Rugby area late 40s to early 60s photos...

[Rugd1022]

Some time ago now I started scanning a collection of prints acquired from a fellow Rugby driver, I did manage to load a few up on the old forum but never got round to finishing the job, so this afternoon I set to and scanned some more. The bulk of them appear to be from the mid to late 50s, but there are a few locos still bearing their LMS four digit numbers, going back a little further to the late 40s. Alas, there are no specific dates and most are very grainy or washed out, but they do give a good idea of just how much 'railway' there used to be at Rugby... before the various branches and the Great Central bit the dust, you could depart from the town in nine different directions. The photos come from the same collection as those I've already posted in the Rugby - Peterborough line thread, which reminds me, I must get the rest of those done too... anyhow, to kick off here are a couple of the prototype Deltic during it's WCML phase followed by various locos in or around Rugby Shed :

 

Pics 1 & 2 - the prototype Deltic near Newbold, just to the north of Rugby station,

Pic 3 - 10800 inside the shed, quite rare in itself I guess but any pics inside the shed are scarce enough,

Pics 4 & 5 - local '2F' 58171 waiting to go off shed,

Pic 6 - the same fireman from the 2F pics posing in the cab of a visiting B1,

Pic 7 - one of Rugby's cleaners aboard Patriot 45547,

Pic 8 - Jubilee 5554 'Ontario' outside the shed, if you look closely in the background you can make out the viaduct carrying the GC line just north of the famous the Birdcage bridge,

Pic 9 - Super 'D' 9397 on one of the shed roads (gagging to be modelled!),

Pic 10 - a Stanier 2-6-4T (or is it a Fairburn?) alongside Black 5 45237 with an earth fault,

Pic 11 - a Black 5 about to work one of the local holiday specials with home made headboard,

Pic 12 - Black 5 45154 outside the shed,

Pic 13 - 46240 City Of Coventry no less, waiting to come off shed alongside the old LNWR coal stage,

 

More to come,

 

Nidge

[mikeh]

Nidge

 

More, more, more, more, more etc

 

Please!

 

Mike

[Rugd1022]

Ask and ye shall receive...

 

Ok, second batch...

 

Pic 1 - Rebuilt Patriot 45536 comes up from the dip between Clifton Road and the GC Birdcage bridge on the Down Fast line as a Duchess heads south on the Up Fast,

Pic 2 - looking north from Parkfiled Road overbridge by Newbold Troughs, a Super 'D' and 8F combo head south on the Up Fast,

Pic 3 - at the same spot we see a two car Met-Camm DMU heading south, probably on a Trent Valley stopper from Stafford,

Pic 4 - a Black 5 / Jubilee combo head along the Down Fast, as per Pic 1,

Pic 5 - another Black 5 heads south at Hillmorton on the Up Slow / Northampton line, on the left are the fast lines to Kilsby Tunnel with empty stock stabled in Hillmorton Sidings,

Pic 6 - a 4F at the same spot, showing how deceptively steep the gradient is on the Northampton line,

Pic 7 - an 8F toils up the bank a few yards further south... pics 5 & 6 were taken from the bridge in the background, which today is no more,

Pic 8 - another 8F passes under the same bridge but this time on the Up Fast, on the print I can make out 'L M S' on the tender side beneath the BR crest,

Pic 9 - a Jubilee or Black 5, can't tell which, heads south on the Up Fast at Hillmorton Sidings 'box.

 

I'm enjoying this but I shouldn't be, I've got some Western Region stuff to build!

 

Nidge

[balders]

nice one Nidge!

[beast66606]

Excellent shots Nidge (and of course the original photographers)

[Rugd1022]

Thanks chaps, still some more to come, once I've fiinshed putting up my other half's new wood shed. Apparently... !!

 

Balders - about time you came out of the lurking cupboard mate!

 

Beast - most of the original photographers are sadly no longer with us and the few that are still around are probably well into their 90s by now. As well as the loco shots there are several candid and posed ones of local train crews going right back to the 40s, one of whom is still alive.

 

Nidge

[Rugd1022]

Third batch...

