BackTrack Volume 19 (2005)
Published by Pendragon, Easingwold, YO61 3YS
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The curious incident of the dog in the night-time —
and a chance to board the gravy train. Michael Blakemore. 3.
Competition (quiz) for Steam Dreams tickets: mainline steam wine &
dine train hauled by West Country Pacific Bodmin: winners of such
tickets who use steamindex.com to accomplish this wonderful prize are expected
to purchase a dog ticket for KPJ who will supply [un]suitable pooch to enhance
their trip. [Actually a sort of Editorial]
Around Tebay and Oxenholme, Brian Magilton (phot.)
4-5.
Colour photo-feature: 44674 stopping? at Tebay for a banker with
Manchester to Glasgow express in July 1967; former Crosti-boiler 9F 92029
in unkempt condition on up freight in August 1967; class 47 D1806 on up express
freight at Oxenholme in May 1967; class 4 4-6-0 75026 banking freight from
Oxenholmme to Grayrigg in June 1967; Britannia 70016 on Dillicar troughs
with up freight in August 1966; 70045 passing Oxenholme on down parcels train
in May 1967.
The Harwich Branch before electrification. Alistair
Nisbet, 6-7.
One has to say that this is a somewhat odd feature which includes
both the Eastern Union Railway and the quaint "One" coupled with some colour
photographs taken on typical summer's days: class 37 on down Harwich boat
train passing EMU at Colchester on 30 August 1979 (when sun was shining);
class 100 DMU calling at misty Mistley in August 1977; wagons boarding
Sealink Vanguard on 27 December 1986 and 37 060 pasiing Wrabness on 5 August
1982.
Somerset in the 1960s. John Crosse. 8-16.
Lineside observations during the transition from steam to diesel.
Observations were made from a bridge where Summer Lane crossed the Bristol
to Taunton mainline just north of the Weston-super-Mare loop,. Observations
were made at all times of year, not only in summer. A great variety
of motive power was seen: both steam and diesel. The black & white
illustrations are not directly related to the observations reported but merely
show what might have passed by at other points on their jouneys. Feeling
idle these can await the attention of Bob Farmer at the end of 2005.
See also letter from J.F. Ward (page 188) whose journey
on 21 July 1962 was influenced by a Hymek failure not far from the observation
point, a subsequent rescue by 6841 and a fine run from Bristol to Pontypool
Road behind 4937..
Southern Railway electric locomotives. D.W. Winkworth.
17-22.
Mainly concerns the three Raworth/Bulleid booster electric locomotives
Nos. CC1, CC2 and 20003. Include durties performed, failures in traffic.
There is also some information on proposals which failed to reach fruition,
including an 0-8-0 electric shunting locomotive: one's thoughts turn towards
Webb's blackly humouroud comments on such locomotives, although one must
presume that such machines would have been restriced to yards with overhead
wiring, and for a slightly smaller 1-C-1 booster-type locomotive, and for
a 2-C-2 type due to the Civil Engineer's distrust of pony trucks. Even more
interesting was a proposal to convert the LBSCR motor luggage vans into
electro-diesel locomotives and Raworth made contact with several potential
suppliers of diesel engine, including Beardmore, Armstrong Whitworth and
Metropolitan-Vickers, but without success and the machines were demoted to
being rather grand freight brake vans. The LSWR shunters at Waterloo (for
the Drain) and Durnsford Road power station are briefly considered.. See
also letters from T.H.J. Dethridge on page 188 which
mentions the gas detector on CC1 visible in illus. on pages 18 and 19; the
boards fitted on the cab ends to show SOUTHERN twice with an electric flash
in between; workings from Brighton to Fratton with the through train to Plymouth
from 6 January 1964 and Royal Train workings. Peter J.
Townsend notes that the 'Hornbys' were not withdrawn until 1973/4.
"Dreadful disaster on the Buckinghamshire Railway at
Bicester. Alistair F. Nisbet. 23-7.
Derailment on 6 September 1851 of excursion train hauled by "six-wheeler"
No. 149 (which may have been a Jones & Potts 4-2-0 if interpretation
of Jack has been correct). Jury at the inquest did not find driver guilty
of any misdemenour and true cause of derailment at ponts enetering crossing
loop was not established. Author does not spare reader all sorts of gore.
Illus are of far more recent scenes at Bicester.
At York again. 28-30.
Colour photo-feature: A3 60081 Shotover (double chimney, no
smoke deflectors) having arrived from North at south end of Platform 8 in
June 1961 (Malcolm Thompson); A1 60152 Holyrood on York mpd on 3 April
1965 (Gavin Morrison); A3 60112 St Simon (double chimney, small smoke
deflectors) departing on up express on 16 June 1962; A4 60020
Guillemot (single chimney) on up express in March 1957 (caught in
setting sun thus atmospheric)(W. Oliver); A3 60078 Night Hawk (double
chimney no smoke deflectors and filthy) on up parcels in June 1961 (Malcolm
Thompson); A1 60126 Sir Vincent Raven crossing Waterworks Crossing
in August 1957 with sanders on and hauling train first vehicle of which is
in carmine & cream (also note old teak liveried vehicle behind); B16/2
61435 on freight on avoiding line on 16 June 1962 (Gavin Morrison).
Gloucester sunshine. Bruce Oliver (phot.). 31.
Colour photo-feature: all date from 22 June 1964 and were taken at
Gloucester Central Station: 51XX No. 4100 and Hymek diesel-hydraulic No.
D7000; 43XX No. 6349 on up freight and 1472 on Chalford auto train.
Impeccable 'Manors'. 32-5.
Colour photo-feature: Lydham Manor at Ruabon waiting to work
special towards Barmouth Junction in September 1963 (David Penney); 7810
Draycott Manor at Aberystwyth having arrived on Cambrian Coast
Express in August 1963 (DP); 7820 Dinmore Manor passing Great
Hanwood on up stopping train in September 1964 (DP); 7819 Hinton Manor
and 7822 Foxcote Manor on empty carriages of Royal Train at Towyn
on 10 August 1963 (DP); 7823 Hook Norton Manor (plain black - remainder
all lined green) at Plymouth Laira on 15 July 1956 (R.C. Riley); 7813
Freshford Manor near Betchworth on Redhill to Reading train on 18
March 1964 (David Idle); 7809 Childrey Manor at Aller Junction on
18 July 1958 (RCR); 7822 Lydham Manor outside Swindon Works on 16
April 1959 (RCR).
Horwich and the Labour Dispute of 1911. Jeffrey Wells.
36-41.
A national strike of railwaymen lasted for three days in August 1911,
but the dispute at Horwich lasted for nine weeks and led to great hardship
for the workforce and great bitterness, especially towards the foremen -
the management, people like George Hughes and O'Brien appear to have adopted
profile and avoided confrontation with the strikers. Wells gives indications
of the financial consequences; the cost to the trades unions, the size of
the local Distress Funds, and the savings which the LYR made in wages.
Life on the length 1948-1952: Part Three". Reg Robertson.
42-5.
Part 1 See Vol. 18 page 399;
Part 2 page 588: First published in the Great
Eastern Railway Society Journal: this final part included lineside
maintenance, such as keeping the grass cut using scythes and sickles. Sunday
work usually involved track relaying using the traditional methods with crowbars
and muscle power.
The Drummond age - Part Three. Michael Rutherford (Railway
reflections No.108). 46-53.
Some of this part is given over to the development of Glasgow as an
industrial centre (the Author claims that he was not able to trace a major
study on this topic). This precedes an account of Drummond's contribution
to locomotive development on the Caledonian Railway and his very considerable
financial rewards for this. Rutherford rightly considers this period to have
been the zenith of Drummond's career. Drummond's failed Australian venture
and his unrewarding experience as an independent locomotive manufacturer
in Glasgow are but lightly sketched.. This last was the
subject of an informative letter (p. 317) from Darryl Grant in Australia
who gives details of Drummond's abhortive Austrial adventure, his
contribution to Australian locomotive design via William Thow's P class 4-6-0s
and the involvement of Sir Saul Samuel, the Agent-General for the New South
Wales Government in London
Focus on Banbury. Jack Hodgkinson (phot.).
54-5.
Black & white photo-feature: Modified Hall 7912 Little Linford
Hall on Newcastle to Bornemouth through train on 29 August 1964; 6855
Saighton Grange on Wolverhampton to Eastbourne through train on 24
August 1964; 92312 on coal train passses Sotham Raod & Harbury on 31
October 1964; 4151 on southbouind freight nerar Southham Road & Harbury
on 15 August 1964; 7012 Barry Castle on Ramsgate train in Harbury
cutting on 15 August; and 45641 Sandwich on express freight on 29
August 1964.
The LBSCR armoured train. Niall Ferguson. 56.
In 1894 Captain F.G. Stone of the Royal Artillery suggetsed that the
London Brighton & South Coast Railway should build an armoured train
to patrol the Sussex coast using a 40lb breech-loading Armstrong gun (one
had been used in this way at the sige of Alexandria in 1882
(see Backtrack 16 page 342). The
idea came to fruition through the financial contribution made by the unit's
Voluntary Colonel General Goldsmid and Colonel Gervaise Boxall. The unit
was hauled to a location east of Newhaven by D3 class 0-4-4T No. 363
Goldsmid where shots were fired out to sea. It later appeared at miliatry
manoeuvres at Sheffield Park and in October 1898 patrolled the coast when
relationships with the French had reached a nadir point. The illustration
shows the train hauled by Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST Bradford owned by
the Newhaven Harbour Company.
Wet wet wet. [trains coping with flooded tracks prior to
Notwork Rail]. 57.
Black & white photo-feature: LNER D7 4-4-0 No. 5707 arrives at
flooded Barby Dun station and D20 No. 2016 on express wades through junction
at Stainforth & Hatfield producing quite a wake.
Weymouth Harbour. 58.
Colour photo-feature:diesel locomotives D2397 passing Ship Inn on
Custom House Quay on 22 September 1962 (J.S. Gilks) and D2398 running along
Westham Road with boat train on 12 May 1966 (Derek Young)
Signalling Spotlight. Richard D. Foster and Stephen Dent
(phot.). 59.
Colour photo-feature: North Eastern Railway signal boxes at Cox Green
wth North Eastern Region lfting barriers and slender, tubular signal posts
and at Hylton with gated level crossing and bracket signal
Readers' Forum. 60.
The 'Devon Belle'. Bryan Gibson.
See feature by Keith Hill (page 646 Vol. 18):
writer had travelled to Tavistock on the luxury train in those bleak post
WW2 days.
The 'Devon Belle'. Charles Long.
See feature by Keith Hill (page 646 Vol. 18):
wuite a blistering critiicism for failing to comprehend what conditions were
like in the immediate Post World War II were like, suggesting that "up to
fourteen well-filled Pullman cars suggests to me that someone must have been
doing something right at the time." Also give further information
on the ancestry of the observation cars and on the Torquay
Pullman.
The Caledonian mail train crash. John Macnab.
See Vol. 18 page 666: A diversion: Colliston
branch was used for rolling stock storage in 1961/2.
East of Eastbourne, west of Waterloo. Mick
Nicholson.
See Volume 18 page 630 for
means of resetting points & signals when train has been incorrectly routed
through a junction.
'Dean Goods'. John Daniels.
See Vol. 18 page 670: No.
2579 was tested against LMS class 2 2-6-0 and completely out-steamed the
modern locomotive.
Backtrack Index. Bob Farmer.
Bob Farmer's index on Excel: see also letter from
Mick Field on page 380.
Book Reviews. 61.
The East Kent Railway. M. Larsen Finch and S.R. Garrett. Oakwood
Press. TJE *****
"excellently produced" but what does the reviewer mean by "How does
Jane do it" or is Tarzan in the Oakwood?
The Furness Railway in and around Barrow. Michael Andrews.
Cumbrian Railway Association. TJE *****
Highly recommended. Began as a dissertation for a London University
course and a copy was stored in Barrow Reference Library for forty five years
before publication.
The Wrington Vale Light Railway. Colin G. Maggs. Oakwood
Press. TJE *****
Notes two errors: alternative used instead of alternate, and the probable
incorrect seating capacities for the rolling stock. One might question the
celestial rating.
Robert Stephenson - the eminent engineer. Ashgate. RH *****
Notes that mechanical engineering is limited to some fifty pages:
for further information about this
book see the Stephenson web-page: sadly the bibliographical |Brecklands
(Norfolk County Library) does not have a copy of this seminal work and the
price is well beyond KPJ. No wonder the local football team is heading for
the fourth division. By the way, surely deserves six stars even though it
has not been seen by verb sap himself.
The Clogher Valley Railway. E.M. Patterson with additional
material by Norman Johnston. Colourpoint. DWM *****
"splendid book, written with authority, style and humour and updated
with symapthy and feeling": what a wonderful piece of writing by the reviewer
who deserves a special star for himself.
Seasonal shivering in Surrey. David Idle. rear
cover.
7829 Ramsbury Manor near Wanborough on Redhill to Reading train on
28 December 1964.
If a picture paints a thousand words. Michael Blakemore.
67.
Editorial the value of high quality illustrations, especially when
accompanied by extended captions [but see no further than page 96 to see
the unmentioned LNER and GWR corridor stock painted carmine cream both of
which had doors to every compartment (where the early bird Dick Riley certainly
caught some interesting worms before they vanished: some captions could still
be improved).
In and out of Leeds. Joe Richardson (phot.). 68-9.
Colour photo-feature: Jubilee 45647 Sturdee climbing Farnley Bank
on Stephenson Locomotive Society special on 12 July 1964; 45424 passing Farnley
Junction on a relief train in 1965; 73158 on return football special to
Manchester in 1965; 70049 passing Holbeck Low Level on freight "from" Carlisle
in July 1967 (see letter from Paul Chadwick on p. 188:
to Carlisle, not from); Farnley Junction shed with just three class 5s
but showing enginemen's barracks very clearly; 44853 passing Kirkstall Forge
on freight in 1965.
Brighton's Belle Époque. Keith Hill. 70-9.
Pullman train services to Brighton started by the LBSCR in a small
way in 1875 with a brief trial of car Jupiter, followed in 1881 with
the Pullman Limited Express.: The name Southern Belle was adopted
appears to have been adopted in November 1908 when the all-Pullman service
was run daily (previously the Pullman only service had been limited to Sundays).
The name changed to Brighton Belle after the EMU service was introduced.
There are several gushing quotations from contemporary literature and a note
is made of one or two especially fast journeys, notably one in July 1903
when a Billinton B2 (BA class according to Evetts see
below) class 4-4-0 No. 70 Holyrood completed the journey in just under
49 minutes. The service (EMU) ran for the last time on 30 April 1972. Illus.:
colour: 5-BEL set No. 3052 leaving Victoria in March 1967 with BOAC building
behind (G.S. Cocks); same unit passing Clapham Junction in September 1963
(J.C. Dewing) (both units in proper umber & cream); Unit 3051 in corporate
livery at Victoria and at Brighton in August 1970 (T.J. Edgington). B&w:
J1 4-6-2T No. B325 passing Merstham on down Southern Belle c1925 (Bernard
Whicher); LBSCR H1 No. 39 on the Quarry Line near Hooley c1922; H2 B426 St
Alban's Head near Merstham in April 1926 (F.R. Hebron); E796 Sir Dodinas
le Savage near Merstham in summer of 1929; L class 4-6-4T B328 under
the wires near Coulsdon c1926 (Bernard Whicher); King Arthur No. 793 Sir
Ontzlake at Victoria on 1 November 1929 with special to mark 21st anniversary
of Southern Belle; 5-BEL 3051 in pristine glory on 1 January 1933
with L12 No. 424 alongside (C.R. Gordon Stuart); 3052 passing Wandsworth
Common on 15 November 1964 (Brian Stephenson); and in corporate livery
approaching Clapham Junction (BS). See very long letter by
Charles Long (No. 4 page 252) which corrects many errors,
notably Mars, not Jupiter, was the car used on trial, the exact
nature of the service operated on Sundays, the use of non-Pullman vehicles
within formations, the provision of second class Pullman cars, electric lighting
(and the provision of back-up oil/gas lighting), the base for the electric
train sets at Brighton; liveries, and the financial involvement of Davison
Dalziel; letter from Philip Evetts which
notes that Gladstone type was an 0-4-2 type not a 2-4-0, the use of
the I3 class 4-4-2Ts on the service, questions the use of the River class
on this service, and the six-wheel tenders on the King Arthurs was due to
restricted turnatble length, not weight: this last is reinforced in letter
from Roger Merry-Price who adds that tank engines were
also turned for this service and did not work bunker-first.
Wartime in the West. Part Two. Colin G. Maggs. 80-4.
The Norton Fitzwarren accident on 4 November 1940 was caused indirectly
by Driver Stacy's home being bombed shortly before (he failed to stop at
the end of the four-track section and collided with a newspaper train); bombing
of Castle Cary station which led to six fatalities and the total destruction
of 0-6-0PT No. 1729 (illustrated); bomb damage to train at eastern portal
of Bristol No. 2 Tunnel; damage to the Portland branch; ammunition storage
near Box Tunnel (illustrated including narrow gauge tramway which ran into
the mines; requisition of Dean goods for military service and their replacement
by ex-NER class J25 and ex-MR 0-6-0sof comparable antiquity; introduction
of Merchant Navy class; S160 2-8-0s from USA and LMS 8F class built at Swindon;
use of S11 and T9 class on S&DJR; B12 on ambulance trains; F4 class No.
7077 on armoured train to patrol between Bideford and Braunton (and fatal
accident due to restricted visibility); raids on Bath and Newton Abbot (where
0-6-0PT No. 2785 was destroyed); simplified liveries and use of black at
Swindon;
Sturrock's steam tenders. Tony Vernon. 85-9.
Notes his patent [113 published 6 May 1863 not submitted] and also
Fairlie's [1210 13 May 1864 which Dewhurst described as the master patent]
which also sought to increase the adhsion available. Sturrock's innovation
is described in detail (drawings from The Engineer 9 May 1919 and
Railway Gazette 27 August 1920) and also quotes estimates of the financial
savings which Sturrock hoped to achieve. Charles Sacré, at that time
Locomotive Superintendent of the MSLR, was also involved in the assessment
of the steam tenders where initial tests indicated that 50% increased loads
could be hauled up Clarborough and Kirton banks. Eventually the MSLR ordered
six steam tenders as part of an order for twelve locomotives from Neilson's.
Some fifty steam tenders were ordered by the GNR and Vernon estimates that
the value of the orders (placed with more than one builder) was equal to
about two years of his salary in terms of Royalties. The article attempts
to rationalize the reasons for Sturrock's premature retirement. Certainly,
the failure to find a system to reward the enginemen for the increase in
their productivity was a major factor in the failure of the system. Patrick
Stirling's eventual attack (quoted at length) on the system is understandable:
he was an engineer who demanded simplicity [and this may have influenced
the GNR's Board when it selected him]. Sturrock had got on well with the
GNR Chairman Dension, but his replacement Col. Packe was a different sort
of executive. The article notes that the needs of Sturrock's three motherless
children, his substantial income from his second wife's estate and his
rural life style meant that the problems of locomotive engineering were no
longer worth pursuing. The article also notes that Sturrock was retained
as a consultant to the GNR for three months, thus implying an immicable
separation. Some of the steam tenders remained in use until 1868. The article
notes that it was Gresley who supplied the information on the steam tenders
to The Engineer (Gresley at that time was considering the booster
as a similar means of increasing locomotive productivity.
See letter in Issue 4 on page 253 from
Brian Orrell on correspondence between W. Gooch of Vulcan Foundry and
Sturrock and to Patrick Stirling at a date prior to his official appointment
(that is in June 1866). A return to this material will be made once the GNR
page on the website is developed.
Historical aspects of the Mersey Railway.- Part One. Jeffrey
Wells. 90-4.
The Mersey Tunnel is in danger of attracting a vast literature: T.B.
Maund covered the history in Rly Archive
No.2 page 2 et seq and Neil Parkhouse included a photographic review
of the steam locomotives in Rly Archive
No. 5 page 27 et seq., In Backtrack John
C. Hughes (Vol. 11 page 586) covered the dismal financial aspects of
the Company in considerable detail and R.L. Vickers in a two part feature
covered the electrification and rolling stock (Vol.
11 page 179 and Vol. 12 page 84 These last
articles by Vickery generated a considerable literature which is indicative
that they were not entirely accurate. This part of Wells contribution covers
alternative schemes which included a pneumatic tube, construction and the
initial opening. The lifts, which were very large for the time (makes it
sound like a trip up the Sears Tower in Chicago) are described in detail
and illustrated. The Royal opening by the Prince and Princess of Wales on
20 January 1886 is described in sufficient detail and illustrated with a
brochure cover is in colour. See letter (page 316)
concerning presentation citation to her grandfather. Further
letter from Joe Lloyd notes several errors in names listed onn pp. 91/2..
Part 2 page 203.
The NER B16 4-6-0s. 95.
Colour photo-feature: B16/1 No. 61411 outside York shed on 25 June
1960 (Gavin Morrison); B16/2, at Ferrybridge power station in 1962 and B16/3
61454 inside York shed in early BR days (H.M. Lane).
'King Arthurs' caught on camera. 96-7.
Colour photo-feature: 30742 Camelot still in malechite green
and lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS at Eastleighh in May 1950 (T.B. Owen); 30791
Sir Uwaine at Eastleigh shed in April 1957; 30782 Sir Brian at Oxford
on cross country express with Gresley coach at front on 29 September 1956
(R.C. Riley); 30798 Sir Hectimere near Weybrige on Basingstoke to
Waterloo train in June 1962 (Geoff Rixon); 30768 Sir Balin at St Mary
Cray Junction with up relief on 14 June 1958 (R.C. Riley); 747 Elaine
(in Maunsell dark green) at Exeter Central in Agust 1936 on up express; 30747
Elaine at Eastleigh; 30451 Sir Lamorak on down Basingstoke
train in April 1962 (Geoff Rixon); 30773 Sir Lavaine at Eastleigh
in April 1961 (GR).
Western Moguls. 100-1.
Colour photo-feature: 6378 at Cowley Bridge Junction, Exeter on freight
on 5 March 1961 (R.C. Riley); 6337 (green livery) at Exeter Central (Geoff
Rixon); 7304 (lined black) at Filleigh station on stopping train (Paul Strong);
9303 (GWR green livery) on freight taking water at Reading in April 1947
(H.N. James); 7306 leaving Brnstaple for Taunton on stopping train on 20
July 1964 (RCR).
The Drummond age. Part Four. Michael Rutherford (Railway
reflections No.109). 102-10.
Dugald Drummond on the LSWR and Peter Drummond's work for the HR and
GSWR. Includes an extensive section on Dugald's extremely light weight steam
railcars, and the influence of these on the motive power on other railways,
notably the GWR (which developed far more powerful vehicles) and the TVR,
and the subsequent development of the C14 2-2-0T and later 0-4-0T (S14) for
push & pull working. The delay in the opening of the Locomotive Works
at Eastleigh is noted and there were problems in that old machine tools were
transferred from Nine Elms. There was a shortage of accommodation at Eastleigh
and many of the staff employed there were Scots (Rutherford wonders if a
Scottish community developed thereat: are haggis available in local butchers
for Burns' Night is one possible test). Rutherford indicates that Dugald
Drummond's stay of seventeen years with the LSWR was the longest of any of
his periods of employment and that his salary of £1500 per annum was
considerably less than that of the £2400 paid to him by the CR. Rutherford
states that John Reid was responsible for the design of the T9, 700 and M7
classes, but eventaully appears to have left under a cloud. Subsequent Drummond
designs are more controversial: the 4-2-2-0 design is linked to James
Tolman. Whilst the D15 class 4-4-0 once superheated was one of the very
best of that type the 4-6-0s (which are but lightly sketched) are considered
to have been very poor and are compared with Robinson's similar lack of success
with multi-cylinder 4-6-0 designs. The author does note that Drummond's designs
were greatly admired by the enginemen and that some of the LSWR types lasted
almost to the end of steam.
Peter Drummond's designs for the HR are given some attention: the
Castle class was developed from the Jones goods but did introduce the passenger
type 4-6-0 to Scotland. Furthermore, fifty of this type were supplied by
NBL to the Chemin de fer de l'Ouest. Several of his designs, notably an 0-8-0
failed to materialize because of HR frugality. His period on the GSWR was
marked by a large 4-4-0 and a 2-6-0, but Rutherford fails to enthuse to any
extent on these designs. Rutherford claims that William Paton Reid's and
John McIntosh's designs were essentially part of the Drummond philosophy
and as a very large order for McIntosh types was supplied by Neilson's to
the Belgian Railways this extends the Drummond concept still further.
On page 106 ponders on the LMS order for further Class 60 4-6-0s which on
test were far worse than the Prince of Wales class in terms of fuel consumption.
Rutherford questions why further River or Clan class 4-6-0s
were not built instead, but Barr would have wished to know nothing of these
English designs?
Illus: colour: D15 No.
466 on down West of England express in Clapham cutting in LSWR livery (Locomotive
Publishing Co); T14 No. 443 on Bournemouth express with Farman biplane above
and signed F. Moore (LPC); 0-4-0T 30586 on Southampton Town Quay on 26 June
1957 (R.C. Riley); preserved LSWR T9 No. 120 at Waterloo on 24 June 1962
ready for Sussex Coast Limited (David Idle); preserved CR 4-2-2 No.
123 and NBR No. 256 Glen Douglas at Oban in May 1962 (Eric Oldham);
preserved Glen Douglas at Glasgow St Enoch on RCTS Fife Coast
Railtour on 28 August 1965 (DI); 0-6-0 57276 on Ballachulish branch with
balast train in May 1957 (Norman Spinks).
Late Victoriana on the Sou'West. Fergus Gibson.
111-17.
GSWR press cuttings file for 1888-1889. These both relate to the railway
itself and what was going on elsewhere; notably the CR competitive line to
Ardrossan. The illustrations in part reflect actvity on the Glasgow &
South Western and on other Scottish railways (all those of locomotives and
trains are GSWR, however): 6 class 4-4-0 No. 110 at Glasgow St Enoch; Gourock
station (engraving); 153 class 4-4-0 No. 70 at Dumfries; Wm Arrol advertisement
showing Tay Bridge (engraving); 75 class 2-4-0 No. 60 at Carlisle Citadel;
187 class 0-4-2 No. 194; rebuilt 187 class as 0-4-2T No. 206 at Springburn;
208 class 0-4-2 No. 2122 at Stranraer and 13 class 0-6-0 No. 12.
Locomotives of the Stratford-Upon Avon and Midland Junction
Railway. Peter Treloar. 118-20.
B&w photo-feature with long captions (as most of the locomotives
illustrated had long histories): 0-4-0ST (Beyer Peacock 1830/1879) formerly
SMJR No. 1 (acquired new but sold in 1890 to Rother Vale Collieries Co) at
Treeton Colliery as NCB No. 0; BP 2626/1885 0-6-0 as SMJR No. 4 at Stratford
on passenger train c1892; BP 2466/1884 as 2-4-0T No. 5; Yorkshire Engine
Co. 185/1872 as 0-6-0T (had worked as 2-4-0T No. 1 on SMJR) owned Cannock
& Rugeley Collieries No. 8 Harrison on miners' train; Stratford shed
with SMJR Nos. 15 and 1: BP (4633/1904) 0-6-0 No. 15 and Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST
178/1866 No. 1 which was sold to the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway
in 1911 to become their Morous and ending up on the Hundred of Manhood &
Selsey Tramway in 1924; and ex-LBSCR C class 0-6-0 No. 428 as LMS No.
