While assembling this collection, I often came across interesting images which weren’t directly relevant to the particular story I’m telling, but I found interesting – particularly if they were cheap, or of too poor quality for most others to be concerned with their preservation …
These GWR steam locomotives are all apparently from the same photo shoot – some at Churchdown between Gloucester and Cheltenham, and others seem to be on a shed, judging from the breakdown tools van parked with them. They are as follows, from top to bottom – a “Castle Class” engine; 2836 and 6164 parked up out of use; and 4101 and 7915 taken from the same overbridge.
The gaze of platform passengers along with a driver of an unnamed Class 40 is taken by the loco’s reversal from the platforms of Aberyswyth station in the 1960s. To the left are carriages of the Vale of Rheidol railway in blue livery bearing the BR double-arrow logo, and an area between each sight where track has been lifted and the ballast smoothed-over. 7####GT03-AYW-CL_40-PAS_D
Oozing steam, ageing GWR 2-600 6327 climbs eastwards from the Severn and Patchway Tunnels towards Patchway station with a “through freight, not fitted with automatic brakes”, as signified by the headcode lights. Although the trucks look empty, coming from South Wales they are presumably filled with coal. 5####AU01-PWY-s6327-GOODS
On a grey winter’s day Hereford depot hosts GWR and LMS locomotives. Included among the line-up are 3201, 1632, 4946 and what look like a couple of ‘Jubilees’. Breakdown vans are to the far left, and water columns separate each pair of tracks. The building and yard seem to be kept in very good repair. 551023A01-HFD-E_SHD-VISTA
A German DB colour V200 diesel hydraulic locomotive at Aachen in March 1971. This locomotive class was the model for the WR D8XX class, that had to be scaled down to fit the slimmer UK loading gauge, yet still fitting the key components. Photo: Peter Scott. 7103#AA01-AAC-V200-LIGHT
Passing through pastoral and town fringe countryside, D800 “SIR BRIAN ROBERTSON” is seen on the 07:40 Eastleigh to Waterloo, diverted via the Alton-Winchester line, near Alton. Sir Brian was Chairman of the British Transport Commission until Dr Beeching. 660227A01-ALT—D800-PAS_U
A driver inspects a ‘Hall’ class loco parked up at a platform of Banbury Station in August 1965. It has lost its nameplate, numberplate and smokebox door number, though it has retained its shed plate. The bunker is full and it awaits its next duty. 6508#AA01-BAN-SLOCO-PARKD
D1021 “WESTERN CAVALIER”, in maroon livery with soot-encrusted roof, is descending to the Welsh portal of the Severn Tunnel with a mixed freight, passing a similar train, and yet the tail of another on the line from Gloucester converging in the background. Six plank wagons seem to predominate, although covered vans also make up the constructs. 641024A01-STJ-D1021-GOODS
D1039 “WESTERN KING” comes into the platform at Beaconsfield on an inter-regional working in the days before rationalisation of the station. I only visited this town once, and it was mainly to see the model village of Bekonscot, rather than the railway system per se! 621028A02-BCF-D1039-PAS_D
This picture of a Class 312 EMU in the countryside under wires is remeniscent of my occasional trips to Northampton from London – and also the self same Units trundling in and out of the Station as I watched over the wall of the taxi approach road at Euston. 79###AB01-BDN-312XX-PASGR
With modern buffer beam fittings, battery box catches and unfortunately non-authentic looking nameplates, D1062 “WESTERN COURIER” prepares to head out of Bridgenorth with a Kidderminster train in the 1980s, otherwise looking “like the real thing” of days gone by. 8####AC01-BGR-D1062-PAS_I
The interior of the cab of D1657 at Birkenhead in 1973. Like the loco itself, everything is functional, well designed and pleasing on the eye. The control desk is very solid and carefully laid out, and even the angle of the strut beside the driver matches the windscreen’s. 73###AA01-BKD-d1657-PARKD
Camden Roundhouse was derelict, passing through several different hands during the period I lived at Camden Town. The railway stables just beyond it were also little changed relics, though as they hosted flea market stalls, I sometimes visited at weekends. 70###AC01-CDN-R_HSE-VI__N
