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Thanks for sharing the photos, brings back great memories of a decent  commute from Kelevdon in the late 80/early 90's when the 309's ran amock and on a crowded train there was occasionally an unlocked cab between units where the speedo could be observed... could often be exciting.

 

Its strange that rolling stock is now more varied loco wise, but a lot less interesting on the GE mainline. Great pics of the class 90's including the crew training run with the coal trucks, I wish I had a camera when a scotrail 47 passed through kelevdon one pm with a freightliner.       

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Thanks for sharing the photos, brings back great memories of a decent  commute from Kelevdon in the late 80/early 90's when the 309's ran amock and on a crowded train there was occasionally an unlocked cab between units where the speedo could be observed... could often be exciting.

 

Its strange that rolling stock is now more varied loco wise, but a lot less interesting on the GE mainline. Great pics of the class 90's including the crew training run with the coal trucks, I wish I had a camera when a scotrail 47 passed through kelevdon one pm with a freightliner.       

Remember the days well of unlocked cabs on the 309's especially when travelling to Walton On The Naze, i used to be fascinated as a kid by the speedo! wish i had seen that Scotrail 47!!  :locomotive:

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Class 321 approaching Witham 26 10 2013

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Class 360 approaching Witham 26 10 2013

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Class 90 approaching Witham 26 10 2013

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Class 90 approaching Witham 26 10 2013

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Class 57 at Witham 26 10 2013 and very filthy (hows that for some weathering!!!)  :locomotive:

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Class 57 playing tail end charlie, Witham 26 10 2013

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  • 11 months later...

Yes I've seen answers to both those questions, can't remember 'how long' but the reason was something like 'axel issues during p-way work, only really removable by crane, can't use crane as ohl in the way, breaking it up on site would infringe on operations, so easier to leave it there'......I think!

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I recall one axlebox (viewable from the platform) has been crudely plated over with some treadplate - I've a bunch of detail phots from the last time I was at Shenfield (Mangapps a few years back, probably)

 

For all that I lived in Brentwood for the first 25 years of my life, then Shenfield for 3 more, I took far too few photos of the GE. A bunch at Stratford, spotting from the platforms, Open days at Stratford, Ilford, Southend, Crown Point and various railtours (including the Anglian Diesel Farewell in 87... I have a very similar photo of D200 at Liv Street as that much earlier in the thread)

 

Stuff I remember:

speedo watching on Clacton sets. Most of my childhood summer holidays were spent in Clacton, Walton or Frinton (occasionally Caister or Yarmouth). Unrefurb'ed Clactons, always opt for the single Second compo next to the Firsts (as most punters didn't realise it was a Second). I do recall them with wrap-arounds and the 2 car sets.

 

306s on the Shenfields, Unrefurbed 307s, the 'big windowed' 305/1s on the 'other side' at Liv St.

 

Old Liv St with the long centre platforms and middle road, watching loco fans from the footbridge

 

Hearing pairs of 37s hammering up Brentwood bank with liner sets in the small hours on still nights (we lived about 2 miles from Brentwood station)

 

Rows of vanfits in the yard behind Romford station

 

Very occasionally getting the up Southend-Liv St parcels/papers after oversleeping/drunk on the last down unit, missing Brentwood (despite that short section of 60' jointed track on the down slow a mile or so before) and ending up in Hockley or Rochford... Usually a 31 on GUV/BGs with a BSK for punters, sometimes even a 308/2 with the MLV

 

Cravens and Met-Camm units rattling around, especially out of Norwich

 

An oval-buffered 08 at Colchester?? Might have been the same one that either had it's D-number still showing and/or a ferret and dartboard on the battery-box??

 

 

Here's a couple of pics and I'm sure there are some more decent ones in the 'to be scanned' pile

 

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31 276 Stratford 2 by alan_monk, on Flickr

31276 hauls a newly repainted 312 found the curve at Stratford, circa 1986/7

 

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86233 Stratford by alan_monk, on Flickr

similar date

 

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08833a by alan_monk, on Flickr

 

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37 116 Crown Point 1987 by alan_monk, on Flickr

 

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31 417 Liv St circa 1982 by alan_monk, on Flickr

 

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03 Farewell Norwich Crown Point by alan_monk, on Flickr

 

And finally, well before my time - bought as part of a collection of b/w prints at some point in the 1980s, this one undated but I'm guessing late-50s or early-60s.

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D204 Liverpool Street by alan_monk, on Flickr

Edited by CloggyDeux
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I know I can't be the only one and that it's just an "age" thing... Having taken a better look at the pic (above) showing the Class 31 and 307 on the stops at Liverpool Street, I really do miss slam door multiple units and loco-hauled traction. For the passenger, I know technology and comfort have moved on (supposedly). I guess I'm having a "rose-tinted spectacle" moment. If I was 20 years older, I suppose I'd be all nostalgic for steam. Mid life crisis? No thanks, I'm already having one...

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Funnily enough when our family used to travel to London in the ’50’s from Shenfield we’d all rather take a EMU. Mainly because we’d know they’d get there........and that was with the 306’s with sliding doors. Later we had the slam door EMU. Definitely better in the “rush hour”....

 

Best, Pete.

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308137 stands in platform 5 at Colchester, circa 1982. A 312 stands on platform 4, and behind it a class 105 is just in shot, probably doing a St Botolphs to Sudbury service.

I believe the grey building on the right is the original Station hotel; later becoming a psychiatric hospital. It's gone now, replaced by the inevitable flats.  

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I know I can't be the only one and that it's just an "age" thing... Having taken a better look at the pic (above) showing the Class 31 and 307 on the stops at Liverpool Street, I really do miss slam door multiple units and loco-hauled traction. For the passenger, I know technology and comfort have moved on (supposedly). I guess I'm having a "rose-tinted spectacle" moment. If I was 20 years older, I suppose I'd be all nostalgic for steam. Mid life crisis? No thanks, I'm already having one...

On the plus side, we can still enjoy loco haulage (or propulsion!) twice an hour between Norwich and Liverpool Street, and the Mk3 coach always seems to me to be the peak of British passenger accommodation design. The HST seat layout is arguably better, but the ride is usually superb.

 

- Richard.

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