1444

670] A heart of gold: Your Committee is delighted to inform our members that, on Fri 8 Mar, at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, Golden Whistles Award 2024, the Branch Line Society received a prestigious special 'Golden Whistle' award. This was for our charitable railway-related fundraising through railtours etc and joint working with Network Rail and train operators. We were represented by Committee Member Martyn Brailsford at the event, part of a 'Fourth Friday Club', organised by 'Modern Railways' magazine and the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators (CIRO). The Golden Whistles were founded in 2010 by CIRO luminary and now West Dorset MP, Chris Loder, to promote best practice and celebrate excellence in railway operations. Awards are handed out for the best operators based on statistics over the past year as well for individuals and teams who have gone the extra mile to deliver examples of outstanding operations. Our Society has raised over £1.25M for a range of good causes over the past 10 years, with £338,000 to Railway Children, £252,000 to Martin House Children's Hospice and £127,000 to Railway Benefit Fund. Date Book online :Dates after 9 Jun are on our website: BLN Lead Status Fri 22 Mar The Strawberry Fields, East Somerset Railway 1441 MG OPEN Sat 23 Mar The Bodmin Bubble, Bodmin Railway 1441 MG OPEN Sun 24 Mar The Southern Extremity, Helston Railway (morning) 1441 MG OPEN Sun 24 Mar Moseley Heritage Museum (afternoon) 1442 MG OPEN Fri 5 Apr New Mills area conducted signal box visits 1442 MG Waitinglist Sat 6 Apr The Scaccarium Dies, Bluebell Railway 'all lines' 1441 MG Waitinglist Sun 7 Apr The School Belle - Sussex 10¼'' railways 1443 MG Limited Mon 8 Apr *NEW* Euston tour & Watford DC line mini-tour Below MG OPEN Fri 26 Apr Manchester Victoria behind the scenes tour Website MG Waitinglist Sat 27 Apr Glasgow Central guided tour & Kelvinbridge 1443 MG OPEN Fri 3-6 May Kernow - Cornwall passenger branches loco-hauled POSTPONED to 2025 Fri 3 - 6 May *NEW* Save the dates still for possible alternative heritage traction charity railtours Thur 9 May *NEW* The Jurassic Crompton to Swanage Below MG OPEN Sun 12 May *NEW* The return of the Jurassic Crompton Below MG OPEN Sun 12 May Class 507 Farewell from/to Birkenhead North POSTPONED to summer Sat 25 May The Hanson Hanse loco-hauled railtour 1439 MG Waitinglist Sun 26 May The Millbrook Meander loco-hauled railtour 1439 MG OPEN Mon 27 May 11.00 & 14.00 Moreton Park railtours; ex-BR locos 1440 MG Waitinglist Wed 5 Jun *NEW*The Bucket & Spade Charter (LSL) for RBF Below MG OPEN Thur 6 Jun *NEW* The Holt Hoover to Sheringham Below MG OPEN Sun 9 Jun *NEW* The Cromer Crompton from Sheringham Below MG OPEN Number 1444 (Items 670 - 796 & MR 42 - MR 53) (E-BLN 118 PAGES) 16 Mar 2024 BRANCH LINE NEWS Praeteritum, praesens et futurum ferriviaria [ISSN 1354-0947] Published 24 times a year by the Branch Line Society; founded 1955 branchline.uk https://www.facebook.com/BranchLineSociety/ Membership queries Lisa Sheppard [email protected] 186 [email protected] Park Road South, Hull, HU4 7BU. 07873 354464 British Isles news from members; an International section is available Opinions are not necessarily those of the Compilers or of the Society ciety. Society. …BLN 1445 is dated Sat 30 Mar; contributions by Wed 20 Mar please

BELOW: (Item 670) On behalf of our Society, Martyn Brailsford (centre) recRight is our member Alexa Stott who accompanied Martyn to the awards. (Ph

eives a Golden Whistle from Chris Loder MP in London on Fri 8 Mar 2024. hoto: Modern Railways and the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators.)

BELOW: Our Golden Whistle Award. (Martyn Brailsford, 8 Mar 2024.)

X.33] :Mon 8 Apr; Euston station guided tour & Watford DC line:: With thanks to our member Adam Turner of NR (so it will be very good), this is a chance to see a different side of one of Network Rail's top 10 busiest stations! Meeting on the concourse mid-morning, this guided tour will first descend to explore some of the basement and then ascend to the parcel deck level including a walk around outside to see the notable surviving railway architecture. This tour supports 'Help for Heroes'. The station tour lasts for about 60-90 minutes. The following optional service train mini-tour (about 90 minutes) on the Overground Lioness Line (the Watford Junction to Euston DC Overground Line) visits the architecture and history of Hatch End station and Harrow & Wealdstone station. Participants will need to bring a high visibility vest and wear boots. Large luggage cannot be brought on the tour but there is a left luggage facility on Euston station for a fee. A volunteer/s to write a BLN report would be welcome! Members only limited to 18 - no reductions £33; please book online on our website. X.34] :Fri 3-Mon 6 May; Kernow:: From our Fixtures Secretary: Now that the excellent BWC 2 charter is concluded, I am now in a position, following an important meeting this week, to give you an update on our Kernow project planned for May 2024. The specification is now fully completed to deliver all passenger branches and a number of significant freight branches. It is with regret however that we are left with no alternative to defer the project until Spring 2025. The support from the supply chain for this project has been exceptional and special mention must be made of the Class 50 Alliance, South Devon Railway, GB Railfreight, DB Cargo, Freightliner, Network Rail, GWR and Weedfree for all their amazing support. A critical component, of course, is the supply of rolling stock and, despite every endeavour, we exhausted all options this week to ensure the required number of vehicles for the operation could be provided. We are, however, not to be defeated! We know many of you will have the weekend set aside in your diary for Spring days out with friends enjoying heritage traction, unusual lines and some freight locos too - so stand by for an announcement shortly on 'Plan B'. Thank you for your patience whilst the Martin House team has worked hard to explore our options, and quickly come up with an alternative for us all to enjoy, whilst continuing to support the amazing work of the hospice. 671] :Thur 9 May; The Jurassic Crompton:: A GBRf operated tour to the Swanage Railway for their fantastic diesel gala. https://bit.ly/3Zej5jC The tour features a GBRf Class 69 and 71A Locomotive Group Class 33 33012 (expected to lead Waterloo to Swanage) 'top & tail' on Mark 1 stock, the London Underground Class 438 4-TC. Seats will all be sold as Standard Class: Adults £49; U18 £24.50. Eastleigh P3 (PU 08.49) - Fareham - Havant - Haslemere P3 - Guildford P8 (PU 09.59) - Woking - London Waterloo P7 (PU 11.15/rev) - Woking P5 (PU 11.45) - Basingstoke P1 (PU 12.13) - Wallers Ash DPL - Shawford Jn - Dn Slow - Eastleigh - Southampton Central P1 (PU 12.53) - Brockenhurst P1 (photo stop) - Bournemouth P2 - Poole - Wareham (SD 14.04) - Norden - Swanage (SD 14.54). 672] :Sun 12 May; The Return of the Jurassic Crompton:: See previous item, the Class 33 is expected to lead from Swanage to Waterloo. Seats will all be sold as Standard Class: Adults £49; U18 £24.50. Swanage (PU 14.20) - Corfe Castle (PU 14.35) - Worgret Jn - Wareham (PU 14.58) - Bournemouth P4 - Brockenhurst P1 - Southampton Central P3 (SD 16.01) - Eastleigh P1 - Wallers Ash Up Passenger Loop - Basingstoke P2 (SD 16.51) - Woking P1 (SD 17.15) - London Waterloo P11 (SD 17.55/rev) - Woking P4 (SD 18.48) - Basingstoke P4 (SD 19.13) - Eastleigh P3 (SD 19.45). 673] :Wed 5 Jun; The Bucket & Spade:: An LSL charter for RBF, hauled by Class 40 D213 'Andania',with all 1 st Class Intercity carriages. Crewe (08.15/19.25) - Warrington BQ (08.35/18.45) - Manchester Vic (09.35/18.00) - York (SD 12.00/PU 17.00) & Scarborough (SD13.00/PU16.00). We are supporting this event as booking agent. First Class £99; First Class Dining (English breakfast on outward journey and a three course supper on return) £199; add £25 per person to sit at a guaranteed table for two. 674] :Thur 6 Jun; The Holt Hoover:: A Hanson & Hall operated charter with Mk1 stock to the North Norfolk Railway Rails & Ales 60 th Anniversary of the line closing event'. https://bit.ly/3Tsp7xy As well as this, it is an ideal chance to stay in a lovely seaside town and have an Anglia Day Ranger. 50008 is expected to lead from Eastleigh and run round to the rear at Humberstone Road 'top & tail' with 33012. Standard Class only £99 or £30 from Norwich(no other part fares);U18 £15 reduction on either.

