Bedside Backtrack
BackTrack website: Pendragon, Easingwold, YO61 3YS
Midland and Great Northern Locomotives a century ago.
David Jenkinson. 9-13.
An extensively illustrated account of some of the locomotives which
came into M&GN ownership from its constituent companies in 1893. Quotes
Ahrons on early M&GNR fleet: "The quaintest assortment that ever adorned
a railway of this length". Brief history, map and summarizing table. Illus.:
4-4-0T North Walsham supplied to Yarmouth & North Norfolk Railway
in 1878; 4-4-0T Kings Lynn of Lynn & Fakenham Railway supplied
by Hudswell Clark; and same locomotive as M&GNR No. 20; M&GNR 4-4-0T
No. 40 (two views in two different states); former Cornwall Minerals Railway
0-6-0T as 2-4-0 in E&MR livery; former CMR 0-6-0T with tender as E&MR
No, 11; former LNWR 2-4-0 as M&GNR No. 42; former LNWR 2-4-0 as E&MR
No. 43A; M&GNR 4-4-0 No. 25 (built Beyer Peacock) at Yarmouth; E&MR
No. 29 (4-4-0 built BP in 1886); M&GNR 4-4-0 No. 30 probably in 1893;
4-4-0 No. 33 and 0-6-0T No. 14.
Britannias on the East Coast Route . Tom Burns.
14-18.
A review of some lesser known workings of the first British 'standard'
locomotive type in its later years: 70041 Sir John Moore at Kings
Cross on 7 September 1961 (R.F. Orpwood); 70040 Clive of India arriving
Kings Cross on 16 November 1961 with express from Grimsby (RFO); 70036
Boadicea awaiting departure for Grimsby on 31 August 1962 (RFO); 70038
Robin Hood at Kings Cross on Grimsby departure (I.D. Loveday
remainder) 70036 at Harringay West in April 1962; 70041, 70036 and
70037 Hereward the Wake at Belle Isle; 70000 Britannia on class
C fitted frieght at Red Hall.
Private locomotive building and the Indian Connection.
Philip Atkins. 19-24.
An outline study of some of the design linkages between British and
overseas locomotive types, and especially the influnce of the private locomotive
builders on what have normally been seen to be railway company designs. A
contemporary account in The Locomotive typifies these influences:
"The Bengal Nagpur Railway Company, probably the most progressive railway
in British India, has recently received from Messrs. Sharp Stewart &
Co. some passenger locomotives having six coupled drivers and a leading bogie.
As will be seen from the illustration, these engines, 12 in number bear some
resemblance to those delivered by the same firm to the Great Central Railway
illustrated in our issue for January 3rd last." Atkins argues that too little
attention has been paid to the influence of Charles and Thomas Finlayson,
who had been trained at NBL: the former was at Vulcan and probably influence
the design of the LMS class 5 constructed there, and may thus be regarded
as a derivative, to an extent of the H15/S15 designed by Urie with the assistance
of Thomas Finlayson [Atkins states that "the significance of his arrival
at Eastleigh seems to have been underrated". On another topic "There is little
doubt that BP were the real designers of the elegant Robinson 'Atlantics'
and also for that matter of the large 0-8-4 shunting tanks in 1907. The HR
4-4-0 Snaigow and TVR class A 0-6-2T shared a common boiler. The HR
River class had been designed at Cowlairs by the NBR and showed marked
similarities with the NBR Atlantics. The NBL designed both the Royal Scot
and B17 classes.
The Tottenham and Hampstead Line in the 1950s. Ian Thomson.
25-32.
Traffic working in the final years of steam on one of the most important
cross-London link lines. Illustrations: 58131 in store at Kentish Town in
March 1961; Q1 33027 with freight passing under Holloway Road bridge on 17
April 1961; 4F 43935 leaving Upper Holloway Station on Whit Monday 1961 with
excursion to Southend; 9F 92048 and 3F 47442 both at Upper Holloway in July
1961; 3F 47204 (condensing) at Kentish Town mpd in March 1960; 40029 (condensing)
at Kentish Town mpd in spring 1961; 42237 on Southend train at Upperholloway
in 1960; 40203 on pilot duty at St Pancras in March 1961; 4 car DMU at Upper
Holloway in July 1961; 43051 on St Pancras to Tilbury boat train awating
departure in March 1961.
