TheSignalEngineer

Horwich, just along from the site of the old loco works http://www.flickr.com/photos/57603506@N00/4722405374

Shunting Frame. It was usually applied to signal boxes that were reduced in status when power boxes took over. Littletons Colliery was reduced from a Block Post to a Shunting Frame when Wolverhampton Power Signal Box was commissioned. Wolverhampton controlled the main line and released the frame at Littletons so that the sidings could be accessed. This enabled shunting to take place under local control without the Wolverhampton signalman getting involved. He only came into play when trains went to or from the main line.

Slightly O/T and area but the LMS put out a film in 1935 which had a wagon at Camden in LNWR livery right in mid shot surrounded by all the Big Four post grouping liveries.

Looks slightly wider than the 5" timber to me. I would say probably 6"

21st Century "Bone"

I noticed last week that there is still a four-doll bracket signal, minus arms, in the trees to the north of the line between Guide Bridge and Hyde North. It's visible on Google Earth.

The joints are normally in the same bed in plain line. Sometimes in S&C they are staggered because of switch lengths and short closures at crossings.

Branches I worked on often seemed to have a bit of random sleeper spacing. Recuts were first normally put down during relaying, so the spacings would be correct for the length. If rails were trimmed a closure had to be inserted. I was on a job like that about 1967 where something like 15 lengths were done over a couple of days. at each new joint a few beds were opened out, not much ballast there in the first place, and two sleepers or three either side of the new joint were adjusted to suit. It left a few uneven spacings but nobody seemed bothered about an inch or two. The other interesting job like that is transposing rails on a curve to even the wear. Obviously one side is slightly longer than the other, so again a closure and a bit of trimming is needed.

Interesting thread. I think that pre 1923 the only place making 60' rails was Crewe Works. During WW1 Crewe rolled some rails for other companies so there were isolated stretches dotted around the country. The specification for bullhead rails, BS9, dated from 1905. It was revised in 1924, so that was probably when the wider use of 60' rails started.

Secondary were often relaid with "Recuts" from serviceable rail taken off the main line. The usual thing was to cut 18" off each end and redrill. As the ends got worn they could be cut and drilled again, eventually down to 45' if the head wear wasn't too bad.

A little O/T but I haven't seen a picture of an EM1 on the Glossop traffic before. The timber was shipped into Manchester from Russia then brought up to Glossop to be unloaded in the yard. Olive and Partington had an area there where they stacked incoming loads. They had a fleet of four Fowler Tiger Tractors, the last of which was used up to 1960 to haul materials from the station to Turnlee Mill. This one, seen outside Glossop goods shed, is privately restored. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/getting-up-a-head-of-steam-912370

Or a very rusty one with a replacement end door

The North-South divide. We were still riding in Portholes behind 86s. Quite entertaining going through Betley Road on the Down Fast when the driver was trying to make last orders at The Royal and had forgotten they were only passed for 90mph.

An interesting shot. I think it must be the wood going to Glossop for the Olive and Partington paper mill. Note the old coach at the back of Dinting shed, also the cable and rodding run down the middle of the triangle from the signal box on the main line platform. The boxing where it went under the station approach is still in situ.

The 1808 Tipton Owen St to Walsall would have gone via Princes End. There seems to be a leg missing between Walsall and Dudley in the morning. I wonder which way the 0755 Dudley to Wolverhampton went?

You need an olive green gang lorry.

The Class 128 Gloucester units locally were W55993/4. One of their jobs was the Wolverhampton - Snow Hill local parcels service which brought the mail order stuff from Beldray at Bilston Central into Snow Hill during the afternoon for transfer to services around the country. This sometimes had tail traffic. It was known as 'The Dustbin' by some of the trainspotters as that seemed to be its main cargo. There's also an early shot on Flickr of a Chester one at Swan Village. I don't know when they were transferred away as I don't recall seeing them after Snow Hill effectively closed in March 1967. Both classes could have worked into Wolverhampton from Chester. I think that most of the Birmingham local parcels trains ceased on the opening of Curzon St PCD, which was first used for the Christmas specials in 1966, with other parcels traffic being distributed from Coventry, Wolverhampton and Walsall after that.

A more legitimate 'Black Country Green' would have been M55998 on the local parcels run. That did daily turns on the LNW lines around Birmingham in the early 1960s.

The one that got to Saltley was a different occasion. This was how 34102 got back http://www.flickr.com/photos/44544845@N08/8495170740 http://www.flickr.com/photos/44544845@N08/8471705196 Meanwhile, back to 34079 passing Pleck, http://www.flickr.com/photos/deltic_baggie/7948404378

But it did on the way back, 34079's route was Crewe - Rugeley - Walsall - Wednesbury - (via Princes End branch) - Tipton - Birmingham New Street - Gloucester Eastgate - Bristol Temple Meads Diversions also regularly did Abbotswood - Stourbridge - Galton - New St.

Peter Handford did a nice recording of one on the Preston Docks Banana Train up the 1 in 29 on the Ribble Branch IIRC

I don't think 30925 got to the Bescot area but I did see it some years later parked up at Tyseley.

Actually 40646 worked more than 1 special at that time, In 1962 it did Nottingham - Darlington double headed with 30925 and Birmingham- Northampton-Bedford. For these it was in shiny black late totem. In 1961 it had done some Birmingham - Preston runs and at that time was dirty black early crest.

Probably not, but I've got another gem for you. 40646 was at Bescot from 5/60 to 5/62 when it worked a Crankex on its last day of service. I've seen it pictured as the Walsall Pway Yard loco, so could well trundle through with a bit of vintage stock on the engineers trip, or even a Saloon Tour.

Jan Ford listed one as being the banker on 9/2/1963. Although previously listed as a Nuneaton loco www.brdatabase.info had it down as Mollington St by then. "(32) The Horwich ‘Crab’ which banked T47 up to Dudley returns downhill. It’s 42859, absolutely filthy."