Archive Issues 30-40

Archive Issue 30 (June 2001)

The Blanket Mills of Witney. Stanley C. Jenkins. 3-22
The textile industry was based upon local wool and the power supplied by the fast flowing River Windrush, later supplemented by coal brought via a branch line linked to OWWR opened on 13 November 1861. Like much industrial activity, in Witney it was linked to republicanism and Noncomformist sects. The following mills are mentioned: Worsham, Crawley, New, Witney, Mount, Farm, Crofts, Corn Street, and the Newlands Warehouse & Factory, Woodgreen Blanket Factory and the Newland Glove Factory. The Ordnance Survey 25 inch plan for 1899 is reproduced. Inevitably there were fires at the mills and these are described; equally inevtiably most of the mills have closed and have either been demolished or adapted to other uses. The illustrations (of railway interest) include: Whitney station in c1960; 2-2-2 1124 at Witney goods station in 1911; GWR horse drays c1912, and the delivery of two Lancashire boilers in 1896 (page 14). This was subject of letter by Dave Hill on wagon fixing devices (Issue 31 page 33) and further letter by G.A. Turner in Issue 32 page 31 which noted that they are slack.

Liverpool to London - in about ten hours: Part Two. T.B. Maund. 23-40.
Long distance coach services operated by Pearson's, All-British Line, the Red & White Group, MacShane's and Crosville. It notes the demise of Ryman described in Part 1, and the excellence of Crosville which emerged as the major player. The buses were difficult to drive, but vehicle designed improved, especially following the Road Traffic Act of 1930. Before that drivers lacked training, worked excessive hours, were expected to perform running repairs and were treated as casual labour (Crosville was a notable exception). The competition with railway services was severe. Illustrations include vehicles and publicity material (including one notice headed "LMS Crosville")

Inbye: Archive^ts Letters Page. 41.
Hull & Dolgarrog. Andrew Hurrell.
Queries firstly photograph on page 9 (Issue 29) of Drypool Bridge being lifted by a crane and secondly directions quoted for approach to Eigiau Dam given in feature beginning page 30 (Issue 29)
New Milford accident. Mick Hutson.
See 29 page 27: quotes evidence given in Board of Trade report (PRO RAIL 1053/58).
Bell Bros. wagons. Cliff Shephard.
Corrects information given in caption (29 page 53 lower) about ironworks at Port Clarence on Tees which from 1923 operated under the Dorman Long name.
Bowler howler! Philippa J. Corrie.
Queries the caption to family photograph on page 17 (Issue 28): questions date of photograph
Mystery solved. Mick Hutson.
Station is Byfleet & Woodham (see 29 page 51 upper). Also confirms that LSWR railcar No. 2 (29-51 bottom) was at Turnchapel.
...But it's not a brougham. Reg Richings.
It was a landau (29-51 upper)

Reviews. 42.
Benjamin Outram - an engineering biography. R.B. Schofield. Merton Prior Press. Dennis Parkhouse.
"This is an impeccable biography which does full justice to one of the great civil engineers of his time."
Early railways; ed. Andy Guy and Jim Rees. Newcomen Society. NP
Papers from the First International Early Railways Conference in 1998: considers it to be an extremely important work, but let down by inferior production standards.
Bude's maritime heritage past and present. Bill Young and Bryan Dudley Stamp. Bill Young. Dennis Parkhouse.
"essential record of Bude's maritime past, at a reasonable price": second author is son of Sir Dudley Stamp and nephew of Lord Stamp.
Exploring Cornish mines. Vol. 5. Kenneth Brown and Bob Acton. Landfall. Dennis Parkhouse.
Claimed to be final volume in series, but reviewer considers that there are still Cornish mines to cover (but KPJ possibly lacking in a potential readership.
Maritime activities of the Somerset & Dorset Railway. Chris Handley. Millstream. Colin Green.
Used Grahame Farr's records and illus. held at Somerset Record Office. Activities mainly at Highbridge, Burnham and Bridgwater with traffic across to South Coast.
Thomas Telford. Anthony Burton. Aurem. NP.
"does not usurp Rolt's great biography but rather complements it, shedding light on Telford the man."

Skimpings
Tamerton Foliot Quay. 44 upper.
Pre-WW1 post-card of River Tavy with Tamar barge.
Staff on station platform with tablet catcher in background. 44 lower.
Oil delivery cart. 45 upper
Donkey cart conveying lamp oil at Wells, Norfolk. P.F. Cory (32-31) considers design based on standard handcart modified for donkey traction.
Barry Docks scene. 45 lower.
J. Rank's Atlantic Flour Mills with Nixon's Navigation Collieries, Ocean Company and Barry Docks Company open wagons in foreground.. See letter from Graham Edge (31 page 33).
Wagon repairs at Ocean Colliery, Nantymoel. Robin Simmonds. 46-7.
See letter from Neil Knowlden Issue 31 page 33 on dumb buffer conversion

The Clyde Puffer. Roy Fenton. 49-64.
Originally intended for service on the Forth & Clyde Canal these vessels did not require condenesers, hence their nickname, but they gradually extended their range, although the classic vessels tended to be restricted to the dimensions of the locks on the Crinan Canal. Bibliography. Illus.: Mayflower at Rostrevor, Co. Down c1890; horse-drawn gabbart on Forth & Clde canal, Falkirk, puffer at Camelon bridge on Forth & Clyde Canal pre-1903; Petrel at Ardrishaig; four mineral scows in Glasgow (Mary is one) - they served grain elevators (date between 1946 and 54); Briton at Preston pre-1939; Faithful with gear lowered to pass under bridge (built Larne Shipbuildeing Co.); Innisshannon with diesel engine at Torquay; Starfinch at Kilniver, Loch Feochan, c1930, beached and unloading; Tuscan being launched at Kirkintilloch 21 November 1934; Hay's yard at Kirkintilloch with Anzac and Chindit under repair c1960; Chindit in Firth of Clyde August 1959; Pibroch at Ardrishaig, Crinan Canal on 14 June 1950 and as converted to diesel propulsion in Glasgow on 5 June 1971; Kaffir in Firth of Clyde on 16 June 1952 and as diesel post 1962; Invercloy in Crinan basin when oil-fired; Mellite acting as tender (two CPR Empress liners visible); Saxon in Kingston Dock in 1965; Skylight being overhauled by white cable-laying ship; Smeaton (formerly VIC 33) modified for cargo discharge Mersey Docks & Harbour Board; Celt, ex-VIC 64 at Rothesay?; Stormlight, last steam puffer in Firth of Clyde in September 1957 and as converetd to diesel hydraulic; Dawnlight 1 (diesel) too large for Crinan Canal in Firth of Clyde; Druid following recovery from sinking in Preston Dock, VIC 32 as cruise vessel on Crinan Canal; Basuto in Boat Museum; Vital Spark at Ardrishaig.

Archive Issue 31 (September 2001)

Hope Works: the evolution of a Cement Factory. Mike Taylor. 3-16.
G & T Earle moved to the Peak District of Derbyshire from Humberside in 1929. The works are connected to the then LMS Hope Valley line by a two mile branch. At first electrically operated machinery was employed: Ruston-Bucyrus shovels and an electrically-powered railway (both illustrated). These have been replaced by diesel-powered vehicles. The initial chimneys were too low and were displaced by a controversial tall one, which in turn was displaced (the act of destroying this one is illustrated) by another eyesore. The former wet process is illustrated with pictures of ball mills, etc. Locomotives associated with the works are shown: Avonside 0-6-0ST Winhill; 0-6-0T Nunlow (Hudswell Clarke/1939); a Sentinel diesel locomotive and Hunslet-Barclay four-axle Blue John. There is an aerial view of the site taken in 1943 and pictures of Scammelkl and Foden lorries (from the 1930s).

