1264

Issue Number 1264 (Items 1677 - 1794 & MR 163 - MR 174) (E-BLN 51 PAGES) 10 Sep 2016

BRANCH LINE NEWS

Published twice monthly by the Branch Line Society (founded 1955)
Website: www.branchline.org.uk

Membership Enquiries: [email protected]
22 Treemount Court, Grove Ave., Epsom, Surrey, KT17 4DU. 01372 728677

British Isles news from members, an international section is also available.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Compilers or the Society.

BLN 1265 is dated 24 September all contSroibciuettiyo. ns must be received by 14 September.

1677] RailStaff Awards 2016: We are very proud to report that our Fixtures Secretary, Kev Adlam
has been nominated for the 'Charitable person or team of the year' award. Given the many hours
and hours of time, energy and effort Kev puts into our extensive charity work, from which our
activities also benefit, your Editor for one feels that such an award would be well deserved (on
behalf of the Branch Line Society). If you agree, please vote at http://goo.gl/QgjihK and spread the
word. Voting is open to anyone until 11 September and voting is allowed once every 15 minutes.

Date Event Details BLN Lead Status
Sat 10/9/16 1261 GB OPEN
Londonderry to Fintown and Difflin Lake Railways etc

Sat 10/9/16 Valley Line Tracker (2) Rare track by service trains 1261 DC OPEN

Sun 18/9/16 Fancott Miniature & Summerfield's Bedford MES railways 1262 BD OPEN

Fri 23/9/16 Douglas Horse Tramway comprehensive tour, 11.25-14.00 1262 GJ OPEN

Sun 25/9/16 10.30/11.00 - 14.45/16.45 Wensleydale event (with PLEG) 1264 JE *OPEN*

Fri 30/9/16 13.00 Eastleigh Lakeside & Netley Royal Victoria Railways 1261 JE OPEN

Sun 2/10/16 Apedale Valley Railway 10.30 & 13.00 all line railtours 1261 JC OPEN

Thur 6/10/16 *NEW* Signalbox visits Derby to Stoke-on-Trent Line 1264 NJ *OPEN*

Fri 7/10/16 The Cliffe Hopper loco-hauled tour, Crewe (08.35-16.34) 1262 KA OPEN

Fri 14/10/16 *NEW* 09.18/10.22 West Midlands service train tracker 1264 KA *OPEN*
Sun 23/10/16 *NEW* Crich Tramway Second rare track visit BELOW 1264 JC *OPEN*

Fri 4/11/16 Epping Ongar Railway 08.30 Very comprehensive tour 1257 DG OPEN

Sat 5/11/16 East Kent Railway/AGM 08.30 Very comprehensive tour 1257 DG OPEN

Sat 5/11/16 Evening presentation by Ian Mortimer with interval buffet 1257 DG OPEN

Sun 6/11/16 Kent & East Sussex Rly 08.30 Extensive railtour 1257 DG OPEN

10-17/11/16 Jordan Hejaz Railway UPDATE WITH E-BLN 1262 1250 IS OPEN

Sat 19/11/16 Heritage NW railtour Save the date - very rare track TBA TBA Claimed

Mon 26/12/16 Boxing Day 10.00 private 10¼" railway in Worcestershire 1261 PS OPEN

Sat 7/1/2017 Scunthorpe Steel Works (09.30 - dark) Extensive railtour 1265 PS Claimed

Sat 14/1/2017 *NEW* Mainline railtour in the Southeast - save the date TBA TBA Claimed

BD-Bill Davis, DC-David Clark, DG-Darren Garnon, GB-Geoff Blyth, GJ-Graeme Jolley, IS-Iain Scotchman, JC-John Cameron,
JE-Jill Everitt, KA-Kev Adlam, NJ-Nick Jones, PS-Paul Stewart. Additional visit/s under investigation for the same date.

BLNP: Some great pictures of, Wherry Lines semaphores, swinging bridges and loco-hauled services.

1678] New BLS Committee Appointment: At a meeting in Crewe on 28 August John Cameron was co-
opted to your Committee under Section 7 of our constitution; John has a special interest in fixtures.

BLN 1264.1679] BLN EAST MIDLANDS: Please note that from the next BLN (1265), John Cameron
from Derby is taking over as East Midlands Regional Editor. John's contact information is on the
back page. The area includes Derbyshire (Buxton and the Hope Valley are North West area),
Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. Many thanks to
Brian Schindler who has edited this area for 147 BLNs since July 2010 - Brian has kindly volunteered
to join the new team that will be sending e-BLN out and will continue to edit the West Midlands
area (Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire).
Regional Editors do pass information on if necessary, of course. Please contact the Editor if YOU
might be interested in joining the team. The aim is to work towards one Regional Editor for each
region; we are currently looking for someone suitable and interested in taking over BLN Ireland.

1680] Douglas Horse Tramway, Fri 23 Sep, 11.25-14.00: (BLN 1262.1477) Douglas Corporation has
now put the current stables up for sale http://goo.gl/i8PGjA with vacant possession early next year.
The buildings may have some potential for conversion and refurbishment. To one member they have
enormous potential as a museum, as there can be nothing similar remaining anywhere else in the
world. There is even a full blacksmith's shop within the premises. The horses will be accommodated at
the carriage shed site for a year or two with a view to new combined stables and carriage shed being
constructed at Derby Castle, releasing carriage shed site for sale. Important: when the horses move
into the Strathallan Depot, some of the tram access roads scheduled to be covered on 23 September
will go out of use. There are still some places available on our comprehensive tour of this tramway
and the carriage shed lines (likely to be the first and last of its kind), as well as the afternoon visit/ride
at the Douglas South Quay new electric railway. The tram tour is £25 members, non-members £30;
bookings to Graeme Jolley per back page. (The afternoon fixture is £4 for all pay on the day.)

1681] The Wensleydale Wilton Shunter Spectacular, Sun 25 Sep: .REVISED. Thanks to Wilton

International and the Wensleydale Railway, in association with PLEG, we are delighted to provide a
very special loco-hauled charter in scenic Wensleydale. With a range of motive power, the highlight
being a once-only chance to ride behind both of Wilton International's Class 08 locos, which are being
moved to Wensleydale especially to haul our train. The main track highlights include running beyond
Redmire station, most unusually to the very end of the line and (at least) one of the two very rare
Redmire MOD ramp lines. A leg stretch and photographic breaks are included. Stock will be a rake of
five MKII coaches with a buffet/real ale bar. A donation to Wilton International's nominated charity
will be made for using their Class 08 shunters, which they are providing free. There will be a raffle with
exciting prizes. The start time is now 10.30 and the estimated finishing time 16.45. A later start and an
earlier finish is now possible with haulage by just the Class 08s (and includes all the rare track). The
Class 01s are expected to leave Leeming Bar at 10.30 and the 08s at 11.00. Return to Leeming Bar is
expected to be 14.45 with the 08s and 16.45 with the Class 26, all subject to final confirmation.

*Route: Leeming Bar (PU) 10.30 - shunt east (RM) - Leeming Bar Through Road (RM) - Leeming Bar
(11.00, RM;DAE;AAE) - Bedale -Finghall - Constable Burton Loop - Leyburn - Redmire end of line
(RM) - Redmire MOD Ramp (RM) - Redmire EOL (RM) - Redmire - Leyburn - Constable Burton Loop
(bang road) - Finghall - Leeming Bar (14.45, Break; DAE; AAE) - Redmire - Leeming Bar (SD) 16.45.

RM = Reversal Manœuvre; DAE = Detach Assisting locomotive; AAE = Attach Assisting Locomotive.

*Motive Power: 01xxx, 01xxx, 08743, 08903 and 26007 *Subject to availability

2 x Class 01/5 Leeming Bar - Leeming Bar east Fares: £45 for BLS/PLEG members,
1 x Class 08 (Loco 'A') Leeming Bar east - Redmire £50 for non-members; fares have to
1 x Class 08 (Loco 'B') Redmire - Leeming Bar cover the road haulage costs of the
1 x Class 26 Leeming Bar - Redmire - Leeming Bar Class 08s.

[BLN 1264]
Bookings: to Jill Everitt, Fixtures Team, BLS, 4 Barnside Way, Moulton, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9
8PT. Please supply names of all applicants with cheques payee 'Branch line Society' or a CPA. If you do
not have an email address, please provide an SAE and a second if an initial acknowledgement is
required. All queries to Jill Everitt or phone (only if absolutely essential) Kev Adlam 01270 662396,
SSuX 20.30 to 21.30 only please. Tickets are NOT transferable and smoking is not permitted on the
train. The Society will not accept any liability arising from changes imposed by any third parties (either
before or on the day) or any consequences of any late running that may occur. No refunds will be
entertained for cancellations. Tickets will be sent out approximately seven days before. Where
possible this will be an e-ticket, a souvenir ticket being provided on the train. Participation in any
Society event is subject to the Society's Standard Fixtures Booking Terms and Conditions on our
website (or in printed form on request with an SAE).

1682] BLN and e-BLN: The previous item just missed BLN 1263, which is finalised at 12.00 midday on
Monday of the week it is posted out on the Thursday. E-BLN has subsequent updates, particularly
time sensitive ones, or corrections (as incorrect information will not knowingly be sent out) that
come to light. It can be amended up to a few minutes before being sent out. This is normally, but not
necessarily, on the Thursday that BLN is posted. Where possible and appropriate, any updates will be
mentioned in the following BLN for the benefit of members who only take paper BLN, but e-BLN
should now be regarded as the 'definitive' version. E-BLN, free to all paper BLN subscribers [ email
[email protected] ] has many extra items, pictures, maps, railtour itineraries/downloads.

1683] Eastleigh Lakeside & Royal Victoria Railways, Fri 30 Sep, 13.00-15.00: http://goo.gl/AhgCet
firstly at Lakeside Country Park, Wide Lane, SO50 5PE, (SU449175); only 550yd walk from
Southampton Airport Parkway station. An unusual track railtour of this extensive (1¼ miles) complex
7¼/10¼" gauge line, battery/diesel loco expected. Then 16.30-18.30 at Royal Victoria Country Park,
Netley (station 10 minutes), SO31 5GA. (SU464079) http://goo.gl/fkPhMx a 1,000yd, 10¼" gauge line.
From the PLEG website http://goo.gl/ZR7xnT and http://goo.gl/U6hUPQ after their 2011 visits. Both
railways: £22 members; Eastleigh only £16, Netley only £10. Non-members £27, £20 and £12
respectively. Cheques/CPAs ('Branch line Society') with an email address or SAE (a second for an
acknowledgement) to: Jill Everitt, as above. Public transport is available between Eastleigh and Netley,
but please advise Jill at [email protected] if you can provide or require a lift between them.

1684] North Staffordshire Signal Box Visits, Thu 6 Oct: Thanks to our member Nick Jones. 10.00
Egginton Junction (lifts from Derby station e.g. 09.23 arrival from St Pancras) visiting some of the eight
boxes between North Stafford Jn and Stoke Jn (for Friday's tour). On the day charity donation (cash)
£25. Please advise if you have or need a high viz vest (and any spare) and if you need or can provide
lifts (and how many). Apply [email protected] (NB two underscores) or first class post
(with SAE) to: 57 Blar Mhor Rd, Caol, Fort William, PH33 7HR. Members only limited party.

X.127] Apedale Valley Light Railway, Sun 2 Oct: (MR p23) Loomer Rd, Apedale Country Park, ST5 7LB
(SJ823484). A few places remain on our two comprehensive railtours of this 2ft gauge line in
Staffordshire that has undergone many changes and additions since our Oct 2011 trips, including the
very interesting, quite lengthy new field railway (not covered by public services). This visit includes all
running lines, sidings and loops as possible. A single coach train to maximise coverage will make two
identical trips (it is possible to do both as one person did last time). Apedale Heritage Centre will be
open http://goo.gl/G1Iruo for viewing and refreshments. £13 members, £20 non-members, cheques/
CPAs; state preference (if any) for 10.30 or 13.00 trip, with e-mail details or SAE to John Cameron, 10
Friar Gate Court, Friar Gate, Derby, DE1 1HE [email protected] 07581178759. A video
https://youtu.be/T5iZoyEX4s8?t=5 made at the Apedale Railway 2014 'Tracks to the Trenches' event.

BELOW: The Apedale Valley Light Railway, Silverdale station in June 2013. (John B - 'Trainrover')



BLN 1264 1685] Rugeley Power Station: Help a little girl to walk in our charity
fundraising effort for the 'Cliffe Hopper' railtour on Fri 7 Oct (filling well and may
well end up fully booked). BR Class 58, number 58039, was named Rugeley Power
Station there on 13 Sep 1986 (ABOVE), by Fred Bonner, a retired Central Electricity
Generating Board director. The two 51½" x 17¾" nameplates were removed in May
1997; one was for sale on eBay earlier this year for £2,795 in its later black painted
background condition obscuring the 'e' symbol. There is also a third genuine nameplate (BELOW -
both pictures Kev Adlam), in absolutely perfect original mint condition with red background, silver
lettering and the iconic 1966 Logo 'e' Symbol in gold relief, for the Central Electricity Generating
Board designed by Sir Richard Guyatt. It has been kept mounted in the power station reception and
is now available to the highest BLS bidder (there is a £250 reserve). 58003 'Markham Colliery' sold
for £2,072 in 2014, the other, slightly damaged, made £1,703; 58007 Drakelow Colliery went for
£1,703. Bids email/post or on the railtour to Kev Adlam (per back page); closes at 16.00 Fri 7 Oct.

X.128] West Midlands Service Train Tracker, Fri 14 Oct: After very successful and enjoyable days out
in Wales (two), Scotland and Northern Ireland, continuing our sequence of track bashing by service
train, attention now turns to central England. Huge thanks to Ian Delgado of the Unusual Tracks
Website http://goo.gl/wwSbYv for his diligent work devising the itinerary. Starting at Hednesford
09.18 or Birmingham New Street 10.22, the carefully planned sequence includes Alvechurch to
Weights Lane Jn dynamic loop, Dorridge Up Passenger Loop, Hatton North curve, the re-modelled
Bearley Jn and crossover, Stratford-upon-Avon crossover and P3, Whitlocks End trailing crossover, the
rare Hatton P3 to the Down Dorridge line link, crossovers out of Snow Hill P1, P2 and into P3, out of
Stourbridge Jn P3 and to finish (optional!) the one train booked over the facing crossover into
Hednesford P1 (arriving 00.12 Saturday morning). Extra fun moves will be available such as a ride on
the Stourbridge Town branch Parry People Mover and Chiltern Class 68 haulage. There will be a BLS
Fixtures Team guide for the group of like-minded participants; a good sociable occasion too. All the
moves can be covered using a West Midlands Day Ranger or a Network Day Tripper Adult Plus with
supplements (see next items). Suitable breaks are planned for refreshments/meals. Participants will
need to purchase of their own tickets but advance notification of intention to take part is required for
liaison with London Midland. To book your place email or write (with SAE) to Kev Adlam per back page.
X.129] West Midlands Day Ranger: One day of unlimited train travel centred on Birmingham (BELOW
TOP) within/radiating to: Crewe, Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent, the Hixon route, Rugeley TV, Lichfield TV,
Tamworth, Nuneaton, Northampton, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon, Redditch, Bromsgrove,
Worcester Shrub Hill, Hereford, Hartlebury, Stourbridge Town, Shrewsbury, Gobowen, Penkridge,
Stafford, Stone or direct to Crewe. Not valid Crewe to Gobowen or Shrewsbury to Hereford directly.
Any train weekends/Bank Holidays, otherwise after 09.00. Good value: Adult £25.10, railcard £16.55
(buy on the day) at any staffed station, even outside the area; train conductors for unstaffed stations.