Eastleigh P2 (PU 08.34) - Wallers Ash Up Loop - Basingstoke P3 (PU 09.13) - Reading P15 (PU 10.03) - Slough P5 (PU 10.28) - Greenford W Jn - South Ruislip (PU 11.21) - High Wycombe P2 (PU 11.46) - Haddenham & Thame Parkway P1 (PU 12.06) - Banbury P1 (PU 12.43) - Warwick Parkway P2 (PU 13.14) - Landor Street Jn - Coleshill Parkway P2 (PU 14.16) - Leicester P2 (PU 15.00) - Humberstone Road Goods - Peterborough P6 (PU 16.38) - March Up Goods - Ely West Curve - Brandon Down Goods Loop - Norwich P6 (PU/SD 18.35 / rev) - Cromer P1 (rev) - Sheringham (NNR) (SD 20.20). 675] :Sun 9 Jun; The Cromer Crompton:: See previous item. From Sheringham, 33012 is expected to lead. Standard Class £89; £30 to Norwich;£45 to Ely (no other part fares); U18 £15 reduction on either. Sheringham (NNR) (PU 17.05) - Cromer P2 (rev) - Norwich P4 (SD 18.09/rev) - Trowse Dn & Up PL - Ely P3 (SD 19.25/rev) - March Down Goods - Peterborough P7 (SD 20.13) - Leicester P3 (SD 21.13) - Nuneaton P6 (SD 21.39) - Coleshill Parkway (SD 22.01) - Water Orton P1 (SD 22.08). MG = Mark Gomm [email protected] 84 Mornington Rd, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST1 6EL 07983 541887. X.35] :Railway TV:: RAILWAY MURDERS Yesterday Freeview 27 Freesat 159 Sky 155 Virgin 129 Sat 16 Mar 07.10; Sun 17 Mar 01.00 & 07.10; Mon 18 Mar 01.00 & 07.10 Tue 19 Mar 01.00. GREAT AMERICAN RAILROAD JOURNEYS Yesterday Sat 16 Mar 04.00 - 22.00; Mon 18 to Fri 22 Mar inclusive each day at 00.00. RAILROAD AUSTRALIA Dave Freeview 19 Freesat 157 Sky 111 Virgin 127 Sat 16 Mar 22.00 & 23.00. THE TUBE: KEEPING LONDON MOVING Channel 5 Freeview 5/105 Freesat 105 Sky 105 Virgin 105 Sun 17 Mar 20.00 and Fri 22 Mar 18.00. AMAZING RAILWAY JOURNEYS NICK KNOWLES Channel 5 Sun 17 Mar 21.00. GREAT BRITISH RAILWAY JOURNEYS Yesterday Sun 17 Mar 12.00 - 16.00; Tue 19 Mar 00.00 &00.30; Wed 20 Mar 00.00&00.30; Thu 21 Mar 00.00. THE LAST JOURNEY - 1936 film of driver threatening to wreck his train Talking Pictures TV Freeview 82 Freesat 306 Sky 328 Virgin 445 Sun 17 Mar 10.35. EXTREME RAILWAYS Eden Sky 166 Virgin 176 Sun 17 Mar 09.00,15.00 & 21.00 and Mon 18 Mar 03.00. RAILWAY JOURNEYS WITH CHRIS TARRANT Eden Mon 18 Mar 03.50; Sun 17 Mar 10.00, 16.00 & 22.00. GREAT BRITISH RAILWAY JOURNEYS - new series BBC2 Freeview 2/102 Freesat 102 Sky 102 Virgin 102 Mon 18 to Fri 22 Mar 18.30 inclusive each day. GREAT CONTINENTAL RAILWAY JOURNEYS BBC4 Freeview 9/106 Freesat 108 Sky 116 Virgin 108 Mon 18 Mar 19.00; Tue 19 Mar 01.00 & 19.00 and Wed 20 Mar 01.45. MURDER ON THE VICTORIAN RAILWAY BBC4 Mon 18 Mar 22.00 and Wed 20 Mar 00.45. WORLD'S MOST SCENIC RAILWAY JOURNEYS Channel 5 Mon 18 Mar 16.00; Wed 20 Mar 16.00; Thu 21 Mar 16.00 and Fri 22 Mar 16.00. SECRETS OF THE LONDON UNDERGROUND Yesterday Mon 18 Mar 20.00 & 21.00 and Fri 22 Mar 20.00. WORLDS MOST SCENIC RAILWAY JOURNEYS 5 Select Freeview 46 Freesat 133 Sky 153 Virgin 138 Mon 18 Mar 20.00. THE RAILWAYS THAT BUILT BRITAIN CHRIS TARRANT Ch 5 Tue 19 04.30; Wed 20&04.15; Thu 21 Mar 04.20. SCOTLAND'S MOST SCENIC RAILWAY JOURNEYS Ch 5 Tue 19 Mar 16.00. Ch 4 Wed 20 Mar & Thu 21st 05.15. BRITISH RAILS ARE LONG AND FAST - documentary Talking Pictures TV Tue 19 Mar 23.10. BOMBAY RAILWAY BBC4 Wed 20 Mar 19.00; Thu 21 Mar 01.15am and 19.00 Fri 22 Mar 00.50. GREAT BRITISH RAILWAY JOURNEYS GO TO IRELAND Yesterday Thu 21 Mar 00.30; Fri 22 Mar 00.00 & 00.30 and Sat 23 Mar 00.00 & 00.30. BATTLE OF THE RAILS - 1946 film of French railway saboteurs Talking Pictures TV Thu 21 Mar 03.25. SECRETS OF THE RAILWAYS Eden Th 21 12.00-15.00 & 18.00-21.00; Fri 22 01.00 & 02.00, 09.00-12.00, 15.00- 18.00 & 21.00-00.00 and Sat 23 03.00-05.30 all Mar. THE ARCHITECTURE THE RAILWAYS BUILT Eden Fri 22 12.00-15 .00 & 18.00-21.00; Sat 23 Mar 01.00 & 02.00. THE RAILWAY MAP OF BRITAIN Ch 5 Fri 22 Mar 20.00. [A one off BLN item to show what is available.] 1444 BLN GENERAL (Paul Stewart) [email protected] 676] Points & Slips: ●●BLNs 1439.11, 1392.MR9, 1398.MR64, 1423.1092, 1440.MR15, 1441.275 & 1441.276] Regarding Wirral Heritage Tramway; the section closed from Nov 2021 was only from Old Shore Road Police Hut to Woodside Ferry. The section from Police Hut to Wirral Transport Museum (Taylor Street) reopened (BLN 1398.MR64) but succumbed after running on 12 Apr 2023 (Easter Wed) (BLN 1423.1092 - this has been confirmed with the society). It turns out that references to 'Old Colonial' are now out of date; there has been no pub of that name since 2008. It was converted to offices but is now a pub again (but not serving 'real ale') - 'Molly's Chambers & Bar', 167 Bridge St. The Tramway's landward terminus would be better described as 'Taylor Street, opposite the Museum'! Of course, it really depends on what the Tramway calls it, which may be historical, as on main lines.

