Peterborough North

[landscapes]

No football, no Germans, no birds butterflies, or bees for that matter. Just another side of a Wolf.

506 north other side.JPG

 

Evening Gilbert

 

Nice photo of the Wolf, give me a Thompson Pacific any day there is just something about them, they look powerful.

 

Please keep the photos coming, especially Thompson's locos.

 

Regards

 

David

[New Haven Neil]

I must admit to rather getting to like the Thompson pacifics (middle age, eh!), but the flat fronted cab was a retrograde step on those so fitted.  Wing plates are OK too, if a bit 'go faster tape'. Double chimney V2's though, are the dogs b business!

[TrevorP1]

I must admit to rather getting to like the Thompson pacifics (middle age, eh!), but the flat fronted cab was a retrograde step on those so fitted.  Wing plates are OK too, if a bit 'go faster tape'. Double chimney V2's though, are the dogs b business!

 

I find Thompson pacifics so ugly you've got to like them.  A bit like old American cars!

[New Haven Neil]

I used to hate them, as a Gresley-ite, but I now find they have a sort of leaning-into-it look about them. Thompson had some good ideas that were of their time, wartime lets not forget, but he was blind to some other disadvantages he introduced.  Some rebuilds were improved, some weren't, and then there were the B2's which hardly merited the word locomotive apparently!  But the B1 was pretty much a good thing.

[Market65]

Agreed about the B1's, very well balanced loco's, and so useful. One was used to haul the last ever rain from Hull to York via Market Weighton on 27th November, 1965. The B1 being the preserved 61306.

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

[great northern]

You are right, and I would never suggest that the Thompson Pacifics should not be running on PN - quite the reverse! I merely expressed a personal preference. If I was modelling the ECML, as distinct from a small goods yard some short distance off it, I would go for as much variety as possible myself - and that might well include some of the Thompson A2s. But I would never like them.

 

I wonder how the double-chimneyed V2s compared in service with the four A2/2s? If the answer is "very well" then the completion of these engines as ungainly Pacifics would have to go down as an expensive mistake, would it not?

 

Chaz

All the A2/2s were gone by the time the V2s got double chimneys, but the reports I've seen say the V2s were transformed in the same way as occurred with the A3s. Hard to say though, as so few were modified, and they lasted no more than a couple of years, as I recall.

[great northern]

another under roof and black and white shot tonight.

Well, nearly under roof anyway. While setting up this shot, the camera happened to point at this nice little cameo, so I thought I'd include that too.

[chaz]

another under roof and black and white shot tonight.

119 emerging.JPG

Well, nearly under roof anyway. While setting up this shot, the camera happened to point at this nice little cameo, so I thought I'd include that too.

fountain.JPG

 

(Apologies if you have covered this before)

 

There was a canopy over the platform in front of the A1 which has been dismantled, as evidenced by the line of support pillars. So why was the last section left in place? it doesn't seem to serve any particular purpose.

 

Chaz

[jwealleans]

...which has been dismantled...

I don't want to steal Gilbert's thunder here, but I'm fairly sure he said it dismantled itself. I'm dimly recalling that no-one now is even sure when or how it happened?

[great northern]

(Apologies if you have covered this before)

 

There was a canopy over the platform in front of the A1 which has been dismantled, as evidenced by the line of support pillars. So why was the last section left in place? it doesn't seem to serve any particular purpose.

 

Chaz

As Jonathan says, we have speculated about this before, but I have never found a definitive answer. Photos show the Arcade intact as late as 1956, but something obviously then happened to leave it in a semi ruinous state. Was there a decision to dismantle it, which for some reason was aborted before it finished? Or did it fall down, either of its own accord, or because of, for example, storm damage?

 

I prefer the latter explanation. By the late 50s there was serious talk of electrification by 1963, so a decision may have beem made that momey shouldn't be thrown at this if it was only to be a relatively short stopgap measure. Pure speculation though, and I'd love to know the correct answer. Presumably that last bit would have been left because it wasn't damaged, and gave just a bit more protection for passengers boarding trains in number 4 bay in inclement weather.

[great northern]

I got a bit confused last night, and posted the wrong picture. Here is the one of the A1 under the roof.

Not in black and white, but never mind. The platforms do look suitably thronged with eager passengers, don't you think? I'm quite pleased with the effect.

[trw1089]

As Jonathan says, we have speculated about this before, but I have never found a definitive answer. Photos show the Arcade intact as late as 1956, but something obviously then happened to leave it in a semi ruinous state. Was there a decision to dismantle it, which for some reason was aborted before it finished? Or did it fall down, either of its own accord, or because of, for example, storm damage?

 

I prefer the latter explanation. By the late 50s there was serious talk of electrification by 1963, so a decision may have beem made that momey shouldn't be thrown at this if it was only to be a relatively short stopgap measure. Pure speculation though, and I'd love to know the correct answer. Presumably that last bit would have been left because it wasn't damaged, and gave just a bit more protection for passengers boarding trains in number 4 bay in inclement weather.

In my research on Wakefield Westgate, the canopies were replaced and the pedestrian overbridge raised a couple of feet higher in 1956 to 1958 supposedly in preparation for future electrification, so perhaps they may have been aborted preliminary works at PN?