2303.
British ambassadors to America. 121
B&w photo-feature based on Keith R. Chester Collection: 1927:
No. 6000 King George V with bell with Canadian National Railway No.
6100 Confederation (locomotive sent to Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's
Centenary celebrations); No. 6100 Royal Scot with front nameplate,
bell and headlamp probably at World's Fair in Chicago and at Providence,
Rhode Island on 11 May 1933; No. 6220 Coronation sent to New York
World's Fair in 1939 and shown leaving Philadelphia on 23 March on exhibition
tour. David Patrick (page 252) castigates editor for
failing to mention the visit by Webb 2-2-2-2 Queen Empress to Chicago Exhibition
in 1893 and its subsequent journey from Chicago to New York
'To the Station': being road signs to closed stations.
Tim Edmonds. 122-3.
Colour photo-feature: (the dates are when pthotographed): milepost
to Scorrier Station on 17 October 1960; Drummuir station (ex-GNSR) on 29
June 1989; Harome Siding on 29 April 1999; Balnaguard LMS Halt (damaged)
on 24 June 1991; Thorington Station on 10 June 2003; "L.N.E.Ry station &
goods yard" at Dunmow on 23 November 1980 and to Eassie stn on 5 July
1991.
Readers' Forum. 124
Call of the South. Editor.
See Volume 18 page 732:
34001 Exeter not Exmouth.
From Bloomers to TOPS. Tony Mortlock.
LCDR M3 No. 188 page 722 (Vol.
18) was passing Faversham not Bromley South.
The LNER V1 and V3 tanks. John Macnab.
See Volume 18 page 762:
caption suggested train of LNER rolling stock: this was only partially so
as set included LMS vehicle.
Trawsfynydd Camp Station. Bill Crosbie-Hill.
See Vol. 18 page 730: writer
suggests that may have been the arrival of a cavalry regiment during WW1:
writer had twin uncles, John and Richard Woolhouse, who served in the Rough
Riders and spent time at Trawsfynedd Camp in 1915 having reached there from
Kingsbridge in South Devon: thet called the camp "trousers".
Climbing out of Manchester. Kevin P. Jones.
See Volume 18 feature on p 695 et
seq: bankers used to assist trains from Manchester Exchange
up to Miles Platting (notably 635/40635 and its deputies, not the L&YR
0-6-0 illustrated used to bank freights). Mention of the 4.47 Manchester
to Hull service which was not banked if 7P hauled; the fast exit from Exchange;
the sometimes rapid transit of Miles Platting station (the tempting smell
of baked beans from the Gresley buffet car) and late for tea if an unrebuilt
Patriot, especially Gigglewick.
Climbing out of Manchester. Peter Mabbott.
See Volume 18 feature on pp 695, especially
page 696 (upper): train was not routed via Leeds but via
Wakefield and Normanton to York where engines were changed
'Dean goods' and railway damage and disruption. John
Bushby.
See colour photo-feature on page 670 of Volume
18: notes that ex-GWR No. 438 and No. 2552 reached Russia
during WW2 (see Lokomotiven Ziehen in den Kreig, Vol. 3 (1980). Vol
1 of same series (1977) shows ex-2435 doing a Third Man with Soviet ownership
markings in Vienna in 1948. No. 2552 is considered again by
Robert Barker in Issue 4 page 253. Some Dean goods
were taken into SNFC stock (Allied locomotives of the Second World War,
1995). See also letter from John Emerson (Volume
18 page 764) concerning Pilley Road Bridge across Kingham line in Cheltenham
(original feature Volume 18 page 537).
Dublin in the rare ould times. Andrew
Kleissner.
See Volume 18 page 708:
VS class not V class as stated.
Gunboats and pagodas. R.A.S. Hennessey.
The hermeutics or semantics of the 0-6-4T type:
see letter from Daryl Grant (Volume 18 page 764):
and original feature by writer of letter on page 454
et seq of Volume 18. See alsoletter from Arthur R.
Nicholls (p. 188) on superheated M7 class locomotive. The 0-6-4T originated
via the "Engerth" type designed for ascents of the Semmering Pass: the
articulated design defied classification (an 0-6+4-0T perhaps); the first
genuine ones were probably constructed by the Yorkshire Engine Co. for the
Poti Tiflis Railway (see Hennessey's The Trancaucasian Railway and the
Royal Engineers, 2004).
Book Reviews. 125.
The Metropolitan Railway. David Bownes. Tempus. MJS
*****
The Colour-Rail Catalogue. MB
Acknowledges the wealth of Ron White's effort.
The Banbury & Cheltenham Railway. William Hemmings. Wild Swan.
RH ****
The index and bibliography are promised in Volume 3.
The design construction and working of locomotive boilers: an engineering
appraisal. Alan J. Haigh. Author. RG **
Very badly produced book full of highly useful information.
East Coast passing. Richard Jackson. rear cover.
Stonehaven, 27 August 1966: A2 60532 Blue Peter heading towards
Aberdeen and A4 60024 Kingfisher arriving from Aberdeen on express
for Glasgow.
GNR 02 2-8-0 No.63924 (as rebuilt as Class 02/4 in 1943 by the
LNER) stands at Retford on a coal train. (Derek Penney). front cover.
See also page 134.
Supremacy of the Word. Kevin P. Jones. 131.
Guest editorial: There seems to be an ever increasing decline in the
standard of the written word about railways. Backtrack stands increasingly
isolated within a morass of magazines which consist solely of illustrations
held together loosely by text consisting either of bits and pieces gathered
from elsewhere or of tedious lists of numbers. Ideas are conspicuous by their
absence; readers will find it difficult to come across much that is comparable
with Roger Hennessey's thought-provoking contribution
on virtual railways (Vo1.l6 No.12) or Robin Barnes' wonderful account
of what the King of Saxony actually saw and might
have seen during his tour of this country in 1844 (Vo1.l6 Nos.6
and 7). The latter author's creation of the
twin-chimneyed locomotive on the Sirhowy Tramway was infinitely more stimulating
than yet another view of No. 5656 on its final journey trom Merthyr.
Well thought-through memories, as exemplified by those of Master Callender on his initial encounter with a compartment third on the LMS (Vo1.16 No.11), are far more evocative than a dreary catalogue of shed bashes in a Ford Transit. The adventures of Molly Hughes travelling across Britain by rail in late Victorian times, featured in a couple of editorials (Vols.14 No.9 and 15 No.7), have shown what is out there, As an example of this, P.D. James' excellent autobiographical study is crammed full of her own experiences of railways as they formed part of her childhood in the Welsh Marches. As a non-driver, there are many accounts of her train journeys, both long ago and more recently. She even confesses to having despatched one of her characters from King's Cross rather than St. Pancras.
When starting to read railway literature, mainly Hamilton Ellis, Dow and Nock, I was struck that they had known, or claimed to have known, railways as they were before World War 1. My late father started work on the old North British Railway in Dundee during that war and some of his colleagues had been on duty on the night of the Tay Bridge disaster. He could remember the first new cars and aircraft seen in that city, but his interest in railways was slight. However, his generation has now departed and fewer and fewer can remember pre-World War II travel.
My father's diaries mention travel on the 9.30 trom Paddington to Newquay in June 1939. I can remember crossing the Gannel by planks and by ferry and the beach at Crantock, but the railway journey remains a blank. My own earliest railway memories are of walks along the railway line between Potters Bar and Brookmans Park around 1941 and watching long freight trains pass slowly by. The Colourpoint book published a couple of years ago has a wonderfully evocative picture of a Gresley 2-8-0 taken at that time. Illustrations are not wholly bad but they should, in the main, be subservient to text.
One of the joys of railway enthusiasm is that trains can form a happy background to life. The Class 150 DMU s are a useful means of transport to Norwich and the rest of the network. They also complement the landscape, both visually and aurally. On surmner days it is possible to hear the whistle of steam trains as they depart trom Sheringham and savour that wonderful mixture of coal smoke, steam and hot oil, at no cost whatsoever. In the late lamented Railways South East there was correspondence on the peculiar odour of Southern electrics (see letters by F.B. Smith p. 115 and Alan A. Jackson on p. 174 of Volume 2). Surely there must be further vibrant memories and deep thoughts to keep your pages filled.
All change on the Bury Electrics. Tom Heavyside (phot.)
132-3.
Colour photo-feature: class 504 1200V DC: Bury Bolton Streeet with
two trains on 30 December 1979; overall blue unit departing Bury for Manchester
on 4 July 1979; rail blue unit at Heaton Park Tunnel on 12 January
1979; tow blue and grey units leaving Radcliffe and crossing viaduct on 3
January 1987; orange & brown unit at Besses o' th' Barn on 3 January
1987.
Great Northern eight-coupled. Derek Penney (phot.).
134.
Colour photo-feature: O2/1 No. 63927 with side-window cab at Retford
South signalbox; O2/2 No. 63934 light engine at Retford. See
also front cover.
Southern gone west: the Torrington Branch. Part One. David
Thrower. 135-42.
The stations at both Barnstaple (Junction) and Bideford were on the
wrong side of the rivers (Taw and Torridge, respectively) of the towns they
were intended to serve. In 1838 the Taw Valley Railway & Dock Company
had been formed to link Barnstaple with Fremington, but horse-drawn freight
services did not begin on this until 1848. Meanwhile, a highly convoluted
series of developments involing the broad gauge Bristol & Exeter Railway
and standard gauge L&SWR enabled broad gauge trains to reach Crediton
from Exeter in May 1851. An excessively ambitious Taw Vale Extension &
Dock Co. had envisaged a network of lines in North Devon which included a
link with Exeter. This failed and in 1851 the North Devon Railway & Dock
Co. took over the powers to link Barnstaple to Crediton. With push from Thomas
Brassey broad gauge services ran from Barnstaple to Exeter from July (freight)
and August (passenger) 1854. The waggonway to Fremington was also converted
to broad gauge. With further assistance from Brassey the Bideford Extension
Railway opened for passenger traffic in November 1855. From February 1862
the Exeter & Crediton Railway switched its lease from the BER to the
LSWR and the LSWR took over the lines to Barnstable from Crediton in January
1863 and the line to Bideford in August 1862. Passenger services rapidly
became standard gauge but broad gauge freight continued to Bideford until
April 1877 and the GWR operated a freight service to Crediton until the end
of the broad gauge in 1892. Torrington remained isolated until the owner
of the Torrington Canal, Mark Rolle, offered the Canal to the LSWR as a base
for a railway: this opened on 18 July 1872. The Torrington & Marland
Railway (3ft gauge) connected the ball-clay deposits in the Petrockstow and
Meeth areas with Torrington: this opened in 1881. The route from Barnstable
to Torrington is described in detail, including the unusual at Bideford which
was dictated by the extension to Torrington. Part 2 page
294. See also letter from Andrew Surry (page 444) on
broad gauge motive power used on the line and its eventual fate..
The Barking job. Michael R. Binks. 143-9.
Author was the site resident engineer for the complicated operation
of segregating the London Transport Executive services from those operated
by the Eastern Region (ex-London Tilbury & Southend Railway) lines with
trains joining from the St Pancras and Fenchurch Street directions and diverging
towards Tilbury and the direct line to Southend. There were many conflicting
movements involving the intensive District line services and cross-passenger
inter-change was not possible. The new system required a fly-over and a
dive-under and very complex changes to the tracks. Complicating factors included
heavy freight from the Tilbury line towards the "St Pancras" direction,
terminating LTE and BR trains from the St Pancras direction and eventual
overhead electrification of the services based on Fenchurch Street. External
problems included the proximity of the River Roding (Barking Creek), a tidal
tribuatry of the Thames and overhead powerlines. The bridge girders arrived
by barge. The task took from 1956 to 1959. The illustrations show the work
in progress and on page 149 (lower) the Author is clearly visible with a
roll of drawings on 8 November 1959.
Comparisons and revision: the Grouping and early LMS locomotive
policy - Part One. Michael Rutherford. (Railway reflections No. 110).
150-6.
As usual the Author challenges the "accepted view" of locomotive
development during the first few years of the LMS and compares this with
what happened on the other mainline railways at that time, notably on the
Southern Railway where the motive power was managed as on the LMS outwith
the direct control of the CME. A concise description of the Grouping is included
with mention of the extent of Government involvement and the stamp of
Sir Eric Geddes.The findings
of the Bridge Stree Committee enabled the four-cylinder Claughtons to
be used on the Midland lines and accentuated their failings.
J.H. Follows (portrait), the
General Superintendent of the LMS had a considerable influence on motive
power policy. The Divisional Motive Power Superintendents were: F.W. Dingley
(Western Division at Crewe); F.W. Attock at Hunt's Bank in Manchester, L.C.
Geach at Derby and the redoutable J.G. Barr in Glasgow. The Divisional Mechanical
Engineers were Beames at Crewe, G.N. Shawcross at Horwich, D.C. Urie at Glasgow
and E. Sharples was at Barrow. Mentions involvement of
Jimmie Anderson
(see Presidential Address to Instn Loco.
Engrs) and visit by Fowler and Edward Gass to France (with Bulleid as
translator) to France to study French compounds leading to
paper by Gass (not yet cited by Rutherford)
and projected 4-6-2 and 2-8-2 compounds thrown out by Follows.
Midland via Evesham. Michael Mensing (phot.).
157-9.
Colour photo-feature: 42466 at Redditch on train to Ashchurch on 18
June 1960; 42416 at Evesham on Ashchurch to Redditch train on 14 April 1962;
43046 at Evesham on same day as previous; 42422 (Fowler type 2-6-4T with
side-window cab) departing Ashchurch for Redditch on 29 July 1961; Park Royal
Class 103 DMU at Alvechurch on Redditch to Birmingham working on 7 June 1965
and Class 103 at Barnt Green on 19 September 1964.
Recalling the Great Central. 160-3.
Colour photo-feature: 45299 on arrival at Marylebone on train from
Nottinham Victoria on 26 June 1965 (Michael Mensing); D11 62633 Prince
Albert at Sheffield Victoria in September 1958 (P.J. Hughes); V2 60899
near Charwelton on Marylebone to Nottingham train on 2 March 1963 (snow still
on ground) (MM); 44920 departing Nottingham Victoria for Marylebone in September
1966; 45335 passing Sudbury Hill en route tom Wembley Hill on 25 May 1963
with Cup Final special from Manchester (David Idle); 73159 departing Rugby
Central for Leicester with train of non-corridor stock in May 1963
(Paul Riley); B1 61028 Umseke pilotting class 5 on Nottingham to
Marylebone express passing under North Circular Road bridge in February 1962
(A.C. Sterndale); 62660 Butler-Henderson at Killamarsh on Sheffield
Victoria to Nottingham Victoria stopping service in September 1960, and 73066
at Rugby Central on up express in 1963 (PR).
On the dock of the bay. Andrew Smith (phot.) and Pat Avery
(captions). 164-5.
Colour photo-feature by deceased photographer: Sothampton Docks on
20 March 1966: 75070 approaching lavender coloured hull of Union Castle vessel
Rotherwick Castle; BR class 5 in Eastern Docks with RMS Queen Elizabeth behind;
HMS Wakeful in Ocean Dock with tugs; D2990 (Ruston & Hornsby 0-6-0 diesel
electric shunting locomotive) painted a lighter than standard green and two
USA Dock Tanks Nos. 30064 and 30073 at the Ocean Terminal on a special
train.
Llancaiach and after. Edward A. Evans. 166-73.
This is a rich trailer for Railways in Retrospect No. 3: South
Wales Valleys by the same author. It includes a note on the origin of
the name "Nelson" as the station operated under both Llancaiach (opened
originally on 5 January 1858) and Nelson & Llancaiach names. The original
Llancaiach station was abandoned and replaced by a new Nelson & Llancaiach
station in 1912 in the style typical of the GWR at that period. There are
anecdotes about a Royal Visit to Dowlais on 1 July 1912 and on football
excursions to Dowlais (Cae Harris) when Merthyr Tydfil FA played in the Third
Division and was capable of drawing crowds of 20,000 spectators. There were
Sunday excursions to Barry in the summer. Illus. both original and new stations
(latter when being completed); station staff in 1913 (includinmg Walter Gilkes,
Station Masster), Sgt Kelland (Police) and Ernie Jenkins (lampman); 4169
on two passenger coaches in 1962; and alleged photograph of 56XX in 1947
when lettered BRITISH RAILWAYS!: first vehicle in train was 4-wheel collier's
coach.
Caledonian Railway Pullman Carriages and their LMS
successors. Niall Ferguson. 174-80.
Two Pullman sleeping cars (Dunrobin and Balmoral) ran
on the Highland Railway between 1885 and 1907. From 1905 the CR operated
former WCJS dining cars on two of its internal services: Perth to Carlisle
and Glasgow to Aberdeen. The Caledonian Railway, through its General Manager,
Donald Matheson made an agreement with the Pullman Car Co. via Davison Dalziel
(Chairman) on 27 November 1913 to operate Pullman cars. A full-list of the
cars, their builders, their bogie type (four or six wheel); their romantic
names and their function (buffet/dining/obervation) is included. The Maid
of Morven observation car was used on the Oban line: the car had to be
turned on the locomotive turntable at Oban with a high risk of breaking the
observation windows and the risk was sufficient to carry spare panes and
a glazier on the trains! The interior decor is described in detail. WW1
interrupted several planned services: it had been intended to use cars on
the Tinto Express to Moffat and on the Strathearn Express to
Crief, but Mary Seaton operated between Glasgow and Gourock from 6
July 1914 (the first class season-ticket holder was being courted on a grand
scale). All cars were withdrawn at the end of 1916. At the end of WW1 when
services were restored there was a dispute between the companies and the
Government over compensation for the loss of earnings. Services to Aviemore
started in 1922 and further cars were delivered including No. 80 (a third
class buffet with Duratex rubber-backed carpeting supplied by Dunlop).
The LMS continued the services but dit not renew the agreement and the cars
came into LMS ownership from 1934. The change in livery was only made slowly.
Many of the cars lasted into ownership by British Railways. Several letters
in May Issue (page 316): Peter Butterfield noted that
table on page 176 contained several errors concerning departures of trains
conveying Pullman cars from Glasgow and Edinburgh; Tim
Shuttelworth noted that dates shown on pp 178 and 180 should have been
1956 not 1966; Arnold Tortorella notes that Pullman
cars first arrived in Scotland via Midland Railway sevices via the Settle
& Carlisle route both onto the NBR and onto the GSWR: there were both
Drawing Room Cars and Sleeping Cars from May 1876. Some of those via the
NBR eventually traversed Caledonian Railway tracks on through carriages to
Perth (an action which involved arbitration by the Railway Commissioners
sitting on 11 and 17 May 1877). Further information is also presented on
the transfer settlement for the Pullman cars from the Pullman Co. to the
LMS. John Macnab noted that cars No. 200 to 203 were
named: Mary Fleming, Mary Beaton, Mary Seton (spelling should be noted)
and Mary Livingston.
Beyond the Underground Map - Part One. Michael J. Smith.
181-5.
Extensions of Underground services onto mainline railways. The main
part deals with services over the LNWR New Lines to Watford Junction. These
lines were constructed to encourage suburban traffic and were envisaged as
being worked by electricity with a terminal loop under Euston Station. These
were authorised in 1906 but the terminal loop was abandoned in 1911 and was
replaced with a connection with the London Electric Railway's Baker St &
Waterloo Railway (Bakerloo line) at Queens Park: this reached Marylebone
and Edgware Road in 1907, Paddington in 1913 and Queens Park in 1915. Bakerloo
trains ran between Willesden Junction and Queens Park from 10 February 1913
and these were the first Tube trains to run on a mainline railway.
Joint stock was ordered for the new services and this was painted in LNWR
livery but this was found to be too slow and unsuitable for conversion to
power doors. Electric services to Watford Junction began on 16 April 1917.
From June 1965 the Bakerloo line service to Watford Junction was limited
to the rush-hours and services to Watford ended on 24 September 1982, but
some Bakerloo services were resumed to Harrow & Wealdstone from 4 June
1984, and all-day services were resumed to this point from 16 May 1988. This
Part also covers steam services by the Metropolitan District Railway to Windsor
via Ealing Broadway between 1 March 1883 and 30 September 1885: these included
a fast business service in each direction. Prior to WW2 an electric service
was envisaged between Ealing Broadway and West Ruislip over the Castlebar
Loop. District steam trains ran to Upminster between 1902 and 1905 (and were
subsequently resumed by electric trains once the new tracks were opened by
the LMS). Part 2: page 306. See also
letter (page 316) from Donald Massey who saw the LER/LNWR
stock in service on the Rickmansworth branch prior to 1941: the livery employed
was crimson lake.
Northern station train sheds. Steve Burdett (phot.).
186-7.
Colour photo-feature: Stockton on 18 May 1979 with diverted HST passing
through; Newcastle on 14 May 1977 with 31 406 leaving on train for Alnmouth;
Darlington on 13 May 1977 with Class 101 DMU (see letter
on page 253 from John McCrickard: Class 108); Hull Paragon on 15 April
1978 and Beverley on same day with Class 106 DMU.
Readers' Forum. 188.
Southern Railway electric locomotives. T.H.J.
Dethridge.
See feature beginning page 17: notes
that the arc shaped yellow device on the cab windows of CC1 was a gas detector.
CC1 and CC2 were fitted with boards on the cab ends which stated SOUTHERN
on either side with an electric flash in between. From 6 January 1964 the
Brighton to Plymouth train was worked as far as Fratton by one of the elctric
locomotives. The locomotives were used to work several Royal
Trains.
Southern Railway electric locomotives. Peter J.
Townsend
See feature beginning page 17: notes that the 'Hornbys'
were not withdrawn until 1973/4.
Somerset in the 1960s. J.F. Ward.
See feature on page page 8. On 21
July 1962 travelled from Weston-super-Mare to Liverpool on a Manchester train.
The Hymek failed shortly after leaving, was replaced by a Grange as far as
Bristol, thence by 4937 Lanelay Hall as far as Pontypool Road. This
climbed Stapleton Bank in fine style.
Philadelphia — a notable coal
railway and a stylish folly. T.J. Edgington.
See page 746: Leckenby (feature begins page
740) was near Middlesbrough not Sunderland as stated;
note on the Derby-built 350hp diesel electric shunters at Lambton, and
see letter by John Hunter on page 764:
the Maid of Morven was preceded by three LNWR observation
cars.
Gunboats and pagodas. Arthur R. Nicholls.
See feature on page 454 (Vol.
18) Note on the superheated M7 class 0-4-4T No. 126: this
locomotive was heavier and this restricted its activities.
Crimean War. Ted Gibbins.
Note on the publication of Beatty's Railway (published Leisure
Products) which linked Balaclava with the front at Sebastopol and provided
supplies more efficiently than that provided by horses and human effort,
and the provision of ambulance trains.
In and out of Leeds. Paul Chadwick.
See illus. on page 69: 70049 was
heading north not south.
Book Reviews. 189.
Lost railways of Lancashire.
Lost railways of Merseyside & Greater Manchester. Gordon Suggit.
Countryside. MB **
Argues that the new counties form an inappropriate basis for historical
examination of railways and highly critical of the poor reproduction of the
illustrations.
Steam railways of Devon and Cornwall. Nick
Luff. Bossiney Books. JR. **
This 40 page book includes 37 reproductions of water-colour paintings
by the author. This extensive review raises many basic issues about railway
art. The reviewer is trenchant in his criticism of the artist's ability to
represent the human figure or animals. He is stated to have been more successful
in his representation of locomotives and rolling stock, but queries how they
relate to photographic images. The reviewer cites Stanhope Forbes' painting
of Penzance Station used on the cover of Along
Artistic Lines (advertisement inside rear cover of No. 8 of Volume
18) and Monet's Train in the snow.
The willing servant — a history of the steam
locomotive. David Ross. Tempus. CPA ****
"excellent treatment of a vast subject".
Fair morn at Perth. Bruce Oliver. rear cover.
Perth mpd on 3 August 1965 with Class 5 44704 and 80126.
LMS Class 2 2-6-0 No.46440 leaves Uttoxeter station and passes
Pinfold Crossing with a short westbound parcels train on 19th August 1963.
Michael Mensing. Front cover.
See also photo-feature on page 220.
Here yesterday, gone today. Michael Blakemore. 195.
Came across a copy of David Jenkinson's The Times (always thought
that young Michael must be a Grauniad type) for 12 May 1986 wherein
young Michael amazed at improved Manchester to Brighton service via Kensington
Olympia and improvements to railway catering. Away from the railway feature
he was surprised at how cheaply a Professor of Philosophy could be hired
then and an advertisement from the Wallop School which brings out the very
worst of Master Blakemore.
Railway and Landscape: West Somerset. Alan Bennett.
196-8.
Colour feature based upon publicity material produced by the Great
Western Railway which combines elegant text with wonderful reproductions
of contemporary colour material mainly from the 1930s: Somerset (GWR
poster); The Quantocks, Maurice Fraser, 1932 (front cover of brochure);
Rambles and Walking Tours in Somerset, Hugh E. Page, GWR, 1938 (front
cover of brochure); Somerset Ways, GWR, 1928 (front cover);
Somerset, GWR, 1928 (brochure); Somerset, Maxwell Fraser, GWR,
1934. The linking text notes that the publicity material is built around
the Taunton to Minehead branch and is divided into three sections: the Vale
of Taunton Deane, the section from Bishop's Lydeard to Watchet (the Quantocks),
and the final section into Minehead (the latter two are the territory of
the West Somerset Railway..
East Anglian Class 47s. John D. Mann. 199-202.
The text balances the omissions from the author's photographic
contributions reproduced herein (thus the special livery applied to two Stratford
locomotives with large Union Flags to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's Silver
Jubilee is more than just mentioned as the workings on which they performed
are listed, but there is no illustration, but see
Backtrack, 1998, 12, 36 to see same photographer's wonderful
picture of 47 164 at Ipswich on 29 June 1977; also 47169 Great Eastern
on 7 March 1979 (the day on which it was named). 47 180 County of Suffolk
is illustrated at Ipswich on 14 May 1979 (it had been named on 11 May 1979.
Other namings recorded were 47 184 County of Cambridgeshire at Cambridge
on 9 May 1979; 47 172 County of Hertfordshire on 26 July 1979; 47 167 County
of Essex at Witham on 2 August 1979 and 47 170 Vounty of Norfolk at norwich
on 24 August 1979 (also b&w illus of locomotive being prepared for naming
at Norwich, but the rear cab was not functional at time!). The class 47 had
originally arrived in East Snglia on freight workings in 1964 but were soon
allocated to the Norwich to London expresses. Other illus: colour: D1530
(two tone green and very clean) at Manningtree on train for Norwich on 17
August 1967; 47 087 Cyclops (blue) on Parkeston to Morris Cowley car train
on 19 May 1977; 47 185 (dirty rail blue) on Whitemoor to Parkeston freight
on 14 May 1979. B&w: 1757 at Ipswich on wet 15 October 1973 on Norwich
express; 47 leaving Manningtree northbound on 20 April 1975
Historical aspects of the Mersey Railway. Part Two. Jeffrey
Wells. 203-7.
