1353

Number 1353 (Items 1503 - 1659 & MR 75 - 88) (E-BLN 93 PAGES) 30 May 2020

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 necessarily athvaoislaebolef .the Compilers or the Society.

BLN 1354 is dated 13 Jun. E-BLN is out :Fri: 12 Jun; contributions by Wed 3 Jun please.

:THIS IS THE LAST BLN FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT RENEWED:

Annual subscriptions were due on 1ciMetya.ySo2ci0e2ty0. ; if you have not renewed, wish to remain a
member and receive BLN, please renew straight away. Queries to Lisa Sheppard as above.

1503] You wait all year for one then two come along together: Paper BLN 1352 had a copy of our
2019 (Barrow Hill) AGM draft minutes and this BLN has a copy of the delayed 2017 (Liverpool) AGM
draft minutes. If you are missing either or ever have any problems receiving paper BLN, please contact
your Membership Secretary, Lisa Sheppard, as above. PDF copies are on our website 'Archive' - set the
'Category' to 'AGM' and the 'Search' to 'Minutes'. Any observations on the minutes to your General
Secretary, Tim Wallis, please: [email protected] or: 10 Sandringham Rd, Stoke Gifford,
BS34 8NP. It is, of course, for our next Annual General Meeting to consider adoption of these minutes.

1504] The Angus McDougall Memorial BLS Photographic Competition: After consulting with several
Society members, your Editor is pleased to announce that the 2019 winner was Stuart Hicks for his
BLN 1329.1258 (1 Jun 2019) picture of the Great Britain Xll tour with a Black 5 in Stranraer on 2 May
2019. It was an unusual view of the station with considerable scenic, railway and photographic
interest. The train was in the very rare P2. The picture shows that the station is actually on a pier and
looks across to the opposite shore of Loch Ryan in the background. The distinctive West Coast Railway
Coaches and steam add to the scene. As well as a cash prize, Stuart receives a certificate.

A reminder that our late chairman Angus McDougall kindly endowed this competition. It is open to all
members except our official professional Society Photographer Geoff Plumb (otherwise he would win
every year) or any who assist with judging. All pictures taken in the British Isles that appear in e-BLN in
2020 are automatically eligible - it doesn't matter when they were taken. Editor's decision is final.

1505] Heritage Railways £5,000 (total) Donations: (BLN 1351.1191) Thanks to all those members who
responded for all their comments and nominations. The Committee is considering the matter in the
light of ORR Guidance (MR.88 later), which is under active review by the Heritage Railway Association.

1506] Medical Section, Covid-19: https://bbc.in/2zpRQNa is an interesting and authoritative but
understandable BBC article about the novel infection, what we know about it and its strange effects.











PPLEASE REMEMBER TO SET YOUR DEVICE TO FULL SCREEN WIDTH TO MAINTAIN THE PAGE SIZEE

PREVIOUS PAGES: (See item 1504) The first two (landscape) pictures were taken at the same time and
from the same location as the winning photo in our 2019 competition. It appeared in BLN 1329.1258;
of 1 Jun 2019 and is very similar to the first one above. The shot was taken on 2 May 2019 during the
Great Britain XII tour which is in the ultra-rare Stranraer P2, the Black 5 (44871) is being watered (the
other Black 5 was detached at Dunragit loop and followed light engine). The former Stena (ex-Sealink)
port facility is next to P1 (nearer the photographer). In the first picture the vessel, top left, is 'European
Highlander', departing for Larne. Both it and the other P&O vessel operating from Cairnyan, 'European
Causeway', are very similar, but there are slight differences in profile and the arrangement of the
lifeboats. It has passed the Stena terminal, for the Belfast service, in the middle of the photograph.

The P&O terminal is out of view to the right. The photograph appears to have been taken looking
almost due north. The lighthouse in the middle of the photograph on the far shore helps confirm the
location. The third picture (PREVIOUS PAGE) is Castle St John in Stranraer town which Stuart Hicks
took his winning picture from and explains the elevation of the view point looking across Loch Ryan.

1353 HEAD LINES (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
'ROP' in the context of service suspensions (indicated) means the passenger service resumed.
1507] Mid Norfolk Railway (MNR): (BLN 1351.1244) (MR p8) North of Kimberley Park station, the five
new Ballast Pit Sidings - No1 (327m), No2 (274m), No3 (222m), No4 (140m) & furthest from the running
line No5 (127m) - are on the Up (east) side with a connection facing south; a 148m headshunt runs
south. North of them the new 1¼ mile Danemoor Loop (named from passing under the B1135
Danemoor Bridge) extends from Brick Kiln Grove Jn (4m 23ch) to just past the north end of
Hardingham (private) station (5m 46ch). The £3.25M new infrastructure, commissioned in Mar 2019,
was funded by Greater Anglia to store new FLIRTs, and later withdrawn stock. First public use was
during the 5-7 Apr 2019 MNR Spring Diesel Gala with shuttles on Sun 7 Apr between Kimberley Park
and the new sidings (BLN 1328.MR76). The first Greater Anglia unit to use them was 29 May 2019.

FIRST PAGE ABOVE: New plan by Martyn Brailsford; the old layout was just the single track MNR line.

1508] Pantyffynnon - Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen Open Cast Disposal Point: (BLNs 1327.1093 & 1348.870)
The final coal train on this 6⅔ mile branch left at 12.13 on Thur 12 Dec 2019, to clear the stockpile; this
was the day before our Society's visit to Pantyffynnon Signal Box! The destination was Immingham
Reception Sidings (reached 03.38 next morning) for the briquette factory. The wagons returned to
Margam loaded with imported coal. Coal cutting at the open cast site ended first week in Apr 2019.

Previously the rail terminal had been 'mothballed' from the end of Mar 1999 when traffic transferred
to Onllwyn; it resumed at G-C-G in Jan 2009. On Tue 21 Jan 2020 a Colas worked track recording
'yellow' DMU visited the branch from about 09.50 to 10.50; there have been no further trains to date.

1509] Dalmeny Jn - Winchburgh Jn (4¼m): (BLN 1350.1062) CP Mon 23 Mar (last ran Fri 20 Mar 2020).

1510] Hare Park Jn - Crofton West Jn: (BLN 1351.1224) ROP Tue 28 Apr 2020 (suspended Sat 4 Apr);
23.15 SSux Sheffield to Leeds service. CrossCountry restarted using the route from Sun 3 May; all their
Sheffield - Leeds trains ran/are booked that way SuO 10 May until 7 Jun (both inclusive) but in the new
timetable only ECS workings maintain route knowledge. TPE PSULs restarted overnight 18/19 May.

1511] Drax Branch Jn - Potters Grange Jn: (BLN 1349.889) ROA Wed 13 May (TCA 26 Feb 2020; flood
damage at Snaith); the passenger service (two to Leeds and one to Goole SuX) remains suspended.

1512] Emirates Air Line; Greenwich Peninsula - Emirates Royal Docks: (BLN 1350.1059) ROP 07.00
Mon 18 May (operating from 07.00 SSuX; 08.00 SO & 10.00 SuO until 20.00) after being 'suspended' (!)
from Sat 21 Mar 2020. From 26 May, travel before 09.30 Mon-Fri is free with no need to tap in or out.
Due to social distancing only one passenger is allowed per cabin, unless from the same household.

BELOW: (Item 1507) Greater Anglia Mk 3 coaches near Kimberley P

Park, Mid-Norfolk Railway. (All three Iain Scotchman, 12 Feb 2020.)

BELOW: Greater Anglia FLIRTs on the new Danem

moor Loop south of Hardingham (private) station.

BELOW: The new Brick Kiln Grove Jn (note the motorised point) looking nor

rth to Hardingham; Danemoor Loop is right. (Iain Scotchman, 12 Feb 2020.)

1513] (Barnehurst) Perry St Fork Jn - Erith Loop - Slade Green Jn (29ch): (BLN 1351.1204) From
Mon 18 May service is just Mondays to Fridays peak, five in the morning and four in the evening SSuX.

1514] Crayford Spur 'A' Jn - Crayford Spur 'B' Jn: (BLN 1351.1205) ROP Mon 18 May 2020 (suspended
23 Mar) with seven day all day half-hourly services (Cannon Street to Cannon Street) both directions.

1515] Chislehurst Jn (11m 33ch) - St Mary Cray Down Jn (11m 71ch = 13m 10ch): (BLN 1350.1049)
The single track Reversible Chatham Loop ROP Mon 18 May after TCP at 04.18 on Tue 25 Feb 2020
(points damaged during engineering work). The PSUL is now just used by 17.15 & 18.15 SSuX Cannon
Street to Ramsgate but 2tph each way used/are to use it all day 24 & 31 May (engineering diversions).

1516] Streatham South Jn - Streatham North Jn (via the reversible Fast Spur): (BLN 1351.1210) ROP
Mon 18 May 2020 (suspended Mon 23 Mar) now used by 08.07 & 20.07 (SSuX) Dorking to Victoria.

1517] Preston, Farrington Curve Jn (East Lancs) - Ormskirk P2 with Croston, Rufford & Burscough
Junction stations: (BLN 1351.1217) ROP Mon 18 May (service suspended from Tue 24 Mar 2020).

1518] Wigan Wallgate Jn - Kirkby P2 (& four stations): (BLN 1050.1057) ROP Mon 18 May (suspended
Thur 19 Mar 2020) with an almost normal service (generally hourly) to/from Manchester Victoria.

1519] Helsby Jn - Ellesmere Port P2 (incl): (BLN 1350.1058) ROP Mon 18 May (suspended Sat 21 Mar)
reduced from 8 trains SuX to two: 05.10 ex-Lime Street via Warrington BQ and 06.17 return to Leeds.

