Railway World
Volume 48 (1987)
key file
Issue Number 561 (January 1987)
A.G. Cramp. West of Basford—the Great Northern's Derbyshire Extension. 6-10
Adrian Vaughan. Great Western Railway power signalling: 2. 20-4.
Issue Number 562 (February)
Roy Edwardes. The art of the railway boilersmith. 84-6.
Began at Bristol Bath Road where former GWR practice employed hot
water washing out. Scale was a problem as hard water was prevalent. Finished
at former LMS Barrow Road depot whre cold water washing out was employed
and many locomotives were in poor condition. The work frequently involved
working in hot fireboxes..
Rex Christiansen. . The Wrexham & Minera Joint Railway. 87-90.
Served Brymbo
Issue Number 563 (March 1987)
Richard K. Morriss. Hookgate — end of an era. 134-6
Closure of site near Shrewsbury used to produce continuous welded
rail.
New books. 144-5.
BR traction in colour. Brian Morrison. Ian
Allan. 96pp.
Divided by Sectors
LMS reflections. Bob Essery and Nigel
Harris. Silver Link. 144 pp.
From BBC Hulton Picture Gallery
London's Underground suburbs. Dennis Edwards and Ron Pigram. Baton Transport. 137pp.
Fiennes on rails. Gerard Fiennes. David & Charles.
190pp.
Mentions telegraphic syle of writing as in "Came back from York on
HST at 125 mph. Smooth as silk."
Lord Willoughby's Railway — the Edenham branch.
R.E. Pearson and J.G. Ruddock. Willooughby Memorial Trust.
120pp.
Built to link Estate with Great Northern Railway at Little Bytham,
sought involvement of Gooch, Stroudley and Sturrock,
Great Northern locomotive history. Volume 1. 1847-66, N. Groves. RCTS. 123pp.
Maurice Burns. Five more years 'labour of love': the continuing story
of NELPG, 149-53
North Eastern Locommotive Preservation Group formed in 1966 and
described in Railway World, 1981, December Issue. Involvemenjt with
ICI at Wilton on Teesside in restoration of K1 2 -6-0 No. 62005 (2005) whch
had some time at Fort William on the Mallaig steam service. The beginning
of major work to restore No. 60532 Blue Peter and No. 60019
Bittern.
W.A. Sharman. Lochaber revisited. 154-61.
Preserved Class 5 4-6-0 on Mallaig to Fort William trains where lack
of turntables and heavy rain made the ascent of the climb to Beasdale when
working tender-first extremely difficullt and once it required three
attempts.
Joan Jackson. Mallard's southern tour. 162-77.
Extremely nostalgic with colour illustrationss of No. 4468 Mallard
in aaction and black & white photographs of John Bellwood and
Eric Bannister
J.E. Danks. Going Great Western at Kidderminster Town. 168-72.
The recreattion of Kidderminster station to form one of the two termini
of the Severn Valley Railway.
Number 564 (April 1987)
V.R. Webster. The 'Wessie' at large: workings by LNWR engines in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. 198-202
Derek Raynsford. Thirty years ago: Bentley-Bordon. 216-19.
Don Rowlaand. Essence of LMS: coal and marguerites. 220-3.
Graham Hancock. Falmouth Docks steam: the end. 2224-6.
Number 565 (May)
Bill Simpson. Potton: recollections of a country
station. 262-5.
Captain William Peel, son of Robert Peel promoted the Sandy &
Potton Tramway which opened in 1857. Closed 1966. Mentions history
of Shannon and suggess Jane may have been another locomotive.
Illustrations: Potton station in final years of existence; LNWR 18-inch 0-6-0
on freight climbing to pass over GNR main line; memo sent to Wilson,
first station master in 1864; Potton station platform c1900; frontage in
1960s; George Howe at closed station; signalbox
Michael Harris, The restoration of 4-COR EMU No. 3142. 266-8
D. Townsley, End of an era: Hunslet's locomotive
production, 1949-71. Part 1. 277-81.