The Centenary of the marine steam turbine. Ian Muir. 17-32.
Brief biography of Parsons, the aristocratic developer of the marine steam turbine. Surprisingly, the revolutionary Turbania is not illustrated. Instead, Muir concentrates on the role played by Captain John Williamson (portrait) with his Turbine Steamers which operated on the Firth of Clyde. The rich collection of illustrations include: King Edward; Duchess of Argyll/Rewa and Kingfisher; The Queen (built for the SECR); Brighton (LBSCR); Princess Maud (Larne & Stranraer Steamboat); Duchess of Argyll (CSPC); Emerald, Duchess of Montrose (LMS); Virginian (Trans-Atlantic vessel); Otaki; and Rewa.  Muir is "guilty" of adecdote concerning Campbeltown & Machrihanish Railway.

Inbye: Archive's Letters Page. 33.
Atlantic Flour Mills, Barry. Graham Edge.
See (30) page 45 lower: Overhead device was an unloader from ships, and more rarely railway wagons.
Wagon loading. Dave Hill.
See (30) page 14: tightening device (delivering boiler to blanket mills): see also letter by G.A. Turner in Issue 32 page 31 which notes that the ties were poorly adjusted.
Elmstead Woods tunnel. Neil Knowlden.
See (25-48 upper): Notes lack of response, but see also further negative information from R.W. Kidner and P.F. Cory in Issue 32 page 31.
...and Ocean Colliery. Neil Knowlden.
See (30) 46/7: Editors' response: conversion from dumb buffers to sprung buffers.

Reviews. 34-5.
The diary of Charles Wood of Cyfarthfa Ironworks, Merthyr Tydfil; ed. Joseph Gross. Merton Priory. Stephen Rowson.
Notes some errors (in the very difficult task) of transcription: castigates publisher for lack of map; extremely useful socio-economic data.

A-Z of Sailing Craft: W - Wherry. Edward Paget-Tomlinson. 36.
Refers back to Norfolk Keel (Issue 18 page bb): varied in size from 14 tons, capable of traversing North Walsham & Dilham Canal, up to the 80 tons of Wonder of Norwich. Vessels also used Blyth Navigation. Wherries have been preserved by Norfolk Wherry Trust. (It is also an excellent tipple). 

Follow-up: Purfleet chalk quarries. Nigel Bowdidge. 38-39.
See (24): shows wagons of Samuel Williams & Sons Ltd (see 35 p. 54 upper for Gloucester Carriage & Wagon official photograph of wagon supplied to this company), and a cable operated incline, and page 39 a (far from clear) locomotive. Reader Steve Rowson (32-31) sent computer enhanced image of locomotive: o/c 0-4-0ST Meeson. This led to further correspondence from John Fletcher (33-47) who stated that locomotive was supplied by Brush Electrical and notes on origin of name.

Broad Gauge Bonus. 40.
Swallow taken in 1885.

The slate hills of Foudland. Ann Dean. 41-8.
Early slate working: illustrates tools. Maps. See letter (32-31) by Keith Fenwick which notes that Sir James Elphinstone was closely associated with the GNoSR.

Skimpings
Cannop Collier, Forest of Dean. 49.
Pneumatic dry cleaning plant (for coal) under construction: Twining, Kelly (further info requested) and Sully railway wagons visible.
Ingleby Incline. 50-1.
Rosedale branch, c1905: 1430 yard incline: 1 in 5 at top: four limestone hoppers waiting to ascend. See letters in Issue 32 page 31 by Keith Fenwick (transit times too fast); Ted Roylance (another published source) and P.F. Cory (no need for rollers at foot of incline).
Bridgwater barges. 52 upper
c1930
Llanfair Caereinon. 52 lower
GWR No. 823 Countess in late 1920s on passenger train

From aero engines to motor cars – six decades of Rolls-Royce & Bentley excellence. Part One – Aero engines. Malcolm Bobbitt. 53-64.
Development of strategic factory (shadow factory) at Crewe in late 1930s to manufacture Merlin aero engines. Text mentions complex negotiations with Crewe Borough Council. On pages 60-1 the factory is shown as painted in camouflage colours: see 33-46 for letter by Len Tavender on camouflage paints..

Archive Issue 32 (December 2001)

Classic Rothesay. inside front cover.
Rothesay Pier, sometime between 1890 and 1900 showing CSPC Marchioness of Breadalbane (or Bute) and Lord of the Isles on Glasgow to Loch Fyne sailing. Caption by Ian Muir.

On the track of the Caerleon Tramroad. Kirsten Elliott and Andrew Swift. 3-17.
Essentially the search for the Caerleon Tramway, both in terms of physical remains and bibliographical/archival evidence. Letter by Bryan L. Wilson (33-47) corrects the date for the closure to passenger traffic of the MR&CC south of Cwmbran.

From aero engines to motor cars – six decades of Rolls-Royce & Bentley excellence. Part Two - Motor Vehicles. Malcolm Bobbitt. 19-30.

Inbye: Archive's Letters Page. 31.
Boiler fastenings. G.A. Turner.
See letter in Issue 31 page 33 by Dave Hill and original feature in Issue 30 page 14
Oil carts. P.F. Cory.
See Issue 30 page 45 upper: writer suggests standard hadcart modified for donkey traction.
Ingleby incline. Keith Fenwick.
See Issue 31 page 50: suggests transit time was excessively fast. See also feature on slate mining in Foudland (Issue 31 page 41) which notes that Sir James Elphinstone was also associated with GNoSR.
Ingleby incline. Ted Roylance.
See Issue 31 page 50: same illus. also in Rosedale mines and railways by R.H. Hayes and J.G. Rutter (Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society, 1974).
Ingleby incline. P.F. Cory.
See Issue 31 page 50: steel rope would not need rollers at foot of incline.
Elmstead Woods tunnel. R.W. Kidner.
See 31 page 33 for letter by Neil Knowlden and original picture (25-48 upper): Confirms that not anywhere near Elmstead Woods or South East England
Elmstead Woods tunnel. P.F. Cory.
See 31 page 33 for letter by Neil Knowlden and original picture (25-48 upper): Confirms that not anywhere near Elmstead Woods or South East England
Uxbridge. John Fletcher.
See Issue 29 page 42: Uxbridge had been built for Bott & Stennett for use in construction of Metropolitan Railway Uxbridge line.
Chalk quarry loco. Steve Rowson
See Issue 31 page 39: computer-enhanced image of locomotive (Meeson)

Reviews 32-3.
Remains of a revolution. Anthony Burton. Penguin. NP
Orginally published 1975, but reprinted with a new Introduction. "seminal work"
To maintain and improve: the history of the Lower Avon Navigation Trust. D.H. Burlingham.
The Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation. Mike Taylor.
The Kennet & Avon Canal. Clive and Helen Hackford.
The Essex & Suffolk River Stour Navigation. John Marriage.
Tempus, NP
"usual poor picture reproduction", otherwise well received, especially work by Taylor.
The Prestige Series. Yorkshire Traction.
The Prestige Series. London Transport.
John Barker. Venture. NP
"excellent setries, very well produced."
The tramways of West Yorkshire. J.C. Gillham and R.J.S. Wiseman. LRTA NP.
"excellent and well produced series."
Steam locomotives in industry 1930-50. Industrial Locomotive No. 100. ILS NP
All illus pre-date 1950
Super cargo ships. Chrisopher Batio. MBI NP
well illustrated, rasonably priced introduction
British small mines (South). A.J. Booth. IRS. NP
"good clear site map for each mine...selection of recent photographs"
Humber shipping. Arthur Credland.
Isle of Man shipping: the twilight years. Ian Collard.
HMS Dolphin: Gosport's submarine base. Keith Hall.
Mersey Ports: liverpool & Birkenhead. Ian Collard.
Tempus. NP.
Humber well received; Gosport sunk; Mersey submerged, but Isle of Man fairs better
The AEC Mercury. Graham Edge. Gingerfold. IP
"well resaerched and well produced"
Early limestone railways. John van Laun. Newcomen Society. Stephen Rowson/NP
Concerned with track as such: both reviewers agree on importance of work, but NP critical of format and price.
Walking the canals of the Midlands. Volume 2. Michael R. Kettle. Able. NP
"neatly produced and well priced"

Follow-up: Hope Cement Works. John Fletcher 34-6.
Inglis 0-4-0ST Pindale (not-named in 2 illus.), includes use of railway to deliver large items of equipment.

