BRITAIN’S LEADING HISTORICAL RAILWAY JOURNAL

Vol. 34 • No. 2 FEBRUARY 2020 £4.85

IN THIS ISSUE
FREIGHT ON THE UNDERGROUND
LNER B1 4-6-0s IN COLOUR
SCARBOROUGH SHED AND ITS LOCOMOTIVES
THE SPLENDOUR THAT WAS THE SINGLE-WHEELER
PENDRAGON RAILWAYS AND THE TURF
PUBLISHING IN PRAISE OF THE MOGULS

RECORDING THE HISTORY OF BRITAIN’S RAILWAYS

 LATEST FROM PENDRAGON
RAILWAYS IN RETROSPECT No.7

GROUPING
BRITAIN’S
RAILWAYS
BY A. J. MULLAY
Creating the ‘Big Four’ in 1923
“The Grouping was unnecessary, its
conception lawed, its planning muddled, and
its execution clumsy.”
That’s the controversial conclusion reached in
this new publication from Pendragon Publishing,
the irst history of the 1923 Grouping to be
published in book form for many years. Lavishly
illustrated, this book explores why the idea of
compact, zonal, railway groups quickly emerged
as something quite diferent, with new rival
companies having no territorial rights, and with
competition and duplication of routes remaining
unchanged. Employing a blend of oicial archives,
personal memoirs and contemporary publications

£P1OS7T.F5RE0E
– from The Times to the Boy’s Own Paper – this
unprecedented development in Britain’s transport
history is subjected to clinical examination.
88 pages, card covers. | ISBN: 978-1-899816-22-4

The following back Vol.29 Nos. 1 to 12 Vol.31 Nos. 1 to 12 Vol.33 Nos. 1 to 12

BACK ISSUES issues of BackTrack
are available: Vol.30 Nos. 1 to 12 Vol.32 Nos. 1 to 12 Vol.34 No. 1 onwards

All back issues

£5.50
PER COPY INC. P&P
Overseas readers should add
40% to the cost for Europe,
75% for outside Europe.

ORDERING POST FREE IN THE UK PENDRAGON BOOKS TRADE DISTRIBUTOR

Book and back issue orders should be sent with cheque or postal order payable to Pendragon Publishing at: WARNERS GROUP PUBLICATIONS plc.
PENDRAGON PUBLISHING, PO Box No.3, Easingwold, YORK YO61 3YS The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
(Overseas readers should pay by International Money Order, adding 40% for post/packing Europe and 75% outside Europe) Telephone: 01778 392404
Telephone orders with credit card payments can be made on 01347 824397 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). E-mail: [email protected]

IMAGES SUPPLIED FOR USE IN FUTURE ISSUES OF BACKTRACK - GUIDELINES

In seeking to ensure that reproduction of photographs in either colour (CMYK) or Monochrome which are supplied to us on
CD or DVD media or prints are of the highest standard your co-operation with the following would be greatly appreciated.
IMAGES SUPPLIED ON DISK - COLOUR AND MONO IMAGES SUPPLIED AS PRINTS - COLOUR AND MONO
To have been drum scanned from original photographic prints or Please do not supply images that have been printed on an inkjet printer, even if
transparencies as CMYK images at high resolution (300dpi) with a minimum on a ‘photographic paper’. Due to the nature of inkjet prints these images have
width dimension of 216mm and saved in either .tiff or .jpeg format. Scanning to be scanned out of focus losing detail and sharpened later resulting in poorer
on a flat bed scanner can result in loss of detail in both shadow and quality images. If prints are to be supplied they must be as Contone (continuous
highlight areas resulting in lack of definition in the whole image. tone) Prints produced by the industry standard photographic reproduction method.

IN EVERY CASE where possible, it is far better to supply original image(s) ensuring the continued high quality of Backtrack magazine
 Vol. 34 . No.2
No. 346
FEBRUARY 2020
RECORDING THE HISTORY OF BRITAIN’S RAILWAYS

George Stephenson’s last home at risk

This month’s guest editorial looks at the problem of historic buildings Tapton but in 1931 adapted and extended the buildings for use
facing uncertain futures due to their having fallen into disuse. The as a senior school. The grounds were laid out as a public park and
building which is the subject here has connections going back to the golf course. Tapton House, which became a small grammar school
early days of railways when it was the home of no less a igure than under the 1944 Education Act, closed in 1991 and three years later
George Stephenson. the premises were reopened as a satellite campus of Chesterield
College. The college left a few years ago and since then the
Tapton House, the Georgian mansion on the outskirts of property has remained empty. Chesterield Borough Council have
Chesterield in which George Stephenson spent his inal years, is at recently sought listed building consent to board up the mansion
risk following the closure of a college campus there. The house was to keep it secure.
built by Isaac Wilkinson (1749–1831), a Chesterield lead merchant Tapton House is a Grade II* listed building, protected for both
and banker, in about 1790 and enlarged in 1811. He continued to its historical signiicance and its architectural quality. It stands
extend the surrounding estate until his death. Wilkinson and his in a prominent position, overlooking the Rother Valley north of
wife had no children but in 1817 became the guardians of a distant Chesterield. The mansion is of three storeys, built in brick with a
relative, George Yeldham Ricketts (1810–88). When Isaac died in hipped slate roof. There is some ine moulded stonework around
1831 he left Tapton to George when he reached the age of 24, on the doors and windows. Inside, the main rooms are decorated in
condition that he take the name Wilkinson. a late eighteenth-century style, which dates partly from when the
In 1837, soon after coming into his inheritance, George house was built and partly from the Markhams’ time. The grounds
Wilkinson ofered Tapton House and up to 100 acres of parkland are planted with some ine trees and shrubs and walks laid out
to let. The following year the house and grounds were leased through them. There are remains of an early medieval moated
for ten years to George Stephenson (1781–1848), who was then homestead in the front garden. A park was created on all sides of
living near Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire. When he moved the house, which has particularly ine views to the west.
to Chesterield Stephenson was engaged in building the North All these features were retained after Tapton became a school.
Midland Railway, which skirted the western edge of the Tapton In 1997 an innovation centre was erected on the site of the kitchen
estate, and had recently established a coal and iron company at gardens and a year earlier a labyrinth designed by Jim Buchanan
Clay Cross, on the North Midland line a few miles south of the and reputed to be the largest of its type in the world, measuring
town. 50 yards in diameter with earth banks 4ft high, was laid out in the
Stephenson died at Tapton in 1848 and was buried at Holy park immediately to the north west of the house.
Trinity church in Chesterield. In 1850 Mary Pocock and Grace Chesterield Borough Council is urgently seeking a new use
Walker, formerly of Frome in Somerset, opened a girls’ boarding for this historically important and very attractive property. Because
school at Tapton and the following year Robert Stephenson (1803– of later building on the site, it is diicult to envisage a return to
59) let the mansion and grounds to them. This was done without residential use, but Tapton House could become a prestigious
Wilkinson’s consent and a dispute ensued. In 1865 Miss Pocock and headquarters for a medium-sized service-sector company or a
Miss Walker closed the school and surrendered their lease. large professional practice. It could also house an independent
Tapton House stood empty for a few years until in 1872 the secondary school, which Chesterield currently lacks. Given its
estate was purchased by Charles Markham (1823–88), the chairman association with George Stephenson, Tapton House is an important
of the Staveley Coal & Iron Company. The house remained the part of Britain’s railway heritage and must not be allowed to fall
family’s home until 1925, when Markham’s eldest son, Charles into decay, much less be threatened with demolition.
Paxton Markham (1866–1926), ofered the mansion and about 200
acres of land to Chesterield Corporation for ‘a Museum or Institute Philip Riden
or in other ways for the beneit of the inhabitants of Chesterield’. Department of History
The corporation initially planned to create a museum at University of Nottingham

Contents
More Mixed Freight ................................................................... 68
B1s – The LNER’s Class 5 4-6-0s ........................................ 96
Freight on the Underground ......................................... 100
Irish Disesel Traction............................................................. 106
In Praise of the Moguls – Part One .............................. 70 Sunk Without Trace: The Railway and Deep
Water Humber Terminal that never was.......... 109
The Postal ........................................................................................... 74
Scarborough Engine Shed and its
Railways and the Turf – The Formative Years .... 77 Locomotives – Part One ..................................................... 112
Saddle Tanks on the Great Western Railway....... 82 Forgotten Branches of North East Wales
The Splendour that was the Single-Wheeler – Part Three .................................................................................. 120
LNER B1 4-6-0 No.61211 departs
– Part One .......................................................................................... 84 Readers’ Forum ........................................................................ 125 from Retford, taking the Lincoln
1966 – Relections on a Spotter's Travels............... 91 Book Reviews ............................................................................. 126 line, in 1958. (Derek Penney)

Publisher and Editor MICHAEL BLAKEMORE • E-Mail [email protected] • Tel 01347 824397 [Mon.-Fri. 9.00am-5.00pm]
All Subscription Enquiries 01778 392024 (see inside back cover for details) • Trade Account Manager Ann Williams
Design + Repro Barnabus Design in Print • Typesetting Ian D. Luckett Typesetting • IT Consultant Derek Gillibrand
Printed by Amadeus Press, Ezra House, West 26 Business Park, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD19 4TQ
Newstrade Distribution Warners Group Publications Plc • Tel. 01778 391135
Contributions of material both photographic and written, for publication in BACKTRACK are welcome but are sent on the understanding that, although every care is taken, neither the editor or publisher can accept responsibility
for any loss or damage, however or whichever caused, to such material. l Opinions expressed in this journal are those of individual contributors and should not be taken as reflecting editorial policy. All contents of this
PENDRAGON
publication are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers l Copies of photographs appearing in BACKTRACK are not available to readers. PUBLISHING
All editorial correspondence to: PENDRAGON PUBLISHING • PO BOX No.3 • EASINGWOLD • YORK YO61 3YS • www.pendragonpublishing.co.uk © PENDRAGON PUBLISHING 2020
FEBRUARY 2020 67
 MORE MIXED FREIGHT
Another selection of DAVID IDLE’s photographs showing train on 29th October 1962. The locomotive is one of Edward
the variety of freight traic once handled on the railways. Thompson’s post-war rebuilds of an O4 type of Great Central
design, actually one of the wartime production in 1918 for the
ABOVE: All clear on the East Coast Main Line at Stevenage as BR 9F Railway Operating Division.
2-10-0 No.92039 hustles a train of oil tanks south on 8th May
1962. Note the barrier brake van behind the engine. BOTTOM: Over on the West Coast route LMS Class 5 4-6-0 No.45181
is on the front of an up express train of itted vans passing
BELOW: Deerness Valley Junction, to the south west of Durham, under the Furness & Midland route from Wennington and Settle
is the location here as O1 2-8-0 No.63760 heads an up coal Junction on the approach to Carnforth on 30th July 1965.
LMS Stanier Class 4 2-6-4T No.42439 was based at Tebay and employed there banking trains up to Shap Summit but on 30th July
1965 it was given an outing on its own account, passing the abandoned shed at Oxenholme with ballast wagons.

WD ‘Austerity’ 2-8-0 No.90721 trundles tender-irst through Wakeield

Kirkgate with westbound mineral wagons on 1st November 1965.

Frost on the sleepers at Woking on 28th December 1965. BRCW Type

3 No.D6528 is on a down freight and being challenged on the adjacent
track by SR Q1 0-6-0 No.33006 with a train of construction spoil.
The Midland Railway took delivered of
40 American 2‑6‑0s, 30 from the Baldwin
Locomotive Company of Philadelphia
and ten from the Schenectady
Locomotive Works in New York. All
entered service in 1899. No.2526 is seen
on a local passenger turn at Cudworth.
Its working life would be just ten years.
(T. J. Edgington Collection)

A
ccording to my ABC Combined Volume
a majority of British engines of the
4-6-0 wheel arrangement was
classified ‘Mixed Traffic’ by British Railways.
Yet their versatility in that regard could, I
think, be questionable because most would
appear to have been built with passenger
haulage as their primary function. Think, for
examples, LMS ‘Jubilee’ and ‘Black Five’, LNER
B1, B2 and B17 and GWR ‘County’, ‘Hall’,
‘Grange’ and ‘Manor’ and the Southern H15, all
of which come under the ‘MT’ category in one
form or another. No doubt the ‘Jubilee’ (6P5F)
and the B2/B17 (4MT) worked freight at times
IN PRAISE OF THE MOGUL
side of the Atlantic. Perhaps unsurprisingly the and quite roughly built. Given that American
but hardly regularly, and all the others, if doing first Mogul on British soil was American too, a railroads tended to buy locomotives ‘off the
so rather more frequently, were usually to be tank engine supplied to the Garstang & Knott peg’ and work them to death rather than follow
seen with carriages on the drawbar. (Southern End Railway about 1870. Visiting the United the British method of often building in their
devotees may consider the H15 the exception.) States in 1877, Stratford Works Manager own workshops and carefully tending them
So I began a detailed run through the lists Massey Bromley saw a very large 2-6-0 for thereafter, that shouldn’t surprise. They were
to determine which type I believe should be the Baltimore & Ohio RR. On succeeding not much liked by crews but whether because
classified as ‘MT’ – and the Mogul 2-6-0 range William Adams as the Great Eastern Railway’s they were ‘foreign’ rather than through any
stood out. Locomotive Superintendent in 1878 he inbuilt failing is difficult to gauge. Perhaps the
Look at the variety for a start: everything introduced the fifteen Moguls of the ‘527’ Class reception here of the USA 2-8-0s en route to
from the hefty LNER K3 to the dainty LMS which had decided American features. (Some Europe toward the end of World War II might
Class 2 and its BR counterpart. All four pre- sources quote Adams as the designer though it provide a clue. All had been withdrawn before
nationalisation companies and several of their seems likelier Bromley supervised design while grouping.
constituents worked Moguls, though in general Adams was still in office.) The outside cylinders,

T
home-built engines of the type – for British for example, had slide valves worked through he Midland & South Western Junction
railways – came late on the scene. Perhaps it rockers by inside Stephenson valve gear. The Railway acquired two of the type from
was the predominance of unfitted freight trains leading truck was not radial but mounted in a Beyer Peacock, in 1895 and 1897. The
run at relatively slow speed which instead transverse frame to which the axleboxes were first, numbered 14, had been destined for South
commended the 0-6-0 as the ideal workhorse. attached and controlled by laminated springs, a America but never got there and proved useful
The first six-coupled engine with a leading common American method of the time. Though enough for the MSWJ to order the second,
axle was introduced on the Louisville & designed for heavy freight work, the engines numbered 16. These worked the heaviest freight
Nashville RR in 1860. From then on the 2-6-0 had a serious design fault in the steam passages, traffic between Southampton and Cheltenham,
wheel arrangement became popular on the other so much so all had gone by 1887. being stationed there and at Andover for the
Mogul engines came across The Pond purpose. No.14 was sold in 1914 but the GWR
GWR ‘43XX’ 2‑6‑0 No.7321 passes in quantity in 1898/9 following a long strike took in No.16 and, having renumbered it 24,
Patchway on express passenger duty by engineering workers here, Baldwin fitted a standard ‘No.9’ Belpaire boiler, a new
in the mid‑1930s. The irst of the class and Schenectady supplying batches to the chimney and a 2,500-gallon tender, sent it
went into traic in 1911 but No.7321 Midland, Great Northern and Great Central. to work around Bristol until withdrawal in
was from a batch built in 1925. By American standards they were small, no 1930. In the course of its career it acquired the
(Pendragon Collection) larger than contemporary English engines, name ‘Galloping Alice’: somewhere along the
 Caledonian Railway ‘34’ Class 2‑6‑0 No.37
LS PART ONE
line ‘Galloping Alice’ became better known as
JEREMY CLARKE reviews the range of mixed
traic 2‑6‑0 locomotives to have run in Britain.
1925 and 1932 as older 0-6-0s wore out. Those
in the company’s famous blue livery.
Built at St. Rollox Works in 1912 in a class
of just ive locomotives, it ran in LMS
‘Galloping Gertie’. two lots came under the Collett regime, the days until 1936. (Pendragon Collection)
Other pre-grouping companies took up the latter batch being provided with a side window
configuration. In 1912, for example, McIntosh cab and detail alterations. Engines of the class 7325 though neither, at the time of writing, is
of the Caledonian added a leading radial could be seen almost anywhere on the GW in working order. The latter is ex-No.9303, one
axle to his existing ‘30’ Class 0-6-0. Similarly system hauling everything but the fastest and of the last lot, all of which were modified in the
Peter Drummond’s ‘403’ Class 2-6-0 for the heaviest passenger traffic. later 1950s to reduce weight and renumbered
Glasgow & South Western Railway was a The originals turned the scales at 62 tons 7322–41.
1915 development of his ‘279’ Class 0-6-0, while but the later lots were respectively 64 tons

G
William Dean’s Great Western ‘Aberdares’ of and 65 tons 6cwt. The 3,500-gallon tenders resley was the next to produce a Mogul.
1900 were perfect examples of late-Victorian weighed 40 tons. Placed in the Great Western As freight movements grew heavier,
design. The first truly mixed traffic Mogul was power class ‘D’, they were route classified ‘Blue’ particularly over longer distances, the
also a Swindon product but a very different except the last twenty whose additional weight Great Northern was increasingly relying on
beast, illustrating the rapid developmental just put them into ‘Red’ category, making passenger engines to haul such traffic because
progress there under Churchward. them less versatile than their earlier brethren. of the limited power of Ivatt’s 0-6-0 ‘J’ classes
The ‘43XX’ Class first came into service in The ‘43XXs’ were classified ‘4MT’ by British built for such work. Perhaps having seen the
1911. A 2-6-2 tank engine version, the ‘3150’, Railways. success of the ‘43XX’ on the Western – maybe
had appeared five years previously, the result Robert Stephenson & Co. provided 50 of
of Churchward putting a No.4 boiler on to the the 342 examples that came into service: fifteen The Glasgow & South Western Railway’s
already successful ‘31XX’ Class which had of these were erected at Swindon from parts ‘16’ Class 2‑6‑0s were designed as freight
itself been developed from a single engine, supplied by that company. In the mid-1930s engines – and ine ones they were.
No.99 of 1903. The ‘43XX’ carried this boiler 100 of the earlier engines were withdrawn and LMS No.17822 heads an express freight
too, having Churchward’s first installation of some parts, particularly wheels and motion, near Floriston, on the Caledonian main
top feed, but with a superheater, and pressed at went into new ‘Grange’ and ‘Manor’ 4-6-0s. The line south of Gretna Junction where the
200psi. The 18½in x 30in cylinders were as in intention was to convert all in this way but war CR and G&SW routes joined. Built as
the ‘Saint’ Class and the 5ft 8in diameter driving intervened. Most of the survivors were active No.404 by the North British Loco. Co., its
wheels were another ‘standard’. Proved very at nationalisation, the last half-dozen until working life ran from 1915 until 1944.
successful, further batches were introduced in 1964. Two have been preserved, Nos.5322 and (Pendragon Collection)
The 1.05pm Mallaig–Fort William Eastern and North British companies. All 75 class were produced up to 1937, each batch by
‘express’ , consisting of four coaches K2s survived at nationalisation though none in then having a sub-class suffix ‘1’ to ‘6’, later
and ive loaded ish vans, requires a preservation. The first withdrawal occurred in simplified in view of the minor differences
pair of K2/2 2‑6‑0s Nos.61789 Loch September 1955, signifying the start of a slow, between batches. The first lot was constructed
Laidon and 61790 Loch Lomond to lead continuous progression to the breakers that to the generous GNR loading gauge, a few
it over Inverlochy bridge in dull and ended in 1962. The class was deemed ‘4MT’ receiving GNR tenders of 43 tons weight. The
wet conditions on 12th June 1951. The under BR. From early on they were found rest were to the LNER composite gauge to
locomotives have been provided with side to be strong but very rough-riding engines, which the early ones were rebuilt, though the
window cabs in place of the spartan Great especially as mileage built up. last not until 1940. Weight in working order
Northern ones to make better conditions was 72 tons 12cwt while the 4,200-gallon
he early years of the First World tenders turned the scales at 52 tons. Further

T
for crews on the West Highland line. In the
background the foothills of Ben Nevis are War evidently indicated to Gresley orders ceased on the introduction of the V2
almost lost in the mist. something still more powerful was 2-6-2 in 1936 after plans for an enlarged and
(Eric Bruton/Pendragon Collection) required because planning for the next improved K3 had been shelved.
Mogul began in 1917. The influence of the The K3s became well known for their rough
coincidentally if at all – the first H2 2-6-0 O2 2-8-0 may be seen here, the first to use riding, particularly the aggressive ‘wagging’ of
appeared in 1912. The boiler was that of Ivatt’s Gresley’s conjugated valve gear, patented in the rear end. It was also soon found the centre
‘Long Tom’ 0-8-0 though shortened, pressed late 1916. The planned two-cylinder Mogul, valve over-travelled at speed because of the
at 180psi and fitted with an eighteen-element a development of the K2, instead became a ‘whip’ in the conjugating levers, the result
Schmidt superheater. The H2 was the first class three-cylinder engine with the patent gear to being a maximum 65% cut-off limit on the
provided with Gresley’s patented ‘double swing work the inside valve. The first K3 appeared in gear. The locomotive exchanges between an
link’ pony truck which appeared on all engines 1920, a far beefier engine than the K2. The 6ft LNER A1 and a Great Western ‘Castle’ in 1925
built under his supervision which required one. diameter boiler to Diagram 96 gave the engine had shown the benefit of providing long travel,
Use of Walschaerts valve gear was another a massive appearance though still pressed long lap valves. The K3s began to receive these
innovation so far as the GNR was concerned. at only 180psi. Providing a boiler of this size from 1928 with a measurable benefit in reduced
The 20in x 26in cylinders became a GNR and followed a national agreement on axle-loading, coal consumption.
later LNER standard and Ivatt had already up to twenty tons being permitted.1 The three The K3s at first were running fitted freight
fitted his ‘J’ classes with the 5ft 8in driving 18½in x 26in cylinders, fed by 8in diameter trains, but rather in the manner of the post-war
wheels which appeared on the H2. Though piston valves, together with the 5ft 8in driving ex-Great Central line ‘wind cutters’ and as a
weighing around the same as the later ‘43XXs’, wheels, provided a tractive effort of 30,030lb means of reducing line occupancy, the engines
the engine had a slightly lower tractive effort at 85% BP. In all 193 representatives of the were soon set to work heavier coal trains
because of its lower boiler pressure, but with
success proven nine more appeared in 1913. LNER K3 No.186 is in charge of an express livestock train passing Grantham in July
The first H3 came later that year. This was 1933. (T. J. Edgington Collection)
the H2 with a larger boiler having a Robinson
superheater and longer firebox. This required a
lengthened frame which pushed the pony truck
four inches forward. Doncaster built two lots, in
1914 and 1916, while North British in 1918 and
Kitson’s in 1921 provided more to a total of 65
in traffic.
Following grouping the two classes became
K1 and K2 respectively. The ten K1s were
rebuilt to K2, all but one between 1932 and 1937
– the odd one out in 1921 – though a distinction
was drawn, these being classified K2/1 and the
original K2 becoming K2/2. One later change
concerned members posted to Scotland for
which they were provided with side-window
cabs and thirteen of the class there were given
‘Loch’ names. Post-grouping shorter chimneys
and flatter dome covers were provided as well
as lower cab roofs and the substitution of Ross
pop safety valves for the Ramsbottom variety.
The changes were undertaken to permit the
engines to work over the loading gauge-
restricted lines of particularly the ex-Great

72 BACKTRACK
 this time allying a K2 boiler to the three K3
cylinders but retaining the 5ft 2in driving
wheels. The first K4, No.3441, entered service
in January 1937. It showed itself quite capable
of handling 300 tons, resulting in five more
engines appearing in the six months after July
1938. Following some experience the boiler
pressure was increased from 180psi to 200psi
to enhance speed uphill, but the resultant raised
tractive effort of 36,600lb brought the adhesion
factor down to a low 3.54. One has to assume
the three-cylinder layout made the engines
more sure-footed than the original two-cylinder
proposal was believed to be. No more K4s were
built, a reflection of the specialist nature of
their design. The demands of hauling 300 tons
over the route had a marked detrimental effect
LNER K4 No.61995 Cameron of Lochiel takes the West Highland Extension line at on their maintenance needs though in time
Mallaig Junction as it leaves Fort William with the 10.25am all stations to Mallaig on trains of such weight became less common
11th June 1951. The locomotive bears its British Railways number but is otherwise still and members of the class began to appear
in LNER apple green livery over three years after nationalisation. elsewhere.
(Eric Bruton/Pendragon Collection) Thompson – inevitably! – rebuilt one of the
production lot, No.3445, in the same manner as
between Peterborough and London at higher numbers of 96A boilers were produced the K5. Later re-classified as K1/1, this formed
speeds than was possible with smaller engines. as replacements for time-served originals a prototype for the K1 Class produced by his
As a corollary to that perhaps, during the 1921 though they retained the 180psi pressure. The successor, Arthur Peppercorn, in which rather
coal strike they proved capable of hauling first withdrawal of a K3 was in 1959 but all, more of the B1 was evident. The two 20in x
mammoth passenger trains, reportedly up to including the K5, had gone from active service 26in cylinders were the same and the boiler
twenty coaches at times. Thereafter they were by December 1962 and none survives. BR was a shortened 100A though it retained the
as often turned out for passenger duty as for classed both as ‘5P6F’. B1’s 225psi pressure, providing 32,030lb of
freight. tractive effort at 85% BP. Seventy of the K1
In 1945, in a bid to ease the maintenance eanwhile, from the early 1920s heavier Class appeared in 1949/50. This and the K2
burden posed by the inside cylinder and its
valve gear, Edward Thompson rebuilt No.206
– 1863 in the post-war renumbering – to a two-
M stock and longer trains on the West
Highland line meant loads of up to
300 tons had become common, particularly in
were probably the most versatile of all the
LNER Moguls. The K1 was regularly seen
on the West Highland line though otherwise
cylinder version, classified K5. The intention summer. These demanded double-heading by quite widely scattered about the Eastern and
had been to fit a B1-type 100A boiler but the ex-North British 4-4-0s in general use over North Eastern Regions. Withdrawals started in
Diagram 96A based on the K3’s Diagram 96 that sharply-graded and curving route with its late 1962: the final engine in traffic, No.62005,
was produced instead. Like the 100A this was limited axle loading. Once more Gresley chose withdrawn in 1967, is now preserved most
pressed at 225psi which, with the 20in x 26in a Mogul to solve this problem. Use of the K3 appropriately on the North Yorkshire Moors
cylinders as in the B1, caused only a minimal had been suggested at first but it exceeded Railway. Like their earlier brethren, BR classed
reduction in the tractive effort to 29,250lb. the weight limits on the Mallaig line: the Civil the K4 and the K1 as ‘5P6F’.
Despite the ‘rebuilding’ label there wasn’t Engineer subsequently barred them north (to be continued)
much of the original left. The wheels and of Helensburgh. Diagrams were produced
frames were new, while Gresley’s swing link instead for a three-cylinder engine with 5ft 2in Reference
pony truck gave way to one with helical side- coupled wheels though this was not developed 1. Attributed by P. N. Townend to Gresley’s former
control springs. The all-up weight was reduced after a dozen K2s were allocated to the West Chief Draughtsman H. Broughton. Article in
but only by 27cwt. The K5 appeared to have Highland. The possibility of an improved Steam World Issue 362
advantages over the K3, improved riding and K2 with increased boiler pressure and larger
lighter on both coal and water. Further rebuilds cylinders was considered but the reduction in LNER Peppercorn K1 No.62008 runs
were ordered in 1949 but then cancelled due to the adhesion factor that would have resulted through York on the up main line with
cost and the long lead time to see the work saw the scheme dropped. a parcels train on 24th August 1963.
completed, leaving No.1863 unique. However, A similar proposition appeared in 1935, (T. J. Edgington)

FEBRUARY 2020 73
 w THE x
POSTAL
Sorting the mail on a summer evening
at Carstairs. described by
ALLAN TROTTER
Tender Vans (POT) and Sorting Vans (POS)
but many detail variations did exist. Some
vans were fitted with an external posting box
where mail could be posted by the public at
stations en route long after the final collection
times at main post offices. Mail posted in
this way was initially required to carry extra
postage stamps but latterly first class postage
was all that was required.
or many years the Royal Mail made Unlike the previous postal vehicles, most

F
The Glasgow portion of the Royal Mail
‘Up West Coast Postal’, hauled by a Class much use of rail transport for the but not all the MkI vehicles had standard
86 locomotive, passes beneath Crosshill conveyance of Her Majesty’s mail. Like Pullman-type gangways located in the
Street, Motherwell, on Tuesday 17th of the private railway companies previously, normal centre position, unlike many of the
May 1977. British Railways constructed a series of previous private company vehicles on which
vehicles to MkI standards for the exclusive the gangways were offset to one side. A few
Class 26 No.26 029 has just arrived from conveyance of this precious and prestigious MkI vans initially did have offset gangways to
Aberdeen and is at the down platform at commodity. permit them to work with pre-nationalisation
Carstairs station where the locomotive There were three main types of vehicle vehicles but these were eventually altered to
will be detached and run round the four built in various different lots, namely Brake the standard centre gangway configuration.
postal vehicles. Stowage or Tender Vans (BPOT), Stowage or The stowage or tender vans had an almost

Carstairs station track layout.

74 BACKTRACK
No.M80329 is a POS or NSX Sorting Van. The sorting vans were the ones with the letter in present-day circumstances be considered
It was originally itted with drop-of arms sorting racks installed at which the travelling somewhat too perilous!
and collection nets but both of these postmen were able to sort the received mail The vehicles illustrated here represent
ittings have now been removed. Note whilst en route. a typical June evening in 1977 at Carstairs
the late letter postbox on this and other Until 1971 mail could be exchanged en where the Up Postal from Aberdeen was
vehicles. route and at speed by specially equipped
sorting and stowage vans fitted with net The interior of No.M80382, a POS or
empty open interior but some had separate collection and dispatching apparatus but this NSX Sorting Van. It had no provision for
compartments for special use. There were a practice ceased on 4th October 1971, the last mailbag exchange apparatus. This vehicle
small number of stowage vans which had a such operation being at Penrith. No doubt this is now on public display at the Bo’ness &
dedicated compartment for the train guard. highly skilled and precise operation would Kinneil Railway. 2nd October 2016.

