Readers’ Forum

Abingdon branch

Further to Alistair F. Nisbet’s fascinating account of the Abingdon branch (March) I once worked with the Swindon train planner whose unenviable job it was to devise the branch timetable. He recalled with despair that whatever time he arranged for a train to arrive at Radley it would either (1) miss a connection to Didcot or (2) fail to connect for Oxford or (3) both! The reverse problem arose when it departed back towards Abingdon. The business plan for the Bowyer Arms pub at Radley must have been largely based on this conundrum. Meanwhile, of course, by the 1950s there were frequent buses from Abingdon town centre direct to Didcot and Oxford.

Mark Doran, Oxford

Complaints about engine whistles

Alistair’s article (March) was interesting. As one who abhorred, and sill do, unnecessary use of the whistle/horn might I add a few comments?

The BR, and earlier, rule books stated when and where the whistle should be used. One that always offend me was ‘when entering, when in long, and when exiting tunnels’. There was NO exception between normal working hours and the ‘wee hours’1 I could never see the sense (and did not do any more than a ‘pop’) when it was obvious that there were