The Great Western 2-6-2 tanks . Dick Riley. 33-5.
Variations of a characteristic GWR locomotive type in colour: 5531
(lined green) at Plymouth Laira on 25 September 1960; 4100 and 4124 at Brimscombe
shed on 23 June 1957; 6135 (lined green) at Old Oak Common on 23 June 1957;
6119 (grubby grey) on stopping train at Dawlish on 14 July 1959; 3101 on
Stratford upon Avon shed on 21 April 1957; and 8109 (lined green) at Leamington
Spa on 8 April 1958.
Vintage Colour Scenes 1938-48. 36-7.
A small selection of historic colour images of Britain's railways
in the non-standard era. T1 4-8-0T 1350 and B16 at Hull Dairycoats in c1938;
GWR 4-4-0 3215 (Dukedog); pair of red compounds leaving St Pancras c1938
and 30856 Lord St Vincent in apple green with train in plum &
spilt milk at Poole in August 1948.
Exeter by Night . A. B. Jeffery. 38-9.
A rare colour record of Southern and Western activity at an important
SW location during the hours of darkness. 4992 Crosby Hall in snow on 19
January 1963 on down C class freight; 30952 double-heading with 31860 on
freight on 3 November 1962; 1471 with auto-train for Dulverston on 3 November
1962 and preserved T9 120 on 24 April 1963..
All change at Bushey. Cliff Woodhead. 40.
Aspects in colour of the varied scene at the London end of the WCML
in a year of change: 1961: 46248 City of Leeds on express overtaking
BR EMU; Class 2 on down outer-suburban non-corridor train overtaking red
Bakerloo Line train.
High Drama on Rannoch Moor. Jack Ray. 41-4.
A light-hearted look at a true but unusual 'incident' in the Scottish
Highlands when a train bacame stuck Rannoch due to the line ahead being blocked
by a derailed freight, and the inept performance of the staff "on duty"
Down the Line to Ramsgate. Michael Mirams . 45-50.
A nostalgic look at the early days of railway travel in the Isle of
Thanet: mainly illustrations of Ramsgate Harbour following runaways. Illus,:
Westgate-on-Sea (print) 1879; Ramsgate Town Station (exterior and train shed,
probably pre-WW1); fatal crash at Ramsgate Harbour in August 1891; East Margate
signal box in 1900; St Lawrence Statuion c1911: several views of Harbour
Station, some with departing trains, some from an "overhead" stance in August
1914 and on 4 August 1924; including accident during WW1 where locomotive
overshot onto street.
Bromsgrove and the Lickey Incline. Clem Huzzey.
51-6.
A comprehensive picture feature on latter day working at one of Britain's
celebrated railway locations. Includes exterior and platforms at station
(R.C. Swift); 42419 on down local (W.N.A. Thompson); oil-fired 69999 banking
freight in April 1949; 69999 (oil-fired) and 58100 (WNAT); 92231 banking
passenger train (W.H.A. Thompson); 45430 at head of passenger train; class
5 and Jubilee heading passenger train; 40426 on down passenger train; 48668
on freight; 41049 on local; 45639 Raleigh on down express and class
156.
A Driver's eye view. Peter Rawson. 57-64.
An anecdotal illustrated account of aspects of his life on the footplate
by a former BR 'cameraman-driver' based at Mirfield (began 1942) and Hillhouse.
