1376

[BLN 1376]
There is no OS evidence to support the claim that the reinstated 1929 east curve was on a different
alignment, but the west curve was altered then; the whole triangle was controlled by the new Minster
'A' Box commissioned 23 Jun 1929. This new west curve: Minster West Jn (at the station) to Minster
South Jn OP Sun 7 Jul 1929, the start of regular service with the Southern Railway summer timetable.

From Signalling Instruction 26, 1929: The original 'straight' branch of 1847 was replaced by an 'acute'
curve as part of 1929 restoration of east curve. The original alignment was retained as dead end
sidings access from station end (commissioned - with the Up bay - 27 Jun 1929). Again it was under
control of the new Minster 'A' box (commissioned 23 Jun 1929) the closure date of the 'straight' west
outer curve with its immediate replacement. As above Sun 7 Jul 1929 was the start of passenger trains.

Minster West Jn - South Jn (both ends controlled by Minster 'A' box): From 2 May 1982 the 1929
'acute' alignment was replaced by reopening of original straight alignment. (SR SED WON 18/1982.)

Minister South Jn - Minster West Jn is a PSUL now, currently used SSuX by the 07.56* Ramsgate to
Charing Cross and 13.40 return, both of which reverse at Minster station P2 - it needs to be done in
both direction to cover both relevant crossovers. The double track Minster South Jn - Minster East Jn
has a broadly hourly service all day with a few extras. *From 17 May 2021 this starts from Faversham
at 07.05, not advised for travel to London as it takes 3 hrs 47 mins to Charing Cross via Ramsgate etc!

Minster station was shown as Minster Deal Junction or Minster Junction in Bradshaw from 1849 until
7 May 1945 and just Minster Junction in the South Eastern Railway 1864 timetable. A 'Thanet' suffix
was added from 1 Aug 1901 (list of station openings, closures and renamings compiled in the 1950s
from the Minutes of the Railway Clearing House Goods Managers' and Superintendents' Conferences
which had the change from 'Minster' not 'Minster Junction'). The 1929 Southern Railway Minster
signal box has so far survived resignalling, but the station building is minimal and uninspiring.

It was then back to Ashford International, and to Rye where Up and Down Ashford - Eastbourne
(rather than Brighton since May 2018) Marshlink DMUs cross each hour on the single track section,
singled from 1 Oct 1979. The Grade II listed station building is a big, three storey structure on the
Down side (to Hastings) with a very impressive three arch street frontage and traditional platform
canopy. On the Up side of the loop, the staggered platform has a traditional South Eastern Railway
wooden shelter with a canopy. Also that side is a traditional 1894 built signal box, with a brick base
and timber upper storey. It signals between the Hastings side of the junction at Appledore and the
Ashford portal of Ore Tunnel. The box is painted in Southern Region green and yellow, with a modern
Southeastern Train Operating Company (TOC) 'Rye' nameboard, and above it a green 'Rye Signal Box'
wooden nameboard with white letters. Our member feels that an enamel 'Rye Signals' sign would be
authentic for the box's South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SE&CR) era. The station is actually managed
by Southern (TOC) and so has their nameboard style; they also provide all the train services!

He had hoped to revisit Doleham (3,074 passenger in 2019-20) but only four trains call each way SSuX
and two SSuO these days, so that's a future challenge. Three Oaks (12,672 passengers) has a broadly
two hourly service both ways. Our member has APTIS (British Rail's Accountancy and Passenger Ticket
Issuing System) tickets for both, used in 1998, but he failed to photograph either station at the time.
Winchelsea (9,688) also has a broadly two hourly service, generally the ones not calling at Three Oaks!

Our explorer returned to Ashford, then naturally went to Pluckley. It has a large timber building on the
Down platform, with a hipped roof. An information panel states that the station building, dating from
1842, is the last surviving South Eastern Railway (SER) original wayside station built for the opening of
their original London to Dover main line via Redhill. As such, it has to be one of the oldest station
buildings still in use anywhere in the UK. Older examples are Liverpool Edge Hill (1836, Liverpool &
Manchester Railway) and Moira (1841, Great Northern railway of Ireland ex-Ulster Railway); can
members suggest others? Changing at Paddock Wood (originally Maidstone Road), both platforms still
have SE&CR barrel roofed long canopies, and a (non-working) SER 1892 clock on the Up main platform.

Here he headed along the Medway Valley line to photograph Maidstone Barracks, another de minimis
effort, and Halling. There, the main station building, in yellow brick, with hipped slate roof was on the
Up side with all the windows and the door firmly closed with roller steel shutters. After six good days
exploring South East England, he headed home via Strood, Thameslink to Farringdon, and Paddington.

1282] Southampton: (BLN 1372.701) DP World is to invest £40M in Western Docks after the award of
Freeport status in March. The crane capacity of the quay is to be extended by 120m (£1.5M) to access
all berths and the yard will be redeveloped with extra space for empty container storage (£3M). Eleven
hybrid straddle carriers (£10M) will consume up to 40% less fuel than diesel electric ones. Capacity will
increase by 25%. Western Docks has 1.87km of quay with up to 16m depth alongside. One of eight new
UK Freeports; government duties are not levied on the goods until delivery elsewhere in the UK.

