Great Western Railway Journal Volume 11

Issue Numbers

80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

Key to all Issue Numbers
Steamindex home page

Issue No. 81 (Winter 2012)

Pangbourne station on 30 December 1962. Ian Nash. front cover
Covered in thick snow.

John Copsey. Bulldogs at work. Part 1. 2-23.
Class evolved from Duke (of Cornwall) class in 1898 in the form of No. 3312 Bulldog which had a larger boiler (with dome). Initially it carried straight nameplates on the firebox. In 1899 No. 3352 Camel entered service with a standard No. 2 boiler which was domeless. Nos. 3332-51 were built as a batch and were similar to No. 3352: and had combined number and nameplates fitted to the cabside. All these locomotives conformed with the Duke class in having curved frames. On 25 November 1900 No. 3351 Sedgemoor was tested on Hemerdon bank with a 9 coach train weighing about 220 tons from a standing start at Plympton. The bank was climed in 19 minutes with some slipping, but the inspector did not recommend routine working of this type without assistance. In 1900 a second batch was constructed (Nos. 3353-72), but these had straight frames to reduce fracturing. There were further conversions of the Duke type to the Camel type beginning with No. 3273 Amorel in 1902 and further new builds until a final batch of 15 emerged in 1909/10: these were named after birds. The class was greatly affected by boiler evolution at Swindon from domed to domeless to the short cone type to the fully coned. Allocations and duties (some established via accident reports) are considered. See also Part 2 on p, 98 and general memories of Class in letters in Issue 84 from Bill Crosbie-Hill and Christopher Hext..

No. 3359 Marco Polo at Oxford in Januaary 1901

2

No. 3312 Bulldog at Swindon in early 20th century F. Moore

3

No. 3346 Tavy hauling down express through Acton in 1902

4u

No. 3338 Laira probably at Gloucester station

4l

No. 3312 Bulldog with curved nameplate c1904

5u

No. 3357 Smeaton c1906

5l

No. 3415 Baldwin at Newton Abbot in 1903 P.J.T. Reed

6u

No. 3413 Edward VII at Westbourne Park shed c1904

6l

No. 3434 with long cone boiler

8

No, 3460 Montreal approaching Teignmouth on down Limited in 1908 R. Brookman

9

Map Bulldog allocations in 1910

10

No. 3464 Jamaica c1907

11

No. 3743 Seagull at Neyland shed c1910

12

No. 3320 Avalon passing King's Sutton with GCR? coach at rear of four coach train

14u

No. 3434 Joseph Shaw with down stopping train at Slough in early 1920s

14l

No. 3321 Brasenose on down stopping train at Culham c1917

15

No. 3386 Paddington at Reading shed on 19 June 1920

16u

No. 3322 Eclipse at Old Oak Common c1920 H. Gordon Tidey

16l

No. 3390 Wolverhampton with Westinghouse pump at Old Oak Common in early 1920s H. Gordon Tidey

17u

No. 3361 King Edward VII with top feed passing Appleford on 10.25 Weymouth to Wolverhampton

17l

No. 3348 Launceston on Morthoe Bank banked by M7 c1927: see letter p. 180 (v. 12) from Graham McDonald A. Halls

18

No. 3388 Swansea on up fast at Iver H.J. Stretton-Ward

19u

No. 3380 River Yealm on Gloucester shed in 1928 H.J. Stretton-Ward

19l

Nos. 3417 Lord Mildmay of Fleet and 3334 Tavy at Starcross with up express with LNER TC Truro to Aberdeen H.J. Stretton-Ward

20u

No. 3345 Smeaton at Worcester Shrub Hill in 1928 H.J. Stretton-Ward

20l

No. 3330 Orion near Twyford with milk can empties

21

No. 3343 Camelot at Oxford in 1929 H.J. Stretton-Ward

22u

No. 3343 Camelot  on shed at Weymouth on 28 May 1929 H.C. Casserley

22l

No. 3422 Aberystwyth at Bristol Temple Meads in 1929

23

Chris Turner. Reading Goods. Part 2 — Vastern Road Yard. 24-45.
Part 1 in Volume 10 beginning page 422; see also short feature in Backtrack, 2014, 28, 714.

Entrance to Low Level Goods Yard in October 1948 NRM

24-5

Ordnance Survey 25-inch map 1931

26-7

Western end of yard on 4 January 1950 NRM

27

Hydraulic water tower on 29 October 1948 NRM

28u

High Level and incline down to Yard

28l

Signal Works Yard on 25 May 1944 NRM

29u

Sidings at foot of incline, Signal Works, eastwards view

29l

Aerial view 27 September 1947

30-1

Looking east from Signal Works NRM

32-3

Caversham Road entrance to Vastern Road Yard

34-5

Vastern Road Yard looking west: some wagons still with dumb buffers 1906 NRM

36

0-6-0PT No. 2172 posed with Suttons Seeds traffic in 1920s

38

Toomer's coal delivery lorries and coal wagons

40

Toomer's coal delivery lorry alongside No. 6 siding on 30 April 1943 NRM

41u

Sidings Nos. 1 and 2 with Toomer's office on 5 April 1943 NRM

41l

Aerial view 29 August 1947 showing banana ripening shed and scrap yard

42

Alpha cement office

43

Banana ripening shed (3 views) Peter Fidzcuk

43

Aerial view 8 June 1969 showing Co-operative coal wharves

44u

East end weighbridge Peter Fidzcuk

44l

Road motor depot Peter Fidzcuk

45

Key: page 36: Wagons visible (some parts of image may have been retouched) include ones owned by Wyken of Coventry; T. Simmons of Reading; George West of Reading; S.M. Sound & Son of Reading and W. Farndon, Agent of Rugby. Photograph probably taken from top of hydraulic water tower, especially as 10-ton hydraulic crane near centre of image.
Coverage of coal merchants is extensive and includes notes on Reading Co-operative Society; C. & G. Ayres; George William Talbot; Dunlop & Sons and Toomer. Outwards traffic included scrap metal from G.R. Jackson Ltd and tinware from Huntley, Boone & Stevens. Inwards traffic included bananas, iron & steel, farm equipment, wheat, animal feed, potatoes, petrol and cement, and containers for Woolworth and Reading Co-operative Society.

Alan Hall. The evolution of the 44XX class. 46; 58-60.
NB: the captioning relating to page 58 is not clear and its impossible to read the numbers off the reproductions: the essence of this photo-feature is the fitting of extended bunkers to the 44XX class and this amplifies the previous feature on this class in the previous Volume/Issue

No. 3102 (number on tank) 46u
No. 3104 46m
No. 3104: rear of cab and bunker 46l
No. 4405 58ul
No. 4407 on 11 April 1925 P.J.T. Reed 58ur
No. 4403 on 9 August 1923 58m
bunker on No. ? 58l
No. 4403 in 1930 59u
No. 4408 59m
No. 4405 (bunker only) 59lr
No. 4410 at Princetown in 1952 R.J. Doran 59ll
No. 4401 c1924 60ul
No. 4401 60ur
No. 4401 at Wellington on 3 August 1935 H.F. Wheeler 60m
No. 4401 at Exeter in 1952 G. Rouse 60l

John Lewis. GWR horse traffic and horseboxes. Part 4 – Modern horseboxes. 47-57.
Notes that Lot 1267 was gas lit and that Mansell wheels were fitted. Lot 1268 was dual braked. No. 223 was written: Lord Lavington, Beckhampton, Marlborough. Lavington had a brilliant trainer Fred Darling who was responsible for several racehorses which became the names of Gresley Pacifics: Captain Cuttle, Coronach and Felstead. See also Part 5 (p. 90)

N13 horsebox No. 300 as built in September 1928 Lot 1356 GWR 47
Detailed working drawings: elevations & plans: body and underframe 48-51
N13 horsebox: diagram: side & end elevations & plan 52
N13 No. 420 under BR ownership M.L. Longridge 53u
N123 No. 241 at Tyseley on 19 May 1948 P.J. Garland 53m
N13 No. 439 early BR ownership 53l
N13 No. 337 at St. Ives (Huntingdon) in July 1953 A.E. West 54u
N13 No. 403 at Eastleigh in May 1949 A.E. West 54l
N14 No. 238 at Lapworth on 18 March 1948 P.J. Garland 55u
N14 horsebox: diagram: side & end elevations & plan 55l
N15 horsebox: diagram: side & end elevations & plan 56
N15 No. 512 at Lapworth in 1949? P.J. Garland 57u
Nos. 543 (N16); 575 (N15) and 175 (N12) at Princes Risborough in late 1930 Hugh Harman 57l

22XX with snow plough passing Pangbourne signal box on 2 January 1963. Ian Nash. rear cover
Less snow around than visible on front cover!

Issue No. 82 (Spring 2012)

57XX No. 4615 entering No. 4 platform with emp[ty stock on Sunday 21 April 1963. W.G.C. Smith. front cover

John Copsey. Passenger operations at Paddington station. Part 7, 62-89.
See also reminiscences from Chris Rayward on p. 239
Illustrations:

Britannia No. 70018 Lighning arriving with Up Capitals United Express c1957 62
Castle No. 5046 Earl Cawdor departing with Capitals United Express on 10 March 1956 (S. Creer) 63
No. 5999 Wollaton Hall drawing empty stock in on 24 August (P.Poulter) 64u
Castle No. 5080 Defiant departing on 11.55 Pembroke Coast Express on Saturday 13 August 1960 passing No. 1500 (R.C. Riley) 64l
No. 5039 Rhuddlan Castle departing on 10.55 Pembroke Coast Express on Saturday 24 August 1957 (P.Poulter) 65u
No. 5014 Goodrich Castle on Cambrian Coast Express at Platform 2 on Saturday 29 June 1957 65l
No. 4930 Hagley Hall assisting modified Hall into No. 10 platform 66u
Nos. 11500 and 57XX 8767 drawing out empty stock of up Torbay Express on 1 August 1955 66l
Britannia No. 70023 Venus at buffer stops of platform 10 with up Red Dragon c1960 (F.J. Saunders) 67
Platform 11 looking east 69u
Suburban station centre roads (two views) 69m
Metropolitan Line EMU in Platform 13 69l
61XX arriving with Q set 70u
Paddington Arrival Signal Box 70l
Platform 10 looking east with taxi approach bridgework 71u
Battery electric vehicle for hauling trolleys on Platform 10 71m
Platform trolleys 71l
Taxis for arriving passengers 72
No. 6016 King Edward VI at Platform 10 with 07.30 ex-Shrewsbury c1954 73u
Battery electric truck 73l
View from Lawn looking west on 28 June 1955 74-5
View from Lawn looking west on 28 June 1955 76
Platforms 4 and 5 looking west on 26 April 1956 77u
Platform 1 looking west on 26 April 1956 at 14.55 77l
Platforms 5 and 6 looking east on 9 April 1954 78-9
Platforms 4 and 5 at country end in 1950s 80-1
No. 7028 Taunton Castle with double chimney and Warship diesel hydraulic behind at Ranelagh Bridge c1960 (R.C. Riley) 82
Buffer screen viewed from Lawn on 12 October 1958 83
Blue Pullman set at No. 3 platform (F.J. Saunders) 84
Blue Pullman set at No. 7 platform 85u
Motor truck and trolley on 5 June 1960 85l
Castle No. 5087 Tintern Abbey leaving with down Merchant Venturer on 6 August 1960 (R.C. Riley) 86u
No. 6024 King Edward I waiting departure in 1961 (A. Smith) 87
No. 9784 enetring No. 1 platform (A.E. Smith) 88u
No. 6161 on empty stock on 16 May 1964 88l
No. 8 platform with passengers (including Sir John Betjeman?) arriving on 19 February 1960 89u
No. 7013 Bristol Castle arrival with Cathedrals Express at platform 9: 89l

John Lewis. GWR horse traffic and horseboxes. Part 5 – Modern horseboxes. 90-5.
Diagram N16 built from 1937. Also briefly considersthe 150 horseboxes constructed under British Railways at Earlestown Works, but to an LNER design (some of which probably were allocated to the Western Region) and the final 115 built to a new design, also built at Earlestown of which Nos. 96355-8 were allocated to the Western Region. As in the previous series (see Part 4, p. 47) horseboxes were sometimes hired for lengthy periods: No. 509 toFred Darling of Beckhampton, Marlborough between 1937 and 1941; to F.C. Templeman of Lambourn (who had ridden Grand Parade to vicory in the 1919 Derby and was name given to A1 Pacific); Nos. 519 and 520 to Lord Astor, Nos. 522, 524 and 526 to O. Beel of Lambourn , 527 to Sir Abe Bailey via Marlborough station, and Nos.  535 and 590 to J.V. Rank of Druid's Lodge via Wishford.

Drawing No. 9363 C of June 1936: brake gear diagram: elevation and plan 90
No. 669 when new at Bristol Temple Meads: see also letter from Mike Barnsley 91
No. 707 with Bertram Mills Circus plate and Mansell wheels in 1950s 92u
Lot 1577 diagram (side elevation and cross section and plan) February 1937 92l
No. 538 in British Railways livery 93u
No. 676 in use as a calf box in August 1962 93m
No. 643 at Crewkerne in July 1963 marked Return to Carmarthen 93l
No. 650 former calf box condemned at Oxford in June 1960 95u
No. 667 condemned at Barry in late 1960s 95l

A Honeybourne visit. Colin Metcalfe (photographer). 96-7
See also Issue 79 page 362 et seq 15 July 1952: diesel railcar on 13.43 Kingham to Worcester; nameboard (HONEYBOURNE JUNCTION for...) and No. 1408 on 12.55 to Cheltenham auto trailer service

John Copsey. Bulldogs at work. Part 2. 98-120.
Cites RCTS. The locomotives of the Great Western Railway. Part 7. Dean's larger tender engines. Part 7 and Reed Diaries held by Great Western Trust. Part 1 began on page 2. See also letters from Dick Potts and from John Hill on pp. 357/60

No. 3369 David Mac Iver leaving Arthog with 09.00 Chester to Barmouth on 31 May 1932 (I.A. Higgon) 98
No. 3443 Chaffinch and No. 6029 King Stephen on Dainton Bank in 1932 99u
No. 3442 Bullfinch near Barmouth 99l
No. 3358 or 3359 leaving Bonmewydd in mid-1930s with express headlamps (I.A. Higgon) 100u
No. 3416 John W. Wilson at Barnstaple in August 1933 100l
No. 3342 Bonaventura and No. 6014 King Henry VII on descent from Dainton at Stoneycombe 102
No. 3434 Joseph Shaw at Reading on up local in 1933 103
No. 3444 Cormorant with monogram and Whitaker staff exchange apparatus on tender ex Swindon Works in late 1934 104u
No. 3375 Sir Watkin Wynn on up fast line on Goring troughs with stopping train 104l
No. 3341 Blasius at Drayton Green on 14 October 1935 (safety photograph for permanent way workers) 105
No. 3300 in St Philip's Marsh shed on 28 April 1935 (H.F. Wheeller) 106
No. 3412 John G. Griffiths arriving Westbury from Trowbridge on 27 May 1935 possibly on Bristol to Portsmouth service (H.C. Casserley) 107u
No. 3316 at Westbury shed on Sunday 6 October 1935 107m
No. 3330 Orion at Westbury shed on Sunday 6 October 1935 107l
No. 3379 River Fal near Gloucester in summer 1936 (W.L. Good) 108u
No. 3376 River Plym with down stopping train at Worle Junction with train for Weston-super-Mare 108l
No. 3403 Winnipeg at Newton Abbot on 19 September 1936 (G.H. Daventry) 109u
No. 3417 Lord Mildmay of Flete in Swindon Works on 18 October 1936 (L. Hanson) 109l
No. 3378 River Tawe [No. 3380 River Yealm] near Bathampton with Westbury to Bristol stopping train with a Fruit D and a bogie Monster [Bloater] at front: see also Editor 110
No. 3421 at Swindon shed on 19 June 1938 (R.K. Cope) 111
No. 3395 Tasmania at Honeybourne in April 1940 112u
No. 3313 Jupiter (nameplate removed) on Swindon scrap line on 3 July 1946 112l
No. 3451 Pelican at Reading probably with horsebox train on 10 May 1936 (F.W. Wheeler) 114ul
No. 3451 Pelican at Exeter shed on 8 June 1947 114ur
No. 3451 Pelican at Exeter shed on 16 September 1946 114l
No. 3431 and No. 6007 King William III on Dainton Bank withy fourteen coaches on 14 July 1947 115u
No. 3377 st Shrewsbury Coleham on 10 May 1947 115l
No. 3376 River Plym on J class freight 116u
No. 3418 Sir Arthur Yorke on pick up goodsnear Reading (R.H.G. Simpson) 116l
No. 3455 Starling at Hereford in 1949 117u
No. 3453 Seagull with smokebox number plate at Worcester next to mechanical coaling plant on 8 October 1949 (W. Potter) 117m
No. 3406 Calcutta at Hereford in 1950 (N.E. Stead) 117l
No. 3341 Blasius (with combined name & number plate) and number plate on smokebox door at Exeter St Davids on 25 June 1949 118u
No. 3446 Goldfinch at Plymouth Laira in 1948 118m
No. 3447 Jackdaw in Worcester shed on 24 September 1950 (H.C. Casserley) 118l
Nos. 3447 and 3451 without names on Swindon Dump in spring 1951 119u
No. 3451 without name on Swindon Dump in spring 1951 119m
No. 3454 Skylark on Tyseley shed on 16 May 1951 with 81D shed plate 119l
No. 3454 Skylark on Reading shed on 3 June 1950 (W. Gilbert) 120u
No. 3454 Skylark nameplate 120l

94XX No. 8433 entering No. 3 platform with emp[ty stock  with Thompson leading coach on Sunday 21 April 1963. W.G.C. Smith. rear cover

Issue No. 83 (Summer 2012)

No. 4951 Pendeford Hall on Class C parcels train passing Iver on Down Main. front cover.

