A mass of ivy growth surrounds a partially uncovered square yellow sign with a black number ‘0’.

The partially uncovered yellow sign with a black number ‘0’ surrounded by ivy is shown on the left in the foreground. Behind and to the right Freightliner-liveried Class 66 locomotive 66617’s yellow front sits at the head of a train of blue JNA-G stone wagons at the start of the former Thornbury Branch Line which curves to the left and out of view. There is a stop board visible in the mid-ground and the back of a signal-post housing BL6565 Ground Position Light signal. On the right of frame are the two tracks of the Bristol to Gloucester line.

It’s the little things that make my day. Waiting for booked time at Yate Middle earlier I tried to find the Zero Milepost for the Thornbury branch. Found it hidden under a ton of ivy. One side left uncovered - for now! Should be visible from Yate Platform 2. (All done from position of safety etc.)

Not a problem, appreciated. It’s rather sad isn’t it that the internet has taught us to be so suspicious and cynical that even when someone goes out of their way not to infringe someone else’s copyright - by using an inferior photo of their own - it can still be thought of as not genuine! Ah well…

Ashley Down station - a wider view of the same photograph posted previously. Now as well as the platform and signal, also visible are parts of the footbridge structure either side of the two tracks

A view looking south on Ashley Down station. Bulbous clouds hang in the sky as a gathering of folk admire the new station on the opposite platform

Another view looking north at Ashley Down station showing the station name plate and the footbridge. This is a wide angle shot showing the shiny brickwork and platforms of the just-opened-that-morning station

Not sure what makes you assume that! If it looks odd it’s because it’s a highly cropped version of a photo I took myself on 28 September 2024 at Ashley Down station which opened to the public that day. Here’s the original uncropped version along with a couple of others showing the shiny new station!

When you see a class 91 in platform 11 at York, it’s difficult to resist this shot! I don’t recall seeing a 225 set here for quite a while, so it had to be done!
#Class91 #York #IC225 #LNER

There's a little more info on the introduction of 4-aspect signalling here:

www.jonroma.net/media/signal...

www.facebook.com/100067953738...

A station platform with tracks curving into the distance. Four people are waiting on the platform for their train. Beyond the end of the platform is a modern LED-type railway signal showing two yellow lights arranged vertically. It is Distant signal BL1594 on the Up Filton Relief at Ashley Down station

A very happy 100th birthday to the Double Yellow signal aspect! Apparently on 21 March 1926 the Southern Railway first introduced 4-aspect colour light signalling between Holborn and Elephant & Castle.
(Apologies for the crap picture, it's the only [recent] image of a double-yellow signal I have!)

Railway tracks, paintwork and overhead line equipment stretch into the distance, the metals picked out by the giant nuclear reactor in the sky. The sky and light haze is tinted a deep shade of orange as the signal ahead remains resolutely at red and a GWR IET (802016, operating 1D05 06:00 Oxford to Paddington) breezes past up the Reading flyover to the right of frame, its tiny red tail lights shining dimly away

This morning’s theme was orange and red. There’s definitely something special about being out on the rails watching the sun rise ahead. Makes the 01:30 alarm worth it!
(Picture taken from outside cab, while train secured, etc. etc.)

"The little green train" sounds like a great new slogan for GWR branch line services! Green in more ways than one... 😉

UK TV Advert for Milton Keynes (tx 21st March 1980) YouTube video by RobsOldVideos

The 80s really did produce some bangers of tunes for towns/shopping centres. Personal favourites of mine are Telford's "It's a great day out"... www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTs5...
And of course "You've never seen anywhere like it - Central Milton Keynes" 😂 www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHhr...

South Woodham Ferrers Song and Story - Right Hand Man / Bark Music (1980) YouTube video by David Wheatley

🎵 South Woodham Ferrers, on a river by the sea
🎵 South Woodham Ferrers, it's a whole new place to be...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq5S...

