If you were expecting steam..................
John N
Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK
on the Forest of Dean preservation railway last Sunday you'd be sorely disappointed (warnings were posted). Here's GLADYS, an old British Rail shunter taking the 11:55 service to Lydney.
Also included a shot of Parkend Station. Parkend is a small village not worthy of a station but in times gone by this was an industrial area with coal being mined by individual owner operators. The Forest of Dean is littered with track beds which make for good family off road bike riding these days.
And finally, probably from slower times, when advertising wasn't electronic in your face change every 30 seconds these stove enameled signs were plentiful. This one is a particular well preserved example on the waiting room wall (you can see it in the station picture). Were such signs ever used in the U.S?
Lovely photographs, I used to work for the GWR so these pictures bring back many memories, thanks for posting.
A very interesting set, John N. Reminiscent of a gentler, more pleasant life than the current chaos here in the states. GLADYS looks like a stalwart member of the Forest of Dean rail community. How did the name ‘Forest of Dean’ come to be? Who or what was Dean?
John N
Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK
Can't really answer this for you, but here is some info courtesy of Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_of_DeanI can only surmise that it once belonged to the Dean of the many parishes within the forest and the name stayed (or was corrupted) when Henry the something or other had a spat with the church of the time.
You asked about the advertising signs and yes I have seen many of them. We have a restaurant chain in the States called the Cracker Barrel that have all sorts of antique items hanging on the walls. I have seen several of that type sign in their establishments. We used to have a patent medicine factory in our small town that used that type of sign to advertise their Raymond's little pills. I love the photos you posted. It looks like a peaceful place to live unlike the madhouse we call living today.
John N
Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK
Been to many a Cracker Barrel, like the meatloaf - just can't remember the posters. Don't live there, unfortunately, we just go to a holiday site every year for a weekend with the extended family.
John N wrote:
on the Forest of Dean preservation railway last Sunday you'd be sorely disappointed (warnings were posted). Here's GLADYS, an old British Rail shunter taking the 11:55 service to Lydney.
Also included a shot of Parkend Station. Parkend is a small village not worthy of a station but in times gone by this was an industrial area with coal being mined by individual owner operators. The Forest of Dean is littered with track beds which make for good family off road bike riding these days.
And finally, probably from slower times, when advertising wasn't electronic in your face change every 30 seconds these stove enameled signs were plentiful. This one is a particular well preserved example on the waiting room wall (you can see it in the station picture). Were such signs ever used in the U.S?
on the Forest of Dean preservation railway last Su... (
show quote)
Parkend is very serious about making money whatever way possible. One has to buy a ticket to wait in line to the 'Loo.
Great and enjoyable set.
An interesting set John. Parkland looks like a quaint little town.
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