To the West

It is salutary to think that there was a yard of this size at the London-entry area of virtually every main-line railway into the metropolis at one time � Built to sort the tens of thousands of braked and unbraked wagons that arrived 24 hours a day from every corner of the UK it was, perhaps, not surprising that BR wanted rid of the whole tradition. This shot, of Acton Yard, was taken mid-morning when all the overnight services had arrived and the onward services had left. A rare quiet moment with only a Class 08 ‘playing with trucks’ as the Rev Awdry would have said, in the middle-distance. On the far right can be glimpsed the beginnings of the stone-traffic terminal which now dominates the scene �

Acton Yard still life with an uncommon Lowmac wagon parked at the end of a siding. It looks as if it has been there some time without any imminent plans for its departure. There is so much detail on display in this small vignette of bygone railway life, most was of no use to anyone, but all sacrificed in the general dumbing-down of the railway environment�

Although the running-in board proclaims that Ealing Broadway is the changing point for London Transport services, it was also the originating point for the Western Region’s local service to Greenford and here a single-unit Pressed Steel DMU awaits passengers and departure time. These double ended vehicles later became known to the railway enthusiast as ‘bubble-cars’. Many eras of ‘modernisation’ are evident in the photograph, from the concrete late 1950’s fluorescent-tubed station name signs, to the concept of single-unit diesel cars for branch-lines, to the late 1960’s style of script on the running-in board� Not to mention the unpainted look of the Central Line LT train in the far platform� Having been converted to a sandite rail treatment car for the Chiltern Lines by BR, W55024 is now preserved on the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway and has been restored to its original condition�

Applying full power as it approaches the end of the 75mph speed restriction area out of London, a Class 47 Brush Type 4 (possibly 47509) heads a down express through Ealing Broadway on a summer Saturday evening� On the left, in the background, can be seen the extensive London Transport trackwork at the exit of the terminus of the Central Line. The stock is one of the WR’s recently acquired Mark 2D sets, always with Mark 1 catering vehicles and BGs. I wonder if the headcode panel was set like it is on purpose? Second from the right looks like a 21st century emoji…�

A Brush Type 4 Class 47 races through, unappealing except for the solitary GWR seat, Ealing Broadway station on its way to Paddington with a typical Western Region express consisting of seven Mark 2Ds/Fs with a Mark 1 Full Brake – BG – and a Mark 1 RB - Restaurant Buffet. Organising the allocations of the RBs was particularly difficult as there weren’t many and the requirements for service, deep-cleaning, specials and weekend working left little or no leeway for the Stock Controllers at Paddington. After a lot of help from the Unidentified Class 47 Group on FaceBook, the locomotive has been identified as 47498, and the train is a Swansea to London service in the Summer of 1976��� who needs notes?