The Christmas Brush - 2nd December 2017

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The 'line up' at the buffet on the tour.<br>[&copy; Dicky Irvine 2017]		The tour was the first train on then recently commissioned Old Oak Crossrail Reception Line looking east.<br>[&copy; Phil Marsh 2017]	The same line at Old Oak Mitre Bridge looking west. The adjacent two lines were not yet commissioned.<br>[&copy; Phil Marsh 2017]	Hardly a Ground Position Signal! - the approach to Hayes Up Goods Loop in the Down direction.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2017]	The leaning signal of Greenford. 47245 leading our tour along the Up & Down Loop from Greenford South Jn to Greenford East Jn passing Signal GE67, Greenford East signal box's Up Starter from the eastern chord towards West Ealing. Although used frequently by freight trains and ECS moves, a passenger train over this side of the triangle is a rare.<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]	En route between Paddington and Greenford West Jn (where the tour reversed) the Christmas Brush has just passed Greenford East Signal Box, between the former main line from Paddington to the left, the western curve round to Greenford South Jn on the right and the bridge carrying the LUL Central Line. After reversal, the western curve was taken for Hanwell.<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]
BR Standard 'Britannia' Class 4-6-2 No70000 'Britannia' opens up now its 11 coach train has cleared the junction at Greenford West having started from Ealing Broadway. This was the 'William Shakespeare Express' to Stratford-upon-Avon and return, seen from the old platforms of the main line station at Greenford on Sun 20 Dec 1992.<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]	Greenford West Jn (after the Paddington reveral), the tour has reversed behind signals GE41 & GE45. GE41 is the Up Main Home signal towards Paddington and GE45, the Up Home Branch signal to Greenford South Jn. To the left in the undergrowth, on the ground is the remains of the Up Siding which was previously part of the Up Loop through Greenford mainline station platforms, long since closed. Incredibly the signal is the same one seen in the 1992 picture above with 'Britannia'!<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]	On route from Paddington to a reversal at Greenford West the tour passes Greenford East's Signal GE50 to cross to the former Up Main Line before coming to a halt. Signal GE 50 is the Down Starter, the ground signal (GE13) controlled access to the Up Siding, now disconnected.<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]	Looking towards the rear of the train after reversal at Greenford West Jn, the tour heads towards Greenford South Jn at Greenford (LUL) Bay Jn under the LUL Central Line bridges. The line trailing in from the left is indeed from Greenford bay P2.<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]	Reversal in Milton Siding (MP 54½ visible right), Chris Wall from WCR in front of 47245. Looking east towards Didcot, the main lines to/from Swindon (right) were under a possession.<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]	Miles thanks to Jim Sellens.	The 'BLS Christmas Brush' passing Newbury Racecourse P3 (on the Down Newbury Loop), the racecourse is behind the train.<br>[&copy; Tony Bartlett 2017]
Now looking west to Newbury station; the Pullman Car Topaz was in the train (noted for its inward opening external and internal doors).<br>[&copy; Tony Bartlett 2017]	The tour during the stop at Newbury P1.<br>[&copy; Jenny Williamson 2017]	'Off piste' (yet again!) at Westbury East Loop Jn.<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]	Not often seen is a 'Position 6' route indicator ('feather') which could easily be mistaken for a 'Position 1'. This interesting picture shows how access to the Reading Feeder Relief from Reading West is via the Down Reading West Curve. The loco is just about to take the points right onto the bidirectional Up Reading West Curve then cross right on to the Reading Feeder Relief beneath Reading Viaduct (which carries the Reading Festival Line, Down Main and Up Main over it). The curve continues round to the high numbered Reading platforms.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2017]	Resistance is futile; he is the arch-apprentice at the Kev Adlam School of selling ice to the Eskimos.<br>[&copy; Geoff Plumb 2017]