BackTrack 1991 Volume 5
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The changing face of Hellifield. Andrew R. Wilson.
4-14.
Influence of railways upon a small community: slight influence of
North Western Railway, much greater influence of Midland Railway with its
junction with LYR, which created a much larger settlement. The creation of
this greater settlement and its subsequent decline are described in detail
with maps and many illustrations of the station and its township. Article
ends "Today the railway heart of the village is dead... The railway today
seems as welcome in Hellifield as Banquo's ghost at Macbeth's feast". Col.
illus. cattle train headed by 8F 48500 approaching Dent station on 29 June
1964; water troughs at Ais Gill (Alan Tyson).
Some thoughts on the Gresley derived motion - part 2.
Owen Russell. 15-20.
Part 1 was in 4-244. Argues that
taper boiler was introduced on A1 to ease the problem of locating the derived
motion; quotes several for assertion that right hand cylinders did an excessive
amount of work as demonstrated by axlebox wear. The D49 was based more on
NER principles and designed at Darlington, with the derived gear behind the
cylinders. The B17 also had divided drive and the conjugated gear behind
the cylinders. See letter by Sid Checkley (142) on
difficulty in maintaining this version.
Express colour 1938 style. Sidney Perrier (phot).
21.
Colour photo-feature: GWR 6027 King Richard I at Weston Super
Mere (see letter from Eric Youlden on page 190) and
another from Alan Warren on page 142 which identifies
train as 07.30 Paddington to Kingswaer via Bristol train. LNER A4 4463
Sparrow Hawk (garter blue) on up express at New Barnet station with
GNR somersault in off position on down fast and gas works in background:
see letter by J.F. Aylard on page 142 which identifies
train.
Isle of Man steam. John Edgington (phot). 22-3.
Colour photo-feature: Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T No. 3 Pender and
5 Mona at Douglas shed on 18 July 1956; 12 Hutchinson at Castletown
in 1963; 8 Fenella at St John's on 5 July 1965 and at Peel in August
1967: all except last locomotives are painted red (green in last).
Shepherds Well station. R.C. Riley (phot). 24.
Colour photographic feature: C class 31381 on freight; BB 34066
Spitfire passing on boat train; East Kent Railway trespass notice
(all 23 May 1959); O1 31258 and L1 31768 on stopping passenger service.
North of the border. 26-7.
Colour photo-feature: .CR 0-4-4T 55219 in fully-lined black at Glasgow
St Enoch on 23 May 1959 (R.C. Riley (did photographer use a private jet to
get this and above photographs on same day?): see also
letter from Keith Miles (page 142) on smokebox door lugs of this locomotive
which he calls 15219; 42743 on empty stock train at Mauchline in 1962 (Derek
Cross); EMU 089 in Caledonian blue at Balloch in 1965 (John Edgington); A4
60007 Sir Nigel Gresley on down St Mungo departing Perth on
6 June 1965.
The last years of suburban steam on the Brighton line. R.W.
Kirkby. 28-38.
Problems of operations at London Bridge, especially empty stock movement
and stabling. Shortage of modern motive power partly ameliorated by use of
SER R and R1 from 1926 and cascade of 4-4-2Ts from arrival of new King Arthur
and River class locomotives for mainline work. Train services had to accommodate
housing development and there was adverse press comment before the services
were electrified. Describes the residual steam suburban services after
electrification.
Last of a long line [rise and fall of WR 94xx 0-6-0PT's].
Philip Atkins. 39-40.
The GWR placed orders for 200 obsolete locomotives from a variety
of private builders (originally placed with Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn,
Bagnall, Yorkshire Engine Co, Hunslet Engine Co and Hudswell Clark; the
last-named transferred its order to RS&H) immediately prior to
nationalization (the other railways had accepted the need for diesel shunters,
or more modern designs for light work).
Against the collar - the draught horse. Colin Hughes.
41-4.
Heavy horse work at Great Howard Street goods depot in Liverpool,
both for the haulage of lorries and vans, and for shunting, up until 1948
and slightly later. Work tended to run in families, such as the Disley and
Diggle families. Includes notes on the treatment of horses.
Colour files. 45.
Colour photo-feature: Haltwhistle station (S.C. Dent)
see letter by Eric Youldon (page 190) which note that
points are set for branch; WD 2-8-0 No 90407 at Edge Hill (J. Corkill).
Readers' Forum. 46.
BR headcodes. Richard G. Hall.
As used on ECML diesel locomotives.
Knotty No. 2. John Copeland.
See front cover Number 5 (Vol.4): Repainted
in 1960 for Golden Jubilee of federation of six towns into
Stoke-on-Trent.
Todmorden East Junction. David J. Williamson.
Changes to signalbox shown in Vol. 4 page
237
Malachite green. A.J. Reed.
Appreciative comment on Devon Belle photographs
(Vol. 4 page 220); notes on colour of lining and
insignia of MN class, also revarnishing of rolling stock.
Backtrack Vol. 4 No. 6 - cover photograph. David
Palmer.
See item: Date of photograph probably 18
Sept 1937: had been Great Snipe and green until repaint.
Gresley derived motion. E.S. Youldon.
Points out error in feature on page 244 of vol.
4: Gresley did not use a single slidebar, but two closely spaced slidebars:
much superior to clumsy Swindon and LMS arrangement. The crank arrangement
on the Pacifics aimed to achieve even impulses.
Southern steam. John Borrowdale.
Eastleigh photographs (Carter) (Vol. 4 page
266): incorrect date, must have been 1962 or 1963.
Inverurie. W. Wholmes.
Actually Abergavenny (see picture Vo.4 page
285): very amusing letter which suggested drunken rugby supporters took
station to Scotland.
View from Barry Rly's Walnut Tree viaduct of the Taff
Vale fout-track mainline, with Taff's Well station. Ian L. Wright. rear
cover
See letter by Steve Daly on page 190.
Victoria station in the early 1950s with a pair of Bulleid
light pacifics. front cover.
WC 34102 Lapford and BB 34087 145 Squadron with train
in carmine & cream livery in early 1950s.
Woodhead - the story of the tunnels - part 1. Alan
Earnshaw. 53-8.
Mainly construction of the new tunnel rather than the two old tunnels.
Col illus. of 26020 (green) on passenger train at Broadbottom station and
26037 (blue) on freight at Torside (B. Magilton).
Railway bridges versus railway engines. D.K. Horne.
59-64.
Delightful ramble via a diagram which showed replacement rates for
cast iron and wrought iron bridges and replacement by steel ones in Northern
division of LMS; notes on 1923 Bridge Stree Committee; calculations of hammer
blow via Equivalent Uniformly Distributed Loads (EUDL); locomotive balancing,
especially on former LNWR designs with Joy valve gear. Illus: Two views of
Runcorn branch bridge no 6; Baswich Viaduct on the Trent Valley line Landing
the first girder; Graph of types of bridge up to 1949; Baswich Viaduct on
the Trent Valley line five views of reconstruction; Lancaster [Green Ayre]
typical underbridge ready for rolling in; Lancaster [Green Ayre] typical
underbridge designed to be as maintenance free as possible; Norton Branch
bridge no 4; Probably London to Rugby bridge 259 near Kilsby; Early open
web girder bridge; typical wrought iron plate girder, deck bridge.
Tragedy at Irk valley. Michael Blakemore. 65-8.
Accident on 15 August 1953 caused by driver of steam train failing
to act on signal at danger compounded by irregular signalling. Electric train
was not only derailed, but fell from viaduct. Ten fatalities. Map.
Vintage London Transport at Neasden. 69.
Colour photo-feature: London's Underground G stock (clerestory District
line); ESL 118A converted vfrom Metropolitan compartment stock; ESL 115 converted
from early Central Line stock painted dark maroon. See
also letter from F.W. Goudie on page 242
Southern steam freight. R.D. [Robin] White (phot).
70-1.
Colour photo-feature: Exeter St Davids: ballast train from Meldon
Quarry hauled by N class 31839 piloted by 82019 and banked by Z class 30855
plus 30850 in May 1961; Poole-Bournemouth trip workings on Parkstone bank:
S15 30502 working tender first and Q1 33008, also tender first.
William Stainer's big red engines. David Jenkinson.
72-3.
