Crimson Rambler

Two large multi-storey brick buildings that still stand in Newtown, near the station and dominate it, are former Pryce-Jones warehouses. If you visit the rival vineyard (Western Thunder) and look in the topic Workbenches including workshop techniques, and find Ian Rathbone's Workshop forum, you will come across a delightful model of a LNWR six-wheel parcel van carrying Pryce-Jones headboards Newtown-Euston. Its the fourth or fifth picture from the start but to view the photos at a decent size may need you to sign in. Crimson Rambler

Many thanks for your efforts @Michael Hodgson and @Compound2632 on my behalf. I asked David Harris (Secretary of the MRS) and a signalling buff this question a little while back (just pre-Covid) and he too wasn't able to offer anything. Regarding the pre-RCH lamp irons on Midland engines - goods engines and tank engines were fitted with five irons - each end in the case of tank engines but being Midland there were exceptions such the open cab 0-6-0Ts and the extra irons fitted to London area tanks etc. Goods engines carried five irons only on the front while passenger engines were

Presented below are the Midland headcodes for 1897 - courtesy of North of Leeds and for the years 1880, and 1893 to 1897 - extracted from Midland Style together with the ones for 1910 from the same source. My understanding is that the codes of 1893 - 1897 remained in use until the move to RCH codes in 1903 - certainly photos seem to support that hypothesis - hence my comment in pencil! However, as it is out of my period (too modern!) I cannot say whether the codes between 1903 and 1910 were the same or exhibited small differences.

The following extracts pre-date the introduction of fitted goods trains on the Midland, and I suspect possibly elsewhere. The first one is taken from E L Ahrons Locomotive and Train Working in the Nineteenth Century (volume II) and describes the work done by the Midland's first class of express goods engine. He states the Bradford London express goods trains - two per night each way - carried express passenger headlights. The above dates presumably from about 1880 onwards. The following is taken from E Foxwell Express Trains English & Foreign and provid

Many thanks @Compound2632 Crimson Rambler

Stephen thank you for your kind comment - just how please does one create the blue 'notification' thingy? Crimson Rambler

I'm afraid @Compound2632 credits me with more knowledge than I possess on headcodes, so I think the best thing is for me to refer you all to part of an article that explains this in Midland Record. The Manchester - London express goods that didn't get beyond Sharnbrook was hauled by a Class 2 4-4-0, so it was a Fitted Goods No. 2 - above an ordinary Class A fitted goods as Stephen has surmized. The latter class would be hauled normally by a goods engine - as it was on that fateful night. Regarding the 'G.C. Class “A” Goods'

A small point if I may, general arrangement drawing 91-3628 specifically concerns the batch of 0-6-0Ts Nos 1993-2012 (later 1825-1844) and referred to as the Class N, whereas the GA for the 1377 class is 78-1055. The clue is the prefix - it is the last two digits of the year in which the drawing was made i.e. 1891 for the Class N. Two immediate visual differences between the classes are the differing frame profiles and the absence of clack valves on the barrel, but being Midland there are others e.g. low cabs and boiler mountings etc. A photograph(s) of your chosen engine in the pe

"Lead grey and its behaviour - or rather the chemistry of white lead, reacting with hydrogen sulfide (present as an atmospheric polutant in those coal-burning days) to produce a black lead sulfate - was discussed very early on in this topic - starting round about page 3. Coming after the first round of discussion of Great Western wagon red, I'm afraid!" Excellent news Stephen. Crimson Rambler

Regarding Precision Paints Midland wagon grey certainly the shade produced by the original company was, according to Richard Betts who questioned the proprietor, matched to George Dow's memory of a Bassett Lowke tinplate Midland wagon model! I was told this in the mid 1980s and RB at the time was very much into wagons - he reminds me of someone who posts on wagons today! The shade then seemed too dark and with a distinctly green tinge - it caused much discussion in the MRS at the time and since GD had given the recipe for the colour in Midland Style (earliest known offi

A view of the real No 1077 passing through Harringay about 1907 in original form on a horse and carriage train. Crimson Rambler

Earlier today while looking through a old BRJ - Special London & Birmingham Railway Edition - I stumbled on a picture of Harrow goods yard. An extract appears below - looks like a bit like a D299fest to me. The photo was dated to before 1910 as, according to the caption, it predates the construction of the New Line that started in that year. Hopefully there is something of interest. Crimson Rambler

As David Tee remarked to me on more than one occasion:- "I often wonder how the L&NWR and the Great Western, with their small engines, were able to haul their express trains in the late nineteenth century" Crimson Rambler

Now this is a main line - the down fast through Elstree around 1900. One can see the sleeper ends by the cess do not have a full depth of ballast so the ends are partially exposed. I have noted this 'defect' in several photos of this section of line around this time but following relaying, which occurred not long afterwards, the new sleepers were 'properly' ballasted. Whether or not the ballasting in the photo was preparatory to relaying I cannot say - maybe it was. As it happens its my Avatar! Crimson Lake

One aspect of Midland operation that maybe has not received the attention it warrants is the company's policy for having extensive separate goods and passenger lines. Connected with this was its practice of widening existing lines. Attached are two extracts of a proposal to sextuple the lines out of London - between Hendon and St Albans. The date I seem to recall is 1912 but I have currently mislaid the other half of the drawing. This incidentally is a scanned portion of an OPC micro print. For background Elstree was my local station as a youngster.