Illustrations: 45505 The Royal Army Ordnance Corps and 45531 Sir
Frederick Harrison, KCB on 2 March 1956 on Leeds to Liverpool service
(interesting combination of unrebuilt and rebilt Patriots); D49/2 62765
The Goathland on 28 Septmber 1956; 90375 at Mirfield on 7 August 1953
hauling freight; 41264 at Heaton Lodge on 3 non-corridors on 19 March 1955;
61002 Impala at Heaton Lodge on express formed of LMS stock; 45668
Madden on Leeds to Liverpool express on 17 October 1954 at Hillhouse;
90321 at Huddesfield with L&YR 0-6-0ST on 30 April 1955; view from Hillhouse
coaling tower; 50865 with 3-coach Normanton to Sowerby Bridge train at Mirfield
[L&YR 2-4-2Ts were known as Roman Candles at Hillhouse, and were especially
unpopular on the Huddersfield to Wakefield Westgate express connexions which
consisted of 2 coaches], 50725 at Hillhouse on 15 July 1955 (also views from
cab); 73165 at Stockport Edgeley on 5 September 1955 (on Bradford working);
52236 on Mirfield shed on 1 September 1954; 49116 on Mirfield shed on 1 March
1954; 61016 Inyala on York to Manchester express on 28 September 1956;
45531 on Liverpool to Newcastle train on 6 July 1956..
Charles Trubshaw: a Victorian railway architect. S. John
Dixey. 65-8.
Writer is an RIBA: review of the work of one of Britain's railway
company architects. He came from an architecural family, and was the son
of an architect, and was educated by his father, who was also called Charles,
and who was the architect and surveyor to the County of Stafford. He became
an ARIBA in 1865 and worked for the LNWR until in 1874 he became the Architect
of the Northern Division of the MR. Both Hellifield and Skipton stations
were designed by him, as were the Midland Hotel in Manchester (the construction
of the hotel in Mabchester followed a visit to the USA with William Towle
the Hotels' Manager, and the hotel and station at Bradford Forster Square.
Leicester London Road Station is probably his best surving work. He reitired
in 1905 and died in Derby on 15 February 1917.
Keadby — locomotive colony of the 'Sheffield' Company.
Brian Longbone. 69-74.
The fascinating story of the almost impossible working conditions
at an important locomotive base in North Lincolnshire: the water was not
only hard, but was also saline and polluted with mud. The depot had been
developed by the South Yorkshire Railway & River Dun Company and by the
Trent Ancholme & Grimsby Railway to exploit the Frodingham ironstone.
Frodingham shed was opened by the LNER in 1932 to
replace it (10-514)
The goods guard and his brake. M.H. Yardley. 75-8.
A pictorial review of the work and duties of the man who was
'in charge of the train': 48692 on Bootle branch on 22 April 1968; Class
31 5861 on nuclear flask traffic from Sizewell on 16 April 1969; freight
at Bangor-on-Dee on 25 July 1966; demolition train headed by Class 35 D7003
at Midsomer Norton on 28 March 1968 (note at time of Labour Government);
D1016 Western Gladiator leaving Radstock with coal train on 23 February 1970;
57xx 9610 on Brymbo to Minera branch on 18 June 1966; 48754 at Rhydymwyn
on 18 April 1967; Class 31 D5638 at East Rudham (former M&GNR); 43006
at Ullcoates Mine on 14 December 1967; Class 11 12130 at Beckton Crossing
on 21 May 1969.
Early Pullmans. a revisionist history. Anthony Bower
and Charles Long. 79-88.
An extremely thorough examination of the earliest Pullman cars to
work in the United Kingdom, initially on the MR. Records were examined in
the Newberry Library in Chicago. Books examined included
The Palace Car Prince by Liston
E. Leyendecker, a biography of George Mortimer Pullman and
The Palace Cars by Ralph L. Barger
. The MR dealings are dealt with in detail as is the reluctance of the GNR,
and more especially NER partner, to hire Pullmans, although the GNR introduced
a Pullman dining car The Prince of Wales on 1 November 1879. The LBSCR
was operating Mars by November 1875. The authors cannot trace any
record of a joint MSLR/GNR operation of Pullman cars.
See also letter by Long in Backtrack Volume
17 page 174.
