1335

Number 1335 (Items 2131 - 2261 & MR 164 - MR 172) (E-BLN 81 PAGES) 7 Sep 2019

BRANCH LINE NEWS

Respice in praeteritum, praesens et futurum
Published 24 times a year by the Branch Line Society; founded 1955.
branchline.uk https://m.facebook.com/BranchLineSociety/

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

British Isles news from member7s2; 8a6n7i7nternational section is available.
Opinions are not necessarily athvaoislaebolef .the Compilers or the Society.

BLN 1336 is dated Saturday 21 Sep; contributions by Wed 11 Sep please

Date Event and details  = Please Book Online BLN Lead Status

Fri 6 Sep Abergavenny to Wales ROCcie(tCya.rSdoicfife)tsyi.gnal box visits Below BC FULL
Sat 14 Sep The Breckland Freighter; (renamed) UPDATE BELOW Below MG OPEN

Sat 21 Sep Corris Railway for the day Track & Traction event REDATED 1334 GJ OPEN

Sat 21 Sep The Brickies Lament, South Hampshire Minor Railways (1) 1332 MG OPEN

Sat 21 Sep Marwell Zoo Railway (15"gauge; 900yd long)  1334 BD Notify

Sun 22 Sep The Hayling Taxi, South Hampshire Minor Railways (2) 1332 MG OPEN

Sun 22 Sep Birmingham Balti Bash Class 20 tour with Vintage Trains BELOW MG OPEN

Sat 5 Oct Corris Railway for the day, re-dated Track & Traction event BELOW GJ OPEN

Sat 5 Oct 11.00: Portsmouth; The Underground Flyer Re-inflated BELOW MG OPEN

Sun 6 Oct Ffarwelio â Phacer Cymoedd Caerdydd (Pacer track tour) 1333 MG OPEN

Wed 9 Oct Durham Coast conducted signal box visits BELOW NJ OPEN

Sat 12 Oct The Sandwich Deal (Ramsgate 08.30-17.00) EMU tour BELOW MG OPEN

Sat 26 Oct 10.00: Lavender Line Track & Traction Event 1333 MG OPEN

Sat 26 Oct 15.30: Eastbourne Miniature Magical Mystery (tour) 1333 MG OPEN

Sat 2 Nov Madrid Circumnavigator - map e-BLN 1333 UPDATE BELOW 1333 IS Claimed

15 - 17 Nov Provisional, Barrow Hill AGM with fixtures, talk & Sun tour TBA TBA Claimed

Sun 17 Nov Save the date for our main line AGM weekend railtour TBA TBA Claimed

Sun 8 Dec *NEW* The Bootle Brush Track & Class 47 Traction tour BELOW MG OPEN

Sat 4 Jan 20 2020 Scunthorpe 20th Cold Steel Tracker - save the date TBA TBA Claimed

BD = Bill Davis; GJ = Graeme Jolley; IS = Iain Scotchman; MG = Mark Gomm; NJ = Nick Jones.

2131] : Sat 14 Sep; AN IMPORTANT RAILTOUR UPDATE:: This was not available in time for paper BLN
1335 if you know of anyone who may be interested or does not look at e-BLN. Your Society has been
advised that NR has faced significant challenges in pathing our charity charter train on the very busy
route between Cambridge and Stratford. This was compounded by the fact that the sought after
infrastructure at Bow and Broxbourne had previously been confirmed as unsuitable for passenger
traffic following inspections, the Society had even considered cancelling our operation on 14 Sep.
HOWEVER, with the fantastic support from NR Capacity Planning, our partners at DB Cargo and Riviera
Trains, together with Johnston Logistics UK at Eccles Road, we have made the decision to PROCEED
with an amended itinerary. The changes are as follows:

The charter will not proceed further south than Cambridge South Jn. Therefore, we regret that the
advertised unusual lines at Great Chesterford, Broxbourne, Temple Mills, Bow and Finsbury Park are
deleted. This is also due to track condition at Plasmor (Bow Midland) and Bow East/Olympic terminals.

On the return journey we have made applications to use of the following unusual lines and await final
confirmation: ●Coldham Lane Jn Down Goods Loop, ●Ely Up Goods Loop (in the Down direction),
●Ely West Curve (by reversing just north of Littleport on the King's Lynn line), ●March Down Goods
and ●Peterborough, March Independent line.

Freight facilities and access at ●Brandon DB Cargo Freight Terminal, ●Eccles Road Johnston Logistics
Branch, ●Norwich Carriage Sidings and Riverside Freight Depot plus ●Chesterton all remain as
advertised, as is the case with all other advertised passenger and freight loops. We will use
●Peterborough North Line/s rather than the Construction Line there. We have also requested we
traverse this infrastructure both on the way to and from Peterborough to cover both of these lines.

We remain on track to issue the e-tickets on Monday evening. We apologise for the impact of these
changes but are grateful for the support for our partners in preparing, at very short notice; an itinerary
we believe will provide an enjoyable day out for all in East Anglia. Note the charter will operate under
the name :The Breckland Freighter: to reflect the change in the advertised programme. First Class is
full, but some Standard Class places remain available. Please book at our website: branchline.uk

With help from DB Cargo, we intend to seek Class 66(s) that will be of interest to those who enjoy loco
haulage. The latest departure/arrival times are as follows, which will be confirmed with your e-tickets:

Nottingham 06.25/22.02
East Midlands Parkway 06.50/ 21.06
Loughborough 07.02/20.53
Melton Mowbray 07.52/20.08
Peterborough 09.08/19.00
At Norwich there will be a one hour off train lunch break, leg stretch and photo stop.

2132] :The Underground Flyer Re-inflated; Sat 5 Oct:: A return hovercraft flight to the IOW with
unlimited rides on the unique Island Line Class 483 EMUs. Portsmouth Harbour Stand 'L' 11.00 for a
free Hoverbus to the Hovertravel Terminal. Thanks to Hovertravel, 10% of fares will be donated to
RNLI. Priority for those booked on our 20 Jul hovercraft trips; spare places go on sale Fri 13 Sep. £24
Adult booking per next item.

2133] :The Birmingham Balti Bash; Sun 22 Sep:: With Vintage Trains, 20142 & 20189 'top & tail' and
includes a genuine Birmingham Balti Curry & Naan Bread for all. Breakfast rolls (order via Comments
Box) plus all day tea, coffee, sandwiches, snacks, wine and beers including 'Cobra' & 'Bathams' Best
Bitter are available from the buffet. Order vegetarian curry or breakfast rolls via the Comments Box.
First Class full; Standard £75. U18 - no alcohol - (must have a fare paying adult with them) £37.50.
Please book online or ask someone to do this for you to help us. Otherwise post to Mark Gomm (per
back page) with membership No/s and email address or at least a 'C5' size SAE with a First Class stamp.

Provisional route/times (stops in bold): Solihull P1 (09.53/20.55) - Up & Dn Dorridge Passenger Loop,
Dorridge P3 (10.02/20.45) - Warwick P2 (rev) (10.26/20.17) - Warwick trailing X/O (108m 15ch) - Dn
Hatton Gds Loop - Hatton P3 (10.46/20.29) - Up & Dn Dorridge Gds Lp (recently lengthened) - Up &
Dn Tyseley Chord - Tyseley Sth Jn - Tyseley Dn Through Sdg - Small Heath Sth Jn - Dn Bordesley Gds
Lp - St Andrews Jn - Up Derby Slow - Sutton Park - Walsall P2 (12.24) - Darlaston Jn - Bushbury Jn Dn
Gds Lp (rev) - Bushbury Jn trailing X/O - Oxley Chord - Dn Cosford Gds Lp - Ironbridge (operational
limit) - Madeley Jn (rev) - Down Wellington* - Shrewsbury (break 14.27/17.30) - Up Wellington* -
Up Cosford Gds Lp - Oxley Chord - Dn Bushbury Gds Lp (rev) - Bushbury Jn trailing X/O - Bescot Up
Gds Lp - Perry Barr N Jn - Soho E Jn - Galton Jn - Smethwick Jn - facing X/O to Stourbridge Junction
P2 (rev) - Stourbridge Dn Goods Lp - Up Rood End Goods Lp - Birmingham Snow Hill (19.36) - Moor
Street (19.42) - Up & Dn Small Heath Gds (ECS line) - Tyseley Up Through Siding - Warwick P2
(20.17) - Warwick trailing X/O - Dorridge (20.45) - Solihull (20.55). [*Middle non-platform lines.]

2134] :Corris Railway; REVISED DATE Sat 5 Oct:: This railway experience day was in BLN 1331.1687
of 6 July. From about 10.00 (rail connections from Birmingham New Street etc) until 17.00. Drive
steam loco No7, Orenstein & Koppel, diesel No11, Ruston diesel No6, Motor Rail Simplex No5 'Alan
Meaden' and Clayton battery electric No9. With rare track plus the carriage shed/engine shed lines.

Experience the unique and exhilarating 'gravity train' ride on the railway, see the work of a guard.
Enjoy a conducted tour of the original loco shed, the extensive new carriage shed and the trackbed
of the next section to be reopened south of Maespoeth Junction. Includes membership of the
Corris Railway for 12 months with quarterly newsletters, an occasional journal and four free trips.

Hot drinks & water available; there is a lunch break in Corris (the nearby Village Café does snacks).
Maximum 6 people £75 per head (or £60 without the steam loco). Bookings and queries are being
handled directly by Graeme Jolley our Sales Officer/East Midlands & IOM Editor, also Corris Railway
Hon Secretary, Business Manager and Health & Safety Officer: [email protected]
or 07484 646542. The event is subject to six bookings (or less if people are prepared to make up
the cost, 5 people would be £90 steam/£72 diesel etc), please book as soon as possible to confirm
viability and state if you would like the steam loco included but don't send any money at this stage.

X.110] :County Durham Signal Box Visits; Wed 9 Oct:: Thanks to Nick Jones there are visits to up to six
signal boxes. BLS MEMBERS ONLY, meet at Ferryhill 09.15 (Bus 8 from Darlington or lifts may be
possible). Please advise if you are coming by car (and how many lifts you have available or if you
require one) or by train - we may have to restrict the number of cars. A £5 per box on the day cash
charity donation applies including to anyone failing to show or cancelling who can't be replaced. Hi-viz
jackets are required. Booking to [email protected] (note two underscores).

2135] :The Madrid Circumnavigator; Sat 2 Nov:: There has been a new development which we are
following through and may prejudice the practicability of 2 Nov date. Resolution may take a week or
so, we suggest no travel plans are made yet. We will, of course, inform you once the issue is clarified.

X.111] The Sandwich Deal; Sat 12 Oct:: An unusual third rail Class 375/6 EMU charity railtour in Kent
from Ramsgate with Southeastern for Railway Children and Dame Kelly Holmes Foundation. Despite
the name, there is no buffet service! BLS Members First Class (limited) £80; Standard £59. Non-BLS
members £12 premium; Under 18s (must be accompanied by an adult) £29.50 discount on all fares.

Please book online or ask someone to do this for you to help us. Otherwise post to Mark Gomm (per
back page) with membership No/s and email address or at least a 'C5' size SAE with a First Class stamp.
TRACKmaps 5 Nov 2008 is out of date, particularly at Ramsgate Depot which has changed; for some
lines this will be the first ever passenger carrying train. NOTE: This item was too later for paper BLN.

Provisional route/times (stops in bold): Ramsgate P1 (08.30; London High Speed & classical
connections) - Ramsgate Depot Reception West (rev) - Ramsgate Depot Reception Washer Spur -
Ramsgate Depot Exit Minster End - Ramsgate Depot Reception - Ramsgate Depot Margate End - Up
Thanet - Margate P3 - Margate Sig EK5105 (rev) - (through) Margate P2 - Down Thanet - Ramsgate
P2 - Minster East Jn - Minster - Canterbury West - Ashford International P2 (rev) - Sevington -
Herringe via Bi-Di - Folkstone Central - Folkstone East Train Road 2 (rev) - Folkstone East (rev) -
Dover Priory P3 - Dover Priory YE623 (rev) - Dover Priory Siding 1 (rev) - Dover Priory YE623 (rev) -
Saltwood Jn - (Simplified-Bidirectional) Herringe - Sevington - Ashford International Up Fast -
Lenham Loop - Maidstone Sig ME9 (rev) - Maidstone East Bay P3 (rev and break) - Maidstone Sig
ME14 (rev) - Ashford International P2 - Ashford East Berthing Sdg Road 2 (rev) - Ashford
International P2 (rev) - Ashford Down Carriage Sdgs, South By Pass Road (rev) - Ashford Down
Carriage Sdg Road 12 (rev) - Ashford South By Pass - Ashford Down Carriage Sdgs Canterbury Exit -
Wye - Canterbury West Down Loop - Minster Up Platform - Minster East Jn - Ramsgate P2 (17.00).

