1397

h the curve round to Philips Park No2 and Ashburys West Jn.

BELOW: Philips Park No2 signal box and Down Main Home Sign

nal 2 looking north. (All these are ©Andy Overton, 13 Aug 1991.)

BELOW: Phillips Park No2 Jn (now Philips Park South Jn) the view south of the

e box from the East Curve (once difficult to do on tours) from Baguley Fold Jn.





PREVIOUS: The lever frame with many spare (white). BELOW: By this time

(13 Aug 1991) the Beswick Goods branch at Beswick Jn was OOU as shown.

BELOW: Beswick Ground Frame (MP 2¾ from Ashburys West Jn) looking tow

wards Philips Park No2 - the disused, once busy, Bewsick Goods branch is right.

ABOVE: (Item 749) At Appleby on the Settle & Carlisle Line, the arm signal bent by Storm Franklin.
BELOW: Liverpool Lime Street Deep level, a Platform 'A' sign on the 'other' former P1. (John Cameron.)

742] Oxmardyke Cont: An outer distant signal was still provided from Goole for consistency. These
two semaphores were thus much newer than the many others abolished with resignalling and
recontrol to the new Brough Workstation at York ROC on 26 Nov 2018 (BLN 1317.2475). New or
resited three or 4-aspect Down line colour light signals here now provide adequate braking distance.

743] Sunderland: (BLN 1380.1804 etc) Sadly there will be no more steel coil coming into Sunderland
from Mariupol, which is in eastern Ukraine and of course under relentless attack by the Russians.
Observers report that coil is stored outside on Corporation Quay (which is most unusual, as the coil
will rust) which suggests the store shed is full of coils. Presumably the end customers - Metinvest in
Gateshead and Marcegaglia in Rotherham and Dudley - will have to source the coil from elsewhere.

1397 NORTH WEST (John Cameron) [email protected]  To your BLN Editor please.

744] Braystones and Nethertown: (354/254 passengers in 2020-21 and 1,374/730 the previous year
respectively.) A group that adopted the stations in 2019 has transformed these two Cumbrian Coast
request stations with handmade wooden artwork and planters including a handmade wooden train
set (you wouldn't do any track on it). Both have a much better service than in British Rail days but are
basic with poor bus shelters and very low platforms. There are warnings that they are unsuitable for
those with mobility problems. Nethertown is reached by a steep unmade road - but is handy for the
beach. Until Sep/Oct 1977 it had a passing loop, two platforms with buildings and a signal box.
Are they and other similar Cumbrian Coast stations still request stops? There is no mention of this on
Northern Website or National Rail; the PDF Northern timetable still has an 'x' for request stop in the
timings of nine of the stations but doesn't say what 'x' means. Realtime Trains has 'stops on request'.

745] Earlestown: The P2 waiting room (to Liverpool) is the oldest building at an open station in the
world still in active use [a risky statement in BLN]. A heritage red wheel plaque is planned for it.

746] Lancheshire: Many of our members were on this Sat 5 Mar Ian Loveday Pathfinder tour, a sunny,
enjoyable and interesting day. Lines included (some requested by participants in advance):

(1): Bristol Loop (both directions). (2): Perry Barr South to West Jns. (3): Soho East to North Jns.
(4): Down Soho Goods Loop. (5): Stafford Goods Loop. (6): Stafford Royal Mail Terminal ('P8').
(7): Sideway Down Passenger Loop. (8): Stoke Up & Down Through Siding (on the day bonus).
(9): Stoke Up Goods (to Cliffe Vale Jn) then the three crossovers to… (10): Stoke Down Goods
……(Cliffe Vale Jn to Grange Jn). (11): Alsager Up & Down Goods Loop, facing and trailing crossovers.
(12): Crewe Up & Down Pottery Loop. (13): Eccles Up Goods Loop (from east end to the exit signal).
(14): Weaste Branch (to gates). (15): Weaste Branch Run Round Loop (to gates, on the day bonus).
(16): Longsight Departure & Reception Line (on the day bonus). (17): Stockport P1 to Down Liverpool.
(18): Northenden Waste Terminal Run Round Loop (to buffer stops). (19): Northwich Down & Up
………Goods (covered throughout due to enforced route change). (20): Hartford CLC Jn to Hartford Jn.
(21): Crewe Up Liverpool Independent. (22): Crewe Gresty Green Through Siding (to Gresty Green
………Siding points). (23): Crewe Down Salop Goods Loop. (24): Up Stour Goods Loop (Watery Lane).

Northwich - Sandbach & Crewe Up Manchester Independent not covered (an enforced route change).

747] Carlisle - keeping in touch: The £6.5M P1, 2 & 3 resurfacing and tactile paving installation is complete.

748] Metrolink: Passenger numbers fell to 41% of pre-pandemic levels in Dec with Omicron but by the
end of Jan were up to 64%, with a further increase since. Leisure travel, particularly events, are a
larger proportion of journeys, with commuter travel a smaller proportion than pre-pandemic.
The Trafford Centre Line has had its highest passenger numbers since it opened on Sun 22 Mar 2020
(the day before the first Lockdown!). It did particularly well during the Eccles line half term closure;
only single trams ran but many were packed. Staff availability has improved; 98.7% of the (not yet full)
timetable was operated in the Jan-Feb 4-week period compared with 94.2% in Dec-Jan (target 99.4%).

Punctuality is 90.4%, above the 90% target for the first time since Jun 2021. During Jan availability of
trams reached a low of 81.6%, mainly the result of vandalism, with smashed windows and damage to
ceiling panels. There have been supply chain problems due to Covid and Brexit which delay repairs,
leading to the continued absence of some trams, although additional new ones have been delivered.

BELOW: (Item 746) The Pathfinder 'Lancheshire' railtour arrives at Weaste - l

looking along the branch towards Eccles. (All Graham Morris, Sat 5 Mar 2022.)