●●E-BLN 1440.X6] The ex-Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway offices (illustrated) adjoining Manchester Victoria were always referred to as 'Hunts Bank'. ●●148] Rhoose: 'Railway Passenger Stations' (by M E Quick) calls the station simply 'Rhoose' (but acknowledges that the nameboard carries the four-word version). TfW's timetable booklet calls it RHWS MAES AWYR CAERDYDD/RHOOSE CARDIFF AIRPORT. ●●153] In 1963, the Vale of Rheidol Railway left, not from its 'original' Aberystwyth terminus but from its second one, dating from 1925, although trains did thereafter pass through its original 1902 terminal station site. The line was extended by 9ch from some date towards the end of 1925 (or possibly early 1926); no press references to the actual change date have been observed but the 'Railway Passenger Stations' and 'Clinker's Register' date of 31 Jul 1925 has definitively been proven to be incorrect. ●●179] Regarding Hull Trains running from Sheffield to King's Cross, it is Up trains crossing from Retford P2 to the Up East Coast Main Line that may be a problem, conflicting with Down ECML trains. ●●BLN 1442.420] On the Cambrian Coast, Afon Wen to Penychain was double track from 31 Mar 1947 until 30 Apr 1967. The 'Lymm route' (Warrington Arpley Jn - Broadheath Jn) remained in very limited passenger (and mails) use by a late evening Liverpool Lime Street to York train, withdrawn 4 Jan 1965 and also for seasonal services (like the author's 1960 train), which last ran 4 Sep 1971 (see historical PSULs). On the Ffestiniog Railway, the opening to Penrhyn was from 20 Apr 1957 (Easter Saturday - although there had been a special on 30 Mar; 5 Jun 1957 was just the start of main summer season). ●●441] Newport Transporter Bridge opened 12 Sep 1906 (not in 1905) per full page spread in the 'South Wales Weekly Argus' of 15 Sep 1906. The 'Gloucester Citizen' 13 Sep 1906 described it as 'First of its kind in England'. However, the Widnes & Runcorn Transporter Bridge beat them to it, opening on Mon 29 Apr 1905 per (Liverpool) 'Evening Express' 29 May 1905, it was England's real first such bridge. The private (Joseph Crosfield & Sons Ltd) transporter bridge at Warrington, between two parts of their plant, was not opened (as popularly supposed, Wikipedia) in 1905,still only being under construction in Summer 1906 ('Runcorn Examiner' 14 Jul 1906) but was functioning by May 1907 ('Runcorn Examiner' 18 May 1907) - hence the third in UK. The Middlesbrough bridge came in as number four: 17 Oct 1911 ('North-Eastern Daily Gazette' 17 Nov 1911). The second of the Warrington Crosfield bridges was still only under construction at the beginning of 1917 ('Liverpool Echo' 3 Jan 1917). Our notifying member has gone to the trouble of correcting all the previously erroneous Wikipedia entries, that's dedication! A Casnewydd member advises that opening speeches for Newport Transporter Bridge were in English and French (it was designed by French engineer Ferdinand Joseph Arnodin) but not Welsh. Arnodin is widely regarded as the inventor of cable suspended transporter bridges. A film of the opening (which confirms the date) shows hundreds of top-hatted frock-coated worthies milling about. The bridge was closed for repairs and renovation from 1985 to 1993 and, on reopening, more worthies attended. The crowd was such that our local member was pushed onto the deck for the first official crossing, next to (almost in the arms of) Clare Short MP, then Shadow Minister of Transport. This was entirely by accident, at least that's his story, and he's sticking to it. Newport Transporter Bridge closed in summer 2022 for extensive restoration and construction of a new visitor centre and is expected to reopen later this year (2024). The bridge website https://tinyurl.com/5duy2md4 has more information about it. ●●443] The articles in 'The Times' were on 7 Feb 2011, forecasting the demise of oil lamps on NR by the end of that year. It mentions that 530 railway signals were still 'oil fired'; the supplier of the oil lamps 'Signal House' advised that (to their amazement) they were still in use in lines in Scotland, South West England, Lincolnshire and Lancashire. The Company also supplied parts of India and Africa! ●●BLN 1443.540] The Rail Reform Bill sets up the Integrated Rail Body (fortunately IRB, not IRA). 677] Search Me: (BLNs 1435.2386 & 1439.1) A member suggests a simple way of finding the 'Advanced Search' function for PDFs such as BLN. Note that the use of key combinations depends on the software used to view the PDF and may not work on all systems. Just click these three keys together: Upper case (usually with an upwards arrow on the key, left hand side of keyboard), Control (usually bottom left of the keyboard, below the upper case key) and F (or, as the nerds would put it, Shift + Ctrl + F) - the 'F' is for 'find' and you are straight in Advanced Search. Some keyboards replicate the Shift and Control keys on the right hand side of the QWERTY section of the keyboard.Of course, a simple search is just Ctrl+F.

678]Keeping Track, passenger service suspensions (contributions welcomed) * = new or amended BLN Start (incl) Reopens Location (stations'exclusive'if bracketed) Bold = closed now 1442.461 22 Jan 24 Unknown (Exchange Square) - (Victoria); Metrolink, cracked crossing 1444.MR.49 2 Jan 2024 2 Mar 24 *Keighley K&WVR - Great Northern Straight; station renovation 1439.MR9 21 Dec 22 4 Mar 24 *Castle Hill Cliff Railway, Bridgnorth, wall failed 12.00 09.00 1444.746 23 Feb 24 4 Mar 24 *(Rainham) - Newington - (Sittingbourne); landslip 16.40 1444.737 1 Mar 24 5 Mar 24 *(Amersham) - Aylesbury Jn; embankment slip, Stoke Mandeville - 18 Mar 24 21 Mar 24 *(Dorchester South) / (Dorchester West) - Weymouth - 16 Mar 24 23 Mar 24 (Plymouth)-(Totnes); to (Exeter St D) 16th&17th and after 21.40 1444.755 8 Mar 24 ?25Mar 24 *W'hampton NJn-SevernBridge Jn(Shrewsbury)landslip 10.12 1441.323 15Mar24 25 Mar 24 Dore Station Jn-(New Mills Central)/Hazel Grove East Jn *also (Sheffield) - Dronfield - Chesterfield North Jn 23.00 - 16 Mar 24 25 Mar 24 *MoorthorpeJn-Pontefract Baghill-FerrybridgeN Jn-MilfordJn 1442.508 16 Mar 24 25 Mar 24 (Crianlarich)-Mallaig; Rannoch Viaduct work, Ft Wm resignalling - 18 Mar 24 25 Mar 24 *Gainsborough Trent Jn - Brigg - Wrawby Jn (Barnetby) - 18 Mar 24 28 Mar 24 *Royal Docks - Greenwich Peninsula; Cable Car maintenance 1444.775 25 Sep 23 ?Apr 24 *(Kilmarnock) - Barassie Jn; Ayr Station Hotel unsafe after a fire ?Apr 24 *(Ayr) - Girvan; unsafe state of Ayr Station Hotel after a fire 15 Nov 23 ?Apr 24 *(Girvan) - Stranraer skeleton train service withdrawn 15 Nov 23 1444.703 8 Feb 24 18 Apr 24+ Dockfield Jn - Baildon - Esholt Jn; serious landslip at 12.45 landslip 9 Mar 24 20 Mar 24 *(Pontefract Monkhill) - Potters Grange Jn (Goole) at 16.40 1443.659 18 Mar 24 28 Mar 24 (Whitland) - Pembroke Dock; buses to/from Carmarthen - 24 Mar 24 28 Mar 24 (Evesham) - (Charlbury); North Cotswold Line ǂ Last ran ǂ 5 Nov 23 29 Mar 24 GWSR, (Toddington) - Broadway; Stanway Viaduct repairs 1441.MR21 17/3/1981 30Mar24 Northampton & Lamport Railway 4m 31ch - Boughton 12.00 1421.904 29 Mar 23 30 Mar 24 Merehead West Jn-Cranmore; occasional special trains only - 29 Mar 24 2 Apr 24 *Whitton Jn/Hounslow Jn - Windsor & Eton/(Virginia Water) 1443.656.2 29 Mar 24 2 Apr 24 (Caerphilly)/Coryton/(Radyr) - Queen St - Bay/(Cardiff Central) 1444.764 30 Mar 24 8 Apr 24 *(Belfast Lanyon Place) - Great Victoria Street - Lisburn/(Lisburn) Extends to (Portadown) 30 Mar 24 until ROP Thur 4 Apr 1442.487 23 Mar 24 10 Apr 24 (Wednesbury Great Western Street¶) - Edgbaston Village; ¶extends to Wednesbury Parkway 23-25 Mar; West Mid Metro 1442.227 2 Apr 24 12 Apr 24 (Golders Green) - Edgware; LU Northern line work at Colindale 1444.720 29Feb24 15 Apr24+ *Carlisle S Jn - (Workington) Derwent Viaduct closed at 19.50 1444.690 29 Mar 24 25 Apr 24 *(Wellesley Road) / (George Street) - Beckenham Junction / New Addington /Elmers End; London (Croydon) Tramlink 1444.MR.46 2 Apr 24 3 May 24 *(Norchard)- Lydney Junction; renewing level crossing 8m 79ch 1444.720 ǂ 14May 23 8 Jun 24 (Clitheroe) - Hellifield South Jn, Dalesrail trains ǂLast ran (SuO) 679] A platform for a member: (BLN 1443.363) A calling point with a 'Platform'suffix on the 'first' GWR (at least when the term was first introduced on 1 Sep 1904 at Rodmarton Platform) was a staffed halt where tickets were sold and parcels handled. Staffing was usually conciliation grade (Senior Porter) under the aegis of a nearby station but there were examples (Probus & Ladock Platform) with their own station master. A member suspects that the original distinction between 'Halt' and 'Platform' was that the former was ground level,served only by railmotors with folding steps, but the latter had raised platform/s (hence the name) at which regular stock could call. Many halts were later provided with raised platforms which didn't affect their status. Wootton Wawen Platform https://bit.ly/3TdcWTH (photos) had more than just the usual GWR pagoda waiting shelter; there was a staffed booking office, general and ladies waiting rooms plus lavatories on the Birmingham direction (Up) platform.

