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Saturday with Interflon

A compact gang of 6 assembled to continue the Interflon-ing from Hayles further northwards.

Waddaya mean new jacket? Bought this for my Zoom meetings!

It was good to see old friends again. One feels slightly more courageous, now that the vaccine is starting to have effect.

You got my sandwiches in there? Have you?

We piled the gear into the back of the Landie and set off for where the last lot had left off - the 10 1/2 MP under the Hayles bridge.

Using two Bances / Animals we had a team loosening fishplates, one man on the backback greasing the plates, and a second team doing the plates up again with a second Bance/Animal.

Lunch - al-very-fresco, at Didbrook.

We got to Didbrook 1 bridge by lunch time, then it was look around for a sheltered place to have your snap. There was none... The wind blew hard as we sat behind the parapet.

After a short lunch in was onwards and upwards towards Toddington. Somewhat weary by now - the backpack was heavy and leaking grease, the two Bances were heavy and so were the spanners to which we had to resort at intervals. We agreed we would make for Toddington signal box and stop there for the day.

Huddled on the PermaQuip, we waited for the Landie to arrive.

Having got to the box, we thought, why not make one last effort and get to the first turnout at the end of the straight. That would leave as the next section the bit through the station and over the viaduct - after that, it's CWR all the way to Broadway.

Wednesday - twice, weakly.

A second team went out today to continue the Interflon job.

Unfortunately we were a bit under strength, making progress rather slower than on Saturday

Martin had the bright idea of bringing a wheelbarrow to move the heave Bance from joint to joint.

It keeps our sandwiches too!

We worked our way along the loop at Toddington, the main line being occupied by a rake of carriages.

Just look at the rust on the rails, a witness to how long we have had to be closed.

Lunch was 'al fresco' as on Saturday, but in much more benign circumstances. It was still windy, but the temperature went up to 15 degrees, and we had benches to sit on this time.

To our frustration the backpack pump failed once again, only tiny spurts could be enticed from the nozzle after lunch. It meant the end of the day's efforts, sadly.

More cheering was the sight of Foremarke Hall undergoing a steam test. We are clearly getting ready!

Derek's steam pictures

Some pictures from a visit to Somerset on 23 September 1963.

Standing at Evercreech Standard Class 4 4-6-0 75007 on the 1:30pm for Bath and Collett 0-6-0 3216 on the 1:15pm for Highbridge.

The Collett 0-6-0 is of the 2251 class, one of which was once stationed at Honeybourne to act as banker to trains going up the bank to Campden tunnel. The one in the picture, No. 3216, was built in 1947 and lasted only 15 years, being withdrawn in November 1963, shortly after Derek took the picture.

No. 3205 is preserved, the only one of 120 produced.

75007 was a Riddles Standard 4 shedded at Templecombe at the time of the picture, and it was withdrawn in 1965 after a short career of 13 years.

Derek then set off on the 1.15pm for Highbridge, down the original S&D line, in the train headed by 3216.

3216 and train approaching Glastonbury

 

S & D map. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4479185

The old S&D line can be seen on the map running west from the junction with the N/S line at Evercreech Junction, to Burnham on Sea on the Bristol Channel. The line was a victim of the Beeching cuts and closed in 1966. The stub to Wells closed even earlier, in 1951 after a brief revival due to the war.

… and then at Glastonbury.

Here the crew of the little Collett pose proudly beside their engine. Neither engine nor station would last very much longer. Note the southern green running in board on the left, for GLASTONBURY and STREET. At the time of the picture the station fell under the control of BR Western Region.

The station canopy survives as a shelter in the market area car park.

… and having now arrived at Highbridge. Also in view is another Collett 0-6-0 2247 waiting with the 2.20pm for Evercreech.

In the background they are loading parcels, but the loco crew have also organised something for themselves, as a basket can be seen in the tender and there is a large packet waiting on the platform to be lifted in as well.

Derek took the picture from the SR concrete footbridge that you can see in the next picture below.

… and another view of the same two trains but with 2247 and train as the main focus.

Collett 2247 was a 1945 built example and at the time of the picture at Highbridge was based at Templecombe. Within a year of Derek's picture the little 0-6-0 would be scrapped.

2247 is seen next at Evercreech with the 3:22pm for Templecombe.

 

A general view of Bristol Temple Meads with Hymek D7004 on 25 September 1963.

It's a nice shot of Temple Meads and a Hymek. Amazingly these steam replacement diesels sometimes had shorter lives than the steam Standards - D7004 managed only 10 years and 10 months, from construction by Beyer Peacock in 1961 to demolition at Swindon in 1972. Their hydraulic transmission was deemed non standard and that sealed their fate. Of the 101 produced, no fewer than 4 survive, quite a high ratio. D7004 spent all its life based at Bristol Bath Road. In 1970 it suffered a small engine fire, cause by leaking hot exhaust gases, but it was repaired and carried on for another 2 years.