FEBRUARY 2020 75
No.M80456 is a BPOT or NUX Brake other end of the train. It then proceeded into the nefarious villains made an unauthorised
Stowage Van. Basically an empty van but up passenger loop where this portion awaited withdrawal from the ‘West Coast Postal’, the
with a guard’s compartment provided for the much longer Up Postal from Glasgow security of the train did not seem to be that
the convenience of the train guard. It has Central. The Glasgow portion consisted of conspicuous and there was no hindrance
no provision for either drop-of arms nor an electric locomotive, typically a Class 81 whatsoever to close examination and
collection nets. or 86 with electric train heating and a load of photography of the mail carriages at the
POS, POS, POS, POT, POS, POT, POS, POS. station and in the loops.
combined with the Up Postal from Glasgow This portion was routed into the now vacant In the present day mail is still transported
Central before its overnight travels south. All down platform road where a stop was made by rail from Scotland to the south but not from
the postal vehicles featured in this article are to allow the Aberdeen portion to be propelled Glasgow Central. Royal Mail now has a depot
now running on B5 bogies, have dual braking on to the rear of the train from Glasgow. Once at Shieldmuir which has a single line platform
systems (air or vacuum), dual heating (steam the four vehicles of the Aberdeen portion with the capacity to accommodate a train of a
or electric), some have provision for basic were attached, the Class 26 returned to the typical formation of three Class 325 four-car
cooking and fortunately for the postal staff, up passenger loop. The time allocated for electric multiple units. No sorting of mail takes
most have toilet facilities. running around and the combining the two place aboard these trains, the four vehicles in
The first postal train to appear at trains at Carstairs was quite generous and it each of the multiple units being the equivalent
Carstairs was the portion from Aberdeen allowed the travelling postmen a short break of the locomotive-hauled stowage vans.
and typically consisted of a Class 26 diesel- to retire to the local watering hole for some
electric locomotive with steam heating with well deserved refreshment. After some time The Glasgow and Aberdeen portions of
a formation of a Class 26, POS, POS, POT, and after the refreshed postal staff were back the combined train behind Class 81 No.81
BPOT. The routing was via Mossend and on board, the combined ‘West Coast Postal’ 012 ready to depart Carstairs for the
then into the down platform road of Carstairs departed for the south. south. This train now consists of Class 81,
station. Here the locomotive was detached, ran Considering the despicable and violent POS, POS, POS, POT, POS, POT, POS, POS,
around the four vans and was attached to the incident the previous decade when some POS, POS, POT, BPOT.

76 BACKTRACK
 Epsom Downs station, opened 26th
May 1865, formed the terminus of
the Sutton branch of the Banstead &
Epsom Downs Railway. Designed by
David J. Field, it was built to cater for
large numbers of trains and people
occasioned by race days. There were
originally nine platform faces, all lines
terminating at a covered concourse at
the end of the platforms. A large two-
storeyed building accommodated the
booking oice, waiting room and station
master’s residence. The opening of
the new station elicited the following
comments made in The Sussex Advertiser,
23rd May 1865: “Epsom races will this
year be signalled by the opening of a
new railway…terminating within a short
RAILWAYS AND THE TURF distance of Tattenham-corner, and not
more than half a mile from the Grand
Stand…it is fully expected that the great
– THE FORMATIVE YEARS bulk of railway passengers will this year
adopt the new route, thus avoiding
This article broadly surveys three aspects: the extortions of ly-drivers and the
BY JEFFREY WELLS the easy movement of horses, the provision nuisance of traversing the dusty road
he development in the 19th Century of race specials and to offer two case studies

T
“ between the village of Epsom and the
of a rail network covering the major of lines and stations serving racecourses. To racecourse.” The photograph depicts a
parts of England had important accomplish the first two aspects, the author busy scene on Derby Day, Wednesday
consequences on British horse racing.” draws on the work of John Tolson and Wray 5th June 1907, with every line occupied.
Oxford Companion to British Railway History Vamplew, who have analysed the turf and (John Alsop Collection)
its relationship with the railways. The article
The above statement can be elaborated to ends with a look at Aintree Racecourse and the The availability of a well-connected railway
embrace other consequences. The railway participation of the railways in its success. network, which was to exist in the 1840s, “gave
network made for the easy movement of horses the opportunity to travel on equal terms
horses and men from stables to racecourses, The movement of horses with their owners in speed and an increasing
and between racecourses. At the same time, “Before the advent of railways, race horses level of comfort”.
horseracing as a national sport had an impact were normally walked between meetings by Tolson and Vamplew suggest that the
on the railway companies who saw a means of their grooms.” impetus for horse transport “came from
securing increased profits from the provision Tolson and Vamplew carriage horses transported on the same
of race specials and the decision to construct trains as their owners, or on closely following
new lines and stations dedicated to the equine Typical journeys made between racecourses ‘luggage trains’.” This facility was quickly
sport. The relationship was a symbiotic one: took five to seven days (for example, between employed for the movement of racehorses,
both the sport and the railway companies Newmarket and Epsom) and up to three the journey times being reduced from days
gained benefits from each other’s activities. weeks between Goodwood and Doncaster. and weeks to a few hours. This reduction
in travelling time enabled owners to race at
“The Roman Danam…on the River Don, and the North Midland Railway; best known several disparate meetings in close succession.
for its Races, established in 1703, in March and September” is how Bradshaw describes Tolson and Vamplew cite Thomas Dawson
Doncaster in 1863. He continues: “The important race is the St. Leger, in September, “who raced his sixteen horses at no less than
for three-year old horses…The course of the St. Leger is 1¾ miles.” Here we see twenty-eight courses” and Thomas Parr “who
the end of the approach road to the Great Northern Railway station (Station Road) throughout the 1850s made sure that his
and the forecourt thronged with conveyances of all description – all horse-drawn horses raced as often as they could”.
before the petrol engine craze. A mixture of buildings comprises the up side of the Without the facility of the ever-increasing
station, hiding the presence of the ‘Plant’ – the extensive GNR railway works on the railway network, racing one or more horses
down side. The large presence of wheeled vehicles suggests an important race day. at a string of races could not have been
(John Alsop Collection) accomplished. Much depended on the owner:
the railway facility was available if needed.

The early provision of

race specials
Tolson and Vamplew maintain that before
the railways were available, about 80,000
spectators were reported to have descended
on Epsom for the Derby meeting in the 1820s.
Therefore the gathering of large numbers of
spectators was real even before the availability
of rail travel, with vast hordes of unruly crowds
content to walk or travel by an assortment of
wheeled vehicles. Furthermore, “Attendances
of over 200,000 were recorded in the 1850s, a
time when only one in three railway companies
had a station within two miles of the course.”
Crowds of beer-drinking spectators
arrived at racecourses on foot, instead of
paying for a ticket to travel by rail to their
favourite racecourse. Despite this tendency,
the railway companies were quick to seize the

FEBRUARY 2020 77
chance of generating race traffic by rail. The
oft-cited example is the special train operated
by the Liverpool & Manchester Railway for
the Newton races in June 1831. This company,
however, was not the only one to run a race
special to the Newton meeting. The Liverpool
Mercury, June 1831 reported that the Bolton &
Leigh Railway also ran a race special:
“On Thursday, the 2nd inst., a party of
gentlemen went from Bolton to Newton Races,
in one of the coaches built for this road; they
were conveyed by the Union locomotive steam
engine, constructed by Messrs. Rothwell, Hick
& Co., at a speed of travelling [that] was
perfectly astonishing, passing over some parts
of the road at a rate of upwards of thirty-five
miles an hour.”
Derby Day at Epsom in 1838 was
described as a fiasco. The Times, 31st May, Towcester station was opened on 1st May 1866 by the Northampton & Banbury
devoted as much space to the parlous state of Junction Railway, long before the town had any connection with the Turf. Serving an
affairs before the race as it did to the various agricultural area, it is not surprising to see milk churns grouped together on the up
races of the day. According to the report, the platform. Towcester had a goods yard, marked by the shed, with a handful of sidings.
situation where the number of people who Behind the station building stood the appropriately-named Hesketh Hotel. The
were hell-bent on reaching Epsom that day by irst race meeting occurred in 1928 with the formation of the Towcester Racecourse
any means possible could only be described as Company Ltd., instigated by Lord Hesketh. The racecourse was located in the grounds
“promiscuous confusion”. The London station of his estate, the Easton Neston Estate. In 1928 racegoers probably preferred to travel
of Nine Elms took the brunt of the confusion. by their own means, by road. Nevertheless it was reported in 1930 that trains had been
“It is speaking within bounds to say, that laid on for the Grafton Hunt Steeplechase on Easter Monday, when 7–8,000 visitors
at an early hour [6.00am] upwards of 5,000 descended on the town. The station had three platform faces – one up, one down and
persons were assembled at the gate of the a down loop line. The main station building was built of brick: it accommodated the
Southampton railroad, at Nine Elms, near booking oice, waiting room, toilets and station master’s oice. (John Alsop Collection)
Vauxhall, for the purpose of going by the
railroad trains to the Kingston station, and maintain order, “but they could not do what as was the case at Epsom, the opening of the
thence by other conveyances to the race course. was impossible”. The impatient and frustrated railway may be said to have contributed a
The steam-boats which ply from London crowd surged forward into the main hall of new feature. That it had some effect is beyond
bridge and from Hungerford were filled with Nine Elms station by dint of lifting an outer all doubt…immense numbers…availed
passengers, who made sure of getting down to door off its hinges! Women shrieked in fright themselves of its superior accommodation; and
Epsom by the railroad. Hundreds were fated as the menfolk ran amok. by returning the same way, saved money as
to be disappointed. There were ten times more Ascot Heath Races were dealt with by well as time, beside avoiding the consequences
applicants for seats in the train-vans than The Morning Post, 15th June 1838: “In the and dangers of the turnpike road.”
there were seats for their accommodation.” proceedings yesterday, we perceived little to Many spectators had, however, arrived
Great efforts were made by the police to distinguish it from similar occasions, unless, on foot from Slough station. Nine miles lay
betwixt Ascot Heath and Slough station.
Newmarket’s irst station (All Saints) was opened on 4th April 1848 by the Newmarket Those who had walked to the racecourse
Railway and served the horseracing world until 1902 when it was deemed inadequate returned on foot to the station, hoping to
for the purpose. Plans were drawn up for a new station, 800 yards south east of the catch the last train, most finding that they had
irst, by the Great Eastern Railway. The contract for the work was awarded to Parnell & missed it. They were also too late to catch the
Co., at a cost of £23,464. The new station, along with new feeder roads, was opened on last road coach and the chance of victuals.
7th April 1902. The whole scheme was funded by Sir Harry McCalmont who considered A direct reference to the Liverpool &
the new station of great beneit to the town. This view of the Newmarket’s 1902 station Manchester Railway, seven years after its
shows the lengthy platforms, the photographer standing on the up platform, around pioneering special train to Newton, was
1905. The station was well-equipped for racegoers: irst and second class waiting made again by The Manchester Courier, 16th
rooms and restaurants existed on both platforms, plus a W. H. Smith bookstall. From June 1838. “The arrangements made by the
the start, the station was lit by electricity. (John Alsop Collection) Liverpool & Manchester Railway Company,
for the conveyance of passengers from those
towns, to the racecourse were effective, and
none of those ‘disagreeables’ of which the
public have with reason has to complain of
late years, came to pass. Not a single thief was
apprehended, nor did we hear of any robberies
effected.”
By the autumn of 1849 the growth of the
English railway network enabled racecourses
to be reached by large numbers of visitors.
This was manifested at Doncaster, which had
a long history of race meetings. The London
newspaper, The Era, described the situation in
its issue of 9th September 1849. “Those of our
readers who have been in the habit of attending
this far-famed Northern Meeting, will scarcely
need to be told that the transit was effected by
rail to either Masboro or Swinton Stations, the
remainder of the distance being accomplished
by coach, omnibus, fly.”
Advertisements in the same newspaper
detail the up-to-date ways of reaching

78 BACKTRACK
 Club, even though recognising the benefits
of railways to the racing fraternity, it “did
not want its meetings flooded with the lower
orders and so continued to have the start and
finish of each race situated so as to cause
maximum inconvenience to pedestrians, even
after excursion trains had been sanctioned”.
As we have seen, the presence of the
rowdy, often drunken, hordes at a race
meeting was to be expected: it was the normal
occurrence rather than the exception. The
Jockey Club vainly attempted to dissuade
the rank and file from gaining access to race
meetings. Its official publicity organ, the
Racing Calendar, before 1870 contained only
five racecourses near railway stations: these
were Radcliffe, Wrexham, Hungerford, West
Drayton, and Hendon and Kingsbury. After
1870 there was grudging acceptance that
York Racecourse station consisted of two platforms, situated immediately south of specials were in vogue.
Holgate Bridge, the unmistakable girder bridge that carries Holgate Road across the The following notes are taken from
railway. There seems to be uncertainty about its opening; it is clearly indicated on various contemporary newspapers: they
the 1892 25in to the mile Ordnance Survey map, CLXXIV. On the 1936 edition the illustrate the variable participation at race
very same station is named Holgate Excursion Station, the racecourse tag having lost meetings and how they sometimes failed.
its signiicance. Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Atlantic No.1405 storms out of York It is noticeable that after 1870 the role
station and passes the racecourse platform, with Holgate Bridge and a ine array of played by railways in the sporting columns
NER semaphore signals forming the background. (John Alsop Collection) of newspapers fails to receive the same
attention. By then, it is surmised, travelling
Doncaster for the celebrated St. Leger Day and Coffee House was built on the High Street as by train to such a meeting was so common
the facilities available there. a meeting place for members. The land and that it did not deserve any mention. Classified
building were later bought freehold and the advertisements in the newspapers continued
“EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY Jockey Club coffee house assumed its second to inform the public of which train to use.
The St. Leger Race name of the Jockey Club Rooms. In this case, the railway companies gained
To Doncaster and back in one Day The Club established rules to ensure profits from such publicity.
A special express train will leave Bishopsgate that races held at Newmarket Heath were
Station on Wednesday the 12th inst., at run fairly. These rules were so successful From The Era, 18th July 1852
5.45am, and will depart Doncaster about 12 that they were gradually accepted by all “Liverpool July Meeting – Thursday: The Cup
o’clock. racecourses throughout the country. Day
Fifteen minutes will be allowed for breakfast Tolson and Vamplew state that the “This being the Cup Day, it was, as usual,
at Peterborough. railway “was not always welcomed by the regarded as a universal holiday, and the
The return train will leave Doncaster at racecourse owners, or by the Jockey Club”. warehouses and manufactories poured forth
5.30pm, and will be due in London about At Newmarket, the headquarters of the in their thousands to Aintree, which had the
11.30pm. Fares to Doncaster and back – First
Class 35s, Second Class, 25s. The LYR’s Aintree Racecourse station was located on the company’s North Mersey
A special train, at the Ordinary Fares, will branch, which opened on 27th August 1866. The line, between Fazarkerley Junction
leave Bishopgate on Monday, the 10th inst. at and Gladstone Dock, was intended to carry freight only but its route, being very
10am, and will be at Doncaster about 5pm.” close to the racecourse, earmarked it for race-day excursions. The Racecourse station
opened c1890 when the amenity came into use as a convenient point from which to
Preparation for St. Leger Day took place on gain access to the course. This unusual street scene shows the railway bridge over
Monday 3rd September when “upwards of Warbreck Moor (a tram route), very much located in an urban area. The camera was
forty carriages, horse boxes, etc, and ten pointing south, sometime in the early twentieth century. The station had a single
engines passed through Lincoln to work the platform that was sited to the left of the bridge, on the east side of the road. A set of
new line from Retford (about 18 miles from steps led from pavement level to the platform, as well as an inclined path on both sides
Doncaster), and on the following day it was of Warbreck Moor. (John Alsop Collection)
publicly opened, the first passenger train
leaving Boston at six o’clock am, and reaching
Doncaster at 5pm, thus avoiding change of
carriages and road travelling”. A special train
also started “on St. Leger Day at 5.45am,
due at Doncaster about 12 noon, to return
the same day at 5pm, whilst on the last day
(Friday), a train will leave at 5pm, to arrive at
Bishopsgate at 11.30pm”.
These arrangements were regarded
as convenient as possible for the racing
community, particularly to St. Leger Day
specials, which “will indeed be a novelty, and
a boon to the racing public”.

The Jockey Club and

railway participation
The Jockey Club website provides a brief
history of the inveterate institution. A group
of influential gentlemen, who had an interest
in horseracing, established premises for
meetings on leased land at Newmarket and a

FEBRUARY 2020 79
 race-goers came. From Corbridge, Hexham,
Ovingham, Wylam, Blaydon, etc, hurrying
visitors made arrangements for passengers
going to the Moor, and as well as bringing in
heavy train loads from Morpeth, Cramlington,
and numerous stations on their line.”
* ‘Moor’ refers to Town Moor. Racing there
ceased in 1881 when Gosforth Park took over
the following year.

Case Study 1: Aintree Racecourse

Aintree racecourse is a well-known racecourse:
even the most totally uninterested have heard
of the Grand National, and its televised annual
gathering of the race-going fraternity. The
The LYR’s Aintree station was the most convenient place to detrain for the racecourse. racecourse opened in July 1829, five miles from
The photographer positioned himself on the down platform to take this record of the centre of Liverpool. It was opened as a flat
the up platform and complement of station buildings before the addition of a glazed racing course; ten years later, steeplechasing
platform roof, which is shown on OS maps of around 1925. Crowds of racegoers have was introduced.
travelled to and from Aintree station over the decades and taken the ten-minute Recognition of the existence of Aintree
walk to the racecourse. Aintree signal box peeps over the road bridge parapet, its racecourse is found in various contemporary
lofty disposition allowing for a clear vision in both directions for the signalman. The sources. The Preston Guardian, 7th April
down-side platform made do with a modest timber shelter. At the eastern end of each 1849, reported the opening of the Liverpool,
platform a step of steps led up to road level; passengers were expected to use the road Ormskirk & Preston Railway on 2nd April.
bridge to cross the lines, as no footbridge was provided. (John Alsop Collection) Observations of the salient points along the
line were made whilst travelling from Preston
appearance, from the numbers of shows, and Railway Companies. The traffic commenced to Liverpool. As the train neared Aintree,
streets of booths, which lined its sides, of a at seven o’clock, and nearly 20,000 persons the traveller’s gaze lit upon the expanse
vast affair. must have been conveyed by this line to of ground spread before him made up of
“And here we would again, as we have the races. The vast number was conveyed “cottage, farmhouse, church with spire and
been accustomed to do, renew our earnest with the greatest care and regularity, the church without a spire, ancient woodland, and
remonstrances against the supineness of the carriages provided being principally first verdant meads”. On crossing the Liverpool to
railroad authorities of the East Lancashire class and second class. Mr. Godson, the Traffic Preston turnpike once only, “we are close to
Company, in suffering such frightful scenes to Superintendent of the lines, was stationed at Aintree Racecourse, near which is a station”.
occur in securing seats in their trains. Women Epsom Station, and as fast as the trains were The newly-opened railway, it was observed,
and children were seen clinging to carriages emptied, they were sent back to Waterloo and “will afford a cheap and expeditious mode of
even while in motion, that caused lookers-on refilled.” conveyance to sportsmen anxious to visit this
to shudder for the safety of their lives, while race meeting”.
their own screams gave evidence of the danger From the Newcastle Courant, 28th June 1867 This railway was backed by the East
by which they were surrounded; and yet, the “On Tuesday, the second day of the three days Lancashire Railway and was taken over
employees of the company looked quietly on, of racing, train after train, with no more delay by it on 27th November 1846. Harrison and
affording no aid, and evidently enjoying the than was due in the passengers’ safety, brought Sale’s Guide to the East Lancashire Railway
scene of confusion.” streams of people, and they immediately bent (1849) gives a brief reference to Aintree in one
their way to the Moor.* The trains from sentence: “The Aintree Station (4½ miles from
From the Cheshire Observer, 5th May 1855 Darlington, Durham, Sunderland, and the Liverpool) is next reached [in a journey from
“The arrangements at the station [Chester] for two Shields, and all the populous villages Preston], where the celebrated race-course
the reception and departure of the immense on Tyneside, as soon as they deposited their comes within a stone’s throw of the line.”
increase of passengers, which carried by the large freights at the General Station, hurried On 13th May 1859 the Lancashire
various lines running into Chester, were very off for more…From the west, heavy loads of & Yorkshire Railway absorbed the East
good. Barriers were erected at the different
entrances, and placards posted containing A Liverpool Overhead Railway three-car electric train, No.23, has arrived at Platform
instructions to the numerous visitors. The 2, the east face of the island platform at Aintree station by means of a special rail
same care was, however, not exercised in the connection agreement between the LOR and the LYR. The photograph was taken from
unloading of the horse vans. Park Lane bridge and depicts a time in the 1930s when a large number of racegoers
“Numberless touts and persons of detrain and embark on the short walk to the racecourse. (Author’s Collection)
doubtful occupation were permitted to throng
the gangway, and no-one appeared to possess
control or authority in this responsible duty.”

From the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 1st June

1865
“Epsom – the railway trip to the Downs
“Taking the London & South Western
Railway as being, perhaps, the favourite route
for those who prefer the rail to the road, the
traffic to Epsom from Waterloo, Vauxhall, and
Clapham Junction, was almost incredible. At
Waterloo, the intending sight-seers arrived
by thousands, and under the superintendence
of Mr. A. Scott, the Traffic Manager, Mr.
Williams, the Superintendent of Passenger
Traffic, and Mr. Verringer, the Stationmaster,
they were despatched to Epsom Station in
fifty-seven trains, each of which was made
up of sixteen carriages, some being borrowed
from the Great Northern, and Great Eastern

80 BACKTRACK
 Club, this time to be approved of because they
had the King’s support.
Porter’s own words summarise the great
satisfaction Porter felt in achieving success:
“I take the advantage of the opportunity
gratefully to acknowledge the splendid way
in which the Great Western Railway Directors
supported us. By fulfilling their undertaking to
construct a racecourse station and run special
trains from Paddington to Newbury, within
the hour – the distance is practically fifty-three
miles – and at a first-class fare of ten shillings
return, they virtually ensured the success of
our venture.”
Newbury Racecourse station was located
on the GWR’s Berks & Hants line to the
Opened on 26th September by the GWR, Newbury Racecourse Station was located on east of Newbury station. It consisted of four
the eastern periphery of the town, as close as possible to the racecourse. Termed ‘the platforms, one being an island. At the south
new Newmarket’ by the Gloucester Journal (23rd September issue), it remarked that end of the station, a lengthy covered corridor
“there are few districts of England that can boast so many horse-training centres as the left the down platform, thus forming a
borderland of the Berkshire Downs, all of them within easy reach of Newbury itself”. A weather-proof link between the station and
new grandstand was erected, “of considerable dimensions”. The GWR played its part the racecourse. The 1913 OS map shows two
by constructing a racecourse station, 50 miles from London, and incurring a journey footbridges which enabled passengers to reach
time of one hour. The view shows the incomplete grandstand and the down platform any of the four platforms and to gain access to
of the station. (John Alsop Collection) the corridor.
Newport Racecourse station opened on
Lancashire Railway Company and Aintree Manchester will be brought within 50 minutes 26th September 1905 and two newspapers
station passed into their hands. The 1850 of Aintree.” gave their interpretation of the event. Firstly,
OS map shows the station situated on land There was a fourth station in the vicinity of The Gloucester Journal: “The Great Western
adjacent to the racecourse and separated from Aintree, although its use as a feeder station for Railway Company are also giving their full
it by the Liverpool and Preston turnpike road. the racecourse is not certain. The LYR’s station co-operation to the enterprise, and Newbury
On leaving the station, racegoers walked the began as Simmond’s Wood when the latter is particularly favoured in this respect, it
short distance along it before turning into a company’s Liverpool & Bury line opened on being situated on one of the Company’s main
short road that led to the Grand Stand. 17th November 1848. An anonymous observer lines as to be accessible from all parts of the
The LYR also opened a station on its travelled by train from Bury to Liverpool, country. For example, it is only about 50 miles
Liverpool & Bury Railway, known as Cinder during which he noted the salient points of from London, and the journey occupies just
Lane, located on the company’s North Mersey the line. At Simmond’s Wood (the modern one hour. The return fares to be charged from
Branch and originally intended for freight version: Simonswood) 29½ miles from Bury, London on race days will be 10s first-class and
traffic. Opened on 27th August 1866, the he could see “the white, lime-washed booths 5s third-class’.
station functioned for race days only. Its on the Liverpool racecourse [which] attract the
embankment site gave little space for a large eye on the right, while passing over this part The Nottingham Evening Post, 26th September
station: to accommodate this restriction, the of the line…”. 1905:
eastbound track was raised to platform level The station was renamed Aintree “The idea of forming a racecourse at Newbury
and was bedded in cinders to form a cinder sometime before 1850, the name lasting until has been simmering in the mind of John
platform. Other than race days, traffic moved the station was renamed again, Fazakerley, on Porter some years, and the task has not been
through the station as normal. The public 1st March 1860. (Marshall, Vol.1, p133) carried out without an incredible amount of
gained access to an exit from the station by forethought and hard work. Today saw the
means of two curved paths. On 18th July Case Study 2: Newbury consummation of all this, and the proudest
1910 the LYR renamed the station Aintree Racecourse man who stood on the course and saw the
Racecourse. Horseracing at Newbury has a long history. fulfilment of all his hopes and designs must
The Cheshire Lines Committee opened its Modern racing in a purpose-built racecourse, have been the Kingsclere trainer.
suburban route from Walton to Aintree on complete with grandstand and other facilities, “It has been realised from the first that
1st December 1879. Near the racecourse, the did not exist until the early years of the the success or failure of the enterprise chiefly
CLC’s route ran parallel with the LYR’s line twentieth century. The prime mover in the depended on the railway facilities afforded and
further to the west. Not to be outdone, the provision of a modern racecourse was the these were today of the best. The trains were
CLC opened its Aintree Racecourse station esteemed Kingsclere trainer, John Porter, crowded, and it was evident that the meeting
on 13th July 1880. The Liverpool Mercury, who promoted the idea. Kingsclere, is a was to have an enthusiastic send-off”.
13th July 1880, apprised readers of the new market town in Hampshire, nine miles west of
railway development: “The Cheshire Lines Basingstoke, famous for its training stables. Epilogue
Committee intend using today, for the first We can read Porter’s attempts to Today’s racegoer, travelling by rail, is
time, two new passenger stations, which are convince the Jockey Club of his idea from informed that “the easiest way to reach
nearly completed, one being at the Huskission his autobiography, published in 1919. Whilst Aintree is by train. The nearest main line
Dock and the other in close proximity to the travelling by train on the Great Western station is Lime Street. Liverpool Central is just
racecourse at Aintree. Both are spacious Railway between Newbury and London, he a short walk from Lime Street, where you can
and well adapted for the purposes for which realised the potential of the level land to the catch a train to Aintree. The station is directly
they have been designed. They would not south of Newbury. The land belonged to a opposite the racecourse; here regular trains run
have been brought into requisition this Mr. Lloyd H. Baxendale who was found to be every 15 minutes on race-days”. [my italics]
early had the Committee not determined to willing to sell it. Based upon the available land, Similarly, Newbury Racecourse station can be
give additional facilities for reaching the Porter had plans and particulars drawn up for reached from Paddington within an hour, but
racecourse on the occasion of the Liverpool presentation to the Jockey Club. The latter was the racecourse has good connections by road
summer meeting, which takes place today and not impressed, rejecting the idea because it and by air from Heathrow and Southampton.
tomorrow. Passengers will be booked from the thought there was already a sufficient number
Central Station [Liverpool] or from Huskisson of racecourses in England. Recommended reading
Station to Aintree by special trains. It may be A chance meeting with King Edward Vll Vamplew, Wray: The Turf (1976).
added that by the new route, which is part of enhanced Porter’s promotion. Once again Tolson, John and Vamplew, Wray: Derailed: Railways
the Walton Extension opened some time ago, Porter’s plans were presented to the Jockey and Horse Racing Revisited (November 1998).

FEBRUARY 2020 81
0‑6‑0ST No.2194 Kidwelly arrived
on the GWR from the Burry Port
& Gwendraeth Valley Railway,
having been built by the Avonside
Engine Co. in 1903. In 1923 it was
refurbished to GW standards at
Swindon, subsequently working for
fourteen years on the Weymouth
Quay tramway for which it was
itted with a warning bell. It was
withdrawn at Taunton in 1953.

0‑4‑0ST No.96 was a veteran from

the Birkenhead Railway, built by
Sharp, Stewart & Co. in 1856 and
originally named Cricket.
Rebuilt and reboilered at
Wolverhampton in 1888,
its long career went on
until 1935.

SADDLE TANKS ON THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY

Think of Great Western Railway
shunting engines and its various
classes of pannier tanks spring
to mind. However, it did possess
some of the more widespread
saddle tanks of both four- and six-
coupled types, especially those
received on its absorption of smaller
companies. Many remained little-
known players in GWR locomotive
history – so here are a few to
take a moment in the limelight!

The GWR acquired this 0‑6‑0ST from

the liquidators of the Hook Norton
Ironstone Partnership in 1904. A product
of Manning, Wardle & Co. in 1889, it
was sold to the Fishguard & Rosslare
Railways & Harbour Co. in 1907 but came
back into GWR stock in 1913. Becoming
GWR No.1337, it was used mostly at
Weymouth, where it was photographed
still with its original name, until
withdrawn in 1926.
 LEFT: From the Whitland & Cardigan Railway
came this 0‑6‑0ST, built by Fox, Walker & Co. in
1872 and carrying the name John Owen; Owen
had owned the quarry at Glogue, served by the
railway. The company was taken over by the
GWR in 1886 and this locomotive then became
GWR No.1385, keeping its name. It is seen here
as rebuilt by the GWR in 1894. Sold in 1912, it
worked at the Cornsey Colliery and Brickworks
in Co. Durham until scrapped in 1952.

BELOW: 0‑6‑0ST No.1670 is of the ‘1661’ Class,

the outside frames having originally been
intended for ‘2361’ Class tender engines. It
was built at Swindon in 1886, the class being
envisaged for use on the South Wales coal
traic. Many were rebuilt as pannier tanks, but
not No.1670 before it was withdrawn in 1911.

