Number 1420 (Items 691 - 826 & MR 42 - MR 50) (E-BLN 118 PAGES) 18 Mar 2023 BRANCH LINE NEWS Distribuendi notitia, verbi disseminandi [ISSN 1354-0947] Published 24 times a year by the Branch Line Society; founded 1955. branchline.uk https://www.facebook.com/BranchLineSociety/ Membership queries: Lisa Sheppard [email protected] 186 [email protected] Park Road South, Hull, HU4 7BU. 07873 354464 British Isles news from members; an International section is available. Opinions are not necessarily those available. of the Compilers or of the Society. ciety. Society. BLN 1421 is dated Sat 1 Apr; contributions by Wed 22 Mar please 691] :*IMPORTANT* Do we have your correct address?: It is not long until we will be posting out a copy of Peter Scott's 2023 (35th Edition) Minor Railways Booklet to ALL full members, including those with just an e-subscription. If you have changed address in the last 12 months, please notify your Membership Secretary, Lisa Sheppard, as above. This also applies to other changes such as email address or to advise your date of birth. To check your details, on our website Home page, go along the top banner to 'More options' and down to 'My details'. Here you can also sign up for occasional emails (when e-BLN and new fixtures are released) by clicking the 'Preferences' box at the bottom. 692] The Four MOMs Charity Auction*: You have heard of the Three Tenors (or £30), well now we bring you the Four MOMs! To help raise the required sponsorship for their Three Peaks Challenge in June, there is a railway charity auction - with a day on Caroline, the NR inspection saloon, for two. See: http://bit.ly/3Jd9ELq *A MOM for the day is not a prize (!) or you can donate at: http://bit.ly/3FiZM1z Date Event and details…... Please book online BLN Lead Status Sat 18 Mar The Second Bite, Derby - Whitby main line tour 1418 MG OPEN Sun 19 Mar Minor Railway visits in Derbyshire 1417 MG WAITING LIST Wed 22 Mar North Lincolnshire Charity signal box visits 1418 NG WAITING LIST Sat 31 Mar :10.00 New Street PSB tour, opens with a Society email Mon evening, 20 March: 29-31 Mar *NEW* The BWC Charter to Kyle of Lochalsh BELOW MG OPEN Sat 29 Apr *NEW* Birmingham New St subterranean guided tour TBA TBA Claimed Sat 29 Apr *NEW* PEPs on Tour: Class 313 EMU Sussex Rambler BELOW MG OPEN Mon 1 May Calan Mai loco-hauled railtour Derby to Holyhead 1418 MG OPEN 12-15 May Poland; The Katowice & Kraków Wanderer BELOW IS OPEN Sat 20 May Save the date: 'To Hull & Vac', mainline tour TBA TBA Claimed Sat 22 Jul Isle of Man: Manx Electric Railway Crossover Explorer TBA TBA Claimed Sun 27 Aug Scunthorpe Summer Track Steeler26 (09.30-18.30) TBA TBA Claimed Bookings: MG = Mark Gomm [email protected] 84 Mornington Rd, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST1 6EL 07983 541887. 693] :Fri 12 to Mon 15 May; BLS Poland #2 Tour - The Katowice & Krakow Wanderer:: Full details are in e-BLN 1419 and on our website. A paper copy can be obtained by those who have never once accessed our website from your BLN Editor (per back page), with an SAE. A reminder, so we can confirm that the tour is running, please would anyone else intending to book do so by the end of March or at least notify the Bookings Officer (as above) that you are definitely intending to book. 694] :Wed 29-Fri 31 Mar; The BWC Charter:: This charity tour, operated by GB Railfreight for GBRf Charity Railtours, features SRPS 37403 and (limited) First Class Mk1 seating. A SRPS staffed Buffet Car will serve a range of hot and cold drinks, snacks and light refreshments. Real ales will also be available. All proceeds from our raffle will go to Alzheimer's Society, GBRf's new charity partner. 1 st Class fare for three days £129 (U18, must be accompanied, £64.50). Passengers need to arrange their own accommodation in Inverness.
ABOVE: (Item 695) A very interesting photo, from Drayton Park looking north towards Finsbury Park on 16 Aug 1976 when the Class 313 were new. These new grade separated connections for the Great Northern inner suburban electrification and that 'long' trailing crossover opened for trial ECS running on 5 Jul 1976. Ahead are the filled in former Northern Line tunnels to Finsbury Park (CA 4 Oct 1964), the left one partially hidden. Their underground station at Finsbury Park became part of the Piccadilly and Victoria lines. BELOW: Drayton Park on 16 Aug 1976; it had closed 5 Oct 1975 for reconstruction then reopened 16 Aug 1976 initially with a shuttle service to Old Street. (Both Greg Beecroft.)
