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On This Day In History


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2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Lovely set of photos again Trev.   Interesting to see that the Overhead gantries for the Branch to Green Ayre from Castle, were still in place.  The wires had gone by early 1966 but the gantries, which dated from 1907, were still there.   It's ironic that it was only about 5 or 6 years till new gantries were put up for the main line wiring.

 

Jamie

In the first picture showing Class 5 44859 arriving from Windermere it looks like some of the steelwork has already been flame cut off.

 

Thanks to all those that post these photos of yesteryear.

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2 hours ago, Trev52A said:

@ Phil

 

I only travelled over the S&D once, on a 'special' on 1st January 1966, but I always like seeing pictures of the line, even though these are just a bit early to coincide with my 'spotting' years.

And it must have been great having a father to pass on the interest in railways (and the pictures, of course!) There was no such connection in my family and I got in to it through mixing with school friends, which is when I took my steam-era photos.

 

Kind regards

Trevor

I don't remember travelling on the 'new' line from Bath to Evercreech, but the original Somerset Central line was on my way home from boarding school in Surrey. I went to school via Bristol, Paddington & Waterloo but came back - Leatherhead, Effingham Junction, Guildford, Woking, Templecombe, Evercreech Junction and home to Highbridge. For my final three years at least I did it on my own. 'Passengers' luggage in advance' meant I travelled fairly light. Puffing along the Somerset Levels from West Pennard really felt like coming home.

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2 hours ago, melmerby said:

In the first picture showing Class 5 44859 arriving from Windermere it looks like some of the steelwork has already been flame cut off.

 

Thanks to all those that post these photos of yesteryear.

Thanks for that, yes indeed that nearest gantry had been flame cut.   It was numbered Gantry 24 on the plan with the cantilever beyond it No 23.   Funnily enough you can still see the flame cut remains of some of the gantries jutting out of the stonework of the building on the disused platform 6 at Lancaster. On a totally unrelated issue connected with these gantries, one of the next few towards the station No 28 was the scene of a fatal electrocution in September 1908 when Foreman Painter Buxton was killed.   This must have been one of the first deaths by electrocution on the railway system.  

 

Good to see those photos. It's interesting to me to see when they actually dismantled the gantries.   The Branch was still in use for access to the power station until I believe the early 80's.

 

Jamie

 

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5 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

I know that these have appeared elsewhere in RMweb, quite apart from in my albums, but I can't resist giving them another airing 57 years after Dad took them. Someone commented recently that 'express' is a relative term in an SDJR context.

BtoB16  SDJR 86 at Bournemouth 11 8 62.jpg

BtoB17  SDJR 87 at Bournemouth 11 8 62.jpg

If you want to see what else Dad saw on his way back and forth to Bournemouth on 11.8.1962 - you can see a couple of pages of his log book at 

and there are more Bournemouth area pages in that album.

Edited by phil_sutters
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2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Thanks for that, yes indeed that nearest gantry had been flame cut.   It was numbered Gantry 24 on the plan with the cantilever beyond it No 23.   Funnily enough you can still see the flame cut remains of some of the gantries jutting out of the stonework of the building on the disused platform 6 at Lancaster. On a totally unrelated issue connected with these gantries, one of the next few towards the station No 28 was the scene of a fatal electrocution in September 1908 when Foreman Painter Buxton was killed.   This must have been one of the first deaths by electrocution on the railway system.  

 

Good to see those photos. It's interesting to me to see when they actually dismantled the gantries.   The Branch was still in use for access to the power station until I believe the early 80's.

 

Jamie

 

In this shot of Greyhound bridge (the old Green Ayre-Morecambe line) under maintenance (30th June 2018), it gives the impression the remains of the railway are still undermneath the road surface:scratchhead:

 

https://goo.gl/maps/LBh4ED7URvQUZGhy6

Edited by melmerby
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5 minutes ago, melmerby said:

In this shot of Greyhound bridge (the old Green Ayre-Morecambe line) under maintenance, it gives the impression the remains of the railway are still undermneath the road surface

 

https://goo.gl/maps/LBh4ED7URvQUZGhy6

Yes the bridge is virtually as it was when the track was lifted. They just knocked off the handrails and OLE gantries and laid a 3 lane roadway on the top though with some supporting structures in the middle. You can still see the burned off remains of the OLE. Ironically the concrete deck rotted and needed major repairs last year but the bridge, built in  1911 only needed repainting.  I better not clutter up this thread with too much about it but if folk are interested I could start a separate thread.

 

Jamie

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52 years ago today, on Saturday 12 August 1967, I was back at Carlisle. My NW 'Runabout Rover' wasn't valid that day which was a shame, as several Saturdays-only passenger trains were regularly steam-hauled south of Carlisle that Summer.