Apprentice at Jack Lane. Illustrations: Barsi Light Railway 2-8-2
WN 3667-9; WN 2670 for 2-ft gauge; 0-4-2T for Howrah Amrah Light Railway
WN 3702-4; 0-6-0ST WN 3698/1950 Repulse and WN 3734 Cumbria on Haverthwaite
and Lakeside Railway (colour); boiler backhead and cab fittings on one of
Calcutta 0-6-2Ts; Sudan Government Railways 0-6-0T WN 3740-49; table
of works orders; Bukta class 0-6-2T as supplied to Arrah-Sasaram Railway;
Shadra class 2-6-4T for Shahdara-Saharanpur Railway WN 3711-12.
Cambridge University Railway Club. 282-3.
Colour photographs from annual competition: Class 31 on passenger
train in Hope Valley; Indian Railways YP class metre gauge Pacific leaving
Udaipur City on passenger train; Conrail diesel locomotives on freight passing
Bethleham, Pennsylvania steelworks (Rust Belt)
P.M. Shaw. Deadlock over the Settle-Carlisle. 284-7.
David Jackson. Robinson's elegant Atlantics.
288-91.
Considered the three-cylinder compounds to be the best of the type.
Considers the influence of J.M. Smith of the NER and his son, J.W. Smith
of Derby on the design. Considers that William Thorneley, Chief Draughtsman
and Works Manager, was a major infuence. Illustrations include a reproduction
of a V. Welch painting of No. 364 Lady Henderson as decorated for
a Royal working.
Petrer van Zeller. Gravitation towards Porthmadog. 292-
Ffestiniog Railway on 19-20 April 1987 ran demonstration trains of
slate wagons worked by gravity.
Issue Number 566 (June)
Don Rowland. Dragonfly days: the 50th anniversary of the 'Coronation
Scot' (the essence of LMS). 326-9.
Calls the A4 one of the ugliest locomotives ever to run in the British
Isles: thus the approach is canted, but does suggest that the economics of
the Coronation Scot were unsound (that is in terms of receipts), but
that publicity value (presumably to counter LNER) was jusifiable. Makes much
of Railway Air Services.
Bryan Holden. Dobbin's Yard, Halifax - tribute to the railway horse.
338-9.
National Museum of the Working Horse.
Alan Bennett. The Falmouth branch. 340-4.
Main line to Falmouth opened by the Cornwall Railway on 24 August
1863. The engineer was R.P. Brereton. The line was originally broad
gauge.
Philip Horton. The Banbury link: a short history of some Great Central
cross-country services. 1. 345-50.
Appointment of Sam Fay as General Manager in 1902 led to increase
in cross country services, notably Newcastle to Bournemouth. This was followed
by a service from York to Southampton Docks using the route via Didcat and
Newbury and giving a connection for the ferry to France. In 1906 the complex
service from Newcastle to Cardiff via the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
started: this catered for ship's crews and included a portion from Hull.
In 1905 a remarkable locomotive through working between Leicester and Plymouth
(and possibly from Manchester) was performed by Robinson Atlantic No. 267,
crewed by Driver Hinchcliffe and Fireman T. Newall. Notes Great Western and
Southern locomotives working north beyond Leicester and Castle class having
to be turned at Grantham. Illustrations include H. Gordon Tidey photographs
of Robinson C4 Atlantics on Charwelton water troughs hauling GWR stock and
Southern (former LSWR) stock..
David N. Clough and Martin Beckett. Traction testing (Modern Traction Performance). 351-7.
Alan G. Dunbar. The Caledonian '300' 0-6-0s.
358-61.
Built in 1917 to replace 25 locomotives on loan. It was stipulated
that these must be fitted with steel fireboxes, and 12 locomotives were
constructed in accordance with the instruction, but the remainder had copper
fireboxes and all the steel fireboxes had been replaced by the end of 1922.
Cold water washing out was the cause of the failure ofr the steel
fireboxes.Although supplied with piston valves the locomotives were supplied
with saturated boilers, but later superheated. With order No. Y123 the piston
valves were replaced by overhead slide valves, similar to those used by
Pickersgill on the GNoSR. Up to 1936 all locomotives were fitted with wide
Schmidt-type rings, but between 1936 and 1940 these were replaced by four
rings.
