Well I had the pleasure of a full breakfast service, with sparkling wine, orange juice and much toast and marmalade on my outbound service from Swindon to York, last Saturday and on the return service, mushroom soup, full xmas dinner with roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, parsnips and other vegetables, Christmas pud /custard with cheese selection and bread rolls and sweeties to end with.  This was accompanied by white wine and real ales. An excellent feast.....

again - nothing received by myself - and I too have checked all of my spam boxes...

Narrow Gauge leading to ferry from Hythe to Southampton

1 - Matlock ?

Swindon Town Centre

Swindon Designer Village

Just started yesterday - open train times has installed the live version of the Swindon area track plan

http://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/swindon

Salisbury

Should Warsop be spelt Worksop

The Swindon Beer Festival held at Steam, Swindon.....

Admin message - the original post was fascination information about signalling changes at Swindon with a particular reference to Kemble redoubling and signals there - a long article.  That article may now be found at http://www.swindonpanel.org.uk/2014/08/27/kemble-line-migration/ and I comment readers of this thread to take  look at it. Not quoted in this post, as it's been clarified to be their copyright, but member are welcome under normal "fair use" rules to quote small sections for review if they wish.  [1st September / 11:30]

History in the making.....
The Kemble Line closes tonight for the last time on Swindon Panel. It re-opens on Monday 25th August controlled from the Thames Valley Signalling Centre.... as a double line.
There has been a concerted effort in the last few weeks to repair the block bells between Swindon Panel and Gloucester Panel (that have been out of use for ages), in order that the two boxes can close the line in the time-honoured way.
There is an elegant symmetry to the line being singled with the resignalling TO Swindon Panel in 1968, and being re-doubled with the re-signalling FROM Swindon Panel in 2014.
Had the original scheme proceeded as planned, the line would also have been single north of Kemble, with a passing place there. The large cantilever structure at the Swindon-end of the station shows where an additional signal would have been supported, SN.151, to allow moves back towards Swindon from the down platform (that would have been very useful over the years in any case!). SN.160 at the Gloucester end of the station would have had an opposite number, SN.162, to control moves from the down platform towards Gloucester. Neither SN.151 nor SN.162 ever came to be.
As well doubling the number of tracks, which reduces the propensity for a late running train in one direction to knock on to a train in the other direction, the single signal section from Swindon Loco Yard to Kemble Cutting is being split down into three signal sections, with two-aspect stop and repeater signals protecting each one. The non-block signals at Minety become block signals, and new signals are inserted at Purton. So the ^40m+ scheme has actually multiplied the capacity of the route by more than six!
Minety Crossing itself becomes CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision), the crossing box closed last week.

Hi Grahame,
Just to register my interest - unfortunately I off to Tenerife for two weeks on the 5th. November.........
For information - I am 60yrs of age, retired and live in Swindon if I can be of any help.
Phil

No 18 - Wemyss Bay

The old sleepers run from Swindon to the Purton refuelling depot and were originally a siding serving the Fuel Depot at Bremill Sidings, it was last used about 15 years a go.