'Turbomotive', prototype and model. John Horton.
89-100.
A concise history of William Stanier's famous LMS locomotive experiment
and the problems of making an accurate model of it.
Cites the Bond paper. and notes
drawings held by NRM.
Great Western Veterans. Paul Timothy. 101-4..
A pictorial survey of some lesser known GWR standard gauge locomotives
from the (mainly) pre-Churchward era: No. 191 2-4-0 supplied by E.B. Wilson
to Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Railway in 1855, and became WMR No.
94 (as shown still retained many E.B. Wilson features); Armstrong 806 class
No. 811; 2-4-0 No. 71 Dee (Dean River class of 1895/7) photographed
between 1908 and 1915; Standard Armstrong Goods 0-6-0 No. 682; 3521 4-4-0
3527; Duke class 4-4-0 3272 Amyas; Badminton class 4-4-0 3298
Grosvenor and 0-6-4CT No. 17 Cyclops.
The Irish Scene. Tim Shuttleworth and John Edgington.
105-7.
An evocative colour survey of lesser known Irish workings in 1957:
Colour feature (all photographs work of former unless stated otherwise: notes
by TJE. Fintona tram on 31 May (TJE); GNR (I) trams Nos. 1 and 2 at summit
of Hill of Howth on 2 June; GNR(I) 0-8-0 diesel-hydraulic locomotive bulit
MAK at Drogheda on 1 June; GNR(I) railbus (with Howden-Meredith wheels on
rear on 1 June at Drogheda; SLNCR railcar B at Sligo on 29 May (TJE); MGWR
(CIE) 0-6-0 659 shunting at Sligo (including TPO vehicle) at Sligo on 29
May.
Norwood Junction Engine Shed. Dick Riley. 108-9.
A review in colour of the almost changeless scene at an important
London steam depot in its final years: E4X 32466, E6 32413 and C2X 32446
on 5 August 1956; 18 April 1960 overall view with several diesel locomotives;
K class 32342 and 32348 on 11 May 1958, and C2X 32525 on 21 May 1961. .
Classic BR diesels . Cliff Woodhead. 110-11.
Early colour views of some of the most celebrated diesel types from
the early post steam period: D212 Aureol on down Ulster Express
near Harrow in summer of 1961; Hymek on down Welsh Dragon at Southall
in 1961; D1010 Western Campaigner on up Golden Hind at Dawlish
in May 1964; D9011 on down Yorkshire Pullman at Potters Bar on 4 June
1962.
The Corringham Light Railway. John Edgington.
112.
Pre-WW2 colour scenes of a long-gone light railway in Essex: two views
show Avonside Number 1672 taken in 1938 and on 5 April 1939: latter also
includes LMS 5-plank wagon 282387; former includes ex-LTSR four-wheel
coach.
A light tale. Martin Smith. 113-22.
The extraordinary story of the ill-fated but much-loved Weston, Clevedon
and Portishead Light Railway. The assent for this line had originally been
granted in 1885 (for a standard gauge tramway). Extensions in time were granted,
and on 18 August 1897 it reached Clevedon, but it had to wait approval until
being opened on 1 December 1897: the Light Railway Act of 1897 enabled it
to rush onto Portishead, opened on 7 August 1907. It feel into receivership
on 30 July 1909 and in 1911 Col. Stephens became its Manager. Even Stephens
regarded the line as an impossible cause and attempted to sell it to the
GWR which was not interested, or to the MR which would have required a southward
extension to Highbridge for which no funds were available. Stone traffic
from the Conygar and Black Rock Quarries was an important source of income.
The line served the gas works at Clevedon. The line struggled on until WW2
when the GWR was forced to accepting what remained, including two Terrier
class locomotives..
Eric Bruton at large. E.D. Bruton. 123-30.
