1331

Number 1331 (Items 1536 - 1691 & MR 115 - MR 128) (E-BLN 81 PAGES) 6 Jul 2019

BRANCH LINE NEWS

Respice in praeteritum, praesens et futurum
Published twice monthly by the Branch Line Society - founded 1955
branchline.uk https://m.facebook.com/BranchLineSociety/

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

British Isles news from member7s2; 8a6n7i7nternational section is available.
Opinions herein are not necessaarivlyaitlahbolsee. of the Compilers or the Society.

…………… BLN 1332 is dated Sat 27 July :Mind the 3-week gap!: Contributions by Wed 17 July please

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

7 and 8 Jul Sun & Mon; Devon servicceiettrya.iSnotcrieatcyk.er NOTIFY INTEREST 1326 MH OPEN
Sat 13 Jul K&ESR Charter **POSTPONED** Loco 08888 not available 1322 MG OPEN

Sat 20 Jul Tour to four freight locations APPLY FOR WAITING LIST 1327 MG APPLY

Fri 26 Jul Wooferton - Pontrilas signal box visits - limited numbers BELOW BC OPEN

Sat 27 Jul The return of Thunder Vac 50008 (D408), circular tour 1329 MG OPEN

Sun 28 Jul Sheffield Supertram, PLACES AVAILABLE - CHECK WEBSITE 1325 MG *OPEN*

26 - 28 Jul Society rare track tour in south Austria 1318 PG OPEN

Sat 10 Aug Crewe - Portsmouth; COVENTRY NORTH YARD CONFIRMED BELOW MG OPEN

Sun 11 Aug The Tri County Triple Tractor; Crewe - Lancaster 3 x Cl 37s 1329 MG OPEN

Mon 26 Aug 09.30-18.30 Scunthorpe Steeler No19 APPLY WAITING LIST 1328 MG APPLY

Sat 14 Sep The Bow Bells railtour; EXPECTED TO FILL QUICKLY BELOW MG OPEN

21/22 Sep Save the dates South Hampshire Minor Railways weekend TBA TBA Claimed

Sun 6 Oct Save the date Llinellau cangen y rheilffordd/Branch line tour TBA TBA Claimed

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

7-10 May 20 Save the dates for Island of Ireland V weekend (BLN 1329) TBA TBA Claimed

BC = Barney Clark; MG = Mark Gomm; MH = Mark Haggas; PG = Paul Griffin.

X.70] :Charity Signal Box Visits Fri 26 Jul:: Welsh Marches Line, Hereford Local Operations Manager
Area Signal Boxes Visit. A short notice visit (not in paper BLN) to Woofferton, Leominster, Moreton-on-
Lugg, Hereford, Tram Inn & Pontrilas signal boxes. BLS members only, limited numbers; an on the day
cash charity donation applies, including by anyone who books and fails to turn up or cancels at short
notice and can't be replaced. Hi-Viz orange jacket required. Bookings/queries to Barnaby Clark:
[email protected] (note the underscore in the e-mail address). Please advise if you are
arriving by car (and how many lifts you can give) or if by train, as we will need to minimise car usage.

1536] :Type 3 to the Sea; Sat 10 Aug:: (BLN 1329.1346) This track & traction tour with 3 x Class 37s to
Portsmouth from Crewe, Stafford, Nuneaton and (PU only) Watford Junction is booking well. Six
different options are available at Portsmouth. We are pleased to confirm that Coventry North Yard
(to be remodelled later this year for the new Coventry bay platform) has been agreed for the tour.

1537] :*NEW* The Bow Bells; Sat 14 Sep:; A 'Classic' BLS loco-hauled track railtour from Nottingham
to Norwich, with a great selection of requested freight branches, many not done before, and goods
loops. Full details are below; highlights include Bow Plasmor Terminal (ex- Midland Railway side of
Bow Goods), Johnston Logistics Terminal, Brandon DB Cargo and Norwich Riverside Freight Depot.

This is a full day tour, so a lunchtime leg stretch break and photo stop has been requested at Norwich.
DB Cargo Class 66s rare for passenger haulage will be requested. Our Buffet Car will serve drinks,
snacks and light refreshments to all passengers. Our Real Ale bar will dispense a hand pumped
selection of real ales. There will be a charity raffle with our usual extensive selection of valuable prizes.

Nottingham P7 (PU 06.40) - Line 'A' - Up Nottingham Slow - East Midlands Parkway (PU 06.55) -
Loughborough (PU 07.10) - Syston Curve - Melton Mowbray (PU 07.30) - Melton Mowbray UGL -
Oakham Up Goods Line - New England North Arr/Dep Line 1 or 2 - Construction Arr/Dep Line -
Peterborough P5 (PU 09.00) - March Up Gds - Ely West Curve - Brandon Down Goods Loop (rev) -
Brandon DB Cargo (rev) - Eccles Road Exchange Sidings (rev) - Johnston Logistics Terminal (rev) -
Norwich (45 min break) - Thorpe Jn 'D' line (rev) - Carriage Sidings Line '9' (rev) - Riverside Freight
Depot Cemex Pad (rev) - Carriage Sidings Line '9' (rev) - Thorpe Jn 'D' line (rev) - Norwich - Trowse
Down & Up Loop - Ely Through Siding - Cambridge North Jn - Reception Loop - Cambridge No4
Reception Siding (first tour to do the new 12 May 2019 layout not shown on TRACKmaps or the
Sectional Appendix) - Cambridge South Jn - Great Chesterford Up Goods Loop - Bishops Stortford P3
- Up Passenger Loop - Harlow Mill Run-round Loop - Harlow Town P1 - Broxbourne Up Goods Loop -
Lea Bridge - Temple Mills (Orient Way) Reception Road - Olympia Park Jn - Down Temple Mills -
Stratford P12 - Dn Temple Mills - Bow (Midland) Plasmor Terminal (rev) - Carpenters Road S Jn - Up
Channelsea Loop - Lea Jn - Canonbury W Jn - Highbury Vale Jn - Finsbury Park Dn Goods - Dn Slow
No2 - Welwyn Garden City P4 - Dn Slow - Stevenage P4 - Dn Slow - Hitchin - Peterborough (SD 19.55)
- Oakham Dn Gds - Melton Mowbray DGL - Melton Mowbray (SD 20.35) - Loughborough (SD 20.55)
- East Midlands Parkway (SD 21.10) - Dn Nottingham Slow - Line 'B' - Nottingham P1 (SD 21.30).

IMPORTANT: Please state where you intend to join and alight (for coach stewarding purposes and on
the day contact if any problems arise) - it can be changed if you let us know. First Class Table for Two
£164*; First Class £144*; Standard Class £94. U18s (must be accompanied by a fare-paying adult) £47
less; Non-members £12 extra (all fares). Bookings per BLN 1329.1244. *No refreshments are included.

Provisional timings and route, validated by Riviera Trains/DB Cargo and bid to NR are overleaf. Access
to all freight facilities is, as usual, subject to availability and operational matters on the day.

1331 HEAD LINES (Paul Stewart) [email protected]

1538] Keeping Track, (extra to Head Lines) significant passenger service suspensions: *= New/altered

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

1322.242 28 Sep 18 Unknown CairnGorm Mountain Railway, 'Base Station' - Ptarmigan
1326.748 16 Mar 19 16 Jul 19 *Llandudno Jn - Llanrwst
1326.748 16 Mar 19 23 Jul 19 *(Llanrwst) - Blaenau Ffestiniog

1328.1128 19 Apr 19 19 Jul 19 Sheffield Supertram (Shalesmoor‡) - Middlewood/Malin Bridge

1330.1476 21 Jul 19 27 Jul 19 *(Gloucester) - (Lydney) [‡Extended closure from 3 Jun]

1330.1399 †4 Nov 18 1 Aug 19 *Llangollen Railway, (Carrog) - site of former Corwen East

1328.1332 4 May 19 19 Aug 19 (Dyce) - (Inverurie) [† Line above: Date of last public service]

1328.1133 15 Jun 19 19 Aug 19 Inverurie - (Huntly)

1326.788 26 Jul 19 24 Aug 19 (Lisburn) - (Portadown)
1316.2303 2 Jan 19 Aug/Sep 19 *Mid Hants Railway; Alton P3 - (Medstead & Four Marks) below

1329.1254 26 Oct 19 4 Nov 19 Havant Jn - (Chichester)
1328.1196 9 Nov 19 16 Nov 19 Cowley Bridge Jn - (Taunton); Cogload Jn - Worle Jn/Weston-S-M

1539] Mid Hants Railway; Alton P3 (incl)/NR connection - Medstead & Four Marks (excl): (BLN 1316.
2303) TCA after running on 1 Jan 2019 to construct the new Butts Road underbridge with changes to
the A339 junction. UPDATE: The abutments and new bridge have been erected but there is much
pinning work still to do. An overrun of the closure is now likely with ROP late Aug or even early Sep.

1540] Cardiff Splott Jn - Greenergy Terminal: (TRACKmaps 3 p21 - Jun 2018) (BLN 1330.1392) Traffic
has ended on the extremity of the 'Roath Branch' at the Greenergy terminal, with the last trains on
23 Apr 2019 as recorded. However, Longships Road Loop is still used for trains loading in Cardiff Docks
to run round, such as the weekly ash train to Avonmouth and the weekly stone train to Crawley.

1541] Low Ellers Curve Jn - Kirk Sandall Jn: (BLN 1331.1397) ROA Thur 13 Jun (TCA 9 Jun, cable theft).

1542] Boston (excl) - Skegness (incl); Thorpe Culvert, Wainfleet & Havenhouse: TCP Wed 12 Jun after
the 12.15 Skegness to Nottingham (three trains ran each way that day) due to severe flooding (picture
e-BLN 1330 X.60) when the River Steeping burst its banks. ROP Wed 19 Jun 2019, after two ECS route
proving trains had run - the first passenger train (05.50 ex-Nottingham) arrived 08.05, returning 08.10.

1543] Dalton Jn - Park South Jn: The double track 76ch 'Dalton Loop' avoiding Barrow-in-Furness
station TCA from 22.25 Sat 15 Jun for engineering works, expected until 06.45 Sat 3 Aug 2019.
Being geared to freight operations, Dalton Junction box tends not to be open at weekends (Park South
Junction box has to be open when the main line is open to work the level crossing). The loop provides
the only regulating facility (where a freight train can be put out of the way to be passed by a passenger
train) between Carnforth and Workington (Down) / Sellafield and Carnforth (Up). During the closure
freight is diverted via Barrow station where there is some flexibility as P1 is bidirectionally signalled.

The steep embankment supporting the 'Down Branch' is being rebuilt. Part of the loop line was built
on an elevated platform above sandstone. Over time the wall has failed, causing ballast on the edge of
the Down line to fall away. Several trees near the line have been felled so the remains of the retaining
wall can be removed and a new solid foundation created farther back from the track. A substantial
new section of embankment can then installed at a more conventional pitch using graded stone.
This investment is good news for the future of this line which has been in doubt over many years.

1544] Shepperton (incl) - Fulwell Jn - Strawberry Hill Jn/Shacklegate Jn & 5 intermediate stations:
TCP Tue 18 to Sun 23 Jun (incl); industrial action on SWR (first 4 days) then resignalling commissioning.

1545] Clarborough Jn (68m 32ch) - Cottam Power Station NR Boundary (72m 00ch) and internal
Merry-go-round loop: (BLN 1323.383) The final inward coal train ran on Wed 19 Jun 2019, operated by
GBRf at 08.08 from Doncaster Decoy Yard, arriving 09.28. Although a full set, only two wagons were
actually loaded and it was to record the closure of the Power Station! The discharged wagons left at
12.25. The last commercial inward coal train was 02.54 from Immingham Humber International
Terminal on Thur 31 Jan 2019, arriving 05.56 with 1,800 tonnes of coal. At full capacity the station
once used over 5M tonnes coal per year. Up to five more outward trains of Flue Gas Desulphurisation
Gypsum may run to Ferrybridge (Power Station) Gypsum Terminal; one operated on 18th and another
on 21 Jun. There has also been gypsum traffic to Hull Bulk Terminal this year. The final train of all on
the Power Station branch is expected to be UK Railtour's Sat 28 Sep 'The Cottam Farewell' tour.