1283] Alton: With the Covid cuts, the service is down to hourly all day (including in the new timetable)
but 12-car EMUs are running to/from Waterloo. The platforms only hold eight, a member wonders if
there are other stations where trains terminate that cannot accommodate the full length of the train.

1284] Reading: (BLN 1374.1025) By 20 Apr the ground floor of the Up side multi-storey car park
appears to have been consistently full on weekdays, although part was still shut off for installation of
electric chargers, with some vehicles visible on the 3rd level. Some may well be NR and GWR staff.
Most retail outlets on the footbridge were still shut, but Hotel Chocolat, WH Smith & Boots were open.
Starbucks and the Pasty Shop had both reopened by 23 Apr. The card shop has sounded its last post
and the unit is being repurposed. There is a fascinating collection of large format images from a
competition of landscape photography on the north end of the transfer deck. They include several
railway images - of Ribblehead Viaduct, Glenfinnan Viaduct, the Cambrian Coast lines and Battersea
Power Station with Grosvenor Carriage sidings: https://www.lpoty.co.uk/gallery/2020/2020-gallery

1376 SOUTH WEST (Darren Garnon) [email protected]

PREVIOUS: Sharpness in 1949 with its high level lines and (top right) the direct
Severn Bridge connection. That location top left sounds distinctly painful.

1285] Severn Rail Bridge: (BLN 1375.1164) Until the bridge was damaged in Oct 1960 children from
the Sharpness side of the River Severn were schooled in Lydney commuting the 4¾ miles (6½ from
Berkeley) by train. Afterwards the local Education Authority required an unadvertised railmotor to
continue - via the rather longer route (Sharpness - Gloucester - Lydney Town would be 39¼ miles by
rail). It is not clearly remembered how long this continued before the children could be allocated to
other schools on the east side of the Severn - possibly until the end of the 1960/61 school year.

1286] Taunton: A new ticket office opened on the P2 (Down) side on 19 Apr, part of the multi-million
pound improvements. Other developments will include a new station entrance and forecourt, extra
bike storage and a new multi-storey car park. There will also be improved bus and taxi interchange.

1287] Okehampton: (BLN 1375.1168) Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership is running a competition to
design a logo for the Dartmoor Line (like other lines in the area all have). It is hoped that the winning
design, which will appear on station signs, timetables, posters and promotional material, will reflect
the landscape, wildlife, history or what the line means to the community. https://bit.ly/3vwf2AM has
details (closes 23 May). The website also has an interesting description of how the old track is removed
or 'cropped' (using a cropper machine) and an informative video illustrating a Balfour Beatty track
laying machine in action. It is well worth watching to see how track is relaid. Half the branch has new
track now; remarkably 5km was relaid during the week ending 30 Apr alone. On 22 Mar, loco 08937
moved several semi derelict coaches from Okehampton P1 to Meldon Quarry for road transport to an
unknown purchaser. Future heritage services will operate from bay P1 which needs re-sleepering.

1288] Hinkley Point 'B': Construction began in 1967 with commissioning in 1976. Reactors 4 & 3 were
taken offline on 21 Feb & 8 Jun 2020, respectively, for inspection of their graphite cores. They resumed
service on 17 Mar for six months, then will be re-inspected. They should generate for a final six months
before 2022 closure with decommissioning. As a result the Bridgwater flask trains resumed on 1 Mar.

1289] Bristol West Yard (South Liberty Siding): (BLN 1373.878) (TRACKmaps 3 p6B 2018) After closure
of the Intermodal Terminal at the end of Jul 2019, the equipment was all removed. The aggregate train
to Banbury Reservoir Terminal for HS2 on 17 Mar 2021 ran after the previously used stockpile was
cleared at Bristol East Depot. The aggregate is from Stancombe Quarry (ST 504 683), Flax Bourton,
only 6¼ miles by road. Proposals for night operations brought objections from the locals. However,
new roads at the Bristol end of the nearby Long Ashton bypass include direct access to South Liberty
Lane for the West Yard Terminal. A switch to morning loading with a considerable reduction in road
lorry mileage across Bristol (and carbon emissions) led to planning permission finally being granted!

1290] The summit on the St Ives branch: (BLN 1371.581) We now know why much of the branch was
relaid between 3 Jan and 7 Feb! A gauge proving train with a Class 67 loco and Belmond Pullman stock
recently ran ready for the G7 Summit in Jun (Item 1214). For 'security reasons' the normal services will
be replaced by buses for those not attending the Summit (one way to create paths for the Pullman).

1291] Bedminster: (BLN 1375.1167) A GWR website update suggests that the station will only be used
for GWR trains to turnback between Tue 31 Aug and Fri 3 Sep, CrossCountry are running through trains
via Westbury. Unfortunately the GWR 'aspired for' local services diverted via St Philips Marsh (with
one 'l' not two - BLN 1375.1167) have expired and will be bus replacements in the Bristol area.

Our roving General Secretary explored the practical implications of using Bedminster station (104,050
passengers in 2019-20). He concludes that it is neither the most customer friendly nor designed for
large numbers, especially since the London end subway has been closed off. The existing exits from the
country end are step free but relatively steep ramps. They lead to a subway that only permits exit on
the Down side to an uninspiring area, although there is a mural.

