Where was I? - 50 years of photography

[MyRule1]

 

The summer of 2020 will mark 50 years of Railway Photography for me. During those 50 years I have taken a very large number of images. Over the paste few years I have digitised all of them, while retaining the original negatives and slides. One thig that I had not done was to match the digitised images to my note books of the time,  

 

Now with the likelihood of up to twelve weeks when I cannot undertake any voluntary activity, train trips or visits. I thought that I would now address the indexing issue.  As RMwebbers seem quite keen to help out in identifying locations I thought I share some images with you. Some will be questions about locations but I hope others will be of interest to viewers as the will illustrate aspects of the railways that have gone for ever. Some of the images will not be of he highest quality as they are the result of a Zenit camera and self developing of black and white film. 

 

To start with I have two images from Harlow Town, which was my home station and I regularly travelled from for the first 30 of those 50 years.

 

With the safety rules in place today this is certainly something you would not see a wiring train

 

 

 

 

next to an active running line

 

 

 

and my first two where was I ? Images

 

No 1 - A preservation site (I have an idea about this one)

 

 

No 2: I have no ideas about this one

 

[Andy Kirkham]

Bridgnorth and (?) Llandudno

 

[Edit] definitely Llandudno https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Llandudno-Railway-Station-Photo-London-North-Western-Railway-7-/252670285800

 

It was the mark of a most superior station that passengers could get off a train and step straight into a taxi. How many others were like that? 

Edited March 22, 2020 by Andy Kirkham

[AY Mod]

1 hour ago, MyRule1 said:

No 1 - A preservation site (I have an idea about this one)

 

Andy is right with Bridgnorth with the photo being taken from Castle Hill. It must be post reopening in 1970 and 1976 at the latest when the footbridge was taken down. It looks like a Renault 5 in front of the signal box which would make it 1972 onwards. It feels like about 1973 to me.

[TheSignalEngineer]

13 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Andy is right with Bridgnorth with the photo being taken from Castle Hill. It must be post reopening in 1970 and 1976 at the latest when the footbridge was taken down. It looks like a Renault 5 in front of the signal box which would make it 1972 onwards. It feels like about 1973 to me.

Looking at some pictures of a visit we made in 1972, the same 2mt and saddle tank are in the same positions but mine has a couple of other details missing, so I would go with 1973-4

[MyRule1]

Thanks for the replies - Bridgenorth I was fairly certain of but something about the picture did not quite look right - I think it was the bridge that is shown on OS maps  as a road/pathway not a bridge.. 

 

Llandudno - I would not have got that one, although I do have a shot of a "Met-Cam" type DMU in Blaenau Ffestiniog which might have been a clue.

 

Although I will not swamp this thread, here are two for which I know the location and rough date but both of which have stories behind them, which I will reveal in a couple of days

 

No 3

 

 

No 4

 

[Johann Marsbar]

Guess at Manningtree for No.4?

[The Pilotman]

Number three looks like it was taken just east of Reading with the Hymek on an up train and the wagons in the long gone sidings on the up side. 

[The Stationmaster]

I like No.3 but then I always liked Hymeks so I'm bound to say that.  The interesting question is how did you get into the place from which you took. the photo or was it after it became a sort of temporary preservation site for a different type of diesel hydraulic?  You might get a better view now if you could access the roafway which leads up the embankment to the side of the Relief Lines  - not too far from the position of the Hymek but equally as much of the land between there and the Tesco site is now well overgrown you mignht not even be able to see the ohle from that viewpoint and of course the gas holder is long gone.

 

With no wish to spoil the fun for others - although I think Western Aviator will have got it (and deserves shooting if he hasn't  - don't worry he and I met back in the 1990s) you were standing at approx 51.45 north, 0.954 west when you took the photo.  Now I've seen WA's post I can confirm there is no need to shoot him

Edited March 23, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[AY Mod]

7 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

With no wish to spoil the fun for others

 

You'd have thought they'd have had the decency to call that Maybach Road rather than what they did.

[russ p]

2 hours ago, MyRule1 said:

Thanks for the replies - Bridgenorth I was fairly certain of but something about the picture did not quite look right - I think it was the bridge that is shown on OS maps  as a road/pathway not a bridge.. 

 

Llandudno - I would not have got that one, although I do have a shot of a "Met-Cam" type DMU in Blaenau Ffestiniog which might have been a clue.

