Ashleys Photos

[Ashley Hill]

Signal boxes (especially Scottish ones) are pretty cool to be fair…

I’ll try and scan some when I get chance. Meanwhile,this sign was mentioned on a closed thread about early BR signage. Here’s Lincoln Centrals direction sign together with another blue ER sign at Bury St Edmunds. Both early 90s

 

[Ashley Hill]

In 1991 a small group of us visited MC Metals in Glasgow to obtain major spares for a class 20 we owned at the time. Here’s a couple of photos from that trip.
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1. A line up of grounded class 20s with green celebrity 20030 of Three to the Sea fame present.
2. More dead 20s with the other celebrity green 20064 in view. Happily the third of the tour trio 20118 ended up in preservation for a number of years before returning to the mainline.
3. An unidentified half of a Peak awaits its bitter end.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Here is a selection from around the country.
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1. On the 06/06/93 a group of us visited Ashford open day. Two of the exhibits were 83301 and 73205. 33115 was given new international bogies with 3rd rail shoes and renumbered 83301. It was semi-permanently coupled with the 73 and usually worked with a redundant 4TC set allocated to the RTC.
2. The Solent & Wessex Wanderer railtour departing Yeovil Junction for Waterloo on the 01/03/92. The locos are 73001,20117 and 20121.
3.302219 and 310074 rest at Shoeburyness sometime in June 1991.
4. 150279 sits in the sun at Treherbert whilst the crew change ends. June 1995.

 

[Cowley]

Here is a selection from around the country.
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View attachment 155871 4View attachment 155872

1. On the 06/06/93 a group of us visited Ashford open day. Two of the exhibits were 83301 and 73205. 33115 was given new international bogies with 3rd rail shoes and renumbered 83301. It was semi-permanently coupled with the 73 and usually worked with a redundant 4TC set allocated to the RTC.
2. The Solent & Wessex Wanderer railtour departing Yeovil Junction for Waterloo on the 01/03/92. The locos are 73001,20117 and 20121.
3.302219 and 310074 rest at Shoeburyness sometime in June 1991.
4. 150279 sits in the sun at Treherbert whilst the crew change ends. June 1995.

That 73 and pair of 20s combination is somewhat unusual!

 

[Ashley Hill]

Some more from around the country.
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1. Salisbury 1990? A Salisbury-Waterloo service has acquired a GUV as tail traffic. The guard is performing the brake test.
2 Inverness 1991 sees two Scotrail 47/7s waiting departure.
3. The well trodden path around the Brush works at Loughborough and a selection of brand new class 60s can be seen. Thought to be 1990.
4. Barrow Hill roundhouse a few months before closure sees 58049 stabled on the turntable whilst coupled to another unidentified 58. I remember the shed feeling somewhat desolate and we just wondered around at will with no sign of any staff. 1990.

A lesson for everyone,keep records!!

 

[Ash Bridge]

That 33 propelling 4TC set(s) with GUV in tow must have been an amazing sight to witness whilst speeding along the south western main line!

Just looking at so many brand new 60s stored at Falcon Works, would I be remembering correctly that there were many problems getting them commissioned at the time?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Just looking at so many brand new 60s stored at Falcon Works, would I be remembering correctly that there were many problems getting them commissioned at the time?

Yes there were issues but I can’t remember what they were,someone here will. There’s at least 15 in that photo.

 

[lostwin(m)]

I wish I had had my camera when visiting Barrow Hill. I only went once on a spotting trip, probably ‘82/3. No one around at the weekend,but the depot stuffed full of dirty locos off a hard week on MGR coal trains.

Wonderfully atmospheric location and your photo evokes a vivid reminder for me.

 

[Ashley Hill]

No one around at the weekend,but the depot stuffed full of dirty locos off a hard week on MGR coal trains.

I remember the place was absolutely deserted apart from the four in our group and another couple of enthusiasts. Our usual method of getting around a shed entailed asking the first person we saw in an orange vest if we could look around. If they objected we would ask for directions to the supervisors office. If given we would head off around the depot at will looking for it. If caught again we said this was the way we were told to come. We only got booted out once and that was Laira.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Time for two more ,NSE this time. This time I was out line bashing.
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1. Recorded as June 1994 4EPB 5625 rests in the platform at Hayes.
2. It’s June 1995 apparently and 5825 reclines in the platform at Caterham with a service for London Bridge.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Signal boxes (especially Scottish ones) are pretty cool to be fair…

As requested! In 1990 I spent a week bashing and drinking around northern Scotland basing myself at Aviemore. Many boxes were photographed. Here are some.
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1. Nairn East box.
2. Nairn West box.
3. Tablet exchange at Nairn with 47701 St Andrew. It’s claimed the Nairn signalman manned both boxes and cycled between the two. There was a very good railway museum in the station building.
4. The interior of Aviemore box. The poor signalman suffered many visits from myself that week.

 

[Cowley]

As requested! In 1990 I spent a week bashing and drinking around northern Scotland basing myself at Aviemore. Many boxes were photographed. Here are some.
1View attachment 157051 2View attachment 157052
3View attachment 157053 4View attachment 157054

1. Nairn East box.
2. Nairn West box.
3. Tablet exchange at Nairn with 47701 St Andrew. It’s claimed the Nairn signalman manned both boxes and cycled between the two. There was a very good railway museum in the station building.
4. The interior of Aviemore box. The poor signalman suffered many visits from myself that week.

Ah they’re rather lovely I must say. Thanks for sharing those.

 

[lostwin(m)]

As requested! In 1990 I spent a week bashing and drinking around northern Scotland basing myself at Aviemore. Many boxes were photographed. Here are some.
1View attachment 157051 2View attachment 157052
3View attachment 157053 4View attachment 157054

1. Nairn East box.
2. Nairn West box.
3. Tablet exchange at Nairn with 47701 St Andrew. It’s claimed the Nairn signalman manned both boxes and cycled between the two. There was a very good railway museum in the station building.
4. The interior of Aviemore box. The poor signalman suffered many visits from myself that week.

Super stuff. The picture inside the Aviemore box is a cracker.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Super stuff. The picture inside the Aviemore box is a cracker.

He finally let me have a go on the frame on my last night before returning home.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Railtours and random.
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1. 19/7/94 and 20214/20121 pose for photos at Bridlington with Pathfinders Two Roses Voyager.
2. Two late greats pose at Scarborough on the tour layover.(L)Tim Gilpin ,(R) Mark Ekert. Tim was a signalman first in Herefordshire and then Cornwall. He had a penchant for referring to PICOPs as Exorsists. Why? Because they were in charge of possessions! Tims t-shirt says I Have A Big Chopper. This was a reference to him being a part owner of 20110 whose number was displayed on his back. This caused much amusement on the train but received some funny looks in Scarborough town. Mark (the Fossil) was a familiar face in several boxes in Devon (esp Aller Jct) as an amateur signalman. He was also a part owner of 20110 and a SDR driver. Great chaps and miss them both!
3. D172 (46035) on the The Pennine Excursioner on the 08/08/98. Time has dulled the memory and this tour doesn’t seem to appear on Six Bells Junction. A few familiar faces in the crowd.
4. 09018 poses with some troughing lids at Dover in June 1992. A group of us also visited the Eurotunnel exhibition centre that day too.

 

[lostwin(m)]

Obviously some fond memories for you on the rail tour pics, some great characters about in those days. The shunter at Dover though, that fast tracks me back through time. Commonly seen in and around Dover by me, but strangely, I never seemed to point my camera. Looks like it’s had a bit too much sea air though!