Number 567 (July 1987)
Neve, Eric. The 'Coronation' of the LNER. 390-3
Mentions original concept of Aberdeen in nine hours, but settled on
Edinburgh, originally with a York stop.Includes logs of runs with York stop
behind No. 4491 Commonwealth of Australia:
Townsley, D. End of an era: Hunslet's locomotive production, 1949-71. Part 2. 413-16.
Number 568 (August 1987)
Brian Haresnape. PFW. 466
Murdered in Barcelona on 13 May 1987: obituary
A.J. Powell. The Armstrong Whitworth 'black
fives'. 475-9.
1462 steam locomotives were built at Scotswood from 1919, One hundred
locomotives (Works numbers 1166-1265) 5125-5224 cost £5375 each. A further
227 with sloping throat plates (WN 1280-1506) 5225-5451 cost £6244 each.
4500 tons of castings were manufactured in Letchworth. Frame cracking was
a problem..
Number 569 (September 1987)
Rose, R.E. The Midland 0-6-4Ts: sinners or sinned
against? 518-21.
Partly personal memories of this class of locomotive when used on
local services into Manchester Central and seen from his parent's garden
in South Manchester. The class was sometimes known as "Flat-irons" and had
a major propensity for derailing: the most notorious was the fatal accident
to the Lincoln to Tamworth mail train on 6 June 1928. The locomotive spread
the track at Swinderby and derailed at 55/60 mile/h. On 25 February and 20
March 1935 at Ashton-under-Hill and Moira respectively there were further
derailments due to poor track and excessive speed. As a consquence of the
Ashton derailment Colonel Mount rode on No, 2011 with Colonel Rudgard on
good track, but oscillations developed. At the Moira derailment it was obvious
that the track was being damaged by the locomotives.
Bert Hooker. Firing the 'Nelsons'. 547-50
Began during WW2 in 1940 with run from Waterloo to Bournemouth and
back. Subesquently he xeperienced No. 865 Sir John Hawkins, the locomotive
with 90° crank settings which seemed to pull harder, but consumed more
coal. Also experienced firing on No. 857 Lord Howe, with its experimental
round-top firebox, on a 16 coach train from Salisbury and had no difficulty
in getting to Andover in 22 minutes
Issue Number 570 (October 1987)
David Burke. When Armstrong Whitworth built for
Australia. 583-7.
South Australian Railways, under its Chief Commisssioner
W.A. Webb, sent
Fred Shea, young Chief Mechanical
Engineer, and C. Baghurst, the mechanical inspector to the USA where
negotiations were made with the American Car and Foundry for the supply of
1200 wagons to be shipped in parts to Adelaide. Shea visited Alco, but it
was Government policy to buy British and he sailed on to Britain to visit
Armstrong Whitworth in Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he met William MacArthur,
manager of the Scotswood works, Matthew Blacklock, chief of locomotive design
and Robert MacKenzie, chief draughtsman. This led to the design of three
designs: 600 class Pacific, 700 class 2-8-2 and 500 class 4-8-2.
Letters. 593.
Bournemouth line steam -20 years on. Christopher D. Bennett
Refers to D. Benn article (July 1987 issue) and questioned one important
feature of one of the logs, namely, the claimed 100mph of unrebuilt 'West
Country' No 34102 in Run 1 of Table C (page 409). In the references, Benn
mentions Bulleid's Pacifics by D.W.
Winkworth (published by Allen and Unwin). In this book, page 122, Winkworth
refers to the running of No 34102 on 14 June 1967 and comments, 'For No 34102,
a speed of 100mph at MP 36the site of Bramshot Halt is claimed. The pass
to pass time Fleet-Bramshot is stated as 32sec, which for the distance of
68ch gives an average speed of 95.6mph. Once again, the century may have
been reached although the supporting data is too lean to establish the point
without question.' At 100mph, a distance of 68ch occupies only 30.6sec. It
is also a pity that, despite the title of the article by Benn, none of his
logs includes the Southampton Central-Bournemouth- Weymouth sections of
line.
(We referred Mr Bennett's letter to Mr Benn who replied as follows. Ed)
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment on the letter from
Mr Bennett. I am, of course, quite satisfied that No 34102 reached 100mph
near Fleet on 14 June 1967, otherwise I would not have included details of
this run in my selection. I am also well aware of the controversy which
surrounded the maximum speed attained that evening and I would be a lot less
certain if I had relied only on station passing times, especially over such
a short distance as 68ch. Who can be sure that this measurement is taken
to the same points on the respective stations by the train timer concerned?
