1369

Number 1369 (Items 147 - 280 & MR 11 - 20) (E-BLN 107 PAGES) 23 Jan 2021

BRANCH LINE NEWS

A societas est iens ut loca

Published 24 times a year by the Branch Line Society; founded 1955.

branchline.uk https://m.facebook.com/BranchLineSociety/
Membership queries: Lisa Sheppard [email protected]

186 Anlaby Park Road South, Hull, HU4 7BU. 07873354464
British Isles news from members; an international section is available.

Opinions are not necessarilyathvaoislaebolef .the Compilers or the Society.

BLN 1370 is dated Sat 13 Feb; :NOTE 3-WEEK GAP: all contributions by Wed 3 Feb please.

147] Email problems: Unfortunately there have been recent problems with our @branchline.uk
email addresses not forwarding and often not advising the sender of a failed delivery. Although they
seem to be working again, alternative ecmietayi.lSaodcdierteys. ses are given in this BLN for the Regional Editors
etc and on our website contact page. If you have sent a BLN contribution in the last few weeks or an
email to a Committee member and did not have an acknowledgement, please resend the email.

148] BLN 2020 Index: Many thanks to our member Greg Beecroft for his considerable time and effort
on this again. The index (77 pages) covers 3,722 items in the British Isles plus 202 Minor Railways and
254 extra items in e-BLN. It is now available with e-BLN in A4 Anyflip format, also A4 and A5 (booklet)
formats which can be downloaded. It can be printed on 10 pages of A4 paper in booklet format (with
A5 pages like paper BLN) and is available to logged in members on our website document archive.

When downloaded, the entire index can be searched electronically with the search box on the viewing
page (Adobe etc). The index is comprehensive, very clear and well structured with cross referencing.
Those taking paper BLN can have a free copy printed to order, unfolded on A4 paper, in A5 booklet
format in BLN style Calibri 11.0 font. Send an A4 SAE (no smaller please) with a 'LARGE LETTER' STAMP
to our member Andrew Murray, Flat 7, The Hawthorns, Meadow Road, Hadleigh, SS7 2DP.

1149] Do we have your correct postal address??I It will soon be that time of year when we post a copy
of Peter Scott's 2021 Minor Railways booklet (33rd Edition) to all our full members as a membership
benefit - including those who take BLN electronically. Please could you make sure that we have your
correct*postal*address, even if you only take BLN electronically. Any alterations (or change of email
address etc) should be notified to our Membership Secretary, Lisa Sheppard, please - per top of page.

150] Pamela Anderson! Now we have your attention, with thanks to the former Kentrail Enthusiasts

Group (KEG), particularly Simon Mortimer & Geoff Noakes, we are pleased to provide a full archive of
all editions of Baywatch. It was a KEG publication from 2004-2015 initially listing passenger train use of
bay platforms. From 2006, X-Factor was added - single line crossing points and in 2011, Connections of
Strategic Importance (CSI). These are connections between two routes or branches with few or no
interconnecting services between them but required for the railway network operation and flexibility.
(Strictly Come Gricing never quite made it into the publication.) Thanks to Martyn Brailsford, all 10
editions and two supplements are on our 'Archive' as a bookmarked, downloadable, searchable PDF.

151] BLS Poland Railtour 18-22 Jun: (BLN 1368.2) Notifications of definitive interest have been very
good - enough for it to go ahead. Anyone else interested please email the organiser Iain Scotchman
isco AT btconnect.com ASAP - the more that go the cheaper it will be per head. It goes without saying
that Covid restrictions will be the main consideration. See our website Fixtures section for the route.
IMPORTANT: If you have emailed Iain but did not receive a reply please notify him again (147 above).

152] BLS North Sweden Railtour: (Route and details BLN 1337.2400 of 5 Oct 2019) Planned for early
Jun, the tour has again had to be postponed, due to the worsening Coronavirus situation in Sweden.
The country is potentially heading into its first national lockdown. With many tours re-dated for

summer/autumn 2021, if travel restrictions are lifted, we may suffer an overload of tours as every
operator tries to run their postponed tours from 2020. Therefore, rather than try to shoehorn in what
is a complex and difficult tour to organise, we have decided to postpone it until May/early June 2022.

1369 HEAD LINES (Paul Stewart) [email protected]

153] Keeping Track, (extra to Head Lines) significant passenger service suspensions: *= new/altered

BLN Start (incl) Reopens Location (stations 'exclusive' if bracketed) bold = closed now

1368.14 17 Dec 20 Unknown *Bedford P1 - (Bletchley) after 12.00
1368.14 17 Dec 20 Unknown *Watford Jn P11 - St Albans Abbey after 12.00

1364.3096 17 Jan 21 25 Jan 21 *(Portsmouth & Southsea) - Portsmouth Harbour
1366.3555 26 Aug 20 ‡1 Feb 21 (Llanwrtyd) - Morlais Jn - Llandeilo Jn & Swansea District
1365.3289
4 Jan 21 8 Feb 21 St Erth bay P3 - St Ives ‡Passenger services resume later

1361.2732 20 Feb 21 15 Mar 21 Thorpe-le-Soken Jn - Clacton-on-Sea

1364.3095 4 Jan 21 1 Apr 21 Ryde Pier Head - Shanklin :More entries:: BLN 1363.3086

1364.3097 14 Mar 21 8 May 21 Rutherglen Central Jn - Finnieston East & West Jns

154] Great Central Railway (Nottingham); Ruddington Fields - Loughborough East Jn & Rushcliffe Halt:
(BLN 1368.8) TCP; last ran 15, 16, 22 & 23 Feb 2020. Covid restrictions and bridge maintenance issues.

155] Radyr (excl) - Pontypridd - Treherbert/Aberdare/Merthyr: (BLN 1368.22) TCP Mon 4 Jan; extended
by a further week while so few are travelling, now ROP Sat 23 Jan 2021, for Metro preparatory work.

156] North Blyth branch; Battleship Wharf Ground Frame (2m 52ch) - Port of Blyth, Battleship Wharf:
(item 208) The final coal train (Shotton Open Cast Site, west of Cramlington) left 14.25 Tue 1 Dec 2020
for Port Talbot Steel Works. The branch OG 18 Sep 2006 for imported coal (BLN 1027.834). This is the
end of coal traffic on the Blyth & Tyne line. The last tour was UKRT 18 Jan 2014 'The Old Battle Axe'.