BELOW: In the other direction, looking into the cement terminal, after the to

our had run up to the gate then shunted across to also do the run round line.

BELOW: Northenden Longley Lane waste terminal run round line, the other end

d of the train was on the buffer stops; looking towards Stockport (main line left).

BELOW: (Item 750) The 'Mod-X' building at B

Burnage station. (John Cameron, 27 Feb 2022.)

BELOW: (item 750) 'Railway in course of construction' 25.344 (sic) inches to th

he mile 1907 map - part of the Styal Line approaching Wilmslow (off bottom).

BELOW: (Item 752) Liverpool South Parkway, with the 'E6' sign lower

r middle left, looking towards Hunt Cross. (John Cameron, 6 Mar 2022.)

749] Appleby: On Sun 20 Feb Storm Franklin (with wind speeds of up to 87mph) delivered a blow to
the Down semaphore starting signal at the end of the platform (the higher up one of the pair there).
Its arm ended up bent in the middle with the end at right angles to its normal position!

750] Travelling in style: The 'Styal Line' from Slade Lane Jn to Wilmslow was built by the London &
North Western Railway and opened 1 May 1909 to relieve congestion on the main line at Stockport
and provide a quicker Manchester to London route to compete with the Midland Railway. However,
after opening it was rarely used for express passenger trains, as the Stockport passenger revenue was
too important to miss. Small wooden stations were initially provided to serve the then mainly rural
areas it went through. The 1908 OS 25'' map of Didsbury (and others) shows the railway 'in course of
construction' through fields and farmland in Burnage and East Didsbury where housing now stands.
As the housing was developed, the Styal line grew in importance as a commuter railway.

The line was chosen to test AC overhead electrification (OHLE) in 1959. The stations had to be rebuilt
quickly to accommodate the OHLE. The architect to the London Midland Region of British Railways,
William Robert Headley, designed the new stations with a then innovative modular system.
Many configurations were possible, using prefabricated rectangular units put together in a grid.
Structural columns of a cruciform pattern allowed walls and partitions to be connected to all/any, of
the four sides of each column according to the layout. This design, influenced by Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe's Barcelona pavilion for the 1929 International Exhibition, became known as Mod-X buildings.
Many were built as the WCML, other Greater Manchester and Merseyside lines were electrified.
Early examples on the Styal Line included Burnage, East Didsbury, Gatley and Heald Green stations.

751] Liverpool Lime Street: (BLN 1359.2447) The deep level Wirral Line platform (previously a second
P1) is now Platform 'A' on passenger screens as well as signs on the platform and in the walkways.
At both Liverpool Central and Moorfields deep level their equivalent platform on the loop line is P3.

752] Liverpool South Parkway: Noticed on our recent 'Batteries Not Included' Merseyrail tour was a
large 'E6' sign at the Hunts Cross end of Liverpool South Parkway P5. According to staff it is to remind
drivers not to engage full power on 6-car EMUs towards Hunts Cross due to a power source fault.
The fault is untraced, even though the whole main cable was replaced. 3-car units are unaffected.

753] Carr Mill: This two platform station was 1½ miles northeast of St Helens Central on the line to
Wigan North Western, just before the former Carr Mill Jn. OP 1 Jan 1896 it closed with the 1 Jan 1917
cull and was never reopened. St Helens Council is now working on a business case for a new station to
serve the expanding population of the area - the idea has been mooted for more than 20 years.

754] Stockport: On Sun 27 Feb a mains gas leak from a corroded pipe in Stockport No1 signal box led
to a total block through the area from 20.56 until 22.27. Some trains were diverted via Styal and a
Manchester to Buxton train returned to Piccadilly via the crossovers at Longsight Depot (North) Jn.

755] Manchester Piccadilly: The cancellations in the previous item could clearly be seen on two new
P13 staff screens. They have the usual detailed track diagram of Piccadilly and to Heaton Chapel, East
Didsbury and Deansgate. Trains are shown as coloured rectangles with their headcode and a list of
train arrivals and departures is given by headcode with status ('cancel' was a popular one on 27 Feb!).

756] Deansgate-Castlefield: (BLN 1396.602.2) The date of relaying of the pointwork damaged in the
18 Feb 2021 derailment here was given to your BLN Editor by a Metrolink manager as 'Derby Day' (this
is Sat 4 Jun 2022). As a keen football non-supporter, it didn't occur to him that this might actually refer
to some local village football match in Manchester on Sun 6 Mar (apparently City beat United 4-1 but
what a day to have so many tram closures). Repairs were completed on 5 Mar, although nothing much
seemed to be happening when Pathfinder's 'Lancheshire' railtour passed at 12.09 and again 14.00.

All weekend trams turned back at Old Trafford, Firswood, Cornbrook and Wharfside from the south
and Exchange Square from the Victoria direction, all ECS shunts. Alongside replacement buses for the
tram closures, shuttle buses ran between East Didsbury tram stop and Etihad Stadium on 6 Mar for
the match. An enhanced tram service between Bury and Ashton was also provided. Significant testing
of the crossover and driver briefing on the reinstated layout is needed before it is brought into use.

757] MediaCityUK - Eccles: This Metrolink line is TCP Mon 4 Apr until Fri 20 Apr (inclusive) for planned
engineering works, with no trams running between MediaCityUK and Eccles (or between Harbour City
and Broadway). This could be when they could repair the points at MediaCityUK (BLN 1396.602.1).
A little bird told us that on Sat 12 Mar the avoiding line there was in use to Manchester in the morning
(and at 12.40) and in the Eccles direction later (specifically at 15.20), with services in the opposite
direction reversing at MediaCityUK. For use in normal circumstances, see the entry in PSUL on our
website. There is plenty of opportunity for viewers of BBC 1 'Breakfast' to now determine whether the
trams shown reversing at MediaCityUK on screens behind the presenters are live or recorded.