BELOW: No.45 was a one‑of, built at Wolverhampton in 1880, the only conventional 0‑4‑0 saddle tank constructed at a GWR works.
Ostensibly replacing a Shrewsbury & Birmingham Railway four‑coupled shunter, No.45 worked mostly from Croes Newydd depot,
Wrexham: it was photographed on 20th April 1937, a year before its withdrawal.
GWR broad gauge 4‑2‑2 No.2002 rebuilt
from Bristol & Exeter 4‑2‑4T (B&E No.40)
built originally in 1873 but rebuilt in
THE SPLENDOUR THAT WAS TH
1877 after a serious derailment at Long BY L. A. SUMMERS Needless to say, this had its drawbacks, of
Ashton in which No.2001 was damaged which the most significant is the factor which
beyond repair. No.2002 ran until 1890, certainly must have fired on them. A triviality led to their early demise on most of Britain’s
almost to the end of the broad gauge perhaps, but the single-wheeler was once a railways – the single-wheeled engine could be
itself. (Photograph from a painting by the locomotive of very considerable fame. In its difficult to start. Slipping was not uncommon
late Pat Reed in the GWT Collection) day it was better regarded than anything and as power on the crank axle increased,
else which ran on Britain’s railways. Indeed, wheelspin became more of a problem. It was a
hen I was a boy we lived in a house there were those who thought it was a better real skill, opening the regulator very carefully

W with a long garden that backed

on to a field through which was a
muddy path accessing nearby allotments. On
performer than the heavier and more powerful
locomotives that were being introduced in the
1890s and 1900s. Evidence this from the once
to prevent this happening. The obvious

This illustration of No.3070 Earl of

one bright afternoon a white-haired gentleman well-known railway administrator, Sir W. A. Warwick on a down fast near Acton
going that way stopped to speak to my father, Ackland:…“[Caledonian] No.123, with her represents what, to the author, is
who was tending his plants. I do not remember 7-foot single drivers, remains so far, alone of a peculiar amalgam of ancient and
what was said but after he had gone on his her class. Mr. Drummond’s new engines are modern. The double‑framed single
way, my father told me that his friend had all ‘four coupled’; but if he expects them to wheeler represents a legacy that goes
once ‘driven the single-wheelers’. Fantastic. surpass the performance of their predecessor, back to the 1860s but it is itted with a
More than 50 years later I was presented with he must be an unusually sanguine man”.1 Churchward domeless Belpaire parallel
a photograph of a shunting engine taken in This belief arose from consideration of boiler which is no more than half a dozen
1913 on the footplate of which was my father’s what a very large driving wheel could achieve years from conception. Not even the
friend, looking incredibly younger than when with a low piston speed. High speed was, double‑framed taper boilered 4‑4‑0s
I saw him. Given that shunting drivers were theoretically, achieved through the connection express this extreme contrast. No.3070
at a lower point in the pecking order, I think between reduced wheel revolutions for was itted with this boiler in September
it unlikely that he had driven Great Western greater distance covered and fewer and more 1905 and it ran in this form until August
Railway single-wheeler engines, but he most economical operations of the valves and gear. 1910. (Great Western Trust)
 A superb oil painting of GWR ‘Achilles’
Class 4‑2‑2 No.3047 Lorna Doone in as‑
built condition. Considered by some to
be the most attractive locomotives ever
built, it is instructive to recall that this
class was originally conceived as a 2‑2‑2.
In that condition, even with the polished
metalwork with which GWR engines
always abounded, they would not have
been nearly as good‑looking. No.3047
was never rebuilt and ran in its original
condition until 1912. (Photograph from a
painting in the GWT Collection)

wheels and 18 x 24in cylinders. These came

in two lots, the first ten by Dübs & Co., a
second batch by Kitson in 1881/2. There was
a superficial resemblance to the GNR Stirling
4-2-2s, but the boiler carried a dome, the cab
was rather better than Stirling provided for
his footplatemen and the cylinder layout was
very different. One of Massey Bromley’s first
HE SINGLE-WHEELER PART ONE designs for the GER had been a 2-6-0, a concept
that he picked up from a visit to the USA
solution, adding to the weight on the driving their day, and at one time they were among during his time as Stratford Works Manager.
axle, was only successful where the track the first rank of celebrated express engines.”2 The 2-6-0 incorporated several American
could take heavy loads, in some cases almost The driving axle weight was 11.25 tons and features which reappeared in the ‘245’ Class;
20 tons. my estimate of the leading axle weight is about the doors opening from the front of the cab
The bogie single is a curiously British 8 tons, quite low by comparison with similar on to the running platforms was the most
design; despite the flat rolling plains of North types elsewhere. A peculiarity of the design interesting. This was pretty much a feature of
West Europe, which stretch from northern was that the leading wheels had a transverse American steam designs, obviating the need
France, through Belgium and the Netherlands plate spring with additional light plate for the footplate crew to climb around the side
and on through Prussia and Poland into springs over the journals. The exact purpose of the cab when the engine was in motion and
Russia, all the railways which operated in those of this arrangement is not clear unless it was they were required by some need to go forward
countries dropped the single-wheeler relatively to counteract the fact that the wheelbase was from the driving position. In hot weather
early in their history. It is not too difficult rather short (15ft); if so then it was successful American crews often ran with the doors open,
to see why – coal and water requirements for Ahrons reckons they were much steadier allowing a stream of cooling air into the cab. I
differed worldwide. Although Germany, for then other such locomotives.2 It was two of have always assumed that constraints of size
example, had enormous coal deposits, much this series, Nos.51 and 291, which were rebuilt prevented this from becoming standard on
of it was ‘brown’ lignite coal, with a relatively with 17in cylinders in 1872 by S. W. Johnson, British locomotives.
low calorific value. Large fireboxes became the he considering that this necessitated a leading Another American feature was the slide
norm and the consequent increase in length bogie, thus creating one of the first 4-2-2 bogie valves placed above the cylinders and driven
and weight made a four-coupled engine more singles to run in this country. by rocking shafts. The Dübs engines had
desirable. As far as the Americas and the rest Together with the original 2-2-2s, these circular slide valves,,3 those on the Kitson-
of the world are concerned, with the exception engines, in most cases rebuilt with larger built examples were conventionally designed,
of a few isolated examples, the single-wheeler boilers, continued to find work even after the accounting for their very slight weight increase
was very short lived indeed; some foreign two successful Johnson and very disappointing over the others. Between 1885 and 1888 the
countries, those late in developing railways, Adams ‘Ironclad’ 4-4-0s had been introduced. Kitson engines were rebuilt with new front
never had any of this type. The track in newly They were superseded in 1879 by Massey frames, and cylinders with the valves placed
emerging countries was often lightly laid, Bromley’s ‘245’ Class described by Ahrons inside, instead of the previous arrangement.
sometimes straight on to the ground, and could as ‘very fine’ engines, with 7ft 6in driving Inevitably the reader turns to Ahrons for
not take a single heavy driving axle, hence
the 4-4-0, which spread the dead weight over The inal version of the GWR 4‑2‑2 is represented here by No.3056 Wilkinson at the
two axles, became general. There were two head of the 3.20pm down local at Widney Manor in about 1914. The train is itself of
exceptions to this rule to which reference will more than usual interest. The leading carriage is a slip coach identiiable from the
be made later. vacuum reservoirs along the roof either side of the clerestory vault. No.3056 carries an
original version of the boiler but rebuilt with a Belpaire irebox, drumhead smokebox
t is often stated that the reappearance of

I
and a tall narrow chimney. It was rebuilt in this form in July 1910 and withdrawn in
the single-wheeler as a 4-2-2 machine was October 1914. (Great Western Trust)
due to the invention of steam sanding
and while this is, essentially true, it is not a
definitive statement. What is very interesting
is that the engineer generally regarded as
having been responsible for reigniting interest
in such locomotives actually created some of
the very earliest examples, by rebuilding a
predecessor’s engines. S. W. Johnson succeeded
Robert Sinclair as Locomotive Superintendent
of the Great Eastern Railway in 1867. At
the time the best engines on that line were
Sinclair’s ‘W’ Class 2-2-2s built between 1864
and 1866. Outside cylinder engines with Allen
Crewe-type front framing, they had 16 x 26in
cylinders and 7ft 1in driving wheels. Ahrons
says that “There is no doubt that the old
Sinclairs did some wonderfully good work in

FEBRUARY 2020 85
Caledonian Railway Drummond/ water tanks were a stabilising factor in their the famous Brunel ‘billiard table’, with the
Neilson 4-2-2 No.123 as originally facility for doing this. Nonetheless No.2001 only gradients of note on the climb up from
built in 1887. On this boiler the dome was derailed hauling the ‘Flying Dutchman’ Dauntsey (1 in 100) and through Box Tunnel
was combined with Ramsbottem in July 1876 and although the locomotive was (also 1 in 100); single-wheelers were perfectly
lock-up safety valves. It was in this not reckoned to be the cause of the accident, adequate for the lightly loaded trains on this
condition that it carried the Caledonian the remaining three were rebuilt as 8ft single line in the 1880s and early ’90s.
cause in the 1888 ‘Race to the North’. tender engines. As far as tractive effort is

A
(From an old print in the collection of GWT) concerned, they were more powerful than the s far as the Great Northern was
’Iron Dukes’, hence in this guise they worked concerned, there were two other factors
accounts of their work which he described in the same links as the ‘Iron Dukes’ between which determined the retention of the
thus: “[They] did very good work during Bristol and Exeter. The author of the RCTS single-wheeler long after most other railways
their lifetime. In spite of the large driving GW history5 remarks that “…they must surely had stopped building them. That is the nature
wheels and only moderate sized cylinders, be voted the most handsome of all the broad of their designer and of the ruling financial
they tackled extremely heavy express trains gauge locomotives – a position of eminence constraints imposed by the GNR board. The
without the assistance of a pilot engine, and requiring no great virtue to attain!” The reader Stirling family, who originated from Dundee
the way they used to climb the Bethnal Green can discern for himself the value of this remark near the beginning of the nineteenth century,
bank was astonishing. They always seemed from the reproduction of a colour painting of was a remarkable lot, yet Patrick appears to
to me to stand amongst certain classes of No.2002 which accompanies this article. have been rather conservative in his approach;
locomotive on different railways which did The GWR was actually one of two British his remark about coupled engines at speed
the theoretically impossible.”2 Despite this railways which never stopped building single- looking like: “a laddie runnin’ wi’ his breeks
they had a relatively short service life, the last wheeled express engines, the other being the doun” is well known.6 The implication is clear:
being scrapped in 1893. Great Northern. There were similarities and Stirling believed that he could get the same
Another 4-2-2 type which preceded the distinctions about this tradition. In the first power from a single-wheeler as from a coupled
invention of steam sanding was the rebuild instance the main lines of both railways were engine, a view which in the 1870s was losing
of the second batch of Bristol & Exeter broad relatively flat. Apart from the climb out of its appeal. It should also be noted that the GNR
gauge 9ft 4-2-4Ts4 in 1877. These extraordinary King’s Cross through the tunnels, the GNR board was parsimonious in its investments; it
locomotives with a wheelbase of only 25½ft main line to Doncaster has few gradients has been said that it did not encourage Stirling
and flangeless driving wheels were well tanks greater than 1 in 200; even the southern climb
provided with additional water space under to Stoke box is at 1 in 178 and although there Hand-tinted photograph of No.123 with
the bunker, the water total amounting to are long climbs on either side, these cannot a later boiler but in Caledonian livery;
1,430 gallons. Heating surface was 1,235sq ft be described as very hard in any meaningful the date of this image is unknown but
and the grate 23sq ft. They were reputed to sense. On the GWR the line from Paddington is believed to be from the 1905–1924
achieve high speeds and it might be that the through Bristol to Cogload Junction was period. (L. A. Summers Collection)
 on the leading axle of the broad gauge version
was 13 tons 3cwt and of the standard gauge
types 13 tons 4cwt.14 In August 1893 No.3021
Wigmore Castle was derailed in Box Tunnel
as a result of a fractured leading axle. Again,
Holcroft writes that “it was thought that too
much weight was being carried on the leading
wheels…”13 And, indeed, one is entitled to
wonder why exactly the same design fault
was made nearly 50 years after the first. The
leading axle weight on Stirling’s 2-2-2s was 12
tons 4cwt and other GWR 2-2-2s had a much
lower weight, so the recurrence of this blunder
is difficult to fathom.

A
t Christmas 1957 my father presented
me with a copy of the Observer’s Book
of Locomotives which I think
Caledonian 4-2-2 No.123 as LMS No.14010 and running with its third boiler. The probably occupied my attention for most of
photograph dates from 1924 when the locomotive was turned out in LMS livery and that day. One of the details that I discovered,
1935 when it was withdrawn from service. (H. C. Casserley) and was rather disapproving of, was that
those lines not associated with the Western
to consider future requirements, only those gauge and in such a way that they could be Region had a good many 4-4-0s still running,
which arose from day-to-day operation.7 An ‘convertible’ to the narrow. while the good old WR had only a very few of
equally serious problem, originating in the There is an extraordinary example of these ancients left. How disgraceful that such
same attitude in the boardroom, was the very déja vu here which I have not seen referred to outmoded machines should still be running
poor GNR track, which necessitated low axle anywhere. As recalled elsewhere,12 the Gooch in 1957! Had my examination taken place 35
loads. Ivatt later complained bitterly about ‘colossal’ locomotive Great Western was turned years earlier, had such a book existed, I would
the state of the track and made clear that had out from Swindon Works in 1846 as a 2-2-2. have been even more scandalised to discover
he known in advance about its condition, he It showed a remarkable turn of speed for the that the London & North Eastern Railway had
would never have joined the company.8 time, but after a short operational service the a couple of bogie single-wheelers on its stock,
The GWR’s Locomotive Superintendent, leading axle fractured while working a down as did the London Midland & Scottish, in the
William Dean, has been described as ‘the train near Shrivenham. As Holcroft tells us, “it latter case amounting to some 40 engines, not
greatest of them all,9 a view that is as equally was thought that there was too much weight including the Caledonian No.123. Sixty years
questionable as Gibson’s suggestion that his on the leading axle”.13 As a result it was rebuilt later, more aware, I understand why the 4-4-0
mind was going long before he had to retire.10 with four leading wheels and the subsequent continued to work, and indeed to be built, well
It cannot have been easy having to maintain ‘Iron Duke’ Class ran as 2-2-2-2s from the start. into the 1930s, the last running, in Britain
locomotives for two gauges, both of them Exactly what the axle weight actually was, I at least, until about 1962. There are similar
laid over many miles, though it should also have been unable to discover, but if we take observations which can also be made about the
be noted that there were few demands for the combined weight of the later ‘Iron Dukes’ Johnson 4-2-2s: they lasted because they were
increased speeds on the GWR in the 1870s and as a guide, it looks as though it was between cheap, suited a purpose and did not require
’80s. Dean’s freedom of action was certainly 14 and 15 tons. Move forward now to those urgent replacement.
constrained by the lingering death of the 2-2-2s built by Dean from 1891. The weight Yet there is a question as to why the
broad gauge and the construction of 24 new railways actually brought the single-wheeler
‘Iron Duke’ 2-2-2-211 locomotives was apparent Hand-tinted postcard depicting Stirling back at a time when something more powerful
evidence of the unwillingness to invest in GNR 4-2-2 locomotive No.1007. This was was becoming necessary. As we have seen,
new broad gauge engines. In fact, that is not one of the last to be built, completed there was a belief, and not just among non-
strictly true, for as late as 1888 two heavy and in March 1895. These were generally engineers like Ackland, that the propensity of
powerful 2-4-0s were turned out for working larger than the early versions though, the single-wheeler was to “pull like a coupled
the up 3.00am train from Bristol. On the narrow rather surprisingly, they were not engine” as Ahrons put it when referring to
gauge there had been several 2-2-2 classes, the deployed on the ‘racing’ trains in the the rebuilt GWR 2-2-2 No.9.15 This is certainly
penultimate examples being built in 1886. The ‘95’. Seven Stirling 4-2-2s received borne out by the exploits of Caledonian No.123
later classes, Nos.9 and 10, the ‘Armstrong’ Ivatt domed boilers between 1896 and and of the Stirling 8-footers.
and ‘Queen’ Classes, were kept up to date with 1898, with No.1007 following in 1907. The locomotive that is currently obscured
rebuilding or reboilering, many ending their Though the author cannot conirm by tat in one of the world’s worst transport
days carrying Churchward domeless parallel the fact, it is possible that the boiler museums is actually a very different locomotive
boilers and Belpaire fireboxes. The final 2-2-2s put on this engine was taken from to that built by Neilson & Co. in 1886. Although
were 30 locomotives turned out in 1891/2 of No.544 or 93, both withdrawn in 1906. it enshrines the Stroudley influence evident in
which eight were built for use on the broad (L. A. Summers Collection) Dugald Drummond’s early work, just what

FEBRUARY 2020 87
part he played in its design is a moot question. always arrived early, on 9th August as much locomotive and that the 2-2-2s could, and often
The original locomotive, together with a 4-4-0, as seconds short of ten minutes before time.16 did, deliver equally good performances. GNR
was constructed by Neilson’s for display at In 1895 the Caledonian used Drummond and 4-2-2 No.1 was delivered in 1870. To achieve
the Edinburgh International Exhibition of that Lambie 4-4-0s for their portion of the run. greater hauling power Stirling considered that
year, where it won a gold medal, presumably In 1905 No.123 was rebuilt with a greater adhesion weight was necessary, hence
for its appearance, not performance. The detail Caledonian 0-6-0 boiler and then again in the decision to use 8ft driving wheels (actually
design work was almost certainly done by the 1924, running in LMS crimson lake livery 8ft 1in) which, with Stirling’s desire to keep
chief draughtsmen at St. Rollox and of Neilson numbered 14010. It was withdrawn from the boiler pitch low for aesthetic reasons and
& Co. working together. It would have been service in 1935. Although clearly not then in also to maintain a lower centre of gravity,
advantageous to Neilson’s to demonstrate Caledonian condition it was repainted in that made outside cylinders unavoidable. For some
the inclination of the Caledonian to order railway’s blue livery and kept at St. Rollox months it was the only member of its class, in
its engines from them, so turning it out in Works until 1958. Then, probably in response the circumstances a sensible precaution. No.1
Caledonian full fig is understandable. The to the Western Region’s successful operation in its original condition was under-boilered,
Drummond piston and blastpipe design as of City of Truro, No.123 was restored, with the firebox was not big enough and the heating
used on his Class 60 was used again and the another replacement boiler, for work hauling surface totalling little more than 1,000sq ft
combined dome and safety valve boiler (but special trains. It is with this boiler still in place was insufficient. The firebox was provided
in a different form to that which became his that No.123 now rests in Glasgow, resplendent with a mid-feather rather than a brick arch.
usual practice). In normal service it ran with a in the completely unhistorical Caledonian blue! The original tall blastpipe had to be reduced
standard Caledonian tender. What is being celebrated is not the historical by 5in to improve the draught and the slide
No.123’s claim to fame lies in its use on the reality of the engine but its time running valves first fitted were troublesome. It was a
Carlisle–Edinburgh section of the West Coast special trains in the late 1950s/early ’60s. standard feature of early Stirling engines that
route to Edinburgh in the 1888 ‘Race to the they had no brakes and No.1 was no different.
North’. It is not necessary to go into too much he Great Northern continued to use These teething troubles were a source of much
detail about this as the literature on both the
1888 and 1895 ‘races’ is legion.16 It is sufficient
here to note that the challenge was to get from
T Stirling 8ft 4-2-2s and the larger 2-2-2s
for express passenger work until
after his death in 1895. Stirling would not
concern in the Locomotive Superintendent’s
office, leading to the drawing up of a 4-4-0 by
the chief draughtsman.17
London to Edinburgh first, the Great Northern countenance coupled wheels and so in the 1895 In its first eight months’ work No.1 ran
and North Eastern by what might be supposed ‘Race to the North’, it was these locomotives 32,000 miles, making allowances for boiler
the more direct route up the East Coast, the which were rostered to its section of the washouts and so forth, perhaps 160 miles a
London & North Western and Caledonian over King’s Cross–Aberdeen run, usually from day which suggests that in reality the teething
the West Coast. The Caledonian, taking over King’s Cross to Grantham where engines were troubles were not that serious. More to the point
at Carlisle,had the most demanding challenge, changed for the onward run to York. Stirling’s would be comparative figures, with greater
with two severe gradients, at Beattock and 4-2-2s are usually regarded as the high water detail than those already quoted, for coal use
Cobbinshaw, 1 in 75 and 1 in 100–120 at their mark of his achievement but this ignores by this first engine. Adequate performance
worst. The gradients were somewhat easier two things: firstly, that the original 4-2-2 (the looks very different when considerations
going south but climbing them from the other preserved No.1) was not a very successful of this kind are in focus. When the second
side still made severe demands on motive 8-footer, No.8, came out, it had a new design of
power. What is so extraordinary, certainly at Stirling 4‑2‑2 No.34, originally put boiler with greater heating surface and much
first sight, is that on these severe gradients into traic on the GNR in 1875, shown larger firebox. To accommodate this the main
the Caledonian used the Neilson/Drummond as running with a domed Ivatt boiler frame and wheel base were lengthened. No.8
4-2-2 No.123! A most important point to note between 1897 and 1907 when it was and the third example No.33 retained the mid-
is that the trains which the Caledonian took withdrawn. Although some might very feather design but a brick arch was used in all
over from the LNWR at Carlisle were hardly well argue diferently, the domed boiler subsequent members of the class and the three
of great tonnage. Four bogies of about 80 tons, did not particularly upset the lines of the earliest were converted to suit. Between 1870
not that much more than engine and tender original engines. In this illustration at and 1882 37 4-2-2s were built. Between 1884
fully laden, was the daily load. The 100.6 York station the gallery of signal gantries and 1893 a further ten came out with driving
miles from Carlisle to Edinburgh Princes around the locomotive is worth noting. wheels increased by ½in, trailing wheels by
Street was booked at 112 minutes but No.123 (GWT Collection) 6½in and boiler pressure increased to 160lb.

88 BACKTRACK
 what triggered their construction is now
difficult to establish, indeed, it is difficult to
find very much information about them at
all. Nos.88 Victoria and 89 Albert were 6ft 7in
singles with 16in x 22in cylinders and 970sq ft
heating surface with a 14.84sq ft grate. They
were employed on the ‘Limited Mail’ trains
which connected Belfast with Dublin (112.6
miles) in three hours. They appear to have
remained on these trains until 1896 when they
were transferred to the services from Dublin
to Howth which had once been an important
mail packet shipping station. In 1904 both
were rebuilt as 4-4-0s with 5ft 6in driving
wheels and remained in service until 1956.

n the circumstances of wheelslip, as

I already mentioned, sanding of the track

became very important, but when it
was most needed, in wet conditions, the
humidity in the air would reduce the fluidity
of the sand, interfering with its egress from
the sandbox down the pipe to the rail, thus
seriously reducing its usefulness. The
American practice of putting a sand dome on
top of the boiler was not always an answer
to this problem because unless ventilation
was provided to the sand dome, the sweating
sand would cake, becoming as useless as
wet sand.18 Another problem was that at
rail level a cross-wind would blow even very
The irst Stirling 8-footer, No.1, was withdrawn from service in 1907 and kept at dry sand away from the rail. At Derby S. W.
Doncaster until 1927 when it was placed in the original York Railway Museum Johnson had carried out experiments with
established in what had been the machine shop of the York & North Midland Railway. forced sanding originally using compressed
Apart from hauling a couple of special trains in 1938, it remained there until 1972, air from the Westinghouse brake pump.
this photograph being taken in 1966. It had been paired with a GNR 0-4-2 tender but To trial this equipment some of the 2-4-0s
happily the right Stirling version was subsequently discovered and, suitably restored, in the 1306–1311 series, then allocated to
is now coupled to the locomotive. (Author) Hellifield for working the Settle and Carlisle
route, were run without coupling rods, in
The spring safety valve was also replaced by solid, reliable work…it was perhaps the least other words as 6ft 6in 2-2-2 singles. Ahrons
a Ramsbottom lock-up type still contained sensational of any”. Given Stirling’s attitude says that they performed “exceedingly well,
within the curvaceous brass bonnet. to speed, mentioned earlier, one should not, except on one trip when sand ran short and
The best GNR 4-2-2 run in the ‘95’ was put despite everything, be too surprised by that.
up by No.775, not one of the later builds which As a passing note, the sight of an outside The only bogie single-wheelers to run
were generally bigger, but the 1884 series. It cylinder single-wheeler spinning along at in Ireland were two locomotives built
hauled the 8.00pm from King’s Cross which 75mph must have been something to witness. for the Great Northern Railway in 1885
ran from the stop at Grantham to York, 82.7 No.1 has steamed again, in 1938 and in more of which No.88 Victoria is illustrated.
miles in 76 minutes; the maximum speed was recent times but not at speeds which might be Later rebuilt as 4-4-0s, both engines ran
73.5mph at Newark and remained above 62 described as spectacular. until 1956, probably the oldest single-
for the next 50 miles to Selby.16 A good run In 1885 Beyer, Peacock supplied two wheeler-derived locomotives to remain
certainly but as Nock comments generally, inside-cylindered, inside-framed 4-2-2s to the in service, certainly in Britain.
although the “Stirling engines put up good, Great Northern Railway of Ireland. Exactly (L. A. Summers Collection/LGRP)
An old hand-painted photograph of Nottingham and Derby trains but were References
Midland single No.116 (later renumbered to be found elsewhere, especially around 1. The Railways of Scotland – W. A. Ackland.
671). Built in 1897, this was one of the Leeds. Ahrons, essentially a Great Western 2. Locomotive & Train Working in the Latter Part
later versions with 19½in cylinders, man, described the 1896 series as being “… of the 19th Century – Vol.1 – E. L. Ahrons.
piston valves and 7ft 9in driving wheels. undoubtedly among the finest single express 3. The British Steam Locomotive 1825–1925 – E.
A scheme to rebuild the class as 4-4-0s engines ever constructed”. Going on, he L. Ahrons. A diagram of Webb’s circular slide
valves will be found in this publication.
was cancelled because of the pressure reported: “One of the best performances that
4. Although always referred to as ‘9 Footers’, the
of other construction work at Derby and came under my…observation was that of second series of Pearson’s 4-2-4Ts had 8ft 10in
they continued to work short, lightly No.125 (679) from Kettering to Nottingham, driving wheels.
loaded trains or as station pilots until with an exceptionally heavy train of 325 5. Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, Part
1928. No.671 lasted just into LMS days, tons, and disposes of the rooted idea that 2 – RCTS.
being withdrawn in 1926. (Courtesy of the a single engine cannot tackle a heavy load. 6. Reports of this remark have been ascribed to
Great Eastern Railway Association) The booked time for the 51.75 miles was 59 several people including Hamilton Ellis and
minutes, and the road is a heavy one. Extra Dendy Marshall.
considerable time was lost”. 19 What this coaches had been added at Kettering, and as 7. The Stirling Singles – Kenneth H. Leech & M.
G. Body.
incident demonstrates beyond question is no pilot engine was to be had, No.125 had to 8. Master Builders of Steam – H. A. V. Bulleid.
the huge importance of having an effective take the train unassisted. The five-mile rise 9. William Dean: The Greatest of Them All –
sanding process. Westinghouse objected that from the dead start up 1 in 132 and 1 in 160 Jeremy Clements.
taking air from the brake pump could reduce took exactly 11 minutes, leaving 48 minutes 10. GWR Locomotive Design: A Critical Survey – J.
its effectiveness and this innovation had to for the 46.5 miles thence to Nottingham. C. Gibson.
be abandoned.20 It was Francis Holt, Works There are moderately long banks of 1 in 11. Opinions differ but in the author’s view these
Manager at Derby, who in 1886 developed the 143, 1 in 167 and 1 in 200 to be ascended, locomotives were not 4-2-2s.
system by which steam was used to power and there is a severe handicap at Melton 12. ‘In the Days of Daniel Gooch’ – L. A. Summers –
Backtrack October 2015.
blast the sand on to the rails. Having already Junction, where a slack to about 25 miles per
13. An Outline of GWR Locomotive Practice – H.
seen that the apparatus actually worked with hour is followed by a 3.75 mile rise of 1 in Holcroft.
air pressure, Johnson adopted the steam- 200. No.125 took the train from Kettering to 14. The author’s immediate reaction to these figures
driven version with alacrity. Nottingham in 60.25 minutes, and would have is to believe that they have been reversed; surely
The Midland 4-2-2s came in five series, kept exact time had not a relaying slack at the axle weight of the narrow gauge engine
first a batch of twenty (Nos.600–619) Widmerpool, on the descent to Nottingham, would be less?
constructed in 1887–1890 with 7ft 4in driving caused a loss of 1.25 minutes.”19 The reported 15. Locomotive & Train Working in the Latter Part
wheels and 18 x 26in cylinders. Before this average coal consumption of a Johnson of the 19th Century – Vol.4 – E. L. Ahrons.
batch was completed a new series (Nos.620– single with a 115-ton train on the St. Pancras 16. Railway Race to the North – O. S. Nock.
17. Men of Steam: Britain’s Locomotive Engineers
659) with 7ft 6in driving wheels and 18½in to Nottingham line was only 20–21lb/mile, – L. A. Summers.
cylinders was turned out from 1889; the really an extraordinary figure, which almost 18. Steam Locomotive Design: Data & Formulae –
last of this lot was completed in 1893, when certainly increased markedly hauling the E. A. Phillipson.
a series of ten (Nos.660–669) with 7ft 6in loads described here.19 19. Locomotive & Train Working in the Latter Part
drivers, 19in cylinders and piston valves (to be continued) of the 19th Century – Vol.2 – E. L. Ahrons.
started to appear. A generally enlarged
version with 7ft 9in drivers, 19½ x 26in Photographed in Derby station two days after Christmas 1921, Midland single No.644
cylinders and a lengthened firebox came on what looks to be a typically dreary December day. No.644 is running light and may
out in 1896–1899 (Nos.670–684). Finally, in therefore be acting as station pilot. Built in 1892 (as No.97) with 7ft 6in driving wheels
1899/1900 ten more (Nos.685–694), rather and 18½in cylinders, No.644 ran until April 1926. (H. C. Casserley)
enlarged locomotives, with 7ft 9½in driving
wheels and a lengthened firebox came
out. The total thus built in those thirteen
years was 95 locomotives. Given Johnson’s
locomotive policy prior to 1887, when his
express passenger motive power consisted
entirely of 2-4-0 and 4-4-0 engines, the reader
is entitled to ask why he was so keen to build
single-wheelers. Inevitably the thought comes
to mind that there is unfortunate reluctance
in British business circles to face the needs
of the future, particularly over the long term.
As far as the bogie single is concerned this
stasis is sometimes justified, as a colleague
recently said to me in that “they look good,
well balanced and symmetrical”. Certainly I
think that played a part but it was also the
fixation with the potential of the very large
driving wheel.
The Johnson singles were put on to the

90 BACKTRACK
 An oil can rests on the loor of Bath Green
1966 – REFLECTIONS ON Park shed whilst its occupants are picked
out by some early sunlight, but these

A SPOTTER’S TRAVELS engines will never see another day’s

work as this is Bath Green Park shed on
closure day, 6th March 1966.
BY J. CROSSE which was inhabited by more Ivatts plus BR (Trevor Owen/Colour-Rail.com SD479)
Standard 4s of all three varieties.
he post-war ‘baby boomers’ no doubt 20th February saw the first coach trip of All classes noted at Salisbury with the

