Great Western Coffee Shop

Well, through my ages anyway!

I was looking at my old Pentax film camera the other day, and thought I'd do a little picture quiz as it's been a while since I've done one.  All were taken by me since I got my first camera in the late 70s, through the 90s and early 21st century with my Pentax, and a few more recent ones on one of my digital cameras.  Roughly half are in or near the FGW area, and I've even chucked in a couple from foreign shores.  Some are fairly easy and some should be a good test for the more seriously travelled of you!

WELL DONE ALL - ALL PHOTOS HAVE NOW BEEN CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED

FROM THE 1980s:

1)  MICHELDEVER
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8467/8106532634_6ce14baec5_z.jpg)

2) BICESTER NORTH - One of the 4-Car Class 115 DMUs that used to chug up and down between Banbury and Marylebone.  Known for their high standard of interior fittings (compared to most other DMUs of the time), and slow acceleration - only 2 out of the 4 vehicles were powered - it's fair to say that the service on the Chiltern Line has been completely transformed since the early 80s when this picture was taken.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8106530128_d40bf04e26_z.jpg)

3)  ABINGDON - Final day with special trains running to and from Abingdon on 30th June 1984.  This large town of over 35000 was left without a passenger service in 1963, though freight continued until shortly before the specials on the final day.  Radley is now the nearest railhead for Abingdon and is about to see its car park extended for a second time proving how useful the link would be today.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8188/8106517325_b5ba6d80ef_z.jpg)


FROM THE 1990s:

4) LELANT
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8106515801_d7a0eb10d1_z.jpg)

5)  GILLINGHAM (DORSET)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8106528048_f86f44914b_z.jpg)

6)  KILLARNEY - Rather time-consuming shunt manoeuvre required for through trains from Tralee which come round the curve, stop at the points beyond the signal box, before reversing back into the platform!
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8106528840_50144c287e_z.jpg)

7)  TACKLEY - Local services from Banbury to Oxford became local services through to Reading in the very late 80s and were operated by 3-car DMUs (either Class 101, or 117 DMUs) for a short while until Turbos took over around 1992/3.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8468/8106517749_5fc09ddae5_z.jpg)

8 )  BERWICK-UPON-TWEED
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/8106518703_cc8a461125_z.jpg)

9) TAPLOW
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/8106531230_12879d4ba1_z.jpg)

10)  TEIGNMOUTH - I remember being delighted when this came back from Bonusprint - one of the first shots taken with my new Sigma zoom lens and in pin-sharp focus.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8106531766_feb4c50679_z.jpg)

11)  NARVIK - The locomotive (or locomotives really as there are three semi-permanently coupled together) is the Norwegian equivalent of the Swedish Dm+Dm3+Dm, known as NSB El 12.  Both types are rather special with almost 10000hp of power which made them the most powerful engines in the world for a while.  The were used on Iron Ore trains on the line between Narvik in Norway and Lulea in Sweden.  Well worth tracking down a bit of footage on youtube to see them in action, and I was very lucky to catch this one running light loco through Narvik in the final few months of regular running.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8106535230_d0fdb0a0aa_z.jpg)

12)  BODMIN PARKWAY
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8327/8106520427_dcf1a1446c_z.jpg)


FROM THE 2000s:

13)  PRESTON - On loan to Northern in 2009, this Class 180 is now back working Cotswold Line services with FGW.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8468/8106516503_33e65ed951_z.jpg)

14) MACHYNLLETH
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8323/8106536858_43db0c32f8_z.jpg)

15)  LINCOLN - Taken in 2009 just after the signalling and track modifications that make operations at the station much more efficient.  Just those level crossings to sort out now!
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8106530955_5077f7e8ba_z.jpg)


FROM THE 2010s:

16)  THE HAWTHORNS - Midland Metro trams at the tram stop with the Network Rail station beside it - hopefully ridership should improve now that the City Centre extension is under construction.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8106527561_e0604d5066_z.jpg)

17)  TENBY
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/8106528471_e79e576a2b_z.jpg)

18)  AYNHO JUNCTION - Shown just before the modifications to the track layout for the Chiltern 'Mainline' service.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8106540980_fd81fd07a7_z.jpg)

19) TINTERN - on the former Wye Valley Railway, which closed as early as 1959.  Well worth a visit as there's some great walks in the area as well as the preserved station buildings and visitor centre.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8106534592_5092894f9b_z.jpg)

20)  BERNEY ARMS - Shame to see the wooden sentry box waiting shelter has now gone.  On the plus side I enjoyed a cracking baked spud and a couple of pints in the nearby Berney Arms!
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8466/8106538038_1a7280168b_z.jpg)

I think 6 is Killarney and 19 Tintern.  Haven't a clue about the others.