2136] :The Bootle Brush; Sun 8 Dec:: A Track & Traction tour operated by West Coast Railways (WCR)
with two WCR Class 47s 'top & tail' - most unusual on the Merseyrail network. Due to operational
constraints it is limited to four vehicles and will book very rapidly. A restricted service of cold drinks/
light refreshments will be on sale (but no alcohol due to Merseyrail restrictions). We are raising funds
for Merseyrail's nominated good cause Alder Hey Children's Charity to fund projects to entertain
children who might be daunted by the idea of a hospital trip. BLS members only; £89 Standard Class;
£129 Compartment Class; U18s £44.50 reduction (accompanied by an adult). Book as per item 2135.

Provisional validated timing and route submitted to NR: Crewe P6 (09.00) - Nantwich P2 (09.20 PU)
(rev) - Nantwich trailing X/O - Crewe Up & Down Loop (between P11 & 12) - Hartford Jn Down Slow
- Warrington BQ Down Slow - Earlestown P3 (PU 10.45) - Olive Mount Chord (with X/Os before and
after) - Marsh Lane X/O - Sandhills Reversing Siding (rev) - Kirkby P1 (rev) - Kirkdale Carriage Sidings
(rev) - Ormskirk P1 (rev) - Sandhills Reversing Siding (rev) - Southport Station Jn - Southport P3
(14.47/15.30) - Southport Station Jn - Wigan Station Jn - Wigan South Jn - Up Goods - Bamfurlong Jn
- Up & Down Earlestown West - Down Chat Moss Slow - Crown St Jn - Liverpool Lime St P7 (16.46
SD) - Up Ditton Fast - Speke West Jn - Up Ditton Slow - Halewood No1 Reception - Ditton East Jn -
Halton Jn - Frodsham Jn - Chester Station Parcels Line (Bay adjacent to P1) - Crewe P12 18.43 (SD).

1335 HEAD LINES (Paul Stewart) [email protected]

2137] Keeping Track, (extra to Head Lines) significant passenger service suspensions: *= new/altered

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

1334.2003 19 Aug 19 9 Sep 19 Tygwyn station (on the Cambrian Coast line south of Harlech)
1333.1888 29 Aug 19 14 Sep 19
1333.1889 21 Sep 19 30 Sep 19 Manchester Metrolink; Shudehill tram stop
1331.1539 End Oct 19
1330.1399 2 Jan 19 Dee-layed West Kirby - (Hoylake)
1334.2005 †4 Nov 18 4 Nov 19
1329.1254 26 Oct 19 4 Nov 19 *Mid Hants Railway; Alton P3 - (Medstead & Four Marks)
1328.1196 26 Oct 19 16 Nov 19
1334.2002 2 Dec 19 Llangollen Railway, (Carrog) - site of former Corwen East
1333.1883 9 Nov 19 Unknown
1325.655 28 Nov 19 17 Feb 20 *(Barmouth) - Pwllheli (may extend another week unconfirmed)
1316.2393 16 Feb 19
20 Oct 18 2020? Havant Jn - (Chichester) [†Date of last public service]
†26 Oct 18
Cowley Bridge Jn - (Taunton); Cogload Jn - Worle Jn/Weston-S-M

*Keymer Jn/Falmer - Lewes - Seaford/Polegate

*Dolgarrog station (see also BLN 1333.1972)

*Reedham Jn - Berney Arms request stop - (Great Yarmouth)

*Douglas Bay Horse Tramway; Palace Hotel - Sea Terminal

1332.1699 28 Sep 18 2020? CairnGorm Mountain Railway, 'Base Station' - Ptarmigan

ABBREVIATIONS: TC = Temporary Closed; RO = Reopened; P = Passengers; A = All; G = Goods.

2138] Dore Station Jn - Hope (Dore & Totley, Grindleford, Hathersage, Bamford and Hope stations):
(Amending BLN 1333.1887) ROP Tue 6 Aug after TCP 22.00 1 Aug 2019 due to the threat of Toddbrook
Reservoir dam failing. To their credit, East Midlands Trains extended their hourly Norwich to Sheffield
trains to/from Hope all day on 6 Aug calling at all stations (no onward road connections). This resulted
in unusual through services from these local Hope Valley stations to/from Norwich etc! At Hope there
were ECS shunts, P1 to P2, via Earles Sidings trailing crossover just west of the station. East Midlands
Railway/Trains serves/served them (SSuX): 05.16 Nottingham to Liverpool Lime Street & 21.37 return.

2139] Walton Jn - Kirkby (excl) & two stations: TCP Sat 7 until Sun 15 Sep 2019; works for new trains.

2140] Green Lane: Down P2 (only) is TCP Sun 8 Sep until Sun 20 Oct 2019, due to works for new trains.

2141] Chester (excl) - Bache (excl): TCP Mon 14 until Sat 19 Oct 2019 for similar works on Chester P7.

X.112] NEXT PAGE: Reflections on the Tygwyn station temporary closure notice at Machynlleth on
31 Aug - our photographer did attempt a full frontal, but there was too much glare. (Chris Parker.)



1335 BLN GENERAL (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
2142] My First Railway Memories (12): By our North East & Yorkshire BLN Editor, Geoff Blyth.
I remember very little of what was probably my first train journey, other than its being hauled by a
Bulleid Pacific and getting grit in my eye! Where we were going and when I know not. My first
documented train journey was on 30 Jul 1950; amazingly the ticket has survived. We lived in a village
between Totnes and Kingsbridge, but without a car and nowhere near a railway. We took the bus to
Totnes, then a boat down the river (some memory of this) to either Dartmouth or Kingswear then the
train from Kingswear to Paignton. Our visit to the zoo revealed my mindset… I took little interest in
the animals, apart from an elephant using its trunk to seize the paper bag containing our sandwiches -
in spite of my mother's best efforts, but insisted on repeat rides on the miniature railway. You'll end up
in the workhouse at this rate said the driver to my mother. Then it was the pantomime ('Jack & the
Beanstalk'; I remember that) and the train back to Totnes via Newton Abbot.

A couple of years later my sister and I saw my father off from Kingsbridge station. I was lifted up in the
cab to 'help' the driver pull the whistle. But that was that - no track involved. We then moved to the
North East and sadly the 12½ mile Brent - Kingsbridge branch closed just too early for me, from
Mon 16 Sep 1963. Had it lasted a bit longer I could have done it in conjunction with the university
railway society Easter Tour to the West Country. But I cannot complain as I did some excellent lines in
the NE in subsequent years. As our nearest station was Nunthorpe our first family forays were along
the Esk Valley line to Whitby; Egton Bridge in 1955 was the first visit for some reason. As we grew
older my cousin and I were able to travel without adults - at a younger age than allowed nowadays.
Fortunately my cousin expanded my horizons from my original rather unambitious plan of visiting
every Esk Valley station, firstly to the Grosmont - Malton line (now the NYMR) and then the much
more interesting coast line via Loftus and Staithes. We started with a day trip to Hinderwell - possibly
because the name intrigued us! However, one to Scarborough soon followed; the train back to
Middlesbrough was an 'express', calling only at Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby West Cliff. Sadly Loftus
- Whitby lasted only a little longer; CA 5 May 1958. I was not at all pleased that I was unable to travel
on the last train owing to the start of term at my preparatory school in Leicestershire. However, on
3 May my mother and my aunt made the last out and back trip to Kettleness, here the Middlesbrough
- Scarborough trains crossed: Nunthorpe 4.32 pm - Kettleness 5.37/5.38 pm - Nunthorpe 6.42 pm.

The journey to my school didn't even involve any particularly noteworthy track - the cross country
route to Derby and then to Loughborough. I had to wait another two years before my first foray on
the much more interesting Great Central line. However, the Shackerstone - Coalville - Loughborough
Derby Road LNWR branch crossed the school drive on a small three arch viaduct. We used to hear the
Shepshed branch freight during our mid-morning break. Shepshed to Loughborough, Derby Road
CA Oct 1955, I remember seeing this part of the line full of stored wagons before I left the school in the
summer of 1958 to move up to the main school. Private siding traffic continued from Coalville East,
Whitwick Colliery to Shepshed, Charnwood Granite Co's Siding until 11 Dec 1963.

2143] E-BLN Fixtures reports: A member who prints these out for his records (including the pictures)
asks if they could be made available on our website as individual PDFs (as well as appearing in e-BLN)
to make them easier to print. Please could anyone else who might be interested in such a service
notify your BLN Editor in the next couple of weeks and also anyone who might assist in doing this? It
involves creating individual fixture report PDFs from e-BLN for website loading with the following BLN.

2144] Passengers Puzzled by BLN Quiz: (BLN 1334.2008) At Crewe in the current timetable a Virgin
Train leaves P5 at one minute past most hours (SuX) for Euston via Birmingham. Simultaneously (SuX)
a London Northwestern service leaves from adjacent bay P4 for Euston via Stoke and Birmingham.

2145] Points & Slips: ●●BLN 1328.1122] During our Mon 26 Aug visit it was confirmed from a member
of staff that there is over 100 miles of standard gauge railway at Scunthorpe steelworks but the whole
site (including the coal terminal) extends to 1,700 acres rather than the 200 acres previously quoted!

[BLN 1335]
●●BLN 1334.1990] (TRACKmaps 3 p28B Jun 2018) At Barry Tourist Railway with the current passenger
closures, the public run is now one mile between Barry Island P4 and Woodham Halt. Our MR Editor
points out that the public runs here have varied over the years. A member travelled over the Plymouth
Road section on a normal service train (rather than a footplate ride) on 26 Aug 2018, but this seems to
have been a special arrangement as the Woodham Halt line was blocked by Freightliner wagons.
A walking tour of Plymouth Road Shed was included. Another had a similar experience on 9 Jun 2018;
motive power on this trip was 'Lab 19 Iris II'. Inside the shed was a fascinating measuring coach which,
apparently, was the last wooden-bodied coach to run on main-line metals. Exposure to the elements
and some vandalism before it found a home in the shed mean there is significant work to do before
the coach can run again. There was also a shunter, possibly a Class 08 and two or three wagons.

●●2002] With the extension of the IOM Douglas Bay Horse Tramway to the Palace Hotel from 13 Aug,
adult cash fares increased from £1 to £2. ●●2004] Despite what the TfL London Trams (Croydon)
website page said, there is no tram rail in Chepstow Rd! ●●2020] The Nottingham station fire was
actually started at 06.30 on Fri 12 Jan 2018 (BLN 1298.227). https://bbc.in/2lOy8U2 has more details.

●●2123] A member and his wife travelled from Hull to Chester Zoo on Sun 25 Aug specially to do the
now closed mile long monorail. Sadly they discovered the hard way that it didn't run in temperatures
above 25oC, which applied all that day while the zoo was open. Making the best of it they joined the
queue for the Lazy River boat trip at the 45 min wait marker - by the time they had progressed to the
15 min wait point, the ride had failed... This story has a happy ending though, he returned on 31 Aug, a
cooler day, when the monorail was running (although only two of the four sets) and did it! The final
day of operation was Sun 1 Sep. ●●2130] 31 Oct 2020 was not a typing mistake for the release of Joe
Brown's new Liverpool & Manchester Railway Atlas; it has been a much bigger job than anticipated!

BELOW & NEXT PAGE: Chester Zoo Monorail on its penultimate day of running, Sat 31 Aug 2019.
Note that the third picture is taken through a curved end windscreen. (Alan Sheppard.)