1546] Uddingston Jn - Bellshill (incl) - Mossend West Jn - Mossend East Jn/Mossend South Jn. TCA
Sat 29 Jun until Sun 7 Jul for engineering work on the Bellshill line. The only passenger train Mossend
South Jn - Mossend East Jn - Holytown Jn - Wishaw Central Jn during this time is the 14.50 (SSuX) Ayr
- Glasgow Central (HL) - Motherwell (P4 rev) - Holytown (not calling) - Carstairs - Edinburgh (10.07)
PSUL. As Carfin - Glasgow services are replaced by buses the 05.59 (SSuX) Motherwell to Edinburgh is
the only passenger train stopping at Holytown at all and is also the only passenger train Holytown Jn -
Carfin. In both cases the last trains Fri 28 Jun (only) were booked normal routes/calls after midnight.

1547] Ashfield (excl) - Cowlairs North Jn - West Jn - Glasgow Queen Street (high level): The local
service (from/to Anniesland) is withdrawn from Sun 30 Jun until Sun 29 Jul (both incl) between these
locations except Sundays 7 & 28 Jul (normal service). Mondays to Saturdays it is also reduced from two
to one train per hour, an Anniesland to Ashfield shuttle with an ECS shunt P1 to P2 at the latter via
Cowlairs North Jn. This is due to the closure of Queen Street P2 & 3 from Sun 30 Jun until Sun 29 Jul
(incl) for lengthening at the buffer stops ends by 26m (that's quite a bit of new track to do when all the
extensions are completed!). West Highland trains use Cowlairs West Curve & Queen Street as normal.

1548] Sighthill West Jn - Cowlairs South Jn: Also due to the platform reductions at Queen Street
(previous item), the only weekday passenger train booked to use the bidirectional single track Cowlairs
Chord Sun 30 Jun to Sun 29 Jul is the 07.11 (SSuX) PSUL Kirkcaldy to Glasgow Queen Street, which now
runs via Dalmeny Jn - Winchburgh Jn, Cumbernauld & Springburn. Most Edinburgh - Cumbernauld -
Queen Street services turnback in Springburn P2 and the rest in P1. Suns 30 Jun, 14 & 21 Jul (only)
hourly Queen Street (high level) - Cumbernauld services run as normal with buses on other Sundays.

1549] T&W Metro Chichester (excl) - South Shields: TCP expected from Mon 8 Jul 2019, for signalling,
telecommunications works and testing. This is a permanent passenger closure of about 1ch of the
branch past the new £21M South Shields Interchange - due to OP Sun 4 Aug 2019 with ROP of the line
from Chichester (pronounced Chai-Chester). Chichester P2 ROP 8 Jul 2019 (TCP 4 Nov 2018). During
the temporary line closure, services terminate at Chichester with buses to and from South Shields.
The 1984 South Shields Metro station on King Street is to be demolished after the new one opens.

1550] T&W Metro, South Shields (1984 station): (OP 24 Mar 1984) CP expected from Mon 8 Jul 2019.

1551] Llandudno Jn - Llanrwst (incl) & four intermediate stations: (BLN 1326.784) ROP is expected
from Tue 16 Jul (TCP after normal service on Fri 15 Mar 2019 due to severe flood damage). See 1670.

1552] Llanrwst (excl) - Blaenau Ffestiniog & four intermediate stations: ROP is expected Tue 23 Jul.

1553] Frodsham Jn/Weaver Jn - Acton Grange Jn - Warrington BQ direct and via Walton Old Jn: TCA
Sat 20 Jul until Sun 4 Aug (both incl) for relaying and remodelling of Acton Grange Jn (see item 1559).

1554] Ellesmere Port (excl) - Helsby (excl) with Stanlow & Thornton and Ince & Elton (and, separately,
Runcorn East) stations: TCP Sat 20 Jul until Sun 4 Aug (both incl) as a consequence of previous item.

1555] West Thurrock Jn - Barking Tilbury Line Jn East (in this direction only) with Purfleet, Rainham &
Dagenham Dock Up platforms: The Up Tilbury line only is TCP/A Sat 20 Jul until Sun 4 Aug (incl) due to
work for TfL's new Barking Riverside branch. On weekdays all Down services run via Dagenham Dock;
'Up' services (plus freight) run through Ockendon (weekends both ways at Ockendon with buses
through Dagenham). There are unusual Fenchurch Street - Grays (P3 rev) - Ockendon - Upminster -
Fenchurch Street services in both peaks. Service levels are reduced and supplementary buses run.

1556] Gloucester (mostly excl) - Lydney (excl): (BLN 1330.1476) TCP/A Sun 21 Jul to 26 Jul 2019 (incl)
for major relaying at the west end of Gloucester station and platform/level crossing improvements

1331 BLN GENERAL (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
1557] Points & Slips: ●●BLN 1306.1143] On the South Tynedale Railway most of the former run round
loop at Lintley has been lifted at the north (Slaggyford) end with the point plain lined - picture e-BLN
1330.X68. It is available from the south end as a short siding. Lintley was the terminus from 1 Apr 2012
until 8 Jun 2018. The whole loop was covered by our railtour of the railway on Sun 18 May 2014.

●●BLN 1318.2686] At least one of our members travelled especially for the Porthmadog Welsh
Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR) to Beddgelert Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) through train/s
hauled by 'Russell' via the strategic connection between the railways at Pen-y-mount. The full three
coach train left as booked, but at Pen-y-mount the passengers were made to alight while the train
shunted from the WHHR to the WHR platform. Clearly none of the passengers were aware that this
would happen. However, talking to the staff, the railways had known about it for some time but had
kept quiet. There were a few grumbles, although most seemed to have booked for the haulage by
'Russell'. The shunt took a long time, the train eventually leaving there 55 minutes into the trip.

Fortunately the weather was good. Our member was told that the problem was due to the lack of
interlocking on one of the points ('wot', no point clips?). It's a WHR point that doesn't affect normal
operation, so it is not a priority. Surprisingly, the staff on the day were completely unapologetic.

●●BLN 1329.1387] On Sat 29 Jun, during the Wensleydale Railway 'Diesel Gala for Armed Forces Day'
(with free travel for the armed forces, veterans, cadets and their immediate families), the 13.30
Redmire to Leyburn short working was due to be the first passenger train to use the recently installed
Leyburn loop. It was allowed 26 minutes for the journey rather than the usual 14-16, as it reversed at
the Northallerton end of the station to then terminate in Leyburn platform at 13.56. [Reports and/or
pictures welcome.] The train then formed the 14.04 back to Redmire. At Leyburn a short second
platform is under construction alongside the loop which includes a base for a footbridge over the line.

●●BLN 1330.1411] 'TRUST' actually stands for Train Running System on TOPS. TOPS being Total
Operations Planning System. ●●1416] At the start of the fourth paragraph, the first day of passenger
service at Meridian Water was Mon 3 Jun, of course, not 3 May which was a Friday anyway.

●●MR106] Taunton Model Engineers have kindly confirmed that, although they are planning to build
a raised track at their new West Buckland site, their elevated track at Vivary Park remains in use
(running dates given in BLN 1330) and they intend to remain and operate there as long as they can.

1558] Three Peaks Challenge by Rail: Using the stock which had earlier formed our Conwy Cat tour on
Thur 13 Jun, this annual DRS operated railway industry charity train left Crewe at 19.25 that evening.
This year the Society was honoured to be asked to provide seven stewards for the whole Three Peaks
event which involved over 1,030 miles of rail travel, returning to Crewe P12 at 21.41 on Sat 15 Jun. The
first leg was to Bangor (21.33) where participants were transferred by coach to Llanberis to climb (and
descend) Snowdon in the dark. Meanwhile the railtour ECS was serviced at Holyhead Carriage Sidings
Mail Line (women need not apply), the one on the west side of the Carriage Wash Line. It returned to
Bangor Friday morning to pick up the climbers for a 04.40 departure through to Ravenglass which was
reached on time at 08.46 via the direct Dalton Jn to Park Jn 'Dalton loop' avoiding Barrow station.
A Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway private charter then ran to Dalegarth for the Scafell Pike challenge.

Meanwhile the ECS/railtour explored the delights of Sellafield Up Siding No2 (to run round) then
Barrow-in-Furness Carriage Siding No7 followed by No5. Here 68033, the train loco up to then, was

replaced by 37402 & 37419. Leaving Barrow P2 at 18.42 it was a mere 309m 37ch to Fort William P1

(participants 'climbing' on board at Ravenglass of course), reached 04.10 Saturday. The route included

Rutherglen, Glasgow Central (low level) and Westerton. With the climbers doing Ben Nevis in the 'Up'
direction, the ECS went 'Down' Fort William Junction Yard Road No17 (the one next to the disused

Loco Shed) to the end of line hauled by 37419. Meanwhile 37402 ran light engine from the stop blocks
of Fort William Station Siding No1 to the other end of the stock and some shunting followed.

Exhausted but happy climbers back on at Fort William, (some feeling a bit 'peaky' and many saying
'never again'... until next year that is), the special left at 12.57 on its 364m 58ch run back to Crewe.
This was behind the Class 37s again via Westerton, Glasgow Central (LL) and Rutherglen. Beattock
Summit Up Passenger Loop was sampled as was the Up Though Goods Line from Upperby Jn to
Upperby Bridge Jn. We are delighted to report that this three day event, now in its 16th year, raised
£227,130 for Railway Children, a new record (the previous record was £188,826 in 2018). As well as
stewarding the entire trip, our Conwy Cat tour raised £14.3k of this and our 'Cork Stopper' over €4K.

1559] London Connections - Answers: (BLN 1330.1402) About 70% of all national rail journeys start or
finish in London. Your Editor (with particular thanks to Mike McCabe and Ian Hamilton) has found 44
of the over 2,500 stations on the national system that ALWAYS require more than one change to
travel to/from a London terminus in the current timetable. Of note they are mostly in England with
none in Wales. If anyone has found any more or wishes to challenge any, please do! Note that the Fort
William sleeper does not convey London - Glasgow Queen Street passengers in either direction.

1: Ryde Esplanade 12: Old Roan 23: Pemberton 34: Stallingborough
2: Ryde St Johns Road 13: Maghull 24: Darwen 35: Healing
3: Smallbrook Junction 14: Maghull North 25: Entwistle 36: Great Coates
4: Brading 15: Town Green 26: Bromley Cross 37: Grimsby Docks
5: Sandown 16: Aughton Park 27: Hall I' Th' Wood 38: New Clee
6: Lake 17: Rice Lane 28: Barton-on-Humber 39: Barlaston
7: Shanklin 18: Fazakerley 29: Barrow Haven 40: Wedgwood
8: Kirkdale 19: Kirkby 30: New Holland 41: Kelvindale
9: Walton 20: Rainford 31: Goxhill 42: Summerston
10: Orrell Park 21: Upholland 32: Thornton Abbey 43: Gilshochill
11: Aintree 22: Orrell 33: Ulceby 44: Ashfield

[BLN 1331]
1560][With thaks to Rhd Maund.]PSUL 2019 - UPDATE (4)XX X][With thanks to Richard Maund]

The following alterations are additional to those given in BLNs 1326, 1329 and 1330.
Page 6: [Junction Road Jn - ] Covered Way west end - Gospel Oak Jn: 2J34 2313 SSuX
Barking - Hampstead Heath appears to have run only on Friday 21 June 2019, being amended
to run empty from Upper Holloway to Willesden TMD on all other dates up to 5 July, so far.
Page 7: add: Latchmere No 1 Jn - Nine Elms, West London Jn: Steam Dreams outward Royal
Windsor Steam Express from Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside TO until 3 Sept (normally
only first morning journey by this route); Steam Dreams Sunset Steam Express TO until 3 Sept.
Page 13: Norchard Low Level - Norchard, Middle Forge Jn ground frame: details given in BLN
1329 confirmed; to 'Yellow' dates add 1111 Norchard - Lydney Jn.

1561] :IMPORTANT REMINDERS: Railtours, Fixtures & Other Visits/Events: Our standard booking
terms and conditions are on the website (or available by post with an SAE to our Bookings Officer);
anyone making a booking agrees to them. To cancel a booking, please notify your Bookings Officer
as soon as possible. Refunds will be considered up to seven days before the date of the fixture.
Requests within seven days of travel will be considered only in extreme mitigating circumstances.

The Society normally levies an administration fee of 10% (unless advised otherwise) from any
cancelled booking in respect of abortive card handling charges etc. This policy is currently more
generous than that of other railtour organisers - some only allow 90% refunds over 28 days before
the day (75% between 14 and 28 days and 50% between 5 and 13 days) and then only by a credit
note not a refund. Another allows 90% refunds up to 14 days before a tour but nothing thereafter.

A large number of last minute cancellations could obviously undermine the viability of a fixture.

