Down at Swindon, something stirs...

sp762 · Post by **sp762** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 11:04 am

That reminds me - must finish off that wagon work for you.

End of the week - I promise.

Mike

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 12:35 pm

Martin - where on the current A417/419 did the line cross? I was in Swindon over the weekend and stopped in the Travelodge on the corner of the A417/Highworth Road and saw signs for Hannington - another name I recognise!

saddletank · Post by **saddletank** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 3:35 pm

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x ... t,+Swindon+[City/Town/Village]&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf

The minor yellow road going from top left to bottom right is the old A419 - the Roman Ermin Street. New A419 is the dual carriageway.

You can see the stump of the branch lower left depicted as a freight line/siding. Project a line north-east from the end of the siding to intersect the old A419 and the blank triangular space with it's wide end against the road is the site of Stratton station. The screen shot above that refers to Ermin Street/A419 is looking northwards (rather than west as I mention in the blurb!). North-east of the new dual carriageway you can pick up the dotted line of the branch in the top centre sub-square of that map passing under the B4141 (Kingsdown Road) and then branching, left hand arm towards Highworth, right hand arm to the Vickers factory.

The pink-dotted footpath that crosses the line and intersects the B4141 under the first '1' is in the route. I was there before Christmas and the route here is in a shallow cutting with bridge rails still in evidence marking the site of the accomodation crossing and an adjacent milepost. Where the footpath reaches the A361 is near where the Swindon and Highworth Workhouse was (depicted in basic form in the route).

There is a period map of Stratton station on the Highworth website.

Hannington is the only one of the four station sites that has not been developed and is worth a visit. Bits of platform and bridge rail fence posts are in evidence, but wear your wellies!

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 12:48 pm

Nice description! I will be back in Swindon around 6th/7th February so I may take my camera and wellies for a nosey round!

I have to say the race is now definitely on the Route Release stakes - I've got over the Woodhead V2 signalling hump now and I expect to have it completed this week...

saddletank · Post by **saddletank** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 2:37 pm

Steve - drop me an email before you go and I can supply some 'highlights' to go and see. There are some tantalising bits and pieces still along the route and over half of it can be walked, but best to take good boots and maybe a pair of garden secaturs or a decent walking stick to whack the nettles/brambles back with!

decapod · Post by **decapod** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:48 pm

Thought I'd resurect this 2 year old topic as it has a few good screenshots of Highworth fot Matt to add to his info pages....

... I'll also add a couple of "new" rollingstock images....

mpeffers · Post by **mpeffers** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:21 pm

It's nice to see the other side of GW (The side that isn't going between Lodon and Bristol at 100mph). As model companies have only made 14xxs and Panniers, many people think about the faster side of the GWR. This has to be a must for anyone aswell as a good place for the little things. Keep up the good work.

jimmyladd · Post by **jimmyladd** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:06 pm

saddletank wrote:

Click the image to zoom in

A GWR OpenA sheeted wagon with coconut fibre bales for the Vorda Matting Works. A mile and a half distant the imposing facade of Hannington Hall dominates the valley. Wagon by Robin Howell.

Oh look! you can see the secret route builders castle in the distance!

trainmad · Post by **trainmad** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:08 pm

Thats why nobody has ever found it! It's on the Highworth Route.

duckweed · Post by **duckweed** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:14 am

Joined: 03 Dec 2001
Location: Secret route builder's castle (GWR penthouse

So secret and well guarded no one can get in to release the route....lol

Regards,

~Terry~

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:07 pm

Two years ago, I wrote:Nice description! I will be back in Swindon around 6th/7th February so I may take my camera and wellies for a nosey round!

I have to say the race is now definitely on the Route Release stakes - I've got over the Woodhead V2 signalling hump now and I expect to have it completed this week...

Obviously at the time I didn't think Woodhead 2 would beat Highworth to general release by 2 years

Any update?

Post by **NeutronIC** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:40 pm

It's waiting on me working on the stock at the moment, there's a huge amount of it to go through and I want it to be absolutely spot on so that the activities (which involve copious amounts of front coupling, rear coupling and so forth) all run smoothly.

I'm getting there though!

Once i'm done I hand it over to MartinH and he finishes the last activities while the others are then fully tested and then after final tweaks and Martin SC's final seal of approval - hell freezes over, officially

Matt.

BR7MT · Post by **BR7MT** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:43 pm

I think MSTS2 is more likely...

How many activities are there that will come with the CD?

regards

Dan

Post by **NeutronIC** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:45 pm

I can pretty much guarantee we will all be enjoying Highworth and not too far away, the route is running rock solid now (and that was what caused all the problems and delays before). Currently 30 (all different) activities, MartinH has up to another 30 planned I think - not bad for a 6 mile branch line... most are at least 30 minutes and there's almost no repetition, it's all very varied and will keep you enthralled for hours trundling up and down shunting wagons and coaches

Matt.

BR7MT · Post by **BR7MT** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:48 pm

Atomic Systems

Down at Swindon, something stirs...

Re: Down at Swindon, something stirs...