X.36] Advertised as the world's southernmost passenger service, Ushuaia, Argentina. (Ian Loveday, 21 Feb 24.)

680] Paper BLN & BLNI 1443: For anyone unaware, these were delayed by a few days due to major equipment failure at our printer - the first time this has happened. However, once repaired, they worked through the weekend to clear the backlog and most received paper BLN 1443 on Tue 5 Mar. 681] It Can Now Be Told: A member can now divulge how he single handedly managed to achieve over a 50% growth in reported British Rail freight in a single year. Back in 1981 he was an Office Junior in the Coal section at British Railways Board HQ. Part of the responsibilities was to keep particular track of merry-go-round coal flows and also wagonload coal to concentration depots. Key to this was going through massive printouts of National Coal Accounting & Analysis System (NCAAS). (Concertina-fold doorstops with tractor holes still on the side.) Our member detected an anomaly relating to St John's Colliery near Normanton, which had closed in Jun 1973 (not to be confused with its then surviving namesake near Maesteg). There was a reported forwarding of 8 tonnes. Always dedicated to the highest standards of data integrity, he asked the relevant colleague on the Eastern Region to put in a contra-entry to correct it. Computer runs were only done by batch processing at 4-weekly intervals. In those days, it was necessary to complete a hand-populated coding sheet and send it to the keyboard operators at the Data Input Centre. Unfortunately, it missed the run and the anomaly persisted. Our member then asked for a further coding sheet to be prepared and this was duly done. Needless to say, both were then processed together and the next printout showed minus 8 tonnes at St John's Normanton. Drat! Well, if at first you don't succeed, try again. Unfortunately, the coding sheet was dashed off on a Friday afternoon (ahem) and the magic digit '8' was left-justified instead of rightjustified. The computer interpreted this as meaning 80,000,000 tonnes. Even more unfortunately, it was now Period 13 and the report formed the basis of the annual accounts. These merged NCAAS with the equivalent 'Other' freight National Freight Accounting & Analysis System (NFAAS). It had been an excellent year for coal and the true total was 95,200,000 tonnes. However, with a 'bonus' 79,999,992 tonnes from a closed colliery, it was now almost 175,200,000 tonnes. When added to the Other freight total of 59,000,000 tonnes, that made 234,200,000 tonnes, just over 50% more than the true quantity. The real problem was that many people didn't have the faintest idea that the first run of the figures was obviously wrong and the incorrect data kept popping up in ever such a lot of places throughout the following year, necessitating a great deal of administrative 'firefighting'. A true demonstration of the old adage that Falsehood is halfway round the World before Truth has got its boots on. Amazingly, nobody ever traced the root of the error back to our member. Then people were far more ready to shrug it off as 'another computer error'. [Reproduced with permission on condition of anonymity!] 682] Railway Memories 123, Alan Fell (512), Episode 7 - the late 1960s: (BLN 1443.541) Before going back to University for my final year, I managed a rare (at the time) and massive 1,000 mile foray, involving a dip into London capturing the Croxley Green branch from Watford High Street (but not the Croxley Jn to Colne Jn third side of the triangle) and Dalston Western Jn into Broad Street. There was also a visit to Butlins at Pwllheli to see LMS pacific 46203 'Princess Margaret Rose' and Terrier 32640. I could not then have imagined how both these locos would later be revived but of course the mood of the day was somewhat doom laden. This occurred on the first leg of a marathon, two day, 975 mile odyssey at the very end of Aug 1968 around North Wales, the North Midlands and North of England. The intermediate night was spent between Birmingham and Holyhead to do Basford Hall Jn to Salop Goods Jn, then the Chester Independent line. This trip must have taken some stamina and covered in particular the Bradford Exchange 'avoiding line' from Laisterdyke to Bowling Jn. Also included was the Clayton West branch (CP 24 Jan 1983), Spondon Jn, past Chaddesden Sidings, around the north of Derby to Derby Jn and New Mills South Jn through Disley Tunnel on to Northenden, then via Lymm to Warrington Arpley and Walton Old Jn, returning via the same route but to Stockport Edgeley. As if that was not enough, next day, it was a further full day 212 mile tour of Yorkshire including the Normanton to Cudworth to Rotherham Masborough route. At the age of 19, it all seemed a doddle! In Autumn 1968, I returned to University for my final year. The first event was a Warwickshire Railway Society tour from Birmingham on 17 Nov via the Central Wales Line to the West Wales 'milk' branches Carmarthen. It went to Newcastle Emlyn (not a milk branch as such but a complete rural freight

branch - CP 15 Sep 1952; CG 1 Oct 1973), Felin Fach (Green Grove) on the Aberayron branch and Pont Llanio on the former line to Aberystwyth. The latter two were 'creameries' - we lapped up the track. Unfortunately, this tour did not include Shrewsbury Abbey Foregate curve, which I have still not done! Just before Christmas 1968, I paid a poignant return to Lostock Hall Motive Power Depot and found 24 steam locos 'sleeping' there, still to be escorted to their dismemberment. They comprised LMS 8Fs, LMS 5MTs and one Standard 5 MT, including 44874 that I had cleaned on the night of 3 Aug 1968 but which did not survive. It was a really sad and depressing experience. (On a visit at the end of Mar 1969, only three LMS 5MTs remained and, when they were towed away for scrapping in May 1969, they were said to be the final non-preserved steam locos remaining at any British Rail depot.) In mid-Jan 1969, due to expected line closures, I made a 500 mile day trip from Birmingham via London to the Cambridge to St Ives and King's Lynn to Hunstanton branches. St Ives survived for passengers until 5 Oct 1970 but Hunstanton only lasted to 5 May 1969, so it was a timely trip. It's only looking back that I fully appreciate these adventures knowing they were only just in time, especially when one sees the rather pathetic reuse the St Ives branch now endures as a (mis)guided busway! Life was changing for me. Finals exams were not far away and the demise of main line steam had permeated thinking so I needed to refocus on things that would endure, namely football and gricing. Football adventures were confined to visits to Football League grounds in the Midlands, by train wherever possible, and this collection was soon exhausted. By the end of the 68/69 season, I had done 16 such grounds out of 'the 92', all by train and/or by walking from my digs! As for new track,I indulged in an amazing 'purple patch' of railtours with five undertaken in successive months, Feb to Jun: 22 Feb - LCGB, Liverpool Docker: numerous freight lines in the area bounded by Kirkby, Seaforth and Hunts Cross. 22 Mar - Wirral Railway, Circle Welshman: Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfynydd Lake Halt, the Amlwch and Dyserth branches. 19 Apr - RCTS, Forester: The Enderby branch, Knighton Jn to Coalville to Branston Jn with the link to the former Great Central (GC) Main Line at Leicester and Cadley Hill Colliery branch, Stenson Jn to Sheet Stores Jn and the Worthington branch. Oh yes, plus the residual GC Main Line from Nottingham Arkwright Street to Rugby Central which CP 3 May 1969! 3 May - LCGB, Manchester Terminals Farewell: numerous lines in the area bounded by Glazebrook, Hurdlow, Godley and Kenyon Jn. 14 Jun - SLS, Midland Area Rail Tour: Tipton - Wednesbury - Walsall - Water Orton, Nuneaton Abbey St - Shackerstone - Burton and the Wirksworth and Denby branches. This burst of railtours really set me up on my latest 'post-steam' pursuit to cover the entire passenger network, plus as much non-passenger mileage as I could achieve. For me (and many others at this time), this initiative was a natural successor to spotting. The next two years were particularly fruitful in that regard and trips were often combined with my other main interest, attending as many Football League grounds as possible. My finals finished on 5 Jun, so a Uni pal and I ventured to Snowdon and around the other North Wales Narrow gauge lines later that month to capture the atmosphere and take photos. We didn't travel on the Snowdon Mountain Railway (very expensive) but walked to the Summit on a glorious, still, sunny day - just perfect for colour photography. Wow! Recommended! Just before graduation day (11 Jul), I managed the Hayfield branch again (for the last time) and then afterwards my travels around Britain continued relentlessly - for example a one week rover ticket in mid-Jul covering North Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland. The highlights were visits to industrial locations on three successive days. 16 Jul - Lowca Colliery at Whitehaven, steam worked still, including the incline (partly 1:17) between the colliery and the BR exchange sidings; 17 Jul - Haig Colliery to Ladysmith Washery line and the rope worked incline down to Whitehaven Harbour; on 18th the ¾ mile branch between British Gypsum Cocklades Works and the BR exchange sidings on the Settle & Carlisle line at Cotehill. They were all 'ancient', quite surprising survivors into the late 1960s. Then a Uni pal and I went over to the Isle of Man by ferry with his Mini Traveller car, which doubled as our sleeping accommodation on Mannin. Unfortunately, the steam routes to Ramsey and Peel had closed in 1965 but we did do steam to Port Erin and the non-steam lines of the Manx Electric, Douglas Bay Horse Tramway (as far as Walpole Avenue near to Victoria Pier), Falcon Hotel Cliff Lift in Douglas plus the lengthy Ramsey Queens Pier Tramway.

