A bit of a stretch but any idea where in the Reading area this might have been?

[WesternLancer]

It looks to be missing its rear bumper, so maybe not so new or pristine. The number plate dates the car from before 1963 when A -suffix reg plates came in.

Also, what wording appears above the red circle on the opposite gates? Does it normally say something like "Stop and listen", or does it usually give the location? It looks as though there are three words written there, and could start with a P, which strengthens the Pond Head Lane theory.

The car is one of the Badge engineered BMC farinas = in the Riley or Wolsely guise - pre 1963 due to the plate but post '58 or '59, upturned rear 'fins' indicate an early model as later styling reduced their emphasis. My grandfather had the Austin Cambridge version new in c1962 I think - just pre start of the A reg plates

British Motor Corporation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Not that this helps that much with the location!

 

[BasildonBob]

But interesting nevertheless!

The car is one of the Badge engineered BMC farinas = in the Riley or Wolsely guise - pre 1963 due to the plate but post '58 or '59, upturned rear 'fins' indicate an early model as later styling reduced their emphasis. My grandfather had the Austin Cambridge version new in c1962 I think - just pre start of the A reg plates

British Motor Corporation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Not that this helps that much with the location!

 

[Clarence Yard]

It’s a Riley 4/72.

 

[WesternLancer]

It’s a Riley 4/72.

Many thanks!

 

[30907]

I would also have hoped to see some signs re danger, electrics, etc?

That is a serious point. Does this mean we need to look SE towards Farnborough?

 

[DelW]

It looks to be missing its rear bumper, so maybe not so new or pristine. The number plate dates the car from before 1963 when A -suffix reg plates came in.

That's not necessarily the case - a lot of registration authorities didn't switch to the new system in 1963. I used to own a Cortina registered in Birmingham in May 1964 which still had a 3-digit plus 3-letter format plate. Some years previously my parents had an Austin 1100 registered in October 1964, also in Birmingham, which had a 3-letter plus 3-digit plus "B" plate. So it seems Birmingham didn't issue "A" plates at all, and started issuing "B" plates sometime between May and October 1964.

This doesn't help the identify the location though

 

[Clarence Yard]

According to the oldclassiccar.co.uk site DCR was issued by Southampton (B) between January and May 1963. Given that it is 911 DCR I’d guess that it was first registered in April/May 1963.

 

[30907]

That is a serious point. Does this mean we need to look SE towards Farnborough?

I think I can answer my question with a No, having looked at Googlemaps.
However, I have also checked out the Berks and Hants, just in case we have been led astray by the signage:
Ufton Nervet is unlikely, as there was a wartime signalbox right by the crossing until resignalling. However, a little further west is Wickham Knights crossing by Woolhampton Lock on the K and A canal:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wic...ndroid-samsung&prmd=inmv#imgrc=_7XWceBNko5aBM
Allowing for 55 years' growth of foliage, and it being downgraded to a footpath, this might be a possibility.
Alternatively, a little firther east is Compeday occupation crossing which is more open but doesn't have a roadway.

 

[BrianW]

Looking up 30907's helpful 'lead' I came to this wonderful collection of level crossing photos:

wickham knights level crossing - Google Search

The kind of landscape and topograhy around Ufton seems quite similar give or take 50 years of change; so maybe something in that vicinity??

Ufton Level Crossing - The ABC Railway Guide

Ufton Level Crossing at the ABC Railway Guide.

abcrailwayguide.uk

My comments upthread re Ufton Nervet were relating to safety issues; maybe I was closer geographically than I could have imagined, or not ...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A thought: If it's in that area, could the photo be the work of Derek Canning? Is there an archive of his works anywhere which could be consulted?

 

[Gloster]

I think it is David Canning.

 

[davetheguard]

I think it is David Canning.

David Canning certainly took a lot of pictures of the Reading to Newbury line; he was a signalman in the box at (I think) Midgham until the line came under the control of Reading Panel Box in the late '70's.

 

[Gloster]

I am fairly sure that he was later in Colthrop Crossing control point (the old box).

 

[BasildonBob]

I have managed to find an email address for Mr Canning and have sent him a copy of the photo asking whether he can shed any light on the location.

 

[WesternLancer]

I have managed to find an email address for Mr Canning and have sent him a copy of the photo asking whether he can shed any light on the location.

Nice work! It will be interesting to find out if possible. Various suggestions up thread have seemed plausible to me but not quite right to be 100% convinced they are correct as it were.
I can't really think what the hut was, unless simply a staff members shelter, suggesting it is not user worked crossing (or not at that time)

Also given what looks like some sort of Tarpaulin over it presumably it had a roof leak at the time.

