10. Westbury-01.06.79

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1979 > 10. Westbury-01.06.79
Quite why I went on my bike to Westbury on the last day of the half-term holiday remains a bit of a mystery? My note book contain precious few numbers so I was not there for long and did not go for spotting but more for a specific reason. It could have been that I had some gen that a class 50 was working a stone train, a pretty rare occurrence. Either way, I must had ridden from home on my bike as I have no details of any trains travelled on.
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Images 1-6 of 6 displayed.

B581 & B579 DMU, unidentified Bristol Temple Meads-Weymouth working, Westbury North Taken from the road bridge just east of Westbury station a two-set six-car DMU approaches the station with an unidentified Bristol to Weymouth working. The leading set is B581, a cross country Gloucester R C & W Co. class 119. Behind it is another class 119 set B579, both of which were common sights in and around this area throughout this era, largely ignored so I am grateful that I took pictures of them! Keywords: B581 class 119 DMU Bristol Temple Meads-Weymouth working Westbury North
50033, down Foster Yeoman empty stone working, Westbury North Foster Yeoman stone workings were a very common sight at Westbury with trains coming and going from their Mendip quarries. However, to find a class 50 on such trains was not common, they were usually handled by class 47 and class 37 locomotives. Here, taken from the road bridge just before the station at Westbury, 50033 'Glorious' brings an empty wagon working in from the east, probably originating from the London area. Notice the line of twenty ton Presflo discharge wagons in the adjacent sidings associated with the nearby cement works that is just out of view to the right. Keywords: 50033 Foster Yoeman empty stone working, Westbury North
50033, down Foster Yeoman empty stone working, Westbury South 50033 'Glorious' leads a Foster Yeoman empty stone train out of Westbury past South Junction heading for one of the Mendip quarries. It was unusual to see a class 50 on one of these workings hence why I chased the train to this spot having already seen it entering Westbury station a little earlier. The flat area of cleared land to the middle right of the picture was where Westbury South signal box was located until it was decommissioned seven months previous to this picture being taken. It was demolished quickly following the introduction of the Westbury South MAS scheme and there appears to be no sign it was actually there. Keywords: 50033 Foster Yeoman empty stone Westbury South
50033, down Foster Yeoman empty stone working & 47144, unidentified up working, Westbury South An interesting picture taken at Westbury South. It shows to the left, a Cardiff Canton based 47144 bringing an unidentified up working into Westbury slowing for its stop at the station about a mile away. To the right, 50033 'Glorious' is getting an empty Foster Yeoman stone wagon train under way after a brief stop at Westbury. This will be heading from the London area to one of the Mendip quarries. The two tracks in the foreground are the up and down Salisbury lines that diverge from the other two lines at Westbury South. Keywords: 50033 Foster Yeoman empty stone 47144 Westbury South
31422, 12.05 Cardiff central-Portsmouth Harbour (1O79), Dilton-Marsh ST856511 A striking picture of 31422 as it gets a good run at Upton Scudamore bank south of Westbury, a three mile drag at an average of 1:70, as it leads the 12.05 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour working. There is a footpath parallel to the line at this location and I would have needed to have climbed the fence and a bit of the embankment to get the shot. So, yes, I was probably trespassing to get the picture and will have caused alrm to the driver, something that would never be done today but it was a different time then! Notice that the train is passing a banner repeater signal for a poorly sighted signal further around the long curve on the assent of the bank behind me. Looking at Google earth today, there is still a signal at this spot, as to whether it's a banner I am unsure. Keywords: 31422 12.05 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour 1O79 Dilton-Marsh ST856511
Class 50, unidentified up working, Dilton Marsh ST856511 There is one huge giveaway as to the location of this picture; the white horse on the escarpment marking the northern edge of Salisbury Plain in the background. This view is taken from a footpath bridge that crosses the Westbury cut-off (or station avoider) near the village of Dilton Marsh that is just south-east of Westbury. Unfortunately, I was not able to capture the number of the Class 50, my notebook simply says '5004?' So, I have no chance of identifying the up working either. Notice the former Great Western cast sign in the bottom left-hand corner of the picture. In common with many such signs at this time, the actual message has been highlighted in white paint on the raised letters, but the title that would probably have said 'Great Western Railway' (or such) has been left unpainted. The other thing to notice is the line of dead elm trees, it gives the impression that the picture was taken in winter rather than the first day of June. Dutch elm disease killed virtually all of the elm trees in the West Country as it spread up the country, completely changing the landscape in the process. Keywords: Class 50 up working Dilton Marsh ST856511

Images 1-6 of 6 displayed.