A-Z of Sailing Craft: X - Exe Estuary. Edward Paget-Tomlinson. 37-8.
Exe cutter as based at Lympstone; three masted Beer lugger, and two-masted boat from Beer.

Broad Gauge Bonus. 39-40.
Accident at Lydney on 19 April 1862 involving Leopard: a derailment probably due to uneven track at crossing of a tramway.

The terrible twins. Patricia O'Driscoll. 41-9.
Molliette and Violette: barges constructed from reinforced concrete at Pollocks Yard, Faversham at end of WW1. Further concrete barges constructed at Greenock see Number 34 page 50, and at Barrow-in-Furnace (Armistice) see letter from Roy Fenton (33-46)

Frimley Aqueduct. Mick Hutson. 50-2.
An aqueduct had to be constructed where the Basingstoke Canal crossed the mainline of the LSWR: this had to be enlarged when the mainline was widened: two photographs taken on 12 May 1904 show the view from the railway, whilst another taken on 20 May shows canal. John Fletcher states in letter (33-47) that timber traffic continued until final load not delivered to Spanton's Yard in Woking on 27 June 1949. See also Issue 100 page 50 et seq

Skimpings.
Ilfracombe Station and a bit of family history. Neil Parkhouse. 53.
Illustrations show boiler being unloaded in 1888 probably for Victoria Promenade (pavillion) and group photograph taken in 1910 of station staff (William Parkhouse, author's great grandfather is identified in each photograph). See letter Issue 33 page 47 by Alan Turner which argues that "not a boiler", But Parkhouse adds that might have been upper part of Stirling or Babcock water-tube boiler.
Forestry railways. 54-5.
Decauville locomotive CTS 4 (Kerr Stuart 3083/1917). Similar locomotives also supplied Bagnalls for logging railways operated by the Controller of Timber Supplies during WW1 by the Canadian Forestry Service. Views are probably within New Forest. See letter by Ian Gray (33-46) which argues that location was Sandhurst and also gives further information about Kerr Stuart Haig class used for forestry and refers to David Cox and Christopher Krupa's The Kerry Tramway and other timber light railways (Plateway 1992). See letter from Robert Protheroe Jones on hooked tools (CANT HOOKS) in 33 page 46.
Mystery station. 56 (upper)
Probably GWR, probably Somerset: actually Adderley on Crewe to Wellington line (see Number 34 page 49).
Keadby Canal Junction. 56 (lower)
Taken for British Power Railway Signal Co.: shows swing bridge and signal box. See letter from Hugh Potter (33-46) which states that it was not a junction of canals and was the control cabin for a sliding bridge.
Cannon Street Station and Bridge. 57.
As under construction in 1865. Caption incorrectly states SECR - should have been South Eastern Railway.

Horse-drawn China Clay Wagons. Robert E. Evans. 58-64.
Between Stenalees and Charlestown Harbour or terminus of Pentewan Railway. Illustrations include two of Pentewan Railway, several of harbour, and one of St Austell Station. Page 64 Eastoft in Charlestown Harbour see letter from Roy Fenton (33-46).

Archive Issue 33 (March 2002)

Dumbarton c1890. inside front cover.
River Leven shows steel-hulled two-masted brig and a gabbart.

Bilson Foundry, Cinderford. Alec K. Pope. 3-9.
Established Joseph Tingle in 1860. He died in 1869 and the business was run by his widow, Annabia. Her four sons assisted in running the business. Works closed in 1924 when Alfred Tingle (one of the sons was still involved). Illus. include triple throw ram pump under repair.

Crossing Glasgow's river. J. Graeme Bruce with additional material from Ian Muir. 11-30.
History of ferries for crossing River Clyde. Includes steam chain ferries at Erskine and Renfrew, also small steam passenger ferries which provided pier to pier service until displaced by the Subway; also ferries with decks which could be raised or lowered to meet tidal conditions: this eased the work of horses which no longer had to traverse ramps. Also discusses bridges (both road and rail) and road tunnels (including pedestrian), but not Subway. Illus.: part of record crowd which crossed via new Renfrew to view Queen Mary on Sunday 8 March 1936; steam chain-ferry at Renfrew in about 1900; Clyde bucket dredger Hope; Clyde hopper; chain ferry slipway at Govan; Finnieston steam passenger Ferry No. 3, also elevating ferry and Rotunda entrance to vehicular tunnel; steam passenger ferry No. 11 & northern lift shaft of Harbour tunnel; Lady Magdalen at Pembroke Dock (believed to ex-Clyde Clutha No. 11, c1954; steam chain-ferry approaching Govan slipway; diesel chain ferry Renfrew; same vessel with Vehicular Ferryboat No. 4 in Pudzeoch and workshops of Clyde Navigation Trust; steam engineroom of Renfrew of 1936; Renfrew broadened for extra capacity on Erskine ferry (but as in service at Renfrew); Erskine at Yoker; Erskine at Erskine and at Old Kilpatrick; lauch of diesel Erskine into White Cart from Fleming & Ferguson's yard in Paisley; Erskine at Erskine with Ford lorry owned Baird Bros of Port Glasgow; elevating ferry boat Finnieston No.1 at Finnieston; Vehicular Ferryboat No. 4 acting as fireship (by taking on two fire appliances fighting fire on HMS Sussex following bombing on Yorkhill West Basin on 19 September 194o; diesel passenger No.1 alongside Harland & Wolff workshops at Govan; Ferry Queen (former Clyde ferry boat) on Forth & Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch.

Royal Ordnance Factory — Cardiff (Llanishen): Part I. Mike Christensen. 31-42.
The munitions factories were greatly rundown following the end of WW1, but re-armament began in the mid-1930s, and as Woolwich Arsenal was perceived to be vulnerable to aerial attack , there was a need for new factories: one of these was at Cardiff and was to build gun barrels, the technology for which had changed (the barrel being constructed from one piece by a new technique known as autofrettage, and the development of the muzzle brake which eased the problem of recoil. Work on the factory at Cardiff began on 4 March 1940, and the production of gun barrels began in August within an incomplete factory. Part 2 see 34-25 and further information in Issue 58 page 40.

Broad gauge bonus. 43.
Kingswear jetty: shows two broad gauge wagons. See also letter in Issue 34 page 47 from Matthew Searle who dates picture to about 1881: paddle steamer was probably Berry Castle..

A-Z of Sailing Craft: Y - Yawl. Edward Paget-Tomlinson. 44-5.
Refers back to Orkney Yole (22-48), Ness Yoal (26-42) and Viking derived vessels in Yorkshire and Ireland (29-28). East Anglian beach yawls or yells were used from Mundesley down to Felixstowe: the great centres were Yarmouth, Southwold and Aldeburgh. They were used by RNLI but none survives. Their tasks included pilotage and were also used as pleasure vessels.

