Mystery Picture - 9F on the WR

[melmerby]

19 minutes ago, Artless Bodger said:

My first impression was Avon valley east of Bristol. Looks like the far river bank on the right. Looking at the NLS website there were plenty of quarries on the north bank around Hanham, now thoroughly overgrown. The soil around there is pinkish - see Google maps. Track looks a bit straight for the line up to Dainton.

IMHO I reckon that is Bickley Road passing under the railway and the uncultivated patch across the road, is the house (behind the loco), complete with electric pole in the front garden. Still there today

Photographer is at the bootom of Stoneycombe Copse, approx where it was postulated by Hal Nail

 

[Mike_Walker]

I agree completely.  Bear in mind the line east of Stoneycombe is a gentle curve rather than sinuous curves between the quarry and tunnel 

[The Stationmaster]

Right after a lot of concentrated delving I think I'm there - to within a chain or two.

 

Things to consider -

1. A large quarry face - or what appears to be one - in the background; there aren't many that fit that criteria near a WR double track line.

2 Steam coming off the safety valve suggests a falling gradient as most likely (the track does appear to be going downhill but that might be due to camera angle - the steam is the best clue).

3.  There is stop signal fairly closely in rear of a distant signal

 

I conclude that the quarry is most likely to be Stoneycombe and while it is in fact on the opposite side of the line curvature has put it into the position seen in the view although it might well be the old disused quarry is the one that appears in the photo .  The quarry faces are both the wrong way round to appear like that in a view of a Down train and a falling gradient would fit for an Up train east of Stoneycombe.

 

We then come to the situation with the signals.  I am unable to find anything indicating the Stoneycombe Sidings Up Starting Signal was seriously relocated when it was renewed at an unknown date - probably in the early 1960s.  therefore I place at just about 216m57ch plus a couple of yards.  Aller Jcn's Up Main Distant Signal was relocated  in 1932 to a site which would put it  at c.216m 46ch, i.e  a tad under 11 chains from Stoneycombe's Up Starter.  It was further altered - to a colour light - in June 1961 which moved it 5 yards to the west.  I can find no other combination of signals in that area, or near any other quarry next to a double track WR line where 9Fs ran, that fits with the evidence in the photo.

 

So if all my calculations are correct I conclude that the Up train was photographed passing Stoneycombe Sidings Up Main Starting Signal approaching the ATC ramp for Aller Jcn's Up Main Distat Signal

[Hal Nail]

10 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

the steam is the best clue)

I would argue the sun is!

 

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

and the uncultivated patch across the road, is the house (behind the loco), complete with electric pole in the front garden. Still there today

 

Yes I got that wrong in thinking it was the east-west road, and that was my only doubt as it didnt quite stack up. So I'm now 100% convinced - good work Sir!