billy_anorak59

Gilbert - The second picture on post #14677 - is that a spring in the 4 foot? Anything lost it's bounce?

Wasn’t sure where to place this, ‘UK Prototype Questions’? I reasoned though that ‘Road Vehicles’ would find most of the people with the knowledge… It’s regarding a road vehicle that has become rather intimately, but unintentionally, connected to the railway. Does anyone know the identity of this coach which is ‘somewhere in Scotland’, and can anybody identify the location too? (Apart from ‘somewhere in Scotland’) My father took this snap in either 1952 or 1954 (I can’t remember), whilst on a motorcycling tour. I know he visited Gareloch, Fort William, and Inverness, and I ‘think’ the photo shows the coach branded with ‘SMT’, but it's not totally clear (Is that Scottish Motor Transport?). That’s all I have. No reason for the questions really, I’d just be interested to know and appreciate any details that anyone can fill in - it may interest people anyway.

Ooops, sorry Brushman - 50037 was what was written on the back of the pic - I guess my note taking was even worse than my camera skills. You're right, it was a works open day...

Thanks Gary - yes they have a certain charm regarding the faded colours and format, and that they record a certain place and time, which is priceless! I must admit though that I never fail to impress myself with my natural flair for composition that plonks everything to the left.... I never did manage to compensate for the fact that the instamatics' viewfinder was offset in relation to the lens.

Although I saw all the class at Crewe c1972-73 with D numbers, it wasn't until a few years later that I got a camera (of sorts). So here are the results from the old Instamatic...plumbing new photographic depths for even me... 50003 Temeraire Penzance August 1978 50049 Defiance Penzance August 1978 Possibly 50001 Dreadnought Penzance August 1978 Unidentified Penzance August 1978 50008 Thunderer Crewe 22 September 1979 Unidentified Doncaster Works 21 January 1979 (In my defence, the place was freezing, and foggy - I think I did well to get anything on film that day...)

Re: Points Bridge - Ron Heggs of this parish and 'Manchester Central' fame documented his excellent model build back in 2012 - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53995-points-bridge-hagg-bank-wylam-northumberland/page-1 Great pictures Dave - please keep them coming!

'Not to be moved' warning.

Woodside to Chester was LNWR/GWR Joint - the LNWR had responsibility for the signalling of the line IIRC. I believe the 'new' Blackpool Street box donated it's lever frame to a box in Shropshire that had been destroyed following a derailment there (Coton?) Old and new boxes together at Blackpool Street, Birkenhead:

Snap! Seems it wasn't always yellow...

Cheers Paul ....just thought I'd ask (being from Wirral and all). Keep up the great work with the gronks - you've got a great eye for colour and texture - some of your stuff on ELJ was so 'right'! My old stamping ground Paul - I'd have to agree!! (I can still smell the diesel now....!!!) - cheers.

At the risk of upsetting any decisions made, and not wishing to upset the KX fans or anything, but is KX set in stone? Did you look any further into Birkenhead? Just the bit round the 'new' 2-road diesel shed and fuelling point would be right up your (Mollington) street - and it's nearly Liverpool after all!!

Great pic of the interesting corner - looks like a photo that could appear in the British Railways Illustrated mag... Did you lay the end of the siding in TT?

I agree, it's 340. I wasn't sure if it could have been another '3'. An '0' would be more likely to get confused with the '6' that I originally thought it was too, I guess. Thanks all.

Brian - I can categorically state that that nose end photo is definitely, 100% Parthia, so I guess there were more than one with the extra lamp brackets! I can offer no proof, apart from the matching nameplate photo, and the fact that I was there. I was quite exited to get a 'namer', and as I alluded to in my original post, it seems like only yesterday. The position in the shed of number 227 is etched into my mind. This was the only other photo of her that I took that day, and you can see the nose-end again peeking between two 24s.

Thanks stovepipe - number 346 was written in my 12 year old hand on the back of the photo, but I bow to the 40s specialists! If it helps, I've rescanned the photo at the max dpi that my scanner will go to and cropped it down, but I'm afraid that last digit is elusive. Doesn't look like 341 though?

