1335

Commissioning is expected over Christmas 2022 (that will be fun) with the closure of Birmingham New
Street PSB - the building is Grade II listed so would not be demolished. Control transfers to the new
'New Street' WMSC Workstation. Enhancements include 4-aspect signalling throughout except the
immediate station area. All signals will be renewed as LEDs, a trial signal has been installed off P4c
[That explains everything - BLNs 1331.1651 &1332.1810!] A large new gantry signal will be installed in
the dip beneath Birmingham Moor Street, with four aspect signals facing in both directions.

There will be headway improvements between New Street and University as well as New Street and
Soho South Jn. Exit speeds increase from 10mph to 15mph from all 12 platforms which retain full
bidirectional signalling. Speed on the Down Stour line increases through New Street North Tunnel, and
the Down Gloucester through Holliday Street Tunnel. The Five Ways station turnback facility from the
south will be fully commissioned (this uses the trailing crossover at 43m 46ch - Church Road Jn). In the
other direction a new turnback facility will also be provided from New St to Five Ways and return
using North Tunnel Jns - the trailing crossover in Holliday Street Tunnel just outside New Street.

Another new turnback facility - mainly for ECS use during disruption - will be at Monument Lane Loop
(Up Through siding), with bidirectional signalling on the Up Stour to reach it and a 25mph approach.

Mid-platform signals will be provided on all platforms in both directions, including P11 & 12 for the
first time. It is interesting to reflect that when New Street was rebuilt in the 1960s P1 & P12 were not
used by passenger trains but parcels and newspaper trains!

The previously installed Phase 4 resignalling enhancements between Soho South Jn and Soho East Jn,
including flashing yellow aspects, will be fully commissioned as part of this Phase 7 scheme. New
bidirectional routes from New Street towards Proof House Jn will be provided, part of a policy of
eliminating shunt routes and simplifying these routes to main signal aspects only. Passive provision for
further signalling opportunities will be provided, eg a potential route from the new West Midlands
Railway Duddeston EMU Depot via Vauxhall Chord (now unidirectional the other way) to New Street.
Passive provision will be made for more bidirectional routes between New Street and Proof House Jn.

Resignalling New Street is particularly difficulty due to the physical constraints of the station and its
approaches. They are all in tunnels and the station is within retaining walls. During the 1960s Multiple
Aspect Signalling project, the only way capacity could be maintained was by not implementing AWS
and no or minimal signalling overlaps in the station. If full overlaps were provided, the timetable would
now be unworkable. Platform end signals will be positioned to provide as much overlap as possible.
Some will be beyond their current position, most remain where they are or are repositioned short.
This will change the effective (usable) platform lengths. Train detection will be by axle counters and all
current bidirectional working will be retained. An interesting point is that standardising equipment will
include the removal of the final EP (air operated) points. There are no ground frames in the area.

2224] Bournville: On 8 May 1976 a non-BLS farewell railtour ran over the significant Cadbury's internal
railway system here - were any members on it? Can anyone give details of what was done memories
or any details of Cadbury's railway (were there main line freight trips as well)?

Next page are some interesting pictures that might jog memories? One member is particularly
interested in what Cadbury's internal wagons were actually used for here at Bournville as well as the
exact location of the photos in e-BLN.

He wonders if the metal vans were purchased new by Cadburys rather than them using some
secondhand mainline castoffs as they are all identical and metal vans were always uncommon.

NEXT PAGE: Two rows of internal wagons at Cadbury's Bournville Railway; they appear to be disused
and in store. You BLN Editor thinks, from the power cables and location, that they are probably on the
east side of the canal, particularly in view of the lack of factory buildings. Confirmation or other
thoughts welcome. (From scans of slides dated July 1976, with no other information - Justin Edwards.)
A couple of weeks earlier and those lupins would have been an impressive sight in the lower picture...



LEFT: 1:25,000 map 1950; Bournville station is
bottom right; the line to New Street is off the top
with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal
alongside it. Note the Elan Aqueduct top left.
Cadbury's factory and internal railway is shown
with the curving incline gaining height up to the
skew bridge (still in situ) over the main line and
the canal to a headshunt. This then connects
back with a line down alongside the canal wharf
where it is thought that cocoa beans came in by
barge. Of note the section over the main line was
not shown on OS maps until about 1937
suggesting it was a more recent addition.

ABOVE RIGHT: Thought to be a picture of the final railtour on 8 May 1976 but no details are with it -
the train seems to be on the incline out of the works up to the bridge over the main line and canal.

2225] Walsall - Stourbridge: A candidate for the post of West Midlands Metro Mayor 2020 [is that a
tram system with its own mayor...?] is lobbying to protect this line that could form a part of a new
route between Worcester and Derby. He says that it is 'threatened' by the West Midland Metro using
just four miles costing £449M, when 35 miles of heavy rail could be reinstated for under £200M. The
DfT passed his email on to NR, who said the section of railway was of national strategic significance.

He said that investment in the corridor would allow for continued freight growth given that the
alternative route via Bromsgrove is already at full daytime capacity [there is the Old Hill/Soho route
too, of course]. Round Oak to Bescot (CA 31 Mar 1993) is the only corridor that could take freight
displaced by further passenger flows into central Birmingham. One reason that steel trains from South
Wales run to Round Oak rather than further north is the difficulty in pathing them through/round
Birmingham. Significant tonnages are forwarded on from Round Oak by road, some quite a distance.

Section 7 of the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) Rail Investment Strategy - Integrated Freight
Strategy, has the Stourbridge to Wednesbury to Walsall corridor carrying both freight and passengers.
The tram train trials between Sheffield and Rotherham show that heavy rail and tram trains can
coexist providing the infrastructure and stock is compatible. However, Railfuture West Midlands
branch believes that the tram extension, including rebuilding Dudley Port station, would provide, in a
more timely way, the clean urban public transport connections throughout the Black Country that it
presently lacks. Better connections would be available to/from Birmingham/Wolverhampton (etc).
WMRE advises that the existing formation is to be retained for heavy rail trains, principally freight,
although this may require sections of single track working by both tram trains and heavy trains.

1335 IRELAND (Martin Baumann) [email protected]
2226] Waterford - Rosslare Strand: Irish Rail Multi Purpose Vehicle 790 traversed the line on 26 Aug.

2227] Limerick Junction: (BLN 1334.2100) All Down trains to Cork/Tralee use the new P4 except (SuX)
07.00 & 21.00 Heuston to Cork, the first and last trains of the day, which continue to call at Up P1; this
may be to do with staffing levels. They both use the facing crossover at Direct Curve East Jn (106m
09ch) and return to the Down line via the trailing crossover south of the station. The facing crossover is
also used by all through trains from the Dublin direction to Limerick. Waterford services now use P2 at
Limerick Junction (the bay buffer stop end). The shuttles to Limerick and the Western Corridor use the
P3 end of the bay which is more convenient for the new footbridge and lifts, a reversal of the previous
arrangements. From Limerick most shuttles continue to make an impressive one minute cross
platform connection for Dublin at the Junction. However, passengers from Dublin to Limerick have a
leisurely 3-6 minutes to cross the footbridge with their luggage via the lifts if needed. (Services do wait
for booked connections.) Due to the track layout the 07.40 (SSuX) Thurles and 16.25 Dublin to
Limerick (both via Limerick Junction) have to reverse in P1 as before. This also applies to the (SuX)
05.30 & 08.55 Limerick to Dublin. All four of these do the Limerick Junction P1 - Waterford Line Jn link.

2228] Malahide: (Quail 6 p16A Feb 2004) The Down side electrified trailing siding has recently been
relaid. As part of this the non-electrified siding has been removed and the points plain lined.

2229] For the bidirectional: On 7 Sep Single Line Working is due to be operational over the Down Line
between Thurles trailing crossover (the Dublin side of station) and Lisduff facing crossover (72m 58ch).

2130] .............: (BLN 1320.103) The first extended LUAS Tram, '5021', entered passenger service on a
trial basis on 24 Aug. Later this year extended trams will enter service roughly one every three weeks.

2231] Bellarena: (BLN 1330.1492) Site lighting was erected overnight 24/25 Aug for the new PW sidings.