X.130] West Midlands Network Day Tripper Adult Plus (!): (ABOVE LOWER) Regional bus, tram travel
and train travel (Wolverhampton, Rugeley Trent Valley, Blake Street, Coventry, Coventry Arena,
Dorridge, Earlswood, Longbridge, Stourbridge Junction/Town). Also (the 'Adult Plus' extension) to
Stratford-upon-Avon, Leamington Spa, Kidderminster and Lichfield TV. Not valid via Coventry to
Leamington. After 09.30 (unlimited weekends and Bank Holidays) only £9, no railcad discounts. This
can be used for our 14 Oct West Midlands Service Train Tracker (above), with, due to time restriction,
a single from Hednesford to Bloxwich, £3.30 (railcard £2.20) and an off peak day return Longbridge to
Redditch (£4.80 or £2.85 with railcard). Note that the Day Tripper can only be purchased at West
Midland stations not at extension line stations (unfortunately!). Child and family versions available.

1686] Crich Tramway Village, Sun 23 Oct 10.15-13.30 (approx): (MP p32) Near Matlock, Derbyshire
(DE4 5DP) http://goo.gl/5XjWJZ (SK345549). Following our very successful 31 Mar visit (full report BLN
1255.757) to this very friendly location, with thanks to local member John Cameron, we are pleased to
open bookings for a longer, more extensive tram tour. This will cover up to 11 depot roads, the depot
crossover in both directions as well as POSSIBLE use of the traverser and the depot centre siding.
Participants will be able to stay after to look round the depot, museum, other attractions and ride on
the service trams for the rest of the day. The Café and pub will be open. £21 Members; £20 Members
over 60; £17 accompanied child; £26 non-members, cheques/CPAs with e-mail address or SAE (two for
an acknowledgement) to John Cameron, 10 Friar Gate Court, Friar Gate, Derby, DE1 1HE. Please
indicate if you are eligible for a concession. Queries [email protected] 07581178759.
Please indicate if you can help with lifts to/from Crich, from where and how many, or if you need a lift
(on a cost sharing basis). Other potential visit/s in the area later in the day is/are under investigation.

1264 HEAD LINES
1687] Barking (excl) - South Tottenham (excl) and six intermediate stations: (BLN 1253.554) TCP/TCA
part at least, 4 June 2016 for major electrification clearance work with ROP expected in February 2017.

1688] South Tottenham East Jn - Woodgrange Park Jn: TCG 4 June 2016; a consequence of the above.

X.131] London Underground, Holland Park station (Central Line): (BLN 1244.1998) ROP 31 Jul 2016
(original expected date 17 Aug) after TCP since 2 Jan 2016 to replace the two nearly 30 year old lifts.

1689] Peak Rail, Matlock Riverside (running line points north of station) - Matlock P2 (incl): TCP from
mid afternoon 7 Aug until 2 Sep 2016 with rare passenger use of Matlock Riverside instead of the joint
NR station (20 & 21 Aug - joint station). This was due to a motive power crisis with only one loco
sometimes available; Riverside has a run round loop but trains to Matlock P2 have to be 'top and tail'.
In September Riverside is expected to be in use Tuesdays & Thursdays 01629 580381 (10.00-17.00).

1690] Peak Rail, Matlock Riverside: Unlike previous years when winter 'off peak' (!) trains used the
station, there are to be no services in Jan and Feb 2017. Now occasional gala and contingency use only.

1691] Fort William Jn - Mallaig (incl) and 9 intermediate stations: TCP 18.00 Thu 11 Aug until 06.00
Mon 15 Aug 2016 due to a landslip resulting from flooding. Over 100 tonnes of mud and stones
blocked 230ft of track near Lochailort and the A830 Fort William to Mallaig road (a 60-mile diversion).
The 'Jacobite' steam train ran from Fort William to Crianlarich (63 miles) instead of Mallaig (41miles).

1692] Thameslink; Canal Tunnels Jn - Belle Isle Jn: (BLN 1263.1596) The 14 Aug line commissioning
was postponed for the second time and is now expected to happen from 01.45 on Sun 11 Sep 2016.

1693] Cambrian Heritage Railways (Oswestry), Middleton Road Bridge - Penda Retail Park: ROP 27
Aug 2016 (special three day event, Bank Holiday steam-hauled public brakevan trips) which extended
the run south of Oswestry station from 20ch to 27ch. [Ex-Cambrian Railway CP 18 Jan 1965.]

1694] Metrolink, MediaCityUK (excl) - Eccles (incl) and four stops: (BLN 1258.1070) ROP 28 Aug (a day
earlier than originally planned) after TCP 26 Jun 2016 for replacing worn rails and other work.

1695] Metrolink, Deansgate-Castlefield - The Delta West Jn - The Delta South Jn/The Delta North Jn:
(BLN 1258.1068) ROP 28 Aug (a day early) after TCP 26 Jun 2016 for works at St Peter's Square.

1696] Metrolink, St Peter's Square stop: (BLN 1234.1043) OP 28 Aug 2016, a day earlier than planned
(new location, expanded stop for Second City Crossing). The previous St Peter's stop CP 28 Jun 2015.

1697] Metrolink, Broadway - Harbour City stops (both excl), direct; third side of triangle avoiding
MediaCityUK: (BLN 1258.1369) Remains NRU - no booked services or ECS - (since 28 Jun 2015) due to
Second City Crossing work but is used if needed. On Sat 3 Sep some at least of the Eccles to Ashton-
under-Lyne trams were not reversing at MediaCityUK, which was served by the MediaCityUK to
Piccadilly service. The rails between Broadway and MediaCityUK were rusty, but it was a rainy day.

1698] Alton branch, Holybourne Oil Sidings (47m 28ch): (BLN 1263.1597) CG after the final train of
TEA tanks arrived from Fawley at 12.26 and left at 20.03 31 Aug 2016 for Eastleigh carrying crude oil.
On 5 Sep the discharged tanks were returned at 12.20 for storage at Holybourne; the loco left at 13.35.

1699] Marchwood (86m 10ch) - Esso Fawley Oil Refinery: (BLN 1263.1598) CG (now NRU) after the
final train of TEA tanks carrying crude oil arrived from Eastleigh East Yard (see previous item) at 08.00
on 1 Sep 2016; the light engine, 66134, left at 08.35. Had rail traffic continued, the tank unloading
facilities would have needed replacing. In the final movements on the line (amending paper BLN 1264),
on Mon 5 Sep a light engine arrived from Eastleigh at 07.39, leaving with the discharged tanks at 08.24
for Holybourne where they are stored. The redundant TTA tanks that used to carry locomotive fuel to
certain West Country depots until late 2013 (BLN 1195.1454) remain in store at Fawley.

The Fawley branch OP 20 July 1925 (so is not on the Ian Allan Pre-Grouping Atlas) with intermediate
stations at Marchwood and Hythe. The stations CP 14 Feb 1966; CG 2 Jan 1967. The single line was
retained to serve the refinery, the largest in the British Isles, and the former station site is now within
that complex, http://goo.gl/Ai9GCN has more. The closure is regarded as a blow by local campaigners
for a restored passenger service, who fear that the infrastructure will now fall into disrepair. ATOC
pressed for services to be restored from Totton to Hythe in 2009; Hampshire County Council looked
into the case for reinstatement in 2013, but found a low level of demand and even this would badly
affect the viability of the Hythe ferry. BELOW (©1978 Clive Warneford licensed for reuse under this
Creative Commons Licence) Sunday 23 April 1978 was the last day that passengers used Fawley
station, the 'British Young Travellers Society' arranged a series of 'Fawley Flyer' trips (believed to have
been three) from Totton with DEMUS 1128 and 1131. The BR boundary moved north shortly after
when the station site was subsumed into the refinery complex - a large tank of which is top right in the
picture. The next railtour in July 1978 (and subsequently) only reached the new refinery gate.

More pictures of the 'Fawley Flyer' on 23 Apr 1978 by Clive Warneford. ABOVE LEFT and previous page
is at the north (Southampton!) end of the station with the signal box; ABOVE RIGHT is the south (stop
blocks) end. Hopefully, Margaret Thatcher had her red pen in that handbag. The picture on the left
with some of the refinery chimneys in the background could well have been taken at Camber Sands.

[BLN1264]
ABOVE: The end of the line, OS one-inch 7th Series map 1957/60 showing the then Fawley passenger
station and growing oil refinery around it with some internal lines. Top right, across Southampton
water was the much smaller Hamble refinery. Although there has been some expansion of the refinery
since https://binged.it/2cyHuuq (allow some time to load fully) the railway has not changed much.

1700] Energetický a Průmyslový, Whitley Bridge Jn - Eggborough Power Station - Whitley Bridge Jn:
(BLN 1255.768) ROG 1 Sep 2016; coal from Killoch Open Cast Disposal Point arrived 03.17. Previously
CG since an oil train ran from Lindsey on 18 Feb 2016 (the last train was Pathfinder Tour's 'Generating
Finale', Sat 23 Mar). Up to 200K tonnes is to be moved with 50K tonnes kept at Eggborough all winter.

1701] Folkestone Central (excl) - Dover Priory (excl): (BLN 1248.790) ROP Mon 5 Sep 2016. The first
service was 04.28 Dover Priory to London Cannon Street and, in the Down Direction, 05.26 Ashford
International to Ramsgate. The 7m 35ch line had TCP from 11.30 on 24 Dec 2015 due to damage to the
seawall. ECS workings began on 31 Aug 2016 (00.42 Dover Priory to Folkestone East Train Road).

ABOVE: The new 235m viaduct https://youtu.be/lse-wR9v7cc the spacing of the tracks is interesting. (NR)

1702] Manchester, Ordsall Lane Jn - Creative Logistics Sidings: (BLN 867.92) This long disused
connection was due to be taken OOU from 5 Sep 2016 due to the Northern Hub Ordsall Chord Project.

1703] Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, Manuel station (incl) - High Bridge*(NS963799) and Birkhill station:
TCP/TCA 12 Sep until the end of November for work by BP on part of the Forties Pipeline System (that
carries 40% of UK crude oil production to Grangemouth refinery) under the line. *Just south of the
A904 where the Antonine Wall crosses the line. Passenger trains operate from Bo'ness with reduced
fares, non-alighting at High Bridge until 30 Oct; special events (steam gala &Halloween) are cancelled.

1704] South Tottenham - Gospel Oak Bay P3 (both incl) and 3 intermediate stations: (BLN 1253.555)
TCP/TCA, part at least, is booked 24 Sep 2016 for electrification work; ROP anticipated February 2017.

1705] Woodgrange Park Jn - Gospel Oak Jn: The TCA results in TCG from 24 Sep until Feb 2017 of:

South Tottenham East Jn - Tottenham South Jn  Harringay Park Jn - Harringay Jn

South Tottenham West Jn - Seven Sisters Jn*  Junction Road Jn - Carlton Road Jn

……… …(* Thought not to have regular booked freight, only test and engineers' trains.)

[BLN 1264]
1706] Barnt Green Jn - Stoke Works Jn - Abbotswood Jn/Droitwich Spa Jn; Bromsgrove station and
Barnt Green P1 & 2: TCP/TCA after 22.00 on 25 Oct; ROA 7 Nov 2016, a 12-day closure for resignalling,
remodelling and electrification works. Reduced passenger services run via Kidderminster. This is a good
chance to do the revised Galton Jn layout (BLN 1254.709), which will have two XC services an hour in
each direction (Nottingham to Cardiff and Birmingham to Bristol etc) and a few LM services.

1707] Keeping Track, (extra to Head Lines) significant passenger service suspensions: *= New/altered
BLN Start (incl) End (incl) Location (exclusive where bracketed) [bold = closed now]

1255.783 Mon 12 Sep Fri 21 Oct (Filton Abbey Wood/Bristol Parkway) - (Severn Tunnel Jn)
1261.1388 Sun 11 Sep Sun 23 Oct (Kettering North Jn) - (Manton Jn)
1255.784 Thu 3 Nov? Tue 22 Nov? (Antrim) - Londonderry and Coleraine - Portrush branch
1198.1659 15 Feb 2013 12 Dec 2016 (Oxford Parkway) - (Oxford) with new timetable
1261.1389 Sat 24 Dec Thur 29 Dec London Paddington - (Slough)
1261.1390 Sat 24 Dec Mon 2 Jan (Liverpool Street) - (Ingatestone) & Shenfield - (Billericay)
1257.979 Sat 7 May Feb 2017 Tottenham: South Jn - East Jn & West Jn - Seven Sisters Jn
1253.554/5 Sat 4 June Feb 2017 (Barking) - (South Tottenham) (Gospel Oak) from 24 Sep
1237.1360 28 June 2015 Early 2017? Third side of the triangle avoiding MediaCityUK
1251.334 9 Feb 2016 March 2017 (Carlisle) - (Armathwaite); to end March 2017 (provisional)
1222.1799 20 Dec 2014 Jan 2018 (London Blackfriars) - (London Bridge) Thameslink work
1222.1799 20 Dec 2014 Jan 2018 (London Bridge), Spa Road - Bricklayers Arms Jn

1708] FIXTURES REPORTS, Northern Ireland Long
Weekend Part One - Day One, Friday 20 May: 30
participants arrived mostly by boat and plane for
our three-day tour. Day 1 (with Day 3) covered all
the Northern Ireland Railway (NIR) system by
public service trains, with as many rare moves as
possible. The other aim was to cover operating
narrow and miniature railways, which, due to
their locations, required the hire of two
minibuses. Belfast Great Victoria Street station,
surprisingly busy at the unearthly hour of 05.50
was the rendezvous, for the 06.05 to Derry/Londonderry from P2 via Belfast Central P4. Here a
complete revised set of 'Enterprise' stock with loco 8208 was in platform awaiting departure.

Leaving Central the left side of Donegall Quay Loop was used on Dargan Viaduct - the longest viaduct
in Ireland. The other side of the loop is very rarely used by passenger trains (only the occasional ECS) as
it slows the service too much because both trains have to stop. The viaduct closes for several months in
early 2017 for partial doubling associated with an adjacent motorway 'improvement' project. Trains will
be diverted via the currently OOU Lisburn to Crumlin and Antrim line. After the station stop at
Yorkgate, York Road works was visible on the left, where there was a spare power car for the NIR
Sandite train also the next 'Enterprise' set for Dublin with loco 228. Next was the 'other' Fort William
depot on the right, for servicing the units (along with York Road Works and the new Adelaide depot).
The next feature was Bleach Green viaduct, Ireland's only grade separated junction.

Progress was surprisingly fast on this line which has been relaid and upgraded in recent years and a
remarkable number of trains to Belfast were passed. In Ballymena yard (right) was the last remaining
Castle Class DEMU 8455-8795-8785 on NIR metals (an operational unit is preserved at Downpatrick),
also present was an 80 Class power car 8089, stored and awaiting scrapping. There was also a rake of
hopper wagons and several bogie flat wagons used on engineering trains. The highlight for most was a
stop in the Killagan loop while a Belfast bound service passed by. Coleraine P2 was used because the

[BLN 1264]
Portrush branch train was in P1. At Castlerock the soon to be closed (3 Nov 2016) P2 was taken and the
interesting working somersault semaphore signals noted. Bellarena P2 was the penultimate stop; its
new P1 is expected to be operational from 22 Nov after an 18-day Coleraine to Derry closure for
resignalling and remodelling. An hourly all day service is planned to Derry (mostly two-hourly now).
After a very interesting, scenic (particularly along the coast after Bellarena) and enjoyable nearly 100-
mile ride, Derry's rare P2 was used where the train stabled from 08.25 until 16.33. For some this was
their first ride into the 'new' (24 Feb 1980) station - an unusual case of a new terminus station
lengthening rather than shortening a line. The old station, now trackless, is on the left just before the
new one. The trains are modern, clean, remarkably smooth, relatively fast and certainly busy.
A day rover ticket for NIR is an iLink Card; the Zone 4 cards used include travel on Translink buses in the
province. They had been loaded with two days worth of travel, to complete the system on the Sunday
morning by taking the Enterprise service to Dundalk with an add-on fare. 'Derry/Londonderry' is used
for political reasons to try and keep both sides of the divide happy (the airport is called 'City of Derry').
Many road signs have had 'London' painted over! There was time for a quick walk across the bridge
over to the west side of the River Foyle for breakfast at 'Costa' in the Foyle Valley Centre. On return,
plinthed loco 'Meenglass' was seen outside the now sadly closed Foyle Valley Railway Museum.

