Wednesday 5 January 2011

Traffic Movements at Sedgeley Junction 1962-1963 (Part 15)

This is one of a series of posts describing traffic movements I observed whilst unofficially working Sedgeley Junction signal box.

As described in Part 1, you can find the passenger timings here and the freight timings here. The notes are intended to go with a copy of the Train Register Book which is missing so, forty seven years later, the meaning of some of the original notes is not very clear. The original notes appear in italics with minimal editing, sometimes followed by my recent comments attempting clarification. The numbers in brackets have been added to assist in locating entries.

Sedgeley Jn. Monday 3rd Jun 1963 (Whitsun Bank Holiday)

(1) The Walsall Local has been strengthened to a Metropolitan-Cammell 3-car set.
(2) The first 'Special' from Snow Hill passes at 10.37 a.m. It's a 'Swindon' 3-car DMU with buffet facilities in the centre car and it's packed.
(3) The Up Walsall at 11.04 a.m. is a crowded 'Gloucester' 3-car set.
(4) The 'Western' on the Down is three single units coupled together!
(5) The Up Snow Hill at 11.16 is filled to capacity. Right behind is an express - 8680 hauling ten packed non-corridors heading for Stourport.
(6) Next, Dudleyport offers a special from Nuneaton which has travelled down the Stour. 'Standard' class 4MT 4-6-0 number 75018 rushes past with 8 corridor coaches.
(7) The 'Swindon' unit re-appears with another 'Special' from Snow Hill. We almost bring him to a stand before we can 'get the road' from Dudley East.
Once again, the whole train (including the 1st Class accommodation) is crowded.
(8) 2V90 on the Up is a special from Sutton Park. It's a crowded Metropolitan-Cammell 3-car set.
(9) Special 1X68 is reported 12 o'clock at Bloxwich. It's another crowded train for Stourport, made up of 8 non-corridors with 8733 in charge. We're told that Dudley has another 100 passengers waiting to join this train!
Alas, that was the end of my period of observation.