T formed the majority of those taking

engine numbers in the 1960s, although
there were many ‘mature’ enthusiasts about
the season with the Railway Correspondence
& Travel Society Bristol branch, to Southern
Region sheds. First came Salisbury where 25
exception of 47 and 117 were again to be found
at Eastleigh, but a number of others were also
there. Former Southern types to add to the list
as well. Legion are the tales of limited pocket numbers were recorded. The Southern steam were USA, N, Q1, U and ‘Merchant Navy’ along
money, clandestine trips unknown to parents fleet by this time was made up almost entirely with M7 No.30053 and ‘Schools’ No.30926,
and poor quality pictures taken on Box of Bulleid Light Pacifics and BR Standard both of which had yet to be shipped across the
Brownies. Railway enthusiasm remained alive types and this proved to be the case here but Atlantic, along with BR Standard 5MTs and
for many into maturity and even the diesel era diesels came from Classes 04, 08, 12 (15234), 2MT No.84014, the latter having come south
was embraced in the race to complete sightings 33, 47 and 117 as they became designated for the abandoned steam replacement scheme
of every locomotive, in the case of steam before under the TOPS scheme. on the Isle of Wight. London Midland Region
they went for scrap and for more modern Eastleigh was next, starting at the depot types were also present with the expected
motive power, as soon as it was delivered. where no fewer than 96 numbers were noted. Ivatt 2Mts but also Stanier Class 5 No.45418
The ability to pursue these goals was
enhanced by the game changer of employment; Southern steam far from home – with the closing of Oxford shed, there were regular
at last there was some money available to pay workings of Southern engines to Banbury with LMS types also working through to
for travel and possibly a better camera along Bournemouth. Here ‘West Country’ No.34001 Exeter is being serviced at Banbury on
with the requisite film. Parental approval for 28th July before returning south on the through train from York.
one’s travels was no longer a consideration, (Colour-Rail.com 7096b)
but on the other side of the coin there was only
three weeks’ holiday in which to travel instead
of about twelve enjoyed whilst at school. Thus
for me 1966 was a year of transition, having
enough money to travel but not enough for a
nice new camera or a set of wheels although
I had passed my driving test. Keeping on the
right side of one’s father, so that the family
car could be borrowed on occasions, was thus
essential.
Living near Bristol, 1st January 1966
was indeed a very relevant day for a steam
enthusiast as it was to mark the elimination
of such power on the Western Region of
British Railways. However, as has been well
documented, things did not quite go to plan
for the Region’s management, when the
postponed closure of the Somerset & Dorset
line meant that steam continued until March.
To confirm this a cycle ride to Highbridge on
8th January found Ivatt 2MTs Nos.41283 and
41290 in residence. A further S&D excursion,
this time borrowing the family car, was a
visit to Templecombe shed in mid-February,

FEBRUARY 2020 91
6th March 1966 – a poignant photograph from the area. No fewer than 373 numbers of the area. Here Great Western steam eked
of an engine performing possibly its last were taken, although that does include the out a very grimy and bedraggled existence.
ever duty as LMS 2-6-2T No.41249 has residents of Barry yard and individual DMU ‘Granges’ Nos.6831/33/71 rubbed shoulders
been coupled up to the rear of the SLS carriages. Fifty-seven English Electric Type with ‘Jubilees’ Nos.45590, 45632 and 45721 and
closure day special on the Somerset & 3s were recorded along with a large number withdrawn V2 No.60843 and ‘Crab’ No.42900.
Dorset, its sole task being to haul the of Brush Type 4s, an illustration of just how Steam predominated in the 65 numbers noted
train out of Templecombe Southern back much freight traffic was still on offer in 1966. but Brush Type 4s were prominent amongst
on to S&D metals. (Colour-Rail.com 2074) Just how different the spotting the diesel power. Heading north, Shrewsbury
environment could be depending on where was next with the GWR influence just hanging
and 8F No.48633. Diesel inhabitants were one lived was evident with a coach trip to the on to form part of today’s preservation
from Classes 03, 04, 07, 08, 12, 33 and 205. The Midlands and beyond on 20th March with the scene, this being represented by ‘Manors’
works was a shadow of its former self with 85 residents of Saltley being heavily biased Nos.7801/2/19–22/8 and 9657 of which only
just 32 numbers taken but steam was still towards steam power. Amongst the usual the first and last went for scrap. Ivatt 2MTs
being worked on. One unlikely inhabitant was LMR types only ‘Britannia’ No.70047 stood out. and their Standard counterparts were to be
GWR 2-8-0 No.2818, this being restored for the Other than noting the numbers, little attention found here alongside the usual Class 5 and 8
national collection. Other steam engines were was paid to the diesel shunters on shed and locomotives, all put to shame by ‘Britannia’
Nos.34004, 34100, 35012/3/28/30, 73018 and yet within two years the likes of Nos.12040/3 No.70004. Engines for scrap heading to South
76033. Modern traction was represented by would be just as much part of history as their Wales were evidenced by the presence of
Nos.20002 D2287, D2994/5/7, D3462, D3670/1, steam counterparts. Bescot produced just No.42777 and WDs Nos.90222, 90583 and
D5004/16/9/95 D6501/10/26/39/57/75, E5010, eight numbers, with Oxley being the only 90641.
E6002/4, diesel multiple unit No.1110 and operational shed on the Black Country side Proceeding to Crewe, 126 numbers
electric unit No. 5777.
At Southampton Docks steam was still When Railroving one cannot choose the weather and 2nd April was a wet morning at
evident, with Nos.30064/9/73 assisting ten Brighton as ‘WC’ No.34017 Ilfracombe brews up at the station in preparation for taking
Class 07s. Heading west, Bournemouth was the 09.17 service to Southampton and beyond. (Colour-Rail.com 7084)
the next stop with 38 numbers taken, the only
interloper being 5MT No.45331. However, no
Southern main line diesels were to be seen,
either there or at our final call at Weymouth,
although ‘Hymek’ No.D7031 and single car
DMU No.W55032 represented the Western
Region at the latter.

O
n 6th March it was the day for my
one and only trip over the Somerset &
Dorset on the Stephenson Locomotive
Society closure special. The silent rows of
engines at Bath Green Park shed included
one LMS survivor, ‘Jinty’ No.47276 and a 9F
No.92243. Nos.80043 and 48706 worked the
special throughout the day. The return trip,
most of which was undertaken in darkness,
was a solemn affair, the atmosphere being
broken only by passing the double-headed
Bulleids working an RCTS special on the top
of the Mendip Hills. Steam on the Western and
the Somerset & Dorset line was no more.
To chase down steam numbers that
had ‘escaped’, the next outing was by rail to
Bridgend and Barry looking for withdrawn
engines awaiting scrapping, whilst also
pursuing the vast number of Class 37s needed

92
were taken at the works. Steam was still in
evidence with ‘Jinties’ on works pilot duties
along with short-lived replacement upstarts
Nos.D2711/22, transferred from Scotland. The
works was dealing with Classes 25, 28, 40, 47,
76 and West Coast electrics, with a smattering
of the various steam classes. Of note was
LMS Pacific No.46235 which in due course
was preserved for display in Birmingham,
whilst the hulk of No.71000 also remained at
the works. The 110 occupants of Crewe South
shed were mostly steam with a number of
‘Britannias’ noted but also soon to be doomed
diesels such as Nos.12004 and D2519.

he joys of All-Line Rail Roving were

T explored from 31st March for seven

days with a hectic schedule designed
more around travel than shed visits. This saw
departures from nearly all the main London
termini, mainly on long-distance routes, these
being used to facilitate a reasonable night’s
sleep – at least that was the theory. However,
during the course of the seven days a number
of other significant routes were taken which Some sheds could lend themselves to photography and the Eastern Region
are no longer with us. roundhouses provided classic locations in which to capture steam. LMS Fairburn
Day one saw a frenetic Weston-super- 2-6-4Ts Nos.42052 and 42093 pose at Manningham, Bradford, on 17th July 1966.
Mare–Manchester–Sheffield–King’s Cross– (Colour-Rail.com 2082)
Paddington–Birmingham–Crewe itinerary
followed. Over 300 numbers were noted with One of the attractions to enthusiasts on the Scottish Region was the use right to the
the majority being diesel. Recorded motive end of older locomotive types such as NBR J37 0-6-0 No.64547. For many years based
power was No.D849 to Bristol, No.D1003 to in Edinburgh, it moved to Dundee in 1964 where this view was taken on 1st April 1966.
Hereford where No.D1916 took over to Crewe It survived for a further eight months. (Colour-Rail.com 6056)
and No.E3131 on to Manchester, thence with
just a five-minute connection No.27002 took
me via the Woodhead route to Sheffield. It was
noted that there were only fifteen minutes to
get from Sheffield Victoria to Midland, clearly
ambitious planning!
All Fools’ Day saw an attack on Scotland
via the overnight train from Crewe to Glasgow
followed by travels to a number of stations in
the south of the country. Ayr and Thornton
were included for shed visits and the former
produced a mixture of ‘Crabs’, 5MTs and
Standard 4s. Not known at the time, of
course, was that the railbuses recorded, Nos.
SC79968/74, and shunter No.D2435, also did
not have long to live on BR. Thornton had a
mixture of ancient and modern with J35, 37
and 39 types rubbing shoulders with B1s and
WDs along with more doomed diesel shunters
such as Nos.D2578/83. At Dundee shed
attention was very much on A2s Nos.60528/32
with only seven other steam engines present.
DMUs dominated services in the central belt of
Scotland with many being recorded. On arrival
at Perth the planned itinerary was abandoned
when a passenger train headed by No.70039
appeared heading south and took water.
Without knowing where it was heading, with
an All-Line Railrover it really didn’t matter. It
turned out to be a troop special which called
at Stirling where it seemed the right time to
abandon it!
The morning of day three found me at
Brighton where the service to Southampton
was still steam and on this occasion worked by
No.34017 whilst No.34025 took me to Waterloo
and ‘Merchant Navy’ No.35013 returned me to
Basingstoke. After a good sleep back at base
it was another early start on 3rd April and the
day included the Derby–Manchester route via
Matlock to give me my only journey over this
apparently unwanted line. The complete route
was Weston–Derby–Manchester–Llandudno–

FEBRUARY 2020 93
Chester–Birmingham. Steam was noted as
early as Bristol as the withdrawn Somerset &
Dorset engines had been dragged there prior to
being sold for scrap. Again of interest today is
that the train ran from New Street via Aston,
Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield on the way to
Derby. A mixture of steam and diesel power
was noted along the way to Llandudno where
a very quiet shed was inhabited by six Stanier
5MTs, No.75029 and two ‘Jinties’ along with
No.D2606/7 and a selection of DMUs.
4th April was a sparse day for steam
with the route being overnight Birmingham–
Paddington (another service soon to die) before
taking in West Yorkshire and East Anglia.
Seen at Paddington were Nos.D6328/32 and
on the way out of King’s Cross Nos.D5900/7
(so-called ‘Baby Deltics’) were noted. Steam
activity was concentrated in Yorkshire with
a stop at Wakefield planned to capture a
few WDs with 33 being noted along with O4 Due to the very late running of the incoming special hauled by A2 Blue Peter, those
No.63764 and Standard No.77000, the former waiting had a long time to admire immaculately presented ‘Britannia’ No.70004
no doubt languishing in a siding, having been at Westbury on 14th August 1966. It took the train back to Waterloo via Salisbury.
withdrawn from Doncaster two months earlier. (Colour-Rail.com 19078d)
The morning of 5th April found me at
Chester to allow for travel on a steam-hauled day started at St. Pancras going to Derby, electric power was much more finely matched
service from Northgate to Manchester which Sheffield and again ,over the Penistone route with a typical summer Saturday 9.00–5.00
was in the hands of No.45000 with five to Manchester and back home via London. observation recording around 120 different
suburban carriages. One can imagine the Over the seven days almost 2,500 numbers locomotives.
looks given to a dishevelled teenager with of locomotives and DMU/EMU cars were

A
notebook occupying some regular commuter’s recorded. n adventure with father’s car was in
seat through well-heeled Cheshire. Calling at At the end of April a Bristol Bath Road order on 2nd July, taking it to Worting
all stations the journey took 1hr 20min. The depot open day found ‘Warships’ in short Junction to observe Southern steam
day was aimed at more steam powered travel supply but ‘Westerns’ and particularly in action. In 7½ hours 93 movements were
and at Preston another ‘Black 5’, No.45296, ‘Hymeks’ featured strongly, but only four recorded but only 24 of these involved steam.
took me to Crewe to join one of the few ‘D95XX’ were seen and no North British The majority of diesel locomotives in use
regular steam turns through to Carlisle with Type 2s. Brush Type 4s abounded along with were Class 33s aided by ‘Warships’ on West
‘Britannia’ No.70027 in charge, a journey a handful of ‘Peaks’, two EE Type 3s and of England duties and the occasional Brush
which took a shade over four hours, continuing No.D0280 Falcon. Steam was represented by Type 4, whilst two Stanier Class 5s were seen.
with a change of trains, to Glasgow. The final engines still waiting to go for scrap fom Bath An RCTS coach trip around West
Green Park, some of which had been cleaned Yorkshire on 17th started at Royston which
In steam days you could always expect up and dragged across to the diesel depot. displayed a plethora of 8Fs supported by WDs,
the unexpected, be it a rare engine from Observations around Weston-super-Mare Nos.43078, 45207 and 43078 and four diesel
a distant shed or a special working. Here showed that most regular services were in shunters with a total of 44 engines present.
we have LMS Class 5MT No.45247 at the hands of ‘Westerns’ on passenger duties Next came Normanton which was host to three
Chester General where it is in the process and ‘Hymeks’ on freight with a smattering of Q6 0-8-0s and No.42083 amongst other power,
of rescuing a failed MCW two-car DMU on Brush Type 4s for good measure but at Bristol and thence to Wakefield with its numerous
20th August 1966. (Colour-Rail.com 2099a) the balance between hydraulics and diesel- WDs and B1s along with a smattering of Brush
and EE Type 4s, 75 locomotives in total being was courtesy of ‘West Country’ No.34001, thus both trains being Paddington–Birkenhead or
recorded. Stourton presented a different scene enjoying steam power over at least a small vice versa workings. Chester was a hotbed
with 8Fs and two Ivatt 4MTs present plus part of the Western Region. of DMU action but being a summer Saturday
Standards Nos.77000/3/4 and a smattering of Day two saw another Barry expedition there was steam on a number of North Wales
diesel shunters – total 29. along with time spent at Cardiff, it being coast duties including ‘Britannia’ No.70026.
Neville Hill depot housed 65 DMU cars noticeable how few diesel-hydraulic The surprise of the day was the appearance of
along with twelve main line diesels and nine locomotives there were by now operating in the pannier tanks Nos.9610/30, which apparently
shunters. Also hidden from public view in area, these being increasingly squeezed into were involved in railtour duties in the area.
the old roundhouse were privately owned the South West and London areas. Weymouth Another Bath Road open day was held
No.3442 The Great Marquess and N7 tank was an allowable destination and this was the on 22nd October and on this occasion steam
No.69621. Holbeck was still predominantly third target of my rover travels. Another ‘add power was hired in with Nos.7029 and 7808
a steam shed and famously home to the last on’ ticket was purchased, this time allowing being the stars but also on display were ‘USA’
‘Jubilees’ with Nos.45593 and 45660 being on for a return trip to Bournemouth, outward No.30064, later to become a Bluebell Railway
shed amongst the 56 residents. By comparison behind No.35008 and back with No.75074. resident, and Longmoor Military Railway
Farnley Junction hung on to life by a thread 0-6-0ST No.196.

A
with only sixteen engines resident but with nother ‘borrow the car’ expedition The final outing of the year was another
plenty of variety comprising of Fairburn took me to Westbury on Sunday 14th coach tour, this time of London sheds, although
2-6-4T, Ivatt 4MT, Stanier Class 5, ‘Jubilee’, August to see a railtour. On arrival the first call was Guildford. ‘Merchant Navy’
8F, Q6, ‘Britannia’, 9F, 0-6-0 diesel shunters No.70004 William Shakespeare was already No.35012 was noted there, not usually a home
and a Brush Type 4. The density of sheds in standing ready for duty but there was time to for such machines, along with resident shed
the area was notable and five still remained visit the shed which had Nos.D4019/21 D4163, pilot ‘USA’ No.30072 plus Nos.34095 73115/8/9,
to be visited, with Bradford Manningham D7032/84/98 enjoying the Sunday sun along 76064 and 77014. Feltham provided a mixture
having eighteen mostly steam inhabitants with withdrawn Nos.31411 and 34082 which of steam, diesel and electro-diesels with no
and Hammerton Street a mass of DMUs plus had started their trip to oblivion in South fewer than ten ‘E6000s’, and Nine Elms was
diesel shunters from four classes. Low Moor Wales. Returning to the station the word was all steam with just 38 machines in various
shed had another small but diverse gathering that the tour train, hauled by No.60532 Blue degrees of decrepitude on offer. Of particular
and here ‘Jubilees’ rubbed shoulders with B1s Peter, was running well behind time. note on our perambulations were No.DS1173 at
whilst Mirfield housed LMS types save for B1 20th August saw an expedition by rail to Hither Green, No.D5907 at Finsbury Park, the
No.61173. Our final call was at Huddersfield Chester via the North & West route. Mileage large number of Class 27s at Cricklewood and
with just ten engines present, five of which behind steam was again an objective with No.10001 at Willesden. The ratio of hydraulics
were WDs. No.45116 taking the strain from Shrewsbury to diesel-electrics at Old Oak, our last shed,
At the end of July I took advantage of a to Chester with No.45353 on the return, with probably has the greatest historic significance
Rover ticket that allowed three days’ travel to with the early demise of the former not even
‘any Western Region station’. Banbury was the ‘Britannia’ 4-6-2 No.70027 (formerly being on the horizon at that time. Just eight
first choice reached by buying an additional Rising Star) was in charge of the Crewe– Brush Type 4s were to be seen although there
ticket from Oxford, as by now Banbury Carlisle leg of the Railrover trip on 5th were also just two ‘Warships’. Six ‘Westerns’,
was London Midland territory. At Oxford a April, a day of particular gloom. However, ten ‘Hymeks’ and eight North British Type 2s
‘Blue Pullman’ set was seen as at this time clearly it was one of the better machines completed the main line power line-up.
it had daily turns to the city. Although most as it had other passenger outings such as 1966 provided the opportunity to still
passenger workings through Banbury were 1X14 seen in the Calder Valley the same travel behind steam on scheduled passenger
in the hands of Brush Type 4s, much freight month. It had just been reallocated from services, to use routes which, unknown to me
traffic was handled by steam and the shed was Llandudno to Crewe South and survived at the time, would soon be removed and to
home to a clutch of 9Fs along with LMS Class until July 1967. record what turned out to be a very transient
5 and 8 power. The Banbury to Oxford journey (M. Chapman/Colour-Rail.com 307178) diesel locomotive population.
ABOVE: A ine portrait of No.61074 fresh out of works
at Grantham depot. Construction of the B1s was
B1s – THE LNER’s CLASS 5 4-6-0s
undertaken in the railway works at Darlington and For most of its existence the London & North Eastern Railway didn’t
Gorton as well as by the North British Locomotive have a general purpose mixed traic 4-6-0 locomotive in the way that
Co. in Glasgow and the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-
the Great Western Railway had extensively equipped itself with the
le-Willows. No.61074 was from an order for 100
placed with the NBL in 1945; another for 150 more ‘Hall’ Class and the London Midland & Scottish with its Class 5s. Instead
the following year was the largest order with a it developed various designs for speciic purposes and introduced
single manufacturer placed by the LNER. the three-cylinder V2 2-6-2s which ran to 184 engines. It was Edward
Thompson’s standardisation plans which embraced the concept of
BELOW: B1s were allocated all over the LNER: London, an all-purpose 4-6-0, partly to enable older types to be cleared out
East Anglia and the Eastern Counties, all along the and a straightforward, easy-to-maintain class to be constructed in
East Coast Main Line, in the North Eastern Area and numbers for a wide range of duties throughout the LNER system. The
widely in Scotland. No.61262 passes Wormit leaving result was the highly successful B1 Class of which 410 examples were
the Tay Bridge with a train of coal empties from built between 1942 and 1952, the last batches under British Railways
Dundee in August 1966.
auspices. These photographs of them were taken by DEREK PENNEY.
ABOVE: Like their earlier LMS counterparts, BELOW: No.61190 sprints away from Retford in brisk fashion c1958. It was allocated to
the B1 4-6-0s went on to establish their Immingham shed which has sent it out in commendable order, even with burnished
mixed traic credentials on all manner smokebox straps, for this return trip to Grimsby. Note on the front of the right-hand
of work except the heaviest freights footplating the steam-powered generator for electrically lighting the headlamps. It
and fastest passenger trains. No.61118 had been intended to provide the post-war members of the class with power from a
approaches Perth from the south with a generator on the rear bogie axle. These proved troublesome and were replaced by
local goods in 1965 – and its driver smiles steam generators, though they too fell into disuse and many of the engines had the
for the camera. equipment removed. No.61190 has reverted to the traditional oil lamp.
 On a frosty day in January 1959
No.61203 pays homage to the
‘Grand Fleet’ of old with this
turbid exhaust display on leaving
March for Ely heading an express
topped by itted vans and with
the steam heating on.

Political slogans daubed on bridges are nothing new! No.61033 Dibateg is under
the 1,500V dc wires of the Woodhead Route between Wadsley Bridge and Sheield
Victoria with an excursion in 1958.

Four coal-weighing tenders were provided for the B1 Class and were distributed around diferent members
over the years. No.61258 was in possession of one between 1955 and its withdrawal at the start of 1964,
during which period it was photographed in the sidings at Sheield Victoria.
ABOVE: No.61251 Sir Oliver Bury, with express lamps but just BELOW: No.61221 Sir Alexander Erskine-Hill (see comment opposite!)
two coaches, lolls at Grantham c1962, while a whisker- departs from Perth with a southbound freight, including logs, in 1965.
fronted diesel multiple unit does business on the opposite One member of the class was scrapped in 1950 as a result of a collision
side of the station. Only 59 of the B1s were given names, but withdrawals proceeded from 1961 with the run-down of steam
the majority favouring species of South African antelopes until the last went in 1967. However, seventeen B1s were transferred
(such as Dibateg, opposite) and a smaller number to Departmental Stock at various dates for carriage heating purposes
acknowledging LNER directors such as Sir Oliver, all of and the inal survivors of those weren’t taken out of service until the
them as unknown to the public as the antelopes. following year. Two B1s survive in preservation.

FEBRUARY 2020 99
The Chiltern Court freight at Baker Street. 
Electric locomotive No.16 (on the left) has
brought the train to Baker Street; No.7
Edmund Burke is shunting and will take
the return train to Neasden. (The London
Underground Railway Society Collection)

F
or those readers whose memory of the
system does not go back more than 40
years or so, thoughts of freight trains
on London Underground might seem almost
inconceivable. Engineers’ trains, yes, but real,
old-fashioned ‘goods trains’, with their mixed
freight and clanking buffers, seem far removed
from the modern Underground.
True, freight on the ‘tube’1 lines was not
an issue originally, although it became so
later, as you will see; but it was certainly
part of the operation on sections of the sub-
surface network,2 especially the Metropolitan
Railway (‘the Met’ – now the Metropolitan
Line). In earlier days fruit, vegetables and other
perishable commodities, horses, their carriages,
cattle and other livestock could be conveyed.
FREIGHT ON THE
Some items, if small enough, were carried in
the brake vans of passenger trains. Milk traffic
UNDERGROUND
was common,3 either in churns or, later, tank the tube line in question took over a section
wagons. Quite late in this history, oil traffic was
BY ERIC STUART of route previously owned by another, main
dealt with in rail tankers at Chalfont & Latimer, and฀Whitechapel line,฀operator.฀When฀the฀Central฀and฀Northern฀
while coal was especially important. Parcels •฀ ฀Between฀Westbourne฀Park฀and฀Hammersmith Lines฀ were฀ extended฀ over฀ London฀ &฀ North฀
and newspapers were also conveyed on some Eastern฀Railway฀(LNER)฀lines฀in฀the฀1940s฀and฀
lines at different times.4 District/Piccadilly (D&P) subsequently, freight traffic – especially coal –
•฀ ฀B etween฀ Turnham฀ Green฀ and฀ West฀ was still important and had to be provided for.
Areas of operation Kensington/High฀Street฀Kensington Exceptionally, the western extension of the
Briefly, freight and other non-passenger service •฀ ฀Rayners฀Lane–South฀Harrow฀Gas฀Works Central฀Line฀was฀parallel฀to฀the฀Great฀Western฀
of varying kinds was provided at some time or •฀ ฀East฀of฀Bromley฀(East฀London) Railway฀ (GWR)฀ and฀ the฀ freight฀ trafic฀ was฀
other on the following sections of line: retained on that. Separate tracks were provided
Central: in the late ’30s฀between฀North฀Acton฀and฀White฀
Metropolitan/Circle/Hammersmith & •฀ ฀Leyton฀ to฀ Ongar฀ and฀ the฀ Fairlop/Hainault฀ City, so the previous milk and goods traffic in
City (H&C)/East London (ELL): Loop that area on part of the Ealing & Shepherds
•฀ ฀T hroughout฀ the฀ Met฀ north฀ of฀ West฀ •฀ ฀Acton/Shepherds฀Bush฀area Bush line was then segregated from the
Hampstead Underground service.
•฀ ฀To/from฀Vine฀Street฀(near฀Farringdon฀(Street))฀ Northern:
and Baker Street (Chiltern Court)5 •฀ ฀East฀ Finchley฀ to฀ Mill฀ Hill฀ East฀ and฀ High฀ Metropolitan et al
•฀ ฀Paddington฀Suburban–Smithield฀(also฀near฀ Barnet6 The Metropolitan Railway always considered
Farringdon) itself a ‘main line’ railway and so it was natural
•฀ ฀Via฀ the฀ City฀ Widened฀ Lines฀ (CWL)฀ for฀ You will notice that virtually all the services that฀ goods/freight฀ trafic฀ would฀ be฀ part฀ of฀
transiting trains and local depots to or via any ‘tube’ lines were ‘inherited’ in its portfolio of services. This would involve
•฀ ฀Via฀the฀East฀London฀Line฀for฀transiting฀trains฀ that they only became part of the line when heavier items like building materials (especially
during the era when suburban areas were being
Western Region meat train, headed by a ‘57XX’ 0‑6‑0PT of the 9700–10 series with developed) and coal. Milk was carried daily.
condensing apparatus, crossing from the Outer Circle Line to the Widened Lines As฀ it฀ extended฀ out฀ into฀ the฀ country,฀ the฀ Met฀
at Farringdon, preparatory to entering the Smithield goods depot. (The London ran a comprehensive service of freight trains,
Underground Railway Society Collection) to exchange traffic with other companies and
serve their own yards. It is estimated that nearly
a third of the Met’s revenue came from freight,
which might seem surprising for a railway
popularly considered as an urban passenger
line and helps to explain the Metropolitan’s
view of itself.
฀ When฀ I฀ irst฀ joined฀ the฀ Underground,฀ I฀
worked with a man who was probably the last
employee of the Metropolitan Railway still in
Underground employment. He had been taken
on฀as฀a฀temporary฀employee฀at฀Great฀Missenden฀
for฀a฀couple฀of฀summer฀seasons฀in฀the฀1930s,฀
loading strawberries on Met trains, before he
was offered full-time employment.
The Metropolitan interchanged traffic with
other฀ railway฀ companies฀ at฀ Verney฀ Junction฀
(London฀ &฀ North฀ Western฀ Railway)฀ and฀
Quainton฀Road฀(Great฀Central),฀whilst฀some฀was฀
exchanged฀through฀West฀Hampstead/Finchley฀
Road yard with the Midland Railway and its
successors.
In the open sections to the north, there were

100 BACKTRACK
twelve Metropolitan goods trains in 1920 and and Chesham from 4th July 1966, Chalfont & sidings, both holding about seven wagons. The
about fifteen in the 1930s, running at various Latimer, Rickmansworth, Watford, Croxley, Vine Street traffic was mixed and was served
times of the day and night, both local runs and Northwood and Pinner from 14th November by a number of trains each day. The depot
transferring traffic to and from interchange 1966, whilst Chorley Wood also closed on 14th existed from 1909 until the mid-thirties, closing
points. Contemporary photographs show the November 1966.9 The Met yards were thus all on 1st July 1936.
locomotives hauling these trains as carrying a closed by 1966 but it must be borne in mind The Chiltern Court train consisted of a
disc or target board with its train number on that all these are ‘official closure dates’ and the few wagons with coal inward and removal of
it. One train was booked to work over twenty last freight service might well have been before refuse on the outbound trip. The siding joined
hours of the day – hopefully with changes of then. Platform 1 at Baker Street about halfway along
crew from time to time! The Metropolitan G 0-6-4T and K 2-6-4T it. 13 Access to it was by a ground frame on
After the Second World War nearly 30 Classes were primarily freight locomotives.10 Platform 1 released by Annett’s Key, which was
‘trips’ a day were operating on the Metropolitan When they became available for heavier normally kept in Baker Street signal cabin. The
Line, although by the 1960s the number was trains, they allowed such as the earlier F train ran from Neasden on Mondays to Friday
much reduced, even if the coverage was similar. 0-6-2Ts to be used on the more local ‘pick-up’ about mid-day on an ‘as required’ basis. The
However, the line to Verney Junction had finally and distribution services as well as London Chiltern Court train finally succumbed on 3rd
closed to freight toward the end of 1947 and Transport engineering trains. However, in 1937 August 1961.
latterly West Hampstead was no longer used the LNER took over the larger LT locomotives The Vine Street and Chiltern Court
for transfers, so the change-over points were and with them the freight work, with the services were electric locomotive-hauled by the
Quainton Road or Neasden (British Railways) smaller types left with LT to be used on the locomotives used on Met through passenger
and possibly Brent. engineers’ trains. Later the LNER transferred trains to the north and to/from the GWR.
A specific flow of traffic was of coal to the larger ex-Met locomotives away11 and used The GWR ran freight trains – mainly
South Harrow Gas Works. Coal was received other LNER classes for much of the LT freight carcasses of meat, some in insulated containers
through the yard at Finchley Road and was work. Towards the end of steam, BR Standard – via Paddington and the north side of the
taken to the gasworks by means of a reversal 2-6-0s of the ‘76XXX’ series were employed. Inner Circle to and from its sizable depot
at Rayners Lane. Although the main traffic Those Met Line freight trains that remained under Smithfield Market, crossing between
was coal, other items were brought in or out to the end were increasingly diesel-worked. the Circle and the Widened Lines immediately
by rail at various times. Normally, there were For example, Class 25 Derby/Sulzer Bo-Bos west of Farringdon station.14 These trains ran
two return trips a day, one mid-morning and were used on the ‘Met Main’ and Cricklewood at various times during the day, but mainly at
another early evening. An unusual feature of depot supplied what became Class 27 Bo-Bo night or at least off-peak, and I recall seeing one
this was that, for some time, the train ran in Birmingham/Sulzer locomotives in the ‘D54XX’ Saturday afternoon eastbound working a few
reverse on the line between Rayners Lane and series for the last few years of the Uxbridge times. The Smithfield depot closed with effect
the gasworks entrance (about a mile).7 line freight. A Class 115 diesel multiple from 1st August 1962.
The Watford and Uxbridge lines had their units worked the morning newspaper van to In 1905 it was reported that the Met would
freight trains and Stanmore was served for a Chesham (returning as a passenger train). supply electric locomotives for the freight trains
short while. Ruislip still had a reasonable traffic South of Finchley Road, there were trains east of Bishops Road,15 but that never happened.
in coal in 1962, although the yard closed about to Vine Street and Chiltern Court.12 Vine Street Probably from about 1933 and certainly post-
two years later. By that time South Harrow depot was rather cramped, consisting of two World War II, a small series of the numerous
and Uxbridge were no longer served.8 Parcels ‘57XX’ 0-6-0 pannier tanks, numbered 9700–10,
facilities at stations north of Harrow-on-the- A Metropolitan Railway Class K 2-6-4T was normally used: these were fitted with
Hill were withdrawn in February 1965. Stoke No.113 is working a freight at the end condensing equipment.16 From about 1960 the
Mandeville and Wembley Park yards closed of the Aylesbury & Buckingham line at trains were taken over by what became Class
on 5th July 1965; Hillingdon yard closed on Verney Junction sometime between 1933 08 0-6-0 diesel shunters, which could run at up
24th June 1966, Quainton Road, Amersham and 1937. (Rail Archive Stephenson) to 30mph.