ABOVE: The Foyle Valley Railway in happier days; a BLS trip on 26 May 1990 (a Bank Holiday weekend.)
Their County Down railcar and trailer at their Londonderry station and museum. (Ian Mortimer)

Departure from Derry P1 was at 09.33 via the other platform at Castlerock, Coleraine P1, the through
line at Killagan Loop and Cullybackey (where the last member for the day joined, having decided
breakfast was more important!). At Antrim eyes were cast to the right in expectation of soon being able
to traverse the line through Crumlin and Lisburn back to Belfast; stops included Whiteabbey (one of a
few Derry line services to call; most are by Larne trains) and Belfast Central P3, to Great Victoria Street
P1. The group was soon on the 12.02 ex-P4, all stations (via Belfast Central P4) to Bangor P3.
A walk to the sea front found 'The Pickie Puffer' (7¼" gauge; 400yd long). Our party split into two
groups, as only three coaches were in use, to ride all available public track but could not traverse the
run round loop at one end due to spring points; the other end of the track is a balloon loop. After both

[BLN 1264]
groups had ridden, the staff kindly moved a road van blocking the shed branch which was covered to
the end. Lunch, of generous portions, was taken in the excellent restaurant on site, with a 10% (price!)
discount. Bangor was left at 14.57 from P3 back to Great Victoria Street P1; this time at Belfast Central
the second crossover inbound was used for P3, with departure via the first crossover onto the main
line. Bangor line evening peak fast trains tend to operate from Central P1 and run straight out 'wrong
road' to turn right at Lagan Jn, regaining the Down line just before Titanic Quarter station and using
Bangor P2. Bangor P1 is used by the 07.51 service to Belfast SSuX, a unit that stables there overnight.

Our final NIR line for the day was to Larne Harbour (P1) at 15.45 from Great Victoria Street via Central
P4. Return after a short break was at 17.02. The main event on the return was Magheramorne passing
loop. Whitehead's Fish and Chip shop was sampled by some, whilst most stayed on the train for an
arrival into, and departure from, Carrickfergus P3. At the very friendly Railway Preservation Society of
Ireland (Whitehead) refreshments were kindly provided. Ex-Irish Rail 141 Class locomotive B142 and a
single coach were used to cover some of the excursion platform, part of the run round loop and a rare

crossover back onto the platform road. This was an extremely well thought out series of moves
considering that most of the rolling stock was stabled in this area due to site reconstruction.
Click on ICON LEFT and 'activate' to see a video clip by Jonathan Condell.

Whitehead departure was at 20.15; before Central the train ran from Lagan Jn 'wrong road' to P3 with
arrival into Great Victoria Street P2. Several left here with most going to Lisburn on the 21.25 from P3
and a few very keen members going all the way to Portadown (22.13) terminating in P1. They returned
on the 22.35 (the final train of the day) achieving the Portadown Belfast end trailing crossover on
departure. At the end of a long and interesting day, Great Victoria Street was reached at 23.19.

1709] Mountsorrel Walk, Sun 21 Aug: (BLNs 1260.1262 & 1363.1583 with OS map) Seven participants
met at Mountsorrel Halt (OP 24 Oct 2015) having enjoyed the novel experience of a DMU ride over the
reopened 1m 10ch branch to the Great Central Railway on the first weekend that the intermediate
Nunckley Hill station was open. This serves a Museum and Visitors' Centre with its own branch off the
branch! Led by local member Tom Gilby, the group followed the rest of the route of the former quarry
line (the section not relaid) to its junction with the earlier branch from Barrow-upon-Soar (Midland
Railway) in Mountsorrel village. A track, 'Cufflins Pit Lane', was taken, then a permissive path (not
shown on maps) to climb to the summit of Broad Hill, once a green hill with a buried Roman Villa and a
Windmill on the summit.

For over a century it was dug away and the party, walking on restored land, was able to visualise the
quarry tracks below. At the foot of the 'new' hill is Crown Lane which was crossed by various lines from
the quarry to the crushers etc. A few traces were seen before briefly guessing the Mountsorrel
Railway's (once totaling 8½ miles) route in what are now rock faces and stockpiles (previously Hawcliff
Hill). There were glimpses of the current Buddon Wood Quarry and the conveyor that takes granite to
the Barrow-upon-Soar railhead running over both ex-Great Central and Midland parts of the railways.
The private sidings on the Down side of the Midland Main Line were installed in 1977 for Redland with
a 2M 'Section 8' freight facilities grant; then the largest awarded, worth £12M now. The branch was
closed and converted to conveyor working to increase capacity and allow use of larger wagons.

Adjacent on Bond Lane are three overbridges. Two are handsome double stone-faced arches with an
'MGC 1919' (Mountsorrel Granite Company) inscription, originally for railways but now internal roads
and a plain single girder bridge - this was our Great Central branch carrying the conveyor. In the village
a close look was taken at the girder bridge over Loughborough Road, the former A6. The first bridge
was brick, single track, with a 40ft single span 16ft above the road and was replaced by the current one
in 1898 when the Great Central line reached here and joined the Midland branch.

BELOW: The Mountsorrel Midland Railway branch bridge over the Soar (or Soar Navigation),
taken during the RCTS (East Midlands) ride over the branch in 1972. (Angus McDougall)

[BLN 1264]
Noting the original quarry company offices and yards, the group set off to cross the Soar Navigation and
for some, the highlight of the afternoon, the magnificent Soar Navigation Bridge of 1860, arguably the
most impressive industrial railway bridge. It has a single 85ft span, 40ft above the water with two
ornate arches on the east side and one on the west, under which a line ran on the wharf from a zig-zag
line that descended to the quayside for loading barges. Continuing along the towpath was Mountsorrel
lock, just off the main street, for two of the walkers the bus stop, but most took the scenic route over
Castle Hill back to Cufflins Pit lane, arriving there (thanks to Tom Gilby) two hours after setting off.

1710] Weston Wharf Farewell, Sun 28 Aug: (BLN 1261.1373) Driving into the Weston Wharf Railway
(2ft gauge) http://goo.gl/4sVMty site, it was time for a pause to check bearings... But there at the
bottom of the access track was a beckoning John Williamson (finding his true vocation in life). A slow to
caution followed while John explained the vehicular choreography required to negotiate the railway
tracks and other machinery before lining before lining up on the standard gauge Oswestry to Llynclys
trackbed (the track is lifted here although
otherwise mostly in situ) ready for a nose first
exit. A legitimate case for a new 'yellow dot'
(car parked on an old railway!) marked on
TRACKmaps, all things considered.

BELOW UPPER: "Look as if you are enjoying it
chaps!" The tippler train with its blue very
newly painted wagons (John Cameron).
BELOW LOWER: RH 496039 'Llanforda' hauls
two rush-hour loaded former RNAD vehicles
alongside the large standard gauge Weston
Wharf goods shed heading north (Andrew
Murray). All pictures taken Sun 21 Aug 2016.



[BLN 1264] ABOVE: First passenger train on one of the new north end shed sidings. (John Cameron)

In the early 1900s the ¾ mile long 'Sweeney Brickworks Tramway' used to run to Weston Wharf goods
yard, but the brickworks was repeatedly bankrupt and the line closed by 1926. It was immediately clear
that the modern Weston Wharf Railway folk are friendly, enthusiastic people and make optimal use of
their site's spatial constraints, being hemmed in as they are by the brewery and the standard gauge
line. Having observed the usual sign-in protocols and courtesies, it was time for a 'welcome' cup of tea,
biscuits, lovely homemade cake etc, while locos, wagons and miscellaneous stock were busily whizzed
around to create as much clear running space as possible. Two hours of narrow gauge fun were about
to unfold for our party of 33. This was the largest group ever 'entertained' by this rarely visited railway
that has no public running. The visit was a 'farewell' as the railway is expecting to be moving to the
former Brymbo steel works site near Wrexham (one loco has already moved), releasing Weston Wharf
to become the southern terminus of the standard gauge Cambrian Heritage Railway (CHR) from
Oswestry. This very (Bank Holiday) weekend the latter had extended running with steam, south of
Middleton Road overbridge (total run 600yd). CHR has also purchased the Weston Wharf site freehold.

Back on the 'straight and narrow', well narrow gauge at least, first off it was a pair of return runs in two
well loaded engineering carriages (ex-Royal Naval Armaments Depot) from the main yard via the main
line to the top shed station platform in. This was topped and tailed by Green RH 497760 and red RH
7002/0967/6 1967 -'Vulcan'. For later trips, blue RH 496039 'Llanforda' was used.

On return, and with unloading underway in the stabling spur at south yard, a works train consist of a
wagon, boxvan and another wagon drew up, powered by yellow MR 22031 'Mole'. This was used to
visit both new sidings as far as possible. After this, the main train was re-boarded. The middle siding,

[BLN 1264]
the end of line sidings and eastern shed road (short) were then covered. In doing so the effectiveness of
the operational shunting procedures and reversals was amply demonstrated. In fact the (Cambrian line)
19½ milepost was even temporally removed to complete the final few centimetres of track at the very
top end siding! 150yd has been added to the north end of the now 14ch long running line since our
previous visit of 1 Apr 2012 (doesn't 4½ years go quickly when you are having so much fun!).

Returning to the south yard, the more adventurous were able to sample the freshly liveried, 'Tippler
Express' (no, it didn't have a bar and no members were tippled during the run), a rake of vehicles sitting
on the south west spur heading up to the site exit. As the coupled-up locomotive had failed to start, it
was hauled away and replaced by the lively green FH 3465 1954 for a run into the main engine shed
road, buffering up to steam loco 'Iorwerth' on the single shed road. Quickly reversing to the main yard
spur, our generous hosts insisted on clearing yet more track for us up at the top shed.

So off we set (balanced or clung) to complete the faintest of kisses to the tin wall of the top shed,
middle road. With the Tim Wallis 'longest shed road rule' being observed, that was it for the end of a
very enjoyable visit. To be fair, our hosts, who clearly greatly enjoyed the occasion, were more than
happy to clear the other shed road out. However, as our visit was now nearly an hour over booked
time, their kind offer was declined and passengers either walked back to the car park to get to their
next venue of choice or got a lift on the returning locomotive train cavalcade hauled by yellow 'Mole'.

It is rare now to hear people comment afterwards that it 'was just like the good old days' about a
fixture. In this case it really was, thanks to the enthusiasm and co-operation of all at the Weston Wharf
Railway. Various of their family members were even present to assist, particularly with refreshments.
Finally, many thanks to John Cameron for organising the excellent visit and for the sound fixtures team
support (Peter Scott, Martyn Brailsford, Gary Lonsdale and Jim Sellens) of maps, stocklist, tickets and
the lovely Bank Holiday weekend sunshine. BELOW: The 'Sweeney Brickworks Tramway' to Weston
Wharf http://goo.gl/Ycm9CW (top right) makes a rare appearance on this 1901 revision 25" (nominal)
to the mile OS map. There was a second tramway, unconnected, from the brickworks to its clay pit.

ABOVE: Reaching the parts that others don't reach… MR 22031 'Mole' at the north (Oswestry) end of
Weston Wharf Railway on the relatively recent (despite appearances) extension of the main running
line. The Gobowen to Blodwell (Jn) standard gauge line is right (once part of the Cambrian main line).
Its last train ran 28 Oct 1988 and the line was retained for occasional use until Sep 1993. The Cambrian
Heritage Railways (Oswestry) are hoping to extend here from Oswestry (1½ miles). (Brian Elliott)

1264 BLN GENERAL
1711] BLN Pictorial (BLNP) Appeal - Postscript: (BLN 1263.1582) Following the BLN 1263 appeal for
help in continuing this publication, three members (so far) have kindly come forward; they can each
assist on an occasional basis. BLNP began with BLN 1220 (1 Nov 2014), it was originally conceived as an
'occasional' publication and has come a long way since. 'Occasional' would be preferable to it ending
completely. If anyone else might be interested in helping 'occasionally' please contact (no obligation)
Dave Cromarty [email protected] to discuss. The ideal would be a larger mutually
supportive group of members, each producing one occasionally (singly or with help) as possible.

1712] Railtour Raffle Prizes: Thanks to all the members who have very kindly contributed prizes - all
prizes are donated and there are no expenses so that 100% of the money taken goes to the good
cause being supported. Even the raffle tickets themselves are purchased and donated by a member.
It was particularly good to have two different bottles of port as recent prizes on our 'Tale of Two
Ports' tour! The good causes are nominated by the TOC or locations visited. As we have more tours
soon, further suitable prizes are welcome at anytime - please contact Tim Wallis or Paul Stewart.

1713] Tickets Please! Regarding a different type of ticket;
there has been much positive comment about the quality
and variety of our souvenir fixture tickets. Special thanks to
our Sheffield member Jim Sellens who designs and
produces them all. Starting with our Embsay Railway tour in
Feb 2015 up until the 'Tale of Two Ports' railtour on 28 Aug,
Jim has printed 6,711 tickets of 90 different types at an
average material cost of only 5½p each. Also of interest,
incredibly in the last 12 months over 50% of our members
have participated in at least one Society fixture.

BLN 1264.1714] Mountsorrel Branch: (BLN 1263.1583) Those who rode on the 20 & 21 Aug DMU trips
will know that despite being advertised on the Railway's website to run to 'Swithland Sidings', they
actually stopped at Mountsorrel No1 Ground Frame at the main line end of the branch and short of the
sidings. All BLN 'Connections' information is given in good faith, usually from members, and confirmed
as far as is possible but details may change and should be checked as advised in each BLN.

1715] Points & Slips: BLN 1260.1317] This item about Frinton-on-Sea ('Frinton' until 20 May 2007)
referred to the new more inland route of the Walton-on-the Naze branch, due to coastal erosion, being
completed on 15 Jan 1930. Unfortunately, your Editor has mislaid the reference behind this date
(added after the original contributor wrote the item); can anyone assist please? BLN 1263.1590] The
'MSC' is the Manchester Ship Canal (rather than 'Shipping'). 1622] Services from Blackburn to
Manchester (and beyond - a few continue back to Blackburn and even Clitheroe, looping the loop, via
Bolton) run via Burnley Manchester Road. 1623] The full list of signal boxes being abolished between
Liverpool and Runcorn is Lime Street, Edge Hill, Allerton Junction, Speke Junction, Ditton and Runcorn.
1632] The Reedham curve item should have referred back to (BLNs 1225.185 & 1226.245). Item 1635]
With regard to 'incorrect' railway names in the early days, place names were fixed in the mid-19th
Century, so different spellings were used. There were some errors (e.g. Eaglescliffe).

Item 1640] The black and white picture of Great Malvern station showing the clock tower was taken in
1879 rather than 1897. 1659] Regarding the new Glasgow Queen Street layout, tandem points are
where the second point splits off within the length of a first; but the split for the three lines is not
exactly at the same spot as it is not possible for the toes or tips of the switches to be in the same
position- except on model railways. A member reports a 'five-way point' on the derelict former train
ferry ramp at Sassnitz Hafen, north Germany (ABOVE: Iain Scotchman, Aug 2016). 1666] The Gwili
Railway is also a surviving section of the Carmarthen & Cardigan Railway which only ran between
Carmarthen Jn and Llandyssul (former Newcastle Emlyn branch). X.122] The pictures of Glasgow
Central and Stirling stations taken during our 'Glaschu Service Train Tracker' on 10 June were kindly
supplied by Kev Adlam but were actually taken by 'Mr Mansfield' (was he concentrating at the time?)
who also wrote the report.