Dick Potts. Birmingham Loco: a study of the Great Western's sheds at Bordesley and Tyseley. Part One – Brunel's Engine & Carriage Depot, Bordesley. 122-39.
On Friday 1 October 1852 broad gauge Firefly class 2-2-2 Harpy reached Birmingham. On 11 December 1853 Firefly Bellona and Tiger; Star Dog Star and Prince Elk, Prince, Queen, Sylph and Witch (all 2-2-2) and "4-2-2" Wizard were stationed at Birmingham and their drivers were Thompson, Johnson, Pickering, Davidson, Greenall and Greening. In June 1855 a locomotive running shed was opened at Bordesley. The broad gauge reached its zenith there in about 1862, then gradually declined and ceased from 1869. Thus Bordsley became a standard gauge shed. The GWR Enginemen and Firemen Mutual Assurance Society was established in 1865. ASLEF established a branch in Birmingham in 1886.

Map: railways in Birmingham in 1850s 122
Bordesley engine house: elevation and plan 124
Bordesley Junction 1890 map 126
56 Class 2-4-0 No. 722 at Malvern with a Birmingham to Hereford service in 1894 127u
131 class 0-6-0 No. 146 on Bordesley shed with Harry Wright 127l
Map/plan Bordesley locomotive shed and sidings 128-9
517 class 0-4-2T No. 1488 (not as caption) at Bordesley shed in 1890s 129
Plan Bordesley locomotive shed 30 November 1896 (Official GWR, Wolverhampton) 130-1
Ordnance Survey map 25-inch scale 1904 132-3
GWR map of Bordesley loco and connections c1905 133
Official GWR sketches, tabulated dimensions, etc of Bordesley shed in 1903 134-5
Steam railmototor (railcar) at Bordesley shed c1908 136
Edward Turner (portrait) 137u
Six-wheel third coach No. 1093 at Bordesley shed c1908 137l
Bordesley shed after closure in 1908 138-9
Bordesley shed prior to closure in 1908 with 0-6-0ST 139

Colin Metcalfe. A glimpse of Wiveliscombe station in the 1950s. 140-51.
See also letter from Alan Wild on p. 300 and further information from Robin Markes and picture on p. 480. Town has since became famous for its fight to retain its public library. See also letter in Issue 95 from Robin Markes on Horse Dock on signal diagram: during WW1 there was an Army Mule Depot at Wivelscombe and this was supplied with mules imported from South America, Portugal and Ireland landed at Avonmouth. See Sue Farrington. Wivelscombe: a history of a Somerset market town. Colden, 2005.

Ordnance Survey map 25 inch to mile 1930 140
43XX No. 6364 on 14.16 Taunton to Barnstaple Junction on Friday 16 September 1955 141
Map of Venn Cross to Milverton section with whole Barnstaple to Taunton branch shown as inset 142
Signal box with Henry Elliot on 17 September 1955 143u
Gradient profile Venn Cross to Milverton section 143l
Up platform Wiveliscombe station 16 September 1955 144
Down platform Wiveliscombe station 16 September 1955 145
Exterior of signal box on 17 September 1955 146
Signalling diagram Wiveliscombe signal box 147u
Interior of signal box with Henry Elliot on Saturday 17 September 1955 147l
Town of Wiveliscombe with National Provincial Bank in High Street 149
No. 6390 on 13.50 Taunton to Barnstaple Junction approaching 150
Exterior of signal box on 17 September 1955 with Henry Elliot and William Screech signalmen 151u
43XX on 13.50 to Taunton (12.43 Barnstaple to Taunton) on 17 September 1955 151l

More breakdown cranes. 152
upper: Ransomes & Rapier 36-ton crane of 1912: No. 3 at Stafford Road shed during visit by Birmingham Locomotive Club in 1938
lower: Ransomes & Rapier 45-ton crane of 1938? No. 16 at Old Oak Common: supplied with Govenment aid as part of Air Raid Precautions for WW2 (P.J. Garland)

John Copsey. '56xxs' in the English Divisions. 153-75.
Welsh 56XX class described in Issue 29 (p. 243); 30 (p. 329) and 31 (p. 407).. See also letter from Brian Pugh on p. 300. See letter from John Bates in Issue 95 page 420 on use of 56XX class at Stourbridge mainly on freight, but also on excursions: to Stourport-on-Severn (Nos. 6617, 6693 and 6674 noted on 8 June 1957 and on football specials to Hawthorns Halt (for West Bromwich Albion) where the class could cope with the 1 in 42 between Cradley Heath and Old Hall.

Nos. 6672/3/4 passing Birmingham? en route from Armstrong Whitworth to Swindon (delivered via Normanton and Manchester Victoria) in late 1928 153
No. 6670 at Princes Risborough on Class F freight c1930 (H. Stretton Ward) 154
56XX (No. 669?) on Class J freight approaching Leamington Spa station from south with cement vans from Bletchington in 1936 155u
No. 6690 on Westbury shed with 28XX on 1 August 1937 155l
No. 6696 shunting Leamington Spa goods yard in 1937 (H. Stretton Ward) 156u
No. 6623 on Gloucester Horton Road shed on 18 April 1938 156l
No. 6624 at Chester on 10 April 1938 157u
No. 6699 at Oxley on 26 May 1939 (H. Stretton Ward) 157m
56XX in Whitemarsh Cutting, Leamington Spa on freight (H. Stretton Ward) 157l
No. 6600 on down H class freight at Fenny Stratford in September 1947 (H. Stretton Ward) 159u
Mo. 6671 lettered G W R at St Philip's Marsh, Bristol on 17 April 1949 159l
No. 5629 lettered G W R in Oxley sidings 160
No. 6610 on up K class freight at Wellington, Shropshire, on 30 April 1952 161u
No. 5629 on Swindon shed c1954 (No. 5629 stationed at Didcot at that time) 161l
No. 5697 on H class freight on up main line in 1950s 162u
No. 5697 on shed at Didcot 162l
No. 5639 fully lined out on shed at Didcot 163
No. 6646 on K class freight passing through Birmingham Snow Hill in late 1950s 164
No. 6664 fully lined out ex Swindon factory 165u
No. 6664 fully lined out on 16 June 1957 165l
No. 6640 at Wolverhampton in 1960 (C.F. Tickle) 167u
No. 6670 at Stourbridge Juncton shed when withdrawn. November 1963, 167l
Frames and cylinders of No. 5690 in Stafford Road Works in 1959 (C.F. Tickle) 168u
Frames of No. 5672 in Stafford Road Works in 1959 (C.F. Tickle) 168l
Tanks off No. 5690 in Stafford Road Works in 1959 (C.F. Tickle) 169u
No. 6675 in Stafford Road Works in 1959 (C.F. Tickle) 169l
No, 5651 in Stafford Road Works in 1960 (C.F. Tickle: two views) 170
No. 5658 at Tyseley in 1960 (C.F. Tickle) 171u
No, 5690 at Wolverhampton in 1959 (C.F. Tickle) 171l
No, 5690 at Wolverhampton in 1959: front sander & step (C.F. Tickle) 172u
No, 5690 at Wolverhampton in 1959: centre coupled wheel (C.F. Tickle) 172l
No, 5690 at Wolverhampton in 1959: rear sander (C.F. Tickle) 173u
No, 5690 at Wolverhampton in 1959 : rear step and radial axle (C.F. Tickle) 173l
No. 6640 at Wolverhampton in 1960 (C.F. Tickle) 172u
No. 5658 (rear) at Tyseley in 1960 (C.F. Tickle) 172l
No, 5690 at Wolverhampton in 1959 : bunker from rear (C.F. Tickle) 173

Letters. 176-7; 180

Paddington. Bill Crosbie-HilI  
Reference photos on page 327 of GWRJ No. 78 showing No. 7034 at Platform 1 on 13 July 1954. The seven-coach formation was the maximum load for the 13.15, when accelerated with start of summer timetable on Monday 14 June 1954. This train was due in Temple Meads at 15.15, not 15.33 [the departure for Weston - Ed] as stated in caption. Bath was 14.52-14.54 with 4 minutes recovery time for the last stage to Bristol. Reading was to be passed in 34½ minutes, Didcot in 49 and Swindon in 71. Writer did not know how things went on the opening Monday, but was informed that Bath was reached at  14.52 on Tuesday. Writer timed train on Wednesday 16th when, after a punctual transit of Reading, train brought to a stand at Didcot to allow an Oxford to Bristol parcels to trundle across to the down relief. Writer caught the train many times and it was never on time at Bath; locomen relied on the recovery time onward to Bristol as they had to report to the inspector there. When writer suggested to one fireman they ought to make Bath 'right time', he replied "You'd have to go it". On Saturdays the load was 8 coaches with the same timings. Many people worked on Saturday mornings so this train was often very full indeed. On one Saturday in the winter of 1954/55, No. 4073 made a splendid start passing West Dray ton at 73 mph. The cold wind got the better of the Bath Road crew and the driver eased to give the fireman a breather.
The other fast trains introduced on 14 June 1954 were the 08.45 down and 16.30 up Bristolian workings and the 19.50 Paddington to Bristol. This left, as table notes, from Platform 4 and was only allowed 34½ minutes to Reading in the working timetable. On Friday the load was increased to 9 coaches and there is a run on record of Old Oak's No. 5085 reaching Reading a full minute early with the heavier load. The accelerations of 1955 involved the 10.55 down Pembroke Coast Express'. Writer timed the inaugural run with No. 5074 and driver J. Jenkins of Landore. The load was 8 and a very vigorous and noisy working of the engine (in filthy condition) was ruined by an 11 minute stand at Patchway for a freight to clear the Severn Tunnel.

Paddington. R.S. Markes
Picture of the Arrivals Side facade at Paddington highlighted the 'Square Deal' issue which is well documented and illustrated in O.S. Nock's Volume 3 of the History of the GWR. As both the banner and the poster on the (specially parked?) Southern Railway lorry appear to be in pristine condition, writer propose photo dates from November 1938, when a vigorous campaign was inaugurated in the Press and by posters and streamers 'A Square Deal Now'. On 23 November 'a deputation of railway chairmen waited upon the Minister of Transport to present a memorandum stressing the case for revision of the methods of charging rates for merchandise traffic'. This may be the actual date of the photo if, as I suspect, it was posed and taken by an official GWR photographer for campaign PR purposes.

No. 18000. Edward Chaplin
Concerning No. 18000 at Paddington (p.319 upper of GWRJ No. 78): 1986, issues 2 and 3 of Steam Days, Chris Leigh articles noted:
SD2, p.27: 'by 22 May 1950, 18000 had taken up duty on the 15.30 PDN-PLY and the next day's 07.15 up working – duties with which it was to become synonymous in the early 1950s.' Then follow accounts of its activities, failures, etc, during that year and into 1951, and on the next page 'On 4/6/11 September 1951 No. 18000 again worked the 15.30 p.rn. PDN-PLY in company with the dynamometer car, and in each case returned on the 07.15 up working on the following day. The load was 12 coaches.
The book The GWR Gas Turbines - a myth exposed, by Kevin Robertson (Sutton Publishing) uses the above data but on p.50 adds 'there appears to be a degree of conflict over the actual dates of the dyno car trials reported as having taken place from 8 to 15 September'. That book continues with more data with failures, modifications, etc.
From above a September 1951 date for train No. 154 plus the dyno car gets his vote. [It was the 15.30 to Penzance. Ed]

No. 18000. J. Batts
In 1946, Gas Turbine locomotive No. 8000 was ordered, but nationalization intervened. In BR service, GWR 8000 had 10000 added to the number, and was finished in LMS black and chrome.  When No. 18000 completed its BR duties, it was passed to the VIC for use as a mobile test bed. It was put in the care of the Swiss railways, SBB/CFF/FFS. They were just about to introduce a new class of electric engines with numbers starting at 18000. They found it simpler to renumber their unbuilt engines than to alter something existing, and anyway, they were proud of the curiosity they had acquired. With the history comes mystery. What was the intended GWR livery for 8000? Where would the numberplates have gone? What name (if any) was proposed (obviously not Kerosene Castle) — would it have been St. Paul's Cathedral as rumoure d, to start a new 'Cathedrals' class and where would the (presumably straight) nameplates have gone?

Distant signals. Brian Hillier  
Keith Ettle's letter reminded writer of unusual arrangement provided at Ashchurch in the 1950s when a new signal box was provided in place of the two previous boxes, Ashchurch Junction and Ashchurch Level Crossing. Ashchurch Junction was located at the south end of the station platforms and controlled the junctions to Tewkesbury and Evesham branches, as well as the goods yard at the south end. Ashchurch Level Crossing was located at the north end of the platforms and controlled up and down goods loops, together with the flat crossing where the spur from the Evesham line to the Tewkesbury line crossed the main line. Ashchurch Crossing's distant signal from the Birmingham direction was sited conventionally at braking distance from the outer home signal and Ashchurch Junction's distant was a lower arm beneath Ashchurch Crossing's outer home. There was a similar arrangement on the line from Cheltenham. When Junction and Crossing boxes were abolished and the new box provided, the usual arrangement would have been to retain just a single distant signal on each line and abolish the lower distants. However, it was almost a mile from the first home signal to the last starting signal on each line, and any driver receiving a caution at the distant signal would probably crawl from signal to signal until he saw the advanced starter off before opening up. The lower distants beneath the outer home signals were therefore retained, so that if 'line clear' was received from the box in advance after the train had passed the conventional distant at caution, clearing the 'inner' distant would encourage the driver to get a move on. The inner and outer distants were worked by the same lever, the inner mechanically and the outer electrically. Mention was also made of colour light signals in tunnels on the Southern Region. It was standard practice on the Southern to control the signal at the entrance to the tunnel such that it would not clear unless either the signal in the tunnel was at clear or, if the tunnel signal was at red because of a preceding train, then that train had a proceed aspect at the first signal beyond the tunnel. The idea of this was to minimise the possibility of a train being stopped in the tunnel.