1335 ISLE OF MAN (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]
2232] Man has problem with wind: The forecast of 50mph winds on Fri 30 Aug caused suspension of
the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway and the Snaefell Mountain Railway. Fortunately the final motor bike
races planned for the Friday had been moved to the previous day on the advice of the Met Office.

2233] Ramsey: (BLN 1333.1968) (TRACKmaps 1 p23D Nov 2017) A witness reports on how trams 'run
round' their trailers at the 'temporary' Manx Electric Railway Ramsey terminus before Parsonage Rd
Crossing. The tram and trailer arrive from Douglas on the landside track (left facing the end of line)
and stop before, and clear of, the first trailing crossover to detrain passengers. With the brake applied
to the trailer, the motor car uncouples, draws forward clear of the points then sets back over the first
trailing crossover. It stops on the seaside track, clear of the points. On releasing the hand brake the
trailer then moves towards the end of line by gravity (on the falling gradient) past the crossover points
and stops before the level crossing (hopefully! - No56 being a pig). The motor car then crosses back to
the landside track, couples up to the trailer, draws it forward over the crossover, then sets back on the
seaside track to the departure 'platform' on the Douglas side of crossing. Occasionally, if necessary, on
special occasions only the combination would set back over the level crossing, take the second trailing
crossover to the left and stable on the landside track at end of line at the old (Ramsey Plaza) station.

X.119] Douglas Bay Horse Tramway: With copious apologies to 'Selby'; during the
week ending Sat 24 Aug 2019 another 100yd of relaid tramway was handed over for
service and the public run has been extended another 100yd south - does anyone
know the date of first public running on this latest extension please?

NEXT PAGE (TWO PICTURES): The new horse tramway end of line (Jenny Williamson, 4 Sep 2019.)

TOP: Looking south towards the Sea Terminal. LOWER: Looking north towards Derby Castle - compare
with the pictures in e-BLN 1334; the previous terminus was the other side of this Best Western Hotel.



1335 SCOTLAND (Mike McCabe) [email protected]
2234] Kilmarnock: A solicitor's office has opened on P1; is this unique in Britain? A remember recalls in
the early 1980s a private detective had an office in an old wooden railway shed at the entrance to
Reddish North station. This could be useful if an investigation is required into a missing train.

2235] What links Stirling, Larbert, Greenfaulds, Whifflet, Motherwell, Lockerbie, Carlisle, Preston,
Crewe, Nuneaton, Milton Keynes & London Euston? Answer: Grand Union Trains is 'considering' an
Open Access service from May 2021 of 3 or 4 trains each way serving these stations. It would use Class
91 locos and up to nine Mark IV carriages. The first Up service would depart at about 05.30, with trains
every 3 to 4 hours, until 16.30. Down services would start 08.30 with the last leaving Euston 16.30.
2236] South East Scotland Flood Damage Aug 1948: Recent West Highland Line flood damage recalls
events of 71 years ago. Summer 1948 brought very heavy rain to the Scottish border counties and
Northumberland, starting on 6 Aug and culminating in serious flooding resulting in numerous line
blockages from the afternoon of Thu 12 Aug 1948. An original 18 page report with e-BLN, kindly made
available by the son of the author, makes for very interesting reading and sets out the effects on the
railway in Scotland. It is undated but clearly written later that month when some lines had still not
reopened. Unfortunately, the appendices mentioned in the text are not available. Below are (1): Line
reopenings post-dating those given in the paper, and (2): A list of the passenger service suspensions in
Scotland which took effect from 13 Aug 1948 and their dates of resumption (for two the suspension
was permanent). The letters are as used in the paper. With thanks to Richard Maund (14 Aug 2019).

1. Lines reopened (or not) for freight after the end of August 1948:

(a): Edinburgh - Berwick Main Line: Cockburnspath - Ayton RO 25 Oct 1948

(d): Berwickshire branch: Greenlaw - Duns never RO; Duns - Reston RO circa 9 Nov 1948

(j): Lauder branch (Fountainhall Jn - Lauder): RO 20 Nov 1950 (!)
(k): Eyemouth branch (Burnmouth - Eyemouth): RO 29 Jun 1949

(m): Gifford branch (Humbie - Gifford): never RO (although the bridge washout which caused the
closure is not mentioned in the paper)

2. All passenger service suspensions from 13 Aug 1948 and reopening dates for passengers:

(a): Edinburgh - Berwick Main Line: service suspended Dunbar - Berwick: RO 1 Nov 1948
(a week later than for freight; heavy freight trains compacted the formation)

(b): Edinburgh - Carlisle Main Line: service suspended Gorebridge - Stow: RO 16 Aug 1948

(c): Kelso branch: service suspended Kelso - Tweedmouth - Berwick; St Boswells - Kelso was not
affected until ECML diversions started. St Boswells - Tweedmouth local services suspended
from 17 Aug to enable passage of diverted ECML trains; all local service resumed 1 Nov 1948

(d): Berwickshire branch: service suspended St Boswells Ravenswood Jn - Reston; Ravenswood Jn
- Duns never RO; Duns - Reston RO circa 9 Nov 1948

(e): Jedburgh branch: service suspended Roxburgh - Jedburgh and never RO

(f): Dalkeith branch (Glenesk Jn - Dalkeith): RO 13 Aug 1948 (branch only closed part of that day)

(g): Peebles branch: service suspended Hawthornden - Galashiels; Hawthornden - Leadburn
RO 14 Aug; Peebles - Galashiels RO 17 Aug; Leadburn - Peebles RO 20 Aug 1948

(h): Polton branch (Hardengreen Jn - Polton): RO 16 Aug 1948

(i): Penicuik branch (Hawthornden - Penicuik): RO 16 Aug 1948

(j): Lauder branch (Fountainhall Jn - Lauder): had already CP 12 Sep 1932

(k): Eyemouth branch (Burnmouth - Eyemouth): RO 29 Jun 1949

(l): Haddington branch (Longniddry - Haddington): traffic not interrupted (but passenger trains
stopped short of the station building at Haddington)

(m): Gifford branch (Smeaton - Gifford): had already CP 3 Apr 1933

Some abbreviations used in then 19 page original typed report (with e-BLN and well worth looking at):
●EP = express passenger; ●OP = ordinary (local) passenger; ●SMT = Scottish Motor Traction (bus Co.).
As the paper notes, there were also closures from the same day on the North Eastern Region of both
the mainline (fortunately not severely, service quickly resumed and was used from 17 Aug by ECML
trains diverted via Tweedmouth - St. Boswells) and the Coldstream - Wooler - Alnwick line (a bridge
collapsed at Mindrum - BLN 1327.994). An account of the effects were given by the late George Dow in
an interesting illustrated three part article 'Deluge over the Border' published in the Sep, Oct and Nov
1968 editions of 'Railway World' and drew heavily on the paper (it too failed to identify some of the
later reopening dates given above).
Impressively, the 'Flying Scotsman' (the named train, not the loco) managed to run non-stop between
London and Edinburgh, despite being diverted from Tweedmouth via Kelso and Galashiels. The LNER
online encyclopedia indicated that from 24 Aug 1948, the A4's nonstop run from Edinburgh was
diverted over the Waverley route to St Boswells, then via Kelso to Tweedmouth to rejoin the
mainline. On this first run, No60028 'Walter K Whigham' managed it without stopping, a record setting
distance of 408.65 miles. This required some luck with running and signals, but the drivers took great
pride in achieving a nonstop run. Nine runs going south and eight runs north were reported via Kelso.
This record was not broken until 8 Aug 1989 when '4472' Flying Scotsman ran 422 miles from Parkes to
Broken Hill nonstop, en route from Melbourne to Alice Springs, which is still the current world record.

2237] Now a BLN Join the Dots…… The Cromarty & Dingwall Light Railway: (BLN 1334.2101) ABOVE:
Locations of the e-BLN 1334 photos and route of the eastern eight miles of the partially constructed
Conon Bridge - Cromarty branch. West to east are: Far left ●Cullicudden, the only overbridge (now
filled in). ●Resolis, the skew bridge over a burn. ●Poyntzfield, bridge over Gean Burn. ●Jemimaville,
bridge over a burn behind the petrol station by the main road. ●Farness, a small culvert (no photo).
●Approaching Cromarty, Red Burn bridge. Far right ●Cromarty, the well situated station site.