P = Photo stop :Wednesday:: Linlithgow P1 (PU 10.44) - Linlithgow UPL - Winchburgh Jn - Dalmeny Jn - Dalmeny DPL - Inverkeithing P2 (PU 11.29) - Glenrothes with Thornton (P) - Thornton DPL - Ladybank (PU 12.46) - Ladybank Up & Dn Loop - Perth P3 - Perth UPL - Dunkeld & Birnam Down P2 - Kingussie P1 - Kincraig Loop - Aviemore P2 - Carrbridge (P) - Slochd Loop - Tomatin Loop - Moy Loop - Cradlehall Down Main to Up Main - Inverness P1 (SD 17.21). :Thursday:: Inverness P1 (PU 11.03) - Millburn Jn (rev) - Rose Street Curve - Inverness Down North Loop - Dingwall (P) - Strathcarron (P) - Plockton - Kyle of Lochalsh P1 (SD 15.10) - Kyle of Lochalsh P2 (PU 17.40) - Inverness Up North Loop - Rose Street Curve - Millburn Jn (rev) - Inverness P1 (SD 21.39) :Friday:: Inverness P4 (PU 11.06) - Cradlehall Down Main to Up Main - Tomatin Loop - Slochd Loop - Carrbridge P1 - Aviemore P2 (P) - Kincraig Loop - Pitlochry P2 - Perth UPL - Perth P3 (SD 14.53) - Stirling P9 (SD 16.10) - Stirling UPL - Falkirk Grahamston P1 (SD 16.50). 695] ;Sat 29 Apr; PEPs on Tour; The Sussex Rambler:: This charity tour starts and finishes at Brighton. It is operated by Southern with a pair of Class 313 EMUs, built at York in 1976-77; all will be withdrawn with the May timetable (item 760). There is a Littlehampton lunch break but no on train catering. These trains have no toilets, so breaks will be provided. Consider your fluid intake carefully! All proceeds from our charity raffle go to Railway Children and Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice, Arundel. The Network SouthEast Railway Society will provide a sales stand, with special souvenirs to purchase. Standard Class £62.60; U18 £31.30 (must be adult accompanied) limited to 300 places in the 6-car train and filling fast. Brighton P3 (PU 08.59) - Carriage Road - Preston Park P1 (rev) - Fratton P3 - Portsmouth Harbour P1 (10.32-10.40) - Fratton P1 - Havant - Barnham P1 (rev) - Bognor Regis Middle Siding (rev) - Barnham P3 - Littlehampton P3 (break 12.04-12.58) - Worthing P1 - Hove P2 - Preston Park P1 - Haywards Heath P4 - Three Bridges P3 (rev) - Haywards Heath P2 - Eastbourne P1 (15.08-15.14) - Hastings P3 - Ore Up Siding (rev) - Hastings P1 (rev 15.49-16.08) - Hastings Signal 70 (rev) - Bexhill (16.23-16.35) - Eastbourne P2 (rev) - Lewes Up Siding (rev) - Newhaven Marine (rev) - Haywards Heath P1 - Haywards Heath Dn Siding North (rev) - Haywards Heath P1 - Keymer Jn - Brighton P3 (SD 18.32). Plus any 'on the day surprises'… 1420 BLN GENERAL (Paul Stewart) [email protected] 696] Double or Quits: A member kindly wrote in to point out that in 1934 the original Great Western Railway doubled the final 1m 50ch of the lengthy Minehead branch from Dunster station to the terminus. He wonders why. Answer: It was part of a scheme to increase line capacity when passenger traffic was increasing,especially in busy summer months to seaside resorts in the West Country.Also in 1934, the GWR installed passenger train passing loops at Kentsford between Blue Anchor and Williton (Washford and Watchet stations were only single platforms) and at Leigh Woods, between Williton and Crowcombe (Stogumber was only a single platform). Thus, lengthy Up trains in the morning and Down later in the day, mostly for/from London, The Midlands and South Wales could pass others at SEVEN places away from Norton Fitzwarren Jn. (Norton Fitzwarren - Bishops Lydeard on double track, loops at Crowcombe, Leigh Woods, Williton, Kentsford and Blue Anchor, with double track from Dunster to Minehead.) Further improvements for longer trains included lengthening the platforms at Crowcombe, Blue Anchor, Dunster and Minehead. A member had firsthand experience of passing activity in his youth, Minehead to Snow Hill, by GWR in 1947 and again in early British Railways' days. As an economy measure from 27 Mar 1966, British Rail (BR) operated Dunster to Minehead as two single bidirectional tracks, controlled by Dunster box (which was second hand from Maerdy!), until the branch closed from 4 Jan 1971. This allowed considerable simplification of the layout at Minehead and closure of the signal box. Minehead run round loop was then operated by train crew worked ground frames, although most trains were DMUs. Ironically, that Dunster signal box is now at Minehead! In 1922 the GWR took over the Cambrian Railways and doubled the last 900yds of the Cambrian Coast Line from Pwllheli East box (controlling the goods yard) to Pwllheli West box (passenger station). Said to be to reduce congestion, it was worked as double track until the boxes were downgraded to ground frames (12 Sep 1976) to operate what became, and still is, a long run round loop. Llanbadarn Crossing (94m 57ch) to Aberystwyth (95m 60ch) was double track for a mile from 27 Apr 1924 until 8 Jan 1967. Clarbeston Road to Fishguard Harbour was double throughout, probably from OP 30 Aug 1906 except for Manorowen to Fishguard & Goodwick (single track by 1945 and probably always as Manorowen