 

Cheers

Tony

[gwrrob]

Congratulations Gilbert on becoming Mr October 2017 with a shot of a B17 coming under Crescent Bridge.

Edited December 8, 2016 by gwrrob

[Mallard60022]

'Thronged'. I like that word. Retford Station will be thronged later today as 46233 returns to Peterborough. Now that would have been a surprise in 1958.

Strangely it should all happen again on Saturday all being well with the machine which sounds absolutely top notch at the moment.

Philth.

[great northern]

In my research on Wakefield Westgate, the canopies were replaced and the pedestrian overbridge raised a couple of feet higher in 1956 to 1958 supposedly in preparation for future electrification, so perhaps they may have been aborted preliminary works at PN?

 

Cheers

Tony

 Possibly, but I can't believe they would have left things in such a mess. Surely there would be some concern about public perceptions even back then? Unless the public couldn't have given a ****.

[great northern]

Congratulations Gilbert on becoming Mr October 2017 with a shot of a B17 coming under Crescent Bridge.

 Is this in some type of " gentleman's magazine"

[great northern]

Tonight's pictures.

I had done captions, but Vermin Media gave me one of its internet outages, and I lost them, and had to start again. I'm sure you can work it out.

[Metropolitan H]

As Jonathan says, we have speculated about this before, but I have never found a definitive answer. Photos show the Arcade intact as late as 1956, but something obviously then happened to leave it in a semi ruinous state. Was there a decision to dismantle it, which for some reason was aborted before it finished? Or did it fall down, either of its own accord, or because of, for example, storm damage?

 

I prefer the latter explanation. By the late 50s there was serious talk of electrification by 1963, so a decision may have beem made that momey shouldn't be thrown at this if it was only to be a relatively short stopgap measure. Pure speculation though, and I'd love to know the correct answer. Presumably that last bit would have been left because it wasn't damaged, and gave just a bit more protection for passengers boarding trains in number 4 bay in inclement weather.

But as I understand it PN had been under threat of "Redevelopment" to improve the curves and alignments through the station from GNR days - certainly before Grandfather (Arthur Holmes) returned to New England as a fully fledged signalman in 1925. Perhaps by 1956 the powers that be really did think it was going to happen soon?

 

Regards

Chris H

 

P.S. - I really enjoy the pictures, especially the B&W ones. But you really need to have approach extensions on both ends of Crescent Bridge! CH

Edited December 8, 2016 by Metropolitan H

[great northern]

A rare sight this morning, as the afternoon KX - Doncaster ECS pulls in.

on it s way back to its makers for attention maybe?

 

The next shot is just to illustrate what I was saying about the difficulties caused by strong back lighting.

 

And for those spluttering over their coffee at the intrusion of this allegedly useless thing, here is what was due next from the north.

[stewartingram]

Nothing useless about a Baby Deltic.

 

Stewart

[Mallard60022]

'Thronged'. I like that word. Retford Station will be thronged later today as 46233 returns to Peterborough. Now that would have been a surprise in 1958.

Strangely it should all happen again on Saturday all being well with the machine which sounds absolutely top notch at the moment.

Philth.

Well, strangely Retford Station was 'thronged' with just five of us last evening and as things had gone a bit wonky at York, we ended up with a full tilt run past southbound by the Duchess at 18.00 instead of a station stop (as they say these days). I know this is a ER thread but by gum that loco doing 70, in the dark, through the quite quiet station was something to cherish.

Phil 

[Mallard60022]

A rare sight this morning, as the afternoon KX - Doncaster ECS pulls in.

5901 1.JPG

on it s way back to its makers for attention maybe?

 

The next shot is just to illustrate what I was saying about the difficulties caused by strong back lighting.

IMG_6530.JPG

 

 

Own up G. That box had just failed after leaving the carriage sidings, where it had been for a few months, and was coasting into the excursion platform just before being broken up.

P.

[great northern]

Own up G. That box had just failed after leaving the carriage sidings, where it had been for a few months, and was coasting into the excursion platform just before being broken up.

P.

Now look Phil. I can well understand how the sight and sound of top quality steam will have intoxicated you, temporarily, but it was North British Type 2s, not baby deltics, that were hidden under tarpaulins in New England yards. It couldn't have been baby deltics, because they all broke down before they got north of Hitchin, or so I have read.   Anyway, they were only like that until they were re-engined, weren't they?

[chaz]

Now look Phil. I can well understand how the sight and sound of top quality steam will have intoxicated you, temporarily, but it was North British Type 2s, not baby deltics, that were hidden under tarpaulins in New England yards. It couldn't have been baby deltics, because they all broke down before they got north of Hitchin, or so I have read.   Anyway, they were only like that until they were re-engined, weren't they?

 

Yes, and having had them re-engined and made into useful machines they were then withdrawn as non-standard. Seems a bit of a waste to me.

 

Still, nice to see a Baby Deltic on your topic.

 

Chaz

[great northern]

 Two more Elizabethan shots tonight. First a shiny close up.

followed by something that features rather more of the train.