It is a 15 min walk to Temple Meads station through some of Bristol's less salubrious neighbourhoods -
walking direct to the City Centre is as quick, sampling footbridges over the Cut, alongside Wapping
Wharf and the swingbridge over the Floating Harbour. If (as seems likely) buses are provided to/from
Temple Meads, they will probably need to pick up/set down some way from Bedminster station exit,
requiring a walk at least on the road under the railway. Parson Street has stepped access only, but
these do lead directly to main bus routes into Bristol. Passengers for Bristol Centre and Cabot Circus
are advised to leave here (if on a stopping service!) for a local bus if the steps are not a problem.
As the Bristol East work is sponsored by NR, rather than one TOC, there is a greater likelihood of
through rail replacement services avoiding Bristol being available (eg Bristol Parkway to Taunton).

[Your BLN Editor remembers a loco hauled train from York to the Oxford line diverted via Landor
Street Jn to St Andrew's Jn. It called at Small Heath instead of New Street during work at Proof House
Jn years ago. Around 80 passengers for Birmingham alighted, just missing a local DMU to Snow Hill,
had to cross to the 'normal' platforms and wait 30 mins for the next local train. There were no facilities
and no staff about but buses were not required. The look on the driver's face was priceless; perhaps a
couple of passengers (without suitcases) would be the norm here at that time in the evening.]

1292] Weymouth Tramway: (BLN BLN 1371.579) By mid-March nearly all of the former tramway had
been removed from the Town Bridge to the Quay terminal and had been tarmac covered over (RIP).

1376 WEST MIDLANDS (Brian Schindler) [email protected]
1293] The Hawthorns: (BLN 1375.1173) A member used the station many times in the 1950s and early
1960s from Olton when West Bromwich Albion were at home to Birmingham City. Sometimes it was a
though train from there for Wolverhampton to P2 or a change at Snow Hill for a Stourbridge train to
P4. The same applied returning after the match depending on which train was due first. Often it was a
rush to reach P1 or P3, but for afternoon matches, a British Railways employee called out the
platforms for the next trains on each line. He never seemed to be there after evening matches though.

Another member living in the West Midlands area in 1972 followed the run down and closure of
Birmingham Snow Hill closely at the time. This included using the former GWR lines in their dying days
for canal towpath walks. (Then you had to pay for a canal walking or cycling permit and several angry
lock keepers tried to throw him off until he actually produced this very rare document!)

The two Saturday morning trains from Langley Green into Snow Hill, commonly regarded as an error,
did actually run right up to the end, in that direction only (the third one was SSuX) and our member
confirmed this with a friend by visiting New Street Enquiry Office. Thus on Sat 4 Mar 1972 the friend's
dad was persuaded to run said friend and our member to Langley Green station for the 08.12 to Snow
Hill. The 'bubble car' had five passengers; the other three appeared to be 'normals' with no awareness
of the significance of the final passenger run between Smethwick West and The Hawthorns.

Later on that final day a couple of friends and our member walked to Hockley to join the rear of the
17.09 ex-Wolverhampton Low Level so they could 'reserve' the front seats of the final 17.48 from
Snow Hill [clever move]. It was a 3-car DMU rather than the usual 1-car for the greatly increased
number travelling that day. He had spent the afternoon making a wreath from laurel branches from his
parents' garden and old wire coat hangers, carrying it in a Marks & Spencer suit bag. He was allowed to
hop down onto the track and hang it over the front coupling hook, with a cardboard 'Last Train' label!
Quite a few people took flash photos (does anyone have photos, please?) but he never saw one
published and didn't have a flash camera himself. Amazingly the wreath survived the trip and he was
able to rescue it. Many years later it was rediscovered in his parents' loft but had disintegrated.

The train reached Wolverhampton Low Level at 18.20, a minute after the last Wolverhampton LL to
Snow Hill train had arrived; the 'last passenger movements' on these ex-GWR lines. As mentioned in
BLN, our member is sure that 'unofficial' calls were made at The Hawthorns as needed up to Mar 1972.
There was a blackboard at Snow Hill entrance (then on the side in Livery Street) that was sometimes
marked up that the 12.40 SO departure would call there. He is not sure about the reverse direction.

British Rail and the Standard Gauge Steam Trust (now Vintage Trains) at Tyseley arranged a last train
(special tickets only) which our member saw. It was Class 47 D1543, six MK1 coaches, an ex-GWR
Engineer's saloon, three Pullman coaches and a Class 20. Arriving ECS, it left Snow Hill P1 to exploding
detonators for Stourbridge Junction where the Class 20 took over to New Street. It was said to be the
only through train from Snow Hill to New Street. A 'Farewell to Snow Hill - Clun Castle Ltd' headboard
was carried by both locos. Sadly Sat 4 Mar 1972 was also the last day of the Penrith to Keswick branch.

1294] Barlaston: The station was closed 23 May 2004 'temporarily' (and counting) for modernisation
work on the WCML, passenger figures (if any) are a state secret. Former rail replacement bus service
(about to enter its 17th year) No14, from Hanley to Stafford, now runs from Trentham to Longton. D&G
Buses of Stoke now operate route '100' from Hanley to Stone instead; recently journey planners have
denied the existence of any service at Barlaston station. LNwR still does, but Traveline and National
Railway Enquiries were showing the old times! Initially the 'Chaserider' part of D&G ran the '432' from
Stafford to Eccleshall and Bennets Travel (provider of Norton Bridge rail replacement services until
withdrawal 1 Apr 2019) run a Stone local to cover other sections. Later Select Bus introduced the '103'
covering Stone to Eccleshall and No104 to provide extra journeys between Stone and Barlaston. There
is no suggestion that the latter accepts rail tickets. As far as is known, no WMR/LNwR Covid publicity
has made any mention of Barlaston or Wedgwood (but they never show much any interest in them).

