As described in an earlier post, you can find the passenger timings here and the freight timings here. The original notes appear in italics with minimal editing, followed by my recent comments attempting clarification. The numbers in brackets have been added to assist in locating entries. Let's dive straight in on a short evening session.
Sedgeley Jn. Sat 8th December 1962
(1) Up 'Western' is a ‘Prairie’ and 4 corridor stock at 6.15 p.m. The railways might have been Nationalised but most railwaymen retained their previous tribal affiliations, so passenger trains to and from the Western Region at Horsley Fields Junction were usually referred to as 'Westerns', like some alien intruder. The LMR service between Walsall and Dudley was referred to as 'the local' or (irrespective of direction) 'the Walsall'. Almost all regular passenger workings through Sedgeley Junction were operated by DMU, but there was a commuter working into Snow Hill from Brettel Lane in the morning with a return in the evening which was steam-hauled. I never quite got used to the sight of a Swindon 'Big Prairie' on what I thought of as an LMS route.
(2) Up 'Western' in at 7.29 p.m. and Horsley Fields “closes”. This local from Snow Hill was a DMU. The quotation marks around 'closes' suggests that this was a case of the signalman slipping out of the box for a while unofficially.
(3) Later, Dudley “closes” saying “If you get any rubbish, sweep it up the Third Line”. Again, this is an informal closure and we are being encouraged to put any up train which should appear on the Up Loop without obtaining a 'Line Clear'. Since there were no block controls on the signals at Sedgeley Junction, such unofficial working was possible.
Sedgeley Jn. Sat 15th December 1962
(1) The first two down 'Westerns' are ‘Swindon’ 3-sets.
(2) The Walsall up at 7.33, down at 7.43 is a Met-Camm twin-set DMU.
(3) Up parcels at 7.45 is a LMR ‘Weasel’. 'Weasel' is a bit of local humour -rhyming slang for a 'diesel' - actually a DPU.
(4) T47 for Stourbridge is refused up the Loop, so goes Up Main with an 8F, holding up the Dudleyport dead slow. The Down Parcels is held 7 minutes, then run off the Local, holding the down 'Western'. It's around 8.00 a.m. Once T47 has passed the 'Clearance Point' on the Up Main (a quarter of a mile beyond our Up Home), we can let the passenger train approach from Dudleyport. T47 has to clear Dudley East before he can give 'Line Clear' for the passenger and we can pull off our signal.
(5) T39 up is a ‘Black 5’ facing Dudley.
(6) Down LE is the engine off ‘222’ (9V03) – an 8F facing Bescot (not the banker returning downhill as first thought). Note the use of both the 'old' trip number (222) and 'new' four-character reporting number (9V03).
(7) The Up Walsall at 9.0 a.m. is a ‘Gloucester’ unit. No sign of the Metro-Camm.
(8) The Parcels follows up, engine facing Dudley with four 4-wheel vans and the usual bogie vehicle. The Parcels is almost stopped, waiting for the road, and has trouble getting away.
(9) 8M37 on the down is a Class 8, sheeted wagons, odd metal and coke. The 8.25 a.m. Stourbridge - Bescot.
(10) T39 to Dudleyport follows the local. ‘Black 5’ tender first, two vans, 16-ton mineral wagon with scrap and a B.R. brake. Having dropped the two vans at Dudleyport, he returns propelling the scrap and brake, stops on the Up Main while we get the road and pull the crossover, then departs for Great Bridge.
(11) Control informs us that T47’s engine is returning to Great Bridge with his guard, to work a second train onto the Western before finally loading back. Birmingham Traffic Control both issued information and collected details of how trains were running. Control was usually referred to, ironically, as the "College" (as in "College of Knowledge")
(12) The Up Walsall at 10.09 is the ‘Gloucester’ unit.
(13) The Down Parcels is the 2-6-0 tender first with his bogie van, having dropped the 4-wheelers. The Guard is on the footplate, drinking tea!
(14) The Down Walsall is the ‘Gloucester’ unit.
(15) The Up at 10.40 is ‘phoned through as “T63 with 14 Dudleys”.
(16) The Up Parcels following is two 4-wheel vans and a bogie van. When he returns on the Down, he stops to deliver a new kettle for the box!
(17) T63, returning to Bescot, follows the Parcels and is just slowed as we wait for Horsely Fields to "Knock Out" for the Parcels. Giving 'Train Out of Section' was usually called "Knocking Out".
(18) Control says “65 is running and loading back with Pools to Norton Junction”. 9T65 comes up with an ‘8F’ and T63 banking. He goes into the Up Loop because he’s right in front of the Up 'Western'.
(19) Down light engine is off the Parcels (?)
(20) The ‘1-4’ on the Down has six and the brake. Control says “It’s 8M39 with 63 behind”.
(21) No sign of T47 as yet. Great Bridge have a special and WR1 (8V04), we’re informed.
(22) At last, T47 comes Down with a long train of empties.
(23) WR1 comes up with a banker and is taken Up the Main by Dudley. The load is 34 equal to 40 for Stourport. It’s 16-ton mineral wagons with power station slack.
(24) Now, the plan is for T35 to work the Great Bridge – Stourbridge Special, instead of T47.
(25) The Up 'Western' at '39 is held for a minute at our Home, while WR1 clears.
(26> The Great Bridge – Stourbridge ‘Special’ comes up, T35’s engine on the front, “Equal to 40 of coal” and T63 banking.
(27) The 2.0 p.m. Down 'Western' is augmented to two 3-car sets.
(28) T65 returns to home metals, the ‘8F’ hustling a double-braked train of empties to Norton Junction.
(29) T65 passes WR2 (8V06) on the Up, laboriously dragging "37 equal to 40" of coal and slack for Stourport.
(30) The following parcels from Walsall comes to a stand while Dudley is getting rid of WR2. It’s a grimy Standard 2-6-0 with an ER standard bogie parcels vehicle and a long wheelbase ‘Insul-Fish’ labelled ‘PARCEL MAILS’.
(31) T63 comes down with 44840, 3 vans and a BR Brake for Bescot.
(32) The driver on the Walsall Local is now quite friendly, exchanging greetings each time he passes.
(33) The parcels returns Down but we’re not sure where he’s for. We pull off for Walsall and away he goes with the ER bogie parcels van, having left the ‘Insul-Fish’ at Dudley.
(34) When we do get the expected Dudleyport Parcels, it’s the DMU off the ‘Walsall Local’ piled high with mailbags.