Colour photo feature: 6232 Duchess of Montrose about to depart
Euston in 1938: as painted in LMS red with gold leaf insignia (Sidney Perrier);
46247 City of Liverpool at Carlisle with British Rail lining on Royal
Scot (blue-backed headboard) (Gavin Wilson); 46246 City of Manchester
at Euston on 13 April 1962 and 46256 Sir William A. Stanier FRS
(Gavin Wilson): last pair in official LMR style (yellow edging to
maroon).
One crowded hour at and around Cowley Bridge Jn. Exeter.
Stanford Jacobs. 74-82.
Difficulties of handling long distance holiday traffic over a two
track stretch of line with a junction joining North Devon and North Cornwall
involving conflicting movements with Western Region traffic to/and from London;
the Midlands; South Wales and the North West. Col. illus. by R.C. Riley:
1466 on auto-train; 9765 on freight; 34023 Blackmore Vale on up Southern
Region passenger; 6995 Benthall Hall on class 2 passenger; 6874
Haughton Grange also on stopping train; 34029 Lundy on meat
train in July 1958 or July 1961. B&w illus on p.82 incorrectly captioned:
7311 travelling from Exeter to Taunton - not reverse: see
letter from RCR on page 190.
The Southampton dock tanks. Tom Middlemass. 83-90.
History: 3 tables which list locomotives used, illus.Vulcan
Vulcan Foundry 'twin'; Southampton Central with a big (three-funnel)
liner in background in 1937 (F.C. Le Manquais); Bretwalda the Dock's
Co second Vulcan engine; Clausentum one of a pair built by Hawthorn,
Leslie and Co; bearing duplicate list No 111 Vulcan seen at Nine Elms
works; Ritzbuttel No 110 a second hand German import; Southampton
dock's second Hawthorn loco Ironside; Southampton No 109 (Alexander
Shanks); B4 No 86 Havre transferred to the docks dept in 1896; B4
No 98 Cherbourg transferred to the docks dept in 1896 and was sold
to Stewarts and Lloyds; Guernsey and Honfleur in their prime;
Caen at Southampton dock in 1937; Dinan sold to Taylor Woodrow
and seen at East Yelland; one time Normandy now Corrall Queen
at Dibbles Wharf Southampton; No 30102 formerly Granville brought
by Butlin's; one time Normandy then Corrall Queen and once
more Normandy on the Swanage line; USA tank No 30064 at Southampton
docks; B4 No 30089 with Drummond C14 3741 at Eastleigh; No 30102 formerly
Granville brought by Butlin's joined Royal Scot at Skegness.
Readers' Forum. 91-2.
Backtrack - volume 3 and 4 retrospect. M.
Seymour.
A very long letter which would not have escaped the Editorial scissors
later: it covers many topics and demands sub-headings!
True blue
Illustration of 60007 (Volume 3 page 122)
was not a true representation of garter blue; the MSWR in Ireland used blue;
variations in CR and GER blue
Torbay colour spread
Large BR emblems were common on 51XX class: see
(Volume 3 page 168).
Monstrous cavities
The illustrations of Box Tunnel (Volume 3 page
226 )are based on lithographs not engravings: Bourne worked directly
onto stone for his lithographs; the Wapping Tunnel visit date was 31 July
1829; the locomotive incorrectly shown on the T.T. Bury aquatint had been
removed.
The Non-stop
Grantshouse not Granthouse (Volume 3
page 221); A3 2580 - shot must have been taken in 1928 as also reproduced
Rly Mag., 1928 (Oct), 274.
Colour file [St Pancras]
New signalbox and colour light signals just
visible: see Volume 4 page 45.
The Gresley K3s.
See Volume 4 page 81: Extra lamp iron on
GNR locomotives; should it be E1844 or 1844E? 61921 was not at Elsenham,
but possibly at Colchester.
Berry Brow station carvings.
See Volume 4 page 64 cites Rly
Mag., 1907, 20 (June); Rly Mag., 1951 (Oct): work of Thomas
Stocks.
Carriage contrasts.
Pullman car Phoenix: frames had come from Rainbow II
burnt out at Micheldever in 1936: see Volume 4 page
117.
Colour files. 93
Stainer class 8F 48384 on a freight train near Golcar climbing
towards Standege tunnel. Includes rear view of bracketed signal adjacent
to footpath: see also Volume 8 Number 5 rear cover
for another view by same photographer (David R. Smith).
Readers' Forum, 92/4.
Silloth branch. Part 2. R. Montgomery.
See feature Vol. 4 page 230: A3 not heading
for Silloth, but on slow train for Edinburgh.
Silloth branch. Part 1. B.S. Cooper.
Harbour (Vol. 4 page 173) did not contain
a 3 masted schooner, but a square rigged ship, or possibly a
barque.
The GWR 'Dukedogs'. Maurice Dart.
9023 and 9018 both visited Newton Abbot in 1950s
Wicker Goods Station. V.M. Thomas. 4-205
Terminus of Sheffield - Rotherham Railway; archaeological remains
found "recently".
Goods station operation. David S. Foster McCann.
wagon loadings
Gresley derived motion. R. Syms.
(1) source of Gresley's antipathy to divided drive escaped writer;
(2) problem of thermal expansion when derived motion was placed ahead of
cylinders. Original 4-244..
Gresley derived motion. J.M. Van Riemsdijk.
Drive onto centre coupled axle was featured on Bavarian Pacifics:
reduces hammer blow [am certain that Gresley stated this in one of his papers
KPJ, but could not trace where]; divided drive is rougher: writer states
that Gresley's preference for concentrated drive was well founded.
Original 4-244..
Gresley derived motion. David Jackson.
Critical of unsupported dogmatic statements in original: refutes Gresley's
alleged lack of knowledge of locomotive design. Original
4-244..
Signal survivors. A.R. Nicholls.
See colour illustration in Volume 4 page 261:
Early three-position semaphore signals on London & Croydon Railway:
first upper quadrant versions trialed on GWR in 1914, with fuller installation
at Victoria Station (SECR).
Lancashire & Yorkshire posters. Walter
Rothschild.
Comment by Rabbi on Jewish emigration from Eastern Europe via Hull
or Goole across England with hope of eventual onward travel to America, but
many lacked the resources and remained in Northern England (written in response
to posters for immigrants: feature page 276 in Volume
4).
Five red herrings. Michael Sladen.
Refers to one strange fact in the Dorothy L Sayers novel (see
4-251), and missed by the commentator, namely the
addition of a Pullman car to the Stranraer to Glasgow train at Ayr (which
commentator cannot trace); also refers to another novel set on a train in
South West Scotland (Sir John Magill's last journey, by Freeman Wills
Crofts (1930)) - according to Ottley, Crofts
frequently set his stories amidst railway activity.
The near timeless view of a Class 5 4-6-0 tackling Shap viewed at Greenholme. Alan Tyson. rear cover
Ex LMS 'Jubilee' No 45569 Tasmania at Cricklewood
shed on 24 June 1963. (Geoff Rixon). front cover
See letter on page 242 from C.W. Medd on head
code
Former LNWR main line contrasts. 100.
Colour photo-feature.: 46245 City of London (red) on up
Caledonian at King's Langley c1968; 10201 and 10202 on 9 June 1957
at Great Bridgeford (F.W. Shuttlewoorth)
The Newport Pagnell branch. Bill Simpson. 101-8.
Short branch line from Wolverton, used by staff at railway workshops.
History. Map. Illus.: 27561 at Newport Pagnell on 10 April 1948 (H.C.
Casserley).
Woodhead - the story of the tunnels - Part 2. Alan
Earnshaw. 109-17.
Electrification; signalling; remains; and residual use of tunnels;
plans. Col. illus.: 26049 (green) on coal train at Crowden on 7 August
1969; 26043 (blue) on freight at Dinting on 6 September 1971 (B.
Magilton).
Martock - a Somerset market town. R.C. Riley.
118-19.
Colour photo feature: 5563 arrives at busy platform with Saturday
train for Taunton; signalbox and notice board (both in Southern Region
green)
The Penrhyn quarries railway. John Edgington and Colin
Tribbeck (phot.). 120-1.