1335 EAST MIDLANDS (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]
2146] Market Harborough: (BLN 1334.2018) The 5 May 1969 - 3 May 1970 British Rail London Midland
timetable book shows (over various tables) the sleeper train calling: London Euston 21.00; sleeper
carriages available from Northampton 22.10 and Leicester 23.07/23.12; then Nottingham (reverse),
Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Rotherham Masborough, Leeds (reverse), Skipton, Appleby, Carlisle,
Annan, Dumfries, Kilmarnock and Glasgow Central 07.45. It left Glasgow 22.50 (SO 21.25) with fewer
stops (Kirkconnel additionally SuX but not Appleby, Rotherham or Chesterfield); Leicester dep 07.05,
Northampton arr 08.05 (vacate Sleepers), Euston 10.09 (Sat 09.21). It ran seven days a week!

A Midland Railway 1913 System map shows the connection between the London & North Western
Railway (LNWR) from Northampton and the Midland Railway (MR) as via exchange sidings only then.
The map notes the agreed junction between the two railways as at 83m 15ch (mileage from London St
Pancras via the MR) with the controlling signal box as (LNWR) Market Harborough No3 at 83m 19ch.

The MR Market Harborough North box was originally on the Down side at 83m 2ch but was moved to
83m 05ch, Up side, from 14 Sep 1919. ('MR, Distance Diagrams' 1919 and 14 Sep 1919 weekly notice).

After grouping, on 27 Jul 1924 at (LNWR) Market Harborough No3 box a new double junction between
the Leicester - Kettering and Rugby - Stamford lines, worked from No3 Box, was brought into use to
enable trains to run from Leicester to Northampton and from Northampton to Leicester.

Recording this new 1924 double junction, 'Midland Railway Distance Diagrams, 1924-25' showed:
Market Harborough North box at 83m 05ch (as above), Market Harborough No3 box at 83m 19ch, and
the northern (MR main line) end of the new double junction as 83m 30ch. No evidence has been found
that the LNWR/MR Jn was named 'North Jn' from the 1924 remodelling (or ever). The civil engineers
may have given it that name even if the signalling engineers did not!

The layout further changed from 4 Jan 1931 when former MR Market Harborough North and South
boxes and old LNWR No2 box were all superseded by a later No2 box.

Swift (British Layout Plans of the 1950s - no specific date attributed) shows this Market Harborough
No2 box (closed 20 Oct 1968 when Market Harborough No3 box was renamed 'Market Harborough')
with only a siding connection there. The 1950s plan shows the double crossover from the LNWR to the
MR at Market Harborough No3 (that signal box closed, as 'Market Harborough', from 29 Jun 1986).

2147] Avoiding Lincoln: (BLN 1334.2017) On Bank Holiday Monday 26 Aug while 80 members were
sunning themselves at Scunthorpe steelworks (renamed 'Sunthorpe' just for one day), another went to
Newark Northgate to do the diversion to Doncaster via Boultham Jn and Pyewipe Jn. It was the final
through piece of main NR track at Baker level that he required. Our member caught the 11.52 to
Edinburgh which started from Northgate P3, operated by Azuma 800102, his first trip on one of these
units. He describes the ambience as spacious and good but the seats are not - far too hard. The train
was on time, did the track and the Down Lincoln Flyover to arrive at Doncaster P4. He returned almost
immediately on the 12.56 service, slightly late at 13.01 but absolutely packed, with 800111. This left
from P1 and went via the Up East Slow then Black Carr Jn to Bessacarr Jn and Pyewipe Jn to Boultham
Jn again to arrive Northgate P3 slightly later than booked. Quite a few members at Scunthorpe did this
diversion in the evening too. The Azumas are very quiet on diesel power with just a bit of a whine
heard when under power and are smooth riding - there was no whining from the track bashers
though, complete success! But those seats... [Perhaps those eventually braving 8 hours 5 minutes on
an Azuma seat from King's Cross to Inverness will be rewarded with an endurance certificate?]

2148] Derby: (BLN 1334.2019). The original canopy for the former short south end bay P5 may have
been built on the P4 (concave) side in expectation that future regional trains were more likely to have
doors one third and two thirds along the car body than at the ends. This is so on the Class 170s which
are due to be transferred from ScotRail and West Midlands Railway to East Midlands Railway.

X.113] NEXT PAGE TOP: The new East Coast Main Line flat crossing at Newark after relaying over the
Aug Bank Holiday Weekend, it is not a right angle crossing, of course. (Gary Crompton, 26 Aug 2019.)

2149] Manton Wood Siding: (BLN 1332.1722) A local signaller and Realtime Trains both confirm that
the siding is actually now in regular use Sundays excepted, for up to seven Robin Hood Line services
from Nottingham making ECS shunts at Worksop, two in the morning with five in the afternoon and
evening! This is partly due to the enhanced service through Worksop with the extra hourly all day
Sheffield to Gainsborough Central trains. It seems NR may now have to rethink the plan to remove it!

2150] Nottingham: On Fri 16 Aug the enquiry office was rather bare as all EMT pocket timetables etc
had gone with the franchise ending the following day. Some '11 years of East Midlands Trains'
Thornton's chocolate bars, each in a blue box with 'Thank You' in white icing on the bar, were being
given away. By Tue 20 Aug purple EMR pocket timetables had appeared in the racks. A Class 153 DMU
was noted with 'EMR Regional' transfers but otherwise in EMT livery; new light blue/grey transfers
with EMR routes had been applied, one to each of the blanked out driver's door windows inside.

2151] Kettering: (BLN 1334.2022) NR proposes to provide a connection to the new EMU stabling
facility here from the Dec 2019 timetable change. Electrification to Corby should be now be completed
in time for the May 2020 timetable, (rather than Dec 2019) two trains per hour in each direction will
be able to operate. It is understood that the OHLE will extend beyond Corby station to 79m 58ch.

X.114] Scunthorpe, NEXT PAGE: Our Bank Holiday Mon 26 Aug 2019 railtour approaches Frodingham
platform, propelled from the steelworks direction, very unusually with four brakevans (a temporary
situation here) and had 80 participants. There is a marked up tour map with e-BLN. (Ian Mortimer.)

1335 GREATER LONDON (Geoff Brockett) [email protected]
2152] Piccadilly Circus: (BLN 1832.1367) This is
the latest addition to London Transport
Museum's 'Hidden London' offerings. The 14.45
tour on the second day (22 Aug) of this new
option was full and included two 'Hidden London
virgins', but most had been on at least one
before. Your reporter had done all the previous
'mainline' (excluding general architectural
overviews and film shows) incursions into the
dark and dusty bowels of LUL stations, so was
keen to see what Piccadilly Circus offered.

Essentially the visit lasting an hour is a full
exploration of the old passenger tunnels and lift
shafts from the original 1906 Piccadilly Line
entrance. And of course the inevitable 194 step
spiral staircase! Unused by passengers now for
nearly 100 years after rebuilding of the station with escalators, they have not lain dormant all that
time, with wartime shelter and museum artefact storage until 1946.

Much original tiling and signage remains, with the opportunity to experience the bottom of the 31m
lift shafts. You can even see the site of the wartime Sewage Ejector Plant - ABOVE LEFT - a sh*t job,
(carrying buckets up the stairs didn't work too well!). The night before, your reporter answered a
'Trivial Pursuits' question 'Who is the statue at Piccadilly Circus', answering correctly 'Eros'. However,
he now knows that is wrong; it is not Eros! Also go on the tour to discover why it's named Piccadilly
Circus and how the current station booking hall was built underneath a busy, active roundabout. All
proceeds support LT Museum's restoration work. Each tour comes with a souvenir booklet at the end,
so you don't need to write everything down. And a hint that there will be more new hidden areas to be
made available; the next one might require more gates to be entered. http://bit.ly/2LeGzRI has more.

2153] Waterloo: (BLN 1290.2030) Following a review, the restriction on charter train stock with
opening windows using P1-6 is to be reduced to a ban on using the Down Main Slow Line in/out of P1-
P3. This is due to sub-standard clearances at Westminster Bridge Rd overbridge since remodelling.

2154] White Hart Lane: (BLN 1285.1484) The new ticket hall with two new entrances opened late Aug.
Lifts to the platforms were to open in early Sep. There are also two staircases to each platform, one for
everyday use and a second for use during fixtures at the nearby Tottenham Hotspur football ground.

2155] Crossrail: (BLN 1332.1731) 'Modern Railways' reports that the first use of a 9-car Class 345 EMU
in passenger service was 29 Jul when 345037 worked the 19.48 Hayes & Harlington to Paddington.
On 26 Aug the new P5 at West Drayton had been surfaced and appeared to be almost ready for use.

At Romford, the two most easterly sections of the canopy on P3/4 (Down Main and Up Electric) island
have been removed for reasons unknown. A temporary shelter has been erected above the stairs.
The bridge leading to P1 has a splendid builder's plate: Westwood Baillie & Co Engineers Contractors
of Poplar. P1 still has an old Greater Anglia sign pointing towards it and also a rainbow name board.

2156] Bow East Yard (Bow Olympic): (BLN 1268.2147) (TRACKmaps 2 p2B Oct 2016) Nearly 4,000
NIMBYs (Not In My Bow Yard?) people have signed a petition against a new planning application for a
concrete batching plant here. The consortium behind the development of Breedon, Brett and S Walsh
& Sons say it will be less disruptive than DB Cargo's current aggregate traffic. ('Evening Standard'.)

2157] Stratford: A member visiting the station recently noted and made use of various unusual moves,
mainly caused by freight trains going to and from the North London Line. On Thu 22 Aug the 13.38 to
Norwich used P10A and the Up Norwich 14.46 departure used P5, crossing back to the Up Main at
Bethnal Green. In between, the 12.48 to Braintree used P9 (Up Main) and the next Up train left from
P10. Later there were two West Anglia sets in P11/12 and, when services resumed after a tree across
the line between Roydon and Broxbourne, that in P11 left ECS at 14.22 and the other left around
14.40 as the delayed 14.00 departure. On 23 Aug the 12.20 to Southend Victoria left from P9 and the
13.30 to Bishops Stortford left from P12 rather than the usual P11, this being a booked move.

2158] Lea Valley: (BLN 1327.974) On 22 Aug the new mid-platform footbridge at Tottenham Hale was
in use, although the up escalators from P2/3 (P2 is the renumbered former P1) and the lifts were not.
An additional gate-line has been installed on P4 (the former P2) near the bottom of the new bridge.
New P2 is publically accessible and ready for the all day half-hourly (SuX) Meridian Water - Stratford
service which begins Mon 9 Sep. Some of the new masts appear to be in the way of a future P1!

Enfield Council is progressing its business case for £156M of funding from the Housing Infrastructure
Fund. If secured in full, this will deliver a fourth track from Tottenham Hale to Meridian Water and a
new central spine road, which will link the whole of Meridian Water to the new station.

2159] East London Line: (BLN 1292.2217) £80.8M from the Government's Housing Development Fund
has been allocated to the Greater London Authority to fund upgrades supporting 14,000 new homes.
The money is expected to be used for the previously proposed signalling and power supply upgrade to
increase services through the core from 16tph to 20tph; 2tph extra would run to Crystal Palace and
2tph to Clapham Junction. Surrey Quays station will have an additional entrance and a new station
will be built at Surrey Canal Road. Passive provision for it was made when the East London Line was
extended to Old Kent Road Jn. It is not clear if it is still intended to call the station New Bermondsey.

2160] HS2: (BLN 1333.1902) Planning permission for the new Northern Line ventilation shaft has been
granted by Camden Council (BLN 1322.273). The building will be on the site of Wolfson House, an
eight-storey 1960s office block, which is currently being demolished.

2161] London Bridge: (BLN 1330.1418) NR has installed four temporary gardens in Stainier St, which
runs under the station - Queue Gardens during a busy rush hour perhaps? They are reused from the
RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival. Materials and plants will later on go to local community projects.

[BLN 1335]
2162] Rayners Lane: Planned engineering work over the August bank holiday weekend closed Rayners
Lane (excl) to Uxbridge. Microgricers heading to Rayners Lane hoping to do the rare trailing crossovers
at the east of the station found half of what they wanted! Piccadilly Line trains were all reversing in the
siding to the west, as ever (boo!), but Metropolitan Line trains were running every 12 min, turning
round in westbound P1 and departing over the other coveted crossover (cheer!). Despite the resulting
intensive use of P1, train operators were not stepping back. Our member did not predict the pattern,
partly because he had once observed 'A' Stock using the siding, and assumed 'S8' Stock would also fit.

