Clog and Knocker - Stafford to Uttoxeter

[5 C]

I picked up a copy of this weighty tome at last weekend's Letchworth MRS exhibition from Geoff Gamble books. At well over 200 pages it justifies the price tag with a comprehensive history and survey of this little known but quite fascinating line.

 

Plenty of photographs, track and signalling plans to provide plenty of modelling inspiration. It's my area and era of interest although I'm not a student of the LNER, I'm increasingly of the view that the line could make for an interesting compact exhibition layout. Motive power would be a challenge as the mainstay of the line appear to have been D2's, J3's and J6's which are only availablas kits along with I suspect,relevant coaching stock.

 

Nevertheless, food for thought.

 

Andy

[manna]

G'day Gents

 

J1's also frequented the line. Another point, I think, IIRC, that there was a through milk train to KX or Finsbury Park at one time, which conveyed unadvertised coaching stock, for people in the know.

 

manna

[Hetty P]

Another connection was made at the Uttoxeter end of the branch circa 1940 to allow trains to run on to the branch from the Blythe Bridge direction. I also think that some strengthening work may have been carried out to allow heavier locomotives to work across the line. I also remember a train driver who lived at Stafford (Peter "Jeff" Lewis) who started his railway career at Stafford as an LNER employee circa 1939. He later worked on the Eastern Region before returning to the London Midland Region based at Crewe (but living at Stafford) until he retired in the late 1980s.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Hetty P

[LimboBrit]

On 04/07/2012 at 13:09, avonside1563 said:

When I was at Sir Graham Balfour High School in the 70s my art classroom looked out over Stafford Common

My best mate's dad was an art teacher at Graham Balfour

[LimboBrit]

On 25/07/2011 at 01:33, D605Eagle said:

Anybody remember the railway bridge over Hopton Lane easily viewed from the B5066 between Staford and Sandon?

Very well. I used to go under it nearly every day when we lived in Hopton in the '70s. Of course, if we would still be living there we would be getting an excellent view of the HS2 although I'm not sure I would be so happy about that.

[avonside1563]

1 hour ago, LimboBrit said:

My best mate's dad was an art teacher at Graham Balfour

Was he there 75-80 and is so what was his name?

[LimboBrit]

5 minutes ago, avonside1563 said:

Was he there 75-80 and is so what was his name?

Yes. Stevenson

[avonside1563]

Mike Stevenson, yes I knew him at Balfour and afterwards as he was related to Elizabeth Austin who, with my mother, ran the Austin Thomas School of Dance.

[LimboBrit]

24 minutes ago, avonside1563 said:

Austin Thomas School of Dance

I'm pretty sure that's where my sister did ballet.

[avonside1563]

24 minutes ago, LimboBrit said:

I'm pretty sure that's where my sister did ballet.

Small world when you get down to it, what was her name back then?