Sounds of classic diesels, mostly at Reading and Paddington.
All recordings made by the late Ron Collen-Jones. Restored and published by Ian Strange.
Mono recordings processed for a stereo effect.
Recorded during 1973, 1974 and 1986.
Highlights include:
** Intensive action at Reading during Royal Ascot week.
** A ride behind a Hymek.
** Class 50s departing and rushing through Reading.
10.50
Price includes worldwide postage.
You can download a pdf version of the playlist:
Great Western Diesels playlist PDF
Here is the full recording list:
Note that these recordings have been edited to remove Ron Collen-Jones' commentary (except on some on-train recordings). The information he provided is included in this play-list.
Disc 1
31st July 1973, at Reading:
1 - Class 47 no.1665 belts through on the slow road with the South Wales steel-liner.
2 - Pioneer class 50 no.400 storms through on the 1145 Paddington-Bristol at 1215hrs.
3 - DEMU no.1204 arrives from Tonbridge.
4a - 1069 "Western Vanguard" arrives. As announcements are made, the mic is taken passed the loco and onto the leading coach.
4b - On-train departing behind 1069, 4minutes late, on an up service. Pulling away gently at first, the driver puts down the power and we accelerate on jointed and then welded rails. This loco hums beautifully as speed gathers relentlessly. An express passes our open window.
20th June 1973, during Royal Ascot week, with some special train hauled by class 47s:
Paddington:
5 - As no.1677 idles under the bridge, 1071 "Western Renown" arrives with a short burst of power.
6 - 1677 runs light out of the station.
7 - Class 31 no.5692 arrives with 1A99, a 12 coach corridor set.
8 - As rain pours down, we ride behind 1049 "Western Monarch" departing gently, but soon getting into its stride.
Reading:
9 - 1026 "Western Centurion" arrives on a service for Torbay. Then 1010 "Western Campaigner" arrives on an up service in the background. 1026 then departs.
10 - Class 47 no.1700 is uncoupled and runs off light, as DEMU no.1203 departs. Then a 3-car DMU passes on 1Z16, a special carrying school-children.
11 - Class 47 no.1925 departs on 1Z10, including Western Region dining cars.
12 - Hymek 7029 shunts some parcels vans. An EMU departs. class 33 no.6553 passes with cement wagons. 1034 "Western Dragoon" arrives in the background, on the "Golden Hind" to Penzance.
13 - Class 47 no.1959 departs (its train has a mix of BR, Commonwealth and B4 bogies).
14 - Class 47 no.1610 departs. 7029 propels a pair of CCTs into the station. 7389 arrives from Waterloo.
15 - Service 1V46 rushes through (class 47) running neck and neck with a passing Sea-King helicopter. Class 47 no.1540 departs on 1Z75 towards the Southern Railway, the train including 80039 and 80037 full-restaurant cars.
16 - Class 08 no.3807 runs light out of the station. Class 47 no. 1664 "George Jackson Churchward" departs on 1V28 with 6 coaches.
17 - 08 no.3967 accelerates briefly, as a DMU leaves for Paddington.
18 - More class 47 action: 1957 passes through on a Bristol to Paddington. A very smokey 1609 on 1M13 arrives. 1748 departs on an Ascot special all 1st class, with full kitchen cars 80029 and 80035.
19 - The two 08s, 3807 and 3967 going out neck-and-neck.
20 - 1069 "Western Vanguard" arrives on an up service. 1028 "Western Hussar" arrives with a down working.
21 - Class 47 no.1775 accelerates through with some 100 ton tankers. 1069 departs on the slow line.
22a - Class 47 no.1939 arrives on 1A56.
22b - 1939 is delayed slightly, struggling to release the brakes, before getting going.
27th April 1973, Paddington:
23 - Class 47 no.1945 departs. An unidentified Hymek arrives with ECS.
24 - Class 31 no.5539 departs with ECS from an arrival from Cheltenham.
25 - 1016 "Western Gladiator" runs light up to the platform end. 1033 "Western Trooper" arrives and 1016 runs out of the station. A 3 car parcels train (DMU, GOV, DMU formation) sounds its horn and arrives.
26 - 1016 departs on the 1100 to Swansea and 5535 follows up behind running light.
25th October 1973, Reading:
27 - 401 coasts through at speed with air-con coaches. A Western so dirty that Ron couldn't identify it (except that it had 6 letters in the 2nd word of its name) passes slowly on a goods train. DEMU no.1202 departs.
28 - Class 47 no.1679 passes through on an up service. Ron thought the 47's name might have been "Cyclops" which would have been 1673.
29 - Class 47 no.1744 hauling 4E66, a freightliner.
30 - DEMU no.1206 departs for Tonbridge.
31 - 1014 "Western Leviathan" arrives and departs on a west-bound freight, carrying the headcode 6V76, but Ron believed it to be the wrong code.
25th June 1974, Reading:
32a - 1069 "Western Vanguard" accelerates through and turns left to the southern. 31256 runs through light.
