Jump to content
 

TRACTION issue 247


steverabone
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium

post-5218-0-98796200-1533031157_thumb.jpg

 

The September/ October 2018 issue of TRACTION, issue 247 is published on Friday 3rd August.

 

Naturally, we have the another broad range of articles for you to enjoy.

 

The line from Ayr to Stranraer, with its spectacular scenery, deserves to be much better known. Richard MacLennan, a driver once based at Ayr depot, describes his time on the Stranraer line working overnight passenger trains with Class 47s and Class 107 DMUs on locals.

 

It’s now sixty years since BR introduced main line diesels on a regular basis, so it seems appropriate for Andrew James to look back at the performance of the Brush Type 2s and English Electric Type 4s on the East Coast Main Line and Great Eastern in the late 1950s and compare it with steam operations.

 

Freight trains feature in an article by Nick Gerrard about sand trains on the Caldon Low branch in Staffordshire.

 

We have two photo features, the first being the work of Trevor Ermel showing trains on Tyneside in the 1970s, with the emphasis on Sunday diversions. Then there is a look back through the years at the Class 26s in Scotland with images from Gavin Morrison’s collection.

 

Colin Boocock writes about the Mark 1 coaches in the first of a two part article about these iconic vehicles.

 

The days of preserved ‘Deltic’ No. 55022 hauling Scotrail EMUs for repair are recalled by Stuart Fowler.

 

Driver Mick Humphrys tells us what it was like to work on Class 31s in North London in the 1980s.

 

In TRACTION MODELLING there’s Dave Benn Pollard’s DCC operated N Gauge layout, inspired by the Bristol area, and Will Thompson’s feature about detailing Hornby Class 50s.

post-5218-0-98796200-1533031157_thumb.jpg

Edited by steverabone
  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

I think the absolutely stunning photo of D206 emerging from Potters Bar Tunnel must be later than 1958 as it is after the Hadley Wood widening had been completed. It is probably a Newcastle-King's Cross train. The dining triplet is not a Thompson one as there were no articulate triplets built in the Thompson era. Rather it is the Silver Jubilee restaurant triplet, which was in use on Newcastle services for much of the 1950s and possibly into the very early 1960s.

Edited by robertcwp
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I think the absolutely stunning photo of D206 emerging from Potters Bar Tunnel must be later than 1958 as it is after the Hadley Wood widening had been completed. It is probably a Newcastle-King's Cross train. The dining triplet is not a Thompson one as there were no articulate triplets built in the Thompson era. Rather it is the Silver Jubilee restaurant triplet, which was in use on Newcastle services for much of the 1950s and possibly into the very early 1960s.

Yes you are correct. A correction will appear in the next issue.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes you are correct. A correction will appear in the next issue.

Mark Jenkins has provided some more information. The 9.55 am Newcastle-King's Cross is the most likely train as it seems to be the one closest to what is in the photo in terms of formation, at least going by the Winter 1959-60 carriage workings (I don't have Summer 1960). 

Link to post
Share on other sites

A few comments on Colin Boocock's article on Mark I stock. Very good to see this stock being given some attention and some interesting photos in the article. 

 

The article suggests third/second class compartments with 4-a-side seating soon became the norm. This is true of SR and WR stock but not ER, NER and LMR (or possibly ScR) which I believe retained 3-a-side with armrests until the end of Mark I production.

 

The text refers to an RUB kitchen buffet cars, by which I think the author means an RB. The article suggests they came along from the mid-1950s, which is true only of the prototype as the production series of Diag 24 RB carriages did not appear until 1960 (the RU came earlier, from 1957).

 

The article states that later builds received B4 or B5 bogies from new. Apart from the trial batch of B4 bogies on the WR and the XP64 stock, Commonwealth bogies were fitted to later Mark I stock right to the end.

 

The article implies that it was the introduction of the 1960 Pullman Cars on the ER that led to older cars being drafted to the WR to introduce Pullman trains there, whereas their only loco-hauled Pullman was the South Wales Pullman, which began long before the 1960 cars appeared. Other than that, there were the stand-by WR sets for the Blue Pullmans, which included some 1960 cars from 1964.

 

The article also states that Mark I sleeping cars rode on Commonwealth or B5 bogies, which is true, but this overlooks the fact that none was built with B5s and many originally had the BR double-bolster bogie. The author also refers to Standard Class sleepers but if I recall correctly the final Mark I sleepers were withdrawn before Second became Standard.

 

In a caption, there is reference to the original small numbers on blue/grey stock being changed to larger ones which suggests it happened immediately after the first one was painted, whereas I don’t think the change came until c1968 (some Mark IIa stock, if not all, had the smaller numbers when new).

 

The article suggests that 64-seat open thirds came after the 48-seat ones whereas the first batch of open thirds were 64-seat (without the centre door).

 

Hope this helps.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Best issue in ages, I love articles written by railwaymen on their careers.... Two fantastic ones!

Great read on train to Liverpool street, going to put it away and enjoy the rest of it later on way back to Norwich

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...