1335 NORTH EAST & YORKSHIRE (Geoff Blyth) [email protected]
2163] Brockley Whinnies from the horse's mouth: On 12 Aug surprised commuters round themselves
unexpectedly sharing a platform with a horse, which appeared to be waiting for a train (to Horsforth?).
A Nexus spokesman said: We received a report that a horse had strayed on to Brockley Whins Metro
platform around 8am on Monday morning. Trains were cautioned through this area while the incident
was dealt with. This involved alerting drivers and reducing the speed of trains. Brockley Whins is
unstaffed so staff were sent out to deal with the incident. Before they got there a member of the public
led the horse away and put it safely back into the nearby field that it had escaped from.

2164] Hartlepool: 19th century railway development in the Hartlepools (East, Middleton & West) was
anything but straightforward and poorly recorded at the time, which is perhaps why Tomlinson's North
Eastern Railway and Hoole's Regional History Vol 4 do not go into much detail. These notes - based on
work by the late Prof Stephen L Bragg (Railway & Canal Historical Society Journal, Vol 27, No9, Nov
1983) - are an abbreviated account of this complex area, amplifying and correcting BLN 1306.1177.

The Stockton & Hartlepool Railway's (S&HR) first Hartlepool passenger station (NZ 520 337), referred
to also as Middleton (OG 12 Nov 1840; OP 10 Feb 1841), was reached by a line running almost due
north. It was cut by the construction works of the Hartlepool West Harbour & Dock Co, which started
in Jan 1845. Consequently the S&HR had to close their 1841 station from an unknown date between
1845 and 1847 and move it southwards (NZ 515 328). Even railway historians who have researched
this area, such as Prof Bragg, have been unable to put precise dates on the subsequent changes.
The prefix 'West' (Hartlepool) appeared about 1847 to distinguish the area from the original, medieval
Hartlepool*, east of the first station, sometimes prefixed 'East'. Bradshaw's Guide carried the 'West'
from Feb 1848, although the company's office had adopted it in Mar 1847. (*The town developed in
the 7th Century around Hartlepool Abbey, which was situated on the headland. In the Middle Ages it
became a walled town and its harbour served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham.)

In Sep 1853 the S&HR moved again, to a station at about NZ 517 327. It was north from this station
that the line OG 5 Apr 1860; OP 13 Jan 1862 (BLN 1306.1177), following the route of today's line to the
location of the present Clarence Road Jn. Then it turned east and then north, passing the site of the
S&HR 1841 station, to East Hartlepool station of the Hartlepool Dock & Railway (HD&R, the first line to
Hartlepool; OG 23 Nov 1835) at the northeast corner of Victoria Dock (NZ 526 339). The HD&R station
also dated from about 1841 but there was no passenger link between the two until 13 Jan 1862.

Work started in 1876 to convert part of The Slake (a marshy area north of the 1860-62 line, see 1865
plan) to create new docks, which led to the severance of the 1860-62 line where it conflicted with
these works. The line therefore CP (and part CA) 28 May 1877, replaced that day by a new line from
the former S&HR at Clarence Road Jn to the HD&R at the Cemetery Junctions triangle. This change
facilitated work on the Union Dock, which opened Jul 1880. Parts of the through line on both sides of
the severance were retained to give access to sidings serving docks and industry: the remains of the
western side is the section of line which was proposed (but is no longer; BLN 1322.279) to be declared
'out of use'. The line to the former Cemetery North Jn is today part of the Stockton - Sunderland line.





The present station at (West) Hartlepool OP May 1880, replacing that of Sep 1853 (see above), which
became Church Street Goods. Although the official opening date was given as 3 May 1880, the local
press reported that the new station came into use a day or so earlier: on 1 May according to the
'Shields Daily News' of 4 May, although scheduled for the evening of 2 May according to the 'Daily
Gazette for Middlesbrough' of 30 April. (Thanks to Dave Cromarty for additional work on the maps.)

2165] Goathland: (BLN 1334.2036) For the benefit of those who only look at paper BLN. The Grosmont
to Malton line deviation - part of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway now - opened in 1865, of course;
1965 was the year British Rail closed it! On the first map Dowson Garth Siding (NZ 820 036) was just
north of the bridge over the Murk Esk (a tributary of the River Esk) on the original 1836 incline line.
It was south of Esk Valley, the hamlet at the top and north of Hollin Garth where the two lines are
remarkably close to each other. Whinstone Cottages (NZ 820 036), a later terminus of the 'Beckhole'
branch when it was freight only, were just east of the 'Spring Wood' text on the left nearer the top.
E-BLN 1334 has 2 extra maps with captions; the 'Beck Hole' region map covers a wider area than BLN.

2166] 15 Dec Timetable: (BLN 1333.1904) Some Northern services are not yet in the system:
York - Scarborough (15 trains each way SuX, 13 SuO, as it is not clear if enough new rolling stock will
be available to release the required DMUs). (Carlisle -) Newcastle - Middlesbrough 'Northern
Connect'; again DMU availability and NR's concerns about their top speed on the ECML and pathing at
Tursdale Jn - next item. NR also feels that there is insufficient capacity to run extra trains via the
Durham Coast line. Manchester - Huddersfield peak services (but TPE services are not yet finalised).

BELOW: 1" Kingston upon Hull (no hyphens) 1955 map, with the Humber Ferry route; Hessle Yard was
bigger then. Hull (Paragon) station is top right. Barton-upon-Humber (with hyphens) is off bottom left.
New Holland Pier and station (also the previous New Holland Town station) are shown. They were
effectively joined by platforms each side of the tracks. Road vehicles drove on the left platform (facing
the end of line) to access the ferry. The third side of the triangle was used only by ECS and freight then.

ABOVE: The interesting track layout at New Holland Pier in Feb 1973, looking across the River Humber
to Hull. The coal on the middle road was for the paddle steamer/s! It is hard to believe that the only
access to the ferry for road vehicles was to drive along the left hand platform (note the tyre marks)!
Both platforms continued along the pier. All this ended on 24 Jun 1981 with opening of the Humber
Bridge but, perhaps surprisingly, the Barton on-Humber branch was not closed then. (Ian Mortimer.)

BELOW: Angus McDougall pauses his car at the time while driving along the platform connecting New
Holland Town (ahead, looking south) and Pier (behind photographer) stations on 29 Mar 1979. Foot
passengers for the Humber Ferry not arriving by train were encouraged to walk along the other
platform on the left! Your current BLN Editor stayed dry in the passenger seat. This was the last car to
board the 11.30 ferry; operated by British Rail's Sealink at the time. The crossing to Hull Corporation
Pier on 'Farringford' was described as 'fast' and refreshments were available to purchase from the
onboard café. The fare was 57p per passenger plus £2.17 for the car. (Angus McDougall.) NEXT PAGE:
New Holland Pier and the Humber Ferry in Feb 1973; always a bit of a 'museum piece'. At the station a
two car DMU can just be seen ready to leave for Cleethorpes or Barton-on-Humber. (Ian Mortimer.)

[BLN 1335]

2167] Boat replacement trains: A member visited Hull on 22 May 1981 to make a final journey on the
Humber Ferry (Hull Corporation Pier to New Holland Pier), shortly before its withdrawal with the
imminent opening of the Humber Suspension Bridge. Unfortunately this proved to be impossible as he
witnessed the paddle ship 'Farringford' running aground not far from the pier. This was not an
infrequent occurrence, due to the many sandbanks in the shallow Humber estuary. To provide for
prospective passengers in this event, Hull Corporation Pier booking office (a railway station with no
railway, like Dartmouth) held a stock of otigina; London & North Eastern Railway exchange tickets
permitting travel via Doncaster. He was duly supplied with one and enjoyed the lengthy detour.

2168] Norton South - (Ferryhill) Tursdale Jn: (BLN 1308.1415) Northern's franchise commitment
included 'Northern Connect' fast services, linking major northern cities. Their Oct 2016 Customer
Report promised 'in the next few years' (ie from Dec 2019) a network of 12 enhanced, long distance
routes, mostly hourly, cutting journey times by up to 20%. 'New fast services' from Middlesbrough to
Durham, Newcastle and Carlisle were included, the only North East commitment. Northern stated
that this would be Class 158 DMU operated whereas Connect services elsewhere will use new trains.

As BLN 1272.54 reported no route details were given, the very diagrammatic map showing merely a
direct line from Middlesbrough to Newcastle with no intermediate locations. However, in June an
amendment to the Track Access Agreement for Dec 2019 between NR and Arriva Rail North added:

Additional quantum which is NEW from Dec 2019 and which is within ECML directed rights policy and
supported by NR on a contingent basis until Subsidiary Change Date 2021:

11 new passenger train slots per day Newcastle - Middlesbrough via ECML and Stillington*
10 new passenger train slots per day Middlesbrough - Newcastle via ECML and Stillington*

However, presumably these have to be renegotiated in 2021, so there could be a conflict between
Northern Connect and an increased level of service on the ECML including Open Access Operators.

[*Norton-on-Tees to Ferryhill is sometimes known as the Stillington branch as it passes near the
village of that name; Stillington North Jn was the divergence of the lines to Shildon and Ferryhill.]

These trains have not yet appeared in online systems (see item 2166 above) but, if/when they actually
run, it will mark the reopening of Norton-on-Tees South - Ferryhill (10m 72ch) to regular passenger
traffic after almost 68 years. It CP 31 Mar 1952 but is used occasionally for diversions. There would be
a regular direct service between Teesside and Durham, an increasingly important destination with
2.75M passengers in 2017-18, more than Darlington (2.32M excluding those just changing trains)
where both the station and the town are much larger. Although it is a small city, Durham has a Russell
Group university and is a tourist destination, with the cathedral and castle being a World Heritage Site.

BLN 1300.466 (Mar 2018) reported that there was a problem with paths on the ECML, which was then
unresolved. BLN 1304.956 stated that the study had been delayed until Oct 2018. It was understood
that NR had raised objections, which now appear to have been resolved:

❶Rolling stock with a top speed lower than 125mph will not be allowed on the ECML. Such stock is
already in service: north of Newcastle on the local services to Morpeth and Chathill (some are Pacers
even), the Hull semi-fasts south of York, and indeed TPE Class 185 DMUs at the moment. In any case
the ECML is limited to 100 mph between 60m 21ch (Hett Mill) and 68m 40ch (two miles north of
Durham), with some restrictions to as little as 75 mph around the curves in the Durham area.

❷There is currently a 30mph restriction where the Norton South line joins the ECML at Tursdale Jn.
The divergence at Northallerton High Jn towards Eaglescliffe is 25mph; the divergence for Eaglescliffe
(including the crossover) at Darlington South Jn is 30mph and even the turnoff into P4, done by almost
all Down ECML services, is 35mph. Unlike all of these divergences, Tursdale Jn could be upgraded to a
high(er) speed junction as it is located on straight track where the lines are side by side.

According to the writer's calculations for a journey between Middlesbrough and Newcastle stations:
>AA Route planner has this as 39½ miles via the A19 trunk road, taking 52 mins in normal traffic.
>The express bus via the A19 and Peterlee takes 1hr 25min off peak.
>By rail via the Durham Coast is 47m 27ch with 8 (soon to be 9) stops, 1hr 20 min, averaging 35½ mph.
>Via Darlington (51m 6ch); the three SSuX and two SO early morning unidirectional through stopping
...services to Newcastle take 1h 15m. They, of course, can run at their maximum speed on the ECML.
>Via Norton - Ferryhill is 41m 77ch. Years ago an excursion this way took an hour. It involves over 10
miles between Norton-on-Tees West and Ferryhill South Jn at 40/50 mph; then 60mph to Tursdale Jn
on the Slow Line. A modest rise to 60 mph on the Stillington branch would save about 5 minutes.

2169] Trans Pennine Upgrade: (BLN 1325.679) Public consultation on the Huddersfield - Westtown
(half a mile southwest of Dewsbury) section proposals is from 9 Sep until late Oct; they include:

●Quadrupling '...the majority of the railway' (plans show all) from Huddersfield to Thornhill LNW Jn,
with Fast and Slow lines paired by use. The Slow lines need to be on the west side at Huddersfield to
access the new bay. The Fast lines will take the smoother curve at Heaton Lodge Jn (used only by the
Up line now) becoming the southern pair to Thornhill LNW Jn. The Slow lines will use Heaton Lodge Jn
diveunder and join the L&YR lines, which form the northern pair between there and Thornhill LNW Jn.