Gloucester. Colin S. Jones
Concerning Julian Martin's letter in GWRJ No. 79 which in turn relates to colour photographs in Issue 76 pages 238 set seq and rear cover: writer lived and worked around Gloucester from 1964 until 1968. For most of that time he worked on Eastern Avenue, in the buildings in the right background of the main picture in GWRJ No. 44 pp. 194 et seq individual pages not indexed in this volume: pages 200-201 and, from above, on page 218, virtually opposite the site of the original 'T' station (page 205).
For the first few months he had to make a quick getaway on Friday afternoons, using the pathway over the footbridges (starting with that on page 205 referred to above) and through subways (page 210) to get to Central station in time for the 17.20 to Swindon and Paddington. Certainly when he travelled, the down main platform at Central station was used bi-directionally, I cannot remember ever having to cross over to the up platforms, and the only service that I can remember using the up platforms was the Chalford push-pull unit, which waited in a bay at the up end. The Paddington train came in from Cheltenham behind a tank engine which was quickly released and replaced by a tender engine at the other end, as reversal was required at Gloucester. An equally prompt manoeuvre was performed at Swindon, where the arrival was almost simultaneous with one from Bristol. The ex-Cheltenham portion set forward into a siding just clear of the station whilst the ex-Bristol engine was detached and taken away. The ex-Cheltenham portion then reversed onto the front of the ex-Bristol carriages to make a full-length train to Didcot, Reading and Paddington, arriving at about 19.40, which gave my fiancée time to get there from her work. The Swindon manoeuvre ceased with otherwise minor timetable changes during that summer. My arrival at Paddington was barely changed, but required a change trains at Swindon, and the train from Bristol, although with more carriages than previously, rarely had any seats available, so I became one of the hoard sitting on their suitcases in the corridor. My return journey on Sunday night/Monday morning entailed being ready for the arrival of the stock for the 01.00 South Wales sleeper train, which used the original route through Gloucester, and 'bagging' a compartment in the Mark 1 carriages at the rear of the train by pulling the blinds down on the corridor-side windows – it usually worked and I got some sleep before arrival into Gloucester almost opposite the ticket barrier, with a chance of getting one of the few taxis waiting there at about 4.0 a.m.! (All that and my HM Forces rate weekend return cost the grand sum of £1 7s 6d.) After that we lived for a while in Tuffley Avenue, referred to by Mr. Martin, and I used the two pedestrian bridges that he mentioned. They led across both the ex-Midland and ex·GWR lines just after they separated, giving me access towards Eastern Avenue. The first of the branches, both off the ex-Midland line, that Mr. Martin referred to, curved sharply away near those bridges and is shown on the map on page 197 of GWRJ 44 and map 56 in R. A. Cooke's Atlas of the Great Western Railway as at 1947 (published by Wild Swan, revised version 1997) as 'LMS New Docks Branch'. The other ex-Midland branch into the docks was much nearer the city centre skirting a park. I can remember on one occasion sitting waiting on a bus while a train was hand signalled across the ungated Stroud Road crossing. (GWR access to Gloucester Docks was some way to the west, described in a subsequent issue of GWRJ.) Our next home was nearer the city centre and my walk to work took me past the back of Horton Road engine shed and over Tramway Crossing (Horton Road Crossing), shown and described in detail in GWRJ Nos. 45 and Issue 49. Besides the scheduled train movements there were times when shunting moves used the lines over the crossing, so the traffic delays could be considerable, and my boss did not accept that as an excuse for being late. A year or so later, BR changed the layout at Standish and Tuffley junctions so that trains from Swindon could run into Eastgate ex-Midland station and then on to Cheltenham without reversal, so we had to get used to using that station instead, and its platform always felt bleaker and less welcoming. (Was the signal box at the south end of the station on stilts over the lines between the platform ends and Barton Street level crossing, with the large wheel operating the crossing gates clearly visible through the box windows, or is my imagination stronger than my memory?) It was at this time and on the ex-Midland route that we had one of our more frustrating journeys: fully related in letter, but typical of ex-LMS delay.

Horseboxes. J. A. Smith  
On page 226 [actually 224 lower] of GWRJ No. 76, John Lewis states in a photo caption that a GW Paco is the lead vehicle at Crewe on a train to Oswestry via Whitchurch, hauled by 'Duke' 3288 Mendip (withdrawn  March 1936 ABH), photograph circa 1931. Whilst there is pre-grouping photographic evidence of Cambrian engines at Crewe, I have never been aware of any GWR running or powers between Whitchurch and Nantwich Market Drayton Junction. Was GWR traction used, during the grouping period, between Whitchurch & Crewe? See also letter from I.J. Glover on p. 357.

'517' Class. Anthony J. East  
Reference articles in GWRJ 74/75 concerning the 517 class. Their variety is clearly displayed: delighted with the photograph of 1469 on p. 129 of GWRJ 75 showing it with a domeless boiler, and a high Belpaire firebox: this boiler must have come from a 2101 series 0-6-0ST (or PT). On pp. 208-9 of GWRJ No. 20 there is a photograph of No. 544 sandwiched between Nos. 2124 and 2135 at Croes Newydd in 1928: the picture of No. 544 on p.123 of GWRJ No. 75, is clearly another shot of the same scene. Looking at drawings of the two classes of locomotive, East believes the 2101 dorneless boiler would fit the 517 chassis, but it would be interesting to know if any more 517 class also had this type of domeless boiler.

'517' Class. Ron Davies
Photograph of the 517 class locomotive 1428 at Dauntsey station with a train for Little Somerford (GWRJ No. 75, p.131) has another historical interest in that the station canopy is now at Yatton station over platform 2, the up platform, and once covered the Clevedon bay as well. It was brought to Yatton following the original canopy being destroyed by an up goods train one early morning following the sinking of one of the supports into the Yatton platform, and the canopy fouling the up main line.

'517' Class. David J. Tomkiss
Your kind reply to my letter left the location of the lower photograph on page 74 of GWRJ No. 74 wide open, but John Hodge's letter in Issue 79 gave me a clue and started a train of thought. I also could not reconcile the photograph with anywhere on the Barry Railway that I knew, but had not thought to concentrate on the English side of the Bristol Channel. I knew it was not Ilfracornbe or Minehead and probably not Weston-Super-Mare , That left Clevedon, Portishead old station and an outside chance of Avonmouth Dock. A search through my photographs gave a match. The wooden structure, awning supports, awning, crossover and the fact that the photograph was taken from ground level are all characteristics of Clevedon station, and the Barry's Red Funnel fleet called at Clevedon pier. Even the gap in the woodwork showing between the engine's funnel and dome equates to a public entrance.

Honeybourne. Roger Franklin 
Writer's father, Geoff Franklin, started work on the railway in the early 1950s as a porter at Long Marston, and after a few years moved to Honeybourne as a shunter, and stayed there until his retirement in 1969. He firstly worked in the station yards with a short spell as Goods Guard, which he could not get used to. When the new sidings were put in at West Loop (which he called Poden Sidings), he moved there as head shunter and worked shifts. He was made redundant when this closed and was offered a job as Signal Lampman for the area. This was a considerable drop in basic salary but was made up by the regular booked travelling time to get to the various locations. Unlike Gordon Canning, his area was a lot wider than just Honeybourne and Evesham because of the run-down of facilities in the area. He worked at various times at all locations between Moreton-in-Marsh and Pershore on the Oxford-Worcester Line, and from Milcote to Toddington on the Birmingham-Bristol Line. Also for a time, he went to Defford on the ex-LMS line. Travelling time was based on getting to the various locations by train, but Dad used his old Ford van and usually finished well before time and came home: like most railwaymen in the area he had another job, a smallholding to grow vegetables and keep a few cattle and sheep. Handling paraffin caused chest illness and the use of his son in assisting with the lamp duties. The Staff Institute or Railway Club was an important part of social life.

Wivelscombe with carrier's cart in loading dock: horse named Prince. 180

Moreton Cutting. M.G.C. Smith. 178-9; rear cover

No. 4908 Broome Hall on up Class K freight on 21 May 1963 178
No. 7004 Eastnor Castle on up Cathedrals Express 179u
S15 4-6-0 No, 30835 leaving yard with freight for Southern Region on 21 May 1963 179l
28XX No. 3819 approaching  Moreton Cutting with coal empties on 21 May 1963 rear cover

Issue No. 84 (Early winter 2013)

No. 6985 Parwick Hall with up Cheltenham Spa to Paddinton express passing through Pangbourne on 27 April 1963. Ian Nash. front cover

Brian Penney and Richard Parker.Worcester Locomotive Works. 182-201.
Established in 1853 by David Joy when he was Locomotive Superintendent of the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway later the West Midland Railway and located at Rainbow Hill, There were plans to resite the Works south of Shrub Hill in 1909 and 1944.  See also letter from Mike Thomas on page 357.

Map: Ordnance Survey 25-inch 1940 182
No. 7029 Clun Castle inside erecting shop with original wooden beams 183
Exterior of erecting shop with locomotives prodruding through doors 184u
Tenders in works yard 184l
517 class No. 828 inside erecting shop with wheels removed 185
No. 2920 St David on traverser on 28 May 1952 186
No. 5017 St. Donat's Castle in works yard on 26 August 1954 187u
No. 4086 Builth Castle under hoist with bogie removedon 26 August 1954 187l
No. 5394 near hoist facing traverser with steaming shed behind on 8 May 1953 188u
43XX with coupling rods removed on 8 May 1953 188m
Crane No. 9 in works yard on 29 June 1953 188l
No. 2920 St David on short road on 9 July 1953 189u
No. 6857 Tudor Grange in works yard on 16 December 1953 189l
No. 5094 Tretower Castle under hoist with leading two axles and bogie removed c1960 190u
No. 7027 Thornbury Castle on traverser in 1961 190l
Erecting shop exterior 191
Plan 193u
Plan 193l
Works staff 1957 197
Traverser 199u
Ron Ashby at controls of traverser 199l
No. 5094 Tretower Castle being rewheeled by Ron Asby and Ernie Payne in 1960 200
No,.7009 Athelney Castle in hoist road in 1962 201

John Copsey. Express traffic working over the Northern main line, 1937-38. Part 1 – Paddington/Oxford & Wolverhampton. 202-13.
From the 1860s there were attempts to establish through passenger services via the South Eastern Railway via Reading, but these failed to generate sufficient traffic and further development had to wait until the 1890s when services were developed both via Reading and via Basingstoke and the London & South Western Railway. The arrival of the Great Central Railway at Banbury in 1900 further stimulated activity.
Illustrations:

Map 202
SR U class 2-6-0 No. 1802 with a relief train to the 08.00 ex-Birkenhead at Oxford on 14 May 1932 204
No. 5018 St. Mawes Castle climbing to Whitnash with 09.43 Birkenhead to Bournemouth 207u
Castle class No. 5069 Isambard Kingdom Brunel at Leamington Spa with 14.40 Birkenhead to Paddington in summer of 1938 207l
No. 6009 King Charles II hauling 11.55 Birkenhead to Paddington approaching Whitnash cutting in summer of 1937 208u
No. 4955 Plaspower Hall on second part of 09.43 Birkenhead to Poole in Whitnash cutting 208m
No. 5985 Mostyn Hall at Banbury with a local train on 22 July 1939 208l
No. 2935 Caynham Court with Lentz rotary came valve gear at Oxford with 11.05 Wolverhampton to Weymouth  service on 27 February 1932 209
51XX at Oxford on 10.00 York to Bournemouth working (working Banbury to Oxford) in February 1931 211
Bulldog No. 3419 Lord Mildmay of Flete and No. 7810 Draycott Manor at Banbury with 09.30 Newcastle to Swansea on 22 July 1939 212u
No. 6831 Bearley Grange at Banbury on up local service on 22 July 1939 212l

Chris Turner. Pangbourne in the 1940s. 214-29.
Includes the reminiscences of two local lads who became clerks at the station during WW2, one of whom later rose to be General Manager of the Southern Region, namely John Palette and John Hiscock. Hiscock, who was born at Goring-on-Thames was recruited by the Pangbourne station master named Hill and started work in May 1941 when aged 14. John Palette was born into at Didcot and his brother and sister worked for the Great Western. He bagan work when 14 in August 1942 in the station master's office, but moved to Pangbourne in January 1943, Station Master B.T. Llewellyn was regarded very highly by Hiscock for his caring attitude towards young staff. At that time the railway had a monopoly in public transport as there were only meagre Thames Valley buse services. The 07.10 Oxford to Pddington was very popular with the local gentry who travelled first class. Regulars included Leslie Haywood of Upper Basildon, Captain Henry Crosthwaite of Little Bowden and George Hope of Basildon Home Farm, who was generous to the railway staff at Christmas. Monies were placed in the travelling safe conveyed on the 08.42 Didcot to Reading where it was forwarded by another train to Paddington. Passenger-rated freight was often carted by C. & G. Ayres, carriers. Milk arrived in churns on the 06.20 Paddington to Worcester and was collected by horse & cart from the Jas Ashworth dairy. Grimsby fish arrived for Colebrook & Co. Passenger Luggage in Advance arrive for Pangbourne Nautical College. Coal arrived for Ayres, Toomer, Frost and Bishop. Toomer was frequently in dispiute over demurrage payments. Electrical goods were despatched for Tenaplas of Basildon. Sugar beet was handled. Wartime traffic was heavy and included stores for the RAF on Goring Heath. Military casulaties arrived in ambulaance trains for military hospitals at Whitchurch and Ibstone. See also letter from David Tomkiss on page 356 and errata /addenda from Chris Turner.
Illustrations: see also Issue 81 front cover & rear cover and this Issue front cover and rear cover

28XX No. 3808 passing with H class freight on 14 September 1953 214-15
Looking towards Reading 216
Island platform 217
Station gardens on 23 Sepetmber 1956 (2 views) 218
No. 5989 Cransley Hall on 08.37 Newcastle to Bournemouth West (formed of LNER stock) on 25 July 1959 219u
Castle class on down Pembroke Coast Express (10.55 ex-Paddington) on 14 September 1953 219l
Ordnance Survey map 220-1
Pangbourne signal box 220
No. 6018 King Henry VI on up express on 28 March 1962 222u
Coal wagons viewed from signal box 222l
Goods shed 223u
No. 7014 on down (caption states passenger train) freight 223l
Reading Signal & Telegraph gang at work 224
43XX on up freight 225u
Reading Signal & Telegraph gang alongside cabin (John Batts) 225l
Castle on down express in heavy snow on 19 January 1963 (Ian Nash) 226u
No. 6910 with up freight on 19 January 1963 (Ian Nash) addenda from Chris Turner loco. with brass smokebox number plate.  226l
No. 2899 with up freight on 19 January 1963 (Ian Nash) 227u
57XX with Up Fly pick-up goods shunting on 1 February 1963 (Ian Nash) 227m
57XX No. 3751with Down Fly pick-up goods in heavy snow (Ian Nash) 227l
No. 4939 hauling 08.10 Banbury to Paddington (Ian Nash): 228
Large Prairie hauling 09.05 Banbury to Reading (Ian Nash) 229

Christopher Hext and John Copsey. Branch goods trains from Newton Abbot: an engineman's records of the Postwar Era. 230-8.
Fearnley Hext started as an engine cleaner at Newton Abbot on 7 October 1918 when aged 16. He was promoted to fireman in August 1920 and moved to Neath, spending some time at Cathays and Duffryn Yard before returning to Newton Abbot in June 1924, becoming a driver in March 1941. Records taken from his journals show the loadings on freights operating on the Moretonhamstead and Christow branches. Locomotives included 57XX No. 9717;  45XX Nos 5530 and 5552. See also Part 2 beginning page 274 and letter from Andrew Fiderkiewicz
Illustrations:

Map: Newton Abbot branches 230
No. 5539 with return (13.51 ex- Moretonhamstead goods at Bovey c1954 231
Hackney yard 232-3
Aerial view of Newton Abbot station including Hackney yard on 4 November 1946 234
Moretonhamstead goods shed and yard 235u
Moretonhamstead with return goods behind 45XX in October 1954 235l
45XX at Heathfield with return goods behind 45XX in 1934 236
Junction at Heathfield 237u
Christow station with 14XX powered auto train (push & pull units) 237l
Approach to Newton Abbot off branches with Newton East signal box and Whitelake river bridge 238u
Driver Fearnley Hext 238l

Letters. 239-40.