Colour photographs taken in 1962: overall panorama of quarries; 0-4-0WT
Glyden and Cegin (both ex Durham County Water Board
(see letter page 299 by A. Earnshaw), and Andrew Barclay
Nos. 1994 and 1991, respectively, of 1931); 0-4-0ST Nesta (Hunslet
704 of 1899) and 0-4-0T Ogwen (Avonside 2066 of 1933).
The splendid 'Schools'. 122-3.
Col. illus.: 30936 Cranleigh on up Man of Kent at
Westenhanger in about 1957 (P. Ransome-Wallis); 30938 St Olaves (with
Lemaitre exhaust) near Herne Bay (as previous); 30912 Downside (with bogie
tender) near West London Junction box in May 1962 (Jim Oatway); 30935
Sevenoaks (as previous); 30934 St Lawrence (grubby with Lemaitre
exhaust) at Paddock Wood in 1961 (Cliff Woodhead). First two mainly composed
of carmine & cream rolling stock..
Early Scottish Diesels. 124.
Col. illus.: D5130 at Wick on 20 June 1961 Highland Omnibus buses
in background; Wickham railbus at Crieff. (H.J. Mills)
Railways during the General Strike - Part 1. A.J. Mullay.
125-7.
Effect on LNER: violence against vounteers; especially severe in Scotland
where few trains ran; fatal accidents due to lack of skill and control by
volunteers; almost 100% from railwaymen for call to strike; LNER attracted
10,000 volunteers: Cramlington derailment was due to sabotage by miners who
received severe prison sentences; further sabotage in Scotland.
Part 2 described [in]activity at Carnforth (page 173).
Led to considerable correspondence including strongly written
letter by Neil Burgess on page 298 and refuted by
author. The effects of the General Strike affected those involved extremely
greatly: my father thought that the Unions had betrayed their members by
going on strike and he broke with the Labour Party at that time.
Burwarton revisited. William H. Smith. 128-32.
Traffic, mainly that from Burwarton, on the Cleobury Mortimer &
Ditton Priors Railway/line. Conveyance of road stone from Titterston Clee
and Brown Clee Hills in Shropshire, some of which arrived by aerial ropeway.
Admiralty traffic during Worl War II, and eventual ownership of line by
Admiralty. Map, diagrams.
Railway gardens. Bernard Clark. 133-7.
Genuine historical survey, back to middle of nineteenth century. Earliest
published report known to author was in Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser of
1861 reference to gardens on Scottish Central Railway at Larbert, Bannockburn,
Stirling and Bridge of Allen, and at Dumfries. Competitions probably began
on the Bristol & Exeter Railway in 1864, and when the railway was absorbed
by the GWR the scheme was extended to all the Company's stations. Includes
competitions and involvement of local gentry in form of gifts of plants.
Illus. (from 1900s): Tynemouth, Brislington, Lustleigh (1939), Ashley Hill,
Bleadon & Uphill (showing S and T plates on signal box)..
Steam in Metroland - a postscript. W.S. Becket.
138-40.
Cost of locomotive changeover at Rickmansworth; nevertheless, this
was a very swift operation; retention of steam led to irregular services;
Chesham branch workings using C13 tank locomotives; corrected dates. Mainly
during London Transport period. See letter Vol. 6
page 50 (notes Metropolitan Railway 4-4-4T on Chesham branch during WW2.
See letter from Frank Goudie on page 242 (Chesham
branch - continued operation by LPTB, list of 4-4-0Ts, freight workings,
etc)
Colour files. Sydney Perrier (phot). 141.
Sentinel shunter No 8400 at Lowestoft in 1938; PS Whippingham
on 18 August 1937.
Readers' Forum. 142.
Vintage colour. J.F. Aylard.
See illustration page 21: A4 on up express at New
Barnet: must have been train 677 up (10.15 ex Edinburgh) in July/August
1938.
Vintage colour. Alan Warren.
See illustration of page 21: 6027: 7.30 am Paddington
to Kingswear via Bristol.
North of the Border. Keith Miles.
15219 fitted with snugs around smokebox - like a 2P 4-4-0
More on Gresley's valve gear. Sid Checkley.
Difficulty of maintaining B17 valve gear behind inside cylinder. K3
suffered from smokebox char entering mechanism:: see page 15
and 4-244..
LNER Poster 'The Night Scotsman'. Robert Bartlett (artist). front cover
The Hayling Island railway. Michael Kennett.
148-55.
Hayling Island Railway incorporated 23 July 1860, but construction
did not begin until 1863: opened to Langstone in 1865, and would have stayed
there but for intervention of Francis Fuller who sought changes in route
on Island and the whole was opended in 1867. See
letter in Vol. 6 page 50. and correction
to date quoted on page 107 of Volume 6. Colour illus. A1X crossing Langstone
Bridge with four coach train; also exterior of terminus (T.J.
Edgington)
Peter Hay. Beyond Aberdeen.
156-62.
The Great North of Scotland section in 1953: motive power and services
on lines which were to disappear after Beeching: Deeside; Buchan lines
(Fraserburgh and Peterhead); Moray coast; Speyside, and author's favourite
- the line to Banff. B1 class displacing B12 and GNoS 4-4-0s. Map.
See letter by Keith Fenwick (page 242) and by
R.G. Winder in Vol. 6 page 50 (Croxton+Garry
traffic)..
Beverley Cole. Railway art - taking
art out of the gallery. 163-7.
The illustrations almost say it all: b&w reproduction of Frith's
famous picture of Paddington Station; colour reproductions of Salomon's railway
carriage interiors (one relatively prim and proper, the other more animated);
a railway carriage panel of Bishop's Stortford (in colour) and posters:
Speed to the West (GWR) and East Coast by LNER (Tom Purves)
(both in colour) (all from National Railway Museum collections).
See also letter fom Ade Macrow
Banbury shed in 1963. Dick Riley.168-9.
Colour photo feature: No. 6879 Overton Grange; No. 3855 with
red breakdown vehicle (ex Churchward coach) in background; No. 5990 Dorford
Hall and No. 3820 at coaling stage.
The Southern in Devonport and Plymouth. A.B. Jeffery.
170-2.
Colour feature: two panoramas: St Budeaux and St. Levan Road (Ford)
viaduct; N 31875 with two coach train for Exeter at Devenport on 19 May 1964;
Devonport Station (former terminus); Devonport freight depot showing branch
to Stonehouse Pool; 34054 Lord Beaverbrook (unrebuilt) on Brighton
train (as previous dated).
Railways during the General Strike - Part 2. Mark Reynolds.
173-7.
Part 1 was written by A.J. Mullay and appeared on page
125. Inactivity at Carnforth: few volunteers; considerable amount of
short-time working and layoffs following strike. Little violence at Carnforth
and unexpected sympathy by strikers for those vwho attempted to get back
into railway service during strike.
Railways and holidays. Part 1 - The influence of railways
on the development of holiday resorts. Jeffrey Wells.178-85.
The development of Blackpool following the opening of the Preston
& Wyre Railway to develop Fleetwood in 1840 as promoted by Sir Peter
Hesketh Fleetwood. This formed a part of the London to Scotland route via
Ardrossan. In 1846 the line from Poulton to Blackpool [North/Talbot Square]
was opened. Later the line to Central via Lytham and the direct line were
opened and the latter and Central Station were shut following Beeching, Notes
the vast former excursion traffic, including that to the Illuminations.
See letter by S. Dixey in Vol. 6 page 50 which
refutes dates quoted for first excursions. Part 2 on
page 204. Letter by B.G. Verity (p. 242) on time
required for travel to Scotland via Fleetwood and Ardrossan.
Letter by J.H. Price (p. 243) which states that Blackpool
Corporation wished to redevelop Central station site, although BR had wished
to close North. Maps, plans, table.
The railway under the lake [Bala to Blaenau Ffestiniog
branch]. Colin Ganley. 186-8.
Bala & Ffestiniog Railway, powers for which were obtained in 1873.
The route near Arenig was extremely bleak and there were illuminated speed
restriction boards to assist drivers. Trains to the artillery ranges were
double headed by 43XX 2-6-0s and were severely restricted in speed. Most
trains used 74XX or 58XX locomotives. 7442 and 5810 are illustrated on passenger
trains and 7414 and 7442 on freight. The line closed because of the construction
of Llyn Celyn reservoir by Liverpool Corporation. Letter
by J. Burrell on page 243 on Bala Junction..