Inbye: Archive's Letters Page. 46.
Keadby Canal Junction. Hugh Potter.
See Issue 32 page 56 lower: not a canal junction, but a control cabin for a sliding bridge.
Concrete craft and coasters. Roy Fenton.
See 32 page 41: adds the Armistice built by the Ferro-Concrete Ship Construction Company at Barrow-in-Furnace in 1919, and also refers to steam coaster (32-64) in Charlestown Harbour: she was the Eastoft constructed by the Ardrossan Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co. in 1900.
Forestry railways. Ian Gray.
See 32 page 54: considerable amount of information about location of Kerr Stuart Haig class locomotives on logging operations during WW1.
Camouflage colours. Len Tavender.
See 31-60: British Standard 987C:1942 covered camouflage paints;; also cites Journal of Historical Model Railway Society (1967, 5, 170-1)) and another source.
...Hooked tools. Robert Protheroe Jones.
See 32-54 (page 55): CANT HOOKS.
Dolgarrog disaster. W. Ifor Roberts.
See three part series which began in Issue 27 page 3. Was Technical Manager at works until retirement in 2000: notes intended closure of works.
Frimley Aquaduct. John Fletcher.
See 32-50: letter corrects feature by giving later date (1949) for final traffic (timber to Woking) than that cited by Hutson.
Meeson. John Fletcher.
See Issue 32 page 31: Brush Electrical: also notes on Meeson family who traded as Richard Meeson & Co.
Caerleon correction. Bryan L. Wilson
See Issue 32 page 3 et seq: writer challenges dates for closure of MR&CC line south of Cwmbran and gives slightly later dates in 1880 quoting Monmouthshire Merlin, Weekly Mail and B&MR Minutes (PRO Rail 65/7).
Tunnelling away. Neil Knowlden
See Issue 25 page 48 upper: writer criticises response from Kidner and Cory: KPJ: certainly does not look like Kent, but presumably had some oblique connection with Bromley: perhaps the bowler-hatted figure later became Mayor or Borough Engineer, if the latter then the tunnelling job up north or down west was his masterpiece, or it is some other "Elmstead Woods" and some silly in the library has put two and two together to make five.
Ilfracombe boiler. Alan Turner.
See 32 page 53: information added to caption.

Reviews. 48.
Philip & Son Ltd., shipbuilders & engineers. Derek Blackhurst. Ships in Focus. NP.
"invaluable book for the researcher" and "a worthy addition to the shelves of any shipping enthusiast".
Feilden's Mersey. John Clarkson & Roy Fenton. Ships in Focus. NP.
Basil Fielden photographer: "picture book par excellence"
A photographic history of Sheffield steel. Geoffrey House. Sutton Publishing for WH Smith.
One great workshop: the buildings of the Sheffield metal trades. Nicola Wray, Bob Hawkins & Colum Giles. English Heritage & Sheffield City Council. JRM
It was a strange editorial decision to combine these two reviews: the first is so bad and the second is so good: The first contains: "The commentary on the illustrations is disappointing, bland and sometimes hopelessly wrong". One illustration is included twice. "...this book does noting to advance the subject. The second "is an outstanding publication... this writing of a high order and the authors are to be congratulated upon it." "Industrial history and industrial archaeology at its very best."
Places and people in the early East London gas industry. Mary Mills. M. Wright. NP.
Period up to 1836. "tremendous work of reference". "amount of information contained here is enormous". "Let down by its general presentation".
Normandie — liner of legend. Clive Harvey.
Berengaria — Cunard's 'Happy Ship'. Les Streater.
RMS Queen Elizabeth — the Beautiful Lady. Janette McCutcheon. Tempus. NP
All these titles are warmly received.

Skimpings: new winding drums for a South Wales railway incline. 50-2.
Seven views of gear for replacement of winding gear on Pwllyrhebog Incline on former Taff Vale Railway by GWR. Colin Chapman (Issue 34 page 47) identified location. John Lewis letter (Issue 35 page 51) fixes date between 1926 and 1931 due to presence of Crocodile H wagons. D. Tomkiss (Archive 36 page 26) gives more information on incline..

Bagleys of Knottingley: Glass Bottle Manufacturers. Ron Gosney and Mike Taylor. 53-64.
Firm was established in 1871. It was adjacent to canal for coal supplies. The pre-mechanization production required three-shift working over 24 hours and work centred on a pot furnace in a roundhouse. The men worked in teams ("chair") consisting of bottlemaker, blower, gatherer and wetter-off with a taker-in (a youngster). Some of the health hazards are noted and beer was drunk in copious amounts. Mechanization began in about 1900 with Ashley-Arnall semi-automatic machines and these were followed by Owens fully automatic machines. The firm was taken over by Jackson Bros in 1962 and this in turn by Rockware in 1968. On page 58 there is an illus. of a dumb-buffer 5-plank wagon No. 9? and a 7-plank wagon No. 32 (notes are given on livery) and on page 60 (lower) a wagon shuntinh horse is shown.

Archive Issue 34 (June 2002)

Prince of Wales Colliery. inside front cover.
Aerial view of colliery near Pontefract in 1930.

The Goddess survives. G. Barclay Robertson. 3-14.
Argyll Motor Works, Alexandria in Dumbartonshire. This early car builder had extremely extravagant premises, part of which remains as Loch Lomond Outlets. The architect was C.J. Halley of Clydebank, and the entrepreneur was Alexander Govan who had become involved with With Alexander Smith in Hozier Engineering in Bridgeton, Glasgow, and with the assistance of A.C. Robertson of the Bank of Scotland, started a grandiose factory for car building. Govan died on 28 May 1907 and by 1908 losses had reached £360,000 and the company was liquidated in november 1908. Finances were not assisted with experiments with sleeve valves which led to the company being sued by Daimler. The Argyll venture finally collapsed in 1914. Armstrong Whitworth manufactured munitions in the factory during WW1, and following a long period of disuse was acquired by the Admiralty in 1935 and torpedoes were manufactured from 1937. The illustrations show the spectactular entrance both in its original condition and as restored, the cars being manufactured and in use, including one in Renfield Street Glasgow with Corporation tramcars. Dumbarton trams are also visible in some photographs. See also Issue 94 page 28 et seq..

Broad Gauge Bonus 15
Sonning Cutting, May 1892: two broad gauge trains hauled by Rover class locotives running on mixed gauge track with standard gauge slow lines: caption suggests work on "narrowing" had started. Correspondents suggest work was on widening of cutting: see assertive letters from John Lewis and Graham A. Carpenter (Issue 35 page 52)

Cornwall's singular Canal. John Neale. 17-23.
Bude Canal. Act of June 1819, promoted by third Lord Stanhope to transport sea sand to farmers. It used inclined planes and tub boats. Larger works included the sea lock at Bude and an aquaduct. The arrival of the LSWR brought fertilizer and the canal was abandoned in 1899, but much remains and there is a Bude Canal Trust. Return to subject in Issue 80 page 50 et seq

Royal Ordnance Factory – Cardiff (Llanishen): Part 2. Mike Christensen. 25-45.
Part 1 see 33-31. Pp 39-40 mention transport which was provided by Birchgrove Halt on the former Cardiff Railway, but most of the workers arrived by bus. Mention is also made of the provision of extra sidings: further information in Issue 58 page 40..

A-Z of Sailing Craft: Z - Zulu. Edward Paget-Tomlinson. 46-7.
Scottish herring drifters working between Wick and Aberdeen, originated at time of Zulu Wars. Known as Scaffie on Moray Firth and Fifie in Fife.

Inbye: Archive's Letters Page. 47
Kingswear jetty. Matthew Searle.
See Issue 33 page 43: dates picture to about 1881: paddle steamer was probably Berry Castle..
Pwllyrhebog Incline. Colin Chapman.
See Issue 33 page 50: certifies location.
Elmstead Wood Tunnel. R.W. Kidner.
Relates back to Skinpings in Archive 25 and shows ground above tunnel which clearly does not relate. Neil Knowlden (35 page 51) responded to this view by noting the odd composition of the train (1947).