box opened with the line - OS maps agree). DSM Barrie tells us that the GWR went all out to capture the transatlantic trade via Fishguard from the outset but the decline started as early as WWI. Another example is Newquay where the last 67ch was double track from the station to Tolcarn Jn, the northwest junction of the triangle there. Interestingly the line round to Newquay Jn (the eastern junction) on the busier line to Par was single track but the curve to Lane Jn (southwest) on the much quieter line to Perranporth and Chacewater was double track. Its single track third side of the triangle (Lane Jn to Newquay Jn) was used for engine turning after the turntable was removed at Newquay to increase the carriage sidings. Thus, the double track handled traffic for the two lines and light engines. It was also GWR practice to double the initial section of some single track long branches. At Norton Fitzwarren, just southwest of Taunton, the Minehead branch was doubled in 1934 to the first station, Bishops Lydeard. It was re-singled by BR in 1970 when Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren boxes closed on de-quadrupling the main line from Taunton for resignalling with Multiple Aspect Signalling. The Norton Fitzwarren to Barnstaple (Victoria Road) line was doubled to its first station at Milverton from 7 Feb 1937; remaining the case until the line closed from 3 Oct 1966. This allowed a train to still enter the branch if another was late leaving it. In addition, a train could be held on the branch before the junction without blocking access to the branch. Trains could also pass each other on the section without stopping. Paignton to Goodrington Sands was doubled in 1928 and became two bidirectional single tracks in Nov 1972 when the Kingswear branch was transferred from BR to the heritage sector. Away from the GWR, a Scottish example was the 32ch of double track from Oban Goods Jn to Oban. Harman and Nichols 'Atlas of the Southern Railway' shows two examples. Hamworthy Goods branch was single from Hamworthy Jn to Lake Ground Frame and then double for the last half mile. Fareham to Gosport was singled 4 Mar 1934, except for the last half mile from Forton Jn to Gosport terminus. Were there any other single track branches anywhere with double track sections before their termini? LEFT: 1954 map of Oban with the short section of double track at the end of the line from Oban Goods Jn 32ch to the passenger terminus. 697] Railway Memories (98); the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton (DN&S) Part 1: Michael L Roach (4428) The DN&S was conceived to carry freight from the Midlands to the South Coast, shortening the route via Reading and Basingstoke. It was originally single line throughout, with many stations and crossing loops, and dependent on the London & South Western Railway (L&SWR) for the last few miles into Southampton, so trains actually took longer than the previous route! I travelled the DN&S for the first time in Aug 1957 from the Southampton end with ex-L&SWR T9-class 30120 one way and ex-GWR N o 3440 'City of Truro' the other. 3440 had just been taken out of York Railway Museum, overhauled at Swindon and put to work on railtours and scheduled trains, as here. Between Didcot and Newbury, the line crossed the Berkshire Downs and between Newbury and Winchester the Hampshire Downs. The terrain was bleaker in places than we might consider for this part of Southern England. Together the Berkshire Downs and the Hampshire Downs form a large part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. On my 1957 journey north, 30120 struggled on the 1:108 gradient near Litchfield. Finally it was so slow that the driver could do nothing but stop the train in the middle of the countryside for a blow-up on an embankment in full view of traffic on the adjacent A34 trunk road. My second trip up the line was on 2 Jan 1960 when we (my friend Charles Fennamore and I) travelled to Newbury for the last day of passenger services on the Lambourn branch.
ABOVE: (Item 697) Hermitage, taken during a 10-mile walk from Newbury to Compton on 20 Feb 1960. BELOW: T9 30120 leaves Woodhay for Newbury with the 6.28am Totton to Reading General on 20 Feb 1960, the last day it ran. During WWII improvements the line from here to Enborne Jn was doubled. Mike and his friend had just alighted from the train to travel in the opposite direction to Litchfield, 6¾ miles away.
ABOVE: Collet 0-6-0 N o 3211 at Whitchurch Town on 30 Jan 1960 heading north with the 2.12pm Eastleigh to Newbury. Note the flat roofed austerity WWII box in the distance. (All Mike Roach unless specified.) BELOW: Hampstead Norris (at Hampstead Norreys pronounced 'Norris') looking towards Didcot 20 Feb 1960.
BELOW: A selection of tickets from the Didcot to Winchester line, all issued between 2 Jan and 5 Mar 1960. Note how they are nearly all low numbers which says a lot..
ABOVE: Small prairie 4549 at Yealmpton, 4.00pm on 27 Feb 1960. Looking east towards the end of line. There was a proposal for this GWR branch to be extended to Kingsbridge, Dartmouth and Paignton. BELOW: The nine brakevans ready for 5pm departure back to Plymouth Friary, looking towards the end of line.
[BLN 1420] BELOW: 1956 map to shown how remote Churn (Halt? - see text) was, Didcot to the north Newbury south. TO FOLLOW: Photos mostly from Angus McDougall's trip over the line on Sat 25 Jul 1959.
BELOW: Burghclere station building from
m the road on 23 Mar 2017. Photo © Nigel Thompson (cc-by-sa/2.0)
ABOVE: Burghclere, looking north (towards Newbury). BELOW: The only visible part of its box on 18 Aug 2001.
ABOVE: Sutton Scotney looking north towards Newbury. (Both Angus McDougall 25 Jul 1959.) BELOW: Worthy Down (south of Sutton Scotney towards Winchester) had a WWII signal box too.
