Atomic Systems

Does anyone have a copy of the now out-of-print R.A. Cooke Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR (WR) Section 27 Didcot to Banbury? I desperately need track plans for the section from just south of Oxford through North Oxford Junction up to Wolvercot and Yarnton Junctions i.e. mainly the part where the old LMS lines from Oxford Rewley Road ran alongside the GWR lines until they branched off heading for Bletchley.

If there is someone out there with this information, please let me know and I will PM you my email address in the hope that photocopies of the relevant pages can be scanned and sent to me.

Hi Martin,
Would this do?
http://www.s-r-s.org.uk
Go to ..Drawings.....GWR.......London Section.....scroll down to Didcot and Chester Line

Cheers
Clive

A good thought, Clive, but I would have to shell out Pds24 for the London Division CD plus 4 times the UK postage for it to reach me in the States - plus the hassle of having to print off an order form and mail it to the UK enclosing a sterling cheque. I will certainly do so if there is no alternative but it would be so much easier if I could get hold of a copy of the relevant track diagrams by R.A.Cooke.

Hi Martin,
Sorry, i meant you can click the available ones which brings up a line drawing and then take a screen grab.
Cheers
Clive

Afraid not, Martin... only current signalling diagrams.

Clive wrote

click the available ones which brings up a line drawing and then take a screen grab.

Yes, I realized that, Clive, and in fact have tried it. It might just work but unfortunately the resolution has been made deliberately too fuzzy for any of the explanatory text on the diagrams to be legible - obviously to oblige you to buy the CDs if you want to see the full detail, which I don't think is unreasonable.

And, alas Michael, anything post-1963 won't hack it for me!

Meantime, a Happy New Year to all my readers

Hi

There are decent 1:2500 maps of Banbury from 1922 at Old-Maps. http://www.old-maps.co.uk/index.html

Cheers

Bob

Thanks, Bob. Yes, I know the old maps website and it has been very useful. Unfortunately, some time ago they disabled the zoom facility, which makes the maps harder to read now than they used to be. Once again, an irritating but not unreasonable commercial decision.

Bad news and good news really. Ive never seen that one around, but I would keep checking the online bookshops because at a recent model show I was told the RA Cooke books were being re released. Now in many cases they have split big works down into more manageable chunks (Ie the one that used to cover Bristol is now 2 or 3 works) but the quality of reproduction is excellent.

Section 26 Banbury Direct line is available on ABE, dont know if thats any help?
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchR ... t&tn=track

The SRS signalling cds are first rate, and whilst undoubtedly too expensive for tastes are a great investment. The other alternative is to look out 'Signal Box Diagrams of the Great Western and Southern Railways by GA Pryer, a number of which cover the area you want (Swindon area volume 25 covers Didcot). However the poor man died some years back and getting a copy would be very difficult now I suspect. The other alternative is to try and get 'Historical Survey of selected Great Western stations' by RH Clarke, which at 4 volumes may be prohibitive, but at least one of them has Banbury station in. The benefit here is they have completely accurate drawings which can be used as a template, and also feature signalling diagrams.

Lastly there is 'Great Western Railway stations 1947' by RJ Smith (part1) Shows the basic track layout of all the GWR stations (or at least all the ones ive looked up, so Im not sure what part 2 is), and shows the basic layout of Banbury, Didcot and all stations in between with occasional photographs of the stations. You will have to scratch around to find signalling diagrams though.

Hope some of this helps.

Thank you, Stuart, for your thoughtful and helpful suggestions. Section 26 Banbury Direct LIne is the one volume of the R.A.Cooke series that I do have but it is Section 27 I need now for details of the area around Oxford. I have, of course, searched the online bookstores for it but so far without success. I am aware that the series is being reissued but again as yet Section 27 does not seem to be available. The good new is that Les Burley (LocoLes) has PM'd me to say he has a copy of 27, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that he can help me out.

Hope all goes well Martin, at least you have now managed to get what you were looking for.

Geoff

docmartin wrote:Thanks, Bob. Yes, I know the old maps website and it has been very useful. Unfortunately, some time ago they disabled the zoom facility, which makes the maps harder to read now than they used to be. Once again, an irritating but not unreasonable commercial decision.

Not joking:: try using browser zoom.

Ruth

Now why didn't I think of that?

Thanks for the very helpful tip, Ruth.

Doc Martin,
The information you require, plus the whole line from Didcot to Yarnton Jcn and more is contained within the following publication.
Title: The Heart of the Great Western.
Author: Adrian Vaughan.
Publisher: Silver Link Publishing.
ISBN: 1-85794-026-1
This book was first published in 1994 with a reprint in 1995.
You may well obtain one through ABE Books or perhaps order through your local library.
Hope this information will assist you.
Barry.

Thank you for this information, Barry. Since my local library is in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, I rather think the more likely option is Abe Books That said, Les Burley has very kindly been able to send me scans of the track diagrams I need so I think I can now plough on with the process of track laying.