Reviews. 48
South Yorkshire Pits. Warwick Taylor. Wharncliffe.
South Yorkshire Collieries. John Goodchild. Tempus.
The South Yorkshire Coalfield: a history and development. Alan Hill. Tempus.
Taylor is badly organized but interesting for NCB period. Many errors are listed, however. Goodchild has a concise introductory essay, but the illustrations are poorly reproduced. The Hill is a "seminal piece of scholarship" where massive detail is handled with great clarity, but there is poor and inconsistent referencing to railway names
Industrial locomotives of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. Robin Waywell. IRS. NP.
Includes contractors: Nuttall built much of Great Central London Extension; dealers; scrap merchants, and even Denham Studios where two GER 0-6-0s (J15) were used in the film Knights Without Armour.

Follow-up: Adderley Station. Stanley Jenkins. 49
See Number 32 page 56: on Crewe to Wellington line sanctioned 7 June 1861, opened 19 October 1863, closed to passengers 7 September 1963 and to all traffic in 1967. 3 illus.

Follow-up: Craig Muschat (tr Beautiful Stone). Ian Muir 50-1.
To concrete barges Molliette and Violette by Patricia O'Driscoll (see 32 page 41). Muir considers that five concrete barges were constructed in Gourock Bay in 1919 and 1920 of which the launchings of Cretehive and Cretehaven are illustrated. Also quotes letter from William Black to Shipbuilding and Shipping Record published 15 July 1920 concerning reinforced concrete ships and Walter Pollock's Small vessels of 1946

Skimpings. 52.
Return to Tower Bridge. 52-3.
Semaphore signals for road traffic: other feature on Tower Bridge (3 page 47).
The tram service, Portal. 54 (upper).
Horse tramway with small skips: further thoughts by editors (construction of ornamental lake) (35-51). Other not very revealing contributions from Barry Taylor and J.P. Harper (35-51).
Success is a roller! 54 (lower)
PC from Winslow, North Bucks: donkey-powered roller: editors suggest for rolling cricket pitch on country estate (35-51).
Vobster Quarry. 55.
Served by two mile branch line from Frome-Radstock-Bristol line, known as Newbury Railway. Limestone quarry. Hudswell Clarke & Rodgers (153/1874) bought from Westbury Iron Co. c1914,
Bradwell windmill. 56.
Near Wolverton. PC c1905. See letter from Bill Bleasdale (35-51).

The saga of C.R. Vickerman's siding. M.R. Connop Price. 57-64.
See Issue 27 page 37: Saundersfoot Railway. This describes the connections from Bonville Court Colliery to the Pembroke & Tenby Railway and to the Saudersfoot Railway which closed in 1939. Much based on correspondence between Colliery and P&TR which took place in 1879/80. Portrait of Vickerman. Map. Illus.: Saundersfoot station c1961; Saundersfoot Railway track being lifted 1939; Kerr Stuart 0-4-0ST Bulldog, harbour, coal tips and colliery.

Archive Issue 35 (September 2002)

Bridge testing at Cork. inside front cover.
Brian Boru bridge on Cork City Railways being tested in 1912 with two steam locomotives (D17 class 4-4-0 and J11 0-6-0T) and a steam roller. Bridge was a Scherzer lifting bridge.

Shoreham Airport. David Dunstall. 3-18.
Flying began in May 1910 with Harold Piffard. The Airport dates from 20 June 1911 and was associated with flight training. During WW1 it was requisitioned by the Royal Flying Corps and at the end of the War it was used for testing captured German aircraft. It eventually became the Brighton, Hove and Worthing Municipal Airport, the Art Deco buildings for which were opened on 13 June 1936. The Architect was Stevens Hessall Tiltman and the Builder was James Bodle: it was a steel-framed reiforced concrete structure. Illus.: garage for George Martin's Taxis; F.G. Miles machine shop; municipal hanger; ground works for drainage; Airport Committee for Opening Day; International Air Display in 1930s; terminal; petrol pylon; Ford ambulance pre-WW2; petrol bowsers; Avro 504 crash landing. 10 August 1914; Cobham's Flying Circus

The Crosville Bus in Wirral. T.B. Maund 19
George Crosland Taylor was born near Huddersfield on 30 January 1857

Broad Gauge Bonus: Swindon K cabin, c1892. Mike Christensen. 49-50.
Standard signal box and signals supplied by Gloucester Wagon Company (original material from Company albums).

Inbye: Archive's Letters Page 51-2.
Tram service and roller. Editors.
See Issue 34 page 54 upper suggests construction of ornamental lake and 54 lower (roller for estate cricket pitch or croquet green?)
Service portals. Barry Taylor.
See 34-54 upper: work on country estate?
Archive 34 page 54. J.P. Harper.
See 34-54, but adds little.
Elmstead Wood Tunnel. Neil Knowlden.
See photograph in Archive 34 p. 47 (provided by R.W. Kidner): blow-up shows that train consisted of SECR corridor tri-composite brake followed by Maunsell dining car hauled by Schools class. Roger Merry-Price suggested BAOR leave train in Inbye (Issue 36 p. 26).
Bradwell Mill. Bill Bleasdale.
See Skimpings page 56 Issue 34
Pwllyrhebog (?) incline. John Lewis.
See Archive 33 page 50. presence of Crocodile H wagons enables date of photograph to be set between 1926 and 1931.
Broad gauge bonus – Archive 34. John Lewis.
See Issue 34 page 15: cutting widending not track narrowing.
Sonning Cutting. Graham A. Carpenter.
See Issue 34 page 15: cutting widending not track narrowing.

Reviews 52-3.
MacQueen's legacy Vol. 1: A history of the Royal Mail Line. Stuart Nicol.
MacQueen's Legacy Vol. 2: Ships of the Royal Mail Line. Stuart Nicol.
Tempus Publishing. NP.
"highly recommended"
Never turn back: an illustrated history of Caister Lifeboats. Nicholas Leach.
Guiding lights: the design & development of the British lightvessel from 1732. Anthony Lane.
Tempus Publishing. NP.
Both were well received, although Parkhouse quibbled with the title of the book about the Caister lifeboat.
Middlesbrough & Stockton. Philip Battersby. Venture Publications.. NP.
No. 17 in Prestige series: Tees-side Railless Traction Board set up trolleybuses, trackless trams as then known, in late 1919.
Industrial locomotives of Yorkshire, Part A: The National Coal Board in West and North Yorkshire. V.J. Bradley. Industrial Railway Society. NP.
"book of immense use"

Skimpings. 54.
Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Co for Samuel Williams & Sons. 54 upper.
10 ton 5 plank wagon, side door, January 1898. See also Issue 31 page 38 for more of Samuel Williams activity.
R.T. Relf & Son No. 3: outside cylinder 0-6-0ST with dumb buffers on longitudinal baulk rail. 54 lower.
See Inbye Archive 36 page 26: letters from Russell Wear and Roger Hateley do not comfirm whether locomotive was a Brush or Falcon product. Location may have been Meon Valley line, PD&SWJR or most probably on one of contracts to improve GWR mainline in Cornwall.
Fencote Station with 517 class ariving on passenger train, c1905. 55.
Train bound for Leominster on line from Worcester.

McWatters' Bread. Ian Pope. 57-64.
Cromac Street Belfast: pictures taken from brochure produced about 1908 of industrial-scale bakery on former site of brewery. Includes picture of Werner, Pfleiderer & Perkins ovens (p. 62), producer gas plant, horse-drawn delivery vehicle and stables.

Archive Issue 36 (December 2002)

Dean Forest Engineering Co. inside front cover
c1910 near Milkwall: small engineering works with cupola furnace capable of making castings.

