8. Berks. & Hants.-15.04.18

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1978 > 8. Berks. & Hants.-15.04.18

My second trip out with Graham in his bright orange Mini. I also went with my teacher from school and my spotting companion Guy. With the mechanical signalling on the Berks. and Hants. under imminent threat of closure due to the westward march of MAS we headed towards Newbury. By this time, Newbury was the fringe box from the Reading panel and this was the furthest west the mechanical signalling reached. As it turned out, this was a critical day for two of the boxes.

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Images 1-21 of 21 displayed.

50026, unidentified up working, Bedwyn station
Our first port of call was Bedwyn station just east of Pewsey. At 66 miles from Paddington this was the termination point for commuter services on this line. The bay platform that accommodated the DMU services can be seen to the right. Named two weeks prior to this picture being taken, 50026 'Indomitable' shatters the peace of the quiet Wiltshire village as it powers eastwards with an unidentified up working. The Exa camera has done a good job at keeping the fast moving train sharp but the fairly head-on view helped.
Keywords: 50026, unidentified up working, Bedwyn station

50029, unidentified down working, Bedwyn station
A quiet scene at Bedwyn station on the Berks. and Hants. line even though it's actually in Wiltshire and that the line does not actually ever pass through any part of Hampshire! 50029, still unnamed, slows for a signal check at the station with an unidentified down working. The lovely Great Western box is situated at the London end of the down platform. Notice the timber running-in board and the lovely old platform lighting. Close examination also shows a sign of things to come with the new bay platform starter MAS in place with the usual black cross cover over it indicating that it is presently out of use.
Keywords: 50029 down working Bedwyn station

50029, unidentified down working, Bedwyn station
Having come to a stop at the station, 50029 pauses with an unidentified down working awaiting the right away from Bedwyn station in Wiltshire. This was an unscheduled stop and the guard can be seen peering out the Mk. I BG wondering what is causing the delay.
Keywords: 50029 down working, Bedwyn station

Newbury Middle signal box (closed 04.03.78) (GWR, date not known)
The one that got away, Newbury Middle signal box. This Great Western box closed just a month prior to this picture being taken and was demolished a short time later complete with the levers and frame still in situ, all very upsetting! I have found very little information about this signal box including its date of opening; if anybody can help I would be grateful.
Keywords: Newbury Middle signal box closed 04.03.78 GWR, date U/K

Newbury West signal box, (GWR, date not known)
At the country end of Newbury station was Newbury West signal box. At this point in time it was the fringe box from the Reading panal. It controlled the tracks at the western end of the station and the associated signalling of which there was a fair amount. Again, as with Newbury Middle, I have no date of construction but as its one of the GW's later hipped roof design with blue bricks for the corners it has to be post 1896. Notice the work of the PW gang all around the box. Soon, the track layout was considerably rationalised with new MAS signalling installed and the Victorian infrastructure swept away.
Keywords: Newbury West signal box, GWR, date not known

L587, unidentified up working, Newbury station
A class 119 DMU set number L587 arrives at Newbury station with a Bedwyn to Paddington working. Behind it is the lovely GW West signal box. Notice on the platform the detritus casually left by the S & T team consisting of new signalling posts and lights; how different today! Also of note is the down fast home with its sighting board, I suspect that this was installed to assist drivers seeing the signal in the late afternoons and early evenings when the sun was setting as they were facing just about due west and they would have been passing at speed through the middle road.
Keywords: L587 up working Newbury station

50003, unidentified down working, Newbury station
The up starter has been pulled off and 50003 makes a noisy and smoky departure from Newbury station. This view of the 50 clearly shows that its not refurbished (The programme had not yet started with 50006 being the first completed in 1979) as the air vents in the roof cut-out are still exposed. During the refurbishment process, this large space was covered up with a new section of roof panel and the whole filtration system heavily revised. Unfortunately, this had the effect of removing the sucking of air sound that gave the 50s their 'Hoover' nickname. Notice the stack of track panels in the foreground that had been removed from the west facing sidings and bay platform.
Keywords: 50003 down working Newbury station

Newbury up home bracket
The magnificent up home bracket signal on the approach to Newbury. The home and distant to the right are for the up fast. The left home is for the up platform and has a subsidiary arm below it allowing trains to proceed at caution past the home set at danger, for example if a train was already occupying the platform ahead.
Keywords: Newbury up home bracket

50001, unidentified up working, Newbury Rockingham Road SU466666
50001 was named 'Dreadnought' only five days prior to this picture being taken as it approaches Newbury from the west with an unidentified up working. The train was actually going very slowly being reduced to walking pace against adverse signals. The up fast home and distant were then pulled off on the bracket indicating that the train is taking the centre road through Newbury running non-stop. I have to admit that this picture did involve a pretty dramatic trespass and, looking back some forty years later, I cannot believe that I did this.
Keywords: 50001 up working Newbury Rockingham Road SU466666