FEBRUARY 2020 101

 The GWR also ran freight trains between
its depots and Hammersmith (H&C). The
trains left Paddington at 01.45 on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays only, arriving in
Hammersmith yard at 02.05. Departure from
Hammersmith was booked at 03.20. At one
time they then reversed at Latimer Road, using
the link to the West London Line to serve
Kensington Olympia, returning to Paddington
by the West London Line, but after 1st July
1952 this routeing was changed to use the H&C
throughout in both directions.
As previously mentioned, the GWR and
Central London Railway had a joint section
of line between Acton and White City. From
1920 until the parallel lines for the Central were
opened on 19th June 1938, freight and especially
milk traffic had operated intermingled with Photographed at Old Oak Common shed, GWR ‘633’ Class 0‑6‑0T No.643 (built at
tube trains. Wolverhampton in 1872) is itted with condensing equipment for working on the Met.
The northern companies, such as the Great It was withdrawn in 1934 as these older engines were replaced by new condenser‑
Northern (GNR) and the Midland, ran trains itted ‘57XX’ pannier tanks. (Pendragon Collection)
through from their lines to freight and coal
depots on the southern systems over what transit link between the Great Eastern and the they must be mentioned in respect of the freight
are now more or less the present Thameslink southern lines, although a hoist (lift) was also on the Uxbridge line and to the gasworks at
lines. There were also services to depots in the available until 1955 for conveying wagons South Harrow (see above).
Farringdon area: Farringdon for the GNR and between the ELL near Shoreditch station and Another stream of traffic was that of coal
Whitecross Street for the Midland Railway. Bishopsgate goods depot.19 Limiting factors to from Brent yard to and from the depots at High
Traffic could be intensive. For example, a ELL operation included the gradients in and out Street Kensington and West Kensington, the
survey of southbound freight trains on the of the Thames Tunnel and the need for trains to latter also dealing with general merchandise,
City Widened Lines in a 24-hour period in reverse in Liverpool Street main line station. operating over the D&P between Turnham
the autumn of 1949 showed no fewer than 39 ELL freight trains were usually headed by Green and the Kensington area. Latterly the
trains passing in one direction and a peak of 45 small J69 0-6-0T locomotives (‘Buckjumpers’).20 trains to and from Kensington were almost
trains in either direction has been quoted. This Latterly Class 15 and 16 Bo-Bo diesel invariably powered by LMS ‘Jinties’, although
would be in addition to the passenger trains to locomotives were used, but this was of short other locomotives could occasionally be used
and from Moorgate from the Midland and the duration as freight did not survive for long and I once saw an Ivatt 2-6-0 tender engine on
Great Northern suburban lines although, after after their introduction. As late as 6th December a coal train at High Street (I don’t know how
1917, passenger trains only ran in peak hours 1965 portable equipment (called ‘DRICO’) much of a rarity that was, but I suspect such a
(morning and evening, Monday to Friday and was provided for Eastern Region drivers to large locomotive was unusual).
morning and mid-day on Saturdays). contact Underground controllers, but the last When the District extended beyond
Freight trains on the CWL were mostly ELL freight (actually a parcels train) ran on Whitechapel, it shared its tracks beyond Bromley-
hauled by modest-sized tank locomotives, 16th April 1966. The connection between the by-Bow with passenger and freight trains of the
such as ‘Jinties’ (0-6-0Ts) from the Midland ELL and the lines out of Liverpool Street was London, Tilbury & Southend Railway (LTS)
line, with J52 0-6-0STs , J50 0-6-0Ts, N1 and N2 severed on 18th of that month. and its successors, even after the section east of
0-6-2Ts which worked on trains to/from such CWL and ELL freight seems to have Bow Road had been four-tracked. Segregation of
north London yards as Brent, Hornsey and operated over 24 hours, although for obvious the District services from the main line services,
Ferme Park. These trains ran to places such as reasons of congestion it seems peak hours were including freight, was only achieved in the late
Walworth Road coal sidings, Hither Green yard generally avoided. Parcels were still conveyed 1950s with the Barking Flyover and associated
and other depots in the south London suburbs. on the Metropolitan Line passenger trains by works; also the suppression of the Campbell
The steam banker provided at Farringdon to ‘A’ stock in 1962.21 Road (Bow) junctions with the old North London
assist trains up the steep gradient to Blackfriars Railway (NLR) and removal of connections at
was replaced by a Class 08 diesel shunter District and Piccadilly Upminster. As a minimum, trains to/from the
in the 1950s. (The siding for this locomotive Since District and Piccadilly trains at NLR line would use the District Line tracks for at
was originally east of Farringdon, but was different times ran over what were originally least a few feet whilst crossing over to the ‘main’
replaced in the 1950s by one just to the west Metropolitan tracks north of South Harrow, LTS lines.22
of Farringdon northbound Widened Lines
platform.) A BTH Type 1 (Class 15) Bo‑Bo on a northbound freight at East Finchley, probably in the
With the general decline of freight, early 1960s. (Ben Brooksbank, from The London Underground Railway Society Collection)
especially wagonload, on British Railways,
the numbers of freight trains decreased.
Eastern Region freights were discontinued in
1965. Working Timetables for October 1967
gave a few booked workings between Brent
(London Midland Region) and Ashford, Hither
Green, Norwood and Three Bridges (Southern
Region), plus parcels trains between Holloway
and King’s Cross (ER), and Clapham Junction,
London Bridge and Bricklayers Arms (SR).
Some workings were conditional and the LMR
freight trains finished in 1968. The last booked
working was an ER parcels train from Holloway
to London Bridge and back on the evening of
Sunday 23rd March 1969. All regular traffic
ceased after that working and the track between
Farringdon and Blackfriars Junctions on the
Snow Hill connection was taken up in 1972.
Similarly, the East London Line was a

102 BACKTRACK
 Some ish in less than full wagonloads was
conveyed for many years from Billingsgate
Fish Market through Mansion House station
by District Line passenger trains. For obvious
reasons, this trafic was hardly pleasant on the
nose and there were many complaints of wet
efluent about the station.

Northern
A link from the LNER to the Northern Line
‘Northern Heights’ lines was made at East
Finchley. Freight service was operated to Mill
Hill Gas Works and Edgware (Great Northern
– GN), the latter also hosting a parcels service,
with general freight service to stations from
Finchley Central to High Barnet. Details of
service and timings in 1959 showed a number
of services to Mill Hill Gas Works, to freight
depots on the Edgware (GN) branch and the
High Barnet line. These did run in daytime,
although the busiest peak times were avoided.
The plant at Mill Hill East finished gas
production in November 1961. LT 0-6-0T No.L.30 on an engineers’ train at Kensington Olympia in 1959, engaged on
Freight service to the High Barnet line collecting/delivering wagons to/from BR. This locomotive was one of a pair inherited
ceased from 1st October 1962. That to the from the Metropolitan District Railway, built by the Hunslet Engine Co. in 1931 for
Northern Heights inished altogether in 1964 shunting and permanent way work at Lillie Bridge depot. The Cravens diesel multiple
when coal trafic to the depot at Mill Hill (The unit in the background would have been an unusual sight at Olympia. (Photomatic)
Hale) closed on 29th February, with service to
Edgware (GN), the last depot, ending on 4th the yard at Loughton, which was the site of the siding length or simply for ease of operation
May that year. The remaining goods yards original station, before the line was extended on the Underground for various reasons. For
were then decommissioned. toward Ongar. Initially, there was also a mid‑ example, GWR freight trains were limited to
Photographs show Class N2 condensing day gap in the Ongar service for the freight to 20/25 wagons25 plus brake, the Harrow Gas
0‑6‑2Ts on the freights, but I have seen a picture the end of the line, but that ceased after a few Works trains to seventeen, the Kensington
of a B1 4‑6‑0 on an seaside excursion at High years. A special working, a couple of Sundays a freights to ifteen vehicles; trains on the CWL
Barnet in the early 1950s,23 so possibly other year, consisted of concrete beams leaving a local seem to have been limited to 25 vehicles and on
locomotives were used. In the late 1950s, when factory. the East London to ifteen or possibly twenty.
Hornsey received numerous Bo‑Bo diesels such The impact of a non‑passenger train on It is likely maximum lengths and/or tonnages
as Class 15, they took over for the last few a ‘metro’‑type service can be judged by the were stipulated on other routes, although
years – partially from 28th November 1960 and following. For a time it seems that a parcels photographs show these limits were not always
then totally after 6th March the following year. train ran during the day, causing a Central adhered to!
Line Loughton branch train, which would have On the Central Line, in times of reduced
Central clashed with its path, to reverse at Liverpool visibility (eg fog or falling snow) the driver of
Likewise, shortly after the end of World War II, Street and cool its heels in the sidings there for an Underground train following a freight train
the Central was extended over the LNER from 37 minutes instead of running through, leaving had to be advised that the train in front did not
Loughton Branch Junction, between Stratford a gap in the service. The Central Line goods have an electric tail lamp (oil lamps were the
and Leyton, to Ongar and around the Fairlop/ yards gradually closed, the oficial inal closing order of the day on freight trains). This rule
Hainault24 loop from Woodford to south of date being 18th April 1966. may have applied elsewhere.
Newbury Park, where a link back to the main Locomotive power was mainly J15 0‑6‑0 In some locations, Electric Train Detectors
line continued to exist for many years. tender locomotives – the ‘go‑almost‑anywhere’ were provided to prevent non‑Underground
The junction with the Fairlop Loop near locomotives of the Great Eastern lines. trains straying where they should not, such as
Ilford was originally triangular. The new Coincidentally, when dieselisation came, it was down a tube tunnel!
Ilford Car Sheds for the Shenfield electric in the form of Class 15 and 16 Bo‑Bo diesels – One ploy used on sections of the
service partly blocked the link; when they were but again for only a shortish period. Underground with standard Underground two‑
extended for the extra trains for the Southend aspect signalling (or other signals requiring
and Chelmsford electriication it resulted in the Specific aspects of freight short braking distances) was the provision of
inal severance of the junction with the main train operation distant signals. In normal main line signalling
line. The Fairlop Loop freight trains had came It will be appreciated that operation of trundling practice (also installed on some Underground
from that junction, serving stations as far as freight trains, mostly without continuous sections in earlier days), signals at a block
Grange Hill. Effective from 29th October 1956 brakes, was the antithesis of a Metro/Rapid post between sections, which often included a
that was no longer possible, so the freight trains Transit‑type railway, thus special signal and station, consisted of one or more home signals
for the Loop came from the Leyton connection other arrangements were needed. The braking at the approach and one or more starting signals
and served yards round as far as Newbury distance for these trains was much greater than at the entry of the section in advance. A driver
Park. Those on the Fairlop Loop oficially the normal electro‑pneumatic or Westinghouse had to be prepared to halt at any of these which
ceased from 4th October 1965. braked trains used on the Underground, which is, of course, why they are generically termed
The freight trains operated mainly during were quicker‑acting. The GWR freights via the ‘stop’ signals.
the night to reduce interference with the Central Inner Circle were required to have between 33% To allow trains to pass at speed, a distant
Line passenger trains. They were actually and 50% of the vehicles with vacuum brakes signal would normally be provided about half a
forbidden as follows: connected to the locomotive. If anything, this mile or so before any of the stop signals. If all the
Monday to Friday: 06.00–10.00 and 15.00–19.15 proportion may have been increased to 100% stop signals were clear, the distant signal would
Saturdays: 06.00–10.00 and 12.00–15.30. over the years, to judge from photographs. normally be also. On many of the Underground
What those living in the ‘des res’ suburbs With the introduction of the G and K Class sections of line where freight trains operated,
of Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill thought of the locomotives, the Metropolitan could operate distant signals were added where standard
noise of shunting when they were trying to trains of up to 40 wagons on its main line to Underground two‑aspect signalling was
sleep can be imagined! However, a local report the north, reducing the number of trains needed. installed. These consisted of a yellow‑fronted
says that, in the 1950s, a locomotive did come However, on other lines the length of trains circular disc, similar to but somewhat larger
from Epping in the early afternoon to shunt was sometimes limited, because of gradients, than a disc shunt signal, with a black bar with

FEBRUARY 2020 103

a fish tail on the left end. It rotated 45 degrees
to imitate a lower quadrant distant signal to
indicate that a specified number of stop signals
in advance were clear. If in the horizontal
position, the drivers of freight trains had to
reduce speed, prepared to halt at any of the stop
signals to which the distant referred.
The signal plate was inscribed with the
name of the location eg ‘CROXLEY’. In some
cases, where desirable, they were suitably
inscribed ‘INNER’, ‘INTERMEDIATE’ and
‘OUTER’, with or without ‘DISTANT’. Distant
signals were provided to give the required
braking distance, which was always the
determining factor.26 In some cases, such as the
approach to a terminus, the distant signal was
‘fixed’, in that it could not show a clear aspect.26
There were no distant signals on the Inner
Circle, CWL, ELL or D&P, so I can only assume
the normal Underground running repeater
signals were considered to give sufficient GNR condenser-itted N2 Class 0-6-2T No.69848 shunting at Finchley Central, probably
braking distance. in the mid-1950s. (Author’s Collection)
Locomotives operating over most sections
of the Underground were required to be fitted condensing. Along the Marylebone and Euston of the buffer beam indicated a train between
with tripcocks to be activated with a raised Roads, some of the ventilation shafts, built for Hornsey and Hither Green via the CWL, ELL
train stop28 if passing a signal at danger. the early, all-steam days of the Met, still existed, trains a lamp or disk below the chimney and
Tripcock testing gauges were provided at the so unaware pedestrians could be surprised from another in the centre of the buffer beam,
sheds providing the locomotives to check that time to time by mysterious plumes of smoke whilst freight trains on the District between
they were correctly aligned. London Transport arising from the vents when a steam goods train Brent and West Kensington displayed a lamp
would be very upset if a locomotive failed passed beneath. This possibly caused some over the coupler and one over the right buffer
a tripcock test whilst on its lines, although ‘Marilyn Monroe poster moments’ to unwary (looking from the front). (This system can also
anecdotal evidence (which can now be revealed!) ladies! Some engines used on the Kensington help students identify trains when referring to
is that blind eyes were turned to the occasional freight trains had condensing gear, but it was photographs many years later!) On other parts
tripcock-tester failure out on LT lines, when not considered necessary on the short sub- of the Underground, freight trains used the
expedient, especially in later years. After all, surface sections to and from Kensington, so standard, national headcodes.
getting the freight train off the Underground non-condensing locomotives were regularly Of course, any incident involving a freight
was probably in LT’s interest – and there was used. Condensing was not a feature of the ELL, train could disrupt the frequent Underground
already a crew of two on the locomotive to desirable as it would surely have been. passenger service.30 This was minimised where
check signals! Back in the 1950s and ’60s many practical by timing the freight traffic to avoid
On the section between Paddington and Underground lines still used headcodes on the busiest times (some examples have been
King’s Cross, where the trains ran through passenger trains and also did so on freight given above), although the Harrow Gas Works
almost continual tunnels, also on the City trains. These consisted of discs or lamps, trains seem to have caused the Underground
Widened Lines, steam locomotives were fitted usually, but not always, white, displayed on a fair degree of angst over the years by their
with condensing equipment.29 This was a the front of the train. Although there was a timings!
primitive way of reducing emitted smoke and national system of headcodes on the railways One possibility was stalling on gradients so,
steam by diverting the locomotive exhaust into of Britain, there were exceptions to the standard in some cases, special instructions were issued
the water tanks of the locomotives to cool it and displays and such were used on the District, to ensure that a freight train had a clear road
(hopefully) convert as much as possible back into ELL, Inner Circle and Widened Lines freight to the top of a gradient before commencing
water. However, this might reduce the power of trains. The pattern of lamps or discs confirmed the climb. An example of this was westbound
the locomotive, so drivers could be tempted to to staff on those lines, especially signalmen, the from Hammersmith to Ravenscourt Park. A
avoid condensing if it might cause the train to destination and sometimes origin of the train. stalled train would be very inconvenient, the
stall; in any case, a lot of smoke and steam still For example, a locomotive with three lamps on more so as the normal main line expedient of
tended to be emitted when locomotives were the left-hand side, middle and right-hand side calling up the following train to push a stalled
or defective train was usually frustrated by the
An LMS ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T shunting coal wagons at High Street Kensington depot. following train being an Underground one with
(The London Underground Railway Society Collection) incompatible buffing and couplings.31
Normally, the accidental uncoupling of
part of a train (a ‘breakaway’), leaving the
rear section behind, would not be dangerous,
as it would be protected by the signalling
arrangements, but this could be compromised
on a rising gradient. For example, when a
breakaway occurred on the East London Line
in 1921, the smoke in the tunnel seems to have
confused the guard and he failed to prevent
the rear portion of the train from running back
down a gradient until it was too late to avoid it
hitting the following passenger train.
On rising gradients at some locations,
sprung ‘trap’ or ‘catch’ points were provided.
These were single or double point blades,
normally in the ‘open’ position. As a train
passed over in the correct direction, the points
were pushed closed against the springs and
reopened as the wheels passed. However, if any
part of a train ran backwards, the vehicles were

BACKTRACK
diverted clear of the running line to stop on the newspapers to kiosks on some of the station 19. The course of the branch to the hoist is still
platforms, although that was probably also an clearly visible just north of the East London Line
ground or in a pile of sand/gravel, hopefully inherited item from the main line railway days. platforms at Whitechapel.
before doing worse damage.32 As an example, However, the London Underground Traffic 20. In steam days, the occasional main line passenger
in May 1933 two sets of catch points were Circular for 18th May 1975 stated carriage of trains via the ELL usually had two of these
installed on the westbound District Line west of newspapers on the Metropolitan and Central locomotives, double-heading.
Hammersmith, one 200ft west of Hammersmith lines had ceased. It must be remembered that, 21. When I first joined the Underground and worked
platform and second on the gradient east of prior to the building of motorways, the fastest on the Met, I was told that the reason that the
Leamore Street bridge. This obviated the need and most comprehensive parcels network in rear car of ‘A’ stock had door cut-outs for both
for the Hammersmith signalman maintaining Britain was usually rail and the railways carried pairs of rear doors was so that the car could be
vast amounts of parcels. Air freight was still a isolated with the guard for the secure conveyance
his starting signal at danger until a westbound
minor mode. of parcels (presumably only off-peak).
goods or ballast train had cleared the top of 5. Chiltern Court is a block of superior apartments 22. I’ve seen a photograph of a Class 20 and train
the bank. For GWR freights, the Underground over Baker Street station. making such a move about 1957.
stipulated double coupling:33 this seems to have 6. Finsbury Park to East Finchley and the 23. An earlier photograph shows a K2 Class
also been required on the ELL and may have Alexandra Palace branch would have been locomotive on a passenger train.
been elsewhere. included if the original plans had been completed. 24. The LNER called the loop the Fairlop Loop; LT/
In some cases, goods trains were required 7. The concrete structure that carried the track into LUL call it the Hainault Loop.
not to exceed 20–25mph and this was the gas works can still be seen from the Piccadilly 25. Reports on the maximum length for Smithfield
probably at least a general rule of thumb, with line. trains vary. A reason given was that they should
8. Uxbridge goods yard had closed in 1939 and not occupy more than two track circuits on the
reductions in specific locations, although the South Harrow Gas Works yard had in April 1954. Met at once, but I am not clear on this.
5mph restriction of Kensington trains climbing 9. Another date given is 10th April 1967, but this 26. Passenger train drivers found these useful in
westbound to Ravenscourt Park was probably seems too late. thick fog, as they gave further assurance or the
ignored to get a run up the bank! 10. They occasionally worked Aylesbury line state of signals ahead, before sighting the fog
passenger trains. repeater signals, widely used on open sections of
The present 11. Some, at least, went to the Nottingham area. the Underground.
50 years have now passed since the last freight 12. Some years ago, it was possible to see some freight 27. On the Chesham branch, colour light fixed distant
train ran on Underground lines. Although much vehicles branded ‘Not to work between Finchley signals existed, showing only a yellow aspect.
Road and Baker Street’, along with prohibitions That approaching Chesham had no disc but a
of the evidence has gone, there is still quite a
regarding the Canterbury and Whitstable branch plate like a fog repeater, coloured yellow, with
lot to see if one looks carefully. Of course, most and Hastings line via Battle. The common factor the word ‘DISTANT’ on it. It was sited where
of the goods yards have become car parks (do of these was restrictive tunnels. the earlier semaphore distant had been. That
they make more money in that form?); some are 13. The siding’s buffer stop near the inner end of approaching Chalfont looked like a conventional
now sites of supermarkets or blocks of flats. platform 1 was visible behind a hoarding until colour light signal.
The flyunders at Turnham Green are still there, fairly recently. 28. This did not apply on the fast lines of the
devoid of track but clearly visible. The original 14. Unsurprisingly, photographs of these trains in the Metropolitan north of Harrow or other sections
line to Ilford from the Hainault Loop is largely tunnel sections seem non-existent, with the film where multi-aspect signals were provided.
allotments now. A signal/cable gantry or bridge types then existing. If any are known, I would 29. There were exceptions. See Footnotes 6 and 7
like to hear of them. (above).
still with a coating of soot can be a give-away. 15. As they did for the through GWR passenger 30. It is stated that LT would sometimes refuse to
trains to/from the City. accept a delayed freight train.
Further information 16. These were easily distinguishable from the many 31. A similar problem arose on the Metropolitan north
In researching this article, I have found discrepancies other Pannier Tanks, because, as well as the of Harrow-on-the-Hill, where main line passenger
of dates of things like closures. I suspect some of this exterior condensing pipes, the rear sections of as well as freight trains and Underground trains
can be down to differences between ‘last train ran’ the tanks were taken down to the running plate, usually alternated.
and ‘official closure’ dates. Any eye-witness or other to contain the condensing equipment. See further 32. If a wrong direction (reverse) move was
confirmation/contradiction would be welcome, whilst below on condensing. authorised over a section of track with such
further photographic evidence would be of interest. 17. The aging J52s, which could condense, were sprung points, they needed to be secured in the
Over the eastern Central Line and Northern largely replaced by the non-condensing J50s closed position to enable a train to pass safely.
Heights section of the Northern Line, through from about 1952 ― despite the ‘ENGINES MUST 33. This is when the chain on each wagon is hooked
passenger excursions operated from such places CONDENSE’ signs along the line! to the adjacent wagon, rather than just one
as High Barnet and Loughton, using the facilities 18. This hints at longer runs with diesel traction. wagon hooked to the second, which is the norm.
enabling freight trains to run to and from the main
line.
The District Line freight trains to and from Mural at Wapping station, East London line, showing a train of ‘F’ Underground stock
Kensington have been well covered in the February exiting the Thames Tunnel and a BR freight train entering. (Author)
2016 issue of Backtrack with follow-up correspondence
in the April 2016 issue, also in Railway Bylines in May
and October 2003. Good maps are provided in the first
and third issues of the above magazines.
My thanks to Brian Hardy, Editor of
Underground News, the magazine of the London
Underground Railway Society (LURS), who supplied
good coverage of Underground freight timetables,
and to the LURS and members thereof for the use
of some of their photographic collections. Thanks
also to the late J. C. Gillam, one of whose well-known
transport walks introduced me to the subject.

References
1. True ‘tube’ lines are those with small profile
trains that run underground in the circular
tunnels, even if/when they operate in the open air.
2. The ’Sub-Surface lines’ now comprise the
Metropolitan, District, Circle and Hammersmith
& City Lines plus, formerly, the East London
Line.
3. The Met had special milk wagons for churn
traffic.
4. Small items of mail and parcels were carried on
the Central London Railway for a time. When I
worked on the Central line in the late ’70s, the
Central Line Appendix to the Rule Book still
included instructions to guards for conveying

FEBRUARY 2020 105

ABOVE: At the same time as the Metro-Vick-
IRISH DIESEL TRACTION
Crossley diesels appeared on the scene CIE also Notes by DAVID MOSLEY
took delivery of twelve further locomotives from
the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Irish Railways were some years ahead of their mainland counterparts
Co. These A1A-A1A locomotives were itted with when it came to the introduction of diesel locomotives and multiple units.
960hp Sulzer engines and No.B112 seen here Multiple units and single coach ‘railcars’ had appeared on both the narrow
was introduced into service in 1957 and inally and (Irish) standard gauge lines in the years between the wars and by
cut up in1984. (Colour-Rail.com FIE02922) 1955 CIE had begun to take delivery of diesel locomotives in signiicant
numbers. Most of these locomotives, 94 in total and in two types, were
BELOW: The larger of the Metro-Vick-Crossley ordered from a group of four English companies, Crossley Brothers for
locomotives were the ‘A’ Class, 1,200hp and the two-stroke engines, Metropolitan-Cammell for the mechanical parts,
Co-Co wheel arrangement. No.A38 is seen
Metropolitan-Vickers for the electrical components and the English Steel
here running round a modest Irish Railway
Record Society special at an unknown location. Corporation. At a cost of £4.5 million this was, at the time, the largest order
(Any ofers, IRRS members? – Ed.) The rather ever placed in Britain for diesel locomotives.
attractive lime green livery was the second Alas it proved a false dawn as within ten years these English locomotives
colour scheme carried by the ‘English engines’. were proving highly unsatisfactory. CIE looked west where General Motors
They had appeared with striking silver rode to the rescue, supplying at irst a number of ‘road switchers’ and
bodywork which proved no match for the eventually full classes of reliable diesels which soon formed the backbone
exhaust smoke and oil-spitting propensities of of CIE’s locomotive leet. Re-engined by GM between 1968–72, the Metro-
their Crossley engines – so it was lime green at Vick-Crossley locomotives did eventually prove their worth and operated
the irst repainting and inally CIE’s robust black well into the 1990s.
and orange. (Colour-Rail.com FIE02900)
ABOVE: The smaller ‘C’ Class, BELOW: Although single-carriage diesel railcars had been in use on Ireland’s railways, both
550hp engine, was more suitable standard and narrow gauge, before the Second World War, it was the Great Northern Railway
for branch line activities. Here (Ireland) which introduced the irst ‘leet’ of diesel multiple units, always referred to as railcars
No.C215 is seen toying with a or simply diesel trains in Ireland. In 1950-1, following the lead of the Great Western (England!),
van at Mallow; note the CIE logo, the GN(I) placed into service a leet of twenty ‘power cars’ with engines by AEC Ltd. and
the ‘Flying Snail’, prominent on bodywork by Park Royal. Intermediate coaches, the ‘trailer cars’, including bufet cars, were
the van. No.C215 ran in service conversions of existing main line stock or were newly-built at the GN(I) works at Dundalk.
from 1957 until 1985 and it was No.612 (the CIE added the small ‘GN’ either side of the numbers, presumably to acknowledge
re-engined in 1971. the origin of the vehicle) is seen running into Amiens Street station, Dublin. The front ‘power
(Colour-Rail.com FIE02911) car’ is already in the CIE black and orange livery of the early ’60s. (Colour-Rail.com FIE02929)

FEBRUARY 2020 107

ABOVE: The original GN(I) AEC/Park Royal railcar, No.600, in original coniguration BELOW: A pictorial dictionary deinition of
of two power cars, is seen running into Macmine Junction. The 500hp provided by ‘railbus’! What must prospective passengers
the four underloor engines should be quite capable of coping with the two vans at Horse and Jockey, Lafan’s Bridge,
which the operating department has tacked on the back of the railcar! Forming a Farranalleen or Fethard on the line between
train from Dublin to Wexford and Rosslare, the railcar is far from GN(I) metals on the Thurles and Clonmel have thought when
former Dublin & South Eastern section of the CIE. The line trailing in from the left this apparition hove into view in the early
went across by Palace East and New Ross to Waterford, whilst to the right the River 1950s? Hardly a success, it is seen here
Slaney provides a tranquil backdrop for the line from Enniscorthy down to Wexford. languishing at Inchicore in June 1961.
(Colour-Rail.com FIE02930) (Colour-Rail.com FIE02923)

108 BACKTRACK
 The ordnance survey map used by the
NER, showing the proposed route of the
Sunk Island line and the site of the pier
in red.

soon taken over by the burgeoning NER.

Passenger traffic was substantial in the
summer, but meagre in the winter. There
was little freight traffic, mostly coal to
gasworks at Patrington and Withernsea,
and after March 1904 some sand and
gravel trade from the new quarry siding
at Kelsey Hill near Keyingham. The line’s
destiny seemed set for a low key existence,
typical of many coastal branches.
However, by the end of 1904, this railway
became the backdrop for a vitriolic
struggle between Hull Corporation and the
NER.
The ocean-going traffic in the Humber
estuary was expanding rapidly in the
years leading up to World War I. On the
south bank, the Great Central Railway
had plans to build a new rail-served deep
water dock at Immingham, then only a
small creek. The facility opened to much
celebration in 1912. The Lancashire &
Yorkshire Railway had big plans for Goole

SUNK WITHOUT TRACE docks and it was active in sea-going trade,

owning a number of ships. Hull’s position
as the best facility on the Humber was
THE RAILWAY AND DEEP under threat from the south and the west.
However, despite ambitions to seize a
WATER HUMBER TERMINAL considerable share of this maritime trade,
Hull had one major obstacle. Despite the
THAT NEVER WAS BY PHIL MATHISON incursion of the Hull & Barnsley Railway
into the city in July 1885, Hull Corporation

A
chance perusal in the Hull trail of this remarkable project. still believed that the NER held too much
History Centre of a slim local The Holderness region east of Hull in monopoly power in the port. Against
history book entitled In Search the East Riding of Yorkshire is a sparsely this background, there was deep distrust
of Bygone Patrington, written by Jeffrey populated area, with vast farms and given of any plans put forward by the North
Robinson, led me on an incredible journey over almost entirely to agriculture. At the Eastern Railway.
of discovery. Having studied local history start of the twentieth century the district In this atmosphere of animosity, at
for two decades, with a passion for East was served by two branch lines, both run the end of 1904 the NER put forward two
Yorkshire and railways, the mention of a by the North Eastern Railway Company. proposals. One was to build a riverside
proposed Sunk Island Railway was akin to The more northerly was the Hull to quay at the side of Albert Dock, just west
finding the Holy Grail to me! The author Hornsea line and the more southerly that
alluded to comments made by a certain from Hull to Withernsea. It is with this Hawkins Point from the east. The
Mr. Dixon of Sunk Island to the effect “if latter line that we are concerned. proposed pier would have been directly
the line was made, it would make a mess Withernsea was a typical Victorian in front of the camera. Note the industry
of his farm!” Fortunately, from this modest seaside resort, initially created by the on the south bank of the Humber at
beginning I was soon able to pick up the Hull & Holderness Railway in 1854, but Immingham and Killingholme.

