For anyone with a few minutes on hand today

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Today is 25th December - first day of Christmas.  Can you identify these "12 days of Christmas pictures.  I doubt members will have much else to do today so, please, just one each until midnight!

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.


8.


9.


10.


11.


12.


I'm off (after. quick coffee) to peel the carrots and to two Christmas Dinners ... so responses today will be a little slower than usual, but I'll be around. Should any members be at a loose end then please do drop in at the Assembly Hall lunch at (err) the Melksham Assembly Hall at the conventional time, or at "ours" at 4 p.m. to join the cast of our friends and family with 4 continents represented already.

[ellendune]

No 4 Looks like a train emerging from the west portal of the Redcliffe tunnel on the Redcliffe Tunnel at Guinea Street in Bristol with the General Hospital Building as a background.  The loco is on the Bathurst Basin Swing Bridge. 

[bradshaw]

12 Weynouth Tramway, corner of Commercial Road with Westham Road

[eightonedee]

3 - Crescent Quay, Wexford.

Thanks Grahame for all your efforts putting this and you advent quizzes together. Thanks also for today's double helping of pannier tanks - a real Great Western treat!

[Oxonhutch]

1: Platform 1 at Douglas, IoM^‡(resolve). The Donegal railcars, nos 19/20, about to depart for Peel on the west coast of the island.

This photo is early on in their use as parcels and small goods are being loaded into a covered goods wagon attached to the rear of the consist. At Peel, the short headshunt meant that these goods wagons could not be run around for the return journey - which was not a major problem as the goods and parcel flow was mainly east to west and a siding was installed at Peel where the wagon would be backed in and left.

The wagons built up in the siding until a steam loco was sent to collect them as it could run-around them for the return. Later a specially modified light goods wagon was permanently inserted between the two railcars and the brand new siding fell quickly into disuse.

Peel was our summer holiday destination in the 1960s and 70s and I distinctly remember two steam trips across the island from Peel to Douglas and back by train.  We avoided the diesels, which is a shame as they are now historic vehicles too.  I explored the station at Peel extensively after closure and discovered the strange siding shortly before all track was lifted in 1973. Only recently I found out what it was for.

[old original]

9. Newquay (harbour!)

[Merthyr Imp]

I nearly said Pontsticill for 10!  But it's not.

[grahame]

I nearly said Pontsticill for 10!  But it's not.

You're right, it's not ... I can see strong similarities (based on what little I know of that line) but geographically it's a long way from there!

Correctly identified so far:
1: Douglas, IoM^‡(resolve) - OxonHutch
3: Wexford - eightonedee
4: Brisol Docks / Floating Harbour - ellendune
9: Newquay - old original
12: Weymouth - bradshaw

[PhilWakely]

11 Chur?  featuring the Arosa service?

[Oxonhutch]

10: Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, Portland, Maine. Graham visited on his North American cruise a couple of years back.

[ellendune]

10: Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, Portland, Maine. Graham visited on his North American cruise a couple of years back.

Now I look more closely the Words "Maine Narr..." on the rear carriage might have been a bit of a giveaway. 

[grahame]

Now I look more closely the Words "Maine Narr..." on the rear carriage might have been a bit of a giveaway. 

Oops!

[stuving]

I reckon 8 is the FEVE platforms of Oviedo station. In which case the photo, for all that colourlessness lends an air of age, is recent.

[grahame]

I reckon 8 is the FEVE platforms of Oviedo station. In which case the photo, for all that colourlessness lends an air of age, is recent.

Ah - you have twigged me.  The picture was taken just under 75 days ago.

[AMLAG]

 5 is at Keynsham with the cl 25 loco on the start of the short goods line to Fry’s Somerdale  Chocolate factory.
Rail traffic ceased in 1980 and the factory closed in 2011 with the factory then demolished and in its place a large housing development has been built.