Paddington. Chris Rayward.
Queries what became of model of King class and coaches which used to be displayed in glass cases at back of The Lawn in 1950s. See letter from T.W. Wykes on pages 355-6 anf from Brian McCord

Paddington. T.W. Wykes.
Notes closure of Ranelagh Bridge yard caused working arrangements to be changed: on 31 July 1963 writer observed that crew working Cathedrals Express were relieved by Old Oak Common crew at Paddington who worked locomotive out to Old Oak Common, serviced it and returned it in time for return 15.15 departure

Paddington. Eric Youldon.
Caption correction: Castle built April 1924 not 1948: exchange of identity between Nos. 4082 and 7013: therefore, 7013 built in 1924 to keep number associated with Windsor Castle

Paddington. Alan Williams
Refers to manuscript diaries (presumably kept to check his wages) of Landore fireman Trevor Jones who at the time of an entry for 13 November 1961 was firing for Bill Fowler noted that "derailed at Paddington":  locomotive was Castle No. 5080 Defiant. His regular driver was Jack Jenkins known as "Electric Jack". See also letters from Bill Crosbie-Hall on page 357 and from Henry W. Toomer on page 480.

'Bulldogs' at work. T.W. Wykes.
See p. 20 lower: argues that locomotive was probably not No. No. 3345 Smeaton, but may have been No. 3346 Godolphin. Page 119 lower (No. 3454 Skylark) suggests date incorrect should be 16 June 1951: locomotive cleaned for SLS special to Swindon on following day

'Bulldogs' at work. G. Chennell.
Suggests not 3378 River Tawe but 3380 River Yealm and advances reasons for this.

'Bulldogs' at work. Bill Crosbie-Hill. 240.
In June 1944 he saw Nos. 3363 and 3364 exit Devizes Tunnel on 07.15 Trowbridge to Paddington. Also memory of rapid acceleration behind No. 3341 on a stopping train from Newbury to Devizes (portion off 18.00 ex-Paddington) in February 1945. Most of his memories were of class on freight or engineering trains.

'Bulldogs' at work. C.J. Hext.
Boyhood memories of class at work in Newton Abbot. Started an engineering appreniceship at Newton Abbot in October 1952 whih was completed at Swindon where his final work was on bogie of City of Truro.

Horseboxes. John Lewis.
See GWRJ Number 78 page 340 for way in which groom's doors were hung (adjacent to horse compartment); also N1 type lacked illumination and quotes Issue 72 page 475 and Steven Brindle's Paddington station

Horseboxes. Mike Barnsley.
Destination Baydon

Errata in GWRJ Nos. 81 and 82
See 81 p. 19 lower and 110 [precis entries changed No. 3380 and bloater]

11.00 ex-Shrewsbury stores hauled by No. 4914 Cranmore Hall entering Whitnash cutting with long train of very mixed empty stock. H.J. Stretton-Ward

No. 7029 Clun Castle with 09.15 Paddington to Worcester passing through Pangbourne on 11 April 1964. Ian Nash. rear cover
Regretably colour image lacks clarity and gives impression of evening twilight.

Issue No. 85 (Late winter 2013)

No. 4902 Aldenham Hall passing Langley with down parcels train on 3 March 1962. M.G.C. Smith. front cover

John Copsey. Cambrian 0-6-0s in traffic on the GWR by John Copsey. 242-61.
See also letters from Mike Barnsley (p. 420) on use of No. 844 at Reading in place of MSWJR 2-4-0s

Map: Cambrian & Central Wales Lines 242
No. 855 at Oswestry in early 1950s 243
Small Goods No. 388 with four-wheel tender on freight at Portmadoc station in 1931-3 244
Small Goods No. 903 in early 1920s 245u
73 class No. 822 with top feed on boiler 245m
15 class large goods No. 864 at Oswestry on 28 October 1922 245l
Belpaire No. 864 246
73 class No. 884 on F class freight north of Barmouth Junction in mid-1920s 247u
73 class No. 884 on express formed mainly of six-wheel stock at Machynlleth 247m
73 class No. 884  at Swindon 247l
Small Goods No. 898 in late 1920s 248u
Small Goods No. 898 on Machynlleth shed 248l
15 class large goods No. 864 at Oswestry in 1926 249u
73 class No. 882 at Oswestry in 1930s 249m
Small Goods No. 898 at Llangynog in late 1930s 249l
No. 875 at Aberystwyth with Duke behind on 23 July 1934 250u
No. 849 at Machynlleth on 21 July 1934 250m
15 class large goods No. 849  at Machynlleth on 12 August 1935 250l
73 class No. 875 at Oswestry on 6 August 1935 251u
15 class large goods Nos. 844 and 896 at Oswestry on 6 August 1935 251m
15 class large goods No. 844 at Oswestry on 6 August 1935 251l
15 class large goods No. 894 on local passenger train at Barmouth Bridge on 10 August 1935 252u
15 class large goods No. 892 on local passenger train on Old Chapel Viaduct, Barmouth on 14 August 1935 252l
15 class large goods No. 864 in Swindon engine shed on 16 February 1936 253u
15 class large goods No. 864 with GWR monogram on tender on 25 August 1937 253um
73 class No. 880 on Swindon scrap road on 13 November 1938 253lm
73 class No. 883 at Swindon on 13 August 1939 prior to being reinstated for service 253l
2265 0-6-0 No. 2279 and No. 885 on 14.35 Aberystwyth to Birmingham Snow Hill at Commins Coch on Saturday 31 July 1937 254
No. 900 at Oswestry on 28 September 1938 255u
No. 892 on express at Barmouth in late 1930s 255l
15 class large goods No. 896 at Brecon station on 26 Juky 1949 256u
15 class large goods No. 896 with British Railways smokebox numberplate at Oswestry 256l
No. 896 and Class 2301 No. 2408 at Moat Lane Junction shed c1952 257u
No. 896 close up at Moat Lane Junction shed c1952 257l
15 class large goods No. 873  in GWR livery at Oswestry on 11 May 1949 258u
15 class large goods No. 873 with smokebox numberplate and shed plate at Oswestry on 14 September 1952 258ll
No. 873 in British Railways livery with smokebox number at Machynlleth 258lr
15 class large goods No.864 with tender lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS at Machynlleth in late 1940s 259u
15 class large goods No. 893 with tender lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS at Moat Lane Junction on 9 September 1949 259m
15 class large goods No. 893 with tender lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS at Oswestry c1950 259l
15 class large goods No. 892 at Machynlleth in 1940s (early BR) 260ul
15 class large goods No. 892 on freight at Penrhyndeudraeth on 1 August 1950 260ur
15 class large goods No. 894 with smokebox numberplate and shed plate at Machynlleth 260m
15 class large goods No. 894 on Shrewsbury shed c1951 260l
15 class large goods on K class freight at Afon Wen 261
15 class large goods No. 844 at Brecon on passenger train on 28 January 1953 261

John Copsey. Express traffic working over the Northern main line, 1937-38. Paddington/Oxford & Wolverhampton. Part 2. 262-73.

LNER C1 Atlantic No. 3287 at Oxford in 1932 262
No. 2914 Saint Augustine on 10.30 Weymouth to Birmingham express in Whitnash cutting 263
No. 6005 King George II leaving Princes Risborough on 06.45 Wolverhampton to Paddington express in June 1948 264
Star class No. 4031 Queen Mary on 11.00 Shrewsbury parcels train in Whitnash cutting in summer 1936 266
No. 5033 Broughton Castle on 11.55 from Birkenhead with TC from Aberystwyth and Pwllheli in Whitnash cutting in summer 1936 267u
No. 6008 King James I with heavy 14.10 Paddington to Birkenhead with TC for Aberystwyth in Whitnash cutting 267l
No. 5966 Ashford Hall on 12.18 Hastings/Eastbourne to Wolverhampton Saturday service formed of Southern Railway stock 268u
43XX No. 6347 on divided 13.18 Brighton to Birminghm Saturday service formed of Southern Railway stock 268l
No. 4944 Middleton Hall on 12.56 Bournemouth West to Wolverhampton arriving Leamington Spa (H.J. Stretton-Ward) 269

In close up. C.F. Tickle.
Photograph of safety valve and clack valves with bonnet and covers removed (at Barry scrap yard); castings of safety valves and top feeds at Swindon on 28 April 1963

Christopher Hext and John Copsey. Branch goods trains from Newton Abbot: an engineman's records of the Postwar era. Part 2. 274-82.
Freight working on the branch lines to Ashburton, Brixham and Kingsbridge. Petrol traffic to the Brixham branch tended to be worked as special trains. See also Part 1 which begins on p. 230 and letter from Andrew Fiderkiewicz

57XX No. 8709 in Brixham goods yard in mid-1930s 274
No. 4547 on 12 July 1950 275
Metro 2-4-0T with Brixham auto coach and tail load of van arriving Churston   in mid-1930s see letter from Andrew Fiderkiewicz 276
No. 1466 on short Brixham to Newtion freight crossing Broadsands Viaduct on 17 April 1954 277
Ashburton goods yard with brake van see letter from Andrew Fiderkiewicz 278u
Ashburton goods yard: freight train from brake van end 278m
44XX (probably No. 4405) with freight waiting to leave Ashburton goods yard for Totnes 278l
Ashburton goods yard and passenger station 279
No. 4405 leaving Dainton tunnel with freight from Ashburton tn Newton c1947 280
No. 4582 with cattle wagons at Kingsbridge c1947 281
Goods shed at Kingsbridge 282u
4575 Class No. 5558 at Kingsbridge 282l

Penzance to Long Rock in pictures: photographs by Mike Ellis and captions by Jack Matthhews. 283-98.
See also correspondence from Nigel Stevens on pages 355 and 479.

Looking towards stopblocks: interior Penzance station 283
Penzance station looking west from wall above station 284u
Penzance station looking west: parcels train in Number 4; cordon in short bay, and parcels vans on Top Bank 284l
Penzance station looking west: as previous; cordon in short bay, but different date and clearer 285u
Penzance station: vans in Top Bank 285m
Penzance station: Number 4 Platform with rear portion of sleeping car train 285l
Penzance station looking west from wall above station with milk tank for 18.20 in front of Postal 286u
Penzance station throat looking east from wall above station (and along A30) 286l
Penzance station looking east from Number 1 platform: 94XX and shunters' truck 287u
Penzance station looking east from Number 4 platform 287l
Looking east with diesel hydraulic, man on sea wall 288u
Looking east with Cliff Terrace above railway 288l
Looking towards Penzance station from east with 94XX in loop 289u
Looking towards Penzance station from east with 94XX in loop (94XX slightly nearer station) 289m
Looking towards Penzance station from  exi9t from Slopers Siding: rolling stock in Sea Siding 289l
Ponsandane: view from road crossing towards east end of Slopers 290u
Ponsandane signal box: looking east 290l
Ponsandane Yard: west end 291u
Ponsandane Yard looking east (taken from near Shutes) 291l
Ponsandane Yard taken from beach footpath probably on a Sunday 292u
Ponsandane Yard yard telephone 292l
Ponsandane Yard looking towards Crane Road 293u
Ponsandane Yard: goods shed; staff mess room and goods office 293m
Ponsandane Yard west end 293l
Ponsandane Yard from beach path 294u
Ponsandane Yard 294m
Ponsandane Yard 294l
Ponsandane engine shed 295u
Ponsandane engine shed coaling stage 295l
Ponsandane engine shed 296u
Looking west 296l
Looking towards Long Rock with D800 diesel hydraulic 297u
From Long Rock signal box looking towards engine shed 297l
Long Rock with Shell-Mex stand pipes 298u

In close up. C.F. Tickle. 298 lower
Photograph of stationary boiler at Oxley shed on 4 October 1959

Iver in March 1962. M.G.C. Smith. 299
Colour photo-feature: Castle class No. 5051 Earl Bathhurst approaching Iver on down Pembroke Coast Express on 3 March 1962; No. 6143 leaving Iver with up freight on 3 March 1962.

Letters. 300

'56XXs' in England. Brian Pugh  
Writer was firing in Slough in the early 1950s and well remember the arrival of 5697 on shed towards the end of 1953. She was shedded at Didcot then and we had her on several occasions working a goods train down line and leaving Slough at about 3.0 p.m. This turn was known to us as 'The Biscuits' for it involved picking up vans from the Huntley & Palmer's works at Reading. We had relief at Didcot, then worked a '61XX' Passenger to Paddington, then all stations back to Slough. The '56XXs' were not all that popular with us. Putting a lamp on the front top bracket required hanging onto the handrail with your left hand and swinging the lamp up and over with your right. Towards the end, some of them had brackets welded to the smokebox doors to make this task easier. I don't think that they would have been very popular shunting in Moreton either, the all-vacuum brake made that job difficult.

Wiveliscombe. Alan Wild  
The Taunton to Barnstaple line on the GWR system map the route was shown as a main line and it came as a surprise to find that the winter passenger timetable provided for only half a dozen trains each way. When the opportunity to visit the line arose, in 1962, the steep grades and often quite sharp curves revealed that the only justification for 'main line' status arose from its through expresses on Summer Saturdays. In the article six freight trains in each direction are listed on Mondays to Fridays. This seems a considerable over-provision for a rural line serving no significant industry. As writer's own travels were nearly always at weekends, he never saw a freight train on the line and always assumed that the traffic could easily be handled by no more than two trains daily. Does anybody have details of the normal loadings of the trains identified in the table on page 148, and the type of traffic involved?
On another matter: does any reader know of a photograph of the 17.20 Milford Haven to Paddington fish train? According to the 1959/60 WTT, it ran M-S from Cardiff to London but was actually listed as 'from Milford Haven' in Sections A & B. In the Welsh books it had a 'Q' path up to Cardiff. In the 1962/63 WTT it is shown as the 21.16 from Cardiff Canton to Paddington but with the same 'Q' path in South Wales. Presumably when the 'Q' path was not required, the 21.16 from Cardiff conveyed traffic delivered there by the 15.45 Milford Haven to Severn Tunnel Junction train. On writer's infrequent visits to West Wales (without benefit of the WIT) he never saw the 17.20 p.m. service, but then he could very well have been away from the mainline at the appropriate time. He doubts if anybody ever photographed the train east of Cardiff. To writer's knowledge this was the only perishables train in the country to run with Class' A' headlamps and it would be gratifying to see photographic evidence!

Excursion traffic. J.C. Kirby  
In the late 1950s when I was a fireman at Newport Ebbw Junction (86A) we had a turn one Saturday bank holiday. It consisted of running our engine (43XX 7319) tender first to Aberbeeg, pick up 10 bogie coaches, proceed to Brynmawr, thence to Bristol Clifton Downs (for zoo) via Severn Bridge, stopper 'B' lamps to Newport, then non-stop 'A' lamps to destination. No less than the following were utilised:
3 conductor drivers
1. Aberbeeg - Brynmawr - Aberbeeg
2. Lydney Junction - Sharpness - Stoke Gifford
3. Stoke Gifford - Clifton Down - Bristol SPM 828 2 Pilot Engines
1. 56XX Aberbeeg - Brynmawr
2. 43XX Clifton Down - Dr Days - Bristol SPM
Can this manpower used be bettered?