A Class 117 DMU leaves Cholsey and Moulsford station on an ‘up stopper’ in 1975, an intermediate station on the line between Didcot and Reading. Like many such minor stations, connection to the Goods Yard has been removed, and the building is fenced off for resale for non-railway use. 750727A01-CRL-3XDMU-PAS_D
55007 “PINZA”, 55022 “ROYAL SCOTS GREY”, 55006 “THE FIFE & FORFAR YEOMANRY” and a couple of 31s are parked at the side of Finsbury Park Depot awaiting reuse in service. “PINZA” has the white window surrounds typical of FP-allocated ‘Deltics’. 791226A01-FPK-55007-PARKD
Smoke drifts across maroon-liveried Class 52 D1056 ‘WESTERN SULTAN’ and steam locos, including 6993 ‘ARTHROG HALL’ sporting huge headcode characters, wait outside Gloucester Horton Road Steam Shed, facing the station, in 1963. 63###AE01-GHR-LOCOS-PARKD
Necks crane forward from every window on the carriages pulled by one of the two remaining D8XX ‘Warships’, now in preservation, as it arrives at Harmon’s Cross on the Purbeck Line with a train for Swanage. Silver paint accentuates detail on the loco. 1605##A01-HAR—D832-PAS_D
The driver of an engineers train headed by 823 “HERMES” – displaying the crest given to it by the warship of the same name beside its number – is passing through Hereford Station, overlooked by a footbridge apparently stripped of lower panels. 7008#AA01-HFD—D823-MNTCE
Maybe this was the vehicle that shipped our gear! A conflat wagon bearing a ‘door to door’ container is isolated on the sidings at Hertford East, not too far from Gilwell Park at Chingford where the Cornwall County Scout Camp took place that I took part in. 6####DZ01-HFE-WAGON-PARKD
Hinton Admiral Station on the South Coast hosts the unusual appearance of D806 “CAMBRIAN” passing through with a Royal train in the 1960s. The engine and stock are understandably well turned out, and passengers all look at this remarkable sight. 6####AV02-HNA—D806-ROY_U
Rails creak as the colossal bulk of the replica of broad gauge GWR “IRON DUKE” slowly rolls along track beside the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, London. I used to pass this frequently on my walking commute to work and would occasionally deviate to pass it. 8504#AB01-HYP-I_DUK-PASSR
This picture of D6350 purports to have been taken at Kennington, but if so, it unusually has a station pilot headcode. The rails of a line of track before it has been lifted, and rather a lot of points rods are amassed between – with a workman’s hut behind. 660706A01-KEG-D6350-LIGHT
Necks crane for a better view from every window of a passenger train hauled by one of the preserved ‘Westerns’, finished in maroon livery, as it leaves Kidderminster Town Station in the preservation era. The setting has been restored in GWR authenticity. 9401#AA01-KID-D10##-PAS_O
The first of its class – D6300 – is between Bristol and Bath at Keynsham on a running-in turn, at 10:50am, heading back to Swindon, on a service that is soon to be taken over by DMUs. The station platform is being renovated, but it still has a GWR running-in board. 590107A01-KYN-D6300-TES_T
Somewhere close to Lymington Junction, D1073 “WESTERN BULWARK” leads the relief ‘Pine’s Express’ on 16th May 1964. The loco and rather elderly stock are in maroon livery, and it passes through pleasant countryside in the New Forest. 640516A01-LYJ-D1073-PASGR
A crewman of this train at Marlow station closes the doors as he makes his way towards the front cab. My employers had a centre nearby across the river, and I made the journey a couple of times by train, including the quaint and inefficient reversal at Bourne End. 7####AS01-MLW—L573-PAS_I
Warship’ Class D861 “VIGILANT” leaves Paignton station on a 3-coach local passenger service towards Newton Abbot. The crossing gates divide an important road at the centre of the town, usually causing an interested audience on both sides of the gates. 6####BY01-PGN—D861-PAS_U
D848 ‘SULTAN’, a new ‘Warship’ class locomotive, built by the North British Company in Glasgow, passes through Preston to the Western Region in April 1961. In green livery, with red buffer beam but no yellow panels, it carries the obligatory tail lamp. 6104#AA01-PRE—D848-LIGHT
I always loved the styling on these locomotives, especially when compared to a lot of the early Type 1s where functionality was the most important consideration to an industry unfamiliar with building railway vehicles. 8545 is pictured in the sidings to the north of Polmadie depot in Glasgow, in rail blue livery that not many of the class acquired, as they were withdrawn early. 7####GA01-PDE-d8545-PARKD
