Thanks to the late Tony Ewer for the rare images…
Derailments on the Dunstable branch in the 70s were quite a regular occurence, the derailment of a borrowed 33034 at Maple Road catchpoints in Sep 74 particulary embarrasing for the Midland! By the 80’s derailments were much rarer as the amount of shunting needed declined.
The cement works triangle where Blue Circles own shunters moved and shunted trains on essentially their tracks was where the most derailments occured. On a sunny December 19th 1985 Tony Ewer was on hand to record events from the arrival of the Stratford breakdown unit, the rerailing of derailed trucks and the impressive breakdown trains departure back to the Eastern.
The derailed cement wagons on the cement works triangle await recovery
Taken from Dog Kennel Lane bridge 31308 and the Stratford breakdown train await instructions in harsh winter sun
With the cement works storage silos in the background the big crane gets busy to rerail the derailed wagons on the arrival road of the triangle
The sheer size of the SF crane is seen here
The PCA is lifted back onto the tracks
Another Tony Ewer classic as he captures 31308 returning home past Dunstable Kingsway
Link to our popuar 11 page with many phots of the much missed Dunstable branch 1965-90
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