'48XXs' in Cornwall. David Collings  
In response to an article which appeared in an issue of GWRJ some time ago, which mentioned that according to the official registers, a '48XX' 0-4-2T was allocated to the Helston Branch in the 1930s, but that apparently no photographic evidence had yet come to light. Unfortunately, he had subsequently been unable to seek out the particular issue in which this comment had caught his attention, despite several searches through the backnumbers. To cut a long story short, he was in the Midlands during the Autumn oflast year and decided to pay a visit to Kidderminster Railway Museum. To his amazement, he came across two photographs held in their collection of No. 4868 at Helston on 10 June 1936. One photo shows No. 4868 standing by the loading bank during a pause in shunting operations, and the other shows the same engine passing the locomotive shed area on its way out of the station with an up passenger service to Gwinear Road. The coaches appear to be in a relatively new condition and of the steel-panelled Collett type which he understands first appeared on the Helston line during the early to mid 1930s. The loco ash pit is prominent in this view and the ash bunker is to the right. The line from which the photo has been taken continues away behind the photographer for a short distance and leads to the engine shed.
On page 449 of the Autumn 2011 issue (column on right), mention was made of a '44XX' hauling a passenger train on the Helston Branch which comprised a pair of Tri-Composites. According to my notes, the coaches were given an E designation on the registers when they were built, even though they were in practice Tri-Composites at that time, although I stand to be corrected on that one! In any event, the 2nd Class designation was soon to disappear.

Errata
In GWRJ No. 84, the photographs on page 208 (bottom) and 212 (bottom) both show the Down (not Up) platform at Banbury, with local trains from Oxford and/or to Leamington

Carriage cleaning at Penzsncc. 300.
Leslie Overend photograph which shows windows being cleaned on coach with destination board "WEST OF ENGLAND CREWE & GLASGOW"

No. 4921 Eaton Hall approaching Langley station with up van train on 3 March 1962. M.G.C. Smith. rear cover

Issue No. 86 (Early Summer 2013)

Up Royal Duchy hauled by King class passing Laira on 8 September 1959. Colin Strevens. front cover

John Copsey. The '51XXs' at work. 302-19.
No. 99 was the prototype 2-6-2T (the other Churchward Standard designs were a 4-6-0 and a 2-8-0). It differed from the production series in having straight tops to the tanks and having a short-cone boiler. It entered service in November 1903 and on 18 December was sent to Brimscombe for trials as a banking engine. In January 1904 it moved to Southall and in July to Westbourne Park shed; and in September construction of the first batch of ten began which introduced the sloping tank fronts and long-coned boiler.  The initial locomotives lacked stays at the front end, front steps and flared bunkers. At least two chimney types were fitted (narrow and broad). From 1929 outside steampipes were fitted. Part 2 see page 392.
See also letter from John Hodge on p. 360 on intended use of older locomotives as banking engines and letters on page 420 from R.S. Simmonds on loan of 2-6-2T including No. 99 to Port Talbot Railway & Docks Co. and from Eric Youldon on external brake rigging and from S.C. Bromhall on p. 180 (V. 12).

Map of 51XX allocations in 1923 302
No. 5169 in down platform at Oxford on 18 September 1931 303
No. 99 probably in London Area 304u
No. 3120 as built (Swindon Works photograph in grey) 304ml
No. 3113 in Bath station on up passenger train 304mr
No. 3119 in Bath station on up passenger train c1907 304l
No. 3121 in near original condition 305
No. 3132 at Exeter shed, c1912 (had garter device between GREAT and WESTERN) with external brake rigging see letter from Eric Youldon 306u
No. 3112 on Severn & Wye Excursion c1912 306m
No. 3100 (ex-99) retaining original tank probably post-1918 306l
No. 3141 probably pre-WW1 307u
No. 3141 at Reading on passenger train 307l
No. 3141 at Slough c1922 308
No. 3121 at Newton Abbot Works c1925  with external brake rigging see letter from Eric Youldon 309u
No. 3117 at Old Oak Common in early 1920s  with external brake rigging see letter from Eric Youldon 309l
No. 3131 at Old Oak Common in late 1920s 310u
No. 5100 (ex Nos. 3100/99) with inclined tanks at Tyseley c1929  with external brake rigging see letter from Eric Youldon 310m
No. 5115 at Tyseley in 1930s  with external brake rigging see letter from Eric Youldon 310l
No. 5105 as built (Swindon Works photograph in grey) December 1929 311u
No. 5109 at Leamington coaling stage in early 1930s 311m
No. 5125 at Tyseley in 1930s  with external brake rigging see letter from Eric Youldon 311l
No. 5126  with external brake rigging see letter from Eric Youldon 312
No. 5147 at Stourbridge Junction 313u
No. 5149 at Tyseley in 1931 313m
No. 5148 at Tyseley in 1931 313l
No. 5162 on down parcels at Birmingham Snow Hill 314u
No. 5138 on Up Main at Birmingham Snow Hill in mid-1930s 314l
No. 5197 at Stourbridge Junction shed on 21 September 1935 315u
No. 5175 on up local service at Leamington in  mid 1930s 315m
No. 5177 at Tyseley in mid-1930s 315l
No. 5133 on Worcester shed 316u
No. 5122 at Stourbridge Junction in  mid 1930s  with external brake rigging see letter from Eric Youldon 316l
No. 5136 at Stourbridge Junction shed with 2021 Class 0-6-0PT No. 2109 317u
No. 5179 on Swindon shed in mid 1930s 317l
No. 5185 bunker and cab 318u
No. 5185 cylinder 318l
No. 5185 bunker (rear view) 319

John Copsey and Chris Turner. Oxford South Goods. 320-41.
Originally Oxford served by a broad gauge branch line from Didcot which terminated at Grandpont on the southern bank of the Isis which opened with a goods yard in June 1844. The extension to Banbury opened in September 1850 and left the original line at Millfield Junction. This was originally single track but was doubled. A new passenger station was built north of Botley Road. In June 1853 the Oxford Worcester & Wolverhampton was opened. The use of Grandpont gradually faded and it finally ceased to be used in 1872. A new goods shed was opened near Botley Road in September 1873. The Oxford Gas Company had its own siding from May 1886. The goods shed was extended in 1896. There was a shortage of marshalling sidings and the North End sidings were improved between 1895 and 1899. Traffic was increased by the transfer of traffic to station trucks and eventually this was replaced by distribution by lorry.
Basil Ayers who started as a junior porter during WW2 and who was a shunter in the Oxford South End Yard between 1947 and 1952 provided some of the information. 57XX class were used for shunting. John Davis provided further information. Walter J. Garrod who joined the GWR in October 1923 when aged sixteen was the Goods Agent at Oxford. Full load traffic included coal which was mainly handled at Rewley Road although some was also delivered via Becket  Street. Other traffic included potatoes and fruit, pectin, meat, china clay, livestock, Bulmers cider, petrol and animal feed. Further information from Allan James on page 480.

Oxford South Goods looking south in late 1920s 320-1
Oxford map c1920 322
La France approaching Oxford on down train passing goods shed 323
GWR forty foot plan of 1914 324
Top Yard from behind cattle pens in Becket  Street 325
Aberdare class 2-6-0 No. 2623 with up freight passing Top Yard on 5 June 1925 326
Looking south towards passenger station with North Yard on right and LMS Rewley Road on left 327
Aerial photograph July 1943 328-9
Aerial photograph July 1943: Oxford Gas Works alongside River Thames 330-1
Ordnance Survey map 1957 332-3
Oxford Gas Works with railway bridge over Thames in front 333i
Signal box  under construction, signal gantry and Oxford Gas Works: streamline railcar in distance 334
Goods yard 336-7
Aerial photograph Beckett Street Coal Yard and both paassenger GWR & LMS stations see letter from Eric Youldon 338

J.E. Norris. A glimpse of Knightwick. 342-3.
On Wiorcester, Bromyard & Leominster branch

Looking towards Worcester in 1950s 342
Station platform and goods yard with coal wagons 343u
Station entrance 343l

Colin Metcalfe and Robin Markes. Kingswear (for Dartmouth) a riverside experience in the 'fifties'. 344-50
The broad gauge railway reached Kingswear in 1864,

Kingswear on 16 August 1953 with Castle class running round the 11.25 Sunday train for Paddington with turntable in front 344-5
Map and gradient profile 346
Churston with Brixham auto train powered by No. 1466 in August 1952 347u
Churston station looking northwards 347m
Down Torbay Express arriving in Churston behind Castle class on 15 September 1955 347l
View from train approaching Kingswear 348
No. 5024 Carew Castle backing out of platform at Kingswear 349
Hoodown coach sidings and River Dart, Kingswear 350

John Copsey. Cambrian 0-6-0s. 351-4.

No. 895 (tender lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS) at Oswestry on afternoon train for Whitchurch on 25 April 1951 351u
No. 895 (tender lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS): see also letter on p. 420 from Brian Penny 351l
No. 849 assisting BR Class 2 2-6-0 on troop train at Machynlleth on 31 July 1953 352u
No. 849 at Machynlleth on 20 May 1954 352l
No. 895 at Barmouth in August 1953 on passenger train for Dovey Junction 353u
No. 855 at Gobowen with auto bcoach for Oswestry 353l
No. 895 with Down freight at Towyn 354u
No. 895 at Towyn 354ll
No. 895 balance weights: one with holes 354lr

Letters. 355-60

Penzance to Long Rock. Nigel Stevens.
Concerning the caption on page 283, the ground frame was electrically 'released' from the signal box, 'Control' of the points was by the ground frame itself All the running lines in the Penzance station area were (and indeed still are) track circuited. The 'switches in a little box on the stop block of each road' are 'Vehicle on Line' switches. The track circuit relies on a low resistance path between rail head and wheel tread for its correct operation. If vehicles stand for a prolonged length of time, it is possible for oxidation to occur on rail head and wheel, causing electrical resistance to rise to a point where the wheels fail to shunt sufficient current and the track circuit relay energises, giving a false 'track clear' indication. The vehicle on line switches when operated don't, as implied in the text, indicate a vehicle on line. The indication is given by vehicle(s) being present. The switch prevents a false clear due to the circumstances indicated above. Possibly the switch may have been 'linked to the signal box' but more usually formed part of the track circuit wiring itself. The signalling of trains into the platform road is the sole responsibility of the signalman working to the operating rules aided by the controls supplied by the signal engineer. Whilst it is correct to say that track circuits are indicated in the signal box, the principal function of the track circuit is to be incorporated into the electrical controls and interlocking in the signal box.
In over forty years of studying GW and Western Region signalling writer had never come across the phrase 'full line clear'. For a train arriving at a terminus station, if the line is clear to the stop blocks, then the signalman can admit the train to the platform using the main arm of the signal controlling entry. If there is any obstruction, then he will use the calling-on arm if available. The track circuits in the platform lines will be connected to an electric lever lock on the lever operating the arm of the main signal admitting t rains to the platform. If the track circuit is occupied, the lever lock is inhibited and the lever cannot be reversed in the frame to lower the arm. The lever operating the calling-on arm, however, remains free to be pulled. Regrettably, he had misplaced his copy of journal No. 62, so was unable to check, but believed in both the article in that edition and in the one under discussion the author states 'The signalman at Ponsandane must have permission of the yard staff before admitting a train to the yard'. The June 1960 Sectional Appendix - Plymouth Traffic District gives no mention of such a special instruction. The appendix, however, has extensive instructions for working of the yard, particularly the East End at Long Rock where signalmen and yard staff must 'come to a clear understanding' over certain movements to take place. I cannot bring to mind any other example of where the signalman is required to obtain permission of yard staff before allowing a movement past signals under his control. Further weight is given to the non-existence of this instruction by considering how it would have been carried out in practice. We are talking 1960s, so only a limited number of telephones in the yard at fixed locations. If the signalman at Ponsandane accepted a train for the yard from Penzance station and he was unable to 'get permission of yard staff' to enter the yard, then he could end up with a train stood at the signal described blocking the up main until he was able to contact a member of the yard staff. Alternatively, if Penzance asked 'Line Clear' for a train for the yard and the signalman refused it until he 'got permission from staff to enter', this would lead to unacceptable delays and difficulties working the station at Penzance.
In the captions to the pictures that follow on from page 283 there are some correct descriptions referring to the signalling, but there are also a number at best incomplete or misleading in their content. With four signal boxes (Marazion, Long Rock, Ponsandane and Penzance) close to each other, in signalling terms the layout is fairly complex. For readers wishing a more accurate and complete knowledge of the signalling in the area, I suggest the following two sources of information. First, issue 137 (Sept./Oct. 2009) of the Signalling Record Society's journal The Signalling Record, which contains an article by Bruce Bennett on the history of signalling in the Penzance area. Secondly, signalling diagrams for the boxes concerned are available on Signal Box Diagrams, West of England, GWR & LSWR Exeter & Plymouth, a CD published by the Signalling Record Society. Details of how to obtain the CD can be found on the society's website www.s-r-s.org.uk. To those with knowledge of Signal & Telegraph Engineering. please forgive me for straying 'off message' regarding terminology in the vehicle on line switch description, but the piece was written so as to be understandable by as many as possible. See also further letter from Nigel on pages 479-80.

Cambrian 0-6-0s. Ray Caston.
A couple of Cambrian 0-6-0s, that reached Newport via the Mid-Wales Railway and Brecon, were the only ex-Cambrian engines that writer ever saw. The underline bridges on the route from Llanidloes to Three Cooks were always a matter of concern for the GWR civil engineers, the line being coded 'uncoloured' in 1926, and thus suitable only for the lightest engines. It is notable that there were no Cambrian 0-6-0s shedded at either Brecon or Llanidloes in 1934, and they seem to have been used sparingly over the route until the War Department requisitioned 100 Dean Goods, causing a serious shortage of motive power. Thereafter, the surviving Cambrian 0-6-0s were officially permitted, being specifically and individually enumerated in the 1943 Section Appendix and in subsequent working timetables. Apart from the timetabled goods trains, there was a regular flow of limestone for the South Wales steel furnaces, which from anecdotal evidence ran at least three times a week in this period.
By the mid to late 1940s, the survivors were appearing with some regularity at Newport on passenger trains from Brecon. Apart from those shedded at Brecon, engines with Oswestry shed plates were also noted. According to a Brecon driver, Moat Lane engines worked a three-day roster: on day 1, goods from Moat Lane to Talyllyn Jct (presumably the 15.40); on day 2, passenger from Brecon to Newport and return; on day 3, goods Talyllyn Jet to Moat Lane. This apparently carried on until the engines demise. One friend who lived near the West end of Newport station in this period, claimed to have seen most of the survivors at Newport. Personally, he would be very interested to know if anyone has photographs of the Brecon to Newport workings.

Cambrian 0-6-0s. John Hodge
In the early 1950s, before the advent of the 465XXs [LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0], Cambrian 0-6-0s sometimes worked the length of the former Brecon & Merthyr line on the 14.00 Brecon to Newport, returning on the 18.55. Writer has a record of No. 873 on this working on 21 March 1953. But by far the strangest, possibly ever, visitor to Barry Works was No. 895 which was there from 24 January 1953 until 13 March 1953 for smokebox repairs. I photographed it standing outside the works from a passing train, and A.C. Sterndale photographed it at Canton en route to Barry. Unfortunately, after release from the works, it was lit up and sent straight back to Canton, as Barry had little means of running it in, if indeed it needed it. In April 1953, I met the Barry Shedmaster, Ernie Breakspear, and got open house to visit the shed every Sunday, but I had unfortunately missed the engine I would have dearly liked to photograph at Barry, by a month! Why on earth the engine had been sent to Barry Works when Oswestry was far closer to hand, was one of the mysteries of the way allocation of engines to works was made.