Bidding for the last franchise (remember them) included bids to stop trains at Wedgwood (considered
for a Park & Ride) or Barlaston but those options will have long expired. Presumably the DfT is happier
with the present very confused situation than spending money on Barlaston station plus additional
funding no doubt required to stop services there or going through station closure procedures? This is
not helped by some Barlaston residents opposing trains stopping at the station again fearing that their
level crossing would be closed for longer periods of time delaying all their very urgent car journeys.

1295] Washwood Heath: On 12 Mar, DBC 66085 worked a 07.03 Moreton-on-Lugg (Tarmac) to
Washwood Heath Up Yard (12.41) loaded aggregate in 22 DBC red HRA wagons. It was the first DB
loaded stone train from Moreton-on-Lugg this year and ran via Abergavenny, Bristol Parkway, Yate
and Camp Hill so was the first commercial traffic to arrive via the Birmingham (west) end of the new
terminal (BLN 1375.1172). Hereford (Down Relief, run round) to Worcester and Bromsgrove would
have been a good short cut and is open 24 hours but DBC don't sign it and there is no freight that way.
66085 has HVO branding (Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil), a fuel being trialled on several DB locos.
A second such stone train (timing load 2,000 tonnes) ran the following week on 19 Mar. (C&ARS.)

1296] Dudley: A new rapid charging station will not be the World record holder for the speed it can
sell tickets but will top up battery powered Very Light Rail vehicles. This will be wireless and automatic
during the booked three min stops each end of the test track. Furrer+Frey All-In-One OpBrid chargers
are used by electric buses in Spain and the Netherlands. [Note: Furrer+Frey supplied the unsuccessful
first overhead bar for Severn Tunnel electrification.] It is part of developing the Coventry Very Light
Rail system, aiming to provide the benefits of trams at a fraction of the cost (or very little charge).

1297] Stourbridge Town: (BLN 1375.1169) From 25 Aug 1935 the branch had parallel bidirectional
single lines, one (right) for goods to Stourbridge Basin, the other for Stourbridge Town passenger
trains to enable the closure of Stourbridge Town signal box. Before it was double track. The Goods
Line, last used on Fri 30 Apr 1965, closed 20 Sep 1965. The branch was 'singled' from 22 Oct 1967.

1298] Tyseley: (TRACKmaps 4 p19B 2018) Vintage Trains new website is live. Trains run from/to
Tyseley Locomotive Works (sic), the first is Class 20s to Skegness on 4 Aug. Public joining/alighting
of tours has not been allowed here (it is thought) since 16 Dec 2017 Christmas White Rose railtour.

1299] West Midlands Metro: In mid-Apr the last piece of track for Phase 2 of the Westside extension
was welded into place. Finishing work includes "street scene improvements" (whoever thought of that
one) and partial (!) installation of OHLE. The opening date is to be advised but will be after the city
centre 'summer' closure for the Eastside extension triangular junction to be installed (BLN 1375.1171).

X.113] BELOW: An Eastleigh to Longport EMD Class 69 sandwich heading no
with the connection from Hatton P3 to the Down Dorridge line between - i

orth from Hatton station in the rain. Far left is the Stratford-upon-Avon line
it currently has no booked passenger use. (Peter Tandy, Wed 5 May 2021.)

X.114] BELOW: GWR 800025 IET 'Captain Sir Tom Moore' passing a private ra

ailway during the '100 stops' charity challenge. (Maria Phillips, 1 May 2021.)

X.115] BELOW: (BLN 1373.906) '001' at Ballingrane Jn on the 09.05 S

Silvermines to Foynes barytes ore train. (John Piesing, 10 Oct 1988.)





PREVIOUS PHOTO: A sad sight, the disconnected North Kerry Line (BLN 1373.906) to
Newcastle West and Tralee at Ballingrane Junction. (John Piesing, 10 Oct 1988.)

..1376 IRELAND (Martin Baumann) [email protected]
1300] Claremorris - Collooney: Contractors with road rail vehicles have been clearing vegetation.

1301] Irish Rail: The full timetable resumed on Tue 4 May (except on the Nenagh line which has an
engineering closure until 10 May*) including Belfast services but the essential travel only rule applied
until the end of Sun 9 May. Social and other media carried criticism of severe overcrowding on some
Dublin area services. For example on Sat 24 Apr hundreds of people flocked to Howth by train to enjoy
the sunshine with trains packed. Politicians have revived the idea of a DART tunnel under the centre of
Dublin, much discussed (usually before elections) over the last 50 years with nothing to show for it.

*This led to the discovery that you could travel from Castleconnell to Limerick for €1.99, for example
on Sun 10 May: 17.40 replacement bus to Ballybrophy (19.21) for a train at 19.36 to Limerick (20.43)
taking 3 hours and 3 minutes. The 21.19 direct rail replacement bus took 21 mins for the same fare.

Irish Rail issued 13,590 fixed payment notices to passengers who failed to produce valid tickets on
trains in 2019. Of these 37% had no ticket, 19% had failed to 'tag on' with their Leap Card and 13% of
the fines were issued to adults travelling with children's tickets (sorry leprechauns pay adult fare).

