Peterborough North

[great northern]

Re #11554, I take it that is from Spital Bridge?

 

I see the chimneys .. are they the Power Station? I have been told by several sources that the car park was formerly the coal depot for a power station, which must have stood where Premier Inn (?) now stands - formerly the Peterborough Evening News offices, among other things. The buildings which have variously served as Pets R Us (or whatever they are called), contractors offices and a solicitors office, are clearly of railway origin.

Richard knows much better than I do, but I'm pretty sure everything to be seen on the Up side was railway property. The plan I have shows two of the buildings as "Goods shed" and " Bottling store". I'm not sure what the latter was all about. Another plan though shows two large buildings as " Sheet stores". As you say, those yellow brick buildings now in commercal use are clearly GN in origin. This photo, copyright of Andrew C Ingram, and not to be further reproduced please, does give some idea of what was there.

All of this was South Yard, I think, and the OS plan shows it extending almost down to the riverside. A small coal yard is shown towards the South end.

[great northern]

I really gave myself some grief with the last set of photos I took, which were either way underexposed or way overexposed, as I think I'm asking too much of the camera. Tonight's offerings therefore are without any photoshopping, as the dark greys in the background are just too difficult. Well they are for me anyway.

60067 heads North. i must remember not to attempt photography at this end when there is so little light.

The New England shedmaster takes the opportunity to rid himself of this Leicester 3F by sending it out on a very short parcels down to East.

[rockershovel]

#11550 and #11551 make complete sense in the context of what is there now. There is enough visible in #11551 to place it.

 

The car park would have formerly been the goods yard , located to the N of the brick buildings visible in #11551 and still there today; hence the filthy surface of infamous memory (presumably the sub-ballast) and the various rails and barriers embedded in it; there would have been a connection to the coal yard S of this, serving the power station. It makes sense for the power station to be where Rivergate (Asda) now stands, because it would be a direct connection with no road crossing. The "tracks down to the riverside" referred to would have been where the small development of flats and town houses now stand, NW of Town Bridge

 

Town Bridge did, indeed, have a substantial substructure including mains services of various descriptions. The whole bridge was reconstructed about ten years ago, the services exposed and overhauled and the deck reconstructed.

 

Digressing slightly, I'm told that the Peterborough Power Company originally supplied 110v DC locally. Our house is an early 1930s semi which has only had two owners from new - we bought it from the original purchasers, who had lived in it for 60 years - and it has small coaxial sockets in the kitchen and sitting room which are, apparently, the original fittings. Our neighbour lived there as a child and describes the electrical system (which cost £10 or so extra when purchased) consisting of a free-standing standard lamp in the sitting room, and a socket in the kitchen which ran an electric clock and a charger for accumulators (for the radio)

[great northern]

I have a nice quiet day today, and so can run more trains, and hopefully get some better pictures than the last lot, though it is very murky again at the moment. We may as well have some more very unremarkable images though, just to clear some space.

The WTT calls for this short parcels to recess into number 1 bay, and to stay for some time, presumably for loading and/or unloading. It seems a little strange though, as it has only come less than a mile from Westwood sidings, and from here goes on only another mile down to East.

This didn't work very well, did it?  A sudden mist seems to have descended, for one thing. More later, as I haven't done my exercises yet.

[Mallard60022]

 

Do nay ferget yer crops dear boy.

P

Edited June 15, 2016 by Mallard60022

[Mallard60022]

I have a nice quiet day today, and so can run more trains, and hopefully get some better pictures than the last lot, though it is very murky again at the moment. We may as well have some more very unremarkable images though, just to clear some space.3F in bay.jpg

The WTT calls for this short parcels to recess into number 1 bay, and to stay for some time, presumably for loading and/or unloading. It seems a little strange though, as it has only come less than a mile from Westwood sidings, and from here goes on only another mile down to East.

3F from signal box.jpg

This didn't work very well, did it?  A sudden mist seems to have descended, for one thing. More later, as I haven't done my exercises yet.

Is your camera suffering from condensation G?

Phil

[great northern]

Is your camera suffering from condensation G?

Phil

I'm wondering if it is, Phil. I shall be going up there shortly, and will experiment, though it has just become even darker, which won't help.

[great northern]

Is your camera suffering from condensation G?

Phil

A quick snap after giving the lens a clean with my glasses cloth. Seems to have done the trick?

Edited June 15, 2016 by great northern

[CUTLER2579]

So Retford's answer to David Bailey cracks the Problem.Good Man.

[Richard E]

Gilbert, apologies for the hi-jack as we seem to be discussing what is just off scene although, theoretically visible as skyline. All the land to the south of the current station as far as the river and bounded on the east by the current Bourges Boulevard as far as the old Goods Sheds was, indeed, railway land. From the sheds the boundary ran straight to the river bridge as it does now. The road called Viersen Platz actually runs round the western and southern walls of the old power station boiler house site.

 

It seems, looking at the 1960's and 1970's maps there was a conveyor system to move coal from the yard to the west of the line down to Peterborough East that ran under that line and then over the main line to feed the power station. The dedicated coal handling area was where River Lane used to turn sharp right to the west (this is now the end of River Lane as a road although a footpath roughly follows it's old alignment).

 

Interestingly BTP HQ used to be on the south bank of the river around here in Cherry Tree House (which no longer exists) alongside the line from the west roughly where the NVR terminus now stands.