Time was running out for the DN&S. Our third trip was Sat 20 Feb 1960 when I left St Denys at 6.30am and caught 'Hampshire' DEMU 1109 to Winchester City ('Winchester' from 10 Jul 1967), from where we legged it the three quarters of a mile across Winchester city centre to Chesil station on the DN&S. I could have travelled direct from St Denys at 6.46am but may have done it this way to see Chesil from the platform. We had another reason and that was cost. This way cost 2s 6d for an early morning return from St Denys to Winchester plus 6s 0d for a cheap day return to Newbury, a total of 8s 6d. On the previous occasion I had paid 14s 0d for an ordinary return from St Denys to Newbury. Our train from Chesil was hauled by U-class N o 31795 of Eastleigh shed with three ex-GWR corridor coaches. This was another different kind of day out. At Newbury our train went up the Great Western main line to Reading, so we alighted there. With no train on the next part of the DN&S to Didcot for 5½ hours (typical of lines on their last legs in those days, a very sparse service and no connections), we walked 10 miles to Compton station in six hours viewing the stations at Hermitage, Pinewood and Hampstead Norris en route. At Compton we bought an ordinary return to Churn (Halt) 1¾ miles away for 10d (worth £2.50 now). Churn had a special appeal, a most unusual station where trains stopped on request only, which we had duly made at Newbury several hours earlier. It was a small, very isolated station but not a 'Halt' in the timetables (Quick), although was shown as one in the 1956 Hand-Book (sic) of Stations. It was a temporary stop built for a competition held by the National Rifle Association in 1888. From 1889 military summer camps took place nearby and the station was the only access. We had over two hours at Churn before catching a train in the same direction to the next station at Upton & Blewbury. Looking back, I am sure that we could have done better with the itinerary that day. The 17 miles between the main line junctions at Newbury and Didcot was doubled during a seven month closure of the line in 1942-1943, it was improved to carry the thousands of extra trains from the Midlands to the South Coast ports for the war effort. Churn was originally accessed only by public footpaths and private grass roads, having one running line, one siding and one platform serving just a solitary nearby farm (and hikers as it was high up on the Berkshire Downs). After doubling of the line, the station became an island platform which was relatively unusual for the GWR who were not great users of single island platforms at small stations but is also happened at Worthy Down. The railway ran through a really pleasant area, with various desirable villages to live in. Today it is perfect commuter territory with the M4 passing through the area and main line railway stations at Goring and Newbury. Our train from Compton to Churn was hauled by Collett 0-6-0 N o 3211 of Didcot shed. From Churn we had similar loco 2201, also of Didcot shed. We next travelled just 3¾ miles by train to Upton & Blewbury where we waited over an hour in the dark for our train home, the 5.55pm from Didcot to Eastleigh, as on 2 Jan 1960 when we had joined same train at Newbury. It was not advertised as a through train but as two separate trains because of a 44 minute wait at Newbury, during which time it left the main Down platform and reversed into the Down bay. There it waited to give the stations on the bottom half of the DN&S a connection out of the 6.00pm restaurant car express from Paddington to Weymouth (Town) - reached 10.10pm. This was an interesting train as, in 1960, it divided at Newbury with the rear portion becoming a stopping service to Trowbridge (via Devizes), reached at 8.58pm. The 6.00pm Paddington to Weymouth was a longstanding train, appearing in every one of my GWR timetables back to 1902, when it arrived Weymouth Town at 11.00pm. Our train down the DN&S had the same loco hauling it, U-class 31795, as our early morning train Up the line had nearly 12 hours earlier, when it had terminated at Reading at 9.07am that morning. Just a week later we travelled from Southampton by car and train for a weekend at home in Plymouth. Motive power from Totnes to Plymouth was Warship D602 'Bulldog' with two suburban coaches (411 and 6277). Our weekend at home was to travel on the final train to Yealmpton, a freight only branch since passenger closure (for the second time) in 1947 (BLN 1418.487). The special, on Sat 27 Feb 1960, was organised by the Plymouth Railway Circle from Plymouth Friary eight miles to Yealmpton and return. The 16 mile trip took no less than three hours and two minutes, with stops at all the stations on the way out. Motive power was Laira shed's 2-6-2T small prairie N o 4549, which had arrived at the shed only a few days earlier from Machynlleth shed on the Cambrian main line. In a sense 4549 was actually returning home because it had been based at Devon and Cornwall sheds from construction in 1915 to
1937 and would do so again from Feb 1960 onwrds until withdrawal in Dec 1961. 4549 was unusual in retaining its inside steam pipes until withdrawal. Tour passengers travelled in NINE (!) brakevans of several different types dating from 1936 to 1958. Interestingly only one was a GWR 'Toad' design and the others were all LNER or BR design with a platform at both ends. The fare was 4s 6d (worth £6.80p now) and the branch closed from Mon 29 Feb 1960. Our Sunday evening trip from Plymouth to Totnes on the 8.10pm was double headed by 'Castles' (4098 + 5062), with a load of just seven coaches again. The following weekend was another eventful one, with withdrawal of passenger services over part of the DN&S between Newbury and Eastleigh. This ex-GWR route had proved very useful during WWII when it received much investment, lengthening of loops, some sections were doubled and extra signal boxes. However, in 1960 south of Newbury was part of British Railways Southern Region and was being closed to passengers, while north of Newbury to Didcot was part of the Western Region and remained open to passengers for a further 2½ years until Sep 1962. Freight continued to use the whole route and may have actually increased for a while without passenger trains to take up capacity. The GWR owned various lengthy single track routes in the 40 to 60 mile range, including Carmarthen to Aberystwyth, Ruabon to Barmouth, Brecon to Moat Lane Junction, Taunton to Barnstaple and Didcot to Eastleigh. The DN&S could compete with these others in countryside, rural stations and interesting trains. Sadly, all those lines would close completely during the 1960s. The last passenger trains between Newbury and Eastleigh ran on Sat 5 Mar 1960. We stayed mainly south of Newbury that day but did venture north to Didcot once to travel the full length of the line for the last time. I set out from St Denys at 6.30am as on the previous trip and raced across Winchester from City to Chesil again, to pick up the first northbound train Up the DN&S. In a strange twist of fate, Chesil was used on summer Saturdays only in 1960 and in 1961 until Sat 9 Sep 1961. Three