758] Helsby: The 45-lever Grade II listed 1900 London & North Western Helsby Junction signal box has
been refurbished. The 122 year old box's wooden frame, outside cladding and electronics (not 122
years' old!) have been repaired. It has a new roof, windows, an upgraded kitchen and heating system.

759] Levenshulme in the pink: The walls of P1 (southbound) waiting room have been painted pink.
Apparently this colour scheme was chosen as evidence shows that it reduces anti-social behaviour!

760] Reddish (not pink) Vale Viaduct: (BLN 1395.475) The urgent anti-erosion work around the river
foundations of the piers began in Jan but had to be suspended during the three major storms in Feb.
However more areas have been found in need of protection, so the project has been extended.

761] Hattersley: (25,572 passengers recorded in 2020-21 and 110,000 the year before.) The ticket
office is being redeveloped at a cost of £750k with a waiting area, passenger toilet, working spaces
and seating. The new ticket office is due to open for passenger use towards the end of next month.

762] Oldham Mumps: The station CP 4 Oct 2009 for conversion to Metrolink, then (a little to the
south) a tram stop OP from 13 Jun 2012 until 17 Jan 2014 on a temporary Metrolink line. Now 8.6
acres of brownfield land around the former station and railway is to be redeveloped for new housing.

763] Blackburn - Clitheroe: NR has used laser scanners and drones to map Whalley Viaduct which is
548m long with 48 arches over the River Calder just south of Whalley station in great detail.
Three hundred 3-dimensional laser scans and high definition photos taken by drones were turned into
a 3D computer model, creating a digital blueprint of the viaduct's condition, to plan maintenance over
the next 6-18 months. Previously this would have required manual checks using abseilers and/or the
erection of scaffolding towers. The maintenance will include devegetation, repairing vegetation
damage, brickwork repairs, strengthening and river erosion prevention around the bases of the piers.

The 70ft high Whalley Viaduct was built between 1846 and 1850 when it opened, 26 years before
Ribblehead viaduct. It is 146m longer than Ribblehead and has twice as many arches.

1397 SOUTH EAST - NORTH & EAST ANGLIA (Julian James) [email protected]
 58 Nelson Road, WORTHING, BN12 6EN.

764] Lowestoft: (BLN 1343.112) After many years absence*, traffic has resumed at the refurbished
Freight Sidings (see TRACKmaps 2 p8A 2020) - their first use since 16 Feb 2020 commissioning with
resignalling. On Tue 8 Mar a 13.36 ex-Chaddesden Sidings, Colas 56302 and 12 empty JNA-T wagons,
reached Lowestoft at 18.29. After loading, it left at 12.12 on Wed 9th for Longport Pinnox (21.25) via
Wensum Curve (Norwich Crown Point), Ely West Loop gaining 41 min as it was booked to reverse at
the station, March, Syston Curve, Castle Donington (two 'ns' not three) and, rather unusually for
freight, Uttoxeter. Traffic is spent ballast (from Norway by ship, trucked to the sidings) for recycling at
the Pinnox facility. A member saw large mounds of this in the new Lowestoft Yard. On the first train
he witnessed that one wagon had chunks of wooden sleepers protruding from the load, it was not
clean stone. Two trains a week are expected for 12 weeks. [*The last BLN report was of Lowestoft coal
depot CG 28 Jul 1989, there were later freight 'specials' and Lowestoft was once served by Speedlink.]

765] Wisbech & Upwell Tramway: https://bit.ly/3HTcDpm is an 8⅓ minute, 1961 lovely quality film
period piece video of this 5m 72ch standard gauge tramway. Some of the errors in the subtitles
(presumably for the hard of hearing) are hilarious - maybe the caption writer was hard of hearing!
Recommended especially to more recent members who may appreciate this view of a vanished age.

BELOW: 56302 with 12 empty JNA wagons in Lowestoft Yard on 4L37, the 13.38

8 ex-Chaddesden Sidings. (Iain Scotchman, from the platform end, 8 Mar 2022.)

BELOW: Lowestoft Yard with spent ballast for recycling on the loadin
The signal box (right) closed in 2020 when control transferr

ng pad and Colas 56302 with 6M35 12.13 to Longport on 9 Mar 2022.
red to Colchester Power Signal Box; Lowestoft station is off left.

BELOW: Colas 56302 'PECO' at Haddiscoe on the 12.13 Lowestoft to Long

gport, imported spent ballast for recycling. (Iain Scotchman, 9 Mar 2022.)

BELOW: (Item 771) DRS 68007+ 68002 and FNA wagon 11 70 9229 012-3 with a
on the Sizewell branch with the annual 'route proving' trip - 6Z70 01.03 Cre

an empty nuclear flask at Knodishall Train Crew Operated Crossing (902m 49ch)
ewe Coal Sidings (DRS) to Sizewell CEGB. (All Iain Scotchman, 3 Mar 2022.)

BELOW: Then same location on the return trip, 6M

M69 15.42 Sizewell CEGB to Crewe Coal Sidings (DRS).

BELOW: Passing Leiston station (closed to passengers, along with

h the Aldburgh branch, from 12 Sep 1966) on the way out to Sizewell.

BELOW: The return trip, 6M69, 15.42 Sizewell C

CEGB to Crewe Coal Sidings (DRS) at Sizewell Sidings.

BELOW: Conveying a mixture of 40ft and 45ft Tesco containers, DRS 88005
(Tesco) to Tilbury2 Container Terminal. In the background, on the main lin

'Minerva' approaches Fort Road Bridge with 4L48, the 13.51 Daventry DRS
ne, Tilbury Town and London are to the left. (Iain Scotchman, 7 Mar 2022.)