Two Pi? Ahh!

A side view of the front end of locomotive 66614 with Freightliner branding. Behind the locomotive is the station name board on Bristol Parkway platform 1 and overhead line structures

A view of locomotive 66614 in green and yellow Freightliner livery sitting on the Down Goods line at Bristol Parkway awaiting its onward journey. The sky is cloudy

Side view of locomotive 66614 showing the nameplate “Poppy” and commemorative emblem

Train staff for the Yate West to Tytherington single line. A large worn-looking metal key with engraved brass inlay

It’s been a Tytherington kind of day, with 66614 for company. The former Thornbury branch line is certainly an interesting drive!

John Virgo dies aged 79 John Virgo, who co-presented TV show Big Break and commentated on the BBC for 47 years, has died.

When I was a youngster my piano teacher watched snooker on the TV, and I grew to enjoy it too. Even got a ¼-size table and snazzy waistcoat to play in myself. John Virgo left a great impression with his commentary & TV work so I’m sad to see he has passed. Goodnight JV!
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooke...

Class 59 locomotive 59005 in Aggregates Industries green, blue and silver livery sits in Day Aggregates Siding in Woking with a train of Mendip stone wagons being unloaded. The sky is distinctly grey and cloudy

Commemorative plate on the side of locomotive 59005, detailing its achievement of hauling the heaviest and longest freight train in Europe (11982 tonnes, 5415 feet) on 26 May 1991

Metal number plate on the side of locomotive 59005

Today’s treat was some driving hours on 59005, which once hauled the heaviest and longest freight train in Europe!

Five new rail stations YouTube video by Transport Matters

The latest I've heard is that the "entry into service" phase of testing should have begun this month, and last month's prediction from Peter Plisner of Transport Matters on YouTube who reckons it'll be March or April when the new stations open - youtu.be/NByqQ5ndX1Q?...

Did you mean June 30th 1902? #Epochalypse #32bitsisenoughforanyone

Extract from Ordnance Survey 6 inch to 1 mile map showing a forested area named "Golden Cock" and a collection of buildings named "Splattenridden"

I really love looking at old maps. This gem stuck out as I was browsing the area round St Erth. Not only do we have a woodland with a fantastic shiny name, but also a place with what would be a great name for a new brand of cleaning wipes.

10 locomotives safely delivered to Westbury. And a smattering of Cheshire snow came along for the ride too… One of the more unusual drives I’ve done, it must be said!

10 Class 66 locomotives - all coupled together - in the bright crisp morning sun with frost on the tracks of East Usk Yard in Newport

Looks like we’ve got ourselves a CONVOY!

Switch the world off and back on again. A good reboot should clear it.

Elf I.S. has left the building...
Merry Christmas! :)

A shelf-mounted banner with a picture of a brown cocker spaniel. The text below the picture reads “How to enter Dogs at Dobbies”

A wider view of the shelf-mounted banner, with instructions on how to enter the competition named “Dogs at Dobbies”

There’s needless ambiguity… and then there’s this. A cursory glance led to a double-take before I realised this is some sort of animal photography competition. Merry Christmas all!

Ooh! Look ... A new zoomable interactive Rail Map is online!

railmap.nationalrail.co.uk#/mapview

Portion of National Rail Interactive Map showing the stations around London Paddington. A multitude of multi-coloured lines with inconsistent spacing and some smooth, some sharp curves on lines. Station labels also rather clumsily overlap other features in places

Intriguing, if a little baffling. My inner cartographic designer is silently screaming at parts of it (inconsistent curvature radii, and dynamic station labels clashing with other lines etc.) I wonder who the intended audience are?
Oh and yet another configuration of Paddington on a rail map!

