BEDFORD BRANCH. LOCOMOTIVE CLUB of GREAT BRITAIN. Newsletter No 121 July 2015

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that prevented travel to St.Pancras the participants made it to London on time travelling on the ECML via Biggleswade and Arlesey.

Stops were made at various points of railway interest including Canonbury and Hoxton. Lunch was taken at the excellent pub at Denmark Hill that used to be the large booking office.

Friday 10 - Sunday 12 July Bure Valley Railway 25th Birthday Celebrations - see Website at Alsham Station, Norwich Road, Aylsham NR11 6BW Sat, 11 July Train Collectors Society Summer Show 1030-5pm;

30pm at Summerfields Fruit Farm (off A600) Nr. Haynes.MK45 3BH Sunday 19 July Rocks by Rail Ironstone Museum Barrington Loco's & Stock Services Cottesmore Nr. Oakham.

1 LOCOMOTIVE CLUB of GREAT BRITAIN BEDFORD BRANCH DiARY Newsletter No 121 July 2015 Wednesday 8 July 7.30pm RCTS Hitchin 16 mm Archive Films -- Frank Banfield at Hitchin Christian, Bedford Road, Hitchin, SG5 1HF Club Overground Trip - Sat 20 June John Morgan Despite the Thameslink engineering work that prevented travel to St.Pancras the participants made it to London on time travelling on the ECML via Biggleswade and Arlesey. John Downing our incredibly knowledgeable and genial guide for the trip met us at St.Pancras and the circumnavigation began at Highbury and Islington. Stops were made at various points of railway interest including Canonbury and Hoxton. Lunch was taken at the excellent pub at Denmark Hill that used to be the large booking office. The journey continued via Clapham Junction and Willesden finishing at West Hampstead. Friday 10 - Sunday 12 July Bure Valley Railway 25th Birthday Celebrations - see Website at Alsham Station, Norwich Road, Aylsham NR11 6BW Sat, 11 July Train Collectors Society Summer Show pm; Adult 4.50; Child 1.50; Family 9 Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB Our sales stand will be there Sunday 19 July Summerfields Miniature Railway Running Day pm at Summerfields Fruit Farm (off A600) Nr. Haynes.MK45 3BH Sunday 19 July Rocks by Rail Ironstone Museum Barrington Loco's & Stock Services Cottesmore Nr. Oakham.LE15 7BX Sunday 19 July Lavendon Narrow Gauge Rly. Open Day at Harrold Road, Lavendon MK46 4HU Sunday 26 July Leighton Buzzard Railway Everything Goes - Rare Loco s, Track and More at Pages Park, Leighton Buzzard,LU7 4NT Thursday 30 July 7.30pm Stevenage Loco Soc. Sierra Leone Railway Museum - Anthony Coulls (NRM) at Community Arts Centre, Roaring Meg Retail Pk, Stevenage, SG1 1XN Tuesday 18 August am LCGB Bedford Come Trainspotting with Chairman Bill - Depart Bedford 1055, call at Ridgmont to visit Museum, Shop and Café. Arrive Bletchley at Return at Leisure Thursday 27 Aug 7.30pm Stevenage Loco Soc s Steam in Black & White - David Eatwell at Community Arts Centre, Roaring Meg Retail Pk, Stevenage, SG1 1XN Tuesday 1 September 7.30 pm LCGB Bedford Don t Blame Beeching -- Richard Crane at St John s Hall, St J s St, B f d, MK42 0DL (near St Johns Stn) Photos show Denmark Hill the pub can be seen above the station and the group shows great interest in a departing train and I ask Sheelagh if she s still having a good time. [ Bill Roffe. ERRATA for June Apologies to Robin Patrick. 1. At the bottom of Page 1 the 4F is on the Cobbler and not the Banburian. 2. On page 6, left hand column the bottom photo is M Theale Lafarge to West Thurrock and not as captioned. THANKS to all contributors. PLEASE send something for the newsletter even if it s just one photo or a few lines. We re looking for YOUR thoughts and experiences. Material for September by Tuesday 25 August please. cheers, Geoff CONTACTS:- General:- Bryan Cross tel Newsletter:- Geoff Biggs tel Richmond Hill, Luton, LU2 7JQ - -biggsluton@hotmail.com - see Bedford pages Page 1 of 6

SIXTY - EIGHTS are GO all Bill Davies By Saunderton distinctive former GW wire and post fencing survives whilst from Ashendon Junction the Mileposts start again at 1 as we speed Northwards to

It is delightful to see this station thriving with trains arriving and departing at frequent intervals.