Just discovered this thread, so another chance to foist my lack of photographic talents on an unsuspecting RMWeb readership... Seems like I took them yesterday, but I guess they're historic now, and even though most of the locos are unidentified, they might be useful? I might have posted the Birkenhead Instamatic ones elsewhere. February 1973 - Birkenhead Mollington Street Number 227 'Parthia' nose-end ...and it's nameplate 201 and 346 - Birkenhead Mollington Street April 1973 Unidentified 40 just north of Bromborough Station c1978 Parthia again, this time at Northwich in about 1982. It's lost it's plate, but has a painted replacement Unidentified Class 40 at Northwich again on the same date as the previous photo Chester MPD, just as the sun starts to go down, c1982 I was quite chuffed to get the loco as sharp as this with the old instamatic, as it's taken from a moving train at Edge Hill 13th August 1977 Finally, another unidentified member of the class near Winwick Junction c.1985

As promised, the last of my mediocre efforts from the 70s and 80s. All locos are unidentified in this batch. Crewe Works Open Day, 24 September 1977 - a Class 84 and (is it) a 85? Added bonus of a DC electric in the shape of a Class 77 ex-works in the background. Crewe 22 September 1979 and what I think is a Class 83 (?) Spotters ahoy!! (complete with dangling legs over the platform edge) in the background - H&S would have a fit today. Unidentified Class 85 in about 1985. I've been racking my brain (marbles are going...) as to whether this is at Moore, nr Warrington, or a little further south near Preston Brook. A Class 87 at the same location, same date. A bit further north, near Winwick Junction, a Class 87 works north (c1985) ...and also heading north, a Class 86 on the same date.

Some of mine that I've dug out. I didn't keep a note of the dates (or numbers), so the captions are best guess I'm afraid. 82008 at Crewe Heritage Centre - mid 1990s I think. The film hasn't degraded - it was that faded! 85003 at Crewe c.1989. I didn't know if this was 81003 or 85003, but I've since found out that the recessed bodywork around the body side windows gives it away as an 85. 85034 at Warrington Bank Quay in about 1986. 86210 'City of Edinburgh' at Liverpool Lime Street in c1989 87027 'Wolf of Badenoch' - again at Liverpool Lime Street in about 1989 I've got a few more of equally poor quality - I'll try and add them soon.

Long time lurker here, Rod - really enjoying what you are doing! As an exiled Wirral boy, I too would love to see a 503 or two (no pressure!) - they were great units. Anyway, for all you need to know (and things you don't need to know) about early TV aerials, you could do worse than to look at http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/albertsattic/view.shtml Keep up the good work!

Thanks for taking the time to go through my ramblings and for the info! Much appreciated.

No numbers or specific dates 'cos I'm rubbish at keeping records, but I've tried to state the location, rough date, and guessed the class number (I'm not 100% when it comes to DMUs). Here goes - hope they're of interest to some anyway... Barmouth Summer 1967 - Class108? Approaching Bromborough Stn c.1981 - Refurbished Class 101. Is that an extra marker light above the destination blind? Was that common? Again approaching Bromborough Stn on the same day - Park Royal Class 103. We seemed to get a lot around there in those days. Chester c.1982 - Class 101? Trying out the starburst filter on my brand new Olympus OM10... Manchester Victoria 13th August 1977. Is it a 110? York 15th October 1977 - Class109. I think that this was the ER general Managers Inspection unit at this time? The only Wickham unit I ever saw. Winwick c.1985 - Class 101 6-car Finally, two from Weymouth in c.1982 - is this a Class 117? I thought it would be interesting to see what Mr Google's car makes of the same scene in 35 years-on.... it's all very light and airy nowadays...

Only 2 years late, I think I've worked things out. Apologies to those I may have confused... I went on two LCGB railtours in 1979: 'The Doncaster Rover 2' on 21/01/79, and 'The Woldsman' on 21/04/79. I merged the two tours together in my (simple) mind, as both went via Guide Bridge, and both happened on the 21st of the month. It was 'The Woldsman' that had 2xClass 76 haulage over Woodhead, and 'The Doncaster Rover' was hauled by 40 106 throughout. The photo I took of '106 detached from the train was at Stockport! Sorry about that. By way of apology, I've recently re-discovered and scanned some of the (admittedly poor) photographs I took of that very cold Doncaster tour and have attached them here. 40 106 run-past at Stockport (which was where the cold really started...) Line-up at Guide Bridge Class 76 and Class 506 EMU Pair of 76's at Guide Bridge (1) Pair of 76's at Guide Bridge (2) The afore mentioned 13 002 at Tinsley 71 001 was at the back of a small low-roofed shed (paint shop?). It was either foggy in there too, or the instamatic was struggling to get enough light... The other photos taken at Doncaster are just murky blobs - shame, as they were all the Deltic pictures. Anyway, I hope the above explains things - cheers.

One last one for the road... Peak Rail, Matlock 1994

Found some more - York 1978 WARNING, Instamatic quality pictures! (...and on a rubbish day, 'weather-wise' to really reduce the picture quality) Ballymoss and it's nameplate Nameplate - Fife and Forfar Yeomanry Pinza ...and number 7 again (it seemed to follow me around!), York on a better day - in 1979 I think Cheers!

Many thanks for the reply brushman - and I admire your sleuthing skills! I think you could very well be right, Thanks! (shame it wasn't 55017 though - the only one I never saw)