[BLN 1264]
In our 29 Aug 'Tale of Two Ports' tour itinerary at (256m 07ch) the new Port of Tyne biomass rail
loading facility is to supply Lynemouth Power Station and 50 former coal hoppers are being modified
with lids for this, (the port already supplies Drax with biomass). Traffic should begin next spring after
conversion of the 390MW plant (now owned by Energetický a Průmyslový) from coal burning - a case of
a plant burning plant? Imported coal stocks at Port of Tyne were noted from the tour to be very low but
a 75,000 tonne biomass storage facility and a loading bunker is being built. Biomass deliveries by rail to
Drax Power Station have been reportedly been reduced as the store there is overheating!

PREVIOUS PAGE, TOP: The new biomass loading hopper under construction at the Port of Tyne seen
from the Tyne Coal Terminal side of the complex. The hopper is on the east side that used to go to Tyne
Dock Bottom where Consett iron ore trains once loaded. (Major Ian Hughes, Green Dragon Rail, 26 Aug)

PREVIOUS PAGE, BOTTOM: Men at work; taken from the same position as the upper picture (the new
biomass facility is to the right). Tyne Coal Terminal looking towards the River Tyne. The line to Boldon
North Jn is behind the photographer. The coal loading facility is on the right hand line, left is the arrival
line. The imported coal stocking ground is beyond (left). (Major Ian Hughes, Green Dragon Rail, 26 Aug)

1716] Castle Hall Manor? On a recent family outing to Eastnor Castle near Ledbury in Herefordshire, a
member was pleased to see an original engine nameplate and '7004' cab-side number plate on display
in the Tea Room. He asks how many other castles (halls or manors etc) are open to the public, which
have their original GWR name and/or number plate on display?

X.132] Live Train Monitoring: (BLN 1262 1490) The NR Control Centre of the Future (CCF) live train
monitoring extract of Norton Bridge in BLN 1262 prompted a member to produce and review a list of
web sites that provide track layout diagrams showing real time train identity stepping, compiled from
NR's Open Data. If anyone is aware of any more please advise…

(1): Open Train Times: Well presented with signal aspects and 'Train Ready To Start' notification data,
.but limited national coverage http://www.opentraintimes.com/ free.

(2): RAILCAM.UK: Extensive national coverage, no signals shown http://railcam.uk/site/ £15 per year.

(3): East Anglia Signal Map: Shows most of NR's Anglia Route; includes signal aspects and point set
.indications http://easignalmap.altervista.org/#16 free.

(4): Briefcase Rail Train View: Mostly south England with some Western routes. Train descriptions are
.colour coded by minutes delay as per CCF. Some signals are shown. Various subscription packages
are available http://www.sussextrains.co.uk/ £10 year for full access.

(5): Raildar: A quirky presentation of train icons rather than train descriptions moving along detailed
track layout diagrams or a UK map. Extensive NR coverage http://raildar.co.uk/#welcome free.

(6):Real Time Trains: Minute by minute actual train running compared with timetable data is also
readily available with the 'de facto standard' http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/ free.

1264 EAST MIDLANDS
. NEW REGIONAL EDITOR: Please now send submissions to John Cameron in Derby per back page..
1717] Ilkeston: (BLN 1256.893) Work (delayed by newts) has started on a new footbridge for the new
station; road closures will be in place while the old footbridge is taken down and the new one erected.

1718] Kegworth: (BLN 1243.1911) Work is due to start soon on the East Midlands Gateway Strategic
Rail Freight Interchange, a 3½ year phased project, with (eventually) up to 6M ft2 of new distribution
and storage buildings. A rail terminal suitable for 750m length trains is included, connected to the
network at Castle Donington. Earthworks are the first element creating a two million ft2 'plateau' for
the development. Rail terminal construction, taking two years, starts on the first day of the project; it
will be over 1km long with the south end 20m below ground level. The rail connection is likely to take
another year. [Hopefully, with more trains than the absolute zero at the nearby M&S terminal!]

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1719] Leicester: The local Industrial Historical Society believes that the platform of the first (1832)
railway station in the city has been discovered; the original terminus of the Leicester & Swannington
Railway next to the Grand Union Canal at West Bridge (from 1849 to 1893 when it was resited slightly
to the west). Some 1888 Goad Insurance maps show that the brick built platform was 180ft long, on the
west bank, leading northwards from the station building to a point 150ft south of the confluence of the
river and canal, opposite the then public baths in Bath Lane. The platform still exists, built of blue brick
with a concrete sill, although now buried in the undergrowth.

1720] Nottingham: Historic tramlines thought to be a century old have been dug up in the latest work
at Station Street. Nottingham had a horse-drawn tram system from the late 1800s. It was replaced with
much heavier electric trams from 1901 requiring new track to be installed (sounds familiar?). By 1911,
35M passengers had used them. The uncovered track is the electric type, so could be up to 110-years-
old. Most cities generally dug up their tramways when they became outdated but Nottingham buried
(covered?) its tracks. (Although in Manchester at the intersection of Market Street and Cross
Street/Corporation Street, excavations revealed the former tram connections, in that case west and
east to south.) Nottingham's original tramways stretched to Sherwood and Trent Bridge; there were
135 trams on the books in 1911. The tram track recently uncovered in Station Street has now been
removed, with some donated to Crich Tramway Village and the rest stored. Tram track has previously
been donated to Nottingham Transport Museum (Ruddington) on which to display a vintage tram.

1721] South Derbyshire: Land with the potential to be developed for new stations and rail freight
facilities has been protected in the South Derbyshire Local Plan. Potential developments are Castle
Gresley, Drakelow (there is still a location called 'Drakelow Power Station' despite the latter being
demolished) and Stenson Fields, near Derby. Development likely to impair the continuity of the Burton
to Leicester (Coalville) line, or otherwise compromise the potential establishment of a passenger
service on the route, will not be permitted. Land at Tetron Point and the rail connection (the ex-Cadley
Hill Colliery branch on the former Swadlincote loop) to the Coalville line will be protected for potential
rail freight use. In Church Gresley, land near the line will also be protected for a possible new station.

1264 GREATER LONDON

1722] Camden Town: (BLN 1263.1619) The segregated northbound service also ran on 22/23 Aug.

X.133] BELOW: From London Transport Museum's 'Transported by Design' Exhibition (Kev Adlam)

BLN 1264.1723] Crossrail: (BLN 1263.1613) (1): GEML: The country end of Ilford depot will be blocked
until December, with ECS that normally uses this end having to reverse at Stratford or Liverpool Street
and use the London end connections. 'B' sheds are to be demolished and the yard relaid and rewired.
On 15 Aug it was noted that track into 'B' Shop and the paint shop behind had been lifted. The main
EMU shed and sidings behind remain in use. Refurbished roads 3-5 in 'A' shop were in use but OLE had
not been installed and signals remained covered. At Gidea Park the central section of sidings 3 and 4
were blocked OOU for installation of the washing plant on road 4. On 23 Aug it was noted that the track
had been removed from former bay P5 at Ilford station. (2): Abbey Wood: (11m 43ch) The realignment
of the Down line extends from 11m 8ch to 11m 60ch. (3): New Construction: The programme is now
75% complete, with half the permanent track laid. On 31 Aug the Mayor of London became the first
passenger to ride part of the new-build section, travelling on a construction train between Custom
House and Canary Wharf (there have to be some advantages of the job…). (4) Plumstead: Crossrail
Ltd's last major contract, for the construction of an infrastructure maintenance facility, has been
awarded to a joint venture of Alstom Transport (UK) Ltd, TSO SAS and Costain Ltd. It will comprise:

 Two-storey accommodation/mess facility for 100 infrastructure maintenance and train crew staff.

 Facilities for manual jet washing and refuelling the vehicles as well as a maintenance building.
 Parking for about 20 maintenance vans and trucks and approximately 100 staff vehicles.

 Three non-electrified sidings for the stabling, formation, loading and unloading of dedicated

infrastructure maintenance rail vehicles.

 Space for component storage.

1724] West Ealing: Regular bay P5 use started on 5
Sep (services as listed in BLN 1258.1087). When our
member passed on 24 Aug, only the original 51m
(confirmed by the most recent Sectional Appendix) of
the new P5 (2 cars) was available for use with a
temporary wooden fence behind part of it. A further
2-car length was under construction. Greenford bay is
83m long, (taking 4x20m vehicles) but class 165s
vehicles are 23m each; a 2x2-car train will not fit. The
intermediate Greenford branch stations can only
accommodate 2-car sets, but this is adequate for the
traffic levels. When the full service is cut back to West
Ealing, there will be a need only for one DMU to be in
the circuit rather than the present two.

LEFT: A premature notice at Ealing Broadway on Fri 2
Sep; the new service started Mon 5th (Don Kennedy).

1725] Future Services: The other non-electrified GWR
lines in the Thames Valley area will be Bourne End to
Marlow, which is limited to 2 cars by the length of
Bourne End Down P2 (P1 takes 5 cars but has no
access to Marlow) and Reading to Gatwick Airport.
Plans to change the Bourne End layout to allow longer
trains to run to Marlow seem to have been 'paused'.
There will also be Banbury to Oxford local services,
which would have been electrified under the Electric
Spine project that now seems to be very much on the
back-burner. The paths released by turning back
Greenford services at West Ealing are taken by
additional Hayes & Harlington to Paddington services

[BLN 1264]
(BLN 1260.1299). They were 8-car class 387 EMU worked (requiring 4x4 car EMUs to operate the
service) which have been seen on driver training trips in recent weeks. The services have been in the
database since 1 Aug but were cancelled until their paths became available on 5 Sep. BELOW (TOP):
Day one and the 17.18 from Paddington turns heads at Ealing Broadway; the London Underground
platforms are on the left. BELOW (LOWER): The train at Hayes & Harlington P3 (the Up Bay P5 behind
the blue and yellow hoarding with its extension and attendant crossover are not yet ready for use). The
locals totally dumbfounded by the appearance of an 8-car EMU turning up instead of the usual shorter
DMU, record the scene for posterity. (Don Kennedy, Mon 5 Sep 2016)

A report on 'Gensheet' indicates that GWR have made a track access application to run the full electric
service to Hayes & Harlington from Jan 2017 (or whenever the crossover there is commissioned). The
application states that one through train from Greenford to Paddington will remain and by implication
none the other way. It also covers splitting the Marlow branch service at Bourne End (possibly from
May 2018) to allow the service from there to Maidenhead to be operated by EMUs. Through peak hour
trains between Paddington and Henley-on-Thames will finish with Crossrail and at Maidenhead access
to the Marlow branch will be available be from P5 only (no longer to/from P4).

BLN 1264.1726] Paddington: (BLN 1262.1519) The P14 extension was in use on 13 Aug when your
Regional Editor arrived here returning from Finmere (!). [That is very impressive, wish that we had all
known about that train - Ed!]. P13 remains shortened, with temporary buffers.

1727] Docklands Light Railway Platforming: At Beckton trains from Tower Gateway (3 cars) and
Canning Town (2 cars) both lay over for about eight minutes, so both platforms are used. Services used
P1 and P2 respectively on 4 Aug. Arrangements at Woolwich Arsenal were found to be less
straightforward. Trains from Stratford International (2 cars) were all using P4, but Bank trains (3 cars)
were using P3 and P4 alternately according to the departure screens. However, on three subsequent
occasions when your Regional Editor was passing through, the screens indicated use of each platform
alternately. The first time destinations were mixed, possibly because the service was a bit disrupted,
but on the other occasions Bank trains were using P3 and Stratford International trains were using P4.

1728] Even Less Reduced Southern Services: (BLN 1263.1618) From 5 Sep, 119 trains a day were to be
reinstated (all cancelled Metro services and some between East Croydon and Milton Keynes Central).

1729] Leigham Jn - Tulse Hill Jn; 'Leigham spur': (BLN 1261.1407) Connected with the previous item,
the Down train (i.e. in this direction) over this PSUL, the 06.20 (SSuX) Streatham Hill to London
Bridge which has run since 18 Jul, last ran on 2 Sep. From 5 Sep it reverted to being an ECS working. The
service is the solitary Up train again, the 10.01 (SSuX) London Bridge (low level) to Streatham Hill.

1730] Improving London's Transport in 1946: Http://goo.gl/RzHSj1 is an excellent series of
photographs although some of them seem to be from earlier years.

1731] Thameslink: (BLN 1263.1620) (1): London Bridge: The early hours of 27 Aug saw the final use of
the last part of the 'old' station dating back to the last remodellings in 1992, 1976 and long before. The
last Up passenger train to call, at P2, was 23.31 Dartford to Cannon Street 00.18/19; the last Down train
was 01.02 Cannon Street to Orpington 01.06/07 at P1 (actual times). The 00.53 Hayes to Cannon Street
(unadvertised passenger train) that should have run through P3 at 01.13 terminated at New Cross. It
normally berths in Cannon Street but a special ECS ran, 01.25 Cannon Street to Grove Park Down
sidings, from New Cross. The last train to call at P3 (22.40) was 22.01 Dartford to Cannon Street.

During the 20 months of London Bridge 'high level' being served only by Cannon Street trains, the
majority of off-peak Up trains were timed through P2 but served P3 to reduce congestion on the P1/2
island. From the Spring Bank Holiday, most off-peak Down trains used P2 instead of P1, as scaffolding
around the former South Eastern Railway building made an area of P1 dark. By 26 Aug only the wall
alongside the P1 track remained. The lines to and from Charing Cross were closed on 27 and 28 Aug and
those to and from Cannon Street from 27 Aug to 1 Sep inclusive. No trains berthed in Cannon Street but
three were left in Charing Cross, surprisingly not the first three departures on Monday 29th.

Southeastern's passengers started to use the new platforms at London Bridge on 29 Aug, with the 05.09
Charing Cross to Gillingham and 05.19 Orpington to Charing Cross. Two special workings called there on
20 Aug for Southeastern staff and their families, primarily to test the facilities (perhaps they also
wanted to be the first to do the new platforms?). The temporary Cannon Street lines through London
Bridge opened on 2 Sep with the 05.54 Barnehurst to Cannon Street and the 06.26 Cannon Street to
Dartford (the earlier workings that day were cancelled due to overrunning engineering works). All
Cannon Street trains are shown as running through P1/2 at London Bridge in the new timetable,
although they will actually run through the new P5/6 without stopping!

[BLN 1264]
The track does not fully align with the new P6 at the London end and a short section of P5 is not
complete; this is to accommodate the connections between old and new routes. From Easter 2017
Cannon Street trains will move to the new P1/2, again without stopping.

(2): Bermondsey: The flyover is now substantially complete and both it and the concrete ramps
between the existing viaducts and the low level are now receiving their waterproofing in preparation
for tracklaying; earth ramps are still being graded. The first line to come into use will be the Down
Sussex Slow at Easter 2017 followed by the Kent Fast Lines in August. The Southwark Reversible and
Sussex Fasts (Thameslink lines) will be commissioned at the end of 2017 as the final stage of the
Thameslink project. Much of the track has now been laid between Bermondsey and London Bridge,
although it will not see use for some considerable time other than by engineers' trains.