Part 1 began on page 90: Parliamentary powers to
electrify the Railway were obtained on 30 July 1900 and a contract was placed
with British Westinghouse for a four-rail 650V DC system. Care was taken
to ensure minimal dxisruption to steam services and the last steam train
ran at 12.15 a.m. and electric services started at 06.00 on the szme morning
(3 May 1903). Rolling stock was obtained from G.F. Milnes of Hadley in
Shropshire: this had tattan seats in the first-class and plywood in the second
(vermin had been a problem on the steam rolling stock). A special effort
was made to clean the tunnel walls of soot. The financial performance (graph)
vastly improved. The LMS electrified the Wirral Railway in the late 1930s
and to establish through running the Mersey Railway had to adjust the height
of its third rail without interuption to its services and this was achieved
by fitting the rolling stock with two sets of collector shoes first on one
side and then on the other and the conductor rail was moved whilst the system
was closed at night. New high speed lifts were installed and cushioned seating
was fitted to the cars. On 14 March 1938 Sir Josiah Stamp attended the opening
celebrations. H.C. Casserley photographs of the Mersey Railways rolling stock
taken in 1946: both the original and car No. 111 which had been built in
1936 by the Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Company but had acquired a new
body at Wolverton Works in 1942 following War damage. The first class cars
are especially interesting being fitted with large enamel plates to indicate
the superior class. See also letter on page 380 from J.C.
Grayson concerning first class travel.
An engine by any other name. R.A.S. Hennessey.
208-15.
The naming and names of locomotives onsidered on a world basis but
with some emphasis on British (including Irish) traditions. Some railways
rarely named locomotives (notably the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway),
some only used names (the Great Western broad gauge). Hennessey cites several
useful books on the subject (which may eventually the form of a basis for
a web-page) and considers naming policies and their politics. He also introduces
classifications for some of the names (see eventually link to Jones to the
problems therein). Illus. p. 212 Europa (Gooch standard
0-6-0, which Hennessey implies was the last broad gauge locomotive to
leave Plymouth for Swindon: see letter from Geof Sheppard
on page 380).
New Holland Pier and Ferry. Andy Sparks (phot.).
216-17.
Black & white photo-feature (although the ferry is mentioned in
the notes it is only seen distantly as it departs for Hull). Views include
that of most of the pier, various DMUs, the booking office at New Holland
Town station; LNER and adjacent Sealink notices; interior and exterior of
New Holland Town signal box.
A pioneer railway historian. [Clement E. Stretton]. J.D.
Bennett. 218.
A useful brief biography, but it is a pity that the author was unaware
of Jack's very grave reservations about Stretton's observations on locomotive
history recorded both in his book on LNWR locomotives and in Backtrack.
Such reservations were also noted by Rutherford (again in Backtrack).
See Stretton page. Portrait of Stretton.
Withering attack on the unreliability of Stretton in letter
from Stephen Duffell on page 444. See also letter from
Brian Orrell (page 574) which notes Sekon's hostility with Stretton and
evidence that Vulcan Foundry supplied information to Stretton,
'Intermediate' days. 219.
Colour photo-feature: GER class T26/LNER class E4 2-4-0s. Three illus
of 62785 (still extant in National Collection): at Mildenhall in May
1958 (J.G. Dewing) and at Cambridge on 27 April 1958 on Cambridge University
Railway Society special (R.C. Riley): both of these are clearly hauling the
identical two coach set: a GER corridor brake second and Gresley composite
corridor coach (former in brown livery and latter in BR maroon (and because
of lighting conditions look very different) ; and on Cambridge shed on 20
May 1957 (RCR).
In with the new [Ivatt class 2 2-6-0s]. 220-3.
Colour photo-feature: 46423 at Stechford on freight on 2 May 1961
(Michael Mensing); 46479 at Berwick-upon-Tweed on local freight on 25 May
1962 (MM); 46441 at Ulverston on Windermere Lakeside train on 2 September
1965 (David Idle); 46512 at Oswestry on stopping train (Derek Penney); 46465
at Sheffield Midland on Hope Valley train in June 1966 (James Arthur); 46519
at Coventry with two vans on 5 March 1966 (MM); 46504 (caption states was
green) at Tysley on ballast train on 19 April 1963 (MM); 46513 at Oswestry
on local freight (DP); 46527 at Beechwood Tunnel on Coventry line with parcels
train on 12 May 1964 (MM). See also front cover..
Great Western eight-coupled tanks. 224-7.
Colour photo-feature: 5205 on Worcester shed on 19 August 1962 (R.C.
Riley); 5206 shunting at Carnparc on 3 April 1965 (Roy Hobbs); 4237 at Aberbeeg
hauling coal wagons in April 1961 (A.C. Sterndale); 5235 at Park Junction,
Newport on freight on 13 August 1965 (RH); 5213 near Aberbeeg with train
of empty flat wagons in April 1961 (ACS); 5206 departing Stormtown Junction,
Abercynon with train for Bassaleg Junction on 3 April 1965 (RH); 7234 climbing
towards Patchway Tunnel with coal train on 2 September 1963 (David Idle);
7224 on Exeter shed in very clean condition in August 1961 (Douglas Tritton)
and 7228 at Wednesbury Central with up freight on 28 May 1960 (RCR).:
Whistling through Wessex. Keith Hill. 228 -38.
The Salisbury to Exeter section of the former LSWR mainline. Castleman,
on the LSWR Board, had hoped that the LSWR would extend westward from Dorchester
to Exeter and the GWR toyed with extending from Maiden Newton via Bridport
and Axminster to Exeter, but the westward shift began as the Salisbury &
Yeovil Railway for which powers were obtained in 1854. Yeovil had been reached
by the Westbury, Somerset and Weymouth Railway in 1856. From Salisbury Gillingham
was reached on 2 May 1859, Sherborne on 7 May 1860 and Yeovil on 1 June 1860
by which time progress of the remainder of the line to Exeter was well advance
(opened 19 July 1860). At Yeovil the Hendford station was dual gauge. A joint
Yeovil Town station opened on 1 June 1861. Shaftesbury, Wincanton and Chard
were missed, but Chard eventually had its own brnach which is described.
Furhtter west there were branches to Lyme Regis, Seaton and Sidmouth. Templecombe
functioned as a junction with the Somerset & Dorset Railway. Describes
a fooplate journey on 35008 Orient Line and the eventual death with the use
of the Class 33 which lacked power, the class 50 which added glamour and
the eventual use of DMUs and improved services. Colour illus.: (all Southern
Pacifics rebuilt unless noted otherwise) 35007 Aberdeen Commonwealth
at Salisbury backing onto train for Exeter in 1958 (P.M. Alexander); U class
31626 at Chard Junction in October 1962 (Colour-Rail); unrebuilt 34020
Seaton climbing Honiton bank with Brighton to Plymouth train on 27
June 1964 (Hugh Ballantyne); 24060 25 Squadron at Templecombe with
Plymouth to Waterloo train on 27 July 1963 (HB); S15 30824 on down freight
approaching Templecombe in September 1962 (A.A. Jarvis); unrebuilt light
Pacific 34049 Anti-Aircraft Command at Yeovil Junction with local
for Exeter in July 1963 (P.J. Hughes); D824 Highflyer (green) at Salisbury
with Brighton to Plymouth train in July 1964 (A.M. Logan). B&w: King
Arthur 783 Sir Gillemere at Waterloo on Atlantic Coast Express
on 16 July 1937 (John P. Wilson); 35001 Channel Packet approaching
Seaton Junction on down ACE on 23 September 1959 (K.L. Cook); 35013 Blue
Funnel on Plymouth to Waterloo train passing Semley station on 21 August
1958 (HB); 34013 Okehampton departing Salisbury on slow train for
Exeter on 18 April 1964 (HB); S15 30825 leaving Exmouth Junction for Salisbury
on pick-up freight (HB); p. 234: 35030 Elder Dempster
Lines on Atlantic Coast Express with headboard near Templecombe
on 6 September 1961 (see letter from Allen Davis
on page 380)(D.M.C. Hepburn-Scott); unrebuilt 34086 219 Squadron
passing Seaton Junction with Plymouth to Brighton train on 18 August 1964
(HB); 34039 Boscastle and unrebuilt 34084 253 Squadron at Exeter
Central on 24 August 1964 (HB); 50 021 Rodney passing St James Park
Exeter on train for Waterloo on 22 August 1988 (Gavin Morrison); 33 049 with
the empty stock of the Brighton to Exeter (which only got to Yeovil Junction
and awaiting its return working), 50 044 Exeter on diverted Penzance
to Paddington train and 50 033 Glorious on train for Waterloo at Yeovil
Junction on 5 April 1986 (GM) 50 005 Collingwood approaching Crewkerne
Tunnel on Paddington to Penzance train on 5 April 1986 and 50 018
Resolution departing Exeter Central for Waterloo on 16 September 1990,
(GM)...
Weird and wonderful creatures—and some other
reflections. L.A. Summers. 239.
Refers to his own contribution in
Backtrack, 2004, 18, 242- and the response to it by
Mick Hutson and KPJ.
In addition William Morgan wrote directly to the Author and included
a further picture of 2-2-2 No. 9 (ex-Dean 4-2-4T). Furthermore, Morgan provided
information concerning the cost of constructing 0-6-0T No. 1833 which was
possibly partly constructed from parts built for a second 4-2-4T. Summers
also refers to Number 6 of 2004 page 366 for feature
which refers to Port Talbot Railway 0-8-2T No. 21 and its possible influence
on Churchward design of cylinder smokebox saddle at Swindon. Summers now
accepts that it would have been possible to fit external valve gear to Swindon
outside cyclinder locomotives (KPJ: one may question why the arch-standardizers:
Cox, Riddles et al did not issue an edict) and the strengths and
weaknesses of the 47XX class, and how Collett nearly ordered more: cites
K.J. Cook's Swindon steam for additional information on 47XX. See
extensive letter from Nigel Probert (p. 444) which
challenges Summers' philosophy and suggests that great care needs to be taken
in interpretation of history.
A tale of two City termini. Alistair F. Nisbet.
240-5.
Holborn Viaduct and Broad Street in the City of London. Article begins
under a cloud for not mentioning Alan
A. Jackson's seminal London termini, but partially makes up for
this by including some minor points, not in Jackson and one or two illustrations
of Broad Street. Holborn Viaduct, the road bridge, was opened by Queen Victoria
in 1869 and the station abutting it opened at a High Level in March 1874
and at a low level as Snow Hill on 1 August of the same year. Services originally
included boat trains to Sheerness. The main suburban services were electrified
from 1924 and colour light signals followed in 1925. Some improvements had
to be made in the late 1930s to accomodate electric trains from Sevenoaks
via Otford and from Gillingham. The station was difficult to operate and
eight car trains caused considerable difficulties. Some platforms remained
without third rail for steam parcels trains and overnight services for newspaper
and market workers. Damage during WW2 was considerable and the eventual arrival
of a new frontage was largely to accommodate offices. From 1964 the station
was closed on Saturdays and Sundays, later the service was restricted to
rush-hours: Blackfriars fulfilled the terminus roles. Traffic via the Snow
Hill incline ceased between 1969 and 1971. Total closure of Holborn Viaduct
took place in 1990, but now Thameslink normally provides a cross-City service
through Blackfriars and Kings Cross. Broad Street was a joint LNWR/North
London Railway operation which reached its zenith in the 1890s. For a time
(from 1910) business services operated to and from Wolverhampton. Electric
trains ran to Richmond from 1916 and to Watford Junction following WW1. The
NLR provided services over the congested GNR suburban lines and these were
continued by the LMS until they ceased during WW2: subsequently similar services
were operated by the LNER/Eastern Region and the latter included services
operated by DMUs and by diesel locomotive hauled trains. The author makes
much of services from Broad Street to Alexandra Palace and the
Graham Road curve which enabled a Watford Junction
to Liverpool Street service to be worked for a time: he claims that one platform
at Liverpool Street had third rail installed for this service:
Stephen G. Abbott (letter p. 380) disputes this odd piece
of third rail. Illus (b&w): B1 61251 Oliver Bury at Broad
Street (Norman Simmons); N2 69490 with two quad-arts also at Broad Street
and class 501 at Broad Street on 11 May 1974 (F. Hornby)..
The day the communication cord pulled Queen Victoria.
Michael J. Smith. 246-7.
Account of Queen Victoria's funeral train to Windsor (from Paddington).
At Windsor the horses to haul the cortège became restless and the
gun carriage had to be hauled by naval ratings (one of whom as author's paternal
grandfather) using the train's communication cord and various other lengths
of cord. Illus. show cortège at Paddington and at Windsor (without
horses) and Atbara 4-4-0 No. 3373 hauling "up special train" consisting of
LSWR stock with locomotive carrying shields. See letter
from Colin Chivers (pp 380/1) concerning illus. of No. 3373 which was
associated with event on 29 October 1900 involving the haulage of the City
Imperial Volunteers returning from the Boer War via Southampton, Basingstoke
and Paddington..
The railways of Royal Ordnance Bishopton. R.N.
Forsythe. 248-50.
There were over 45 miles of 2ft 6in gauge track and 17 miles of standard
gauge at a 2000 acre site opened in 1940. During WW2 an internal standard
gauge passenger service was operated from Fullwood, adjacent to Georgetown
between Paisley and Greenock to Netherfield, South Crook, Rock Bank and
Netherfield. These service are not listed in Private and untimetabled
railway stations by Godfrey Croughton et al (1982: Ottley
16279). Author mentions more than one Industrial Railway Society citation,
but with inadequate details. Author visited the site in year 2000 shortly
before it closed. Motive power included woman-power (illustrated).Illus.
LNER G5 No. 1169 on freight during WW2. See letters from Jim
MacIntosh and from Andrerw Wilson on page
380.
Rolling Stock Focus: East Coast contrasts. Nick Campling
(captions). 251.
Colour photo-feature: view of rear of Gresley Society Special from
King's Cross to Darlington at York on 2 May 1964. Train set of Gresley corridor
stock painted maroon: rear vehicle brake second open E16629E built Cravens
as 43554 in 1938 (David Percival); restaurant buffet in blue/grey livery
No. E9122E at Stratford carriage sidings in summer of 1969, built as No.
24277 in 1937; Mark 2 first corridor No. E13373 in maroon livery passing
Knebworth as part of 09.30 Glasgow Queen Street to King's Cross on 17 July
1964 (David Percival): see letter on page 316 from John
Macnab which states that this was regarded as a prestige service.
Readers' Forum. 252-3.
The 'Southern Belle'. Philip S. Evetts.
See feature by Keith Hill beginning page 70 (February
issue): notes that Gladstone type was an 0-4-2 type not a 2-4-0,
the use of the I3 class 4-4-2Ts on the service, questions the use of the
River class on this service, and the six-wheel tenders on the King
Arthurs was due to restricted turnatble length, not weight:
The 'Southern Belle'. Roger Merry-Price.
See feature by Keith Hill beginning page 70 (February
issue): the six-wheel tenders on the King Arthurs was due to
restricted turnatble length, not weight: tank engines of all types were tuned
to work the Southern Belle.:
The 'Southern Belle'. Charles Long.
See feature by Keith Hill beginning page 70 (February
issue): corrects many errors, notably Mars, not Jupiter,
was the car used on trial, the exact nature of the service operated on Sundays,
the use of non-Pullman vehicles within formations, the provision of second
class Pullman cars, electric lighting (and the provision of back-up oil/gas
lighting), the base for the electric train sets at Brighton; liveries, and
the financial involvement of Davison Dalziel.
British ambassadors to America. David Patrick.
See feature page 121 credited to Keith Chester:
castigates Chester or should it be editor for failing to mention the visit
by Webb 2-2-2-2 Queen Empress to Chicago Exhibition in 1893 and its subsequent
journey from Chicago to New York
Northern station train sheds. John McCrickard.
253.
See feature on page 186: Class 108
in Darlington station, not class 101 as stated.
Sturrock's steam tenders, locomotive shortages on the GNR,
1865. Brian Orrell.
See page 85: correspondence between
William Gooch at Vulcan Foundary and Archibald Sturrock and Patrick Stirling
(latter on 18 June 1866, prior to his official start at Doncaster) concerning
delays in delivery.
'Dean Goods'. Robert Barker.
See letter by Bushby on page 124
concerning GWR No. 2552/WD No. 200 which appears to have
become DR 53.7607 and is the subject of illus N10 of
RCTS Locomotives of the Great Western
Railway. Part 13. But same locomotive was also claimed to
be Ramsgate in 1947.
Book Reviews. 254-5.
The New Romney branch line. Peter A. Harding. Author.
TJE ****
Excellent value at £3.50 and recommended.
Work identity at the end of the line? Privatisation and culture change
in the UK rail industry. Tim Strangleman. Palgrave Macmillan.
RH ****
The deliberate destruction of former social structures which endangered
the users of the railways: a thorough social engineering study but which
the reviewer calls "wildly expensive".
The Elan Valley Railway: the railway of the Birmingham Corporation
Waterworks. C.W. Judge. Oakwood. RH *****
Constructed durng "the golden age of local government" when cities
like Birmingham were "virtually self-sufficient city-states". The works included
six reservoirs and 38 miles of railway linkng to the Cambrian Railways near
Rhayader. There were eight saddle tanks. "excellent value". Excellent
review.
Into Rise Hill Tunnel. David Sutcliffe. rear cover
Class 40 in blue livery on ballast train in July 1981.
Living in the past. Michael Blakemore. 259.
Editorial: partly on "heritage railways": includes his observations
on proposal to streamline Duchess of Hamilton
Saddle tank shunters. captions: John Scholes (Industrial
Railway Society). 260-1.
Colour photo-feature: Andrew Barclay (1969/1925) 0-4-0ST J.N.
Derbyshire at the Carlisle Plaster & Cement (now British Gypsum)
Cocklakes Works, near Cumwhinton on 18 April 1969 (Alan Tyson); Andrew Barclay
(?/1949) 0-4-0ST as NCB West Ayr Area No. 21 at Waterside Colliery with coal
wagon/tender on 9 June 1966 (AT); Manning Wardle inside-cylinder 0-6-0ST
(2047/1926) at Rugby Cement Company's works on 16 May 1966 (R.C. Riley);
Yorkshire Engine Co 0-4-0ST 784/1905 as New Parkgate Iron Co.'s No. 8 at
Hellingdon in Northamptonshire on 13 April 1957 (RCR).
The tribulations of the 'Baby Deities'. 262
Colour photo-feature: D5906 in northern part of Welwyn Garden City
on up Cambridge Buffet Car Express passing under new bridge in April 1962
(T.B. Owen); D5906 on 10.30 King's Cross to Cambridge formed partly of Gresley
stock on 18 March 1961 (R.C. Riley); D5909 and D5904 in store at Stratford
Works in 1962 (KPJ note: these were in service, including on the Cambridge
Buffet Car service, when KPJ arrived in Welwyn Garden City: other than one
trip when the fire alarm interupted progress at Potters Bar they appeared
to be at least as good as any of the other assorted motive power at that
time)
From Coast to Coast. Keith Hill. 263-9.
The North Country Continental connected Liverpool Central with
Harwich Parkeston Quay. This is really one of those boyhood reminiscences
(the highlight of which was standing on the footplate of a Britannia class
locomotive on the front-end of the train at Lincoln Central, and of running
to see the train after school in rural Lincolnshire). Seekers of information
about the train per se would be better seeking out
C.J. Allen's Titled trains of Great
Britain, 3rd ed., 1953 where Chapter 54 (pp. 148-55) where its origins
in Great Eastern Railway enterprise receive enthusiastic attention. Master
Hill can be trusted for the period when the service declined in importance.
He digresses to consider some of the names applied to the locomotives used
on the service: the Britannia class and the earlier B17 and B1 classes. Illus.:
B17/6 61645 The Suffolk Regiment at Lincoln Central on eastbound service
in May 1957 (colour: M. Longdon); unrebuilt B12 8557
descending from Woodhead (not as caption) with three Gresley
vehicles, two former GER vehicles including dining car and ex-GCR vehicle
(pre-1930?); B17/2 2834 Hinchingbrooke at Lincoln with wetward service
on 17 May 1932 (T.H. Hepburn); B17/6 61645 The Suffolk Regiment
with train for Harwich at Lincoln on 1 June 1957 (John P. Wilson); 61627
Aske Hall at Sheffield Victoria coming off train; 70000 Britannia
at Sheffield heading east on 20 September 1958 (David Tyreman); B1 61192
arriving Penistone with eastbound train; 45 021 at Manchester Piccadilly
with train for Harwich on 20 August 1980 (Gavin Morrison); 47 011 at Chinley
with train for Manchester on 28 October 1982 (GM); 47 583 County of
Hertfordshire leaving Chesterfield for Harwich on 8 May 1982 (GM).
Further information on page 507 from Richard
Allsop..
The Facit branch of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway.
Tom Wray. 270-5.
In 1862 the L&YR obtained powers for a railway from Rochdale up
the Whitworth Valley to Shawforth, but the railway only reached Facit when
it opened on 1 November 1870. Subsequently the line was extended to Bacup
on 1 December 1881. The line had severe gradients: 1 in 35 on the descent
into Bacup. The stretch from Wardleworth to Facit was single track, the remainder
was double track including the severe incline from Britannia down into Bacup.
There was a huge viaduct in Rochdale across the Roch Valley which collapsed
during demolition. Illus. (mainly after closure to passenger traffic: Broadley
station; Facit station; Facit incline: Shawforth signal cabin; Britannia
station; Bacup engine shed and station.
Comparisons and revision: the Grouping and early LMS locomotive
poliey. Part Two. (Railway reflections No. 111). Michael Rutherford.
276-84.
Places the "period of ineptitude on the LMS" within the context of
what was really going on elsewhere: such as the real lack of need for the
Castle class (which was not as successful on introduction as sometimes portrayed)
and the failure to fit the Star class with a Number 7 boiler, the construction
of further Directors under Gresley, and Maunsell's incomparable D1 and E1
classes. Much of this is squeezed into a most interesting chronology. Anderson
is once again placed in the stocks. See letter from Dennis
Lorriman (p. 572): comments on the 4P compounds: queries how a locomotive
with one high-pressure cylinder could work at short cut-offs, Also suggests
that Rutherford had quoted E.S. Cox for describing a footplate journey (on
a stopping train from Liverpool to Crewe) in which he advised the driver
to increase the cut-off of a compound to 45% to achieve good running as the
low pressure cylinders provided the steam expansion (this rather improbable
episode has not been traced: sounds more like Powell). Also cites Poultney's
contribution to the discussion of Cox's
A modern locomotive history wherein he argued that many of the firemen
liked the Webb compounds as they were economical, although the drivers feared
their complexity..
On the slate [railways of North Wales]. 285-7.
Colour photo-feature: all anonymous via Colour-Rail: Hunslet 1ft 10¾
gauage 0-4-0ST Holy War at Dinorwic; Hunslet 4ft gauge outside-cylinder
0-6-0T Dinorwic on the Padarn Railway; Hunslet 671/1898 0-4-0ST
Cackler which worked between foot of quarry inclines at Hafod Owen
and upper terminus of Padarn Railway at Gilfach Ddu; Hunslet 409/1886 0-4-0ST
Velinheli; Andrew Barclay (?/1931) 0-4-0WT built for Durham County
Water Board for construction of Burnhope Reservoir and sold to Penrhyn Slate
Quarries at Bethesda in 1936 and became Cegin; Avonside 0-4-0T (also
ex-Durham County Water Board) and as Marchlyn (both this and previous
sold to USA): Dinorwic Bagnall 0-4-0ST of 1906 Sybil (named after
wife of Charles Assheton Smith). The Penrhyn locomotives were lined black;
those at Dinorwic were a great many shades of red from chocolate brown to
Indian red.
'Britannias' on the Western. 288-9.
Colour photo-feature: 70022 Tornado leaving Severn Tunnel with
up express with ex-GWR rolling stock painted in carmine & cream (P.M.
Alexander): see letters from John Smart and
from Piet Biesheuvel (page 444): train was leaving
Green Lane Tunnel, not Severn Tunnel and date was after July 1957; 70023
Venus on up Capitals United Express near Twyford in May 1958
(Mk I rolling stock in chocolate & cream) (T.B. Owen); 70027 Rising
Star approaching Paddington with express from South Wales on 10 September
1960 (R.C. Riley); 70027 on 15.45 ex-Paddington passing West Ealing on 2
June 1957 (RCR); 70018 Flying Dutchman on up Red Dragon passing
Pilning in August 1959 (PMA).
The Stanier and Fairburn 2-6-4 Tanks of the LMS. 290-3.
Colour photo-feature: 42611 with 46111 Royal Fusilier on empty
stock at Euston on 14 March 1962 (Geoff Rixon); 42082 near Thorpe Madeville
between Banbury and Woodford Halse with two coaches on 12 October 1963 (Michael
Mensing); 42668 at Kidsgrove Liverpool Road with Radway Green ROF workers'
train on 26 September 1960 (MM); 42590 at Crewe probably with train for Stoke
area on 26 May 1960 (MM): see letter from D.J. Wood (page
507) for train being worked (probably 16.26 via Radway Green for ROF
factorey); 42074 at Bangor shed in June 1963 (GR); 42267 at Birmingham New
Street with train for Rugby on 7 September 1961; 42616 entering Watford Junction
bunker-first with Tring to Euston local on 23 Novemeber 1963 (David Idle);
42080 on empty stock at Kensal Green on 13 April 1964 (DI); 42247 leaving
Newport (Shropshire) for Wellington on passenger train from Stafford on 29
August 1964 (MM).
Southern gone west: the Torrington branch. Part Two. David
Thrower. 294-9.
Mainly freight traffic: coal from Fremington Quay (decline of household
coal and coastal shipping); ball clay from Meeth to Fowey; enthusiast specials,
motive power (notably E1/R class for former freight), the ultra-basic remnant,
the surprisingly large population without a proper train service and attempts
at railway preservation on a cycleway. Reference to 'Bubblecar' blew away
and was replaced by coach from 4-VEP (letter from author
page 444). Also letter from Andrew Surry (but this
really relates to Part 1 beginning page 135)..
1913 — a halcyon year. Philip Atkins. 300-5.
An analysis of the locomotives which went into traffic on the railways
of Great Britain which cites the Locomotive [Railway Carriage &
Wagon Review] for that year as its source (including some 1914 references
back to the previous year): the illustrations listed only tell part of the
story. The most interesting material is tabulated: output from the major
British railway workshops: nil from Derby, Eastleigh and Kilmarnock in that
year; Table 3 lists operating and repair costs (the penultimate row should
surely be HBR not NBR: not picked up in corriegenda p. 380) and
Table 4 (corriegenda p. 380) lists
overall locomotive stocks ranked by wheel arrangement: 0-6-0, 0-6-0T, 4-4-0....
Illus.LNWR Claughton No. 2222 Sir Gilbert Claughton with Sir Gilbert
and C.J. Bowen Cooke on footplate on 7 March 1913 (excellently reproduced);
NER T2 No. 1247 at Darlington (official photograph) in February 1913; GSWR
0-6-0 (P. Drummond) No. 84 at Ulverston on 7 August 1924; NSR 0-6-2T No.
96; Furness Railway 4-4-0 No. 132 (constructed NBL: official photograph);
LBSCR K class 2-6-0 No. 337 (Brighton official); J class 0-6-4T as SR No.
1595; and GNR 2-8-0 (O1 class) No. 456 (Doncaster official)
Beyond the Underground Map. Part Two. Michael J. Smith.
306-10.
To Aylesbury — and beyond by Metropolitan Railway which reached
Aylesbury on 1 September 1892. Ahead of this the Metropolitan had taken over
the Aylebury & Buckingham Railway which ended at Verney Junction on the
LNWR Bletchley to Oxford line. Thisa route also provided access to Brill
(over the Wootton Tramway): the strangest outpost of an empire ruled from
55 Broadway in the heart of political London. The author notes the problems
of mapping and how the Metropolitan Railway tended to produce two maps: one
for its urban activities and overleaf another for its rural destinations
in deepest Buckinghamshire. London Transport tended to ignore destinations
beyond Aylesbury and as early as 1935 a decision was made to limit services
to Amersham and Chesham, but WW2 caused steam/electric services to continue
to Aylesbury until just into the swinging sixties. Pullman services and the
effect of the arrival of the Great Central Railway are both mentioned. In
the far East London Transport trains, or trains operated on behalf of the
London Transport by the LNER/Eastern Region reached [Chipping] Ongar in Essex.