FEBRUARY 2020 109

A more detailed NER map of the branch gradient on the actual jetty was 1 in 1,016 the proposal, as the Rural District Council
line, in two sections separated by section up towards the pier head. The maximum of Patrington recorded in its Minute Book
A - B. gradient on the branch was the section just as early as 24th December 1904 (no break
before the start of the pier, with a short 1 for holidays then!) that “The N.E.R. Co.
of the River Hull and the centre of the in 691 down. sends a Parliamentary Notice with regard
town, and called ‘The Western Reservation The proposals were contained in a to Railway No.7 and pier in the River
Scheme’. The other plan, cryptically document entitled ‘N.E.R. Plans & Sections Humber in the Parish of Sunk Island.”
referred as ‘Railway No.7’ was a grand – Session 1905’, and were deposited by The response to these two proposals
strategy to challenge the approaching John Plunkett from the office of A. K. mentioned above was swift. Not only
threat from the GCR at Immingham, Butterworth Esq, Solicitor of the NER was the Hull Corporation against both
which was much nearer the German Company at York on 29th November plans, but the local paper, the Hull Daily
Ocean (as the North Sea was then called). 1904 at 1.55pm to a certain A. Prince. The Mail, quickly rallied to its side. When
Innocuous as it initially appeared, the engineers were to be C. A. Harrison, W. the General Manager of the NER, Sir
proposed branch from the Withernsea line J. Cudworth and T. M. Newell. The total G. Gibb, spoke eloquently on the Sunk
at Ottringham Baulk crossing and south length of the line to the end of the pier was Island proposal, the paper immediately
into the agricultural region towards the to be 5 miles 3 furlongs 9.59 chains, with questioned the scheme’s viability. The
Humber estuary called Sunk Island had a the pier alone measuring “approximately writer of an article in the newspaper, dated
sting in the tail – the construction of a jetty 5,100 feet”. The main interested parties 6th January 1905, rapidly deduced that the
extending into the river for nearly a mile! were The Commissioners of His Majesty’s two schemes, this one and the riverside one
The unusual ‘L’-shaped pier was to Woods, Forests and Land Revenues, The in Hull, were connected. The daily paper
be built just east of a location known as Crown as all Sunk Island, being reclaimed could see the value of unloading at all
Hawkins Point. The reason for the length from the River Humber, belonged to it, states of the tide, but did not believe that
and curve of the jetty was threefold. and finally The Humber Conservancy the railway company’s argument about
Firstly, it needed to reach waters deep Commissioners. In total eight roads, four the need to tranship perishable goods
enough for ships to discharge at any state plantations, two orchards, two paddocks such as fruit stood up to scrutiny. We will
of the tide and that was a long way out and no fewer than 46 fields were to be now follow the politics of the Sunk Island
on the north side of the river. Secondly, affected, along with a number of local Railway scheme through the first-hand
the branch ran north to south and the landowners and their tenants. Despite accounts of the Hull Daily Mail.
landing area needed to be east to west, so this, the construction of the line would

S
that vessels could berth alongside and not have been relatively straightforward and uch was the local distrust of the
project into the main channel. Thirdly, of reasonable cost, as Sunk Island is very North Eastern Railway that on 8th
as Sunk Island is very low-lying (indeed low-lying ‘warp’ land – that is fertile soil February 1905 the local broadsheet
much of it is below sea level) and the jetty reclaimed from the estuary. Indeed, the professed opposition not only to the Sunk
needed to stand sufficiently high above the land that the railway would traverse had Island scheme, but also the company’s
high water mark, this distance was needed been deep water 300 years earlier! The Steam Vessels Bill (Shipping Committee),
to ease the gradient along the jetty. The local parish was quick in be informed of presented at the same time. The Humber

110 BACKTRACK
Conservancy Bill and NER Sunk Island to 1885, was now up to its old tricks and that the idea was “never taken seriously
proposal were presented to the City trying to circumvent the port and repay by the Hull Daily Mail. The real object was
Council at the end of February. Councillor the city for the long-standing hostility it soon discerned. Therefore, the Western
Brown moved a resolution to oppose both had found there. Reservation Scheme had not been killed
this bill and the Western Reservation It is clear that all these matters by the Sunk Island scheme”. The writer
Scheme and this was seconded by Mr. rapidly came to a head, for the edition believed that Hull Corporation was to be
Appleyard. The lines were now firmly of 23rd March 1905 decried the Sunk trusted, but not the NER, which would
drawn. On 2nd March the paper ran the Island scheme, as it would deprive Hull now have full control of the Albert Dock
story “Hull Corporation cannot support of trade at a time when the development new deep water stage, so it was returning
the present schemes of the NER”. Details of Immingham, with its links to the to the company’s old monopolistic ways.
were then given of the full extent of this West Riding and North Midlands, was The rail connected Riverside Quay at
ambitious scheme. The landing stage on going ahead and considerable enterprise Albert Dock opened in 1907, and would
Sunk Island was to be not only for goods was being shown by the LYR at Goole. soon boast a passenger terminal as well.
but also passengers! The cost of the pier Furthermore, the paper waded into the Hull Corporation may have won this battle,
alone was quoted at £320,000. debate on ‘The Western Reservation but the NER was to have the last laugh,
The editor then proceeded to question Scheme’, as it thought that the loss of the for the Saltend oil jetty, opened in 1914 to
the financial strength of the NER. From the footpath along Albert Dock, which was serve the rapidly expanding automotive
article it becomes clear that a proposal to being used by 2,000 people daily, was industry, was just outside the city’s
build a joint dock with the Hull & Barnsley not being taken into account. Therefore eastern boundary.
Railway on the east side of the city had the Hull Daily Mail vehemently opposed To conclude, I believe that the NER
first been mooted in 1899. Hull Corporation both proposals and was in no mood to never had any intention to proceed with
was to wait a few years more for this to be conciliatory to the NER when “any its ambitious Sunk Island project and that
finally come to pass, as the new facility, prospect of the Hull joint dock was as yet its real intent had always been to use it as
named King George Dock, was not opened unrealised”. a bargaining chip with Hull Corporation
until 26th June 1914. In the meantime, Matters finally came to a head the so that it would drop its opposition to the
the newspaper felt that the NER did not following day, when the newspaper Western Reservation Scheme. By the end
possess the financial means to progress reported that a conference in London had of 1905 the Sunk Island Railway scheme
both the joint dock and the Sunk Island declared that “The Sunk Island Railway had sunk without trace.
proposals. The edition of 14th March 1905 will not proceed”. It is at this juncture
made clear that it considered that the joint that the whole raison d’être for this Acknowledgement
dock scheme would benefit Hull, whereas spectacular project to access deep water on The author would like to thank the East Riding
the Sunk Island one would be detrimental the riverbank at Hawkins Point becomes Archives at Beverley Treasure House for
to the city. clear. The edition of the Hull Daily Mail on permission to use the North Eastern Railway
On 21st March 1905 the paper recorded 28th March 1905 recorded that Councillor images.
that a certain Mr. Thornton-Varley had put Raine had put forward a motion to “Let
forward a proposal that could affect more the opposition to the Western Reservation References
than just the fruit trade. The prospect of Scheme drop as a quid pro quo for the NER In Search of Bygone Patrington by Jeffrey
landing passengers at Sunk Island again abandoning the Sunk Island proposal.” Robinson, ISBN 0 9535608 13, published 2002.
rose to the fore. If this were to occur, The NER was ultimately to get its Beverley Treasure House Archive QDP / 220.
then Hull would get nothing, for these riverside facility within the Kingston upon Hull History Centre newspaper microfiche
passengers would travel direct to their Hull boundary, which I surmise had been archives.
destinations from the landing stage and its intention all along.
the hotels and shops of Hull would gain The tailpiece to the whole saga Ottringham Baulk Crossing cottage,
no passing trade whatsoever. Feelings surfaced in the 6th October 1905 edition. on the A1033 east of the village of
were now running high and sections of the The editor boldly proclaimed that in the Ottringham looking east. The proposed
business community felt that this was the light of the NER Albert Dock scheme, junction for the Sunk Island line would
thin edge of the wedge. The NER, having the Sunk Island project had finally been have started behind the trees on the
had a monopoly of the Hull rail traffic up abandoned. He then proceeds to expound right.
 SCARBOROUGH E
BY ROGER GRIFFITHS
AND JOHN HOOPER
specially be built up to provide a level area and
was constructed in brick, under two pitched,
tiled roofs. At the same time a 50ft turntable
was installed in the yard just south of the
roundhouse, opposite the coaling platform;
later, in 1924, that exterior turntable was
replaced by an outrigger type of 60ft diameter
which was itself replaced around 1953. It
should also be commented that with opening
of the eight-road shed, the turntable building
saw much reduced daily operation; instead it
was mostly employed for stabling locomotives
under repair (although the shear legs saw little
use after the 1940s) or stored out of traffic. Even
Extract from the 1852 1:1056 OS map showing the original YNMR engine shed and six so, some types of later engine were too long for
‘Engine House Cottages’ for staf. (Crown Copyright) the stabling roads so they were separated from
their tenders for storage.

G
eorge Hudson’s York & North Midland Scarborough’s popularity as a resort, and The closed 1845 YNMR locomotive depot
Railway (YNMR) opened through the associated rail traffic, grew rapidly, so the continued to stand, in use as a goods shed, until
from York to Scarborough on 7th July original engine shed was closed in 1882 and 1906/7 when it was removed to make way for
1845, followed a year later by the YNMR line replaced to the south by a brick-built, 190 x what became Londesborough Road excursion
from Bridlington which joined the York line 120 feet, pitched and tiled roof, rectangular station, that opening in 1908. (The six staff
at Seamer Junction. To serve locomotives turntable shed (roundhouse), which had an ‘Engine House Cottages’ built by the YNMR
working the new lines a two-road engine access track from either end and eleven internal were not removed and, in fact, still exist today in
shed and six staff cottages were built south stabling roads off a 4ft 8in turntable. One of private ownership). In a coincident, large-scale
of the Scarborough terminus in what was the stabling roads was spanned by a wooden, redevelopment the NER put in a locomotive
then open country. Scaling about 100 x 35 hand-operated shear legs and to complete the servicing facility north of the town, on the west
feet, the building was typical for the period, facilities, an elevated coaling platform, with side of the Whitby line, at Gallows Close yard
brick-built with a tiled, hipped roof supporting attendant 38,000-gallon water tank, was built (also known as Gallows Gate or Northstead
a large ridge vent and arched entrances at south of the shed on the west side. According Carriage Sidings). This consisted of a 60ft
each end, although the tracks exiting the rear to K. Hoole’s book North Eastern Locomotive turntable, water tank and engine pit and also a
went a distance of about one engine length, to Sheds (David & Charles 1972), the roundhouse coaling stage with crane, although normally coal
stop blocks. A small turntable (approx. 16ft cost £4,518 1s 6d, plus a further £335 for the was available only on summer Saturdays and
diameter) situated in the northernmost shed turntable which was made by Ianson, Son & Sundays and the three Bank Holidays of Easter,
road, outside the depot entrance, a coke stage Co. of Darlington. Whitsun and August. The purpose was to allow
and at the side, a brick-built support with a The depot was sited alongside the Seamer numerous excursion trains and their engines to
small water tank atop, completed the shed’s Road and because of width restrictions the lay over between arrival and departure and
facilities. In 1854 the lines and engine shed building was unusual in that nine of the thus reduce light engine movements to and
became North Eastern Railway (NER) property. stabling roads were placed on the east side from Scarborough engine shed and pressure
Two further routes brought traffic to only, repeating an asymmetric design used on stabling facilities there. The Gallows Close
Scarborough: the NER’s Forge Valley line by the NER eleven years earlier at Leeds New facility was removed in 1964.
from Pickering to Seamer Junction, opened station, though that building was a little more Scarborough shed passed through the
on 1st May 1882 and the Scarborough & irregular in shape. As such the shed was soon
Whitby Railway, worked by the NER, opened proving too small so in 1890 a 200 x 135 feet, LNER plan dated 9th November 1932
on 16th July 1885, passing through a tunnel eight-road, dead-end straight shed was opened showing Scarborough straight shed
under Scarborough to join the existing line at on a site south of the turntable building. The and roundhouse with facilities and
Falsgrave Junction, adjacent to the station. new shed was erected on ground that had to dimensions. (British Railways/NERA)

112 BACKTRACK
ENGINE SHED AND ITS LOCOMOTIVES PART ONE
NER, London & North Eastern Railway and
British Railways periods up to the latter 1950s
when, after more than 60 years of supporting a
large engine shed and the comings and goings
of countless thousands of heavy locomotives,
the made-up ground upon which the eight-road
structure had been built was beginning to cause
subsidence problems. In 1957 BR’s immediate
response was to shore-up the two sections of
the building’s entrance end by propping them
with sturdy lean-to baulks of timber, anchored
in large concrete blocks partly sunk into the
ground. The solution, however, was of only
short-lived effect for the eastern four-road
section of the shed, so in 1959 the roof and later
the east side wall were removed, the rear wall
was retained up to roof level and the remaining
western four-road section was strengthened
by a new east side dwarf wall. The four tracks
and pits of the de-roofed portion were left in
place and remained in use for open-air stabling
of locomotives, the numbers of which did not
diminish until the mid-1960s.
Before that though, increasing dieselisation
of train services and private car ownership The only known photograph of the York & North Midland Railway’s original
saw Scarborough shed being closed on 20th Scarborough engine shed as seen in 1905, in its 33rd year of use as a goods shed;
May 1963, with the remains of the eight-road it would be removed in the next year or so to make way for Londesborough Road
shed being demolished in April 1966. However, excursion station. (British Railways)
visiting locomotives continued to use the
depot’s exterior turntable and water points Scarborough’s first appellation being S’BRO, Whitby was the preserve of BTP 0-4-4T which
until 1967, after which the turntable was soon later changed to SCA. That code remained in gave way to G5, then Class W 4-6-0T and later
dismantled; the roundhouse though, stood in a use until around 1949 when British Railways still their 4-6-2T rebuilds. Pre-World War I, the
state of increasing decrepitude until demolition North Eastern Region allocated depot code 50E, Js were responsible for hauling a fast express
in June 1971. Then in a great reversal of fortune, placing the shed within the 50A York Division. service between Scarborough and Leeds: 67½
the turntable was reinstated in the original pit Scarborough engine shed retained that code miles in 75 minutes, a time never beaten. After
and brought into use on 30th April 1981. The until closure. that war the Class R restarted the service, but
replacement ‘table’ had previously served at the engines were Leeds-based and the expresses
Gateshead locomotive depot and the project was Train services were terminated in 1929.
funded by Scarborough Council which was keen The previously mentioned book by K. Hoole From available information it would
to promote the continuation of steam-hauled tells us that the opening day special train to seem that Scarborough generally had a large
special trains visiting the town. Such services Scarborough of 35 coaches! was hauled by allocation of locomotives as its duties could
continue today, keeping the turntable employed, YNMR 0-6-0 Hudson and 0-4-2 Lion. Even so, largely be described as regional rather than
but what of the shed site? In February 2019 the it is uncertain what engines were stationed long distance, and predominantly passenger in
roundhouse area was unused and supporting a at Scarborough at the start, though there is nature, though there were a relatively few goods
minor forest, while the shed yard between the photographic evidence from 1870 of 2-2-2 and workings as well. However, at holiday times
two erstwhile buildings is occupied by Seamer 2-4-0 types working the line to and from York. the depot’s stabling and servicing resources
Road Trade Park and the straight shed site is Later, Fletcher Class ‘901’, Tennant Class would be strained to the utmost with visiting
covered by a motor dealer’s showrooms. ‘1463’ 2-4-0s, Class 2-4-0, Class I and J 4-2-2 locomotives off the many excursion trains that
The NER did not apply a formal shed code and Classes F, Q and R 4-4-0s all worked from ran to the town.
to any of its depots but the LNER did, with Scarborough shed. From opening, the line to For an illustration of the depot’s regular
passenger train responsibilities in the NER era,
we present the following, supplied by courtesy
of John Addyman of the North Eastern Railway
Association (NERA).

Scarborough: summer weekdays,

passenger engine turns for the
period, 1st July–30th September
1908
1. Men sign on 5.30am; Men sign off 4.40pm; hours
of duty: 11.10.
Scarborough dep. 6.20am – Hull arr. 8.39am; *;
dep. 9.48 – Hornsea arr. 10.39am; dep. 10.50am
– Hull arr. 11.38am; dep. 12.58pm – Scarborough
arr. 3.27pm (*From 4th July to 15th August,
works as No.35 Pilot).
2. 1st set Men sign on 5.10am; Sign off 2.40pm;
hours of duty: 10.00.
2nd set Men sign on 3.10pm; Sign off 12.40am;
hours of duty: 10.00.
Pilot from 6.0am; Scarborough dep. 6.35am –
Leeds arr. 9.05am; dep. 10.20am – Bridlington
arr. 11.57am; dep. 12.29pm – Scarborough

FEBRUARY 2020 113

The eight-road shed at Scarborough in Scarborough dep. 10.30 – Saltburn arr. 1.06pm; 10. Men sign on 12.45pm; Men sign off 10.45pm;
the early years of the twentieth century. dep. 2.9pm – Scarborough arr. 4.38pm; dep. hours of duty: 10.00.
Locomotives identiied are Class W (J21) 6.20pm* – West Cliff arr. 7.40pm – dep. 8.05* – Scarborough dep.1.35pm* – York arr. 2.40pm;
No.1805 which was built at Gateshead in Scarborough arr. 9.18 (* By reliefmen until 4th dep. 3.10pm – Leeds arr. 4.4pm; dep. 4.57pm –
April 1900; it became LNER No.5116 but July and after that date by men of No.15 turn). Hull arr. 6.12pm; dep. 7.20pm – Scarborough arr.
did not receive the BR ‘6’ number preix 8. Men sign on 7.10am; Men sign off 5.10pm; hours 9.40pm (* 1.15pm from 1st to 4th July).
before being withdrawn in February of duty 10.00. 11. Men sign on 2.00pm; Men sign off 12.45am; hours
1950 from Neville Hill shed, to be cut up Scarborough dep. 8.30am – York arr. 9.20; * dep. of duty: 10.45.
at Darlington Works. Next to No.1805 is 2.55pm – Scarborough arr. 3.54pm (* pilot duty). Scarborough dep. 2.50pm* – York arr. 3.49pm;
Class O (G5) No.540, built at Darlington 9. From 10th July to 8th September. dep. 5.00pm – Hull arr. 6.44pm; dep. 7.35pm –
in June 1901, which would become Men sign on 7.20am; Men sign off 7.35pm; hours York arr. 9.18pm; dep. 10.35pm – Scarborough
BR No.67333 and spend its BR years of duty: 12.20. arr. 11.38pm (*LE, 1st to 4th July).
between Teesside and Tyneside, until Scarborough dep. 8.10am – Sheffield arr. 12. Men sign on 8.05am; Men sign off 6.05pm; hours
being withdrawn from Sunderland in 10.37am; *dep. 4.35pm – Scarborough arr. 7.5pm of duty: 10.00.
October 1956 to be scrapped at its place relieved (* Rest four hours). Scarborough dep. 8.55am – Leeds arr. 10.49am;
of building. (Author’s Collection)
Class A6 No.693 was built as a Class W 4-6-0T, being converted to a Paciic wheelbase
arr. 1.35pm; dep. 3.20pm* – York arr. 4.20pm; around 1915. A long-term resident at Scarborough, the locomotive is seen here at its
dep. 4.30pm – Leeds arr. 5.5pm; dep. 6.00pm – home base in about 1920 and it would remain at the depot until transferred to Whitby
Scarborough arr. 7.56pm and relieve (^ change on 27th June 1934. The engine never returned to Scarborough and ended its days
crew; *from 1st to 4th July, leaves at 1.42pm) as BR No.69797 at Starbeck shed from where it was withdrawn in August 1951, to be
3. Men sign on 7.32am; Men sign off 6.35pm; hours scrapped at Darlington Works.
of duty: 11.3. (H. Gordon Tidey/Locomotive Publishing Co./Author’s Collection)
Scarborough dep. 8.22am – Hull arr. 9.45am*;
dep. 12.55pm – Leeds arr. 2.22pm; dep. 4.13pm
– Scarborough arr. 5.59pm relieved (* Pilots,
9.45am to 12.15pm).
4. Men sign on 9.45am; Men sign off 7.45pm; hours
of duty: 10.00.
Prepare No.7; Scarborough dep. 10.35am – York
arr. 11.49am; dep. 3.23pm* – Scarborough arr.
4.31 and relieve (* 1st to 3rd July, leaves at
5.55pm).
5. Men sign on 1.45pm; Men sign off 11.45pm; hours
of duty: 10.00.
Scarborough dep. 2.35pm – Leeds arr. 4.27pm;
* dep. 7.2pm – Scarborough arr. 9.51pm (*pilot
duty.)
6. Men sign on 8.10am; Men sign off 7.15pm; hours
of duty: 11.05.
Scarborough dep. 9.00am – Pickering arr. 9.50am;
dep. 10.05am – York arr. 1140am; dep. 12.50pm –
Scarborough arr. 2.29pm; dep. 4.9pm – Pickering
arr. 4.54pm; dep. 5.25pm – Scarborough arr.
6.13pm.
7. Men sign on 9.40am; Men sign off 7.40pm; hours
of duty: 10.00.

114 BACKTRACK
 dep. 4.41pm – Whitby arr. 4.47pm; dep. 5.00pm
– West Cliff arr. 5.6pm; dep. 5.20pm – Whitby
arr. 5.26pm; ** dep. 6.40pm – Scarborough arr.
8.10pm; (THEN): ThSX dep.10.15pm – Cloughton
arr. 10.31pm – dep. 10.40 Scarborough arr.
10.57pm ThSO dep. 10.50pm – Cloughton arr.
11.06pm; dep. 11.17pm – Scarborough arr.
11.35pm (* Change crew; ** Pilot in goods yard).
17. By Scarborough Pilot.
6.10am to Pickering and 7.20am return. 6.52pm to
Pickering and 8.15pm return. Scarborough No.2
engine and Leeds No.1, to pilot between 6.00 and
8.30am. Leeds engines due 6.28 and 6.54pm to
pilot between 6.50 and 9.20pm.
18. Engine and Single Coach.
Men sign on 9.00am; Men sign off 8.15pm; hours
of duty 11.15.
Scarborough dep. 9.50am – Forge Valley
arr. 10.06am; dep. 10.15am – Scarborough
arr. 10.31am; dep. 10.50am – Staintondale
arr. 11.12am; dep. 11.23am – Scarborough
arr. 11.45am; dep. 12.02pm – Forge Valley
arr. 12.18pm; dep. 12.25pm – Scarborough
arr. 12.41pm; dep. 1.10pm – Staintondale
arr. 1.32pm; dep. 1.37pm – Scarborough arr.
An imposing, but sad, trio of Class A8 Paciic tanks in store in June 1959. All were 2.00pm; dep. 2.10pm – Filey arr. 2.45pm;
Scarborough‑based engines at the time, but it is doubtful if Nos.68967 or 69877 dep. 2.40pm – Scarborough arr. 3.05pm; dep.
worked again as both were withdrawn in the following December. No.69885, however, 3.22pm – Ravenscar arr. 3.54pm; dep. 4.20pm
survived until being condemned in June 1960 – but whether it too ever worked again – Scarborough arr. 4.57pm; dep. 5.05pm –
is an unknown. All three engines were scrapped at Darlington Works soon after Robin Hood’s Bay arr. 5.59pm; dep. 6.20pm –
withdrawal. (Chris Bush Collection/by courtesy of The Engine Shed Society) Scarborough arr. 7.15pm.
19. Engine and Single Coach.
dep. 11.50am – Hull arr. 1.4pm; dep. 2.20pm – 15. Commences 11th July MFSO. Men sign on 8.00am; Men sign off 7.00pm; hours
Scarborough arr. 3.58pm. Men sign on 12.25pm; Men sign off 10.25pm; of duty: 11.00.
13. Commence 4th July. hours of duty 10.00. Scarborough dep. 8.50am – Filey arr. 9.15am; dep.
Men sign on 12.45pm; Men sign off 10.45pm; Scarborough dep. 1.15pm – York arr. 2.18pm; 9.28am – Scarborough arr. 9.53am; dep. 10.05am
hours of duty: 10.00. dep. 3.35pm – Scarborough arr. 4.40pm (see Turn – Filey arr. 10.30am; dep. 11.15am – Scarborough
Scarborough dep. 1.42pm – York arr. 3.22pm; No.7). arr. 11.40am; dep. 11.47am – Filey arr. 12.12pm;
* dep. 6.15pm – Scarborough arr. 7.13pm and 16. 1st set Men sign on 4.40am; Men sign off 2.40pm; dep. 12.25 – Scarborough arr. 12.50pm; dep.
relieve (* pilot duty at Clifton Siding). hours of duty: 10.00. 1.03pm – Filey arr. 1.28pm; dep. 1.45pm –
14. Commence 4th July. 2nd set Men sign on 1.50pm; Men sign off Scarborough arr. 2.10pm; dep. 2.42pm Forge
Men sign on 9.30am; Men sign off 7.30pm; hours 12.05am; hours of duty: 10.15.
of duty: 10.00. Scarborough dep. 6.25am – Whitby arr. 7.50am; A portrait in September 1961 of Class J94
Scarborough dep. 10.20am* – York arr. 11.10am; dep. 8.10am – Saltburn arr. 9.32am; dep. 10.27am 0‑6‑0T No.68061 which had arrived from
dep. 12.20pm – Scarborough arr. 1.25pm; dep. – Scarborough arr. 12.56pm; * dep. 2.05pm – York for storage, complete with a set of
3.30pm – York arr. 4.30pm; dep. 5.55pm – West Cliff arr. 3.19pm; dep. 3.40pm e.c.s – Whitby ire irons stored on the running plate.
Scarborough arr. 6.59pm (* LE, during July). arr. 3.46pm; dep. 4.20pm – West Cliff arr. 4.26pm; (N. W. Skinner/ARPT)

FEBRUARY 2020 115

 Valley arr. 2.59; dep. 3.15pm e.c.s – Scarborough
arr. 3.31pm; dep. 4.30pm – Filey arr. 4.55pm; dep.
5.05pm – Scarborough arr. 5.30pm; dep. 5.35pm –
Filey arr. 6.00pm; dep. 6.10pm – Scarborough arr.
6.35pm relieved.
20. Saturdays Only.
Extra Pilot 10.00am to 8.00pm, 4th July to 12th
September.
21. Fridays and Saturdays Only.
1.00pm relief, Scarborough to York to be provided
for. 1st August to 5th September.

A little under two years later the extracts from

Bradshaw’s Railway Guide, April 1910, shown
in Tables 1–4 (opposite) can be compared with
the engine turns just detailed.
There are a number of slight alterations in
train times between summer 1908 and April
1910, but some may be explained by the not
uncommon differences in timings featured in
Working Timetables, as against the Public
Timetable. Also, it is interesting that the
Scarborough–Filey shuttle covered by Turn Winter 1952, the easterly sun shines through the roof, but still the gas lamps are
No.19 above does not feature in Bradshaw as a lit. Two stored Class A8 and two NER Class D20s are seen but only one of the former
specific service. can be known – No.69885, which was converted from an H1 4‑4‑4T in May 1936. The
It can be seen that some fairly intense engine has been seen in an earlier picture from June 1959 when it was again in store,
services were run ‘twixt Scarborough, York, that time in the roundhouse; its inal fate was noted in the caption accompanying that
Hull and Saltburn, with some trains going photograph. (K. H. Cockerill/ARPT)
to Leeds, Sheffield, Rotherham and from
1933, to Middlesbrough, plus the backwater Paciic tank No.69886 brings a train of coal empties past Scarborough station’s long
duty along the Forge Valley line. With the western platform and the southern portal of the tunnel leading to Gallows Close goods
exception of the latter, Scarborough would station. The wagons had taken fuel to the town’s main coal depot beside the station,
have shared services with locomotives from but in just a few years time that depot would close and be replaced by a garage. The
the distant ends of the various routes and the date of the picture is unknown but the engine carries a 50E shed plate so it must have
same observation may be made with regard been while it was based at Scarborough, 4th June 1950 to 25th September 1955.
to goods services, but which trains of either (Ron Hodge)
kind were actually handled by Scarborough-
based engines cannot precisely be identified.
Certainly goods work would have been local
in nature with the furthest destinations being
York and Hull, as evidenced by the depot’s
usually small number of 0-6-0s; there was for
a time a single 0-8-0 on Scarborough’s roster,
but it soon was moved away when the LNER
came into being.
Similarly it is difficult to ascribe locomotive
duties in LNER times, but for the BR period we
can offer the following engine workings from
Scarborough shed on weekdays, during the
winter of 1949.