766] East West Rail to become West Rail? (BLN 1371.558) A 22 Feb report to South Cambridgeshire
District Council's full council stated there had been a 'significant change' in the government's approach
to the Arc, a colloquialism for the eastern part of East West Rail. Council Leader Councillor Bridget
Smith told members: As far as we're concerned, the Arc is no more. It was a government project and
we need clarification that it no longer is. This follows publication in Feb of the government's Levelling
Up White Paper, with no mention of the Arc. The East West Rail central section was also not
mentioned in the government's latest Budget. The regional body behind the scheme - the East West
Main Line Partnership, formerly East West Rail Consortium, - has called for clarity on whether the full
route will be funded. The Cambridge to Oxford expressway (road) was cancelled on 18 Mar 2021.

767] Hitchin: The station subway now has a display of photographic mural panels. In early 2021 staff
at North Hertfordshire Museum were contacted by Groundwork East (contracted to decorate the
subway) and the museum team decided that their large photograph collection was perfect. In the
subway are panels on the themes of recreation, shop frontages, transport, historic moments, football,
faces, agriculture, industry, war, modern Hitchin along with town maps from the 1750s, 1818 & 1930.

768] March - Peterborough: 50 years ago the Absolute Block method of signalling applied between
Whittlesea (94m 55ch), Pingle (96m 30ch), Kings Dyke (96m 73ch), Turntable (99m 65ch) and
Peterborough East (100m 07ch) signal boxes on this line. Turntable and Peterborough East closed on
10 Jun 1973, the area being taken over by the new Peterborough Power Box. Pingle survived to serve
the brickworks sidings until 14 Mar 1976. Whittlesea and Kings Dyke remain operational. 517yd west
of Kings Dyke was, and still is, Funthams Lane Occupation level crossing protected by manually
controlled barriers operated, and monitored by CCTV, from Kings Dyke SB. It was at Funthams Lane
that at 10.18 on Wed 8 Mar 1972 a Down (to Peterborough) freight, travelling at 30mph under clear
signals, collided with the rear of a lorry which legitimately had passed over the crossing as the barriers
were raised with the road signals unlit and bells not ringing. The outcome could have been much
worse. As it was, although there was no derailment, the lorry and the loco were badly damaged and
one barrier machine was destroyed. The secondman, who was driving, despite being trapped in his
cab for almost 90 minutes, suffered only cuts, bruises and shock, as did his driver and the lorry driver.

The seriousness of what occurred, defying all normal operating safeguards, was sufficient to come to
the attention of the Railway Inspectorate. Their representative, Lieutenant Colonel A G Townsend-
Rose, held a formal Inquiry which resulted in the production of an official report on 28 Jul 1972.

The events leading to the accident began at 09.00 when four signal technicians arrived at Kings Dyke
SB to install equipment for new manually controlled barriers to replace the wheel operated gates.
They were not involved in the interlocking of the signals and, therefore, no entry was required to be
made in the Train Register Book. At 09.53 the rest day relief signalman, who had taken duty at 08.35
(summoned from his home to relieve a colleague who had to leave for personal reasons) noticed that,
after the passage of a Down train, the indicator for the Down distant signal, beneath Pingle SB (which
was switched out) Down section signal, showed 'Wrong'. He decided to try clearing it again and
restoring it to the caution position by taking advantage of the passage of an Up train. This necessitated
him closing both level crossings to the roads, asking for, and obtaining from, Turntable SB a 'Line Clear
Release' for testing purposes on the Down and then clearing his Down line signals at the same time.

When he replaced them to caution for the distant, and danger for the two stop signals, the indicator
for the Distant correctly went back to 'On'. However, he was unable to fully replace the lever for his
Down section signal on the immediate approach to, and protecting, Funthams Lane LC even after the
standard two minute 'time out' delay had elapsed. He thus called to the fitters working beneath the
box for help. One then unlocked the box and took off the gravity lock for the lever which enabled it to
fully return to the frame. The signalman was then able to raise the Funthams Lane barriers and advise
the Turntable signalman that the test was complete and asked him to cancel the 'Line Clear Release'.

At 10.08 Whittlesea offered 8M77 the 08.05 Whitemoor to Leicester freight train hauled by a Class 25
locomotive with 32 wagons and a brakevan, to the Kings Dyke signalman, which he accepted. Three
minutes later he received 'Train Entering Section', offered it on to Turntable and had it accepted.

Having seen the block instrument indicating 'Line Clear' he lowered the Funthams Lane barriers but
was unable to close his own wheeled gates because of the volume of road traffic on the A605. He then
decided to avoid delaying traffic at Funthams Lane LC, the road served gravel pits and a brick
company, and raised the barriers. A lull in road traffic followed at Kings Dyke LC, so he pressed the
button, or so he claimed, to lower Funthams Lane barriers again. Next he cleared his Down home
signal but was unable to clear his Down section signal. Had he looked at the Funthams Lane CCTV
monitor he would have observed the barriers were still raised. Instead, he panicked and once more
called for the assistance of the technicians, the senior of whom released the lock for the Down section
signal having had an assurance from the signalman it was safe to do so, in contravention of the 1950
Rule Book (Rule 83) which made it clear that electric locking or controlling devices in connection with
signals, points or block apparatus must not, in the case of failure, or supposed failure, be released
unless special instructions are issued to the contrary. After the freight train had passed his box the
Kings Dyke signalman, belatedly and too late to take preventative action, looked along the line
towards Funthams Lane LC and saw a lorry pass immediately in front of the train, even then not
realising the barriers were still in the raised position. He immediately sent the 'Obstruction Danger'
bell signal (6 beats) to Turntable, once he could tell that a collision had in fact occurred.

Lieutenant Colonel Townsend-Rose had little difficulty in blaming the Kings Dyke signalman and the
senior S&T Locking Technician for the accident, although he felt that the former was more culpable.
It was particularly sad for the latter, who previously had a long and successful career, to have made
such a dangerous mistake in taking the word of the signalman without checking things for himself.