In my mind I like to imagine that after Reading week there are Basingstoke, Winchester and Southampton Airport Parkway weeks as well. But perhaps I have my wires Cross(Country)ed... 🙃

Interior of AC Cars Railbus no. W79978, showing refurbished red moquette bus-style seating

Maker’s plate inside AC Cars Railbus reading “Manufactured by AC Cars Ltd - Thames Ditton - Surrey”

Ed sitting at the controls of AC Cars Railbus no. W79978 as it sits alongside the platform at Cirencester Town.

A scale model of an AC Cars Railbus perched on the platform end wall in front of the real thing at Cirencester Town station.

The Railbus was hoped to be the saviour of the Cirencester branch line when introduced in 1959, but sadly it was not to be and the line closed in 1964 (thanks Dr Beeching!) It was quite the experience to sit on board one at the terminus of the line today!

Cirencester Town station building, a three-storey narrow Cotswold stone building, behind some parked cars in what’s now known as the “Old Station Car Park”. Beside the station building, alongside the small stub of the original platform, sits a green AC Cars Railbus no. W79978 on loan from the Swindon & Cricklade Railway

AC Cars Railbus no. W79978 in dark green livery with yellow “whiskers” on the front cab alongside the short stub of the original Cirencester Town station platform.

The first-floor boardroom in the original Cirencester Town station building. There are holes in the ceiling plaster and exposed brickwork on the western wall. The floorboards are also exposed. A picture of Isambard Kingdom Brunel has been placed on the wall

The view north from the first-floor boardroom of Cirencester Town station building. Through the distinctively arch-topped three-section windows can be seen the Old Station Car Park, Tetbury Road and the old museum building set into the wall of Cirencester Park

For the first time in decades, Cirencester Town station building was open for the public to visit this weekend. A Brunel original from 1841, and neglected for many years, it’s now undergoing some much-needed refurbishment by the new owner. On show was one of the original AC Cars Railbuses from 1959.

24th September 05:47 BST: Ed stands wearing a red shirt in front of blue, yellow and grey liveried Eurostar e300 number 373220 under the roof and dim lighting of Paris Gare du Nord platform 3.

24th September 08:32: St Pancras International's spectacular roof hovers over the Eurostar platforms. This is a still image from GoPro footage showing Ed's POV as he walks along platform 10 having just disembarked the blue, yellow and grey Eurostar on the left of frame. In the foreground is Ed's arm holding the stabilisation gimbal with the phone Ed is using to film himself.

After recovering from last week, I've collated the full rundown from my #TOCMarathon of 24-25 Sep, travelling on all 30 TOCs listed by the Rail Delivery Group in 36 hrs, 6 mins, 42 sec!
TOC 1/30: Eurostar 9007, dep Paris Gare du Nord at 06:06:44 BST, arr London St Pancras 08:31:25 (373219/373220)

25 Sep 18:16: Ed smiles as he walks down the platform alongside the Transport for Wales train that brought him to Manchester to complete the TOC Marathon

25 Sep 18:30: Ed holds his fist in the air in celebration outside the entrance to Manchester Piccadilly station

#TOCMarathon 25 Sep: And with that the TOC Marathon was done! 36 hours, 6 minutes and 41.7 seconds according to the overall timer. What a journey! But it could have been done 3 hours quicker! My travel wasn't over though: I had to get back to the North East for the Railway 200 events...!

25 Sep 18:01: Transport for Wales black-liveried DVT 82201 leads the train into Stockport station. The sun is clearly getting low in the sky as long shadows are cast over the platform

25 Sep 18:13: Ed holds up the phone at the window of the Transport for Wales train as he stops the timer as the wheels stop turning on arrival at Manchester Piccadilly. The timer reads 36 hours, 6 minutes, 41.70 seconds

#TOCMarathon 25 Sep: Finally it was time to pick up the last TOC. After an anxious wait outside Stockport on the TPE train, we were eventually let into the station in front of TfW, thank goodness!
TOC 30/30: Transport for Wales 1W61, dep Stockport 18:03:15, arr Manchester Piccadilly 18:13:26 (67010)