 

Pic 1 - Crosti 9F parked outside the locomotivet esting station,

Pics 2 & 3 - local 2F possibly a Northampton engine?) somewhere on the Northampton line,

Pics 4 & 5 - a couple of Black 5 hauled TV specials on the Up Fast at Hillmorton,

Pic 6 - 42615 in No.5 bay at Rugby's north end,

Pic 7 - Patriot 45547 and a Rebuilt Scot (or Pat...?) head north past No.1 Box on the Down Fast,

Pic 8 - The last Stanier Pacific 46257 heads north out of the station past No.5 Box,

Pic 9 - 46256 'Sir William Stanier FRS' in the Up Platform road on the Up Royal Scot,

 

Nidge

[beast66606]

Don't think thats No.1 Nidge, that was by the end of the Southern bays, and was very big, that's No.4 I think (99.9% certain)

 

Nice shots again.

[balders]

Balders - about time you came out of the lurking cupboard mate!

 

 

 

Nidge

 

Nidge, i've been busy scratching my head over a broken "Manor", and i've just re-discovered my old haulage books in the garage, so for the last three hours i've achieved....well, b@ugger all apart from nursing a severe case of nostalgia, and being down one engine in the fleet!

 

Cracking photo's, I particularly like the one of the early proto-diesel on shed. Unusual.

 

Guy

[westernglory]

Nidge

 

Some lovely images here. Thanks for scanning, posting and sharing.....

 

As a relatively recent arrival in the town, can you enlightening me as to the location of Hillmorton Sidings 'box? Is it (Was it) close to where the line crosses Lower Street as it becomes Moors Lane ?

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Colin_McLeod]

A fantastic collection of railway photographs. I'm drooling - must wipe up the keyboard.

[Blackthorn]

Great photo's, thanks for posting them. Are there more?

[Rugd1022]

Thanks for the comments chaps...

Blackthorn - thanks... yes, there are some more, about twenty or so already scanned plus another envelope full I've yet to do

 

Steve - you're bang on with the location of Hillmorton box... the area where the sidings were is now an access point for Netwrok Rail, and the spot where the box itself stood (wedged between the Up Fast and Down Northampton lines) is now occupied by a brick built relay room

 

Beast - you're right it is No.4 Box, must have been a slip of the old digit I think! No.1 Box was the one south of the bays too, the biggest in the area back in the day

 

Cheers, more to come asap,

 

Nidge

[big T]

Cracking pics there matey!

 

I'm especially loving the shot of 6240 (my favourite Duchess)

 

My Dads got a 7mm f/s one...

 

Hope you are well chief.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhilH]

Great stuff, thanks for posting.

[Rugd1022]

Cheers both... here's another crop

 

Nidge

 

(can't remember if I've already posted these on a previous incarnation of the forum but here goes...)

 

The second of the two 20s approaching the old footbridge looks like it could be D8000 on the actual print... as well as Rugby Midland there are one or two of the GC line, one of a Black 5 at Lilbourne (new M1 bridge in the background) plus another of the same loco near Theddingworth...

[robertcwp]

The 9F crossing the fish-belly girder bridge is on the GC crossing the Oxford Canal north of Rugby.

[Pennine MC]

one of a Black 5 at Lilbourne (new M1 bridge in the background) plus another of the same loco near Theddingworth...

I thank you

 

Anybody notice that 9397 in the first batch seems to have its last digit roughly re-applied in chalk or paint

[balders]

The 9F crossing the fish-belly girder bridge is on the GC crossing the Oxford Canal north of Rugby.

 

 

I stood in the exact spot yesterday with my mobile Internet on and that photo on the screen. Spooky! I think it's actually the Clifton bridge on the peterboro line.........the structure removed over the canal after the headshunt to the current rail depot, and which used to cross the canal over the Marina, and the 9F is heading towards Clifton. It looks like the GC bridge further down the canal in the distance and all the remaining earthworks for that structure have gone apart from the bit hidden in the undergrowth by Brownsover. I've not seen photos of the GC structure which crosses the flood plain by Brownsover.....was it a viaduct or earthworks with bridges over the canal and Butlers Leap prior to the crossing of the WCML on the birdcage bridge.....its all disappeared under an industrial estate called Great Central Way.

 

There's a great little model shop just down the towpath at Hillmorton Locks........popped in there as well, well worth a drop in where John demo'd me a DCC Bachy sound '47.

 

Keep up the good work Nidge!