Paddington. T W. Wykes  
For several years from the late 1940s onwards there were two models of 'King' class engines on the 'lawn' at Paddington. The smaller of these models, from memory 2½ inch gauge, was housed in a display case which incorporated a coin in the slot mechanism by means of which the engine's coupled wheels could be made to rotate. I believe that the takings were used to support railway orphanages. After so many years I cannot remember the cost of operating the mechanism, but as I used it on a couple of occasions, I must have considered it to be an affordable outgoing from my pocket money (probably about one shilling per week in those days!).
The second model (of No. 6000) was much larger, 7¼ in gauge, and was displayed with a Collett coach to the same scale and by the same builder, Mr B. R. Hunt of Johannesburg, South Africa. A photograph of the model appears in the book Model Steam Locomotives by Henry Greenly (eighth edition), the caption to the photograph stating that Mr. Hunt had presented the models to the directors of the GWR in 1947. After some years on the 'Lawn', the engine and coach were moved to a new position in the seat reservation office on Platform No. I before finally disappearing from Paddington station. Perhaps the presence of this symbol of an outdated technology in such a prominent position on the 'Lawn ' did not find favour with a BR management which, after announcement of the 1957 railway modernisation plan, seemed anxious to put as much distance as possible between itself and any connection with the steam locomotive. See also below and letter from John Trumper on p. 480 about similar model at Birmingham Snow Hill.

Paddington. Brian McCord. 356
The models referred to are on prominent public display in the National Railway Museum at York. They must feel very much at home housed in their glass cases immediately to the rear of the tender of the restored GWR No. 4003 Lode Star.
The 1/8th scale models of King George V and a matching carriage from the Cornish Riviera were originally presented to the Directors of the GWR at Paddington by their builder. the late B.R. Hunt of Johannesburgh, South Africa in March 1947. There was a model of Locomotion and an early carriage also on display at Paddington, but I am not sure where they are now. I am sure that all fellow enthusiasts who remember seeing these fine models at the back of the 'Lawn' (as I did) will be pleased to hear they are still in pristine condition to be appreciated by all who visit the NRM. See also letter from David Perks in Issue 90 p. 120.

Pangbourne. David J. Tomkiss
Regarding the article in GWRJ No. 84. 'PLA was sent out from and received for Pangboume Nautical College'. well. yes. but there was more to it than that. Just before the beginning of each term. some 300 trunks would arrive at the station and be sent up to the college. either on Ayers' lorry or the college Motocart (remember the Dinky Toys model?) and each trunk had to be labelled to name and divisional house. At the end of term. or rather the day before. the sixth formers were shanghaied to load up the trunks onto said Motocart and deliver them to the station. riding on top of the load down the hill and through the village. a very jolty ride and worse in the rain when we all tried to squeeze into the cab. On arrival at the station, the trunks went into the parcels office or bike shed. depending on whether via Reading or via Didcot. Mine would arrive home in Cardiff next day about half an hour after me. Some seven to ten days before the end of term, BR (WR) pre-booking forms would arrive at college and one of the brass would muster us all to book our tickets - child singles or returns. ordinary returns or CRTs (Cheap Return Tickets) which had to be used mid-week. so terms always ended on Tuesdays at 0700 hours and began on Thursdays at 1800 hours. Half-terms were Friday to Monday. so it was full-price tickets. The forms were returned to the station, often by one of us on a bike. and tickets arrived and were distributed a couple of days before we left.
Over the years. the times of trains varied. so I myself might go via Reading or Didcot and by winter 1961 there was no lunchtime up train from Pangbourne, so the half-term train came out ECS from Reading on the down relief. reversed through the crossover and ran non-stop from Pangbourne to Reading and took up its normal working to Paddington. The divisional manager stated that this was preferable to a special stop by one of the expresses. or so we were told.
Having joined the Rowing Top. I watched the comings and goings on the railway from a seat in a racing 8 most term days over three years. Steam was not confined to the railway and one day the Thames Conservancy's Inspection launch Donola swept past us in silence despite our best efforts. My most vivid memory is of walking back through the village and seeing 6139 in ex-works lined green. waiting on the overbridge while watercress from the Pang was loaded into the van ends of the late afternoon train, 8 July 1961. Once given 'right away'. it pounded off and could be heard all the way to Mapledurham cutting. On leaving college on 23 July 1962. the cost of sending my bike and trunk home to Cardiff at passenger rate was £2 15s. 5d. Referring to the map on pages 220/1. the boat house almost in line with the weighing machine (WM) was where the college kept its boats. while the houses below Shooter's Hill were the seven deadly sins.

Pangbourne. Chris Turner
Some errors occurring in the Pangbourne article in GWRJ 84. Page 217 - caption should have read '. . . from the Up Relief platform ... ' Page 223 - This is a Class' F' goods train. Page 226: 6910 on lower photo was one of several engines which in 1948 had been lined out in experimental black livery. Part of the work included brass smokebox number plates which the engine was still carrying in this photo.

Driver Jack Jenkins of Landore. Bill Crosbie-HiII  
Alan Williams, in his letter (GWRJ No. 84). refers to the above-named driver as "the legendary 'Jack Electric' ."
Alighting from the 10.55 Pembroke Coast Express at Newport. Driver Jenkins, quick off the footplate. was running past me to get a refill for his billy-can from the Restaurant Car window. As he shot by he called out. "Steventon to Swindon in 17 minutes!" Then. with a full can. he sprinted back to his engine (No. 5074). this time saying. "Be right time Swansea I shouldn't wonder". As we were ten minutes down, this would have meant very hard work for his fireman indeed.
I later heard he and his fireman were "always falling out". and he was not liked by everyone at Landore. He seemed the very antithesis of the calm. phlegmatic top link drivers I had met before. But if ever a man enjoyed his work it was Jack Jenkins! More from Henry W. Toomer on page 480

Branch goods trains from Newton Abbot. Andrew Fiderkiewicz
As a follow-up to the articles on Driver Hext's diaries and with the advantage of local knowledge, may I provide some additional information. After passing Newton Abbot East Box. the Moretonhampstead line actually crossed the River Lemon first and then the man-made Whitelake channel. Thus. in the aerial photo the captioned 'tributary' of the river is actually the tidal Whitelake channel and the driver's view on page 238 is of the Lemon river bridge not the Whitelake channel which is to the rear in that view. This channel was originally built to drain marshes but it then became the seaward end of the Stover canal when that was built from a tidal lock a little further inland to a junction with the later-built Haytor Granite Tramway at Ventiford (these two means of transport had facilitated the transporting of granite blocks for the 1825 rebuilding of London Bridge and for some of London's public buildings). The canal and the Moretonhampstead branch kept company in crossing the Bovey basin and for good reason. This area has large reserves of valuable ball clay (not china clay as quoted throughout the article). In fact, what are probably the world's most important deposits of ball clay are found here. in North Devon and in Dorset. Ball clay is more plastic than the coarser china clay and it found a market in the Potteries and abroad. so. as canal use fell away. the railway was in demand to export the clay.
To that end. sidings and loading docks were built all along the 6-mile stretch of the branch as far as Bovey Tracey. These were at the East Golds Works (as it was within the Newton Abbot East Box's branch home signal, access was by key from that box). Teignbridge, which had loading docks beside loop sidings on both sides of the branch. Teigngrace Halt. the separate Timber. Candy Pottery Company and station sidings at Heathfield, and then the separate Granite. Bovey Pottery Company and Bovey station sidings. As the branch then ran into the hills and out of the clay basin. the final six miles only had a single siding at Lustleigh plus the facilities at the terminus!
Until 1999 a proportion of the clay extraction was by adit or by shaft mining, so the various clay companies needed pit props as well as fuel to calcine the extracted clay or to fire it as at the Candy works (p. 236 seen behind the train) where finished bricks. tiles and pipes were produced. So. as well as class 1 wagon output. there would have been a demand for some class 1 input in coal. As the clay was transported in dedicated sheeted wagons. there would also have been considerable empties traffic along the lower stretch of the branch as shown by Driver Hext's diaries. This part of the branch still survives and. although there is currently no active clay traffic. Teignbridge sidings are currently in use for outbound wagon loads of timber.
Returning to the aerial photograph, it reveals a lot of detail. Alongside the outer faces of the up and down island station platforms are the scissor crossings used to facilitate the splitting and joining of passenger trains using the Torbay and Plymouth lines. The canopies have new sections, evidence of the damage when the station was bombed in August 1940. Each of the platform faces had two numbers. so the separate Moretonhampstead bay was numbered 9. This was only accessible through a wide gateway from the station forecourt and it can be made out to the right of the north end of the main up platform.
Also evident are the bombed remains of railway workers' cottages between the A380 box bridge over the southern station throat (the shadow of the box can be made out) and the wagon works. the large roof of which is to the left of the south end of the down platform. There seems to be a ready supply of wagons awaiting repair! The sawtooth roof of the engine shed is clearly visible to the left of the centre of the down platform and next to it is the large three-bay roof of the former South Devon Railay works where Churchward started his railway career.
The drifting smoke is from the electricity power station with a rake of coal wagons evident next to the tippler and conveyors. The River Lemon bisects the power station facilities and also very visible is the shadow of the power station cooling tower and the slightly offset circle of the tower itself. Certain passenger trains ran through between Moretonhampstead and Paignton, so these would have used the main platforms at Newton Abbot and not the bay platform 9 with its completely separate access. On page 275 in part two of the article, 4547 is actually standing at platform 9, presumably having just arrived with a terminating branch passenger train. Alongside the loco can be seen one rail of the up through line and hidden by the face of platform 7 is the up main.
Referring to the Brixham branch, the tail load in the photo on page 276 is almost certainly a fish van for attachment to the rear of an up train at Churston as that traffic was always important in the outbound direction. A spare Toad was kept at the terminus for working fish specials off the branch to Hackney yard, so the extra Toad in the photo on page 274 may have been worked back empty to Brixham in the train being shunted. On page 277 the viaduct under the up branch goods is in fact at Hookhills and the shorter Broadsands viaduct is about hal f a mile behind the photographer.
Moving on to the Ashburton branch, the views on page 278 show Tucker's malthouse behind the van and open wagon which are standing on the Tucker's siding. Due to the restricted nature of the terminus, wagons being shunted on this siding had to be moved by rope attached to the locomotive running on the adjacent track. Finally, in the photo on page 280, 4405 and its train are probably stationary at the stop board which required that all up goods and mineral trains stopped dead so that the required number of wagon brakes could be pinned down before departure down Dainton bank. A corresponding sign for the picking up of brakes was sited at the bottom of the bank beside the Aller Junction up main starting signal (in 1929 this was the scene of a fatal crash when an up passenger train struck the rear of a goods train stopped for just that purpose).

Worcester Works. Mike Thomas.  357
The writer spent two years there, going straight from school to the Carriage & Wagon Works office in August 1960. The manager then was a Mr. Pritchard who was an ex-Southern man. The Works Manager at Wolverhampton (who controlled us for admin purposes) was at this time Mr. H.J.B. Nutt.
My two colleagues in the office were Harry Collins (Chief Clerk) and John Summers. In charge of the carriage side was Archie Richardson, brother of the Loco Shop's foreman Ernie.There were two wagon foremen: Arthur Francis and a Mr. Sutton who dealt with the outdoor aspects mainly. Arthur checked the piecework books which the gangs submitted. They had a small office just north of the lobby from ours. The carriage foreman had a very small cubby-hole just inside the main shop and up some steps.
One of my duties was to keep the register of vehicles booked in for repair and the date they left after completion. A '57XX' pannier was provided to transfer stock from and to the nearby goods yard. In addition to this pilot we had a road vehicle used as a shunter. This was a small 4-wheeled tractor unit fitted with a large steel buffer beam. It was painted in the same red and cream livery applied to railway lorries at the time.
The carriage section dealt with a great miscellany of vehicles from cafeteria cars to auto-trailers. I particularly remember the series W9658- 9662 as regular visitors (refreshment cars from memory). The department also specialised in conversion jobs. This entailed taking a redundant coach or parcels vehicle, stripping it out and installing mess and tool facilities for one of the engineering departments. These jobs were in shops for months at a time. Another odd job we covered involved sending a painter over to the steam shed. His task was to paint the smokeboxes of engines with a black coating. Not sure what he used but it certainly spruced up 85A locos for a time.

Horseboxes/engine working, I.J. Glover
Reading the letter pages of No. 83, I was interested in Mr. J.A. Smith's comments about GWR (Cambrian) locomotives working forward from Whitchurch to Crewe. As explained in article, published in GWRJ No. 65 ('A Western on the Green') page 23, on Saturday mornings during the war and up to about 1947, a Cambrian loco of the '84XX' series would arrive with a freight at Gresty Lane Arrival Roads for forward working. It could have been an isolated agreement with the LMS which came to an end at the cessation of hostilities.
Another reminiscence came to me recently. On odd weekday afternoons, for possibly a month, in 1944 or 1945 we were at Nantwich on a lineside footpath between Shrewbridge Road and the station crossings. A down special passenger headed by a 'Star' came briskly through, its reporting No. 020. It may have been troop movements, but its speed meant that it must have come down the bank at Market Drayton Junction signal box and not off the GWR branch. Perhaps a record of what the reporting number signified exists?

[Mr Smith's comment on Whitchurch to Crewe trains was correct in the sense that the Great Western did not have running powers over the Shrewsbury to Nantwich Jet section (apart from the Crewe Line Jet to Crewe Bank Goods portion at Shrewsbury). But that in itself did not prevent through engine running by arrangement between two companies for operating convenience or mileage balancing, on a regular, periodic or temporary basis. For example, that over the Banbury to Swindon section by the LNER on one train per day, and by the GWR from Banbury to Leicester (ex-GCR) during the regular, alternating period, on which a permanent arrangement for those trains was made; this equated to running powers, and was later recorded thus, but not for any other through trains except by special arrangement - which was seemingly a quite regular occurrence between the two - Editor]

'Bulldogs' . Dick Potts
In the early 1940s I was watching the trains at Small Heath constantly. One day, I missed another spotter who called at my house, and told my Mother that Frank Bibby was at Small Heath. When I got home from school, she told me "Frank Bibby wants to see you at the station". I rushed off to the station but 'FB' had gone, so on to Bordesley Metal shed I went, but it had gone. I was frustrated, as it was the last 'Bulldog' I needed to see. When I got home, my mother asked "Who is this Frank Bibby?" When my father got home (he was a driver at Tyseley), I always asked him what engine he had that day, and yes, it was Frank Bibby He had it on a Bordesley to Worcester goods train. I never did see' FB' and I never got to fire one of the class either.

'Bulldogs'. John Hill. 357/60
See articles in 81 starting p. 2 and 82 starting p. 98 about the' Bulldogs' as they were such a feature at Exeter St. Davids, where my spotting days started in 1943 when I was at junior school. The incredibly knowledgeable Eric Youlden and Tom Reardon were a couple of years ahead of me at school and already in-situ at the West end of platform 5 and as senior boys, quite unapproachable.
No. 3451 Pelican was usually West End Pilot, sometimes 3341 Blasius with 3395 Tasmania usually East end Pilot, with 3335 (ex-Tregothnan) often about as well. If I recall correctly, West End Pilot was tender-West and helped out overloaded or sick locomotives over Whiteball, whilst the East end would help out to Newton Abbot or even further if Newton Abbot had no pilot to spare. Exeter's 'Collet Goods' 2230 was sometimes seen on pilot duty, possibly when the duty 'Bulldogs' had been requisitioned?
I have fond memories of Pelican for she was the first locomotive onto which I had been invited to the footplate one day in 1943 when she was standing inside the West end of platform 6. I had just been given a guided tour of the footplate when two FW I 90s swept up over West Box, banked over hard with cannon firing at the loco shed and yard - it felt like at me! It was all over in two or three seconds and one did not even have time to feel frightened, but I have a clear 'video' in my mind to this day of the nearest 190 pilot looking down at us from about 100 feet up as he flashed by. Bill Crosbie-Hill mentions in his letter the good performance of Blasius on his train to Devizes in 1945 and considered she may have been working home to NA, but I think it more likely she was working home to EXE in 1945. The late Jack Gardner, engineman of TN, told me that they were always pleased to relieve an EXE locomotive as they were very well cared for.
Another sharp childhood memory is of going to St. Davids one Wednesday afternoon (no school) and at the top of the platform 5/6 steps, looking across at the Loco to see what was on shed, to see a gleaming, polished vision on the turntable, 2936 Cefntilla Court, a Landore '29XX', a prize cop indeed! It was one of those rare times when there was no other lad present to share this wonderful experience and when I told the gang what I had seen, the following Saturday, I was accused of fudging'. Landore locos were never seen over in Devon.
I subsequently found that 2936 had come round from RAF Pembrey with a squadron who were relieving another squadron of first line duty at Exeter, where we had Polish and Czech Spitfire squadrons and was taking the relieved squadron back to Pembrey the same afternoon after coaling and servicing.