Refunds are not made in respect of sections of track not covered (yes, someone did ask recently and
they were actually serious!!), or if a loco fails to appear that had been hoped; in both cases for
reasons explained in our T&Cs. Places are NOT TRANSFERABLE; we operate a fair waiting list system
and any cancellations are offered to the next on the waiting list in turn. DO NOT BOOK ON A TOUR
please if you are not happy with the strict rule of having door drop light windows in the up position
(except at a stop if authorised by the Train Manager over the public address system) or if you want
to stick anything out of a train window. This rule is for your own safely following more than one
recent fatal accident and to comply with the DfT, ORR, NR, Train Operator and the Rolling Stock
Providers' requirements. Your train stewards would like to enjoy the tour as well, rather than
constantly having to watch the few who, by their actions, still seem unable or unwilling to accept it.

Fixtures' Organisers will do their best to put those requesting lifts in contact with other participants
offering to provide lifts (if any do) in connection with Minor Railway and non-railtour fixtures.
However provision of lifts cannot be guaranteed and (as nearly all our members appreciate) success
is more likely with a polite request, expressions of gratitude and an offer to share car expenses!
There should be a clear understanding in advance rather than last minute arrangements on the day.

We do not advise booking tickets or accommodation which cannot be changed or cancelled in case
a fixture is re-dated or retimed from the provisional details advertised in BLN or on our website.

Please help us to help you and check that your email addresses are correct on our website and do
actually work. Our Online Communications Officer, Mark Haggas, has had a few returned e-tickets
recently due to invalid email addresses. Mark had to phone members or email their companions to
find out the correct/new addresses which turned out to be remarkably time consuming. Thank you.

As are an entirely voluntary Society with almost 2,000 members it is a considerable help if members
could please book fixtures and railtours online via our fully secure website, or ask someone to do
this for you. This will give you an immediate receipt of payment and acknowledgment of your place.

Finally, If a fixture is full it is well worth adding your name to the waiting list. One or two members
still book by post and a few railtour places will be saved for six days after the date of the BLN they
are released in for those already known to do this. They will then be released generally. However
the best way to get on a tour or fixture is to book online promptly when BLN is issued.

We would like to thank our participants for their support for our fixtures and their understanding.

1562] My First Ancient (quote) Railway Memories (8): By Gerald Elvin. Born the son of a Stratford
steam engine fireman in the late 1930s, I had early experiences of the hard, dirty and sometimes
hazardous and dangerous job he had, especially during WWII. This could be coal dust in the eyes, a
sprained ankle from stray pieces of coal, or a low-flying German aeroplane following the railway lines
to bomb the train he might have been on. One of the few bits of advice he ever gave me was not to
consider any sort of a career of becoming a railwayman 'Rubbish conditions, rubbish wages, rubbish
hours and rubbish management'. I took his advice!!

My spotting career really started at secondary school, cycling down to the Manor Park flyover to catch
the Britannias, Sandys and B1s etc, (later, the first Class 37 and 47 diesel engines) as they thundered or
meandered past. I used pocket money to explore the mainline stations on Saturday afternoons, and
with my cycle, travelled round London to 'bunk' the sheds, usually without any trouble. A fellow
student introduced me to the joys of the LNER Pacifics in their blue, then later, green liveries at the
Wood Green and Hornsey station overbridges.

My first Tour was on the Ian Allan 'Pennine Pullman' in May 1953. We had A4 'Silver Link' from
Marylebone up the Great Central to Sheffield Victoria, where 27002 took over for the Woodhead
Tunnel route to Manchester. There, two 'Director' class engines hauled us through the Lancashire and
Yorkshire towns back to Sheffield, and from where 'Silver Link' took us back via Retford to King's
Cross. A lovely day out for a spotty spotting teenager!

Subsequent holidays took me to the Lake District, and the three Carlisle sheds (armed with permits to
stroll round taking numbers), Penzance, the Isle of Arran, the Isle of Man, Llandudno, Austria and
Luxemburg. Overnight travel took me from Paddington to Birkenhead and Penzance; the Hook of

Holland, several routes now not available for that
sort of travel. I rely on Rail Rovers now for sleeper
travel, helped by my Senior Rail Card to book First
Class accommodation with food at the table.

The Tours I went on explored many collieries, docks
and the Welsh Valleys, organised by different
enthusiasts' organisations and notably the Branch
Line Society, when I got onto the steel works visits
at Scunthorpe. I then became interested in the
haulage aspect of the train travel, working out
where and when I could catch an 'un-boilered'
freight locomotive on a Summer Saturday dated
holiday special working.

Then bay platforms, crossovers, loops and PSUL
became of interest, accounting for the many 'red
lines' I have in my older Quail books. My next tour
is, hopefully, behind another A4, before it goes into
retirement, but I hope that this won't be the last
event I can 'grice', especially if I can hear, or
remember, the sound of two Class 20s, or the
throaty roar of a Class 37 sometime, somewhere!

1563] The Angus McDougall Photographic Competition 2017-18: (BLN 1329.1259) We are delighted
to report that the winner, Nick Jones, was presented with his prize cheque by Angus McDougall
himself on 1 Jun. Very appropriately this was on a railtour with many of our Society members onboard.

ABOVE: In a coach full of 'First Class' Society members Angus McDougall presents Nick Jones (left) with
his prize cheque. (Ian Mortimer 1 Jun 2019.) Nick also receives an A4 size certificate (PREVIOUS PAGE).

1564] Least Used stations: http://bit.ly/2XwszL9 is a link to 32 interesting and entertaining videos of
least used stations in various counties of England by Geoff Marshall and Vicki Pipe (of 'All The Stations'
fame). It looks as though they are visiting the quietest station in each county plus a few other things...

1565] Weaver Jn, What a Difference a Day Makes: (BLN 1330.1445) A learned member has the date
of opening of the Liverpool line flyover "Birdswood additional lines" as Mon 14 Nov 1881. This is from
Minute 22818 of the LNWR Officers' Conference in 1881. 'The Guinness Book of Rail Facts & Feats' (2nd
edition, 1975) by John Marshall has Sun 13 Nov 1881 - is anyone able to advise which is correct please?
Our learned member also advises that the first flyover he is aware of is the Down line of the LB&SCR
Crystal Palace branch at Sydenham, OG 27 Mar 1854 and OP 10 Jun 1854. (From JT Howard Turner,
The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, 2. Establishment & Growth, Batsford 1978, p50-51.)

Another member kindly forwarded an engraving (BELOW) from 11 Oct 1845 'Illustrated London News'
of the then newly constructed grade separated Croydon Junction, near Jolly Sailor station, where the
London & Brighton Railway joined the London & Croydon Railway. The junction and the resited
adjacent station are now better known as Norwood Junction. The flyover came into use when the
Dartmouth Arms (Forest Hill) to (West) Croydon line was converted to atmospheric working in 1845.

ABOVE: A very atmospheric picture; the viaduct crossing the Croydon and Brighton Lines between
Norwood and Croydon (the things you could do in 1845!). Samuda's Croydon Atmospheric Railway.

This was not a grade-separated junction in the conventional sense. The steam and atmospheric trains
had to use different tracks, and it was impossible for the atmospheric track to cross any others on the
level. Indeed, our member is not sure that any atmospheric railway had points or crossovers, because
it is difficult to see how the atmospheric pipe could be accommodated! The Croydon Junction flyover
was timber and, presumably, dismantled soon after the atmospheric system was abandoned in 1847.

1331 EAST MIDLANDS (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]
Ꙭ → → → We would particularly welcome more contributions to this BLN section please. ← ← ← Ꙭ

1566] Gainsborough Central: (BLN 1330.1411) A poster at the station states: All trains depart from P2
except at 12.10, 16.10 & 20.15 on Saturdays
towards Retford and Sheffield which depart from
P1. No trains run from this station on Sundays.
Alternative train services are available from
Gainsborough Lea Road station. Do not cross the
line unless travelling on Saturdays at 12.10,
16.10 & 20.15. A member visited on Sat 15 Jun
and noticed that the trailing crossover used by
departures from P2 was much shinier than the
Down Main was from the Barnetby direction; he
was the only passenger leaving Gainsborough
Central on the 13.16 to Sheffield although a
decent number joined at Retford.

Traffic on the line is very sparse at the moment. The week before, the only Down trains had been on
Tue 11 Jun, a Northern Pacer ECS from Cleethorpes to Sheffield and a DBC worked weedspray train on
a circuit from Knottingley. On Sat 15 Jun the three Cleethorpes to Sheffield passenger trains ran as
usual each week, plus a GBRf light engine, Immingham Mineral Quay to Doncaster Down Decoy Yard.

ABOVE RIGHT: In late 1981, British Leyland sold its tractor division to Marshall of Gainsborough. As
part of this deal, Marshall received a buffer stock of fully assembled tractors to tide them over during
the transfer of production from Bathgate to Gainsborough. This remarkable low resolution image,
taken in Feb 1982, shows the first train of Bathgate built Leyland tractors arriving at the sidings by the
rear of Marshall's Britannia Works factory. Gainsborough Central is in the distance. (Garry Compton.)

1567] Bennerley Viaduct: (BLN 1325.668) Plans have now been submitted to create a public walkway
(but not a cycleway due to the cost) over this 484yd long 61ft high impressive Grade II* listed viaduct
built in 1877. It straddles the Nottinghamshire Derbyshire border north of Ilkeston. With £485k
funding in place, The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct group is optimistic that work will start this autumn.

1568] Newark North Gate - Castle: But which
way round? A few EMT services still run
between Lincoln and Nottingham with a double
reversal at Newark North Gate P3 and Newark
Crossing East Jn - very handy indeed if someone
just wants to do Newark Crossing Curve. This
used to be common in British Rail days when
services on the line were very much sparser.
Sunday is the best day to sample this unusual
manœuvre, although it is booked other days,
generally at the beginning or end of the day. At
present you can travel from North Gate to
Castle by through train on the 05.26 (SuX), 08.47
(SuO) & 21.00 (SuO) Lincoln to Nottingham or
13.56 (SuO) Cleethorpes to Nottingham. In the
other direction it's the 22.26 (SSuX) Nottingham
to Lincoln, 20.26 (SO) Leicester to Lincoln and
18.36 & 22.28 (both SuO) Nottingham to
Lincoln. Interestingly the 1m 74ch rail journey takes 9-10 mins (with one reversal) but it is 0.9miles by
road or to walk. In true railway tradition, an Anytime Day Return North Gate to Castle is £3.30 (£2.20
Railcard) but North Gate to Rolleston (the next stop after Newark Castle) is £2.80/£1.85!

From the timings our astute members will all immediately realise that you can do a North Gate to
Castle day return any day, (without changing trains and paying rather more) but in the other direction
it is only possible on a Sunday (19.02 Newark Castle to North Gate 19.12/21.30 arriving back at 21.40).

ABOVE: Castle station is bottom left, on the line towards Nottingham; North Gate is further right on
the ECML (to London off the bottom and York etc top left), with Lincoln/Cleethorpes off top centre.

1569] Barton-on-Humber: (BLN 1323.378) From 29 Apr the 'Humber Flyer' (it doesn't!) bus service
between Hull and Cleethorpes via Barton and Humberside Airport has been doubled in frequency to
half-hourly. With the Humber Fastcat service there is now a daytime bus service between Barton
interchange and Hull Paragon every 15 minutes in both directions SuX. However, there is still no
connection for Hull from the last weekday arrival at Barton (21.55). TPE has now applied to NR for all
their Cleethorpes services to call at Habrough from the Dec 2019 timetable, increasing TPE calls there
from 9 to 16 each way (12 each way SuO), greatly improving connections to/from the Barton line.

1570] Tallington: (TRACKmaps 2 p16B - Oct 2016) A member visited the closed Tarmac Dow-Mac
precast concrete block and sleeper works here on 29 May. The disused hopper discharge loop siding
was disconnected at the north and removed. The south end connection is in situ with four concrete
sleepers (how appropriate!) across the north end of the hopper. The formation has been lowered and
a new siding off the existing north end connection laid with new bullhead rail, with a check rail, sharply
curving into the works through an existing concrete apron to a new discharge hopper adjacent to the
existing material bins .The line then splits into two straight sidings back to the works boundary.

The previous works connection is still in situ with rails dated 1944 rolled by 'Colvilles' of Scotland and
1944 rail chairs dating from when the works opened to produce concrete sleepers. To accommodate
these works the public footpath running parallel to the main line now makes a deviation due to ground
level change with a crossing over the new siding. [Does anyone know what is happening here, please?]