 

[BasildonBob]

I have to admit that I didn't really expect much interest in the original post, so I'm delighted that so many people have contributed to what is nothing more than idle curiosity on my part!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There was the "back door" GWR branch from Southcote Jn to Reading Central goods depot (close to the River Kennet and the Kennet & Avon Canal).
I don't believe it was ever modernised after its construction in 1908 (closed in 1983).
Much of the route near the terminus is now buried under the modern A33, but there might have been low-grade crossings in its 1m61c length.

 

[BasildonBob]

Good suggestion but as far as I know, that branch was single line from the junction to the goods yard.

 

[BrianW]

David Canning certainly took a lot of pictures of the Reading to Newbury line; he was a signalman in the box at (I think) Midgham until the line came under the control of Reading Panel Box in the late '70's.

Found this by Googling on David Canning:

finial.ndirect.co.uk

Getting warmer?

 

[BasildonBob]

That's the chap!

David Canning has kindly sent me a very quick response. He says that it is definitely not on the Berks and Hants, as that is where he worked and he knew all of the crossings along that stretch, nor does he think it was the DNS.

He does however recall an issue that may have given rise to the story in the paper:

There was a row at some time about a signalman being kept on duty at Silchester Crossing and only about two cars a day going over it. This was when the signal box was closed down and the signalling taken over by Reading panel signal box. I thought the chap had a type of uniform on like mine used to be. He may have been a relief signalman on duty there in the day time That was probably his makeshift hut made from a PW cabin.

I've had a quick look at the map and can't immediately work out where this crossing may have been but it does make a lot of sense.

 

[Clarence Yard]

So, are we now saying we are somewhere on the Reading-Basingstoke?

 

[BasildonBob]

David Canning has helpfully followed up with more information about where he thinks the crossing was.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sid...51.35422&lon=-1.06140&layers=10&right=BingHyb

According to this NLS split view, what is now an overgrown footpath was once a track leading from Clappers Farm Road across the level crossing to Odd Lane. David says he walked along here about a year ago and you wouldn't know that there had been a crossing there other than a single gate post remaining.

 

[Gloster]

That might explain the SR style notice. Reading-Basingstoke was GWR, but at some time (1953?) the regional boundary was moved to just south of Southcote Junction.

 

[Beebman]

i've found what appears to be the nameplate for the hut as a lot in the Railwayana Auctions UK sale in Stafford on 5/9/09:

http://www.ukrailwayana.com/20090905/gallery_cast_iron.htm
http://www.ukrailwayana.com/20090905/images/ci_silchester_crossing_v.jpg

It looks to me like it's a GWR-style sign which was painted green at sometime, presumably after the Southern Region took over the line.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I think it is David Canning.

Oops, sorry, yes - don't know why I wrote "Derek" down!

 

[swt_passenger]

In the Wessex online sectional appendix, it’s there as “Odd Lane (UWC)”, at 44m 63ch, So 1m 49ch south of Mortimer station. The yellow walkway is quite visible on Google satellite view.

There’s a NR photo on this chap’s website:

Odd Lane Level Crossing - The ABC Railway Guide

Odd Lane Level Crossing at the ABC Railway Guide.

abcrailwayguide.uk

but unfortunately he’s got it almost exactly a mile out of position on his mapping.

 

[WesternLancer]

Interesting, so what was a gravel covered track or roadway useable by cars has become on the map today a public footpath (but not as might have been expected a byway permitting vehicle access).
Just needs a 'now' picture to compare.

Great find ref the original sign!

Does this explain the LSWR / SR warning sign? Would that have been moved there post 1953 regional boundary change though. That seems less likely to me. That sign looks like it has been there for ages.

 

[swt_passenger]

Delete please

 

[BasildonBob]

Perhaps once the access towards Silchester was blocked off, the name was no longer relevant?

There's a reference to Silchester Crossing on a list of signal boxes here: http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/sig3.htm which notes "Crossing keeper always in attendance" but that the crossing has "No Block Telegraph", presumably indicating a relatively minor crossing.

 

[swt_passenger]

From another current thread, I see there’s a NR level crossing map and spreadsheet here:

Level crossing safety - Network Rail

Our programme for level crossings safety and guides to help people use them correctly, including an nteractive map for level crossings.

www.networkrail.co.uk

...and I now think their own data for Odd Lane UWC is wrong.
(Which probably likely explains what I wrote in post #56 earlier.)

From their spreadsheet data for Odd Lane:
The lat/long is 51.36642,-1.043628
and the miles/yards 43.1236 which would be 43m 56ch.

That seems to be pointing to the under bridge much nearer Mortimer station?

Is there a chance please that someone could double check things and see if I’m making some sort of beginners mistake? If I’m right I’ll let NR know using the procedure on that webpage.