[roythebus]

Some interesting stuff there. I worked at rugby as a secondman from Nov 74 to Dec 75, and may have worked with some of the old drivers seen in the photos.

 

I was actually the first person to be taken on as footplate grade at rugby since the end of steam!

 

A few of the ex Rugby firemen worked at Waterloo for many years, but the must all be retired by now. Many of the Rugby men in the mid 70's were ex Woodford Halse men made redundant when that closed.

 

I don't suppose there's any names on the pics of who the locomen were?

[Rugd1022]

Some interesting stuff there. I worked at rugby as a secondman from Nov 74 to Dec 75, and may have worked with some of the old drivers seen in the photos.

 

I was actually the first person to be taken on as footplate grade at rugby since the end of steam!

 

A few of the ex Rugby firemen worked at Waterloo for many years, but the must all be retired by now. Many of the Rugby men in the mid 70's were ex Woodford Halse men made redundant when that closed.

 

I don't suppose there's any names on the pics of who the locomen were?

 

Aha... if you were at Rugby in '74 / 75 you'll probably remember the Cowley brothers and their Dad, plus Bob Savage maybe? The two brothers and Savo are still around. How about Ron Evans? His sone Mick became a driver at Rugby but moved to Crewe a few years ago. And how about 'Waterloo Willy' aka Bill Warriner...?

 

No names for the locomen so far posted but there are several more, including 'The Bear' the Olver twins, Paul Jones, Bill Warriner, Ted Hartwell (recently deceased) and others. Will post them soon, just off to Coventry to see the Vulcan take off for the last time B)

 

Nidge

[Rugd1022]

I stood in the exact spot yesterday with my mobile Internet on and that photo on the screen. Spooky! I think it's actually the Clifton bridge on the peterboro line.........the structure removed over the canal after the headshunt to the current rail depot, and which used to cross the canal over the Marina, and the 9F is heading towards Clifton. It looks like the GC bridge further down the canal in the distance and all the remaining earthworks for that structure have gone apart from the bit hidden in the undergrowth by Brownsover. I've not seen photos of the GC structure which crosses the flood plain by Brownsover.....was it a viaduct or earthworks with bridges over the canal and Butlers Leap prior to the crossing of the WCML on the birdcage bridge.....its all disappeared under an industrial estate called Great Central Way.

 

There's a great little model shop just down the towpath at Hillmorton Locks........popped in there as well, well worth a drop in where John demo'd me a DCC Bachy sound '47.

 

Keep up the good work Nidge!

 

I did a bit of digging yesterday and found out that an embankment took the GC line right across the flood plain near Butlers Leap, which surprised me as I thought it would have been a viaduct. I'm told that after the GC closed in '69 most of the earthworks were removed and used in motorway construction eslewhere, then the flood plain area weas tidied up. A small part of it does remain though, on the east side of Great Central Way, most of it has been built on as you say but there is a bit still exposed where it meets Butlers Leap.

 

Didn't know about that shop in Hillmorton! Must pop along and have a butchers

 

A couple more scans.... a nice shot of two of Rugby's firemen, with the lateTed Hartwell (on the left) another younger lad looking a bit shifty in Mill Road, they're leaning up against the fence which ran along to the front of the old BR enginemen's lodging house, which is now the site of Rugby's Royal mail sorting depot.

 

 

This is Rugby fireman Bill 'Waterloo Willy' Warriner, posing next to his mates new Ford out side the engineman's lodge... you can see the BR sausage on the wall behind him

 

 

And one from a bit further out on the mainline to Euston... Rebuilt Scot 46121 bursts out of Kilsby Tunnel...

 

 

Nidge

[roythebus]

Aha... if you were at Rugby in '74 / 75 you'll probably remember the Cowley brothers and their Dad, plus Bob Savage maybe? The two brothers and Savo are still around. How about Ron Evans? His sone Mick became a driver at Rugby but moved to Crewe a few years ago. And how about 'Waterloo Willy' aka Bill Warriner...?