(The report refers to King's Dyke & Funtham's Lane but current names are used without apostrophes.)

769] Bedford - Bletchley: Two of the ex-LU trains on the service have new external vinyls thanks to the
Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership. The specially designed vinyls celebrate the 175th
anniversary year of the line and depict the view from Ampthill Great Park across Greensand Country.
This is an area of special landscape character through which the line runs. Established in 1846, the
Marston Vale Line's anniversary year runs from Nov 2021. Half the services are replacement buses,
currently until Sat 14 May; an all train service (SuX as usual) is shown in the new timetable at present.

770] Cambridge: (BLN 1371.552) Under its Major Signalling Framework Agreement, NR has awarded
the design and delivery contract for the £194M Cambridge resignalling project to Alstom at £130M.
The contract includes the replacement of almost 700 items of life expired signalling equipment and:
Signalling control upgrade at Cambridge signal box with Alstom control systems and workstation.
Upgrading the Cambridge area signalling safety interlocking equipment with modern signalling
….technology using the Alstom Smart Lock 400GP Computer Based Interlocking (CBI) system*.
Upgrade of seven level crossings from half barrier to full barrier.
Renewal of the telecommunications and power supplies to support the new systems.
Re-control of signalling to Cambridge box and decommissioning of three signal boxes:
….Bury St Edmunds, Dullingham (frame replaced by a panel in 1978) and Chippenham Junction.

*It is unclear if upgrading the interlocking at Cambridge is replacement of existing British Rail (then
second hand) route relay interlockings or provision of additional Smartlock interlocking for the new
area. The project covers 125 track miles, from Meldreth and Elsenham to the south, north to Ely and
east to Thurston. There is provision for Cambridge South station and possible future East West Rail
(but see item 766). Design work has begun, with the work on the ground expected to be delivered
during four commissioning stages to minimise disruption, with final commissioning due in winter 2024.

771] Sizewell: (BLN 1396.665) As if on cue the annual DRS route proving train ran on Thur 3 Mar with
68002, 68007 and an empty FNA nuclear flask wagon. It left Crewe Coal Yard 01.14 and Sizewell was
reached on time at 10.02. Departure was at 15.32 and it was back at Crewe at 01.10 next morning.

772] Brandon: (BLN 1359.2457) The box was demolished over the 19-20 Feb weekend. In recent years
Richard Parrott, of Weeting, who started the village steam rally over 50 years ago, tried to save it from
demolition. There were also failed attempts from the now disbanded Friends of Brandon Station to
have the box listed. Lakenheath box was demolished on 4 Sep 2021. We visited both on 16 Jun 2012.

773] Essex branches: On 23 Aug 2021 a member touring East Anglia visited closed stations on three
branches. He went by train to Colchester, then bus to Brightlingsea. Most of that branch is a public, or
publicly accessible, footpath. He had walked the trackbed from Wivenhoe on New Year's Day 1989.
On that occasion he waded barefoot through the mud of Alresford Creek across the ford just upstream
of the missing railway bridge. His notebook shows he was on his way back from the Netherlands and
Germany via Hoek van Holland to Harwich Parkeston Quay; he well remembers cleaning the copious
mud off his feet. Even then, Brightlingsea station had been demolished and now the site is occupied
by a community centre and the 'Fight Klub'; do they fight each other with klubs (sic) in Brightlingsea?

The Brightlingsea bus also serves Thorrington, a closed station (59m 41ch) on the Clacton-on-Sea line.
It closed as Thorington from 4 Nov 1957 and everything was demolished. The station was at a crossing
where today only a NR relay room is present itself spelt with two 'R's as is the location on OS maps.

On to Ipswich, then a Felixstowe local bus, alighting at Nacton crossroads. A short walk down the
minor road towards Nacton brought him to the 'gem of the day' - Orwell station and station house.
By George! - the station (CP 15 Jun 1959) has been tastefully converted into a private residence at the
end of the station approach road which passes the station house. Both are beautifully sited, deep in
woodland, some distance from Nacton village (and further from Orwell Park, after which the station
was named) with nothing to disturb their tranquillity apart from the incessant container trains
thundering past to and from Felixstowe Port. Photographing the sites of Brightlingsea, Thorrington
and Orwell completed all stations (open and closed) for him in a significant slice of Suffolk and Essex.

1397 SOUTH EAST - SOUTH (Julian James) [email protected]  See previous section.

774] Hampton Court: At about 20.00 on Sun 20 Feb high winds did considerable damage (with a risk of
falling glass) to the short canopy that covers the buffer stops end of the island platform and the
circulating area beyond the platform ends, so that there was no safe route for passengers to reach or
leave the platforms. A train that was at the station at the time did eventually leave at 20.39 but the
19.57 from Waterloo was terminated at Surbiton; the ECS was sent to Woking to reverse and there
were no more services on the branch that evening. Trains restarted on Monday morning, running to
Hampton Court as they could stop short of the damaged area but not carrying passengers between
Thames Ditton and Hampton Court in either direction. This was presumably considered preferable to
sending trains back towards Surbiton on the bidirectional Down Hampton Court line from Thames
Ditton P2, as they would then have needed to cross all the running lines to reach Up Slow P1 at
Surbiton to make their next stop at Berrylands. Initially South Western Railway website advised
passengers that rail tickets would be accepted on TfL buses between Hampton Court and Kingston, as
well as between Hampton Court and Thames Ditton. Unfortunately TfL buses go nowhere near
Thames Ditton and the hourly service there provided by Falcon buses does not go to Hampton Court!
Possibly prompted by angry calls from stranded passengers, SWR woke up to this fact and started to
provide replacement buses between Thames Ditton and Hampton Court from about 18.30 on
Monday. The short term repair work comprised erection of a crash deck on scaffolding under the
damaged canopy with completion on the afternoon of Fri 25 Feb; the station reopened at 17.00.

