Location of Gents branded clock at MPD?

[kevinlms]

In Model Railways for 1971 October, there is an article titled 'MPD Timepiece' and has a drawing and couple of photos of a 'Gents' brand electric clock mounted on a stand constructed from old rails.

It appears to be located within a small loco depot, as a sketch shows it to be next to a turntable and a conical water tank, which suggests GWR. The clock is supported by 2 old rails and a ladder on each side.

 

Any ideas where this is located, as no information on location is given? I'll try to post a copy of the article later.

Edited October 14, 2023 by kevinlms
Photos added

[Wheatley]

Just a couple of rails? Or a redundant SR signal post? 

 

I know that's the same thing but it might give a further regional clue. 

[Wickham Green too]

That 'conical' water tank looks not entirely dissimilar the is one : - 

 

... which I believe still stands at Allhallows - a branch terminus built by the Southern Railway. ( photo 29/11/79 )

[55020]

Hither Green I believe.

 

 

Steve

[keefer]

Hither Green 11/03/78 (c) Bernard Mills/TheRailwayCentre.com

https://www.railway-centre.com/february-2012.html

Hither Green 1970 (c) Roger Goodrum/kentrail.org.uk

https://www.kentrail.org.uk/hither_green_depot_2.html

[Ramrig]

Looking on Google maps/Google earth it is still in situ 

[kevinlms]

Thanks Gents (sorry for the pun, clock brand!), I suspected that such a rare item would be found out. Good to see the apparently it's still around and didn't get demolished over the years of re-use as a diesel depot.

[bécasse]

12 hours ago, 55020 said:

Hither Green I believe

I wondered if it was Hither Green Sorting Sidings, I lived the first thirty years of my life adjacent to them, but came to the conclusion that the background didn't match. I also considered Hoo Junction yard but eventually ruled that out too. It is definitely somewhere on the Southern though and those clocks were commonplace.

[uax6]

And those clocks are surprising for a couple of reasons....

Their shear size, and weight! I had one that was 3 foot in diameter and I could barely lift it (its now hanging in the goods shed museum at Chappel).

The smaller platform ones were fun, they had a 'waiting train' movement. The normal hands were driven by 30 second pulses by a normal master clock, but the second(s) hand was driven by a synchronous 240v AC electric motor. This took about 58 seconds to do one complete rotation, but when it got to the 59th second of the minute, it stopped and waited for the pulse to confirm that the minute was up, and then started off on its rotation again. 

Lovely to watch, and I doubt that there are many left now, and probably none at a station.

 

Andy G 

[Tom Burnham]

21 hours ago, 55020 said:

Hither Green I believe.

 

 

Steve

The Hither Green turntable is now at Robertsbridge (RVR), so maybe the clock should follow it if it's ever redundant at its present location!