Rivercider

I am pretty certain that 1064 is at Westbury, the photgrapher is at the stop blocks end of the depot and is looking back towards the station, cheers

From the same footbridge south of Oxford another couple of photos now looking south, It is now 13.04 and a Freightliner service approaches. 47243 heads north past cartic sets loaded with new cars from nearby Morris Cowley, 8/7/85 After the three MGR sets had headed south between 12.00 and 12.50 the first of them returns empty. 58010, that I had seen earlier but missed a photo, is now working back north with an MGR set from Didcot Power Station, 8/7/85, cheers

I made my last photographic visit to Oxford in July 1985 arriving a little before midday. At 12.00 58010 headed south with a loaded MGR train and although I did not manage a photo such was the traffic back then that by 12.50 another two 58s had headed to Didcot, and I managed pictures of both. First up is the class leader At 12.29 58001 accelerates away from Oxford with coal for Didcot, 8/7/85 Just 21 minutes later at 12.50 another set heads south 58028 passes 3 car class 117 set B429, 8/7/85 cheers

Moving on to 1983 I made another brief visit to Oxford on the way to Banbury. During my stay at Oxford a couple of loaded MGR services passed through, as well as a class 08 on a local trip move. At 08.25 a loaded MGR service headed south 47366 was a Crewe Diesel allocated loco working this MGR service to Didcot, 13/4/83 Next a local trip came up through the station from Oxford South Yard Reading allocated 08946 hauls a pair of VTG Ferrwagons through Oxford, I have no details of the load or destination of these wagons In the distance 47462 is on the 06.25 Poole - Liverpool Lime Street, my train for Banbury. 13/4/83 It is 09.05 and just time for a quick shot of another MGR train as it heads towards Didcot Tinsleys 56114 passes southwards through Oxford with more coal, 13/4/83 cheers

Thanks David with 47s and 50s on the Paddingtons and Cross Countrys and a steady procession of MGR trains plus Freightliners, tanks and DMUs to photograph I probably should have made more visits. But back then of course there were so many interesting other places to see. From my visit on 28th March 1980:- 47500 Great Western was on a Liverpool - Paddington service, though my haulage that day was, HST to Reading, 50024 to Oxford, 47545 to Banbury, 47088 to New St, and 47466 to Bristol. cheers cheers

Moving forward a year into 1982 and revenue earning vacuum braked traffic is getting increasingly rarer. One service, that had been running for some years, and was still conveying vacuum braked stock, was the Oxford Banbury Road stone train. The stone came from ARCs Tytherington Quarry and normally ran Monday to Friday on a 'Y' pathway from Stoke Gifford to either Appleford or Oxford Banbury Road, and was formed of 34 MSVs. 6A06 stoke Gifford to Oxford Banbury Road passes Oxford behind 45062, 17/11/82 As the Oxford area vacuum braked traffic from the North came via Banbury I will now I will stray slightly off topic, and over the regional border, with one photo of Banbury Yard on the same day in 1982. This shows vacuum and air braked wagons side by side a situation that was quite common around BR, but would soon be part of history. I like the idea of a scenic fiddle yard, and as I also like freight trains a yard like this would make a great model, if I had the space! 25286 and brake van is on the left, 33003 heads the short train of cement tanks with two airbraked vans on the rear, and the yard pilot is 08740. In the yard are new airbraked vans as well as older vacuum vans and some 16t mins of coal. 17/11/82 cheers

Thanks for the extra details, I expect the larger wagons would be 21t minerals, TOPS code MDO or MDV cheers

Two more views from Oxford in 1981 First an obligatory MGR train An unidentified class 56 approaches Oxford from the south with an empty MGR set from Didcot, 10/7/81 On the left, I have just worked out, is the rake of 16t minerals with brake van that 25308, seen earlier, later worked back to Banbury For quite a few years there were usually two trains a day Monday to Friday from ARCs Tytherington Quarry to Wolverton, these trains were worked by pairs of Bath Road class 37s and were each formed of 36 PGAs. I think Bath Roads first allocation of class 37s, which arrived in the 1970s, were specifically for this work. The headcodes I believe were 6M10/6V11 and 6M24/6V55. Bath Road locos were not generally noted for their external cleanliness, and the 37s were no exception, and once two were paired up they tended to stay together for some time on the stone trains. Here 37295 and 37233 are passing Oxford with return empty PGAs from Wolverton, 31304 is in the platform road, 10/7/81 cheers