2238] Kilwinning: The new 'access for all' lifts and footbridge have recently been commissioned and
completely change the appearance of the station. From ground level, where the footbridge passes in front
of the station building, an artificial stone and glass screen is almost giving the appearance of a new station
building, but the old one is behind, unchanged. The screen and bridge provide more space to shelter from
the rain, particularly if waiting for a taxi or rail replacement bus. What looks slightly odd is the appearance
of people walking on the station roof, because there is a glazed parapet where the footbridge passes in
front of the building! The footbridge is similar to the pre-electrification arrangement (electrification was in
Sep 1986). In 1938, a single footbridge ran right across the station serving all four platforms, though
further forward from the station building than the new one. Of note the 17.47 (SSuX) Glasgow Central to
Ayr is the only passenger service not to call at Kilwinning.

ABOVE: Kilwinning with Down and Up trains in the Ayr platforms; the Ardrossan and Largs platforms
are far right. (Greg Beecroft, 26 Aug 2019.) BELOW: Compare with this 19 Aug 2011 view, also of the
front of the station building in the 'V' of the lines here. (Angus McDougall.)

2239] Powderhall: Compacted household waste traffic ceased unexpectedly on this 2m 12ch long
branch in Nov 2016 when the overhead lifting equipment failed. Temporary closure has now been
extended by another two years but it could be revived for traffic with six months notice. At Powder
Hall Jn the points are secured with a palisade fence across the track. It is still shown as open (available
for traffic/railtours) on the latest Sectional Appendix but this is rubbish as it is dated 20 Feb 2016!

2240] Faslane: Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity [nice one for
'What's My Line?'*] Michael Matheson has agreed to an £85k investigation into a new West Highland
line station serving HM Naval Base Clyde just south of Garelochhead. It may be suitable for Scotland's
first trial 'pop up' temporary station to assess demand. The new station is to cope with expansion of
the base, which will house all the UK's submarine fleet by 2020. The 'transport appraisal' into needs
and opportunities in the Helensburgh area is to be carried out by the Highlands and Islands Transport
Partnership (Hitrans). We can only hope that the Faslane branch (CG 4 Sep 1983) down from the West
Highland is recommended for reinstatement with a passenger service. Sorry, back in the real world...

A temporary 'Faslane' private platform was open for about four years from 1945 for construction of
Loch Sloy Hydro Electric Power Station but it was further south. The Ministry of Defence is understood
to be supportive although it is not clear if that might extend to any financial support for construction.

[*Nothing to do with railways, but a classical prehistoric TV panel game where the panel had to guess
occupations with the contestants only allowed to answer questions with a 'yes' or a 'no'.]

ABOVE: 1954 survey 7th Series One-Inch OS map. Garelochhead is top middle right and Helensburgh
Upper is off bottom right. Shandon station CP 14 Jun 1964, Faslane Jn is bottom right, the then double
track (later singled) branch drops down to a headshunt near the top (head) of Gare Loch with the lines
to Faslane Port (then) running back south along the shore as shown.

ABOVE: A dark wet morning with a BLS brakevan trip at Faslane Dock (three ran, the first on 27 Aug
1971; this was the third on 28 Aug 1972). Traffic was outward scrap metal to Ravenscraig Steel Works
from the ship breakers, nothing to do with the nearby nuclear submarine base! The ship breaking area
was taken over by expansion of the base; the significant branch CG 2 Sep 1983. (Angus McDougall.)

2241] Train ferries: The first train ferries in the world were operated across the Firth of Forth and the
Firth of Tay by the Edinburgh, Perth & Dundee Railway (known as the Edinburgh & Northern Railway
until 1849). A plaque on the present Burntisland ['Burnt Island' not 'Burnt is land'] station records that
the ferry from Granton operated from 1850 until 1890, when the Forth Bridge opened.

The Broughty Ferry to Tayport ferry ran from 1851 to 1878, but returned to service after the first Tay
Bridge collapsed in 1879 until 1887 when the replacement bridge opened. The ferry system used was
invented by Thomas Bouch. At each port a stone ramp, with four rails, sloped down into the water.
A timber link span, also with four rails, ran on the rails on the ramp and could be hauled up and down
according to the tide. Wagons were shunted on and off the ferries, running on the ramp and link span
rails. There was an inaugural passenger train trip on the ferries, for the directors of the company
(there had to be some advantages) but the ferries normally carried goods trains only.

The ramps at both Granton and Tayport have been extensively altered, if not entirely rebuilt, and are
now concrete surfaced. Comparing what is now on the ground with Victorian OS maps, the ramp at the
Royal Forth Yacht Club, Granton and the more southerly of the two ramps at Tayport Harbour appear
to be at the locations of the train ferry ramps. There is no sign of the train ferry ramp at Burntisland,
which was on the opposite (south) side of the harbour from the passenger station. Since the ferry was
in service the harbour has been extended and enclosed, apparently obliterating the site of the ramp.
The original Edinburgh & Northern terminus building still stands, now used as offices. It is adjacent to
the present passenger station, but at a lower level. The East of Scotland 4mm Group has a magnificent
model of Burntisland in 1883, with the train ferry, which sometimes is shown at exhibitions.



[BLN 1335]
PREVIOUS PAGE TOP: Model of Burntisland train ferry and original passenger station exhibited at
Model Rail Scotland in 2014 by East of Scotland 4mm Group. (All Greg Beecroft, this one 21 Feb 2014.)

LOWER: Burntisland, Forth Place, the original Edinburgh & Northern Railway terminal station (for the
train ferry) which is now Category 'B' listed. Most of the surrounding buildings are also listed. Right are
some disused buffer stops (not listed) and far left, lower middle is the present station. (19 Aug 2019.)

By far the best site for a visit is Broughty Ferry. When the Edinburgh & Northern Railway purchased
land for the railway and the harbour in 1846 it was obliged also to buy Broughty Castle. This is a typical
Scottish tower house, dating from the 15th century. Fortunately for the railway, the Government
wanted to defend the Tay against the Russians, so the War Office bought the castle in 1855. It is now
in the care of Dundee City Council and is open to the public. Despite being in railway ownership for
only a brief period, there is an exhibition in the castle about the train ferry, including a model of the
loading ramp and ship. The exhibition records that it was not unknown for wagons to be accidentally
shunted into the harbour. Various artefacts from the Dundee & Arbroath Railway are also on display.

The model makes it easy to identify the railway pier and loading ramp, on the opposite side of the
harbour. The ramp still has a cobbled surface and, apart from removal of the rails, appears to be in
original condition. Unsurprisingly, nothing remains of the trackbed to the pier.

BELOW: The original train ferry loading ramp at Broughty Ferry. (15 Aug 2019.)

ABOVE: Model of the Broughty Ferry loading ramp on display at Broughty Castle. (15 Aug 2019.)

2242] Dalcross: (BLN 1278.785) After a long period of apparent inactivity, NR is drawing up plans for a
larger two platform station (136m 43ch) between Inverness and Nairn to serve Inverness Airport, of
similar design to Forres. Construction was originally scheduled to start in 2017 but planning permission
will now be allowed to lapse. The original plan was for a second platform and loop to be added later.

2243] East Kilbride: This was another line listed for closure in the 1963 Beeching Report that survived.
At the request of Transport Scotland NR is reviewing how electrification can be carried out in an
affordable manner. That is with a view to a rolling electrification programme; the 7m 64ch branch plus
three miles from Muirhouse Central Jn to Busby Jn as a 'priority'. The Scottish Government's National
Transport Strategy (NTS), currently out for consultation, notes that transport is the largest greenhouse
gases emitter, responsible for 37% of Scotland's in 2017 (but this conveniently overlooks emissions in
China and elsewhere resulting from manufacture and importation of goods to Scotland). One
proposed policy is to 'Reduce the transport sector's emissions ...". Being a high level document, the
draft NTS does not refer specifically to rail electrification, but that makes an obvious contribution.

