56002 passes West Drayton on 6 November 1986 with the 6M53 10:11 Thorney Mill to Bardon Hill stone empties. This train, with its green liveried Bardon bogie hoppers, was easily distinguished from the other stone trains in the West London area at the time, which were operated by Foster Yeoman or ARC. These were often still composed of four wheel PGA hoppers. 56002 is only a mile into its journey, the Thorney Mill terminal being situated on the nearby former Staines West branch. This is at 90 degrees to the main line, and the train has had to negotiate a sharp curve into West Drayton station, after first passing underneath the Great Western Mainline, just past where the 08 shunter can be seen in the background. |