Sandhill Swooper Railtour - 18th October 2025

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Page's Park end of line, our affable 'MOM' (Mobile Operations Manager) calls a STOP - a good plan in the circumstances!<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	P1 is to the right.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	2½" to a mile 1951 map, Page's Park buffer stops are arrowed; the railway used to convey sand to a glass factory (bottom centre) and Billington Road Crossing (bottom right) mainline exchange sidings - there were sand pits in this area too. Dunstable and Luton are off bottom right, Leighton Buzzard left.	On the low level headshunt for Page's Park shed roads ahead looking towards the end of line. The passenger line is off right at a higher level.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	The well-supervised young apprentice point clipper who, after clipping dozens of points during our visit, was a grand master by the end of the day. Far right is the passenger line and P2, then the connecting line to the shed headshunt. The right hand shed line (Shed Road 1) was traversed to the very end.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	The second all available lines 'local' tour in this area of the Railway - that nameboard sign, left, on rarer P2 really does lean like that.<br>[© Simon Mortimer 2025]	View from inside of the Shed Road 1, the tour is on the headshunt, the passenger line curves away left at a higher level.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]
The second 'local' tour reaches the doors on Shed Road 4.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	From the rear of the train at the end of Shed Road 1 towards the end of line at Page's Park.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	Double headed Simplex locos 43 + 44 in Page's Park P1 ready for the mainline run to Stonehenge and Munday's Hill.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	Double headed Simplex locos 43 + 44 in Page's Park P1 with battery electric NG23 in rare P2<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	Simon leant out at a most peculiar angle to take this, requiring 15.5o of straightening! Stationary at Munday's Hill end of line. Until 1969, it went further to Double Arches Sand Quarry etc (see map later).<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	The same location in the other direction (still stationary); Passenger Line left, Relief Line right.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	2½" to a mile 1951 map; the present end of line at Munday's Hill is arrowed at the bottom. Various sand pits / quarries in this wider area beyond Munday's Hill are still very much in production.
NG51 'River Sark' (Barclay 1987) from Eastriggs OESD runs onto our train at Stonehenge to haul the tour via the Relief Line and its crossovers.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	Coulthard Jn towards Munday's Hill; the points are set for the Relief. The short curve left (a trap point) allows shunting in the yard during passenger running.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	Approaching Munday's Hill from the Relief Line; needless to say, the loco ran round out of the way and propelled the coaches to the end of line.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	In the other direction towards Stonehenge in the distance, passenger line left and relief line right, Yard distant curving right.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	Stonehenge Level Crossing, the single coach for the 'top & tailed' yard lines tour - Ian Mortimer, your Treasurer is right, the passenger line is far right.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	The furthest extremity reached at Stonehenge Yard - the end of Road 15.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]	The former Chamblerain Barn's sand quarry branch (left) - now a housing estate. Page's Park is off bottom right and Stonehenge top right.<br>[&copy; Simon Mortimer 2025]