For East Kilbride electrification to be practicable and affordable there will need to be derogations from
the current, extremely stringent electrification clearance standards, which are in excess of those that
applied satisfactorily for many years. It may be that the branch will have to be electrified like Paisley
Canal, where diesel traction is banned unless the OHLE is isolated. The overbridge carrying Nithsdale
Rd, Strathbungo is one of the most challenging structures, being both large and low. As it is on the
main route via Dumfries it has to remain available for all types of train - but maybe the way in which
the South Wales Main Line has been electrified under the bridge carrying the line from Cardiff Queen
Street will be a way forward. Track lowering might be difficult, given the proximity of Muirhouse Jns.

NR has advised that devegetation begins this month (Sep) along the 11-mile railway corridor (the
branch and the part of the main line accessing it). They say it will enable further site and geological
investigation to inform proposals for future investment in the railway. There will be a general tidy up
and fencing repairs as needed when it is uncovered with vegetation clearance.
2244] Gorebridge: (BLN 1289.1972) The local Community Development Trust has withdrawn from a
scheme for the ex-station building to be used as a café, gallery and office space. The limited volunteers
have financial and workload concerns. Railway Heritage Trust described the Trust's withdrawal as 'a
very severe blow' and is discussing other options with NR; the building is not within the ScotRail lease.

BELOW: The previous station building is seen at the current Gorebridge station.

2245] Cockenzie: (BLN 1327.1082) The (demolished) power station connection - last train 9 Mar 2013 -
is secured OOU and this is to be extended by two years. It could be reinstated with six months notice.

1335 WALES & THE MARCHES (Chris Parker) [email protected]
2246] Tygwyn: (BLN 1334.2003) TfW's website belatedly registered the TCP of this station on 19 Aug.
The reason was confirmed as 'platform works'. Alternative transport arrangements were unbalanced: a
taxi was to be available to ferry passengers to Tygwyn from Harlech, but would-be passengers from
Tygwyn were merely advised to use other stations eg Talsarnau (¾ mile) or Harlech (2½ miles)!

2247] Proper trains: (BLN 1334.2113) The sectional running times of the loco powered TfW trains in
the Dec 2019 draft timetable seem correct for the stopping patterns. Therefore, they appear to be the
final versions. The 07.21 Cardiff to Holyhead has only a 14 min turnaround at the latter so is unlikely to
make more stops. There is no requirement to add stopping trains more than 12 weeks before the
timetable starts. However SCRUA (Shrewsbury Chester Rail Users' Association) has sought assurances
from TfW that this will happen, otherwise there will be a 2 hour gap in northbound calls at Gobowen,
Chirk and Ruabon with a well patronised service lost; a response is awaited. The 11.34 Holyhead to
Cardiff makes these calls southbound but runs only 22 mins ahead of a Birmingham International
service which also does, then there is to be nothing until the next International service 2 hours later!

2249] A New Route for Excursions in South Wales:
Much interest was taken in the Aberdare district of
South Wales by the running of two Sunday School
excursions trains on 23 July by the Great Western
Railway from Cwmaman over a route not
previously used for a passenger train service. The
trains were destined for Porthcawl and started
from Cwmaman Colliery Halt, stopping at other
halts in the vicinity to pick up passengers, but
otherwise running straight through to their
destination. The route of the special trains was
over the Dare branch (ie between Dare Jn and Gelli
Tarw Jn), in traversing which the Cwm and Gamlyn
viaducts were crossed, for the first time in history,
by a loaded passenger train. It is believed that the
novelty of the route contributed to the success of
the excursion. No fewer than 1,718 passengers
made the journey and afterwards they all took out
membership of the Branch Line Society.

Based on the Great Western Railway Magazine
Sep 1932 - except that last bit. (ABOVE) Dare
Jn is the bottom right black spot and Gelli Tarw
Jn the top left spot. Aberdare is bottom right,
the 'principal' (rectangular) station was High
Level near the present station which reopened
1988. Hirwaun and the present Tower Open
Cast Disposal Point are off top left. The double
track GWR Vale of Neath line (bold black line)
runs top left to bottom right. (6th Series 1" OS
'New Popular' Edition 1913/47.)

RIGHT: Dare Jn is at the black spot top left - at
the same location as marked on the previous
map. Bottom left is Cwmaman Colliery Halt
where the 1932 excursions originated from.
The Vale of Neath line cuts across top right.

[BLN 1335]
2248] Llanelli: (BLN 1278.793) Sir Peter Hendy, NR's chairman, met with the Llanelli Goods Shed Trust
and partners in Aug to discuss the potential transfer of the Albert Rd structure, which CG 12 Jul 1965
and is Grade II listed, to the group for community use. Situated on the Up side of the West Wales main
line, east of Llanelli station, it is a rare survivor. The Trust was set up in 2011 and is chaired by the local
MP. It has worked closely with NR while sourcing funding for the transfer. The Trust also aims to lease
the decommissioned Llanelli West signal box, again Grade II listed, as a community space to showcase
its plans for the shed. Sir Peter described the meeting as positive and productive.

2250] Holyhead: (TRACKmaps 3 p35B Jun 2018) (BLN 1309.1593) Anglesey Aluminium sidings have
seen further use with the arrival of the five vehicles of EMU 397002 individually by road on 16 Aug
from Immingham and previously the Velim test track (Czech Republic). After being 'assembled' [the
Welsh Assembly?] into a train - they left at 08.33 on 22 Aug for Crewe Carriage Sidings, sandwiched
between translator and brake force vehicles each end and Rail Operations Group's 47813 & 47815,
which arrived from Leicester at 14.57 the day before. Already in TPE livery, 397002 is one of 13 units
to replace Class 350s on TPE Anglo Scottish services. (North Wales Coast Railway [excellent] website.)

2251] CAF‡ Newport: LEFT: (BLN
1286.1702) The factory, construction,
another Welsh Assembly, has taken
place quickly and with little or no
publicity - helped by it being well
hidden from the South Wales Main
Line by thick tall trees. Production of
Northern DMUs is already well under
way. The first to be completed was
195007 in late Jun and this is already
in service following testing and
commissioning - impressive work.

Hitherto the only extant standard
gauge self powered rail vehicle built in
Wales (unless you know different!)
was Taff Vale 0-6-2T steam loco No28 dating from 1897 and currently now on the Gwili Railway. The
CAF factory is rail connected via a trailing connection to the Down Service Line east of Llanwern West
Jn, just west of the Exchange Sidings. This fans out into seven roads; the southern five (A-E) enter the
building's Test Area. Its Assembly Area has three further roads (F-H) which are accessed via a traverse.
Thanks to Martyn Brailsford, our in house cartographer, for the track plan!

‡CAF = Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (literally 'Construction & Other Railway Services').

2252] Class 230s: (BLN 1332.1857) The Dec timetable has ECS paths for these: MSSuX 18.47 Wrexham
Central - Birkenhead North Depot (19.40) & SSuX 22.25 return to Wrexham General Up Bay 1 (23.24).

2253] And finally…Conwy Valley line: a fishy tale: Yet another service suspension, this one well suited
to the silly season. On Wed 21 Aug BBC Wales reported that North Llanrwst - Blaenau Ffestiniog rail
services were suspended until at least the Friday morning for debris to be cleared and repairs to a
tunnel to take place; accompanying images suggest that this was the 2m 333yd long Ffestiniog Tunnel
where a similar incident occurred in Jan 2019 (BLN 1323.372). However on 22 Aug NR admitted that no
evidence of a rock fall had been found and the 'debris' had proved to be….a bag of (fishplate?) bolts
left beside the track! Someone fell for that hook, line and sinker… Services duly resumed from start of
service; according to Realtime Trains the only one affected had been the 19.05 from Llandudno the
previous evening which had turned back at Betws-y-Coed. Ah well, better safe than sorry…

1335 MINOR RAILWAYS (Peter Scott) [email protected]

X.120] Hayling Railway: (MR p18) https://www.haylingrailway.com/ The 2ft gauge railway is for sale
as the owner (age 70) is retiring - the Society is visiting on Sun 22 Sep (BLN 1332.1694). (Kev Adlam.)