1732] LUL 24 Hour Service: (BLN 1260.1301) Following test running the previous weekend, services on
the Central and Victoria Lines started on the night of Fri 19 Aug. Things seem to have gone well, with
no serious incidents reported and a total of 100,300 passenger journeys recorded across the first two
nights. The next-in-line to commence operations will be the Jubilee on the night of 7 Oct, presumably
with empty test running the previous weekend. A new issue for LUL to contend with is the fact that
trains will be running when British Summer Time ends in the early hours of 30 Oct, with signalling and
train operation computer controlled on all three lines. An amended timetable will be issued for all three
days of that weekend, as train stabling arrangements will be altered on the Friday night. LU have issued
a tube map sized handbill (but with only two folds/three sheets) dated Aug 2016 on the cover (Jul 2016
on the rear). One side shows the night sections currently operating (Victoria plus Central from Ealing to
Loughton and Hainault) in line colours with the other planned night tube routes in grey. Open stations
are in white, all on a dark blue background in two shades to mark the ticketing zones. The other side
has a list of night stations on the left hand side, a nearly blank sheet with usual ownership symbols at
the bottom and the third is the front cover.

1733] Mansion House: The bay platform is due to be taken out of use over the weekend of 8/9 Oct.

1734] Wimbledon: On 2 Sep having arrived on one of the last few 'D' Stock sets (and via the required
'new' Putney Bridge platform - BLN 1058.1080), a member recently went over to do Wimbledon's new
P10b. He walked past 10a where tram 2551 was standing with a full load and tram 2546 arrived in 10b
and left again with our member and two others (before 2551!). He alighted at Merton Park and took
tram 2530 back to 10b walked to 10a, boarded the still waiting 2551 and departed with it. The
increased Wimbledon services, at least this day, caused trams to catch up with each other and at one
'point' two were waiting to enter the already occupied eastbound platform at East Croydon.

1735] Liverpool Street LUL: (BLN 1259.1200) The Old Broad Street entrance reopened on 22 Aug

1736] And Finally…: Giving the 'Evening Standard' the excuse for the inevitable Wrong Sort of Train
headline, on 24 Aug it seems the driver of the 06.38 Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction only
realised when the train stopped at the traction current changeover point north of Shepherd's Bush that
the rear unit was a DC-only Class 377/4! It is not known if the passengers did the trailing crossover at
North Pole or if the train used the facing crossover and reversing siding that was previously part of the
depot departure line. At least the overall delay was not too serious; the following LO service left
Shepherd's Bush 19 minutes late.

1264 NORTH EAST
1737] Butterwell: Northumberland County Council has approved plans by Banks Mining for a large new
coal opencast site near Druridge Bay (BELOW: Press Release). The 1,700-acre site, known as Highthorn,
lies between the villages of Ellington and Widdrington. It is south of the disused branch from
Widdrington Sidings (24m 63ch on the ECML) to Widdrington Opencast Disposal Point, on the site of
the former colliery of the same name. The site will produce about seven million tonnes of coal over 10
years. Some will go by rail from Butterwell Disposal Point, also owned by Banks, and some by road to
the Port of Blyth.

ABOVE: The excavatedWillington Waggonway (as spelt in the 1790s); the rails in situ looking south
with the River Tyne in the background. BELOW: A close up of the excavation (Both: Press Releases).

[BLN 1264]
1738] Wallsend, The World's Oldest Rails? A railway dating from the 1790s, believed to be one of the
earliest, was discovered in 2013 during a dig (ABOVE) at the former Neptune shipyard (NZ301656),
originally Swan Hunter, site in Wallsend before re-development work began. The excavated remains are
a 25m stretch of the former Willington Waggonway, which took in collieries at Willington Quay and
Bigges Main on the edge of Wallsend. It was used by horse-drawn waggons (the preferred spelling
then) to carry coal to the Tyne for shipment. Compacted coal waste covering the railway had resulted in
a remarkable level of preservation and the find has been hailed as being 'of international importance'.

The remains are the earliest example of a railway built to the international standard gauge of 4' 8½",
laid down by George Stephenson. In 1801 the Killingworth Waggonway, for which Stephenson's first
locomotives were built, joined the Willington line. The discovery revealed features previously known
only from 18th and 19th Century drawings and notebooks of engineers such as John Buddle, who lived
near the excavation site. The dig uncovered a 'main way' heavy-duty waggonway lined with double

wooden rails, one laid on top of the other to prolong the life of the system. A loop from the main line
entered a dip which would once have been a pond into which the wooden wheels of the coal waggons
were immersed to stop them from drying out and cracking.

After the discovery there was uncertainty about saving a section because of lack of funding but some
lengths were lifted with an emergency £9K grant from the Arts Council and stored in environmentally-
controlled conditions at the Stephenson Railway Museum. A further £75K award now enables further
study of the remains and a programme of public events and exhibitions at the museum. According to
the archaeologists, The wooden waggonway uncovered by the excavation is the direct ancestor of the
modern standard gauge railway. It was part of a major main line in the late 18th century which probably
carried a 'train' of horse and coal-filled cart every minute. It is of major historical significance. It would
have been a disaster if the railway had been lost as this is the railway which gave the standard gauge to
the world. The railways are the greatest gift the North East has given to the world. ABOVE LOWER:
Fortunately, the Fixtures Secretary at the time was able to arrange a railtour of the waggonway…

1264 NORTH WEST
1739] Metrolink (1): St Peter's Square: On 1 Sep the reopened stop was still a building site with work
proceeding on the two Second City Crossing platforms. There is a crossover immediately south of the
northbound 'first city crossing' platform for trams to turn back (it is understood that they will be able to
turn back to the south from any of the four platforms). The southbound track alignment seemed much
as it was during the recent single line working. The 'kink', which was puzzling at the time, is to avoid St
Peter's monument (which was temporarily removed for refurbishment and replaced in its original
location). All services were being worked by single units except for double trams between Bury and
Altrincham. BELOW: The north end of the new St Peter's Square looking south, the pale coloured St
Peter's Monument is between the buildings with a yellow tram to its right. The temporary fencing is
across the track from the new Second City Crossing; off bottom right. (All Ian Mortimer 1 Sep 2016)

ABOVE: New track south of St Peter's Square (the new stop is behind the photographer) with the 'kink'
for the St Peter's monument (a point of reference in most of the pictures), the base of which is visible

BELOW: St Peter's Square looking south; this is the left side of the left island in the
first picture, the tram, for East Didsbury, is heading away from the photographer.

ABOVE: 'First City Crossing' trams use the inside of the other island platform;
a tram to Piccadilly, with St Peter's monument behind to its left.

BELOW: Further southwest towards Windmill Street with the interlaced track. A tram to East Didsbury
approaches (right) and one for Piccadilly via St Peter's stop is left. The Monument is background, left.

ABOVE: Work on the section of the Second City Crossing from St Peter's Square to Exchange Square
due to open next year; it is interesting to see the wires up here before the track is completed.

BLN 1264.1739] (2): Following ROP of St Peter's Square and to Eccles on 28 Aug services operate:

A. Altrincham - Bury (SSuX 07.15 to 19.30; SO 09.30 to 18.30 only)
B. Altrincham - Piccadilly
C. East Didsbury - Victoria (SuO and SSuX before 07.15/after 19.30; SO before 09.30/after 18.30)
D. MediaCityUK - Piccadilly (SSuX 07.15 to 20.00; SO 09.00 to 18.00 only)
E. Eccles - Ashton-under-Lyne via MediaCityUK (But no service booked to 'avoid' MediaCityUK)
F. Manchester Airport - Cornbrook
G. Bury - Etihad Campus
H. Shaw & Crompton - East Didsbury (SSuX 07.15 to 19.30; SO 09.30 to 18.30 only)
I. Rochdale Town Centre - Exchange Square
J. Firswood - Manchester Airport (SSuX 03.00 to 06.00; SuO 03.00 to 07.00)
K. East Didsbury - Deansgate-Castlefield (SSuX 07.15 TO 19.30; SO 09.30 to 18.30 only)

(2): Salford Quays crossover (in the middle of a road crossing) was removed during the recent Eccles
line closure. Our member recalls it being used once when Eccles trams were cut back to there.

(3): Victoria: The middle double-sided platform was still roped off with a stop board at the city end; the
rust suggests that it is not used from the north either. The terminating East Didsbury service
presumably runs ECS to Queens Road to reverse (as previously with terminating trams from the south).

1740] Ordsall Lane Jn: Manchester Central Stage A4 remodelling and re-signalling with re-control of:
 Manchester Piccadilly to Salford Crescent lines,
 Castlefield Jn to Glazebrook Signal Box lines and
 Deal Street Jn to Eccles Signal Box (SB) lines, will be commissioned in two parts:

[BLN 1264]
Part 1 - Wed 28 Dec 2016: Signalling control on the lines through Oxford Road and Castlefield Jn to the
current fringe between Manchester Piccadilly Signalling Control Centre and Glazebrook SB will transfer
to the Manchester ROC on a new 'Oxford Road' workstation (this includes entry and egress from the
Trafford Park Freight Complex). The lines between Castlefield Jn and Glazebrook become known as
the 'CLC lines', with some signals being renumbered. Two new bi-directional signals are provided at
Deansgate station, but will be held at danger at this stage.

Part 2 - Tue 3 Jan 2017: Ordsall Lane Jn is remodelled and the lines from Ordsall Lane Jn to Eccles SB
re-signalled, control transfers from Manchester Piccadilly SCC to the existing Manchester Central
workstation at Manchester ROC. Bi-directional signalling will be introduced on both the lines between
Salford Crescent and Oxford Road (both Salford Crescent to Ordsall Lane Jn lines 'The Windsor Link' are
already bidirectional) and on the Down Chat Moss line only between Eccles SB and Ordsall Lane Jn.

1741] Weaste: On 3 Sep there was a standard red 'STOP' sign attached to one rail at Eccles Station Jn. A
little further along the branch was a bright yellow piece of wood (or plastic) across the rails; perhaps
the latest version of the traditional sleeper across the tracks. It would certainly show up in poor light!

1742] Furness Line Action Group (FLAG): From a recent Press Release:
(1): Northern is doing its best with the new franchise, but the DfT has had to update its assumptions
regarding new rolling stock availability. The FLAG Secretary puts it: We are now deeply concerned that
the new version will…leave services in the (Far) North West of the Northern franchise at Poorhouse,
rather than Powerhouse, levels. Manchester Airport services on the Lakes and Furness Lines are being
cut, while Cleethorpes and Scarborough enjoy an hourly service throughout the week, although few of
their tourists come in that way, whereas many to the South Lakes do. Short notice timetable changes
have been poorly advertised and often contained errors. In the new franchises, all Windermere and
Barrow services are now provided by Northern rather than (previously) TPE at the former and a mixture
of both at the latter. FLAG has provided support to passengers, while bringing issues to the attention of
the new managers, for whom it has been a baptism of fire. Day-to-day management in the area is
devolved to a new regional director, Sharon Keith, which it is hoped will help the situation.

(2): The new £10bn Moorside (Sellafield) pressurised water nuclear power station (BELOW) requires:
 A 285m extension of the St Bees Loop to the south.
 A new 3.2km loop alongside the existing track between Corkickle and Mirehouse (73m 30ch),
where there would be platforms for Moorside workers (and possibly the general public).
 Links to the north and south via new lines with the reopened line to Moor Row and beyond.
 A new River Ehen Viaduct (Note: not 'Eden'!).
 Enhancement to the railway in the Port of Workington.
1743] Leyland Business Park:
(BLN 1263.1626). By 19 Aug, the
new temporary DMU stabling
facility for Northern Rail had a
carriage wash where the original
boundary gate was. Everything
arriving on or off site will have to
go through it! The new steel
palisade gate is about 12yd closer
to the Down Slow.

1744] Kirkby Thore/New Biggin:
DB Cargo is moving trainloads of
gypsum from Hull Docks (coal
terminal!). Mined in Spain (not from power stations), the traffic seems to have a long-term future as
British Gypsum have plans to install facilities to unload the gypsum using bottom-discharge wagons.

[BLN 1264]
1745] It's On the Cards: Preston Virgin Trains drivers' basic route knowledge. Loops, fast & slow lines:

1. Euston to Milton Keynes Central and Bletchley relief lines.
2. Milton Keynes Central to Hillmorton Jn via Weedon and Northampton.
3. Hillmorton Jn to Stafford via the Trent Valley (one bi-directional line in the Down direction from

Hillmorton Jn to Lichfield North Jn and one on the Up from Curborough Jn to Hillmorton Jn).
4. Rugby Trent Valley Jn to Stafford Trent Valley Jn via Birmingham New Street.
5. Nuneaton P6 and P7 terminating Down trains.
6. Stechford to Bushbury Jn.
7. Proof House Jn to Aston South Jn.
8. Perry Barr South Jn to Soho South Jn.
9. Soho North Jn to Soho East Jn.
10. Perry Barr West Jn to Perry Barr North Jn.
11. Portobello Jn to Crane Street Jn.
12. Stafford to Acton Grange Jn.
13. Crewe to Chester.
14. Chester to Acton Grange Jn (both WCML and Helsby line).
15. Acton Grange Jn to Warrington South Jn via WCML and Helsby lines.
16. Warrington South Jn to Wigan North Jn via the WCML including the Bamfurlong Goods Lines.
17. Colwich Jn to Crewe South Jn via Hixon.
18. Little Bridgeford Jn to Stone Jn / Norton East Chord (all the new railway around Norton Bridge).
19. Crewe Arriva Traincare (ex LNWR).
20. Crewe North Jn via Styal to Slade Lane Jn.
21. Wilmslow South Jn via Stockport to Manchester Piccadilly.
22. Manchester Piccadilly East Jn via Chat Moss to Golborne Jn.
23. Parkside Jn to Winwick Jn.
24. Newton-le-Willows Jn to Lowton Jn.
25. Wigan North Jn to Lancaster including the goods lines north of Skew Bridge Jn.
26. Farington Jn to Bamber Bridge Engineer's Reception and Lostock Hall Jn to Farington Curve Jn.

(Used to turn Class 221s so that the first class is at the south end.)
27. Lancaster to Lockerbie including Carnforth, Furness Down Goods and Carlisle NE Neck.
28. Lockerbie to Law Jn.
29. Law Jn to Uddingston Jn via Motherwell; Motherwell P4 - (to reverse if there is a problem with

the leading end) Uddingston Jn direct to P4 and out via Mossend South to East Jns or vice versa.
30. Wishaw Central Jn to Shieldmuir North Jn.
31. Lesmahagow Jn to Mossend West Jn.
32. Mossend South Jns to Mossend East Jn.
33. Law Jn to Glasgow Central via Wishaw and Bellshill (including the Up and Down Clydesdales).
34. Newton East Jn to Newton West Jn via Newton.

When the Farnworth Tunnel double to single bore work was undertaken, the Euxton Jn to Ordsall Lane
Jn and Wigan Station Jn to Lostock Jn were lost. However, it is thought that when electrification has
been completed, these routes will go back on the cards. That is the basics! Additionally:

Link One: S&C via Blackburn; Carstairs South Jn to Waverley & Carstairs Station Jn to Carstairs East Jn.

Link Two: Longsight Depot and Class 57s - where Crewe South Jn to Shrewsbury work was going to be.

Link Three: Longsight Depot and Fylde Jn to Blackpool North. [Can any other current depot beat that?
Saltley Depot train-crew became known as 'Saltley Seagulls' as they were 'seen everywhere'... Ed.]

X.134] BELOW: Wilmslow May 1975, how it used to be; an inspection train. Note London Midland
Region BR totem on lamppost (left), some jointed track and wooden sleepers. (Ian Mortimer)

BLN 1246.1746] Reddish South/Denton: From 13 May 1991 (a Monday not a Friday!) the service was
reduced to a single weekly unidirectional train (now 09.22 (FO) Stockport to Stalybridge). The Friends of
Reddish South Station was inaugurated in 2007 partly to restore the station platform to something like
its former prize-winning glory. Alan Jones formed the Friends of Denton Station in 2010 and the two
groups campaign for the reintroduction of a regular passenger service between Stockport and
Manchester Victoria. This would benefit Denton and Reddish residents, as well as revolutionising
'connectivity' in Manchester in conjunction with the Ordsall Chord. The organisations still meet with
TfGM and Northern franchise holders (Arriva) as also do local councillors to lobby about this.