1520] Carnforth Station Jn - Settle Jn (24½ miles) and four intermediate stations: (BLN 1349.893) ROP
Mon 18 May 2020 (suspended Fri 20 Mar). Four trains each way Lancaster - Skipton shuttle (SuX??).

1521] Woodgrange Park Jn - Forest Gate Jn: (BLN 1351.1218) ROP Mon 18 May 2020 (suspended
Sat 28 Mar); in diversionary use after 20.15 with Fenchurch Street closed 18-21 May. c2c resumed the
half-hourly Saturday Shoeburyness to Liverpool Street service from Sat 23 May, but not on Sundays.

1522] Bletchley - Bedford: (BLN 1351.1218) Buses were provided again from Mon 18 May; (rail service
suspended Wed 25 Mar). In normal times there is significant school/college traffic on the line.

1523] Hatton West Jn - Hatton North Jn: (BLN 1350.1071) ROP Mon 18 May (suspended Mon 6 Apr);
one train daily SuX: 23.30 West Midlands Railway Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham Snow Hill.

1524] Great Malvern (excl) - Shelwick Jn: (BLN 1350.1072) ROP Mon 18 May (suspended Mon 6 Apr).

1525] Hounslow Jn - Whitton Jn: ROP Mon 18 May SSuX all day hourly service (suspended Mon 23 Mar).

1526] Blackheath Jn - Charlton Jn: ROP Mon 18 May SSuX peak service only (suspended Mon 23 Mar).

1527] Bromley Jn (Crystal Palace) - Beckenham Jn P1: ROP Mon 18 May (suspended Mon 30 Mar).
1528] LUL; Bayswater (TCP 20 Mar), Blackhorse Road (23rd), Bounds Green (19th), Bow Road (19th),
Mansion House (21st), Pimlico (20th) & Warwick Avenue (21st) stations: All ROP Mon 18 May 2020.

1529] Halton Jn - Frodsham Jn: ROP Mon 18 May (Suspended Mon 30 Mar) TfW Liverpool - Chester
SuX with one DMU, reduced from hourly to 2-hourly (3 hour gap when it runs to Wrexham) eight daily.

1530] Norton-on-Tees West - East & Norton on Tees South Jn - Ferryhill South Jn: ROA 18 May (TCA 8 Apr).

1531] Habrough Jn - Barton-on-Humber: ROP Tue 19 May 2020 six of the normal nine trains each way
SuX (suspended Tue 24 Mar). Note that Ulceby North Jn - Barton-on-Humber was TCA and de-staffed.

1532] Darlaston Jn - Pleck Jn: ROP Sat 23 May 2020 (suspended Sat 28 Mar) weekly SO PSUL now
05.43 from Wolverhampton to Rugeley (running as far as Walsall in the Emergency Timetable).

1533] Eastleigh West Jn - Hedge End - Botley - Fareham East Jn: TCP Sat 23 May; ROP Sat 30 May
2020. Nearly a mile of track (where it is single) is being relaid including through Tapnage Tunnel.

1534] Hubberts Bridge: (BLN 1345.384) New Up P2 ROP due Mon 1 Jun 2020 after TCP 15 Dec 2019;
the length increases from 37m to 50m. SSuX two Up trains (to Sleaford) call and three Down call at P1.

1353 BLN GENERAL (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
1535] BLNs, closing the gap: BLNs for 2003 to 2005 (& 2005 BLNI separately) are now on our website.

[BLN 1353]
PREVIOUS PAGE: A handbill (with thanks to Richard Maund) announcing reopening of Glanrhyd.

1536] Poring over milk traffic: (BLN 1351.1355) Further information on this topic has poured in
although the original question about physical operations at unstaffed platforms remains unanswered.

Milk was the main goods traffic on the central section of the Midland & South Western Junction
Railway and the two stations south of Cricklade seem to have primarily functioned as milk platforms.
The first Blunsdon station (36m 58ch from Andover Red Post Jn), north of Tadpole Lane overbridge,
[the present Swindon & Cricklade Heritage station is south] had advertised calls by all passenger trains
in the Apr 1910 Bradshaw but by Jul 1922 only one per week. This was SuO 17.00 Cricklade to Swindon
Town, allowed 40 min for the journey compared with 14 min for most weekday (non-stop) services.

It was a mixed train (passenger and milk) but was previously milk only; the 1920 working timetable
(WTT) shows only goods and milk train calls all week (well, cows don't have Sundays off); Nov 1920
and Jun 1921 Bradshaw also show no passenger calls. TCP 1 Jan 1917 seems likely but is not confirmed.

The (very limited!) ROP date is unknown but in the Oct 1921 WTT the evening Down (southbound)
weekday passenger service is booked to call at Blunsdon 20.08 to 20.12, following the withdrawal of a
separate milk train which had previously called there. In the Jul 1922 Bradshaw's no call is booked but
the train is allowed 20 min between Cricklade and Swindon Town, sufficient extra time for it still to be
made, at least in theory! Clinker states that weekday calls ceased from 10 Jul 1922 but his original
index file names no source. The SuO call was last advertised 21 Sep 1924 and CG(CA) was 1 Aug 1937.
Clearly passenger traffic was negligible; after WWI it appears milk was the only significant traffic flow.

To the south, Moredon Halt/Platform (34m 79ch) opened 25 Mar 1913 for an unadvertised workmen's
service. It was evidently little used by the workers (whoever they were; the adjacent power station
didn't open until 1929) and its subsequent history was similar to that of Blunsdon. It appeared in the
Oct 1923 GWR public timetable but again with only the SuO Cricklade to Swindon Town mixed train
booked to call. As with Blunsdon this ended after 21 Sep 1924 but milk traffic probably continued.
A Divisional Superintendent's letter of 1944 gives a closure date of 1 Oct 1932 but 'passenger' receipts
(possibly from power station workers and/or milk loaded on to passenger trains making unadvertised
calls?) were still recorded up to 1935. Certainly a BR internal circular of 1961 refers to 'coaching train
traffic' consisting of 'parcels and other passenger rated traffic' which would include milk.

Until rail tank wagons were introduced in the 1930s, milk trains were made up of vans carrying churns.
There was a residual churn business until milk carrying ceased. Sep 1930 'Southern Railway Magazine'
records the number of churns 'dealt with' at what are described as 'milk receiving depots' in the
12 months to Jun 1930: ●Clapham Junction: 1,176,295 ●Forest Hill: 368,864 ●London Bridge: 1,462
●Vauxhall: 526,752 ●Charing Cross: 1,082 ●Waterloo: 182,058 ●Tulse Hill: 131,794 ●Victoria: 21,308
●Norwood Junction: 61,741. At Vauxhall a United Dairies bottling and pasteurising plant was erected
close to the station. In the era of tank wagons those were placed in P1 and connected via hoses to
holding tanks from which the milk was piped to the dairy. A railway enthusiast website says holding
tanks at the station had also been used for milk poured from churns, but this has not been verified.

The Clapham Junction total is astounding, averaging over 3,200 churns every day. Can anyone add info
about where the milk went (flowed?), and how? [Could it have been Whey-bridge or Curd-worth?]

The GWR Magazine of Jan 1933 gives a hint of the modernisation to come: [During 1932] conveyance
of milk in tankers was further extended. Tanks are now regularly worked from nine GWR stations to
London and Chippenham. Milk is collected by the Company's motors from many parts of Cornwall and
concentrated at Lostwithiel, where a large factory has been constructed. After sterilisation the milk is
despatched to London and Chippenham. A new type of mobile tank of 2,000 gallons capacity, suitable
for road working and also capable of being loaded on to a specially designed railway truck was
introduced and is working between Maiden Newton and London.

Sometimes this took the form of a road milk tanker lashed on to a low deck wagon. Milk traffic was the
only reason for retention of the freight 'milk branches' north of Lampeter to Felin Fach, (Green Grove)
and Pont Llanio as well as the Hemyock branch into the 1970s, but it was 1979 before the last churns
were replaced by road tankers!

The 1938 Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations does not include Friar Waddon Milk
Platform or Glanrhyd (BLN 1351.1355). This presumably makes sense if the only traffic for them was
by a contract with the customer collecting/delivering, so there would be no rate to quote for casual
traffic. A correction to the original item and Clinker's Register; Quick is correct: on the evidence of the
GWR Special Notice advertising the event, Glanrhyd station ROP as a Halt from Mon 19 Dec 1938.

1537] My First Railway Memories (29): (BLN 1352.1393) By Brian Schindler, your West Midlands
Regional Editor. The first train/railway memory I have is of a visit to Birmingham and walking past
Moor Street station with my mother. At the side of the station was Shut Lane, a steep cobbled street.
Looking down it I could see steam trains approaching on the main line into Snow Hill (just terminal
platforms at Moor Street in those days). I couldn't understand why these trains suddenly disappeared!

We didn't live near a station and my parents did not travel by train much, as my father had his own
business as a motor repairer in Witton, so car travel was the norm. However, I did have an Aunt at
Hendy near Llanelli and I remember my father putting us on a train at Snow Hill. A DMU, it had a
compartment with shiny wood and you could see out the front. I believe the train was an 'Express
Diesel' service between Birmingham Snow Hill and Swansea in British Railways days and (from a
poster I later saw in the pub at Codsall station) think it was routed via Henley-in-Arden, Stratford-
upon-Avon, Honeybourne over the now heritage Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway
through Broadway to Cheltenham Spa and Lydney. While staying at Hendy I remember being led on
the Sunday by my cousins over the Loughor Viaduct; there were no trains on a Sunday they said!