NEXT PAGE: Ecclesbourne Valley Railway; looking north towards Wirksworth from the north end
of Shottle Loop; the base for new Shottle signal box is on left. (©Andy Overton, 10 Aug 2019.)

MR164] Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Derbyshire (MR p8): A member attended the Saturday of the
Summer Diesel Gala held over 10/11 August. At Shottle, the steel base for the signal box is in place.
The ex-Oddingley Crossing signal box is currently in use as block-man's accommodation in the distance.
During galas trains cross here, although passengers can only alight/join southbound trains, with the
north and south ground frames staffed. It appears it is planned to put the box top atop the steel
framework and presumably use a brick-to-floor construction enclosing the steelwork. This has been
put up this year, it wasn't there during the Spring Diesel and Ale Bash in April. The Gala on the
Saturday went well with two train sets in use. At previous galas the railway has used a long Mk1 set for
one train and hauled a DMU for the other. This time they shortened the Mk1 set and used some of the
coaches, plus DMU vehicles, on the other set. This latter set seemed very lightly loaded all day, with
the more popular traction on the all-Mk1 set, which was well loaded throughout. The home fleet
locos: D9537, 31601, 33103 and 73210 ran, plus guest 33102 from the Churnet Valley Railway. Several
combinations of locos were used throughout the day. On the Ravenstor incline D9537, DMU 55006
and 33102 were used. Tickets were till receipt style. The 7¼" gauge Miniature Railway at Wirksworth
(MR p14) was not open. Everything ran to time all day; a thoroughly enjoyable event.

MR165] Cambrian Heritage Railways (Oswestry), Shropshire (MR p7) (BLN 1332.1704): On a wet
Saturday 27 July, 0-4-0ST (AB2261/1949) was operating over the extended route under the
Shrewsbury Road (Gas Works) bridge, stopping at 18m 68ch - just short of the Accommodation
Crossing, where there was a gap in the track. [This was filled in on Friday 9 August rather than 8th
(BLN 1334.2014) and later that day an engineering train ran through to the cattle creep SJ 2966 2848.]

Beyond work continues upgrading the track towards Weston Wharf, (see http://bit.ly/2HBrqZO ) the
railway has benefited from a donation of over 1,000 second hand concrete sleepers by Network Rail -
appropriately from a recent project on the Cambrian Coast line. The train was formed of a BR Mk1
coach and brake van in push pull mode, running every 20 minutes. The adult fare was £6 (£5 seniors),
for unlimited riding. Various locos were on display in Oswestry goods yard. Our dedicated reporter
also went to Weston Wharf where the 2ft gauge Weston Wharf Light Railway has in fact been mostly
lifted (locos and stock are moving to Brymbo for the new line there) - contrary to the BLN 1334 report
which was from Cambrian Heritage Railway staff. Some groundwork had been done at Weston for the
new platform, which will be slightly off the old alignment when trains from Oswestry start running.

Another member visited on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 August, when the half-hourly train service
(11.00-15.30) was being operated by 0-4-0DM 'Telemon' (VF D295/1955, DC2568/1955) with LMS
brake van M73245 (and fares £1 cheaper). The loco propelled the van to the Accommodation Crossing
at 18m 68ch, where the gap in the track had been laid and wooden crossing members were noted
ready to be placed for the surface to be made ready. However, at Oswestry the train no longer ran to
the Gobowen end of the platform, so shortening the ride by 5ch - one to confuse the MR entry!

BELOW: Royal Arsenal Narrow gauge Railway. 'Bazalgette' reverses its train out of
the temporary station outside the shed. (Peter Scott, 11 Aug 2019.)

MR166] Royal Arsenal Narrow Gauge Railway, Greater London (BLN 1326.MR57): This new 2ft gauge
railway operates at Crossness Engines at Abbey Wood (TQ 483 811). Crossness is the Pumping Station
for the Southern Outfall Sewer built by Joseph Bazalgette. The railway will eventually transport visitors
from near the Car Park to the Pumping Station visitor's gate. A visit on Sunday 11 August (an open day
for the Pumping Station) found the line giving passenger rides over a 120 yard from a temporary
platform part way down the access path to another temporary platform outside the shed. In use was
4wDH 'Bazalgette' (SL/1986) (formerly named 'Busy Basil') with one bogie coach. Both once ran at the
Stoke Garden Festival and later at The Village, Fleggburgh in Norfolk. Rides were free, but donations
were welcomed. Track has been laid for some distance towards the car park end and trackbed
preparations are mostly complete over the whole line, which will be around 490 yards in length.
'Heritage Railway' 257 (2 August) reported the first passengers were carried on Sunday 23 June 2019.
Dismantled in the shed is 18" gauge 0-4-0T No1 'Woolwich' (AE1748/1916). A short length of track
outside the shed is dual gauge 18"/2ft. Two other 2ft gauge bogie coaches are on site but require
overhaul before use. Admission to the Pumping Station buildings http://bit.ly/2zqrsPD is £6 or £8
when the large 'Prince Consort' beam engine is running but £2 at all times for children age 5-12 years.

BELOW: Lodge Farm Park Railway. The Met loco departs from the station, to be replaced by the Tram,
which has just entered the return loop. (All four taken at the railway; Stuart Hicks, 11 Aug 2019.)



MR167] Lodge Farm Park Railway, Greater London (MR p17) (BLN 1328.MR79): Our correspondent
visited this 7¼" gauge line, which operates once a month, on Sunday 11 August. This was a reasonably
warm day with some sunny intervals but not too hot, which meant that when he arrived by 11.20
(opening is at 11.00) the railway was pretty busy, with three trains in operation. Ticketing is by an
attractive credit card size card ticket, his being number 1930, with the fare being £2 for everyone aged
2 and over. This covers one circuit from the public station by the playground, running south round the
loop by their clubhouse and sheds (Havering Halt there not being used during public running) and
return. Running were all their four powered vehicles: the red tram (which seats five) and the
Metropolitan loco (with two coaches) left in close succession; 'Gwendoline' and 'Goliath' double
headed the other train, leaving when they had both returned. The layout has balloon loops each end
with a lengthy single track section, access controlled by a green token. At the south end the line
crosses the public path into a fenced area which contains the other loop, and their clubhouse. None of
the rest of the route is fenced but it is quite close to the public path. http://bit.ly/2UbRy2f has details
of future running dates (Sun 8 September & 6 October 11.00-16.00) and information about locos etc.

MR168] North Norfolk Railway, Norfolk (MR p8) (BLN 1333.MR138): During a visit to the railway on
Tuesday 13 August a member noted that the 3½/5" gauge elevated miniature railway at Holt (which
runs on Sundays and some Thursdays) will be closing at the end of this season after 16 years. This is
announced by posters there and is due to planned developments. The line is operated by the North
Norfolk Model Engineering Club and they are looking for an alternative site in the north Norfolk area.

BELOW: Mangapps Railway Museum; Slim line 33202 (to fit the Hastings line's former gauge)
moves forward ready for its run on the main line. (Peter Scott, 28 Aug 2019.)

MR169] Mangapps Railway Museum, Essex (MR p8): The railway held a gala over the August Bank
Holiday weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Museum opening. A visit was made on the
Saturday - a beautiful warm sunny day. Adult admission was £9 (£8 seniors) which allowed unlimited
riding. A near continuous service of trains, running every 15 minutes, was operating from Mangapps
station (adjacent to the Museum) to the end of the line via Old Heath station, which trains called at on
their return to Mangapps. Taking in turns, running in 'top & tail' mode either end of 2-car ex-EMU 302
201, were: 31105, 31233, 33202 & 47579. The Class 31s were in Network Rail yellow livery with the
33 & 47 in BR blue. Also taking their turn on the running line was: DMU trailer W51381 with 03399 and
its match truck, also 03197 with two ex-GWR 'Toad' brake vans. On the Southminster Road branch
was 03084 with a match wagon and the Canadian Pacific 'Caboose' brake van running on demand.
Since our reporter's last visit in 2013 a second Museum building (not currently rail connected) has
been opened to the rear of the first. Also new is the three road carriage shed, which ones passes
through on arrival after paying the admission charge. The workshop (not open to the public) can be
seen to have had a rear extension. The upper and lower floors of the, not yet in use, Mangapps
Junction signal box are available for inspection. Steam was also to operate on the Sunday and Monday.