Many thanks for all the positive feedback. Looking through my old photos and rereading my notes has given me a greater understanding of what I was seeing, but the additional information supplied has certainly corrected some of my faulty assumptions. Here are two photos of the Bicester trip back in 1981. The first view is from the end of the reel of film, but you get the picture, or most of it. 31304 is heading north through Oxford with a mix of vanfits, vanwides and Cov-ABs with a brake van, 10/7/81 Later the return working is also seen at Oxford. The return working comprises only vacuum vans, is the first a vanfit, with four vanwides behind?, 10/7/81 cheers

Here are another couple of photos from my visits to Oxford from the early 1980s, both are unidentified southbound tank trains, but may have been for Littlemore on the Cowley Branch, though Didcot Power Station also sometimes received fuel oil. First at Oxford Station in pouring rain 47366 heads south through the platform at Oxford with a mix of 2 axle and bogie tanks, my notes show it as a train heading to Hinksey Yard, 28/3/80 This time a tank train is seen at Oxford South 40079 heading south with bitumen tanks for West Drayton 10/7/81 Later that day I saw 40079 again with what may well have been the same tanks heading back north through Banbury, my notes on the day gave a return destination of Ellesmere Port, edit - thanks again to Brian Daniels for information cheers

North of Didcot were a number of freight locations active on the 1980s. First on the west side of the line is Appleford with a couple of terminals. The ARC depot here received stone from Tytherington Quarry in MSVs which were unloaded by grab. The trains were formed of about 34 MSVs and usually ran in a 'Y' pathway to either Appleford or Oxford Banbury Road. Also at Appleford was a Greater London Council waste transfer station handling containerised waste from Brentford. Further north, my Bakers Rail Atlas shows the Abingdon Branch as freight only though what traffic survived into the 1980s, I am not sure. At Kennington Junction just south of Oxford is the freight only branch to Morris Cowley which served Cowley freight terminal as well as car traffic from British Leyland. There was also an oil terminal at Littlemore part way along the branch. Then we reach Hinksey Yard, which I think was mostly used for stabling car sets and MGR sets, there being no resident pilot there in those days. Oxford depot still had an allocation of four class 08 shunters until 1974 when they were all re-allocated to Reading. The 1979 Shunter Duties book shows three Oxford duties. 1 AB - Oxford Station parcels pilot, also daytime freight trips to Morris Cowley 1 AB - Oxford South Yard and NCL, also trips to Hinksey Yard 1 - Rewley Road Coal Yard, (north end of Oxford Station) I think the Rewley Road duty was gone by 1980 and a single class 08 covered the freight work. Oxford of course saw a lot of passing freight traffic including MGR coal trains for Didcot, and Freightliner services for Southampton. The early 1980s still saw some vacuum braked services, though these disappeared to be replaced by Speedlink workings. At Oxford South 47338 heads a southbound vacuum braked service, probably a Tinsley to Eastleigh working 10/7/81. Now at Oxford Station another vacuum braked working, this time a trip from Banbury to Oxford which later worked back north 25308 passes the station on the through line.10/7/81 I realise now it must have been the return working I photographed later at Banbury 25308 was returning north with a long raft of 16t minerals of which, B566207, was smoking with a seized brake and the train was stopped by the signalman. edit - thanks to Brian Daniels for corrections and additional information. cheers

They were the ones I was thinking of, but could not remember what build they were. edit - I see from the Great Western Society site that former Open Ferry Wagons B715024 and B715029 are now numbered 5267 and 5268. Back in 1985 here is the view that shows two of BRs grampus wagons in their sidings, probably without permission from the civil engineers! The grampus are top left of the shot, 31165 waits in the yard with 3B07, and 50039 Implacable makes an evening departure towards Oxford, 8/7/85 cheers

