Rugd1022 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Way back in the mists of time, I mentioned somewhere on the old forum that my girlfriend's late father had left her his photographic collection which we fully intended to have printed up.... I've finally got around to scanning a few of the prints so thought I'd share them here. Ken's collectiuon is largely made up of b&w negatives, we're still looking at getting these printed up proffessionally by someone we can trust not to lose any of the material (Jessops lost three rolls of unprocessed film of Swindon Works visits in the 50s and 60s... we were not best pleased!). Thankfully, our Ken was a meticulous keeper of notes and each book of negatives is accompanied by dates etc, aside from Swindon Works and a few South Wales shots the bulk of it covers the Thames Valley area as he lived in Maidenhead and worked at nearby White Waltham at the time. Anyhoo.... here's the first little lot, taken on Sunday 29/10/50.... the original prints are tiny so the scans aren't perfect... 9641 backs into Maidenhead's Down Refuge Siding, 2954 'Tockenham Court' on the 09.15 Cheltenham-Padd, crossing from the Up Main to Up Relief at Maidenhead, A 61xx'er on a down stopper passes a 43xx Mogul sat in the middle siding, An old school Pannier 2155 at Swindon Works on Wednesday 8/11/50, More to come with a bit of luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 What a treasure trove. I grew up Maidenhead and it is great to see it as it was. It is really great to hear that the notes have survived as well. I look forward to seeing more of the archive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Thanks for putting these up, you have really found some gems! I like the picture of the Saint - it looks like the tender is the rare-ish Collett 3,500 gallon one as supplied by Hornby on one of the Granges. The first coach is a Hawksworth BTK and it looks like it is in crimson and cream. All the best, Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 Thanks both... Karhedron, mind if I enquire as to what 'vintage' you are and when you were about in that neck of the woods...? Ken lived in and around Maidenhead until he moved up country in 1964.... so perhaps your paths may well heve crossed at some point. He joined the GWR as a 'box boy at Slough East 'box in 1944, stayed on until about 1951 when he was called up for RAF service abroad (as an ariel photographer) then on his return to Blighty came back to the area as a photgraphic sales rep (with a constant supply of his own materials!) His favourite haunt appears to have been White Waltham airfield which backs onto the GW Mainline, plus the Bourne End / Marlow branch. We've found several sets of negatives with the Marlow Donkey so far, just need to get them printed up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 28, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2011 Excellent stuff Nidge - it's an awful long time since I stood on that embankment opposite Maidenhead West 'Box (where I tried with conspicuous lack of success to get a picture of the Starter out of the Down Main refuge siding as it was one of the very few signals in that neck of that part of the world which had a lattice post). Great stuff so keep 'em coming. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WR Tim Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Lovely photographs I grew up in the Thames Valley (at the tail end of the days of the class 50s) so I always like to see photos of the local area in earlier days. If you're worried about quality of the scans then you'll get best results from scanning the negatives directly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Great photos - I live in Maidenhead near White Waltham airfield, these photos are before my time however I never realised there was a crossing from the main lines to the relief at the west end of the station. I travelled daily to Maidenhead in the 1970's and remember the Slicox & Colling car siding as well as the west end siding between the down relief and up main and of course the semaphore signals for the Marlow branch. With Crossrail and electrification things are set to change again so maybe I should get my camera out now! Xerces Fobe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Thanks both... Karhedron, mind if I enquire as to what 'vintage' you are and when you were about in that neck of the woods...? Ken lived in and around Maidenhead until he moved up country in 1964.... so perhaps your paths may well heve crossed at some point. Unlikely alas as I was not born until 1977. I missed the swansong of the Hydraulics but I remember class 50s rumbling past a lot. When I started trainspotting in the early 90s I was very much interested in the current scene. However as I have "matured" I have found my interests drifting back to an ealier age that I never knew. My first bit of research was wandering along the old line from Bourne End to High Wycombe. I find it fascinating trying to imagine how things were. With Crossrail and electrification things are set to change again so maybe I should get my camera out now! Indeed, I will miss those HSTs, although they don't sound right without Valenta engines. Those turbos may soon be consigned to history (perhaps not soon enough for some people ). I wonder what will happen to the Turbos. Allegedly they were built to take take advantage of the generous loading gauge on the ex-GWR lines andare out of guage for much of the rest of the network. One rumour I heard was that this was done deliberately by NSE at the time of ordering to make it harder to transfer the fleet away and make sure they could keep their shiny new trains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Thanks for your replies and comments chaps Tim - I don't have a proper negs scanner but you're probably right, it's no doubt the best way forward, especially the amount of material we have. Karhedron - ah, so you weren't even thought of whilst I was starting to find my