These photographs are of a trans-shipment trial with Freightliner containers in Radstock’s WR Yard in 1984 but the idea wasn’t taken up by British Rail. The yards today are largely redeveloped, with little sign of their former occupation. 84###AA01-RDK-EQUPT-TRIAL
I was never been quite certain whether this small class of shunters was a single or dual traction unit – formed from two Class 08 shunters modified and locked together to form a more powerful combination for larger-scale shunting, such as that required for pushing large numbers of wagons “over the hump” at Tinsley marshalling yard, where this picture was taken. 800813A01-TIN-13001-SHNTG
Finished like ‘Novelty’ – in large lettering livery, with special emblem to mark the ‘Rocket 150’ event held at Rainhill – 86214 “Sans Pareil” takes part in the procession. I passed the site about three weeks later where the scaffolding for seating was still in place. 8006#AA01-RNH-86235-PARKD
A sufficiently unusual sight to draw many enthusiasts is D7050 at Southampton with a special, taken by Peter Noonan in February 1969. A SR unit passes, and distinctive concrete lamp posts separate them – with a pylon behind, and office block beside the loco. 6902##A01-SOU-D7050-PAS_D
The west end of Salisbury Station sees ex-Southern Railway West Country Class 34089 ‘602 SQUADRON” arriving with disc headcode announcing a Plymouth / Waterloo or Nine Elms goods service in 1964. To the left is a green liveried Hymek and right an 08 shunter, shunting the WR yard before the signal box. The loco shed is in the distant right background. 64###AO01-SAL-34089-PAS-U
A Class 312 unit at Watford Junction, a station I passed through on many occasions when visiting my sister at her home in Northampton. This was always a respite from monotony as the junction behind invariably had a variety of rolling stock in the yard. 79###AE01-WFJ-EMUX3-PAS_I
A photo opportunity as Ernest Marples, the Transport Minister, leaves the cab of D601 “ARK ROYAL” of a train to Weymouth on 7th August 1958, with a cab full of railway staff joking together. The ‘D’ of D601 is in the short-lived sans serif alphabet version. 580807A01-WEY—D601-L_CAB
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this! Being so used to coaling stages with a huge water tank on top, I assumed they always did. This desolate 1963 scene at Weymouth captures a trolley of coal and wagons on the embankment – suggesting it is still operational. 63###AC01-WEY-W_TWR-VISTA
In pristine condition and with buffer heads barely marked, D7047 and shedmate are parked at recently completed Landore depot, Swansea, in the early to mid 1960s. To the left is an 08 shunter, another Hymek and D63XX, and the right, sleepers, brake blocks and a heavy duty hose arrangement. 6####HK01-LRE-D7047-PARKD
On 19th March 1966 D842 ‘ROYAL OAK’ has just passed a Halt near Weymouth, still with a GWR Pagoda Shelter on it, pulling a train of vans. It is in poor external condition with a lot of patches needing attention, and probably several years since painting. 660319A01-WEY—D842-GOODS
D7502 is pictured at Burton shed on 11th October 1969, a couple of years before I first saw it on Penzance shed, and in much the same condition – sent to replace the D63XXs being removed from WR stock. Its rather rusty, unkempt’ appearance suits its surroundings, and it probably worked paired with its classmate behind, that is still wearing a small warning panel. 691011A01-BUT-D7502-PARKD
In weak sunshine, and between cut-back vegitation, D859 “VANQUISHER” is seen in the suburbs of the Weymouth area on 9th June 1968, hauling a train of vans for ferry traffic. Typical for that time, it carries a logo on each cabside and a “D” prefix to its number. 680609A01-WEY—d859-PAS_U
A pair of Hymek ‘bankers’ wait beside Bromsgrove station platform at the south end of the famous “Lickey Incline” – the steepest bank in Britain of two miles in length and a gradient of 1 in 37.7 apparently. They are in small warning panel green livery, but have blue backgrounds to their data panels, recently added. 6####HJ01-BMV-D7XXX-PASGR
In the final month or two of its BR service, D1013 “WESTERN RANGER” is caught between sun and shade at Weymouth Station. Its bufferheads show remnants of recent Works attention to the loco and a boy is caught proudly posing beside its nameplate. 7702#AA01-WEY-D10##-PAS_D