passenger trains each day ran to/from Southampton due to congestion at Winchester City, despite Chesil being nominally 'closed' to passengers. My friend Charles and I spent the day travelling backwards and forwards between stations, alighting at as many stations south of Newbury as the timetables would permit. Then there were just four passenger trains each way, the last ones were in the dark. In fact, the last northbound train made half its last trip in the dark and the last southbound trip wholly in the dark. We bought souvenir Great Western tickets at each station visited. Our journeys on Sat 5 Mar 1960: from to miles mode dep arr cost formation Chesil Woodhay 23¾ train 7.14 8.16 6s 0d 30120 + 3 coaches (C) Woodhay Litchfield 6¾ train 9.15 9.31 1s 9d 6302 + 3C + 1Van Litchfield Whitchurch Town 4¾ walk 9.45 11.30 - - Whitchurch Town Burghclere 6¼ train 12.57 1.12 1s 4d 75005 + 3C + 2Guv Burghclere Highclere 2¾ walk 1.30 2.30 - - Highclere Didcot 23½ train 3.18 *5.04 4s 6d 6302 + 3C Didcot Newbury 18¾ train 5.55 6.41 4s†2d 30120 + 3C Newbury Eastleigh 33¾ train 7.25 8.37 return 30120 + 5C Eastleigh St Denys 3¾ train 9.06 ?? return Hampshire 3-car 1102 *Included 44 minutes at Newbury as mentioned above. † Single fare to Woodhay. We were sad to see the DN&S close but, looking back, it was almost inevitable. Total BR passenger train journeys had been increasing up until 1960 but many rural lines had seen falling passenger numbers for 30 to 35 years. The DN&S opened the first section of their line, from Didcot to Newbury, on 13 Apr 1882, followed by Newbury to Winchester on 1 May 1885. The remainder from just south of Winchester to Shawford Jn was opened by the L&SWR on 1 October 1891. The GWR operated the trains from opening of the first section in 1882 but the DN&S remained independent until becoming part of the GWR on 1 Jan 1923 with Grouping. Many of the stations on the DN&S had a two-storey station building built for opening. The first floor was accommodation for the station master and his family. Downstairs included a single storey extension at each end of the main building. There were all the usual rooms, including a separate ladies waiting room. A narrow canopy ran the full length of the main building and provided shelter for
passengers, luggage, parcels and platform barrows etc. The buildings were brick and stone with two dormer windows to the second floor and there were very decorative barge boards to the gable ends. The overall design was very pleasing; does anyone know the architect responsible? After closure some buildings lay derelict for years but it is thought that most, if not all, have been converted into delightful and expensive family homes (BLN 1417.356), 60-65 miles from London, so commutable and desirable. 698] Points & Slips: ●●BLN 1418.MR29] The original and current name of Llangollen Railway's Kitson saddle tank is 'Austin 1' not 'Austin No 1' and its sponsor's name was Burtonwood Brewer not Brewery! Unusually, this name was on a plate fixed to the smokebox door, as well as plates on the cab sides, rather than the tank. So now we know. ●●BLN 1418.MR29] On the Gwili Steam Railway, the 19 Mar Mothers' Day dining special starts at Bronwydd Arms then, from 7 Apr onwards, trains are based at Abergwili Junction station (2 miles from NR station) with a new access road off the A485 and car park. 699] On the bright side: (From our Victorian correspondent, Down Under.) Perhaps more so than ever before, there are numerous complaints about the service provided by train operators, many justified, so it's good to be able to cite examples of excellent and outstanding customer service, one in Britain and one in France some friends of mine experienced. In Britain, an Anglo-Australian friend flew from Melbourne to Birmingham to see his father who lives near Exeter. Arriving at New Street station on Sun 2 Oct 2022, he read on an announcement board that his service had been cancelled due to a defective train, with the next one being due an hour later. Rather than waste time, he looked for a nearby Apple store for some urgent shopping. As he searched the station for the appropriate exit, a friendly Customer Service Officer (CSO) offered to walk him to the store and on the way insisted on buying my friend a Costa coffee, quite unprompted. Waiting on the platform back at New Street after visiting Apple, the CSO saw my friend and chatted to him until the train to Exeter arrived. The CSO asked the CrossCountry Train Manager to look after my friend who boarded the Voyager and settled into his seat. Looking up from setting up his newly purchased gadget from Apple, my friend found that he was in First Class with only a Standard Class ticket so started gathering his bags to move when the Train Manager said: I've been asked to look after you so I will. Stay where you are, you'll be fine. My friend still doesn't know why he scored a free cup of coffee and a free upgrade to First Class but what excellent customer service, admittedly after a train cancellation. In 2022, two Australian friends, a couple, were heading to a major city in France and flew into Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris). In their jetlagged state, they managed to board the wrong TGV and found, after they discovered their error, that it was non-stop to a city several hours away on the opposite side of the country to their intended destination. When the train conductor came round he promised to do something about it (he spoke some English, they speak some French). He returned saying that he'd spoken to the Station Master at the train's next stop and, when they arrived, my friends should go and see him. They did and the Station Master explained that there were no more trains to their intended destination that night. He put them up, all at SNCF's expense, in a hotel near the station, gave them meal boxes for dinner, First Class tickets (theirs were Second Class) and seat reservations at no cost, to their destination for next morning. No cost, no fines, just outstanding customer service. So, not everything is bad and there are always reasons to look on the bright side of life. 1420 EAST MIDLANDS (Nick Garnham) [email protected] 700] Royal Ashbourne Shrovetide: (BLN 1418.426) This year's game was a 1-0 win for the Up'ards. Starting at 14.00, the Shrove Tuesday match ended in a goalless stalemate after 8 hours. However, on Ash Wednesday, the Up'ards prevailed after another 5hr 42min of frenetic activity. Should members wish to join the fray on future occasions (there is no rule preventing anyone participating), the dividing line between the teams is actually Henmore Brook, a tributary of the nearby River Dove. 701] Spalding: (TRACKmaps 2 p24D 2020) There were traffic jams and road gridlock in Spalding on the evening of 21 Feb when Hawthorn Bank, Winsover Road, Park Road and Mill Green level crossings all failed in the down position. All are CCTV controlled from Lincoln Signalling Control Centre. Trains were not affected! There were also traffic problems in the early morning of 22 Feb - the Automatic Half Barrier Crossings at Quadring and Malting Lane failed - level crossing attendants were sent out.