Colour files. 189.
Beverley station on 22 August 1968 (exterior with platforms) (John
Bateman); Southern Region Q1 class 0-6-0 No. 33037 at Tonbridge depot (Cliff
Woodhead)
Readers' Forum. 190.
Whistle stop Alderney. Bruce Henderson.
See 4 page 256. Aveling & Barford
locomotive: NOT on Alderney: illustration appeared in
Locomotive, 1914, 5th May and is somewhere on SER!
Taff's Well. Steve Daly.
Additional notes: location of Rhymney Railway engine shed; New Rockwood
Colliery; Walnut Tree Junction - changes in nomenclature.
See letter in Volume 6 page 50 from Ian L. Wright
for further information : see rear cover for Number
1.
More on Gresley. Gerard M.F. Hill.
Drive onto leading axle rejected due to greater flange wear, questions
why divided drive not adopted on 4-cylinder Atlantic.
Locking Road/Haltwhistle. Eric S. Youldon.
In case (page 25) of first Youldon emphasises
unusualness of location for photographs, and in second states that route
is set for branch, not mainline.
Tiverton Junction. R.C. Riley.
Exeter to Taunton train (not as stated)
7311
London Transport stock. Michael J. Smith.
ESL 118A (ex Metropolitan Railway) and ESL 115 (ex Central London
Railway): sleet locomotives.
The splendid 'Schools'. M.J. Burnett.
LN bogie tenders fitted to Schools 30921 and 30912.
Locomotive technicalities. D.K. Horne.
Cut off
| BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70031 John Milton on 18.45 King's Cross to Cleethorpes express north of Potters Bar on 13 June 1962 (Cliff Woodhead) See letter in Volume 6 page 50 from M.C. Prentice |
 |
Part 5 (September/October) |
Chris Davies.. Northallerton.
196-203.
History back to Great North of England days. Station was opened in
1841. Station was designed by Benjamin Green. The Leeds Northern Railway
opened a separate station in 1848. Includes notes on the Hawes branch.
Illustrations (all by author unless stated otherwise): English Electric Type
4 diesel No. D214 entering Northallerton on down stopping train on 4 September
1967 (colour); Romany Gates level crossing with D5160 on freight on 3 September
1967 (colour); original GNER stationmaster's house at Northalllerton
(colour); Type 3 diesel No. 6757 with brake tender backing off Hawes branch
with load of stone (colour); track plan; Northallerton station c1841 (engraving
from C. Narrowmore Collection);. down Queen of Scots hauled by an
A3 joining East Coast Main Line c1948; Northallerton station pre-1911 looking
north (two views); J21 No. 65081 with LNER on its tender on up main line
working "wrong line" with vans including NER milk van; map; B1 No. E1289
in LNER green on H clss freight (poor colour quality); C7 No, 722 on Stockton
to York race special using good s avoiding line c1946; Cow & Gate factory
and WW2 platforms looking north; A1 No. 60127 Wilson Worsdell on up Newcastle
to York express c.1953; B1 No. 61289 on up semi-fast from Newcastle to York
passing 1939 signal box; K1 No. 62064 shunting; NER barrows; A8 4-6-2T No.
69884 on West Hartlepool to Harrogate local c1957 (Keith Murray) and K1 No.
62045 outside engine shed in August 1956. ;See also letters in Vol.
6 page 50 by A.F. Aylard on near collision involving
Queen of Scots and A.D. Sugden on power
box. Article on engine shed in Volume 33 pages 327
and 465
Jeffrey Wells. Railways and holidays.
Part 2. The railways and the wakes. 204-9.
Part 1 on page 178. The Oldham Chronicle
in 1901 recorded the heavy traffic to Torquay. Oldham Wakes: history of excursion
traffic: early traffic was to Blackpool. On 5 Sept 1901 2600 tickets were
sold for an excursion to Torquay. Two K3 class locomotives hauled a return
excursion train from Skegness. Illustrations by Jim Davenport): Class 5 4-6-0
No. 44696 drawing empty stock through Royton Junction; Class 5 4-6-0 No.
45401 and 2-6-0 on r eturn relief train at Oldham Clegg Street in June
1953; Class 3F L&YR 0-6-0 No. 52248 at Lees sidings with stock for Clegg
Street to Skegness excursin in June 1958 which it worked to Guide Bridge;
map; C13 4-4-2T No. 67417 assisting Class 5 No. 44845 on Skegness to Clegg
Street train near Park Bridge in June 1858; Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway
poster advertising sea bthing for the working classes via day excursiions
to Blackpool and Fleetwood; plan of Mumps station; sscouts awaiting train
at Mumps Station iin 1956 (Oldham Chronicle); British Railways excursion
poster; LMS excursion poster; Mumps Station waiting for Blackpool train on
wet June day in 1953 (Oldham Chronicle).
Michael Rutherford. Locomotive
manufacturing. 210-16.
What the author claims to be "an extended look at the background and
establishment of a new industry": i.e. back to Newcomen and Watt via Trevithick,
Matthew Murray and Charles Beyer. B&w illus include Leeds built rack
locomotive on Middleton Railway in 1814; general arrangement drawing of
Murray/Blenkinsop locomotive; Trevithick's Catch-me-who-can; Hatcham
Iron Works; exporting locomotives at Birkenhead onto sailing ships.
Whitehaven and the Howgill incline: a picture feature and
notes. David Young and John Green. 217-19.
Colour photo feature: Haig Colliery: Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No.8;
Hunslet 0-6-0ST Repulse; Peckett 0-4-0ST.
Euston arrivals. A. Drake and Cliff Woodhead (phots.).
220-1.
Colour phot feature: 42368 on empty stock (sleepers in background);
46228 (red); 46246 (red); 46221 (green): not based at Polmadie as stated
but at Carlisle Upperby (letter from M. Tilly Volume
6 page 50).
The Urie influence on the Southern. 222-3.
Colour photo feature: H15 332 (dark green) at Winchester in 1938 with
train of LSWR non-corridor stock; LN 747 at Exeter Central in 1936
with LSWR corridor stock; H16 30516 on empty stock from Atlantic Coast Express
on 20 June 1959 (R.C. Riley); N15 30765 on Basingstoke shed in 1961; S15
30828 at Basingstoke on freight (both Cliff Woodhead).
'Pommern' leaves Leeds Central. Cliff Woodhead.
224.
Colour photo feature: A1 No. 60133 (two views) on 29 July 1961.
Some notes on the Faringdon branch. Stanley C.
Jenkins. 225-31.
Opened 1 June 1864 by Faringdon Railway Company from Uffington J with
GWR. Originally broad gauge. Robert Tertius Campbell, a local squire was
a leading figure. Contactor was a Mr Lewis of Carmarthen; Malachi Bartlett
of Witney built the stations; Captain Rich inspected. Line taken over by
GWR in 1886. See Corriegenda (6 page 50) and
letter by J.F. Burrell. B&w illus. include
4651 on mixed train. Maps, timetables.
Alan Earnshaw. Sir Thomas Bouch CE,
hero or villain. 232-40.
Biography: bridges on South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway,
notably Belah Viaduct, and the Tay Bridge: lacks citations.
See letter from J. Shrimpton on page 50 of Volume
6 concerning poem by McGonagle. Black & white illustrations: bowstring
girder bridge near Threlkeld with Cauliflower 0-6-0 20484; Langley Beck viaduct;
Deepdale Viaduct; Belah Viaduct; Redhaugh Bridge, Newcaslte (road bridge);
Tay Bridge.
Rolling stock focus . 241
Colour photo feature: Ex GWR diesel railcar No W20W near Suckley Station
(Bromyard - Worcester line) on 9 September 1961 (carmine & cream)
(Michael Mensing): ex LNWR /WCJS sleeping car No DM198932 at Wadebridge in
Southern green on 15 July 1960 (R.C. Riley).
Readers' forum. 242-3.
Locomotive technicalities. Keith
Mills.
It is perhaps not generally understood that the rate of steam consumption
is governed by the setting of the reversing screw, ie the cut-off, rather
than the amount of regulator opening. The well-known definitive work
Locomotive management, cleaning, driving,
maintenance [KPJ: normally credited to James T. Hodgson], first published
1908 (Mills 9th edition cost him 10/- in 1948) states that "higher initial
pressures combined with early cut-off tend to economical working. Provided
that the average pressure is sufficient to do the work required, a cut-off
at 1/8 stroke (l2½%) is approximately twice as efficient
as a cut-of at ¾ (75%) so that the earlier cut-off should result in
a substantial saving of coal."