This stretch of track at West Ealing used to have me darting from side to side across the carriage as interesting sights could appear on either side – usually there was Plasser Theurer machinery before the factory on the right. 47163 hauls a long liner of oil tanks, separated from them by a flat barrier wagon. 750222A01-WEA-47163-TNK_O
A cameraman zooms in on the double arrow logo on the side of 252001 – the High Speed Train prototype – at the Rail 150 Cavalcade at Shildon, County Durham; portending the new face of future travel. Police keep a watchful eye to ensure life is not endangered by the public approaching too close. 750731A01-UNK-2~001-PARKD
One of the power cars of the prototype High Speed Train languishes in a siding at BREL Derby, with its engine and roof panels removed, prior to disposal. The set visited Penzance on one occasion, though I never saw it myself there. It was eventually restored and preserved. 8####BD02-UNK-41001-SCRAP
The two power cars of the prototype High Speed Train (HST) set are parked together nose to tail at BREL Derby Works – next to a ‘Peak’ Class locomotive. The paintwork has got partially bleached by the sun, and a painted stripe has been added above the windscreen. #####BG01-UNK-41~01-SCRAP
D1733, pictured here at Oxenholme on 24th February 1968, was a loco I particularly wanted to see, ever since it was selected to introduce B.R.’s “new look” ‘XP64’. Its experimental British Rail emblems have been removed, and the yellow warning panel has not yet been extended to the entire front end and cabside windows, as was later normal for blue class members. Photo: Geoff Coward. 680224A01–OXN-D1733-PASGR
These slides of heavy and bulky ‘Peak’ class 45s and 46s at different locations from the 1979s/1980s were obtained in bulk, and without further identification. Not particularly attractive locos, they resembled their LMS predecessors 10001 and 10002 – which were modelled on 1930s American diesels – and were frequent visitors on NE/SW services, so I saw quite a lot of them. 7####GP01-05
The Old Dalby Test Track was where new equipment like the APT-E – (Advanced Passenger Train – Experimental) shown here – was tested before national system introduction. The trackbed was once part of a main line between Kettering and Nottingham, and has now been partially electrified and upgraded for modern requirements. Photo: David Grant. 7####GJ01-ODY-APT-E-TESTT
These pictures are taken from the Old Dalby Test Track in Leicestershire – a place mentioned in ‘Railway Magazine’, but of which I had no other knowledge. The APT-E is shown being taken out of a secure compound and at various points en route – 47200 is the loco that manoeuvred it back and forth with barrier and accommodation vehicles . Photo: David Grant. 7####GL01-ODT-APT-E-TESTT
D821 “GREYHOUND”, which went on to preservation, is pictured in an unidentified location, parked amid rolling stock including oil tanks and a van, perhaps in Westbury yard, in the days before roller blinds wound up in the cab ends were dispensed with. A few spoil heaps of ballast have been accidently spilt around one of the foreground tracks. 6####IK01-UNK–D821-PARKD
Didn’t she scrub-up well? This loco once towed roadstone wagons back and forth from Penlee Quarry near Newlyn to the end of the South Pier, but now has been transformed and is seen on the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway. I’d arranged to meet one of my former bosses there once the transformation was complete, but sadly he died between times. 08####A01-BUZ-PARKD-UNKNW
With pantographs lowered, Class 76 electric locos are pictured from an overbridge next to Wath depot in a sight I first saw in a railway book, and hoped one day to see in person (though the opportunity never presented itself). The engines seemed very basically styled to me, and devoid of elegance: which added to their allure and piqued my curiosity. 7210#AH01-WAH-76050-PARKD
Smoke and steam rise from a ‘Castle’ in fine external condition – possibly 7023 – parked outside one of the sheds at Worcester, with 0-6-0s 9400 and an LMS ‘4F’ behind. I never went to Worcester until recent years, and found it a “pale shadow” of what it had once been. Tenders are piled high with coal, and a water crane and inspection pit are in the foreground. 6####IL01-WOR-s7023-PARKD
The Eric Curnow Collection 