702] Hall Lane Jn - Foxlow Jn: (BLN 1419.547) The curve was regularly used by the SO Radford to Blackpool North and return, a summer dated service from 1946 to 1962. It just missed the first edition of PSUL which covered summer 1963 (available along with a full archive of other editions since at branchline.uk - go across to 'More options' and down to 'PSUL'.) A 1962 PSUL entry would have read: Elmton & Creswell - Seymour Jn - Foxlow Jn - Hall Lane Jn - Beighton Jn (Mid.) - Rotherham Masborough Station South Jn D 07.15 SO Radford - Blackpool North* D 10.50 SO Blackpool North - Radford* * = served Clowne & Barlborough en route Last ran 18 August 1962 703] Lenton Curve: (BLN 1417.301) Our PSUL archive shows that this curve had a passenger service in 1963. It was used by the 6.00am SSuX Langwith to Chilwell Depot and 4.48 pm SSuX Chilwell Depot to Elmton & Creswell. These were unadvertised SSuX workers' services to and from Chilwell Ordnance factory near Attenborough. This seems to be the last use of the curve by a scheduled passenger train. 704] West Burton 'A' Power Station: (BLN 1419.550) On Tue 7 Mar the two coal fired 500MW standby units generated electricity for the first time this winter. The two at Drax were warmed up but not used. 705] Electrification: NR is seeking a contractor to electrify Wigston South Jn to Sheffield via Derby and to Nottingham via Leicester. They may not find one because they say that the contract could only be profitable if it is within budget, so are effectively looking for a fixed price contract. A new Electrical Control Room (ECR) is being set up in the East Midlands Control Centre, Derby. It is due to go 'live' on Sat 27 May; it will cover St Pancras and the Moorgate Lines from Farringdon (AC OHLE) to Corby plus future extensions. At present, control is from York ECR;the new boundary with York will be the neutral section on the Canal Tunnels lines 3ch beyond Canal Tunnel Jn (2m 16ch - mileage from Moorgate). The third rail at Farringdon is controlled from Lewisham ECR and the signalling by Three Bridges ROC! 706] Roxby Gullet hungry for more: (BLN 1419.587 & 604) Despite the lull in traffic from Rossington and Collyhurst Street (Manchester), the branch is active. There were 18 trains (GBRf) of inert waste in Feb, mostly from Renwick Road near Ripple Lane, Barking and a few from Whitehall Road (Leeds). 1420 GREATER LONDON (Geoff Brockett) [email protected] 707] Bank: (BLN 1412.2590) The final part of the station upgrade opened on 27 Feb, with the new entrance and ticket hall on Cannon Street accessing the Northern Line and DLR via six escalators and two lifts. On a typical weekday, the Bank/Monument complex has over 100,000 interchanges and about 145,000 entries and exits. The two stations now have five ticket halls, nine lifts and ten platforms. In addition, Bank station now has 31 escalators, the largest number on the network. Weekday LU ridership is now around 75-80% of pre-pandemic levels, with at least 3M journeys made each weekday. Use of stations in the City is now around 70% of pre-pandemic levels, up from 33% at the start of 2022. Weekend ridership is increasingly approaching pre-pandemic levels, with key tourist stations in central London now beginning to exceed pre-pandemic levels at certain times on Saturdays. 708] How low can you go? Just northwest of Coppermill (North) Jn on the line to Tottenham Hale, the road underbridge (TQ 3497 8800) over the end of Coppermill Lane has only 5ft clearance. Officially known as Coppermill River Underline Bridge at 4m 7ch, it is actually two bridges side by side. First constructed in 1899, they were rebuilt with steel in 1970; one carries the Up Cambridge and Down Cambridge and the other the Lea Valley Reversible, Are they the lowest road bridges on the network? 709] Greater Anglia May Timetable: Additional morning peak services run from Southend Victoria, Southminster, Colchester, Braintree, Witham and Chelmsford into Liverpool Street. There are extra West Anglia services in both peaks, with the Stansted Express doubled to 4tph in both directions. All Hertford East to Liverpool Street trains will run via the Lea Valley Line. At present four Up trains in the morning peak and four Down trains in the evening peak serve Edmonton Green and Seven Sisters. The former will no longer be served by Greater Anglia but the latter will retain a few late night calls. 710] Leigham Spur PSUL: From 22 May the Down Line from Leigham Jn to Tulse Hill South Jn regains a regular service SSuX, with Streatham Hill to London Bridge trains at 07.50 and 08.20. Regular timetabled services over this PSUL were withdrawn from 30 Mar 2020 due to Covid (BLN 1352.1386).]