He suggested that milepost times are a much better guide to any claim of
authenticity and set out below the relevant details for No 34102: actual
times and speed from Winchfield to Farnborough milepost by milepost with
100 mile/h at MP 36. Bearing in mind that there was a slight drop to 97mile/h
on the stretch of dead level track at MP 37, and that the speeds recorded
match the gradient profile exactly, he would submit that this is a fully
authenticated record of a Light Pacific reaching 100mile/h on virtually level
track. Without going into too much detail, it is worth mentioning some other
occasions when Bulleid Light Pacifics were known to have reached authenticated
speeds of around 100mile/h. he personally recorded details of No 34013 reaching
the three-figure mark at Hurstbourne and Nos 34021 and 34001 attaining 97
and 98mph respectively near Winchester Junction. No 34042 is reputed to have
reached 102mph down Roundwood Bank, although he had no details of this. None
of these runs appeared in Winkworth's book because he did not choose to submit
them at the time.
The Southern's dieselisation plans. H.C.B. Rogers.
I take great exception to the accusations levelled at myoid friend
R. A. Riddles by Mr T. R. Hume ('Letters' May 1987) regarding his attitude
to diesel locomotives. He says that 'Riddles and company' stamped on the
intentions of the LNER to build them 'because they would have involved a
large number of locomotives to make sure that experience with them could
not be ignored'. All this is quite untrue. He then goes on to give an account
of the transfer of diesel locomotives from the LMR to the SR which is a travesty
of the facts.
The true account of the early operating history of these diesel locomotives
is contained in my book Transition from Steam (published by lan Allan l.td).
for which I have the authority of Riddles, R. C. Bond and J. F. Harrison;
since the book is now out of print, I may perhaps be permitted to quote from
it. Nos 10000/1 were, says Bond, very good locomotives and superior to their
near contemporaries on the Southern Region. The first of these latter locomotives
was not ready until November 1950. The Southern had decided on three locomotives,
but the third was deferred until experience had been obtained with the first
two, the second one being completed in September 1951. There were now four
diesel express locomotives available for trials, but Riddles says that it
was difficult to get them properly tested because the operating people disliked
them, and either could not or would not find suitable paths which would permit
of their maximum use. Part of the operating objec- tion was that they did
not fit in with the 'link' system. Top-link drivers shared the top jobs in
rotation, which meant that, with the diesels being used on the most important
expresses, they might drive a diesel one day and then exclusively steam engines
for the next week or so. But unless all of them were thoroughly trained in
diesel operation, much trouble could result.
It was clear to Riddles that the diesels were not getting the best usage,
and he accord- ingly arranged that the four should be allocated to the Southern
Region, where, having a smaller proportion of steam locomotives, they were
anxious to try the new motive power.
With regard to Mr Hume's remarks on LNER diesel locomotives, that railway
had formulated tentative plans to convert the East Coast Anglo-Scottish services
to diesel traction, with 25 diesels replacing 32 Pacifics. However, J. F.
Harrison says that he knew the LNER Board had discussed such a plan, but
never heard that they had decided on it. He does not think that Peppercorn
would have been in favour, as so much could be done by his Pacifies, without
having to arrange new maintenance facilities, training, etc. It certainly
seems unlikely that the LNER Board would have come to a decision without
informing the CME.
It is true that Riddles did not himself favour main line diesel traction
(though he approved of diesel shunters and multiple- unit trains for local
services). but he believed that a massive expenditure on dieselisation would
delay electrification in which he was sure that the future of the railways
lay, and he was convinced that the large number of rugged, simple and modern
steam loco- motives, that he was building, could run the railways until
electrification of the main lines could be completed. And who today would
say that Riddles was wrong?