This was a thoroughly good Island tour over a week and a half, although sleeping in a Mini meant we felt rather weak by the end of it. Another highlight of our visit was watching the contestants in the Round Britain Powerboat Race speed through the Calf Sound from a hillside at the very southwest tip of the IOM - quite spectacular and unforgettable. 683] Query Corner:On Sat 19 Mar 1955,there was an England v Scotland International Rugby match at Twickenham which a member attended at the age of 8 with his family (sadly no longer with us). His special train started at Edinburgh on the Fri evening and ran via the Waverley Route to Carlisle, picking up Scotland supporters at various Border stations, an area where Rugby Union was the main amateur sport. They returned from London on the Sat night reaching the Borders Sunday morning. Might he have used a similar routing to the Starlight Specials*, which he believes travelled via the Settle & Carlisle, the Leeds area, then joined the Great Central somewhere in the Sheffield area before heading to Marylebone? Any information or advice where he might find out more about these trains nearly 70 years ago would be appreciated. [England won 9-6.] Dave Peel's book Starlight Specials states that the standard routes were Glasgow St Enoch to London St Pancras via Carlisle and Leeds, and Edinburgh Waverley via York and the Sheffield area to London Marylebone. *These very successful overnight trains from Glasgow St Enoch/Edinburgh to London ran on Friday nights starting 10 Apr 1953, when the fare was £5 17s 4d (worth £205 now, so not cheap!). Return was eight or fifteen days later on a Saturday night and seats were reserved. They were designed to compete with coaches and initially ran until 18 Sep 1953 but were extended. Twelve trains were fully booked for London on the Glasgow Fair Friday that year. They were profitable and continued running until 1962. The Starlighters had a cafeteria car which seated 22 people. It was licensed to sell alcohol, too. Breakfast cost three shillings and sixpence; a hard-boiled egg was 6d (2½p) extra. 1444 EAST MIDLANDS (Nick Garnham) [email protected] 684] Leicester to Cleethorpes via Wales*: (BLN 1443.544) All year Leicester Cleethorpes trains over the Waleswood - Killamarsh link began 1 Jul 1899 and, despite the later appearance of Duckmanton Curve and the Mansfield Railway alternatives to reach the Lancashire Derbyshire & East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) line, were still running all year in 1938. If they hadn't been already withdrawn, they certainly were by the Sep 1939 WWII service cuts. After the war, use of the curve did not resume until 1948 at the earliest and only on a summer Saturday basis by the Chesterfield Skegness workings, which last run on 26 Aug 1961. Workings from further south on the Great Central main line then tended to work via the Mansfield Railway and the LD&ECR line. [*Just west of Kiveton Park, of course - check a map…] 685] Ripley: (BLN 1439.16) The original (1856) station CP 2 Sep 1889 when the line was diverted from Marehay Jn to a new Ripley station. Regarding passenger closure of the branch, 1 Jun 1930 was a Sunday but closure was specified as 'on and from Sunday June 1st' in LMS Passenger Commercial Circular No 150 (and in the M1 WON), so presumably it (not Mon 2 nd) was the first day without service. 686] NET gains:(BLN 1438.2469) Since Nottingham Express Transit launched a zero tolerance approach to fare evasion in Dec, there has been a 45% month on month increase in penalty fares issued. During the first month there were 1,120; the total for 2023 was 7,682 of which 2,580 resulted in prosecutions. 687] Hard to swallow: (TRACKmaps 3 p33B 2020) The 4¼ mile Roxby Gullet branch from Trent Jn at Scunthorpe currently has very little traffic again; what a waste. Until 15 Dec 2022 it received an almost daily train (SuX) from the waste facility at Rossington near Doncaster, as well as a good number from Manchester Collyhurst Street terminal and occasionally Whitehall Road, Leeds. In 2024 there have been just four trains up until 12 Mar, all originating from Renwick Road Biffa terminal at Barking. 688] Oils not well at Lindsey: (TRACKmaps 2 p31A 2020) The bidirectional single track East Curve at Lindsey Oil Refinery has been out of use since Sat 2 Mar due to the condition of track. It is not NR owned and maintenance is contracted to VolkerRail.A SuX loaded oil train runs most days from Lindsey to Immingham West Storage Terminal, the shortest oil traffic run on the network at less than three miles for which 15 mins or so is allowed! It often runs very early. However, this train now has to go via Barnetby to run round. It is a Colas working, so the light engines are based at Barnetby anyway.

ABOVE: 1:25,000 map of the Gotham branch in 1951 at its full extent - Ruddington and Nottingham Victoria are off right on the ex-Great Central Railway with Loughborough Central and Marylebone off bottom right. Top left is Kegworth Road Crossing; the other crossing on the branch is on Leake Road. 689] The Gotham branch but no Batmobiles: (BLNs 1408.2116 & 1416.178) On 27 Jan 2024 Mr Railway Rights Of Way (RROW; BLN 1443.539) himself walked 97% of the trackbed of this 2m 34ch ex-Great Central Railway branch. It trailed into the Down side (to Nottingham) almost 1½ miles north of Rushcliffe Halt (Hotchley Hill), on the now Great Central Railway (Nottingham) from Loughborough South Jn to Ruddington. It was our member's first trackbed walk since illness struck on 26 Jul 2023, slow but more steps back to normality. The branch is accessible by catching South Notts bus Route 1 (Nottingham to Loughborough via Gotham) and a total of about four miles was walked. From Paradise Farm (ABOVE lower centre right) west to Leake Road Level Crossing site, the trackbed is now an official footpath of about a mile the 'Logan Trail' but don't try cycling it and horse riding is equally inadvisable! Paradise Farm east to Gotham Jn on the main line is not a footpath (therefore not listed in RROW) but is clearly quite well used by locals! In the other direction, beyond Leake Road Crossing is a public road for about half a mile called, imaginatively, Gypsum Way. It leads past an equestrian centre in Eyres Lane, where the trackbed is briefly inaccessible,then the 'Logan Trail' resumes to a back gate that leads into a street. It bypasses Gotham Primary School (built over the trackbed) which has secure perimeter fencing. The route passes the front of the school to the site of Kegworth Road Level Crossing; then the trackbed resumes as 'Gotham Railway Walk' for the final ¼ mile to the site of Gotham Goods Depot where the standard gauge ended. At right angles to it, left (turning from northeast to northwest), was an industrial narrow gauge mineral railway - now a footpath - climbing up a hillside to Weldon Gypsum Mine (and others) on Gotham Hill. The 1950 1:25,000 map - ABOVE - shows these as disused then. 1444 GREATER LONDON (Geoff Brockett) [email protected] 690] London Trams:According to the TfL website,the closure from 29 Mar to 24 Apr (incl) is everything east of Wellesley Road and George St stops. (Perhaps an ECS shunt from the first to the second?)

X.37] BELOW: 5868 running ECS (with 5090 out of shot, left) from Bournemoapply the golden spanners and the British Rail double arrow symbol (refused w

outh Depot to Wimbledon Park at Raynes Park. Permission was needed to when 313201 was painted in BR blue and grey). (Geoff Noakes, 6 Mar 2024.)