[BLN 1420] ABOVE: (Item 708) Coppermill River Underline (road) Bridge, cars do use it. © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa/2.0)
711] Mill Hill Broadway: From 03.00 Sat 1 Apr until 03.00 Mon 3 Apr, all Thameslink services from the south turnback in Down P2. On departure they use the trailing crossover at 8m 73ch in service. 712] Industrial Action: (BLN 1419.558) RMT members employed by LU were to join ASLEF members striking on 15 Mar, meaning it was most unlikely that any trains would run. The deadline for the government and TfL to agree details of the pension scheme reform has been deferred until 17 Mar. 713] Greenford Branch: (BLN 1419.555) There are no longer 200 ex-District Line cars stored at Long Marston. 95 had been scrapped by 31 Dec 2022, leaving 93 stored there. ('Underground News') 714] LU Sub Surface Lines Resignalling: (BLN 1417.313) Stage 7, Becontree to Upminster is due to be commissioned over the 18-19 Mar weekend, with closure of Barking and Upminster signal cabins. A new move will be introduced allowing departure from Upminster P4 via trailing crossover 31 as an alternative to the scissors crossover. The Battery Loco Type 'B' fleet will be authorised for CBTC use. Upminster Depot continues to be controlled by the Depot Control Tower. 18-19 Mar service changes: Metropolitan line: No service south of Wembley Park until 07.30 Sat 18th . District line: No service until 08.15 on 18th . Then suspended Whitechapel - Upminster till 13.45.Then Barking - Upminster for the rest of the day. On Sun 19th trains run empty between Becontree and Upminster but are likely to carry passengers as soon as engineers are satisfied that the new signalling is functioning well. Circle Line: No service until 08.30 on 18th .Hammersmith & City Line: No service until 13.45 on 18th . 715] The Circle line circles again! All day Sat 11 and Sun 12 Mar, due to engineering works with a line closure from Praed Street Jn to Hammersmith, the Circle line operated as a Circle once again. 716] Spencer Road Halt: (OP 1 Sep 1906, CP 15 Mar 1915) Nothing remains of the wooden platforms at this short lived halt between Coombe Road and Selsdon. The line through here CA 16 May 1983, with the route north of Coombe Road taken over by Croydon Tramlink, but the track is still in situ. The halt footbridge, which is also a public right of way over the line, is still in use on a footpath linking Spencer Road and Birdhurst Rise. Photos at http://bit.ly/3TiwTbH (but ignore the inaccurate text). 717] Southeastern: (BLN 1418. 445) An hourly off peak SuX service on the Bexleyheath line to/from Charing Cross is to be reintroduced from 22 May. Prior to the Dec timetable change there were 2tph but these were replaced by a Cannon Street circular service. While being questioned by local MPs in the House of Commons, the Transport Minister said that the new timetable had been introduced to improve resilience and save £10M after the sale of season tickets collapsed to 32% of pre-pandemic levels. Following further peak hour crowding at London Bridge during service disruption, NR and Southeastern have issued a joint statement explaining their crowd control procedures. 718] Willesden Junction: (BLN 1418.444) The Up & Down South West Line between Mitre Bridge Jn and South West Sidings reopened on 27 Feb. It was blocked from 25 Jan because of a points defect. 1420 NORTH EAST & YORKSHIRE (Geoff Blyth) [email protected] 719] Shildon, get your skates on: (BLN 1413.2734). Rocket, built in Newcastle in 1829 by Robert Stephenson & Co, has left York (National) Railway Museum (NRM) temporarily, while repair work is completed on the Station Hall. It travelled to 'Locomotion' at Shildon by road on 1 Mar, the first time Rocket has visited 'Locomotion'. It joins Locomotion No 1 and Timothy Hackworth's Sans Pareil - the first time these early locos have been on display together. The delicate move was carried out by the museum's conservation team and the same specialist contractors who moved Rocket to the NRM in 2019. Its chimney was removed before the loco and chimney were packed into a crate to be moved to Shildon. On arrival, the loco was unloaded and moved into 'Locomotion' on a skate. This was while the museum was open to the public, so visitors could see Rocket arrive at its new temporary home. 720] ECML: On Sun 19 Feb the 10.05 Edinburgh to Plymouth came to a halt on the Up Main at Hutton Bonville with an unidentified fault which the driver was initially unable to locate and rectify. As a result, four services travelled over the Down Main using SIMBIDS from East Cowton facing crossover (37m 30ch) to Northallerton London end trailing X/O (29m 61ch). The first was 10.30 Edinburgh to Peterborough, having initially returned north (in the Down direction over the Up Main, as it was trapped behind the stricken train). The final one was 11.30 Edinburgh to Peterborough.
