Hydraulic Hunting 1969 part 1

The year was 1969, steam had finished and I had just left school, diesels held as much interest as steam had, but travel was irresistible. For a Lancashire lad Hydraulics were not exactly common place, but having holidayed at Dawlish Warren in 1963/4/5 I was hooked. Work provided enough money to go on my first four day coach trip to the South West and South Wales bashing sheds with the Buckley Wells Railway Enthusiasts. I bought my first 35mm camera, a Boots Birette, serviceable for stills around sheds but not a lot else with a top shutter speed of 1/125 sec. and f4 lens.

Friday afternoon was spent heading West, but a call at Worcester found a Warship and some Hymeks resting between Bromsgrove banking duties.

Early hours Saturday and enough light at Laira Plymouth gave a nicely positioned Western before onto Newton Abbott yielding one of the by now few Warships still in green and a North British basking in the sun. Exeter was roofless but still used as a stabling point, Hymek, Warship on shed and another rumbled past at the crossing.

Bristol Bath Road was by far the most interesting depot bagging several Hymeks and a Western.

Over the bridge into South Wales and we found a by now rare Paxman on Newport Ebbw Junction, and my final Hydraulic shot was on the Sunday whilst doing the valleys was a Western at the derelict Carmarthen shed.


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