691] Central line: (BLN 1442.426) A revised Mon - Thu timetable was introduced on 26 Feb (other days to follow). To add to the problems, 20 temporary speed restrictions (TSRs) were imposed on 23rd as the track was overdue for checking by the track recording train, which has been out of use for some time. The new timetable has four self-contained blocks of trains which operate all day from 07.00 to 23.00: 2 trains Hainault - Woodford 3tph (trains per hour).... 29 trains West Ruislip - Epping 9tph.….. 16 trains Ealing Broadway - Hainault 6tph. 13 trains White City - Hainault 6tph. This gives 21tph over the busiest section (White City - Leytonstone). The White City - Hainault trains are cancelled if insufficient trains are available or to allow for the TSRs. In the first four days, most or all were cancelled, resulting in a very patchy service, with trains bunching and long gaps. However, the service was better in the second week, with fewer cancellations. The timetable has extra running time. 692] LO 4 & 5 Mar strikes: (BLN 1443.554) These were called off; RMT members accepted a new pay offer. 693] Great Western Main Line: In contrast to other areas, where economies are being made, NR is to accelerate a £140M improvement plan for the Paddington to Reading route. The infrastructure has struggled to cope with the increased number of trains following the introduction of the full Elizabeth line (EL) timetable, with some disruptive incidents. The OHLE dewirement outside Paddington in Dec, which resulted in passengers being stuck on stranded trains for several hours, was reported widely in the media. On Sundays from 3 Mar, EL services are suspended between Paddington and Ealing Broadway until 07.40. There are also service reductions in the day with most Maidenhead terminators cancelled. From Mon to Thu until 28 Mar, there is a reduced EL service after 21.30. NR will try and coordinate later work with closures linked to the construction of the new Old Oak Common station. More than 1,000 actions are needed between Didcot Parkway and Paddington. The aim is to 'stabilise' services over the next six months but it will take 18 months for service levels to return to 'good'. 694] Greenford Branch: (BLN 1443.553) 230001 moved from Reading Depot to West Ealing EMU Sidings on 27 Feb. It spent about four hours in bay P5 at West Ealing on 29th and made its first ECS test trips to and from Greenford on 5 Mar. A GWR Driver Manager said that all was going well with testing but introduction into passenger service depended on ASLEF agreement, which was proving difficult due to the ongoing national dispute. It could possibly enter service at the May timetable change. 695] HS2: (BLN 1441.291) Tunnel Boring Machine 'Emily' was launched on 25 Feb to bore one of the two tunnels between the Victoria Road Crossover Box near Old Oak Common and Greenford. 'Anne' will begin boring the other tunnel this month. The other sections of the Northolt Tunnels between West Ruislip and Greenford are already under construction. Eight headhouses are to be built in London above ventilation shafts for emergency access to/from the track. The Euston Portal Headhouse will be above the tunnel entrance (assuming it is built!). HS2 Ltd is consulting on the finish of the headhouse at https://bit.ly/49EUDOz (closes 17 Mar). Some work in the Euston area is still continuing. 696] Northumberland Park Depot: Prior to the first stage of the Victoria line opening on 1 Sep 1968, trains were delivered to the depot via a temporary connection to the adjacent BR line, after being tested between Hainault and Woodford on the Central line. 'District Dave' website says that the first delivery was on 1 Apr 1968. The connection is thought to have been installed in early 1967 for removal of spoil etc during construction of the depot on the site of former British Rail sidings. 'Underground News' states that the first unit delivery via the new connection between the Piccadilly and Victoria Lines at Finsbury Park was on the night of 4/5 Jul 1968 (some sources suggest 5 Aug 1968). Once this connection was in use, there was no further need for the BR connection, unless it was still needed for engineering trains. Can anyone give dates for the opening and closure of the BR connection please? 697] Richmond: (BLN 1442.432) There was a further tour over LU/BR connection here on 2 Oct 1988, the 'Battery Rover' organised by London Regional Transport as it then was. Two Gatwick Express trailer units were 'top & tailed' by battery locos and ran Wimbledon - Strawberry Hill - Richmond shunt - Mansion House - Barking (break) - Baker Street - Wimbledon. After a lunch break, the train then did the same route in reverse, except it ran to Barking via Mansion House and returned via Baker Street. The trains ran on battery power between Richmond and Wimbledon, a British Rail pilot and guard travelled on the train throughout. If only you could do that sort of thing these days!

X.38] BELOW: South Greenford P1; an unusual view and is that the station cat? (Stuart Hicks, 5 Mar 2024.)

BELOW: (Item 694) 23001 at Greenford South Jn waiting to go into Greenfordlight up just before the red signal clears (deliberately not simultaneous). 16

d bay P2. The photograph captures the moment the route indicator ('feathers') 66128 is on a passenger train to West Ealing. (All Stuart Hicks, 5 Mar 2024.)

BELOW: Emerging from Drayton Green Tunnel and approac

ching the station there on a Greenford to West Ealing run.

BELOW: Leaving Drayton Green for West Ealing (left); Drayton Green is the q

quietest station in Greater London with only 18,062 passengers in 2022-23.

BELOW: This is where the magic happens; the charging rail in

West Ealing bay P5 - there is no extra charge for this photo.

X.39] BELOW: The frontage of Fenchurch Street is best seen wh

hen the leaves are not on the trees. (Stuart Hicks, 8 Mar 2024.)

BELOW: (Item 700) Varamis 321428+321429 EMUs converted for parcels tra

affic at Liverpool Street during a press event. (Iain Scotchman, 13 Mar 2024.)

BELOW: (Item 703) Baildon landslip, latest pictures, tunnel and Ilkley right; stat

tion and Bradford left. Those properties look rather precarious now (NR).

BELOW: Stamford Bridge station looking towards Market Weighton/Hull, the

e line was all double track; the 25 Sep 1066 battlefield was mainly to the left.

BELOW: (Item 705) The former Stamford Bridge station building (now The

e Old Station Club); platforms and left crossing left, looking towards York.

BELOW: Stamford Bridge station looking towards York; the large for

rmer goods shed is right. (All photos Michael Martin, 26 Dec 2023.)

BELOW & NEXT: The splendid River Derwent Viadu

uct is just northwest of the station, towards York.

698] St Pancras International: HS1 Ltd is seeking a consultant to explore capacity enlargement options at the station. The project aims to boost capacity to enable the station to handle the passengers from potential new operator/s through the Channel Tunnel and increased Eurostar passenger numbers. The terminal has only just been adequate ever since it was opened and new enhanced border controls have made matters worse. Even while the terminal was being developed, the Home Office decided at a late stage that they needed more space for border facilities. The only way to accommodate that was to scrap the planned train catering depot. As a result Eurostar's on board catering continued to be prepared at Waterloo and was transferred to St Pancras by lorry. It was several years before a less inconvenient catering depot was established on the former parcels deck at Euston. 699] TfL Fares: (BLN 1442.434) The trial withdrawal of peak fares on Fridays runs from Fri 8 Mar until Fri 31 May. It applies to all TfL and National Rail Pay As You Go journeys in and around London; except for journeys to and from Heathrow via Zone I. Paper tickets are not included in the trial. 700] Varamis Rail: This Company, which currently operates an overnight parcels service between Mossend and Birmingham International using converted Class 321 EMUs, held an event at Liverpool Street on Wed 13 Mar to showcase their proposed nightly service to London. There are paths which have not been used yet from the Princess Royal Distribution Centre to Birmingham International P1 with a five min connection to Mossend also from P1 there. This suggests it may be two units coupling up, as there would not be time to load parcels etc at Birmingham International for Scotland. Going south, the connection (or perhaps disconnection if it is two units splitting) is 19 min. For the 13 Mar Liverpool St event, there were special paths for the EMUs from/to Princess Royal Distribution Centre. 701] White Hart Lane: On 23 Feb it was noted that a larger, modern street level building had been built, slightly to the south of the previous one. The 'goal' is presumably to assist passenger flow for football matches at the nearby Tottenham Hotspur stadium without passengers needing extra time. 1444 NORTH EAST & YORKSHIRE (Geoff Blyth) [email protected] 702] Speed Differentials: 'Railway Herald' recently had a picture of a Class 156, forming the 11.56 Hexham to Whitby via the Durham Coast line, departing Stockton on a sunny day in early February. It pointed out that the 137 mile journey takes about 3 hours 40 min, giving an average speed of a mere 37 mph. It then contrasted the 12.00 King's Cross to Inverness, which, in the same time, travels 335 miles to Berwick-upon-Tweed at an average speed of 91.5 mph. The ECML has lengthy sections of 125mph of course and one can hardly expect that between Hexham and Whitby! The Whitby branch is extremely slow, with a maximum speed of 45mph, numerous restrictions to 20 or 30 and several open level crossings, quite apart from the reversal at Battersby. Then there is fiddling about with the tokens. The Durham Coast line suffers as it was not built as a through line. It evolved, like so much of our network*, from a variety of lines; in this case built for the carriage of coal to ports with some later cut offs. The earliest section opened in 1833 (1830 if the section to Middlesbrough is included) and the latest in 1905. There are also some very sharp curves at the southern end, through Hartlepool and also north and south of Stockton, the result of incorporating lines which ran east to west. [*For example, starting with a blank sheet you wouldn't put a right angle bend in the Leeds to Harrogate line!] 703] Dockfield Jn - Baildon - Esholt Jn: (BLN 1443.454.1) Closed since 12.45 on 12 Feb, ROP has slipped until further notice (at least 18 Apr). A local member advises that work on this major landslip appears to have stopped; there has been further significant embankment slippage and complications with the proposed rectification. He understands that there are also insurance/legal issues over the dwellings. 704] Rossington: (TRACKmaps 2 p17C 2020) BLN 1419.587 (4 Mar 2023) reported that there had been no rail traffic from Rossington Waste Terminal at Doncaster to Roxby Gullet, near Scunthorpe, since Thur 15 Dec 2022 and that is still the case. The traffic began in late 2016 but unfortunately has now ceased, as with Collyhurst Depot (BLN 1443.578). A local member confirms that, in the past, a Class 08 and wagons shuttled about during the day but the railway is quiet now. The waste management plant itself is still working (confirmed by the stink it creates!) but everything is surely now by road. A couple of movements on 9 and 12 Mar 2023, both involving a light engine from Knottingley, took a train to Milford West Sidings. This was likely to store the wagons used for the traffic - what a waste.