775] Littlehampton: The waiting room was once the steam loco shed here and information on its
inside walls gives some details. With Shed Code 'Lton', the shed was opened on 17 Aug 1863 by the
London, Brighton & South Coast Railway replacing their nearby Lyminster shed (opened 16 Mar 1845).
A sub-depot of Bognor Regis, the steam shed at Littlehampton closed in 1937 for remodelling of the
station area for the Sussex west coast lines electrification. Its locos were reallocated to the parent
depot at Bognor or transferred to Brighton depot. This waiting room was opened in May 2012 by the
Town Mayor, who made himself comfortable on its sofa to read a local paper. The old engine shed had
been in a semi-derelict state but Southern and NR renewed the floor, which had collapsed around
2009, and completely refurbished it with sofas and a customer information screen. Staff were not
forgotten and new accommodation for them was set up alongside, also making them more accessible
to passengers. Littlehampton District Lions' Club set up a miniature library there with donated books -
maybe excluding thrillers so gripping that passengers would miss their train to see if the butler did it?

776] Eurotunnel: (BLN 1384.2343) The annual report of the operating company Getlink shows that it
experienced losses in all transport areas. In 2021 total earnings fell 11% to €297M, while revenue
came out at €774M, down 6% on 2020. Getlink's main revenue streams are from Eurotunnel and
Europorte, Getlink's rail freight company. Getlink ended 2021 with a net consolidated loss of €229M,
over double the previous year. Truck shuttles carried over 1.36M vehicles, down 6% on 2020. Freight
volumes dropped 9% to 1.04M tonnes. Last year, just over 953,000 passenger cars used Eurotunnel, a
32% decrease on 2020. The number of coaches using the passenger shuttle was cut in half to 7,052.

Eurostar passengers decreased by 35% last year to 1,637M (only Eurostar passengers using the tunnel
are counted, not those just using Continental sections). Getlink is optimistic about its 2022 financial
outlook, considering that pandemic related restrictions are now being lifted in many EU countries.

777] Lymington: (BLN 1396.631) The Appendix to RH Clark's 'Southern Region Chronology & Record',
'Live Rail' magazine Nov 1977 and Colin Scott-Morton's '50 Years of the Bournemouth Electrics'
(a Southern Way special issue) all give Fri 2 Jun 1967 as the date when electric services started to
Lymington, as recorded in BLN 1396. Scott-Morton even quotes the identity of the units used that day.
Modern Railways Jul to Sep 1967 had no report. Key dates for the Bournemouth electrification were:

12 Dec 1966: Sturt Lane (just east of Farnborough) to Basingstoke and Micheldever energised.
14 Dec 1966: Micheldever to Swaythling energised.
2 Jan 1967: Electric working of local trains began between Waterloo and Basingstoke.
18 Jan 1967: Swaythling to Lymington Jn (Brockenhurst) energised.
6 Mar 1967: Lymington Jn to Branksome energised.
3 Apr 1967: Some Bournemouth trains electrically worked; DEMUs began on the Lymington branch.
8 May 1967: Lymington branch energised.
2 Jun 1967: Lymington branch electric working began.
9 Jul 1967: Last day of steam working on the main line.
10 Jul 1967: Full electric timetable but some diesel workings due to delayed Class 74 electro-diesels
…. and technical problems with the 4-Rep EMUs. The service did not run as planned until Spring 1968.

778] Woking - Havant: (BLN 1395.501) After the first (12-20 Feb) blockade, no material changes were
apparent to the crossing equipment or roadbed at either Princes Bridge or Sheet and the old style
Automatic Half Barrier remained in use as previously, with no new equipment evident. These two and
Kingsfernsden crossing had all acquired some shiny protective fencing in place next to the lineside.

779] East Malling: (19,996 passengers 2020-21; 106,000 the previous year) The station closed from
20.20 Mon 8 Mar due to the condition of the stairs which required emergency repairs. A bus shuttle
was provided to West Malling, a mile away by rail but three by road. Of note, online systems showed
Up trains as calling but they certainly did not, Down trains were correctly shown as 'PASS' (as some say
on Mastermind). Repairs went remarkably well, next day Up P1 ROP at 11.00 and Down P2 at 13.00.

780] Eastbourne Gasworks: Your Editor has a report that a 'special train' used this remaining section
of the standard gauge 'Crumbles Branch' (not the Crumbles tramway) on Mon 7 Jul 1969. Its main
line junction faced Eastbourne and the branch is likely to have closed with the gasworks in early Jun
1967. A section (not as far as the gasworks) was used in 1968 for renewal of British Rail cables. Does
anyone know anything about this special train please? There is nothing in BLN, Six Bells Junction etc.

781] Chichester ❶A member who went to school at Chichester in 1962, travelling daily by train from
Emsworth, reports on an interesting quirk about the station track. The metal passenger subway
structure required a conductor rail gap and it was exactly four coach lengths from the level crossing.
Every hour the train to London was a 4-Cor unit, later known as Class 404. (It coupled to a 4-Cor plus
4-Buf formation from Bognor Regis at Barnham.) Local trains were two 2-car units but the hourly
London train was a single 4-coach EMU. As it departed and the conductor rail shoes reached the gaps
(for the crossing and the subway respectively), there was a very satisfying spark and crackling sound
effect; the unit drifted on at 10mph until it picked up the juice again. Our member always thought he
would see a train becoming stranded by gapping, blocking the level crossing, but it never happened.

❷(BLNs 1395.500 & 1396.626) The current NX (entrance/exit) panel installed in 1991 at Chichester
box is not second hand from Three Bridges. The former Three Bridges panel was installed at
Chichester in 1985 but then replaced in 1991 by the current one. Note too that only the console was
second hand, it being impossible to reuse an NX panel with the layout for one location at a different
location. A new panel for Chichester was inserted into the second hand console shell. As an interesting
aside, that second hand console is now in use at Alton on the Mid Hants Railway, third hand and
containing yet another different replacement panel. (We hope you are following all of this!)