London Transport had contemplated curtailing the Central Line at Loughton,
but LCC housing estates at Debden caused services to be extended to Epping.
Eventually the service to Ongar was electrified on 18 November 1957, but
the service (latterly extremely limited) ended on 1 September 1994. Now it
is a heritage line. All these lines had been built by the Great Eastern Railway.
Illus.: Metropolitan Railway steam/electric stock at Aylesbury on 2 May 1936;
L1 67794 arriving Chalfont & Latimer on up train on 23 July 1955;
former MR K class as LNER 6160 arriving Rickmansworth on 27 April 1946 (with
E class No. 81 in the bay platform) (all H.C. Casserley); LT electric locomotive
No. 14 Benjamin Disraeli on up train approaching North Harrow on7 June 1960;
F5 67193 on Ongar push & pull train at Epping alongside 1920s Central
Line train; 67218 calling at North Weald on Ongar shuttle on 16 November
1957; two tube trains pass at Noth Weald on 19 July 1958 (Alan A.
Jackson).
But can you prove it...? L.A. Summers. 311-13.
Sources, accuracy and bias (as perceived by Summers).
J.T. van Riemsdijk (p. 507) produced a scalding response
to this feature for its inappropriate polemical style characterized by the
contemporary word "admits". He is especially critical of the way in which
Summers implies that Chapelon might have been involved in some way in
collaborating with the occupation forces in Vichy France during WW2. The
Writer who served in the SOE during WW2 indicates that Chapelon, like many
others in Vichy France, was investigated but cleared from any hint of duplicity.
Van Riemsdijk also attacks Summers for his completely unjustified attack
on the editorial standards of Backtrack. Furthermore, on re-reading
Summers (as a result of the letter from this great authority) it should be
noted that Summer's observations on Ian Allan's editorial policy are absurd:
Tuplin was a highly controversial writer and yet published frequently in
Trains Illustrated, etc. Finally, van Riemsdijk's comments on Rogers'
authorship should be observed. The writer of this piece has
almost the last word on p. 636 [correspondence closed]..
Building bridges. Stephen Dent (phot.). 314-15.
Colour photo-feature: Tomatin viaduct across River Finhorn; Teviot
viaduct, Roxburgh; Dukes Drive viaduct, Higher Buxton : Dinsmore viaducts
(also publshed Vol. 12 page 636).
Readers' Forum. 316-17.
Caledonian Railway Pullmans and their LMS successors.
Peter Butterfield
See feature on page 174 et seq.: noted that table
on page 176 contained several errors concerning departures of trains conveying
Pullman cars from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Caledonian Railway Pullmans and their LMS successors.
Tim Shuttelworth .
See feature on page 174 et seq.:noted that dates
shown on pp 178 and 180 should have been 1956 not 1966;
Caledonian Railway Pullmans and their LMS successors.
Arnold Tortorella.
See feature on page 174 et seq.: notes that Pullman
cars first arrived in Scotland via Midland Railway sevices via the Settle
& Carlisle route both onto the NBR and onto the GSWR: there were both
Drawing Room Cars and Sleeping Cars from May 1876. Some of those via the
NBR eventually traversed Caledonian Railway tracks on through carriages to
Perth (an action which involved arbitration by the Railway Commissioners
sitting on 11 and 17 May 1877). Further information is also presented on
the transfer settlement for the Pullman cars from the Pullman Co. to the
LMS.
Caledonian Railway Pullmans and their LMS successors.
John Macnab.
See feature on page 174 et seq.: notes on names
of cars.
Beyond the Underground map. Donald Massey.
See page 181: Remembers seeing the LER/LNWR stock
in service on the Rickmansworth branch prior to 1941: the livery employed
was crimson lake.
The Grouping and early LMS locomotive policy. Keith Fenwick.
East Coast contrasts. John Macnab.
The 09.30 Glasgow Queen Street to King's Cross service was considered
to be a train worthy of particular attention [and was the subject of KPJ's
sole venture into party travel when he was a student of librianship in Glasgow
in 1958 - when he mistakenly thought that day returns to Edinburgh were permitted
within its hallowed corridors]. See page 251 for illus
of train passing Knebworth in 1964.
Historical aspects of the Mersey Railway. M.D.
Walsh.
See page 90 et seq Mrs Walsh
possesses a leather-bound citation to her grandfather, John Baker (Chief
Tunnel Foreman) presented to him by John Fox.
Historical aspects of the Mersey Railway. Joe
Lloyd.
See page 90 et seq (list pp. 91/2)
contains several errors in names carried by steam locomotives
which worked the railway.
The Drummond age. Darryl Grant. 317.
See page 46: Drummond's failed attempt
to bring locomotive building to New South Wales via Sir Saul Samuel, the
New South Wales Agent-General in London. The Locomotive Superintendent of
the NSWGR, William Thow, participated in discussions in a consortium which
included Drummond, but this failed. Nevertheless, Thow was influnced by Drummond
for a design of a 4-6-0, the P class. Another consortium, led by Henry Hudson,
did start locomotive manufacture as thed Clyde Engineering Co.
Book Reviews. 317-18.
The railways of Ryedale. Patrick Howat. Martin Bairstow
(publisher). ***** MB
The Thirsk & Malton and Gilling & Pickering lines served
Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley and the public school at Ampleforth Abbey. Many
of the intermediate stations closed to passengers as early as 1930 yet freight
continued to flourish and there were special trains for pupils at the school
and for through traisn betwen Scotland the North East to Scarborough until
they were Beechinged.
From Forest to Ferry — the story of the Brockenhurst-Lymington
branch.line. Keith Hill. St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington.
**** DT
Well received: includes a history of the line and the ferries which
were served by it and the Solent Tunnel scheme.
Lost railways of Shropshire. Leslie Oppitz. Countryside.
RH ****
"very good value for its modest price"
The LSWR at Nine Elms — the Curl Collection. Vol. 1. The Works
and its products, 1830-1909. Barry Curl. KRB Publications. *****
DT
"thoroughly excellent volume"
Conway Valley local. Cliff Woodhead. Rear cover.
Derby lightweight DMU at Bettws-y-Coed station with Pullman camping
coach behind.
GWR 'King' 4-6-0 No. 6003 King George IV sweeps regally through Sonning Cutting with a London-bound express.. (Derek Penney). front cover.
More from the department of administrative affairs. Michael
Blakemore. 323.
Editorial: reasons for name Pendragon Publishing and for Rothesay
House ublications
Lost on the Elgin road. Tom Heavyside (phot.).
324-5.
Colour photo-feature:47 814 (rasberry ripple InterCity livery) clearly
at Nairn whatever the caption may claim: See editorial
corriegendum page 444. 47 643 (similar livery) departing Inverness on
12.25 to Aberdeen on 11 July 1986; 37 113 Radio Highland (Railfreight
livery) on Inverness to Burghead freight for United Distillers; 47 673
Galloway Princess at Nairn with train for Inverness and 37 156
Britist Steel Hunterston (grey) on Royal Scotsman touring train
near Allanfearn on 16 May 1992.
Mid-1960s on the London Midland Region. David
Stewart-David. 326-32.
Happy days? as a railway general trainee working in the Stoke Division.
Several reminiscences: studying single-line working between Whitchurch, Oswestry
and Welshpool by riding on the footplate and by visiting the signal box at
the last-named. Returning on the footplate to Birmingham Snow Hill in the
cab of a type 47. Holiday to France, travel by train hauled to Euston from
Stoke by class 2 diesel which still managed to arrive before time, Comments
on laxness of railway opertion: pursuing freight that had departed, the
construction of unnescssary pannier tanks at Bagnalls. See
letter from Rabbi Walter Rothschild (page 574) on the failure to retain
infrastructure necessary to restore freight working in Britain, and how the
Belgian and Dutch railways only carry freight from the great seaports of
Antwerp and Rotterdam through to destinations outwith their borders. In Germany
freight lines have been transferred to private operators to maintain a freight
network. Illus.: (colour): p. 327 lower 75026 on return excursion
near Abergele in June 1963 (Geoff Rixon) (see letter from
David F. Williams (p. 574): location near Mochdre and Pabo
signal box.. B&w: p. 329 (lower): interior of Denbigh
signal box (see also letter from David F. Williams
(p. 574) which shows modern signal box structure built in 1957 shortly
before lines were closed.
Racehorse names for LNER Pacifics. Steve Banks and Max
Garratt. 333-9.
Notes that neither Gresley nor William Whitelaw, nor Sir Ralph Wedgwood
were afficionados of horse racing, although copies of Ruff's Guide to
the turf were kept in Gresley's office. The article notes the naming
policy of the constituent companies (mainly not to, with the exception of
the two Scottish constituents, although the Chairman came from one of these).
The direct involvement of Gresley in the A4 bird names is noted, however.
The origin of the racehorse names, both on the A1/A3 Pacifics, and on the
later Thompson and Peppercorn locomotives, is pursued in depth. The names
were selected from the 'classics', notably the Derby and the St Leger meetings,
the latter being run at Doncaster. The majority were winners, and many of
the selected names were winners of more than one race. Names rejected included:
April the Fifth and Caligula. The failure to select
Mahmoud, a multiple winner, and the somewhat strange selection of
Aboyeur, a 100 to 1 outsider which displaced Bower
Ismay's rightful winner of the 1913 Derby, through his ownership of the
Titanic. Happier times for the Ismay connection (p.
378). Reg Davies (letter page 572) argues that
Caligula would have been quite unsuitable at time when naming took
place. Geoffrey Hughes in long letter on p. 572 suggests
that Percy Maclure, Locomotive Running Superintendent of the Southern Division
of the LNER may have been responsible for introducing the racehorse
names. Also suggests that Flying Fox neatly follows Flying
Scotsman and that the plates were cast at King's Cross shed. There is
also a suggeestion that there may be a link with the Interchange Trials (KPJ:
but 4474 ran un-named on GWR). Further letters on page 636 (October issue)
from Christopher Tyas (on significance of Doncaster
& York as racing centres) and Dennis Postlethwaite
on No. 2744 Grand Parade. And still further from
Geoffrey Hughes and from Geoff Skelsey on page
695..In Volume 20 page 62 letter from John C.
Baker on names for Lemberg and St Simon..
A Glasgow suburban journey. Gerald J. Guy. 340-4.
Commuter journeys made between Hillfoot station (on the Milngavie
branch) and Glasgow Queen Street during the 1950s when an intensive suburban
service was operated using six-coach sets hauled by Gresley V1 and V3 3-cylinder
2-6-2Ts which the author notes were capable of rapid acceleration. Sometimes
the author made three round trips within the day, and presumably travelled
home for his dinner (lunch in English English) which was commonplace at that
time. Later the line was electrified as part of the Blue trian operation,
but the bulk of the article is about the steam service which included through
trains to and from Edinburgh via Bathgate. Other destinations included Bridgeton
and Hamilton which disappeared with electrication (or earlier in the case
of the latter). The route is described in detail, both as it was, and as
it has since become. See also letter from John Macnab (p.
507) mainly on name changes at Partick station/s; footbridges at Bearsden,
and a long march to Yorkhill Quay when Macnab was getting some Service
in..
Ferry across the Humber. John Spencer Gilks (phot.).
345.
Colour photo-feature: PS Wingfield Castle on 21 April 1963
in Associated Humber Lines colours (funnel: buff with red band and black
top) and Lincoln Castle on 8 April 1977 in BR corporate colours (was
coal-burniong at time of photograph). Former from W. Gray & Co.,
West Hartlepool in 1934 and latter from A. & J. Inglis in 1940.
Philimiooriay — working on the railway. Keith
Gregson. 346-7.
Writer heard this song when appearing with the folksong group known
as the Liverpool Spinners on BBC Television in the 1960s. Quotes from this,
and other folksongs dating from the 1840s to show how it is possible to interpret
ballads as part of railway history.
'King' country. Derek Penney and Michael Mensing
(phots.). 348-351.
Colour photo-feature all MM unless noted otherwise: 6000 King George
V climbing Hatton Bank (with bell swinging)(DP); 6029 King Edward
VIII arriving Solihull with 15.10 from Paddington on 9 May 1961; 6001
King Edward VII descending Hatton Bank (DP); 6011 King James I
passing Lapworth on up express (DP); 6019 King Henry V just north
of Widney Manor station on 16.30 Birkenhead to Paddington on 14 June 1962;
6015 King Richard III restarting 17.10 ex-Paddington at Knowle &
Dorridge on 11 July 1962; 6021 King Richard II on 11.40 ex-Birkenhead
leaving Leamington Spa on 7 October 1961 (Brunswick green shown at its best
in autumnal light); 6016 King Edward V near Olton on 07.25 ex-Wolverhamton
on 25 June 1962; 6011 King James I departing Solihull with 06.45
ex-Wolverhampton on 17 May 1962.
On Caledonian lines. 352-5.
Colour photo-feature: A4 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley at Stirling
on 9 June 1965 with down St Mungo (Alan Tyson) "stange" containers
being loaded probably contained Dricold (dry ice or solid
CO2) see response from David Stewart-David page
507); Fairburn 2-6-4T 42241 at Inverkip with train for Wemyss Bay on
10 June 1965; CR 4-2-2 No. 123 with GNSR No. 49 Gordon Highlander at
Carstairs on 19 April 1965 on railtour (David Idle); Class 5 No. 44820 at
Castlecary on 12.35 Perth to Broad Street express freight on 21 April 1965;
70036 at Stirling with fish vans on 10 June 1965 (AT); Caprotti 73146 in
Cumbernauld Glen on 21 April 1965 with 10.00 ex-Dundee West express for Buchanan
Street (DI); ex-CR 294 class 0-6-0 with freight crossing Larbert Viaduct
on 11 April 1963 (DI); 45011 arriving Lanark with 18.00 ex-Edinburgh Prnces
Street on 29 June 1962 (Cliff Woodhead); 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley backing
onto train at Glasgow Buchanan Street on 9 June 1965 (shows Buckeye coupling
with jaws open and Pullman-type gangway on corridor tender and the dreary
Brunswick green)(AT).
The 'Scots' and their weans. Part One. (Railway Reflections
No. 112). Michael Rutherford. 356-65.
Considers locomotive policy in general on the LMS, including the purchase
of ex-ROD 2-8-0s, the Claughtons and the Bridge Stress Committee before turning
to the influences which were worked into the Royal Scot and Patriot classes
(and the differences between them). External influences included that
of the GWR Castle class and to a minor extent the Maunsell Lord Nelson class.
Internal influences were drawn mainly from the three-cylinder compounds and
the 2-6-4T then under development at Derby. The role of Herbert Chambers
and Eric Langridge is noted (the former in liaising with NBL on the design
of the Royal Scot). Sir Henry Fowler's involvement is also noted. Rutherford
notes some of the disadvantages associated with the introduction of Pacifics
which included the provision of larger turntables and the greater "grip"
provided by a 4-6-0 when hauling trains on steep gradients (tests with A1
2573 Harvester on restarting on Cockburnspath incline in June 1925
are cited against Pacifics as 2573 failed to restart with a load of 520 tons).
KPJ: worst slipping ever seen by him was rebuilt Royal Scot which erupted
like Mount Etna whilst attempting to restart from Greenfield station on 16.47
ex-Manchester Exchange. Part 2 page 424.
References in Part 3 on page 487.Illus.: 6152 Royal
Scot at Crewe North shed in 1936 (W. Potter); 356 lower
46148 The Manchester Regiment climbing Shap northbound with heavy
train of carmine and cream stock plus two vehicles coupled inside front of
train (cattle wagon and a horse box (see letter from Terry
Tracey on page 574); 6149 The Manchester Regiment outside Crewe
Works in 1937 (J.P. Mullett); 5531 Sir Frederick Harrison at Edge
Hill shed in 1939 (W. Potter); 45511 Isle of Man crossing Castlethorpe
wwater troughs in August 1958 (T.B. Owen): black & white:
Merlin's railroads. Kirsten Elliott and Andrew Swift.
366-7.
Monmouthshire had been dependent upon Bristol for its newspapers until
Reginald Blewitt established and edited the Monmouthshire Merlin in
1829. This newspaper carried several accounts of early locomotives supplied
to tramroads. On Boxing Day 1829 a report was carried on the delivery of
a locomotive from Robert Stephenson & Co.to Samuel Homfray of Tredegar.
In March 1830 (precise date not given) the paper noted that Gurney's steam
carriage was on its way to Crawshay's Cyfartha Iron Works. On 16 July 1830
there is a report on the arrival of a locomotive from Thomas Prothero at
Pillgwenlly Wharf for the haulage of empty trams from Newport to Blancyffin
Isha Colliery over the Sirhowy Tramroad. In July 1832 Blewitt inherited the
Llantarnam Abbey Estate and this led to him leasing the Cwmbran Colliery,
building the Porth Mawr Tramroad and leasing the Caerleon Tramroad which
provided access to a wharf at Caerleon and obviated carriage by canal..
Joseph Locke and the Stephensons. David Gilks.
368-73.
Studies the interactions between Joseph Locke and both George Stephenson
(where the relationship was frequently difficult) and the much more agreeable
and fruitful relationship with Robert Stephenson. Locke "srted out and put
right" the 13 foot misalignment in the tunnel at Edge Hill on the Liverpool
& Manchester Railway. Later Locke's involvement in the Grand Junction
Railway showed that he was a master of organization . Feature contains many
memorable comments and reminds the reader that Locke was on the footplate
of the locomotive which ran down Huskisson on the opening day of the Liverpool
& Manchester Railway. Notes that George had "great vision and drive,
but he could not claim to have good organizational skills or attention to
deatil." and "George was quintissentially the man of vision, a rough and
rude battler, blessed with great foresight.". Later Locke was involved on
the LSWR and the Woodhead route. Extensive bibliography. Part
2 begins page 496..
Waking the dead: the E4 radial tanks. Jeffery Grayer.
374-7.
Mainly the last few years of the ex-LBSCR Billinton 0-6-2T locomotives
in service as late as 1963 and the preservation of No. 473 Birch Grove
on the Bluebell Railway. Illus.: E4 No 32479 and E4 No 32503 in the foreground
and Terrier No 32670 beyond it
This way for America. 378-9.
Superb rolling stock constructed for the non-stop Euston to Liverpool
Riverside luxury trains run in association with Trans-Atlantic liner sailings:
the LNWR American Special. Five coloured postcard views showing interiors
of first class dining car with moveable armchairs; afternoon tea being taken
in salon-de-luxe by three ladies straight out of Henry James novel whilst
the gentlemen partaked of coffee with their cigars. The butler's pantry is
also shown (see letter p. 507 from A.R. Nicholls noting
that machine was a knife cleaner, not a knife grinder as stated in caption).
as well as an empty compartment with sofa chairs. See also
Aboyeur.
Readers' forum. 380.
Backtrack Index. Mick Field.
See Bob Farmer's letter in January issue (p. 60)
offering his index to readers as an Excel spread sheet:
now available at:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bobbacktrack
An engine by any other name. Geof
Sheppard.
See caption on page 212 of the April
issue implying that Europa was last broad gauge
locomotive to leave Plymouth. This statement has puzzled writer and appears
in the RCTS Locomotives of the Great
Western Railway Part 2 where it is claimed that "Europa was
actually the last broad gauge engine to leave Plymouth for Swindon –
about 4 am on Saturday, 21st May 1892" but there was no train scheduled to
leave after 01.10. Having consulted contemporary newspapers and reports in
The National Archives, writer cannot find where this claim originated. The
last train left Penzance at 21.57 on Friday 20th May behind two convertible
tanks (Nos. 3557 and 1256). Inspector Scantlebury was to travel on this train
to certify that the line was clear of broad gauge vehicles before the gangers
could start the conversion, so no other train was allowed to run behind this
one. Scantlebury's late running train was still in Cornwall when the last
down train (the 17.00pm from Paddington) arrived in Plymouth at 01.15 and
this was climbing the bank out of Totnes, where the local paper reported
that it was still hauled by No.3557, at the time that Europa is claimed
to have left Plymouth. Further information would be useful.
1913 - A halcyon year. C.P. Atkins
See May issue page 300 et seq Table
4: the following corrections should be noted:to my article
in the May issue:
Table 4 Wheel arrangements exceeding 150 examples: 0-4-2T 297, 0-4-2 284,
2-4-0T 194
Further wheel arrangements in use:
0-4-0, 0-4-0T, 0-4-2, 0-4-2T, 2-4-0T, 4-4-0T, 0-6-4 T.
A tale of two city termini. Stephen G. Abbott.
See April issue p. 240: incorrect
in stating that one of the platforms at Liverpool Street was electrified
on third rail system to accommodate the short-lived Watford service diverted
from Broad Street. The Graham Road curve was
electrified at 25 k V ac overhead like the rest of the lines out of Liverpool
Street and the dual-voltage Class 313 units changed to third rail in Dalston
Kingsland station. Subsequently, parts of the North London line itself have
been converted to either dual voltage or ac only. A novel installation of
resistances prevented dc traction current from interfering with signalling
track circuits on the ac lines, the Graham Road curve being too steep to
permit a neutral section in the overhead. He travelled on the 16.12 from
Liverpool Street in September 1986 in the company of a handful of fellow
passengers.
Historical aspects of the Mersey Railway. J C.
Grayson.
See feature Part 2 on page 203:
the Mersey Railway maintained a very high percentage of first class travel:in
calendar year 1920 it was in second place for the level of first class traffic
originating on the line, first and third places being taken by two other
lines in the Liverpool area. Figures from the Railway Year Book for
1921 show this. The Liverpool Overhead Railway exceeded this level and it
is probable that first class travel was also high on the LYR electric lines
in Merseyside.
Whistling through Wessex. Allen Davis
See page 234 of the April issue:
train not nearing, but travelling away (west) from, Templecombe. As a schoolboy
writer travelled daily between Milborne Port and Templecombe, with plenty
of footplate rides, one on a 'Britannia' which was filling in during the
rebuild of the Bulleid Pacifics.
The railways of Royal Ordnance Bishopton. Jim
MacIntosh.
See feature on page 248: queries
how the site described related to WW1 Georgetown National Filling Factory
described by E.A. Pratt's British Railways
and the Great War, from which following is taken: This factory was
named after Lloyd George and, situated three miles from Paisley, was served
exclusively by the Caledonian Railway. The first sod was cut on 25th September
1915 and the first consignment despatched on 13th March 1916. By the end
of December 1918 459,000 tons had been despatched by rail. All raw materials
and supplies were also carried by rail as were the 10,000 workers who required
34 trains daily. The Caledonian undertook the maintenance of about 18 miles
of sidings laid in or adjoining the factory by contractors and the CR itself
put down and worked another four and a half miles of sidings. It built at
Georgetown a passenger station with signal box, goods office and
carriage-cleaning platfonns, and altered and extended the existing station
and platforms at Houston as a further means of meeting the demands of the
passenger traffic. Does anyone know if this WWI system survived to be
incorporated in the later system or was it all dismantled after
1918?
The railways of Royal Ordnance Bishopton. Andrew
Wilson
See feature on page 248: RCTS
Locomotives of the LNER Part 7 refers
to two G5 Class locomotives at Bishopton factory during World War II. No.
1713, was fitted with a special spark arrester in January 1941 and sent to
Bishopton, returning in November 1943.
Part 11 Supplementary information,
lists No.1169 as at Bishopton from January 1941 until September 1944. There
is no mention of any spark arrester on this engine and the photograph of
it at work does not appear to show anything special. These locomotives may
have been required to haul the workers' passenger trains within the works
area. The main line coaches would probably be air-braked ex-Caledonian vehicles,
with which the G5 locomotives were compatible.
The day the commnication chord pulled Queen Victoria.
Colin Chivers.
See feature on page 246: The photograph
of page 247 shows one of four special trains provided for the return of the
City Imperial Volunteers (CIV) from the Boer War on Monday 29 October 1900.
According to the Railway Magazine, December 1900, the LSWR provided
four trains "comprised of the newest types of vehicles, fitted with lavatory
accommodation", which left Southampton Docks at 9.15, 9.40, 10.05 and 10.20am
and were hauled respectively by T9 Class No.708, T7 Class double single No.720,
T9 Class No.702 and T9 Class No.706. A photograph of No. 720 as decorated
by Nine Elms shed for its train appears as Fig. 336 in Barry Curl's The
LSWR at Nine Elms (KRB Publications). Progress on the LSWR to Basingstoke,
where the trains were handed over to the GWR, was decidedly leisurely. Four
Atbara Class locomotives were provided by the GWR for the run from Basingstoke
to Paddington where the second train made the quickest journey, at 47.5 mile/h.
The Atbaras were specially named Pretoria, Roberts, Powerful and
Maine. The CIV were a separate Regiment raised from London volunteers
in December 1899 by the then Lord Mayor of London, Sir Alfred James Newton,
and consisted of about 1,700 officers and men, each of whom was made a Freeman
of London, in a blaze of publicity on enlistment. Another photograph, of
'No.3 train' taken near Reading, appears in the December 1900 issue
of Railway Magazine.
Book reviews. 381.
The Blackpool Highflyer. Andrew Martin, Faber. RPW
****
Novel (fiction) set as fireman on LYR out at Halifax in the early
1900s.
Electric Railways 1880-1990. Michael C. Duffy. Institution
of Electrical Engineers. RH *****
"It is not often that a book breaks fresh ground so comprehensively
that it might be perceived as definitive; this is such a book.... Duffy offers
unusual perspectives and lateral thoughts - as well as being highly informative."
"suggests, sensibly enough, that the 'steam railway' for much of its existence
was actually part-electrified, by virtue of signalling and later operational
control, resting on electric telegraphs and telephones; it all depends on
what one means by 'electric railway.'"
The Bennie Railplane. William B. Black. East Dunbartonshire
Council. RH ****
The Bennie Railplane system was a hybrid monorail of modest length
(131 m), perched on gantries high above an LNER siding, off the Glasgow-Milngavie
line. The text puts Bennie's work neatly in its technical and historic contexts;
it has been thoroughly researched, has a good bibliography and numerous notes.
An attractively produced work, representing excellent value.
The track of the Ironmasters: a history of the Cleator & Workington
Junction Railway. W. McGowan Gradon with additional notes by Peter
Robinson. Cumbrian Railways Association. TJE *****
Expanded reprint of only book dedicated to history of the Cleator
& Workington Junction Railway. The original edition of this work was
published in 1952 when author lacked access to official records. Nevertheless
the original text, apart from a few typographical errors, has been reproduced
verbatim in this edition. The author then based his writing on local newspaper
reports. A series of notes compiled by Peter Robinson (President of the Cumbrian
Railways Association) has been added after each chapter amplifying and expanding
the text in the light of modern research. The main text and notes are
supplemented by nine new appendices which add to the value of the book. These
include comprehensive chronologies, distance tables, gradient profiles, track
diagrams and lists of staff at stations, also directors and their business
interests. Well illustrated with vintage photographs from the CRA collection
plus more recent views.
Morning glory at Farnborough. J.S. Gilks. rear
cover.
Unrebuilt light Pacific 34051 Winston Churchill on up stopping
service on 1 February 1965 two days after Sir Wiuston's funeral train. Note
LSWR pneumatic signals.