705] Stamford Bridge: Over Christmas, a member stayed over in a self-catering cottage at High Catton Grange near Stamford Bridge - but it wasn't too much of a battle to find it - not at first thinking of any railway connection. He relates: It was dark when we arrived so did not see much of the surroundings. The next morning, we had to go into Stamford Bridge to purchase supplies and, immediately after going through the gateway, passed over a railway bridge. Then, on arrival at Stamford Bridge, a viaduct was visible in the distance. Interest aroused, a quick check revealed this was on the former line from York to Beverley and Hull via Market Weighton. On Boxing Day, the weather was good so there was an opportunity to do a bit of exploring. First stop was the bridge near where we were staying; here the trackbed was almost completely filled with trees in both directions so there was not a lot to see. The viaduct has a cast iron, segmental arch bridge, a 90ft span, over the River Derwent, with red brick arches on the flood plain; 10 arches on the southeast side of the river and five on the northwest side. At Stamford Bridge, a muddy path led across fields alongside the River Derwent to the viaduct which looked good in the bright winter sunlight, striding across the river and beyond. Heading back into the village, I went in search of the old station. This was found quite easily and is now 'The Old Station Club'. You can have a good look round the station platforms (all three of them) and there is quite a lot of information, including a timeline on the platform display boards nearest the station buildings, now in use as the club. I learnt some interesting things about Stamford Bridge and its railway. They included a picture of a newspaper cutting showing the last York to Hull train on 27 Nov 1965, hauled by B1 61306, which just happens to be one of the two preserved and features on the sign at the entrance to the club. The last train from Hull to York was a 6-car DMU. The club is private but I was allowed in briefly for a quick drink and a look around. There is nothing of great interest within but it was nice to have a look. Then it was time to head back to High Catton Grange and rejoin the family. 706] Market Weighton: Openings and closures in the area were surprisingly complex. The first to open was Bootham Jn (York to Scarborough line) to Market Weighton via Stamford Bridge on 4 Oct 1847. It was followed by Barlby Jn (Selby) to Market Weighton on 1 Aug 1848. The continuations east of Market Weighton were much later; to Beverley 1 May 1865 and Driffield not until OG 18 Apr 1890; OP 1 May 1890. Both lines were double track. By the 1960s Selby - Market Weighton - Driffield had a thin, unbalanced passenger service SuX. There was one train each way in the morning between Leeds and Bridlington, plus an evening train SX from Leeds to Bridlington only, a DMU detached from a Leeds to Hull train at Selby. It was the only train accessible to those not living or staying in the area. This line was used on summer Saturdays by holiday trains to/from Scarborough, Bridlington and Filey Holiday Camp. However, it was difficult to identify some from the public timetable as they didn't all call at Market Weighton or Selby. The line didn't feature in PSUL, as it was a regular passenger line. One could have worked out the Summer SO usage by identifying such trains not listed in the PSUL entry for Hessle Road - Cottingham South (the line avoiding Hull, precursor of the Anlaby Road curve) but it would have required quite a knowledgeable gricer to know that this situation existed! Your NE Editor was certainly not in this category at the time but did do the line via Market Weighton in daylight on the 17.18 from Leeds one summer. The following are dated SO trains that your NE Ed has found in the Summer 1963 working timetable running between Selby/York to Market Weighton and Driffield. 07.56 Leeds City - Filey Holiday Camp 08.55 Filey Holiday Camp - Newcastle 08.05 Penistone - Filey Holiday Camp 09.25 Filey Holiday Camp - Kings Norton 08.18 Kings Norton - Scarborough Central 09.45 Filey Holiday Camp - Sheffield Victoria 08.32 Chesterfield Midland - Scarborough LR* 10.24 Filey Holiday Camp - Leeds City 08.33 Nottingham Midland - Scarborough LR* 10.30 Scarborough Central - Derby 09.00 Manchester Exchange - Filey Holiday Camp 11.00 Filey Holiday Camp-Manchester Victoria 10.35 Newcastle - Filey Holiday Camp 12.45 Bridlington - Bradford Exchange 11.20 Birmingham New Street- Filey Holiday Camp 13.27 Bridlington - Sheffield Victoria 14.35 Scarborough LR* - Nottingham Midland Ran York - Market Weighton - Driffield; *Scarborough LR = Scarborough Londesborough Road.

Selby - Market Weighton - Driffield CP 14 Jun 1965, at the start of the Summer 1965 timetable, and CA Barlby North Jn - Holme Moor and Market Weighton East - Driffield. Market Weighton West - Holme Moor CA 2 Aug 1965. Presumably there was a contract with a customer at Holme Moor which expired at the end of July. The entire Bootham Jn - Market Weighton - Beverley North line CA on 29 Nov 1965. BLN 49 of 26 Jan 1966 reported: Despite appeals to Mrs Castle [the Minister of Transport] to stop the work, lifting of one line of rails between Market Weighton and Londesborough has begun on the defunct York to Hull line; the material is needed elsewhere. Incidentally this closure seems to be proving a false economy [see below] in view of the number of extra workings necessary to Selby from York and Hull and to fill in the gaps created on the Beverley line. The old 09.45 from Hull used to convey about 50 passengers. On 13th January only four passengers changed at Selby out of the 09.50 Hull to Leeds into the new connection to York and were the only passengers on that train. The 09.45 Hull to Beverley was noted leaving Hull with only two passengers in its four coaches. The Selby to Driffield line is still in situ, and was recently being used for storing large numbers of mineral wagons at the Selby end. Warthill, between York and Stamford Bridge, was the terminus of the 18'' gauge, 5¼ mile long, Sand Hutton Light Railway. Regular advertised passenger services began almost a century ago (4 Oct 1924). This line was described, complete with BLN bespoke map, in BLNs 1367.3261.4, 1369.207 & 1402.1352. The Mar 1963 Beeching reports and maps are available to logged in members as PDFs on our website; put 'Beeching' in the top right search box. Hull - Beverley - Market Weighton - York was one of 10 lines for closure in the Beeching Report (61 years ago this month) with extra financial information provided: Hull - York via Beverley: This is a stopping service over a distance of 42 miles, serving a rural area between the cities of Hull and York with an element of commuter traffic at each end. The stations served are: Hull Cottingham Beverley Kipling Cotes Market Weighton Londesborough Pocklington Stamford Bridge Earswick York. All intermediate stations except Cottingham and Beverley would be closed. Nine trains run in each direction on weekdays and most are DMUs. In a year the service involves 260,000 train miles. On average there are 57 passengers on a train. The earnings are £90,400 which covers the movement expenses of £84,000. Terminal costs bring the total expenses to £107,500, so earnings show a shortfall of £17,100. It is estimated that withdrawal of the service would reduce track and signalling expenses by £43,300. Thus, on total direct expenses of £150,800, earnings show a shortfall of £60,400, equivalent to ⅖ of total direct expenses. Alternative services would be available after withdrawal of the service so £25,600 of the present earnings would be retained. It is estimated that passengers using the service as part of their rail journey contribute £37,700 to the revenue of other services. Because of the existence of services between Hull and York via other routes, only £4,900 of this amount is expected to be lost. The total loss in gross revenue resulting from withdrawal of the service is estimated at £69,700 but the overall net financial improvement is expected to be £81,000, equivalent to over half of the total direct expenses. [Edited] Using the Bank of England CPI Inflation Calculator, earnings were £2.372M in 2024 money and total direct expenses £3.957M; running the trains 'lost' £1.585M and withdrawing them 'saved' £2.126M. 707] Hartlepool Docks: (BLN 1442.448) As at 12 Mar, the 19.32 Hartlepool PD Ports FL to Willesden Euroterminal had run on 15, 19, 21, 23, 28 Feb and 1, 4, 6, 8 & 11 Mar with HS2 tunnel segments. 708] T&W Metro: ❶(BLN 1442.445.2) Nexus engineers are apparently 'increasingly homing in' on a solution to the problems caused when rail conditions are 'unexpectedly poor'. The new units are not speeding up or slowing down in the expected way under certain conditions, particularly when encountering 'unforeseen substances' on the track. The Nexus MD is 'not comfortable' with the uncertainty and wants drivers to know 'exactly how the unit will respond in any circumstance'. It is hoped the problem can be resolved by changes to the software and that units will not have to be sent back to Switzerland for modifications. The MD admitted that the Summer 2023 start date for the new fleet had been too ambitious. The timescale had been deliberately 'challenging', as the existing units were on 'borrowed time' and needed to be replaced urgently. ❷Sunday 24 Mar 2024 is the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Metro between Heworth and South Shields.