15hrs departure to Moor Street which duly provided me with my first sight of 68010. - I was able to have a quick look into the cab which unlike early diesels definitely have the driver in mind.

We boarded into the first Mark 3 carriage which although some years old had been refurbished to a very high standard. Shame the cleaning staff hadn't erased the coffee stains and crumbs on the table.

2 SIXTY - EIGHTS are GO all Bill Davies By Saunderton distinctive former GW wire and post fencing survives whilst from Ashendon Junction the Mileposts start again at 1 as we speed Northwards to Bicester where the new chord to the Oxford line is nearing completion. I needed to see a Class 68 so Bentley and I made our way to Marylebone to find one. It is delightful to see this station thriving with trains arriving and departing at frequent intervals. Once closure was averted it has clawed it's way back into prominence by increasing services and destinations. My aim was to have a look at the 13.15hrs departure to Moor Street which duly provided me with my first sight of I was able to have a quick look into the cab which unlike early diesels definitely have the driver in mind. Banbury is reached spot on time at Our plan is to walk by the canal in Leamington, having alighted there-. Then to travel through Impressed by their uncluttered lines I couldn't resist a ride. We boarded into the first Mark 3 carriage which although some years old had been refurbished to a very high standard. Shame the cleaning staff hadn't erased the coffee stains and crumbs on the table. It's minor details such as this that get noticed. Departure was smooth quickly accelerating through Lords Tunnel, on the up side mileposts proclaiming 204, which was the old GC from Manchester. Only the GC measured in the up direction into London. At Ruislip underground depot I was amused to see that the washer had been provided by Vickers Aquatics whom I would have assumed dealt mainly with ponds!!. Kenilworth to Coventry for a service to Milton Keynes, Bletchley and Bedford. Having admired the station gardens at Leamington including a topiary locomotive it is time for our Cross Country which is running late leaving me a mad scramble at Coventry. At Rugby we are held on top of the flyover reminiscent of being on top of a fairground ride. Our Southern service takes us to Bletchley where we observe a mass succession of Pendolinos running late on the down road following signaling problems at Watford. Two 86's pass on the down slow with a liner train before we set off for Bedford on a 'Tin Rocket' to alight at St Johns. My appetite for 68's was salved as I saw two more, on the 'Blue and White set' and passed on a Birmingham - Marylebone service. Not a bad trip involving seven different train operators : Thameslink, LUL, Chiltern, Cross Country, Virgin West Coast, Southern and London Midland. A notable first aside from the 68 haulage was that at every station between Bletchley and Bedford passengers joined and left!!! Page 2 of 6

TODDINGTON and SWANAGE John Morgan Just returned (on 8 June) from a tour of Gloucs. and Dorset.

A loop has been created at Laverton for run-round purposes... - Raveningham Hall runs into Winchcombe with a freight.

- With Corfe Castle in the background 30053 approaches Harmans Cross on 3 June.

I travelled 1st class on the train from Montreal to Halifax, a scheduled sleeper service running three times weekly.

My sleeping compartment was ensuite: a bit cramped but surprisingly comfortable.

Local beer was also available, including a very nice blueberry beer.