The BR Handbook for railway steam locomotive
enginemen', somewhat maligned by D.K. Horne (Forum, Vo1.5,
No. 4), also points out that "The best results may be obtained with the regulator
well opened and the gear pulled up as far as possible. "Incidentally, the
form "pulled up" or "notched up" is historical and refers to the earlier
reversing levers and the notched guides.
Home's selective quotation from the Handbook was taken from a table of events
which take place in succession in the cylinder:-
a) a period of admission of live steam up to the point of cut-off.
b) a period of expansion up to the point of release.
c) a period of release of the used steam. •
d) a period of compression after the valve has closed.
e) a brief period of pre-admission of live steam before the piston com- mences
its working stroke.
This information is supported by further text and explanatory diagrams and
supplemented by a series of ques- tions and answers. It must also be remembered
that enginemen gained much practical knowledge on shed and the widely used
Mutual Improvement Classes. Model valve gears and cylinders made for the
use of Rowsley (l7D) MIC were on display, together with other memorabilia,
at an exhibition at Darley Dale in August to mark the 25th anniversary of
the closing of the line.
Railways and holidays. J.G.
Verity.
I was fascinated to read Jeffrey Wells first part article on Railways
and Holidays. Having lived there during the days of operation of all three
Fylde Coast Lines, and done some local research, can I shed some further
light on this subject?
The steamer/rail service from London to Glasgow via Ardrossan commenced in
May 1841, and took 26.5 hours to complete.
Although the Blackpool-Lytharn line did not formally open until 4 April,
1863, it had been completed throughout the previous Autumn, just one year
after the formal sod cutting by T.H. Clifton, the Squire of Lytham's son.
Jeffrey Wells speaks of the doubling of the Lytham line as being a new line.
Evidence even up to the 1960s supports this being in many parts a new line
as a line of stone block sleepers lay as a third track between Ansdell and
St Annes. The original single track Preston & Wyre itself had been recovered
after the doubling from Burn Naze to Preston in 1846 to form the spire visible
from the North end of Preston Station.
In the article we hear of the first excursion fares in 1841 of 1s-6d. This
compared to the opening single fares of 4s-6d (1st), 3s (2nd), and 2s (3rd)
from Preston to Fleetwood. In December 1842, before doubling, 3 trains were
run in each direction weekdays (l Sunday), carrying 911 passengers. The same
week in 1846 saw 2,820 passengers on the double track.
The 'Club Train' concept launched in the first decade of this century continued
until the early 1970s. Even in BR days a separate rake of Mark 1s were kept
at Blackpool. Woe betide anyone who occupied an 'allocated' seat of the regulars.
When a DMU was substituted for steam hauling, the incensed regulars marched
to Manchester Piccadilly and promptly hand-cuffed themselves to a London
Express. The result was that for a number of years after the demise of steam,
one morning Blackpool-Manchester express was allocated a Trans-Pennine unit,
maintaining the 'Club Train' status through into the 1970s!
Railways & the General Strike. J.V.
Barrowdale.
I found the two recent articles on Railways during the General Strike
most interesting and I am pleased to see your magazine continuing to explore
the social side of railways. By pure coincidence between the publishing of
the above articles my Auntie found a certificate (copy enclosed) in her late
husbands possessions awarded to his father by the Southern Railway during
the General Strike. It was given to him when he stayed at his post as station
master while carrying out duties at either Hastings station or St Leonards
Warrior Square station during this period. He received it sometime after
the strike while employed at Maidstone station and considering the certificate
is now 65 years old it is in perfect condition and still in its original
envelope. I am not sure how rare these certificates are. It shows the
appreciation given to loyal employees during the strike and readers will
note it is signed by both the general Manager and Chairman of the Southern
Railway, ie Herbert Walker and Edward Baring. Hopefully you may find an author
who could do an article on the disastrous 1955 ASLEF strike which had future
widespread repercussions for both British Railways and their employees. While
on this theme articles on the history of each of the three railway unions
would be welcome and the part they played on shaping our railways, not only
covering the negative side like the above-mentioned strikes, but also dealing
with the many positive contributions to the railways made by their members,
the latter rarely reported by our biased national press.
Beyond Aberdeen. Keith Fenwick.
Re Peter Hay's article the original station at Fraserburgh did have
an overall roof, but that at Boddam, being of much later construction, had
a wooden building without any form of awning. This was, in fact, similar
to but slightly larger than the plain wooden style of building adopted by
the Great North from the 1880s onwards. Earlier examples, such as those on
the Coast line, had an open waiting area facing the platform; later examples
such as those at the other stations in the Boddam branch, were fully enclosed.
Some, such as Pitfodels, Cornhill and Spey Bay, survive to this day, a sure
testimony to the quality of wood used.
The branch to Dufftown has recently closed, officially on 1 April this year.
It last carried goods in 1983 and since then has been used only for excursion
traffic. A short stub to Strathisla Distillery at Keith still survives for
excursion traffic. One other branch survives, to Waterloo at Aberdeen, but
has seen no regular traffic for some time.
The bogie brake van was one of a batch of six vehicles built in 1903-4. The
Great North did not go whole-heartedly for bogie vehicles and continued to
build six-wheelers up to 1916, alongside some quite respectable bogies, such
as the third illustrated by Hay at Maud.
The illustration of the Caley tank at Banff reminds me that there was no
run-round loop there. Carriages were shunted back into the platform by gravity.
In early days, there was a turntable tucked away behind the engine shed on
the right of the photo; this being necessary to comply with the Board of
Trade regulations which prohibited tender first running.
Head codes. C.W. Medd
Re head code '1 x 98' carried by engine No.45569 on coover of May/June
Issue the London Midland Region coding was: 1 Class 1 x Excursion or Special
train 98 Manchester (Exchange) and Leeds (City) via Huddersfield.
Steam in Metroland/London Transport. Frank
W. Goudie.
Re Becket's Steam in Metroland — a postscript it is quite correct
that the Chesham branch was not always push-and-pull worked. Until 1941 it
usually consisted of a Met E Class 0-4-4 tank and two, or sometimes three,
Dreadnought compartment coaches. But there was no engine release road for
the Chesham branch bay at Chalfont, which meant that the whole train had
to back out into a siding for the locomotive to run round its train in order
to return to Chesham. So, in order to avoid this inconvenience, London Transport
converted two three-car sets of 'Ashbury' stock, which had started life as
steam and later been converted for electric traction, for steam push-and-pull
working and from 1941 onwards LNER C13 4-4-2Ts became the motive power, the
LNER having assumed responsibility for working all LPTB trains on the Met
& GC Joint four years earlier. As regards the Metropolitan Beyer Peacock
4-4-0 tank engines, the full tally of locomotives of this type was:
Tudela & Bilbao Rly 8
Metropolitan Rly 66
District Rly 54
Midland Rly 6
LNWR 16
Rhenish Rly, Germany 5
LSWR 6
Total 161
A full list of the disposal of the 66 Met engines, with dates of withdrawal
or sale, appears in my book Metropolitan
Steam Locomotives, published by Capital Transport in 1990. I do not
feel it is quite correct to say that the six Met 4-4-0 tanks sold to the
Cambrian Railways in 1905 "fell short of the mark". They were probably snapped
up by the Cambrian as a bargain (they cost between £500 and £550
each); it is true that their axle loading restricted them to certain routes,
but two of them were converted into 4-4-0 tender engines to remedy this,
and all six survived to be taken over by the Great Western in 1922 and were
even allocated GWR running numbers, though they were scrapped shortly afterwards
and never carried these new numbers. Regarding Metropolitan Railway goods
train services, I have in my possession a 1927 working timetable, and this
states that the No.3 Up Goods could be loaded to 600 tons if worked by a
'G' Class 0-6-4T or 'K' Class 2-6-4T. The duty numbers of these goods trains
were shown on a disc carried on one of the front lamp irons. The No.3 Goods
left Verney Junction at 08.10, calling and shunting at most stations as far
as Rickmansworth and the Watford branch, and finally arrived at Harrow at
21.40pm, so there must have been a change of footplatemen somewhere.