3100 Class. John Hodge. 360  
When these engines were converted [in 1938/9 KPJ] from the original 3150 Class, they were intended as improved banking engines. No. 3100 went to Gloucester for Sapperton in January, to Worcester in May and STJ in December. Nos. 3101/2 went to St. Philips Marsh for Filton in May and June, but both moved to Llanelly in September. No. 3103 went to Leamington for Hatton in September, moving to STJ in December. No. 3104 went to L1anelly in November.
The allocations did not change during 1940, but in 1941 3101 went to Neath and 3102 to Landore in April, and 3104 also went to Neath in August. There are reports from former enginemen that while at NTH and LDR they worked the workmen's wartime trains to Tremains at Bridgend. In future years Nos. 3101/2/4 moved to the Birmingham area but it was 1946 before No. 3100 went to Tondu and 3101 at Ebbw.
The allocation to Llanelly has so far failed to find an explanation of what work the three engines might have done at the depot, or its sub-shed Pantyffynnon. Can anyone offer any solution please? The engines found a use as good semi-fast passenger engines and worked local freight, but their banking use seems to have been a failure. With this in mind, it seems doubtful if the GWR would have proceeded with the conversion of the remaining 3150s if WW2 had not intervened
.

Appeal C.J. Webb
W
ould like to know if any readers have any pictures of the Shawford Viaduct, Winchester (DN&S) being built or know the viaduct's number.

[0-6-0PT No. 3795 being re-railed with aid of ramps and chain and power provided by BR WR tender loco.] 360
Editor asks when and where: answer from J. Leach p. 420 also page 480 letter from Richard Harries.

King class on 09.30 ex-Paddington passing Laira on 8 September 1959. Colin Strevens. rear cover

Issue No. 87 (Late Summer 2013)

Witney station c1960. front cover

Stanley C. Jenkins. Witney & the Witney Railway. 362-89
Witney manufactured woollen blankets and suffered from competition from the northern textile industry and lack of railway communication caused by excessive competion between the broad gauge Great Western and standard gauge London & Birmingham/London & North Western Railways to use the valley as an approach to Cheltenham which was already served by its railway from Swindon. Charles Early, a young blanket manufacturer, Walter Strickland and Malachi Bartlett, the founder of a well-known Witney building firm, plus some gentlemen farmers were the main instigators of the local Witney Railway. Opposition from the Great Western was strong but an Act was obtained on 1 August 1859. The line was inspected by Henry Tyler and opened on 13 November 1861. The East Gloucestershire Railway which extended the railway to Fairford, but originated with greater ambitions received its Royaal Assent on 7 August 1862 and opened in January 1873 and demanded changes at Whitney notably a new passenger station, whilst the original station handled freight only. Continued p. 468.

Passing Solihull. Colin Metcalfe. 390-1
Castle class No. 5061 Earl of Birkenhead on 09.18 Margate to Birkenhead on 2 April 1957
No. 6006 King George I at Bentley Heath Crossing on Up Relief line with Birkenhead to Paddington express during spring 1953
Castle class No. 5045 Earl of Dudley on Sunday 08.05 Birkenhead to Paddington on 15 January 1956
No. 5185 on Down Relief line with Leamington to Moor Street service on 2 April 1957

John Copsey. The '51XXs' at work. 392-408
Part 1 see page 302. Building began again with No. 5190 in October 1934 and continued to 5199 in December. Withdrawal of the last 41XX series of 4-4-0 made 41XX available again and Nos. 4100-4109 emerged in August 1935; followed by Nos. 4110-4119 in late 1936 and Nos. 4120-4129 between December 1937 and June 1938. This Part includes the WW2 period when some locomotives were allocated to Cornwall to handle traffic diverted off the GWR and onto the Southern Railway to avoid bomb damage in Plymouth: see letters from Maurice Dart on p. 479 covering WW2, and from Chris Mitchell on postwar use due to turntables being out of action in Cornwall. Table 3 (page 405... lists workings between 1945 and 1949. See letter from J.C. Leach on page 479.  Part 3 see page 436 (covers British Railways and withdrawal from service). See also letter from N.P. Newman in No. 93 pages 254/263 which comments on post WW2 GWR livery of No. 5173

Map showing allocation of 51XX class in 1938 392
No. 5134 with GWR monogram near cab front at Lemington Spa coaling stage 393
No. 4117 at Newton Abbot on 15 June 1937 394
No. 5133 between Rainbow Hill and Tunnel Junctuions, Worcester on 5 May 1937 395u
No. 5158 at Weston-super-Mare on 12 May 1937 395m
No. 5148 on Chester shed on 26 August 1937 395l
No. 5195 at Wellington on 27 August 1937 396u
No. 5136 approaching Knowle & Dorridge on local passenger train on 23 June 1938 396m
No. 5146 on Chester shed on 7 June 1938 396l
No. 5111 at Chester station on 7 June 1938 397u
No. 5110 on Gloucester shed on 24 May 1939 397m
No. 5108 on Tyseley shed on 6 May 1939 397l
No. 5135 with GWR monogram near cab front on Stourbridge Junction shed on 26 February 1939 398
No. 5156 assisting Castle on approach to Dainton Tunnel c1947 399
No. 5163 in Leamington Spa station c1947 400u
No. 5150 in Totnes station when acting as banker 400m
No. 5168? at Rock Ferry c1947 400l
No. 4117 in Taunton station on Minehead train on 4 October 1947 401u
No. 5129 with external brake rodding and tall safety valve bonnet on Tyseley shed on 19 December 1948 401l
No. 5137 with tall safety valve bonnet at Wellington on 13 November 1948 402
No. 4166 lined BR black but without any form of ownership on Tyseley shed on 19 December 1948 403u
No. 5156 on K class pick up freight 403m
No. 5155 in lined livery with BRITISH RAILWAYS in sans serif lettering at Stourbridge Junction c1949 403l
No. 5155 at Stourbridge Junction station on 10 September 1949 404u
No. 5190 in lined livery with BRITISH RAILWAYS in sans serif lettering on Tyseley shed on 22 May 1949 404m
No. 5180 at Redbourne Lane Swindon in early 1949 404l

Positioning of water cranes, etc. 409-11

Chris Turner.  Cricklade station in the fading years. 412-17.
On the former Midland & South Western Junction Railway; also includes Moredon Power Station which opened in 1929 to serve the Borough of Swindon. Illustrations: Ordnance Surver 25 inch map 1920; down platform & signalbox, signalbox; 57XX No. 7749 on evening Swindon to Cirencester train on 25 June 1937; Moredon Power Station c1950 and c1955; Aberdare 2-6-0 No. 2670 shunting at power station in 1937

Ebley Crossing Halt. Roy Denison. 418-19.
Scenic colour photograph of 14XX with Stroud Valley auto service in October 1962.

Letters. 420

51XX Class. R.G. Simmonds.
Firstly, and with reference to GWRJ No. 86, I can add a little detail to the activities of the 3100 class in South Wales during the first twenty years of the last century. In March 1907 Albert Hertz, the locomotive superintendent of the Port Talbot Railway & Docks Co., reported to his directors that additional locomotive power was urgently required to cope with the increase of traffic. Tenders were obtained for engines designed to Hertz's specification, but then put on hold until the type of boiler to be fitted was resolved. However, by November 1907 negotiations for the GWR to work the railway portion of the PTR&D were nearing a conclusion, and the matter was dropped. Instead, the general manager was able to report to the directors that month that two GWR locomotives had been hired under the terms of the proposed running powers agreement. These were No. 3121, which was at Duffiyn Yard from 22/11/07 to 27/3/09, and the prototype No. 99, there from 10/4/08 to 23/3/09. Further, Nos. 3126 and 3132 were sent to Duffryn Yard in June 1919, the former departing in November 1922, and the latter still being there at the Grouping. These four represent only a small part of the total of 77 GWR engines allocated to Duffryn Yard between 1907 and 1922, a figure which includes five which were sent there twice.

51XX Class. Eric Youldon
Whilst studying the selection of 51XX class photos in GWRJ No. 86, writer detected a feature of which he had not previously been aware. This was the way that brake rodding changed in a bewildering fashion from outside to behind the coupled wheels between engines. For example, 5122 and 5136 on pages 316 and 317 were built and photographed about the same time and illustrate the two layouts. There must be an explanation for these changes – does anybody have it? See letter from Bob Crump on page 479. Further letter (and table) from Eric Youldon on p. 479
Referring now to Oxford South Goods in the same journal, try as I might, I couldn't get the caption details on page 338 to tally with the photograph, but if I turned the caption through 90° anti-clockwise, everything seemed to fall into place. Am I right?

Cambrian 0-6-0s. Mike Barnsley.
The recent articles (GWRJ Nos. 85 & 86) on the Cambrian Railways 0-6-0s brought back memories for me of a happy hour spent on Criccieth station, watching one of the class shunting the local goods. Besides the transfer of No. 908 to Didcot in 1933, according to the Railway Observer for September 1939, No. 844 had been transferred to Reading, apparently as a replacement for an ex- MSWJR 2-4-0 on the 4.38 p.m. Reading-Savernake, and the 8.42 a.m. return train the following day. The latter train was noteworthy as it had the distinction of carrying a class 'A' headcode.
A replacement for the ex-MSWJR 2-4-0 was probably necessary at that time because No. 1336 had been stopped in August, and sent to Swindon for an Intermediate repair. Before this was completed, No. 1335 was also stopped for repairs. As the third 2-4-0, No. 1334, was at Didcot, there were no 2-4-0s available at Reading during the September.
I haven't found any other mention of the Cambrian 0-6-0s at Reading, so it probably would only have stayed at Reading until both the ex- MSWJR 2-4-0s had returned in the October.

Cambrian 0-6-0s. Brian Penny
In GWRJ No. 86, page 351, the lower photo of No. 895 was taken in Worcester goods yard and was manned by a Worcester crew. The loco entered Worcester Factory on 1July 1951 for a light classified repair and was one of the last locos to be dealt with under the M&EE shopping programme before the Factory transferred to Motive Power Department ownership during that month. It was released to traffic on 29 August and spent a short time working Worcester turns before returning to Oswestry. I recorded carrying out running repairs to the loco's spring gear on Worcester Shed on 13 September and I would think that the photo was taken during the first two weeks of September 1951.
Although Worcester did not carry out a full repaint, locos passing through the Factory had their smokeboxes painted black before being outshopped and this became a hallmark of the Factory. Although 895 carried the OSW shed code, as shown, behind the buffer beam, I recall that it also had the Llanidloes shed code stencilled on the side frame footstep on the right-hand side.

Pannier derailment. J. Leach.
Photographs of 0-6-0PT No. 3795 (GWRJ No. 86) having come off the road: No. 3795 was a Bristol locomotive and was allocated to St. Philip's Marsh MPD at least from 1948 to the middle 1950s. From the photograph it is still coupled to the shunters truck. The location writer believe to be Stoke Gifford Marshalling Yard, on the Up side. This was the only yard which was in a cutting. I also refer to GWRJ No. 82 on the workings of the 'Bulldogs'. As a schoolboy in the 1940s one of our highlights was to watch 3453 piloting a 'Castle' on the 10.10 P2 (4/30 TM) up the 1 in 75 bank from Stapleton Road to Filton Junction. But I never found out what its working was to get to Bristol. See letter from Bob Crump on p. 479

Appeals
Mr R G Simmonds would like to know if any reader has a photograph of GWR 12-ton 6-wheel travelling hand crane No. 213? This crane was originally No. 206 built in 1894, transferred to the PTR&D as PTR No. I in January 1913, and renumbered No. 213 in 1922, a new No. 206 having been built in 1913.

The 6024 Preservation Society are currently carrying out a heavy overhaul of the loco and tender at Minehead and at Barton Hill, Bristol. At the same time they are researching the tender to try and establish how it came to be with 6024 following the loco's withdrawal in 1962, and then being sold on later that year to Woodham Brothers at Barry. They believe the tender now with 6024 to be number 2425 (identified, so far, by components fitted to it) which never ran with the loco in service. Tender 2839 was the last one coupled in service days. Does anyone know how 6024 and 2425 came to be paired?. See letter from John S. White on page 479

Witney station. rear cover
Upper general view of goods station and shed on 3 October 1972; lower: trailers, mechanical horse and Bedford? lorry in carmine & cream livery c1960.

Issue No. 88 (Autumn 2013)

No. 4959 Purley Hall on Class CC fitted freight passing West Ealing yard on 9 September 1961. M.G.C. Smith. front cover

Chris Turner. The 9.25 Hinksey goods: a guard's duty the Oxford to Princes Risborough line. 422-31
The 09.25 was worked by a 61XX tank engine; the guard had to apply the brake through Wheatley Tunnel as the rail could be slippery. Monty Turner was the station master at Tiddington. Usually most of the train was detached and shunted at Thame

43XX No. 6340 with freight at Kennington Junction 422
Kennington Junction 423u
DMU on Littlemore side of viaduct 423l
Horspath Tunnel portal 424u
Wheatley station looking towards Oxford 424l
Wheatley station looking east 425u
Wheatley station and goods yard 425l
Tiddington station looking towards Oxford on 16 June 1957 426u
Tiddington station looking east with 51XX ariving on passenger train 426l
Tiddington station on 29 June 1963 427u
Tiddington signal box (ground frame) 427l
Thame station looking towards Oxford 428u
Hall Class No. 6990 on passenger train at Thame station 428l
Thame goods yard 429u
Thame goods shed 429m
Thame goods shed viewed from arriving passenger train 429l
Bledlow station viewed from passenger train hauled by 51XX No. 4148 on 16.45 ex-Oxford 450u
Princes Risborough looking south 450l
Princes Risborough looking south with Fairburn 22-6-4T on Marylebone train 451u
Thame goods shed 451l

Jack Matthews. Left behind. 432-5.
Guard on up 14.00 Penzance to Crewe perishable traffic got left behind on platform at Saltash station when loading flowers due tgo misunderstanding on the part of the footplate crew: he had to walk over Royal Albert Bridge which he did not like as had no head for heights. Another time he was left behind at Camborne on a down newspaper train and he had to take a taxi to St. Erth to catch up with the train. Another misunderstanding took place at St Austell on a down train detaching vehicles and the train nearly departed without him due to difficulties in communication.

Western end of Saltash station
Up platform at Saltash station
Exterior of Saltash station with Western National bus
No. 7812 and Grange No. 6825 on 11.10 SO Penzance to Wolverhampton express (letter from Edward Chaplin)  entering Camborne station on 18 July 1959: 434
No. 5987 Brocket Hall leaving St. Austell with down express in "late 1950s" (KPJ: early 1950s?). P.Q. Treloar. 435

John Copsey. The '51XXs' at work. Part 3. 436-49.
Part 1 began on page 302 and Part 2 on Page 392. Covers the period under British Railways which began with their continued use on expresses between Chester and Birkenhead and between Cheltenham and Gloucester, but ended with their withdrawal with the introduction of diesel multiple units. During this period they were rarely seen in the London Area. See also letter from Robert Darlaston on p. 263 of Number 93. See also letter from Robert Nicholas on pp. 247-8 on new green No. 4164 at Dyffryn Yard in 1948.