3 TODDINGTON and SWANAGE John Morgan Just returned (on 8 June) from a tour of Gloucs. and Dorset. We stopped off at the Glos and Warks railway for the Cotswold festival of steam. A loop has been created at Laverton for run-round purposes... - Raveningham Hall runs into Winchcombe with a freight. - Wells and Wadebridge double head into Toddington with a train from Cheltenham. Both on 23 May. - With Corfe Castle in the background approaches Harmans Cross on 3 June. CANADA s OCEAN TRAIN Alan Pitkin A photo of the Ocean Train at Halifax Nova Scotia taken at 17:50 on Saturday 16/5/15. I travelled 1st class on the train from Montreal to Halifax, a scheduled sleeper service running three times weekly. The train departed Montreal 18:55 on Friday 15/5/15 arriving at Halifax 17:35 the following day on time. My sleeping compartment was ensuite: a bit cramped but surprisingly comfortable. Meals on the train were served in the restaurant car and were excellent. Local beer was also available, including a very nice blueberry beer. The observation car was very pleasant observing a wilderness of forests, lakes and rivers. Highly recommended....while in Dorset visited the Swanage railway. - BB class Manston on shed at Swanage on 2 June. - On Tuesday 2 June the 1555 Luton Crescent Rd to Mountsorrel Sidings stands waiting to depart. But why a DB engine on a FL train? Funny. [ Geoff B Page 3 of 6

GCR WARTIME WEEKEND Roger Whitehead FAWLEY HILL RAILWAY all Bill Davies Sunday's excellent visit to Sir Bill McAlpines Fawley Hill Railway organised by the Young Buffers Association, those railwaymen

For once Bentley less we arrived to see an 03 'Snort' grinding up the 1 in 13 gradient - Sunday 7th June, a very pleasant summer day, saw Jill and I heading north up the M1, destination Loughborough

every station was staging something relative to that period, particularly Quorn where the entire car park had been given over to stalls/tents selling clothing, accessories etc.

The highlight for me was the flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota.

4 GCR WARTIME WEEKEND Roger Whitehead FAWLEY HILL RAILWAY all Bill Davies Sunday's excellent visit to Sir Bill McAlpines Fawley Hill Railway organised by the Young Buffers Association, those railwaymen who retired early so avoided hitting the buffers at 65, was a great success. For once Bentley less we arrived to see an 03 'Snort' grinding up the 1 in 13 gradient - Sunday 7th June, a very pleasant summer day, saw Jill and I heading north up the M1, destination Loughborough and the GCR's 1940's / wartime weekend.every station was staging something relative to that period, particularly Quorn where the entire car park had been given over to stalls/tents selling clothing, accessories etc. The beer tent was doing a good trade and the two stages featured a variety of singers and other musicians doing their thing. The highlight for me was the flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota.Very noticeable was the number of visitors who had entered into the spirit of the day wearing either military uniforms or period costume. All the trains appeared to be pretty full so the railway should be well pleased with the event, particularly i f the Saturday had been as successful. For the record the locos in steam were 45305,48624 and 92214/92220 backed up by the DMU. Timekeeping was suffering due largely to the number of people getting on/off so by the end trains were about 25 minutes late. That actually suited us as it meant our return to L'boro was behind the 9F rather than the diesel. It was actually a very pleasant day which we may well repeat in the future. before steam took over for the rest of the day. The astonishing collection of railwayana can hardly be matched at any other location with possibly York as an exception. We had rides in both an open wagon and the 'Shark' ballast brake van which took us down to Fawley Junction then just into fictitional Scotland before returning across the border for a dramatic thrash up the incline into 'Somersham' Station. Every where you look there are railway artefacts which fascinated me as we rode up and down behind 102 year old loco No 31, a Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T, that Sir William purchased from the Slough Estates Railway for 100 in Colin and David Smith called at Banbury on 23 May to see Duchess of Sutherland ready to leave for Derby. This was the Oxfordshire Express from Man. Vic to Didcot. Steam from Derby and back. All in all a very pleasant day in good company and sunshine. Yours inclined with steam, Bill Davies Page 4 of 6

1T53 1512 Carlisle - Lancaster. - Claire Lumsden saw this going North on the M1 on 9 June. It is a Met D stock car. Presumably going to Long Marston.

They have a cunning plan to fit these with diesel electric generating sets and run them in Pacer areas like the Welsh Valleys. They will be pleased.

On Sunday the same combination went to Brora and back, then back to Stirling on Monday. The whole 3-day trip was poorly patronised.

The track was dug up between St Albans and St Pancras, with Thameslink trains running Bedford to St Albans. But EM trans terminated at Luton.