SR N Class 2-6-0 No.31875 passes Cockwood harbour, near
Starcross on the GWR main line Peter W. Gray. front cover.
Return excursion from Goodrington to Bere Alston via Exeter and Okehampton
on 16th June 1962. This was a rare duty for this class; excursions from the
Southem to the Torbay line were more usually worked by light Pacifies.
Search engine — searching and researching at the National
Railway Musuem. Helen Ashby.
Guest editorial: Aim to increase both electronic and physical access
to the vast collection of documentation. Two e-mail access points are suggested
the feedback form at www.nrm.org.uk, or the writer's
own e-mail address at
helen.ashby@nmsi.ac.uk
Given a Crosti look. 388-9.
Colour photo-feature: only first fitted with a worrking Franco-Crosti
boiler — remainder as modified to conventional form: 92028 passing
Wellingborough shed in July 1959 (K.C.H. Fairey); 92021 ex-works at Crewe
in 1962 (M. Chapman); 92027 at Cricklewood in August 1963 (Geoff Rixon);
92029 passing Thrimby Grange with up freight in August 1967 (David A. Hill);
92022 at Stott Lane sidings, Eccles with van train (Jim Carter):
Tizzard, Rodney. Eastleigh Shed during the 1950s; as
told to Paul Joyce. 390-9.
Tizzard started work as a cleaner in 1952, and his first firing turn
took place on an O2 class tank engine when he was sixteen in 1953. There
is a brief vignette of Stephen Townroe and his canvas-topped car. As with
many descriptions of push & pull working on the Mid-Hants (and other)
lines this tended to be performed solely by the fireman as the regulator
was disconnected when pushing. There is an anecdote about smokebox ash being
supplied to a crossing keeper for sale to a tomato grower. Drivers mentioned
include: Roy Sloper, Tom 'Speedy' Featherstone, Claude
Johnson. See also Backtrack 2012, 26,
661.
Skelsey, Geoffrey. "Of Great Public Advantage": aspects
of Cambridge and its railways, 1845-2005. Part 1. 400-6.
See p. 507 for Editorial cringe on misapplication
of apostrophe. 1811 Census records that King's Lynn was larger than
Cambridge, but by 1861 the Cambridge population was three times greater than
that of Lynn and ten times greater than that of Ely. Prior to 1845 reliance
had to be placed on the river or on stagecoach, post coach or cartage. No
new college had been created between Sidney Sussex in 1594 and Downing in
1800. It ispossible to infer that the railway encouraged the growth of the
university. There was no canal communication between the Fens and the canal
network in spite of the apparently easy route provided by the Lea and the
Stort and the Cam. This route did attract long distance railways, however,
but development was slow. The Northern & Eastern Railway rerached Broxbourne
from Shoreditch in 1840, Bishop's Stortford in 1842 and Cambridge on 29 July
1845, by which time it had become part of the Eastern Counties Railway which
had originally been 5ft gauge, but this was changed after its nothern advance
from Bishop's Stortford which extended to Brandon via Ely on the same day
that Cambridge was reached. At Brandon an end-on junction was made with the
Norwich & Brandon Railway (Norfolk Railway). The swing bridge at Trowse
enabled Yarmouth to be reached. Until 1959 this was the main route from London
to Norwich (and was so once again at Christmas 2004 when the local "train
company" prefered to divert its railway customers to the long, dirty and
dangerous bus ride from London rather than direct them to WAGN's electric
trains and its own DMUs). On 1 September 1845 an excursion was run from London
to Cambridge and on 5 July 1847 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrived
by train when the Prince was installed as Chancellor. See
also letter from Norman Pattenden (p. 573) on reporting the Royal progress
by telegraph. At that time the city was squalid with packed housing and foundries
in the centre. Peterborough was reached from Ely in January 1847 and King's
Lynn was connected in October 1847. The Colleges imposed conditions on student
travel and forbade all travel between 10.00 and 17.00 on Sundays. Asd late
as 1960 the Proctors were raiding the station which continues to be remote
from the City centre.A horse tramway served the station until it closed in
February 1914, as it had never been electrified. The Ortona bus company was
the main bus operator for a time, but now it is back to Stagecoach. The architect
for the station is believed to have been Francis Thompson. The station remains
the sole remaining single platform station in Great Britain, although the
"paper railway" Thameslink has plans to add an up platform. The terminal
bays at both ends had been added by 1863. Much of the material on which this
feature stems comes from two diaries: the Rev. Joseph Romilly
(1791 to 1864) the Registrary to the University and Josiah Chester who
became an apprentice with Eaden Lilley, a drapery business, and eventually
rose to be an important figure in the town's affairs. The mendacity of the
Eastern Counties Railway is noted when appeals were made by Addenbrooke's
Hospital to recover some of the cost involved in treating those injured in
the construction of the railway. Part 2 page 501 et
seq.
Hill, Keith. Riviera reflections: 100 years of the 'Cornish
Riviera,. 407-15.
1 July 1904 is given as the inception date: consultation of
C.J. Allen's Titled trains of Great
Britain verifies this, but shows that the train preceded the name
and reflected non-stop running between Paddington and Penzance which had
been presaged by King Edward VII's high speed journey to Dartmouth and back
(from Plymouth, non-stop) in March 1902. Hill has mined S.P.B. Mais's The
Cornish Riviera for its "charming" legends and its "exotic" climate.
Although the author's own first journey on the train had to await the issue
of a railwayman's free pass (even first class "foreign" ones were not permitted
during the train's heyday KPJ) and D1006 Western Stalwart was the
motive power through to Penzance, he captures the progress in motive power
from French compound and City class, through Star, Castle and King to Warship,
Western and type 50 to HST, and through slip coaches, the Centenary stock
and BR Mark II and the gradual increase in speed and productivity (on the
down journey cleaners board the train at Truro). He notes some of the journey's
highlights: the rush to Reading, the more gradual progress up to Savernake,
a dash through the Vale of Pewsey, a glimpse of Glastonbury Tor, and now
little more than a glimpse of the sea after Dawlish, whilst gravity still
imposes its tax on the climbs to Dainton and Rattery. Then into Cornwall
with its forests, moors, china clay and remains of its mining industries.
Hill prosiacally notes the uncertain economics of the train west of Plymouth:
he might have done better to compare its success with the inferior travel
now imposed on rail travel to another English outpost: the North Norfolk
Coast where through carriages are long departed and connections are sometimes
poor. Illus.: p. 408 6002 King William V [sic]
approaching Teignmouth on down train on 3 Septemebr 1936 (Ken Nunn):
see letter from M.A. Knott (p. 574). p. 409 6019 King
Henry V paasing Kintbury on down train in 1948 (F.R. Hebron)
Apple green days on the
LNER. 416-19.
Colour photo-feature: A3? Pacific 2555 Centenary on up Queen
of Scots at Leeds Central with glimpse of Sentinel railcar (also green)
behind in 1938 (H.L. Overend); B1 (B18/GCR 8C) 4-6-0 No. 5195; C1 No. 4451
with down train of quad-art suburban stock near Brookman's Park in 1937 (Kenneth
Leech); B3 (GCR 9P) 4-6-0 No. 6166 Earl Haigh leaving Aylesbury for
Marlebone on train from Manchester in December 1938 (Caprotti valve gear)
teak rolling stock shows up well; A4 4482 Golden Eagle in apple green
in December 1936 with ex-non-streamlined Pacific corridor tender (G. Ford);
B12/3 8537 at Broxbourne in June 1939; D49/2 The Cattistock and C7
No. 706 waiting at Scarborough coupled to their stock for return excursions
in August 1938; B1 Noo. 1119 at Shepreth Branch Junction on up express from
Cambridge (H.N. James); 2599 Book Law at Doncaster in September
1937.
Shopping at Woolworth's: the N Class 2-6-0s. 420
-3.
Colour photo-feature: 31816 at Bricklayers Arms shed in October 1959
(A. Morris); 31872 near Franborough North with a Reading to Redhill train
on 6 September 1962 (Derek Penney); 31816 passing Redhill on 27 February
1960 (R.C. Riley); 31811 passing Winchfield with Woking to Eastleigh freight
on 25 July 1954 (David Idle); 31412 passing Ash Junction on Reading to Guildford
train on 11 April 1964 (DI); 31411 at Guildford on Reading train on 27 July
1963 (Roy Hobbs); 31849 shunting at Bere Alston on 24 June 1961 (Peter W.
Gray); N1 (3-cylinder type): 31876 passing St Mary Cray on empty stock on
16 May 1959 (RCR); 31844 at Cowley Bridge Junction on empty ballast wagons
going to Meldon Quarry on 21 June 1960 (PWG); 31411 on balast train near
Basingstoke in March 1966 (A.C. Sterndale)
Rutherford, Michael. The 'Scots' and their weans. Part
2. (Railway Reflections No. 113). 424-32.
Part 1 began on page 356. Concluding
part begins page 487. This is a somewhat wayward contribution and includes
a fair amount which is only indirectly related to the Royal Scot class. This
includes the relatively slow evolution of LMS publicity activity, but it
does note that this led to an exhibition of Royal Scots at Liverpool, Manchester,
Crewe, Glasgow, Dundee and other venues, and 6161 The King's Own was
exhibited at Wavertree for the Liverpool & Manchester Railway Centenary
in 1930 alongside 6029 King Stephen and 850 Lord Nelson. Booklets
and colllectables were also produced. Sales of posters are quoted but these
not relate to locomotives. A table lists named expresses running in the summer
of 1927, although not all of these would be suitable for haulage by Royal
Scots. Notes that C.J. Allen in his Locomotive Practice & Performance
series in Rly Mag. was critical of the early performance of the class. But
Sir Henry Fowler gave details of ccoal and water consumption from dynamometer
car tests made between Euston and Crewe with the class in response to a
paper by Lawford Fry presented to the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers in1928. Rutherford notes that it
was these tests which prompted Gresley to verify the LMS dynamometer car
against the LNER vehicle. The final batch (Derby, 1930) were fitted with
modified piston valve heads. Many Derby practices and details were incorporated
into the NBL design as co-ordinated by Herbert Chambers and (probably) James
Anderson. The resulting amalgam of practices led to a number of inherent
faults. Some could be rectified by modifications during shoppings (it is
considered that the locomotive sent to the USA included them all), and the
locomotives became highly reliable and more work was given to them, both
in trailing loads and mileages in the working diagrams, until the inherent
design faults began to make themselves known with a vengeance. Modifications
became more drastic, time-consuming and costly (eg new frames) and eventually
all the engines were converted to taper boiler engines which Stanier had
perceived this as an early task. Of the problems with the 'Scots' when built,
the two that were potentially dangerous were drifting exhaust obscuring the
driver's view of the road and signals and the tendency to rough riding -
either on poor track or after a high mileage since shopping. Both were cited
as the reason for accidents (Leighton Buzzard and Weaver Junction respectively).
The former was aleviated with large deflector plates; completely flat at
first, later curved inwards at the top. The ride was an inherent problem
with 4-6-0s: a King had derailed at Midgham and a Lord Nelson at Kent House
and the bogies required modifications to the springing. In Table 3 it is
shown that the distance from the bogie to the first coupled axle was only
8ft 11 in as compared with 10ft 9in for the Lord Nelson. but would have been
11ft 6in for the Derby proposed compound 4-6-0. Illus.: colour: 6100 as painted
by F. More and M. Secretan; last unconverted Royal Scot No. 46137 The
Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire) near Brinklow with an
up Liverpool express in June 1953 Train in carmine & cream, locomotive
in green, low evening light) (J.B. McCann); Patriot No. 45519 Lady
Godiva passing Longsight station with up express in June 1957 (W. Oliver);
45542 climing to Shap with down express in July 1958 (J.G. Wallace), B&w:
Patriot No. 6000 under construction at Crewe in July 1933; No. 5547 climbing
Grayrigg bank (H. Gordon Tidey); 5551 departing Crewe on long Manchester
to London express; 5500 Croxteth with smoke deflectors sometime beetween
May 1934 and February 1937.
Ferguson, Niall. The Wild West comes to Toon: Buffalo
Bill Cody's Wild West Show's visits to Scotland. 433-6.
William Frederick Cody was born in Iowa in 1846. He had worked for
the Pony Express and had made some record rides on horseback and been a scout
for the US Army during the Indian Wars. Following a chance meeting with Ned
Buntline, a writer on the Wild West, a stage show was developed in 1872 with
Nate Salsbury, the theatre impressario. A vast show was staged on Staten
Island which drew audiences of 200,000 per week. Henry Irving saw this show
and arranged for it to come to Britain in 1887. Two hundred people and two
hundred animals were brought over on SS State of Nebraska and unloaded
at Albert Dock, London and taken by train to Earl's Court. The show coincided
with Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and the show ran for six months from
April. In November the show spent three weeks in Birmingham, and then went
on to Manchester and Hull before returning to the USA. Another tour took
place in 1891 and this included a show at Glasgow in Dennistoun from 16 November
1891 to February 1892. In 1897 a special train was constructed for Barnum
& Bailey's Circus by W.R. Renshaw of Stoke to an American design adpated
for British conditions. This was fitted with both vacuum and Westinghouse
brakes and buckeye couplers: there were 35 flat cars and 16 stock cars. Most
of these cars, but not the elephant cars, were used for the Cody show and
these were formed into three trains. The cars were painted orange, except
for the sleeping cars which were painted red. Eight vehicles were equipped
with British couplings and buffing gear at one end. The Caledonian Railway
was paid 6d per vehicle per mile, but passengers and bicycles were extra
(the former were charged ½d per mile and there were terminal charges
for loading and unloading. The venues are tabulated and included locations
off the CR: Galashiels, Hawick and Kirkcaldy on the NBR, Saltcoats on the
GSWR, Huntley and Fraserburgh on the GNSR, and Inverness on the HR. The Dundee
show is considered at greater length and was based on Magdalen Green with
a train service to and from Dundee West and extra trains or modified trains
from Perth and Auchterhouse. The show left Britain in October and never returned.
John Frederick Wake of Darlington auctioned off the vehicles and some were
purchased by the Alexandra (Newport & South Wales) Docks & Railway
(ADR).
Hennessey, R.A.S. One track to the future: early monorail
visions, 1820-1920. 437-41.
Begins with a taxonomy (classification): elevated or suspended (Wuppertal
Schwebebahn), the single rail without any other kind of support (Brennan
gyro-stabilised), the straddle variety (Listowel & Ballybunion Railway
in Ireland) and the upper support type (Kearney) and the hybrid type with
outriggers, notably the Ewing system. Level crossings with roads (except
on elevated systems) and points and turnouts were difficult to engineer.
The use of steam traction was also difficult. A small Monorail Transporter
for civil engineering sites was described in The Engineer in 29 December
1949 and 29 May 1959. Chalmers Kearney attempted to popularise his ideas
via fiction: Eróne (1943) which introduces a "Monoway" and
makes oblique reference to his nearly successful system between North and
South Shields. In true Hennnessey form the article covers everything from
pure? fiction to "sound" proposals, through to actual ventures. Utopian cities
are prone to monorail transport: H.G. Wells was interested in them and included
them in The War in the Air (1908). Includes a reference to Oswald
Spengler's: The decline of the West (1917) which led to Spengler's
rule: when new cultural forms emerge a large range of possibilities are explored
in their early histories: Hennessey suggests that this was the case with
monorails and was certainly so with hovercraft (KPJ) and possibly with tilting
trains (KPJ). Others mentioned include: Dr Maude Royden, Rowland Allanson-Winn
(5th Baron Headley); William Bradshaw's Goddess of Atvabar (1892)
possibly inspired by Le Roy Stone's system at the Philadelphia Centennial
Exhibition of 1876; The Eagle contributor: Frank Hampson's Red
Moon Mystery (1953); Luke Herbert's Brighton to London system to be
wind-powered and to convey fish and Andraud's Windway to be propelled
by inflatable rubber tubes. The Rev. Riach Thom's model Marvo Railway and
H.H. Tunis' top-supported monorails at the Jamestown Exposition in 1907 are
both mentioned. Hennessey's suggested website visit (www.monorail.org) is
disappointing unless one is interrested in Seattle. Also cites B.G. Wilson
and J.R. Day's Unusual railways (with B.G. Wilson Ottley 2389) and
the latter's More unusual railways (1960 Ottley 2393) which KPJ also
found disappointing. Bibliography. See letter from Nigel
Probert (p. 572) on Edouard Locher and his double rack system employed
on the 1 in 2 Mount Pilatus Railway in Switzerland..
Dent, Stephen (phot.) and Foster, Richard D. (captions).
Signalling spotlight: Western signals on the Shrewsbury & Hereford Joint
Line. 442-3.
Bracket signals at Bromfield; signals and signal box at Moreton-on-Lugg
in July 1989 with lifting barriers at level crossing; bracket signal at Craven
Arms.
Readers' Forum (correspondence). 444
Completely lost on the Elgin branch.
Editor.
See feature page 324: not Elgin but
Nairn
Philadelphia — a notable coal railway. Terry
McCarthy.
See feature by Brian Syddall in Vol. 18
(12) page 740: notes that driving wheel diameter of TVR 0-6-2Ts sold
to the Lambton and Hetton Collieries Railway was 4ft 6½in and not as
stated).
The Torrington branch. David Thrower.
See feature concluding on page 294 which shows
editorial folly of breaking rules on mentioning "modern" developments: the
bubblecar mentioned evaporated.
The Torrington branch. Andrew Surry.
See feature beginning on page 135 on broad gauge
motive power used on the line and its eventual fate. Cites
Colin Maggs' The Bristol &
Gloucester Railway which gives details of Dreadnought and
Defiance sold by the B&GR to Thomas Brassey, contractor to the
North Devon line..
'Britannias' on the Western Region. John
Smart.
See p. 288: photograph of 70022: where date of
1956 suggested, but state of locomotive suggests post July 1957.
'Britannias' on the Western Region. Piet
Biesheuvel.
See p. 288: train was leaving Green Lane Tunnel,
not Severn Tunnel. Follow up letter from Michael J. Smith
(p. 574) noting that many passengers thought that Pilning Tunnel was
entry to Severn Tunnel and status of Severn Tunnel in terms of longest (compared
with East Finchley to Morden via Bank (or how about Channel
Tunnel?).
C.E. Stretton. Stephen Duffell.
See unfortunate feature on page 218:
most of this blistering attack on the reliability of Stretton
is incorporated into the Stretton
page.See also letter from Brian Orrell (page 574) which
notes Sekon's hostility with Stretton and evidence that Vulcan Foundry
supplied information to Stretton,
But can you prove it?. Nigel
Probert.
Interpretation is a key element in historical studies
(writer is challenging some of Summers' assertions in feature
on page 239). Illustrates by citing an ITV South Bank Show 8 May 2005
concerning the storage of National Gallery paintings in the Manod slate quarry
during WW2. The roadway on a bridge under a railway at Llan Ffestiniog had
to be lowered considerably to accommodate the lories yet the bridge still
carried a 10ft 6in headroom warning. A more serious case of interpretation
was that when the writer was researching the broad gauge it became obvious
to him that Brunel lacked a clear paradigm of what the broad gauge might
achieve. He thought that the rolling resistance would be lower forgetting
that the weight of the stock would be greater. O.S. Nock may have been incorrect
in stating where Churchward is buried (source not given), but this according
to Probert does not invalidate Nock's assessment of Churchward's locomotives,
especially in terms of their performance. Response from
L.A. Summers (p. 573): notes some failings made by Nock and long
correspondence maintained between Summers and Nock. Notes that C.J. Allen
sometimes changed details in some of the performance logs which he received
(and that quoted speeds should be checked). Also requests information on
the true propensity for Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-4-4 Duplex type to slip,
and suggests that might have been used to engineer their displacement.
Response also from Terry McCarthy (p. 573) noting that
citation is essential..
Book Reviews. 445.
Taken by trains - the life and photographs of William Nash, 1909-1952.
Kate Robinson and Robert Forsythe. Oakwood. DWM ***
William Nash was a railway enthusiast who became a professional railwayman
and whose life was cut short in the Harrow disaster of 1952. Nash was a talented
photographer. Biographical comment supported by photographs. Book obviously
written with affection and style; content of the pictures is excellent but
in a significant number of instances they have been reproduced 'through a
glass, darkly'.
The steam age in Ireland: a collection of railway art. Lord
O 'Neill. Colourpoint. SDW *****
Reproductions of paintings by artists such as Jack Hill and Victor
Welch, and morevrecent work by Sean Bolan, Norman Whitla and Debra Wenlock,
supported by informative and extended captions and some by sepia-toned
photographs from the National Railway Museum.
Ryde by Steam Volume 1. Andrew Britton. Medina Books, KH
*****
First of trilogy of pictorial books on railways of Isle of
Wight.
Sir Samuel Morton Peto Bt. 1809-1889 - Victorian Entrepreneur of East
Anglia. Edward C. Brooks. Bury Clerical Society. DG ***
Originally published in 1996: text creates a gradually emerging image
of a very talented, energetic and compassionate man motivated by humane and
tolerant philosophy, who was prepared to take risks and to stand by his
responsibilities, even to his own cost. Book is well researched with considerable
detail at every stage. Chapter divisions are ordered by themes, eg 'Maker
of Lowestoft' and 'The Railway Era', rather than by a chronological
sequence.
The Railways of Upper Strathearn: Crieff-Balquhidder.
Bernard Byrom. Oakwood Press (Locomotion Paper No.225). NF ****
Book is a typical, though somewhat minimalist, example of the standard
Oakwood railway history.
Repairs at Eastleigh. Roy Hobbs. rear cover
N class 31811 and BB 34056 Croydon on 4 April 1963.
NER J72 0-6-0T No. 68736 at York in 1961 as repainted in
North Eastern Railway livery for station pilot duty. front cover.
Two J72s were treated to this colour scheme for use at York and Newcastle,
No. 68736 moving to Newcastle later that year See also page
480 for same locomotive at Newcastle Central..
Behold the Lord High Human Resources Director: a personage
of noble rank and title. Michael Blakemore. 451.
Editorial: When asked, as he is from time to time, how he came to
be editor of a magazine such as Backtrack, he can only answer that it was
largely fortuitous — knowing the right person and, being in the right
place at the right time had as much to do with it as any formal career plan.
Admittedly (inspired by the belief that such editorial luminaries as John
Slater, Basil Cooper, Geoffrey Kichenside, Michael Harris and that well-known
anagram from way back G. A. Sekon had an agreeable billet in life) editing
a magazine was always an ambition even at school, but it was not something
towards which a careers officer could direct him; nor can he say that all
those years of dutifully composing French essays, solving simultaneous equations,
calculating the dimensions of isosceles triangles, trying to understand the
laws of physics and avoiding PE lessons were any sort of obvious
preparation.
That the railway of today is very different to that of the 'Big Four'
era, both physically and in operational structure, hardly needs saying. Railways
were largely managed by career railwaymen who had risen to hold respectable
positions as dignified and potent officers. However, a peep behind the scenes
is revealing of changes in the managerial functions necessary to run the
show. From the 1930 Railway Year Book we find the LNER had a Chief Chemist,
a Port Master, a Cartage Manager and a Chief of Police (a term I always find
slightly sinister, with vaguely Balkan or Middle Eastern connotations i),
the GWR had a Chief Clerk to the Chief Goods Manager, a Stationery
Superintendent, a Horse Superintendent, a Registrar of Deeds and a Chief
Draughtsman (a Mr. Hawksworth, as yet unknown). The Southern's senior
appointments included an Assistant for Lighting, Heating & Water (Chief
Engineer's Dept. ) and a Chief of Tests ("you may now turn over your paper
and begin writing. ?"), while on the LMS there were a Mineral Manager and
a Road Motor Manager. The point of mentioning them is that you could imagine
what they did, in panelled offices, at solid wooden desks with candlestick
telephones.
Fast forward to the latest volume and we find the people needed to
deal with affairs today have sharper-suited titles. The joined-up
vertically-organised system is gone, replaced by a catalogue of operating
and leasing companies, each with its own important-sounding heirarchy, all
with a Human Resources Director (or similar) and others, no doubt, whose
functions (like those of Gilbert & Sullivan's Lord High Executioner)
are particularly vital- but often unfathomable. GB Railfreight has a Safety
Compliance Manager, GNER a Head of Procurement and a Senior Product Manager,
Leisure, Scotrail an External Relations Manager, Virgin Rail a Director,
Safety & Quality, Trans Pennine Express a Liaison Director. The solid
wooden desk is replaced by the laptop, the candlestick phone by the ubiquitous
mobile.
Through the streets of London. John Spencer Gilks (phot.).
452-3.
Colour photo feature: mainly views from a high level: West London
Extension line with class 33 crossing Battersea High Street with northbound
freight on 26 July 1975; class 33 light engine crossing Thames by Cremorne
Viaduct on same day; Waterloo departures in late afternoon on 21 October
1966; Vauxhall station in December 1974, and Kensington Olympia on 5 October
1987 from platform level with Kensington South Main signal box and London
Transport shuttle.
Killin branch engines. 454.
Colour photo feature: 439 class 0-4-4T No. 55204 outside Loch Tay
engine shed on 17 May 1961 (Michael Mensing); 80136 leaving Killin Junction
with single coach on 7 August 1962 (David Idle).
Nisbet, Alistair. Elliot Junction [accident] 1906.
455-62.
This serious accident which was mainly caused by extreme weather
conditions (blizzard) and possible drinking on duuty by Driver George Gourlay
(who was probably ill at the time) occurred on 28 December 1906 and was the
subject of an investigation by Major Pringle (published 20 April 1907). Criminal
proceedings were taken against Gourlay and he was found guily of culpable
homicice (Scottish equivalent of manslaughter and sentenced to prison. The
Board of the NBR (probably influenced by its brewers and distillers) ensured
that a job was found for the unfortunate man, who was able to draw his pension.
The accident has been covered by several others (none cited):
Niall Ferguson; The Elliot Junction accident
Br. Rly J., 1992, 5, (44) 178 and in
Rolt's Red for danger (pp. 121
et seq) and very sympathetically by
Hamilton Ellis in his North British
Railway and probably by John Thomas. See letter
from John Macnab (p. 574) concerning arrival of corpses at Arbroath and
errors on Map: no station at Elliot, Carmyllie branch terminated at Redford;
and location of Victoria Bar.W. Tollan (20 p. 126)
notes that the Carmyllie quarries sent marble to Cologne
Cathedral..
Flann, John L. Reminiscences of a BR surveyor: in and
out of the office, 1951-58. 463-8.
Work in the Estate Department of the London Midland Region. Training
as a Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors took place at Euston
(in his own time and at his expence). Some early outdoor work took place
near Watford under Bill Carr. The dangers of working on the lineside are
noted. Later field work was performed north east of Manchester. Working on
his own began near Newport and Wellington in Shropshire: the former survey
dated September 1952 formed a part of his professional examination. In the
autumn of 1952 he became a supernumerary in the Liverpool District Office
directly under Heaton Smith and within the orbit of Harry E. Sharpe, the
District Surveyor and later uber A.G. Fox.. He lived in a hotel in Wallasey
and travelled to work by ferry. Most of the travel to sites was accomplished
by train, including by freight brake van, but sometimes by bus. He was in
the possession of a LMR all-line pass and this enabled him to commute on
a weekly basis to his home South of London. Illus.: Oldham Clegg Street station
with two push & pull units: ex-GCR C13 4-4-2T 67433 on Oldham Glodwick
Road to Guide Bridge service and 40056 on Delph Donkey in not very
early 1950s (Donkey included carmine & cream corridor coach), NB also
electric lighting and advanced signalling courtesy LNER and glimpse of crumbling
Oldham Central across the road (J. Davenport); 45517 at Blackburn; 42435
at Bolton Trinity Street on 20 August 1963 on Southport to Manchester Victoria
slow; exterior of Liverpool Central with entrance to Mersey Railway on 29
August 1955 (T.J. Edgington); Liverpool Overhead Railway at Pier Head on
26 October 1956; 45526 Morecambe and Heysham leaving Liverpool Road
freight depot for Carlisle with express freight; ex-LNWR 0-6-2T 58904 with
17.45 to Wellington and Newport station (both Shropshire) on 15 July 1950
(T.J. Edginton); 41283 at Ormskirk with Rainford p&p on 27 June 1954
(TJE); 40195 at Southport Chapel Street with train for Preston on 9 October
1956 (TJE), 45600 Bermuda arrived at Liverpool Lime Street with stopping
train from Manchester Exchange. See also letter from W.
