MY LIFE IN TRAINS
My Story - Part Sixteen
By Coach to the West
At the beginning of May 1961 a few enthusiasts from school booked on to a coach trip to the west. I have a vague recollection that we joined the coach at Victoria very early, but I can’t remember which organisation ran the trip.
We headed first for Swindon, works and shed, then to Cheltenham. From Cheltenham our coach followed the rolling English road to both Gloucester sheds, Ross on Wye, Hereford, Worcester, Evesham and Honeybourne. With no motorways to speed our journey it was a long day and a late return to London!
All Photographs by Alan Lewis Chambers ©
GWR 5100 2-6-2T No 5103 poses at Swindon Works on 7 May 1961.
GWR 4200 2-8-0T No 4203 poses at Swindon Works on 7 May 1961.
GWR 0-6-0ST No 1361 stored at Swindon Works with GWR streamlined diesel railcar W8 on 7 May 1961.
Much damaged and about to be scrapped crash victim, GWR Hall 4-6-0 No 6902 'Butlers Hall' stands at Swindon Works on 7 May 1961,
with North British Type 2 and Warship diesels in the background.
GWR 5100 Class 2-6-2T No 4143, complete with the Cheltenham Spa Express headboard in an unusual position, on Cheltenham shed on 7 May 1961.
Cheltenham GWR shed on 7 May 1961 with GWR 2-6-2Ts Nos 5173 and 4143.
GWR 1600 0-6-0PT No 1605 at Gloucester GWR shed on 7 May 1961.
GWR Manor 4-6-0 No 7805 'Broome Manor' on Gloucester GWR shed on 7 May 1961.
MR 0-4-0T No 41535 shelters inside Gloucester Midland roundhouse with sister engine No 41537 and a S&DJR 2-8-0 on 7 May 1961.
End of the line for MR 4-4-0 No 40540 outside Gloucester Midland shed on 7 May 1961.
No engine in sight - this is Ross on Wye shed on 7 May 1961. Note the interesting re-use of the Toad body.
The last time I looked, this building itself was re-used as part of a garden centre.
GWR King 4-6-0 No 6018 'King Henry VI' waits to leave Hereford shed on 7 May 1961.
GWR 1600 0-6-0PT No 1661 with spark arresting chimney in Worcester shed yard on 7 May 1961.
GWR 5100 Class 2-6-2T No 4124 outside Evesham shed on 7 May 1961.
GWR 2251 Class 0-6-0 No 2273 by the coaling stage at Honeybourne shed on 7 May 1961.
I’m sure the coach looked a bit like this, although this photo was taken a few weeks later on a school geography trip to Corby steel works
and the ironstone mines – why didn’t I photograph the ironstone railways?
Interesting photo of the GWR Hall 4-6-0 No 6902 'Butlers Hall', the crash victim.
"In the early hours of the 11th February 1961, the ex GWR locomotive 6902 Butlers Hall was heading the 10.23 p.m. York - Swindon express when it collided with the rear portion of a divided freight train and derailed. Tragically this resulted in the death of the driver of the express, Driver A. L. L. Jones, who was trapped on his footplate." http://www.greatcentraltoday.com/gcraccrep.htm
Less than 3 months before you took your photo Alan.
The official report of the inquiry into the accident, including signalling diagrams, is at http://www.greatcentraltoday.com/11th_February_1961.pdf