157] West Somerset Railway; Bishops Lydeard - Williton: ROP Sat 12 Dec pre-booked Santa Specials
only, not serving intermediate stations; one train made three round trips. TCP 2 Jan 2020 initially for
upgrading and maintenance; then the pandemic, the line ran previously for the public on 1 Jan 2020,
Bishops Lydeard to Minehead. Staff re-familiarisation ECS runs were booked Sun 15, Mon 16, Fri 20,
Sat 21, Fri 27 & Sat 28 Nov 2020. Passenger trains can't run to Minehead until Seward Crossing (not
Seaview Way, amending BLN 1368.MR2 photo caption) outside the station is upgraded (187m 50ch).

158] Teesside Airport: ROP Sun 13 Dec 2020; the last call was 14.26 SuO Hartlepool to Darlington on
Sun 15 Mar 2020. In the new timetable the SuO 13.13 & 17.15 Darlington to Hartlepool bay platform
and SuO 14.25 & 18.25 return Northern services are reinstated. The 14.25 is the only train of the week
to call at Teesside Airport. This amends 2020 Christmas Quiz answer 1 (BLN 1368.24) and means that
Stockton Cut Jn - Hartburn Jn retained a (SuO) service when Grand Central services were suspended.

159] Gospel Oak P3 - Upper Holloway (excl): TCP Mon 4 Jan 14.30 (broken rail on the points to Gospel
Oak bay P3). The 14.09 from Barking had to set back from Junction Road Jn. A Gospel Oak - South
Tottenham shuttle later ran but a trapped freight train, and difficulty relieving London Overground
drivers, caused suspension of the passenger service until the point could be plainlined. After 20.00 a
half-hourly service Gospel Oak - Upper Holloway (ECS shunt) ran all week. ROP Mon 11 Jan 2020.

160] Waterford West Jn - (Limerick Junction) Waterford Line Jn (4 stations): Service suspended from
Mon 11 Jan until further notice due to Tier 5 Covid restrictions in the Republic of Ireland. [The 07.05
SSux Waterford to Dublin Heuston via Lavistown South Jn - Lavistown North Jn PSUL runs this time.]

161] Ballybrophy P3 - Nenagh - (Limerick) Ennis Line Jn (five stations): Service suspended Mon 11 Jan
to further notice due to Covid timetable plus engineering work from Mon 18 Jan to Sun 7 Feb (incl).
During the latter period there is a replacement bus SSuX 07.30 Nenagh to Limerick and 16.55 return.

162] Docklands station (incl) and Dublin Connolly P7 - Newcomen Jn: All services suspended from
Mon 11 Jan due to the Covid timetable cuts with no trains at Docklands (normally SSuX peak services
only). The 08.02 SSuX Dublin Connolly P7 to Maynooth via Newcomen Jn PSUL is also withdrawn.

163] Clonsilla: From 11 Jan no passenger trains use the M3 Parkway branch connection (ECS only).

164] Nuneaton South Jn - Coventry North Jn, with Bermuda Park & Coventry Arena stations, plus
Kenilworth station: TCP 11 Jan; remaining West Midlands Railway Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington
services (reduced from hourly to 2-hourly from 20 Nov 2020) were withdrawn and replaced by buses.
165] Montrose - Stonehaven (both excl) & Laurencekirk: TCP/A 10.00 Thur 14 Jan (until 31st at least)
due to collapse of 24m of underbridge 228 Up side parapet (2m tall) at 222m 5ch after torrential rain.
Its embankment was unaffected. It is at (NO 8213 8506), a mile 'north' of the Carmont derailment site.

166] Bromley Jn (Crystal Palace) - Beckenham Junction P1 & Birkbeck: Service suspended Mon 18 Jan.

167] Heald Green West Jn - Heald Green South Jn - Wilmslow South Jn, including Styal station: Service
suspended Mon 18 Jan, Northern route knowledge is maintained by ECS workings. The ONLY passenger
service through Styal (& Heald Green North Jn - South Jn) is 05.11 FSSuX Manchester to Bournemouth.

168] (Gainsborough) Trent East Jn - Wrawby Jn (3 stations): Service (runs SO) suspended Sat 23 Jan.

169] (Stockport) Heaton Norris Jn - Denton Jn - Guide Bridge South Jn (Reddish South and Denton
stations): Stockport to Stalybridge (runs SO) service suspended Sat 23 Jan; last ran Sat 16 Jan 2021.

170] South Kensington (Piccadilly Line) station: TCP Sat 27 Feb 2021 until Mar 2022 (BLN 1366.3456).

171] Llangollen Railway; Corwen: (BLN 1358.MR119) Fri 28 May is now the projected opening date for
the new terminal station (originally 2018) with ROP Carrog - Corwen East (site) which TCP 4 Nov 2018.

1369 BLN GENERAL (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
172] A true story: In 1982 to promote sales of British Rail's Young Person's Railcards, they came with a
voucher to fill in; then, after it had been stamped at a booking office, it became a free return ticket.

A young man filled his in from Berwick to Oban. Going north on the East Coast Main Line just before
York a Travelling Ticket Inspector (TTI) appeared and asked for his ticket. He took one look and said
that it wasn't valid there. The young man said that he was told all he had to do was fill in the stations,
have it stamped and it would be valid. Well it's not valid here, said the TTI, where did you board this
train? King's Cross was the reply. The TTI sat down and looked in the fares manual and wrote out a
ticket for a large amount of money and told the young man that if he didn't pay, he could be arrested.

The young person said: Why do you intend to have me arrested? The TTI said: You chose to enter
Berwick as your starting point not King's Cross! Had you put King's Cross it would have been valid!

The young man said: So far you have only asked me which station I joined this train, if you had asked
which station I had started my journey from it might make sense. So the TTI then asked: Which station
did you start your journey from? The young man replied: Berwick. That makes it worse, said TTI, I now
need to charge you for a Return. Once again he went to his fares manual and started writing another
ticket, with an even higher price! The man enquired if the TTI had any qualifications in Geography,
which he said that he had. The young man then opened his All Line Timetable, took out the British Rail
System Map, and showed the TTI Berwick between Eastbourne and Lewes and Berwick between
Newcastle and Edinburgh. He pointed out he had travelled from Berwick to Victoria and was going
from King's Cross to Edinburgh and then he would cross to Glasgow and finally travel to Oban.