721] Durham Coast: A new timetable starts on Mon 3 Jul, when Hartlepool P3 is due to enter service. This is just before the annual Tall Ships Race calls into Hartlepool from 6-9 Jul, which generates very large crowds. A new 2-hourly limited stop Middlesbrough to Newcastle service (BLN 1404.1651) will only call at Thornaby, Hartlepool and Sunderland (but not at Stockton, which might cause protests). It is hardly fast, 1hr 16min for 47¼ miles (average 37 mph). A knowledgeable member considers these schedules 'very lax', with typically 8-9 min allowances; presumably Northern wants to be sure of its performance bonus. They may be accelerated when the ECML 'recast' finally takes place, which seems to be in May 2024. The regular Middlesbrough to Newcastle bus service takes about 1½ hours and is half-hourly. Trains via the coast now take about 1h 25m with usually nine stops. Neither is attractive to car drivers; it is only 40 miles by road (53 min). This new service is an inferior replacement for the original 'Northern Connect' service via Durham, which would save about 20 min compared with the coast, even with no improvement to the 40/50 mph line limit on the Norton to Ferryhill line. This never happened as NR could not reliably path it. Following the Derby area upgrades, some CrossCountry Reading to Newcastle services were significantly accelerated through the East Midlands, putting them on an earlier ECML path. This freed up a slower ECML path, which the northbound train via Norton to Ferryhill would have used. (Presumably there was an equivalent southbound path.) However, this could not be achieved every hour. There was also concern about importing delays from local services onto the ECML. The rights to run this service have been removed under the NR 38th Supplemental Agreement with Northern Trains Ltd, coming into force about now. 722] Hull: (BLN 1419.580): On Wed 15 Feb a member noted 44932 and its short train in P2 during the filming of 'Blitz'. On the P3 side 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' was displayed on the tender (during the Blitz??). P2, the area behind P2-3 buffers and the south side entrance to the station were barriered off for the exclusive use of the film company, as was a route to the adjacent Royal Hotel. He also observed the Class 47 and Mk1 stock in P1. (P1 is shown as such on the Sectional Appendix and TRACKmaps 2 p38C 2020 but not yet mentioned in the Timetable Planning Rules.) The purpose of this train was unknown, a member of staff didn't think it was for 'Blitz'. As our member was waiting to board the 14.03 TPE service to Manchester Victoria (as far as it went), he observed the train on P2 move to the platform end signal, stop and set back again. The conductor for his train arrived late as he had been put in a taxi to Manchester (yes, really!) for its return working, until someone in TPE's control realised he should actually have been working the 14.03. Fortunately, he was still in Hull station car park. The driver arrived in good time but, as is often the case, didn't open the doors which had to wait for the conductor. The filming caused delays as the train crew accommodation is on P2 and staff were denied access during takes. Our member saw children dressed in correct WWII clothing. He feels that road vehicles or aircraft would be correct for the period but any old train will do, even if it would have had to arrive by TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). 'The Railway Children Return', also set in the WWII, uses BR non-corridor stock. Anyone who points this out is accused of being an anorak. 723] Northumberland Line (Blyth & Tyne): (BLN 1418.449 with track plan) Passenger reopening is postponed from Dec 2023, the date announced in Jun 2022, until 'summer' 2024. The time taken to approve the Transport and Works Act Order is a likely factor. It is no great surprise, given the progress to date; for instance, it appears that no significant signalling work has been done yet. 724] Bishop Auckland: The bridge over the River Gaunless in West Auckland was part of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR). Designed by George Stephenson and completed in 1823, it was the first iron bridge built for a railway, originally for horse drawn wagons of coal from Witton Park Colliery. Locomotives were introduced around 1833 and the bridge remained in use until 1901, when it was no longer able to carry the increasingly heavy wagons. The bridge was dismantled and part is at the NRM on permanent display. However, the stone abutments remained and are part of the S&DR Scheduled Monument. In recent years they have fallen victim to anti-social behaviour, which has affected their condition. Historic England has awarded Durham County Council £161,000 to repair the abutments to support a new bridge deck. It will be part of the new 26 mile long S&DR Walking and Cycling route. Historic England will involve the local community, running sessions about the history of the bridge with local school children and setting up a volunteer group dedicated to the long-term care of the site.
BELOW: (Item 723) A very up to date photo, the site of the new Seaton Delaval station site looking southwest towards Newcastle. The previous station (when it was double track) was in the foreground, extending to the overbridge from which this picture was taken. (Rodger Wilkinson, 16 Mar 2023.)
BELOW: (BLN 1419.570) Northumberland Park on 2 Mar 2023, the new platform
site has been cleared; left is the T&W Metro island platform. (Rodger Wilkinson.)
BELOW: (Item 723) The B&T appears recently relaid. From the former Earsdon
n Jn (2m 53ch/7m 08ch), just NE of Northumberland Park, towards Holywell.
BELOW: The new underbridge between Earsdon Jn and Holywell (7
7m 41ch). (Previous, this and next photo all Phil Logie, 23 Feb 2023.)
BELOW: An over the fence view north of Holywell Level Crossing (7m 41
1ch) towards Seghill, with new ballast and sleepers for the Seghill Loop.
BELOW: Seghill station site looking south (Seghill Jn will be ahead), once double
track; the bidirectional single platform was left. (Rodger Wilkinson, 2 Mar 2023.)
BELOW: Seghill looking south towards Earsdon Jn with track moved to accom
mmodate the new loop. (This and next two, Rodger Wilkinson 16 Mar 2023.)
BELOW: Hartley Level Crossing (11m 12ch) looking southwest towards Newca
astle - that well known right angle curve with a check rail has been relaid.
BELOW: Looking northeast towards Newsham. The white building ahead The Avenue Branch from Monkseaton trailed round the corner and we
d is the former Hartley station house, on the 'V' platform of the junction. nt off to the right behind that building and the trees (see BLN 1415.54).
BELOW: (Item 725.3) The storm damaged glass roof at Whitley Bay Metro sto
op on 7 Mar 2023 with green 'netting' applied to the left section. (Phil Logie.)
X.24] PREVIOUS & BELOW: (BLN 1419.567) The impressive new station building
taking shape at Sunderland. (Roger Wilkinson 21 Feb & Phil Logie 25 Feb 2023.)
BELOW: (BLN 1414.274) Ian Loveday Selby Swing Bridge and its bo
ox over the River Ouse from the station looking east towards Hull.
BELOW: The new footbridge with lifts at Selby, looking east toward Hull; bay P3 (
(far right) has two arrivals and departures daily. (All John Cameron, 22 Feb 2022.)
BELOW: For our temporary footbridge aficionados (we know who you are), a
at the Hull end, the route position indicator is for the Down Passenger Loop.
X.25] BELOW & NEXT: An engineering train at