A Mariner's Story: Captain Peter Herbert, shipowner. [Part One]. Colin Green. 3-14.
Part 2 on page 53 of Issue 37: He was originally from Bude, but was interviewed by writer when living at Instow. The illustrations in this part are mainly of Bude Harbour, but on page 2 there is a picture of Peter Herbert with his son, Richard, on the quay at Bideford in 1994. Other illus. include wreck of Georgina, Bude canal in 1936, loading potatoes at Mulroy in County Donegal onto Freedor in 1948 and ketch Emma Louise at Bideford in 1951. See letter in Issue 38 page 23 by Bob Dukes on the subject's contribution to saving the Bude Canal.

Poynton Collieries in 1926. David Kitching 15-25.
Coal had been worked from shallow pits as early as 1589. The construction of the Macclefield Canal enabled the output to be marketed in Macclesfield and Bollington. Many illustrations of colliery and its equipment including Cornish beam engine at Lady Pit and pictures of work on electrification. Reproduction of 25 in OS map for 1909.

Inbye: Archive's Letters Page 26-7.
R.T. Relf No. 3. Russell Wear.
See Issue 35 page54 lower: Firm constructed the Meon Valley line: auction sale of equipment on 29/30 September 1903: locomotive was Falcon product.
R.T. Relf No. 3. Roger Hateley.
See Issue 35 page 54 lower: Wonders whether the Relf locomotive was on one of GWR Cornish contracts to improve mainline, either at Truro or at St. Germans.
McWatters Bread. Graham Edge.
Output from large bakeries calculated in sacks. Steam tube ovens required an annual inspection as potentially highly dangerous. Equipment of type lasted into 1980s.
Memories of Shoreham. Robin Rose.
Memories from Lancing College Days (1945-9) and of informal flying lessons with E.B. Gordon ("Gordo")
Elmstead Woods. Neil Knowlden.
Refers to Kidner photograph in Issue 35 page 47 and questions restaurant car in 3rd class train.
Elmstead Woods. Roger Merry-Price.
See illus. in Issue 34 page 47 and blow up in 35 page 51: possibly BAOR leave train: Knowlden confirms that this may be so and error in not citing David Gould for work on Maunsell coaching stock.
Pwllyrebog Incline. D.J. Tomkiss.
Refers to Issue 33 page 50: confirms locations; gives additional information and poses several questions concerning activity portrayed, namely replacement of cable.

A patch of France on English soil. Malcolm Bobbitt. 29-42.
Citroën factory in Slough and extremely grand showroom and service centre in Hammersmith: developed during 1920s

Pendennis Castle & the Victorian Defences of Falmouth Harbour. Stanley Jenkins. 43-53.
Includes notes on the Miners' Militia and an illustration of the exterior of Falmouth Station, probably prior to the invention of the i/c engine (p. 49)

Broad Gauge Bonus. 54.
4-2-2 Great Britain c1870: Gooch Iron Duke class. Probably at Westbourne Park..

Shoreham Airport: Part 2. David Dunstall. 55-64.
Many interesting photographs of terminal buildings and aircraft associated with Airport, including an autogyro.

Archive Issue 37 (March 2003)

The charm of Merry England. inside front cover
Postcard view of Potteries, c1910: fuller information given by C. Heywood in Issue 38 page 23: Longton (view from west)

Goole Docks: Part One. Brian Masterman & Mike Taylor. 3-14.
Goole was created by the Aire & Calder Navigation Company and it became the major port on the Ouse. It developed from 1826 onwards. Hydraulic power became available in the 1860s. The Aire & Calder Navigation was described in Issue No. 8 and Issue No. 9. Goole exported coal brought in by compartment boats and by rail. There was further developmentin the early 1920s. The port was nationalized in 1948. There was a decline in barge and rail traffic during the 1970s. Part 2 Issue 38 page 7.

Frampton-on-Severn Gravel Pits. Brian Edwards. 15-30.
Includes notes on shipyard, including shipbuilding in concrete; Andrew Barclay 1074/1906 at gravel pit in 1918; Manning Wardle 0-4-0T Aird & Co No. 16 in December 1905; and Frocester Station

Lysaghts Orb Works, Newport: Part 1: its community and its satellites. Stephen I. Berry. 31-43.
John Lysaght (portrait) lived from 1832 to 1895 founded the firm. The growth of Newport is traced including its development East of the Usk in Maindee. Lysaght's Irish background is traced. Lysaght developed the manufacture of galavanized and corrugated iron and expanded in Australia. Subsequently it delevoped electrical steel - a material still associated with the company. Continued success had been assisted by the development of the automobile industry and the National Grid. Illustrations include p. 40 trade stand with discs (purpose for which see letter Malcolm Brown Issue 38 p. 23): they are motor armature core laminations made from electrical steel (letter B.J. Everett Issue 38 p. 23); a Luftwaffe reconnaissance photograph taken in 1941, the visit of King George VI (not shown) and Queen Elizabeth on 29 March 1944, the Home Guard and an aerial view taken in 1950. Part 2: Issue 38 page 25.

Reviews. 43.
The Kendal & Windermere Railway. Dick Smith. Cumbrian Railways Association. NP.
"eminently readable": also includes Cropper's paper mills tramway at Burnside. "Picture reproduction is good"
Gardner: legendary engineering excellence. Graham Edge. Gingerfold. NP
"Major piece of work" Manufacture began in 1868 and ceased in mid-1990s. "Thoroughly recommended."
From Moorlands to Highlands. John Corah. Gingerfold. NP.
History of haulage company founded by Jerry Harris and Sam Miners in 1946 at Bovey Tracey and known as Harris & Miners and latterly as Brian Harris Transport. Firm closed in 2001 due to nimbyism. Written by former driver.
Shipping on the Humber. The South Bank. Mike Taylor. Tempus. NP.
"Reproduction quality is improving from Tempus but it still has some way to go. A proper glossy art paper would help".
Wintergrove: a history of the valley and its drowned village. Allan Holt. George Kelsall. IP
Reservoir for Rochdale built at Wardle in 1930s. The book is well-designed but written in the style of a modern official report.

Broad Gauge Bonus: Kingswear branch. Neil Parkhouse. 44-6.
Frith's photograph of Noss timber viaduct page 45 (see letter and illus submitted Derek Blackhurst Issue 38 p. 23 "show" that cannot be "Noss", but David Millban Challis and Lorna Smith Archive 39 page 12 support Noss as being location) and of Kingswear Station (including an excellent enlargement to show detail of railway features): includes ferry and branch passenger train with saddle-tank locomotive. c1885.

Skimpings. 48.
Port Clarence asphaltic slag plant. 48 (upper).
Port Clarence doctored photograph: NE lettered wagons re-lettered "Asphaltic Slag for Roads", with a fourth lettered "Messrs Wake & Co. Ltd"; part of Baldwin 0-4-0ST visible. c1930. Wagons beneath stone/slag crusher/loader.
Puffer on Forth & Clyde Canal. 48 (lower)
Loaded puffer on Forth & Clyde Canal at Lock 16 at Camelon. c1905: full page view in Issue 62 page 50.
Leamington gas works: aerial view, 1933. 49.
Leamington Priors Gas Company. Aerial photograph: April 1933 looking North. Information provided by John Horne. Name painted on top of gas holder. Includes notes on company's invisible wagons and on then relatively new vertical retort, and on subsequent history of works until closure. Warwick & Napton Canal is clearly visible and at top of photograph the two stations can be seen. Cath Turpin (Issue 38 page 24)  notes that coal may not have been delivered by canal, but canal was used to remove gas tar and other by-products.
Tardebigge: New Wharf c1910. 50.
Tardebigge: New Wharf c1910 with steam tug for haulage through tunnels of Worcester & Birmingham Canal. Information provided by Hugh Conway-Jones. Timetable for tunnel passages is quoted. Further information on steam tugs at Tardebigge (Issue 38 page 24) including end of tug service and use of tugs as icebreakers..