●A flyover/diveunder at Ravensthorpe/Thornhill LNW Jn to take the Leeds line over/under the L&YR
lines. To achieve the desired 100/110 mph to/from the Leeds line a smooth curve is required, which
can be achieved only by making the Fast lines the southern pair between there and Heaton Lodge Jns.
There will be a grade separated junction on the Leeds line, connecting to the Slow lines to the west.

●Station upgrades, also making them 'accessible'. Huddersfield will have four through platforms and a
bay each end. Deighton is moved closer to Bradley Jn and Mirfield reconstructed with side platforms.
Ravensthorpe will be moved further west so it can be served by both Wakefield and Leeds services.

●Electrification between Huddersfield and Leeds. [The redrawn plans are thanks to Dave Cromarty.]

●Line speed will be increased from 75 to 100 mph between Huddersfield and Heaton Lodge Jns and
from 60/75 to 110 mph between Heaton Lodge Jns and Westtown.

The resulting proposals will be consulted on again, starting in spring 2020. Feedback will contribute to
the application (which NR hopes to submit in autumn 2020) for a Transport & Works Act Order to the
DfT for the works to be carried out. If approved, it is hoped the work will start in 2022. However, a
leaked letter from NR to former Transport Secretary Chris Grayling last year stated that there would be
line closures for 39 weeks a year from 2020 until 2024 on the wider Trans Pennine upgrade.

2170] West Coast Crosses the Country: On Bank Holiday Mon 26 Aug CrossCountry contracted West
Coast Railways to run three return services between York (10.30, 14.47 & 19.14), and Chesterfield via
Leeds due to the RMT strike. The very smart looking train had 8 coaches with two Class 47s 'top & tail'.

2171] Durham Coast Resignalling: (BLN 1334.2041) A member remarks that the 2010 resignalling
between Greatham and Ryhope Grange Jn was intended as a stage in re-controlling the line to York
ROC. However, as often happens, the project was delayed. He is somewhat surprised that the almost
brand new relay interlockings at Greatham and Seaton Carew are not being re-controlled to York,
(which already controls a number of such interlocking elsewhere). Re-control work affecting these
would be insignificant but nonetheless they are to be replaced by Computer Based Interlocking (CBI)!!

ABOVE: Summer 1967 Whitby timetable; the 'Xs' were added to show where trains cross - including
Castleton Moor then. Of note staff were 'in attendance' at all stations (if not at all times) except Great
Ayton and Kildale - even at remote Battersby for example. It seems unlikely that every station was
staffed for every train on Sundays - more likely someone forgot to add the Crosses of Lorraine! The
service was considerably less frequent than now between Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe. Finally the
Sunday service (summer dated) is unusual; four trains ran to Whitby in the morning returning in the
evening. After 18 Jun 1967 there were four different trains at Whitby from 14.11 to 17.25 on Sunday
afternoons and a Sunday day trip from Whitby was impossible to anywhere by train. (Geoff Blyth.)

2172] Castleton Moor: (BLN 1301.639), On 12 Mar 2018 a dustcart with a 'rubbish driver', deviating
from its normal route, struck Station Rd underbridge east of the station on the Whitby branch causing
significant damage. Temporary repairs were made and normal train services resumed on Fri 16 Mar.
Since this incident, NR has installed a new bridge deck and, more recently, inserted piles into the
abutments to strengthen them. This work is now complete, finally allowing the road to reopen fully.

2173] Whitby: (BLN 1328.1159). From 19 Dec Realtime Trains shows six return (SuX) Middlesbrough -
Whitby services, including a 06.27 Whitby to Darlington commuter service (BLN 1328.1159). However,
Northern has been unable to obtain agreement from NR for a seventh Middlesbrough - Whitby 'slot'
per day as this would fall foul of 'Section 4 times' (does anybody know what that means please?) and
signal box opening hours. A new 04.53 from Middlesbrough, in effect the stock for the 06.27, requires
Nunthorpe box (which controls the whole branch) to be staffed from before 04.50 to after 23.45,
which is more than two shifts. At present it is on two shifts (06.15 to 22.15) SuX, with a 12 hour Sunday
shift. From the Dec 2019 timetable, it will become a three shift box, open continuously from about
04.40 Monday until the last train Saturday night. Sundays will remain as one twelve hour shift.

Sat 14 Dec is the last day of the 'Danby Flyer' (BLN 1328.1159) the 10.56 (SuX) Hexham to Danby arr
13.45, returning 13.50 non-stop from/to Battersby (not stopping there would be problematical!).
In the new timetable it turns back at Castleton Moor instead (13.44/13.49) by public demand but does
not stop at Gypsy Lane on arrival or Commondale in both directions. The Battersby terminator
continues, arriving from Hexham 17.31 (SSuX) then returning to Metrocentre at 17.44. All this means
that Battersby will have an impressive eight trains to/from Middleborough (SSuX), four on Sundays.

The new 06.27 to Darlington leaves Whitby some 30 mins earlier than the target time of 07.00, but
this is determined by the need to cross the 06.23 from Darlington at Battersby. [This involves two
trains at the single platform at once as happens SuO when the 10.10 Whitby to Darlington crosses the
09.32 Newcastle to Whitby.] If only the loop at Castleton (renamed to the present day Castleton
Moor in 1966) hadn't been abolished in 1982 when the branch pick up goods service ended! The 06.23
cannot be retimed later because it is the school train to Whitby so the whole timetable revolves
around it. In the summer 1967 timetable the 06.55 ex-Whitby crossed the 07.20 from Middlesbrough
at Battersby. However, the 07.20 then arrived in Whitby at 08.52, which seems rather late for school
traffic, especially as the two secondary schools in the town are not very near the station. The present
service arrives at Whitby 08.36, which presumably allows for a 09.00 start to the school day.

Your Regional Editor has long dreamt of getting rid of Battersby by building a short avoiding curve,
only about 300m long, and reinstating the loop at Kildale, taken out in the early 1950s. That would
save about 15 min travelling time from Whitby and enable the 06.27 to leave Whitby that much later.

2174] Stocksbridge Railway: (BLN 1333.1978) There is a full account of the railway in 'Bylines' Vol 12,
Nos6 & 7 (May & Jun 2007). Regarding passenger services, when 'Sammy Foxes' (Works) was in its
heyday, Stocksbridge was a company town. In the days before regular bus services, residents probably
managed to get a ticket or pass to travel on the passenger services if required. The really interesting
issue is the late Harold Bowtell's theory (Bylines, May 2007, p273) that during WWI there may have
been a workmen's service from the Ewden Valley to/from Stocksbridge, via the Great Central Railway!
See https://adobe.ly/32bdzBf with a map (note 'passenger terminus' and 'probable platform site').

The 1891 survey 25" to the mile OS map shows no direct connection then between the Stocksbridge
Railway and the GCR (a double reversal was required via exchange sidings). However the 1903 revision
shows a direct connection south of Deepcar station. Furthermore the previously double track GCR
through Deepcar had become three tracks south to Wharncliffe Wood Signal Box (SK 3001 9599). By
1920 there were four; signal box diagrams show that the middle tracks were the Up and Down Main
lines, the west track was the Down Goods and the east the Up Goods, both with permissive working.

At Wharncliffe Wood Signal Box the GCR was connected via a double reversal (from the Stocksbridge
direction) with a headshunt, with the also standard gauge Ewden Valley Works Tramroad built for
reservoir construction. The link above describes a 'Paddy Train' service for the work force.

NEXT PAGE TOP: The Stocksbridge Railway, the west end of Ellen Cliff Loop seen on 21 Jul 2019.
Henholmes Bridge is visible in the distance, before the gradient starts to climb. Materials are ready for
relaying the loop on the bank to the right. (All pictures taken from public locations by Dave Plimmer.)

LOWER: Sun 11 Aug, the newly relaid and reballasted loop looks very smart as it awaits its first train.

SECOND PAGE, TOP: The same location with 66067 shunting the first arrival into the new loop on
Monday evening, 12 Aug. It has left its train of 15 loaded and four empty wagons in the loop and
moved forward to collect the return wagons which have been left on the running line towards the
steelworks. The wagons are parked across Henholmes Bridge so the Class 66 doesn't have to cross it.
The working (the 19.03 from Aldwarke and 20.33 return) is allowed 90 mins here; the shunt is pretty
straightforward, the time seemed to be spent disconnecting all the brake pipes on the incoming
wagons and connecting up those on the outgoing ones.





PREVIOUS PAGE BOTTOM:
Henholmes Bridge over the
Little Don on Sun 21 Jul. Much
less impressive than the two
bridges that our Luca Pezzullo
Express tour crossed over the
day before, but mainline locos
are prohibited from crossing it.

LEFT: The first bridge on the
railway (the River Don viaduct)
from underneath which we did
cross on our tour! Photographs
are difficult here because it is
surrounded by trees, but an
upwards view shows its scarily
minimalistic construction...

2175] Tyne Valley: Hourly
weekend diversions between
Newcastle and Edinburgh via
Hexham and Carlisle are
booked for 14, 15, 21, 22 & 28
Sep plus 5 & 12 Oct. Some are
expected to be Azumas but
this will be the final HST
diversions this way. Journey
times increase from 80-90
mins to 3-3¼ hours.

2176] Horsforth: Suns 8 Sep &
27 Oct trains from the north
turnback in P1, via the trailing
crossover on departure.

2177] Standedge Tunnels:
(BLN 69 p1 of 16 Nov 1966)
(BLN 1334.2040) The 1811
Standedge Tunnel is Britain's
longest, deepest and highest
canal tunnel. It is on the
Huddersfield Narrow Canal
which actually runs between
Huddersfield and Ashton-
under-Lyne; there is an
interesting a visitor centre at
the Marsden end. Amending
BLN 1334, the Marsden -
Diggle Jn fast lines ran via the
two twin bore easternmost (of
the four) tunnels and CP 7 Sep
1964 then CA 30 Oct 1966 with
the Micklehurst Loop.

All rail traffic then used the newer double track west side tunnel (slow lines originally). The Micklehurst
loop, from Stalybridge No4 - Micklehurst - Diggle Jn, was 6m 60ch long with gentler gradients than the
main line so was used by most of the heavy goods trains. Latterly with no intermediate stations open,
a few through (SO) PSUL trains used it with extra summer dated services, so there were few objections
when it was proposed for passenger closure in the 1960s. One objection (unfortunately unsuccessful)
was from our well known Eastbourne member because he hadn't done the line! BELOW: From the first
ever PSUL (Summer 1963; Summer 1964 was similar) available on our website; read them and weep…

PSUL Winter 1963-1964 service over the Micklehurst Loop...

... the final service from PSUL Winter 1964-1965 which never ran that way as the line CP 7 Sep 1964:

2178] South Shields: (BLN 1333.1907) When the Metro opened here on 28 Mar 1984 there was a train
every 10 minutes on all four Metro lines (the Heworth, later Pelaw, to Benton and St James to North
Shields short workings were considered to be separate lines then), so the current track layout can
support six services per hour. It was only when reliability fell with opening of the Sunderland extension
that the service on both routes became five per hour, although that might have been due to delays on
the South Shields line affecting Sunderland services. Five per hour does not mean every 12 minutes,
as there are longer and shorter gaps to fit in Sunderland services. It will be interesting to see how the
extra trains are accommodated west of Pelaw if/when the Metro Washington extension opens.
When the South Shields service started, the single track British Rail line continued eastwards from the
junction for the Jarrow Oil Terminal branch to Simonside Wagon Works. [The 1979 'Baker' Rail Atlas
of Great Britain, the 2nd edition, also shows it then as the only access to Tyne Dock and Dean Road
Exchange Sidings for Westoe/Boldon Collieries etc.] It is thought that the section past the Jarrow Oil
Terminal junction CA 14 Feb 1988, then was taken over by the Metro as a second track between the
junction and Bede stop. Regular traffic to the oil terminal ceased 17 Feb 2015 resuming 9 May 2016,
when the flow from Lindsey refinery (Immingham) was recaptured from coastal shipping. In the first
week of August (2019) the train ran MWFO. It is booked to arrive 06.42 and depart 15.31. It is hard to
see how the remaining sections of single line between Pelaw and Jarrow could be doubled while the
oil trains still run. There is insufficient space in a couple of places to add another track without major
engineering, unless the track is shared with NR, which would require significant signalling changes.

