Didcot to Newbury (2)

 Three Stops Then Newbury

First call is Hampstead Norris ...

... with a more recent name change!

A little stub off Water Street is named Station Hill ...

... but no station remains, just new properties on the site of the track and former station building.

Continuing southbound, the line arrives at Pinewood Halt.

This was a speculative build in a fairly desperate attempt to increase passenger numbers. The halt opened in 1933!

Its two "pagoda" shelters remained for a while after closure.

But you will not see much from the road bridge today.

The plan to encourage travel to Newbury did not work!

Next is Hermitage, also on the map above. There are several views on-line, old ...

... and a very rare picture showing the arrival (briefly before closure) of they new fangled diesel trains.

You might expect the station to sink into obscurity, but, lookee here:-

It has been superbly restored and gained a repro signal box (!) but it is all now in private hands with no access for curious rail enthusiast visitors. But there it is,[ at the end of Station Road (Surprise!) bottom right in the aerial view below.

Between Hermitage and Newbury, there is plenty of cartographical evidence of the line of route ...

... but finding any evidence of the track bed through Newbury itself is a real struggle. There is a stretch of undergrowth that branches off north from a former junction to the west of the station ...

... but that is the former GWR branch to Lambourn. 

However hard he looks, fbb cannot extract any meaningful sight of the two DNS junctions at Newbury. A fair chunk of the southern exit from the town became part of the Newbury by-pass.

Incidentally an old route map shows other unfulfilled dreams of the company. One was a joint station with the LSWR at Whitchurch and a line that would join the Southampton main line at Micheldever.

Neither plan ever materialised.

So fbb ends thus excursion with a picture of a DNS train at Newbury.

And whilst in nostalgic mode how about this (below)?

It is the famous City of Truro GWR 4-4-0 which was purported to be he first steam loco to achieve 100mph. It wasn't.

It didn't.

But this (wrongly?) celebrated loco is beautifully preserved.

But, in its active past,  it did find its way to Winchester Chesil station, then the end of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton metals. It's route into Southampton was c/o the LSWR, but it did have unfulfilled plans of its own.

But that's another story.

P.S. Found A Trace

On Kiln Road, just north of the River Lambourne is a drive southbound to a works of some kind.

The car park to the east of the drive ...

... lies on the DNS track bed. Looking north, the former bridge parapet still stands.

There is also a line of undergrowth south of the river ...

... so the D N S was there, once!

 Next tram timetable tale blog : Thursday 7th Nov 

A Birthday In Reading (mini)

It has been 20 years since ...

... Reading buses, still Local Authority owned, started with route branding. Whilst not the first, the company has been the most consistent in maintaining the principle, undaunted through the two decades.

There is, of course, a celebration bus ...

... with a celebration logo.

Inside, the original network is celebrated.

There has been considerable expansion throughout the 20 years. (click on the map for an enlargement).

But something strange appeared as part of the festivities.

The bus is in Wilts and Dorset heritage livery - the predecessors of More Bus. But it is pictured in Reading because the bus behind is branded "Aqua".

The heritage bus used to run in Reading. It was branded for routes 23 and 24.

It seems that the GoAhead group had bought a batch of former Reading buses. Buses from the same bulk purchase have appeared in More Bus livery ...

... one with BlueStar ...

... another at Swindon.

The example below is pictured at Hampshire Trim's works at Eastleigh, presumably having been repainted for Hedingham buses serving Suffolk, East Anglia.

But one is a bit of a mystery. Here it is in Reading ...

... branded or route 26. Next we see it in East Anglia but with Sanders ...

... still, as far as fbb knows, in the hands of the Sanders family and not (yet???) piat of GoAhead.

Any explanation, please, to fbb@xephos.com

Coming Up?

A mystery model?

A new arrival for fbb's layout.

And mixed feelings for a bus ride.

More Fun Than Fireworks?

Instead of spending your money setting fire to horrid chemicals, how about a collection of Dapol gunpowder wagons branded for Firework manufacturers. As far as fbb is aware these never existed in the real world but they are colourful and fun to collect.

