railography photo galleries : United Kingdom : Reading Area : 16-D-2650 : (125 of 164)

A Cunning Plan

59.102 led 7C76, the 14:40 Acton - Whatley Quarry stone empties along the Down Main through Sonning Cutting on 18 July 2016. Several westbound stone empties were booked to cross from the Down Relief to the Down Main at Twyford West after the completion of the Reading station re-modelling. It was a great idea on paper, the empties would arrive at Twyford West, just after a West of England HST had passed, cross straight over and follow the HST through Reading and down the B&H. The problem was that the HST was often late or the freight early or there was an Up HST in the way. By the time that the freight had got the road, got its train moving and crossed over, it was already delaying the following HST. Canny signallers often kept the empties on the relief where they usually got a clear run through Reading without delaying anything.