 

Although I will not swamp this thread, here are two for which I know the location and rough date but both of which have stories behind them, which I will reveal in a couple of days

 

No 3

 

 

No 4

 

 

 

Think number 4 is Mistley

[Johann Marsbar]

9 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

 

Think number 4 is Mistley

A number of those Brighton Belle cars sat at Manningtree for several years in the mid 70's, in the down side sidings, next to the GEML. Were there any kept at Mistley? (a bit early for me..)

[russ p]

42 minutes ago, Johann Marsbar said:

A number of those Brighton Belle cars sat at Manningtree for several years in the mid 70's, in the down side sidings, next to the GEML. Were there any kept at Mistley? (a bit early for me..)

 

I believe some were at Mistley,  but I see where you mean at manningtree. 

Those cars maybe in the siding on down side London end 

[Johann Marsbar]

1 minute ago, russ p said:

 

I believe some were at Mistley,  but I see where you mean at manningtree. 

Those cars maybe in the siding on down side London end 

Certainly remember seeing the Manningtree ones on trips to London circa 1974/75

[The Pilotman]

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

With no wish to spoil the fun for others - although I think Western Aviator will have got it (and deserves shooting if he hasn't  - don't worry he and I met back in the 1990s) you were standing at approx 51.45 north, 0.954 west when you took the photo.  Now I've seen WA's post I can confirm there is no need to shoot him

Phew! Looks like I dodged a bullet there 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Western Aviator

[Edwin_m]

 

15 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

It was the mark of a most superior station that passengers could get off a train and step straight into a taxi. How many others were like that? 

There was road access to platform level and a wide platform at many big termini and some through stations (obviously more difficult as they would need a ramp from above or below).  I think it was to do with direct transfer between trains an mail vans just as much as it being a cab road.  With no mail handled in passenger stations and the safety issues with vehicles getting onto tracks unintentionally or otherwise, I'm pretty sure any accesses that still exist are protected by heavy security.  

 

Isn't No3 taking forced perspective to the extreme a bit?  O gauge wagons on an N gauge layout...

[MyRule1]

Without revealing too much about the stories behind photo's 3 & 4 - I will say that I am amazed my the knowledge of those on RMweb and their willingness to contribute.  Despite the locations being identified there are two key questions that have not been addressed:  the question relating to no 3 might be answered without me directly asking it, the one about n4 is a more specific one about the movement of 08's on the main line as I don't think I have ever seen another photo of such a movement.

[russ p]

08s moved like that were reasonably common,  its probably all three locos have been to colchester for fuel and are returning to harwich.  The rear one and possibly the other one is probably running given that there is someone on the rear one I'd put money on the vacuum pipes not being coupled 

[MyRule1]

How very annoying I have just typed a reply in one to have it vanish and be replaced by a earlier reply I never submitted,

 

No 3:

 

On 23/03/2020 at 11:10, Western Aviator said:

just east of Reading with the Hymek on an up train and the wagons in the long gone sidings on the up side. 

 

On 23/03/2020 at 11:13, The Stationmaster said:

after it became a sort of temporary preservation site for a different type of diesel hydraulic?

 

Both correct. The story being that sometime before the picture was taken I went on a train trip with a co-enthusiast which included a stop in Slough, The reason for the stop was to visit a local model shop which was the home of MTK. The specific reason was to berate the owner about cashing a cheque for an order for a kit that was not actually yet in production. Apparently pre-selling kits was part of the MTK's business model at the time. This was my first encounter with Colin Massingham,

 

My second was under more friendly circumstances. For most of 1974 I lived in Reading and as asked to join in a working party on Warship 821 "Greyhound", owned by said Mr Massingham. This was housed in a siding that had served, the by then, demolished, Reading Gas Works", I only survived a couple of Sunday's. The Diesel Traction Group's web-site describes the site as "conditions that can best be described as basic!" and that was for the loco's not to say the volunteers,

 

During the afternoon the Hymek passed. the reason  I posted the picture was that all present believed that all Hymeks had been withdrawn by then. At that time I used to carry a Pentax 110 camera with me. This was an excellent camera, with motor rive, so allowed me to taken a couple of shots. The posted picture was a scan of a 110 slide. If anyone has access to Railway Observers or similar, for 1974 they may have more details of the date/time working

 

No 4:

On 23/03/2020 at 10:28, Johann Marsbar said:

Guess at Manningtree for No.4?

 

Not more to say, yes in the down sidings at Mannigtree. Picture taken "wrong side of the fence" using a footpath that ran alongside the up-line. We though no one would see us, until the Cl31 & 08's passed! The Brighton Belle was a planned shot and the Cl31 was just a case of being in the right place at the right time.

 

I will post a couple more pictures with mysteries attached later.