Advent quiz 2019

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

7.2 - By way of almost completely failing to answer the question: My GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) engine identification skills would embarrass my dad, but I'm guessing the engine on the left is Modified Hall No.6974 Bryngwyn Hall (withdrawn in May 1965); the King is less easy to identify, but given that they were all gone by the end of 1962 that puts an upper limit on the date.

[JontyMort]

Friday 7th December 2018 - the Coffee Shop Advent Quiz.

7.3 Where was this picture taken?

Is 7.3 Cam & Dursley?

[Rob on the hill]

7.3 Ashchurch for Tewkesbury.

[grahame]

7.3 Ashchurch for Tewkesbury.

Yes - Ashchurch for Tewkesbury - Cam and Dursley was on the right line - just not the right station!

[RA]

For 7.1 I will go for Castle Cary. The layout looks right. The semaphore signal gantry initially gave me doubts but I believe the down starter at Castle Cary originally did have three routes before later having the right hand side removed.

As for the year, I have no idea!

[grahame]

For 7.1 I will go for Castle Cary. The layout looks right. The semaphore signal gantry initially gave me doubts but I believe the down starter at Castle Cary originally did have three routes before later having the right hand side removed.

As for the year, I have no idea!

Yes - it *is* Castle Cary ... I will let the year discussion roll on ...

[Red Squirrel]

Nothing much to do with the date, but is the King hauling the Cornish Riviera Express?

[bradshaw]

The Hall is presumably on a Weymouth service. The left hand route going to the siding was removed when the siding was extended back behind the down platform, which was done in Sept 1963.

6974 was new in 1947 and allocated to Old Oak Common & Southall until early 1964. Warships took over the Cornish Riviera Express from around 1958.

This would suggest a date between 1947 and 1958

[SandTEngineer]

7.1 CASTLE CARY
There were four signalboxes at Castle Cary.  The first opened in 1880 and closed on 11 April 1905.  The second opened on 11 April 1905 contained 55 levers.  This signalbox was destroyed by a bomb dropped by a lone Messerschmidt 110 during the second world war, on 03 September 1942, and closed as a consequence.  The third signalbox was a temporary wooden replacement opened on 05 September 1942 and contained 22 levers, opened just two days after the previous signalbox was bombed, and was closed on 27 October 1942.  The third and final signalbox was opened on 27 October 1942 and contained 85 levers and was closed on 01 February 1985, the area being controlled by Westbury Panel Box.  The final signalbox can just be seen in the Advent Quiz photograph, enveloped in steam and smoke from the approaching train, behind the righthand signal post.  This style of signalbox (which was a very basic box type structure with a flat roof) was known as the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) ARP Type, and was developed prior to the second world war.

In the Advent Quiz photograph the bracket signal is of the 1942 type and the three arms left to right applied to the DOWN GOODS; DOWN WEYMOUTH and DOWN TAUNTON.

Here is my photograph of the same location taken in 1970 but slightly to the right of the quiz one.  The signal is known as a ‘Backing Signal’ and the arm is fully red without a white stripe and contains two holes to indicate its function.  The route indicator below is the same as those referenced earlier in the Westbury North quiz photograph and shows four indications: DOWN GOODS LOOP; DOWN WEYMOUTH; DOWN TAUNTON and GOODS SHED.


(C)2018 SandTEngineer

[JontyMort]

7.1 CASTLE CARY

<snip>

The route indicator below is the same as those referenced earlier in the Westbury North quiz photograph and shows four indications: DOWN GOODS LOOP; DOWN WEYMOUTH; DOWN TAUNTON and GOODS SHED.

I don't know if there are many of these left but a similar route indicator still exists at the northern end of Platform 2 at Worcester Shrub Hill (showing routes to Birmingham or Hereford).

[SandTEngineer]

7.1 CASTLE CARY
<snip>
The route indicator below is the same as those referenced earlier in the Westbury North quiz photograph and shows four indications: DOWN GOODS LOOP; DOWN WEYMOUTH; DOWN TAUNTON and GOODS SHED.

I don't know if there are many of these left but a similar route indicator still exists at the northern end of Platform 2 at Worcester Shrub Hill (showing routes to Birmingham or Hereford).

I think the Worcester one is the last surviving one on the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) network.  There are a few scattered around the preserved railway lines.

[bradshaw]

The one that was at Yeovil Pen Mill is now to be seen at the Yeovil Railway Centre.  The routes were Weymouth and Branch(Taunton)

[stuving]

7.2 - By way of almost completely failing to answer the question: My GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) engine identification skills would embarrass my dad, but I'm guessing the engine on the left is Modified Hall No.6974 Bryngwyn Hall (withdrawn in May 1965); the King is less easy to identify, but given that they were all gone by the end of 1962 that puts an upper limit on the date.

Having looked at some examples of GWR number plates, the typography of 1s and 7s suggests that must be 6914 - Langton Hall. That's marginally easier to reconcile with the name plate as shown, though half the letters of the name still seem to have fallen off. Otherwise it fits as well, being at Weymouth from 1959.

[Red Squirrel]

7.2 - By way of almost completely failing to answer the question: My GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) engine identification skills would embarrass my dad, but I'm guessing the engine on the left is Modified Hall No.6974 Bryngwyn Hall (withdrawn in May 1965); the King is less easy to identify, but given that they were all gone by the end of 1962 that puts an upper limit on the date.

Having looked at some examples of GWR number plates, the typography of 1s and 7s suggests that must be 6914 - Langton Hall. That's marginally easier to reconcile with the name plate as shown, though half the letters of the name still seem to have fallen off. Otherwise it fits as well, being at Weymouth from 1959.

I agree, it is 6914. Poor Dad, he'll be turning in his grave! I have found another photo of the loco in question - well actually I got the photo researchers at TransWilts to find it for me, but I think this confirms what you say:



Image courtesy of Lost Heritage

[grahame]

Saturday, 8th December 2018 - the Coffee Shop Advent Quiz.

8.1 - Where was this picture taken?

8.2 - And in which year?

8.3 Where was this picture taken?