Incidentally, there were only four 'G' Class 0-6-4 tanks, and not five as
stated by Becket in his original article.
In Issue No.2, page 69 you invited further information
about the Vintage London Transport colour views. The two compartment
motor-coaches shown at Neasden in the centre view are former Metropo- litan
Railway 'MW' stock, built in 1933 by the Birmingham Railway Carriage &
Wagon Co. Reclassified as 'T' stock by the LPTB in 1938 and numbered 2758
and 2749, they were converted after withdrawal in 1961 from passenger service,
into electric sleet locomotives, Nos.ESL 118A and ESL 118B. They were sold
"recently" to the North Downs Steam Railway, near Dartford, Kent, where they
are used to provide short passenger rides behind steam locomotives.
Railway under the lake. J.F.
Burrell.
Re Bala Junction, mentioned in Colin Ganley's article did not appear
in the public timetable at any time in its existence. As an example the first
train of the day from Ruabon is shown in 1948 thus:
Llanderfel dep. 08.23
Bala arr 08.45
dep 08.30
Llangower Halt 08.42
Passengers to and from Bala change at Bala Jc by most of the trains. The
exceptions of this would seem to be the 13.20 from Ruabon to Bala Town, returning
at 16.25 and the 16.00 from Ruabon which the timetable gives the impression
went through to Blaenau, or could have returned from Bala at 17.50. Earlier
in the day there was a 07.17 from Bala Town to Ruabon.
In the separate table for the Blaenau trains they are shown to and from Bala
Town only.
There could be remains of the branch still intact, but many miles away. In
the early 1890s Tanymanod Signal box closed and parts of it were used for
Tufts Junction Box on the Severn and Wye Joint. This could have survived
into preservation.
Railway art and graffiti. Ade Macrow
Re Beverley Cole's inclusion of graffiti 'artists'; undoubtedly artistic
as some of the graffiti are, the crucial difference is that the commercial
artists were producing their work to specifically enhance the railways' image,
whereas the spraygun merchanta produce their works only for the edification
of seeing their efforts prominently displayed on any large and convenient
surface. One further thought: how many lineside graffitos has anybody seen
which display any connection with their immediate surroundings?
Railways & holidays. J.H.
Price.
Wells is not quite correct in implying that the Beeching Plan proposed
the closure of Blackpool Central. The Plan proposed the retention of Central
and closure of Blackpool North. Blackpool Corporation produced a Central
Beach Redevelopment Plan and offered BR over £lm for the Central site
if BR would divert its trains to Blackpool North, which was agreed. The aerial
photo appears to date from the closure year, 1964. On page 182, most of the
'sidings' shown are actually the Talbot Road excursion platforms, which now
form the main platforms since the North Station was rebuilt in the 1970s,
with the original site released for redevelopment.
Book reviews. 243/6.
Britannia — birth of a locomotive. Philip
Atkins. Irwell. 92pp. Reviewed by RJE. ***
An interesting book and certainly a novel approach by the author
introduces the reader into the development of this class of locomotives,
the first of the BR standard engines to enter service. Drawing almost entirely
upon official sources we examine the design of the basic component parts
of the locomotives together with details of the modifications which took
place over the few short years of service. This is, as far as I am a ware
the first time that a locomotive class history has been tackled in such a
clinical manner, but in so doing the author introduces the reader to the
subject in an anatomical manner. Just who the book will appeal to is another
matter, clearly the' locomotive historian will find much to interest him,
but I have a feeling that the railway modeller may think that there is too
much about what cannot be seen on a model and not enough to satisfy his
particular needs. I enjoyed the book and hope that it will lead other writers
to discuss locomotive class histories in a similar manner, and in so doing
enable readers to deeper understanding of the subject of locomotive anatomy
and design.
Calling Carlisle control: tales of the
footplate. Peter Brock. Author. RJE ****
Engineman's footplate series have always exercised a fascination over
me ever since I read David Smith's Tales of the Glasgow and South Western
Railway many years ago. In terms of this branch of railway literature,
David Smith's work is supreme and must be the yardstick by which others are
judged.
Peter Brock is quite good and rather like a steam engine, improves as it
'warms up' or perhaps I should say once one has gone through the first few
pages. Unlike many 'loco-man's tales' published during the past ten or so
years, this Ian Allan production is on good quality paper with many excellent
well-reproduced pictures, which fill out the story. This is not surprising
since Brock was a keen photographer who clearly took his camera with him
to work.
A number of maps are included which help to provide the reader with a clear
understanding of the area and those unfamiliar with Carlisle will be able
to follow the story with ease. If anything at all this book underlines the
dirt, unsocial hours and difficult conditions under which men worked during
the steam era, so different from the glamorous image portrayed by those who
really do not know what it was like. Highly recommended.
Shildon – Newport in retrospect. K.C.
Appleby. RCTS. 90pp. AE ***
There are some books which take an awful lot of getting into at the
start, and this offering from the RCTS falls into that category. However,
persever- ance is rewarded by what turns out to be quite an absorbing little
book. Mr Appleby is obviously well versed in the subject at hand, which is
not widely known, and this work appears very much as a labour of love. He
deals comprehensively with the story behind the NER's first main line
electrification, after outlining the historical background and the traffic
patterns which gave rise to the need for this form of traction, and the
pioneering the ground the ompany covered. The Electrification Period, between
1913 and 1935, is well covered and the research is very exacting. This is
followed by an appraisal of how the Depression affected the railway, and
the eventual decision to abandon the electrified line — but it is not
left there, for the reader is taken right up to date through the final years
of steam traction and into BR's modernisation plans as far as they affected
Teesside.
There is an excellent chapter on the electric locomotives (complete with
drawings), a short section on the now historic debate between ac and dc systems,
and how Shildon-Newport influenced main line electric traction in the years
to come, particularly the LNER's Woodhead scheme. The book certainly taught
this reviewer a lot,and despite one or two obvious shortomings, its informative
content is highly recommended. The biggest disappointment with this book
is its illustrations, and though it includes 73 quite historic pictures,
one of them has been reproduced no less than three times. However, it is
the author's eight hand-drawn maps which are the most disappointing due to
the poor reproduction, and their stark contrast with the official NER and
BR plans which are included in the book. If the RCTS hopes to charge almost
eleven pounds for a book of this size, which is slightly more than most of
the commercial publishers make for comparable offerings, they must give more
attention to the detail and quality expected by today's well-informed
readers.
producing their work to specifically enhance the railways' image, whereas the spraygun merchants produce their works only for the edification of seeing their efforts prominently displayed on any large and convenient surface. One further thought: how many lineside graffitos has anybody seen which display any connection with their immediate surroundings? The above quibble notwithstanding - carry on the good work
An illustrated history of British railway hotels. Oliver
Carter, Silver Link Publications, 132pp, Reviewed by Michael
Blakemore
I review this book as someone who has long cherished a forlorn ambition
to lord it in stately surroundings and there was a time when the railway-owned
hotels offered some of the finest opportunities for so doing. Railway hotels
began when the companies quickly realised that the Passengers whom they had
transported to their destinations would then need somewhere to lay their
heads and that the railways might as well provide that accommodation as anyone
else. The first hotels were at places which became important junctions, ports
and major towns and cities. Later, the companies moved into the recreation
business at seaside and inland resorts, the purchase of country manors, and
the provision of hotels for golfers. Some speculative seaside ventures paid
off, such as at Morecambe; others failed, for example Withernsea. Carter
records the development of them all, from the first at Euston in 1839 to
the last at St Andrews in 1968. The author goes on to consider the variety
of architectural styles encountered and the changing expectations of amenities
and facilities — from pianos, billiard rooms and cigar divans to attic
accommodation for the servants — while there are recollections of the
lifestyles and duties of staff from managers to pantry boys.
Now the day of the railway-run hotel is over, a result of a different political
outlook, but it is interesting to learn that the philosophical argument over
whether railway hotels were better run by the companies directly or let out
to private operators dates back to their earliest days.