On the same day Standard Class 5 4-6-0 73012 is seen at Bath Green Park waiting for departure with the 1:10pm to Templecombe.

Bath Green Park, a Midland station, was also the terminus of the Somerset and Dorset line. When that closed in 1966 as a result of the Beeching report, the station closed as well. Luckily the building and train shed survived, and they are now grade II listed. The booking hall is a now a brasserie, the train shed houses a market and the track area in the foreground of the picture is now occupied by a supermarket.

Derek then boarded the train, headed by Standard 5 No. 73012.

… and then a view taken from on board this train at Radstock.

Radstock station closed in 1966 along with the rest of the S&D line. Only a green space exists today where the rather diminutive wooden buildings with their bright red fire buckets used to stand.

Arriving at Yeovil Junction with a train is Merchant Navy 35004.

This is CUNARD WHITE STAR, then shedded at Salisbury. The loco looks in fine fettle, with a nice shine along the boiler. It was launched into traffic in 1941, rebuilt in 1958, and lasted until withdrawal in 1965, after which it was scrapped at Eastleigh, where it was also built. It ran up 1.131.417 miles in its 24 year career, something which can be classed as pretty successful.

 

Finally, still on 25 September, the signalman at Yeovil Town is seen having just collected the token and the 4:08pm is ready to depart for Taunton.

This is a lovely picture. Look at the parcels piled up on the trolleys, and the signalman in his tank top and tie, cloth hanging out of his pocket and the token in his hands. He is walking back to his box behind the camera on the left, a journey he must have made many, many times. Yeovil town was a busy station, but it closed to passengers in 1964 and is now a car park.

BTW Derek has allowed us to sell electronic copies of these pictures for the benefit of GWSR heritage, so if there is one that takes your fancy, get in touch with breva2011 (at) hotmail.co.uk

 

Lockdown Quiz

As we may be coming out of lockdown one of these days, we better finish off our lockdown quizzes. We have a couple more in storage, from Jim H. 

Here is the next one then:

Lockdown Quiz No. 4

1. What is the connection between Nos 2329 and 5529 (BR Nos 32329 and 45529)?

2. What is the name and number of the main line steam locomotive “sectioned” at the NRM?

3. Why were some GWR Hall class locomotives renumbered in the 39xx series?

4. Nos 92020 to 92029 differed from the rest of the BR “9Fs” in what way?

5. What were the names and numbers of the West Country class locomotives that were scrapped by Woodham Brothers at Barry?

6. What was common to both Jubilee class No. 45641 and A3 class No. 60039?

7. What was the class and loco. number of the final LMS designed steam locomotive to be put into service by BR?

8. What nickname was bestowed on the LMS “Patriot” class locomotives when first introduced in 1933?

9. The very last ex-GWR pannier tank in industrial service remained in use until which year?

10. When did the Brighton Belle, the only electric multiple-unit Pullman train in the world, make its last run between Victoria and Brighton?

11. The National Railway Museum is home to which GWR 2-8-0?

12. City of Truro has carried which two numbers during its existence?

13. What was the Kings power classification on BR?

14. No. 7000 was named after the last chairman of the GWR. Who was he?

15. What was the name and number of the GWR’s only Pacific locomotive?

16. Which former railway-owned paddle steamer is still in Service?

17. In what year were the first Ian Allan “abc” books published?

18. In BR days brake vans were painted in either grey or bauxite. What was the difference between them?

19. How many wheels are there on a Co-Bo diesel?

20. What was the BR power classification of the “County” class?

 

Answers next week!

Amazon Smile update.

You might recall previous pointers on this blog (and other areas) to Amazon Smile. It looks as if readers have indeed responded to the call, because receipts are now coming in, and are rising. Great stuff, as it's free money! The effect can be seen in this quote below from an announcement to our volunteers:

..... they will donate 0.5% of your purchases from Amazon to Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust. We receive quarterly payments; in October, we received over £80 and in January we received over £120, so this is a worthwhile source of funds.

 

All you have to do is to log in to smile.amazon.co.uk instead of amazon.co.uk, change the preferred charity to Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust and we will automatically receive 0.5% of what you spend, without costing you a penny. You use the same password as your normal account.

 

The website looks the same as the normal one except that there is a box under the search box which tells you what charity you are supporting. If you use the link below it will take you straight there and ask you if you wish to change your charity to the Trust.

 

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1133186-0

 

Please help to generate some extra funds for your railway.

 

Thank you to all those who made this small change to their Amazon buying habit, and who are now adding to this regular and rising source of funds for us.

Question on everyone's lips: when will we re-open?

No reopening news yet, after the government announcement on Monday. Other railways are mulling a date of April 12th... we can't be far behind. Patience then.