Taylor on page 695 which notes the lasting significance of the surveyor's
work and that many of the linen-backed plans are still stored..
Summers, L.A. The view from Paddock Wood. 469-74.
Brief introduction to history of railway at Paddock Wood on the SER
mainline to Dover. This served originally as "Maidstone Road Halt", but developed
as a junction for the Medway Valley line opened to Maidstone in 1844, and
from 1893 as the junction for Hawkhurst, although some of this branch had
opened earlier. Hop-picking was a key activity on this line. There was a
buffet at Paddock Wood, but Summers admits to not knowing anything about
it when it was in operation. Partly an assessment of the improvements wrought
by electrification and comment upon the tedious nature of cross country family
journeys from Paddock Wood to Oxfordshire via Redhill. Illus.: staff group
photograph with stationmaster Vallence in 1936; H class 31177 at Hawkhurst
in June 1961 (Frank Hornby); L class 31773 at Tonbridge shed in May 1957
(FH)..See also letter from George Matthews (p. 637)
on television series The Old Pull & Push in 1959/60 filmed at
Goudhurst.
The Caledonian Railway '938' Class 'Rivers'. (The Backtrack
Archive). John MacIntosh (captions). 475
Black & white photo-feature: 938 at Balornock in 1920; 941 departing
on freight from Viaduct Yard, Carlisle in 1923; 943 at Carlisle Kingmoor
in 1922 (A.B. MacLeod). All locomotives in CR blue. According to caption
no known photograph of River class on passenger train in CR days.
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Locomotives. Barry
C. Lane (captions). 476-7.
Black & white photo-feature: photographs (except first by
J.M. Tomlinson): East Lancashire Railway: 2-4-0 Aeolus (rebuilt as
2-4-0 in 1867) from Walker Bros. 2-2-2 at Burnley Manchester Road in 1867:
see letter from Paul Kehoe on page 765 and immediate
response from Barry Lane which queries the date and suggests 1868 or later;
former 1876 0-6-0ST (centre wheels removed) acting as
train heating boiler at Blackpool North during pre-grouping period (also
in Railway Archive No. 10
page 74 upper); 0-6-0ST No. 788 (Beyer Peacock 0-6-0 of
1882 converted to 0-6-0ST in 1898)(same locomotive refered to in
Railway Archive No. 10 page
72); Hughes 4-cylinder compound 0-8-0 No. 1472 of 1906 at Fleetwood shed;
4-cylinder 4-6-0 as LMS No. 10444 converted for oil-burning in 1926 at
Poulton-le-Fyle.
The SECR H Class Tanks. Roy Hobbs (phot.).
478-9.
Colour photo feature: 31308 at Dunton Green on 27 August 1961; 31544
at Rowfant on Three Bridges to East Grinstead train in September 1962; 31551
between Three Bridges and Grange Road in June 1963; 31263 entering Westerham
on 28 October 1961 (view from cab); 31324 leaving Stoke Junction for
Allhallows-on-Sea on 2 December 1961 (David Idle): all working push &
pull. See also letter from J.R.W. Kirkby (page 573)
who travelled on night suburban trains in the late 1930s hauled by H class
locomotives with birdcage sets when the electricity was turned off for
maintenance work.
Above the banks of the coaly Tyne. 480-3.
Colour photo feature: 60129 Guy Mannering on York to Glasgow
Queen Street express on 29 August 1964 at Newcastle Central (David Idle);
68736 at Newcastle Central on 15 April 1963 (T.J. Edgington)
(see also front cover); 60001 Sir Ronald Matthews
with smokebox door open at Gateshead mpd on 31 August 1964 (DI) (caption
writer refers to this as "rare A4" sales of Steam World deserve
to increase for that); K1 62021 at Gateshead mpd on 28 October 1962 (DI);
V3 67652 light engine with castle in background (David Sutcliffe); Gresley
EMU in blue and cream? livery in December 1948 (note driver's window still
retains WW2 protection); 60131 Osprey crossing High Level bridge on
21 March 1965 (road swing bridge also visible) (J.S. Gilks); Deltic 9002
The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and class 45 on 10 January
1972 (K. Gregory), and class 105 DMU (Rail blue) crossing High Level bridge
(KG).
Steam on the South Wales Main line. 484-6.
Colour photo feature: 43XX class No. 6338 passing 5096 Bridgwater
Castle at Cardiff General in September 1962 (Barry Gant); 4073
Caerphilly Castle at Swansea High Street in August 1956 (Hugh Daniel);
Castle 5060 Earl of Berkeley hauling South Wales Pullman through Skewen
in January 1957 (HD); 7820 Dinmore Manor leaving Newport on Cardiff
to Portsmouth "express" in June 1962 (C.G. Maggs); black Hall 5937 Stanford
Hall approaching Cockett Tunnel with down Pembroke Dock Express
in September 1961 (HD); 4073 at Newport High Street with down express in
May 1959 and 7825 Lechlade Manor departing Narbeth with stopping train
in June 1962: all Colour-Rail.
Rutherford, Michael. The 'Scots' and their weans. Part
Three. (Railway Reflections No. 114). 487-95.
Part 1 began on page 356; Part 2
on page 424. In spite of silly title for feature (the weans were not
manufactured in Glasgow!) the references are listed within a highly sensible
classification: drawings and official photographs; contemporary accounts;
retropsective accounts; performance (mainly from Nock); train services and
names. Notes that Jack Francis,
a leading draughtsman at Crewe, designed the enlarged boiler for the Claughton
and Patriot classes: this became the G9½S: Francis was moved to Derby,
but continued to live in Crewe. (see also letter page 636
from C. Taylor) The illus. on page 492 of Royal Iniskinning Fusilier
is important for showing the vacuum pump drive; the coil springs fitted
to the crank axle and second driving axle (the latter were replaced by laminated
springs during rebuilding. The Patriot class was characterized by variations
in bogie and chassis types, and only the last series were selected for rebuilding
with larger boilers. The frames used for the Patriots were stronger than
those for the Royal Scot class as they lacked the cut-outs for lightening.
Furthermore, the cylinders were smaller and frame cracking was not experienced.
The weight quoted for the Patriots was 83 tons 8 cwt as aginst 84 tons 18
cwt for the Royal Scots, but the CME had claimed 80 tons 15 cwt in the case
of the former. Annual milegaes are quoted for both classes. Col. illus.:
45543 Home Guard at Bay Horse on Manchester to Windermere express
in July 1962 (A.R.E. Cope); 45519 Lady Godiva at Bromsgrove on express
heading towards Bristol on 20 June 1959 (T.J. Edgington); 45511 Isle of
Man at Crewe in June 1956 (T.B. Owen); 45519 on express at Dore &
Totley (P.J. Hughes); 45509 The Derbyshire Yeomanry on Marple Viaduct
with carmine & cream stopping train (severe colour degradation) (E. Oldham).
B&w: 46158 The Loyal Regiment fitted with indicator shelter in
1930; 46146 The Rifle Brigade at Camden mpd (unrebuilt)
(see letter p. 636 from George W.F. Green concerning
caption error); 45542 and 45500 (minus name) at Carnforth; 45537 Private
E. Sykes V.C. climbing Madley Bank with up express from Barrow on 20
June 1948; 6142 undergoing piston valve examination in Edge Hill shed; 45504
Royal Signals puffing up Lickey incline with sanders working hard
in August 1960 (T.J. Edgington); 45506 The Royal Pioneer Corps passing
Preston on fitted freight in September 1955; 45538 Giggleswick stored
outside Rugby works on 3 June 1962 (G.L. Wilson).
Gilks, David. Joseph Locke: railway engineer. 496-500.
Began on page 368: notes Locke's
Presidential Address to the Instn Civil Engrs in 1858 in which he compared
the French and British governments in their attitdes towards railway development.
Gilks then considers Locke's "rescue work": the alignment of tunnels on the
Liverpool & Manchester Railway; the reorganisation of the contracts for
the London & Southampton Railway with transfer of most of the work to
David McIntosh or to Thomas Brassey and the overcoming of the many landslips
which had beset construction; and Woodhead Tunnel. His relationships with
Brassey and with John Errington are considered. He disliked the construction
of tunnels and was prepared to use steep gradients to avoid them as on Shap.
His main mistake appears to have been the inadequate sized of Crewe Works
for the Grand Junction Railway. His main contribution to locomotive design
was in standardization. This article restricts his activities overseas mainly
to the line from Paris to Rouen and onto Le Havre. He received the Légion
d' Honneure when the line to Rouen was opened on 3 May 1843 and Queen Victoria
was present on 22 March 1847 when the line was complete. On 10 January 1846
the Barentin Viaduct had collapsed, but Brassey financed its reconstruction.
In 1847 Locke became Liberal MP for Honiton. There are staues of Locke in
Locke Park, Barnsley (illustrated) and alongside Barentin Viaduct (illustrated,
but not statue). He is buried in Kensal Green Cemetry and there was a memorial
window in Westminster Abbey, but this was removed during WW2. Portrait p.
497.
Skelsey, Geoffrey. 'Of Great Public Advantage': aspects
of Cambridge and its railways — 1845-2005. Part Two. 501-6.
Part 1 began on p. 400. Even in
1845 the railway provided the possibility of a day trip to London with several
hours in the capital. The early ticket prices were high: 10s 6d 1st class.
By 1852 it was possible to reach London in 1hr 25 min. non-stop. Excursion
trains were run to the Great Exhibition of 1851. Joseph
Romilly made several visits. On 23 April 1849 an excursion was run to
Norwich in connection with a public execution. From 1870 expresses were run
to St Pancras and in 1904 a time of 72 minutes was achieved via this route,
a time not bettered until 1937. The St Pancras service ended in 1917. The
GNR service began in 1866 with a time of about 110 minutes: by 1897 expresses
had reduced this to 80 minutes. Postal services provided sorting en route.
In September 1937 the service from Liverpool Street was vastly improved to
meet road coach (bus) competition: five coach trains ran non-stop in 65 minutes.
Nevertheless, the earlist arrival in London was at 08.48 by a very slow train;
the earlist fast did not arrive until 09.07. In 1937 the King's Cross service
was also improved with time of 72 minutes. The Garden Cities and Cambridge
Buffet Expresses provided this service, but following WW2 the title was
shortened to Cambridge Buffet Expresses. These ended with electrification
to Royston in 1977. No student is permitted to keep or use a motor car within
the City. The Cambridge University Railway Club was formed in 1911. Many
of the branch lines around Cambridge lost their services and passenger numbers
quoted by the Author support this action, but the loss of the service to
Oxford faces severe criticism from the Author, although he is luke warm for
the prospects for a revival of this route. More recently the surviving lines
have received far better services, especially those via Peterborough (to
such unlikely destinations as Langley Mill). The direct route to Newmarket
was a very early railway closure. The Great Northern route was improved by
the elimination of the Potters Bar bottleneck and by electrification. In
2005 there were ten arrivals in London before 09.00 and this reflects the
University's greater requirement for travel to London for meetings. The Author
was Attaché to the Chancellor of Cambridge University for 27 years.
Extensive bibliography. The Editor is to be congratulated for allowing the
Author to give a complete account. Illus. p. 506 interior of Cambridge South
signal box showing all-electric equipment installed in 1927 by British Power
Railway Signalling.
Readers' Forum. 507.
'Of great public advantage'. Editor.
Editorial cringe for it's use as possessive pronoun.: see feature
on Cambridge! (page 400)
This way for America. A. R. Nicholls.
See feature on pp. 378-9: apparatus described as
a "knife grinder" was a knife cleaner.
But can you prove it? J.T. van Riemsdijk
See p. 311: some of this important
letter is reproduced below: "The author thus denigrates the magazine
[Backtrack] he is writing for and insults its editors, past and present.
It is a cowardly attack because it makes no specific criticism and largely
protects the author from being required to justify his statement or reveal
his own opinions. This author [Summers] continues in like manner: attacking
Rogers' book on Chapelon he asserts
that Rogers "admits" basing his book on Chapelon's own account. The word
"admits" has, in recent years, become the hallmark of the politician and
the polemicist, useful to such people because it implies guilt without being
specific, again protecting its user from challenge. Rogers' guilt seems to
be that of going to the best and most original source. The vague smear continues:
the author would like to know what Chapelon did during the Vichy period:
why has he not tried to find out? "Neither Rogers nor anyone else has any
information on this". That is complete rubbish. There are still people around
who were in the SNCF during this period and I myself [letter writer], and
George Carpenter, have known others, as we have both known Chapelon himself.
Moreover, there are hundreds of Chapelon's letters 'in various hands, including
a block of over 400 written over 35 years to a very close friend, currently
being prepared for publication by the French Association for the History
of France's Railways, a very learned body with University status (of which
I "admit" to being a member) the proceedings of which include two thick volumes
of personal accounts of the SNCF in the Second World War. I had some (distant)
contacts with SNCF personnel when I worked in the Special Operations Executive
and followed these up early in 1946, when I formed lasting friendships with
railwaymen of various grades. The conclusion to be drawn from all these sources
is that, apart from a politically motivated minority, the prime loyalty was
to France but some collaboration with the Germans was necessary to protect
French lives. Chapelon continued working on postwar locomotive design and
advising on motive power matters. He was a backroom boy, largely uninvolved
in politics. However, both he and Marc de Case, like numerous others, were
investigated after the war for possible collaboration. Both these great engineers
were freed of all charges." L.A. Summers has final "official"
word p. 636.
Steam on the Caledonian main line. David
Stewart-David.
Cylindrical objects being loaded into the Aberdeen train at Stirling
(photo pgae 311) are almost certainly 'Drikold' containers
from ICI, which were widely distributed by passenger train. They contained
solid CO2 which made dry ice used in ice cream production.
A Glasgow Suburban Journey. John Macnab.
See feature page 340 et
seq: Partick station was described as Partick for
Govan in some timetables, but was renamed Partickhill in 1953, and the new
station of 1979 becoming Partick once more. The type of footbridge illustrated
at Bearsden and Westerton stations was installed around 1959 to give OHLE
clearance. A similar footbridge at Partickhill was removed on this station's
closure in 1979 to Polmont station on the E&G route to replace the structure
there on that station's modernisation and is still in use. Writer was marched
from Partickhill station to Yorkhill Quay having come off a troop train from
Elgin during ASLEF strike.
The North Country Continental. Richard
Allsop.
See feature on p. 263. Writer was a schoolboy in
the 1950s. It was a highlight of his day at Worksop, and March mpd could
be relied upon to turn out an immaculate Sandringham B17 for the run to
Sheffield. Both 'Halls' (KPJ: this appears to be a novel use of Halls)
and 'Footballers' worked the train in the early 1950s but the latter were
gradually displaced by more of the GE-tendered variety. One of regulars was
No.61630 Tottenham Hotspur which was then the only 'Footballer' to
have a GE-pattern tender. In the early part of the 1950s B17s were overhauled
at Gorton Works. The train was used for transferring locos to and from works.
Sometimes the works locomotive would act as a pilot to the March-based B17
but more often than not it would replace it with a detrimental effect on
timekeeping, particularly on the westbound service. Bl7s could be rough engines
when due for overhaul. At least the crew were likely to be rewarded on the
return with an ex-works locomotive. In 1949 two of the Southern Region's
Tavern Car sets were allocated to the boat train. Named The White Horse
and The Jolly Tar they were more popular than the set used on the
Master Cutler but still only survived for two years before returning
to the Southern Region in modified form.
Stanier and Fairburn tanks of the LMS. D.J. Wood
See page 290: train illustrated
was probably 16.26 surving Royal Ordnance Factory at Radway Green which travelled
via Longport.
Black Country routes. Steve Burdett (phot.).
508-9.
Colour photo feature: 47 592 on diverted express passing Stourbridge
Junction on 16 October 1983; class 121 No. 55033 Daisy the DMU leaving
Stourbridge Town in MIDLINE livery in June 1987; 25145 with loaded steel
train at Blowers Green on 2 April 1980; six car DMU (white/blue livery) at
Cradley Heath on 6 January 1979 (six cars for West Bromwich Albion football
match); 45059 Royal Engineer shuting steel train at Kingswinford Junction
on 7 April 1982; Dudley Freightliner Depot with 47534 running light having
acted as banker on 29 March 1976.
Book Reviews. 510.
The Ramsgate Tunnel Railway. Peter A. Harding. Author.
TJE. *****
A most interesting book... Highly recommended.
Royal Deeside's Railway: Aberdeen to Ballater. Great North
of Scotland Railway Association. TJE ****
Two serious errors have crept into the text and captions. British
Railways came into existence by virtue of the 1947 Transport Act on 1st January
1948 (not 1947) and the last passenger trains ran on Saturday 26th February
1966. Subject to the above caveat, highly recommended.
Bolton Engineman... a last look back. Jim Markland. (Scenes
from the Past No. 47). Foxline Ltd. MB ****
Reminiscences of footplate cres at Bolton shed during years 1956-68.
Written in Lancashire dialect.
Mixed traffic at Newport. James Arthur. rear
cover.
61XX No. 6116 on mineral empties and Hymek D7049 (in original livery)
on down express on 17 April 1964
"Will you step into my parlour...". Michael Blakemore.
515.
Editorial: being brought up in a deprived area (Bury) or editor was
deprived of the sight of Pullman cars and had to await his employment at
the NRM before savouring their pleasures. This is followed by a gentle plug
for those services provided to cart the stinking rich around the countryside
whilst mere mortals are jolted along in Pacers.
Travels with the 'Marquess'. 516-17.
Colour photo feature: preserved K4 3442 The Great Marquess:
preserved by Viscount Garnock in 1961: at Wetherby East on 25 September 1963;
at Whitby Town on 13 April 1964 (for filming of BBC programme about privately
owned locomotives (both Gavin Morrison); at Stainton Dale with K1 62005 on
6 March 1965 (last day special) (David Sutcliffe); near Rogerley Hall on
Weardale branch on 10 April 1965 (J.S. Gilks); at Nowrwwod Junction on special
from Victoria to Chichester on 12 March 1967 (JSG).
Nisbet, Alistair F. The Banbury branch. 518-20.
Very brief history: Cites Bill Simpson's The Banbury and Verney
Junction branch, Oxford: Oxford Publishing, 1978 [Ottley 12189].
Line opened 1 May 1850 and linked Banbury with Bletchley and was worked by
LNWR. Illus. colour: Buckingham with 41275 on a push & pull working and
two single unit railcars M79900/1; Buckingham station buildings; the two
railcars at Brackley, Banbury Merton Street; Buckingham signal box (all John
Langford). B&w: Padbury station after closure (T.J. Edgington) and exterior
of Banbury Merton Street.
Mullay, A.J. Across the narrow sea: rail operation of
the Stranraer—Larne Passage, 1969-1975. 521-5.
British Transport Ship Management Ltd created in January 1969 to operate
the Caledonian Princess which had entered service in 1962 and had
been joined by Antrim Princess in 1967. This was in succession to
Shipping and International Services (SIS). It was a peculiar situation in
that the Scottish Region had been forced to transfer its Clyde ferries to
the Scottish Transport Group, but had been left with the Stranraer service.
Writer returns to loss of Princess Victoria (see
Backtrack 15, 691): he cannot comprehend how the ship was lost
so near to land and that communication was so poor. He also notes that much
of the blame was attributed to Captain Harry Penny, a former LNER man .
See also Frank Jones' involvement
in launch of Caledonian Princess service.
Hennessey, R.A.S. Wheels within wheels: locomotive wheel
notations: causes and effects. 526-33.
Whyte and other notations. According to writer Whyte published his
system in American Engineer and Railroad Journal in 1900 in a contribution
of less than 300 words. This had followed a contribution entitled "The confusion
of types—a logical locomotive classification needed" in the same journal.
Also observes pre-Whyte difficulties, such as locomotives noted as ten-wheelers
(probably 4-6-0s) and to axle-based notations used on Continental Europe
leading to Pacific 231. There is also the VDEV system with notations which
remind KPJ of Ranganathan's classification for library books where every
keyboard symbol is exploited to produce highly complex notations: a Midland
compound 4-4-0 would rejoice in being a 2'B h3v: presumably a Big Boy would
require Vistavision. Tuplin's modification of the system is noted.
Ahrons contributed a paper on the topic
to the Institution of Locomotive Engineers, The vast literature on locomotive
classifications is cited, much of it is helpfully in German. Many appropriate
websites are also listed. The use of the Whyte notation by Churchward was
noted by Rutherford in 1998, 12, 50 (not as
cited)..
Hill, Keith. Wisps of Wight steam. 534-43.
Mainly concerns the Southern Railway/Southern Region period of operation.
The pre-grouping scene is very briefly described: Isle of Wight Railway which
connected Ryde with Shanklin in 1864 and was extended to Ventnor in 1866;
the Ryde & Newport Railway opened in 1875 and reached Cowes (these lines
became the Isle of Wight Central Railway in 1887). Other lines extended from
Sandown to Newport, from Newport to Yarmouth and Freshwater (Freshwater,
Yarmouth and Newport Railway), to Brading and to Ventnor West. There is an
extensive, and still growing literature on these lines, but
D.L. Bradley did it well for the RCTS.
. There is very brief mention of a tunnel under the Solent
(covered more fully in the same author's skim along
the Lymington branch Vol. 18 p. 6). The main thrust of the article is
the forceful influence of the Southern Railway: push & pull operation
to Ventnor West to reduce costs; increasing line capacity at Ryde with seasonal
double track working; an improved layout at Newport station; a new passing
loop at Havenstreet; the introduction of the O2 class as standard motive
power; names (listed) for O2 locomotives; improved (secondhand) rolling stock;
influence of Alastair MacLeod; new workshop fascilities; All Island Weekly
Season Ticket, cross Island train service; lack of serious deterioration
during WW2; possible Post-War improvements not implemented; deterioration
under British Railways.
'Princess [Royal]' pageant. 544-7.
Colour photo-feature: [all red unless stated otherwise]: green 46211
Queen Maud outside Crewe paintshop (Gavin Wilson); 46200 The Princess
Royal on Camden mpd on 3 June 1962 (R.C. Riley); 46207 Princess Arthur
of Connaught on down Mid-Day Scot near Kensall Green in September
1961 (A.C. Sterndale); green 46203 Princeess Margaret Rose at Carnforth
mpd in 1962 (Ray Helm); 46200 on way towards Euston on last leg of Aberdeen
Flyer on 3 June 1962 (RCR); green 46206 Princess Marie Louise (with
coal-pusher equipped tender clearly visible) at Crewe on up express in April
1962 (P. Riley); 46200 leaving Watford Tunnel on Aberdeen Flyer (A.C.
Sterndale); 46207 on up Ulster Express on 9 March 1961 at Dudswell
(south of Tring) (J.P. Mullett); green 46201 Princess Elizabeth leaving
Perth southbound on empty stock in June 1962 (T.B. Owen); 46207 passing Camden
on down Liverpool express on 20 September 1958 (RCR). The red captured by
Sterndale was brighter than that captured by Riley (more "blue")
Thrower, David. Southern gone west: The North Devon
& Cornwall Junction Light Railway. Part 1. 548-56.
The Company was founded in 1909 with the backing of Colonel Holman
F. Stephens. Powers for the line were obtained from the Light Railway Commission
on 28 August 1918, but had to be re-obtained on 22 April 1922. The line opened
on 27 July 1925 and was worked by the Southern Railway, but the line remained
independent until 1948. Much of the line was built along the course of the
narrow gauge (3ft) Torrington & Marland Railway which was constructed
to serve the ball clay industry in the Peter's Marland area. The locomotive
stock of the narrow gauge railway is lightly sketched and included 0-6-0ST
Mary (Black Hawthorn 1880), 0-6-0T Marland (Bagnall 1883),
0-4-0T Peter (Lewin 1871), 0-4-0VB Coffeepot (Head Wrightson),
and Fletcher Jennings 0-4-0ST Jersey No. 1, Jersey No, 2 and
Merton. The ssaddle tanks were removed from the larger locomotives
to reduce weight and these were towed behind on a wagon permanently connected
to the locomotives. There was a further Bagnall 0-6-0T (1886) and Avonside
0-6-0ST Avonside of 1901. Presumably the Industrial Railway Society
has fuller details. The seemingly endless series of halts were at Watergate,
Yarde, Dunsbear, Petrockstow, Meeth, Hatherleigh (the only place of significance,
but far removed), Hole for Black Torrington and Halwill Junction are described
and illustrated. Part 2 see page 646 et seq..
See letter on p. 636 from Rabbi Walter Rothschild with
observations from Bert Dyke on mixed trains, passenger numbers (mainly zero)
and E1/R class.
Merritt, Keith. The Chessington branch. 557-9.
Opened by Souhern Railway to Tolworth on 29 May 1938 and to Chessington
South on 28 May 1939. Growth stimulated by Kingston Bypass, but final destination
at Leatherhead plugged by M25. Illus. of art deco style stations include
Malden Manor exterior and cast concrete canopies at most of stations. Notes
demise of Chessington Zoo. See letter from Roger Whitehouse
on page 695 concerning service frequency and from
Alistair Nisbet (Volume 20 p. 62) concerning
location of Wimbledon Chase (Sutton line) and station for Zoo was Chessington
South..
Hurley, Paul. The ICI Light Railway. 560-3.
The Alkali Division of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) had an extensive
railway network in Cheshire which connected with the WCML and the Cheshire
Lines Chester to Manchester line near Hartford. Another line was the Weston
Point Light Railway near Runcorn created by Castner Kellner (a constituent
of ICI) to link their plants with the LNWR in 1920. There was a further network
at Winsford. There is a long list of locomotives employed by ICI at their
Brunner Mond and Alkali Divisions and at Weston Point and at Winsford. The
assistance of the Industrial Railway Society is recorded. Illus.: 0-4-0WT
Crookes (Kerr Stuart 1917); 0-4-0WT Hemming (Kerr Stuart 1916),
0-4-0WT Kelvin (Borrows, 51/1908), 0-4-0WT Faith (Kerr Stuart
1928); powerful 0-6-0T Castner (Andrew Barclay); sidings at Lostock works,
Northwich.
Wells, Jeffrey. The 'Harrogate Pullman': ' a noteworthy
innovation'. 564-8.
Service began on 8 July 1923. Account based on a Rly Gaz. feature
published 6 July which refers to a special prefactory trip organized during
the weekend of 30 June/1 July when the train was run from King's Cross to
Harrogate and guests were entertained in Harrogate by the Mayor and Corporation
(guests included Wedgwood, Gresley and Bulleid). There appears to be some
sloppy sub-editing as the full service is stated to have begun on 8 June.
It is to be hoped that the cars have been described correctly or there will
be a three column letter from Charles Long. The service was extended to Newcastle
via Ripon and later to Edinburgh (13 July 1925) and eventually became The
Queen of Scots. The trouble is that an article based on assorted issues
of the Railway Gazette really needed further background reading and research.