The book is set off by some superb black and white photographs, particularly
of hotel interiors, which evoke the opulence of many ofthem. The views of
the Palm Court of the Felix Hotel at Felixstowe, the glazed verandah of the
Furness Abbey Hotel and the dining room of the North Western Hotel at Liverpool
are gems of their day, while the afternoon tea and music session on the roof
of the Midland Hotel in Manchester, amidst the chimney stacks of the city,
is one of the most unusual. A book about an aspect of railway history not
hitherto written about is a comparative rarity these days and this one comes
highly recommended from this reviewer.
Leader and Southern experimental steam. Kevin
Robertson, Allan Sutton Publishing, 128pp, Reviewed by RCR
This book follows the lines of the same author's Leader: Steam's
Last Chance and in fact sixty of the pages, largely photographic thanks
to the availability of John G. Click's collection, deal with the 'Leader'
engines and experiments leading to their introduction. The author suggests
that he has gone deeper into the mechanics of 'Leader' in order to appease
the modelling fraternity, but it is hard to believe that these mechanical
details will ever be incorporated in a model. There is wide coverage of several
detail alterations on SR locomotives and while modifications of the 'Lord
Nelson' class, experiments with three Maunsell 2-6-0s and essays in smoke
deflecting arrangements may be regarded as experimental, oil burning locomotives
and the wartime expedient of fitting Stroudley Class D1 0-4-2Ts with fire
pumps are less so. The use of oil fuel as Robertson rightly says, goes back
to the GER in the 1890s with the SECR converting two 4-4-0s early in the
century. After that, however, the use of oil fuel was forced upon the railways
either by a serious shortage of coal due to miner's strikes or to a post
WW2 Government's desire to export good steam coal. As a result of a large
number of engines were converted and these are well described and illustrated.
It is sad that this conversion brought about the premature demise of some
otherwise useful engines. There are better photographs available of the Class
El 4-4-0 adapted for oil burning and the Stroudley fire pump engines than
those used. In fact, contrary to what has been written elsewhere, the latter
engines were so converted at Brighton Works and the official photograph taken
there.
Also extraordinary is that A.L.P. Reavil's photograph of Class U 2-6-0 No.A629
on an up Eastbourne express has apparently been reproduced from a book although
the original negative is at the NRM. There is the occasional inconsistency.
On page 20 the caption to an illustration of 0-4-2T No.2220 at Nine Elms
states that it later reverted to normal use; on the facing page it states
that the engine was quickly condemned. The tender illustrated on page 50
belonged to Class L11 4-4-0 No. l48, not a T9. Reproduction of the photographs
is generally better than hitherto in books by this publisher and it should
appeal to those interested in SR locomotives.
The Holyhead steamers of the LNWR (Premier Portfolio
No.8). A.W.H. Pearsall and H.H. Davies. LNWR Society, 32pp Reviewed by
John Edgington. *****
It may not be realised by many railway students that railways were
also involved in maritime activities and all but four of the top 20 pregrouping
companies in England, Wales and Scotland owned steamships. The Lancashire
& Yorkshire had the largest fleet, but the LNW was well to the fore and
this portfolio is a comprehensive record ofthe company's services from Holyhead.
The history of the sailings from pre-railway days through Chester & Holyhead
Railway ownership to the end of the LNWR on 31 December 1922 is covered in
detail. All ships are described and available information and basic dimensions
are tabulated. Traffics, operating the services, staff and casualties
(fortunately few) are not forgotten. Many of the illustratious are from LNWR
official negatives (either 12 x l0ins or 15 x 12ins glass plates!) and are
of superb quality. A few rigging and deck plans of ships are also reproduced.
A well written and researched book, one of the authors was an Assistant Keeper
at the National Maritime Museum, which can be thoroughly recommended even
to readers whose main interest is in railways.
The station now standing. Bill Pertwee. Hodder
& Stoughton, 128pp. Reviewed by BC ***
Bill Pertwee was given the enviable job of travelling hundreds of
miles up and down the country to large, small and preserved railway stations
to see the more colourful aspects of our railway heritage and meet the people
responsible for its upkeep: a task which must have resulted in both joy and
sorrow!
The book is set out station by station, in alphabetical order, starting with
Aberdour on the old North British Railway and ending with the Great Western
Society at Didcot. Each station is described and spiced with snippets of
historical facts and anecdotes plus a brief history of the station's
architectural background and a small road and rail map giving its position.
The road map is a sad reflection on travel today but it is also realistic
and useful. Thus on each page there is an appetising colour photograph of
the station along with the text, historic information and a map, each in
separate sections, which is very easy on the eye.
Also, randomly sprinkled about the text are articles by other authors on
such subjects as safety and British Railways and a useful list of where to
look for further information. On the whole it is a good and entertaining
piece of tourist information and could be seen as a modern versiori of the
old Railway Guidebooks. For instance, instead of being urged to "Go Great
Western" or "Speed to the West" we are told that "the Severn Valley is worth
returning to— it's impossible to take it all in the first time round",
and "If only the customers of London's over-priced eating houses knew what
they were missing!" when referring to the fish and chips at Whitby and Robin
Hood's Bay.
Bill Pertwee does seem to view life through rose-tinted spectacles, as did
the authors of the Railway Guides who lived on "the brighter side" in perpetual
summer. This shines through in his personable, light, colloquial style. There
is no great in-depth knowledge of railway history because it does not intend
to give any. It is not an academic work but a book to dip into in spare moments,
to relax with or to consult when passing near one of the stations.
The acknowledgements at the beginning show Bill Pertwee as a self-effacing
character who is genuinely grateful to those who have assisted him in the
production of the book. There are, in the same vein, some touching details.
For instance the description of Hexham Station includes the name of the nursery
which provided the hanging baskets, and the fact that kingfishers can be
spotted swooping over the River Mardle, a tributary of the River Dart on
the Dart Valley Railway.
Bill Pertwee, probably better known via his TV characterisations, is by trade
an entertainer and in this he succeeds. It is an enjoyable, informative well
presented and well designed book.
Colour files. 244-5.
LNWR lower quadrant signals at Thrimby Grange on 28 June 1968 (Alan
Tyson); Trent station with 45565 on 24 May 1959 (Dick Riley) caption infers
Trent was without public access - see letter 6 page
50 by R.H. Billings; Caledonian Railway 439 class 0-4-4T 55217 plus two
LMS corridor coaches on Aberfeldy branch train (Alan Tyson); another 439
class 0-4-4T 55227 at Kyle of Lochalsh in June 1961 (H.J. Mills)
Number 6 (November/December 1991)
Southall shed in 1961: 6165 and 4976 outside. A. Drake. front cover.
30 years ago on the Waverley route. M. Thompson.
252-3.
Colour photo feature: Shankend Viaduct (panorama) with B1 crossing
on parcels train; A2/2 60519 on fully fitted freight at Shankend station;
60043 and 60035 on stopping trains at Steele Road in June 1961.
The Alnwick and Cornhill branch [Coldstream branch].
J.F. Addyman and J.F. Mallon. 254-61.
History of railway, built by North Eastern Railway and opened in 1887
(first passenger train at Wooler on 5 September is illustrated); engineer
was Thomas Elliot Harrison (1808-88): also Central Northumberland Railway
promoted by Sir Charles Trevelyan (but not constructed); the influence of
the NBR in Northumberland; map, gradient profile. Illus. col: 46479 on freight
leaving Kelso (Michael Mensing): remainder b&w: Stations at Edlingham;
Whillingham (with staff in 1914); Wooler, Akeld, Kirknewton (mostly shortly
after being constructed (Architect was William Bell of NER); warehouse at
Wooler; bridge over River Beamish near Powburn; effect of 1948 floods; Edlingham
Viaduct; D20 at Whillingham; snowplough (with snow) in 1947; J39 64815 at
Wooperton.
Great Western [ex Weston Clevedon & Portishead Railway]
'Terriers'. Peter Hooper. 262-7.
GWR Nos 5 and 6 were formerly WC&PR 2 and 4 and SR [B]643 and
2653 respectively. No. 5 lasted until 1954. The two were taken into GWR stock
on 15 July 1940 by governmental edict. Illustrated as 643 Gipsyhill, 653
lettered LBSCR (but not Ashstead, and as SR and WC&PR by H.C. Casserley;
including B653 at Littlehampton, on WCPR in 1926, 1929, 1938 (4) and in 1936
by F.B. Box and in the 1930s by Ian C. Allen. No. 5 worked engineer's yard
at Taunton. See Volume 6 page 107 for alleged error
to caption relating to illus. bottom page 264: departure from Portishead,
not Clevedon.