5 Two from Robin Patrick approaching Howsham level crossing climbing away from Kirkham Abbey in fine style with 1Z Scarborough - Manchester Victoria, the return East Yorkshirman. Date 30 May On Wednesday 10 June 'The Sherwood Forester' storms towards the summit at Ais Gill on the 1 in 100 with Wild Boar Fell in background on the 'The Fellsman' 1T Carlisle - Lancaster. - Claire Lumsden saw this going North on the M1 on 9 June. It is a Met D stock car. Presumably going to Long Marston. The one near Stratford on Avon. This is the headquarters of Viva Rail, headed by Adrian Shooter no less, ex- Chiltern Railways fame. They have a cunning plan to fit these with diesel electric generating sets and run them in Pacer areas like the Welsh Valleys. They will be pleased. - On Saturday 20 June Martin Field saw Tornado climbing to Slochd Summit on Abellio Scotrail s The Highland Rambler from Stirling to Inverness. On Sunday the same combination went to Brora and back, then back to Stirling on Monday. The whole 3-day trip was poorly patronised. - It was all change at Luton in more ways than one during the weekend of June. The track was dug up between St Albans and St Pancras, with Thameslink trains running Bedford to St Albans. But EM trans terminated at Luton. They used the slow line platforms (giving them three to use) while Thameslink used the fast lines. Here, is departing for Sheffield from Platform 3, usually used by trains bound for Bedford. On its left you can see a train for Nottingham on Platform 2, normally used to turn trains from Sutton. The only way North from here is to join the Up Slow then change to the Down Slow at Luton North. [Geoff Biggs - Roberta Scudamore saw Devon & Cornwall Railway hauling Chiltern DVT from Wembley to Brush, Loughborough on 1 June. They are passing the former No 2 steam shed at Wellingborough. Surrounded by fencing - looks like the end. Page 5 of 6

Geoff Biggs visited the Telford Steam Railway on Sunday 14 June.

It turned out to be 0.7 miles max. Their service was being worked by a DMU.

So a reason to go and travel this scenic line, with the noisy class 37 diesels but lineside residents are

! Pictures show - 37606 approaching Ravenglass on the bridge where the River Mite runs towards sea 2C32

6 Geoff Biggs visited the Telford Steam Railway on Sunday 14 June. I ed them before I went asking how long their track was and was told about two miles. It turned out to be 0.7 miles max. Their service was being worked by a DMU. The best bits were a very big model railway and this narrow gauge steam tram which ran round in a circle. Class 37s have a big following.so now 37 hauled workings have been put in on the Cumbrian Coast with two daily diagrams Robin Patrick flocked there on 23 June. They are top & tailed until driving trailers are available when only one class 37 will be used. So a reason to go and travel this scenic line, with the noisy class 37 diesels but lineside residents are not too happy especially with early morning trains!! Pictures show approaching Ravenglass on the bridge where the River Mite runs towards sea 2C Carlisle - Preston and & 218 crossing the bridge at Eskmeals where River Esk runs towards the sea with 2C Carlisle-Barrow. All because some of Northern s unitswere given to other railways -- crazy. On Sat. 20 June, Roberta Sudamore saw Tangmere at Eastleigh on the 0635 Poole to Cardiff - RTC s The Welshman. Later that day at the Mid-Hants Rly she saw at Alresford. Phil Bell went to the WSR s Mixed Traffic Gala on 5-7 June Raveninghah Hall was the solitary steam engine Sherwood Forester calls at Dunster on its last mile of service before it failed at Williton with compressor trouble. Page 6 of 6

Arriva Rail London. Arriva Trains Wales. Chiltern Railways. Abellio ScotRail. CrossCountry. Alliance Rail. Colas Rail. ESG No. c2c.

Arriva Rail London. Arriva Trains Wales. Chiltern Railways. Abellio ScotRail. CrossCountry. Alliance Rail. Colas Rail. ESG No. c2c. Abellio ScotRail Arriva Rail London Alliance Rail Arriva Trains Wales c2c Chiltern Railways Colas Rail CrossCountry DB Cargo (UK) Limited Devon & Cornwall Railway Direct Rail Services East Midlands Trains