1571] Boston: The recent increase in DC Rail worked Aggregate traffic here from Carlisle Kingmoor
Yard has proved successful. More tonnage was moved by rail in the first quarter of this year than in
the whole of 2018. It is understood that three trains per week, extended to 19 wagons, will be used for
the next 'campaign' from mid July to move 11,000 tonnes over three weeks.

1331 GREATER LONDON (Geoff Brockett) [email protected]

X.71] Steam on the District Line: Sun 23 Jun 2019; by our local Ealing Broadway photographer, Don Kennedy.

1572] HS2: (BLN 1330.1417) From 30 Jun P17 & 18 at Euston were to be taken out of use and the
operational length of P11 increased to allow operation of 12-car Class 350 trains.

1573] Barking - Gospel Oak: (BLN 1329.1269) A third Class 710 EMU entered service on 24 Jun to cover
the cancelled diagram. However, there are still a few early and late cancellations and further ad-hoc
cancellations may occur, as only three Class 378s and three Class 710s cover the six diagrams.

1574] Docklands Light Railway: (BLN 1294.2397) The contract to build 43 new units has been awarded
to Spanish firm CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles). Expected to start entering service from
2023, they will replace existing units and enhance services. The new units will be formed of five walk-
through sections and will be roughly the same length as a train formed of three of the existing units.

1575] King's Cross: (BLN 1319.2736) Agreement under the Network Change process has been reached
for re-control of signalling at the south end of the ECML from King's Cross Power Signal Box to York Rail
Operating Centre over 188 miles away. The area covered is from King's Cross/Moorgate/Canonbury
West Jn to 9m 0ch (south of New Barnet) and 9m 20ch (north of Enfield Chase) on the Hertford Loop.

NR is to use the Aug bank holiday to transfer signalling control to York Railway Operating Centre. With
other engineering works no trains run anywhere out of King's Cross itself on Sat 24 (RTT shows an
00.32 to Cambridge and 01.05 arrival from Edinburgh as last trains early on Sat) and Sun 25 Aug.

1576] Northern Line Extension: (BLN 1330.1420) On 14 Jun TfL announced that an engineering train
had travelled over the entire route from Kennington to Battersea Power Station for the first time
conveying power cabling. If you want to see the new line http://bit.ly/2XzoNkm is a 35 second video.

1677] Norwood Junction: (BLN 1317.2456) NR is consulting until 26 Jul on plans to upgrade the
station. While the proposals form part of the wider Croydon upgrade plan, they also have benefits as a
standalone project and NR would like to carry out these works before the other parts of the plan.
It is proposed to reconfigure the track layout, with dedicated Up and Down island platforms and
through tracks for fast trains. All platforms would be of 12-car length linked by footbridges at each end
of the station, one of which would have lifts for step-free access. Signalling would also be upgraded.
To reduce the impact, the footbridges would be built first with four platforms available throughout.

1578] Shepperton Branch: (BLN 1326.866) From Mon 24 Jun track circuits were (finally!) replaced by
axle counters between Fulwell station (13m 18ch) and Shepperton on the Down line and between the
Shepperton and the London side of Hampton station (14m 28ch) on the Up line. New signalling was
commissioned between Fulwell and Shepperton but remains under the control of Feltham Area
Signalling Centre. Signal numbers are prefixed 'BEF' ready for eventual control from Basingstoke ROC.
As part of this Hampton Level Crossing was closed to road traffic and fenced off from 15 to 24 Jun.

1579] Slade Green: Planning permission for a new Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at Howbury Park
(near Slade Green/Dartford) has been refused. The proposal has a very long history and permission for
a previous scheme had actually been granted back in Dec 2007, shortly before the financial crisis.
There were a number of grounds for refusal, of which lack of rail capacity without interfering unduly
with current passenger services was one. (Thanks for the lead from an industry source.)

1580] Victoria: A member recently complained to Southeastern about a Kent coast service remaining
locked for some time after it had been announced. The explanation given was that once the signaller is
ready they will change the service code from the arriving to the departing train and that automatically
updates the departure boards, regardless of whether the crew are ready to unlock the train.

1331 NORTHERN GENERAL (John Cameron & Geoff Blyth)
1581] Dec 2019 Timetable: Drafted Track Access Contract amendments (Northern unless specified):
Liverpool - York - Edinburgh: Through TPE services start, extending TPE services north of Newcastle.
Manchester Airport - Middlesbrough: Some TPE services will be extended to Redcar.
Manchester Piccadilly - Huddersfield/Huddersfield - Leeds: TPE local services remain separate and
will not be combined, as previously planned. A Manchester service each way runs to/from Wakefield.
Mid-Cheshire line: Hourly SuO service but SuX improvements (deferred in 2017) not implemented.
Macclesfield - Manchester Piccadilly: A morning peak stopping service starts back at Stoke.
Macclesfield: The additional services deferred from 2017 will not be implemented.
Blackburn - Southport and Leeds - Southport: These services will terminate at Wigan.
Alderley Edge & Stalybridge - Wigan: Services extended to Southport in lieu of these (previous line).
Blackburn - Preston: An additional 08.30 service replaces a previous empty stock working.
Leeds - Lancaster: Sunday services extended to/from Morecambe.
Huddersfield - Bradford: Services will no longer continue to Leeds.
Leeds - Selby: Extended at both ends to run between Halifax and Hull.
York - Scarborough: Additional hourly service, to supplement the existing hourly TPE service.
Whitby - Middlesbrough: Additional 'daily' service (BLN 1328.1159).
Middlesbrough - Stockton - Newcastle: Two trains per hour (basically hourly at present), 30 trains
per day. At least 10 will be 'Northern Connect', generally to/from Carlisle using refurbished Class 158s.

Newcastle - Carlisle: (Implemented from 19 May 2019 in fact) Two trains per hour; 28 per day -
13 extra services. Some are faster than previously, at 80 mins rather than 90-95 mins, for 61¾ miles.

1582] Penalty Fares: From 30 Jun Hull - South Milford, Lancaster - Windermere/Barrow - Carlisle and
on the Mid Cheshire Line Navigation Road - Chester were included in the area covered. The £20 fines -
or double the single fare, whichever is the greater - will be enforced at destination stations by
Northern's authorised collectors. Stations on penalty fare routes will have ticket offices, machines or
both so that passengers can purchase tickets before they travel. If these are not available, offices are
closed or machines out of order, tickets will be available from the conductor. Where customers want
to pay cash, but ticket machines take cards only, they will be able to obtain 'promise to pay' notices
from the machines which can be presented, along with cash to the conductor - the full range of fares
will still be available on trains. However, a swanky state of the art machine at Garforth wouldn't let
your Editor have a 'Promise to Pay' ticket to Wick, (or Penzance) last Oct; maybe it knew something?

1331 NORTH EAST & YORKSHIRE (Geoff Blyth) [email protected]
1583] Selby Bay: No, the sea has not risen enough yet to put Selby on the coast. From Dec terminating
trains from/to Leeds should run to/from Hull. Use of Selby bay P3 will then be reduced as a result.
The 06.16 Selby P3 to Scunthorpe (via Doncaster P0 reverse!) is an interesting working currently.

1584] Malton: On Sat 15 Jun the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust Yorkshire Pullman with 60163 'Tornado',
after leaving Scarborough, took the Up line avoiding Malton platform. On Sun 5 May Great Britain XII
ran non-stop through the bidirectional single platform line - the Up line was then very rusty. Was it just
temporarily out of use then as in June TPE ran extra hourly workings (non-stop past Malton) over it in
the week during the day? These turned out to be Class 68 light engine driver training shuttles to York!

1585] Teesport: (TRACKmaps 2 p47B - Oct 2016) Tees and Hartlepool is the third largest port in the
country in tonnage terms, after Immingham and London. Teesport can handle 500,000 containers a
year. However, the only access at present for trains conveying W10 gauge containers is via Darlington,
requiring a path on congested two track sections of the East Coast Main Line. Trains to/from the south
also have to reverse at Darlington. The NR Freight Network Study ranks Northallerton - Eaglescliffe
and Stockton - Ferryhill as highest priority for enhancing clearances. NR and the Tees Valley Combined
Authority have approved a £1M study into improvements to the local freight network, which will
surely focus on the Northallerton line. It runs through open country, with only a few overbridges.

The main issues are likely to be the bridge under the ECML just north of Northallerton and the 75yd
long Yarm Tunnel (55m 76 to 79ch) just north of the former station (CP 4 Jan 1960; CA 21 Sept 1964) at
the north end of the viaduct. The present station (OP 19 Feb 1996 at 65m 35ch) is much further south.

The Freight Network Study mentions level crossing enhancements of which there are at least 20
different types. Although already a passenger line they would need to be risk assessed for running
lengthy intermodal trains, and at automatic crossings the barrier 'strike' (activation) points considered.
Enhancements (or speed restrictions) may also be needed at some User Worked Crossings to allow the
users enough time to cross safely. Visibility for users/train drivers at level crossings is also important.
A 'Freight Titbits' report on growing traffic at Doncaster iPort (below) and its link with Teesport,
launched by PD (Powell Duffryn) Ports - the owners of Teesport, makes an interesting case study. GBRf
is achieving two round trips per day with one set of wagons on behalf of IKEA Transport & Logistics
Service. High levels of equipment utilisation and slick terminal handing at both ends are the key to
making rail viable over a distance of less than 100 miles. Furthermore, in spite of a long-standing belief
that Yarm Tunnel is too tight for most popular wagon and box combinations, it has proved possible to
'squeeze' (sic) the northbound services through under 'special arrangements'. This appears to be a
speed restriction; the Doncaster train is allowed 10 min from Yarm (present station) to Eaglescliffe as
opposed to 4 min for the Felixstowe train which use the low height, small wheel, container wagons.

1586] Doncaster iPort: A new GBRf intermodal train service runs to Felixstowe five days per week.
The Verdion iPort now typically handles up to four trains per day (also to Southampton and Teesport).
It was suggested that iPort would result in the closure of Wakefield Europort but it remains open

1587] Sunderland (1): In previous timetables, terminating Grand Central trains from King's Cross went
forward north ECS to reverse in one of the Pelaw loops - or at Sunderland station itself if short of time.
In the new timetable two trains on weekdays, three Saturdays and one Sundays use Ryhope Grange Jn
reversing sidings. They are only two miles away and conflict with T&W Metro services is reduced.

(2): (BLN 1322.278) There has been no recent use of the Sunderland South Dock branch; however the
quay tracks have been relaid in concrete - a significant investment. (TRACKmaps 2 p45B - Oct 2016.)

(3): Tyne & Wear Metro passenger numbers (posh, babies and otherwise) were spiced up on Thu 6 Jun
with an extra 16,000 journeys and £40,000 extra revenue due to The Spice Girls concert at the Stadium
of Light. This was a Metro record, beating even each night of Ed Sheeran at (sporty) St James Park last
year; he must have been jealous! There were even queues afterwards at St Peters, (scary) which is
understood to be the least used metro stop but they cleared within two hours of the concert ending.

1588] T&W Metro: The Metro is currently enjoying a high level of investment, with infrastructure
upgrades and new trains delivered in the next few years. On 18 Jun Nexus announced that CAF, Hitachi
Rail and Stadler remain from the five short listed bidders (BLN 1320.61.2) to design, build and maintain
its new Metro train fleet. They will be invited to make their best and final offers this summer after
Nexus completed its evaluation of the initial tenders submitted by each firm. The winner will be
announced in Jan 2020; they will design, build and maintain the fleet. The first of the 42 new trains is
expected to arrive in late 2021, when the phased withdrawal of the existing fleet begins.

The winner will also maintain the current fleet for a smooth transition between the old and new fleet
between 2022 and 2024. Nexus secured a Government grant of £337M towards the projected £362M
cost of designing and building the new trains and the new maintenance depot at Gosforth.

The North East Joint Transport Committee is expected to approve a bid to the DfT for £377M from the
government's Transforming Cities Fund. £108M is for doubling the Metro from Pelaw (Bill Quay Jn) to
Bede station for the service to be increased from five to six trains per hour, the South Shields branch
would then all be double track except for the single platform terminus (like the South Hylton branch).