NEXT PAGE TOP: The T&W Metro South Shields Sidings beyond the previous stop taken from our
Tyne & Wear Explorer railtour http://bit.ly/2lU7I3i of the system on 10 Nov 1985. (Ian Mortimer.)

2179] Tinsley East Jn: (BLN 1333.1912) The Magna website states that the last 'cast' (output from an
electric arc furnace) at BSC Templeborough was on 25 Nov 1993, but trains may have run after that to
clear any stockpiles or to remove equipment/plant cut up for scrap. Templeborough Rolling Mills
(50% owned by British Steel) were just to the east of what is now Magna, although no trace remains.

However, according to local railwaymen, it was on the other side of the road to the steel works and so
was not directly rail served. Their recollection is that it did not provide any rail traffic.

However, BLN 1255.836 reported that the connection was used by road rail vehicles with engineering
work for the tram train project, which would have been during an engineering possession. Road rail
vehicle movements and construction of OHLE masts would not take place using normal running or
using the signalling at the connection; signals are not cleared for movements within a possession.
It has been confirmed that the points themselves were operated manually by the engineering staff on
the ground for the vehicle movements and not by the Woodburn Jn signaller. Certainly this constitutes
some 'use' of the connection but no more than that. It is amazing how quickly vegetation has
encroached on the siding but at least it survived long enough to be of some short term use!

2180] British Steel Redcar British Steel: (BLN 1334. 2046) In yet another BLN exclusive scoop it can be
revealed that the upgrading of the station facilities took place on Sat 2 Mar this year and was carried
out by another BLS member - your keen Scotland Regional Editor no less! On his quest to photograph
every station, and not merely pass through, he spent 1hr 19min there [very admirable]. Our member

spied the plastic chair abandoned just outside
the station and commandeered it to aid his
comfort. The light faded and the wind howled,
rattling the roof of the shelter, so he huddled up
on the chair. By the time his train arrived at
18.21 (on time), it was dark and freezing.

ABOVE: The local scenery and views enjoyed from the station (Mike McCabe, 2 Mar 2019.)

A passenger on the train commented that he was a regular traveller on the line and had never before
seen anybody join the train. This is because statistically a passenger trains has to call 31 times for
every one passenger picked up or set down. Mike saw the white security van in the distance, but it
came nowhere near the station. A couple of cars passed on the internal steelworks road, but
otherwise there was no sign of life. The station was immaculately clean and completely free of graffiti -
no doubt due to the lack of passengers. Perhaps all 40 passengers in 2017-18 were BLS members, 20 of
us making a return trip would do it! Flushed by his success, fame and recognition, he is now
considering tendering to refurbish Euston!

He also draws attention to the discrepancy between the station name in the timetable (British Steel
Redcar) and on the station signs (Redcar British Steel). This was mentioned in BLN 1259.1217 and
enlarged on in BLN 1260.1306: …names on tickets are notorious for differing from the timetable. The
doyens of station chronology in the Railway & Canal Historical Society have long regarded the public
timetable and, more particularly, the relevant table rather than the index, as the definitive source of
station names. Then it goes on to say: It might be considered relatively unusual for a station to have
two names, however similar they are to each other, but this is why the RCHS (and Clinker's Register for
example) use timetable tables. Netherfield GNR had seven signboards on the station - each different!

1335 NORTH WEST (John Cameron) [email protected]
2181] Windermere: The Railway Industry Association has produced an Electrification Cost Challenge
Report claiming that the realistic cost of basic electrification is £1M per single track km, so the 16km,
10 mile branch could be electrified for £16M. The government set aside exactly this sum in 2010-15 for
electrification but NR then estimated the cost at over £40M and it was finally cancelled on 20 Jul 2017.

2182] Wigan: (BLN 1331.1921) The OHLE at the new Springs Branch Depot, due to open in Dec, has
been energised. It will stable and maintain 24 EMUs & eight DMUs for Northern creating 19 new jobs.

X.115] We are very grateful to our members kindly going to great lengths to provide interesting
pictures for BLN that you don't see in the mainstream publications. ABOVE: View from the Manchester
Ship Canal looking east passing Manisty Wharf at Ellesmere Port, distant left is Stanlow Oil Refinery.
BELOW: Manisty Wharf, showing the (imported) coal loading conveyor and some Ford's IVAs in store.
The Cargowagons are refugees from the end of rail freight traffic at Ford's Bridgend (BLN 1334.2119).



2183] Lambrigg: NR is repairing and strengthening the Grade II listed Docker Garths viaduct (23m 7ch -
24m 03ch from Lancaster). The 173 year old viaduct carries the WCML over the Flodder Beck valley.
The £750k project required the Flodder Beck river to be diverted and wildlife moved so that the
foundations could be reinforced. This included 400 fish and 200 endangered white clawed crayfish,
maybe they could have been relocated to Crayford by train and claw back some track on the way?

2184] Victoria Metrolink: (BLN 1334.2047) The faulty fixed crossover is the scissors at the city end of
Victoria stop - 'Balloon Street' on TRACKmaps 4 (p48N Dec 2018), although that is over 100m from
there. The points leaving Victoria are secured out of use so, until further notice, trams from outer
platform 'A' can only take the First City Crossing via Shudehill. Airport trams from middle platform 'B'
have to go via Exchange Square (Second City Crossing). The rare connection from the middle line to
the Second City Crossing is now in regular use. The trackwork is bespoke so will take a while to replace.

One result of this is that at Exchange Square the south departure board shows only trams to the
Airport but a message beneath it says there are no trams to the Airport, change at St Peter's Square!

PREVIOUS PAGE UPPER: From Victoria looking 'inbound' towards Manchester city centre; the set of
points in the foreground are scotched, double clipped and padlocked - both sets of points beyond the
fixed diamond are always trailing in normal working. The tram leaving Victoria is (correctly) displaying
that it is for East Didsbury via Market Street. The First City Crossing is the pair of tracks off left while
the Second City Crossing (2CC) via Exchange Square is to the right. The rare bit of track in regular use
by Victoria to Exchange Square (Airport) trams is from the middle line - Platform 'B' - to 2CC, right of
the diamond. LOWER: Two inbound trams at Victoria waiting to depart. (Ian Mortimer, 28 Aug 2019.)

2185] Manchester Metrolink: Two major city centre projects have been rated as 'excellent' after an
investigation into their sustainability. The Second City Crossing was praised for retaining and reusing
materials where possible, using acoustic fencing with blankets around the excavations and creating a
carbon calculator. The relocation of historical artefacts - the cross and the cenotaph at St Peter's
Square - was also highlighted along with the implementation of many traffic free zones. Deansgate-
Castlefield also scored highly for the efforts made to improve passenger enjoyment at the stop (!) -
including a high level of attention to staircase detail and the green wall. Ecological landscaping with
facilities for wildlife such as nesting birds, foraging bats and insects in the city centre was also praised.

2186] Manchester Piccadilly (1): (BLN 1334.2050) Modern Railways (Sep) reports that the stop boards
on P13 & P14 were relocated to ensure that all trains stop at the same position close to the platform
ends. This enables full benefit to be taken of the permissive working (as allowed) for passenger trains.

2187] Manchester Piccadilly (2): The station and the surrounding area are due to be comprehensively
redeveloped in a £52bn project. The strategic regeneration framework for the area includes a full
overhaul of the railway station itself; close to 2.9M ft2 of office space, 261,000 ft2 of retail space, up to
5,000 apartments, and 250 hotel rooms. Much of this will be north of the station, designated as East
Village, Piccadilly North, Piccadilly Central, and Piccadilly Heights. However, the City Council and HS2
remain in disagreement over a series of key elements. [This may all turn out to be academic, of course.]

One disagreement is Gateway House, otherwise known as the 'Lazy S' building on Piccadilly Approach.
The 1960s building was refurbished two years ago with Aparthotel operator Staycity signing a 25 year
lease; ground floor tenants include the 'Piccadilly Tap'. Previously the building housed Manchester
University's School of Nursing, where your Regional Editor studied some years ago. The Council insists
that the building will need to be demolished to maximise development opportunities around the
station and to properly connect an overhauled railway hub with the wider city centre. The Council has
also responded against HS2's plans for two multistorey car parks next to the station. The Council said:
The size, location and access of the proposed multi-storey car parks are not in accordance with the
approved Piccadilly Strategic Regeneration Framework and are not commensurate with the approach
taken with other key city centre transport hubs, for example at London Euston.

ABOVE: A 'conflab' of Society members; our comprehensive riding visit at Hardendale (then British
Steel Corporation) internal railway. There were 18 participants. (Both Ian Mortimer, 15 Jun 1985.)
BELOW: Looking the other way towards the works.

[BLN 1335]
2188] Manchester Airport: A new HS2 station is being planned in Hale Barns, including land off J6 of
the M56. It requires demolition of the Marriott Hotel off the J6 roundabout and use of a large plot of
farmland. The main disagreement here is over integration of Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2. HS2
would prefer an overground station but Manchester City leaders insist on a (presumably dearer)
underground solution linking HS2 to the local rail network, Metrolink, and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

2189] Shap Fell: Reportedly Hardendale (Shap Fell) limestone quarry is being run down. It is operated
by Hanson, who have withdrawn an application to extend and deepen the quarry. However this has
benefitted rail traffic. The lime kilns here are operated separately by Tata and the reduced local
limestone production has required some to be brought in by rail from Tunstead Quarry near Buxton.
The processed lime is then forwarded by rail (PAGE ABOVE) to Port Talbot for iron and steel making.

2190] Morecambe - Lancaster - Leeds: Despite the improved service frequency and better rolling
stock, passenger numbers fell in 2018-19; unsurprising with unreliability, RMT industrial action, use of
rail replacement buses and cancellations. Perhaps the surprise is that it was only a 2% overall drop.

2191] Fallowfield Loop: (BLN 1333.1925) Manchester Council would like to demolish the disused
railway bridge over the A57 Hyde Rd to widen the road. The bridge reduces a 300m long section of the
road from four lanes to two, restricting traffic. The plan is to have a dual carriageway and a new bridge
connecting with the Fallowfield Loop for cyclists and pedestrians. An extra wide segregated pedestrian
and cycle way could be built on the north side of the road. The proposed work between Wall Way and
Far Lane would take about a year and start this winter. A public consultation has opened.

2192] Mills Hill - Littleborough: Friends of Castleton Station would like to see a Rochdale Canal Line
Community Rail Partnership (CRP), covering all stations on this section. This would allow more funding
for station improvements than can be obtained by individual Station Friends groups. A CRP needs local
authority support. This might be easier than some cases as Rochdale Borough Council covers them all.

2193] Smithy Bridge: Rochdale Councillors and 'Support The Oldham Rochdale Manchester lines' want
TfGM to acquire the former goods yard for a Park & Ride facility. Apparently access is not easy, but not
impossible. They would like to see similar provision of large P&R facilities in Manchester to those West
Yorkshire provides PTE on former goods yards at Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge.

2194] Bolton: From 7-21 Sep, the 'Platform Gallery' (opened 11 July on P5) celebrates the artwork of
railway staff. The station partnership will also be running a series of events celebrating railway culture.

2195] Mid Cheshire Line: (BLN 1326.844) A new report published by consultants 'WSP' concludes that
various rail industry stakeholders are unsure how deliverable the proposed second hourly passenger
train is due to capacity constraints at Mickle Trafford Jn and Stockport Edgeley Jn No2. Ironically this
has been made worse by the new hourly Liverpool - Runcorn - Chester service. Mickle Trafford Jn was
remodelled when Chester Northgate closed in Oct 1969 including singling to Mouldsworth. WSP
further concludes that the option of an extra Chester to Altrincham service can't be delivered either.