It was some years later that I took up train spotting and regularly went to Water Orton, usually on a
Saturday evening where my father enjoyed a pint while I watched the action from the pub car park
wall. He also took me to Bromford where I watched the Industrial Steam locos shunting trains of pipes
from the Stewart & Lloyds works ('Bromford Tubes') to the exchange sidings. With a good friend I later
travelled a great deal to spot trains including on some cheap BR excursions from New Street, notably
to Barry Island (for Woodham's scrapyard) and Bradford Exchange. I remember a trip where we spent
a week in London using a Southern Region Rover ticket. At the end of the week we travelled to Butlins
at Filey using a loco-hauled train from Scarborough into the camp branch station platform. Another
trip by car involved a stay in Whitley Bay and an evening return trip by DMU to Newcastle Central.

My gricing activities took off in the late 1980s when collieries were being closed; there were rumours
of privatisation and possible large scale line closures as a result. I started to travel quite a bit by train
to cover various lines and enjoyed my first tour, The Mills and Dales 125 Special on 2 Feb 1991, to
Rylstone. I was hooked and inevitably joined the Society about 1995 due to some interesting tours; my
first was 'The Southwest Rambler' to Devonport and Par Harbour on a Class 150 DMU!

In common with many members, I have since covered virtually the whole of the Network Rail system
at Baker Level. I concentrated on the UK mainland although I have had a few notable rail journeys
overseas including a trip on the former sugar cane railway in St Kitts and a bullet train in Japan.
Over many years I have been a regular commuter into Birmingham New Street from my home near
Wilnecote station just outside Tamworth. I was invited to join the BLN Editorial team in 2010 and still
enjoy compiling the West Midlands news from regular member contributions and my own sightings.

I am now encouraging my young grandson's interest in trains, much to the dismay of the rest of my
family who don't use public transport. I hope to be able to nurture his interest further as time goes by
and you never know, possibly a new BLS member! [He could always start as a 'Basic' member - Ed!]

1538] Railnet: This project dating from 1996 created eight national Royal Mail Terminal (RMT) hubs
with rail trunk haulage between them. Included in the £150M investment by Royal Mail were 16 Class
325 dual voltage 100mph 4-car EMUs and the £25M 7-platform Willesden Princess Royal Distribution
Centre (PRDC). A query on 'Gensheet' recently asked about opening and closure dates for rail traffic.
Can anyone add to or correct the information (below) please? There is now regular Royal Mail traffic at
Shieldmuir, Low Fell, Warrington & Wembley. Information from contemporary BLNs unless indicated:

Shieldmuir (Motherwell): OG 16 Feb 1998*; BLN 947 reported that traffic ceased after last Scottish

...Travelling Post Office service to/from Cardiff on Fri 9 May 2003. Was this CG, if so when did it ROG?

Low Fell (near Newcastle): OG 6 Mar 1995‡; OHLE energised 11 Mar 1995. ROG 3 Jun 2013 (traffic

...resumed to/from Willesden Princess Royal Distribution Centre; BLN 1182).

Warrington Dallam: OG 3 Nov 1997* (BLN 814 has Sat 1 Nov, that may be the terminal itself).

Stafford dedicated P7 - a high platform numerically and in elevation: OG 16 Jun 1997*.

Doncaster: OG 21 Apr 1997*.

Bristol Parkway: OG 15 May 2000*; CG 20 Feb 2004. [*From Royal Mail sources]
Tonbridge: OG 19 Oct 1994‡; CG XX Mar 2004‡. [‡From 'Gensheet']

Wembley (PRDC): OG 30 Sep 1996* (official opening by The Princess Royal 20 May 1997, who also

...red penned it as she arrived by special train - perhaps they should have sent a Royal Male?).

1539] Points & Slips: ●●BLN 1351.1234] The comment about making a meal last to travel in 1st Class
with a 2nd Class ticket reminded a member of 1972 on a London Midland Rover ticket. He wanted to
travel in the Gresley buffet car on The Thames Clyde Express (before it was cut back to, effectively, the
'Trent Clyde Express' in May 1974). The train ran between Glasgow and St Pancras via Kilmarnock,
Appleby, Leeds and the Midland Main Line. The buffet attendant insisted he couldn't stay in the buffet
unless he was consuming something purchased there so, in his impoverished state, he made a can of

Coke last 110 miles from just south of Carlisle to Leeds over the Settle & Carlisle line. Well before
Leeds, the fizz had gone from the drink but he got a buzz out of travelling in the historic carriage.

●●BLN 1352.1391] Quiz Q7: Sharnbrook Tunnel (Wymington Deviation) between Wellingborough
and Bedford was built to ease gradients in both directions, although there would be more loaded
(coal) trains southbound. Q10: 5092 'Tresco Abbey' (on the Isles of Scilly) was indeed a GWR Castle
Class name not on the British mainland. Another, also on Tresco, Scilly, was Cromwell's Castle (7031)...

X.102] BELOW: Cromwell's Castle on Tresco, Isle of Scilly, from Bryher on a misty day. It doesn't look
much until you realise that they are not miniature people to the right of it on the ground. (Phil Drake.)

●●1417] With apologies, your Editor hadn't realised that some of the interesting pictures on the Ripon
line were taken by our member Steve Ottevanger. The special train on the line on 26 Sep 1967 did run.
The 5 May 1969 working timetable which still showed freight trains running to Melmerby MoD Depot
(even though it had closed 31 Dec 1968) was not in fact amended by the Jun 1969 supplement.

●●1418] Freight uses Middlesbrough Goods Lines anyway but increased platform occupation with the
Dec timetable means there will rarely be a path on the Mains in the day. ●●1442] On Sat 23 May an
extra £29M Government support was announced for English trams and light rail. ●●1468] At HS2
Curzon Street, the gradient out of the station is to be 0.52% which is 1:192 so it is not a funicular!

●●X.97] Regarding the photos at Kintore stations: The sixth photo (caption: BELOW: The new station
site in Mar 2019, ready for redoubling, looking towards the old station...) is in fact looking towards
Inverness. It is essentially the same view as the eighth image (caption: BELOW: No stone was left
unturned...). In both cases, the station is behind the photographer, correctly described for the 8th one.

1540] Passenger's Luggage in Advance (PLA): (BLN 1348.788) In his 'First Railway Memories' Greg
Beecroft asked about this. Another member has been in lockdown with his 94 year old father who was
a British Rail (BR) Carman (Delivery Driver) for most of his working life. Our diligent member has made
good use of the time by asking him about his work. The round was in West Dorset so he often handled:

●PLA - Passenger's Luggage in Advance: Collected from, and delivered to, different addresses.
●DL - Delivered Luggage: Taken by an individual to a station and delivered to a home address.
●CL - Collected Luggage: Collected from an address and left to be called for at the destination station.

Greg's luggage would have been collected by the nearest rail parcels or goods depot. A van from Ealing
would collect it irrespective of the ticket departure station. Form 'BR 25455' would be completed to
include recording the particulars of all tickets which could be season tickets. These were produced to
the Carman or Booking Clerk who would endorse each ticket (not seasons) on the reverse with 'CL',
'DL' or 'PLA'. The departure station was not important but the ticket had to show the same destination
as the luggage (or the nearest possible station). Local tickets in large towns to principal stations were
not accepted. The items were considered as Passenger Rated Traffic carried in guard's vans or parcel
trains. A green BR label would be pasted on each item. In later years, this was a long blue label. A slip
would be left with the customer as a receipt, which in the case of CL would be handed in when luggage
was collected. On delivery the Carman would arrange the collection date from the address/holiday
camp but, as the holidaymakers would have already left, tickets would not need to be seen.

Charges per item in 1962 were PLA 5s 6d (27½p) and 2s 9d (14p) for CL or DL. In 1962 the service was
available between any stations in Great Britain (GB) except those of the London Transport Executive;
GB & the Isle of Man (CL to/DL from Douglas only); GB to Jersey & Guernsey; GB to & from stations on
Ulster Transport Authority stations of the former Northern Counties, Belfast & County Down Railways
& certain Great Northern Railway stations. All services outside GB incurred additional charges.

Our member has a completed 1962 DL note salvaged from Easton station (Isle of Portland) in 1967.
Although closed to passengers in 1952 it still received parcels traffic. As its owners had to travel from
Weymouth, it's possible, unless a Weymouth delivery van collected from the station, their luggage
enjoyed a ride on the Weymouth to Easton branch! [Sorry they can't count the track; Gricing Rule 9.]

A similar service was provided for boarding schools though a different form was completed which
listed the pupils and their tickets. Schools like Sherborne would generate enough luggage at the
beginning and end of terms to fill at least one or two delivery vans. The service was popular through
the 1960s, special luggage trains are believed to have operated on the Isle of Wight during the holiday
season. However with the increased use of the motor car use of the service generally declined during
the 1970s. It probably disappeared with the end of Rail Express Parcels and National Carriers.

1541] Rail Atlas of Great Britain, 15th Edition by Stuart Baker: Crécy's website http://bit.ly/2WkurWx
now shows this long awaited definitive atlas will be in stock on 12 June. However, publication has been
repeatedly deferred. The cover price is still £20 but the cover picture has changed - watch this space.

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1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2013 2020

ABOVE: This shows the annual subscription rates for the year in question (agreed at the AGM before)
but all at 2020 prices allowing for inflation. It does NOT compare like with like; in the beginning BLN
was once a month with few pages, later it included BLNI which then became a separate optional extra.

