Calimero

'One of two similar swing bridges, the other being Somerleyton Swing Bridge (TM476967). They are both constructed from wrought iron, brick, cast steel and timber and replace single track bridges which carried the railway between Norwich and Lowestoft over the Rivers Yare and Waveney. The bridge rests on two end piers and a central pivot pier made of brick supported by timber piles. This is 27ft 6in in diameter and supports the 10in diameter central pivots when the bridge is fixed for railway traffic. The three wrought iron girders which bear the live load are 139ft long, and rotate on 16in diameter cast steel wheels. The load of the open bridge is borne by two truss girders.'

Wasn't that the point of Dunkirk, the vastness of the backgrounds highlighting how alone and isolated they were?

Anywhere on the Southern, for inspiration and working into a plan.

Does anyone know what wagons were used on aggregate trains during the 1970s, were PGAs in use then (I believe first variants were built mid 70s)? Trying to find pictures of aggregate workings on the Southern region 1970-early 1980 (81-82 at a push). From what I've found so far, which is minimal, MSVs maybe the staple wagons but I'm sure in an old book I saw PGAs behind blue 47s? Thank you for your help and assitance in advance.

He was known to just disappear and ask the public their views, whilst the Underground scene might not have occurred it is in character. Went to see it yesterday and had to explain to someone, who was tutting, after that there has to be some artistic licence based on fact and that if the film was made based on all actualities it would be a tediously boring film!

Tope and Clam were used for spoil, if you looked into them it would be a collection of old ballast, soil, concrete, old sleepers. After the bombings in London we had some night jobs into Liverpool St with Clams and they were filled up with Glass!! All went to landfill at Parkeston. Bass and Pike usually had sleepers in,I've seen Bricks carried in them as well as troughing and things like signal parts, track parts and overhead line parts. Basically a general use wagon. Fresh ballast usually tripped in Sea Urchins, Sea Hare?, Turbots (Turbots were lovely wagons, used on the Bow Tripper with a 37) - I see a there is a new release of this wagon coming! Seacows, Whales etc ballast for dropping at site. Rudd again a bit of a general use wagon although I've had them loaded with that pea gravel.

Later years and a return to North London Out with the old and in with the new!

Cut my teeth driving 313s!

I've gone all misty eyed, probably the only decent thing GTR/Southern have done!

I've seen pictures of Speedlink Coal workings with 3-4 HEAs behind a 31. Now most of the heating oil trains were block load but you could acceptably run say 3-4 hoppers and 3-4 tanks in a service,

Charringtons tanks for Cambridge, that was heating oil. It was a long train as well with a plenty of run rounds and shunting on arrival at Cambridge. There were a number of locations on the Speedlink coal network too like Broxbourne, Bishops Stortford, Roystin and Letchworth. Also Southend Vic had a pretty large coal unloading point.

Berney Arms?

Reopening this, ballast out of Leyton came via Bow Midland. ECC trains from Croft? worked in with 56 or 60 by March men. We then had a job Bow Tripper which worked Leyton-Bow many times with a 37 and Turbots. There was also a Redland Self-Discharge direct into Leyton again March men with a 60, the set had to be split down because pilot couldn't push the whole train into the yard. Ballast was then distributed on the weekday services to outlying locations for the required engineering jobs.

Reclaimed, sold on, reused for track or other uses. Track panels would come out on the trains, old panels loaded on to empty Salmons or swapped out with the new track. On the weekdays we'd work north to Chesterton with old track panels, wagons with old sleepers and bolsters with loose rails. We also worked the nightly Willesden too with rails, can imagine the probably ended up going West or North from there for recycling!

Reclaimed, sold on, reused for track or other uses.

At Stratford all our trains made their way back to Leyton CE Depot. Trains would then be split up and put into other services, some would be unloaded and/or transferred so spoil would be in the Clams and Topes which would go on the Parkeston Spoil on a night time. Other spoil wagons like Rudds would go on the Tonbridge and end up at Peckham Tip. Rails and Sleepers would be put onto the Chesterton Junction service and sometimes certain materials would be dealt with and reclaimed at Leyton. If the ballast jobs were further a field service would filter back through out lying yards so Ipswich, Parkeston, Chesterton, March/Whitemoor, Peterborough, Brent, Hither Green, Hoo etc and then the wagons would more than likely filter out to that region/areas relevant locations.

Well some certainly some mega ones off this site 'Warren Lane', 'Bradfield' and 'Widnes Vine Road'! Also add one I saw on the circuit the other year 'Mostyn Dock', where do people find a) the time to create this stuff and b) the skill!! Beats my hit with a hammer once a month and poke it with my sausage finger skills. All I'll say is through them I'm happy ;-)

Thanks, yes that's the one ;-)

Is 'Penguin Road' still around, probably set the standard for Cornish modern image!