way around the WR! I have a twelve year lead on you in that regard and understand you're interest in a period you never knew... it's the same for me, when he was still alive old Ken used to tell me about his spotting trips in the 40s, 50s and 60s, visiting Swindon Works seeing locos being built, repaired and scrapped just before the Hydraulics came along, plus his seven or so years in the signalling grade in late GWR / early BR days... I pestered him several times to get it all written down in some form but sadly it fell on deaf ears. At least we have his photos anyway. More to come as soon as we get the negs sorted Meantime, here's another of Ken's old prints, I've a feeling I've posted it before, possibly on the old forum but thought it worth including here.... 6697 inside what looks like Banbury's lifting shop, quite late on in time I think (it's now at Didcot I believe) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 29, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 29, 2011 Where was he a Signalman Nidge? Obviously gone before my time (I started in '66) but I might have known some folk who knew him as he presumably was in the Slough area over hos whoel service? (BTW I have the 'box diagram from Slough East). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Where was he a Signalman Nidge? Obviously gone before my time (I started in '66) but I might have known some folk who knew him as he presumably was in the Slough area over hos whoel service? (BTW I have the 'box diagram from Slough East). Afternoon Mike, He was the booking lad at Slough East 'box from '46 to '51 (I mistakenly stated 1944 earlier but since he was born in 1931 that would make him a bit too young!). If he hadn't been called up for national service he said would have stayed on, but having learnt 'proper' photography in the RAF he had a reasonably well paid job lined up with an ariel photographic firm at White Waltham which no doubt paid more than BR at the time, so he never returned to railway service although I believe a position at Slough was open to him when he came home sometime in '53. Nice to know the 'box diagram is in safe hands. The diagram from Reading West Main was up for auction a few weeks back, I was tempted but thought it would go for silly money so left it, in the end I think it went for less than £200 which considering the uniqueness of these things, isn't too bad. (Just had a look at the 'Marlow Donkey' negs, they look promising ) Edit : a couple more of Ken's White Waltham shots on my flickr page... nearly forgot about these... http://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/4311871726/in/set-72157618776618664 http://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/4311170819/in/set-72157618776618664/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 29, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 29, 2011 Edit : a couple more of Ken's White Waltham shots on my flickr page... nearly forgot about these... http://www.flickr.co...157618776618664 http://www.flickr.co...57618776618664/ Thanks for those links Nidge - I see lurking in the background of the Hymek pic the bridge where the M4 - now A404(M) - crosses the railway, and another bit of history captured there as that bridge is currently undergoing extensive reconstruction (often to my inconvenience as I give my lad a lift to work in Southall on Sundays and the motorway has had a nasty habit of being closed when I'm heading east at 05.15 and coming back at 06.10ish). BTW one of my former colleagues in the London Division would probably have known Ken as he was a Signalman at Slough West in the late 1940s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Cheers for that Mike - if you get a chance do mention Ken to your colleague if you bump into him some time, his last name was Miller by the way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted July 29, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 29, 2011 Meantime, here's another of Ken's old prints, I've a feeling I've posted it before, possibly on the old forum but thought it worth including here.... 6697 inside what looks like Banbury's lifting shop, quite late on in time I think (it's now at Didcot I believe) Excellent shot of the ATC shoe there. Something that doesn't get shown very often, as they were under the cab on tender locos and many types of tank. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted July 30, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 30, 2011 Indeed, I will miss those HSTs, although they don't sound right without Valenta engines. Those turbos may soon be consigned to history (perhaps not soon enough for some people ). I wonder what will happen to the Turbos. Allegedly they were built to take take advantage of the generous loading gauge on the ex-GWR lines andare out of guage for much of the rest of the network. One rumour I heard was that this was done deliberately by NSE at the time of ordering to make it harder to transfer the fleet away and make sure they could keep their shiny new trains. I believe the plan is for the turbos to stay on former GWR lines, albut lines further west than the Thames Valley. this in turn will release the likes of 158s, etc to move on to other areas of the country not blessed with the generious loading guage ex GW routes have Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Presumably some of the turbos will remain to work services to Windsor, Marlow, Henley, Gatwick and routes beyond Oxford & Newbury. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Nidge, Ken may well have known either my father (also called Ken) or uncle (or both). Dad was a fitter at Slough shed up to 1959 and Uncle Ron was a driver on DMUs and locals. He(my uncle) gave me a cab ride from Slough to Windsor and back in the parcels 'Flying Banana' when I were a lad. I can remember steam in the area very well having been born in 1951. