Simon Lee

From the days when you could see real ships in the Western Docks................... St Germain sails for Dunkerque Simon

Hi all, Don't often look in this topic so not sure if this has been noted http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SEALED-MINT-TRIANG-Hornby-R871-LMS-STREAMLINED-CORONATION-6244-KING-GEORGE-VI-/370920461934?pt=AU_Toys_Hobbies_Model_Railways&hash=item565c95166e Regards Simon

One from the early years 1535 at Doncaster in 1965. Regards Simon

I cant remember seeing an MLV on this train, one particular aspect of it was that it conveyed ferry vans of fruit for Woods at Sittingbourne as well as the BSK. Normally these were Transfesa wagons which still had vacuum brakes working on them. However if it was an Interfrigo vac piped only then there would a mixture of any vac braked ferries we could must to give brake force. Normally these were empty Transfesa, but SNCF vans were used on occasion. Sadly I never got any photos, hopefully Ernie may have some in his archive. Regards Simon

A few from 1981 :- Charing Cross - Ramsgate Vic - DWD stopper MLV ready to light to Ramsgate Margate vans Between Charlton and Priory tunnels Emerging from Priory tunnel 73 and BSK off the papers head back to Faversham Regards Simon

Ernie / Brian, IIRC the Rowntrees were detached off 6O38 Speedlink at Paddock Wood, if they were over carried a hell broke loose as there was quite a financial penalty of the wagons were late. I happened once not long before you started with us, and they were on the way back up to PW within 15 minutes of arriving in the town yard. The empties came down to Dover and went back north on 6E53 Dover - Tyne detaching at Dringhouses. Simon

Railwaymen skiving ;- ................ Left to Right Chris Bissett TOPS clerk, Colin Pritchard MobileShunter, Dick Matra Freight Inspector, Me Area Feight Assistant, Andy Tait Shipping Clerk March 1992, the pirate radio ship Ross Revenge was laid up in Dover, and of course as it was near our sidings it just had to explored, much better than an entire shift in the Train Ferry Office !! Regards Simon

Stainforth is Doncaster North which is Ed, such is the madness of political boundaries !! Simon

I was on the rail replacement bus today, according to the drivers Hatfield station is not a particularly good spot to get in and out of with a coach, which may influence that thinking, Plus a section of the local population round the station tend to be "unwelcoming" to visitors. Having said that this morning as I was walking to Kirk Sandall a 158 headed towards Doncaster so there may have been thoughts towards what Jim has suggested. Regards Simon

I remember the Staplehurst incident, I was night TCS at Dollands Moor at the time, when I contacted the driver he simply said "its a bit of a mess up here...."" it was around this time IIRC that we also had the cyclic top derailment on the Maidstone that took out the hopper house at Hothfield. Regards Simon

Just discovered this one :- My brother and I on the last English V2. Drapers scrap yard, Hull July 1967. Regards Simon

Loads of good stuff in here, Third one down in 460, reminds me of an Ian Krause shot from way back at the end of steam, he classed it as one of his best ever shots, Apart from the angle almost a match if i find a link Ill post it for a comparison. Simon

attachment=231060:img020.jpg Paragon pilot removes a tail load from a DMU. This was a regular working that arrived Hull around 1000 weekday mornings. The unit was usually a Derby Class 114. Regards Simon

Couple more :- The guard of the last up Hull Pullman completes his book just before departure. A few years later at Dover Town yard we had a visit from the Class 33 loco club, which it fell to me and the AFI to escort round. Only names known are - extreme left Simon Moore now a driver at Hither Green, next to him Dick Matra Freight Inspector, and extreme right me !! Simon

More people as part of the railway this one, and a reminder of how things used to be Crew change at Doncaster, note the 3 lads just relieved, no HV (as was normal then) just crossed the up fast, crossing the platform road, heading for the messroom. Crew reliefs on the fasts at Doncaster were the norm until the late 70's normally done at a signal by the north end of the platform,but as it looks to be raining in this shot sometimes done nearer the mess room...!! Regards Simon

On the left my grandad a shunter at Hull Alexandra Dock this photo would be mid fifties. I true railway fashion, he was commended for removing a train of mines off the dockside during an air raid, several years later he got a Form 1 for sending a couple of wagons over the buffer stops and onto the pavement of Hedon Road !! Simon

Usually runs 3 times a week at present from Lindsey, though obviously varies with demand, went up considerably a few years ago after the Buncefield explosion. Regards Simon

Couple from me :- Eastern Region, Saltend nr Hull used to despatch a large amount of Oil by rail. Watton near Hutton Cranswick used in connection with the local airbases. Welton nr Lincoln used for loading only closed recently. Beckingham British Pipline agency. Southern Region. Isle of Grain refinery. Dover Bulwark and "Oil siding" used for Sealink for ships bunkers and BP oil for local distribution, lorries loade direct from tank cars. IIRC there was something similar at Canterbury West. Western Region. Once Langley closed, traffice went into Colnbrook which is still open. Anyone remember the big fire at Langley in the 1970's ? The tankcars remained dumped nearby for some considerable time. Simon

I used to spend many hours on that bridge late 60's early 70's Grandmother and Aunts used to live in Hessle and there was only so much a young lad could take before he was allowed out to watch the trains and see what was being built at Dunstons !! I find the whole topic so evocative of that time. Regards Simon

For me I think it was a mix of there being too many of them, I recall the KESR, (which was my local line at the time)in the early eighties nearly every time I visited it was an Austerity. On a number of occasions when I visited other lines an Austerity was running it seemed at the time they were everywhere. the other thing I didn't like was the habit of dressing them up as J94's. Though the ones that I did find interesting were the ones from Corby that had the shortened saddle tank. Looking back I can now appreciate why they were used so much, simple to maintain and by all accounts could take a bit of abuse. Now I can take them or leave them, particularly as when worked hard they do make a reasonable amount of noise from the chimney. Regards Simon

Sadly no, after the link closed in 1995, the berth remained for a couple of years, then the span was removed to make way for a second cruise ship berth. The span its self was dumped behind the Western Docks station and cut up a few years ago. Regards Simon

Hi, I worked at Dover from 1981, first in the TOPS office which is the Portakabin in David Fords photograph, and then as Area Freight Assistant from 1991 until the ferry closed. Shunting in parallel had always been done, when operations were explained to me it was the usual explanation that "it had always been done this way". I suspect it orignated with the loading of the Night Ferry sleepers,to avoid alarming the occupants by tilting the ship. As Jonathon states a 5 degree list looks alarming but was well within safe working limits. On occasion 5 degrees was exceeded, usually caused by a loco or wagon problem meaning one side came off the ship faster than the other, this set off sirens, flashing lights, and turned the signal lights on the stern of the ship to red, though most impressive was the agitated dancing of the ships bosun,as the pumps sought to return the ship to an even keel. This problem was aleviated somewhat on the "Nord Pas Calais" as she is fitted with high capacity ballast pumps, and the new span was more forgiving in operation. There were several differences in operations between us and Harwich,the one that readliy springs to mind is that on SNCF/ALA ships the crews secured the wagons to the train deck whereas at Harwich it was done by shoreside staff, this manifested its self when the "Cambridge Ferry" turned up on a relief stint in 1985, the crew went on strike until they secured extra payment for chaining down the wagons. Hope this is of interest. Simon