There was a time that you could have six (!) options: BLN by First or Second Class Post twice a month
or Second Class once a month (each with or without BLNI of course!). Now paper members also have a
free annual printed copy of PSUL and Minor Railways (all in white envelopes!) plus e-BLN, e-BLNI and
website access as well as significant discounts on fixtures. Far right shows the e-membership alone
subscription (it includes a paper copy of Minor Railways, fixture discounts etc). E-BLN was 7 years old
on 11th May. In both cases our recent subscription rate freeze has reduced the actual cost in real
terms. The current electronic subscription is also the best value we have ever had for full membership.

1543] Restoring Your Railways Fund pipedream? Of 60 applications for the £500M, ten have been

selected by an industry panel for first round funding. Separate from the New Station Fund, it provides

up to 75% of the cost of transport and economic feasibility studies and creating a business case (only):

❶ Meir station (Longton - Blyth Bridge line). ❻ Wellington & Cullompton stations (Devon).

❷ Sheffield - Barrow Hill - Chesterfield. ❼ Bury - Heywood - Castleton - Rochdale.

❸ Leicester - Coalville - Burton-on-Trent. ❽ Clitheroe - Hellifield (normally SuO).

❹ Shanklin - Ventnor & Wootton - Newport. ❾ Devizes Parkway (Pewsey - Westbury line).

❺ Passing loop on St Albans Abbey branch. ❿ Totton - Hythe (part of the Fawley branch).

1544] Multi-Box Locations: Following our visit to the two Bedlington boxes on 28 Jun 2019 and with
the recent discussions about all the Tondu signal boxes (BLN 1352.1488), a member started thinking
about how many multi-box locations remain on the national network. Once very common (almost
every major station had more than one signal box), now only a handful of examples still survive.

Like any list submitted to our membership, precise definitions are essential. It is limited to mechanical
boxes - defined as those containing lever frames. Gate boxes are included if the lever frame is inside
the box. There are many other 'gate boxes' with outdoor ground frames and a hut - often replacing a
keeper's cottage. However, from a railway infrastructure point of view, our member feels these are
not much different from unattended ground frames (and there are far too many of them to list!).

Even harder to define is when boxes are 'at the same railway location'. It is clear if they have the same
name, differing only by a suffix (like Bedlington North/South). However, places are excluded if the
common name arises solely as one box was named as 'The Junction for X', such as Llandudno.

Some signal boxes are (arguably) named ambiguously, in that the exact name differs between the
nameplate, diagram, Sectional Appendix etc. At Shrewsbury, the inclusion of 'Shrewsbury' in names
may be questionable, however it seems clear that they should all be counted as Shrewsbury boxes.

There are several cases of boxes with completely different names in the same general area. This could
be defined with reference to local government, wards etc but those are transient concepts, possibly
less relevant to an audience of rail enthusiasts. It is subjective of course, but our member prefers to
group only those boxes that are clearly within the same built-up settlement (be it village, town or city).

Oxmarsh & Barrow Road may both be considered as 'New Holland boxes' because there is essentially
continuous 'civilisation' between them. King's Dyke seems to be on the very edge of Whittlesey
(actual place name) but is grouped with Whittlesea (railway name) on a local member's insistence!
That is not the only railway solecism as the water course King's Dyke in real life is King's Dike.

Finally, it may be argued that boxes should only be considered part of a group if they are 'on the same
line'. This makes sense, but in practice seems to raise too many complicated and borderline cases as
the ownership and the presence of connecting lines will have varied throughout the boxes' lifetimes.
Based on the above criteria, our member believes the list of surviving multi-box locations to be:

●Bedlington ●New Mills ●Stockport④ ●Worcester

●Crewe ●Norton ●Stirling ●Workington

●Gainsborough ●Parbold② ●Warrington⑤

●March ●Shrewsbury ●Whittlesey⑥

●New Holland① ●Starbeck③ ●Willesden

Includes: ①Oxmarsh & Barrow Road; ②Chapel Lane Crossing; ③Belmont Gate Box; ④The Edgeley

boxes, as opposed to giving them a separate entry; ⑤Arpley Junction; ⑥Whittlesea & King's Dyke.

BELOW: A once everyday scene at Stockport, a 4-car AM4 (Class 304) EMU for Alderley Edge.
None of the 45 units survived. You bounced on the seats on jointed track! (Ian Mortimer, Feb 1975.)

BELOW: (See item 1546) 6E98; 21.09 ex-Aberdeen Waterloo (18 May); 708
(via transfer here to road tanker). It is arriving at Spalding from Lincoln and
Up Sidings (right), CP 5 Oct 1970 a short section this end remained to Spaldin

803 plus 10 TEAs with Calcium Carbonate slurry for Palm Paper, King's Lynn
Sleaford. The direct line to Boston was a continuation straight ahead of the
ng Sugar Factory (closure date unknown). (Nick Garnham, 19 May 2020.)

BELOW: Colas 70803 in Spalding Up Sidings after setting back. (Ia

ain Scotchman, 19 May 2020.) NEXT PICTURE: Nick Garnham.





1353 EAST MIDLANDS (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]

1545] Kilsby Tunnel: (BLN 1351.1231) This 1m 656yd tunnel on the West Coast Main Line Weedon
route ROA Mon 18 May, for the enhanced timetable, after a 15-day closure with all trains (reduced
Covid timetable) diverted via Northampton. It is said to be the longest closure of the tunnel since it
opened in 1837. [The 1955 ASLEF strike was 28 May until 14 Jun 1955 or 17 days if no trains ran then.]

In the normal timetable 400 trains a day use Kilsby Tunnel. Water leaks through the 183 year old
tunnel walls had caused the track to flood and degrade resulting in speed restrictions and delays.
(One member suggested that it was built without drainage!) With waterproofing and drainage work
complete, the 110mph line speed has been restored. 1.3km of track was replaced; 2,458 concrete
sleepers laid; 7,700 tonnes of ballast laid; 745m of new drainage; 23,870 hours were worked.
250 other jobs were also completed between Rugby and Milton Keynes including: Replacing and
maintaining signalling cabling and equipment; OHLE maintenance; Relaying and rail replacement;
Trackside drainage elsewhere; Inspecting railway structures and Vegetation management.

1546] Spalding: On Mon 18 May there was a 20.00 Waterloo (not London, or even Liverpool, but
Aberdeen!) to Spalding Up Sidings freight train - arriving there 11.45 next morning. The trial Colas
operated service with 70803 conveyed Calcium Carbonate used in making paper based products.

The wagons were to remain for a couple of weeks (just think of those demurrage charges…) this time,
for discharge by road tanker to a paper mill at King's Lynn and, if judged successful, this is likely to be a
weekly flow by the middle of June. It is thought to be the first revenue earning freight traffic at
Spalding for about 35 years. The train arrived via Lincoln and Sleaford and set back from Spalding
station - a signalled move. Spalding was chosen as the destination due to the lack of paths north of Ely
and the lack of a suitable unloading point at King's Lynn. The two Up sidings (TRACKmaps 2 p24D Oct
2016) are thought to be on the start of the former direct Spalding to Boston line (CP 5 Oct 1970).

1547] Name that train: East Midlands Railway is looking for a (suitable!) name for its new Class 810,
Hitachi bimodes, due to be introduced from Apr 2022 onward. See https://bit.ly/2T0uIeB to enter.

1548] Castles & Collieries: A PDF with e-BLN 1353, written by some friends of Paul Griffin, our
previous BLNI Editor. The well illustrated and well researched lockdown walk has railway interest in
the Ripley/Butterley area of Derbyshire. It includes a contemporary aerial photo with the walk marked
and a map of the Butterley Park Pits with railways and tramways. Codnor Castle is also visited.

1549] Brigg: (BLN 1351.1251) On 29 Mar the Barnetby end double level track crossing was converted
from Manually Controlled Gates to Manually Controlled Barriers, controlled from Brigg signal box.

X.103] Kettering South Jn - Wyminton Deviation - Sharnbrook Jn: (BLN 1348.795) The reinstated
(mostly unidirectional) Up slow through Wellingborough P4 commissioned on 2 Jan 2020 was finally
'signed into use' from 15.00 Wed 27 May 2020. The first revenue earning service to use part of it, on
28 May, was 07.48 (GBRf) Wellingborough Up Sidings aggregate train with 66758 to Thorley Mill.
The first to use the northern section as well was 06.49 Mountsorrel to Elstrow aggregate train on 27th.

1353 GREATER LONDON (Geoff Brockett) [email protected]
1550] Cricklewood: (BLN 1344.228) From 2 May the North Neck siding by the depot signal box was
decommissioned. The box itself is to have a Westcad-based control system, replacing the 2015-vintage
NX panel. It will now remain open until late 2023. Then, West Hampstead PSB will convert from an NX
panel to VDU control with depot signalling control transferring to Cricklewood Workstation in the PSB.

New South Sidings A-E are due to be commissioned on 1 Jun, initially with access from the south end
only. A new tamper siding opens on the same date. Additionally, the North Reception Line will be
severed from the Up Slow, becoming a headshunt. North Siding 1 also becomes a headshunt and one
other North Siding will initially be retained for delivery of construction material. Work then begins on
the two new North Reception Roads. (Some interesting pictures have been provided for a future BLN.)

[BLN 1353]
Demolition of the former Jerich's warehouse (ex-carriage shed) begins in early Jun. No12 Siding
headshunt will be shortened to 190m in Oct, with the end of line just south of the open level crossing.
The waste transfer siding will now remain operational until late 2021.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Midland Main Line, DB Cargo announced the official opening of its
terminal on 12 May, although it had been operating before this. Two companies are already using the
terminal, and discussions are ongoing with potential operators for the two remaining sites. Tarmac will
bring in aggregates, in particular for the nearby Brent Cross housing scheme, and FCC Environment is
dispatching spoil to Calvert. The new Brent Cross station here has received planning permission.