1264 SOUTH EAST – NORTH (& EAST ANGLIA)

1747] East Anglia franchise: (BLN 1263.1631) The reletting of the franchise to until 2025

includes around £60M being spent improving stations with major schemes promised at Broxbourne,

Cambridge, Cheshunt, Harlow and Southend Victoria. Digital customer information screens will be

provided at all 131 stations with improved ticket offices and more ticket vending machines. Nearly

1,800 additional car parking spaces will be created and 4,000 additional cycle parking spaces.

1748] Norwich - Cromer: There are plans for a new station between Whitlingham Jn and Salhouse
serving nearby Broadland Business Park with additional workings between Norwich and North
Walsham. Broadland District Council has said a study on the Bittern Line found a 'strong' business case
for both schemes and warranted further research. It is now looking to work with other partner
organisations to move the vision forward. A council spokesperson said: Any improvements to the
Bittern Line, including the new station, would not only provide better transport links to workers, but
would add to the prestige of the Broadland Business Park for jobs growth as a more desirable location
for businesses. Further details from a recently completed study of the line will be looked at during
Broadland's cabinet meeting in September. The council will then look to form a Bittern Line
Improvements Project Board later in the autumn. ('Norwich Evening News' 23 Aug)

[BLN 1264] X.135] ABOVE: Class 88? No, but the test coach pantograph gives the appearance of an electric!
Watford on 6 Sep; a Derby RTC-Euston-Derby RTC working, 68017 was on the front. (Rob Davidson)

1749] Ely: Cambridgeshire County Council has awarded VolkerFitzpatrick the contract to design and
build the Ely Southern bypass, connecting the A142 at Angel Drove to Stuntney Causeway at a cost of
£35M. The 1.7km long single carriageway road includes a viaduct crossing the Great Ouse and bridges
over two railway lines (implying a route south of Ely Dock Jn). The Ely station area is heavily congested
with lorries and other larger vehicles (unable to use the low underpass) which queue for the level
crossing. The bypass will divert lorries and through traffic away from the railway crossing which will be
'closed'. The existing underpass will be remodelled to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.
Detailed design work now begins with construction expected to start at the beginning of 2017.

1750] Manningtree: A new maintenance workshop may be built nearby as part of the new 'abellio'
franchise (BLN 1263.1631). The fleet of over 1,000 new trains that is being introduced on the network
between 2019 and 2020 would be maintained there, retaining the three existing 'abellio' maintenance
workshops at Clacton, Crown Point and Ilford. The company employs 400 people in its workshops, and
the new centre is likely to create more than 100 jobs. The exact site has not been revealed but part of
the former ICI site on the Down side beyond the viaducts over the Stour estuary is likely. It is owned by
developers who are still talking to Babergh District Council planners about securing all the conditions to
allow it to be redeveloped for mainly industrial and some residential use on the other side of the site.
The developers were unable to comment on the future of the site. ('Ipswich Star')

1751] Halesworth: The planned closure of the station barrow crossing has been postponed by NR,
hoping that an interim solution will change unsafe behaviour at the crossing. Gates will be installed
with additional safety warnings at the approaches to the crossing, warning cyclists to dismount and
giving instructions to wait until a train has cleared the platform before crossing. The design will enable

[BLN 1264]
disabled people or those with buggies or luggage to pass through if they choose not to use the
alternative path over the Norwich Road. Four near misses have been reported by train drivers since
June 2014 in which people have attempted to cross with a departing train moving towards them. Earlier
this year, NR carried out a nine-day census of the crossing, recording 206 incidents of people walking
behind or in front of a train in the station and 32 cyclists crossing without dismounting their bike. It is
planned that the gates and signage will be installed this autumn. NR will continue to monitor and carry
out two more nine-day censuses following the installation to assess any change in behaviour.

1752] Framlingham: (CP 3 Nov 1952; CA 19 Apr 1965) At Marlesford on this former six mile branch
from Wickham Market Jn, the cream brick station building survives east of the unimproved A12.

1753] Shenfield: (BLN 1260.1318) Lifting of the Down side EMU sidings back to the stop-blocked
Electric lines connections was completed by 15 Aug.

1754] Brentwood: (BLN 1239.1571) The new trailing crossover at the London end of Brentwood,
installed in 2015 but currently secured out of use, to allow trains to turn back in P4, will have regular
use during extensive remodelling at Shenfield between January and May next year. For those that
cannot wait until 2017 to do the crossover, the 23.18 and the 23.50 Brentwood to Liverpool Street
services (both SSuX) are booked to start from P4 on most dates from 26 Sep until 28 Oct (check first!).

1755] Reading - Didcot: (BLN 1260.1316) Energisation of the Relief lines OLE between Scours Lane Jn
and Milton Jn with various tracks at Didcot and in the Oxford direction is now rescheduled for 10 Sep.

1756] Reading - Half a Festival is better than None: The simultaneous closure of the Relief Lines
between Reading and Didcot and all lines from Didcot to Oxford on 21 Aug provided the opportunity for
some unusual moves around Reading. Cross Country (XC) services ran between Southampton/
Bournemouth and Didcot, providing the unusual sight of Voyagers terminating in Didcot P1, running
ECS to a Foxhall Jn reversal to start a southbound (at that point eastbound) service from Didcot P2,
generally then reversing in Reading P8. The 18.35 Didcot to Bournemouth ran Up Main, using the
crossover on the flyover to the Down Main and the reversible signalling into Reading P8. XC services to
Didcot generally reversed in Reading P8 as well, accessing the Down Main directly.

A few, including the 19.10 departure, left from Reading P3, via the Reading Festival Line as it climbed
alongside the flyover and then used the uncommon connection from the Festival Line to the Down
Main, as the Festival Line itself dropped down and under the flyover. For our correspondent, a very
much required crossover and connection on an out and back move! Realtime Trains (RTT) shows an
extra opportunity for the full Festival Line is provided by the 21.15 Paddington to Swansea SSuX
(generally departing Reading 21.43) on most days (but not all) during the Severn Tunnel blockade,
Monday 12 Sep to Friday 21 Oct. This shows via Reading P7, then 'RL' (i.e. Down Relief) and crossover at
Moreton Cutting to 'ML' (Down Main) into Didcot. (Passengers on this service to Bristol Parkway during
this period beware; they must travel via Gloucester P2 to Newport for bus over the Severn Bridge,
arriving 00.37, compared to the normal 22.46!). RTT shows the Main Lines route designation between
Didcot and Reading as 'DD' on the Down and 'DU' on the Up, rather than 'Down/Up Main' as
TRACKmaps indicates. Can anyone confirm if these designations (presumed 'Didcot Down' and 'Didcot
Up') are official? [Not so in the 2 July 2016 Sectional Appendix - Ed.] If so, this would help identify a
reporting issue on a section of line; 'Up' or 'Down Main' on the Western covers a rather large area!

1757] Aynho Jn: There is a minor discrepancy between the NR notice and the arrangement of the
outlet points from the Up Loop at Aynho Jn. The diagrams show a single turnout but on site a double
ended layout remains, retaining the ability to derail an overrunning train.

1758] Princes Risborough: From 22 Aug Princes Risborough South Sidings, on the Down side south of
the station, were leased to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway from their connection with the
Thame Branch Siding at Princes Risborough Jn. Notice boards were to be provided at the entrance to
the sidings, detailing the use of each available siding, with the interesting wording shown below:

Plant operators may continue to use the South Sidings when on Network Services, as follows:

1: Please use Siding 3 for stabling tampers etc. if space is available. Coaches or wagons already there
are stabled long term so can be blocked in.

2: Siding 2 may be used for maintenance or shunting etc, but please don't leave vehicles stabled there
unattended, especially at weekends.

3: Siding 1 is no longer in use.
1264 SOUTH EAST – SOUTH

1759] Island Line: (BLN 1253.592) Campaigners on the Isle of Wight say they have convinced the
Department for Transport to drop plans for the island's rail service to become a self-sustaining
business. It had been proposed to separate the service from Ryde to Shanklin partway through the next
South West Trains franchise after 2019. Islanders feared this would be a step towards eventual closure
of the line. In 2015, the then Rail Minister, Claire Perry announced the intention for the Island Line to
become a 'separate and self-sustaining business'. This was confirmed in June when the Invitation To
Tender was published. It stated that the franchise winner should work with the Isle of Wight Council to
secure a long-term sustainable solution for the future of the Island Line during the course of the next
franchise that will enable it to become a self-sustaining business. Threat of a legal challenge and Judicial
Review over a claimed 'irrational policy objective' for the line has had influence. The change of wording
that appears to have been critical is the reference now only to a long-term sustainable solution as
opposed to a self-sustaining business. ('railmagazine' and 'Railnews')

1264 SOUTH WEST
1760] Coombe Junction Halt overwhelmed by demand: There was an unprecedented leap in passenger
numbers on 14 May when a crowd some four times its last annual usage figure (26) caught the train
from the halt to nearby Liskeard (£2.30 adult single, 10p more 'peak' - no service available!). Organised
to celebrate the 115th anniversary of the link between the Looe branch and Liskeard station, the
'Junction Jaunt' was advertised widely and caught the attention of local press and TV crews. A well-
loaded single Class 153 arrived for the 10.52 trip to find 108 passengers waiting, having walked from
Liskeard station (a journey of just under a mile). The conductor was reportedly unable to issue tickets
on the crowded service, so purchase was delayed until the party reached Liskeard. This was only
completed once it had been established by organisers that the tickets would be accounted for as sales
from Coombe Junction. This sale is likely to lift Coombe Junction from its lowly position of second least-
used station in the country. The railway to Looe Quay opened from Moorswater on 27 Dec 1860,
running alongside and largely replacing the Liskeard and Looe Canal which swiftly fell into disrepair. The
railway connected with the Liskeard and Caradon Mineral Railway which served numerous granite
quarries on Bodmin Moor. Passenger services did not begin until 11 Sep 1879, with the steeply inclined
and curved link from Coombe Junction to Liskeard's mainline station opening on 15 May 1901. The link
from Looe to the Quay CG in 1916, with the Caradon mineral lines falling OOU at a similar time.

1761] Kemble has its Ups and Downs: On Sat 3 Sep Swindon to Stroud services crossed from the Down
to Up Kemble at the relatively recently installed Kemble Jn facing crossover (90m 65ch) then ran wrong
line with 'single line working' to call at Kemble P1 to/from Stroud P1. A miscellaneous selection of BLS
members enjoyed this unusual move, some in the 'declassified' First Class section of SWT unit 158882
on sub-lease to GWR for the day. The benefits of the Kemble to Swindon re-redoubling have been
demonstrated in recent months. During the 'Cheltenham Festival' many more extra trains were run
than in single-track days from/back to London and Swindon. On some weekends, the line
accommodated (in each direction) its own hourly service, an hourly Swansea to Paddington via
Gloucester service (when the Severn Tunnel was closed) and hourly CrossCountry Birmingham to Bristol
trains via Swindon (reverse) and Bath. On the latter, some passenger calls were made at both
mentioned stations even though they are not normally CrossCountry served. A railtour also ran (which
might not have been possible before.) There is normally no freight but during the Severn Tunnel
Blockade (12 Sep to 21 Oct) there is a good selection including intermodal, steel, oil and aggregate.

[BLN 1264]
1762] Okehampton to see double: (BLN 1255.856) The well-established 'Dartmoor Sunday Rover'
Exeter to Okehampton summer dated service looks set to be strengthened following an 'in principle'
decision by GWR to operate a two-car unit on the service, providing there are no other pressures on
available stock. A passenger survey has shown loadings of 150 on the majority of services, with 200
reported on several occasions. The success of the service has led to discussions about a reinstated
weekday service to the town. (There are precedents for this; the reinstated Settle & Carlisle local
service was originally seasonal.) A debate has followed on the future location of rail facilities; the
Dartmoor Railway favours a park and ride terminus in a business park at Okehampton East to prevent
disruption of their heritage service. Local councillors prefer the current station site (closer to the Town
Centre) which could serve as a hub for rural communities, otherwise isolated from the network.

1763] Meldon's Moniker Monitored: (BLN 1255.822) On 21 Aug this western Dartmoor Railway
terminus was signed 'Meldon Viaduct' despite the 2016 literature referring simply to 'Meldon'.

1764] Bristol: On 30 Aug, control of a range of routes north of Bristol (mainly lines within the area
bounded by Patchway, Wootton Bassett Jn, Narroways Hill Jn and Bristol East Jn) transferred from
Bristol Power Box to Didcot, Thames Valley Signalling Centre. At the same time, the signalled links to
the new Stoke Gifford IEP Depot were commissioned. The new signal designations are prefixed 'BL'. A
range of line names and designations were simplified and standardised in the Sectional Appendix. A
significant possession of the lines resulted in changes to services over the Bank Holiday weekend.

1264 WEST MIDLANDS
1765] Norton Bridge (Again!): Subtitled 'making
red herrings clear'. (BLN 1263.1643) The original
question (BLN 1259.1234) asked when did the
Norton Bridge island platform between the Up
and Down Slow lines close? The layout prior to
Oct 1961 was (FAR LEFT from Nov 1961 'Trains
Illustrated') (a) a flank platform alongside the
Down Slow, (b) an island between the Up Slow
and Down Main, and (c) a second island (the one
that physically still exists!) between the Up Main
and the Platform Siding. Secondly, the remaining
services between Norton Bridge and Crewe direct
were not restricted to rail staff and are in
'Bradshaw's Guide'. For example, Sep 1953 shows
three such trains: 07.10 Birmingham New Street
to Manchester London Road, 17.50 Stafford
(possibly a portion from the 16.50 from
Birmingham New Street) to Crewe, and 06.55
Crewe to Wolverhampton High Level. By April
1957, it was only the 07.10 Birmingham New
Street to Manchester London Road and 06.55
Crewe to Birmingham New Street, and in June
1960 the only qualifying train (none in opposite
direction) was the 07.00 SO, 07.10 SX New Street
to Manchester Central. These were booked by the
Fast Lines (they could have run by the Slow Lines
if necessary although those were generally used
by slower freight trains). The last such Norton
Bridge stop had been withdrawn at, or by, the 12
June 1961 timetable. Thirdly, the Slow line

platforms remained in booked use for trains between the Stone (former North Staffs) line and Stafford.
For example, the Working Time Table from 12 June to 11 Sep 1961 shows stopping trains between
Stafford and Stone calling at Norton Bridge on both the Slow lines (both Down and less so Up) as well as
on the Fast lines. This continued until the Slow to Fast crossovers at the north end of the station were
taken away (replaced by facilities south of the station) as part of the works which culminated in the
commissioning of the new signal box in Oct 1961. The remodelled layout was commissioned (as
explained at BLN 1259.1234) over the weekend of 7/8 Oct 1961, along with re-signalling for
electrification. See plan ABOVE (RIGHT SIDE). The then new Norton Bridge Power Signal Box opened
on the latter date; the single remaining island platform '(c)' remained - accessed from the west side of
the WCML by a new long concrete footbridge which in turn was removed during the Christmas 2004
shut-down (BLN 987.106). This island was served only by trains going to/from the Stone direction.
While the Up Fast from Crewe would allow trains from there to call at Norton Bridge, the west platform
face was served by the 'Up & Down Recess' line which led (only) to the Down line to Stone. As an aside,
anyone who has called at Norton Bridge on a Down train will have done this recess line (now part of the
route of the new Up Fast from Crewe). Thus the 'answer' given in good faith with the accompanying
interesting information, (BLN 1263.1643) and the date of 4 Feb 1952, are both glorious 'red herrings'.
The answer to the original question, as asked, is that platform '(a)' and island '(b)' ceased to be useable
('closed') from the weekend of 7/8 Oct 1961.

