August 2024
Welcome to the August review of activites at the Stafford Railway Circle.
Work towards the 2024 show at the end of September is gathering pace with many last minute tasks being finalised. Once again a reminder of the dates – Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September.
Earlier in the month, member Allan Cromarty’s layout Oulton TMD was on show at Loughborough. It was very well received as a layout of this quality and magnitude should be. Yours truly was privileged to be part of the team on the Saturday and a thoroughly enjoyable experience it was.
Some photos of the layout from the event:
Spike, our photographer, has supplied a slightly different theme to his photos this month, taken on a trip to London.
Photo 1 – A sight soon to disappear, with the class 805 Evero units entering service, an Avanti class 221 Voyager at Euston. Here No.221109 and 221103 sit at the terminus after arriving with 1R14, 05.35 Blackpool North to London Euston.23/8/2024.
Photo 2 – Class 92 No. 92010 sits in Euston after arriving with 1M16, 20.45 Inverness, Fort William and Aberdeen to London Euston Caledonian Sleeper service. 23/8/2024.
Photo 3 – London Overground class 378 No.378232 arrives at Highbury and Islington with 2N18, 09.35 Richmond to Stratford (London). 23/8/2024.
Photo 4-7 – Hamstead London Underground station is the deepest on the system with many original features including its original name Heath Street tiled station name, a spiral staircase and ticket windows. And yes the staircase was used both up and down rather than taking the lift.
Photo 8 – Earls Court underground station with a District line Bombardier S7 unit arriving for Barking.
Photo 9 – As well as the modern digital platform train indicators an old, restored train indicator is located on the District Line platforms at Earls Court.
Photo 10 – Transport for London Bombardier S7 unit at Embankment with a Circle line service.
Photo 11 – Clapham North on the Northern line is one of the few station with the original narrow island platform left in use, here two GEC (later Alstom) 1995 pass in the station.
Photo 12 – Baker Street is a major interchange on five lines, Circle, Hammersmith & City lines, Metropolitan line, Bakerloo and Jubilee line. Here a Metropolitan line S8 stock waits to depart for Watford.
Photo 13 – 22 – Selection of TFL Station signage and Roundals.
Photo 23 – Getting back to some proper trains, Pathfinder Railtours ran a weekend charter using Aberdeen as a base for the weekend but also visiting Inverness and the newly reopened Leven line, Here Class 50 Alliance’s class 50s No.50007 and 50049 arrive at Carlisle with 1Z72, 06.05 Taunton to Aberdeen, day 1 of Pathfinder’s ‘The Grampian Highlander’ charter. This was their first tour since recently being repainted into large logo blue livery. 24th August 2024.
Photo 24 – The return journey sees Class 50 Alliance’s class 50s No.50049 and 50007 draw to a stop at Stafford with 1Z62, 11.30 Leven to Taunton, Pathfinder railtours the return Grampian Highlander weekend charter. 26/08/2024.
That’s it for this month except to say that “The Show of Shows” takes place at the Stafford County Showground on 28th and 29th September.
See you there.