The TTI said: That's OK and walked away. The young lad could have made it easier but took the chance
to have some fun, possibly his reason for starting at Berwick. The timetable showed Berwick (Sussex)
and Berwick-upon-Tweed but both were only shown as 'Berwick' on the 1982 British Rail System Map!

173] Graffiti: NR spends £3.5M+ a year removing graffiti, additional to the spend by TOCs on train graffiti.

NEXT: (Item 165) Bridge 228 parapet which collapsed on 14 Jan; Stonehaven and Aberdeen are to the
right and Laurencekirk and Dundee to the left. It looks like an awkward repair. (Network Rail.)

X.8] SECOND PICTURE: (BLN 1364.3096) The railway between Portsmouth & Southsea (seen here) and
Portsmouth Harbour is closed from 17 to 25 Jan for repairs to Landport Viaduct. (Network Rail.)









174] Early Railway Memories (45): By Brian Ringer (Member 2194) Part 1. I was brought up in the vast
suburban prairies of north London; Edmonton to be precise. The nearest railway line was 300 yards
from my parent's home, at the back of Charlton Road. It was the Lea Valley main line (Liverpool Street
and Temple Mills to Cambridge and March Whitemoor) and, while the backs of suburban houses
meant it could not be seen from our abode, you could certainly hear the railway, especially at night.
Quite why I had an interest in railways was a bit of a mystery as no one else in the family had any
connection with them, either professionally or as an enthusiast. However, railways became one of my
two passions and remain so to this day along with my local football team, Tottenham Hotspur.
Intriguingly for someone interested in railways, I didn't travel on a train until I was around 12 years old.
Up to that time all family journeys had been by road, initially on a BSA (Birmingham Small Arms
Company) motor bike and side car and then in my father's pride and joy, a Ford Anglia 105E. All days
out and family holidays were taken in the Anglia and rail never entered into the equation.

Much of my early train watching/spotting was at the rear of Charlton Road where a long 'back alley'
ran parallel to the Lea Valley main line from just north of Picketts Lock Junction signal box (the
northern end of the L&NER's interwar four tracking of the line from Temple Mills Yard) to the
exchange sidings serving Ponders End Gas Works (four dead end sidings and a loop off the down line).
This stimulated my early interest in railways as I watched the Eastern Gas Board 4-wheel 'Sentinel'
industrial loco shunt coal wagons out of the exchange sidings round to the coal tippler in the works.
Among a mass of 16 ton mineral wagons (MCOs) I was intrigued by the occasional tank wagon with the
name 'Midland Tar Distillers, Return to Oldbury'. Where was this exotic place Oldbury, I wondered?

A good pal at junior school informed me that to be serious
about my interest I needed an Ian Allan ABC Combined
Volume. So on my tenth birthday in Dec 1961, I received the
Winter 1961/1962 edition, a red/green front cover with a
'Peak' and a 'Warship' on Bristol Bath Road shed. I was up
and running! (LEFT: Photo thanks to Robert Green.)

School holidays were spent playing football with pals at
Charlton Rd recreation ground (the 'Rec') with the classic
jumpers for goalposts. However, games were regularly
interrupted by the passing of the hourly 'Fenman'. To us
schoolboys every Class 1 express that passed was a
'Fenman' not just the 10.36 from Liverpool St to King's
Lynn. By 1962 all the Cambridge/King's Lynn expresses
were dieselised, mainly with Stratford's new English Electric
Type 3s (Class 37s) with an occasional Brush Type 2
(Class 31). In fact, by the dawn of 1962 all trains on the
Great Eastern lines had been dieselised - just my luck to live
in the one part of London, north of the Thames, where
steam had been eradicated!

Freight still reigned supreme on the Lea Valley main line and
there was a steady stream of Temple Mills to Whitemoor
(and vice versa) trains, mostly Class 31 hauled, interspersed
with local trip freights which produced Stratford's
British Thomson-Houston or North British Locomotive
Company Type 1s - later Class 15 and 16. Local passenger services were in the hands of Derby 3-car
heavyweight DMUs (later Class 125). The biggest surprise I had was on a Saturday morning in 1962
when a Class 31 passed Charlton Road heading south with three steam locos in tow. I was amazed to
see that one of them was Standard 9F No92193, the other two were ex GER/LNER 0-6-0s. A 9F - that
really was a red letter day!

Most of my 'stand out' memories relate to days out or holidays. A trip to the seaside for our family
meant a drive along the Southend Arterial Road (A127) to either Canvey Island or Shoeburyness on
the Thames estuary. Canvey Island meant crossing the London Tilbury & Southend (LT&S) main line at
Benfleet level crossing. It had just been electrified and we were often held up for a Fenchurch Street
to Southend Class 302 unit to pass. I always looked at the line of bells strung across each side of the
level crossing to advise any errant road user if they were likely to foul the 25kV catenary! [Rings a bell.]

Shoeburyness meant parking up near the beach but only 200 yards from the station. The parking place
also backed onto the Ministry of Defence branch to Pigs Bay and I do recall seeing MoD diesel shunters
passing on their way to the British Railways (BR) exchange sidings. However, the most exciting visit was
in 1962 when I wandered past the station and discovered the long footbridge passing over the carriage
sidings and former MPD yard. Here was stored Shoeburyness' (33C) allocation of Stanier 3-cylinder
2-6-4Ts, after being displaced by the Class 302s. Not all were identifiable, but I 'copped' about eight.

Later in 1962 there was a family holiday to Camber Sands near Rye. The family was out in our car
possibly having been to Hythe and we stopped at Lydd Town (which was to CP 6 Mar 1967), on the
overbridge adjacent to the station. There I saw a Southern region 2-car DEMU (Class 204) standing at
the platform waiting to return to Appledore or Ashford on a branch working. No trip over any of the
New Romney branch for another 30 years, on a railtour, but at least I saw a BR passenger train on it.
On this holiday I had one of my early train trips, my parents allowed me to travel from Rye to Ashford
for a day's train spotting. Highlights were seeing and photographing (on a Box Brownie camera) the Up
'Golden Arrow' hauled by a Class 71 SR electric loco, along with seeing the Ashford Works pilot locos, a
'C' class 0-6-0 DS239 and USA 0-6-0T DS238 'Wainwright' as they shunted out of the works.