Passenger Locomotive
Working Diagrams
SC1: Class D49
Off shed 7.30am; dep. Scarborough 8.05am – Leeds,
arr. 9.48am; dep. 12.45pm – Scarborough arr.
2.40pm; on shed 2.55pm.
Off shed 4.23pm; Scarborough dep. 4.38pm – York Day 1 Scarborough arr. 7.28pm; on shed time not
arr. 5.38pm; dep. 8.30pm – Scarborough arr. Off shed 5.45am; Scarborough dep. 8.12am – Whitby specified.
9.30pm; on shed 10.00pm. arr. 9.35am; dep. 10.55am – Scarborough arr.
SC2 Class D49 12.30pm; on shed 12.35pm. One cannot help but comment on Day 2’s
Off shed 7.05am; Scarborough dep. 7.25am – Hull Off shed 4.05pm; Scarborough dep. 4.35pm – considerable amount of dashing about on
arr. 9.19am; dep. 10.40am – Scarborough arr. Middlesbrough arr. 7.30pm; on shed 10.30pm. Teesside during the morning, with several
12.38pm; on shed 12.55pm. Day 2 (MB6 diagram) e.c.s and LE movements, plus local shunting,
Off shed 3.05pm; Scarborough dep. 3.25pm – York Off shed 6.25am; Middlesbrough dep. 6.45am interspersed with only four short passenger
arr. 4.30pm; dep. 6.25pm – Scarborough arr. – Thornaby arr. 6.51am e.c.s; dep. 6.55am workings totalling just 60 minutes journey
7.25pm; on shed 7.55pm. – Haverton Hill arr. 7.22am; dep. 7.25am – time! Why could not a locally-based engine
SC5 Class A8 Billingham arr. 8.00am e.c.s; dep. 8.35am – cover such duties, instead of what seems a
Of shed 5.50am; shunt as required at Gallows Close Haverton Hill arr. 8.42am; dep. 8.45am – Port Scarborough locomotive and crew? However –
and Carriage Sidings, 6.00am – 12.30pm; on Clarence arr. 8.48 e.c.s; dep. 9.00am – Stockton given the local route knowledge that would have
shed 12.35pm. arr.9.20 LE; piloting and shunting, 9.20am been required the morning’s work would almost
Off shed 2.20pm; Scarborough dep. 2.40pm – Hull – 10.00am; dep.10.00am – Middlesbrough certainly have been done by a Middlesbrough
arr. 4.36pm; dep. 5.45pm – Scarborough arr. arr. 10.15am LE; dep. 10.50am – Stockton crew manning the Scarborough locomotive,
7.49pm; on shed 8.10pm. arr. 11.3am; work as required; dep.1.35pm – with the Scarborough men ‘lodging’ between
SC6 Class A8 (works alternate days with Middlesbrough arr. 1.48pm; on shed 1.58pm. arriving at 10.30pm and booking-on again,
MB6) Off shed 3.55pm; Middlesbrough dep. 4.20pm – in time to prepare their engine for its 3.55pm

116 BACKTRACK
 departure next day. That would make sense but
Table 1. Bradshaw’s Railway Guide, April 1910. Page 705: Scarborough, Seamer and
Pickering. (19¾ miles [including irst 3 miles from Scarborough on main line to York]) even so, albeit at a distance in time of 70 years,
(Weekdays, ive stations omitted) there seems little economic logic in all of this!
Up service: Freight Locomotive
Scarborough d 6.10am d 9.00am d 1.40pm d 4.00pm d 6.52pm Working Diagrams
Wykeham d 6.31am d 9.21am d 2.01pm d 4.21pm d 7.14pm
SC1A D49
Ebberston d 6.46am d 9.36am d 2.16pm d 4.36pm d 7.29pm
Pickering a 7.00am a 9.50am a 2.30pm a 4.50pm a 7.43pm Off shed 1.15pm; Washbeck Goods dep. 1.30pm –
Gascoigne Wood arr. 4.06pm Class A (Mineral
Down service Empties); dep. 5.45pm – Scarborough arr. 8.38pm
Pickering d 7.20am d 10.35am d 2.50pm d 5.25pm d 8.15pm Class A (Mineral); time on shed not specified.
Ebberston d 7.33am d 10.48am d 3.03pm d 5.38pm d 8.28pm SC2A J39
Wykeham d 7.48am d 11.12am d 3.17pm d 5.52pm d 8.42pm Off shed 8.00am; Gallows Close dep. 8.25am – York
Scarborough a 8.08am a 11.23am a 3.37pm a 6.13pm a 9.02pm Yard arr. time not specified; Class D; dep. U –
Note: On the face of it, the service could have been covered by one locomotive and carriage set, employing two sets Scarborough arr. time not specified; time on shed
of men, but where/when the crews changed over is not clear. not specified (‘U’ meant that train was untimed in

Table 2: Bradshaw’s Railway Guide, April 1910. Page 715: York, Castle Howard, Malton and Scarborough. (42 miles – some stations omitted)
Down service (Weekdays) SuO SuO
York d 4.25am d 5.43am d 9.12am d 10.00am d 12.45pm d 1.00pm d 2.42pm d 3.40pm d 5.03pm d 5.07pm d 6.03pm d 6.55pm d 8.10pm d 10.35pm d 5.05am d9.57am
Haxby — d 5.52am d 9.20am — — d 1.09pm — d 3.49pm — d 5.16pm — — d 8.19pm d 10.44pm d 5.15am —
Strensall — d 5.57am d 9.25am — — d 1.14pm — d 3.5P4pm — d 5.21pm — — d 8.24pm d 10.49pm d 5.20am d 10.07am
Barton Hill — d 6.09am d 9.36am — — d 1.26pm — d 4.07pm — d 5.33pm — d 7.13pm d 8.37pm — d 5.31am —
Castle Howard — d 6.19am d 9.46am d 10.23am — d 1.36pm — d 4.18pm — d 5.43pm — — d 8.48pm # d 5.43am d 10.23am
Malton a 4.55am a 6.31am a 9.58am a 10.32am a 1.14pm a 1.48pm a 3.11pm a 4.30pm a 5.31pm a 5.55pm — a 7.29pm a 9.00pm a 11.11pm a 5.55am a 10.33am
d 5.00am d 6.34am d 10.01am d 10.36am d 1.17pm d 1.51pm d 3.14pm d 4.33pm d 5.35pm d 5.58pm d 7.32pm d 9.3pm d 11.14pm d 5.58am d 10.37am
Ganton — d 7.04am d 10.31am ** d 1.34pm d 2.21pm d 3.32pm d 5.03pm — d 6.28pm — — d 9.33pm — d 6.29am —
Scarborough a 5.30am a 7.22am a 10.49am a 11.14am a 1.52pm a 2.39pm a 3.48pm a 5.21pm a 5.59pm a 6.46pm a 6.53pm a 7.56pm a 9.51pm a11.38pm a 6.45am a 11.07am

Notes: (i) — Does not stop. (ii) ** Stops if required, to set down. (iii) # Stops MO when required, to set down.

Up service (Weekdays) SuO SuO

Scarborough d 6.33am d 8.25am d 8.55am d 9.17am d 10.35am d 1.17pm d 1.30pm d 2.40pm d 4.05pm d 4.55pm d 5.55pm d 7.00pm d 8.00pm d 10.00pm d 6.45pm d 8.50pm
Seamer d 6.40am — — d 9.24am — d 1.24pm d 1.37pm — d 4.12pm d 5.02pm — d 7.07pm — — d 6.52pm —
Ganton d 6.48am — — d 9.32am d 10.48am — d 1.45pm # d 4.20pm d 5.09pm — d 7.15pm — — d 7.00pm —
Weaverthorpe — — — — d 10.53am — d 1.50pm — d 4.25pm — — d 7.20pm — — d 7.05pm —
Malton a 7.18am a 8.49am a 8.19am a 10.02am a 11.11am a 1.47pm a 2.16pm a 3.06pm a 4.51pm a 5.27pm — a 7.45pm a 8.28pm a 10.26pm a 7.32pm a 8.31pm
d 7.24am d 8.52am d 8.22am d 10.06am d 11.15am d 1.50pm d 2.18pm d 3.09pm d 4.54pm d 5.28pm d 7.48pm d 8.32pm d 10.29pm d 7.35pm d 8.36pm
Castle Howard d 7.37am — — d 10.17am — — d 2.29pm — d 5.05pm — — d 8.00pm — — d 7.47pm —
Barton Hill d 7.49am — — d 10.30am — ** d 2.40pm — d 5.15pm — — d 8.10pm — — d 7.59pm —
Strensall d 8.02am — — d 10.42am — — d 2.52pm — d 5.27pm — — d 8.22pm — — d 8.11pm @
York a 8.21am a 9.20am a 9.50am a 11.00am a 11.49am a 2.22pm a 3.10pm a 3.37pm a 5.45pm a 5.58pm a 6.45pm a 8.40pm a 9.02pm a 11.00pm a 8.30pm a 9.06pm

Notes: (i) **Stops if required, to take up. (ii) # Stops SO when required, to take up for York and beyond. (iii) @ Stops if required, to set down from Scarborough.

Table 3: Bradshaw’s Railway Guide, April 1910. Page 716: Hull, Driield, Bridlington, Filey, Scarborough (53¾ miles) (some stations omitted)
Down service (weekdays, except where stated) SuO
Hull (Paragon) d 5.45am d 8.05am d 11.05am d 12.50pm d 1.00pm d 3.25pm d 4.50pm d 4.55pm d 6.35pm d 7.00am
Beverley d 6.05am d 8.24am d 11.23am ** d 1.20pm d 3.39pm — d 5.12pm d 6.54pm d 7.19am
Driield a 6.29am a 8.48am a 11.47am a 1.19pm a 1.44pm a 3.54pm — a 5.27pm a 7.18pm a 7.43am
d 6.34am d 8.41am d 11.49am d 1.23pm# d 1.49pm d 3.56pm d 5.29pm d 7.20pm d 7.45am
Bridlington a 7.03am a 9.14am a 12.18pm a 1.39pm# a 2.18pm a 4.12pm — a 5.45pm a 7.49pm a 8.15am
d 7.11am d 9.17am d 12.22pm d 1.43pm# d 2.23pm d 4.13pm d 5.48pm d 5.52pm d 8.22am
Filey a 7.46am a 9.45am a 12.57pm a 2.11pm# a 2.58pm a 4.41pm a 5.49pm a 6.16pm a 8.27pm a 8.57am
d 7.50am d 9.48am d 12.59pm d 2.14pm# d 3.01pm d 4.42pm d 5.51pm d 6.18pm d 6.43pm d 8.30pm d 9.00am
Scarborough a 8.14am a 10.13am a 1.24pm a 2.29pm# a 3.26pm a 5.02pm a 6.05pm a 6.33pm a 7.06pm a 8.55pm a 9.25am

Notes: (i) **Stops if required to take up for Bridlington and beyond. (ii) # Saturdays Only service beyond Driield. (iii) — Does not stop.

Bradshaw’s Railway Guide, April 1910: Page 716: Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington, Driield and Hull (53¾ miles) (some stations omitted)
Up service (weekdays, except where stated) SO SuO
Scarborough d 6.25am d 8.22am d 10.25am d 11.17am d 1.25pm d 2.30pm d 3.30pm d 5.17pm d 6.10pm d 8.28pm d 5.00pm
Filey a 6.47am a 8.36am a 10.40am a 11.39am a 1.41pm a 2.52pm a 3.44pm a 5.39pm a 6.32pm a 8.50pm a 5.22pm
d 6.49am d 8.38am d 10.42am d 11.41am d 1.42pm d 2.54pm d 3.46pm d 5.41pm STOP d 8.52pm d 5.24pm
Bridlington a 7.21am a 9.04am a 11.12am a 12.13pm a 2.07pm a 3.26pm a 4.10pm a 6.13pm a 9.25pm a 5.58pm
d 7.24am d 9.08am d 11.16am d 12.17pm d 2.12pm d 3.29pm STOP d 6.17pm d 9.29pm d 6.05pm
Driield a 7.50am — a 11.34am a 12.43pm a 2.28pm a 3.55pm a 6.38pm a 9.55pm a 6.31pm
d 7.52am — d 11.38am d 12.46pm d 2.30pm d 3.57pm d 6.41pm d 9.57pm d 6.35pm
Hull Paragon a 8.39am a 9.45am a 12.13pm a 1.31pm a 3.06pm a 4.42pm a 7.23pm a 10.42pm a 7.25pm

Notes: (i) — Does not stop.

Table 4: Bradshaw’s Railway Guide, April 1910; Page 718: Saltburn, Whitby and Scarborough (45½ miles) (some stations omitted
Up service (weekdays)
Saltburn d 7.12am d 10.27am d 1.06pm* d 3.28pm d 5.36pm** d 7.32pm
Staithes d 7.51am d 11.09am d 1.48pm d 4.06pm d 6.19pm   d 8.14pm
Whitby (West Clif ) a 8.18am^ a 11.36am a 2.14pm a 4.33pm a 6.46pm   a 8.41pm^
d 8.22am^ d 11.40am^ d 2.28pm^ d 4.37pm^ d 6.35pm^ ThSX ThSO
Cloughton d 7.47am d 8.50am d 9.17am d 12.37pm d 3.17pm d 5.28pm d 6.30pm d 7.46pm d 10.40pm d 11.17pm
Scalby d 7.52am d 8.55am d 9.22am d 12.42pm d 3.22pm d 5.33pm d 6.35pm d 7.51pm d 10.45pm d 11.23pm
Scarborough a 8.05am a 9.07am a 9.35am a 12.56pm a 3.35pm a 5.47pm a 6.48pm a 8.05pm a 10.57pm a 11.35pm

Notes: (i) * Autocar working, continues to Whitby Town, arr. 2.22pm. (ii) ** Autocar working continues to Whitby Town, arr. 6.54pm. (iii) ^ Connections to and from, Whitby Town, by shuttle.

Down service (weekdays) ThSX ThSO

Scarborough d 6.55am d 8.16am d 10.23am d 12.00 noon d 4.02pm d 6.06pm 7.28pm d 10.15pm d 10.50pm
Scalby d 7.06am d 8.27am d 10.39am d 12.11pm d 4.13pm d 6.17pm d 7.39pm d 10.26pm d 11.01pm
Cloughton d 7.11am a 8.32am d 10.44am d 12.17pm d 4.19pm a 6.22pm d 7.47pm a 10.31pm a 11.06pm
Whitby (West Clif ) a 8.5am^ a 11.33am^ a 1.12pm^ a 5.16pm^ a 8.40pm^
d 8.22am^ d 9.44^ d 1.17pm d 2.50pm* d 5.21pm    d 8.48pm**
Staithes d 8.50am d 10.12am d 1.48pm d 3.19pm d 5.51pm d 9.16pm 
Saltburn a 9.34am a 10.57am a 2.35pm a 4.04pm a 6.37pm a 10.2pm

Notes: (i) ^ Connections to and from Whitby Town by shuttle. (ii) * Autocar working, through from Whitby Town dep. 2.40pm. (iii) ** Autocar working, through from Whitby Town, dep. 8.20pm.

FEBRUARY 2020 117

 the WTT).
SC2C J94
Off shed 6.10am; shunt as required at Gallows Close,
6.20am – 6.30pm; on shed 6.40pm.

Next, as a contrast to the above we move

forward eight years and detail Scarborough’s
passenger engine diagrams on Summer
Saturdays in 1957.

Passenger Locomotive
Working Diagrams
SC1 D49
Scarborough dep. 9.29am – Leeds arr. 10.58am
(train continues to Manchester Exchange); dep.
12.42pm – Scarborough arr. 2.36pm; dep. 4.22pm
– York arr. 5.19pm (train continues to Bradford
Forster Square); dep. 5.43pm – Leeds arr. 6.22pm
(train continues to Bradford, Forster Square);
dep. 7.22pm – Scarborough arr. 9.31pm.
SC2 D49
Scarborough dep. 7.23am – Hull arr. 9.19am; dep.
10.35am – Scarborough arr. 12.21pm.
SC3 A8
Station Pilot; off shed 7.00am; on shed 9.35pm.
SC4 D49 By the early 1960s dieselisation was rendering increasing numbers of steam
Scarborough dep. 9.55am – Leeds arr. 11.36am; dep. locomotives redundant, especially main line passenger types. When York depot
2.10pm – Scarborough arr. 3.51pm; dep. 5.25pm was faced with having to reduce its stud of Paciics the choice made was to keep its
– York arr. 6.17pm; dep. 10.0pm – Scarborough Peppercorn A1s and reduce the less loved Thompson-designed engines to store. Three
arr. 10.57pm. Class A2/3 Paciics are seen, stored in Scarborough straight shed, on Saturday 15th
SC5 A8 September 1962: Nos.60516 Hycilla (unusually still with nameplates), 60522 Straight
Scarborough dep. 11.43 – Middlesbrough arr. 2.37pm; Deal and 60515 Sun Stream. Alas, Nos.60515/6, both built in late, 1946, would be
dep. 4.20pm – Scarborough arr. 7.23pm. withdrawn in November 1962, for scrapping at Doncaster Works, after disappointingly
SC6 A8 short lives. No.60522 was in better fettle because in December 1962 it moved to
Gallows Close Pilot; off shed 5.55am; on shed 12.05pm. Aberdeen Ferryhill shed and a month later to Edinburgh St. Margaret’s – so did it
SC7 B16/2 actually reach Aberdeen? Its stay in Edinburgh lasted until 15th September 1963 when
Scarborough dep. 9.40am – Masborough arr. 11.43am came the bizarre move to Glasgow Polmadie from where it did do some work before it
(train continues to Leicester London Road; dep. was withdrawn in June 1965 and cut up at Motherwell Machinery and Scrap, Wishaw.
1.50pm (train from Gloucester Eastgate – Filey (N. W. Skinner/ARPT)
Holiday Camp arr. 4.40pm; dep. 5.20pm –
Scarborough arr. 5.55 e.c.s (Scarborough’s Class ‘Austerity’ 2-8-0 No.90030 brings a goods train past Londesborough Road excursion
B16/1 No.61445 frequently used vice B16/2). station and heads for the tunnel to Gallows Close goods station. The date is not known
SC8 D49 but probably around the early 1950s when No.90030 was based at Hull Dairycoates
Scarborough dep. 11.15am – Hull arr. 12.52pm; dep. shed. It would later move to York, back to Hull and then Goole, reached in October
3.56pm – York arr. 5.31pm; dep. 7.13pm – Hull 1965. Built by North British (Works No.25125) in November 1943 as WD No.77254, the
arr. 8.27pm (Hull Botanic Gardens Class D49 2-8-0 was purchased by the LNER on 5th February 1947 while working from York shed
used for Diagram SC8). and would be withdrawn in April 1967 to be demolished at Draper’s, Hull. (Ron Hodge)

118 BACKTRACK
 The above raises a number of queries. First,
there are four diagrams for D49 – OK with
seven on the shed’s roster, but even then one
duty was worked a Hull-based engine – why?
Then there are six diagrams for Class A8,
but Scarborough had only three of the type
during the summer of 1957 and one of those
ended its working week at Stockton, returning
Monday. At the time, Scarborough had two
LMS Fairburn 2-6-4Ts allocated (Nos.42084/5),
so they must have taken some of the A8
diagrams, but which ones? The B16 diagrams
also provide a couple of oddities with one for
a Class B16 and one for a Class B16/2 4-6-0.
But there was a third, strange duty where a
Once the WD had made its way to Gallows Close the photographer waited for a return York B16/2 was Scarborough’s emergency
working and captured Ivatt Class 4 2‑6‑0 No. 43124 as it emerged from the tunnel with locomotive (again, why?) which, because of the
a goods. Built at Horwich Works in September 1951 the Mogul went directly to Hull comment about it returning to York as required,
Dairycoates, remaining there until May 1955 and a move to Kirkby Stephen, from there apparently travelled out and back each day.
to Darlington and inally to Leeds Holbeck, arriving in September 1957. It stayed until Then it would appear that Scarborough’s
being taken out of service in December 1966, following which it was cut up by Draper’s No.61445 was the favourite for Diagram SC7,
of Hull. (Ron Hodge) even though it was of Class B16/1 not a B16/2
and from where did Scarborough get a ‘plain’
SC11 A8 6.28pm – Whitby arr. 6.34pm; dep. 7.30pm – B16 for Diagram SC14, when there was no such
Scarborough dep. 9.18am – Whitby arr. 10.43am; dep. Scarborough arr. 8.48pm. sub-type allocated? All very mysterious.
1.55pm – Scarborough 3.10pm; dep. 6.28pm – SC17 A8
Stockton arr. 9.25pm (Locomotive works 8.20am Station Pilot; off shed 7.55am; on shed 8.50pm. (to be continued)
Stockton–Whitby on Mondays).
SC14 B16 Scarborough’s D49 4‑4‑0 No.62739 The Badsworth smokes past the engine shed with a
Scarborough dep. 7.2am – Filey Holiday Camp mixed bunch of carriage stock sometime in the early 1950s. Note the coaling ramp in
arr. 7.32am e.c.s; dep. 7.32am – Scarborough the foreground and wagons of coal stored in readiness. Quite what the white material
arr. 8.25am (train continues to Edinburgh); was in two of the wagons is unclear – irebricks perhaps? (Ron Hodge)
Londesborough Road Pilot – return to shed
2.40pm.
SC15 B16/2
Emergency Locomotive; off York shed 7.55am; return
to York as required (York Class B16/2 normally
used).
SC16 A8
Scarborough dep. 2.23pm – Whitby arr. 3.41pm; dep.
5.58pm – Whitby (West Cliff) arr. 6.04pm; dep.

A youthful trainspotter watches another

member of the fraternity race LMS ‘Crab’
2‑6‑0 No.42763 along the platform, as it
enters Scarborough with excursion train
number 236. The engine had emerged
from Crewe Works in July 1927 and
spent all its BR career, up to January
1962, at 17B Burton shed, so in this early
1950s picture the excursion had almost
certainly originated in the East Midlands.
Upon leaving Burton No.42763 moved
to Derby where it ended its days in June
1964, being disposed of at its place of
building. (Ron Hodge)
Holywell Town station on the day of
the opening ceremony, 1st July 1912.
(LNWRS Collection)
FORGOTTEN BRANCHES OF NOR
Origins PART THREE – THE HOLYWELL
As with the Dyserth area the hills and BY TONY ROBINSON whatever inconvenience and cost it would
valleys around the town of Holywell in bestow on the owners of the mineral and
Flintshire were rich in mineral deposits The third article in this series mining rights in the area. As a consequence
and as one might expect, an efficient explores what became one of the a number of primitive tramway schemes
transport system was the one man-made steepest standard gauge adhesion- was mooted and to say that the origins
element that was required to make any worked passenger railways in the of the Holywell Railway were somewhat
mining or quarrying operation a profitable United Kingdom with a ruling complex would be simplistic to say the
undertaking. The nearest point for moving gradient of 1 in 27. least. So in order to narrow things down to
such products away from the Holywell the final London & North Western/London
area was a wharf at Greenfield, a small and about every point in the area, thus making Midland & Scottish undertaking we will
insignificant coastal village at the foot of it essential that any road or rail route would just briefly cover the somewhat complicated
a valley which ran down from Holywell to need to follow the valley. Even so it would history of the previous undertakings.
the western bank of the Dee estuary close be steeply graded and so unfavourable for Things seem to have originated
to the open sea. The land rose fairly steeply the haulage of heavy loads. around 1857 with a short narrow gauge
away from the shores of the estuary at just However, due to the burgeoning affair using horse-drawn tubs called
requirements for the likes of limestone and ‘Crockfords’ Tramway’ which ran from a
Webb LNWR 2-4-2 radial tank No.2512 at other minerals in the rapidly expanding wharf at Greenfield up to ‘Parys Mine’ and
Holywell Junction c1912: note original economy of the mid-nineteenth century it a spelter works some half a mile distant
signs on station seats. (LNWRS Collection) became necessary to exploit the markets at up the valley and Crescent Sidings near St.
 The Milnes-Daimler Motor Bus – 1905.
(LNWRS Collection)

was graced by an elegant station building

designed by Francis Thompson who

RTH EAST WALES of the existing tramway serving the mines

and spelter works in the valley but by 1870
this operation too was in receivership due to
was the main architect for the Chester &
Holyhead Railway. Despite some peccadillos
with the early vehicles, take up of the
L TOWN BRANCH the cessation of operation of the majority of
the industrial sites in the valley and the line
road services was encouraging and led the
LNWR to apply for an Act to reopen the
Winefride’s Well below Holywell Town. was subsequently lifted. line. So in 1912 the full length of the line
An application by the owners to cross the was relaid along the old route with a new
then new Chester–Holyhead line on the level Enter the LNWR section between the main line station and
at Greenfield was unsurprisingly turned In 1891 the track bed was purchased by the original formation and an intermediate
down (in favour of a bridge) by the LNWR. the London & North Western Railway, station at St. Winefride’s. There was a
(Crossing a main line on the level by a horse following which various schemes for small terminus and goods yard just below
pulling numerous heavily laden tubs was reinstating the line were put forward by that Holywell town centre. An opening ceremony
seen as untenable from a safety perspective company. One scheme included an electric was held on 1st July 1912 with the Chairman
even in those far-off days!) It seems that tramway, clearly thought more suitable for of the LNWR Sir Gilbert Claughton
several other attempts were made to tackling the gradients than a conventional officiating and services were begun from
improve the capacity of the said tramway steam-operated railway. Initially after that day. At about this time another more
by other undertakings even resulting in purchasing the route, services were begun ambitious application was made under
a mixed gauge section approaching the by using a Foden steam-powered road the Light Railways Act to extend the
wharf. However, it appears that all was not lorry for goods and later in 1905 a Milnes- route through a projected tunnel beneath
well with Crockford’s who had gone into Daimler petrol-powered motor bus service Holywell town toward the mine and quarry
receivership and an Act of Parliament was was introduced and carried passengers from workings further inland around Halkyn;
passed in 1864 by the Holywell Railway Holywell town centre down to Holywell this application was to carry the grandiose
Co. for a standard gauge tramway from main line station which was to become title of ‘The Mid Flintshire Light Railway &
Greenfield wharf right up to Holywell Town. known as Holywell Junction. Here the Pier’. Needless to say that application was
This operation followed much of the course platform on the down side of the main line unsuccessful!

St. Winefride’s Halt c1920. (LNWRS Collection) The route described

The original Greenfield wharf line’s route,
apart from a short spur to join the main
line facing the (up) Chester direction, took
a basically south easterly course on a
continually rising gradient from the wharf
and across the main line by a three-span
girder bridge (the north abutment of which
can still be seen today). Continuing on
an embankment it was joined by the new
LNWR line curving up from the main line
station, then over the Flint–Mostyn road
which was crossed by a high single arch
brick-built bridge (still extant today). By
the time that the LNWR took over the old
Holywell Railway route the tracks from
Greenfield wharf had been lifted along
with the main route. It would seem that
a more direct route planned by the old
Holywell Railway was not favoured as it
would have impinged on the historic ruins
of Basingwerk Abbey so a ‘looped’ course
to the east of the ruins was taken before

FEBRUARY 2020 121

regaining the required south westerly route Ivatt 2-6-2T No.41276 with its auto coach was the level site of crescent sidings which
up the eastern flank of the valley. at Holywell Town Station c1953. Note comprised a looped siding entered by a
The ‘new’ 1¾-mile long LNWR the light colouring of the bridge parapet facing point, again locked. Crescent sidings,
formation commenced from a short single stonework where the parcels lift once having a capacity for 35 wagons, had a
line bay platform alongside the main line stood. (N. R. Knight via the Manchester run-around loop and serviced a textile mill
down slow platform (Holywell Junction Locomotive Society) which had been in situ since the original
station had four main line platforms Holywell Railway was in operation. A coal
following the 1909 quadrupling) where the exceeded this gradient such as the Hopton shute was in place at the end of the sidings.
line swung off in a south easterly curve. The Incline on the Cromford & High Peak line in St. Winefride’s was the only intermediate
goods shed was on the right-hand side and Derbyshire which had a gruelling 200-yard station on the line, no shelter being provided
the line immediately began to climb up to section of 1 in 14. on this single platform.
join the wharf formation as described above, Shortly after passing the Abbey site and Curving around the valley to the south
the point at which the old tramway route following a short easing of gradient to 1 in east and still climbing the line finally
was joined being just on the north (estuary) 31 there was a locked facing point where the entered the Town station where the gradient
side of the road bridge. The route took on disused spur to Pary’s Mine (believed to be a eased to 1 in 50 as it entered the single
a ruling gradient of 1 in 27 and, climbing source of zinc ore) branched off to the right terminus platform before almost levelling
the side of the valley, was engineered to where there was once also a stone-crushing out at the end to negotiate the loop points.
be within the then estimated limits for facility. A mile and a quarter further up Running back and level off the loop was the
passenger working. This was following the valley a new halt was opened called St. siding entering the goods yard having then
experiences with the similarly graded Winefride’s. This would give access to the passed beneath the two arched overbridge
Middleton Junction to Werneth incline near historic fresh water well that gave its name which can be seen today. Apparently, the
Oldham and as such became one of the to the town. The well was deemed to have final section between the bridge and the end
steepest adhesion-worked passenger lines healing powers and so was a destination of the line was lowered from the original
in the country. Elsewhere, adhesion-worked for people making the pilgrimage from far formation to give a final platform gradient
goods only lines were known to have and wide. Below this single platform halt of 1 in 260 following the re-engineering

LMS - WEEKDAY TIMETABLE FOR

Holywell Jct Dep 6.25am 6.50am 7.22am 8.15am 9.10am 10.08SX 11.10am 11.58SX 12.30pm 1.20SX 2.00SO 3.12SX 3.55SO
10.12SO 12.04SO 1.40SO 2.30 3.20SO
St Winifrides 6.30 6.55 7.27 8.20 9.;15 10.13SX 11.15 12.05SX 12.35 1.25SX 2.05SO 3.17SX 4.00
10.17SO 12.09SO 1.45SO 2.35 .3.25SO
Holywell Town Arr 6.33 6.58 7.30 8.23 9.18 10.16SX 11.18 12.08SX 12.38 1.28S0 2.08SO 3.20SX 4.03
10.20SO 12.12SO 1.48SX 2.38 3.28SO

Holywell Town Dep. 6.35 7.08 7.32 8.33 9.24SO 10.35 11.22SX 12.10SX 1.05SX 1.50SO 2.10 3.22SX 4.14
9.45SX 11.45SO 12.14SO 1.20SO 2.40SO 3.32SO
St Winifrides 6.37 7.10 7.34 8.35 9.26SO 10.37 11.24SX 12.12SX 1.07SX 1.52SO 2.12 3.24SX 4.16
9.47 11.27SO 12.16SO 1.22SO 2.42SO 3.34SO
Holywell Jct Arr. 6.43 7.16 7.40 8.41 9.32SO 10.43 11.30SO 12.16SX 1.13SX 1.58SO 2.18 3.30SX 4.22
9.53SX 11.53SX 12.22SO 1.28SO 2.48SO 3.40SO

122 BACKTRACK
 carried out by the LNWR. The whole No.41270 of Rhyl shed has backed an withdraw the key having reset them and
terminus site was situated in a steeply sided old ex-LNWR (single balcony) brake van then the train would wait for him to rejoin
excavated cutting and passenger access through partially open points at the before proceeding to the station – all a
to the station’s single platform was via a Holywell Town goods yard in 1951. rather simplistic and laborious process!
zig-zagged footpath descending from the (H. B. Priestley Collection, courtesy of Roger
overbridge leading to the goods yard. Carvell) Traffic and working the line
The terminus was a somewhat spartan The road goods and passenger services
affair, typical of small LNWR country end of the platform. The yard had a capacity ceased immediately when the new rail
stations, with hut-style wooden buildings for 21 wagons. Road access was by means of services started on 1st July 1912. By the
comprising a booking office, ladies’ waiting a ramp off the north side of the bridge. The time of the grouping in 1923 there were
room and gents’ toilet along with an two loading gauges, one over each siding nineteen passenger trips in both up and
open-fronted wooden shelter. A vacuum*- were suspended from the arch of the over down directions daily, with two extra on
powered parcels lift was also installed in bridge. Saturdays. As the attached timetable shows,
1912 to enable easier access for such items Signalling as such was non-existent on by 1936 in LMS days traffic had intensified
from the road bridge down to the platform the entire branch, the line being worked by up to 24 return trips daily (not including
below. Little photographic evidence a round brass Annett’s Key, the principle Saturday only trains which didn’t have a
exists of this facility and it seems to have being that only one train at a time was Monday–Friday equivalent) with the first
disappeared long before the line closed in allowed to work the branch. There were, departure from Holywell Junction at 6.25am,
1954. Anecdotes exist of passengers using however, trap points near the Holywell the last down train returning after midnight
the lift when a locomotive was not present Junction end to protect the main line station. at 12.18am. The running time from Holywell
and becoming stuck between the top and These were manually worked from a ground Junction in the up direction was ten
bottom following exhaustion of the vacuum frame about ¼-mile from the station. A minutes with a speed restriction of 20mph
reservoir! (*The vacuum reservoir was short length of track, probably with a sand descending. There was a maximum load
recharged using the locomotive’s vacuum drag, led from these points down the old permitted of two coaches, usually a pair of
brake ejector when standing in the station.) formation towards the wharf, clearly to cater converted picnic saloons in LNWR days and
The goods facilities consisted of a for runaways. Up trains ran through these a single auto-coach in later LMS/BR days.
timber good shed, yard crane with two points but on returning the train engine The length of the platforms at either end of
loading gauges and a brick-built office. Rail had to come to a halt at a Stop Board and the branch forced these limitations in any
access to the goods yard was via a back- the catch points had to be unlocked by the case. Naturally the severe gradient dictated
shunt off the bottom end of the station loop, fireman using the key to enable the train to that the locomotive always had to be at the
this plus traps being controlled by a two- continue to Holywell Junction station. After bottom end of the train in both up and down
lever ground frame at the south (furthest) negotiating the points the fireman would directions, be it goods or passenger.