MR170] Border Union Railway, Scottish Borders (MR p10): A visit to this railway at Whitrope on
Sunday 4 August found that passenger services have been extended north to the tunnel mouth and
south over bridge 200. The southern extension opened at the start of the 2019 season. It is not known
when the northern extension opened, but it was certainly after our visit there on Friday 10 July 2015.

MR171] Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway, Torfaen (MR p9): The MR Ed made a visit to this railway on a
dry and sometimes sunny, Saturday 17 August. In use was 0-6-0ST 'Empress' (WB3061/1954) with BR
MK1s TSO E4300 & BSK Sc35494. The 11.00 ex-Furnace Sidings was sampled. The run started with
'Empress' propelling the train up to Whistle Inn. After a brief pause here the train ran non-stop
through Furnace Sidings to Big Pit. 'Empress' then propelled the train back to Furnace Sidings for a
station stop and then hauled the train to the south end of the line at Coed Avon. After a brief pause
the train returned to Blaenavon High Level for a stop while 'Empress' ran round. The final run saw the
locomotive propelling back to Furnace Sidings. In all cases platform 1 was used at Furnace Sidings.

An adult all day ticket was a reasonable £9 for which a yellow Edmondson was issued and clipped on
the train. The well appointed café at Furnace Sidings sported a sign stating it opened at 11.00, but it
was clearly serving customers by 10.30! Unfortunately, it was unable to provide any hot foot, or even
any sandwiches - due to the kitchen being 'renovated'. August seems an odd time of year to carry out
that work. The 11.00 and the next working were reasonably filled, mostly families with young children
and a fair number used the railway to access the Bit Pit Mining Museum (where admission is free as a
National Museum, but car parking is chargeable). The new three road carriage shed is now complete
and track is currently being laid into it, although the road nearest to the running line is complete and
appears to be in use. This is an interesting railway and a visit is recommended.

MR172] Tinkers Park, East Sussex (MR p16) (BLN 1318.MR238): This site was visited on Saturday 3
August - the first day of the 'Model Railways plus' weekend, with an addition of a Bus Rally on the
Sunday. Adult admission to the site was £7, for which an untitled 'Admission' roll ticket was issued.
On the 2ft gauge Great Bush Railway a two train service was in operation, with the trains passing at
the new crossing loop near the Organ Museum. During the morning, in use were: 4wDM (No25) 'Wolf'
(MR7469/1940) with one tram style coach and 4wDM No5 ('Alpha') with one covered coach. Both
trains were running in push-pull mode and ran only as far the level crossing in the bottom field - short
of the station - possibly due to a problem with the points. [This is also known to happen here if the
level crossing road traffic is heavy - PAS.] The passenger service was suspended around 11.45 for a
cavalcade of all operable locos to celebrate 50 years of the railway. A commentary was given as to
brief history of each locomotive and builder. The passenger service restarted around 13.15 and then
started using the lower station.

On the 7¼" gauge miniature railway two trains were sharing duties, each with one sit-astride coach,
powered by 0-4-0T 'James' (Avonside) and 0-4-0ST 'Margaret' (Hunslet). All rides were free after the
admission had been paid, although each train had a donation box aboard. The Organ Museum was
open and the splendid Mortier Dance Organ was playing.

1335 FIXTURES REPORTS (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
2254] Welsh Marches Signal Box Visits, Fri 26 Jul 2019: By Peter Humphries & Nick Jones. During the
journey to Leominster station Radio Hereford & Worcester was warning of delays to Transport for
Wales services at Craven Arms. Nevertheless all 10 members for this fixture, kindly organised by our
member Barney Clark, met on time although one did arrive on a service that was an hour late! After
handing over our charity donations, we all set off by car to meet our NR guide for the day, local relief
signaller Geoff Loynes. A railway enthusiast himself, Geoff's knowledge of the operating characteristics
of the signal boxes and the history of the boxes and railway in the area was much appreciated.

We met him at Woofferton where, on our arrival, the signaller was calling to two track workers to
request they give up their line blockage for the passage of a train. Woofferton Junction, as it is still
named on the box diagram, dates from around 1875 and had a 75-lever frame but this has been
reduced to 39. The space created has been partitioned off for the signaller's welfare facilities, also
used by the track workers. After 'train out of section' was received from Bromfield box the bell code
'2 pause 2 pause 2' (Block line for protection purposes) was exchanged and the block instrument
pegged to 'train on line' so that the track workers could return to their work outside in safety.

Like all six of the boxes visited, Woofferton Junction has a GWR lever frame and Western Region (WR)
style block instruments in wooden cases. Spares of the accompanying block bells are running out so
two of the boxes visited had the same tone of bell for both directions with a wooden clothes peg
attached to one to distinguish between them! At Woofferton, as well as a trailing crossover and the
Up Goods Loop there is a facing crossover to speed up single line working, with one lever to operate
the points and two separate levers for the facing point locks. No signals are provided for this crossover
as it should only be used on the authority of the single line pilotman. This signal box still has its
omnibus telephones on the back wall, with the small glass fronted wooden case showing the codes for
the neighbouring signal boxes that were on the circuit. When other boxes were having theirs taken out
the Woofferton signallers made a charity donation to keep theirs. North of the box, the trackbed of
the former Tenbury Wells branch (this section CA 31 Jul 1961) could clearly be seen curving round to
the east. Beyond Tenbury it once ran through the Wyre Forest to Bewdley. Inside the box old photos
and signalling diagrams were displayed from the days when the Woofferton was indeed a junction.

Our next visit was back at Leominster, also dating from around 1875, originally 'Leominster South End'
signal box and, like Woofferton, a joint LNWR and GWR building. Although the Bromyard branch used
to diverge from the main line there south of the station on the Down (to Hereford) side, it merely ran
behind the box with no signals; the junction was further north. Consequently Leominster is much
smaller than Woofferton with a 30-lever frame. Again there is an unsignalled facing crossover - now
temporarily out of use - for single line working but with one lever controlling both facing point locks.

Unusually, because of the small size of the box, this lever is 'normal' in the frame when the points are
locked so that the signaller does not constantly have to walk around it! North of Leominster station is
an automatic half barrier level crossing and its timing is different for stopping and non-stop Up trains.

There are two buttons on the block shelf and when the 'stopping' one is selected the crossing closure
is delayed and the approaching train has a yellow at the three aspect colour light signal before the
station. Like almost all signal boxes now it has an illuminated diagram with a train shown by red lights.
At Leominster station, at first the diagram it appears to cover the whole layout, but the Up P1 section
was split after the last resignalling, so a British Rail WR track circuit indicator is provided for the extra
circuit. During our visit a rail grinding train from Craven Arms to Port Talbot passed the box.

We moved on to Moreton-on-Lugg a 1943 built Grade 3 GWR signal box. It has a 44-lever frame and
the usual equipment for operating the full barrier level crossing outside. Up trains are signalled from
Hereford by absolute block regulations but Down trains to Hereford are signalled by track circuit block
regulations. This is because the single line to Ledbury from Shelwick Jn is controlled by WR Tokenless
Block. Trains are described to Hereford by bell code and acknowledged by repetition back.

During our visit the signaller had a telephone call requesting the use of a user worked level crossing
but no such crossings are on the signal box diagram. They are not shown in this area unlike elsewhere.
One thing you learn from these signal box visits is that there is less standardisation in railway signalling
and practices than might be expected! The box also controls access to the nearby busy stone terminal
branch on the Up side, familiar to Society members from our many comprehensive trips there over the
years. The stone comes in by road, 23 miles from Strinds and Dolyhir quarries, near New Radnor.