1963 brought a major change to my life, the start of secondary education at Latymer Grammar School,
Edmonton. The two mile trip passed two railway lines, Liverpool St to Enfield/Southbury just outside
Lower Edmonton station (Edmonton Green from 28 Sep 1992) and, more interestingly, the original
Eastern Counties line (CA 7 Dec 1964) from Angel Road Jn (formerly Edmonton Jn) to Enfield at Lower
Edmonton Low Level station (then it joined the Enfield line at Lower Edmonton Jn). CP 11 Sep 1939
the line still had a daily domestic coal train from Temple Mills to Lower Edmonton LL Goods. The trip
shunted there around 08.00 to 08.30, amazingly causing the level crossing to be shut at the height of
rush hour! I was often held up at the foot crossing as a Class 15 shunted a few 16 ton mineral trucks.

Lower Edmonton station was far more mundane. The route had been electrified for a couple of years
and I rapidly copped the entire fleet of Class 305 3-car EMUs, 9-car formations in the peaks.
The through trains from Hertford East and Bishops Stortford provided a more eclectic mix of GE 4-car
units, occasional Class 302 exiles from the LT&S and the real puzzle for me, LMR AM4 units (Class 304)
whose numbers duplicated the Great Eastern (GE) Shenfield units. These were used on the GE when
the London Midland Region had a surplus prior to completion of West Coast Main Line electrification.

The big event of 1963 was our family holiday at West Bay, near Bridport in Dorset; two weeks in a
caravan and a lengthy car journey from North London in the trusty Ford Anglia. I distinctly remember
roaming around the recently closed West Bay Goods Yard (CG 3 Dec 1962) by the harbour - missed it
by a year, the story of my life! The station (CP 22 Sep 1930) platform and buildings remained intact, as
they still are, and the rusty track was still in situ. A day wandering around Bridport meant that I saw
the branch train (a Western Region 'Bubble car' Class 122 DMU) at the station but, to my eternal
regret, didn't have the gumption to ask my parents to be allowed a return trip on the 9¼ mile branch
to Maiden Newton. (…and I never took the opportunity to 'do' the line before it CP 5 May 1975.)

The big day out was a family excursion to Weymouth. The usual deal was reached with me deposited
at the station while the rest of the family explored the town. I think I was left there for around two and
a half hours and several trains came and went including a trip off the Weymouth Quay tramway.
The high spot was a midday Weymouth to Waterloo express hauled by Bournemouth allocated
Merchant Navy No35023 'Holland-Afrika Line'. Now I had not been this close to an express passenger

steam loco before and was left in awe at the size of 35023. I plucked up the courage to ask the driver if
I could 'cab' the loco and was ushered up onto the footplate. Nothing could prepare me for the heat of
that cab as the fireman fed 35023's massive firebox and having achieved the 250 lbs/inch2 pressure to
climb Bincombe bank, the safety valves lifted with a deafening roar. When I returned to the platform, I
watched a remarkably sure footed start (for a Bulleid pacific) away from Weymouth - what a sight!

A final memory of that holiday was on the journey home. My father decided to return to North London
via the A303 rather than via Bournemouth and we stopped at Wincanton. The car park was opposite
the station, so I spent 45 min there on a summer Saturday while lunch was procured. For 40 minutes
nothing happened. Then I spied activity in the signal box as the block bells rang and the signalman rose
from his chair. A signal was pulled off and a few minutes later Bath Green Park allocated Standard 4MT
4-6-0 No75071 roared down the bank from the north and shot through the station nonstop on a short
passenger train. So, I at least saw a train on the Somerset & Dorset line even if I never travelled on it.

Over the next couple of years family holidays were taken at a number of exotic resorts in South East
England, based on caravan accommodation. One year this was at Lancing, Sussex. It was only a short
walk to a foot crossing of the railway adjacent to Lancing Carriage Works, where the works shunter,
another 'USA' 0-6-0T, was glimpsed, as I watched a procession of 2-BIL and 2-HAL units pass on
'Coastway' trains. The high spot was the passing of the afternoon steam hauled Plymouth to Brighton.
On a particularly dreary, rain soaked day the family went for a drive north of Shoreham and stopped
for a packed lunch and cup of tea on the South Downs way above the River Adur. Lancing College's
distinctive chapel was just about visible through the rain and mist. Out of the murk on the railway line
far below appeared a train on the Christs Hospital to Shoreham line (CP 7 Mar 1966) hauled by an
Ivatt 2-6-2T. The Ivatt exhaust hung in the misty air long after the train had disappeared. (Trains ran
between Horsham and Brighton - a useful through service - it was Southern Region Table 30.)

Another improbable holiday location was Felixstowe Beach at a caravan site beside a shingle beach
that is probably now part of the dock estate. Opposite our caravan pitch was Felixstowe Beach station
(CP 11 Sep 1967; the service had been summer only after 2 Nov 1959) and at irregular intervals a DMU
turned up on a service from Ipswich. Now this was one that didn't get away as I purchased a child
return to Ipswich for a day's spotting. So, I managed to travel from Felixstowe Beach via the south to
east curve to Felixstowe Town, where the DMU reversed, before continuing to Ipswich. It was before
British Rail reinstated the south to west curve (CA 1 Jul 1898) for freight traffic on 16 Apr 1970.

175] WANTED! YOUR early Railway Memories, short or long, young or old! A few are pending but YOU
can help to keep this series (now a run of 45) going. What are YOUR early railway memories, how YOU
became interested in trains/railways, particularly interesting lines or things that YOU have done? How
YOU came to go on YOUR first railtour and where it went. How YOU found out about the Society and
joined, any particular or unusual interests etc. The floor is YOURS... It would certainly make a change
from scanning and cataloguing photos and slides, looking wistfully at old railtour itineraries or tidying
the house during Lockdown. If YOU have already contributed, then there is always Chapter 2 to write.