1302] 400,000 go missing on NIR trains! Full cross border service resumed on Tue 4 May with all trains
booked to be loco hauled, but there were no other changes to NIR then. NIR passenger use figures for
each station from 30 Mar 2020 until 28 Mar 2021 have been released. A total of 5,553,899 passengers
were recorded just 22% of the 25,195,814 documented in the previous equivalent period.

The top five (with previous year in brackets): Belfast Great Victoria Street 895,664 (5,077,206), Belfast
Central/Lanyon Place 408,690 (2,568,842), Bangor 327,413 (1,562,410), Lisburn 311,105 (1,320,623)
Coleraine 244,467 (806,849). Coleraine was 7th in the previous period with Botanic 5th ( 1,199,695).

The least used were, as usual, Poyntzpass 717 (1,950) and Scarva 462 (4,472). Of note the official
figures show 2,976,454 passengers boarding NIR trains but only 2,577,445 alighting - so what became
of over 400,000 unaccounted for? 56,389 journeys are shown from NIR stations to Dublin; one brave
soul booked to Carrick-on-Suir but Roscommon managed two - Rosslare Harbour (we think they mean
Europort) had 48 bookings. The 20 who travelled to Sligo had a long journey - probably all enthusiasts.

Reportedly Translink has requested an extra £50M to compensate for lost revenue; in the year to the
end of Mar 2020, the loss before tax and adjustments totalled £23.2M, (budgeted loss was £15.7M).

1303] Fri 30 Apr or was it Fri 13th? The 13.10 Great Victoria Street (GVS) to Londonderry was 30 mins
late due to a passenger taken ill. The policy of not crossing trains at Coleraine caused delays of 25-35
mins on the Londonderry line for the rest of the day. This policy is because there are only two
(bidirectional) platforms at Coleraine and when services between Londonderry and Belfast are due
there is usually a Portrush train in. The signalling allows ECS shunts out of the way onto the Portrush
branch and our member feels that it's just operational laziness. As a result the 16.38 ex-Londonderry
ran via Templepatrick Loop to cross the 18.10 ex-GVS. The 17.38 ex-Londonderry used Killagan Loop
to cross the 1810 ex-GVS. The 14.45 Portadown to Bangor failed at GVS where it was cancelled as was
the 16.25 return (as far as GVS). Next the 15.15 Portadown to Bangor failed at Central/Lanyon Place
delaying following trains and cancelling of the working to Bangor and 16.55 return as far as GVS.

Cross border trains were delayed by the failure of Meigh AHB Crossing. The 13.20 ex-Dublin was 30
late as a result but then failed at Portadown. It was the train's first day back as a loco hauled set. 209
was the failure, OOU for some time. It was eventually rectified, reaching Belfast 104 minutes late.
A railcar was used for the 16.05 return to Dublin but by the time one was available it left 40 mins late.

Just when you might think it could not get worse it did, when the 16.50 Dublin to Belfast with loco 227
failed at Drogheda. Irish Rail replaced the train with a railcar which left Drogheda 110 minutes late!

1376 ISLE OF MAN (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]
1304] Electric Railway: On the morning of 23 Apr Car 21, resplendent in green, headed out of Douglas
on an 'engineering run' to Ramsey. It was outside Derby Castle sheds on 27 Apr with the shed doors
open, outside was Trailer 43 attached to Power Car 18 (which did not look operational!). The cars in
the 'Top Shed' (right) were wrapped in plastic to protect them while work was in progress on the shed.

1305] Laxey Goods Shed: See TRACKmaps 1 p23D 2017, left of '(A2)'. Manx Electric Railway (MER) and
Great Laxey Mine Railway volunteers have mounted an appeal to restore the 1903 built MER Laxey
Goods Shed. In recent years it has been the volunteers' base to carry out high quality restorations of
MER rolling stock. It is the last surviving MER Good Shed and is adjacent to the tracks at Laxey car stop
but no longer connected to them. The shed is in relatively good condition but required remedial work.
Funds have already been raised to replace the main windows but £20,000 is now sought for two new
doors, fascia boards, gutters and downpipes, new internal wiring and an exterior repaint.

The volunteers (from the Laxey & Lonan Heritage Trust) have restored MER Wagon 8, Mail Van 16 and
were involved in restoring Ratchet Car 14. They have repainted Trailer 51 and are restoring Trailer 19.
Please send any cheques to: The Great Laxey Mine Railway, The Gift Shop & Information Centre, Mines
Road, Laxey, Isle of Man, IM4 7NH or BACS to IOM Bank Eastern Region, Sort Code: 55-91-00, account
number 57148198. For further details and queries please email: [email protected]
1306] Mountain Railway: On 22 Apr Car 4 was seen on Bungalow webcam before 9am ascending Snaefell.

1307] Horse Tram on shifting sands? During the week of 24 Apr an IOM Government statement read:
The design of the Horse Tramway project from Broadway to the Sea Terminal is still being developed.
Its funding was previously included within the Tynwald approved budget for the promenade scheme.
It has also emerged that new rail already laid came (unused) from the aborted Merseytram system.

