| After a short spell at Sawston Crossing I went to Ilford Signalling School,travelling daily from Cambridge (All that EE Type 3 thrash free of charge!) and was deemed competent to commence training at Foxton signalbox which was a bit boring with primarily DMU shuttles but enlivened by trips for the Rugby Cement Works.These trains had to run round between Foxton and Shepreth before being drawn across to the down side and then being propelled into the sidings.Great fun with upto 64 SLU and created havoc on the A10 level crossing.
After a 3 month spell I went to Shepreth Branch Junction where I resided (literally almost with a vast number of 12 hour shifts) for a couple of years before obtaining a Great Chesterford Relief Signalmans post which meant I covered as far as Newport but still spent most of my time at Shepreth Branch Junction but got a higher rate of pay and travelling time / lodge allowance. From the pictures you can see that the traction was somewhat varied, with all manner of visiting locomotives, mainly on the services from Whitemoor (When it was a real yard!) to Temple Mils/Foxton/Great Chesterford. It should be remembered that all these pictures were taken on duty from an authorised position and quite often it was a case of attend to the signalling, see what was approaching and take a quick shot despite the weather etc. The down side was maybe the train was not visually examined as well as it should have been,thus the picture of 40058 on a class 8 with an obvious hot axle box which I noticed after the photo was developed !!!! Anyway what would we give to see a class 40 working a Temple Mills - Whitemoor freight train with up to 78 SLU today? Enjoy this selection and I will add more in due course. |
23.01.79,my first wedding anniversary spent on 12 hour days (quite right too!) and we had the right type of snow. |
25262 and 25309 working a Foxton - Whitemoor service 15.04.79. |
25267 struggling with 8J76 0600 Temple Mills - Whitemoor. 21.02.79. |
25309 and 25262 Cambridge - Foxton. 15.09.79. |
2567 on 8J76. 21.02.79. |
31015 running light from Cambridge to Stratford. 23.11.78. |
31016,8J21 Whitemoor - Temple Mills. 13.02.80. |
31019 "Monopoly On The Move" charter. Liverpool St - Tilbury - Fenchurch St - Cambridge - Kings Cross. 20.08.79. |
31235 hauling LT stock for scrap. 28.02.80. |
31238, 4Z32 Queenborough - Wrenthorpe. 23.02.79. |
33021 having been shunted to the up line for Single Line Working. Ludgershall - Thetford troop train. 01.04.79. |
33028 on a Brighton to Cambridge Footex hence the "Seagulls" headboard. 24.03.79. |
33028 returning from Cambridge to Brighton with a Footex. 24.03.79. |
33042 on 1Z78,Folkestone Harbour - Thetford troop special.17.01.79. |
33042, Thetford - Clapham ECS after working 1Z78 Folkestone Harbour - Thetford. 17.02.79 |
37033 and snowplough disappearing towards Cambridge. 15.02.79. |
37033 and snowplough returning from Bishops Stortford - Cambridge. 15.02.79. |
37047 + 47214 Foxton - Whitemoor. 03.03.80. |
37122 on 8J21 Whitemoor - Temple Mills. 18.02.80. |
37137 on 8L25 Cambridge - Whittlesford trip. 17.10.78. |
37202 working 8J21 Whitemoor - Temple Mills. 20.09.79. |
40058 working 0600 Temple Mills - Whitemoor.(What hot axle box!)08.11.78. |
40085 on 8J21 Whitemoor - Temple Mills. 08.03.79. |
40124 with a Whitemoor - Foxton trip. 10.03.79. |