176] Points & Slips: ●●BLN 1368.66] Our member No1 (who had arranged the permissions) advises
that our 'Peak Tees' tour of 16 Jun 1993 ran right into the now closed Cleveland Freightliner Terminal
(last train 14 Nov 2014) at the end of the Wilton branch (TRACKmaps 2 p46B Oct 2016). Participants
detrained there much to the amazement and concern of the ICI security staff - but did it reach the end
of line? ●●85] Merseytravel confirms that the introduction of Merseyrail's fleet of 52 Stadler Class 777
EMUs will not begin until 2022, due to the pandemic affecting manufacture and testing.

●●123] (Also BLN 1364.3225.) The final coal train from Daw Mill Colliery left for Ratcliffe Power
Station on Tue 26 Mar 2013 (per BLN 1185.700 of 25 May 2013) rather than on Sat 23 Mar 2013.

●●MR3] On the Seaton Tramway at Colyford, now the level crossing has been relaid for the first time
in 45 years, work continues in the tram stop area moving points further away (south) from the crossing
and alterations to the OHLE in time for reopening (hopefully) on 1 Apr; a revisit will be needed.

[BLN 1369]
177] We'll meet again: (BLN 1366.3473) With the forthcoming re-controls, York Railway Operating
Centre (ROC) will interface with Tyneside Integrated Electronic Control Centre at four locations, the
extra one is north of Castle Hills Jn on the East Coast Main Line. York ROC has three interfaces with
Selby, the third is north of Temple Hirst Jn - Selby line. (London) Liverpool Street IECC interfaces with
South Tottenham Box at or near Leytonstone High Road, Seven Sisters and Tottenham South Jn.

Wimbledon Area Signalling Centre (ASC) and Feltham meet at Chiswick, Norbiton and North Sheen.

Guildford ASC and Woking ASC at Aldershot South Jn, Effingham Jn (Cobham line) and Worplesdon.

West of Scotland and Yoker at/near the City Union Line, Dalmarnock & Sunnyside Jn (Whifflet line).

Victoria ASC and Wimbledon ASC at Sheepcote Lane Curve, Linford Street Jn and between Ludgate Jn
and Latchmere Jn. There are also three interfaces between Three Bridges ROC and Wimbledon ASC,
at Wimbledon West Jn, Wimbledon Down Sidings and Ewell East. Thames Valley SC and Westbury
have three, meeting at or near Bradford-on-Avon, Lavington and Thingley Jn (on the Melksham line).

Wembley Mainline Signalling Control Centre has four interfaces with Upminster IECC involving the
North London Line connections around Willesden and at Primrose Hill. Edinburgh SC and Yoker SC
meet at or near Anniesland, Barnhill, Drumgelloch and Knightswood North Jn. Edinburgh SC and
West of Scotland SCC meet at or near Auchengray, Fauldhouse, Garnqueen North Jn & Gartcosh Jn.
Ashford IECC and Three Bridges ROC have five interfaces: Elmstead Woods, Eltham, Mottingham,
Woolwich Arsenal and the connection between HS1 and the Midland Main Line at St Pancras
International (a most unlikely location for a Kent signal box to interface with one in Sussex!!).

Port Talbot and Wales ROC (located west of Cardiff Central station) have five interfaces too: at or near
Baglan, Bridgend (Vale of Glamorgan line), Court Sart (Swansea District line), Gowerton & Llanharan.

Three Bridges ASC and Three Bridges ROC also have five: Anerley, Falmer, Norbury, Plumpton and
Wallington which will become six when Three Bridges ROC takes over the Horsham area. The clear
winner (7) is: Three Bridges ROC and Victoria ASC at Beckenham Spur, East Dulwich, Crystal Palace
(Sydenham Spur), Crofton Road Jn (Atlantic Line), Elephant & Castle, Streatham North Jn & Streatham.

X.9] The HRE Group: This is an alliance of walking, cycling and heritage campaigners, engineers and
greenway developers who see the Historical Railways Estate as a future transport asset. Approaching
6,800 have signed their petition www.change.org/theHREgroup - please look at it and, if you agree,
sign and pass it on/publicise it to as many people as possible. It supports BLNs 1367.3569 & 1368.1 and
also page 15 of the latest issue (Winter, No168) of Railway Ramblings from Railway Ramblers.

The HRE Group has asked for help in compiling an investigation and inventory into all of the 134 or so
bridges/structures on the 'death list. Each is to be given a score between 0-3, to ascertain its potential
reuse for future transport corridors, be it cycling, walking, heritage rail or national rail, as follows:

0 - No realistic value at all, the immediate alignment is blocked.

1 - The structure has no obvious value but alignment to both sides remains clear.

2 - The structure has potential perhaps near the end of a heritage line or there have been expressions
of interest in the community for a greenway, but nothing has been formally proposed or is developing.

3 - The structure has a proposal for reuse on either a reopened national rail/heritage line or greenway
for walking and cycling.

The Group has compiled as much detail as it can but is always in need of more UK wide intelligence of
proposed and planned cycle and walking paths around the country that will be affected by the
proposed infilling and demolition of these structures. http://bit.ly/35TrAb4 has the structures on a
map and they are listed on p14-17 of the Information Document dated 9 Jan 2021 in the 'Archive'
section of our website. Please email Matt Skidmore at [email protected] or phone/text
07553 052183 if you can provide any information about any of them. Thank you.

X.10 BELOW: Class 150 950001 returns to Doncaster after track recording
It is just west of Crowle reflecting in the Stainforth & Keadby Canal w

g in the Immingham area (including the Grimsby Light Railway both ways).
with winter sun. (Martin Crompton on a local walk, Thur 12 Jan 2021.)

BELOW: Our last regular power station coal train, GBRf 66789 with 6M8
Ratcliffe Power Station is on the Down Cleethorpes Goods line passing the d

81, the 13.45 SSuX from Immingham Humber international Terminal to
disused (unlisted) Barnetby East Signal Box. (Taylar Scunny, Fri 8 Jan 2021.)

X.11] BELOW: 91107 on 5Z09 08.24½ Bounds Green T&R.S.M.D to Neville H

Hill T&R.S.M.D ECS at Arksey, Doncaster. (Taylar Scunny, Thur 14 Jan 2021.)