No. 4142 arriving at Yatton with an evening Bristol to Weston-super-Mare local train c1949 436u
No. 5144 still lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS at Swindon Works in winter 1952 436l
No. 5136 in Stafford Road Works on 7 May 1950 437
No. 5109 on Wellington shed in 1952 438u
No. 4103 in lined BR greeen with small BR emblem on Stafford Road shed 438l
No. 5161 on K classb pick-up freight at Warwick station in early 1950s 439
No. 5186 with large BR emblem in Chester station in early 1950s 440
No. 5162 in West Wales c1952 441u
No. 5162 probably at Cardiff c1953 441m
No. 4177 on Barry shed on 5 August 1953 441l
No. 4156 assisting a 28XX on an up freight out of Severn Tunnel in the mid-1950s 442u
No. 5154 at Newton Abbot in 1956 442l
No. 5172 piloting a Standard BR Class 5 No, 73026 (see letters fron Edward Chaplin)  and from Paul Grant on climb to Whiteball on Up express c1956 444
No. 4138 with large BR emblem at Pontypool Road on 22 April 1956 445u
No. 5184 in lined BR green livery with large BR emblem banking freight up Rattery bank on 15 July 1958 445l
No. 5166 outside Tyseley shed c1956 446
No. 5158 in lined BR green livery with later BR emblem on Newton Abbot shed in 1960 447
No. 4125 at Banbury South with train of iron ore hoppers (tipplers?) on 21 October 1963: see letter from Neil Woodland on p. 180 (v. 12) 448u
No. 4153 on Kidderminster shed on 28 April 1961 448l
No. 5172 partially scrapped at Swindon on 20 October 1958 449

See also letters from Paul Grant, Eric Youldon. S.C. Bromhall, D.J. Fleming and Neil Woodland in Issue 90

Newport (Mon) in 1946. Peter Copeland (photographs) and Mike Christensen (notes). 450-7.
Letters from Ray Caston and Allen Pym in next Issue: both query dates for some of photographs and wording, especially that relating to relief lines and Caston notes that signal box fitted with route setting frame was not built specially. See also letters from Mike Christensen and David Tomkiss in next volume on page 120 and in Volume 13 from David J. Smith.

Train departing Newport (High Street) and crossing River Usk (panoramic view from above) 450
Panoramic view looking west from same location as above and probably same train prior to departing 451
Looking west from Newport East signal box 452u
Looking east from Newport East signal box across River Usk 452l
Looking east from Newport station platform towards signal box 453u
Looking east from Newport station platform towards signal box 453l
Looking west along down relief line from Platform 6 454u
Western end of Platforms 4/5 with scissors crossover & stopping train entering down platform 454l
LMS? train for Western Valleys in down relief platform No. 7 455u
Route setting power frame in Newport East signalbox on 17 June 1946 455l
West end of station viewed from West signalbox with long up express in Platforms 4/5 456u
Looking west from West signalbox towards tunnels 456l
Looking towards tunnels with diamond crossings in front 457u
Gaer Junction with line leading towards Western Valleys 457l

W.G. Bagnall Ltd. Continuing in the service of British Railways. 458
57XX of 1929; 94XX in 1949: drawings of Nos. 6721 and 9409.

Colin Metcalfe. A glimpse of Milcote in the 'Fifties. 459-67.
Milcote was on the Oxford Worcester & Wolverhapton line from Honeyboure to Stratford-on-Avon which the Great Western converted into a secondary main line in the 1900s

No. 7028 Cadbury Castle passing Milcote station with 15.45 Snow Hill to Swansea express 459
Map 460
Former platform and station houise on 5 May 1956 461
Track & signal plan (Percy Garbett) 462u
Signal cabin with signalman Percy Garbett 462l
No. 4964 Rodwell Hall with Banbury to Cardiff Class D freight 463
Stratford Racecourse Halt with new junction being built in 1957 466
New up platform built in 1907 and level crossing at Milcote 467

Stanley C. Jenkins. Witney & the Witney Railway. Part 2. 468-77
Began on page 362. Freight traffic: incoming coal to power mills, imported wool in bales, blankets outwards, gloves, headgear including for military, brewery traffic, engineering traffic, milk traffic and parcels including mail order traffic from Whitney Blanket Co.

Ordnance Survey map 25-inch 1921 468
Goods shed & coal sidings, 1970 469
Sir Alexander class 2-2-2 with blanket special in 1911 470
Great Western motor lorry with driver 471u
Great Western horse dray with drayman Humphreys 471l
Witney passenger station c1960 473u
Witney passenger station with up platform used for parcels traffic 473l
Paxman dairy farmer arriving at station with milk cans 474
Long excursion train at Witney in Edwardian period 475
Witney Fair on the Leys, c1912 476
0-6-0PT No. 9654 filling tanks at Witney with train for Fairford on 28 October 1961 477

West Ealing. M.G.C. Smith. 478
Colour photograph of condensing 57XX No. 9709 shunting milk tank wagons on 9 September 1961.

Letters. 479-80,

'51XXs' at work. Chris Michell
Regarding article on '5IXXs' Part 2 in issue 87, refers to page 402 where stated that 4168/9 went into storage at Swindon on being completed. In fact, they were sent immediately to Penzance to cover duties during one of the periodic times of maintenance of the turntable. He recorded 4168 on shed at Penzance on 15 September 1948 and 4169 on 19 September, though they probably arrived a few days earlier than this. Neither loco had any shed codes. As an aside, 4121 of Birkenhead was also one of the locos drafted in for these duties. An exciting time for us young spotters. I cannot recall how long they remained at Penzance, but imagine they had left by the end of the month.

'51XXs' at work. Maurice Dart
Regarding the allocation of these locos to St. Blazey, the shed normally had one of them for duties on services to Newquay. The allocation during the 1940s was boosted by the arrival of 5157 (replaced by 5140) and 5158 to provide suitable motive power if the emergency situation arose that due to enemy action around Plymouth GWR trains needed to be diverted over SR metals to Exeter. The route used was Bodmin Road - Bodmin - Wadebridge - Launceston - Halwill -- Okehampton - Exeter, Interestingly, 5158 is shown as working a passenger train from Bodmin Road to Bodmin on 29 January 1946. This was very unusual and could possibly have been a diversion. Mention was made to their use on the main line when work was being carried out on turntables at Penzance and Truro sheds. These periods roused much interest and excitement among local enthusiasts as locos of classes 3100, 5100, 5101, 6100 and 8100 from a wide variety of sheds appeared. Additionally, several newly-built 6100s were allocated to Cornish sheds for a period and writer recall sseeing them working through St. Austell regularly around 1943/44 carrying TR shed stencils.

'51XXs' at work. J.C. Leach
See Table 3 for workings of '5IXX' class from Bath Road. The 06.58 North Filton to Westbury was the main train from North Bristol for the employees of J. S. Fry's factory at Keynsham. Writer used this train on a daily basis during the 5½ years when working at Bath. The train used the avoiding line between Dr. Day's Junction and North Somerset Junction. The train called at Keynsham from 7.27 to 7.34. It did not call at St. Anne's Park or Saltford stations. The 1961 timetable shows it calling at St. Anne's Park. Locomotives used on this service were 4152 and 41S5, but by the mid-1950s, 6102, 6107 or 6114 were frequently seen having been displaced from the London Division.

'51XXs' at work. Paul Carter
Please let me pick you up on one point. You refer to six of the '51 XXs' as first casualties. In fact they were rebuilt to re-enter traffic and live on as members of the '81 XX' class. Below new numbers carried as '8IXXs':

No. New No

Traffic

5100

8100

9/38

5123

8101

3/38

5124

8104

1139

5126

8105

4/39

5145

8103

11/38

No. 8100 therefore had 3 previous numbers during its life - 99, 3100 and 5100!

'51XXs' at work. Bob Crump
Eric Youldon was asking reason for the difference in the brake rodding between some of the '31XX' and the '51XX'.
When stationed at Stafford Road shed, writer was informed to be careful of 31s and 51s with brake rodding outside the wheels as the brakes could be slow acting when cold; these engines were automatic vacuum and steam braked the same as the 57s. In the RCTS Locomotives of the Great Western Railway Part 9, page 128, second column, paragraph 2, it states that the original drawings for 3100/11-29 had steam brakes and double pull rods, but 3130 onwards were vacuum braked. Also 3100/11-20 were fitted with steam-operated two-way water pick-up apparatus, but this was soon withdrawn after one of the 36xx class split the tanks taking water at speed.

'51XXs' – double pull rods. Eric Youldon.
Further to letter published in GWRJ No. 87, Steve Broomhall has drawn attention to page J28 in the RCTS Locomotives of the Great Western Railway Part 9 (Standard 2-cylinder classes) which includes the statement about 5100 and 5111 to 5119 having double pull rods. However, there was significant inconsistency in practice. Table below shows locomotives illustrated with double pull rods. See yet further letter in Volume 12 on page 180

Loco Journal page RCTS Photo Notes

99

304

D

W

later D

3111

304

D

W

3119

304

D

W

3121

304

D

W

later D

3132

306

W

D

3112

306

D

W

3141

307

W

D

later W
Information provided by Editor below

5111

397

D

D

late 1930s

5129

407

D

D

1948

D=double pull rods: W=without double pull rods

6023/6024 (1962) . John S. White
With reference to 6024 and her tender 'swap' and the request of the 6024 Preservation Society for information, the following may help solve the mystery.  One of the Railway Magazines of 1962 pictured 6023/6024 languishing in the Con Yard at Swindon without their tenders. The Barry Story states that 6023/6024 were withdrawn in June 1962, but did not arrive at Barry until December 1962. When the decision was made not to scrap them at Swindon, maybe the original tender(s) had already been broken up, hence replacement(s) had to be found for the journey to Wales.

'Bulldog' at Bristol. Bob Crump  
Information about 3453 assisting a 'Castle' from Temple Meads and how it arrived in Bristol. Letter writer had written in the past that he started work at Pontypool Road in 1944 as an engine cleaner. At this time 3453 was relegated to working the Hereford Fly every day. Crump cannot remember the exact month, but 3406 then became the regular engine on the turn to Bristol. What he does remember is cleaning 3406 on the morning shift because the letters on the nameplate were lovely and rounded with no sharp corners. The engine left shed later during the morning for the station, where it took forward a parcel train to Bristol, returning as stated assisting the 'Castle' as far as Pontypool Road. Unfortunately, the letter does not state the load of the 'Castle'. He thinks possibly this was a way of saving a margin, whilst returning a light engine to its home depot as there was no return working. Unfortunately, he does not know where the parcel train originated from or any times associated with this working. Looking at a picture of 3406 on page 6 of Tony Sterndale's Great Western Pictorial No. 3, the train looks to be a long, heavy one for a 'Bulldog' and more than likely required assistance from Severn Tunnel to Patchway.

Penzance to Long Rock. Nigel Stevens. 479-80  
In my previous letter concerning the working of traffic into Ponsandane yard from the Penzance direction at Ponsandane signal box, in GWRJ No. 86, I expressed the opinion that the 'permission of the yard foreman' must be given before the signalman could admit a train or engine to the yard, did not exist. Further information has come to light to suggest that such a situation did exist. I have been unable to ascertain whether the seeking of permission was an official box instruction or a working arrangement between local staff. The thinking behind the method of working was that movements took place from the yard towards Penzance via the trailing mains crossover at Ponsandane. The yard foreman could, quite legitimately, form up a loco and vehicles for Penzance and allow them to move up to yard exit. These vehicles would then be standing in the path of an incoming movement. Also a movement into the yard could come to a stand just within the yard. The signalman may or may not have been able to see this standing train. I am still of the opinion that it must have been difficult to operate for reasons previously stated but concede there was good reason for the arrangement.

Oxford South Goods. Allan James.  480
Writer grew up in No. 17 Mill Street overlooking the railway in the 1950s and did much of my early train-watching from the back of our house and from Osney Lane bridge. One full load traffic which deserves a mention is coal slack for the electricity generating station in Arthur Street (at the bottom of the map on page 332). This would arrive in wagon loads in Becket Street yard and be unloaded by a mobile crane with a grab into waiting lorries. These were short wheelbase tipper lorries, probably ex-government, which I believe were owned by C. Weller and Sons. A shuttle of up to four lorries would ferry the coal the short distance to the power station and dump it in a larger hopper there.

Driver Jack Jenkins. Henry W. Toomer
I feel the need to sing the praises of Driver Jenkins as I had the privilege of travelling with him on the footplate of No. 5004 Llanstephan Castle, from Swansea to Paddington hauling the Pembroke Coast Express. This was one of, if not the best, trips I ever made on the footplate, due to the skill and professionalism of Jack. In spite of four PW slacks making 8 minutes late passing Didcot, he produced a 1 minute early arrival at Paddington. I detected no problems with him and his fireman, just the opposite - they worked as a team the whole trip. From Swansea to Cardiff quite a few distants were sighted first by the fireman, and he conveyed the position to Jack. When I got to work next morning at Goring & Streatley box, my mate I was relieving asked me how I got on, and I said the only way to describe the driver was that he was an artist. A couple of months later Oswald Nock had a trip with Jack Jenkins, who also called him an artist. See also letter from Bill Crosbie-Hill on page 357 and another in Volume 13 page 60.

Birmingham Snow Hill model loco. John Trumper  
One item in the letters page of GWRJ No. 86 brought back memories of my visits to Birmingham Snow Hill station as in the booking office area was a model of a GWR engine, similar it seems to that described by your correspondent T.W.Wykes. I remember it was in a glass case with a slot mechanism to take money which made the wheels turn and I'm almost certain it was of No. 6000 King George V with its bell. I would guess it was of 2½ inch gauge. I was only six years old when war broke out, so I think it likely I saw it postwar when I was old enough to be trusted to visit Snow Hill on my own.

Pannier derailment. Richard Harries  
Believe the location is the headshunt at the eastern end of the upside yard at Stoke Gifford. This was a location at which he spent many hours in the mid/late 1950s trainspotting from the bridge which crossed the South Wales main line and the east end headshunt, which then extended eastwards beyond the bridge into a steep-sided grass cutting alongside the up South Wales main line. The bridge was also adjacent to the entrance to the down side yard. This description would correspond to the pictured headshunt in a cutting alongside a double-track main line. Unfortunately, there are no shadows to indicate the orientation of the lines. Pannier No. 3795 was a long-time resident of St. Philip's Marsh (Bristol) depot, 82B, and the presence of a shunter's truck indicates one of the major yards around Bristol. To the best of my knowledge, the only yard with a headshunt in a grass-sided cutting is the upside yard at Stoke Gifford.
Although I have no knowledge of the precise incident, the angle of the shunter's truck under the front of the pannier would suggest the weight of a train being drawn out of the yard had forced the truck under the locomotive, either due to locomotive brake failure or an error of judgement in brake application by the driver. My recollection for the mid/late 1950s is that the upside yard at Stoke Gifford was generally shunted by a single 57XX or 8750 pannier, although occasionally a 94XX pannier was used. In the same period the downside yard was shunted by one, or two, of the then new standard English Electric diesel shunters (later class 08) of which the first members 13000-13003 were allocated to St. Philip's Marsh.

Wiveliscombe Station. Robin Markes 
During the preparation of the 'Glimpse of Wiveliscombe Station in the Fifties' article writer contacted his cousin Jane Hewitt, who lives in locality. She made enquiries among the townsfolk of 'Wivey', who are proud of their local history [and have fought to keep their public library]. During WW1, in 1915, an Army Mule Depot was established in the area to the north and west of the town. Demand for transport animals for use on the Westem Front in France and elsewhere far exceeded the supply at home, and Wiveliscombe received many thousands of mules transported from South America, Portugal and Ireland. They were unloaded at Avomnouth and sent by the trainload to Wiveliscombe - usually on Sundays, when there was no passenger service. After unloading at the Up platform, they were led through the town - four mules to a man - to nearby farms to be given a few days' rest to recover from their journey. After this they were broken to harness and trained for war work. This view shows mules in the station forecourt yard. This much is recorded, and illustrated with contemporary photographs, in Wiveliscombe: A History of a Somerset Market Town, published by Sue Farrington (Wiveliscombe Colden Publications, 2005, reprinted 2013). The book also contains an illustrated history the line.

No. 2887 running tender-first as light engine on Down Relief road passing West Ealing yard on 9 September 1961. M.G.C. Smith. rear cover