Rivercider

There was a BP service between Grain and Llandarcy for bitumen traffic that lasted a lot longer, which I think was formed of a mix of 45t and 100t tanks cheers

Conversation Piece Traincrew changeover is taking place at Edinburgh Waverley on Fielding & Watts railtour 'The Skirl O' The Pipes' Haymarkets 47269 is doing the honours, 9/5/82 cheers

I agree with Eastwestdivide, in that timeframe they would be allocated to a pool for each specific traffic flow, so would not normally get mixed up. One reason you might get a mixed rake would be if there was a nearby wagon repair depot (Marcroft Engineering, or similar) but generally a more uniform set would look right. cheers

It was good to see this for real today at Newport today, it added to an enjoyable show, cheers

I have posted a picture on the Derby Road thread, 47146 has a high intensity headlight, the picture was taken 11/11/83, I did not realise at the time, or until now, that I had photographed what must have been an early modification, cheers

Taking Numbers A visit to Glasgow St. Rollox Works in 1975. My notes say there were 23 class 17 Claytons present, 18 of them in this line up. 8504, 8551, 8542 and 8550 are nearest the camera (an instamatic), 10/8/75 cheers

I have a list of Speedlink services with effect from 17th May 1982 which shows the following:- 8K02 12.33 SX Ipswich - Derby Road (12.53) 8K03 14.25 SX Derby Road - Ipswich (14.45) At that date Diss was served by 8R22 06.29 SX Ipswich - Norwich calling at Stowmarket (06.55) and Diss (07.49) the return 8K09 10.47 SX from Norwich called at Stowmarket only (12.32) arriving Ipswich 12.59. There was also a 6K83 16.30 SX Diss - Ipswich (17.11). cheers

Here is the fuelling point at Barton Hill in 2001, it shows some of the items mentioned above. I think at Barton Hill either a wheelbarrow or small 4 wheel hand truck was used to bring the bags of loco sand from wherever they were kept in dry storage. Note the sand spilled on the ground. Also note equipment for cleaning the windscreens. 47786 Roy Castle at Barton Hill fuelling point, 7/4/2001 cheers

There are some fine surveys of interesting stations on this thread. Me and Mrs Rivercider visited Looe last week and I wondered how to find six views of this little station. The Liskeard and Looe Railway opened for freight in 1860 and for passenger services in 1879. At the 1923 Grouping it was taken over by the GWR I think the original station was a few yards to the south, the line then continued to sidings, run-round and the onto the quay. A view from the car park, 15/5/2013 A view from the road, 15/5/2013 The end of the line, the Police Station, I think, stands on the site of the original station, 15/5/2013 153382 on arrival off the 12.15 service from Liskeard, 13/5/2013 The 09.04, arrival at Looe, (153305), 15/5/2013 An alternative to a running in board opposite the platform, 15/5/2013 cheers

Here is another one I scanned earlier 08665 sitting in the sunshine at Chester, notice the shunting pole propped up on the side, 24/7/84 cheers

Here is Whimple a former LSWR station between Salisbury and Exeter Central. Pictures taken in February 2012. It opened in 1860, the goods depot closed in 1967 though Whiteways Cider was still dispatched until the early 1980s. The station building on the former up platform was another designed by Sir William Tite, it is now a private residence. Class 159 set 159002 calls on a Exeter St Davids - Waterloo service, 23/2/2012 Looking down towards Exeter Central. When the line was singled in the 1960s it was the down platform that originally remained in use, at a later date the up platform was extended out to meet the remaining single line and brought back into use. A small hut on the platform is a product of Exmouth Junction Concrete Works. cheers

Tanks for the Memory (I'll get me coat) 08792 is passing Exeter Middle Signal Box with 3 TTAs of bitumen on a trip from Riverside Yard to City Basin, 9/7/85 cheers

The Railway Club suffered a lingering death. I played skittles there for over 25 years, after redundancy it was a good way of keeping in touch with colleagues. In later years it lost trade for a variety of reasons, and became very run down, cheers (not)

That will be good news for a lot of commuters, hopefully this will actually get done. Though I also remember the plans for the Avon Metro...... cheers

Here is a shot of three of the 03s departing Pembrey and Burry Port, 03145 and 03141 at the front, 03152 at the rear of the 21t coal hoppers, 15/6/83 cheers

Here is Exeter St Thomas on a grey morning this April 2013. Opened in 1846 by the South Devon Railway, became GWR from 1878. The station building is now a Chinese Restaurant At one time there was a Brunel overall roof here. A pair of class 153s 153372 and 153329 call on a Exmouth - Paignton local service, 9/4/2013 Looking up towards Exeter St Davids Looking down towards Starcross. cheers

Here is Topsham on the former LSWR Exmouth Branch photographed last week April 2013:- Looking towards Exeter, class 143 DMUs cross at Topsham The station building on the up platform was designed by Sir William Tite, it is in private use as offices. The grade II listed signal box, it closed in 1988, the barriers are remotely controlled by Exmouth Junction The view from the level crossing, looking towards Exmouth. cheers

Changing Ends Traincrew seem to outnumber passengers in this view at Rhymney. Class 116 DMU set C302 waits to form the 10.28 departure for Cardiff Central, 14/4/81 cheers

While searching for something else I found this that I did not remember taking, Would Mike (Stationmaster) or anyone else be able to ID the signalman with his stick? 37181 on a working from Machen Quarry slows at Park Junction Newport to surrender the token, 25/9/86 cheers

After the introduction of seacows in 1981 they were regularly found mixed in trains with sealions on the Western Region so there is a prototype if you want to run them together. I was looking to find an example of a mixed sealion/seacow rake and have failed so far. However having said mixed rakes of sealions and dogfish were rare on the Western Region I did find this:- 37181 at Park Junction Newport with a loaded train from Machen Quarry, 2 sealions bring up the rear, 25/9/86 cheers

Here is Polsloe Bridge, the first station on the former LSWR Exmouth Branch, pictured in April 2009. There is not much of it but it is another product of the nearby Exmouth Junction Concrete Works. The concrete platforms were re-constructed in 1928, the line here singled in 1973, the up platform remains in use. Looking down towards Exmouth Looking up towards Exmouth Junction, the signal box there can be seen in the distance. cheers

I think I can understand that a bit. The last couple of years of Bristol TOPS we were single manned doing 12 hour shifts, on a night shift I would only see one other person, I relieved him, he relieved me. It was better for us though, we were on the Temple Meads Station radio net (Rail 18), so could listen in to the nights goings on. I felt quite proud knowing I was a small part of the team. cheers

Station greeting The driver of 33105 gets a wave from the platform staff at Poole, the train is the 11.35 Waterloo - Weymouth, 12/4/83 cheers

On holiday staying at the Tregenna Castle Hotel in St Ives last week, I saw this, and thought of this thread The Tregenna Castle was leased by the GWR in the 1880s as a hotel, and later purchased. It became part of British Transport Hotels, and was privatised in 1983, cheers

The High-Viz vest in its heyday.... Discharged tanks from Skipton for Ellesmere Port depart Warrington Bank Quay behind 40129, 14/6/83 cheers