1335 SOUTH EAST - NORTH & EAST ANGLIA (Julian James) [email protected]

2196] Chelmsford: (BLN 1324.579) Essex County Council confirmed on 17 Aug that funding had been
approved for a £218M regeneration project in the city that will improve transport links and bring
10,000 new homes. Part of the funding is for Chelmsford Parkway (previously Beaulieu Park station),
on the Beaulieu Park estate in Springfield three miles northeast of Chelmsford. It is expected to have
four trains an hour to/from London and reduce congestion at Chelmsford station (the busiest two
platform station on NR in 2017-18 with 8.62M passengers, more than at Nottingham or Oxford).
The station will be more or less on the site of the former New Hall Up Goods Loop taken out of use
from 30 Sep 1979 after a Class 31 hauled ballast train went through the trap point. Proposed layout:

This three platform layout allows turnbacks in the central platform bidirectional loop and overtaking
but is obviously less robust (for overtaking) than a four platform station would be. There is a delay in
NR finding funds for the new Up Loop tracks and signalling works which has affected the project.
The full plans include a new road link between the A12 at Boreham and the A131 at Great Leighs which
a local member considers will ruin the last little bit of countryside between Chelmsford and Witham.
No doubt it will soon continue to the A120 (Stansted to Marks Tey) to make a complete fist of things!

2197] Lowestoft: (BLN 1334.2069) All 12 Greater Anglia Class 170 Turbostars are going to Transport for
Wales; it is the nine Class 156 Sprinters which are going to the new East Midlands Railway.

2198] Norwich - Cromer: (BLN 164.1748) In 2016 Broadland District Council began exploring the
possibility of creating what was termed a 'rail stop' near Broadland Business Park on the Bittern Line.
The proposals would have seen two platforms (the line is double track to 9m 05ch) and a car park
built, with two trains an hour between Norwich and North Walsham. Broadland said at the time that a
study had found a 'strong' business case for the work and warranted further research. While the
station would cost £6,591,431 (!) to build, it was expected to generate more than £15M for the area.
The study further claimed that the new station would be used by about 190,000 passengers annually.

Three years on, Broadland has revealed that the plans are now on hold. In a statement, a council
spokesman said: The development of a railway station at Broadland Business Park remains an ambition
for Broadland District Council. However, during initial research into the feasibility of the project it was
decided that the capital and logistical costs would be too high for the council to risk pursuing it in the
current climate. The council remains in contact with the DfT, NR and the train operator in regard to
possible ways to facilitate this project in the future. The council spokesperson said that the money for
the project is not there, adding: Until there is support from other areas, we do not have the money to
do it. As well as the £6.5M for the station's construction, £491,588 would be needed annually to run
the additional half hourly service. In Sep 2016, Broadland's cabinet agreed in principle to commit £25k
to part fund more detailed work. However, this was subject to other interested parties agreeing to
provide funding. In Oct that year, a Broadland spokesperson said £100k was needed to progress early
investigations, of which £90k had been committed from various sources. The spokesperson said the
council was only at the start of a long process and that there would be no quick results.

2199] Ely - Norwich: (BLN 1333.1897) The Competition & Markets Authority's investigation of the East
Midlands franchise award to Abellio has led to undertakings on fares on this section served by their
two franchises. This includes inflation linked fare caps on advance fares and, between Ely and
Thetford, on all unregulated fares. Advance fare availability will remain at existing levels throughout.

2200] Norwich - Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft: (BLN 1325.655) The Wherry lines close for works from
1 to 23 Feb 2020 including resignalling with control transferring to Colchester Area Signalling Centre.
[Interestingly, Greater Anglia's website says 'Colchester Rail Operating Centre' but there is no such
creature!] During the phased 23 days of works, signals will be commissioned and six crossings at
Brundall, Cantley, Lingwood Chapel Rd, Lingwood Station Rd, Oulton Broad North and Strumpshaw
upgraded to full barriers with remotely controlled CCTV. Other work has been rescheduled to coincide
with the closure, including a full bridge replacement at Postwick and track renewals at Lowestoft, Acle

and Hassingham. The bridge at Postwick has come to the end of its life, and a new bridge structure will
be installed designed to last 120 years. Maintenance works will be carried out to Reedham and
Somerleyton swing bridges improving reliability of services by upgrading the detection systems which
have been in use since the mid 1940s. Rail replacement bus services will operate as follows:

1 & 2 Feb: Norwich - Great Yarmouth. 3 to 16 Feb: Norwich - Great Yarmouth, Norwich - Lowestoft
and Beccles - Lowestoft. 17 to 23 Feb: Norwich - Lowestoft. Completion will see train services finally
resume between Reedham and Yarmouth (serving Berney Arms station), closed since 20 Oct 2018.

2201] Aylesbury - Claydon L&NE Jn: From 43m 95ch (just south of Quainton Road; the mileage is from
Baker Street via the Metropolitan Line) north to 0m 09ch (mileage from the former Calvert Jn on the
ex-Great Central Railway via the curve to Claydon L&NE Jn) is to be become an 'on network siding'.
Presumably token working will end. Claydon Up Goods Loop is also being decommissioned. This is in
connection with East West Rail Phase 2 (Western Section). Claydon L&NE Jn to a mile short of Bicester
Village is, of course, temporarily closed from 21 Oct 2018 until at least 1 Sep 2022 and mostly lifted.

2202] Stevenage: Work for the new bay P5 for the Hertford North line was viewed from a train on
17 Aug. It proceeds apace, in this case a snail's pace. Earthworks, that is digging, continues with no sign
of any construction. The first bottom ballast was being spread part way along the route. However, it is
believed that significant progress was made over the 24 & 25 Aug Bank Holiday weekend line closure.

2203] Peterborough: (E-BLN 1332.X84 & BLN 1316.2346) Conversely the work sites each side of the
ECML for the grade separation of Werrington Jn were both very busy with much plant and materials to
be seen on 17 Aug but, again, not much construction other than a few piles had been installed.

2204] Taplow: By 16 Aug work on the new footbridge at the London end was progressing well. It is a
massive dark grey structure, overshadowing the rural GWR station buildings, similar to Slough (London
end) and Twyford, with glazing on both steps and the overbridge sections. The waiting room at the
country end of the principal Up Relief building is being refurbished and made 'accessible to all'.

2205] Maidenhead: More platform extension work has started at the country end of the Down Main.

1335 SOUTH EAST - SOUTH (Julian James) [email protected]
2206] A shut and open case: (BLN 1334.2037) OS map misprints are not unknown (indeed some are
deliberate 'map traps' to prove copyright as the AA found out when it had to pay OS £20M in 2001 for
plagiarism). Whether or not a station is open or closed to passengers can be inconsistent. 1937 OS 1"
sheet 141 Southampton, Portsmouth & the IOW shows both Cement Mills and Watchingwell as open.

The 1945 'Popular' one inch Series (Sheet 180) has
Watchingwell closed, and expunges Cement Mills
altogether. Neither was ever advertised, although for
many years Watchingwell, originally private, was
available for public use, and was visited extensively by
enthusiasts in the final season of the Newport to
Freshwater line (CP 21 Sep 1953) for the novelty of
doing so - nothing is new! Cement Mills Halt closed
with the Cowes line on 21 Feb 1966. Medina Staff Halt
never appeared on any maps at all. Just across the
Solent, Lymington Town was 'closed to passengers' on
one print (LEFT: One-inch 7th Series 1961 reprint) then
amended to 'open' on the next. Ampress Works Halt on
that branch was never recognised by OS (possibly as it
was a private station) and neither was Hardley Halt on the Fawley branch (perhaps it was hardly
important enough.) The single platform (SU 4424 0592) was open for exactly 11 years from 5 Apr 1954
until CP 5 Apr 1965 so may existed between OS map revisions, depending on how thorough they were.

X.116] Felixstowe branch: ABOVE: This impressive new bridg
has been doubled. It replaces several foot cr

ge for horses (and others) has recently opened where the line
rossings and a bridleway. (NR Press Release.)

ABOVE: The new horse bridge is gargantuan even by NR standards
also the River Orwell which is in the background; top left is Felixstow

- it is probably visible from outer space. Note the double track and
we North Freightliner Terminal and Ipswich is off to the right. (NR)













X.117 Kingsferry Bridge (BLN 1134.X.103) MIDDLE LANDSCAPE PAGE: 2-car EMU 466024 crossing the
Kingsferry Bridge (opened 20 Apr 1960) at Swale with the 10.25 train from Sittingbourne to Sheerness
(which is off to the right) on Thur 8 Aug. FOLLOWING PAGE: The bridge was raised for a small yacht;
the deck had to go right to the top before lowering again, even though the yacht only needed a little
extra headroom. The bridge website gives times it can be raised and our reporter suspects that it is
quite frequently, as the yacht could not even fit under at low tide. Before the high level road bridge
was opened next to it in 2006, all road traffic - about 30,000 vehicles a day - to/from the Isle of
Sheppey had to use this lifting bridge as well. (Both Peter Scott.)
X.118] Dover: PREVIOUS LANDSCAPE PAGE: Further to the BLN 1334 Standedge Tunnels item, this
photo, taken on 28 Jun 2008, shows five (if you look carefully - the fifth is top left) of the seven shafts
above Shakespeare Cliff Tunnel(s), with the port of Dover in the background. [And not a bluebird in
sight...] Two interesting features: The shafts are over two single-track bores. Presumably they must
split at the bottom, to vent both of them. There may have been some use of the shafts for spoil
removal during construction of the tunnels, but most was removed through adits leading
southeastwards to the base of the cliff. (Greg Beecroft.) BELOW: This 1:25,000 OS 1960 map shows
some of the air shafts in Shakespeare Tunnel (perhaps that should be Tunnels as there were two?).
Dover is off top right and there is some interesting trackwork at the Folkestone end of the tunnel.

2207] Newhaven Harbour: The Level Crossing was 'officially' taken out of service at 00.01 on 25 Aug
with the barriers lowered and metal fencing placed on both sides to prevent crossing by people on
foot - 'actual' closure was, however, around 5 Jul. The 'official' closure was even more academic as the
crossing was removed on 25 Jul! 'NH 5' signal has had its identifying plate removed for some unknown
reason, although the signal remains in place. Town, Harbour and Lewes boxes are to go in late Nov
with the Town box demolished very soon after closure but the Harbour box turned over to the port
authorities - maybe for use as a cabin for shunters. Decommissioning work is due to start in Sep.
2208] Egham: On 21 Aug preparatory work for the installation of the new gate lines was well under
way. The small Down side car park is currently closed and being dug up. The booking office is still open
but access to the Up platform is only via the side gate. SWR regard this as being part of station
improvement works, although it is unclear what else is being done. There will be a (probably remotely
supervised) gate line on the Down side, continuing to give level access to that side of the station.

2209] St Leonards - Lewes: On an August Saturday a local member intended to sample Cuckmere
Buses (volunteer run) Eastbourne - Lewes Route 125 and on to Newhaven, perhaps photographing
signal boxes whose reprieve is now drawing to a close. As an impromptu excursion it was about 11.15
when he laid his plan; it was to park by St Leonards Warrior Square, take the 11.40 train to Polegate
arriving there at 12.16 to catch the 12.00 bus ex-Eastbourne due at 12.25 to travel to Lewes station
(arrive 13.28) and then train to Newhaven and back by Compass Bus route 123 to Lewes, etc, etc.

He was parked by Warrior Square station by 11.35 but there was no sign of the 11.40. When he says
'no sign' he means it was on the printed departure sheets (and in the pocket timetable) but not on the
electronic list of the next half dozen departures or on the more detailed scrolling indicators.

He checked Realtime Trains on his i-Phone and it wasn't there either. [Try activating the 'Cancelled'
icon (CAN) - which reveals pre-planned cancellations - PAS.] He thought this odd so had a look at the
poster showing services changes and that made no reference to any engineering work affecting the
line (other than for the day after, the Sunday). Fortunately the booking office was open, staffed by nice
Southeastern staff, and he was told that, as was normal when Brighton were playing at home, the
EMU was used to strengthen services west of Eastbourne so the train didn't run. Our member dug
deeper and said he was unaware of information being given to passengers; our member also formed
the impression that staff received no formal notice, but simply knew from previous occurrences.