1551] Covid-19; TfL: (BLN 1351.1255) Negotiations on a financial settlement seem to have been
affected by political animosity between the Mayor of London and the government. TfL came within 24
hours of having to make a legal declaration that it was unable to meet its financial obligations for the
year. The deal, a grant of £1.095bn and a loan of £505M, runs until Oct, but comes with conditions:

A London Covid-19 task force, comprising representatives of the government and TfL, has been
established to oversee operational decisions during the crisis. This will focus on taking all practicable
steps to increase the number of services as quickly as possible. Reintroduction of fares on buses.
This will be difficult as boarding remains through the centre doors and only the 'Borismasters' have
card readers in that area. Central London congestion charge reinstatement from 18 May; the cost
and hours of operation increase from 22 Jun. Temporary suspension of Freedom Pass and 60+ card
concessions in the morning peak and temporary suspension of free travel for U18s as soon as possible.

Fares increase on all modes by RPI+1% in Jan 2021. The Mayor had intended to continue his fares
freeze on the buses. Promotion of active travel and traffic management. The government will
carry out an immediate, broad-ranging review of TfL's future financial position and structure, including
the potential for efficiencies. Two special representatives will represent the government on TfL's
board, its finance committee and its programmes and investment committee, in order to ensure best
value for money for the taxpayer. TfL has already made substantial cost reductions to balance the
withdrawal of the government's £700M annual revenue grant and the Mayor's four-year fares freeze.

1552] TfL Rail: (BLN 1352. 1407) The full GEML Shenfield and GWML Reading timetables restarted
from 18 May. Regardless of the pandemic there are no regular Paddington to Hayes & Harlington bay
shuttles booked at all in the 17 May to 12 Dec timetable. The original plan was to run 4tph all stations,
including Acton Main Line, to Terminal 4. However, Terminal 4 station is now closed (BLN 1351.1389)
and there are only five Class 360 EMUs so 4tph cannot run until the Class 345 EMUs are cleared for
Heathrow. Meanwhile 2tph are cancelled and the other 2tph are diverted to Terminal 5 instead.

1553] LUL: (BLN 1352.1406) In a change of plan, the special reduced service timetables will not be
implemented. Instead, from 18 May the WTTs were reintroduced, with cancellations as required; at
first about 70% of the schedule operated. There is still no Night Tube or Waterloo & City service and
Heathrow T4 is not served (BLN 1352.1388). Circle Line services resumed, but with only 4tph in each
direction on a traditional 'circular' service, not serving Hammersmith. The Hammersmith & City Line
continued to operate an emergency timetable. Some Train Operators were sent home after raising
Health & Safety concerns over social distancing. With London having the lowest level of car ownership
in the country and little parking available in the centre, social distancing is difficult at busy times.

1554] DLR & London Trams (Croydon): Services were increased to 80% and 95% respectively from 18 May.

1555] London Overground: (BLN 1350.1091) From 18 May normal off-peak services were restored on
West Anglia routes SSuX, along with the normal SSuX Euston - Watford Junction timetable. Services
from Stratford to both Clapham Junction and Richmond were increased to 3tph SSuX and the 4tph
service to Crystal Palace was restored. Canal Jn to New Cross still has no Overground services.

X.104] (E-BLN 1350.1101 & BLN 1251.1264) re-captioned pictures in the light of further information.

ABOVE: Brentford Football Club's new ground in the Kew Bridge triangle. Taken from Lionel Road
South overbridge looking towards Kew East Jn and South Acton station. Old Kew Jn and Brentford
station are behind the photographer. Phase 1 plans for West London Orbital Railway between West
Hampstead and Hounslow show a new Lionel Road station; Joe Brown's excellent London Railway
Atlas 5th Edition (Sep 2018) p37 suggests platforms each side of the two tracks at roughly the site (inset
p19) of 'Kew' station [behind the bridge and photographer] OP 1 Aug 1853; it CP 1 Feb 1862. However,
one or two trains a week continued to call between Windsor and Caledonian Road for the
Metropolitan Cattle Market to Nov 1866 (Quick 2019). (Three pictures by Don Kennedy, 28 Mar 2020.)

BELOW: Phase 2 was intended to originally terminate in the platforms (plural) on the Kew east curve
(BLN 1350.1101) seen here. However, the building of the new ground has left no room for a platform
on the outside of the curve to serve the Up Spur (left in the picture). Services will have to turnback in
the remaining Down Spur platform (right) on the inside. Both platforms (CP 12 Sep 1940 - Quick 2019)
were once part of Kew Bridge station so adjacent for interchange. The existing two platforms of Kew
Bridge station are now served by Waterloo to Hounslow loop trains, of course, and the west end of its
platforms are only 75yd away from where the new Lionel Road station would be.

ABOVE: 'Old Kew' disused platform actually refers to the Kew Bridge platform inside the east curve on
the Down Spur line (not the original short lived; 'Kew' station on the east curve mentioned earlier).

1556] Other TOCs: From 18 May: The 19.36 SSuX from Edinburgh (BLN 1352.1408) runs in passenger
service from Peterborough to King's Cross. Amersham (BLN 1351.1256) regained 2 off-peak trains per
hour SSuX; there are 2tph to Marylebone in the morning and back in the evening SO, otherwise 1tph.
Early morning/late night LNwR calls resumed at Wembley Central (BLN 1350.1095). Hourly Stratford -
Meridian Water SuX shuttles restarted (full timetable is 3tph). West Ealing to Greenford is still 1tph.

1557] Hither Green etc! A member has used the lockdown to research his local station. He was born
and raised on the Corbett estate in Catford, some 278 acres and 2,000 houses built between 1885 and
1911. Our member was aware that it was also known as the 'St Germans Estate', but in the late 1940s
that was not an association to be talked about. It took him a while to realise that the road names came
from Scottish locations, the Church being St Andrews was a clue. It, two schools and a public library in
Torridon Road, were built as part of the estate, which is on a grid pattern with no pubs or off-licences.

The Corbett name next came to his attention many years later from a series of articles in 'London
Railway Record' on the quadrupling of the Great Eastern Railway (GER) Main Line in the late 19th
century. Archibald Cameron Corbett, a Scottish MP with a Glasgow constituency, together with his
brother in the earliest developments, built estates close to the line. He was keen for the GER to build
two stations to ensure that the buyers and leasers of the spacious houses did not have to walk too far
to commute into London. Corbett offered the GER a cash warranty if season ticket sales did not reach
an acceptable level. The stations were Seven Kings (OP 1 Mar 1899) and Goodmayes (OP 8 Feb 1901).
Again, road maps show a grid pattern and Scottish road names in clusters close to the stations.
The last Corbett estate, at Eltham Park, had an eponymous station at Corbett's request, OP 1 Jul 1908.
It CP 17 Mar 1985 for improvements to the A2. Again, roads are on a grid pattern with Scottish names.

Our member's commuting life began from Hither Green, using the Springbank Road booking hall at the
main line country end, being more convenient for the St Germans Estate passengers. This had road
access for the benefit of 'Railway Carriage Folk'. The London end entrance is via a subway approached
at each end by cul-de-sacs. The main line opened on 1 Jul 1865, then the Dartford Loop on 1 Jan 1866.
However, the station did not open until 1 Jun 1895. The main line was quadrupled from St Johns to

Elmstead Woods on 18 Jun 1905, so Hither Green would have been rebuilt to provide platforms on all
four lines. Corbett, probably at this time, took the chance to lend the South Eastern Railway £3,400 to
improve the Springbank Road entrance and negotiated a season ticket discount for estate residents.

Archibald Cameron Corbett, he later dropped the Archibald, was born to a Glasgow industrialist, a
Presbyterian and strictly teetotal, hence the lack of pubs and off-licences on his estates. He bought the
land used for 'St Germans Estate' from the Earl of St Germans. Corbett was promoted from the House
of Commons to the Lords as part of the celebrations on the Coronation of King George V, taking the
title Baron Rowallan, his country home just north of Kilmarnock. There are two more rail connections,
Castle 5050 Earl of St Germans for the Catford Estate land and Britannia 70045 Lord Rowallan.
1558] Crossrail: (BLN 1350.1099) More than 2,000 staff are working remotely on over 20,000
documents that must be completed as part of the handover and assurance process. Custom House is
the first station to be handed over to Rail for London Infrastructure, along with the tunnel portal at
Royal Oak and the ventilation and emergency access shaft at Mile End.

1559] Crystal Palace High Level: (CP/CA 20 Sep 1954) The footbridge (TQ 3444 7281) that carries Cox's
Walk over the branch trackbed has been closed temporarily in controversial circumstances. Southwark
Council says that it needs to remove two mature oaks as part of works to fix subsidence at one end of
the bridge. https://bit.ly/2XcBcsg There is a petition against the removal of the trees, with almost
3,000 signatures, and the London Wildlife Trust (which manages the site) has expressed concerns.
The bridge has been closed since Jan and there seems to be a good chance that the branch trackbed
walk underneath will be temporarily closed too. The footbridge is (locally) famous as the vantage point
from which Pissarro painted Lordship Lane station https://bit.ly/36lMZIX with a steam train.

1560] Feltham: (BLN 1352.1414) The new £60M South Western Railway depot occupies about a third
of the former 11 acre Feltham Marshalling Yard site at the northern side of the western end. Work
continues, despite the pandemic, for opening later in the year. It is due to stable and service 10x10-car
Class 701 EMUs, and will have eastern and western end connections installed in the next few months
(BLN 1309.1522). There will be train cleaning and washing facilities. The DfT is funding automatic
shunting technology for a safer working environment and to stable trains quickly during disruption.

