Scattergun WReg passenger diversion working on the SReg

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Oliver Bulleid

Guest
The South Western mainline, west of Yeovil, has been a diversion route for the WReg workings, at one time it seemed HST's used the chord off the Worse and Worse at Pen Mill to Junction during weekend track working.

Was this a regular occurrence in the 50's and 60's, if so I have never seen any pictorial records except a Barrow Road* 9F at Chard Junction?

My best guess is that this was not a regular occurrence but WReg crews would have been required to know the route, just as their SReg counterparts worked the coastal route from Exeter-Plynouth.

Tim

*The number is unclear but this is a best guess.
 

mth

Western Thunderer
Tim
In the 80's-90's there was a lot of diversions when they modonised the trackwork in the Cogload Jn to Exerter area.

As to the 50-60's I will ask my farther when i see him over the weekend. He's was Footplate crewe at Westbury Loco.

From what i can remember from him talking in the past, WR men didn't sign the full route from Yeovil to Exeter, and when diverted there was normaly a loco change at Yeovil.
 
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Oliver Bulleid

Guest
We were living in Yeovil in the 70s when Pen Mill was visited by HST's, though now we have returned to the region (Sherborne) I do not seem to see so many diversionary workings.

A few years ago, I saw a small fleet of 66's at Yeovil Junction when the track plan was being modified.

Getting back to the query, I find it somewhat surprising that there is not more collective knowledge about WReg workings.

Tim
 

mth

Western Thunderer
Hi Tim,
spoken to the old man and according to him the diversion didn't happen that often.
Westbury men went to Chard Junction for the milk traffic and only signed the whole route after steam finnished. (one job he remembers is the Yeovil Jn standby booked to have a D7xxx, main job to rescue the southern drivers on D800 when they failed)
 
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Oliver Bulleid

Guest
MTH,

Many thanks, the lack of collective memory is a problem on all forums. Often it is only the blue banger period that is within living memory for those with Internet skills.

I am surprised that there was not more diversionary workings especially after WReg took control of the Exeter line, certainly SReg locos from Yeovil Town worked through to Taunton and the Southern line is the only alternate.

I do not consider it to be some 50-odd years ago to be an issue, after all this and other forums have been wittering on about the Class 52 that was introduced 52 years ago. Or is the problem lack of real knowledge, we are very good at big things but the basic workings of the railway seem to part of the loss of collective memory?

Tim
 
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