1589] Blyth & Tyne: (BLN 1329.1289) £99M of the bid (previous item) is to restore Blyth & Tyne
passenger services and the rest to upgrade Newcastle and Sunderland stations, also providing new
cycling infrastructure. The North East is one of 12 city regions shortlisted to submit bids for a share of
£1.28bn of central funding. The government is expected to announce in early 2020 if the bid has been
successful. Projects must be delivered by the end of 2023. New stations would be at Northumberland
Park, Newsham (for Blyth), Bedlington and Ashington. More may be built, but need regulatory
permissions that cannot be obtained within the funding timeframe of the Transforming Cities Fund.

X.72] BELOW: 37402 with inspection saloon 'Caroline' gauge testing at Drax. (Mark Bridel, 27 Jun 2019.)

1590] Fictional Appendix: (BLN 1330.1438) A considerable length of the North End Shunt Neck at
Doncaster Belmont Yard has been under a T4 (siding) possession for many years - so long that most of
it is so heavily overgrown with trees that it has disappeared from view. The trees are now close to the
OHLE and can be seen from passing trains on the ECML. It is completely unusable over this length.

1591] Alnmouth - Chathill - Berwick: (BLN 1330.1434) South East Northumberland Rail User Group
(SENRUG) has secured funding for a feasibility study into extending the existing Newcastle to Morpeth
service to Berwick, with an hourly service each way calling at Pegswood, Widdrington, Acklington,
Almouth and Chathill. This includes the possibility of eventually reopening the former stations at
Belford and Beal, and possibly elsewhere. However, the first step is to establish whether there is
sufficient line capacity for local trains and, if not, what would need to be done to enable such a service.

The study will include a market appraisal, and indicative costs for the proposed new stations. Northern
Railway and Northumberland County Council are jointly funding the study, with a small contribution
from SENRUG. Northern's 'Seed Corn Fund' is available for station adopters and community rail
partnerships wishing to improve their local stations or routes. International transport consultancy
SYSTRA has been selected to manage the study. Their project manager said that they will build on their
experience of a similar project for local services between Berwick and Edinburgh.

1592] Coldstream - Alnwick: A member recently took a photo of what appears to be a signal box
between Akeld and Wooler. The 1960 Sectional Appendix shows that the only intermediate box
between Coldstream and Wooler was Akeld. That box worked electric token to Coldstream and One
Engine in Steam to Wooler. It seems unlikely there was ever an intermediate box between Akeld and
Wooler as they were only 2m 983yd apart and it was hardly a busy line. However, the 6" map of 1896
and the 1947 LNER Sectional Appendix show a 'Bendor Crossing', which amazingly is still named as
such on 'OpenStreetMap'. So the box our member photographed was probably just a gate box.

BELOW: Bendor Crossing Gate Box still in its original position. (John Cameron, 28 May 2019.)

ABOVE: First generation tram track in Fitzalan Square, Sheffield. (Press Release, 19 Jun 2019.)

1593] Leeds - Harrogate: Azuma trains will be phased in during 2019 and 2020; additional services
between Harrogate and King's Cross are due to start on 8 Dec (the national timetable change date is
15 Dec!). Extra Harrogate - Leeds Northern services began on 20 May, with 'fast' trains (SuX) calling
only at Hornbeam Park and Horsforth, adding a third train per hour and cutting the 18¼ mile journey
from 38 min to 30 min without affecting the regular all stations half-hourly schedule. Plans for a fourth
train were published in an earlier Dec 2019 track access application then deleted. The Harrogate Line
Supporters Group say that this is deferred until Leeds P0 is built, not likely until 2021 (BLN 1325.687).

1594] Sheffield not so super trams: The major project to replace worn Supertram rails continues.
However, roadworks on Blonk Street to make it two way again have unearthed 60 year old tram rails.
As in many towns and cities, when the original tram system closed, the road was merely resurfaced
over the rails. This was much easier than removing them. The final day of Sheffield's first generation
trams was 8 Oct 1960. Although Blonk Street was not part of the final routes running, the rails were in
use to access Queens Road and for trams terminating in the city centre. More old rails have been
uncovered at Fitzalan Square, close to the present network. These were last used by trams in Oct 1959
for Wadsley Bridge services. They remained in situ until the last day, before being covered by tarmac.

1595] Horden: (BLN 1330.1431) By 6 Jun work really had started on the car park for the new station.
A carpet of dolomite (it's not red) had been laid and a couple of excavators were present.

1596] Tram Train: In Nov South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive will submit a bid for funding
of a new Magna Science Adventure Centre stop between Meadowhall South and Rotherham Central,
with a park and ride scheme. A stop was proposed early on in the scheme but funding was insufficient.

1597] Queensbury Tunnel: (BLN 1327.993) www.queensburytunnel.org.uk The Queensbury Tunnel
Society is opposing the application to abandon the tunnel (BLN 1322.283) on the ex-Great Northern
Railway line from Halifax to Bradford and Keighley, and wishes to see it reopened as a sustainable
transport corridor - but not as a railway, unfortunately! http://bit.ly/2IQy53b is the latest update on
their petition; almost 11,500 people have signed it. Please consider doing this too and passing it on.

http://bit.ly/2NhzB2D is the planning application submitted to Bradford Metropolitan District Council
by Highways England Historical Railways Estate to permanently and irreversibly secure the tunnel
shafts and entrances. You have a chance to (just) object online and add any comments if you wish.

As part of preliminary works to make the tunnel safe enough for contractors to fill it in, a temporary
roadway has been installed from the site of Queensbury station (at the triangular junction with six
platforms, two on each side of the triangle). The roadway is on trackbed up to (and into - no public
access) the north portal. It gives the chance to view the portal with dry shoes for the first time in many
years! If you would like to see it, go soon, as it is not clear how long the temporary road will be in situ.



PREVIOUS PAGE (BOTH): Surely a structure worth saving for future generations? The north end of
Queensbury Tunnel; for some reason one forms the vague impression that they are not that keen on
people entering. (Reproduced with the kind permission of Jane Ellis of Railway Ramblers, 28 Jun 2019.)
Compare with ABOVE: The south portal when flooded. [From BLN 1322.283 in 2018 - Press Release.]

1331 NORTH WEST (John Cameron) [email protected]
1598] Metrolink, Trafford Park: (BLN 1330.1444) Poles to support the overhead are being installed.

1599] Acton Grange Jn: This junction on the West Coast Main line, used by 260 trains daily, is due to
be closed for engineering works from Sat 20 Jul to Sun 4 Aug. The £27M project includes complete
relaying and remodelling, resignalling, re-cabling and replacement of the OHLE. All lines are closed
throughout, with diversions and rail replacement bus services. Caledonian Sleepers run via Piccadilly,
as do most Virgin Trains (the rest are Crewe - Preston bus replacements). Buses also run Crewe -
Warrington BQ - Wigan NW. Of note the 05.30 SSuX ex-Blackpool North uses the facing crossover
north of Wigan NW to terminate in P6 at 06.12 then forms the 06.26 to Glasgow Central.

Some days TfW services are replaced by buses Manchester Piccadilly - Chester, with diversions via
Stockport and Northwich on the other days. Buses replace all Northern trains Manchester Victoria -
Chester and Warrington BQ - Ellesmere Port. Due to the diverted extra trains at Piccadilly, Northern
Alderley Edge - Southport trains run as two separate services from/to Piccadilly (to use the terminal
platforms). Liverpool Lime Street - Earlestown - Warrington BQ services may be retimed.

1600] Bowness-on-Solway: (BLN 1230.1458) This was the full name of the village near the south end
of the Solway Viaduct, but the station serving it on that former Caledonian Railway line (In England!)
just south of the viaduct was 'Bowness'. Opened from 8 Aug 1870 it closed to all traffic 1 Sep 1921.

1601] Wigan: (BLN 1327.1008) This was known as the Westwood Park line. Passenger trains using it
(see PSUL archive) were shown with a 'WP' note in working timetables and ran between Pemberton Jn
and Hindley North No3, via Westwood Park. Passenger use ceased from the CA date (14 Jul 1969).

X.73] Irlam ABOVE: Just outside the station, and yes, it was fixed down! (Kev Adlam, 28 Jun 2019.)

1602] Cheshire: The only county in England with a 'Best Kept Station' competition, nominations are
now open for 2019. All Station Adoption Groups and Community Groups working at stations in the
former Cheshire County are encouraged to get involved. Nominations are invited for four categories:
Art Projects Award. Community Award. Campaign & Communications Award. Youth Challenge.
Email entries to [email protected] by 30 Sep.

1603] Manchester Piccadilly: (TRACKmaps 4 p43N - Dec 2018) On the morning of 11 Jun the facing
crossover out of P1 & 2 was damaged making these platforms inaccessible to incoming services (the
Up Fast is not bidirectional). This caused a surprising number of cancellations before an emergency
reduced timetable could be introduced, with one train per hour from to/from Hadfield and one per
hour to Rose Hill Marple (as indeed the 'normal' service was once). Northern made additional stops at
Fairfield and Gorton. Hull TPE services started/terminated at Stalybridge. NR said that the crossover
had to be repaired overnight and could take up to three nights but normal service resumed on 12 Jun.

1604] Fiddlers Ferry Power Station: (BLN 1316.2340) Following a comprehensive review, Scottish &
Southern Energy (SSE) propose to close the remaining operational three (of the former four) 500MW
units by 31 Mar 2020. According to SSE, Fiddlers Ferry has had limited success in the Government's
Capacity Market auctions and its current contracts end Sept 2019. Its financial performance is at
unsustainable levels, losing about £40M in SSE's last financial year and more losses projected in future
years. 158 people work at the site and there has been very little rail traffic in or out in recent months.

1605] On the level: Hi-tech safety enforcement cameras have been installed at five high-risk crossings:
#Bescar Lane, #Hoscar, #Station Rd, Hoghton #Black Dyke, Arnside & #Crescent Rd, Sefton. They can
identify vehicles which jump the lights. Offenders are automatically notified of their offence and face a
£60 fine, points on their licence or can choose to sit a level crossing safety awareness course (once!).

[BLN 1331]

1606] The Fallowfield Loop: This is now the UK's longest urban cycleway, running from Chorlton to
Gorton in the south of Manchester (ABOVE: 1961 map) around six miles. A member recently walked
this old railway route, catching a train to Fairfield (top right) and the tram back from St Werburgh's
Road stop (where the lines split bottom left) after a three hour walk, including a lunch stop. It is a well
used cycle route and footpath now but some reminders of this former Great Central Railway loop line
remain. These are mostly over and underbridges - on some parts of the route, cuttings have been filled
in so that only the parapets remain and a few deviations from the railway route are required.

Two station buildings, Levenshulme South and Fallowfield (the white stations 'closed to passengers'
lower right and lower centre respectively), survive. The former is boarded up, with signs of previous
retail use, but a community interest company has begun developing the building as a destination cycle
café, bar and co-working space. It will be called Station South. A new glass roof can be seen to the rear
of the building. It is on the A6 so there is a lot of passing foot traffic. Fallowfield is part of Sainsbury's
café on Wilmslow Road. The Wetherspoon's opposite is called the Great Central! This may not mean
very much to the average resident but at least they have made an effort.

Our member saw no trace of the two other stations, Hyde Road (top right in 'Gorton') and Wilbraham
Road (bottom left), but with heavy rain after Fallowfield he didn't hang about looking for remains -
there may be odd bits of brickwork at street level. Reddish Electric Depot (DC) site is now occupied by
houses. It was just south of the point where the Reddish North line goes underneath, the grey building
parallel to, and west of, the line on the map with sidings either end. All four stations closed 7 Jul 1958
when the Manchester Central - Guide Bridge local service was withdrawn. The line remained open to
through passenger trains until May 1969, then it was freight only until out of use from 15 Oct 1988.

A short length near Hyde Road was used in March 1987 as a Metrolink demonstration line, with a
temporary station named Debdale Park (pictures E-BLN 1303.X.60). Reddish Depot was built in 1954
to maintain the fleet of DC electric locos and EMUs for the Woodhead Line, remaining open until 1983,
although not demolished until the early 1990s. This was the electrification limit from Fairfield and
Gorton, but there were originally plans to electrify to Central. [Electrification cut backs are not new!]

Levenshulme (South) station with a 'Stockport Road' sign on the wall (ABOVE↑) to advise lost walkers
and cyclists on the old railway where they are. BELOW: At street level. (John Cameron, 9 Jun 2019.)

Our member vaguely remembers travelling over the line in the 1960s, probably from Guide Bridge to
Manchester Central on the Harwich to Liverpool boat train, which used it until 1966. The electric loco
would have come off at Guide Bridge, to be replaced by steam. His 1959 Bradshaw shows the Harwich
train as Guide Bridge arr 1.40pm, Manchester Central arr 2.04pm, dep 2.18 after reversal and
Liverpool Central arr 3.00. It would have used the Warrington Central avoiding line, closed in 1968.