But beware, prudent purchaser! Whilst the latest models are on sale at retailers for about £12, at least one of the above has achieved a rarity value and is on offer on-line at £50!

 Next Didcot to Newbury blog : Weds 6 Nov 

Weekend Varuety 2

 The Big Lemon Squeezed!

It would appear that the Brighton operator, famed for its community work and environmental principles, is in trouble.

Apparently the company is short of vehicles "due to problems with a supplier".

The local press has outlined the situation and the current interim solution.

A shortfall of £400,000 in their tender business looks like a deeper problem with some challenging financial issues for what is a relatively small company.

Is it churlish to suggest that "problems with a supplier" might be caused by Big Lemon struggling to pay its bills?

Councillor Trevor Muten ...

... has explained more.

The news of a retendering exercise in January 2025 does not bode well for the troubled Big Lemon.

Passengers Squeezed?

Britains only double deck train was designed by Oliver Bulleid for the Southern Railway to overcome crowding on the London commuter network. It wasn't really double deck, it was overlapping cramped mini-decks.

It was a failure because, although the design squeezed in a few more seated passengers, there was less room for a crush load with standees and it was harder to get people in and out!

The oddity finally rotted away and a preservation project stalled.

But soon, if you can take out a second mortgage, you will be able to buy a four car set in OO gauge from KR models.

Maybe apply for that mortgage soon as the top of the range version (DCC fitted and with sound) is somewhat pricey - approaching £500 for four carriages. Very OUCH!

fbb would quite like to save up for one coach for his layout, without sound or electronic control; but KR are not offering single vehicles.

 

Less of a Squeeze on the Budget?

How about a two car version of a Merseyside electric unit? To be fair, it is not as accurate as some modellers might want ...

... it is unpowered and will not fit on OO gauge track. Also you have to build it yourself.

It might be a nice project to while away the dark winter evenings, or even the cold dark winter evenings after Rache has snaffled your winter fuel allowance!

City Brix also produces a London Underground train of similar inaccuracy ...

... plus, rather spookily, a model of the late QE2.

Thankfully, she is not naked, but wearing a white satin gown.

The Merseytravel version is of an older class 508, now superseded ...

... and the price for such realism?

£14.99 - well it's cheaper than  Southern double deck unit!

Squeezed Balance Sheet?

Bus companies seem to be falling over themselves to buy odd disconnected bits of the bus industry. Is this because the bus business is now much more unstable because of the onslaught (rather a slow onslaught at the moment) of franchising? Or maybe bus operators need to diversify to counteract the effect of Government Policy squeezing their bottom line from all other directions.

Here are a couple from First Bus:-

A posh coach operator in London ...

... with some very nice motors ...

... including posh little ones.

Also recently announced by First is the purchase of a more widespread group of operators.

The parcel includes 145 coaches.

Lakeside Coaches with depots at Ellesmere, Shrewsbury and Wem ...

... Merediths are based in Malpas ...

... and A T Brown in Telford.

All three seem to have well-kempt fleets.

The plan is that their identity will be retained; First's ownership will be well hidden from public gaze.

Journey Times Squeezed

In Japan.

This nation was a pioneer of High Speed train and later Very High Speed trains. Recently announced is a project to bring ...

... unbelievably High Speed trains running at 314 mph.

Such a pity that the front end looks like a duck-billed platypus!

Clearance Squeezed!

At long, long last the carriage shed and the engine shed from the once outdoor layout have been installed at Peterville.

The effect is much improved by some terraforming.

Two problems have emerged from fbb's bodging. 

The bulky bolts that give strength and integrity to the walls of the carriage shed stick out too far and foul the main lines. Nothing can pass; they just stop with an unpleasant CLONK.

Hmmm?

On the old layout they were well away from track and trains.

The other problem is that the ballast is too dark. fbb was hoping it would lighten up as the gunge dried. It hasn't.

Puzzle Picture

Obviously ...

... it is described as:-

For the benefit of the company offering this treat, Christmas Trees are GREEN, and their "shape" includes a good number of branches.

Observany readers may be able to spot the difference!

 Next Reading Birthday blog : Tues 5th Nov