A correction to the picture (above) caption from e-BLN 1259.1234: Ernest Raymond Morten's 2 Aug
1937 photo of Norton Bridge is looking north (not south - the hamlet is still there on the Down/west
side!). The train on the left is stopped by signals; almost certainly waiting the road towards Stone (the
lower right hand of the three signal arms). It is blocked by the southbound train and standing at the
Down Slow - '(a)' in the notation above. The island platform with the young boy standing on it serves
(far side) the Up Slow and (nearer side) the Down Fast '(b)'. The train facing (right) is drawing to a stop
on the Up Fast. The far side (right) of that island '(c)' is the 'North Staffordshire Railway bay' or platform
siding. It originally also had a connection at the south end (like the new East Chord which now occupies
its site!) and was used by NSR trains to Stafford so they could run into a platform at Norton Bridge even
if the LNW Up Fast was occupied. The pointwork at the south end was removed (certainly by about
1949) and line was used, latterly, only as a back shunt to access the former North Staffs goods yard in
the Junction 'V'.

[BLN 1264]
1766] Wedgwood & Barlaston: Bids are being invited from operators to reinstate train services at
either station (both TCP 23 Feb 2004). This follows a petition for the reopening of Barlaston station
submitted to the DfT. Tory minister Paul Maynard has written to Stone MP Sir Bill Cash about this.

1767] Stafford North Jn: On 28 August, the former connection to the Universal Grinding Siding, (the
start of the former Wellington via Newport line) in the Down Stafford Slow line, was plain lined.

1768] Wolverhampton - Walsall: The 06.38 SO PSUL service has been regularly running via Soho Road
except on 6 Aug when it ran direct via Darlaston Jn. A member at Wolverhampton on 20 August saw it
waiting to leave from P2 (unusual in itself for a class 323) with four passengers. The 'live' announcer
announced it was for Walsall via Birmingham, then made a 'correction' that it was running 'non-stop'!

1769] Aston: The former site of the steam shed (3D), in the 'V' of the lines to Duddeston and Stechford,
latterly in use as a bus depot, has been cleared and the buildings are being demolished.

1770] Tamworth: On 16 Aug all trains were diverted at Amington Jn from the Down Slow to Fast to
avoid the Down Slow (P1) whilst 'safety checks' were carried out at the station. This meant that London
Midland were unable to call at Tamworth and ran non-stop from Atherstone to Lichfield using the
appropriate crossovers. The cause was an unstable wall on P1. The high-level (Midland) lines had an
Emergency Speed Restriction of 5mph later eased to 20mph until the problem was rectified during the
evening. The affected wall forms part of P3 waiting room and scaffolding has since been erected from
the roof of the waiting room down to P1; there is also scaffolding inside the P3 to P1 stairwell.

1771] Birmingham New Street: (BLN 1262.1543) On 28 Aug P10 returned to use after refurbishment
works, although reduced in length by 80m, due to P11 being taken OOU for the same treatment.

1264 YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE
1772] York: Contractors have fenced off the former Down Departure Sidings, (probably disconnected)
west of the York 'avoiding lines' between York Yard North Jn and Skelton Jn. They are presumably to be
lifted. These sidings once gave access to the Low Yard (engineers) and British Sugar's York factory.

1773] Harrogate: The £1.2M upgrading of station facilities is complete. Phase 1 concluded at the end of
2015 providing new toilets, an upgraded waiting room on P1 (to York), new LED lighting, anti-slip
flooring, new seating and an improved station entrance. Now a new heated waiting shelter has opened
on P3 (to Leeds) and there are new sofas in the waiting room, charging points and free Wifi.

1774] Filey Holiday Camp: (BLN 1263.X125) Http://goo.gl/hQ7Kss is a simplified track layout of the
branch (only showing the passenger lines); scroll down and reduce the picture size. Note that the
accident report with it is a mere six pages and is extremely detailed. Today's reports run to tens of
pages and are repetitive but do include a glossary of terms to help non-industry people understand
them. The Filey Holiday Camp branch was OP 10 May 1947 by the LNER; the main line junctions were
simply called 'Royal Oak North' and 'Royal Oak South' (as were the associated signal boxes) in line with
North Eastern Railway tradition - i.e. the word 'Junction' was not actually used.

1264 SCOTLAND
1775] Pollokshaws West: Several members have recently changed trains here, often on multiple
occasions. This may be because it was often the first station call after traversal of the Larkfield curve
during the recent Sunday train diversions between Glasgow Central, East Kilbride and Kilmarnock.

Some may have noticed a blue plaque on the Up side station building. This informs that the station OP
27 Sep 1848 and it is the oldest surviving station in Glasgow. It was opened as Pollokshaws by the
Glasgow, Barrhead & Neilston Direct Railway, which later became the Glasgow, Barrhead & Kilmarnock
Joint Railway (joint between the Caledonian Railway and Glasgow and South Western Railway). Later
the line and station were incorporated into the LMS. BR renamed it Pollokshaws West on 5 May 1952.

[BLN 1264]
The station is just north of Busby Jn [Not a BT
telephone exchange - Ed] where the Busby
Railway (later part of the Caledonian Railway)
diverges, now the East Kilbride branch.

On weekdays, the station is served by half-
hourly services to Barrhead (hourly on Sundays)
and similarly to East Kilbride with four trains per
hour (three per hour on Sundays) to Glasgow
Central. It is also an interchange between East
Kilbride and Barrhead services. Annual rail
passenger usage has been steadily increasing in
recent years and was given as 134,624 in
2014/15. Pollokshaws West is the nearest
station to the Burrell Collection and Pollok
House (approximately 10 minutes walk).

The buildings are now protected as category 'B'
listed. The station was refurbished in 2013 in a
joint venture by the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, the Railway Heritage Trust and others
following which the plaque was erected. The building is now home to South-West Community Cycles.
They hire out cycles, conduct group cycle tours of Pollok Park and beyond, run Fix-Your-Own-Bike
classes, carry out bike repairs and run ladies and kids cycle classes. They also have rooms to hire and
there is a music group (Kazoos are mandatory some evenings, so check first!). There was a very good
social enterprise café 'Ride on Time', open on weekday mornings. It seems to have closed. There is a
coffee shop Tour De Coffee 'open by arrangement'. It would be interesting to know if any member
made arrangements for it to open during their 10 minute wait to do the Larkfield curve in the opposite
direction!

1264 ISLE OF MAN
1776] Ballaugh: (BLN 1263.1653) Our hundreds of members who have always wanted to know how to
pronounce 'Ballaugh', but have been too shy to ask, should take note that, according to a reliable,
but immigrant, source it should rhyme with 'Naff' and 'Gaffe' and the stress should be on the second
syllable. Another one is 'Cornaa', which should rhyme with 'Cod Mornay' (Manx for 'Good Morning'?).

1264 WALES
1777] Rossett/Saltney Junction: (BLN 1246.2162) Although the second track was completed in Nov
2015, it remains out of use, and Network Rail now confirms that there will be no work on the project
this year. The reason quoted is that replacement of faulty signal cables was not included in the £44M
project budget. A possession is now planned for 24 Mar to 1 Apr 2017 to complete the installation, with
commissioning and line speed improvements to be implemented over the weekend of 9-10 April.

1778] Dyffryn Ardudwy: http://goo.gl/2RWnIa The 'very attractive' large 3-bed 1880 built Station
Master's House on the disused Up platform and set in four acres is for residential sale by agents Walter
Lloyd Jones, (offers around £250k). It has an unconverted ticket office with 'various shelving, storage
cupboards and ticket window to rear', waiting rooms 'split into ladies and gents areas', two large
storage out-houses, and 'the banks once used for cattle carriages'. It ceased to be used as part of the
station in 1987 and some 'TLC' is needed. Old tickets are not included in the fixtures and fittings list!

1779] Port Talbot: Despite pessimism expressed in some quarters about wiring up the line between
Cardiff and Swansea, the recent contract award to Siemens to replace the existing Port Talbot NX Panel
(opened 22 Sep 1963) has been lauded as 'the last stage of the Great Western Main Line converted for
electrification'. The scheme covers 153 'signal equivalent units' to be controlled from Cardiff ROC
through a Siemens Trackguard WESTLOCK system. Axle counters will replace track circuits.

[BLN 1264]
1780] Bala Junction; Sequel: (BLN 1263.1663/64) Regarding
tickets, several members have kindly been in contact.
Examples have been seen of GWR, Western and (post-
1963) London Midland Region single and return tickets
between Bala Junction and Bala in both directions (but no
other destinations). A GWR ticket actually issued 17 Aug
1955 is imprinted 'Issued at Bala' - there were no ticket
facilities at the Junction. Some also had the BR audit code
for Bala (there was no audit code for the Junction). From the various high ticket numbers a member has
worked out that, over 10 years, on average one adult single ticket was issued per week (at 3d - less than
1½p each)! The above example was from Robert H Darlaston with thanks to Richard Maund.

A recent publication, 'The Ruabon to Barmouth Line' by MF Williams, states that the Junction station
had no ticket office; any passengers requiring tickets were issued them by the Bala [Town] Station
Master, who carried a small ticket rack with him when he attended the station. A similar comment
appears in the Foxline album 'The Llangollen Line' (Rear & Jones). The latter, incidentally, includes a
further photo of the freight from Denbigh shunting in Corwen yard on 19 May 1961. Both books
mention the footpath access to Bala Junction; according to Williams its main users were the residents
of the nearby very small village of Rhos-y-gwaliau. There is evidence it was used to access a golf course
too. Bala Junction is shown 'closed to passengers' (a white coloured black circle) on the 1947 (surveyed
1916!) OS One-inch 'New Popular' Series map but it is 'open' (red spot) on the 1953/1960 7th Series.

1781] Ely Valley Line: (BLN 1263.1603) Clydach Vale and Cambrian were in fact the same colliery,
named Clydach Vale from 1870 to 1889, then Cambrian Navigation 1890 to 1947, and finally plain
Cambrian 1948 to 1966. The complex was served by the Taff Vale Railways Clydach Vale branch from
1877 and by the GWR Ely Valley Line from 1882. (We should make the most of this unusual situation
where both the original correspondent and the member correcting the information were correct!) BLN
gave 5 June 1961 as the closure date for the Gilfach branch; Cooke gives 9 Mar 1962, the latter may
have been the date the branch was taken OOU and the former the date traffic finished?

1782] Morlais Castle Quarry: Opposite the Brecon Mountain Railway Pant terminus, a gateway and
stile give access to the quarry, abandoned over 50 years ago. Initially appearing to be wasteland, careful
observation of the terrain at both the higher and lower levels reveals the imprint of a great many rail
tracks, all curving toward the rock faces, and confirmed by the occasional surviving sleeper. The quarry
was connected to the Dowlais Central branch of the Brecon & Merthyr Railway; explorers may like to
refer to an 1897 map reproduced in Mitchell & Smith's 'Brecon to Newport' volume.

1783] Ogmore Valley Branch: The whole line between Brynmenyn and Nantymoel is a tarmac cycle
track. Two platforms remain at Blackmill, amid something of a jungle, along with traditional GWR spear
fencing, moved to the platform edge after closure. Signal box foundations are evident, in the 'V' of the
two lines and the station house stands at the north end. A small part of the Hendreforgan branch
platform survives. Nothing remains of Ogmore Vale or Nantymoel stations, but surprisingly there are
still platforms at Lewistown Halt and Wyndham Halt; these OP 10 Aug 1942 in connection with
workers' services to Tremains Factory. Lewistown had only a short life before it CP 4 June 1951.

X.136] BELOW: OS one-inch 7th Series map 1954/61. Top right is the former Maerdy branch, with the
Taff Vale Railway Rhonda Valley line beneath (the present Treherbert branch). Clydach Vale (item 1781
above) is in the upper centre and two separate branches can be seen as described. The Ely Valley Line,
the latter was the double track with passenger services to Penygraig (broad gauge until 1872; CP 9 May
1958), 'Pen-y-graig' on map. The Ogmore Vale branch is the single track branch up the left hand side
from the junction at Blackmill (bottom left) to Nantymoel ('Nant-y-moel' on the map) CP 3 May 1958.

1264 MINOR RAILWAYS
MR163] Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, Oxfordshire (MR p7): After many years of trying, the
railway finally extended its passenger trains to Princes Risborough station on Sunday 7 August. For the
time being passengers cannot join or alight there - but it is hoped a platform may be in place for the
2017 season. Trains run over NR metals from the new permanent connection at 0m 50ch - along the
former Thame branch - into the siding at the rear of platform 3 at Princes Risborough. Three members
sampled the new track on Sunday 14 August. The 15.00 ex-Chinnor was top & tailed by class 17 Clayton
D8568 (Princes Risborough end) and GWR 0-6-0PT L92 (5786), on loan from the South Devon Railway,
at the Chinnor end. Stock was 4 ex-BR Mk1 coaches. At Princes Risborough the train stopped with the
class 17 opposite the station footbridge (24m 40ch). An adult ticket was £11.

[BLN 1264]
MR164] Milton Keynes Light Railway, Buckinghamshire (MR p13) (BLN 1160.MR71): Three members
visited this railway on Sunday 14 August, which is a 5"/7¼" gauge circuit of some 250 yards. There is
also an elevated line of 3½"/5" gauge in a circle within the main line, but this is not currently in
passenger use due to some of the wooden supports having rotted. On the day of the visit the train was
being hauled by 7¼" gauge 0-4-0 steam engine 'Sylvia'. Tickets are £1 per person for two trips around
the line, which circumvents a pleasant tree lined field. Till receipt style tickets are provided, which were
punched once aboard the train. The volunteers operating the railway were very friendly and helpful in
explaining various aspects of the railway and, once BLS polo shirts (available from our Sales Officer!)
had been noticed, the points were switched so that the unusual platform loop was traversed, much to
the satisfaction of some of the passengers. Later, when there was a lull, a helpful driver even allowed
some further very rare track to be covered using petrol hydraulic loco 'Katie'. The railway is operated by
Milton Keynes Model Engineers, whose members sometimes run their own locos on a truncated
section of the elevated track. There are plans for further track laying to improve the railway, including
an additional loop. Last year the volunteers raised over £500 for Children in Need by running a train
constantly for 24 hours. Drivers changed on the move and a variety of steam and diesel locos took part.
It is believed that they travelled the equivalent of King's Cross to Doncaster (156 miles)!

MR165] Willen Miniature Railway, Buckinghamshire (MR p13) (BLN 1237.MR110): On Sunday 14
August, an unnamed and unnumbered purple petrol loco was hauling a train of 6 coaches on this 7¼"
gauge railway. Rides were £2 per person with no tickets being issued. The layout of this railway has
changed in recent years as part of the old loop has been obliterated by the building of an aerial
adventure course. The line is now a 600 yard balloon loop. A single line runs from 'Willen Holt' (not
'Halt') station before turning sharply left, where the depot and part of the previous formation can be
seen, alongside the aerial rope course and over several (unstaffed!) level crossings before running in a
loop under the dual carriageway overbridge and returning back to the station. The train has to slow at
one stage where the track has been visibly lifted by a tree root. According to staff, trains operate at
weekends, bank holidays and every day in the school summer holidays but two of our members had
previously visited twice within the advertised times to find the railway not running (third time lucky!).

MR166] All-in-One Miniature Railway, Cheshire (MR p13) (BLN 1218.MR66): This 7¼" gauge railway
has closed along with the garden centre in which it ran. Originally known as Hills Miniature Railway,
the railway opened as a simple 200 yard circuit on 12 April 2003. In 2005 a larger circuit was brought
into use, bordering the limits of the garden centre. It is understood that the railway is being mothballed
rather than lifted. It is not known what is happening to the rolling stock. The following (undated)
message was posted on the All-in-One Garden Centre website: It is with much regret and great sadness
that we announce the impending closure of our Knutsford Store, Allostock, Cheshire. All retail operations
will cease on 31 July 2016 with the Restaurant and Miniature Railway being closed with immediate
effect. The parent company (All-In-One Garden Centre Ltd) Middleton store is unaffected and remains
fully operational. It has been a very difficult decision to reach but in such economically challenging
times, exasperated by successive poor Spring and Summer conditions in recent years, we have suffered
unsustainable poor financial performance. Almost all of the Knutsford store's 25 staff have received
redundancy consultation notices and our most sincere thoughts are with them at this difficult time. A
limited number of staff will be retained to support the onsite plant production unit at Knutsford as that
will continue to operate in supplying the Middleton store with homegrown plants. We would sincerely
like to thank you all for your custom at our Knutsford store.