Can anybody help? 51.
Illustration of London Electrical Cab built by Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co.: dated January 1898. See Gareth Jenkins (issue 38 page 23) who noted that Bersey Electric Cab vehicle is exhibited at National Motor Museum.

Green, Colin. A Mariner's Story: Captain Peter Herbert, shipowner. [Part Two]. . 53-64.
Part 1 was in Issue 36 page 3: Table lists all boats owned by Herbert Ships. These included VIC vessels or puffers..

See letters in Issue 38 p. 23 by Derek Blackhurst (mainly on the Celt, but also on the Westmead and the fate of Emily Barratt. Bob Dukes is mainly concerned with Peter Herbert's contribution to saving the Bude Canal, and what has been acieved so far. See also Issue 39 page 1.

Archive Issue 38 (June 2003)

River Mersey ferry St Hilary in dry dock, c1960. inside front cover

The development & trials of the Kyrle Biplane. David M. Dunstall. 3-6.
Early aviation in Ross-on-Wye: involvement of William Butcher, John Kyrle and Charles Parkes.

Goole Docks: Part 2. Brian Masterman and Mike Taylor. 7-21.
Part 1 see Issue 37 page 3:  Illus.: plan; diagram of ketch (fishing smack); wooden Humber keel Rose Mary being lauched in 1902 at Collingham Yard; S.S. Airmyn being launched in June 1903; Sir Edward P. Wills being launched at Goole Shipbuidling in 1937; R.M.S. Darwin post-launch at Goole Shipbuidling in 1957; Arthur Wright (former Brighton Corporation owned) being loaded with coal in early 1950s; Omerod Grierson hoist with Goole steam Shipping Co. vessels; S.S. Southwark alongside Omerod Grierson hoist and S.S. Spen alongside Tannet Hoist; Armstrong Whiworth 32 ton hoist in Stanhope Dock; view from above of elevated railway and coal hoists in Stanhope Dock; page 14 upper: 50 ton hydraulic crane in Stanhope Dock: see also Issue 9 page 45 lower; Associated Humber Lines S.S. Dearne with 40 ton electric crane (LMS 1924) in West Dock; steam keel West Riding bunkering ship in West Dock; Queen of the Bay (sea-going lighter); labour-intensive methods of cargo-handling; S.S. Hebble in August 1958; transfer of timber cargo from ship to barge with M.V. Fortunity passing; Bredonia built as Empire Head in 1942; L&YR  S.S. Cuxhaven in Victoria Lock c1900; Collier Perelle in Ocean Lock in August 1960, Steam tug Goole and S.S. Saltmarshe; M.V. Lady Sophia at Fison's Wharf; S.S. Burma (Bennetts) Goole to Boulogne Red Cross service; S.S. Altona aground in August 1908; M.V. Hartel grounded in January 1951 with salvage vessel Luiken and steam tug Goole No. 4, and Hartel in dry dock. See also Mike Fell. 'Lanky' influence at Goole. Backtrack, 2010, 24, 433..

Broad Gauge Bonus — Hele & Bradninch Station. 22
Original station on Taunton to Exeter stretch of Bristol & Exeter Railway: photograph taken 1889 shows mixed gauge track: Mick Hutson (39-12) adds a considerable amount of information taken from Bristol & Exeter Railway Minutes concerning location for ticket platform for Extere and proposed toll road to Sidmouth, also accident to 4-2-4T.

Inbye: Archive's Letters Page. 23.
Orb Works. B.J. Everett
See Issue 37 page 40: where information on exhibits on display stand is amplified (electrical steel laminated discs)
Orb Works. Malcolm Brown.
See Issue 37 page 40: where information on exhibits on display stand is amplified (electrical steel laminated discs)
The charm of Merry England. C. Heywood.
View of Potteries (Issue 37 inside front cover): Longton
Electricab. Gareth Jenkins.
Picture of electric taxicab: Issue 37 page 51: information added to entry
Peter Herbert. Derek Blackhurst.
See Issue 37 page 53: further information on vessels owned by subject, especially the Celt.
Peter Herbert. Bob Dukes.
His contribution to saving Bude Canal: see Issue 36 page 3 and Issue 37 page 53 (especially the former).
Noss Viaduct. Derek Blackhurst.
Illus. of Noss Viaduct which shows that illustration (Issue 37 p. 45) cannot be Noss: this letter was refuted in next issue on page 12 by David Millbank Challis and Lorna Smith.

Follow Up... Tardebigge. Cath Turpin. 24.
See Issue 37 page 50: notes on end of haulage through West Hill Tunnel on Worcester & Birmingham Canal and prservation of tugs. Also notes that Leamington Gas Works (Issue 37 page 49) may not have received coal by canal, but by-products, such as gas tar, were removed by canal boat.

Lysaghts' Orb Works, Newport: Part 2: The Lysaghts and industrial relations. Stephen I. Berry. 25-33.
Part 1 see Issue 37 page 31: Whitley Committee: health & safety; Joint Benovalent Fund; transport to the works (Corporation trams and Transporter Bridge); creation of Newport Football Club. Illus.: ox roast, 1914; women munitions workers, 1940; Orb Workingmen's Club; Lysaghts Brass Band; Street Party in 1935; tennis courts and bowling green; Dramatic Society; W.R. Lysaght Institute being passed by 0-4-0ST Desmond on 6 May 1977.

Bryngwyn Colliery, Bedwas, Gwent. David Bick. 34-42.
Includes a reconstruction (illustrative) of colliery by Michael Blackmore; the remains extant, earlier views of remains and bibliographical sources and people involved, notably Thomas Thomas and William Sheward Cartwright.

London Taxicabs. Malcolm Bobbitt. 43-55.
First were electrically-powered and were developed by Walter Bersey as the London Electric Cab, introduced in August 1897. The Great Horseless Carriage Co. was a consortium of Evelyn Ellis, H.H. Mullinar (coachbuilder); J.H. Mace (Daimler) and H.R. Patterson (as per carter). The design suffered from excessive vibration and frequent breakdowns. In 1898 there were 24 on the London streets. But tyre wear was high and they were expensive to run. Losses were reported in Decemeber 1898 and the operation ceased in 1899. The first petrol taxis were French and supplied by Prunel via the Express Motor Co. starting in August 1903. By 1905 there were 19 on the streets and were of a wide range - the Unicab was popular. The Renault rose in popularity. By 1910 half of London's taxis were motorized, but from 1911 the trade suffered from competition from the Underground and by bus, and from increased petrol prices. WW1 depressed the trade still further, but there were 3821 in service in 1918. Following WW1 the Beardmore, built initially at the Arrol-Johnston factory in Paisley, became an important eelment aided by the operating subsidiary, Taxicab and Motor Co. Morris joined the scene in 1928. Following WW2 7200 Austin FX3 were constructed from 1948. Beardmore produced a Mark VII diesel version, but ceased manufacture in 1967. The Metrocab company was formed in 2002. Illus.: Bersey (National Motor Museum); Gloucester Raiway Wagon Co - six views of Bersey type; Vauxhall (driver perched behind and above passenger); Mr W. Woodcock driving French Ballot in 1910; Cornhill in about 1914 with many motor taxis and few horse-drawn vehicles; Beardmore Mk 1; Morris International G type (advertisement - artwork, 1928); Austin low loading taxi-cab (advertisement artwork, 1930); Austin with Jones bodywork for £5 extra; taxicab equipped with ladder and fire pump and operating with Auxiliary Fire Service; Austin FX3 (introduced 1948 - advertisement based on photograph); Beardmore Mk VII; London Taxis International Fairway, Metrocab, TX1. See also letter from David D. Higgins (Issue 39 page 12) concerning Wolseley involvement.