1561] HS2: (BLN 1352.1415) The new Old Oak Common station has received planning permission. HS2
Ltd say that it will be the largest new railway station ever built in the UK, as opposed to those like
Waterloo that have been enlarged incrementally. It is expected to be used by 0.25M passengers a day.

1562] Mile End Goods: (BLN 1352.1413) The 'public' activity was just coal traffic from 19 Sep 1966 but
ended 6 Nov 1967. The depot was then a private siding or a 'sole user' (used by one trader) depot - for
the sand traffic only here. Railtrack records show a Tarmac private siding in Oct 1998, but it was OOU.

1563] Northern City Line: (BLN 1342.3069) The evening and weekend service between Finsbury Park
and Moorgate resumed from 18 May as booked. Work carried out during the closures included tunnel
and station deep cleaning, track renewal, new station lighting and tiling repairs or replacement.

1564] Silkstream Jn: Another set of catch points due to bite the dust are on Hendon Chord, provided
to prevent wagons from unfitted freights rolling back to the Down Fast Line. The work is expected to
take place in May 2021 when the nearby crossover between the Up and Down Fast Lines is renewed.

1565] Tottenham South Jn - Seven Sisters Jn: (BLN 1351.1263) To clarify the PSUL here: The 05.31
(advertised 05.30) SO ex-Liverpool Street ran via its booked route from 22 Feb, apart from 18 Apr
when it ran via Stoke Newington. Enfield Town was its destination until 21 Mar and on 11 Apr, but
otherwise it ran to Cheshunt. The short-lived SSuX train to Cheshunt ran Mon 30 Mar until Fri 17 Apr.

1353 NORTH EAST & YORKSHIRE (Geoff Blyth) [email protected]
1566] Esoterica: The breadth and depth of members' knowledge as well as railways is impressive and
collectively fascinating. Your NE Editor recently had to consult three members on: ❶Birding - to
confirm his thought that the goose (type unspecified) which built a nest at York station was a greylag.

[Did you send a tweet, Geoff?] ❷Geology (the member wasn't called Cliff) - about the cliffs on the
Boulby branch, to discover that the risk wasn't so much the cliff edge breaking off as the softer rock at
the base being eroded and bringing down the cliff above. ❸Ship sizes - 'Capesize' and 'Panamax', for
the Redcar Bulk Terminal item; what these mean and which UK ports can handle these. He learned
that there is more to it than that, such as the local pilots being qualified to navigate ships of this size.

1567] Lynemouth: The power station with three 140MW units, burns 30,000+ tonnes of wood pellets
a week at capacity. This can supply 450,000, homes which is 15kg of biomass per average household a
week. The imported pellets arrive by rail from Tyne Coal Terminal (Tyne Dock). Two sets of wagons,
each carrying around 1,700 tonnes, run six or seven days a week (18 or so trains a week at capacity).

Lynemouth Line usage 1568] Blyth & Tyne line: (BLN 1349.935)
To Butterwell Jn Northumberland County Council (NCC) has
instructed consultants to take the project
Passenger through the 'Decision to Design' phase -
NR technical development work to ensure that
Ashington Newbiggin- the desired results can be delivered through
North Seaton by-the-Sea Metro the option being progressed. We did suggest
Proposed (BLN 1349.935) that this was the only
Freight passenger reopening in the North with any
To Morpeth To North Blyth Closed chance of shovels hitting the ground before
the next election. The £162M scheme is the
Bedlington Stations biggest capital project that NCC has ever
undertaken, and probably with two phases.
Blyth To Blyth Open
Bebside Proposed Phase 1: budget £125M, includes Four new
N Newsham stations: Northumberland Park, Newsham
Closed (pronounced News-ham), Bedlington and
Ashington with a turnback platform line.
Seaton Hartley Double track extensions east of Benton
Delaval North Jn and south of Newsham. Furnace
Way Sidings, Bedlington (BLN 1314.2103)
Seghill To Monkseaton reinstated. Stock may be stabled there at
To Whitley night (with limited maintenance facilities) as
Backworth Bay paths to and from Heaton depot might be
Northumberland restricted. Signalling, level crossing and line
Park To Morpeth speed improvements. Work under NR's
permitted development rights could start in
To Percy Main Aug 2021, with construction from Jun 2022.
Benton Palmersville
To Jesmond This would allow an hourly service to run by
Sep 2023, but one suggestion is for trains to
To Newcastle terminate at Northumberland Park, with
through ticketing to Newcastle on the Metro.

CSD BPLhYaTseH2&: £T3Y7MNE, inPcAluSdSeEsNstGatEioRnsPRatOSPeOatSonALDelaval and Blyth Bebside with a passing loop south of

Seghill, between Northumberland Park and Seaton Delaval. This is required to run hourly freights
(the average is five each way daily now) and a half-hourly passenger service. Construction could start
in Feb 2024, with the half-hourly service beginning in Jan 2025. Your NE Editor is, of course, greatly
saddened that the branch from Newsham to his namesake station, which gave its name to the railway,
is unlikely ever to reopen as much has been built over. It is the only Blyth & Tyne line he never did,
having reached Newbiggin-by-the-Sea (the passenger terminus east of Ashington) and the staiths on
the Tyne at Whitehill Point. So sadly there is no picture of him by the station nameboard at Blyth.

[Thanks to Dave Cromarty for the original map above.]

BELOW: A Lynemouth to Tyne Dock train of discharged biomass wagons wi
The rusty track furthest left along the bottom is the disused Down

ith Pelaw Down Goods Loop this side and Pelaw Up Goods Loop the other.
n Leamside line. Pelaw T&W Metro stop is upper left. (Ken Short.)

ABOVE: Ashington Colliery Wed 17 Sep 1986 during an internal Society railtour. The Class 56 (left) is
putting out a lot of smoke. Now there are just the two running lines at this location. (Ian Mortimer.)

1569] Open Access Non-Operators: Hull's three MPs have written a joint letter to the Transport
Secretary as they are concerned that Hull Trains faces the genuine prospect of going out of business
permanently without government support. This year is its 20th anniversary but on 30 Mar services were
suspended, soon after the introduction of new Class 802 bimodes. Grand Central has extended its
current suspension of train services throughout June. The government has not offered Open Access
operators the additional financial support which franchised rail operators have received, so they
depend wholly on ticket revenues. Hull Trains is owned by First Group and Grand Central by Arriva UK
(a DB group) but the concern is that these groups might decide to shut down their subsidiaries.

1570] Banging on about Morpeth: (BLN 1352.1424) The ECML bidirectional signalling here is 'SIMBIDS'
(Simplified Bi-Directional Signalling) for emergency use, not booked workings. 50mph is the speed for
the rare direction. So these trains would almost certainly not have departed south on the Down Main.

1571] Leeds: P1 is closed from 23 May to 2 Nov to build the new P1 and P0. (See also BLN 1332.1740.)

1572] Bridlington: (BLN 1352.1425) The 26 Jun 2004 North West Railtours mystery seaside excursion
ECS stabled in excursion P8 during its layover here. A member arrived back at the station to find the
stock being readied for the shunt from P8 but couldn't summon up the courage to try to get on it! He
claims he wasn't so concerned with that sort of thing in those days, but suffered 'a slight twinge' when
our 13 Oct 1990 Humber Navigator II tour omitted its scheduled P8 visit as it was about two hours late.

1573] Redcar Bulk Terminals: (TRACKmaps 2 p47B Oct 2016) In 1970 the (then nationalised) British
Steel Corporation (BSC) began building the new Redcar Wharf, OG 1973. It could then handle ships of
up to 170,000 tons and had a coal and an ore terminal. BSC had decided to serve all of its northern
steelworks from the terminal. Iron ore could be unloaded directly into Redcar stocking ground and it
replaced the previous South Bank Wharf, east of Middlesbrough, which served the blast furnaces at
the main Clay Lane and Cleveland works.A rail loading facility was provided and, from 1974, ore was
taken by rail to Hartlepool, Consett (southwest of Newcastle) and Workington (Cumbria) steelworks.

The main criterion when shipping long distances differs depending on the type of freight. For higher
value goods (such as consumer goods) or perishable items (such as food), speed is most important.
This is why there has been a recent upsurge in rail freight between China and Western Europe, as it is
almost twice as fast as by sea. For bulk 'dry goods' such as coal or iron ore, speed is not so significant,
but cost is. So the size of ships carrying this material has steadily increased over the decades, as this
reduces transport cost per ton. The main 'pinch points' for international shipping are the Panama and
Suez Canals, and these determine the two main international ship classifications for these large ships.

'Panamax' defines the largest ships which can use the Panama Canal in terms of length, breadth, draft
and height as they have to fit under the 'Bridge of the Americas'. (This size used to apply to the Suez
Canal, but that has now been dredged deeper, so now has its own classification.) Ships too large to use
these canals have to travel via Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope, as appropriate, and are therefore
defined as 'Capesize' (note important middle 'e'!). The lowest cost is achieved using Capesize ships.
93% of their cargo is coal and iron ore, typically carrying over 150,000 tonnes per ship and up to
400,000 tons. When South Bank Wharf was upgraded in 1949 it took ships of up to 15,000 tons!

Capesize vessels require at least 17m depth of water, appropriate loading/discharge facilities in the
right position to line up with the holds, tugs of the correct size and pilots qualified to navigate ships of
this size. Only three ports in this country can handle bulk 'dry goods' carried in Capesize vessels.