709] Beal - Belford bidi: On 20 Feb 6E36, the 17.06 Millerhill Shunt & Marshalling (sic) to Doncaster Up Decoy Yard, failed south of Beal. The 18.30 Edinburgh to Grantham used the facing crossover at Beal (59m 32ch) and ran 8 miles on the Down Main under Simplified Bidirectional Signalling (SIMBIDS) to Belford (51m 39ch), then crossed back to the Up Main. Every train following it performed the same manœuvre, until 6E36 finally arrived at Crag Mill Up Loop (Belford) at 01.50 and was then cancelled. 710] Leeds-Ilkley -Skipton Part 1: (BLN 1441.303) From 22 Mar 1965, passenger trains were withdrawn from 18 stations in Airedale (to Skipton via Shipley) and Wharfedale (to Skipton via Otley and Ilkley). The Arthington - Burley Jn and Ilkley - Skipton sections were then without passenger services. The North Eastern Railway (NER) branch from Arthington to Otley OP 1 Feb 1865. West of Otley, the Otley & Ilkley Joint line, jointly owned by the Midland Railway (MR) and NER, OP 1 Aug 1865, together with the purely MR lines from Apperley Jn to Burley Jn and from Menston Jn to Milnerwood Jn. No specific date is known for the OG of these lines, although goods trains first appeared in the MR WTT (Working Timetable) for 1 Oct 1866 for Apperley Jn - Menston Jn - Milnerwood Jn - Otley - Ilkley. This date is also given by the NER Historical Maps (published by The Railway & Canal Historical Society) for Otley - Arthington (both curves). Rather oddly, the direct Menston Jn - Burley Jn curve apparently OG a month later on 1 Nov 1866. Arthington North Jn - Arthington West Jn OP 1 Aug 1877; this was presumably on the introduction of a NER Bradford Forster Square to Harrogate service, which would also have used the Menston Jn - Milnerwood Jn curve. The MR extension beyond Ilkley to Skipton had to climb to cross the town on a viaduct, so diverged on the north side of the route, from the line into the terminal platforms a few hundred yards further east at Ilkley Jn. It had through platforms at a higher level than the terminal platforms. Ilkley - Bolton Abbey OP 16 May 1888 and OG 27 Aug 1888 then Bolton Abbey - Skipton OA 1 Oct 1888. [See map above, which is thanks to Dave Cromarty.] There were signal boxes at Arthington North, South and West Jns, Pool*, Otley Station, Otley Goods Yard, Milnerwood Jn, Burley Jn, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley Jn, Addingham, Embsay and Embsay Jn. Imagine visiting that lot, if there were signal box visits in the 1880s. [*Pool-in-Wharfedale from 1 Jul 1927.] Arthington West Jn box closed on 11 Aug 1925 and the junction was worked by Arthington South Jn box. The arrangement was quite interesting; the facing points in the Up direction were motor worked but the trailing points in the Down direction were unworked spring points. All the signals were worked in the normal manner by wire, apart from the outer distant which was motor worked. Arthington South had two sets of block instruments communicating with the North box - one for each curve. It worked to Pool-in-Wharfedale or, when that was switched out, to Otley. It is likely that in later years Pool-in-Wharfedale was switched in only when required for the trip freight. Otley Goods Yard box closed on 16 Apr 1938. There were also two short lived WWI boxes/ground frames in the Otley area. Arthington North Jn to Arthington West Jn CP for regular passenger traffic from 25 Feb 1957 when the Bradford FS to Harrogate service was withdrawn. This almost certainly meant CP of Menston Jn to Milnerwood Jn as well. The Winter 1957-58 passenger timetable shows no Leeds to Otley workings via Guiseley and there had probably been none in recent decades. In Summer 1958, a significant number of trains ran SuO between Castleford and Ilkley via Otley (some extended to Bolton Abbey), giving an hourly service and called at Otley. This was presumably unsuccessful as it wasn't repeated in 1959.

Summer 1960 (1 May 1960 - 11 Sep) saw an hourly SuO service between Bradford Forster Square and Knaresborough, which used Arthington Curve and Menston Jn - Milnerwood Jn. Arthington Curve continued to be used by a summer SO Saltburn/West Hartlepool - Blackpool service, which ran for the last time in 1963; on 10 Aug westbound and 17 Aug eastbound, calling at Harrogate, Otley, Ilkley and Skipton. By then,the Otley line had a thin service of only three trains each way SuX between Leeds and Ilkley; fortunately, the midday train from Leeds ran through to Skipton, covering the two most sparsely served lines. There was no equivalent train in the opposite direction. Very typical of the railways then! 711] Northumberland Line: ❶(BLN 1442.447.2) Dismantling of the southern building at Bedlington was to take place on Sat 2 Mar (13.00-18.00) and Sun 3 Mar (08.00-18.00). Major work takes place from 16 Mar 21.30 until 18 Mar 05.30 and 28 Mar 22.00 to 5 Apr 05.35 (BLN 1443.560). This includes replacing about 350m of track between Bedlington North and Bedlington South Level Crossings (LC). Engineering trains run throughout the period, including overnight. Bedlington South LC, Bedlington North LC and Bedlington North foot crossing are closed to vehicles/pedestrians, with shuttle buses provided for pedestrians. Then, temporary arrangements will be in place on the Down line south of Bedlington until 30 May 05.35. This is to enable biomass trains to Lynemouth Power Station and Fort William alumina trains to run while Benton North Jn to Bedlington Viaduct is completely closed (BLN 1438.2493). A member advises that there will be a temporary buffer stop just north of Bebside LC with a 'STOP' sign by the Down line (in the Up direction) south of Bedlington South LC, reading 'Proceed with caution as far as the line is clear'. Another 'STOP' sign on the Down line in the Down direction at 15m 36ch, south of Bedlington South, will read: 'STOP Contact signaller for instructions'. So, the Down line becomes a reversing siding. Sleepers are to be chained across both lines north and south of Bebside LC, separating the main possession south of the crossing and the temporary working arrangements north of the crossing. The newly commissioned Bedlington Sidings will be available. A spare loco will be stabled there during the work. Presumably it will assist with freights reversing/ running round or will take the train on north, with the incoming train engine then becoming the spare. ❷Track renewal at Marcheys House takes place from Sat 16 Mar at 21.30 until Mon 18 Mar at 05.30. The level crossing is shut, with shuttle buses for pedestrians. From Thur 28 Mar 22.00 until Mon 15 Apr 06.00, work takes place 24 hours a day: ●Demolition of the signal box. ●Removal of existing signalling. ●Installation of new signalling. ●Replacing level crossing barriers. ●Road resurfacing. ❸Work takes place 24 hours a day at North Seaton from Sat 9 Mar at 22.00 until Fri 5 Apr at 06.00: ●Demolition of the gate box (it's not a block post) to make way for a new automatic level crossing. ●Installation of new signalling ●Replacing level crossing barriers. A shuttle bus runs for pedestrians. Marcheys House box will retain control of the line to the NR boundary (4m 14ch, towards Lynemouth). The crossing partially reopens Fri 29 Mar 06.00, with traffic light control until Fri 5 Apr 06.00. ❹A series of what were probably route learning specials have run: Wed 28 & Thur 29 Feb: Newcastle dep 11.15 Morpeth 11.57/12.02 Newcastle 12.44/13.12 Morpeth 13.58/14.03 Newcastle arr 14.40. 158859 ran on 28 Feb and 158853 on 29 Feb. Similar trains ran on Wed 21 Feb operated by 158816. ❺There is little visible progress at Northumberland Park, although care needs to be taken for two reasons. The foundations of the flats (at a higher level) need to be fully supported and there are issues with coal mining, carried out by 'pillar and stall'. The pillars of coal left were supposed to support the ground above. However, due to a more aggressive form of mining, some of the pillars were too small or too far apart (or both!) to support the ground above. This led to demolition of some newly built houses here a few years ago. Mar 2024 'Modern Railways' says that eight months has been spent pumping grout into two old coal seams here to stabilise the ground before construction can begin. 712] The oldest station building in the world:BLN 1434.2306 reported that the former station building at Heighington, originally a tavern, has been closed for a long time and is in poor internal condition. Historic England recently added it to their 'Heritage At Risk' Register. The Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway estimate that £500,000 is required to buy and restore the Grade II* listed building, £400,000 can probably be raised through grant applications. It has been suggested that the cobbles outside the building may constitute the world's first railway platform. Not a load of cobblers then.