17 Tenby

Spot on, 'trainer' - that's two of the harder ones gone straight away!

And, yes, 'Hafren' has got number 17 correct.

My two allowed guesses are:

14: Machynlleth
20: Berney Arms

My guesses are:

9  = Twyford

17 = Class 143 arriving at Tenby working a Pembroke Dock - Swansea service

I knew you'd get two with no problem, BNM![


Sorry mate.  9 isn't Twyford, and 17 has already been got!

4) Lelant
10) Dawlish

Correct with Lelant, but not with Dawlish.  ;)

Is 7 - Southcote Jn?

Nope.  Not a junction at all, in fact.  Think 'ground frame'...  ;)

Is 18 Ayhno Junction?

3) Abingdon branch June 1984 - I rode on one of the special trains on the final day.
10) Teignmouth

(8 ) Berwick-upon-Tweed, looking onto the Royal Border Bridge

(13) Preston




little edit by bignosemac to show the '(8 )' An eight followed by a colon is perhaps better to save posting 'cool' smileys! ;)

(12) Bodmin Parkway

(16) - The Hawthorns??

Good work, Gents - all correct!

'bobm' - Is that you at Abingdon on your skateboard in trendy skinny jeans?  ;)

Ha Ha - I did look to see if I was in the shot.  There were several trains that Saturday and I travelled on an early one as I was supposed to be working on the day but wanted to make the trip as I went to school there.  Ironically anyone who knows me will tell you I never wear jeans!  Nice to see the photo.  My record of the day disappeared in a domestic upheaval many years ago.

15.  Lincoln? 

I think I remember that massive gantry was provided during the resignalling just a few years back, but the blue footbridge and the level crossings in the distance also look right.

Paul

Yup.  Lincoln is correct. Any picture facing the other way is easy to guess with all of the level crossings, but facing this direction is a little trickier.

Just 6 out of 20 still to identify...

The one I'm certain of first!

5 is Gillingham (Dorset)

1 is possibly Mitcheldever?

Correct on both counts, sir.  Well done!

I'm going to have my second go.   I think No. 7 11 is Narvik - http://www.jernbaneverket.no/no/Jernbanen/Stasjonssok/-N-/Narvik/ .

Edit - no. 7 is certainly NOT Narvik!

Stab in the dark:
9 Church Fenton or Barnt Green.

Well done, Graham!  The locomotive (or locomotives really as there are three semi-permanently coupled together) is the Norwegian equivalent of the Swedish Dm+Dm3+Dm, known as NSB El 12.  Both types are rather special with almost 10000hp of power which made them the most powerful engines in the world for a while.  The were used on Iron Ore trains on the line between Narvik in Norway and Lulea in Sweden.  Well worth tracking down a bit of footage on youtube to see them in action, and I was very lucky to catch this one running light loco through Narvik in the final few months of regular running.


Nope!

No 9  Iver

9) Taplow - looking in the Down direction (West) with a class 47 on the UP Main

 :)

Correct.  Taplow it is.

Right, just the two to get, so I'll open it up to those who've already had a guess to see if we can finish them off.  I'm suprised number 2 is still unidentified...

Is 2 Oxford?

Not Oxford, no.

Bicester North?

2) Bicester North

Real Stab in the Dark.

2) Didcot Parkway?

Yup, Bicester North.  With one of the 4-Car Class 115 DMUs that used to chug up and down between Banbury and Marylebone.  Known for their high standard of interior fittings (compared to most other DMUs of the time), and slow acceleration - only 2 out of the 4 vehicles were powered - it's fair to say that the service on the Chiltern Line has been completely transformed since the early 80s when this picture was taken.

If 7 is still to go is it Tackley. My track plan gives the double crossover North of the station. The train has Reading as destination so is on right line for coming South.

Correct, sir. It is Tackley.  Well done, and that concludes the quiz.  Well done everyone!