BELOW: (Item 210) DB Cargo's modern looking Knottingley Depot buildin

ng which dates from the 1990s is now being demolished. (Press release.)





X.12] 66791 hauls 66797, the latest GBRf
import from Germany via Immingham
Mineral Quay (LEFT: Gary Crompton at
work) and (PREVIOUS PAGE) passing Crowle
at 14.30 on Wed 20 Jan 2021, heading for
Doncaster Roberts Road Depot. There is a
20mph Temporary Speed Restriction here
with a view of the emergency crossover.
Just to the right of the yellow 'T' board is the
lever ground frame, electrically released by
Doncaster Power Signal Box panel. The train
was six days later than planned but our
photographer didn't mind at all because it
was -3oC that day compared with 11oC when it actually ran. (Martin Crompton on a local walk.)

1369 EAST MIDLANDS (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]
178] Retford: 423 entries were added to the National Heritage List for England in 2020, including
Retford station. It now has Grade II listing for the rare survival of ornate tiling in the refreshment
rooms. Built between 1891 and 1892, the tiles were covered with plasterboard for several years but
survived various renovations. They were recently uncovered by Bassetlaw Railway Society, who plan to
restore the rooms to their former glory. There were originally two passenger stations, the Manchester,
Sheffield & Lincolnshire (later Great Central) Railway OP 17 Jul 1849 first and the Great Northern
(the East Coast Main Line) OP 15 Jul 1852, both named 'Retford'. They were only ¾ mile apart but
acrimony between the two companies meant that passengers were taken three miles between them.

However, by 8 Feb 1854 a temporary platform and booking office was reportedly under construction
on the MS&LR near the junction of the two lines (a flat crossing of course then). On 1 Jul 1859 a new
curve allowed the MS&LR to run to the GNR station and close their original station to passengers.
It remained open for goods traffic and was renamed Retford Thrumpton in 1923. From 14 Jun 1965
lower level platforms (renamed Retford Low Level from 20 May 2007) were added to the ex-GNR
station, with diveunder construction for merry-go-round coal trains (now extinct here) to West Burton
and Cottam Power Stations. On old OS maps the town appears to be called 'East Retford' but there is
no separate 'West Retford' settlement as such. East Retford referred to the majority of the town east
of the River Idle; to the west of it, in small print, was 'West Retford'. Modern maps just have 'Retford'.

179] What do they put in Mars bars? On the Up side at the west end of Melton Mowbray station, at a
cost of £10k, NR plans to remove the remaining sidings, buffer stops and points leaving 92m of track to
stable On Track Plant. These are the former pet food sidings (TRACKmaps 4 p10B Dec 2018) for 'Mars'
pet food - the east end of which are now the station car park. There has been no rail traffic for over 20
years and there are no known future rail freight plans for the private siding; the lease with Mars PLC
ended on 31 Aug 2020. The Connection Agreement for the sidings is due to end on 4 Mar 2021.

180] Doing the splits at Nottingham: Currently (except during the 16-24 Jan Werrington Diveunder
blockade) Liverpool - Norwich retains its through passenger services. Up to 10 trains a day from
Liverpool (SuO 5) and 11 (SuO 4) from Norwich make the full journey. A recent DFT document about
options to relieve congestion in the Castlefield Corridor confirms the intention to split the service at
Nottingham which was part of the East Midlands Franchise award from 18 Aug 2019. The through
service crosses several congested routes so has performed badly. Splitting the service should allow
both portions to perform better. It will also allow each to develop separately given the different
markets and passenger volumes either side of Nottingham, although the DfT admits that 100,000
passengers a year make through journeys. This split is currently planned for the Dec 2021 or May 2022
timetable. The planned transfer of the Nottingham to Liverpool section to TransPennine Express has
been put on hold due to the pandemic, so East Midlands Railway will continue to run both services.

181] Wellingborough: (BLN 1369.36) The 04.42 SSuX Leicester to St Pancras is booked (for no obvious
reason) to call at newly reinstated P4 but in practice has continued to use P2. Freight trains have called
at P4 to change drivers! However, on Mon 11 Jan the honour of the first passenger train to call since
commissioning on 21 Dec fell to the 10.41 Corby to St Pancras at 11.00, again for no obvious reason.

182] Manton Jn - Corby: (BLN 1369.36) By mid-Jan there were two passenger trains each way again on
this section SSuX: 05.58 Melton Mowbray to St Pancras & 17.50 return and 16.27 Derby to Kettering
(then forming the 18.10 Kettering P1 to Sheffield via Market Harborough) along with 09.26 Corby to
Derby, this is the 09.04 'Meridian' unit ex-Kettering and at Derby forms an ECS to Nottingham.

183] Rat in mi kitchen: From Control Log 13 Jan 1997: 04.45 Brocklesby signaller reports he had rats
running about in the box. One of the rats was running over the microwave and the kettle. Signaller did
want a cup of tea but has changed his mind. Rentokil in Hull contacted and will get someone to attend
ASAP. Signaller suspects there may be a family of them living in the box. The box closed 30 Dec 2015.

184] BLN Riddle (BLN 1368.33) Where in 1958, did East become North when West went up in smoke?
At Ilkeston the Great Northern line to Derby Friargate had two signal boxes, Ilkeston East and Ilkeston
West until West burnt down in 1958. Instead of rebuilding it, most signals and points were transferred
to East box, which was renamed Ilkeston North to match the station. It had a 1907 Saxby & Farmer
rocker frame, and gained an LMS tappet frame, making it rather crowded! A member's father was the
Nottingham based S&T man for the Great Northern and Great Central lines, so had to do all the work!

185] Northampton Gateway: (BLN 1339.2664) Winvic Construction has started the main infrastructure
works at Segro Logistics Park, Northampton Gateway, a 450-acre logistics park by the M1 Junction 15.
When complete there will be five million square feet of industrial facilities and a new 35 acre strategic
rail freight interchange able to handle 16 x 775m trains a day. The project is designated a nationally
significant infrastructure project. Extensive landscaping will create over 80 acres of parkland and
amenity grassland with 18km of footpaths and cycleways, 20km of hedgerows with 60,000 new trees.