1308] Groudle Glen: (MR p12) Our Laxey
dynamic duo visited this 1,000yd long 2ft gauge
railway on the first day of the season, Sun 2
May. The track through Lhen Coan has been
completely dug out before recent relaying, so
that the previous undulations and the mound
under the station roof have gone. Plastic
sleepers have been used where possible. The
new track is significantly lower and flatter than
before (Microgicers please note). There is a new
spring point at the inland end with a very hefty
spring! Some blue Pandrol rail clips (PR402A)
are used to secure the rails which, it turns out,
are the left handed version of the standard right handed red clips (PR401A)! The Stock Transfer Siding
adjacent to Headland Loop between Lime Kiln Halt and Sea Lion Rocks has also now been removed.

ABOVE: The new spring point at Lhen Coan, it will be interesting to see what they do there when
spring is over. (Jenny Williamson, 2 May 2021.) NEXT PHOTO: (Item 1308) Groudle Glen Railway, on
Sun 2 May, 'Otter' (on the right) operated all the service trains but 'Brown Bear' and 'Sea Lion' ran test
runs to Sea Lion Rocks. Here are the three locos all together at Lhen Coan station. (Graeme Easton.)

1309] Travel: The IOM revised borders framework was published on 20 Apr with an aim that, subject
to the UK moving as expected and no new variants of concern, IOM borders will be open for travel
to/from the UK from the end of June. Hopefully that will mean a normal train service resuming as well.

1310] St John's: (BLN 1370.448) A planning application has been made and is pending for a new bridge
over the Douglas to Peel A1 main road at Ballaleece just west of St John's towards Peel Road station
site. It is part of upgrading the 7 mile trackbed path to Kirk Michael on the former Ramsey line which
is on an embankment here. The original railway bridge was removed after the line closed in 1968.





BELOW: From the end of line at Lhen Coan showing the high standard of lay

ying and quality of the trackwork. (Jenny Williamson and next, 2 May 2021.)

BELOW: 'Otter' at Sea Lion Rocks, with the inevitable appearance (far left) o
last in a photo)! Adjacent is a volunteer, Charles Spencer, previous Welsh

NEXT: (Item 1304) Newly repainted Manx Electric Railway Car 2

of our Chairman, John Williamson, (well, it has been a few BLNs since he was
hpool & Llanfair Railway General Manager until his retirement on 31 Mar.

27 at Derby Castle tram sheds. (Jenny Williamson, 27 Apr 2021.)





BELOW: (Item 1310) Mind the gap! The present St John's to Kirk Michael tr
to the missing bridge (ahead). Looking southeast towards St John's from

rackbed walk involves descending to the A1 (middle right) at Ballaleece due
the Kirk Michael side of the bridge. (All Jenny Williamson, 29 Apr 2021.)

BELOW: Remains of the former rail bridge abutments on the St John's side - t

the present access to the trackbed is through the two gates and up the slope.

BELOW: From St John's side looking northwest towards Kirk Michael ove

er the A1; fortunately there is plenty of headroom here for a new bridge.

BELOW: (Item 1310) Planning notice at the site of the proposed steel truss pedestrian bridge over the
A1 at Ballaleece for the St John's to Kirk Michael 7 mile track bed path upgrade. (Jenny Williamson.)

1376 SCOTLAND (Mike McCabe) [email protected]

1311] Blackford: (BLN 1374.1066) The new Highland Spring terminal itself seems complete except for
track within the site (presumably a different contract). The NR connection was put in on 7 Jan 2019
and currently ends at buffer stops outside the site boundary. This project first sprung to life in 2009.

1312] Failed Examinations: ScotRail is checking tickets but, if no ticket is held, they can only 'request'
the person to buy one online. Staff are not allowed to sell tickets, excess them or issue penalties.

1313] Dalwhinnie: (BLN 1375.1183) The derailment actually happened in the early hours of Sat 10 Apr.
The RAIB (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) has revealed that the signal on the approach to the
facing crossover was displaying a proceed indication for the route along the Up line and there is no
signalled route from there, over the crossover, to the Down line. Both sets of points forming the
crossover were detected as being in the correct position for the Up line route by the signalling system
and indicated as such to the Dalwhinnie signaller, even though the points at the north end of the
crossover (the ones nearer to station) were set in a position to divert the train onto the crossover.
[That very same train had used the crossover correctly in the other direction only a few hours earlier.]

The RAIB investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events which led to the accident. It will
also consider: Why the signalling system did not detect that the points were in an incorrect position
thereby allowing the signal to be cleared for the movement along the Up line. How the points were
able to move as the train passed over. Factors associated with the installation, maintenance and
testing of the point machines that operated the crossover.

On Fri 23 Apr a member made his own investigation at Dalwhinnie. Calm seems to have returned and
the line was open (with Emergency Speed Restrictions). The crossing deck had not been reinstated and
the crossing was closed. Trackworkers were checking levels (daily to look for movement). They thought
that the level crossing will eventually be reinstated but no decision has been made about the crossover
long term (its signalling has been disabled). As well as allowing disabled passengers to alight/join at Up
P1, it was used by Down trains (mainly track machines) to access the sidings north of the station. They
otherwise need to shunt forward into the (Tokenless Bock) single line section, involving the Kingussie
signaller, remove the Dalwhinnie shunt key and, with permission, pass the starting signal at danger.