 

986260588_(071a)70011CarlisleUpperby12-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.dfa168d49c6da7af33e5d9f9af59790f.jpg

First up was 70011 with a northbound freight seen near Upperby.

 

1461841966_(054a)70035Carlisle12-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.11dafee869c2bbf440a76b2d77768cf1.jpg

Back near the station I was surprised to see another 'Brit', 70035 heading north with a passenger train, but examination of the picture reveals the first coach has the window label 1Z12, so it was evidently a Saturday 'extra'. Hopefully the chap with the tape recorder got some good results on the climb to up to Beattock summit.

 

290830124_(062a)4487845038Carlisle12-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.6b06639a3cf386d6dc84e5fb8ec112c4.jpg

A couple of early afternoon trains from north of the border were scheduled to change from diesel to steam at Carlisle. Here are two 'Black Fives' are waiting for the changeover. 44878 will take out 1M31, a Dundee to Blackpool train while 45038 will takeover 1M21 from Glasgow to Blackpool. The fireman of the latter is applying the reporting number in chalk, still in the platform road after arriving light engine from Kingmoor shed, while 44878 has the more 'hi-tec' version!

 

1870864091_(055b)45437Carlisle12-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.aa04affd08f0d0afe80252b30152fc15.jpg

This 'Black Five' is ready to depart with 1M32, a Glasgow to Morecambe train

 

1806483049_(076b)45593Carlisle12-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.b9b2770c3a888f6769e3771c24946ae2.jpg

Two trains due in off the S&C were both rostered for 'Jubilee' locos - this is 45593 after arrival with 1S67, a St. Pancras to Glasgow train (usually referred to by the grander title of the 'relief Thames-Clyde Express'), which it had worked from Leeds as far as here, where a diesel would take over. (The other 'Jubilee' working was 1S52, a Birmingham to Glasgow express which had arrived earlier behind 45562.)

 

277377901_(044d)70032Carlisle12-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.c91dcd168ef42d7f08b2f5535751b845.jpg

Another of the southbound trains due for steam-haulage out of Carlisle was 1M38, a Glasgow to Manchester train which departed behind 70032.

'Brit' fans will notice that the loco now has a large type BR1D tender, as fitted to the final batch of locos. The change from its earlier BR1 tender must have taken place  since 15th July when I had photographed it at Tebay.

 

According to my records I had a day off on Sunday, but resumed my 'Rover' ticket on Monday 14th August when Preston was again on the itinerary.

 

Trevor

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45593 looks really spick & span, even the buffers have been cleaned, which is somewhat at variance to the state of the other locos in the pictures.

Thanks again for posting these nostalgic shots.

Edited by melmerby
nanny filter wont let me post sp!c
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19 minutes ago, melmerby said:

45593 looks really spick & span, even the buffers have been cleaned, which is somewhat at variance to the state of the other locos in the pictures.

Thanks again for posting these nostalgic shots.

 

Both the 'Jubilees' were immaculate, the result of unofficial cleaning by photographers aiming to get the 'master shot'.

 

Although I was not part of the 'MNA' I knew several of their members at the time.

 

Cheers

Trevor

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Great photos, thanks to all for posting. Regarding the WCML, my first trip north of Preston was in 1978, only 11 years after Trev52A's pictures, and more than 40 years from now ! The route probably changed more in those 11 years than in the 41 since, apart from the traction, and even then Class 86 worked the route in 1978 and still does now.

 

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12.8.1960 This seems to be the last photo Dad took of Bath Road shed in the steam era. There is another with a Collett 0-6-0 on a works train as it was converted to a diesel depot. Below are his log book pages for that day. He started at Cardiff, where his parents-in-law lived. I can't seem to get them in the correct order, but they are all there.

Bath Road Shed Bristol w 4973 & 6914 12 8 1960.jpg

12 8 1960 pg1 Cardiff to BTM.jpg

12 8 1960 pg6 Cardiff to BTM.jpg

12 8 1960 pgs 2&3 Cardiff to BTM.jpg

12 8 1960 pgs 4&5 Cardiff to BTM.jpg

Edited by phil_sutters
To add log book pages for that day.
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Your Dad's handwriting improved considerably over time - mine has gone far in the opposite direction! His 1960 notes, presumably written in an handheld notebook, are just about immaculate.

 

(P.S. His photos are great, too!) 

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Fascinating stuff. Love the pics of the diesel depot taking shape, although I'd have been sad at the time.

 

Bath Road was the only place I was ever sworn at by the foreman...before I could even open my mouth to ask permission to visit.