An extensively captioned pictorial review of the years of change 1948-52
by a well known photographer and modeller. Illus.: 45555 Quebec at
Camden in May 1949 (LMS-style numerals on front numberplate); 45535 Sir
Herbert Walker K.C.B. without smoke deflectors, in LNWR-style livery
with "British Railways" on tender; 46157 The Royal Artilleryman passing
Penrith with Glasgow to Birmingham express on 5 June 1950; 40695 at Workington
Main on local for Whitehaven on 13 June 1950; 45123 on freight on Rose Street
Curve, Inverness on 20 June 1950; 4F 44459 still lettered "LMS" on
tender on 11 June 1950 and on 28 May 1952 - latter on Lindal to Tebay coke
empties (includes some NER timber coke hoppers); 42314 lettered "British
Railways" on 4 corridor coach Windermere to Liverpool class B train in 1952
near Kendal; 46447 at Penrith on Darlington train on 29 May 1952; 60136 in
apple green lettered "British Railways" on 2 July 1949 on Queen of Scots
Pullman at Kings Cross; W32 Bonchurch in malachite green at Freshwater
on RCTS tour on 18 May 1952; 6027 King Richard I on down Cornish
Riviera on 10 June 1949 near Shaldon Bridge. (train in mixed liveries).
Eight view of Clan Pacifics mainly in the Shap area in summer 1952, either
on Dillicar troughs or near summit: some of the unassisted trains appear
to have been heavy.
Turn of the Century Great Northern . Nick Campling and
Paul Strong .131-5.
A comprehensively captioned pictorial review of main line passenger
working on the GNR during the early Edwardian era. Several of these photographs
were also reproduced in
Archive Issue 1. Ivatt A5
4-2-2 No. 264 just north of flat crossing in Newark in 1902; Ivatt V2 4-4-0
1331 at Milepost 119 with train mainly composed of six-wheel stock including
TPO vehicle; 4-2-2 664 at Barnby Crossing; 4-2-2 1007 on up Scotsman
at Grantham in mid-1902 [picture includes a road van at rear of train of
open wagons]; D1 1376 coupling onto down express at Grantham (lowness of
platform is noted in caption); small Atlantic 983 approaching Grantham on
down express on 17 June 1902 (2-2-2 No. 877 is barely visible in corner of
photograph); two D1 class 4-4-0s (leading one 1338) pass Newark South Box
on northbound express on 17 June 1902; Stirling 2-2-2 877 on Muskham Troughs
in 1902 (train composed of 12-wheel stock); 4-2-2 95 passing Trent Lane West
Junction, Nottingham, on Sheffield to King's Cross express on 21 May 1902;
and large Atlantic No. 301 on down express near Tuxford, c1906.
The British Mixed Traffic Steam Locomotive. David Jenkinson.
136-44.
A review of the origins and evolution of the most characteristic of
all steam locomotive types in 20th Century Britain.
See letter from L.A. Summers (Volume 8 page 274)
which argues that inside valve gear was accessible (just like text against
a blue background). The illustrations illuminate the story: H15 SR 485 at
Woking on 30 July 1938 on train to Bournemouth; 43xx 6369 at Warrington with
GWR brake van in 1930s when such workings were routine; SR N A853 at Barnstaple
Junction with GWR clerestory stock, c1927; K3 3822 on freight; 42785 at Clifton
on WCML on 14 June 1950 (Eric Bruton); 42983 climbing Shap with banked freight
(EB); K4 Macleod of Macleod; Jones Goods on passenger train c1920;
S15 30837 on freight; B16/1 2364 with Gresley derived gear; Manor 7820 at
Oakengates on class C freight on 18 September 1965; 4940 Ludford Hall
in Sonning Cutting on 10 October 1953; 45388 climbing Shap with class
E freight on 6 June 1952 (EB); V2 4771 Green Arrow (presrved) c1978
at York; 61050 on Broadsman at Liverpool Street in early 1950s; K5
206; 46456 on class B train at Penrith for Workington on 29 May 1952 (EB);
75038 leaving Euston with Northampton train on 22 July 1952, and 45150 on
Bushey troughs on 28 April 1951 (EB).
Updated 2003-10-30