Kingstoke Junction

The only photo of 17 on a ballast working that I've seen is on the Class 50 Central FB group. But it's in revised NSE!

5/82 to 11/84 if that helps

Very nice book full of nostalgia with some fab reminders on what the rail scene around Bristol used to look like. Some really nice DMU shots, particular page 5 with a shot of W55032 at Stapleton Road on a "Beach Buggy" working and much further on with a Gloucester Cross Country unit at Redland. The 119 on the title page also merits a mention! A few comments on specific photos Page 6 - 50013 heading south through Bridgewater is claimed to be a Paddington to "West Country" service. Given that this train is non air-con Mark 2 stock on a summer Saturday, very unlikely. Its more likely to be the 0921 Liverpool to Penzance for which the stock looks near correct and was booked a 50 from ? Gloucester on summer Saturdays (that always seemed to be a 50 west of Plymouth every day) Pages 7 & 8 - The 37s are more likely to be working "Monkey Specials" as they were nicknamed by the locals - excursions from South Wales to Clifton Down taking punters to Bristol Zoo. On Page 7 note the railway employee on the platform who was there to aid with the dispatch of the train on the curved platform. The return working left around 16:00 and at Newport ran in the path of the 17:05 Newport - Swansea commuter train. Page 8 - 50050 was likely to be working the Kensington Olympia to St Austell Motorail service. As this was a Sunday, this, along with most other London to West Country services ran via Bristol as the Berks & Hants was closed Page 13 - 31128 on the postal - probably the 1930 ish Bristol to Newcastle which was normally the preserve of peaks Page 27 - Again a Sunday so with the B&H closed was likely to be a scheduled service from the West Country to London. There was one train (14:40 off Plymouth from memory) that was double headed and formed of Mark 1 stock

As a kid in the late 60s & while walking to primary school, I recall regularly seeing chassis from the Bristol Commercial Vehicles factory heading off to Lowestoft - usually it was a convoy of 2 or 3. All the drivers had for protection was a couple of sheets of plywood on a run of about 250 miles. I presume that it was REs that I saw although some might have been VRs. Anyone know of any photos of these moves or even what route they took.

I have just received an email from the exhibition manager to say that this is event is still going ahead this weekend.

Excellent news! My trusty old Lima 2b's now have about a year or so left in traffic before they will be heading off to the scrapyard (or ebay). I think that the brakes in the middle of the Waterloo-Exeter sets in NSE days were 2As (Bachmann 39-412/412A) so it will be just the TSOT (Mark 2C) and a few more TSOs to complete the rake. And then there is the reference in the Accurascale announcement to the Wales & West /Wales & Borders vehicles used in the late 90s/early 2000s - I managed to get some photos (not fantastic) of a set in Newport in the late 90s including the South Wales & West lettering. Formation that day was 5478 (blue) 5453 (blue) 5487 (maroon) and 9440 (blue). For the record, 37430 was the motive power. Thanks again Accurascale

I'll try to put some more flesh on the bones, sorry Grids! A few allocations as well 56008 TI & TO 56018 EWS 1998 to withdrawn, IM 56019 TO & CF as well 56023 Coal sector 1988-93 TO 56046 Construction CF, TO & SL Seems to have carried the Westbury "Prancing Horse" depot plaque for a while see link (or was it an advert for Lloyd's Bank?) 56055 Loadhaul 1995-2003 IM 7 TE 56070 TO 56074 Coal 1988-94 TI/IM/TE 56077 Railfreight 1986-90 TO 56093 Large Logo until 1989 56097 Metals 1993-98 TE & IM 56120 Large Logo to 1992 TI/GD/IM/TE Feel free to add - not sure about depot plaques on other sector locos as TBH, 56046 is my main interest.

You have PM regarding 57602 in fgw green

I'd hazard a guess that said photo is Newport Godfrey Road and the photographer is standing on the station platform. The roof top patterns of the houses in the background seem remarkably similar today!

Wild Swan Publications "Great Western Locomotive Allocations for 1934" ISBN 0906867347 might be of assistance. Copies available for about £15 plus shipping.

Many years ago, I was given a large number of test shot bodyshells for ViTrains class 37s & 47s. These are now taking up valuable space so I would like to pass them on as soon as possible to There are 25 class 47s and 40 class 37s. All are missing roof fan grills, horns and other fitments. Most of the 37s do not have nose ends or roof panels but few of the 37s are decorated - e.g. 37430 in Transrail. They are free to a good home! I am proposing to split the 47s into two batches of 12 bodyshells and the 37s into three batches (12-13 each batch) and I will do my best to mix things up - all I am looking for is £5 for each batch to cover my costs of shipping them out to a UK address. Any interested folk out there looking for a modelling project or two? All gone to good homes!

The Addiscombe branch might have some potential, particularly if "Rule 1" were to be applied. Addiscombe is close to Croydon and Croydon also saw 2EPB operation on the Wimbledon to West Croydon line and DEMU operation on the Oxted lines. The old sorting office at East Croydon was almost on top of of East Croydon station so why not project the Addiscome branch further south and try to find a way to bring in the Wimbledon line and or Oxted line with a bit of mail thrown in for good measure? I am sure that as well as the desired MLV on mail, there could be room for a 33 or 73 on say one or two GUVs or BGs.

The attached shows 53844+53897 at Southminster on 27/5/85 having arrived from Wickford on the 10:10 Wickford-Southminster and returning on the 10:55 to Wickford (sorry centre car not recorded).

Placed my first order with this shop a few days ago and well impressed with the service. I had located an item from their Hornby back catalogue and having been let down elsewhere already for this item, I did not hold out too much hope. Instead, the item arrived well packed and arrived was delivered two days after dispatch. One happy customer.

In the late 70s, several of the overnight trains on the East Coast used to convey TPOs. I have Deltic haulage recorded on the 20:30 Newcastle to Kings Cross (and Class 40s and a 37 as well!) Peter Johnson's "The British Travelling Post Office" (ISBN13: 9780711014596) also details other East Coast workings such as the 20:20 Kings Cross to Edinburgh and 22: 30 Kings Cross to Edinburgh which I seem to recall producing Deltics in the late 70s