Crewe station - 1837 - 1985. R.L. Vickers. 268-72.
History began with GJR location for a staging post, but rapidly became
location for locomotive works and juction with Chester & Crewe in 1840,
with Manchester & Birmingma in 1842 (but with separate station until
1846. Captain Winby was incharge of station from 1842. Further junctions
with NSR in 1848 and with GWR via Crewe & Nantwich opened in 1858. Station
gradually evolved. Major investment in 1896 to 1901 period: freight avoiding
lines which required tunnels under mainline, subways for GPO mail; booking
offices located on platforms for a long time which required issue of platform
tickets to purchase tickets. Illustrations taken in 1866 and seeveral in
1881. See letter from Don Rowland on page 107 of
Volume 6 concerning Tranship Sheds and arrangements for staff ticket
bookings.
Last year of steam at Heaton Lodge. David R. Smith
(phot). 273.
8F 48352 on freight on 28 April 1967 (panoramic view); atmospheric
shot 20 December 1967.
'On shed' [ex] LMS. 274-5.
Colour photo feature: 46424 (clean) at Willesden mpd on 18 March 1961;
42970 at Oxford (WR) mpd on 26 August 1962; 48619 at Coalville on 3 May 1965
(panorama with Pegson factory in background) (all R.C. Riley); 47236 inside
Holbeck shed in May 1964.
Standards on the Southern [Region]. 276-7.
Colour photo feature: Port Isaac Road (panorama) with 80039 on 25
July 1964 (T.B. Owen); 75077 at Basingstoke on stopping train in 1957 (P.
Ransome-Wallis); 73170 passing Beaulieu Road on express on 24 July 1965 (Robert
Leslie); 76005 on Parkstone bank with Weymouth to Bournemouth train in March
1967.
Scenes around Birmingham. Michael Mensing (phot) and
John Edgington. 278-80.
Colour feature: 6866 on freight at Snow Hill in 1962; 7012 working
tender-first on empty stock passing Moor Street; 4171 on fast train for
Leamington passing Tyseley; 43XX at Acocks Green on stopping train; D148
(green) at New Street on 16 June 1962; 4F 44518 banking at St Andrew's J.
in 1963; 46423 light engine at Stechford in 1961.
The 'Baltic' tanks. Tom Middlemass. 281-7.
Robert Whitelegg design for LTSR, but not delivered until after takeover
by MR: ban imposed by Stratford on entry into Fenchurch Street: MR attempted
to sell to SECR and GWR, where trials took place; L.B. Billinton's Charles
C. Macrae: contemplated a 4-6-0; derailments of 4-6-4T led to modifications
- well tank; baffles in side tank; lowering centre of gravity;
Remembrance fitted with straight nameplates by Southern; rebuilt
as N15X 4-6-0s. W.F. Pettigrew's 4-6-4Ts for Furness Rly built by Kitsons;
Whitelegg's design for GSWR built by North British Locomotice Co: rolling
at speed; considered a 4-6-6T. Whitelegg became GM of Beyer Peacock. Hughes
4-6-4T was a version of L&Y 4-6-0: most of order actually delivered as
4-6-0s. B&w illus.: 4-4-2T LMS 2200; LTSR 11 and 63; 4-6-4T MR 2101 and
2104; LMS 2195 (ex 2104); Furness Rly 115; LBSCR 326; 333; 327 and SR B333
(incorrectly captioned as E333; B331; 4-4-2 32329; LYR 2-4-2T 627; LMS 11101;
11114; 4-6-0 10456; ex GSWR 16403; 15405 at Ayr.
The outdoor machinery dept.. R.M. Tufnell.
288-90.
As experienced on the LMS: electric motors for capstans, belt conveyors,
cranes (at Garston Docks), the associated sub-stations, pumps at water troughs
and lifts at Tamworth for handling Mail.
Death on the line - the murderer's ticket. Robert Keyes.
291-2.
Writer's father possessed two tickets which he called the "murder
tickets" (illustrated) which he had collected whilst working at Harecastle
station on 6 October 1911 when a man was brought back to face trial for a
murder committed on 2 October in Kidsgrove. The murderer was a German worker
called Karl Kramer. The victims were Mrs Weir and her four-years old daughter.
The original motive wass robbery: Kramer's superior (Lehr, also German) kept
a cash box at his lodgings where Mrs Weir was his landlady. The Germans were
erecting Carl Still coke ovens at Birchenwood Colliery. The accused, who
was mentally unfit to stand trial, killed the victims when the robbery was
interupted.
Death on the line - the Lintz Green murder. Terry
Middleton. 293-5.
Murder of Joseph Wilson, station master at Lintz Green (Derwent Valley
branch, Co Durham) on 7 October 1911. Samuel Atkinson, a relief porter was
accused, but trial failed due to lack of evidence.
Death on the line - a railway mystery. John C. Hughes.
295-6.
On 17 September 1954 the fireman on the 10.10pm Liverpool Central
to Manchester was killed whilst "dogging": that is
leaning out of cab to view courting couples in neighbouring coaches. The
fireman hit his head on rolling stock on adjacent line and driver attempted
to cover, but couple cooperated with police. Real names of those involved
are not given. Author returned to this topic in Volume
28 page 729.
Rolling stock focus - Southern Region coaching
stock. 297.
Colour photo feature:W4213S (green) - Bulleid semi-open third; SECR
birdcage stock (dark blue) on Longmoor Military Railway in 1969.
Readers' forum. 298-9.
Gresley derived motion - the final words. Gerald
Druce.
Gresley may have been concerned about stress on leading crank axles
on curves.
Gresley derived motion - the final words. John
Wright.
Convenient to fit cylinders within bogie wheel base: even torque from
three cyclinders: questions Holcroft's contribution (Engineer, 1918):
suggests examination of patents.
...and finally Owen Russell replies.
Admits to incorrect comments concerning angularity of cranks and uneven
beats. Concentrated drive may not have been acceptable to Civil Engineer
on B17 - hence the divided drive. Comment from KPJ: it would seem that someone
needs to examine all of Gresley's papers and the comment by him on others'
papers: his views on three-cylinder drives were stated several times. Also
Norman McKillop greatly appreciated the
ease of preparing Gresley Pacifics.
Railways during the General Strike. Neil
Burgess.
Considered that Mullay's contribution (page 125,
also 173) was excessively one-sided: Companies were at
fault for encouraging volunteer effort, etc, but writer overstates his case
and clearly failed to understand nature of contribution. [see immediately
below].
Railways during the General Strike. A.J.
Mullay.
Refutation of above: made clear that he was merely publishing archived
material from the time.
Railways during the General Strike. Peter
Howlett.
Father's diaries: father was fireman at Doncaster: demoted to cleaner
following strike: table shows the vast loss of earnings which he
suffered.
Railways during the General Strike. B.G.
Smith.
Letter to his father thanking him for working during strike.
Northallerton. Chris Davies.
Corriegenda. Ownership of photographic copyright. 65021 was class
J21 not as stated.
Railway under the lake [Bala-Blaenau Ffestiniog line]. Micheal F.
Huber.
Remains visible, especially those on rock ledge.
Penrhyn Quarries. Alan Earnshaw.
Locomotives from Durham County Water Board (photographs
page 120) had worked at Burnhope in Upper Weardale on reservoir: there
was also a standard gauge link to the LNER Wearhead branch.
Colour files. 300-1.
Barnetby station (with snow). (S.C. Dent); Skegness signal box
on 11 August 1975 (John Bateman); Gresley A4s at King's Cross No. 2509
Silver Link deparing on Silver Jubilee in 1937 and No. 4466
Herring Gull at buffer stocks in 1939 (Sydney Perrier)
An LMS class 5 heading north towards Carr Bridge on the
Highland Rly's short route to Inverness. Gavin Wilson. rear cover.
Train, including sleeping cars mainly in carmine and cream, but with
one LMS maroon coach: actually heading south see
Readers' Forum,
Vol 6 page 107 letter by Peter Tatlow
(in 1951 headed by 45467)
Updated partly 2020-11-14