The highest staff grade box visited was Grade 5 at Hereford (named 'Ayleston Hill' until 9 Jun 1973 -
this is not another BLN typing error, the nearby Hill had an 'e' on the end of its name but the box did
not!). Here access to the 60-lever signal box, another joint LNWR and GWR building opened in 1884, is
separated by a fence from the rest of the railway. Points near the signal box are still mechanically
worked as are some of the ground signals. Main line signals are now all colour lights. At the end of the
lever frame stands a tall cabinet that houses a Kearns-Barker one control Individual Function Switch
panel for Shelwick Jn. The box there was closed on 11 Nov 1984 with singling of the line to Ledbury
(from 21 Oct 1984) and associated junction simplification when traffic was in decline. Hereford works
WR tokenless block to and from Ledbury (visited by the society on 24 Nov 2012), absolute block to and
from Tram Inn and to Moreton-on-Lugg with track circuit block from Moreton-on-Lugg.

A 9-car IET from Paddington terminated punctually in P1 and, although it could be seen from the box
that it hadn't stopped short of the signal, it was still occupying the track circuit of the facing points
behind it. The usable length of Hereford P1 is 205m (and P2 is 204m) but Class 800 coaches are 25m so
the train was 225m long. TfW services were still disrupted so a late running DMU was held at Signal 58
north of the trailing crossover. Even when the IET started off for the diesel (turnback) siding that DMU
could only reach Signal 60 protecting the facing points to both platforms as the interlocking prevents
No60 being cleared until the points at the other end are set. This added 5 minutes to the DMU's delay.

Tram Inn is an 1894 built GWR signal box said to be on the base of the previous 1880 box and has 23
levers and the usual controls for the barriers of the level crossing outside. There is an enunciator to
prompt the signaller to lower the barriers without delaying the trains. The signallers have recently
been promoted from Grade 2 to Grade 3, because when Pontrilas is switched out (quite often), they
supervise a total of 18 user worked level crossings. As usual there is an illuminated diagram but there
is no track circuit on the Down main for just over 250yd immediately outside the box from Signal 21 to
just beyond the level crossing. Therefore Down trains less than 250yd long disappear from the diagram
as they pass outside and reappear beyond the level crossing! There is also a trailing crossover here.

Our final visit was to Pontrilas signal box, a McKenzie & Holland structure built for the GWR in 1882
and refurbished in 2009. There is a 42-lever GWR frame in this (signaller) Grade 2 box. In the centre of
the block shelf it was nice to see a pair of original GWR switches still used when the box needs to be
switched out. The layout includes an Up Goods Loop and trailing crossover and years ago it was the
junction for the Golden Valley line, latterly a short branch to nearby Moss MoD until 10 Jun 1969.

The £305 raised from participants' donations was split 50/50 between St Peter's Hereford Shelter and
Hereford Open Door two homeless charities. In line with the current NR policy, these were selected by
the local staff. Meanwhile the same day (1,090 miles away), in another part of the world (next report).

NEXT PAGE TOP: Wooferton Junction, a rear view. (Peter Humphries; all pictures Fri 26 Jul 2019.)

LOWER: The pictures after each box were taken there by member Andrew Gardiner on 26 Jul 2019.





PREVIOUS PAGE: Moreton-on-Lugg from the crossing; some participants are on the right. (Peter Humphries.)
BELOW: Southbound train at Moreton-on-Lugg, the crossover is for the stone terminal branch.

ABOVE: Moreton-on-Lugg crossing and the former station building - CP 9 Jun 1958. (Peter Humphries.)



BOVE: Hereford, (once Aylston Hill) the 51m 13½ch is from Shrewsbury station. (Peter Humphries.)



2255] The Branch Line Society Carinthia Explorer; Day 1, Friday 26 Jul 2019: By David Palmer & Paul
Griffin. A hot and steamy (excuse the pun) morning saw 107 explorers (a new record for a BLS foreign
trip) assemble at Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station in Klagenfurt, capital of the
Austrian state of Carinthia and an important railway junction in southern Austria. 93.1332, a 2-8-2 tank
engine built in 1927 built by Lokomotivfabrik Wien-Floridsdorf stood ready with its train of four four-
wheeled carriages of a similar vintage, pouring clag from its chimney over the station environs. Once
the smart diesel service from Weizelsdorf had arrived we were off, heading out through the suburbs of
the city and climbing sharply over a shoulder of the hills south of the city, before descending to cross
the river Drau, one of the longest tributaries of the Danube on an impressive truss bridge.

Arriving in Weizelsdorf we passed the passenger station to continue on the disused line towards
Rosenbach to the current extent of operations, marked by a stop board and track machine parked on
the line. A swift reversal then saw us propelled back onto a loop south of the platform line, where our
steam loco was detached and 383.10, an 0-6-0 diesel built in 1957 for the VOEST steel mill in Krems an
der Donau, attached. [This had not been part of the original plan, but was offered for free as it made
the shunting at Weizelsdorf much simpler!] This took us down the branch to Ferlach, with a couple of
run-pasts part way along the way, the first of which was adjacent to a field full of crickets ('owzat? -
you don't often see this in England these days). At Ferlach we transferred to two historic trams (Duwag
437 and ET 22104), volunteers having electrified the 1.6 km branch from Ferlach to the former KESTAG
steelworks. Part of the former steelworks site is now occupied by Historama Ferlach, which is the
second largest transport museum in Austria with 2,200m2 of exhibition space, including an interesting
mix of trams, motor vehicles, motorbikes, bicycles and boats. While our visit gave the opportunity to
be out of the baking sunshine, the interior of the metal-roofed building did resemble a sauna!

The trams arrived at Historama on the platform nearer the museum, but there was another platform
which offered the possibility of continuing another 400m to the tram shed on the other side of the
complex. So while participants had a look around Historama the trams were moved to the other
platform, and when (almost) everybody was back duly griced the additional track. Celebrations were
somewhat muted for the BLS team as it transpired someone had been left behind, but luckily a kind
person from the museum took him by car to Weizelsdorf to rejoin the tour.

Our Historama visit over, the trams returned us to Ferlach where 383.10 took us back to Weizelsdorf
and 93.1332 was attached to the rear of our train. Once the passenger service had departed for
Klagenfurt we once again propelled towards Rosenbach before returning into the platform road. Once
the road was clear 93.1332 was given its head, demonstrating some brisk acceleration as it crossed the
Drau and climbed back over the shoulder of the hills to Klagenfurt. Here there was a brief pause
before we headed north out of the city towards St Veit and a water stop. The run to St Veit gave the
opportunity to observe the flexibility of Austrian signalling in action, as between Klagenfurt Annabichl
and Maria Saal we were overtaken by a freight train running 'wrong line'! The water stop in St Veit
gave travellers the opportunity to purchase refreshments, there being only a limited selection on the
train, before we restarted, heading east past the hugely impressive medieval Hochosterwitz castle,
perched on a hill to the south, and through Launsdorf station. Beyond the station we lurched right
onto the Görtschitztalbahn, curving right through fields of maize and past one of the largest and
neatest piles of logs one could imagine! Following the river Gurk, on the way to Brückl the main road
was crossed for the first time, the level crossing barriers being hand-worked by a crossing keeper.

Beyond Brückl the private line to Donau Chemie, refused for the tour, follows the Gurk valley, while
we headed north along the Görtschitz valley, crossing the road a number of times more before
reaching Klein Sankt Paul, where our train paused to collect two who had experienced an horrendous
journey to Carinthia with cancelled flights due to bad weather and technical issues on their plane.
[All the texts between them and the organiser are in the e-BLN report, and shows how close it was!]
Re-starting we continued along the final 2km of a private line to the cement works of Wietersdorfer &
Peggauer Zementwerke GmbH, finishing well inside the works site, which includes a museum building.

Passengers were not allowed off the train at Wietersdorf, but it was raining heavily anyway. On our
way back to St Veit for a further water stop, we were raced by a small group of motorcyclists over the
three level crossings between Klein Sankt Paul and Eberstein (we lost), before the smart station
buildings at Eberstein and Brückl were noted for a second time. On the way back to Klagenfurt and for
the first time in the day, the clag from 93.1332's chimney was replaced by white smoke, a fitting
ending to a splendid day out. [To be continued; the complete report with pictures is a download.]

