzzCQ-eQwc98-rtLx4m (In 1975 Taunton still had three class 08 duties on weekdays including the Bridgwater tripper) cheers

Here in 1990 are a pair behind a class 47 at Beaulieu Road https://www.flickr.com/photos/johndedman/15782420847/in/photolist-e3xxgp-e3zja8-aL13Dr-y66c3i-qyw7mr-qkPM66-um7DQY-e2hxce-e3Ed7d-q3D2Sg-xrmfDG-dVzA5r-e4BojZ-diKukd-c1MGGf-c1MG6Y-uoNi7t-cchLoN-dqA3ry-aRZe5g-djkmVR-hogGzv-A7mtnK-q4Txng-pBekoJ-qi6hZi-fN2PB4-j4Ecea-pfUZU8-oQSfKx-aTnDHx-qyedv6-qpGQD4-eikJ9r-cWhiF1-hvkker-dVgfxL-eFUYYP-rcSMw3-iVbCHw-jJX4kB-hs7Wui-gvdCbU-ekheQy-Ajy9su-ek92b8-ek922P-paD6ge-hs6K3V cheers

Passenger figures for most stations on the route have increased by double, in some cases more, over the last ten years except for Lapford, Portsmouth Arms and Chapelton which have more or less remained the same, cheers

Heathfield loaded one or two a day, and they were tripped from and to Exeter Riverside, where they connected with the Clayliner, which is probably the working Griffgriff saw. Here is the morning trip from Exeter Riverside to Heathfield, on this occasion the two empty clay tigers are attached to the front of a set of loaded tanks from Waterston to the Gulf Oil terminal at Heathfield, later that day a class 33 worked all the wagons back from Heathfield, 47097 passes Exeter St Davids en-route to Heathfield, 9/7/85. cheers

Welcome to RMweb, there are some nice touches there and I particularly like the low level shots of the clss 20s, cheers

I enjoyed looking at your photos. I have only made one trip (so far) along the line, an excursion in 1977 from Bristol the class 40 came off at Machynlleth, I think we were told it had flat batteries, and 25061 went forward to Portmadoc. Here is a faded photo of the return working 25061, which has received a recent repaint, waits at Portmadoc with the return 'Cambrian Coast Express' 7/8/77 cheers

Back into Devon then with another DMU on the same route, Long time Laira 2 car class 118 set P480 calls to reverse at Bere Alston while working the 14.15 Gunnislake to Plymouth service, the traincrew can been seen changing ends, 22/9/80 cheers

I don't remember the details of that incident before. Looking at the photos from Luxulyan the fleet of cars look like BR staff vehicles, cheers

Here is one of my instamatic photos from the 1970s. One of the Laira allocated class 118 sets P470 passes Exmouth Junction and is about to take the branch to Exmouth. Behind the DMU can be seen wagons for the Western Fuel CCD and also wagons awaiting repair in the Cariage and Wagon shops. 15/5/79. It was along the footpath that I took this photo from that my mother used to take me in the push chair back in the early 1960s, which is presumably where I developed an interest in trucks and shunting. cheers

I have used them plenty of times over the years. In the early 1960s we had no family car so trips to the seaside at Exmouth, Dawlish Warren or Paignton etc were made on these units. I well remember that everything seemed to rattle including windows and ashtrays, and it was great fun if you could get a seat behind the driver, cheers

So Chettisham it is, though in Jonny's photo the grain siding is (partially) disconnected as a crossing rail is missing. Cambridge was a RES maintenance depot for a while, so possibly the working is of random vans off repair rather than a postal service, cheers

Now I have a better example, how about this van at Ipswich in 1986 on its own little bit of track? https://www.flickr.com/photos/21611052@N02/3603371092/in/photolist-6uqdFN-iSkhTQ-aoxYaQ-gTfrtp-nd77GA-bzGfJ5-brgwo9-9PBwS1-fWBegt-c4PCpd-c4PCiC-bGHbWF-dRnmBX-xBUR3Q-edThvR-9cQTvB-BEfr4f-aakwpC-z4g6Uu-bUbGpV-bWDE1g-ctge7q-aakwwy-Ca9npP-z8nsMH-9HbUiU-9HbUfu-iSjApn-71jNXK-fCTKhG-ywDspe-iSigS6-av1KCU-rfMipb-6UtPjo-qrd6BK-fNHRNu-oseXo3-CjWZYJ-bUbvKA-bEissu-pJFUCx-pJFUCn-9H91vk-wgrqEC-dVx6gW-gL7kmH-9HbTXU-owaiZf-kgMpor cheers