 

To the north of the station and just beyond Spital Bridge stood, on the western side of the main line, the British Rail Hostel (Peter House). This area now sits under modern housing (Peterhouse Close).

[great northern]

Next train due at Platform 6 was the 0640 KX - Grantham, another of these very slow services which seem to have been used mainly to get stock from one place to another. The HMRS survey shows that Quicksilver was used on this train during July 1958, and on other similar Down services, so she has been rostered today.

I do not rate this as one of my more succesful efforts, but I shall continue my policy of leaving you to decide.

[The Stationmaster]

Next train due at Platform 6 was the 0640 KX - Grantham, another of these very slow services which seem to have been used mainly to get stock from one place to another. The HMRS survey shows that Quicksilver was used on this train during July 1958, and on other similar Down services, so she has been rostered today.

15 1.jpg

I do not rate this as one of my more succesful efforts, but I shall continue my policy of leaving you to decide.

 

Lovely 'trainspotter of the time' type of photo - sort of thing that if you'd been there and taken it you would treasure.  So maybe unintended things about it but still a certain something.

[Anthony]

A quick snap after giving the lens a clean with my glasses cloth. Seems to have done the trick?

 

Pity, I rather liked the haze - I can't believe the atmosphere was ever particularly clear!

 

At the risk of repeating myself, what a wonderful re-creation and, not doubt recreation.

 

Thank you

 

 

Anthony

[great northern]

I don't have too many pictures in reserve very often, but there are rather a lot at present, so here is another view of Quicksilver, this time taken from the more sensible side.

[Richard E]

I'm wondering if some of the problem isn't lens flare where there is a high contrast between subject and background (the latter being very bright).

[great northern]

The PC has just played a nice game of hunt the picture with me, having decided to hide something that I took on Sunday in a folder for Tuesday, when I didn't take any at all. I resisted the temptation to put a brick through it.mainly because there wasn't one to hand. Here is the offending image.

I'm a bit ambivalent about this one. I think it nearly comes off.

This one doesn't. There are times when it is just too bright for contre jour shots.

[manna]

G'day Gents

 

Very similar to a view I had of Quicksilver as it passed the

'Sand yard' at Wood Green, just a quick flash between the advertising hoardings along Station Road, etched in my mind.

 

manna

[rockershovel]

Agree about the "ambivalence" - I think the abrupt transition from coal wagon to sky upsets the composition.

[great northern]

Golf at 36E today, with trains actually visible at some vantage points. To celebrate, we shall now feature a 36E engine, which would have been a regular sight there in 1958. It is on loan to New England at present though, as a large number of the home shed's WDs are either in works or otherwise unfit.

This is a mixed goods to Hatfield, running Class H.

And the camera swings round to catch it going away. This is one of those that looked much better cropped, and I thought might also look good in black and white, so here it is.

[OldSutt]

I must congratulate you on this series and have long admired the rolling stock. The only problem is that your depiction of former LNER Brake and Brake composites has had me examining/questioning their use for my GWR/SR West Country layout.

On perusing the current edition of the GWRJ, I find a picture of the 12.20 Truro to York formed in 1925 with the leading coaches, a GWR Brake Compo for Glasgow, an LNER Brake Compo and Brake Van for Aberdeen (via Edinburgh).

I am totally ignorant of LNER Brakes and wondered, whether Gresley? teak vans would be appropriate for my 1930 - 49 period formations.

[jwealleans]

I'd have to see the picture to know whether it's a pregrouping or LNER build vehicle in 1925. By 1939 the likelihood is that both would be Gresley and after the war you might see a Thompson carriage, depending on how important the service was deemed to be.

 

Does anyone have a CWP covering this service (I assume it's GWR - Banbury - GC - Sheffield - York, or similar)? If we know how many seats were provided we might be able to get to specific diagrams or even specific carriages.

[rockershovel]

Re #11569, I like the colour image! The weathering on the wagons and the van visible behind the train show up very well in colour

[Alister_G]

Golf at 36E today, with trains actually visible at some vantage points. To celebrate, we shall now feature a 36E engine, which would have been a regular sight there in 1958. It is on loan to New England at present though, as a large number of the home shed's WDs are either in works or otherwise unfit.

04 1.jpg

This is a mixed goods to Hatfield, running Class H.

04 2.jpg

And the camera swings round to catch it going away. This is one of those that looked much better cropped, and I thought might also look good in black and white, so here it is.

04 2 bw.jpg

 

I really like that last shot It's got a proper period feel to it.

 

Al

[great northern]

Didn't get wet, played my best golf for ages, couldn't putt, and my glasses broke. Inspired by my walk over the old GC line, sadly with nothing but an 'orrible Pacer thingy to be seen, here is a portrait of an 04. Mr Robinson, like Sir Nigel, could make a humble goods engine look elegant. Well I think so anyway.

[great northern]

I can't remember why I thought this was worth a photograph, but it doesn't need much doing to it, so here are.....some vans.

and a container flat.

And here we have Quicksilver waiting time, coal empties waiting for a path, and the brake van of the Hatfield goods about to disappear into the gloom. Hornby really have got that A4 front end just about right this time. Off to bed now, as my eyes are going a bit funny through having to wear spectacles that aren't intended for close work.