The author also fails to note that the Pullman cars were transferred from
the Great Eastern Section where there was a lack of suitable work for them
(see Allen's Titled
trains...)
Thames Valley branches. 569-71.
Colour photo-feature: 1456 (black) with auto trailer at Henley on
14 June 1958 (T.J. Edgington); 1450 (black) in sandwich of auto cars at Bourne
End in August 1957 (L.V. Reason); 1421 (green) with compartment-type auto-car
at Marlow on 14 April 1962 (J.S. Gilks); 9406 shunting coal wagons at Bourne
End in March 1962 (C.R. Gordon Stuart); 1445 (green) hauling auto trailer
on curve into Bourne End from Marlow in March 1962 (note 10 mph speed restriction
for 14XX - all others 5 mph (CRGS); bridge over Thames at Bourne End on 23
August 1963 (JSG); class 121 and trailer crossing viaduct on approach to
Windsor (Castle in background) on 16 September 1978 (JSG)
Readers forum. 572.
One track to the future. Nigel Probert
See feature on page 437: argues
that Edourd Locher's double rack system for Mount Pilatus Railway in Switzerland
was in effect a form of monorail. Cites Philip Kelley and Donald Binns'
Swiss mountain railways. Vol. 1. See also letter
from John C. Cooke on page 765 which describes an earlier railway designed
for extremely steep gradients which ran from Sassi to the hilltop basilica
at Superga on the outskirts of Turin..
Racehorse names for LNER Pacifics. Reg Davies.
See feature on page 333 et seq:
forcefully argues against use of name Caligula (would have been unsuitable
in period in which naming took place).
Racehorse names for LNER Pacifics. Geoffrey
Hughes.
See feature on page 333 et seq:
suggests that Percy Maclure, Locomotive Running Superintendent of the Southern
Division of the LNER may have been responsible for introducing the
racehorse names. Also suggests that Flying Scotsman neatly follows Flying
Scotsman and that the plates were cast at King's Cross shed. There is also
a suggeestion that there may be a link with the Interchange Trials (KPJ:
but 4474 ran un-named on GWR). Further from this venerable
author on page 695..
The Grouping and early LMS locomotive policy. Dennis
Lorriman.
See Rutherford's Railway Reflections No. 111 (p.
276) and his comments on the 4P compounds: queries how
a locomotive with one high-pressure cylinder could work at short cut-offs
(this led to a response from Adrian Tester on page 637
which in turn led to a further letter from Dennis
Lorriman on page 318 of Volume 20), Also suggests that Rutherford quoted
E.S. Cox for describing a footplate journey (on a stopping train from Liverpool
to Crewe) in which he advised the driver to increase the cut-off of a compound
to 45% to achieve good running as the low pressure cylinders provided the
steam expansion (this rather improbable episode has not been traced: sounds
more like Powell). Also cites Poultney's contribution to the discussion of
Cox's A modern locomotive history
wherein he argued that many of the firemen liked the Webb compounds as they
were economical, although the drivers feared their complexity.
But can you prove it...? L.A. Summers. 573.
See letter from Nigel Probert on page 444
on accuracy: notes some failings made by Nock and long
correspondence maintained between Summers and Nock. Notes that C.J. Allen
sometimes changed details in some of the performance logs which he received
(and that quoted speeds should be checked). Also requests information on
the true propensity for Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-4-4 Duplex type to slip,
and suggests that might have been used to engineer their
displacement.
But can you prove it...? Terry McCarthy.
See letter from Nigel Probert on page 444
on accuracy; notes importance of
citation.
SECR H class tanks. J.R.W. Kirkby.
See photo-feature page 478: in late
1930s worked at Bricklayers Arms Goods Depot and returned from late shift
via Elephant & Castle (for 01.20 Blackfriars to Orpington train)
as faar as Herne Hill for 01.36 train to Belmont (which terminated at Sutton.
Both trains were three-coach birdcage sets hauled by H class as electricity
was turned off third rail at night.
Cambridge and its railways. Norman Pattenden.
Working of Royal Train from Tottenham to Cambridge on 5 July 1847:
how progress was reported by telegraph (cites account in Pictorial
Times). See feature beginning page 400.
Severn Tunnel. Michael J. Smith. 574.
See letter by Piet Breiesheuvel on page 444
noting that tunnel was that at Pilning rather than Severn:
further evidence for this plus comment on "longest" as compared with East
Finchley via Bank to Morden
C.E. Stretton. Brian Orrell.
See letter from Stephen Duffell (page 444)
and original feature page 218 and
Stretton page: notes the extreme hostility
between Stretton and Sekon: in 1896 failed to be elected to the National
Railway Museum Committee and this led to a writ against Stretton from Sekon.
But writer notes that some of Stretton's material may have had valid sources:
there is evidence that the management of Vulcan Foundry provided Stretton
with a listing of the first one hundred locomotives to be built
there.
Elliot Junction. John Macnab.
See page 455; writer's maternal
grandmother witnessed corpses from accident being brought into Arbroath.
Also notes errors on map: no station at Elliot on Carmyllie branch (which
terminated at Redford) and location of Victoria Bar. This letter led to response
from Alistair Nisbet in Volume 20 page 62 which
corrects some of assertions made in this letterr, notably location of quarries
and existence of platform at Elliot Junction which could be used by Carmyllie
trains.
'Cornish Riviera'. M.A. Knott.
A get-knotted sort of letter concerning the misdeeds of Michael
(caption page 408): suggests that King William V
should follow King Charles III!
The 'Royal Scots' and their weans. Terry Tracey.
See illus. on page 356 lower: notes
the sheeted wagon attached immediately behind locomotive (and requests to
know more); also notes that he worked as a railwayman at Mallaig in late
1970s and obsereved mixed train weorkings where tank wagons containing fuel
oil for the fishing fleet were attached to the rear of the 16.35 from Fort
William and 18.00 return passenger workings.
Mid-1960s on the London Midland Region. Walter
Rothschild.
See feature on page 326: failure to retain
infrastructure necessary to restore freight working in Britain, and how the
Belgian and Dutch railways only carry freight from the great seaports of
Antwerp and Rotterdam through to destinations outwith their borders. In Germany
freight lines have been transferred to private operators to maintain a freight
network.
Mid-1960s on the London Midland Region. David F.
Williams.
See photograph on page 327 lower:
location not as quoted but near Mochdre and Pabo signal box.
Page 329 (lower) shows interior of new signal box at
Denbigh installed shortly before the lines controlled were closed..
Evening departure from Derby. Cliff Woodhead. rear
cover.
Peak D100 Sherwood Forester crosses River Derwent on Five Arches
bridge on 19.10 slow train to Manchester Central on 14 April 1962. (first
coach was a push & pull driving trailer).
BR Class 25 Bo-Bo No.25 151 climbs towards Diggle Junction.
Brian Magilton. Front cover.
Passing former splitting distant signal at clear with an eastbound
train of COVHOPS in September 1982. See also colour photo-feature and
letter from Chris Jones-Bridger (p. 695) which suggests
that train would shortly be running away on descent from Marsden to
Huddersfield.
Wells, Jeffrey. The social experience of railways.
579.
Guest editorial composed on a Class 142 Pacer. Ponders how passengers
are forced into close proxmity and digs through some earlier literary (Thomas
Hardy's poem In a waiting room and James Scott's Railway romance
and other essays, 1913: (Ottley 4100) and in art: George Earl's Perth
station: coming south.
Celebrating Trafalgar! Notes on naval details by David
Mosley. 580-2.
Colour-photo feature: Jubilee class included names associated with
Nelson and with the Battle of Trafalgar: 45664 Nelson climbing Shap
with down express in 1954 (J.D. Mills); 45645 Collingwood at Carlisle
on 3 August 1963; 45675 Hardy in kissabled state at Holbeck mpd (Derek
Penney); 45676 Codrington on 17.15 Euston to Northampton leaving
Northchurch Tunnel in May 1964 (J.P. Mullett); 45742 Victory at Holbeck
on 11 August 1963 (Gavin Morrison) and 45682 Trafalgar covered in
steam (or is it gun smoke?) at Gloucester Eastgate in September 1962 (A.A.
Jarvis). Colour-Rail involved in several.
Gibson, Fergus. The Railway Clearing House: hidden treasures
uncovered. 583-7.
The means which the RCH took to make adjustments in the allocation
of payments for the carriage of passengers and freight (including its
classification) over the lines of more than one company. Illus. colour two
Railway Clearing House maps: Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough,
Quainton Road, & Verney Ashendon (post-Grouping) and Glasgow & District
(Pre-Grouping). Black & white: approach to Fenchurch Street showing Midland
Railway, Great Northern Railway as wee as Great Eastern Railway freight depots
and lines leading to LNWR depot; Chard Central station formerly Chard Joint
(GWR/LSWR), Railway Clearing House building in Eversholt Street; former NER
J21 0-6-0 No. 65089 approaching Eden Valley Junction, south of Penrith on
WCML on passenger train for Darlington on 14 June 1950 (Eric Bruton) and
Stanier class 4 2-6-4T departing Bangor with train for Caernarvon and Afon
Wen for Cambrian line. See letter from W.M. Tollan
on page 695 on drawn-in (non-existent) lines and chords on the map of
eastern Glasgow.
Syddall, Brian. Kidsgrove steam. 588-94.
On initial inspection this may seem like a typical Syddall contribution:
a few of his photographs (taken in the late period of their operation)
accompanied by excellent notes on the locomotives concerned, plus a few notes
on the industries which they served. But in this case the industrial activities
and the transport system which served the Kidsgrove area take precedence
over the handful of photographs. Thus there is an extensive description of
the Grand Trunk Canal, later the Trent & Mersey Canal and its promotors:
Josiah Wedgwood (who needed transport for his raw materials and pottery),
the Duke of Bridgewater, Thomas Gilbert and James Brindley. The Harecastle
Tunnel had a major influence on future canal development as it had to be
limited in dimensions to save cost. The tunnel also assisted in the extraction
of coal which Thomas Gilbert was mining (together with iron ore) at Clough
Hill, Nabs Wood and Birchenwood within the Kidsgrove area. Gilbert constructed
White Hall on Clough Hill and when this passed to his nephew John Gilbert
in 1798 he erected Clough Hall. The Gilberts were responsible for the development
of Kidsgrove, but in 1809 the mining interests were sold to Thomas Kinnersley,
a banker from Newcastle-under-Lyme. In 1840 his son, Thomas Kinnersley, erected
four blast furnaces at Birchenwood. To link this industrial activity to the
canal a narrow gauge tramway was constructed and included a rope-worked incline
known as The Dragon (through the beam engine which powered it). The Kinnersleys
were noteworthy benefactors to Kidsgrove. The Potteries Loop Line with its
1 in 40 gradients was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1875.
Thomas Kinnersley had employed Robert Heath as his manager, and his son Robert
became an ironmaster in Biddulph, and in 1889 acquired most of the Clough
Hall estate. In 1894 Robert Heath & Sons acquired a controlling interest
in the Birchenwood Colliery Co Ltd and constructed a two mile private railway
to link the Black Bull ironworks with Birchenwood. The coal seams were further
exploited and beehive coke ovens were constructed at Birchenwood in 1896.
In 1909 Simon Carves byproduct recovery coke ovens and chemical plant were
installed and in 1912 the beehive ovens were replaced by German Carl Still
ovens and this led to a weekly coke production of 4500 tons. This activity
was the subject of a Royal visit by King George V and Queen Mary on 23 April
1913. In 1920 the Power Gas Corporation installed Mond Gas Producers to handle
low grade coal where gas and chemicals were the main products and tank wagons
were acquired to handle the chemicals. In 1925 a slag reduction plant was
installed for road-making materials. The Mond gas plant was never as successful
as had been expected and closed in 1929. The Heaths pulled out of the business
in 1931 but the Birchenwood Coal & Coke Co. Ltd was formed by the local
colliery companies to continue processing their output.Syddall considers
that Robert Heath built sixteen
locomotives at Biddulph (Lowe stated
eleven), but these were not supplied to Birchenwood, although some appear
to have worked there latterly..
Sparks, Andy. The old order at Manchester Victoria.
595-7.
Black & white photographs taken in the summer of 1980 showing
the delabidated station, and its passengers, trains and staff (typically
with a fag in their hands presumably bought from Finlays tacky kiosk). 25
093 waits to bank a pssing freight and 47 354 is heading towards Blackpool
in pre-Pacer days (this picture also includes one of the unusual multiple
four aspect colour light signals installed by the LMS). It is difficult to
believe that club-car trains were running to both Blackpool and Southport
in the early 1950s from the shambles which existed then and was still plying
for trade in 1980.
Ludlam, A.J. Grimsby to Hull by train, tram and ferry.
598-605.
The Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway was 6.8 miles long and
started in Immingham as a street tramway at Corporation Bridge, but most
of the system was laid as a railway on flat-bottomed rails. Power was supplied
from the Immingham Power Station. The line opened on 15 May 1912. The town
section was closed in 1955 and the whole line on 1 July 1961. The Great Central
Railway purchased special purpose inter-urban type bogie vehicles, but these
were augmented under British Railways by the purchase of secondhand single
deck trams from Newcastle Corporation and from the Gateshead & District
Tramways Company. These vehicles are tabulated. As implied in the title one
coould travel from Grimsby to Immingham by tram, thence following a short
walk board a train for New Holland. Unfortunately, the train service on this
line was extremely limited. From New Holland it was possible to travel to
Hull on either the Tattershall Castle, the Lincoln Castle or
Wingfield Castle which were coal-fired paddle steamers. The ferry
service ended on 24 June 1981 when the beautiful white elephant, the Humber
Bridge opened. The ferries still survive. See also Ludlam's Railways to
New Holland and the Humber ferries. Oakwood. See
entertaining letter from G. Travis on page 765 who records an illicit
journey by drunken Norwegian seamen on a "stolen" tram from Immingham towards
Grimsby which was apprehended by the police at Pyewipe. Also notes that the
ferries frequenly ran aground on sandbanks in the Humber..
Freight by Great Central. 606-7.
Colour-photo feature: 9F 92031 leaving Catesby Tunnel with up coal
train on 2 March 1963 (remains of 1963 snow still much in evidence (Michael
Mensing); V2 60847 St. Peter's School, York, A.D. 627 on "up"? fitted
freight leaving Charwelton water troughs in May 1963 (Colour-Rail); 92071
on down empties passing Rugby Central in April 1963 (Paul Riley); O4/8 63674
south of Bulwell Common on mixed freight in August 1963 (D.B. Swale); 92091
passing Loughborough Central on up coal train (N.F. Ingram).
See Editorial grovel (page 695) concerning location
of Annesley, near Nottingham..
Standing in the Shadows. 608-9.
Colour-photo feature: mainly rather views taken inside stations: class
4 4-6-0 No. 75058 awaiting departure inside Southport Chapel Street with
train of non-corriodor stock in September 1964 (Joe Richardson); two Stanier
class 3 2-6-2Ts (40116 and 40078) await departure from Caernarvon for Portmadoc
on RCTS special on 222 July 1962 (David Sutcliffe); Platform 1 at Paddington
in 1962 at 17.40 (John Edgington); Brush Type 2 D5517 and N7 69614 at platform
ends at Liverpool Street in 1960 (DS).
Along the Pennine Ways. 610-14.
Colour-photo feature: Two class 5 4-6-0s (45062 leading) on Newcastle
to Red Bank sidings newspaper parcels vans empties passing Mirfield in August
1966 (note speed colour light signalling) (David A. Hill); Fowler class 4
2-6-4T No. 42394 on empty stock at Halifax on 1 November 1965 (David Idle);
class 5 45131 emerging from original Standedge Tunnel with eastbound freight
on 25 July 1966 (Bruce Oliver); Patriot 45517 on Leeds/Bradford
to Liverpool Exchange express (see Editorial correction
page 765: train is 10.30 Liverpool Exchange to Newcatle) on Luddendenfoot
water troughs on 20 April 1961 (Gavin Morrison); WD 90620 hauling empty wagons
on Low Moor triangle on 25 July 1966 (BO); Britannia 70038
Robin Hood crossing Saddleworth Viaduct with return special from York
on 2 July 1967 (DAH): see letter from Kevin Jones
(page 765) noting that "canal" was River Tame and earlier use of Britannia
Pacifics on route; Jubilee 45647 Sturdee passing Longwood on climb
to Standedge with Leeds to Llandudno holiday extra on 20 August 1966 (GM);
class 5 44694 on eastbound express passing Hebden Bridge in summer of 1966
(Derek Penney); Trans-Pennine five-car (not six as per caption) DMU
passing Milnsbridge climbing towards Standedge on 9 September 1966 (note
buffet car and roof boards)(GM); 47 456 crossing Gauxholme Viaduct with diverted
Trans Pennine express on 5 August 1984 (GM) WD 90047 passing Hall Royd Junction
in January 1967 (Brian Magilton); 47 448 Gateshead on Mk II stock
in Regional Railways livery on Newcastle to Liverpool express at Mirfield
on 1 May 1989 (GM). Further installment od Pennine
pictures Vol. 20 page 98 et seq
North Eastern Grit. Bruce Oliver (phot.). 615
Colour-photo feature all taken 28 July 1966: staiths at North Blyth
with collier Queensland alongside (caption notes that 6.8m tons of coal were
handled in 1961; J27 65809 passing Ashington with short freight and 65819
at Cambois shunting wagons into CEGB power stqation.
Rutherford, Michael. 1905 and Churchward's revolution
on the GWR. (Railway Reflections No.115). 616-26.
Begins with an anecdote concerning the writer's failure to see the
0-10-0 Big Bertha working on the Lickey Incline and his introduction
about fifty years ago to the writings of O.S. Nock and to the RCTS series
Locomotives of the Great Western Railway seen in reference libraries
(what hope now of that). Also roundly condemns British steam railways
and how they shaped our history, No. 5, 6100 Royal Scot for its inaccurate
statements. This is given as a pretext for the writer returning to Churchward's
remarkable revolution before the rug was pulled from under his feet probably
by the resignation of Earl Cawdor from the Chairmanship and his eventual
replacement by Viscount Churchill who demanded tighter financial control.
Rutherford argues that Churchward's great advances were carried on the back
of a huge capital investment programme which followed the end of the broad
gauge and the emergence of strong external competitive pressures: this programme
included the South Wales direct line; the new mainlines from the Midlands
to London and the South West and the development of Fishguard. These new
lines needed new motive power to haul the improved rolling stock (corridors,
dining cars, and fitted freight) to ensure that traffic growth matched the
capital invested. As usual with Rutherford theree are many illuminating small
comments (on Churchward's intimates for instance) and in useful tabulations:
Table 2 Experimental and prototype boilers; Table 3 Protype locomotives and
Table 4 Production of Churchward standard locomotives and total GWR stock
on an annual basis 1902 to 1926. Rutherford sadly comments that within sixty
years the products of the revolution had gone to scrap (and some of the vast
new works had either gone or were under-used).Illus: (colour): F. Moore:
No. 175 Viscount Churchill and 2949 Stanford Court on up express
from Birmingham near Ruislip with crimson lake train. B&w: 2907 Lady
Disdain at Bristol Temple Meads, 2-6-2T No. 3112 in post-1911 condition
on Severn & Wye Excursion. Drawings of 5ft 8in 4-6-0 and 6ft 8½in
4-4-4T (unfulfilled) and 4ft 1½in 2-6-2T (not quite as fulfilled) and
5ft 8in 4-4-2T (to become No. 4600)
Hughes, John C. The Liverpool Central Station Railway.
Part One. 627-31.
In the initial stages the LNWR was involved, but the railway was
eventually promoted for the GNR and MSLR by the engineer John Fowler and
the contractors Waring Bros. as a speculative venture, but was actually
constructed by the Cheshire Lines Committee (with the involvement of a third
partner, the Midland Railway). The approach from Brunswick was difficult
to construct due to the tunnels through hard rock and blasting had to be
limited as it was an urban area. The intermediate station at St James was
between tunnels and the platforms may have been hewn from the roack. The
station site was constricted. On 26 December 1882 the retaining wall backed
by Back Bold Street collapsed following heavy rain and it was found that
some of the station structure had to be reinforced. In 1888 the MSLR (New
Railways) Act sought to construct a link from Huskisson goods station into
the Mersey Railway, but this was not supported by the MR and GNR and failed
to be constructed. A highly competive fast train service was operated to
Manchester with a time of 40 minutes via the Warrington cut-off. The MR ran
Pullman sleeping cars to St Pancras and both the MR and GNR operated expresses
to their adjacent stations in London. The MSLR and MR tended to use 4-2-2s
for thier fast services. Part 2 page 752.
Farr, Keith. The workmen's trains of Swindon.
632-3.
The best known of these were provided to and from the Highworth branch,
but there were also services to Purton (latterly Kemble), Wootton Bassett,
and the one used by the writer to the Old Town on the former MSWJR where
the train divided with the front going forward to Chiseldon and the rear
dor Cirencester Watermoor. This first appeared in North Star "three years
ago"
Cole, Beverley. Railway golfing posters. 634-5.
Five wonderful colour reproductions relating to one of Scotland's
greatest inventions: North Berwick by Andrew Johnson, c1930; St
Andrews by Michael 1937 (both LNER); Golf in Northern Ireland —
Portush by Norman Wilkinson c1925 (LMS); Cruden Bay by Tom Purvis
(LNER c1930), and The Yorkshire Coast by Austin Cooper (LNER c1935).
The last is in a very different style: golf seems somewhat pedestrian compared
with flirting on the beach or making an advance at tennis. The others portray
golf in a romantic but serious style. Text includes an extract from Bernard
Darwin from The Times of 1932 on the arrival by train for a golfing
holiday. Arthur Chadwick (20 page 62
noted that golf course at Cruden Bay is very highly regarded and forms part
of rounds of many American visitors, also special first class fares for golfers
(no business permitted) provided by North Eastern Railway.
W. Tollan (20 p. 126) notes the development
of Turnberry and its
remarkable railway. See also later article on
same subject: Volume 29 p. 582.
Readers' Forum. 636-7.
LNER racehorse names. Christopher Tyas.
Refers back to correspondence by Geoff Hughes and
Reg Davies on page 572 and original
feature on page 333. Suggests that the writers failed to note the
significance of Doncaster and York in terms of horseracing: he might also
have noted that Newmarket was on the LNER.
LNER racehorse names. Dennis Postlethwaite.
Refers back to original feature on page 333. Letter
writer's favourite A3 was No. 2744 Grand Parade named after the 1919
Derby winner owned by Lord Glanely (writer questions who
Lord Glanely was and receives reply from Geoff Skelsey on page 695) .
With gay abandon the writer notes a number of inappropriate couplings of
the sort favoured by Steam World, but it may be noted that double-headed
Pacifics were extremely rare and their use as bankers was something which
only light Pacifics resorted to. [KPJ very surprised that Norman McKillop's
Spearmint failed to be mentioned].
But can you prove it...? L.A. Summers.
See especially the highly respected locomotive historian
(J.T. van Riemsdijk's) letter on page 507 and his comments on Summer's
comments on Chapelon (page 311) and his presence in Vichy
France during WW2. In this letter comments upon Rogers' biographies of Chapelon
("a ghosted biography"; in which case can Summers state who wrote the book
for Rogers) and of Churchward. See also Rogers
page. He also attacks the Ian Allan organization largely on the basis
of rejecting his manuscripts. He also notes a lack of ability at French which
would appear to be a serious fault in attempting to assess a very great French
engineer.
The 'Royal Scots' and their weans. George W.F.
Green.
See illus.
The 'Royal Scots' and their weans. C. Taylor.
See Rutherford article on page 487:
mentions that Jack Francis designed a riveted thermic
syphon [siphon] for the enlarged Claughton boiler.
The North Devon & Cornwall Junction Railway. Walter
Rothschild.
See feature on page 548.In Bert
Dyke's memoirs there is a note on the service being operated in 1955 by the
E1/R class. Watergate Halt was rarely used and passengers were very limited.
All trains were mixed. Halwill Junction generated practically no passenger
traffic: the station was mainly used for the exchange of traffic between
lines.
The view from Paddock Wood. George Matthews. 637.
See feature on p. 468. The Hawkhurst
branch was used as the setting for a children's television series in 1959/60
known as The Old Pull & Push: Goudhurst was known as Cowdhurst in the
series.
Compound expansion. Adrain Tester.
Response to letter by Dennis Lorriman (p. 572) and
led to further letter from Lorriman on page 318
of Volume 20. Although it was possible to alter the cut-off of the high
pressure and low pressure cylinders separately on MR compounds numbers 2631
and 2632, this ability was not perpetuated on the later engines (either MR
or LMS) as it made them difficult to control. This resulted in some loss
of performance, especially at high speed
Book Reviews. 638.
The Yarmouth train. Malcolm R. White. Author. TJE **
"A useful book spoilt by poor presentation".
Ryde by steam. Volume 2. Andrew Britton. Medina Books.
KH *****
"an excellent publication"
Manchester Victoria station. Tom Wray.
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society. MB ****
The reviewer from Bury clearly has an affection for the station (KPJ
was a commuter through the neighbouring Exchange where squalid was a far
too affectionate expression to describe the draughty horror). He fails to
report why a fifth star was not awarded.
Scenes from the past: No. 26 (Part 5). Kirkham to Blackpool (North)
and Fleetwood. Stuart Taylor. Foxline. MB ***
"wallow in nostalgia": three stars for Blackpool, two for poor old
Yarmouth!
Under Chester's signals. David A. Hill. rear
cover
BR Caprotti class 5 73142 hauling a freight? passes under LNWR signal
gantry inn August 1965.
Deceived by the spin. Michael Blakemore. 643.
Editorial. Clearly Master Blakemore had not been to bracing North
Norfolk: "It's not been a bad summer!". September was glorious, but July
and August were dreadful in the Far East
In the mountain greenery: photographs of the West Highland
Line. John Spencer Gilks. 644-5.
Colour photo-feature: Class 5 44968 hauling northbound freight at
Coire Thòin north of Tyndrum with Ben Doran in background on 14 July
1961 (from front and rear);Class 5 on southbound passenger train on Horseshoe
Curve crossing Gleann Chaillean viaduct on same day; Class 5 44702 heading
for County March with Glasgow-bound train with two fish vans at rear and
train including LNER corridor articulated
twin (page 645 middle) John Macnab 20 p. 62 notes that the articulated
twin (TSO E13162/3) formed part of the original tourist sets of 1933; and
on 12 April 1971 with two class 27s heading north and at least one heading
south at Crianlarich with rail blue rolling stock and some snow on
hills.
Thrower, David. Southern gone west: The North Devon
& Cornwall Junction Light Railway. Part 2. 646-52.
Part 1 began on page 548. The train service and
motive power: E1/R and Ivatt 2-6-2Ts. The most exciting day in its existence
was when the Atlantic Coast Express was diverted over the line due
to the direct line to Okehampton being blocked by snow sometime during the
severe 1946/7 winter. Illus.: colour Halwill Junction with 18.30 for Torrington
departing behind 22 August 1964 (and two other trains in station (Peter W.
