Quote:
Originally Posted by hereward
BW have all the semaphore signals gone now?
I had never heard of him John – Don’t know how I miss these things. Not sure I am altogether happy about naming or un-naming locos. Never saw much point in David Shepherd naming that Standard “The Green Knight,” celebrating a person is maybe acceptable. I had a brief glimpse of 44806, when passing Carnforth, painted green and named “Magpie” that had me baffled for years.
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Hi Hereward,
Some semaphores still survive on the main line network on the secondary & more rural lines - the main lines with the highest volumes of traffic are almost certainly semaphore-free these days. Down here in Hastings we still have a handful of semaphores covering the entry & exit at the east end of Hastings station, although the main lines from Hastings to Tonbridge and Brighton have now lost all their semaphores.
Bishop Eric Treacey was the Bishop of Wakefield and was also a railway enthusiast. He sadly died on Appleby station on 13th May 1978 whilst waiting to photograph a steam special over the Settle & Carlisle line, hauled by BR 9F No.92220 'Evening Star'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Treacy
As for No.44806 being named 'Magpie', this was in connection with a children's TV programme called Magpie - it was ITV's answer to Blue Peter. As the BBC had a connection with a steam locomotive named 'Blue Peter' (LNER-designed A2 No.(60)532), ITV wanted to do the same. Of course, there was no locomotive in existence named Magpie so No.44806 received the name, although I'm not sure how No.44806 came to be chosen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpie_(TV_series)
I'm with you that I'm not a big fan of previously un-named locos being named in preservation, but of course it's not my decision!
Tony