The first plots are scheduled for warehouse construction to start in late 2021, with infrastructure due
to be completed by the end of 2023. The logistics park will be in the 'V' of the Northampton Loop
divergence from the West Coast Main line north of Roade, with a new south facing connection to the
Northampton loop with a headshunt. It will eventually be able to access East West Rail via Bletchley,
ultimately to Felixstowe or Southampton via Oxford, or use the WCML south via London. On the plans
some individual warehouses and building are shown with their own rail connections (one can hope…).

1369 GREATER LONDON (Geoff Brockett) [email protected]
186] Ilford: Greater Anglia is upgrading the depot for the new Class 720 EMUs. High level walkways will
be installed (as the units have more roof components than the existing fleet) and also controlled
emission toilet facilities. The redevelopment is due for completion in 2021 and includes a new storage
shed (it is not clear if this is a rail building), extra train stabling facilities and a carriage wash upgrade.

187] London Overground: (BLN 1367.3613) From 4 Jan, 2tph were cancelled between Stratford and
Richmond SSuX, halving the service between Willesden Junction (High Level P4 & 5) and Richmond.

188] London Underground: https://bit.ly/2LNyUhl has 3D maps of the below surface level stations.

189] LUL Sub-Surface Lines Resignalling: (BLN 1363.2981) Stage 3 (Euston Square to Stepney Green/
Monument) was tested successfully on 9-10 Jan, with only minor problems reported. Commissioning is
on target for 7 Mar. During the tests, a shuttle service was booked to operate between Hammersmith
and Paddington (Suburban). On 9th this initially ran empty to Edgware Road to reverse, but from 15.19
used the new trailing crossover at Paddington to return to Hammersmith, its first passenger trains.

190] Northern Line Extension: (BLN 1365.3307) Traction current has been energised throughout the
extension. The first test train with passenger stock ran over the line on 19 Dec, during engineering
hours. The two new stations now have their permanent electricity supply functioning and signalling
software has been upgraded for operation of the junction at Kennington. At Battersea Power Station
work continues to finish the roof, glazing and fitting out below ground. At Nine Elms work on the

external cladding and fitting out the station entrance and below ground
areas continues. A new pedestrian route is being created through an
arch of the South Western Main Line viaduct to improve station access.

The extension remains on target to open in the autumn. Planning
permission has been granted to redevelop the Kennington shaft
construction site for residential and light industrial use.

191] Liverpool Street: (BLN 1368.45) LEFT: A Martyn Brailsford plan to
explain how abolition of P18, remodelling and extensions, lengthen P16
& 17. A similar thing happened at Cannon Street in the early 1990s for
the introduction of the longer 'Networker' EMUs. The former P1 there
was abolished so that P2 (now P1) could be extended over its track, with
quite a sharp curve to achieve more length within the available space
(as on the former P3 & 4 extensions - now P2 & 3). The extensions to
Liverpool Street P16 & 17 will have more gentle curves though.

192] HS2: (BLN 1368.3611) From 17 Jan HS2 Works Siding 2 (the former
Backing Out Road No2) at Euston was to be recovered, with its points
(0m 56ch) forming the north end connection from Line 'E' plain-lined.

193] Southall: A new public footbridge is under construction over the
east end of the platforms. It is some years since the well-known bridge
further east, also accessing the depot, was closed and demolished.

194] Brent Cross West: (BLN 1365.3308) Planning permission has been
granted for the eastern entrance. A large housing estate will be built on
this side of the station; this entrance will sit between two buildings.
Platform access will be via a footbridge above the Midland Main Line.

195] Camberwell: (BLN 1357.2131) The DfT has turned down the bid for
funding to investigate station reopening. As reported, the case for this is
not clear-cut, although Southwark Council supports it, and it is in the
wrong part of the country under the DfT's levelling up policy.

196] Hidden London: (BLN 1364.3118) A member took part in the latest
online virtual tour, all three locations were illustrated by present day
photos. Holborn Kingsway tram tunnel was first. It is largely intact with
the tramway all in place and much is now used by Camden Council to
store street furniture. Westminster Council took over the southern part
for road traffic to use. Walking visits to the northern section have been
arranged in the past. King Edward VII formally opened the subway on 18
Oct 1905. Designed for single deck tram cars, it OP in 1906 as the
southern terminus for trams running from the north. Disagreements
about how they would continue to and across Westminster Bridge
meant that the southern section didn't open until 1908.

Aldwych and Holborn trams stops were both underground. Aldwych
had Sheffield steel panels and wooden blocks as well as ladies' and
gent's toilets. The subway was reconstructed, with the floor deepened
for double deck trams. The northern exit roof was raised and a formal
reopening then took place on 14 Jan 1931. Waterloo Bridge was rebuilt
between 1937 and 1942, as its piers were sinking, and the tram
entrance and exit were both moved under the bridge. The final trams
used the subway on 5 Apr 1952, and in 1964 the southern end was
converted to a road bypass for Aldwych from Waterloo Bridge.

A fire in the Camden part of the tunnel in 2015 didn't cause much damage.

Next was Holborn LU station OP 15 Dec 1906. This was designed by Leslie Green, but did not have his
usual ox-blood red tiles because the London County Council wanted a Portland stone exterior. There
are some sections of red stained granite. The virtual tour took participants down the emergency stairs,
with their white and light blue tiling.

It peered into the rooms off to the side and the adjacent lift shaft, with the locked door to where the
lifts used to reach at the bottom; the platforms are 41m below street level. Rebuilding of the station to
combine the Piccadilly Line platforms with new ones for the Central Line led to the wide upper
escalator shaft* being constructed and one photograph showed a Central Line train passing as the new
platforms were under construction. Holborn's new station entrance was designed by Charles Holden.
The journey then continued to P6 (Aldwych bay platform which CP 1917), with views of staff air raid
shelters, all walled off with narrow passages and the running tunnel filled in.

(*Although this escalator provision was indeed generous, it led to conflicting pedestrian moves at the
lower landing between those entering and leaving the station and interchange passengers for the
Central Line - stairs to the left - and the Piccadilly Line - lower escalators to the right.)