32b - Class 47 no.1646 idles on a parcels for the southern region. A DEMU arrives with a blast on its horns.
33 - 50043 on 1V46 passes through slowly.
34 - 50011 departs on the 1215 Paddington to Bristol.
35 - A rare visitor, as Hymek 7016 runs light arriving at the depot. 50020 departs in a leisurely fashion, on the 1230 to Penzance.
36 - 50019 departs on the 1245 to Weston-super-Mare, the driver "grinning all over his face", observed Ron.
18th September 1974, Reading:
37 - 47495 tears passed on the 0945 Paddington to Bristol at 1016hrs.
38 - 50009 departs on the 1010 to Bristol.
39 - Berkshire DEMU no.1131 departs for Southampton.
40a - 1070 "Western Gauntlet" arrives with the 1030 Paddington to Paignton.
40b - 47512 passes on 6A02, 100 ton wagons, just before 1070 sets off briskly with its 9 coach train.
41 - 50007 departs for Paddington, carrying headcode 1A40. Confusingly, a few minutes earlier, another 50 carried the same headcode.
42 - 47027 departs on an up service, 1A43.
43 - 31147 on 1V28 departs. DEMU no.1205 then departs and heads into the distance.
44 - 1063 "Western Monitor" (with its worn paint now a light blue) gives an echoing blast on its horns, and departs on 1A45 (with air-braked coaches).
45 - Hot on the heels of the previous Western, 1034 "Western Dragoon" arrives on 1A55 and departs, also giving some blasts on its horns. A class 47 arrives and a 50 stands in the background.
46 - DEMU no.1204 arrives and a Peak passes through.
47 - 50009 departs for Paddington from Bristol.
48 - Riding behind 1023 "Western Fusilier" departing Reading at 1516hrs for Paddington.
Disc 2
26th September 1973:
1 - Riding behind class 47 no.1589 (0800 Paddington-Swansea) as it arrives at Slough. As we depart, 1063 "Western Monitor" passes, and then class 47 no.1961 also passes by.
2 - Reading: Hymek 7001 shunts a pair of siphons. A DMU arrives at platform 8. 7356 arrives from Waterloo. 7001 then backs the 2 siphons onto a parcels train.
3 - Reading: Announcements are heard just before a class 31 no.5680 coasts passed light. DEMU no.1202 arrives. 7001 sounds its horns and departs (the first 5 coaches of its train are siphons). A class 47 passes on an express.
4 - Reading: As a 47 hauled freight fades into the distance, announcements are made. DEMU no.1202 then departs for Tonbridge.
5 - Onboard a service headed by Hymek 7022 standing at Reading, as class 47 no.1952 passes with horns blaring, hauling air-con coaches.
6 - Onboard behind 7022 departing Reading and calling at Twyford (the full 17min. 37sec. recording as far as Maidenhead).
7 - The end of our Hymek journey as 7022 passes West Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Acton, with a few blasts on the horns. We then arrive at Paddington, platform 9. The mic is taken off the train and Ron thanks the driver for a "very good run".
8 - 7022 uncouples at Paddington.
9 - Another Hymek, 7028, departs Paddington with empty coaching stock.
2nd October 1973:
10 - Paddington: As a Western stands in the background, some Canada geese make a lot of noise after arriving on the Fishguard boat train.
11 - Reading: 1063 "Western Monitor" pulls forward to the next signal, on a goods train, before heading into the Southern Region.
12 - Reading: 1003 "Western Pioneer" departs on 1V55 to Plymouth.
13 - Reading: 1030 "Western Musketeer" accelerates through on a freightliner, although displaying headcode 1A63.
12th February 1986, Bristol Temple Meads:
14 - 33042 departs on a service from Weston-super-Mare.
15 - With flanges squealing, 50020 "Revenge" departs on a goods working, 13 bogie wagons for Old Oak Common.
16 - An ex-works 37427 departs on the 1555 Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff. The 37 was adorned on the front with a Welsh Dragon emblem.
31st December 1986:
17 - 50017 "Royal Oak" passes through Royal Oak! It's hauling a 4 coach ECS working heading into Paddington (coaches and loco in Network South-East livery).
18a - At Paddington, an unidentified class 50 starts up.
18b - The class 50 runs off light.
25th June 1974, Reading:
19 - 50044 stands (and a DEMU arrives in the background) as 47380 departs on a Poole-Liverpool working, at 1050hrs, emitting clouds of black smoke. 33112 pulls up alongside the mic and then continues. 50044 departs for Bristol.
20 - 50016 begins to pull away, 47072 arrives on 1V35, then the 50 accelerates smartly passed and away despite a single yellow signal.
21 - 1010 "Western Campaigner" running light, sounds a warning to a pw gang, and trundles passed.
22 - 1046 "Western Marquis" stands as a class 50 arrives. The Western then eases away gently before opening up and away into the distance. "That made my day", commented Ron!
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Price include worldwide postage.
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