Blunsdon

Hello,

Just to clarify something thats been on my mind for a while, is the Blunsdon station on the Swindon and Cricklade Railway and the Blunsdon station that Southern Locomotives Limited were based at one and the same? As I hear reference to Swindon from various people talking about Port Line and 257 Squadron, and the Southern Steam Ltd website makes frequent references to restoration work at Blunsdon, Swindon Works (which bit??) and some Tarmac people!

I know, pretty stuipd huh...just like to know as I don't live too far away!

 

yes in the very early days port line was there , then they managed to rent the weigh house from tarmac who had just bought swindon works where both engines were then moved to but i dont know the full story, it could be that port line was already on site before tarmac took over but at some stage one or other of the engines was restored in the weighhouse

 

The majority of restoration work was done on Port Line at Blunsdon. (Or at least restoration work had reached an advanced stage by the time it was moved to Blunsdon). I remember seeing it there in what would've been the very late 1980s. I actually spoke to someone in Swindon last week who was telling me how he worked on the fabrication of 35027's cab as a Rover apprentice. Here are a couple of photos taken by my Dad when he took me there (I was about 5 at the time!). The photo of 35027 does show a near complete rolling chassis with some motion in place and many other fittings.

 

I visited the old weigh house at Swindon Works on 19th April 1990. 257 Squadron and 30053 were present long with SR CCT 1449.

Whilst on the subject of Blunsdon. Can anyone give an update on BR Mark 1 FK 13316 http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2875 Have received a report it may have now left but would appreciate confirmation.