Industrial Action

Geoff Plumb, our final speaker of the year, gave us a fascinating insight into the world of industrial locos in and around the 1960’s. These small work horses were the backbone of Britain’s heavy industry, with makes such Peckitt, Barclay, Bagnall and Hunslet dominating. During the afternoon such sites as power stations, docks, steel works and paper mills throughout the country became familiar, as far afield as Gravesend, Bristol dock, Seaham harbour and Sunderland dock. After our festive break, Geoff took us on some of his tours with the Branch Line Society to various remote locations covering several little used lines such as sidings in the York area, Chadderton and into Kent with the “Kentish Thunderer Rail-tour”. We finished the afternoon and the year by flying in a light aircraft, owned by Geoff’s brother, over Buckinghamshire and some of the HS2 sites, taking in Bletchley, Bicester, Moreton in the Marsh and their surrounding areas giving a very different perspective to our usual views on these sites.

Dave Elsdon
Branch Secretary