Closure of the Fallowfield Loop came on 15 Oct 1988 because it was not included in the transfer from
Manchester London Road signal box to Piccadilly Power Box. The last regular traffic was the Trafford
Park to Holyhead freightliner train. Wilbraham Road station had its 15 minutes of fame in the 1960s
when it was renamed 'Chorltonville' for a Granada TV programme featuring American blues, soul and
gospel singers. There was also a temporary branch off the Fallowfield line during the construction of
council housing in the Wilbraham Road area in the 1930s.

In late 1990s a group of cyclists started campaigning for it to be converted to a traffic free 'greenway'.
That group, with supporters from local civic societies and other community groups formally became
the Friends of the Fallowfield Loop in Jun 2001. The route is mostly owned by Sustrans now, a charity
specialising in building off-road cycle routes. The Friends' website: https://fallowfieldloop.org/

1607] Manchester: http://bit.ly/2Ln7Jrn is a fascinating 1993 film of the Fallowfield Loop after closure
but before it was 'recycled'. Other videos are of trackbed walks on former Manchester lines, including
a very determined search for railway relics with maps and some pictures of locations in their heyday.

1608] It never rains but it pours: Flooding closed the Chester - Crewe line on 12 Jun. Transport for
Wales (TfW) advised that tickets were being accepted on Virgin services instead. However, flooding
also affected the Virgin services which turned back at Crewe, with ticket acceptance on TfW services
(oops)! The Crewe Independent Lines were flooded as well, so all freight ran through the station.

BELOW: A train from Euston for Chester has terminated in Crewe south bay P7. (John Cameron, 12 Jun 2019.)

[BLN 1331]
Merseyrail Liverpool to Chester services terminated at Hooton (where Network Rail had 13 portable
pumps working continuously, as seen from our Conwy Cat tour next day). The Ellesmere Port line was
also closed due to flooding which obviously causes big problems for third rail services. It should be
pointed out that Northern ran a normal, punctual, DMU service to Ellesmere Port from the west (three
each way SSuX, including the 05.10 from Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington BQ!). Merseyrail ran
terminating trains to Rock Ferry bay platforms and some late running services from Hooton turned
back in Rock Ferry P2. Fortunately for our Conwy Cat tour, Crewe - Chester reopened on 13th and it
was also able to run from Chester to Hooton and back - the only train that did so all day (although
there was a Rock Ferry - Ellesmere Port EMU passenger shuttle). Normal service resumed Fri 14 Jun.

1609] Keep Calm in Crewe: Those caught up in the floods might have benefitted from a new waiting
room, specifically designed to offer those with hidden disabilities a safe and calm environment.
[Such as acute anxiety over missing a vital bit of track or haulage perhaps?] The 'Calm Corner' is the
first of its kind on the rail network, brought to life by the station's train operators, NR and with advice
from partner charities. The idea was first suggested by work experience student, Megan Hughes, who
used her own experience of living with Asperger's Syndrome as inspiration. Passengers have access to
the same support and information they would get elsewhere on the station, but also with a special
totem screen, offering helpful advice such as train times, onward travel information and station layout.

The room (BELOW) is decorated in a calming grey and green colours, with a 'living wall' and plants to
complement the colour scheme. Furniture is designed to be comfortable and provide a relaxed
atmosphere. There is a children's play table and a 'memory corner' to help those living with dementia.
It is designed to help trigger memories for those who may have used Crewe station for many years -
a collection of historic station photos. It is hoped this will grow, with contributions from passengers,
families etc. In 2017-18 there were 3.1M journeys to/from Crewe, plus 1.5M million interchanges.

1610] Crewe: (TRACKmaps 4 p7A Dec 2018) From 13.24 on Tue 26 June a broken wing rail of the fixed
diamond on the Chester line side of Crewe North Jn meant that no services could pass over it.
This prevented any moves out of/into P9, 10, 11 or 12 to/from the West Coast Main Line north of the
station. As a result all services between Chester and the south had to use P11 or 12. With the lack of a
spare a new bespoke rail has been ordered which is expected to arrive in Aug. The offending points
were plain lined on the night of Sat 29 Jun allowing access to/from P11 improving flexibility.

1611] Little Sutton (Cheshire): The station footbridge was closed from 17 to 28 Jun to renew the floor
surfacing and timbers. Passengers wishing to change platforms thus faced a walk of about a third of a
mile via the surrounding roads. With the only ticket machine on the Ellesmere Port platform, those
travelling towards Liverpool were advised to pay at the first available opportunity, indicating a
temporary easement of the Penalty Fares system. The ticket office has stood idle since it was closed in
1992, but discussions are pending about bringing it back into use as a community hub and café.

1612] Liverpool Central: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's transport plan, approved in draft
form by the transport committee earlier this month, says that this station is already at full capacity.
With passenger numbers rising (up 472,000 to 16.5M in 2017/18), increasing capacity is described as
'vital for the region'. The plan calls on the authority to look for evidence, funding and options for ways
to solve the station's capacity problem. This solution could entail major remodelling of the station and
platforms. The shopping centre above is now undergoing renovation after being bought by the council.

1613] Metrolink: 43.7M journeys were made in the year to Mar (up 6.1% from 41.2M the previous
financial year) and totalling 457M km. The DLR had 121.8M with Metrolink the second most used UK
tram/light rail system. Its journey numbers have more than doubled since the 19.2M in 2010. On
average each person in Greater Manchester made 14.8 tram journeys during the year - up from 13.7 in
2017/18. [Do they do a census to distinguish passengers who do not live in Greater Manchester‽] Total
revenue was £82.1M (£74.8M in 2017/18) - up 9.6% in the year; the trams operates without subsidy.

1614] Crumpsall: (BLN 1329.1301) Track is being laid at the new Manchester end inbound side bay for
Trafford Park trams to turnback, similar to Shaw & Crompton on the Rochdale line. However, the new
track will continue north beyond the platform end and through the unused arch of Crumpsall Lane
bridge. It will take a double tram at the platform and another double stabled beyond (or a tour?).
A line closure through Crumpsall will be needed in the future to connect it to the main line.

1615] Poynton: Just northwest of the station, Woodford Rd overbridge is to be strengthened during
the summer with a traditional years old system of metal tie rods and pattress anchor plates. Repairs
will also be made to the brickwork under the bridge. The bridge is closed from Fri 5 Jul until Fri 16 Aug.

1616] Northwich: (BLN 1319.2759) On 29 and 30 Jun, 26ch of life-expired track on the Down & Up
Goods Line dating from the 1950s was replaced at a cost of £700k. Running behind P2, jointed rail on
wooden sleepers was replaced with concrete sleepers and continuously welded rail. The line had been
out of use since 12.59 on 28 Nov 2018 due to the track condition. Passenger trains were unaffected.

1617] Preston trams: (BLN 1297.146) This old chestnut rears its head in BLN from time to time over
the years. TravelWatch North West recently received a presentation about the proposed tramway.
The route is from Longridge Park & Ride to Preston station via Deepdale Retail Park, the bus station,
and Fishergate. Journey time is forecast to be 15 minutes end to end with six trams required. These
will be built locally in Leyland [Are you thinking what I'm thinking .... now where was that item about
suggested use for old Pacers?]. Planning approval has been obtained and approaches to the financial
markets will take place 'very soon'. The cost of the entire project is estimated at £25M and a
construction company has already been appointed. If funding is raised, work could start this summer.

1618] The Leaning Tower of Bamber Bridge: (BLN 1327.1011) The impressive metalwork holding the
gate box upright remains in place, awaiting a permanent engineering solution to the problem of it
leaning towards the track. [How about re-control to Preston PSB with CCTV or Obstacle Detection?]

1619] NEXT PAGE: Chasewater Railway: (MR p7) (TRACKmaps 4 p22D -Dec 2018) (Birmingham & West
Midlands Railway Atlas, 2016 p5 - the first Brownhills West platform was on the other side of the line.)
In the Midlands, north of Birmingham, of course (don't ask!). The current heritage railway and how it
relates to the former Midland Railway, MR boundary and the extensive system of interconnecting
colliery lines that once ran on Cannock Chase. Thanks to our members: Angus McDougall (for the idea)
David Bathurst for the initial information, Brian Ratherham (who drew the original plan and researched
the mileages) and Dave Cromarty who redrew and expanded it for BLN in his own inimitable style.



ABOVE: Parts from a giant's Meccano set? Bamber Bridge Gate Box, item 1618. (John Cameron 24 Jun 2019.)

1620] Birkenhead North: On Sun 23 Jun there was Short Term Planned TfW unusual ECS activity: 12.36
Crewe Carriage Sidings to Birkenhead North EMU depot (15.10) via Croes Newydd North Fork
(reverse), Wrexham General P3, Penyffordd and Bidston. The train left 47 mins early at 15.20 and
took the same route back but terminated at Chester 66 mins early. Investigations have revealed that it

was 2-car DMU, 150262. It is
believed the run was related to TfW's
plans to introduce Class 230 Vivarail
DMUs on the Wrexham - Bidston line
in September. Arrangements are
being made to access an under track
pit for train maintenance; the Stadler
Birkenhead North Depot is being
considered. Longer term the TfW
Class 230s are expected to be mostly
maintained in Wrexham General Up
Bay Sidings when suitably adapted.

1621] 'More' at Heaton Chapel: (BLN
1328.1173) A full size 'Heaton Chapel
& Heaton Moor' running in board
has been installed on the Down
platform with white cut out letters
on a black background. LEFT: Recent
picture of the sign. (13 Jun 2019,
John Cameron who certainly gets
about a bit....)

1622] Greater Manchester: Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, has unveiled a map to
show how he wants the conurbation's transport network to look by 2029. In a speech that reiterated
his vision for a 'London-style transport system' in Greater Manchester, he unveiled a blueprint that
includes new east west orbital bus links; tram extensions to Stalybridge; Port Salford and Middleton;
with 'tram trains' to Hale, Warrington, Gorton and Glossop. The mayor also announced 1,000 new
park & ride spaces by the end of 2020 and a bike hire scheme due to be launched next year. On 1 Jul
he announced free Greater Manchester bus (only) travel for local 16-18 year olds. This is a two year
'pilot' sponsored by Sports firm 'JD'. There is an application procedure and £10 administrative charge.

1623] Capernwray Viaduct: NR has restored and reinforced this 145yd long Viaduct which carries the
Carnforth to Settle Jn line over the River Keer east of Carnforth (2m 25ch to 2m 32ch). The route now
has a much improved service of eight passenger trains each way on weekdays (eight Up and seven
Down SO) and five each way SuO. At its worse it was down to four each way (SuX) for years. The £500k
project involved the temporary damming and diversion of the river through a pipe. This allowed access
to restore brickwork, strengthen 11 arches with special anchors and plates and protect the structure's
footings in the river from erosion with rock armour. Years of built up dirt was also cleaned from the
whole viaduct. Network Rail carefully relocated 157 fish upstream, including 22 salmon and 13 brown
trout, this was very impressive net work by them but you should have seen the one that got way!

1624] Lime Street: Permanent repairs have begun on the retaining wall just east of Smithdown Lane
Tunnel (192m 69ch) which collapsed onto the railway on the station approaches with 200 tonnes of
debris in Feb 2017. The wall was overloaded with concrete and temporary buildings on land next to
the line owned by Liverpool City Council. OHLE, track and other equipment was badly damaged. The
station closed for a week from 17.38 Tue 28 Feb until 17.27 on 7 Mar 2017 with no trains able to run in
or out of Lime Street. A temporary repair involving removing 4,000 tonnes of material allowed it to
reopen. Permanent repairs are due to be completed by the autumn without affecting passenger trains.

1625] Hale: About 50ch of the Mid Cheshire Line, known as 'Bleeding Wolf', is being relaid to ease the
speed restriction from 20mph to 75mph. New
drainage will be installed with 2,500 tonnes of
ballast and 700 sleepers. This is over three Suns, 30
Jun, and 7 & 14 July plus all 10 & 11 Aug weekend.

1626] Rose Hill Marple: The Friends of Rose Hill
Station are promoting the 150th Anniversary of its
opening and also of the Macclesfield, Bollington &
Marple Railway, of which the Rose Hill branch is
the remaining stub (the rest CP from 5 Jan 1970).
At 2pm on Fri 5 Jul a blue plaque commemorating
the anniversary is to be unveiled at the station. On
the same day similar plaques will be unveiled at
the sites of Middlewood Higher and High Lane
stations on the closed section of the line.