1314] Caledonian Sleepers wake up: The evening of Tue 27 Apr was the first day since 23 Dec that two
sleeper trains had run from Euston, one only in service to Inverness and the other to Edinburgh but
portions then ran ECS to Fort William and Aberdeen. This was repeated on 28th with departures in
both directions (ECS Edinburgh to/from Aberdeen and Fort William). Full passenger service resumed
with the evening departure from all destinations on Thur 29 Apr. The unusual sleeper replacement
ScotRail DMU (was TThO) 08.52 from Rannoch to Fort William last ran on Mon 26 Apr (BLN 1371.604).

1315] Dalcross: Highland Council has 'reluctantly' granted planning permission for the two platform
station to serve Inverness Airport. It was first mooted 15 years ago. The 'reluctance' was due to the
closure of a foot crossing and its replacement by a bridge that only has steps. A Councillor said:
This should be a graded ramp at a maximum of 3% and if it costs a lot more to do it then just do it - in
the scheme of the overall rail project it is a very small amount of money. Was he offering to pay?

1316] Edinburgh Trams: Mon 26 Apr saw the easing of travel restrictions in Scotland. Trams continue
to operate every 15 mins between Airport and York Place. The trams continue to be regularly sanitised
(like the stops) and windows are kept open. Ticket Inspectors are now back with 'no contact' checking.

FIRST PHOTO: Absent friends; an Inverness DMU passes the site of the recently removed level
crossing and facing crossover; the 'lower' semaphore was for the latter. (Both Nick Jones, 23 Apr 2021.)

BELOW: The 08.35 Edinburgh to Inverness restarts after its call at Dalwhinnie
on time at 11.05, showing the signal box and Engineer's Sidings.









BELOW: On a snowy 25 Nov 2016 the road is set for the track machine to t

take the crossover; an orange infantryman is by the crossing. (Nick Jones.)

BELOW: The same occasion, the track machine is now stabled; looking toward

ds Inverness where the double track singles (note the bidirectional signalling).

BELOW: (Item 1311) Blackford, the Highland Spring (in the background

d) Up side Freight Terminal, so far trackless. (Nick Jones, 23 Apr 2021.)

1317] Carmont: An interim Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report reveals the train derailed
after colliding with stones washed out onto the track from the gravel filled crest drain and adjacent
ground. The report says: Post-accident surveys of the track found no evidence suggesting derailment
occurred on the approach to the debris on the track, and verified pre-accident inspections which had
found no track defects in this area. RAIB has not found any evidence of a train fault that could have
played a part in its derailment. The first evidence that train wheels had deviated from the rails was
identified less than one metre beyond the point where the left-hand rail emerged from beneath the
debris. The top surface was scored by the flange of the leading left hand wheel as it started to derail.

1318] West Kilbride: The station buildings are being renovated and converted to a Citas Tapas Bar.
The roof is being retiled and the chimneys replaced by imitations. It is due to open in this summer.

1319] Longannet: NR has requested an Environmental Impact Assessment for a proposed station at
Broomknowe, south of Kincardine. Plans could see a passenger service restored between Alloa and
Dunfermline, with stations at Clackmannan, Kincardine and Longannet, with possible electrification.

1320] Ravenscraig: (BLN 1369.263) Almost 500 formal objections to development of part of the steel
works site as an industrial site have been made. Many who moved in to new housing say they would
not have if they had known that industry was to be developed there. The site would be rail connected.

1321] Oxwellmains: New traffic flows from Tarmac's cement works are likely to develop in the coming
months. Existing traffic (mostly Seaham, Inverness, Aberdeen & Motherwell) should continue with
new destinations of Leeds and Weaste. There has been no cement traffic to Carlisle Brunthill for a
while. This follows major expansion of the works. Last year the Scottish government awarded Tarmac a
£1.5M grant to improve its rail facilities here. It is understood that the South Sidings are working to
capacity so the North Sidings are being refettled and returned to use. One of the two internal Hunslet
locos has been labelled 'South Sidings' and the other 'North Sidings'.

BELOW: (Item 1320) Departing from Dalziel 'New' Yard (pronounced 'dee-L', of course) on an
18 Apr 1980 brakevan trip with Ravenscraig Steel Works in the background. (Ian Mortimer.)

ABOVE: The same trip; the Class 08 drops back after banking the train around the sharply curved
and steeply graded Dellburn branch. Note the fine array of contemporary cars! (Ian Mortimer.)

1322] Thankerton: On 18 Apr a detached blade from a working ballast regulator damaged nearly 2,000
sleepers affecting two miles of the Down line from 66m 20ch to 68m 41ch. Some trains terminated
short at Carlisle. A 5mph restriction was imposed through the area (taking 24 mins to cover the two
affected miles), later eased to 20mph (six minutes required). Final repairs were made over 1-3 May.

1376 WALES & THE MARCHES (Chris Parker) [email protected]
1323] Penmaenmawr: (BLN 1346.611) Work started on Tue 6 Apr to clear the sidings of years of
vegetation growth (again! - see BLN 1330.1516). New track is to be laid for a new three year contract
by Hanson Penmaenmawr Quarry to supply aggregates to Sizewell C; previously HS2 was to be the
recipient. A new conveyor system is also to be built in the quarry. Output should be sufficient to
require Hanson to work two shifts and Freightliner to operate two trains daily. Maybe this time…

1324] Cardiff Celsa Steel: Feb 2011 'Railway Herald' and other sources reported on the then new GBRf
shunting contract. Apparently GBRf acquired a 40 year old Hunslet shunter to assist with the work.
The 2011 GBRf Directors' report refers to Tremorfa and Castle Works (Cardiff Rod Mill) but onsite rail
logistics only, initially for five years. It then mentions a later contract to work trains of inward scrap.