MR167] Great Bush Railway, East Sussex (MR p16) (BLN 1214.MR119): A 'Model Railway Plus' weekend
was held at Tinkers Park on 6 & 7 August. A visit during the Saturday afternoon found the 2ft gauge
Great Bush Railway at work with trains running continuously from Hadlow Down station, running
alongside the Top Field, past the loco sheds, Organ Halt (not in passenger use) and into the Bottom
Field and to the end of the line over the access level crossing into the Bottom Field.

[BLN 1264] ABOVE: The 550yd long 2ft gauge Great Bush Railway at Tinkers Park 6 June 2016 (Peter Scott)

Here the locos swapped over. A station appears to be under construction on the right hand (on arrival)
line, with the loco stabling on the left hand line. This is opposite to when our reporter last visited in
2012. In use were: 0-6-0WT 'Sao Domingos' (OK11784/1928) and diesels 4wDM 'Mild' (MR8687/1941)
and 4wDM 'Wolf' (MR7469/1940) double heading. The loco(s) ran round at Hadlow Down. Also running
was the permanent ground level 7¼" gauge railway in the Top Field. This is 80yd in length - a simple 'E'
layout with no points and one station (Jessett Junction) not far from Hadlow Down station. The large
three-road shed (only two connected) contained model railway layouts. The Organ Museum was in full
swing with the organs played in rotation, including the large 84 key Mortier dance organ, an Arburo
dance organ (Art Deco design) and a truly deafening Richter fairground organ! Adult admission was £6.

MR168] Crich Tramway Village, Derbyshire (MR p32) (BLN 1231.MR44): A (believed) two-horse North
Metropolitan London Horse Tram has been rescued from a field near Newtown, Powys, where it is
thought to have been since 1906. The body of the vehicle remained on its original running gear.

MR169] Coulsdon Old Vehicle & Engineering Society (COVES), Finmere Station, Buckinghamshire: (BLN
1251.1457) This society owns the site of the former station and goods yard at Finmere (CP 4 March
1963; CG 5 October 1964) on the former Great Central Main line between Calvert and Brackley Central
(CA 5 September 1966), 1¼ miles southwest of Finmere village. It is home to Southern Region 'Phase 1'
4-CIG unit 1753 - owned by the Network SouthEast Railway Society (NSERS). For the first time, the
general public were admitted to the site - albeit only by purchasing a ticket in advance - for a 'Network
SouthEast 30' gala over the weekend of 13/14 August (celebrating 30 years since the formation of NSE).
This reporter visited on the Sunday and spotted a good number of BLS members. Passenger trains were
running over the full length of the running line (around 15 chains) from the Up side of the island
platform - which has been partly rebuilt with an attractive sign. 4-CIG 1753 'Chris Green' was hauled
northwards to the end of the line by Electro-diesel 73 130 (owned COVES) and driven back from the
CIG'S 'southern' cab. Trains ran roughly every 30 minutes from 12.15. The advance ticket was £10 and
allowed unlimited riding. A 'Goody Bag' was supplied to each visitor! Stabled in the Down side of the
platform was 4-BIG buffet car 69339, which was serving light refreshments. Two sales stands were also
on the platform. The site would be obliterated by HS2. For NSERS details see http://www.nsers.org/ or
send an SAE to 39 Brookside Estate, Chalgrove, OX44 7SH.

BLN 1264.MR170] North London Model Engineers, Hertfordshire (MR p18): This society has its track
site off Church Lane at Colney Heath (TL197057) and seems to have escaped being reported previously
in BLN! There are extensive ground level 5"/7¼" gauge and elevated lines. Public operation is on the
first and third Sundays of each month May to October from 14.00 to 17.00. The ground level track is a
complex layout of about 900yd, with a further 300yd or so, which does not see any passenger trains.
This latter section connects an earlier station, steaming bays & carriage shed to the passenger section.
Public passenger trains start their journey from any one of three bay platforms at Orchard Junction
station. From there they run round part of the 'Cuckoo Line' circuit, before passing over the inbound
line on a diamond crossing and off along a section of double track adjacent to the site boundary.

Turning west, trains run round an area called 'New Land' - where there was a simple return loop until
May 2014, when this was extended to form a much longer, and folded back on itself, return loop,
passing through a tunnel. Trains then run back to the 'Cuckoo Line' circuit, which is completed before
passengers alight at a single arrival platform on the circuit. From there the train propels back empty
into one of the bay platforms for its next trip. Two members made a visit on Sunday 7 August and were
admitted at the opening time of 14.00. Three trains were running on the ground level line: 6w petrol
loco in blue livery with two sit-astride coaches; 8006 a 4w petrol loco in red livery with three sit-in
coaches and steam 0-4-2T 'Sadie' with one sit-astride coach. Each of these used a different bay platform
– so it was easy to judge one's position in the queue to cover each platform! Rides were by donation - a
figure of £1 being suggested, which was placed in a bucket by the entrance gate. A 10-ride ticket was
available for £10. The site was very busy by around 15.00, with reasonable queues for the ground and
elevated lines. Tea, coffee and chocolate bars were available from the clubhouse, which is a standard
gauge brake coach (ex-LNER 70719 of 1950).

MR171] Bressingham Steam Museum, Norfolk (MR p20) (BLN 1258.MR103): A visit was made to this
well-known Museum on Saturday 13 August, on the occasion of the 'Steam in Miniature Weekend',
which hosted various model traction engines with all the railways on site operating. On the 1ft 11½in
gauge Nursery Railway 0-4-0STT 'Bevan' (Braithwaite/Bressingham 2009) in red livery was operating a
freight train for driver experience courses, with the passenger service being worked by 0-4-0ST 'George
Sholto' (Hunslet 994/1909) in immaculate green livery. On the 15in gauge Waveney Valley Railway 2-6-
2T 'St Christopher' (Exmoor 311/2001) in blue livery was operating - on this line you now get the full
circuit, as there is only one platform for boarding/alighting. On the new 5"/7¼" gauge Bressingham
Miniature Railway 0-4-0T 'Eigiau' (Station Road Steam 2014), in a smart black livery, was operating with
two sit-astride coaches for a fare of £1 for two circuits of the 200 yard line. This railway runs around the
children's fairground near to the narrow gauge loco sheds. On the standard gauge line 'Terrier' 0-6-0T
32662 'Martello' (Brighton 1875) had just been overhauled (5 Years), and was on crew training runs -
not carrying passengers. The standard gauge line has not carried passengers for six years but, with the
overhaul, passenger operation should recommence later this year. The 10¼" gauge Garden Railway
was also in operation with 0-4-0ST 'Alan Bloom' (P Gray 1995) in steam hauling packed trains all day
through the wonderful Dell Gardens, which were also in full bloom! A very enjoyable day with lots of
steam action and a very good tearoom with excellent food on sale all day. Prices for all rides, including
three rides on the carousel was £14.95 - very good value for what was on offer. Tickets are on sale
http://goo.gl/Aike6s already for the 12/13 August 2017 equivalent event!

MR172] North Bay Railway, (Scarborough) North Yorkshire (MR p22) (BLN 1237.MR113): A visit was
made on Sunday 7 August to this old established seaside 20" gauge railway to see the new steam
locomotive, built in their own workshops. This is 0-4-0ST 'Georgina' (with a 2016 worksplate) - a very
professional locomotive and attractive in appearance. It had been working earlier, but failed with a
leaking gland. Working were the steam outline locomotives, which kept the railway going for so many
years: 1931 'Neptune' 4-6-2DH (HC D565/1931) and 1932 'Triton' 4-6-2DH (HC D573/1932). In the shed
was 1933 'Poseidon' 4-6-2DH (HC D582/1933). Also on site was 'Robin Hood' 4-6-4DH (HC D570/1932) -
locked in a lean-to and not seen. Recently arrived (three to four weeks) was a 2ft gauge 4wD (RH),
which defied all attempts at identification! This is a restoration project for their volunteers.

[BLN 1264] ABOVE: The 1,300yd; 20" gauge North Bay Railway at Scarborough (Peter Scott 9 June 2015).

MR173] Rotherham Model Engineers, South Yorkshire (MR p23) (BLN 1120.MR184): This society owns
and operates a ground level 7¼" gauge railway in Rosehill Victoria Park in Rawmarsh. The line is a circuit
with a cut-off making a second circuit inside the other one, making a total of 300 yards. It is quite
heavily graded - 1 in 25 at one point. On the inner circuit there is an artificial tunnel, which doubles as a
shed. A visit on Wednesday 10 August found D2008 'Green Dragon' 6wPH (drive on three axles, built by
the club in 2008) at work. Other 7¼" gauge locos present were: 0-4-0ST 'Victoria Rose' built by the club
in 2000 (Kerr Stuart 'Wren'), 0-4-0ST (another 'Wren', privately owned), 0-4-0 Petrol (OOU) and a
massive Co-Co DH under construction (drive on all six axles). When finished, this will loosely have the
appearance of a class 37. Fares are 80p a ride, which consists of two runs round the outer circuit,
followed by two runs round the inner circuit. It operates on Sundays throughout the summer, and
Wednesdays during the summer school holidays. There is also an elevated 3½"/5"/7¼" gauge track,
which had a 5" gauge petrol or diesel loco operating. There are buses from Rotherham Interchange
(five minutes walk from Rotherham Central station) with several routes.

MR174] Earl Soham Steam Railway, Suffolk (BLN1261.1546): (BLN 1261.1456) At least four members
visited this PRIVATE 7¼" gauge railway, when it was operating public trains in conjunction with the
annual Village Fete on Saturday 6 August as advertised in BLN 1261. The railway opened at 14.00 and a
BLS member had ticket No1 (the ticket number was just written on a small piece of otherwise blank
paper and given up for the ride). Rides started/finished by the entrance gate to the property with an
adult fare of £1.50, children 50p. A Hunslet 0-4-0ST 'Little Nell' (builder unknown) hauled two green
carriages that each carried seven passengers, plus the son of the driver as guard. Due to the condition
of the track, progress was slow with a journey taking around 15 minutes. In conversation with another
volunteer, he stated the railway was forty years old and the track and trackbed required a lot of work
on it. The ballast required replacing but there were few volunteers to assist in this big task. Bassett
Lowke 0-6-0T 'Black Knight' had failed before services started and the two brown coaches that it would
have hauled were parked in the station platform loop. With only one engine in steam, the minimal
number of passengers that could be carried at any one time and the time taken per journey, tickets
were not sold after 15.15. The railway stopped running soon after 16.00 and our reporter was not sure
if all ticket holders were able to ride as, towards the end, mention was being made of giving refunds.



X.137] ABOVE: Sheringham on 10 Aug when 20227 worked the through dining trains to Cromer.
BELOW: Later 76084 waits in Cromer P2 with the evening dining special to Holt (BLN 1258.1161).

1264 CONNECTIONS

.Please mention the Branch Line Society when booking or enquiring.. A service to members, details must be checked with the organisers.

1784] Shrewsbury Abbey, 10 Sep 10.00-15.00: The Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust open day to
celebrate the 150th anniversary of the station OP 13 Aug 1866 as the 'temporary' terminus of the
Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway. Model railway displays (some built specially replicating
original locomotives of the line), recently acquired historical photographs etc http://goo.gl/lMP24d
has pictures, including the station in use. Final closure (as an ESSO oil depot) was from 17 July 1988.

1785] ScotRail Steam Trips, Sundays until 25 Sep: Now up to a third off all fares, morning and
evening return trips Edinburgh to Tweedbank (with one early afternoon vice versa). Adult £35 (was
£55), Child £30 (£40), Family £100 (£150) Premier dining £99 (£130). 01483 209888 quote 'SRS01'.

1786] Railway Touring Company (steam): 17 Sep 'The Buxton Spa Express' includes the Buxton station
to the reversing siding connection, Peak Forest and Chinley South Jn to East Jn. 15 Oct 'The Cumbrian
Coast Express' is advertised via Park South Jn to Dalton Jn avoiding Barrow-in-Furness. (Note that their
20 Aug tour, also southbound at same likely times, was routed via Barrow, which is the default route if
Dalton Jn signal box is shut at weekends). 01553661500 or see the website.

1787] On the Edge 'Gig', Thu 29 Sep: Steve Reich's 1988 award winning 'Different Trains' composed for
strings and tape. A one off open-air event (between Edge Hill P3 & 4) for 1,000 people; to celebrate the
American composer 80th birthday. Includes a specially commissioned film of train travel during WWII by
Bill Morrison to accompany the music and a performance of Reich's 'Electric Counterpoint'. Bar and
toilets (in no particular order); £20.90 incl booking fee http://goo.gl/ECeXLc 0844 8000410.

1788] Aberystwyth, Vale of Rheidol Railway, 24/25 Sep: 'Driver for a fiver' footplate rides on Quarry
Hunslet Margaret, No605 (1894), over the Demonstration Line. This is parallel to the VoR main line/
workshop building and has only been available to travel once before (2015 Steam Festival). An Open
Workshop Weekend with rare access to this building, not normally available to the public. Engineers
and apprentices will show the progress on a variety of restoration projects including the iconic
locomotive No 7 'Owain Glyndwr' and various local model railway layouts will be in the workshop.
Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge round trips 10.30 & 14.00 (returning 12.30 & 16.15). Normal fares apply.

1789] Wolverton Wanderer, Sat 1 Oct: (BLN 1262.1578) The Wolverton Works is due to relocate for
site re-development (BLN 1240.1675); there have been few railtours, this might be the last one.

1790] RPSI, Western Explorer Diesel Railtour, Sat 22 Oct: Dublin Connolly - Glasnevin Jn - Islandbridge
Jn (both directions) - Athenry - Limerick - Connolly. Connects with the first 'Enterprise' from Belfast and
the last one back. Cl 071 diesel loco, £65/€75 booking form http://goo.gl/9lzySM 353 1 480 0553.

1791] Rail Operations Group, Sun 23 Oct, First Loco-hauled Railtour: Locos 37800 & 37884; Derby
(09.00/20.14), Leicester 09.39/19.38), Nuneaton (10.10/19.13), Birmingham New St (10.54/18.43).
Then Galton Jn (new layout), Worcester Foregate Street, Hereford, Maindee Curve, Lydney to
Worcester Shrub Hill (break 15.37/17.07). Return via Bromsgrove, Camp Hill, Sutton Park, Walsall
and Soho to New Street. £59, First £89; when open book on Vintage Trains website/01217084960.

1792] Arriva Trains Wales, Club 55: With apologies to younger members! A specific return journey on
ATW services, proof of age required. On sale/valid for outward travel until 1 Oct, return until 3 Nov.
£24 excluding Fridays; £29 with Fridays (£1 discount with Senior or Disabled Persons Railcards) from
ticket offices, train conductors (for unstaffed stations) or http://goo.gl/3dSPV4 website. Extensions
(one end of the journey only): Chiltern to Marylebone (via Smethwick Galton Bridge and London
Midland) £21; Cross Country Cheltenham to Birmingham £11.50, London Midland Worcester Foregate
Street to Hereford and Crewe to Liverpool £6 each, Northern Rail (Manchester to Southport, Bryn,
West Houghton, Blackrod, Burnley Cross, Littleborough, Greenfield, Hadfield, New Mills Central, Disley,