3. Fairwood Junction & Westbury-05.03.78

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1978 > 3. Fairwood Junction & Westbury-05.03.78
I am not sure why I went to Fairwood Junction and Westbury on this particular Sunday morning but I suspect that it may have been in an effort to see re-run The Deltic Ranger railtour. Gen was not what it is now in the pre-internet days of 1978 so, If I had proper information, I would have known that it was running via the Badminton Line to Bristol Parkway and then to the South West via Temple Meads rather than via the Berks and Hants as the original tour was supposed to have done before it was cancelled by snow in February. However, with it being a Sunday, at least I managed a clandestine shed tour at Westbury. How I got to and from Westbury from home I cannot remember, it is likely that I went on my bike.
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Images 1-4 of 4 displayed.

Fairwood Junction Signal Box (GW, 1933) The fact that I am so close to the front of Fairwood Junction signal box perhaps indicates that it was not staffed and switched out early on this Sunday morning, either that or there was a friendly signalman on duty. This image shows the timber work of this 28 lever GW Type 28B box that opened on 1st January 1933 and its lovely cast plate. Keywords: Fairwood Junction Signal Box
47256 & 47124, Westbury MPD On-shed at a sunny Westbury MPD are 47256 and 47124. I was really pleased to see 47256 for two reasons, firstly it was a cop form me and secondly, it was a celebrity loco. at this time as it was still in its green livery. In fact, it was the last of the class to be repainted into Rail Blue from green but this green was not its original paintwork as, surprisingly it was repainted following fire damage in 1974. Also in this picture are some of Westbury's resident fuel tankers used to replenish the locomotives that came on-shed. Also to the left is a snow plough that no doubt saw some use during the recent heavy snow that had crippled the railways a few weeks previously. Keywords: 47256 47124 Westbury MPD
47533, stabled, Westbury MPD 47533 basks in the early spring sunshine at Westbury MPD awaiting its next job that I suspect would not be until the following morning, a Monday, as there was no activity around the depot area. In the background, the diminutive maintenance shed can be seen. It was just big enough to fit in one locomotive but space and facilities were somewhat limited. Keywords: 47533 Westbury MPD
Nameplate, 47089, up PW train, Westbury station Standing idle at Westbury station is 47089 'Amazon' at the head of a PW train. I have only chosen to take its nameplate, number and data panel in this picture complete with an odd shadow from a platform lamp post. 47089 was a familiar member of the class to me living in the West Country as it was based on this region throughout its life. Unfortunately, it met an ignominious end being involved in a collision with 31440 at Chinley North Junction in February 1987. Both locos. were scrapped after the collision with 'Amazon' being cut up by Coopers in Sheffield. Keywords: Nameplate 47089 up PW train, Westbury station

Images 1-4 of 4 displayed.