:1397 SOUTH WEST PLEASE USE:: [email protected] :POST TO BLN EDITOR PLEASE.
(A silent locum is quietly covering this section - so thank you to all our SW contributors.)

782] Gloucester (excl) - Severn Tunnel Jn: We're all going on a summer holiday, thinks NR, so they're
taking the opportunity to carry out significant work with a school holiday line closure from Mon 18 Jul
until 08.00 Sun 14 Aug. Severn Tunnel Junction to Lydney (incl an ECS shunt) RO 07.00 Sat 30 Jul.
Freight traffic diverts via the Severn Tunnel and Charfield - presumably including loaded oil tanks from
Robeston which usually avoid the Tunnel? This is thought to be mainly to resolve the recent recurrent
landslips. There are earthworks 122m 24ch to 131m 56ch, drainage works 133m 45ch to 142m 25ch,
trackwork 139m 0ch to 142m 30ch, track maintenance/vegetation clearance 115m 45ch to 121m 37ch.

783] Cheltenham Festival: This annual horse racing meeting from Tue 15 Mar to Fri 18 Mar increased
rail passenger traffic from all directions as usual. GWR was scheduled to operate IETs on additional
workings from Bristol Temple Meads, only serving Bristol Parkway en route, at 08.51, 09.08, 10.05
and 11.02, returning from Cheltenham at 18.25, 19.22, 20.22 and 21.47, the latter terminating at
Bristol Parkway. The morning trains continued ECS to Worcester Shrub Hill to run additional services
from there to Bristol Parkway at 10.29, from Swindon at 10.50 and 11.48, with the last arrival ECS to
Reading at 11.05 via Alstone Carriage Sidings, returning in service as the 13.52 to Cheltenham to form
the 15.59 to Paddington. With similar arrangements in the evenings, this allowed passengers the
unusual opportunity to travel in an IET between Westerleigh Jn and Standish Jn, plus the Gloucester
avoiding line. There are booked IET moves over this section ECS to/from Hitachi's Stoke Gifford Depot.

784] Okehampton: (BLN 1396.641) The hourly off-peak 7-day service in the May timetable shows that
most trains will run to Exeter Central. Of note, the service is accelerated by as much as 6 min (34 min
for 25 miles from Okehampton to St Davids) following relaying of the 40mph section and less waiting
time at Crediton (which, with the Barnstaple services, will have 2tph each way to and from Exeter).

785] Probus is anti-bus: Sometime between Apr 2022 and Mar 2023 NR is planning Ballast Cleaning
work at Probus, with Single Line Working (SLW) on the Up Main between Burngullow Jn and Truro.
The possession is on the Down Main Line from 295m 759y to 296m 1056y from 22.40 until 06.40 next
morning. SLW would use crossovers at Burngullow Jn (available on tours to Parkandillack in the same
direction) and Truro. The London end Truro trailing crossover use is in the opposite direction to that
on the recent Up sleeper departures from Truro P1. It is being removed with resignalling in 2024 and
replaced with a facing one. When there is no capacity on the Single Line, Down trains will terminate at
St Austell and shunt back to the east. In reality it would be up to the individual TOC to decide where to
terminate; that only appears to affect one train in the timetable (the 18.00 SuX Cardiff to Penzance).

786] Heritage journeys: (BLN 1396.639) A South Devon Railway (SDR) Travelling Ticket Inspector (TTI)
reports that some passengers use that railway as a part of a longer single journey. This is particularly
noted on Sundays when there are no buses between Buckfastleigh and Totnes and only two 'X38' bus
journeys to either Exeter or Plymouth. The fare for one person would, mostly, be cheaper than a Taxi.

In Feb half term SDR provided a heritage rail replacement bus service (with Routemaster RM1872)
between Staverton and Totnes station/town centre, due to their track work near Totnes. The TTI
conducting on the bus encountered two people travelling from Buckfastleigh to Exeter and two to
Derby! Interestingly on the Sat and Sun, when there were no National Rail trains at Totnes, the
Routemaster crew were asked more than once if they were going to Exeter or Plymouth! Passengers
were referred to the rail replacement buses and coaches provided by GWR and CrossCountry!

787] Western Region (WR) Timetable 5 May 1969 to 3 May 1970 (Part 1): A member was fascinated
to review this British Rail (BR) timetable from nearly 53 years ago during Lockdown. The cover price
was three shillings (15p, worth £2.63 now) although it had cost him a couple of pounds a few years
ago. It is roughly A4 size, half an inch thick with a maroon background for most of the front cover.
Services from Waterloo to Reading and Exeter, Reading to Redhill, Marylebone to Banbury and
Birmingham, Bristol to Birmingham, and Shrewsbury to South Wales all ventured onto the WR.

A summary of the service by route, broadly in table number order, and generally of the Monday to
Friday service shows how different in frequency, periods of operation and speed many services were
over 50 years ago, despite modernisation and upgrading. ●Paddington to South Wales started 08.00
with the last at 20.00 and generally hourly was non-stop to Newport on some taking 3hr 20 min,
otherwise 3hr 40 min to Swansea, with a slow overnight service at 01.25 (arr 07.10 via Gloucester).

●Swindon to Gloucester had 10 trains each way, half from Swindon and others through from London
- some missed Stonehouse which BR first proposed for closure from 2 Oct 1972 but it was reprieved.

●Bristol was roughly hourly, the first from London at 06.15 then 07.45 to 19.45 and 22.45, with a
connection at Swindon from the 21.30. Those at even XX.45 were often fast to Bath, taking 1h 50 min
to Temple Meads others 2hr 15 min. The 17.35 Bristol Pullman (1h 40min) was the only evening extra.

