47280, 245 Swindon East 18th July 1997
47280, 245 working in multiple power away from Swindon at Stratton Green with 4M03, the 08:15 Swindon Rover to Longbridge car components train. The 10 KSA wagons were fairly new at the time and would contain car body pressings for Rovers cars which were assembled at Longbridge (Birmingham). Unfortunately the Rover group went into receivership in 2005 which saw the daily trains come to an abrupt stop. The former Pressed Steel pressing plant was taken over by BMW and now produces Mini body panels, the cars assembled at Cowley in Oxford. A trial train was run for a potential new flow to Cowley but it came to nothing and road became the preferred option. The Swindon factory has been rebuilt over the last 20 years.
(See Water and Rails comment below for an update on the Rover plant)
Pentax 6 x 7 Scans
© Neil Higson
47280, 245 Swindon East 18th July 1997
47280, 245 working in multiple power away from Swindon at Stratton Green with 4M03, the 08:15 Swindon Rover to Longbridge car components train. The 10 KSA wagons were fairly new at the time and would contain car body pressings for Rovers cars which were assembled at Longbridge (Birmingham). Unfortunately the Rover group went into receivership in 2005 which saw the daily trains come to an abrupt stop. The former Pressed Steel pressing plant was taken over by BMW and now produces Mini body panels, the cars assembled at Cowley in Oxford. A trial train was run for a potential new flow to Cowley but it came to nothing and road became the preferred option. The Swindon factory has been rebuilt over the last 20 years.
(See Water and Rails comment below for an update on the Rover plant)
Pentax 6 x 7 Scans
© Neil Higson