84002

This just turned up on the Peterborough parcels train. The driver of the double-chimney V2 on the next road – a fervent Gresley fan – looks on in complete disgust. The fitters work away to find a suitable top lamp iron and to refit the water scoop correctly before its next job which will involve taking water at Werrington and Langley troughs.

I think the man you spoke to my have been Brian Williams who was fireman on 69664 and later became a booking clerk in the Bishops Stortford/Cambridge area. I don't suppose any of the Enfield N7s ever found their way to Finsbury Square?

Crew for 69665 and '70 were Laurie Griffin (who died last year in his 90s) and Roy Swain. The other main Enfield "star" N7 was 69664.

I have a few pictures of N7s at Enfield (where 69670 was sub-shedded) but this is the only one I can find of '70 but it's from the wrong end. But in the run up to electrification it certainly had white trimmings painted on - and frequently touched up - by the regular crew. It also had red coupling rods as did many of the cleaner N7s at Enfield. Also attached is a picture of 69665 which the same crew ran until it was withdrawn and they got '70 in its place.

Still off topic but 9401 was also tried by 30A on the Hertford suburbans where it performed ok but was tight on water. A whole load of "dead" GW engines also passed through Stratford in the early 60s (mostly from Old Oak Common) en route to Plaistow where they were cut up by Mumfords.

He was an LNER director from 1927-1947 and also Chairman of the LNER Property Committee (whatever that was).