:Details must be checked 1335 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart) [email protected] .Please mention BLN.

2256] The World's Most Beautiful Railway: A weekly six part series on 'More4' Mondays 21.00 that
began on 26 Aug. Scotland where railways cross landscape voted the best in the world. It follows the
staff and enthusiasts (in an interesting, refreshingly positive, non-critical way) who safeguard these
iconic routes. Missed episodes are 'On Demand' at http://bit.ly/2ZweePZ for 30 days. The first one
included Britain's largest landslide barrier (at Loch Eilt on the Mallaig extension), the Forth Bridge,
a trainee conductor taking her exam and 'Union of South Africa' including the Lochty Private Railway.

2 Sep featured 'Flying Scotsman'; 9 Sep 'The Jacobite' Steam Train and Glenfinnan Viaduct etc; 16 Sep
the Oban line. Wemyss Bay is expected to feature on 23 Sep with 30th all about the West Highland
Line following a day in the life of a Conductor. An entertaining, engaging and enjoyable production.

2257] Statfold Barn Railway, Road, Rail & Ales, 6-8 Sep: http://bit.ly/2HCDYA9 (MR p24) (SK 241 064)
Statfold Barn Farm, Ashby Rd, Tamworth, B79 0BU. An incredible 2ft gauge three mile private railway
with a tramway and well stocked museum. Steam Engines, Traction Engines, Vintage Cars & Real Ale
Tasting. Real ales, gin, prosecco rum, wine etc. Hot and cold food all weekend. Intensive passenger and
goods train running and tram rides Sat & Sun (just one train running Fri). Roundhouse Museum open,
Workshops open Sat, many non-rail attractions. On the gate: Fri evening 18.00-23.00 Adult £7.50; 3-14
yrs £5; Sat 09.00-01.00 (Sun); Sun 09.00-15.00; both days Adults £12.50, 3-14yrs £7.50; Online advance
tickets saves £2.50 each, no booking fee. All day half-hourly Arriva Shuttle Bus from Tamworth station
09.56-16.56 (Sat)/15.56 (Sun) returning from Statfold 10.10-17.10 (Sat)/16.10 (Sun) for only £1 return.

2258] Bridge View Light Railway: (BLN 1334.MR160) Russells Garden Centre, Baginton, near Coventry,
CV8 3AG, (SP 337 752). A new volunteer run community project building a heritage themed 7¼" gauge
railway along the beautiful riverbank of the Sowe in Baginton village. Runs 11.00-15.00 on 14 & 15 Sep.

2259] Hastings Diesels, The Ludgershall Legionnaire, Sat 14 Sep: A 386 mile trip in the 6-car Hastings
unit from Hastings (07.55/22.19) and selected stations to Guildford (10.14/20.13) via Reading and
Westbury to Salisbury (15.50/18.10). Return via Chandlers Ford, Fareham & Haslemere to Guildford.

From Salisbury there is a trip (£25) to the Ludgershall branch (still with two hours in Salisbury) which
very rarely has MoD traffic or the whole day starts at £66. http://bit.ly/2ZiQTC2 has details and a
booking form. The route includes Andover trailing crossover just west of the station. Alighting and
photography is not allowed at Ludgersall and all participants have to supply names & addresses.

Hastings Diesels have kindly confirmed that they have permission to pass the NR boundary and run
onto the MoD internal railway to the end of line at Tidworth Road Level Crossing (A3026) shown as 'LC'
in TRACKmaps - the track now is lifted beyond. Also they will run to the end of the. Horse Dock line.
Reports of what the tour does welcome please. http://bit.ly/2jV8uwi has more details.

X.121] Transport for Wales Club 50: http://bit.ly/2m47neD £29 return on the TfW network only,
(no add on tickets available) for those age 50 and above. At ticket offices, on train; website and via
the app until 24 Nov; travel our on the date of ticket, return within 8 days (includes that day). Proof
of age required. Travel all weekends (except 30 Nov to/from/via Cardiff) or after 09.30 Mondays to
Fridays. This could be useful to travel to Cardiff for our 6 Oct Pacer railtour which is filling well.

2261] Northern Explorer 55: A day ranger for the over 55s (proof of age required) only £15 [Blackburn
- Crewe is £18.70 off peak return] - no discounts. After 09.30 Mon-Fri, all day weekends/Bank Holidays
on Northern services only (including bus substitutes). From ticket offices and on trains. Valid west of
Carlisle, Carnforth, Clitheroe, Colne, Burnley Manchester Road, Littleborough, Greenfield, Hadfield &
Edale. Also Windermere, Heysham, Blackpool, Southport, Liverpool, Ellesmere Port, Chester, Crewe,
Stoke and Buxton (map above). Does not include Clitheroe - Settle - Carlisle or Oxenholme - Carlisle.

2260] :*NEW*: 16-17 SAVER: 50% off rail tickets, including seasons for any 16 & 17 year old, £30 for
12 months or until the 18th birthday (seasons are valid up to 4 months beyond). No time restrictions or
minimum fare but excludes ScotRail† and Caledonian Sleeper, although is valid on CrossCountry, LNER
& TPE to/from Scotland. Available electronically & plastic card by post (unlike the discriminatory 26-30
'Railcard' that remains the only railcard that is digital only). Not available at stations; proof of age
needed, buy online https://www.16-17saver.co.uk/ or 0345 301 1656; a photo needs to be emailed.

†In Scotland a FREE 'Young Scot National Entitlement Card' is available to 11-26 year old residents;
34% off most singles, returns or advance tickets, minimum fare £12 before 10.00 in the week plus
50% off all weekly or monthly seasons in Scotland. Also reduced bus & ferry fares plus other benefits.

X.122] Guess the Stained Glass Window
Location: LEFT: (see BLN 1334.X.109) The
answer is Wem parish church, not too far
from Whitchurch (Shropshire) - hence the
clue. The adjacent window has clear glass
with 'Railway Link 1850' but the
Shrewsbury - Crewe line was authorised in
1853 and opened in 1853. (David Thomas,
19 Aug 2019.)

X.123] Friday 13th - Lucky For some: 'Model
Railway Challenge', a new series, starts
Fri 13 Sep at 20.00 on Channel 5. Watch out
for the week your IOM/East Midlands
Regional Editor, Sales Officer and Steward
(Graeme Jolley that man of many talents)
takes part in it!

X.124] Wirral Heritage Tramway; Sun 6
Oct: (MR p32) Open top, Birkenhead Tram
20 of 1901, is running specials all afternoon
between Pacific Road Yard (13.20 then
every 40 mins until 16.00) to Woodside
Ferry and return. £1 per person U5s free;
Day Tickets accepted. This is a special not a
service tramcar; there is no alighting at
Woodside due to time constraints. Please follow all instructions from the tram crew. It runs from
Pacific Road Yard to the inside (landside) Woodside Ferry terminus line, following the service car, with
the service car going into the outside (waterside) line at Woodside. The inside line is very rarely in use
in service and this is the first instance of any shuttles operating into Pacific Road Yard. Due to the
height of the overhead wire in the yard, they will normally run to the gates. BLS members should make
themselves known to the motorman and sit on the lower deck of the car. He will, if possible on the
day, take the car as close as possible either to the car that may be on display in the yard or the depot
doors once passengers from the top deck have disembarked or moved to the lower deck. A small extra
donation to the conductor for this would be much appreciated but it is not mandatory.

●Bookings: Mark Gomm, 84 Mornington Rd, STOKE-on-TRENT, ST1 6EL. [email protected] 07983 541887.
●Fixtures Sec: Kev Adlam, 53 Kemble Close, Wistaston, CREWE, CW2 6XN. [email protected] @BLSGeneralSec
●Sales Officer: Graeme Jolley, Dolbryn, Penegoes, MACHYNLLETH, SY20 8NN. [email protected] 07484 646542.
●Paper BLN Problems: Dave Monger 6 Underhill Close, GODALMING, GU7 1NU. [email protected] text/ring Editor.
●Bill Davis (Marwell Zoo visit): [email protected] or by post via the BLN Editor below.
●Editor: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX. 01684562862 07790652351. [email protected]
●Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.