The Banbury Link. Phillp S. Evetts
This two-part article (June and July 1987 issues) was of great interest
to me, particularly as I was employed at Swindon Works from 1931-36. During
most of this period, an LNER engine was stabled at Swindon from about 11.50pm
the previous evening until 8pm. My memory suggests that it left on the 9.5pm
to York and the engine was an ex-GNR Atlantic or ex-GCR 'Director'. We were
told that this working was on a reciprocal basis: five years an LNER lodging
turn to Swindon, and five years a GWR locomotive and men to Leicester. Regarding
the GCR Atlantic workings to Plymouth in 1905, some of the older enginemen
recalled details, such as that the Gorton engine and men worked through to
Plymouth and that one of the trains had stalled on Hemerdon bank because
the GWR couldn't (or wouldn't) provide an assisting engine. On arrival at
Plymouth, the GCR crew would have had little rest because the Laira shed
staff must have needed advice in order to clean the firebox, ash pan and
smokebox and prepare a strange engine in under 4hr for a long run back to
its home shed. My guess is that the GCR provided a relief crew, perhaps from
Leicester to Exeter. Even if Leicester men worked to Plymouth and back, the
fireman would have had a very hard day. A photograph of one train west of
Taunton exists. When I first heard of these exploits, I wondered why the
GCR route from Manchester was used, because the GWR could have used its running
powers via Crewe, from Manchester LNWR. Also in Mr Horton's article, it is
quite correct to say that the Ashford (Kent)-Newcastle service was suspended
in 1944. However, from the point of view of the Banbury-Woodford link, the
same path was used from Reading West onwards for a similar train which then
started from Southampton.
New books. 594.
The LNWR recalled. Edward Talbot. OPC.
191pp.
Grreatly recommended.
A.J. Mullay. How not to close a railway.
596-7.
In 1925 the LNER decided to withdraw its passenger service to Granton.
This also involved the closure of the station at Trinity used by fishwives
and their wares. It involved negotiations with the LMS as fish traffic at
Granton was shared between the two railways. Closure was instigated by J.
Calder, the General Manager (Scotland) who checked the legal position with
the Scottish Solicitor, T.B. Maitland. Ten days notice of closure was given
to the public and this caused an outcry in the press and reached the ears
of Captain Wedgwood Benn, the Liberal MP for Leith, and the LNER through
its Passenger Manager Stemp and Strang, the Superintendent were required
to provide statistical evidence to the Ministry of Transport to justify closure,
which they did.
Peter Johnson. 85 years of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway.
600-5.
Includes the return of The Ciountess to traffic as welcomed
by the Dowager Countess of Powys at Raven Square on 16 August 1986.
G. Wood. The Lambton 'mainliners'. 606-7; 610-13.
Includes a map of thre Lambton Railway system which latterly was owned
and operated by the National Coal Board.
Eric Neve. The last LNER luxury expresses – the
'West Riding Limited' and the 'East Anglian'. 614-17.
Includes logs of runs: the West Riding Limited was aimed at
giving the Yorkshire businessman from Leeds and Bradford time for a full
afternoon in London and enough time in the office before a rapid transit
to London: the LNER obviously hoped to luch and dine its customers en
route.
Number 571 (November 1987)
Kevin Robertson.
The 'whitewash' coach - a unique vehicle.
658-63.
Originated as "70ft" brake clerestory GWR 2400 (lot 1005 D39) became
test vehicle for both bogies and track before World War I. Whitewash first
deposited 12 December 1927. Toplight 2360 took over task on 1930-01-20 and
became automated whitewash coach: vehicle adapted for new role. During British
Railways vehicle ran on GC and Southern routes as well as Western Region.
Renumbered 139. B4 bogies fitted in 1980.
Number 572 (December 1987)
Neil Hammond. Woodhead Route reflections. 706-9
Although working as a guard much of his work time was spent on the
Class 76 electric locomotives watching them returning electricity through
regenerative braking
Helen Christian and Pat Morris. It's a dog's life. 729-30.
Canine charity collectors including London Jack and Wimbledon
Nell. Photograph of Grace, an LMS dog, at Dalston and of London
Jack (as stuffed) on the Bluebell Railway.
Ray King. Norwich Victoria 1849-1976. 731-3.
Terminus of the railway which reached Norwich via Ipswich. A connecting
spur opened on 8 September 1851 enabled the bulk of services to be diverted
into Thorpe station (terminus for trains from Yarmouth and from Brandon (and
London via Cambridge). Victoria closed to passenger services on 22 May 1916.
Freight services lasted until 1986.