Needless to say, the 11.40 didn't appear - it was truly not there. (It had ceased to be, as Monty Python
might have it.) Our member took it that the 11.40 was the only train affected but later digging strongly
suggests that this is virtually an all day, hourly feature. Thus, from Bexhill westwards, publicised trains
at 08.47 hourly to 20.47, 21.48 and 22.41 appear to be vapourised - they probably reconstitute at
Eastbourne. The effect of this is that Hastings to Eastbourne was down to three trains per hour, not
bad until you note the gaps between them as being 6, 15 and 39 mins and all done seemingly as a
matter of course, with forward planning and no publicity! Passengers for Gatwick are catered for by a
4 minute connection, over the bridge at Hampden Park (a lovely stress-less start to a holiday for the
mobility impaired) but at least they don't have the worry of knowing in advance that it is going to
happen to them! No doubt Journey Planner has the reduced service but aren't we allowed to rely on
the station departure sheets, the pocket timetable and the weekly disruption sheets now? [Nowadays
perhaps passengers should check in advance, recheck online and again before leaving home, even with
advance tickets; like maps, printed timetables can be outdated when printed.]

Perhaps it was foolish to think that the publicised service might be that which they intended to try to
operate - that the world might have got into bad habits since last looking - clearly passengers who
believe what is put in front of them are at a major disadvantage. Our member hasn't bothered to
check what the franchise obligation comprises - it would be nice to think the Treasury would skim a
little off the operator but that is no consolation to mystified passengers who must wonder if railways
care about them. For his part our member stayed on the not over loaded 8-car 12.04 to Lewes and
caught bus '125' back. It did go to Firle Post Office, Charleston Farmhouse, Alfriston Car Park and roads
down the back of Willingdon that he'd never suspected. There were two passengers on the bus at
Lewes, the other had had enough and alighted just as they were about to visit Jevington. Naturally our
member stayed on to the bitter end in the midst of a vast repaving scheme in Eastbourne town centre.

It passed lots of lonely, rusting bus stop signs. The volunteer driver was Ann Block, or so the sign said,
and she drove very well, but it must be a lonely job. He didn't photo any boxes, signal or otherwise but
Southern did mess the day up big time. He reports he will see how he feels in a couple of days - and
might even rehash for the local MP Amber Rudd - she likes Hastings vs The World conflicts.

2210] Hurst Castle: (BLN 1333.1945) Those intending to visit the extensive derelict railway remains
would be well advised that doing so on foot requires a gruelling walk of over a mile along the spit on
loose shingle. A Hurst Marine ferry (01590 642500) plies between Keyhaven (no public transport)
and Hurst Castle, daily in summer, weekends in winter. The Yarmouth ferry has been discontinued.

1335 SOUTH WEST (Darren Garnon) [email protected]

ABOVE: Chard Junction Signal Box on 2 Jul 1984. (Angus McDougall.)

2211] Chard Junction: There is still a bidirectional loop here but it has not been a junction since 1966.
The original box was a London & South Western Railway Type 1 with a 15-lever Stevens frame; a new
larger structure opened 11 Dec 1982 on the same site. A new signal panel, a BR Western Region style
Entrance/Exit (NX) panel, was commissioned 27 Nov 2009. This was to for Axminister Level Crossing
and the new dynamic loop to increase the service frequency. Chard Junction box closed 10 Mar 2012
with resignalling and transfer of control to Basingstoke (new) Area Signalling Centre. The NX panel was
removed and is now at Yeovil Railway Centre. A team there now has the wiring diagram and the first
section is lit. They are developing it to show a simulated train passing through the track circuits in
succession and are looking for low voltage cabling connectors and Arduinos computers.

2212] It's no longer a Cornwall Lone Ranger, but you might need a loan arranger: The Ride Cornwall
Day Ranger which includes local buses of participating operators has risen significantly in price from
£13 to £18 Adult (it was £10 not so long ago!); it seems that Railcard discounts are no longer available?

It needs to be made very clear that the only reason this has happened is that the previous price was
undercutting some bus only day tickets and, of course, included all railways west of Plymouth. Matters
came to a head when First Kernow buses (Cornwall day ticket £15 for their services) pulled out but,
since the price rise, have rejoined. Anyone complaining about rail fares should look at many bus fares
these days for the distance travelled, the frequency, the time taken and no 'Delay Repay' even!

NOW THE GOOD NEWS! (Particularly for those who don't like buses and/or have an English bus
pass.) A rail only Cornwall Day Ranger is available; Adults £12.50, Railcard £8.25 Child £6.25. All day
Saturdays, Sundays & Bank Holidays, weekdays after 09.00 plus: 08.14 Plymouth to Penzance, 08.40
Plymouth to Gunnislake and 08.33 Liskeard to Looe. Make sure you purchase the ticket you require!

[BLN 1335]
2213] St Erth: The trailing crossover at the Penzance end of the station was damaged on 9 Aug and is
secured out of use. Initially through trains were unable to run from St Ives to Penzance; a few are
booked first thing in the morning, last thing at night and when there are no mainline connections.

The St Ives service continues as a branch shuttle (the previous through services replaced by shuttles)
with the unit generally stabling on the branch - presumably in St Erth Bay P3. However the connection
from St Erth Jn* to the branch is not temporarily closed, even to passengers. There is now an 06.58
Penzance to St Ives through passenger train Tuesdays and Fridays only (obviously not requiring to use
the faulty crossover). In the other direction the 22.31 from St Ives does the connection Mondays and
Thursdays only to terminate in St Erth P2. It then runs ECS to Penzance, presumably for servicing, via
the next available crossover which is at Truro reversing in P3. It then takes the trailing crossover (used
by a few Up Falmouth trains) to reach the Down line. All these arrangements are expected to continue
to Sat 21 Sep. [*New name from 17 Aug 2019, was St Erth Branch Jn, though it's the St Ives branch!]

2214] Is Lawrence Ill? The good people of Bristol (and the rest) have recently been alarmed at a
mysterious blue light in the night sky. What unknown fearsome object is up there, they shout?
Intergalactic blues and twos? Well, nothing out of this world, it's only the blue light from NR's (not so)
New Measuring Train (NMT) reflecting from clouds. The only flying saucers are those possibly
disturbed as it passes. The blue light is simply that shone upwards from the NMT roof to illuminate the
recently installed overhead wires, allowing a check for wear and tear. No need to disturb Mulder and
Scully's retirement. [The blue lights are on even though there is no OHLE at home at Lawrence Hill.]

2215] Exeter Central; Originally built in 1860 and opened as Exeter Queen Street, the station was
renamed to Exeter Central in 1933 when it was substantially rebuilt. Although run down in the 1970s
its façade is now in resplendent condition and more of the building has been returned to railway use.

2216] Okehampton (BLN 1334.2122) The summer Sunday Exeter to Okehampton service, which
finishes for the year on 8 Sep, is loading well and judging by the amount of luggage on them many are
long distance travellers. A limited range of through tickets is available from/to Okehampton without
having to rebook at Exeter - for example Manchester (three services, each with one change) and
Newcastle (two services with one change). Some Advance fares are also offered. GWR aims to
reinstate the regular daily service withdrawn in 1972 'as soon as practicable'. Okehampton would then
be a railhead for the 'Railway Desert' of West Devon and North Cornwall, with a potential catchment
area greater than that of the hugely successful Borders Railway in Scotland, and halving the distance to
Bude's current railhead at Exeter.

CrossCountry's Community Fund supports Plymouth Citybus 279 (which runs nowhere near Plymouth!)
between Callington, Lydford, Tavistock, Gunnislake and Okehampton this year. This service using one
vehicle did connect with trains at Okehampton and Gunnislake, running on the same Sundays as the
Okehampton train service but was too sparse to allow people in Lydford or Tavistock to have a day
out in Plymouth or Exeter for example. However, a scenic circular tour was possible around the edge
of Dartmoor by train and bus in either direction.

The smart Okehampton station itself, owned by Devon County Council, is almost entirely maintained
by a dedicated and hard working group of volunteers, members of the Dartmoor Line Supporters
Association. They also own and maintain the two coaches and brake van for the lightly used 'Heritage'
Okehampton - Meldon Viaduct (or whatever its name is - BLN 1334.2122) weekend shuttle service.

1335 WEST MIDLANDS (Brian Schindler) [email protected]
2217] Droitwich Spa: (BLN 1334.2077) The trailing crossover is in use as described on 28 & 29 Sep as
well as 5 & 6 Oct. The work is thought to be new manual point rodding at Worcester Tunnel Jn - extra
point rod runs are being installed so a new future crossover might be planned. The present Nov 1973
layout (when there were few trains) is very restrictive, making it difficult for trains to reverse there.

2218] Ian Allan: (BLN 1334.2084) Ian Allan's Birmingham Book and Model Shop closes down after
business on Sat 14 Sep. All stock was reduced by 50% from Sat 24 Aug to clear it; Society members
were informed by a post on our website forum. Just the London shop by Waterloo station remains.

2219] West Midlands Metro: Work began on the extension past Grand Central in Jun 2017 and now
tram stops are being constructed at Victoria Square (for Birmingham Town Hall) and the Centenary
Square terminus. It is due to open Dec; until then all trams leaving Grand Central are still departing via
the trailing crossover in service. In the early hours of Thu 29 Aug the first slow speed gauging and test
run was made up Hill Street to Victoria Square with Tram '28' on battery power (there is no OHLE). On
Sun 1 Sep, the scissors crossovers east of Centenary Square were in position and being linked to the
now continuous tracks from Grand Central. Centenary Square platform ramps just beyond have been
completed but the rest is in an early stage of construction, with the ground between being flattened
ready for tracks to be laid. The second phase past Centenary Square continues along Broad St and is
due to open by 2022 with three more stops at Brindley Place, Five Ways and Hagley Road, Edgbaston.

2220] Moreton-in-Marsh: The Cotswold Line Promotion Group (CPLG) and GWR have opened a new
waiting room in honour of Oliver Lovell and John Stanley, two CLPG founder members. In the late
1970s plans were drawn up to close the line between Moreton and Evesham. It was to fight that and
save the line that the CLPG came into being; John and Oliver were at the heart of that campaign.

2221] Wedgwood: (BLN 1334.2094) It is only a short northern section of the Down wooden platform
edge here that had been covered by a new non-slip surface wide enough to be a walkway. It is either
side of the signal before the level crossing extending to the end of platform fence. It is suspected that
this is in case a driver needs to detrain for some reason (such as to ring the signaller if the GSM-R is not
working or examine the train). The refurbished trespass guard is to prevent trespassers accessing the
platform via the ramp from the level crossing. There was talk of either Wedgwood or Barlaston (last
trains May 2004) possibly reopening in the new franchise - does anyone known the latest on this?

2222] Birmingham New Street: A long overdue cross industry clampdown on ticketless travel was
carried out during a day of action on Fri 16 August with revenue protection and security managers
checking all tickets as passengers made their way in and out of the station. 206 penalty fare notices
(£20 or twice the full single ticket price for a journey, whichever is greater) were issued and 39 people
were referred for prosecution. WMR, LNWR, XC, VT and TfW revenue staff collaborated with NR
support as station operators. New Street is the busiest national station outside London, with more
than 43.7M passenger entries and exits recorded in 2017-18; the barriers are staffed by Virgin Trains.

2223] New Street Resignalling: This is the final stage of the Birmingham area resignalling to replace
life expired 1960s equipment and centralise control at West Midlands Signalling Centre (WMSC).
Phase 7 is a very major undertaking; the Birmingham New Street station area between Soho South Jn
(excl), Proof House Jn (excl) and University station (excl). The proposals out for industry consultation
are below. It includes signalling, power and telecoms equipment renewal on the following routes:
New Street station (112m 73ch from Euston via Kilsby) to Milepost 112½, west of Proof House Jn.
New Street station (0m 05ch) to Milepost 2 before Soho South Jn on the Wolverhampton line.
New Street station (42m 24ch from Derby) to Milepost 43½ just past Five Ways station.

At New Street London end the original Up Stour and Down Stour names are currently retained in the
New Street Power Signal Box area of control (that is to 112m 40ch). With resignalling they will become
the Up Coventry and Down Coventry respectively as they are now after 112m 40ch to 102m 60ch
(Hampton-in-Arden). At the Wolverhampton end of New St, the Up and Down Stour names remain.

The existing relay based interlocking is to be replaced with two computer based interlocking areas at
the WMSC, named 'BNSMIDLAND' (P7-12) and 'BNSLNW' (P1-6) reflecting Birmingham New Street's
historic Midland Railway and London & North Western Railway sides. In practice this splits the station
in two and in the event of an interlocking failure on one side the other side would remain operational.