1627] Bolton (BLN 1329.1305) The Bolton News
reports that TPE services will start calling at Bolton
again 'later this summer'. Meanwhile, a new stop
sign at the end of P5 has appeared for 9/11 car
Class 390 Pendolinos and Class 22x 5/10 car trains.
Our member wonders when they will be needed!

LEFT: Despite its battered appearances this is a
new sign that has recently appeared at the end of
Bolton P5. (Andrew Martin.)

THIS PAGE: Some of the exhibits at Ridgmont Station Heritage Centre. (John Cameron again, 14 Jun 2019.)

ABOVE and BELOW: The new building at Hanborough station in early Jun. (Stuart Hicks.)

1331 SOUTH EAST - NORTH & EAST ANGLIA (Julian James) [email protected]
1628] Bletchley: On the flyover the track has been lifted and ballast removed for East West Rail work.
(E-BLN 1330.X.65.) It was built in 1959 to carry 80 freight trains a day over the WCML, but never did.

1629] Bletchley - Bedford: Ridgmont station building is the only one on the Marston Vale Line still
owned by NR. It was derelict for years until restoration was completed in May 2013. It is now rented
out to a Vintage Tea Room in the former Ladies Waiting Room, a heritage centre on the rest of the
ground floor and two businesses which use the upstairs rooms as offices. The Heritage Centre (open
SuMX 10.00-16.00 Easter until Dec, 01525 287121) is well worth a visit. It is full of artifacts including
ticket office and signal box equipment as well as fascinating information and photos of the station and
the line. The gift shop gives 10% discount for rail passengers. The Vintage Tea Rooms open daily 09.00-
16.00 MBHX and are highly recommended. Booking advised and required on Sundays. 01525287120.

1630] Didcot: The delayed demolition of Didcot 'A' Power Station boiler house has been completed.
The 200m tall chimney and the three northern cooling towers are now due to be blown up, all on the
same day, 'this summer'. The other three cooling towers were blown up on Sun 27 Jul 2014.

1631] Felixstowe: (BLN 327.1016) Felixstowe Beach with the line from Felixstowe Town did
finally close to passengers after the last train on Sun 10 Sep 1967, but since 2 Nov 1959 it had only
been open during the summer months. The station, Felixstowe's first, opened 1 May 1877, with the
extension from Felixstowe Beach to Felixstowe Pier opening soon after (the latter CP from 2 Jul 1951).

The curve avoiding Felixstowe Town station - the original route to Beach station now used by freights
to/from the docks - CA from 1 Jul 1898 when Town station opened (trains for Beach and Pier then had
to reverse at Town). The curve was restored - for freight only - from 26 Apr 1970, when the junction at
the Trimley end was named Felixstowe Beach Jn. At no time was there a fully functioning triangle
at Felixstowe Town - only one (1877-1898) or two (1898 onwards) curves were in regular use at any
time (the civil engineer may - or may not - have had use of three when doing the works in spring 1970).

1632] March: (TRACKmaps 2 p13C - Oct 2016) GBRf is to return the disused March Up Yard to use.
It plans to refurbish the seven terminal sidings shown on TRACKmaps converging with the Up
Reception loop east of March station. They will be used initially for stabling and maintaining wagons
for the Middleton Towers sand traffic, as well as aggregate trains. GBRf says that the site is just over
three acres and can accommodate trains up to 320m in length. In time, intermodal trains will also use
the facility. Consideration is being given to installing a fuel point; new fencing and acoustic barriers will
reduce noise for residents. GBRf also operates the Whitemoor Yard facility for NR, and uses the old
wagon shed in March Down Yard for wagon maintenance. The reopening will help reduce emissions
and save the cost of running several hundred non-productive miles each week just for wagons to be
serviced. [It also shows the benefit of leaving disused track in situ (apart from saving the cost of lifting)
to help preserve rights, making it easier to revive a facility if needed than if track has been lifted.]

1633] Tilbury: Maritime Transport (DBC) has opened a new rail-connected distribution terminal at the
Port of Tilbury. Maritime will use an existing terminal railhead that has been converted to allow both
straddle carriers and reach stackers to operate simultaneously, which will double the handling capacity
of the terminal. The terminal will handle both intermodal and specialised steel wagons. (This includes
the established Trostre - Tilbury export steel flow.) It can accommodate domestic, international and
EU trade in the new terminal. A 5,000m2 moveable 'Rubb'® storage shed was relocated from another
part of the port to the site to provide rail connected undercover storage. The site in which Maritime
were previously located at the port has closed to become part of the Tilbury2 development area.

1634] Hanborough: (BLN 1319.2766) - 323,000 passengers were recorded in 2017-18. On 10 Jun the
new (rather than second hand) building was mostly complete including a toilet - see previous page.
A visit that week confirmed it is open and a ticket examiner said that it had been since Mon 10 Jun.
The entrance is by a door onto the platform with 'GWR' in the window.

Inside are attractive and comfortable looking low back seats (with 'GWR' on the rear) and a ticket sales
counter. The building opens 07.00-12.00 SSuX staffed by a local GWR ticket examiner with a SPORTIS
(Super PORtable Ticket Issuing System - perfect for selling tickets to Wimbledon. Golf Street or Rugby
for example) machine - so no platform tickets! The toilet (open the same hours) is at the London end,
platform side, with full disabled access.

1331 SOUTH EAST - SOUTH (Julian James) [email protected]
1635] Lewes: The non-electrified Down Siding east of the station, often used to stable track machines, was
removed from 17 Jun, the points in the Down Main plain lined and the ground frame (50m 03ch) abolished.

1636] Lymington branch: (BLN 1328.1191) The final day of passenger service at the unadvertised
private Ampress Works Halt (latterly just Ampress) was Fri 6 Oct 1989, with closure of the works.

1637] Maidstone: (BLN 1315.2238) In Oct 2018 work began on demolishing the Victoria Hotel as part
of the modernisation of Maidstone East station. Unfortunately, our member's report was somewhat
previous; for the last eight months or so the building has remained swathed in scaffolding and plastic
sheeting with no apparent work in progress. A clue to this emerged some weeks ago when the local
press reported that asbestos had been found. The sheeting has recently been removed and enquiries
of station staff reveal that the asbestos has been removed, but the demolition contractors (who
planned to dismantle the building brick by brick to recycle them) have pulled out. A new contractor
proposes a straight demolition and the scaffolding will be removed only to be replaced by the new
contractor's equivalent! It will be a very delicate operation as the hotel sits immediately on top of
Week Street Tunnel (5ch) - hopefully strong enough to cope - which is more of a covered way than a
tunnel. Also at Maidstone East, the 07.23 SSuX from London Blackfriars is booked to turnback in P1.

Meanwhile, at Maidstone West an 'Access for All' bid for a fully accessible footbridge between the
platforms has been refused. The DfT highlighted that a staff assisted barrow crossing is available.

1638] Eastbourne: The short non-electrified siding next to No5 electrified siding has been relaid as has
the turnout connecting it to the non-electrified siding next to the Carriage Cleaning Siding, both using
second hand materials from Balcombe Jn. It is for engineers' vehicles and has new weed growth
already as on the siding straight ahead in http://bit.ly/2XANlJM (taken just after the work was done).

1639] Bognor Regis: (BLN 1290.2062) Another bungalow built around a carriage is for sale for £1.5M at
Selsey (that's quite a Selsey bill), near the Pagham example from Oct 2017 at £0.5M. This carriage
dates from 1897, a product of Jackson & Share of Delaware, imported to the UK for the Folkestone
Railway where it was in use until 1914. Brought by road for the last stage of its journey to Kent, it bore
Pullman livery and the name 'Tulip', which it carries in its restored state. https://dailym.ai/2FQeAWP
has photographs of this very high quality excellently presented seaside property, including the coach.
Somehow we can't see bungalows built around scrapped Pacers commanding quite the same prices.

X.74] Hamble Oil Terminal: (BLN 1329.1317-19) LEFT: The remains of the Ground Frame. RIGHT: The
points have been removed and plain lined; the branch is off to the right. (Andy Overton/Facebook.)

THIS PAGE/NEXT: The £1.5M coach/bungalow on the coast at Bognor Regis (item 1639 links to more pictures).

1640] Eridge: (E-BLN 1330.X66) Your Greater London Editor recently spotted a slide like chute from the
station buildings up on the road overbridge sloping steeply down beneath the footbridge steps.
Despite being to the 'Up' platforms it was clearly a 'down' facility with no equivalent on the Down
platforms. A member suggested it may be a new 'Kiss and Slide' facility for late-running husbands/
wives/mistresses/etc to catch London trains faster. However, the Middleton Press book 'Branch Lines
to Tunbridge Wells' plate 101 caption reveals that it was a mailbag chute. Were there any other
examples and why does Eridge have one? It was hardly likely to dispatch a large number of mail bags.

1331 SOUTH WEST (Darren Garnon) [email protected]

1641] Exeter City Basin: (BLN 1322.321) The Cornwall Railway Society has approached us asking for
any pictures for their (excellent) web pages https://goo.gl/B4ikCH of branch trains (it CG 1983) or
more information. https://goo.gl/KL777q is about the rail served Garton & King Tan Lane Foundry
which the enquirer has a family connection to. He is particularly interested in images of the foundry.

1642] Melksham: There was a time when just one door of a generally single coach Class 153 DMU was
opened at the platform here. This was sufficient when only two trains a day (SuX) called each way
between Dec 2006 and Dec 2013. In mid-July 2018 (Melksham Independent News) a significant
Swindon end extension opened. It has enabled 3-car DMUs to be accommodated rather than the one
coach before and the previous platform was also improved. Since Dec 2013, when the service was
much enhanced, passenger numbers have increased from 23,930 in 2013/14 to 74,220 in 2017/18.

1643] Moretonhampstead: The station, CP 2 Mar 1959; CG 6 Apr 1964, was the terminus of the
Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway (branch). Despite being closed for over 60 years, the
concerns about climate change and the need to reduce car usage means that some long closed rural
lines may become viable in future. [There have to be some advantages.] Accordingly, Railfuture has
commented on planning proposals for 40 houses on the former station site, suggesting retaining space
for a single track and platform. The group also recommends that the historic goods shed be retained.

ABOVE: The British branch terminus with the longest name? A 1960 map after passenger closure.

Meanwhile, the final two stages of the Wray Valley Trail cycle (Bovey Tracey to Moretonhampstead)
should be complete by the end of the year. Half of the 6m 67ch route has been built, the sections from
Moretonhampstead to Wray Barton in the north and between Bovey Tracey and Lustleigh in the south,
but the final £1M section of the trail has yet to be completed. However, it is now due to be completed
by the autumn; Teignbridge District Council's executive has agreed to put £100k towards the project.

1644] Bodmin: GWR has awarded the Bodmin & Wenford Railway £54,000 for a feasibility study into
providing a second platform at Bodmin General. [Presumably allowing two passenger trains to 'cross'
at the terminal station?] The stated aim is to improve mainline connections at Bodmin Parkway.

1645] Bristol Rail Revitalisation: Rail projects in Bristol and Bath are to progress following the
approval of feasibility and development funding. A meeting of the West of England Combined
Authority recently authorised an increase in spending of £350M until 2023 from the £900M
Investment Fund agreed as part of the West of England Devolution Deal. This includes £3.5M to
develop a full business case for MetroWest Phase 2. This is to reopen the '6m 3ch' long line from Filton
to Henbury (although from this length quoted it would virtually extend to Hallen Marsh Jn) with an
hourly 'spur' passenger service to Henbury and to increase services to Yate to half-hourly. New
stations at Henbury, North Filton and Ashley Down are included. The project is estimated to cost
£54.2M (£48.2M in capital funding and £5.9M revenue support). A fourth new station could be built at
Charfield in South Gloucestershire and £900k has been allocated to develop a full business case for it.

1646] Highbridge: By 5 Jun, the northern points had been plain lined of the bidirectional Up & Down
Goods Loop (covered by our 3 Feb Looe Brush tour). It is south of the station on the 'Up' side.

1647] Westbury: (BLN 1313.1997) P2 is being extended by 76m at the country end and P3 by 55m for
IETs; surprisingly the extension appears to be slightly lower than the rest of the island platform.