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Morning Steve, Well that's nice to know - it's a small world isn't it? Other members of our Ken's family were also on the GWR / WR in the 40s and 50s, I think one was a driver at Slough or possibly Southall and two were at Swindon Works. Ken (my partner Sue's Dad that is) often mentioned the GW Railcars, he said they were a good ride but he and his spotting mates were sick of the sight of the parcels car W34W! He did enjoy the passenger cars though and went up to Worcester several times for rides on them when they were transferred up that way. There's at least one photo of an early streamlined car in his collection somewhere, I must dig it out and scan it. Just like to say thanks again for all your replies, I'm glad these samples of Ken's photo's have stirred a few memories. Even when he was still alive I found it hard trying to persuade him to get them all printed up, he was one of those people who liked to squirrel things away - all of his books and photos were kept in a darkened room for many years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Found a few handwritten notes in amongst the negatives this afternoon - apparently the photo I uploaded in post #9 is actually 6627 not 6697, it's inside Reading's lifting shop and the date is 21st August 1955. It also appears that Ken took his camera further afield than we first thought, he did a shed bash in South Wales sometime in 1954 / 55 and came away with some nice shots (he said, holding the negs up to the light!). One or two Southern Region locos are appearing too. In the meantime, despite keeping notes Ken didn't give any info on the shed shot shown below with 5769, a 56xx and BR Standard 3MT Tank, 82007.... can anyone say where it is...? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 2, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 2, 2011 Looks a bit like Merthyr to me Nidge - did he get down that way at all? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Looks a bit like Merthyr to me Nidge - did he get down that way at all? Thanks Mike - yes he did, there's mention of Merthyr elsewhere on one of the transparent negative holders, but not being familiar with it I didn't twig. I didn't realise the Standard 82xxx Tanks got that far mind! I know they were all built at Swindon though, talking of which place, I've just found a few frames taken on the station there c1954 / 55, also an unrebuilt 34043 on the 'table at Oxford which sticks out a mile. I really must get these printed up and scanned, the trouble is they're all mixed in with his national service days stuff.... one minute we're looking at Panniers at Maidenhead, the next it's camels in the desert...! As an aside for those who are or were familiar with Maidenhead, this is another of Ken's photos, found in amongst the railway stuff.... according to the grease proof packet it came in, it's Bridge Street in 1954... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Thanks Mike - yes he did, there's mention of Merthyr elsewhere on one of the transparent negative holders, but not being familiar with it I didn't twig. I didn't realise the Standard 82xxx Tanks got that far mind! I know they were all built at Swindon though, talking of which place, I've just found a few frames taken on the station there c1954 / 55, also an unrebuilt 34043 on the 'table at Oxford which sticks out a mile. I really must get these printed up and scanned, the trouble is they're all mixed in with his national service days stuff.... one minute we're looking at Panniers at Maidenhead, the next it's camels in the desert...! As an aside for those who are or were familiar with Maidenhead, this is another of Ken's photos, found in amongst the railway stuff.... according to the grease proof packet it came in, it's Bridge Street in 1954... I think it is more likely to be the A4 heading towards the Thames bridge especially with the one bus going to Cliveden and the other Slough, however Maidenhead has changed (very much for the worse) over the last 60 years with a lot of it is hardly recognisable from when this photo was taken. Xerces Fobe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobi323 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 The pics of those old kettles are fantastic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Thanks Mike - yes he did, there's mention of Merthyr elsewhere on one of the transparent negative holders, but not being familiar with it I didn't twig. I didn't realise the Standard 82xxx Tanks got that far mind! What a great thread! It was a joy to find it among the new posts [oh why do I go on holiday, 38 pages of them, oh dear] I reckon it's Merthyr too. 82007 was allocated to Barry for at least part of the period between September 1953 and mid 1958. Barry shed supplied two Standard 3 tanks for Merthyr's diagrams on the legendary interval passenger service. 82007 is almost certainly wearing its first coat of paint in the photo. Chris. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted August 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 7, 2011 I've only just discovered your topic Nidge and I am really pleased such a fantastic collection is now in safe hands. Sadly, in too many cases such collections have simply been lost as relatives or executors fail to recognise their importance. Years of dedicated effort wiped out in an instant. In terms of conserving and exploiting the collection, scanning the negs is definitely the best way to go as you'll lose quality via the print route. Mind you, having prints to drool over would be nice too! Losing three films must have been very frustrating - I wouldn't trust any High Street chain with such valuable material. I currently have a similar dilemma to you, as my 9 year old dedicated film scanner (£2k in 2002) is now on the point of expiring and the market is not exactly flooded with high quality prosumer scanners at affordable prices to replace it. I wish you well with your endeavours. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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