O/t fao abbobrom

"Parked my bike at the taxi depot adjacent to it, so it was good for a quick getaway to Stafford"

Is the bike path that used to run paralell to the Stafford Road still there? Used to use that most weekends to cycle to Stafford for the trainspotting. Stafford was gold because that is where the West Cost Main Line cut through the Trent Valley and bypassed Wolvo thus depriving me of all the high profile express locos.

The other great attraction was Dunstan Hall, it had the most enormous Horse Chestnut tree that provided the biggest and best "conkers" for the conker season. We used to cycle out and come bak with bags full of the buggers. Again, great days.

Hi Woody, yes the cycle path is still there but not all the way. It seems to disolve soon after Gailey Island. Dunstan Hall is now the Headquarters of some big Development Company.

Stafford has always been a busy rail junction, the station now has eight lines running through it.. The Post Office sorting department is ajacent to the station and a overhead walkway links the two. There have been some great footage on U-Tube recently under the guise of 'Trainspotting at Stafford', well worth a watch.

I have to thank Dorset Gold and Black for prompting my interest in Trains. My wife and I went on a steam train trip to Swanage in September, pulled by The Union of South Africa. We will shortly be going to Sherborne, but I can't remember the name of the engine at the moment.

The train was the Oliver Cromwell (4-6-2).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woking88

The train was the Oliver Cromwell (4-6-2).

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A couple of photos would be nice Wokes. Of the loco that is not you! It's quite a coincidence that this thread started off about Staffford and that is where I saw Oliver Cromwell for the first time in the early 60,s. It was on a running in journey having just come off Crewe Works, it looked magnificent.