1648] Severn Tunnel: 'Railnews' reports that electrification equipment inside the 4m 28ch tunnel is
deteriorating so quickly that trains may have to use diesel mode through it. Recently installed earthing
straps on the overhead fixed conductor rails inside are already breaking down. NR had expected them
to last for 25 years! The problem is due to the very humid, saline atmosphere inside the tunnel. Pumps
remove over 60M litres of water daily, from the 'Great Spring'; drainage tunnels under the main tunnel
take water to be pumped out at Sudbrook, on the western side of the river. NR is investigating ways of
dealing with the problem. Are there other electrified tunnels like this anywhere in the world?

1331 WEST MIDLANDS (Brian Schindler) [email protected]

1649] Birmingham & West Midlands Railway Atlas: The compiler, our member Joe Brown, intends
to produce a fully revised second edition soon. Please forward any suggestions for additions or
amendments to [email protected] as soon as possible, or post to BLN Editor. Joe's
Manchester & Liverpool Railway Atlas first edition is progressing and should be out later this year.

1650] Long Marston: (BLN 1329.1385) (TRACKmaps 3 p14D - Jun 1028) On 19 & 20 Jun Quinton Rail
Technology Centre at the former MoD base hosted 'Rail Live' for the rail industry. A member who
works in the industry attended. Per BLN 1329, GWR ran two round trips from Paddington with the
10.36 departure and 13.30 return Class 166 Turbo operated and the 07.05 from London and 16.50
return evening workings a 5-car IET which remained at Long Marston for the day. Booking tickets was
straightforward via the GWR public website where Long Marston had been added as a destination
station! They ran to North Gate Platform (see TRACKmaps) and other internal rides were available.

799001 (ex-319001 EMU) described as the HydroFLEX demonstrator is a joint project between Rolling
Stock owner Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham where power is provided to the electric
motors by a combination of batteries and hydrogen. The batteries are used to supplement hydrogen
power on starting and are at least in part recharged using regenerative braking. Hydrogen power is
supplied via fuel cells. The Motor Vehicle within the set has had the seats stripped out and contains
the hydrogen tanks etc. Rides were anti-clockwise from a temporary platform on the through line next
to the building 'QRTC Motorail' (east side) to just past the Level Crossing west of North Gate Platform.

Conveniently this achieved overlap for anyone who had used the service in from London. Viva Rail
operated a battery powered single 'D train' vehicle. Although the interior had London Underground
style strip route maps for the Wrexham to Bidston line the vehicle (7031) was apparently not destined
for TfW! It ran on the through line west of 'Yard A' about 200m south of the Level Crossing. Full length
LNER Azuma 800113 attended and made an unusual sight on the North Cotswold Line.

BELOW: 166204 at Long Marston North Gate Platform on the 10.36 departure from Paddington.

ABOVE: HydroFLEX 799001. BELOW: Vivarail 'D train' battery powered vehicle 7031. (All Patrick Chandler.)

Curiously there was nothing on the GWR website to indicate that the Turbo from Paddington was not
available to the Public and nothing to stop them buying tickets online. Oxford departure screens
showed 'LNGMSTN'. The automated announcement system could not cope so just missed it out but
did add a period of silence. So the announcement referred to a 11.36 train to .... calling at .... only ...
There was no manual correction. Train loadings were very light. The outward trains used Honeybourne
Stratford Line Jn crossover (102m 16ch) and the return reversed on the Up Line beyond the crossover.
1651] New Street: P4C starter has been renewed with a 'crossed out' route indicator. Access from the
bay is only available to the Down Stour; is the Up Stour to become bidirectional at some 'point'?

[BLN 1331]

1652] Stoke Edith: This station on the Down side, between Ledbury and Hereford, CP 5 Apr 1965 along
with other local stations between Worcester and Hereford. The owners are appealing for donations to
help restore the original station building which are planned to eventually become holiday lets.
http://bit.ly/2Rxbfk3 has details of the appeal with historic and contemporary station photos.

Work has begun on a standard gauge line (in the former goods yard and headshunt), and when
complete an 'open day' is planned with Wickham 4171 of 1948 (when operational) giving rides (over
¼ mile) and Ruston 463150 of 1961 running. Stock here is former Bulmers Mk1 35158 and GUV 86650
(latterly 061206 based at Bristol Kingsland Road). [Cardiff & Avonside Railway Society Magazine.]

ABOVE: OS 25" to the mile (1927). Hereford is left and Ledbury right; the main line is single here now,
of course. The potential station line route is the lower one, from top left to the goods shed/station.

1653] Arley: (BLN 1330.1483) The tunnel here between Birmingham and Nuneaton has been prone to
subsidence over the years. It CP 14 Dec 1948 with single line working for freight then, as matters
deteriorated, it closed to all traffic 9 Jan 1949. Midland Red buses ran for passengers between
Nuneaton and Arley calling at Stockingford as needed. The tunnel reopened with single line working
and a revised timetable on Mon 11 Apr 1949 but by 9 May it was only open for a few hours each day.

On the evening of 11 May, just after a special to London had passed, a wide crack appeared in the roof
and the line was immediately shut. Much work was needed and part of the 999yd long tunnel was
opened out reducing it to 709yd long (6m 22ch to 6m 55ch) and extending the cutting. The line ROA
from 5 Dec 1949. The chronic subsidence is due to the tunnel being constructed though heavy clay
which holds a great deal of water making it unstable. It was closed again for planned engineering work
from 19 Mar until 3 Oct 1993. (Based on the excellent http://bit.ly/2XhsHyb website.)

1654] Walsall - Shrewsbury: (BLN 1330.1480) The purpose of the through peak weekday DMUs is to
release EMUs for the peak all stations New Street - Wolverhampton services (which must be EMUs to
maintain timings) by not running them to Walsall. The shame is that quite a bit of through traffic has
developed particularly from the Wolverhampton line to/from Perry Barr (Birmingham City University)
and passengers have to change now. Two EMUs which work into Euston in the morning peak detach
off the 10.07 and 12.07 from Euston at New Street to take up Walsall - Wolverhampton workings.

1655] Father's Day: (BLN 1326.884) With similar conditions to the Sun 31 Mar Mother's Day offer,
West Midlands Railway offered 'Dads go free' tickets on Sun 16 Jun. Interestingly it was expanded to
included Step Fathers and Foster Fathers with free tickets available from WM staffed stations.

1656] Worcester Shrub Hill: The London end Up short bay, P3 has no regular booked passenger use.
9-car IETs even stabling at the buffers on the adjacent Back Road foul the points halfway along P3, not
helping. There are now two rather complicated ECS shunts booked each week: SO 05.17 Worcester
Depot - Shrub Hill P1B (05.20-05.24) - Middle Siding - Worcester Signal 54 (reverse) - Shrub Hill P3
(05.33½-07.50½) - Signal 54 (reverse) - Shrub Hill P2A (08.00 forming the 08.15 to Dorridge).
SuO is exactly the reverse of this; at 17.58 from P2B (the 17.02 service ex-Moor Street) reaching the
Depot 20.23. Recently the Saturday working has run as booked but the Sunday one has tended to miss
out the 110 minute wait in P3, reaching the Depot 80-115 minutes early, so probably doesn't use P3!
ABOVE: Worcester Shrub Hill bay P3, the stop blocks are just past the end of the wall. The other end

of this 9-car IET was at the far buffer stops on the 'Back Road'. (David Guy, 24 Jun 2019.)
X.75] Lyonshall: NEXT TWO PAGES: Some recent pictures of this intermediate station on the very
obscure Great Western Railway Titley (Jn) to Eardisley line in remote rural Herefordshire. A Railway
Ramblers' walk (described as 'excellent') on Saturday 27 April 2019, note with special access arranged.
NEXT PAGE TOP: 'The Old Station' an abutment of the former overbridge can be seen - left. The single
platform was above and right of that; the end of the platform canopy is visible. (All Philip Cartwright.)





ABOVE: A railway underbridge between Lyonshall and Titley. (Philip Cartwright.)

1657] Polesworth: The station clocked up 262 passengers in 2017-18 so it was no surprise that no
passenger joined or alighted on Thur 12 Jun when the 06.01 (SSuX) Northampton to Crewe called at
06.51.This is the only train of the day in either direction, of course, although Saturdays the call is made
by the 06.37 ex-Northampton at 07.21, with no trains on Sundays. In contrast nearby Atherstone with
a 'proper' service all day, all week recorded 149,000 passengers which is 50% growth since 2013-14.

1658] Birmingham International: Consultants have been appointed to develop plans to upgrade the
station to link with HS2. The Urban Growth Company set up by Solihull Council, with a brief to
maximise the economic potential of the site known as The Hub near the NEC and Birmingham Airport,
has appointed WilkinsonEyre as architect and WSP as lead engineer to deliver the project. The site is
close to the planned HS2 Interchange station in Solihull. The appointment of the professional services
team comes after the Urban Growth Company secured £9.27M from the West Midlands Combined
Authority last year, to progress the design process. Solihull Council hopes to create an integrated
transport exchange, bringing together existing rail, HS2, trams, buses, rapid transit, private vehicles,
taxis, bicycles and an automated people mover, with connections to Birmingham Airport and the HS2
Interchange station by 2025. WilkinsonEyre and WSP will work with the Urban Growth Company to
review the original designs progressed during the feasibility stage and take forward detailed design.
Impressions are expected in Feb 2020 with construction expected to start in 2022 for 2026 completion.

1331 IRELAND (Martin Baumann) [email protected]
1659] LUAS: The first of 26 Green line trams to be lengthened to 55m will be '5021' but is not yet in traffic.

1660] Londonderry: (BLN 1330.1490 with plan) Demolition of the present station will start soon after
the replacement opens (currently expected on Tue 22 Oct 2019) to build a new car park on the site.

THIS PAGE & NEXT TOP: To record the present Londonderry station. (Martin Baumann, 21 Jun 2019.)

X.76] An Irish Rail poster (photographed through Perspex) in Cork station subway! Is he on a BLS tour?
No, actually he wants to stay on the ECS and do the Carriage Sidings. (Simon Mortimer, 20 May 2019.)

ABOVE: (TRACKmaps/Quail 6 p8E - Feb 2004) Foynes; the former passen
Foynes Phoenix tour. It is now fenced off with trees growing from the buildin

(All: Simon Mortimer, on Sat 19 May 2019 who was o

nger terminus, incredibly 28 years to the day since the Sat 19 May 1991
ngs, quite a contrast to the pictures in e-BLN 1328.1206 (of 11 May 2019).

on the 1991 tour too when he was 28 years younger!)



PREVIOUS PAGE TOP: Foynes end of line, beyond the passenger station (top left) - 19 May 2019.
PREVIOUS PAGE LOWER: Trees now engulf the still canopied former passenger platform at Foynes.
1661] Whitehead: All terminating trains from Belfast use P2 and all through trains use P1 except the
following SSuX north end departures from P2: 07.35, 15.15, 15.45 & 17.06 Belfast Great Victoria
Street (GVS) to Larne Harbour, 15.45 Portadown to Larne Harbour and 17.34 GVS to Larne Town.

ABOVE: Londonerry P1 (fortunately the longer one) is the only track remaining in use until closure.
1331 ISLE OF MAN (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]

1662] Horse Tramway: (BLN 1330.1498) IOM Transport confirms that a 2019 horse tram leaflet will
not be produced. Now that the 'TT' is over, and the surge in visitors has subsided, work on the Prom
has recommenced 'with vigour'. Part of the roadway to the seaward side of the operative tram tracks
is receiving attention with single line (road) working. To protect the horse trams, a short bollard
corridor has been created. Where the tram needs to cross over to return to Strathallan marquee/
depot, a Stop/Go board (contractor controlled) is used to avoid conflict with southbound road traffic.
A member saw the Horse Tram running to Switzerland Rd during the TT, still using the seaward track,
with no published timetable and one tram in operation. The track beyond Switzerland Rd was in the
process of being laid, although work was suspended for TT, with track beyond Broadway lifted and all
tarmacked over. He believes that is the point where the line will divert to the promenade realignment.
None of the trams he saw were well used, as they usually are during the TT, just the odd person having
a trip for the fun of it rather than actually using it as transport. Trailers and other vehicles were in the
marquee, near Derby Castle (Manx Electric Railway) station, just beyond The Terminus Tavern there.

ABOVE: The limit of operation on the Horse Tram looking south at Switzerland Road; horse 'Rocky'
with Tram 29 - hopefully it was smooth ride though. (©Andy Overton, 8 Jun 2019.)

BELOW: Showing the relationship of the temporary marquee/shed to (in the foreground)
the Manx Electric Railway at Derby Castle looking north. (©Andy Overton, 4 Jun 2019.)