1325] The battle for Carmarthen 2021: (BLN 1374.1077) To amend this, Grand Union Trains' repeat
open access application DOES state that ultimately services are planned to be operated by new build
Hitachi Class 802 trains in up to 9-car formation, which will also have space for light freight, a fixed
buffet between the classes, onboard catering facilities and improved [orthopaedic?] seating, [well, it
would be difficult to make it worse] lighting, legroom and luggage space. Coincidentally (?), from the
16 May timetable change, GWR has 'Q' (if required) SSuX paths for two Up and three Down Carmarthen
to Paddington IET services, a Carmarthen - Swansea 'local' working and a Down ECS from Maliphant
Street Depot (Landore). Currently just one Paddington and one ECS working operates each way SuX.
However, SuO there are already 3 Up and 3 Down Paddington services which are booked to continue!

BELOW: (Item 1332) The former Cambrian Railways' Elan Valley Junction Signal Box was reincarnated
in 1908 as Pwllheli West 'Frame' here looking east towards Porthmadog. (Chris Parker, 7 Oct 2020.)

[BLN 1376]
1326] Class 197: (BLN 1373.919) On 14 Apr, 2-car 197001, the first of TfW's fleet of 77 CAF Civity
DMUs, was hauled by Freightliner 66587 from store at Donnington to Crewe where it will be based for
test running along the North Wales Coast. The 51 (Class 197/0) 2-car and 26 (Class 197/1) 3-Car sets
being assembled at CAF Newport will eventually replace all TfW Class 175 and 158 DMUs. 21 of the
2-car sets will be equipped with ERTMS for the Cambrian lines and 14 of the 3-cars will have First Class
sections, for long distance services. They are similar to Class 195s but have end gangway connections -
bright blue ones, as some compensation for the lack of yellow panels! The ERTMS units, based at
Machynlleth, are expected to be among the last to be introduced. The Class will therefore first enter
service on routes radiating from Chester, where the other 56 will be based at the current Alstom depot
which will transfer to CAF. (May 2021 Modern Railways and the North Wales Coast Railway website.)

1327] Britannia Bridge: (BLN 1375.1185) Refurbishment of Britannia (middle) tower is deferred due to
a pair of peregrine falcons (protected birds) nesting in it. Once rare, there are now 1,500 breeding pairs
in the UK. NR was alerted by a member of the public who spotted them flying and was 'enraptored' no
doubt. Work on the other two towers continues but the Britannia must wait until the family has left!

1328] Machynlleth's lifting bridge: (BLN 1373.922) Preparatory work for the raising of the Afon Dulas
bridge by one metre was well under way when our local member visited on 20 Apr. A temporary road,
built to access the east side, joins the A489 a little further up the valley. On the west side, large metal
panels have been laid over the field from the end of the lane which leads from Machynlleth chip shop!

Our member knows of no other work planned during the blockade. Local TfW sources claim that the
now state owned customer facing (?) operator has decided to include Shrewsbury - Newtown in the
line 60 mile line closure because it proved very difficult to organise transport for operational staff to
and from Newtown, despite the fact that taxis have regularly met this need during previous works.

1329] Welshpool: (BLN 1356.2093) https://bit.ly/3nkzHov is the Rail Accident Investigation Branch's
preliminary examination of the collision between a van and TfW passenger train at Smiths Lower Cefn
user worked crossing (UWC) on 22 Jun 2020. The van driver was unfamiliar with UWCs and did not
contact the signaller for permission to cross. From all the evidence it seems that the far side gate may
have swung back as the van crossed, causing its driver to stop and attempt to alight while it was still
foul of the line. The offside door was open when the train struck the van, spun it around and threw its
driver into an adjacent field, causing life changing injuries. Train crew and passengers were uninjured.

1330] Taffs Well: (BLN 1364.3258) Work continues on the tram train depot. The station platforms are
also being lengthened for the new trains and a new replacement footbridge with lifts will be provided.

1331] Gobowen: (BLN 1371.613) The private booking office and café have so far survived the latest
Lockdown and ticket machine installation. Reopening is expected 17 May (07.30 - 13.30 SSuX & 07.30 -
12.30 SO initially). On 22 Apr the two Class 144 Pacer sets (BLN 1374.1080) were still present but had
been separated by about 6ft. One proclaimed that it was heading - southwards - for Dumfries.

X.116] NOT Wales! Our member Bob Bond has a large number of duplicate copies of 'Back Track', the
excellent magazine recording Britain's Railway History. They are dated 1987 to 1999 and can be sold,
but Bob would prefer to swap individual copies with any member having spare copies of certain issues
of Back Track from 2000 to date. Please contact: [email protected] for further details.

NEXT: (Item 1336) The new Pwllheli RNLI boathouse which was partly funded by our charity activities.

(All three are thanks to the RNLI and our member, Mark Thomas who is an RNLI fundraiser.)

FIRST: By David Williams.

SECOND: Interior view Tomos Moore.

THIRD: Arrival of the new lifeboat, Dragonflight Drones.