Toilets and sleeping accommodation were provided in small rooms; there was a telephone exchange
and offices. The walk continued along the running tunnel to a watertight door, returning to P5, with its
signal cabin at the platform end. P5 (through to Aldwych) is now used as a store and partly walled off.

Lastly was Aldwych station (OP 30 Nov 1907), starting on the western platform (CP 30 Sep 1994). Then
it was up the stairs that were never finished off, into the lift area and across to the two 100ft deep lift
shafts that were never used. The back passages were never used either, being designed for one way
traffic into and out of the lifts. The tour continued down the short overrun tunnel, with its buffer stop
and back wall. Leslie Green's green and teal coloured tiling (blue-green) could be seen on the never
used eastern platform. Its extant Grade I listed (very unusual) bullhead track dates from 1917.
[The oldest LU rail in use, one of our members found, was in Marble Arch siding, roll marked 1901.]
The tour continued up the stairs again and into one of the two Otis lifts (with their perches) and then
up to the booking office area, closed in 1922. Tickets were subsequently sold by the lift attendants.

The tour ended at the Surrey Street and Strand ox-blood red entrances, which can be seen by walking
around the area (when we are allowed to again!) Once again, our member recommends this new tour.
See the London Transport Museum website for details and bookings for the Hidden London tours.

197] Nine Elms: (BLN 1368.48) Following the collapse of 70m of the Up side parapet on Christmas Day
at Ponton Rd, the Windsor Reversible is OOU from its country end (3m 35ch) up to Carlisle Lane Jn
(0m 42ch) expected until Fri 12 Feb. The new parapet will need to cure so restrictions are expected.

1369 NORTH EAST & YORKSHIRE (Geoff Blyth) [email protected]
198] Non-recontrol: A few months ago it was decided that closure of Tyneside Integrated Electronic
Control Centre with recontrol to York ROC at the end of 2022 would be cancelled. Doncaster Power
Signal Box will not be recontrolled either, although no date was allocated for that. The cause is Covid;
NR management cannot risk workstations being closed because too many staff are on sick leave or
self-isolating. Apart from King's Cross, there will be no more wholesale signalbox closures (and
subsequent recontrol to the ROC) for the foreseeable future. If a box is closed and its area transferred
to York, it will be added to an existing workstation. For instance Totley and Grindleford, on the Hope
Valley line, will be added to the Sheffield workstation. See also the Sheffield - Beighton Jn item below.
However, the decision could be reversed if Covid-19 was to be brought under control or eradicated.

This change of policy will not affect the Middlesbrough resignalling. The plan is still for Bowesfield
workstation to be absorbed into Hartlepool workstation in late 2021 when Middlesbrough workstation
is commissioned. The total number of workstations will not increase. There will be no increase in staff
as signallers on the combined Hartlepool/Bowesfield workstation, who have already been recruited,

[BLN 1369]
will also cover Middlesbrough. The workstations are grouped into several 'links' (this makes us think of
loco shed turns in steam days!) Middlesbrough and Hartlepool are in the same link. Normally there is
one signaller per workstation per shift. Signallers do not control two workstations at the same time
unless covering for sickness and it can be done safely. The signallers rotate round the workstations in
their link, working a different one each day for variety and so that they are not permanently on a busy
or onerous workstation. In some links they even rotate round the workstations during their shift.
199] Norton-on-Tees (Norton hereafter): An iconic set of signal boxes are due to disappear in Feb with
the Durham Coast resignalling. Norton is the last place on NR with four adjacent mechanical boxes that
have the same place name: Norton South, West, East and Norton (former station). South and East are
the two oldest NR boxes in the country in use, both date from early 1870. East was given a Grade II
listing on 21 Nov 2013 due to its non-modernised condition and is protected, but sadly the others may
well be demolished. West is closing before the others and will be demolished to install the Manually
Controlled Crossing with Barriers & Obstruction Detection equipment (BLN 1365.3324).
Sep 2020 'Railway World' http://bit.ly/2XFoP8x (nice pictures) claims Norton almost certainly has the
largest concentration of working distant signals mounted on the same post as a home signal on NR. In
two miles there are six combined home and distant signals, two brackets carrying two pairs of signals,
and all are still in use. Looking west from Norton box one can see an Up train passing two pairs of
home and distant signals, a situation the article states no longer exists anywhere else in the country.

(ABOVE: A Dave Cromarty plan) The Stockton to Hartlepool line takes an indirect route via Norton due
to early railway development, when the main traffic flow was east-west rather than the present north-
south. The Clarence Railway (CR) was built to compete with the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR),
to take coal to a port on the north bank of the Tees, following the S&DR's decision to extend to a new
downstream south bank location which at first it named Port Darlington then later Middlesbrough.

BELOW: The Up home signals at Norton West (some in the area were only renewed a few years ago).

BELOW: Norton South, a Great Central HST from King's Cross heads n

north towards Sunderland on 18 Feb 2017. (All pictures by Nick Jones.)

BELOW: Norton South again, 8 Oct 2019, a Middlesbrough to Newcast

tle 2-car Pacer via the Durham Coast line also turns off for Norton East.

BELOW: Norton West Box. All pictures taken

n on 18 Feb 2017 unless otherwise specified.

BELOW: Norton West 'NW', left is the rusty curve to Norton East, actually t

the straighter alignment; right is to Norton South & Stockton. (9 Oct 2019.)







BELOW: Norton West Down starter (but the arm is up), looking towards Ferryhill. (8 Oct 2019.)

BELOW: Norton West Level Crossing in 2017 with two full barrier

rs, Ferryhill to the left and Norton East and Stockton to the right.

BELOW: 8 Oct 2019 with the barriers down - a relatively rare event

t, there are not that many trains on Norton to Ferryhill freight line.

BELOW: Norton West Crossing on 27 Oct 2020 with the four new half bar

rriers in place, the box site is required for the associated new equipment.

BELOW: On 8 Oct 2019, a Middlesbrough to Newcastle DMU via the Dur

rham Coast passes Norton East (Norton Curve to Norton West is ahead).

BELOW: A bit further back along this line, looking west from Norton-on

n-Tees to Norton East - the two boxes are only 24ch apart (8 Oct 2019).

BELOW: From the footbridge, Up signals pulled off for the Stockton lin