Gray and next two); two views of Exmoor Ranger RCTS excursion hauled
by 41206 and 41291 on 27 March 1965 at Venton Cross and at Meeth; and
enthusiasts' excursion formed of two 4-TC sets, a buffet car and two class
33 locomotives at Meeth on 16 March 1975 (J.S. Gilks); black & white:
Halwill Junction with 41283 on 10.52 to Torrington and 80038 on train for
Bude (PWG); Petrockstow on 28 September 1956 (H.C. Casserley); E1R 32608
on freight at Petrockstow on 24 May 1952 (T.J. Edgington); Dunsbear Halt
on 20 May 1956 (J.S. Gilks); 41216 departing Hatherleigh towards Torrington
(TJE); 41295 with on mixed trasin crossing 41298 with another train at
Paetrockstow on 23 August 1956; Hole for Black Torrington on 28 September
1956 (HCC), and Exmoor Ranger approaching Torrington (PWG)
Smith, Michael J. Human error at Hampstead: the story
of the Metropolitan Railway's first fatal accident. 653-9.
Collision between two multiple unit electric trains in fog on Saturday
26 October 1907 led to three fatalaties. Based on Board of Trade accident
report conducted by Major J.W. Pringle.
Rutherford, Michael. F.W. Hawksworth: last of the few.
(Railway reflections No. 116). 660-9.
Includes internal Swindon report on The Locomotive in France (based
on Chapelon's publications prepared in 1939), internal awareness that the
King class was greatly lacking in comparable performance, Hawksworth plans
to fit a Hall class with an 8F boiler; some consideration of outside valve
gear for the Hall clas, a proposal to convert the 42XX 2-8-0Ts to tender
locomotives, the Pacific, the gas turbine locomotives, oil firing, the County
class, higher superheat and all those pannier tanks. Like Beames Hawksworth
had been a rugby player. The Hawksworth passenger rolling stock, especially
its bogies, receives commendation. See also letter
from Robert Barker in Vol. 20 page 126 which notes the limitations of
Hawksworth's driving skills during the General Strike (but he was a rugby
player)..
They came to Rainhill. Tom Heavyside (phot.).
670-1.
Colour photo-feature:: 150th anniversary of the Liverpool & Manchester
Railway during 24-26 May 1980:
King's Cross for the North. 672-5.
Colour photo-feature: A4 60030 Golden Fleece backs out having
worked up Elizabethan in August 1961 (Douglas Tritton); A3 60047 Donovan
departs on express in August 1961 (A.C. Sterndale); A1 60115 Meg
Merrilies at buffers of Platform 1 having arrived with Yorkshire Pullman
on Saturday 21 July 1962 (Geoff Rixon); 60067 Ladas backs
out on 1 September 1962 (GR); 60061 Pretty Polly heads north in August
1961 (ACS); 60015 Quicksilver arrives on express from from Newcastle
on 1 September 1962 (GR); 60003 Andrew K. McCosh backs onto 15.55
to Leeds on 30 June 1962 (GR); 60130 Kestrel backing onto morning
northbound train in 1961 (B.J. Swain) and 60145 Saint Mungo on afternoon
train for Newcastle with carmine & cream coach at front. (some
Colour-Rail).
The GWR '45XX' prairie tanks. 676-9.
Colour photo-feature: 5537 on B set at Penmere Platform on 09.05 Truro
to Falmouth on 18 May 1959 (Michael Mensing); 5572 at Lostwithiel (actually
Fowey) see letter from Roger Taylor (V. 20 p. 62)
with freight for Rowey on 23 September 1960 (R.C. Riley); 4593 departing
Truro with Falmouth train on 8 April 1960 (two carmine & cream corridors)
, also note yellow shunting disc signal and 5537 at Perranporth on 23 September
1960 (both RCR) and 5574 at Barry Pier station with two auto-trailers on
Stephenson Locomotive Society special on 13 July 1957 (T.J. Edgington); 4569
at Bodmin General on 18 May 1959 (MM); 4588 waiting to leave Helston on 16.10
on 15 May 1959 MM); 4564 on train of Oxfits loaded with broccoli at Gwinear
Road on 9 April 1960 (RCR); 4588 at Helston (another view MM); preserved
4555 on real freight passing through Snow Hill station on 1 May 1965
(TJE).
Grayrigg. 680.
Colour photo-feature: Britannia 70005 on parcels train in July 1964
(David A. Hill); class 5 44917 leaving loop at Oxenholme with banker on freight
in August 1967 (DAH); and 45593 (formerly Kolhapur - no name) decending
bank with passenger special on 30 April 1966 (Derek Penney).
Robinson, Peter. The Wartime crisis on the Furness
Railway. Part 1. 681-8.
1916 was a critical period during WW1: there was a shortage of munitions
and as the Barrow area was a key area for the production of iron and steel
for conversion into munitions the Furness Railway and its staff were closely
involved in this crisis. Part 2 page 758..
See also letter from Tom Wray (Volume 20 p.
190) on quantitities of haematite ore to produce rails.
Allen, Jonathan. Loughrea: 30 years gone. 689-91.
The line from Attymon Junction to Loughrea, when closed on 1 November
1975, had been last to operate mixed trains on the Irish CIE network. It
was also the last surviving Baronial line where the County Council had guaranteed
the shareholders' dividend. See also letter in 20
page 62 from Stephen G. Abbott on use of electric storage heaters to
save the little Deutz locomotive from excessive effort, also the substantial
number of passengers on the train in 1967. Illus. (all by author): General
Motors Class 181 Bo-Bo No. 188 arrives with morning Galway Mail with Travelling
Post Office and steam heating van in September 1975; G class Deutz diesel
hydraulic No. 616 on passenger workings.
Horne, Eric H. Kimbolton recalled. 692-4.
Memories of Kimbolton station (on the LMS Kettering to Cambridge route)
in the 1930s, and of the town (with its Castle and Public School).
Readers' forum. 695.
Great Central geography lesson. Editor.
See page 606: Annesley is north
of Nottingham, "not" Leicester (KPJ actually it is!)
Hidden treasures — the Railway Clearing House. W.M.
Tollan.
See map of Glasgow area (p. 583):
map shows lines which were never built. As the map also shows the location
of the ultra-green turf at Celtic Park this supporter observed that the footplate
crews of freights used to crawl past to observe the game.
The Chessington branch. Roger Whitehouse.
See feature p. 557: three trains
per hour on every day, including Sunday, until 1958.
Remininiscences of a BR surveyor. W.
Taylor.
See article by Flann on page 463:
notes that many of the linen plans are still stored and that the boundaries
marked are still significant, noting the effect on a potential landfill developer
near Shirebrook and on the extension of the North York Moors Railway to Pickering
which might have been adversely affected by a clause in the original Whitby
and Pickering Railway Act.
LNER racehorse names. Geoff Skelsey.
See letter from Dennis Postlethwaite on page 636
questioning identity of Lord Glanely (who was a South
Wales industrial magnate, formerly Sir William Tatham, who had a country
home at Exning near Newmarket).
LNER racehorse names. Geoffrey Hughes.
See feature on page 333 and
correspondence from GH on page 572: suggests that Gresley
was probably the driving force in the selection of the names. also reminds
us that RCTS Locomotives of the LNER
Part 2A (Appendic C page 218) has a list of the origins of
all the names (including Spearmint not mentioned until now) which
was compiled by Willie Yeadon. See further letter
from John C. Baker (20 p. 62) on the names Lemberg and
St. Simon..
Cover picture — October. Chris
Jones-Bridger.
Suggests that 25 151 was probably on its final run when picture taken
as train ran away between Marsden and Huddersfield and had to be diverted
into Hillhouse Yard. Date of accident was 3 September 1982.
Book reviews. 696.
A history of North Eastern Railway architecture. Volume 3.
Bell and beyond. NERA. RH *****
If the book is as good as the review then it must be exceptionally
good.
The landscape trilogy, the autobiography of L.T.C. Rolt.
Sutton. RH. *****
The review is another exceptionally good read, but has it taken four
years to prepare? This combined edition of Rolt's autobiographical works
appeared to emerge in 2001. See also Rolt
page.
The little book of civilisation. Institution of Civil Engineers.
RH ***
According to reviewer puts a 'green spin' on civil engineering. Projects
considered include Jubilee Line and Channel Tunnel.
Highland Railway: people and places. Neil T. Sinclair. Breedon.
GS *****
"outstanding value for money"
Bennett, Alan. Cornwall: half-foreign land.
697-702.
Exploration of the area through the GWR and Southern Railway holiday
literature. Colour illus. art work in 1934 Holiday Haunts entitled
Cornish Riviera (internal divider) and showing Land's End; cover for GWR
The Glorious West (1933) brochure; cover for S.P.B. Mais Winter
in the West (GWR 1929) and cover for third edition (1934) of Mais The
Cornish Riviera; Tregenna Castle Hotel advertisement; Legend Land
including map inside; frontispiece for 1939 Holiday Haunts (with lots
of ladies with plywood surfboards sporting in the surf: Mrs KPJ still likes
to take hers into the North Sea at Sheringham) and bookmark of St Michael's
Mount.
A Somerset country junction. Paul strong. rear cover.
Dulverton with 43XX on train from Barnstaple bound for Taunton.
Number 12 (December 2005) Issue No. 176
All is calm, all is bright. David Blakemore.
Editorial thanks to those who assist in keeping Backtrack on the
rails.
As it was on the Scarborough line. Eric Saunders (phot.).
708-10.
Colour photo-feature: type 45 hauling 15.15 Scarborough to Glasgow
passing through curves at Kirkham Abbey on 12 July 1980; two Class 104 DMU
four-car units on 10.43 York to Scarborough on 27 July 1975 leaving Malton;
47 303 heads 09.51 York to Scarborough past Burton Lane signal box on 19
July 1975; class 47 on return excursion heading towards York in 1975 passing
NER lower quadrant distant signal at Haxby; 40 078 crossing River Ouse by
Scarborough Bridge on 19.29 Scarborough to Wakefield on 10 July 1980; class
101 DMU in off-white and blue livery passing remains of Kirham Abbey staion
on 12 July 1980; 31 119 approaching Burton Lane Junction with freight from
Scarborough on 1 August 1975.
Baker, Michael H.C. Ashford. 711-17.
During the lifetime of the author the station at Ashford has grown
from being a major junction for services in the East of Kent (including those
serving Folkestone and Dover for cross Channel ferry services into a major
junction with high speed line from London to Paris and Brussels via the Channel
Tunnel. This article is mainly concerned with personal memories of the steam
railway of the 1950s and its gradual displacement by electric, and to an
extent, diesel electric traction. Nevertheless, the article ends with a reminder
of the exciting present where Lille is less than an hour away.Illus. (colour)
train spotters gather around BR type 2 No D5000 at Ashford on 28 July 1959;
terminus at New Romney with train on 19 August 1960 (both Rev Hedley Sparkes:
author does penance in 20 page 254): black
& white: F1 class 4-4-0 of the SECR on a Kent Coast express c1910; L1
No 31789 on Ashford shed in May 1955; soldiers rescued from Dunkirk in June
1940 at Dover; locomotives under repair at Ashford works (BR period); Schools
No 30936 Cranleigh leaving Tonbridge on 3 June 1961; King Arthur No
30800 Sir Meleaus de Lile with small tender on Ashford shed in May
1955; Schools No 30903 Charterhouse and Britannia No 70014 Iron
Duke on Golden Arrow c1953; WW1 troop train of SECR carriages
at Canterbury West ; Preserved BR class 4 No 75069 at the Ashford station
on 30 May 1992.
Johnson, E.M. 'The 'Flying Scotsman'1938 train and
celebrations. 718-24.
The fiftieth anniversary of the 1888 race to Edinburgh was used as
one of the elements in a major publicity drive to amrk the introduction of
new rolling stock for the Flying Scotsman train in 1938. To demonstrate the
advance of travelling comfort on the ECML a train of vintage six-wheelers
was prepared in East Coast Joint Stock livery and Stirling eight foot single
No. 1 was overhauled and used to haul it, initially on a train on 30 June
from King's Cross to Stevenage where the press and invited guests joined
the new train for a demonstration run. Johnson describes the new train at
some length, noting the pressure ventilation, the liberal use of Rexine,
the colours of the upholstery, the ladies' retiring room and the buffet car
additional to the normal restaurant car. Stock was provided for through carriages
to Glasgow, Perth and Aberdeen. Subsequently, No. 1 was briefly placed on
exhibition at Edinburgh, Newcastle and York and used on excursions from
Manchester (to Liverpool), and from Norwich to Yarmouth and Ipswich.. Illus.:
LNER No 4472 Flying Scotsman on Flying Scotsman train climbing
past Holloway on 1 May 1928 (H. Gordon Tidey); The Flying Scotsman
in 1888 hauled by Stirling Single No 53 passing Holloway station; No 4498
Sir Nigel Gresley on Flying Scotsman near Naburn in 1938 (Cecil
Ord) Stirling No 1in 1901 at Peterborough; preserved Stirling No 1 in 1938
on the special for Stevenage stands at King's Cross on 30 June 1938;
restored coaches; another picture of No 1 leaving King's Cross; on
a special to Cambridge in 1938 near Knebworth? and on 21 September
1938 on a special to Liverpool Central leaving Manchester Central (Gerrald
Harrop). Sadly no pictures of two "Flying Scotsman" trains at Stevenage:
see Hughes: LNER (page 139):
marvellous for the number of "well knowns" visible: obviously Sir Nigel,
but also C.J. Allen, R.A. Thom and L.P. Parker (Error in caption: states
Hitchin!). Further letters in Volume 20 page
190 from Peter J. Rodgers on extant pressure-ventilated buffet lounge
car owned by Gresley Society Trust at Kirkby Stephen East and extant Stirling
(for Single No. 1), and for date of photograph of No. 4498 (1939)
(from B.J. Harding).
Andrews, David. "From our own Correspondent". [Charles
Rous-Marten's account of City of Truro's exploits in a Wellington
(New Zealand) newspaper, The Evening Post on 17 June 1904]. 725-30.
One of the more puzzling aspects of this account (as perceived over
a century later) is that in the report Rous-Marten notes the use of radio
to report the passing of the Kronprinz Wilhem off the Scilly Isles
to Plymouth via The Lizard, but that his report of "the epic railway journey"
took from 16 May to 17 June to appear in print in New Zealand. Moreover,
the report as reproduced herein makes no reference to Wellington, Somerset
as the location of the record speed. An e-mail from the Author (who read
the New Zealand accounts at the Newspaper Library in Colindale) notes that
the cost of telegraphs at the time would have precluded an extensive report
being made by that means. The article is illustrated with pictures of the
Kronprinz Wilhelm and the Philadelphia (associated with the
fast run made by Duke of Connaught on 30 April 1904. These can be
inspected on the Internet at
www.greatships.net. The locomotive:
carrying its post-1912 number of 3717 City of Truro at Shrewsbury
(in 1920s?); as restored to running order in 1957, City of Truro on
the turntable at Swindon on 16 June 1957 (T.J. Edgington); at Newbury in
1957 when in service between Didcot and Southampton; and in colour at at
Winchester Chesil in May 1957 (TJE); and approaching Birmingham Snow Hill
on 16 June 1957 with SLS special (TJE). See letters in Issue 3 (2006) on
page 190 from Andrew Ward concerning errors
in captions relating to Kronprinz Wilhem.and from
David W. Green who had travelled behind (and
on footplate of) City of Truro whilst commuting between Eastleigh
(where he was an apprentice) and Winchester.
East is East. 731-3.
Colour photo-feature: three more of George W. Powell's photographs
in the Colour-Rail collection, supported by work of other photographs (names
noted within parentheses): D16/3 62618 (with burnished smokebox door rim
and in BR lined black) at Sudbury on Cambridge to Colchester train with horsebox,
Thompson non-gangway coach with lavatory and corridor in artificial teak
finish and Gresley non-corridor brake third? still in teak livery: B12/3
61576 in BR lined black in highly burnished condition on Railway Enthusiasts'
Club Suffolk Venturer special at Colchester on 30 September 1956; D16/3 62546
Claud Hamilton at Yarmouth South Town shed (B17 behind) in May 1956
(Bruce Chapman); J19 No. 64657 at Long Melford on very short pick-up freight
in July 1959 (Powell); D16/3 62610 on turntable at King's Lynn on 23 June
1958 (R.C. Riley); J68 68649 shunting at Stratford in 1955 (BC) and B12/3
61572 and J15 65462 at Norwich shed on 31 May 1961 (RCR)(and both still within
earshot on NNR). See also letter from John Watling
(Volume 20 page 190) on dismissive mention of Lord Claud Hamilton, the
Director and Chairman of the Great Eastern Railway and of the locomotives
named after him: both assisted in decreasing the isolation of North East
Norfolk and bringing London nearer to the Continent..
Pick-up goods. 734-5.
Colour photo-feature: 80093 with van and brake van on Killin to Callander
at Balquidder on 9 October 1964 (J.S. Gilks); 75048 crossing Kent Viaduct
with tank wagon and three open wagons on 2 August 1968 (David A. Hill); ex-CR
Jumbo 57441 shunting at Kirriemuir with horse-drawn truck of coal being taken
out of yard (G.H. Hunt); B1 61018 Gnu shunting at Ruswarp in May 1964 (J.S.
Gilks) and N class shutnting coal wagons at Banstead on 24 May 1962
(JSG).:
Roaming through Galloway. Michael Mensing (phot.).
736-9.
Colour photo-feature: 45254 passing site of Lochanhead station with
09.05 Stranraer Town to Dumfries; Class 4 2-6-4T 42689 on 16.51 Kirkcudbright
to Dumfries crossing River Dee at Tongland on 11 July 1963; 45432 and 45351
on 13.40 Stranraer Harbour to Dumfries train near Urr Viaduct on 13 July
1963; 44935 departing Stranraer Harbour with 13.40 to Dumfries on 12 July
1963 (Loch Ryan in background); 44675 approaching Gatehouse-of-Fleet station
with 08.57 Castle Douglas to Stranraer on 16 July 1963 (with second view
of photographer's white Ford); 44995 (tender first) on 08.00 Kircudbright
to Dumfries north of Tarff on 20 July 1963; Class 4 2-6-0 76073 crossing
River Dee at Tongland bridge on 18.00 Dumfries to Kircudbright on 13 July
1963, and 76073 on local goods from Kirkcudbright to Dumfries in golden light
of summer evening.
Hill, Keith. A vision of splendour: the story of the
'Bournemouth Belle'. 740-51.
The Southern Railway introduced the Bournemouth Limited in
1929 to enable the ricer citizens of Bournemouth to enjoy a day in London.
In 1931 the Bournemouth Belle was introduced to provide luxury travel
from London to Bournemouth and back. New third class Pullman cars were built
for the service and note is made of the coloured rubber tiles used for the
flooring (in 1931 luxury was obtained at rock bottom prices as the price
of rubber had fallen to its ultimate depth). In typical twenty first century
fashion Hill considers that the flooring was a potential death trap in the
event of fire, but KPJ will disist from going on at length for the failure
of the "new generation of writers" to place themselves in the context of
the times (not so very long before then there were no brakes on the trains!).
The inaugural Bournemouth Belle got off to a poor start on Sunday
5 July 1931 due to a late locomotive substitution and delays en route, but
the return journey arrived on time. In 1932 the train only ran during the
week during summer, and on Sundays only for the remainder of the year, but
in 1936 the train became a daily one as it did when reinstated on 1 October
1946. Initially Merchant Navy class Pacifics were used. In Festival of Britain
year (1951) Britannia class Pacifics were used. When the Bulleid Pacifics
had to be withdrawn on temporary basis Hill suggests that both class 5 and
V2 classes were used to haul the prestige train. The very last Bournemouth
Belle was hauled by D1924 on 9 July 1967 The writer notes that it was
"a child of its time" with its low rolling stock utilisation, but fails to
add that it was aimed at a class of person which now expects other people
to travel by train. Illus. (colour including Townroe of 1951 unless stated
otherwise)Merchant Navy 35014 Nederland Line leaves Southampton Central
in 1954; Rebuilt WC 34017 Ilfracombe with the 'Belle' at Raynes Park
in 1961; Rebuilt MN 35020 Bibby Line runs into Bournemouth in August
1960; Rebuilt MN 35030 Elder Dempster Lines at West Byfleet in 1964; Britannia
70009 Alfred the Great in Branksome yard in 1951 (S.C. Townroe) ;
Southern Railway Lord Nelson No 856 Lord St Vincent nears Surbiton
in 1930s (A.C. Cawston b&w); immaculate locomotive & train hauled
by 35022 Holland-America Line passing Basingstoke on 12 September
1964; grubby rebuilt BB 34071 601 Squadron at the head of clean train passing
Esher on 29 March 1966 (Geoff Rixon); Southern Railway King Arthur 780 Sir
Persant standing in for normal Lord Nelson at Lyndhurst Road on 6 October
1936 (O.J. Morris b&w); Lord Nelson 861 Lord Anson passing
Walton-on-Thames in 1938 (C.R.L. Coles b&w): all remainder black &
white:21C13 Blue Funnel waits to leave Waterloo on 15 July 1947 (J.P.
Wilson); 21C159 still to be named Sir Archibald Sinclair at Waterloo on 16
July 1947; 21C15 Rotterdam Lloyd hurries through Wimbledon in 1947
(C.R.L. Coles); 70009 Alfred the Great waits to leave Bournemouth
in July 1951 (W. Rogerson); 35016 Elders Fyffes passes under the signal
gantry at Hook on 8 May 1954; o 34002 Salisbury passing the car sheds
at Wimbledon on 8 November 1964 (Brian Stephenson); dDiverted over the Mid
Hants line BR class 3 77014 pilots an equally dirty unrebuilt WC 34012
Lapford near Ropley on 18 September 1966 (Brian Stephenson); 35022
Holland-America Line passing Woking on 13 September 1964 (Brian Stephenson).
See also letters in 20 page 62 from Lewis
F. Cobb Christchurch Priory not Abbey and some of Castleman's
Corkscrew is still extant: Lymington Junction to Northam Junction.
On page 126 (Vol. 20) there is Charles Long
informative letter which notes theat rubber tiles were not a hazard,
but that the canvas roofs and gangways were a potential fire hazard and that
most of the Pullman cars were still timber-framed as late as the early 1960s.
Noted that Pullman cars could not be hauled into Waterloo by 4-6-0 or 4-6-2
locomotives with the smokebox adjacent to the cars due to the risk of buffer
locking. Both Long and Nick Wellings (also page
126 (20)) note the origins of the name of 21C19 French Line C.G.T.
(la Compagnie Générale Transatlantique).
Hughes, John C. The Liverpool Central Station Railway.
Part Two. 752-7.
Began on page 627: through Great Central and Midland
services to London: two of the Midland expresses managed the journey in under
four and a half hours. The GCR ran through trains to Hull and to Harwich,
and from 1902 to Lowestoft, Yarmouth and Cromer. A considerable amount of
emigrant traffic came via Hull for the United States and in 1893 this was
noted by the Liverpool Health Committee. The Midland also ran services intom
East Anglia. The Adelphi Hotel was replaced by the Midland between 1911 and
1914 in the hope of attracting liner traffic. On August Bank Holiday Monday
in 1893 there was a collision between a light engine and an excursion train
at St. James due to smoke and fatigue due to excessive hours. Sites were
acquired for additional ventilation shafts into Central Tunnel, but these
were not constructed. Robinson constructed two class 5A 0-6-0Ts with condensing
apparatus in an attempt to alleviate the smoke problem. On 24 August 1911
another collision occurred due to poor visibility. On 15 October 1913 there
was a serious collision between two expresses at St James due to signalmen
error and this caused seven deaths: the inquiry was conducted by Colonel
Druitt. The LMS had no real interest in Midland route services. The LNER
continued to provide GCR motive power, but from 12936/7 larger locomotives,
including B17 claass and Ivatt Atlantics appeared but a K3 (No. 3817) caused
extensive damage to the coping on Platform 1 on 4 October 1937. Colour light
signalling was installed in the mid-1930s and in 1930 a control room was
established. There was damage during WW2. The American airbase at Burtonwood
led to some exotic traffic. The assorted ex-LNER 4-4-0s were replaced by
LMR 2-6-4Ts and in turn by DMUs with diabolically rough riding according
to Nock. Beeching arranged for services to be switched to Lime Street. The
Central Tunnel now provides a route for services to Hunts Cross from Southport
and Ormskirk.
Robinson, Peter. The Wartime crisis on the Furness Railway.
Part Two. 758-63.
Part 1 began on page 681. There
was a severe shortage of motive power (reported to the Board on 12 January
1917) but locomotive manufacturers were unable to fulfill orders due to the
pressure of War work: firms contacted included Hawthorn Leslie, North British
Loco and Kitson & Co. Winter steamer sailings on Lake Windermere had
to be wiithdrawn and this caused protests from local people. There was
disagreement between Pettigrew and Rutherford over the use of electric capstans
for shunting and on the Pettigrew 0-6-2Ts causing damage to the track.
Derailments appear to have been frequent. Seemingly this led to the early
retirement of Pettigrew. One measure adopted but possibly not implemented
was to allow NER locomotives to work through to Millom. Train control was
introduced by Aslett in early 1918 to assist in reducing congestion. The
writer implies that the Rutherford 4-6-4Ts were indeed his work and suggests
that their introduction stemmed from the departure of Aslett. Includes excellent
potted biographies of
Alfred Aslett (with portrait), William
Frank Pettigrew (with portrait),
David L. Rutherford and
Lionel
Speakman.
Campling, Nick, Rolling Stock Focus : LMS stock from
the 1930s. 764.
Colour photo-feature: Period 1 corridor third (1926) SC1354M at Inverness
in 1952 in carmine & cream livery; Period III corridor third M1696M in
Maryport & Carlisle set at Carlsle on 28 August 1965; and articulated
corridor brake first M56002/3M at Neasden South on 9 March 1964: vehicle
built for 1939 Coronation Scot set had bow roof and no gangway connection
at brake end (vehicle or one like it used in "club trains" from Manchester
Victoria in early 1950s) :
Readers' Forum. 765
Along the Pennine ways. Editor.
See colour photo- feature on page
611: 45517 was heading in opposite direction.
Along the Pennine ways. Kevin Jones.
See colour photo-feature on page 612 (top):
notes that 70032 Tennyson was observed on the
morning Liverpool to Newcastle express at Delph Junction on 1 January 1953
and corrects the respective locations of the River Tame and Huddersfield
Canal.
Grimsby to Hull by tram, train and ferry.
G.Travis.
See feature on page 598: writer worked for HM Customs
& Excise mainly in Hull, but sometimes at Immingham where he encountered
the illicit use of a tram. Sometimes progress across the Humber was
impeded by groundings on sandbanks.
One track to the future. John C.
Cooke
See letter from Nigel Probert on page 572 which
argued that Edourd Locher's double rack system for Mount Pilatus Railway
in Switzerland was in effect a form of monorail. This letter describes an
earlier railway designed for extremely steep gradients which ran from Sassi
to the hilltop basilica at Superga on the outskirts of Turin. This was designed
by Tommaso Agudio seems to have combined rope haulage with a double rack
system and had a belt and five braces braking system (presumably the pilgrims
were not that pious). The line provided through carriages off the Turin tramway
system and closed in 1932. Reference is made to an Italian technical publication
of 1892 and to F. Keith Pearson's forthcoming Fell and his mountain
railways which describes how John Barraclough Fell had hoped to build
a line to the basilica...
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway locomotives. Paul
Kehoe
See page 476: East Lancashire Railway 2-4-0 Aeolus at Burnley
Manchester Road station: suggests date of 1868.
Barry C. Lane replies
Agrees that in error to suggest opening date for station: also features
photograph of 2-2-2 Diomed at same location.
Index to Volume 19. 766
Cold shift at Exeter. Bruce Oliver. rear cover
4932 Hatherton Hall outside shed during extremely cold winter:
19 January 1963.
2012-03-18