Two more general views of Didcot now from the afternoon back in 1985, both I think taken from the new footbridge. First looking north across the yard. A mixed formation DMU of class 101 set C812 and class 117 set L420 arrive at Didcot. 8/7/85 In the yard is a rake of spoil wagons mostly grampus but also one smaller engineers wagon. To the right are three highfits presumably in engineers or CS&TE use. Above the DMU is a long rake of 16t minerals now TOPS code ZHV in the engineers fleet. To the top left are the tip sidings, spoil was dumped for some time presumably to raise the level of the land. Is the fuelling point now located where the tip sidings were? A view looking the other way east towards the station. The discharged oil train is headed by 56041. In the yard 31165 is heading 3B07 parcels. My father visited Didcot from time to time particularly when there was a lot of engineering train activity there, He also several times had to make arrangements for engineers wagons to be removed from the Great Western Society sidings. Behind the 16t minerals seen in the last photo were a pair of grampus they appeared to be loaded with either ash or more likely loco coal, and had been shunted into the GWS without authority from the civil engineers. Later I think a wagon or two were specifically provided to move loco coal for the GWS. One other train that sometimes appeared in Didcot Yard to the usual annoyance of the shunters was the Avon Waste Binliner which occasionally had to recess in the yard if engineering blockades prevented it running normally. It also sometimes called for reversal to get the boxes the right way round to unload at Calvert. cheers

We now make another visit to Didcot, three years later in July 1985, and a number of things have already changed, interestingly 08640 was the yard pilot again, though I did not capture it on film. Firstly one photo from the morning, and a typical stone train passes by. 47246 heads east on with a loaded ARC stone train of 100t former iron ore tipplers. 8/7/85 Several changes catch my eye in this shot. The class 47 now has a headlight, there is a new footbridge spanning the main lines, which I think gives access to the new car park. In the yard we get a glimpse of some of the freight traffic, a VGA,a VDA (?) and two VEAs are probably carrying MOD traffic as Didcot yard has now started to handle trips to various MOD locations. Then a couple of photos of locos in the new freight livery. Running into the yard from the north is a spoil train formed of 16t minerals now in engineers use. 8/7/85 I think the loco is 31128 but stand to be corrected. The 16t minerals were a replacement in the engineers fleet for a lot of old unfitted stock. They were not hugely successful, spent ballast being heavier than coal meant that the wagons were frequently overloaded, to help prevent this holes were cut in the sides though we can see that the second wagon has so far escaped the torch. There has also been a change in the traction for the coal trains. 58002 rounds the curve with a loaded MGR train heading for the power station, 8/7/85 cheers

The fitted head can also include 16t mins, clayfits, highfits, tubes and vanfits, all common in the area. I do agree a good quality R-T-R fitted 21t hopper would be welcome, as would a good quality 21t min, cheers

Thanks for the comments Rob. Yes that is right, back then the various MOD depots were served by whichever was the local yard, although that of course changed through the 1980s as yards closed one by one. Fenny Compton was served by a trip from Banbury. Bicester was served by a trip from Oxford (South Yard?), of which more later on in this thread. Ludgershall was at one time served by a trip from Basingstoke. Ashchurch was served by a trip from Gloucester. cheers

The wagon modelled by Hornby is E270706 it is pictured in David Larkins Working Wagons vol 1 (1968-1973) on page 18 at Kirkby Stephen in 1970. Also in that book, and its companion vol 2 (1974-1979), there are four long handled E prefix wagons seen at Hoo Jn Also in those books there are pictures of B prefix wagons with long handles at Bristol Westbury and Radstock, cheers

Very nice indeed. I agree That you can never having too many DMUs. Having worked in and visited many BR offices over the years I can also say you can never have too many notice boards! cheers

Thanks David, some good memories there. I passed by on the train from time to time and remember 08640 was the one I saw quite often. Do you know where the Didcot pilot went for fuel and exam? I am guessing it was Oxford. I know 08640 was one of four class 08s allocated to Oxford until 1974 when they were all re-allocated to Reading, cheers