MAY 31ST TO JULY 5TH 1936

4.30SO 4.37SX 5.05SX 5.30SX 6.08SX 6.10SO 7.05SO 7.50SX 8.42pm 9.18pm 9.45SO 10.10SX 11.05SO 11.30 12.00
5.23SO 6.45SX 7.20SX 8.06SO 9.50FR 10.20SO 11.08SX Wed am
4.35 4.42 5.10SX 5.35 6.13 6.15SO 7.10SO 7.55SX 8.47 9.23 9.50SO
5.28SO 6.50SX 7.25SX 8.11SO 9.55FR
4.38 4.45 5.13SX 5.38 6.16 6.18SO 7.13SO 7.58SX 8.50 9.26 9.53SO 10.18SX 11.13SO 11.38 12.08
5.31SO 6.53SX 7.28SX 8.14SO 9.58FR 10.28SO 11.16SX

4.47 5.00 5.15SX 5.48 6.24 6.45SO 7.30SX 8.23 9.00pm 9.30pm 9.55SO 10.30SX 11.19SO 11.40 12.10
5.35SO 7.00SX 7.34SO 10.00FR 10.40SO 11.40SX
4.49 5.02 5.17SX 5.50 6.26 6.47SO 7.32SX 8.35 9.02 9.32
5.37SO 7.02SX 7.39SO
4.55 5.08 5.23SX 5.56 6.32 6.53SO 7.38SX 8.31 9.08 9.38 10.03SQ 10.38SX 11.27SO 11.48
5.43SO 7.08SX 7.42SO 10.08FR 10.48SO 11.27SX

FEBRUARY 2020 123

No.41276, also of Rhyl shed, awaits compartment, with full passenger seating in for another three years to the textile mills at
departure from the Holywell Junction between. This pair lasted until 1935 when it Crescent sidings near St. Winefride’s Halt,
bay platform c1953. (LNWRS Collection) was replaced by LMS auto coaches. There the final working being recorded as 11th
were never more than two coaches in the August 1957. The line beyond this point was
Goods trains were limited to three auto train for the previously mentioned left abandoned on cessation of the passenger
loaded or five empty vehicles plus a 20-ton reasons of gradient and platform length at services. Along with many of the other
brake van at both ends. Speed was limited Holywell Town. Pictures of the final post- smaller stations on the North Wales Coast
to 10mph whether ascending (propelling) war branch train normally showed just the main line, Holywell Junction station closed
or descending. Prior to starting from the one 57ft LMS suburban auto-coach. on 14th February 1966.
top end of the branch all brakes had to be Today the old route has been turned into
pinned down and the guard rode in the Branch closure a cinder pathway and can be walked upon
leading van up the line which became the Nationalisation in 1948 brought the over its entire length for those who don’t
trailing van down the line. The brakes in inevitable scrutiny of the eagle-eyed mind a steady 1½-mile climb!
both vans were applied for down journeys. accountants and the ‘powers that be’ at the
Goods trains were generally run in the British Transport Commission. The once References
mornings and it is assumed that the same frequent ‘Little Train’ service (as it had The Tramways & Railways to Holywell by J. R. –
(branch) engine would be used for this become known amongst the locals) had been Thomas (City Press, Chester – 1995).
working between passenger duties. reduced to just six return journeys a day The Disused Stations website.
– hardly surprising, then, that it had been
Motive power and stock deemed as uneconomic to continue with the Acknowledgements
In LNWR and at least until early post-war service! So despite protestations from both The writer would like to thank the following for
LMS days Rhyl (7D) shed provided either an the travelling public and Holywell Town their valued assistance with this article:
auto-fitted Webb 2-4-2 radial tank or at least Council, the last train was run on Saturday The LNWR Society for access to its photographic
collection via Norman Lee, likewise to Paul
in later days a similarly endowed Webb 4th September 1954 and after a life of just 42 Shackcloth of the Manchester Locomotive
0-6-2 ‘Coal Tank’. Such an engine would be years one of the most remarkable standard Society.
assigned to work the branch all day which gauge British short branch line passenger Stan Yates and Carolyn Carr for assistance with
effectively meant it would need its bunker services passed into history. A goods only timetable information and presentation
topping up at least once during its long tour service continued on an ‘as required’ basis thereof.
of duty. Apparently, the practice was to
run the likes of a Lancashire & Yorkshire The site of Holywell Town station in 2019. (Author)
Railway 0-6-0 (usually employed daily to
shunt the goods yard) into a looped siding
adjacent to the down slow track of the
main line on the Chester side of the branch
bay at Holywell Junction. There, between
workings and after running the branch
train alongside, the firemen from either
locomotive would manually top up the
bunker of the branch tank engine from the
tender of the 0-6-0! Soon after nationalisation
in 1948 the duties were taken over by an
auto-fitted Ivatt 2-6-2T; it is not recorded but
doubtless this locomotive (usually Nos.41276
or 41210 of 7D) would also require ‘topping
up’ at some point in the daily duty.
Passenger stock initially comprised
a pair of LNWR 42ft coaches, one a
sleeping saloon coupled to a picnic saloon.
In both coaches the lavatory ends were
converted, one into a luggage compartment
and the other into an auto-fitted driver’s

124 BACKTRACK
Readers’Forum
The Midland Compounds World War. Large shards of thick glass,
Letters intended for publication should ideally add extra detail to our articles (or ofer corrections of
course!) and not be too long, consistent with the detail they ofer. As always, we are sorry that space and
time prevent us from printing them all or sending personal replies. ED.

The Met-Vic locos always looked 1905. These began with a list of grievances
Many thanks for including the excellent together with the accumulated soot and very business like; the carry-on spirit was presented by footplatemen as early as
photograph of Perth station in David P. pigeon droppings of more than a century, evidently still alive and well in the 1950s. November 1905. In 190 a Board of Trade
William’s article for the December issue. came showering down on to the assembled Before signing of, does anyone have investigation into the state of the Barry
I should point out that the photograph group of admirers (including me), at the details of the fatal accident involving Railway locomotive stock was launched as
is mainly of Platforms 8 and 9 at the north platform end. Miraculously, no-one was driver Simpson of Neasden shed c1946-47. a result of complaints voiced, in particular
end of the station and not Platforms 5 hurt although No.1000 sustained some He lived close by in Wembley and his son by those employed in the Locomotive
and 6 at the south end as implied by the dents to her lovely paintwork. Whenever Michael was a school friend. Department. Whilst there are often two
caption. Therefore the train at Platform I see No.1000 now, I muse that this Doug Landau, by email sides to an argument, and not all of the 1907
8, headed by engine No.40921, is heading locomotive could quite easily have ended allegations were proven, Golding seems to
north. If the year is 1954, it is probably the my spotting career – and much else. The Southern in Devon have had an abrasive manner, although
5.50am to Struan. The train on the right, at Nick Daunt, Up Holland, Lancs. through the 1970s he was always described as being polite,
Platform 7, is probably the 5.15am sleeper John Jarvis in his article in the November and he certainly believed in hierarchy and
to Inverness. It is from Euston and probably The Iron Horse issue states that “BR(S) had not made discipline in the workplace. It is signiicant
running late. The restaurant car for the It is unfortunate that I only spotted the any signiicant closures in Devon before that the men always stressed that they
service is in the process of being attached name of the illustrator of this book a publication of the Beeching Report” and had no dispute with the company, they
to the rear of the train for early breakfasts week before the December Backtrack then goes on to say that the Turnchapel saw their issues as being with H. F. Golding.
while passengers enjoy the Highland Line appeared. It appears on two (at least) line and Plymouth Friary station were two Inevitably, strike action resulted in 1908.
scenery. Also, the train at the far end of the drawings: ‘Caught in the Act’ and’ exceptions. I would disagree as these were It is also signiicant that both the strikers
of Platform 5, which is a southbound Looking Out Ahead’. In both case it is not closures by the Southern Region but and the press, perhaps inevitably, made
platform, is not a Dundee train. The time near the bottom – Whymper. I expect those of the Western. comparisons with the Taf Vale case. It is
of year is probably arount the longest day. that many readers will connect this name In 1950 all the Southern lines west of possible that Golding’s uncompromising
Jim Dorward, Woking to Edward Whymper, the celebrated Cowley Bridge Junction were transferred to views on   trades unions were hardened
mountaineer who led the irst successful the WR for administrative and commercial during that dispute although evidently,
I very much enjoyed the article by David attempt on the Matterhorn in 1865. It purposes. Operating and motive power like many railway senior oicers, he seems
P. Williams on the Midland Compounds turns out that the climber’s day job was the arrangements, however, stayed with the to have been opposed to trades unions
(December). It was a real feast for the eye production of book illustrations, evidently SR. As a result a number of former Southern having a role per se. The Barry’s General
with so many superb pictures of these very including those for The Iron Horse, and Railway buildings started to receive WR Manager Edward Lake, for example at the
elegant locomotives. I think it only right that the credit should brown/cream painting schemes and WR time of these events, seems to have had a
Mr. Williams refers to the pioneer be noted here. signage. Such a building was the signal box similar attitude.
locomotive, No.1000, being stored at John C. Hughes, Liverpool at Crediton illustrated in Mr. Jarvis’s article.   Golding resigned suddenly in
Derby from 1951 for “almost two years”. The locomotive sheds, however, still being November 1909 for reasons that remain
Presumably, it was then that the engine was In case anyone wants to read the original within the Southern Operating Area (as it unclear. Invariably, when a senior Barry
moved to Crewe. I saw it in the paintshop, text of Ballantyne’s The Iron Horse was known), retained their ‘72’ series shed officer resigned or retired, a function
still in BR lined black livery and bearing the it’s another one that is available free numbers.
was organised by his colleagues and duly
number 41000, on 13th April 1956, when on Project Gutenberg at http://www. In 1958 all the former SR lines were
reported in the local press. To date, no
I was visiting the Works on an Ian Allan gutenberg.org/ebooks/21740 transferred back to the Southern Region
Linda Death, by email report of a farewell function for H. F.
Locospotters’ excursion. I was surprised with the exception of those in the
Plymouth area where the WR took over Golding has been found. His appointment
to see it since it did not feature in the
complete control including operating was a rare misjudgement by the Barry’s
table of preserved locomotives in my ABC Marylebone Collisions board which was generally well served by
(‘Historic Locomotives Preserved in Store’). The unrecorded location of No.6091 arrangements. As a result Plymouth Friary
This included such celebrities as Cornwall shed was transferred from the WR to the its senior oicers. Nor, following Golding’s
(December, p716) heading west with its resignation,  had the Barry Railway seen the
and Hardwicke, but not No.1000. I lightweight train of one tank and a full SR.
imagine that this was because the decision I am not suggesting that the SR was last of him. In 1910 caused some disruption
brake is to be found about 200 yards west
to preserve it had not yet been taken. In not consulted about the Turnchapel line at a shareholders’ half-yearly meeting
of Northwick Park & Kenton station. The
my Winter 1958/59 ABC it is noted as being closures (passenger in 1951, freight in 1961) when he protested that maintenance was
end of the platform ramp can just be seen
at Crewe, but it must have moved back to behind the train, on the very edge of the or Plymouth Friary station (closed to being sacriiced for proit. Given that the
Derby soon after that, since it was there photograph. The signal controls the up passengers in 1958) but the Western Region company’s shareholders’ meetings were
that the restoration work took place. Metropolitan fast line and the houses in made the actual decisions. usually quite polite and non-controversial,
On the subject of liveries, in the the background are Nos.28/30 and 32/34 Roger Merry-Price, Farnham this was a notable event. In contrast, his
October 1959 edition of Train Illustrated Northwick Avenuue. successor John Auld seems to have been a
there is a photo-feature entitled ‘Sacrilege Chris Mills, Ryton The Taff Vale Railway in genial and approachable igure.
and Sanctiication’, which has two pictures, the news Interestingly, none of the above
one of No.1000 looking resplendent in its The incident at Marylebone in 1913 Further to the article on the Taf Vale events will be found in the oicial history
restored Midland livery and the other of prompted the author to comment on Railway (TVR) in theOctober 2019 issue, of the Barry Railway published in 1923 to
No.41101 at Newton Heath shed, painted the carry-on attitude of the times. It the fallout from the Taf Vale case of mark its effective absorption, officially
bright yellow, with red splashers and cab reminded me of an incident from my 1900 came, indirectly, to afect the Barry amalgamation, into the Great Western
side-sheets, and with ‘Daily Mirror Andy schooldays nearly 40 years later in either Railway some years later when Henry Railway. A single sentence therein notes
Capp Blackpool Special’ painted in large 1951 or ’52 at Rickmansworth on the Frederick Golding (always referred to as the dates of Golding’s appointment and
letters on its tender. Apparently, the Metropolitan-Great Central joint section. H. F. Golding) was appointed Locomotive resignation and nothing else.
special ran from Manchester to Blackpool I was returning from a ishing trip, sitting Superintendent in 1905. Golding, a now John Bushby, by email
on the August Bank Holiday Monday. The comfortably with my back to the engine virtually forgotten igure, had begun his
caption also notes that No.41101 borrowed in the second coach, when I was thrown railway career on the London & South Double-heading
the chime whistle from a ‘Clan’ 4-6-2 forward off my seat accompanied my Western Railway as a pupil of William As a subscriber from day 1 I do not recall
which was awaiting works! There are a loud bang. The Met-Vic electric had Adams. In 189, he joined the TVR as a an article specifically about double
some Colour-Rail images of this outlandish coupled-up for the engine change a little draughtsman where his career prospered. heading and I wonder whether one of
apparition. too briskly. The leading coach, a wooden Contemporary evidence at the time of the your knowledgeable contributors would
I saw and photographed No.1000 at Meropolitan brake, was probably a write- Taf Vale dispute indicates that he was very like to tackle this subject. How did the
Birmingham New Street on what I think of, about 6ft from the front the coach much on the side of the management and two locomotivess communicate with each
was its irst outing in preservation, a run body woodwork had cracked vertically opposed to the strikers. In 1904 Golding other, was there a rule as to which was the
to York on 30th August 1959. I saw it again and across the roof, some letter racks had was appointed TVR Assistant Locomotive train engine, how did they know whether
at the same location about a month later, become detached and were strewn about Superintendent based at Penarth Dock. they were ‘pulling their weight’ etc. Was it
an occasion which came very close to the luggage compartment loor. There However, next year he took up the vacant carried out anywhere else in steam days,
disaster. Just as the locomotive was about were no injuries. The damaged coach was post of Locomotive Superintendent on the other than in the UK?
to set out from New Street’s Platform 7 on soon removed and parked in the bay, the Barry Railway. Bruce Coleman, Wonersh
the Midland side of the station, the safety remaining stock deemed it for travel, the   Golding’s management style on the
valves lifted and a great jet of steam shot Met-Vic coupled-up more gently and we Barry seems to have been notably strict
skywards. As it did so, it dislodged some of were under way, elapsed time about half even by standards of the age and he clearly Bob Farmer’s Index
the glass in the very rickety overall roof an hour. These days might such an incident had little or no time for trades unions. His for Volume 33 is available from him
which, unlike that on the LNWR side, had have been deemed a crime scene, shutting time in post was marked by a series of at [email protected]
not been demolished after the Second the network down for a few hours? disputes after his appointment in July

FEBRUARY 2020 125

BookReviews for the North Berwick branch’s survival,
|HHHHH Excellent|HHHH Very Good|HHH Good|HH Fair|H Poor|

state and it is interesting to read full operated is a topic long overdue for more
The North Berwick and
Gullane branch lines its present state is a sad comedown from details of successive attempts to revive thorough consideration and who better
by Andrew M. Hajducki. Published by when this reviewer irst saw it in 1958. A the line, beginning in 1930, with examples to undertake the task than Jim Summers,
Oakwood Press, softback. 240pp, £27.50. compact two-platformed terminus, with of original records. a retired professional railwayman of 50
ISBN 978-0-85361-552-1. a John Menzies bookstall at the bufer As we have come to expect from this years standing?
In 1935 a man was seen sitting alone at stops, it was distinguished by an impressive publisher, the book is (with one exception) The organisation of the Caledonian
Drem railway station with an ornamental array of hanging baskets, in addition to a delight to read, beautifully laid out, and company, the working life and conditions
claret jug on his lap. Any golf enthusiast the lower beds which were a seemingly with irst rate reproduction of photographs of work for various grades of railwaymen
would know the signiicance of this trophy, essential part of a well-kept railway station. in generous sizes. The only reservation lies are looked into, along with the running of
awarded to the winner of the British Open. At least, North Berwick still has a in the standard of some of the maps which marshalling yards, shunting of passenger
The traveller was Alf Perry, waiting for railway terminus (almost uniquely on the deserved better treatment. The book ends trains and assisting or banking trains.
one of the London expresses which still east coast of Scotland) and its history could on an encouraging note with an account Consideration is then given to the
stopped at this wayside station some hardly be better chronicled than in this of further eforts in more recent years arrangements for handling additional
twenty miles from Edinburgh. Drem was authoritative work by Mr. Hajducki. Backed to reopen the line (much of its trackbed trains and excursion traffic out-with
– and still is – the junction for the branch by the publishing expertise of Richard survives intact), or at least to recreate a the printed timetable. The pages are all
from the ECML to North Berwick, but Perry Stenlake, we have been given an excellent working replica. copiously illustrated with photographs
had just made sporting history at Muirield, addition to Scottish railway literature. Your reviewer bought both these and extracts from relevant documents,
located at Gullane a few miles to the west. HHHHH AJM titles and has no regrets: together they are together with some line diagrams, and
This anecdote came to mind when a worthy commemoration of a unique and the book is provided with appendices,
reading this new edition of a book The Southwold Railway characterful line. bibliography and index.
recording the history of both the Gullane 1879-1929: The Tale of a HHHH GBS Just because he has written about the
and North Berwick branch lines, although Suffolk Byway Caledonian Railway’s methods does not
there is good reason for it not being by David Lee, Alan Taylor and Rob Operating the Caledonian mean that this should not be of interest
included in this new Oakwood production, Shorland-Ball. Published by Pen & Sword Railway, Volume 1 to a wider audience. There was a lot of
which comprises a second edition of Books. A4, hardback, 248p. ISBN 978-1- by Jim Summers, published by the common ground with other companies and
Andrew Hajducki’s excellent history of 47386-758-1. £35.00. Available from: www. Lightmoor Press & the Caledonian the author is not past drawing attention to
the two lines. Perry probably took a pen-and-sword.co.uk Railway Association, 2019, 168pp, 276 x some diferences over the years and by
taxi to Drem since Gullane station had It is odd that, after waiting 90 years for a 215mm, hardback. other Scottish and foreign companies.
closed three years earlier and its junction, comprehensive history of the three-foot- The history, construction, description This book is thoroughly recommended
Longniddry, was not a recognised stop for gauge Southwold Railway in Sufolk, two of the lines, locomotives carriages and and I look forward to Volume 2, which
long-distance services. arrive almost together. Inevitably this well- wagons, even signalling in some cases promises to cover: train and resource
The author Andrew Hajducki produced presented new title invites comparison have been more than adequately written planning, brakes, line capacity, control
his irst edition of this book in 1992 in with Peter Paye’s history, reviewed in these about for most railways; but how was and plant, goods and passenger traic
a hardback encompassing 192 pages. pages recently (BT, April 2019, p253). There all this put to use by running the traic working, electrification; performance,
This new edition has 240 pages, with a is naturally some overlap, for instance over the system and hopefully earning a infrastructure, safety, accidents and
colour cover and plates, and has been in the route descriptions, rolling stock dividend to recompense those who had recovery, impact of war, weather, crime,
transformed from a hardback to a chunky details and the line’s troubled history, but invested their money in the irst place? dealing with neighbours.
paperback. It includes most of the irst the newer title usefully complements the The means by which the railway actually HHHHH PT
edition’s monochrome photographs, the earlier one and the treatment is diferent.
scale drawings of buildings, copies of It relies substantially on the research and
relevant timetables and OS maps, and discoveries over many years of David Lee
many new pictures bringing the story up and Alan Taylor, which Rob Shorland-Ball
to date. Though the Gullane branch may has ably woven together into a luent and
be consigned to history, the North Berwick engaging story.
line is thankfully still with us and electriied The authors were able to do what
into the bargain. many of us wish we had done, which was
It was intended at one time to build a to locate in time people who knew the
loop of the ECML from Longniddry through railway in operation and who worked on
Gullane, to North Berwick and then back it. Notably B. E. Girling, the last Southwold
to the main line at Drem, but this never station master, was the source of valuable
materialised. Curiously, although both particulars of daily operations on the
resorts were rail served, a connecting line was line, including welcome details of train
never completed between them, and that formations and locomotive working.
was despite local communities requesting Working timetables are illustrated and
such completion as late as 1915. It had to be discussed, and there is a full account of
pointed out to them that there was a war the archaic signalling arrangements. Over
on at the time. SMT bus services were soon 200 illustrations include a number which
established in the area, making further rail have not been published before and other
development unlikely. Unfortunately, the original documents and diagrams have
author repeats the usual myth that the LMSR been unearthed to support the story.
and LNER bought a ‘50% shareholding’ in the The unsuccessful Southwold Harbour
bus company, something not bourne out by branch, built as late as 1914 as a light
an examination of the archives of a bungled railway (which the ‘main line’ wasn’t), is
transaction. (See this reviewer’s London’s described in full, including its improbable
Scottish Railways, Tempus, 2005, pp 61- use in repatriating Dutch nationals in the
64). Great War, prior to their embarking on
But even during the dismal 1960s, steamers moored ofshore. A poignant
North Berwick survived the latest pogrom chapter describes the sad decline of the
against nearly all of Scotland’s remaining railway in the face of bus competition
branch railways, and Mr. Hajducki’s irst and the strangely lethargic response of
edition covered this well. Having a vigorous the directors, who arguably threw in the
and intelligent local community prepared towel too soon: the suggestion is that the
to fight for their railway saw success summary closure, with barely any notice
which was denied to Gullane in the 1930s to traders, was an (unsuccessful) efort to
but also to St. Andrews, Scotland’s and bounce the local authorities into ofering
indeed the world’s leading goling resort, support. The protracted delay of over ten
the latter particularly badly served by its years in realising the company’s assets,
local council where transport matters were leaving the entire line and its equipment
concerned in 1968. in limbo, is fully illustrated. Even then
While we should of course be grateful the company itself survived in a shadowy

126 BACKTRACK
RECALLING THE
GREAT DAYS
OF STEAM
ARCHIVE STEAM
VIDEOS FOR THE
ENTHUSIAST
Subscribe to
Volume 228
LONDON & NORTH EASTERN STEAM MISCELLANY
In this volume of our popular ‘Miscellany’ series we cover steam across the former LNER
system. Once again it is compiled from mostly unseen footage from a variety of diferent
cameramen and in the order the ilm runs of the original cine reels.
Our journey commences at Nottingham Midland with V2 No.60916. We then visit the former
GCR stations at Nottingham Victoria and Sheield Victoria, followed by York, Beverley,
Aysgarth, Barnard Castle, Staveley, Doncaster, Langwith Junction, Stainforth and Hatield.
Next to King’s Cross station and shed, Hadley Wood, Hatield, Hitchin, Sandy, Peterborough
(and Northampton, Eye Green for Crowland (M&GN) and Stoke Bank plus an extended
visit to Spalding in 1963. Moving to the North East, visits include Darlington, Newcastle
Central, Gateshead shed, Tyne Dock shed, Sunderland shed, Seaton bank, Ryhope Jn. and
the Silksworth Colliery branch.
Scotland is well covered with steam action at Aberdeen, the shed at Ferryhill, Dundee, Perth,
Dunblane, Larbert, Hawick, Edinburgh, Ayr, Girvan (goods), Muirkirk and the branch line
from Lugton to Gifen.
In the late 1960s Jim Clemens purchased a signiicant quantity of original 16mm ofcuts
and unused ilm from Pat Whitehouse, all relating to the BBC ‘Railway Roundabout’ TV
programmes. Included are the new engine shed at Thornaby (opened in 1958), York, two
‘Glens’ to Fort William over the West Highland line and Inverness shed.
Why not
Most of the ilm was taken in the period 1959 to 1967 with an exception of the LNER Garratt
hauling a demonstration freight in Sheield during March 1930. Motive power seen includes
ex-LNER Classes A1, A2, A3, A4 Paciics, B1, B16, K1, K2, D34, Q6, O1, O4, J11, J27, V3 and J72
plus BR Standards and some WD locomotives. The majority of the archive is in colour and an
join the growing list of
subscribers?
authentic sound track has been added along with an informative commentary.
Running Time 80 minutes DVD £19.75 (Post Free)
B&R VIDEO PRODUCTIONS (BT)
THE OLD SMITHY, UFFINGTON, SHROPSHIRE SY4 4SN l BackTrack subscribers receive their copies ahead of
Tel: 01743 709680 • www.BandRVideos.co.uk
Free Catalogue Available • Trade enquiries welcome the due publication date – straight from the press!
l Assured delivery every month – no need to miss an

Colour-Rail 100,000 images of modern

issue.
l Insurance against any price increase during the life of
the subscription.
traction, steam, stations, UK ........................................................................... £53.00
infrastructure, buses Europe (inc. Republic of Ireland) ....................... £80.00
and much more to buy as Overseas (outside Europe) ................................. £95.00
prints or downloads.
SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE BY
All at DIRECT DEBIT AT REDUCED RATES * –
www.colour-rail.com £51 per year or £12.75 quarterly!
Looking for a good home for your treasured negatives and slides? *UK SUBSCRIBERS ONLY PLEASE TICK AS APPROPRIATE
Then e-mail [email protected] or write to Instructions to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit
558 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, B61 0HT FOR WARNERS GROUP PUBLICATIONS
Originator’s
Identification Number

OFFICIAL USE ONLY 942240

This is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society. Bank/Building Society account number

BINDERS AND
CASEBINDING Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society.
Reference Number

Bank/Building Society

BINDERS To: The Manager

Address

Stocks are now Signature(s)

available of 12-issue Postcode

Date

binders of BACKTRACK Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

Instruction to your Bank
or Building Society
in green gold blocked ! Please pay Warners Group Publications Direct Debits from the account
detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the
Branch Sort Code Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain
United Kingdom (inc. VAT + p/p). ........... £12.00 with Warners Group Publications and, if so, details will be passed
electrically to my Bank/ Building Society.
Europe including Republic of Ireland
(inc.VAT + p/p) .............................................. £16.00
Overseas outside Europe Name .....................................................................................................................
(inc.VAT + p/p) .............................................. £20.00
Address ................................................................................................................
Payments for back issues, binders and casebinding should .................................................................................................................................
be by cheque payable to ‘Pendragon Publishing’ and sent to
the address below. Card payments can also be accepted by
post or telephone (01347 824397 9am-5pm Mon-Fri only) .................................................................................................................................
quoting also the last 3 digits of the security number on the
back of the card. Allow 28 days for delivery. By Post: Backtrack Subscriptions Dept., Warners, West Street, Bourne. Lincs.
PE10 9PH. Sterling cheques payable to ‘Pendragon Publishing’ or quote card
CASEBINDING
This service is available again for binding 12 issues of
details inc. expiry date, issue number (if applicable) and 3-digit CSC number.
BACKTRACK into hardback form, complete with covers, in By Phone: Ring 01778 392024 for BackTrack hotline or Fax 01778 421706.
green with logo gold blocked on spine and front cover, plus
volume and date on spine. Because the work is individually By Email: [email protected]
hand-done, casebinding orders are unlikely to be fulfilled in
less than two months. All orders for casebinding must be sent Online: https://pocketmags.com/backtrack-magazine
in after the beginning of January and by the end of March.
Orders can only be accepted from within the UK. Please send
copies, securely packed, to the address below – using only
For Digital Edition subscriptions go to www.pocketmags.com
Royal Mail Standard Parcels, please.
United Kingdom only
(inc. VAT + p/p). ........................................................ £65.00 The NEXT ISSUE of
PENDRAGON PUBLISHING . PO BOX NO.3
EASINGWOLD . YORK . YO61 3YS . UK will be available on 20th February
BRITAIN’S LEADING HISTORICAL RAILWAY JOURNAL

WWW. PEN D R AG ONPU B L IS HING . C O. U K

SHEDDING LIGHT ON STANDEDGE

At Diggle station the sun breaks through the clouds brooding morosely over the Tame Valley and Diggle
village to light upon a ‘Trans-Pennine’ Class 124 express diesel multiple unit working a Liverpool Lime
Street–Hull service. These stylish units looked good in their original green livery but the harmony
has been spoilt here by the imposition of the new rail blue and grey on one of the trailer cars.
On reaching the end of the station platforms the train will plunge into the three miles
of the double track Standedge Tunnel through the Pennines. Over to the left can be
seen the redundant lines and associated signals leading to and from the two
single bore ‘south’ tunnels which had been taken out of use in October 1966
with the reduction of the Standedge route’s four-track sections.
Diggle station itself closed in October 1968.
(Gavin Morrison)

PENDRAGON PUBLISHING

RECORDING THE HISTORY OF BRITAIN’S RAILWAYS

128 BACKTRACK