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To tie up the loose ends, this is the final day involving my NW 'Runabout Rover' ticket; Monday 14th August 1967. Going by the photographs it was a dull and damp day although on the plus side I travelled on three steam-hauled trains out of a total of eleven, clocking up approx. 375 miles.

 

After arriving at Preston behind 45347 on the usual ex-Windermere train which I had joined at Lancaster, I was soon heading for Blackpool South for the second time in six days, behind another Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0, this one being 43029

 

152866026_(685aS)43029Preston14-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.7d02f8bb3e5a3709f4e2759f5ce81a0b.jpg

This is the view leaving Preston...

1606611437_(608fS)43029BlackpoolSouth14-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.fed9dce529a8a4e9b2f13b06331a424a.jpg

...and after arrival in Blackpool. This is one of my favourite pics taken during the Rover ticket, with the passengers adding to the scene

 

1828925656_(536bS)48033Preston14-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.f9771281af43fee6307cbbfe4181b482.jpg

After returning to Preston I climbed the stairs to the rooftop car park again and was rewarded with this 8F climbing away from the station. I expect the background has changed a bit since then. 

 

1869995514_(528dS)92071Preston14-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.c1648452d0bf7a4e06ac1e3d237d8c2f.jpgBack on the platforms, in the company of one or two others I dodged the rain to see 92071 coming through with a northbound freight 

 

1349551067_(728aS)45347Preston14-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.c2bc873309e0610e1e4d568e9fcee87b.jpg

Also near the same spot I framed this 'Black Five' departing south on what was probably the 15.45 to Manchester Victoria. My notes say the loco was 45347, which seems unlikely as that was the same one which had brought my train in from Lancaster earlier that afternoon. 

 

I managed to put in a trip on a DMU to Carnforth in order to join another steam-worked train from Windermere departing at 18.23 behind 45394, which I rode to Lancaster, before heading for Carlisle for the final time with D1852 in charge.

 

At the end of the 7 days I had ridden behind nine different steam locos and eleven diesels, plus numerous DMUs. As it turned out this was the last year i was able to do this - by the following summer it was all over as far as steam-hauled normal service trains were concerned. Happy days!

 

Trevor

 

 

 

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15th August brings us two very different photos from Dad's albums --  Please see a corrected version of the Barrow Road shot below - a couple of numbers were wrong in the caption.

Barrow Road shed 15 8 1964.jpg

GW diesel r car W20W at Ledbury 15 8 55.jpg

Edited by phil_sutters
A corrected version has been added below.
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On Sunday 20th August 1967 (52 years ago today) Newcastle saw two preserved steam locos - one returning to its old stamping ground and the other paying a first-time visit.

 

1299155913_(791cS)7029Newcastle20-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.2cf919c6a5d8549927fc7efc0fd7c4de.jpg

Fist up was 'Castle' 4-6-0 No 7029 'Clun Castle' (although temporarily minus name and number plates) on platform clearance tests prior to working a 'special' the following month. I believe this was the first time a 'Castle' had been seen on Tyneside - can anyone think of an earlier example? As it turned out it was not able to negotiate the full length of any of the through platforms, resulting in K1 No 62005 working the final hundred yards or so in to the station with the train on 9th September.     

 

417167760_(794a)4498Newcastle20-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.ccc6098ebf606306c089dbb16c22ec36.jpg

Later that afternoon A4 No 4498 'Sir Nigel Gresley' arrived with a Doncaster to Edinburgh 'special'. Brush type 4 No D1521 seems to be trying to 'photobomb' the picture as it departs south, much to the chagrin (I would imagine) of the other photographers behind me.

 

Trevor

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On 15/08/2019 at 08:23, phil_sutters said:

15th August brings us two very different photos from Dad's albums --

Barrow Road shed 15 8 1964.jpg

 

Hi Phil.

I think two loco's numbers have been mis-typed in the caption.

The black 5 on the left is 44851 and the Brit I assume is 70052.

 

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On 20/08/2019 at 09:30, melmerby said:

Hi Phil.

I think two loco's numbers have been mis-typed in the caption.

The black 5 on the left is 44851 and the Brit I assume is 70052.

 

Thanks for drawing the errors to my attention. 44851 in Dad's album's tiny pencil notes looks very like 44857. 70052 is definitely down to me. I have corrected them in the attached version. As a bonus for your help I have added another photo taken on the same trip and the pages from Dad's spotting log for the trip. I didn't have the logs when I scanned the prints originally, so I was dependent on the album notes.

Barrow Road shed 15 8 1964 Nos corrected.jpg

Barrow Road Shed 15 8 1964.jpg

HJS log book15 8 1964 pages 1&2.jpg

HJS log book15 8 1964 pages 3&4.jpg

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