Brutus and Gladiator
Another dip into the archives captures diesel-hydraulic D1016 'Western Gladiator' arriving at Westbury with a rake of what looks like empty hoppers. The train terminated here, at least temporarily, seeing as D1016 was snapped later on light engine.
Released to traffic from Swindon Works in February 1963 she would be withdrawn from service in December 1975, some 20 months after this shot was taken. Her service life was just under 13 years - hardly a great return on the tax-payers investment, but rather better than the criminally short 5 years achieved by 9F steam locomotive 'Evening Star' the decade before in the overly hasty project to eliminate steam traction on the UK network.
The title refers to the then extensive use of BRUTE trollies on station platforms for storing / conveying parcels - a reminder of how much traffic was handled for the Post Office in the 1970s. Just the single one here, no doubt awaiting a train heading west - at the larger stations such as Bristol and Crewe you could often barely swing cat for the number of BRUTES present. That said, at least the empty ones gave the humble trainspotter somewhere to sit and eat lunch unencumbered by other members of the travelling public, and often in prime viewing positions too.
I was experimenting with different films at the time and decided to give this Perutz offering a trial. I didn't stick with the emulsion but have been impressed by how it has held its colour after 48 years - including a three week stint in a container at steamy Savannah Port which saw off at least one item of furniture.
Not the best 'Western' shot I've ever uploaded, but I figured it might be worth a run out.
Zenit E with Perutz Peruchrome 64asa
27th April 1974
Brutus and Gladiator
Another dip into the archives captures diesel-hydraulic D1016 'Western Gladiator' arriving at Westbury with a rake of what looks like empty hoppers. The train terminated here, at least temporarily, seeing as D1016 was snapped later on light engine.
Released to traffic from Swindon Works in February 1963 she would be withdrawn from service in December 1975, some 20 months after this shot was taken. Her service life was just under 13 years - hardly a great return on the tax-payers investment, but rather better than the criminally short 5 years achieved by 9F steam locomotive 'Evening Star' the decade before in the overly hasty project to eliminate steam traction on the UK network.
The title refers to the then extensive use of BRUTE trollies on station platforms for storing / conveying parcels - a reminder of how much traffic was handled for the Post Office in the 1970s. Just the single one here, no doubt awaiting a train heading west - at the larger stations such as Bristol and Crewe you could often barely swing cat for the number of BRUTES present. That said, at least the empty ones gave the humble trainspotter somewhere to sit and eat lunch unencumbered by other members of the travelling public, and often in prime viewing positions too.
I was experimenting with different films at the time and decided to give this Perutz offering a trial. I didn't stick with the emulsion but have been impressed by how it has held its colour after 48 years - including a three week stint in a container at steamy Savannah Port which saw off at least one item of furniture.
Not the best 'Western' shot I've ever uploaded, but I figured it might be worth a run out.
Zenit E with Perutz Peruchrome 64asa
27th April 1974