788] Paper Publications: At Bath and Bristol Parkway, the only GWR paper timetable displayed is 'B9'
(Avonmouth branch). Barry Doe's column (RAIL 950) suggests that the derogation from printing paper
timetables only runs until May. Perhaps this exception is to highlight increased frequency post-Covid?

789] Lostwithiel losses are Plym Valley gains: NR has donated 1km of track and sleepers from lifting
Lostwithiel yard, plus five sets of points and four stop blocks, to Plym Valley Railway in Devon that
operates on the ex-GWR Plymouth to Launceston branch. This will allow the Plym Valley Railway to
replace parts of their existing infrastructure and provide additional sidings at Marsh Mills Yard.

790] Booking Offices: The 13 Mar 'Sunday Times' reports that GWR has applied for permission from
the DfT to reduce opening hours at 42 stations, following on from ScotRail. This is to reduce the £3bn
staffing costs and £500M annual costs of the ticket systems. Does anyone have any details please?
After 30 Mar Nectar Points can no longer be collected with GWR online ticket bookings - bus off?

1397 WEST MIDLANDS (Brian Schindler) [email protected]
 15 Sudeley, Dosthill, TAMWORTH, B77 1JR. 07976 122711

791] Water Orton: (BLN 1393.235) During the recent 19-27 Feb line closure between Grand Jn and
Coleshill Parkway/Kingsbury Jn, track and lineside drainage was improved and a major sewer diverted
along with other works for HS2. Near Water Orton station 457m of track was also relaid, signals were
maintained and there was extensive vegetation clearance along the route. Six specialist 'track removal
machines' were connected to move half kilometre sections of track at a time - a UK railway first.

792] Ross-on-Wye: A former railway embankment near Morrisons supermarket on Broadmeadows
industrial estate dates back to the 1850s when the Hereford, Ross & Gloucester Railway opened.
Camanoe Estates want to build a 7.3m wide access road linking Millpond Lane to the western side of
the estate and install a concrete pad on the site of the southern slope for two portable cabins.
The eastern part of the embankment was recently removed without planning consent but the council
said that they would not pursue enforcement action as it would not be in the public interest to do so.

Planning permission was later granted retrospectively for the works and installation of an agricultural
wholesale building. This is not surprising, as Ross-on-Wye station site (CP 2 Nov 1964; CP 1 Nov 1965)
is now covered by the Ashburton industrial estate. The only buildings surviving are the engine shed
(a garden centre) and the goods shed - now incorporated into a commercial garage. About 600 yards
to the north is what is known locally as 'the Cawdor Arch', a bridge with limited clearances, built to
carry the line over a minor road. A proposed housing development nearby means this bridge is also
vulnerable to demolition, there are residents who see it as a significant Brunel relic but the likelihood
is that it will go. Fortunately, over a mile of ex-Ross & Monmouth Railway trackbed is a public footpath
'The Town & Country Trail' and is well used by dog walkers, including our local member with his rover.

793] (LEFT) Just in case you missed it
first time around: Thanks to Richard
Maund (on the inaugural train?). Note
that there were only four services each
way SuX and two SuO. The 2.50pm SuX
Worcester Shrub Hill to Hereford had
a very impressive run indeed.

794] Great Malvern: West Midlands
Railway recently arranged repainting
of the woodwork, doors and subway -
they look smart. NR has submitted a
planning application to repair and
refurbish the station platform canopies
and the ticket office at this Grade II
listed station. The application includes
repairs to the floral decorations on the
canopy support columns and may
result in the installation of period style
'Globe Lighting' in keeping with the
station style. Scaffolding supporting a
platform is expected to be erected
soon and remain for much of the year.
Meanwhile the unique Grade II listed
'Worm' is deteriorating and needs TLC
(see BLN 1263.1640 of 20 Aug 2016).

795] Leamington Spa: (BLN 1394.379)
Bridge 54, Rugby Road, which is to be
replaced over Easter currently has a
20mph restriction in both directions.
Leamington Spa North Jn to Coventry
South Jn with Kenilworth station is
TCP Friday, 15 April until Mon 18 (incl).
(The good citizens of Kenilworth are
well used to rail replacement buses but West Midlands Railway has also thrown in buses between
Coventry and Nuneaton good measure over the same period; quite possibly cheaper than running
trains.) NR is using part of Potterton Sports Fields as a temporary site compound and to build the new
bridge, before it is driven down the A445 by a huge self-propelled modular transporter vehicle.

796] Small Heath: (BLN 1393.240) The two aggregate unloading areas, where up to three trains a day
are unloaded, are shown as separate terminals in a recent PDF produced by the Rail Freight Group.
One is a relatively new site for Cemex at the Birmingham end receiving GBRF worked trains from Dove
Holes Quarry near Buxton. The second, operated by GRS Rail Services, is shown slightly further south.

797] Stafford: In the new May timetable all the TfW services via Stafford are diverted. The 22.54 SSuX
Birmingham to Holyhead (arr 02.15) starts at Shrewsbury and runs via Gobowen; the 04.24 SSuX
(04.22 SO) Chester to Birmingham will form a 04.50 Crewe to Milford Haven instead. The 18.26 SuO
Holyhead to Birmingham International is diverted via Shrewsbury which is also its only stop between
Crewe and Wolverhampton - arriving at New Street six minutes earlier than when it ran via Stafford!

The 22.40 SuO International to Chester runs via Shrewsbury (after Wolverhampton the only station
call until Crewe) but takes 38 minutes longer. This will result in TfW services no longer running via
Stafford. Some were non-stop but the Stafford TfW services are currently SSuX 05.24 (05.24 SO) to
International & SuO 23.43 SSuX to Holyhead plus 21.13 SuO to International & 23.33 to Chester.