Not in the South East, and not disconnected from the rest of the network, but at Pantyffynnon there was a shoc-van used to hold bags of loco sand. (The drivers of the 37s must have used tons of it when working trains of unfitted 21t minerals of coal down to Swansea Docks) https://www.flickr.com/photos/40011/6127763498/in/photolist-hcQ5oe-ohkNS5-rqGrCE-iRtAPj-bU4XYz-akuUEu-gVV4bm-nhGNJF-akuoAN edit - and I remember former colleagues at Westbury TOPS telling me that in the 1970s an old internal user (?) parcel van was parked next to the portacabin TOPS office in the yard to store computer paper and punch cards, a not very successful solution as the cards and paper were prone to damp. It was not on a disconnected siding though, but I think it may be seen in the distance of this shot, beside the 37 https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/12053757723/in/photolist-sF6s2m-9rhNxt-b3C7Sk-78q9MG-tHJh5a-BXt6TU-q4dCxe-q46zRf-8TnrLa-h7hMyy-ec9s44-dgdaS5-e2o6BB-g1SdiJ-cKXxSJ-3JuW7T-jtpnbZ-cKYebq-pd8Yyh-b5xg9D-jn9Ee2-ecGjcU-a3Tksi-azdKbz-cKY3Fs-4pu1b9-5FHecP-dqXuTH-dc1TZY-8Hi8gW-6AgMbY-bAMCwk-tFhrxs-pSVQwN-cKXQf3-kRDafB-6mpkgL-oDPi5x-cjhXMN-fDipGR-fDzZS7-ac9zCy-tHiHM3-wS8WjX-dyRdaz-dyWEcm-8tkQ2r-4py3BA-nNFBvm-5E7sLT cheers

They might not have gone far from you, we have had several visits of small groups of two or three here in Weston this year already. I had never knowingly ever seen one before about five years ago, but they now seem to appear each year here, cheers

Some first generation DMUs carried the incorrect destination of 'Weston-S-Mare' for Weston-super-Mare, cheers

Welcome to RMWeb Andy. I like your back story, and the track plan looks pretty good. I assume you have worked through all the likely moves that need to be made? Can you easily reach the parcels sidings? Regarding your planned locos and stock, since no-one else has offered any thoughts yet, I think newspaper trains did still run beyond 1986 with ECS to Red Bank. Loco wise, class 56s worked flyash trains to Llandudno Junction earlier in 1983, may they have worked MGR trains ex Point of Ayr colliery also? Class 37s worked on running in turns from Crewe Works around that time, though I don't know whether they worked freight traffic. The last use of class 03s in the area was at Birkenhead I think. And I think you couild definitely justify several DMUs, Chester had plenty. cheers

I may be able to stop paying my Trust fee of £4 a month if we win the cup! I did not go down to St James Park last night as I have a 05.00 start this morning. I thought that our (Exeter) young lads did well, four from our youth set up played all 90mins The strikers Nichols and Reid, and the defenders (Jordans) Tillson and Moore-Taylor were all only 21 or 22. I think you could tell it has rained a bit in the West Country recently, but as 'Tis' (Mr, Ted Baker) pointed out afterwards Exeter will also have a better pitch to play on at Anfield! cheers

I realise you are probably your own harshest critic, but I think the track and ballast looks pretty good in the pictures. You mentioned earlier about adding litter and weeds which I think will add to the illusion by taking away some of the apparent uniformity, cheers

Seeing this thread resurrected it has prompted me to look through my old Ian Allan books and notebooks and photos from my spotting days from the mid 1970s through to the mid 1980s. As has been mentioned back in September the class 117 sets worked elsewhere besides the London Division commuter services, Reading based sets regularly worked from Oxford to Worcester and Hereford, and Banbury. Both Cardiff and Bristol normally had about five sets each, I think the Cardiff sets went to Bristol in the early 1980s. I have photos of the Cardiff sets in blue/grey and refurbished livery working Valley line services alongside Cantons more numerous class 116 sets. The Bristol class 117 sets went wherever the other Bristol DMUs went, so locally Bristol to Taunton and Severn Beach and Gloucester. They also worked south to Westbury and Weymouth, and quite likely to Salisbury. Also Swindon to Gloucester and Worcester. Bristol to Cardiff, also Cardiff to Hereford. And from Hereford and Worcester they were regular visitors to Birmingham New St before Tyseley received an allocation. From the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s they did not seem common in Devon and Cornwall so I am not sure I can justify one on my layout, cheers

Here is the Tonbridge - Hoo service in 1989 behind a 73 with TTAs from Ashford Chart Leacon in the formation https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/6492531487/in/photolist-aTHVq4-qkjUW5-qaGiDW-qnqUca-r7GUKt-zA45gS-oeB3Db-b7dnRa-r6WzW3-9RBFEd-seLdNC-q2rW2f-6JE2Zk-eeoWib-qeA41f-e73xrN-b9FVJc-aSEVPt-pMstVS-p84fUw-pwCZ7D-nB8TUw-p315CS-q2KkCj-rCBRRH-rCX64X-pUrBa4-e6WSnV-qAPcTg-pqRhZP-q6c5Ke-qQW7eN-uvw8Nh-pFpAaz-bvy3cK-qtvvGq-phAY3T-dqhTZW-dHifHL-rCsBW3-poVd9X-pd3WSi-qQfc1D-e4aQL4-rAgLaq-rm11au-rkZ9Bj-rCyipz-qM4Kx9-qFXmc1 cheers