Re-built Millennium Flour Mills. Graham Edge. 57-64.
Originally constructed in 1905, destroyed in Silvertown explosion in 1917, rebuilt by 1920 and bombed in 1940. Re-opened in 1953 as state-of-the-art mill in 1953. Part of Spillers Milling group. Illus. two exterior; cleaning machines; separators; roller mills; purifiers; plansfters; pneumatic pipes; flour wighing macjines; packing; laboratory; delivery trucks: Albions (mainly), also BMC and Rowe-Hillmaster; articulated trucks: Leyland Octopus; Leyland Hippo; Foden FG; Leyland Beaver and Bedford S (all fitted Tollemache pneumatic delivery discharge).

Archive Issue 39 (September 2003)

Where are we? inside front cover
Colliery with LMS, LNER, Dalmellington, Kinneil, Fife Coal, Cory and other "private owner" wagons: presumably during early WW2. Identified by Paul Beaven as Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange in Midlothian (Issue 41 page 27).

Editorial: Peter Herbert, Master Mariner, 1928-2003. 1.
See articles in Nos. 36 and 37: notes that he was the last man to take a sailing vessel into Portreath harbour

Up the Creek with a camera. Patricia O'Driscoll. 3-11.
Early marine archaeology conducted partly from land and partly from barges Olive May and Edith May and boat in the Thames delta region: Whitewall Creek; Stangate Creek in the Medway; the River Crouch; the River Blackwater. Entertaining text illustrated from her own photographs of hulks and significant remains, including that of a German U-boat (submarine) from WW1 in Humble Bee Creek (page 10 upper). Illus.: Whitewall Creek March 1957: stern frame of Aline, hulk of Rathmona, stern of Magnet and bow of Una; Irex, Temple Marsh, Strood in March 1957; Whitewall Creek: Arthur Relf and Milton in 1959; remains of _{Hans Egede} (timber schooner) at Cliffe in 1977; stem and lower stayfall block from Pride of 1857 in 1966; Mundon hulk at Wallasea Island in November 1960; mast & main brail winch from Argosy, Wallasea Island, November 1960; remains of Fly, Freshwater Ballast Jetty, 1 January 1961; Problem (Ramsgate fishing smack of 1904); George Cookson, Stow Creek Essex in November 1960 and October 1978; Junction of River Chelmer with Chelmer & Blackwater Canal in 1962; stern of house barge Berwick in Whitewall Creek in March 1957; Nell Gwynn (barge remains) in Althorne Creek, Essex, in 1978; Samuel Bowly remains in Uplees Gunpowder Dock; Alice wooden mast case; Emily wooden mast case in Stangate Creek; hull from WW1 German U-boat, Humble Bee Creek, August 1975; remains of barges Carlotta and York, Stangate Creek, October 1960; barge windlass Stoke Saltings, Medway, 1975; stern from Gillman, Northey Island.

Inbye: Archive's Letters Page 12
Hele station. Mick Hutson.
See Issue 38 page 22: adds a considerable amount of information taken form PRO RAIL75 on the origins of the station's location (to serve a toll road to Sidmouth and to serve as a ticket platform for Exeter); house was constructed in 1858; renamed Hele and Bradninch on 20 November 1867; also accident at Hele to 4-2-4T No. 2004 on down Flying Dutchman on 24 May 1876 when carriage struck platform.
Noss viaduct. David Millbank Challis.
Both this and subsequnet letter refute suggestion by Derek Blackhurst (Issue 38 page 23) that the picture on page 45 of  Issue 37 is anything other than Noss Viaduct. Notes that the buildings of the Noss shipyard were owned by Simpson Strickland where steam launches were constructed.
Noss viaduct. Lorna Smith.
Both this and previous letter refute suggestion by Derek Blackhurst (Issue 38 page 23) that the picture on page 45 of  Issue 37 is anything other than Noss Viaduct: this letter suggests modifications by Frith to improve the view.
London taxis. David D. Higgins.
See Archive 38 page 43: Wolseley involvement with Gardner 4LK diesel engine.

White & Poppe Ltd. Jeromy Hassell. 13-36
Internal combustion engine manufacturers: Alfred James White, born Earlsdon, near Coventry in 1870 met Peter August Poppe, a Norwegian also born in 1870,  in Steyr in Austria collaborated to manufacture fuses and internal combustion engies with interchangeable components. The company expanded very rapidly, especially during WW1, but following the transfer of production to Dennis Bros in Guildford in November 1919, the Coventry company was wound up. Very extensive citations.

Broad Gauge Bonus: [Ivybridge]. 37
Ivybridge Station: illus. show station in late 1880s with train formed of both broad and narrow-bodied stock, mainly oil-lit, but bogie convertible was gas-lit; station and viaduct c1880; also timber viaduct seen from below.

Skimpings. 40
Greenwich riverside. 40.
Probably taken from one of the generating station's chimneys: see article by O'Driscoll in Issue 25 page 52 and Issue 1 page 2 for South Metropolitan Gas Co's Greenwich Gasworks.
Faggot gatherer, Swanston, Edinburgh. 41 (upper).
Scottish fisherwomen filleting herring at Whitby. 41 (lower)
Balmenach Distillery. 42 (upper)
W. Cass & Co. cycle & motor engineers. 42 (lower)
Essex registered cars: Great Waltham?
Maeshafn mine near Mold with Cornish engine house c1900. 43 (upper)
Pont Rhyd y Fen viaduct. 43 (lower)
North of Port Talbot: viaduct for tramroad owned by John Reynolds: Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway in foreground.

Reviews. 44
The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal: an illustrated history. Hugh Conway-Jones. Tempus. IP
Detailed history... written, following meticulous research in archives, in a very readable style... recommended
Ninety years of the Ramsey Steamship Co. Ltd. Edward Gray and Roy Fenton. Ships in Focus. IP.
Formed in 1913 on Isle of Man to convey coal to the island.
The copper king - Thomas Williams of Llanidan. J.R. Harris. Landmark. DP
Long out of print: "makes a welcome return to the shelves" but criticises lack of maps.
Victorian slate mining. Ivor Wynne Jones. Landmark. DP
Underground photographs taken by J.C. Burrows. Book constructed around Home Office Public Enquiry into hazards of slate mining. Describes both the social economics and industrial health. The illustrations include those of slate railways. "much recommended".
The history of the Cheadle Coalfield. Herbert A. Chester. Landmark. DP.
First published in 1981: revised edition: includes social & working conditions
Sheffield. Philip Bottomley. Venture Publications. IP
Photo-album: public transport from horse bus to take over by South Yorkshire PTA in 1974.

A brief history of Witney Aerodrome. Stanley Jenkins. 45-8.
Used by Royal Flying Corps in WW1 and as German prisoner-of-war camp. First aircraft arrived in February 1917. Grass strip used for pilot training. Between Wars used for civilian pilot training. In 1928 Universal Flying Services were developed and in 1936 Whitney Aeronautical College was established. On 31 August 1939 the airfield was commandeered by the Air Ministry and it was developed as a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Brize Norton. In 1940 it was taken over by de Havilland as a Civilian Repair Unit with aircraft either being flown in or brought in by road on "Queen Marys". From 1949 the site has been used by Smith's Industries.

Dossett-Davies, John. De Havillands – Witney 1939-1945: a factory at War. 49-64.
A delightful story, especially the material relating to the eccentric and brilliant Philip Gordon-Marshall, Works Manager, but really utterly irrelevant to steamindex.com. Relates how WW2 forced De Havillands to move its civil aviation activities away from Hatfield, and C.S. Thom selected Witney where about 1200 staff were involved in the repair of Tiger Moths, Queen Bees and Rapides. Crashed aircarft were brought in by Queen Mary's (road transporters).. Illus. include portraits of Thom and Gordon-Marshall (with his pet Staffordshire bull terrier called Nichi) as well as Hurricanes under repair, Gypsy engines being maintained. Return landing in Issue 77 pp. 36 et seq.

Home page

Updated: 2013-11-27