Western main line and suburban
Springtime at Twyford & Sonning
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© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2011
It's many years since I took these photos on the former GWR main line, on a warm spring evening at Twyford (junction for the Henley branch) and the following day just a little further west at Sonning. The "Westerns" (and all the other hydraulics) had gone, and the HSTs were in charge of the major workings. But the Sprinter revolution was still some way off - old-fashioned DMUs worked local services (Pressed Steel Co classes 117 and 121), while other longer distance trains were still locomotive-hauled.
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
The first few photos are taken at Twyford station - some main line workings are seen, followed by the departure of a Henley-bound "bubblecar". The light wasn't quite so good the following day, but was OK for a few record shots of main line passenger workings. There was no freight around on either occasion...
10/11 April 1982
Passing trains - 47 and DMU West-bound cl 117 DMU, Twyford West-bound HST, Twyford The Henley-on-Thames bubblecar... ...roars away from Twyford... Henley departure ...and disappears into the sunset A pair of 117s in Sonning cutting Hurtling HST near Sonning Class 117 DMU near Sonning Class 50 on a London-bound working... ...passes a west-bound HST Smoky 117, eastbound near Sonning