Port Talbot can take up to 170,000 tons and mostly supplies coal and iron ore to the steelworks.
Hunterston, on the Clyde, can accommodate ships up to 350,000 tons. It was developed to supply
….Ravenscraig Steelworks, Motherwell, until that closed in 1991. It then supplied imported coal to
….Longannet & Drax Power Stations until 2016. The terminal is being demolished and may have gone.
Falmouth can take Capesize vessels in the estuary but can't berth, load or discharge them.
Liverpool Seaforth container terminal can handle 'Postsuezmax' vessels - not quite Capesize.
Redcar Bulk Terminals on the River Tees can accommodate ships of up to 220,000 tons.

[BLN 1353]

PREVIOUS PAGE:
Redcar Bulk

Terminals - the
aggregate terminal.

(Garry O'Malley)

LEFT: A pair of
Class 66s on a 42
wagon coal train for
Scunthorpe leaving
the coal terminal.

(Press release)

On 11 Oct 1979 the new Redcar blast furnace, the largest in Europe at the time, was lit and resulted in
the demise of the remaining Clay Lane furnaces and some at Cleveland works. After BSC privatisation,
the steel industry on Teesside had a variety of owners. From 2000-2009 Tata Steel imported 8.8M tons
of iron ore per annum on average. However, due to a slump in world demand, steel production ceased
at Redcar and the last iron ore was fed into the blast furnace on 19 Feb 2010. This obviously had a very
severe effect on traffic at Redcar Wharf. Coal was still imported to feed the Redcar and South Bank
coke ovens and occasionally iron ore for Scunthorpe. When the steelworks site was sold to SSI of
Thailand in 2011, Tata Steel retained a 50% share in the wharf to retain the flexibility to import coal
and iron ore if required. However, SSI went into liquidation and steelmaking ended again in Sep 2015.

BELOW: Our 2 Jun 1990 Lackenby and Redcar railtour on former Eston branch. (Ian Mortimer.)

Tata sold its share in the wharf to British Steel Ltd in 2017. The other 50% is owned by the Official
Receiver who held the assets of SSI UK when it closed down. The berth is owned by PD Ports PLC.

Redcar Bulk Terminals lost a huge part of their business when the steelworks closed and could have
gone the way of so many traditional industries of the region. However, it has successfully diversified,
marketing its ability to take very large ships and now handles 2.2-3.3M tons a year. There are six trains
a week to Scunthorpe, each 42 wagons hauled by 2 x Class 66s, each with 2-3,000 tons of anthracite
coal from South America. There are similar less regular trains to Margam, for Port Talbot - that it is
worth importing coal via Redcar and then moving over 330 miles by rail shows the economy of using
the largest ships possible. Steelworks are now the major users of coal in this country, which is used to
produce coke, an essential raw material for blast furnaces. The Redcar terminals also handle:

●Granulated blast furnace slag; a by-product of steelmaking which is ground to a fine powder for use
in ready mixed concrete. ●Aggregates; much is for NR and, it is thought, also the 36,000 tonnes of rock
armour for the Cumbrian Coast sea defences at Parton. ●Train paths still exist to Drax Power Station,
but they have no doubt not been used for quite some time. ●There is also steel traffic (import/export).

In early Nov 2019, the Woodhouse Colliery project was approved (BLN 1340.2824) to extract high
quality coking coal from the seabed off St Bees, Cumbria. Coal loaded at the former Marchon chemical
works site at Corkickle will be taken by rail to Redcar Bulk Terminals for export, expected in 2022.

1574] Dunston Staiths: (BLN 1300.526) https://bit.ly/3cTVNYU On the south bank of the River Tyne
(NZ 2335 6257) is believed to be the largest timber structure in Europe. It is the last staiths on the
Tyne, a Grade II listed Scheduled Monument, owned by registered charity Tyne and Wear Building
Preservation Trust (TWBPT). Opened in 1893 by the North Eastern Railway, to load coal from the
Durham Coalfield into colliers for transport mainly to London, it handled 5.5M tons of coal a year at its

peak. As the coal industry declined so did the staiths and the line from Norwood Yard closed from
26 May 1980. The staiths fell into serious disrepair but were extensively restored for the 1990 National
Garden Festival (Gateshead) - they were a key installation with performance space and an art gallery.

BELOW: Dunston Staiths on fire again on 16 May 2020.
(See BLN 1300.526 of 10 Mar 2018 for a map and pictures of the staiths in British Rail days.)

[BLN 1
A serious 2003 fire, believed to be arson, inflicted extensive damage and put
TWBPT succeeded in raising the £800k required to restore the structure.
another very serious fire around 02.30 on 16 May 2020, seriously damaging
intense that it restarted later in the morning. Although the full extent of th
walkway has been closed until the Trust can raise funds to restore it. The
aims to help restore this important example of industrial history.

X.105] BELOW: From 'Steel News' after our superb railtour of the Lacke
chairman at the time, is presenting the charity donation cheque on beha

1353]
t Dunston Staiths on the Historic England 'At Risk Register'. Fortunately, the
It underwent restoration between 2014 and 2015. Sadly vandals started
the structure. Two fire teams and the fire boat attended but the fire was so
he damage is not yet known, the whole top deck has been destroyed; the
cost is estimated to be £300k. A fundraising campaign www.twbpt.org.uk

enby and Redcar complex on 3 June 1990 (see earlier) Don Kennedy, our
alf of the Society - £1,000 is worth £2,300 now. (Thanks to ray Hardman.)

1575] Wintersett: The Sidings and loading pad here (Anglers Coal Disposal Point), between Hare Park
Jn and South Kirkby Jn (171m 07ch) (TRACKmaps 2 p35A Oct 2016), were commissioned 24 Jan 1992
for open cast coal traffic. However, little used they were out of use by Dec 2000, but remained in situ.
Amazingly, a new community funded Crofton Cooperative drift mine was later established to mine the
Sharlston Top Coal Seam, using redundant equipment from Hatfield and Kellingley Collieries. This was
expected to generate three to five trainloads a week and NR removed vegetation from the sidings for
this. Our 23 Jan 2016 EDF Tracker railtour passed the site and significant work was noted in progress
(BLN 1251.326) on the mine, which, at the time, was due to start production in June that year.

However, the facing crossover in the main lines and the siding connection were plain lined in 2017.
Sadly, the project presumably either ran out of money or it was realised there was simply no market
for the coal. NR now intends to plain line the entire junction in 2021-22 during normal possessions,
removing the remaining pointwork components and replacing it with concrete sleepered plain rail.

1576] West Yorkshire: The Combined Authority has passed a 'gateway review', looking at how it had
invested over £180M in transport over the past five years. The review scrutinised decision making
processes, delivery and value for money. For 2021-26 the Government has therefore provided £150M
to improve public transport, cycle and walking routes also to reduce air pollution and congestion.
This is on top of £317M Transforming Cities Fund for West Yorkshire in the Mar 2020 devolution deal.

1577] Low Fell: The former Engineers' Depot, opposite the Royal Mail Terminal; (Low Fell Sdg on
TRACKmaps 2 p21B Oct 2016), was abandoned in 2010. NR now plans to plain line the junction points.

1578] Hull: (BLN 1352.1431) At the time of the 1978 tour, the location would be more correctly called
Hull Central Goods. The name Manor House Street does not seem to have featured in the (Railway
Clearing House) 'Hand-Book of Stations' at all. An 1853 press advert using that name may simply have
indicated to passengers that they would find the passenger trains at the Manor House St end of a large
site bounded by Railway St (east), Kingston St (north), Wellington St (south) & Manor House St (west).

The 1904 Hand-Book calls the NER goods depot [furthest east spot in the BLN 1352.1431 plan] 'Hull -
Railway Street & Kingston Street Goods'. From about 1912-13 it was 'Hull - Kingston Street (Central)
Goods'. Just to add to the confusion, the Great Central Railway (GCR) goods depot (on the opposite
side of Manor House St, and north of the NER tracks) was also called 'Hull - Kingston Street Goods'!

Following Grouping on 1 Jan 1923, the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), which had absorbed
both the NER and the GCR, seems to have lost no time in rationalising the two inherited depots in,
apparently, the first half of 1923. Both then became 'Central'; the ex-GCR depot handled outwards
traffic and the ex-NER inwards. This continued until 12 Oct 1960, when the old outwards (GCR) section
was devoted to sundries (less than wagonload traffic) - and ultimately to National Carriers Ltd - while
the old NER site was devoted to wagonload traffic. The BLN 1351 picture shows that the goods sheds
at the end of the branch, along the Railway St wall, had been demolished by the time of the 1978 tour.

1579] Escaping from Hull: (BLN 1351.1272) Never mind exiting through a hole in the fence at Hull
Central Goods to reach home early on the 23 Aug 1978 tour, some members had an urgent need to go
to Wisbech! The Wisbech and March Railway Action Committee ran an excursion from Wisbech to
Cambridge that day. Three members made it to Hull station in time for a fast train to Peterborough.
In the absence of a suitable connection they took a taxi to March, which made it just in time for them
to join the return trip from Cambridge. They arranged for the taxi to pick them up at Wisbech and take
them to Peterborough. It's good to see the BLS spirit alive and kicking… or perhaps fast walking!

There were subsequent trips to Wisbech. (Indeed, your NE Editor went on the Hertfordshire Railtours
'Fenbasher' tour in 1981 to do the Wisbech Goods branch, as he had travelled through Wisbech prior
to its 1968 passenger closure, and some other bits besides.) However, this was the first opportunity for
a very long time. Six Bells Junction website shows that there was also an RCTS trip from Peterborough
to Wisbech that afternoon - but there was no way anybody could get from Hull in time for that.