 

No names for the locomen so far posted but there are several more, including 'The Bear' the Olver twins, Paul Jones, Bill Warriner, Ted Hartwell (recently deceased) and others. Will post them soon, just off to Coventry to see the Vulcan take off for the last time B)

 

Nidge

Yes, the Cowley Bros started soon after me. Bob Savage too. I worked with Bill Warriner at Waterloo. There was also Clive Everett, ex Rugby fireman, who worked at Waterloo and lived at Northampton. ISTR the Cowley Bros went to Broad Street for driving, then to Waterloo when Broad St. closed.

 

Sorry to hear about Ted Hartwell, his son Mick was at Rugby too.

 

Clive Everett told me an amusing story of when he was a young fireman at Rugby. He met a young lady one evening, escorted her home, started doing thing that young people used to do on doorsteps..after a while the bedroom window opened and a voice complained about the noise. the voice was that of Horace Biddle, the shed foreman!!

 

Then there was old "Sooty" Goodger who used to stop to collect dumped pushbikes from the lineside; we reckoned he knew every dumped bike from London to Crewe and beyond. "Pap" Lattaway and Mick Green, both lived in Northampton, and someone called "Pont" because he looked like Ponteus Pilate! Then we had noddy and Bungee, the shunters.

 

A conversation with Pap Lattaway one evening about youth discipline went along the lines of: put them in the army,give em some discipline, won't do em any harm. Me: did you go in the army?

Pap: yes, national service.

Me: what did it do for you?

Pap: well it didn't do me any harm.

Me: but did it do you any good?

Pap: (silence) it didn't do me any harm though...

 

Oh the good old days. Rugby was a dump, a relic of the steam days. the train crew supervisors needed to be dragged into the 20th century. It was a totally different world to that I'd been used to on LT, and to what I later experienced at Kings Cross and Waterloo.

[Rugd1022]

Good stuff

 

Nidge Cowley was at Northampton for a while before he came back to Rugby, and Phil took on the 'Acting Inspectors' job a few years back. I knew Horrace Biddle, he lived across the road from us in Hoods Way, he was always very kind and helpful to me when I first started. The names Pont, Mick Green and Bungee are familiar, and by Noddy I think you're referring to old Eric the shunter, I have a vivid image of him wandering off down the yard (upside) with his bike clips on waving his shunters pole and giving invisible hand signals!

 

A few more names which might jog the memory, not all drivers though....... The Phant (used to keep an old tea bag in his trouser pocket, nobody ever drank the tea if he'd made it), Pagey, Blocko, Johnny Beck (passed away just a few years ago), John and Fred Redding, Colin Ledsham, Bill Rodd, Albert 'Snowy' Hartwell, Frankie Drake, Colin 'Griff' Griffiths**, Colin 'Jenko' Jenkins, Albert Penfold..... ring any bells?

 

Attached pic shows a Rugby man (not sure who!) outside the old entrance to the station, with the original canopy and iron gates, I think the canopy went in the late 50s or early 60s. More pics to come

 

Nidge

 

 

** Griff is still knocking around as a travelling shunter with EWS / DBS at Rugby, he's a mine of information and knows all the old 'names'. Has the memory of an elephant!

[roythebus]

The Phant I remember, and Aubrey Wilson, the former ASLEF branch chairman was a mine of information. i had a long conversation with him on a job about procedures at meetings which became very useful later in life.

 

i don't seem to remember the other names except Page and Jacko. Noddy the shunter was Eric, always with his bike clips! quite a tall chap with black swept back hair and always nodding..One day shunting the up yard, my driver let me drive the loco while he sat6 in the cabin..Noddy says hit em up hard, they've got to go right to the end. So he uncoupled the SR utility van, I shoved it hard, up to 15mph and stopped. 5 seconds later an almighty bang and bits of wood everywhere. noddy had set the wrong road and the utility van smashed into a raft of wagons. Nobody knew anything about it!

 

There was a Brummie driver Jackie Jones who was a bit of a character, and a Brummie guard Burchell, a model railway enthusiast, also a complete and utter****. On one of his first trips, Jackie told him to get some red oil for the tail lamps (an oldie but goodie); a few days later, backing a goods train in the down yard, Burchell asked Jackie how to put the stove out in the guards' barke. "Use water from the tail lamps"; so he did, and set fire to the brake van...

 

Some of the other people there at the time were the TCS's, Bill Woodman ex Woodford Halse, someone else we called the gay Gordon, I forget his surname, but he had technicolour teeth and drove a moped!