Hamstead Crossing signal box 12 hrs. prior to closure (GWR, date not known)
As it transpired, this was the last day of operation of Hamstead Crossing Signal box. It was being taken out of use at midnight as an intermediate block post between Newbury West and Kintbury. The scaffolding was erected so as to complete the installation of the CCTV cameras on their tall poles. The crossing was to be monitored and controlled by a new mini work station at Kintbury. Notice how shiny and new looking the barriers are! I remember the signallman shouting at me to move my ITT radio cassette recorder as he thought it was going to foul the barriers when they were lowered.
Keywords: Hamstead Crossing signal box 12 hrs. prior to closure GWR, date not known

50026, unidentified down working, Hamstead crossing
Having worked up to London earlier in the day (seen at Bedwyn) 50026 'Indomitable' speeds past Hamstead with an unidentified down working. It is about to pass the newly built relay and control room next to the newly installed CCTV mast. The semaphore above the class 50 would only operate for a few more hours as Hamstead box, that controlled it, was being closed at midnight of this day.
Keywords: 50026 unidentified down working Hamstead crossing

50014, unidentified up working, Hamstead crossing
Unfortunately, taken into the afternoon light but the image is historic in that the home semaphore at Hamstead in Berkshire had less than 12 hours of use before being decommissioned with the block post being abolished. 50014 heads east with an unidentified up working. Notice the lines of lime trees to the right.
Keywords: 50014 up working Hamstead crossing

Running-in board, Kintbury station
A lovely GW running-in board at Kintbury station mounted on posts made of old track. In the background a pretty narrow boat sits moored up on the Kennet and Avon canal.
Keywords: Running-in board Kintbury station

50043, unidentified down working, Kintbury station
My records have this as 50043 'Eagle' shattering the peace at Kintbury station heading west with an unidentified down working. However, I think something is amiss as, according to contemporary information, 50043 was not named until June 1978 and in this image red plates are clearly seen on the bodyside. So, I think that my records are possibly incorrect? The image is taken from the top of steps of Kintbury signal box that we had been invited into. Kintbury signal box was about to close with the opening of a new portacabin type structure (still open in 2018) renamed Kintbury Crossing Box. This new structure simply controlled the CCTV monitored crossings at Hamstead and Kintbury leaving a long block section between Newbury West and Hungerford that was only in-place for a short time prior to new MAS being introduced.
Keywords: 50043 unidentified down working Kintbury station

50029, unidentified up working, Kintbury signal box
50029 is about to rattle the signal box at Kintbury passing with an unidentified up working. The block instruments and levers can be clearly seen in this interesting picture that I was able to take courtesy of the signalmen who allowed us to visit the box only a few hours prior to its final and complete closure. It was to be replaced by a portacabin type structure directly opposite that simply controlled Hamstead and Kintbury level crossings using CCTV. Interestingly, this image was one that the processing company who the film was sent to did not print as it was deemed to be of poor quality. I have resurrected it from the original Kodak negative with some heavy Photoshop actions and even though it is technically not brilliant, I like the composition and the atmosphere that is conveyed; not bad for fourteen-year-old boy with a primitive camera!
Keywords: 50029 up working Kintbury signal box Renown semaphore signals

Ex. BR (W) enamel sign, from Kintbury station
This BR(W) large flanged enamel sign is seen attached to the end of my shed in 2018. It was originally located on Kintbury station just across the crossing from the box and had recently been removed prior to our visit in April 1978. When we visited the box on its last afternoon of operation the sign was laying under the steps of the signal box and it was offered to me by the friendly signallman; I did not need asking again! It only just fitted in the back of the Mini for the journey home, sitting behind the front seats meaning that us two sitting in the back had a slightly uncomfortable journey home with it in front of our knees!
Keywords: BR enamel sign Kintbury station

L423, unidentified Bedwyn-London Paddington working, Kintbury station
As the barriers raise at Kintbury station, a class 117 DMU set number L423 comes to a halt. There appears to a good a good number of passengers waiting to board the unidentified Bedwyn to London Paddington working. Notice the timber clad GW waiting room on the other platform slowly being enveloped by ivy.
Keywords: L423 unidentified Bedwyn-London Paddington working Kintbury station

L407, unidentified London Paddington-Bedwyn working, Kintbury station
A class 117 DMU set number L407 comes to a halt at Kintbury station with an unidentified Paddington to Bedwyn service, next stop Hungerford. The starter is already pulled off with the home returned to danger. The photograph is taken from the steps of Kintbury signal box that only had a matter of a few hours left in use before closure.
Keywords: L407 unidentified London Paddington-Bedwyn working Kintbury station

Class 50, unidentified down working, Hungerford station
In beautiful evening light, and unidentified class 50 races westwards through Hungerford station with a down working. Notice the extensive former yard and goods shed in the background. The station has undergone a huge programme of improvements in recent years and a large part of this former yard is now an inevitable car park for the commuters who head off to Reading and London every morning.
Keywords: Class 50 unidentified down working Hungerford station

Images 1-21 of 21 displayed.