ABOVE: Wisbech Goods, a 6-car DMU excursion to Lowestoft on 2 Sep 1979 operated by WAMRAC
(Wisbech & March Railway Action Committee).Yes we know it's not in Yorkshire or NE! (Ian Mortimer.)

1580] T & W Metro: (BLN 1349.938.2) Nexus was the first UK light rail system to reduce its service
frequency. From 18 May it became the first to restore daytime service frequency to almost normal.

1581] Re-signallers: (BLN 1352.1421) The 'Coronavirus squad' have been allocated to the link staffing
gate boxes between Hexham and Carlisle. Reports from the 'front line' are anticipated in due course…

1353 NORTH WEST (John Cameron) [email protected]
1582] Ince Moss Chord: On Wed 20 May the line through Newton-le-Willows was disrupted from
13.00 due to a severe fire at Newton-le-Willows recycling plastics plant (on the site of a former railway
goods depot), next to the main rail line, with many cancellations. 20 fire appliances attended and the
area was full of smoke. Of note the hourly Manchester - Liverpool Northern EMU service, including all
day Thu 21 May, ran via Parkside Jn - Bamfurlong Jn - St Helens Central in both directions, rare
passenger use of what used to be known as 'Bamfurlong Curve'. Previous diversion was after a suicide,
but only by one or two trains. It seems there are now enough drivers with route knowledge to use the
route. Freight trains also used the route. Quite a steep climb with full load from St Helens to Bryn.

1583] Northern outpaced: From 18 May the timetable increased from 45% to 63% of the base level
(well below what is on offer in some places). Less than 10% of stations will be staffed from first to last
trains but performance is the best ever at 96%! There is to be no planned use of Pacers from 18 May,
but a few are in store for contingency until the end of the year. One Pacer is in use on a staff only train.

1584] Stubbins Jn - Haslingden: In 1848 the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway opened an 'extension line'
from Stubbins Jn, north of Ramsbottom, to Accrington (where there was a triangular junction). There
were stations at Helmshore, Haslingden and Baxenden. The line closed 5 Dec 1966 - the same day that
Rawtenstall to Bacup (BLN 1352.1439) and Clifton Junction station (now Clifton) - Molyneux Jn -
Radcliffe North Jn closed. Had the Helmshore line survived, it might have been doing quite well now.

ABOVE: The current 'Helmshore Signal Box' (well, that is what the sign says it is!).
The station was to the right and the level crossing left - an original gate post and lamp post survive.

Note the 'LMS' beneath the middle of the larger upstairs window. (John Hampson.)

National Cycle Route 6 (connecting Watford to Keswick, and why not?) uses sections of the trackbed,
including Stubbins to Iron Gate Lane, north of Lumb. The northern most section opened in Sep 2019.
The path crosses the River Irwell on Alderbottom and Lumb Viaducts. Unfortunately, a more northerly
viaduct over the River Ogden at Ravenshore was not part of the scheme and has been bypassed by
another newly constructed path. Restoration of the impressive Lumb Viaduct in 2015 (see PDF with
e-BLN) included installation of new parapets with stone from the same quarry as the originals. When
the railway closed the originals were dismantled and left on site, but many subsequently 'disappeared'.
The new stone parapets are much lighter in colour than the rest of the stonework but will weather.

At Stubbins (OP Jan 1847; CP 5 Jun 1972) two platforms and the station subway are still intact, the
latter part of a public footpath. It is on the former double track line OP 1846 to Rawtenstall (now part
of the heritage East Lancashire Railway, of course) and on to Bacup. When the Accrington line was
built, it diverged from this line at Stubbins Jn, just south of the station. The Accrington line passed
west of and behind the station on a rising gradient, but no platforms were ever built, so Stubbins was
only ever served by Bacup trains. Recently tree clearance was evident on the embankment north of
the station; walkable trackbed starts just north of Strongstry Bridge a little further north. The trackbed
parallels the Bacup line most of the way to Lumb, rising steadily from it. This is seen at Alderbottom,
where the Accrington line Alderbottom Viaduct towers above the Bacup line Alderbottom Bridge.
By Lumb Viaduct the difference in height is even greater. There are scenic views from both viaducts.

Just north of Lumb Viaduct, Route 6 diverges from the trackbed for a while. Ravenshore Viaduct can
just be seen poking out between the trees to the east as it crosses the River Ogden. The trackbed is
regained in Helmshore. Prior to this, Helmshore station (OP 17 Aug 1848; CA 5 Dec 1966) house is
extant, at the level crossing site, as is an original crossing gate post. However, the building that looks
like a signal box is a 1990 built dwelling in the style of, and on the same site as, the original. No prizes
for guessing what this house is called! On 16 Aug 1969, a railway museum was opened at Helmshore

station with a view to reopening the line as the track was in situ. However, British Rail lifted it through
the station probably on 28 Oct 1971, see https://bit.ly/3eizPPt which includes the demolition train
(at 1min 10 sec) with D300 that day. The group then moved to Bury and the rest is history, as they say.

The River Ogden is crossed on Helmshore Viaduct. West of the viaduct are the former Helmshore
Textile Mills, now a museum. The trackbed is lost again south of Haslingden, where the A56 Haslingden
bypass has been built over the trackbed and the Haslingden station site (OP 17 Aug 1848; 7 Nov 1960).

1585] Crewe: TfW Class 175 DMUs are regularly tyre turned, one unit each per week. Until about a
year ago this was done at Arriva Traincare Crewe, but they apparently took on too much other work.
The job is now carried out at Crewe Electric Maintenance Depot. The DMUs run from Chester on
Friday evenings, returning Saturdays. Pandemic rules mean TfW staff can only use taxis as a last resort.
As a result, two units in multiple (unusual for Class 175s) run to Crewe Electric. One is left for the work
and the driver and guard return to Chester in the other (and vice versa after the work is completed).

1586] Colne - Skipton: The Minister of State for Transport has confirmed that DfT officials have now
been instructed to bring forward specific proposals for work under the 'develop' stage of the project to
reopen the 11 mile Colne - Skipton line. It is a step further forward towards reopening. However, the
minister said that the DfT were 'establishing if the capital costs can be very substantially reduced' and
'reviewing the passenger demand forecasts and service options'. [What else would we expect?]

1587] Plumley: Northern, the local rail user group and the Town Council have commissioned a
specialist joiner to recreate the station bench lost during modernisation, using photos of the original.

1588] Blackpool: On Bank Holiday Sun 24 May an unusual all stations through service ran every two
hours between Blackpool North and South, requiring one DMU reversing in Kirkham & Wesham P3
from North and P2 from South. The line to Preston was closed with no trains using that station all day.

By rail it is nearly 22 miles between the two Blackpool termini and the trains took 51 mins with 9 calls
(one a reversal, of course). National Rail advised the cheapest single fare was £25.20 or a mere £16.65
with a railcard (one way to ensure it is essential travel only!). It is not coincidental that this is the price
of a Lancashire Day Ranger. In theory a 'Blackpool' to Kirkham & Wesham off-peak day return at £5.80
(Railcard £3.85) should cover the single journey. However a complication is this is the Blackpool North
fare and from South it is only £5.40 (Railcard £3.55) - cheaper for a longer journey time and distance!
The Work overran and there was an extra round trip (first train Bank Holiday Mon 25 May).

1589] Rochdale: The Borough Council has plans for 7,000+ new homes and 250,000m2 of commercial
development around its five Calder Valley stations - Rochdale, Castleton, Smithy Bridge, Littleborough
and Mills Hill - and proposes a sixth station at Slattocks as part of TfGM's 2040 transport strategy.

1590] Brunthill: (BLN 1319.2750) Caledonian Sleeper depot drivers normally train at Craigentinny
Depot, Edinburgh. However, it is now so full of stock that this is impossible. At the end of April 73971
was sent to Carlisle for depot driver training on slow speed. The route on 29 & 30 Apr was from
Carlisle station via Kingmoor Yard to the Brunthill branch, the remaining south stub of the Waverley
Route. These are believed to be the first workings on this branch for some time. BLN 1319 records a
cement train on 30 Nov 2018 (the first that year); our 9 Oct 2010 tour reached the NR boundary.

1591] Accrington: The DfT is considering funding enhancements to the route via Accrington, Burnley
Manchester Road and Todmorden as part of proposals for a new rail freight terminal on the site of
Huncoat Power Station. 17 May was the fifth anniversary of the Todmorden Curve passenger service.

1592] Euxton Jn: (BLN 1352.1449) From 26 May the Down Slow trailing points were renewed 0.2m
further south. The connecting Up Slow trailing points were renewed 4m further north (redo required!).

1593] Preston Trams: (BLN 1331.1617) Making its periodic BLN appearance - the project was delayed
in 2019 as an adjacent chicken processing factory received planning permission to extend its building,
over the tram line. Clearance work is now expected (again!) on part of the Preston - Longridge branch.

X.106] BELOW: (BLN 1349.968 - track plan.) The devegetated and refurbi
Previously a veritable jungle, looking towards Norwich from the A47 o

ished Great Yarmouth Carriage Sidings from the east (ready for a train?).
overbridge, the River Yare is to the left. (Iain Scotchman, 26 May 2020.)

BELOW: 755415 on the 11:17 Great Yarmouth (off right) to Norwich
Both lines are bidirectional here; on the right is the Reedh

passes the still out of use western end of Yarmouth Carriage Sidings.
ham via Berney Arms line. (Iain Scotchman, 27 May 2020.)

BELOW: The still out of use headshunt at the western end of the carriage