There was no Freightliner terminal in the London Division of the Western Region in the 1980s though many Freightliner trains passed through, many of them originating at Millbrook, or Southampton Maritime which had more services. Here is a list of destinations from the May 1987 Freight Train Loads Book While still at Didcot station before moving on that day in 1982 an unidentified Freightliner service passed through. 47100 enters the platform at Didcot on a Freightliner service for the north via Banbury, 17/11/82 Between passing trains on the main line there was some shunting activity to watch in the yard. The class 08 pilot at Didcot was supplied by Reading Depot, and in 1982 there were six 08s allocated there to cover duties at Reading, Didcot and Oxford, they were 08363, 08640, 08803, 08816, 08850 and 08946. 08640 is the pilot this day, there are several rakes of engineers wagons, and some HAA wagons probably cripples from the power station. On the right I think are the cripple sidings, 17/11/82 Lastly another view of the Freightliner train previously seen arriving at Didcot which had called for traincrew relief. 47100 stands in the platform before departing northwards via Banbury, 17/11/82 cheers

After photographing the power station coal trains I was then able to catch a couple of unidentified oil trains. I walked across to the Great Western Mainline where we see a loaded oil train heading east 47280 is running on the Up Relief and has just passed Foxhall Junction which can bee seen at the rear of the train, the barrier wagon behind the loco looks to be a former Motor Car Van for ferry traffic, 17/11/82 I returned to Didcot station, (it was not renamed Didcot Parkway until 1985) where another loaded oil train headed east This time 47075 provides the power for a train of tanks as it passes the station, 17/11/82 cheers

Coal for Didcot A Power Station was an important traffic for BR with trains originating from a variety of collieries as well as coal imported through various ports over the years. Here is a page from the May 1987 Freight Train Loads book showing some of the sources, trains also ran from Cardiff or Newport Docks from time to time in the 1980s though these are not shown here. When I first visited Didcot in the late 1970s coal trains were in the hands of class 47s with a maximum load of 30 to 36 HAA hoppers. Class 56 locos replaced them in the late 1970s and the maximum loads increased to 35 to 45 HAAs accordingly. From about 1983 class 58s became commonplace on the power station trains. Here are a couple of views of class 56 locos working MGR trains on Foxhall Curve at Didcot. 56050 is nearing the end of the journey as it rounds Foxhall Curve with a loaded train, in the distance can be seen some of the buildings of the Great Western Society at Didcot, 17/11/82 Now looking the other way towards the Great Western Mainline we see an empty train. 56042, the class 56 fitted with CP3 bogies later used under the class 58s, has just begun the journey back to the Midlands and is seen as it rounds the curve from Foxhall Junction, 17/11/82 cheers

While searching for something else I found this 31296 propels seven sealions of ballast around Foxhall Curve past a van of some sort, 17/11/82 cheers

One of the visits I made to Didcot was in November 1982, where I took a number of photos. Some of the pictures show freight traffic typical of the early 1980s, here are some in the order I took them that day. Reading West Junction Yard was the focal point for engineering trains, both for weekend occupations, and also midweek ballast drops for which Old Oak Commons class 31s were often used. Here is a train arriving at Didcot from Reading, Old Oak Common allocated 31296 runs into Didcot Yard with seven sealions of ballast, 17/11/82. A now a shot to add to the prototype for everything file, 31296 has proceeded up to Didcot West Curve Junction and is now propelling the seven sealions around the curve towards Foxhall Junction, 17/11/82 cheers

I will start my brief trip around the London Division by carrying on up the Great Western Mainline from Swindon to Didcot. The first freight location to be reached to the west of Didcot is the Milton Freight Terminal on the upside. I have passed by many times over the years, and do remember seeing ferry vans in the sidings though I am not sure how much regular traffic there ever was, I don't think the terminal lived up to expectations. From 1996-99 when I was at Westbury TOPS it was part of our area, and there was occasional ferry traffic passing then. The next location was the place that many railway and non railway people always associated with Didcot, Didcot Power Station I visited Didcot in the 1970s with my dad when he was on duty making yard visits, this is one of the photos I took. 47328 passes Didcot North Junction and is nearing the end of the journey to the power station seen in the background, 2/8/79 Then at Didcot itself is the yard, also the Great Western Society were in residence in the former steam shed but at that time the fuelling point had not yet been built at Didcot. I think a lot of the land within the railway triangle was being used by the civil engineers as a spoil tip, is this the area that later became one of the car parks? The station of course saw all the passing traffic on the main line towards Bristol and South Wales, here is a vacuum braked freight on the Up Relief 47243 is seen from the east end of the platform looking towards London, presumably this is a Severn Tunnel Junction to Acton working, 10/7/81 cheers