From Western Sunset's Collection

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Thought I'd create a thread where I could place some photos which might be of interest, but not necessarily of the "creative" variety.

 

First up is Nuneaton in July 1973. I'd just had my first ride behind a Cl.87 from Rugby, as it was working the 11.05 Euston - Barrow. 87001 was barely a month old, having entered traffic during June.

 

Note the original style of catenary and the ex-LNW signalbox in the background.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Moving across the West Midlands brings us to Worcestershire and at the county town's Shrub Hill station we find Hymek 7098 (note the painted-over D prefix) waiting to leave with the Hereford portion of an express from Paddington.

 

The Hereford trains never received the latest WR coaching stock, but at least this rake have Commonwealth bogies to improve the ride.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Moving south from Worcester along the Midland line to the west, we arrive in Cheltenham.

 

Whilst Oxford is usually cited as THE place to see engines from each of the pre-nationalisation companies, Cheltenham was another town where that also occurred. Apart from regular LMS stuff on the Midland line from Birmingham to Bristol, plus GW locos on trains to St James' station and the Honeybourne line, ex LNER B1s might appear working down to Gloucester and beyond, with SR locos appearing off the Midland & South Western line from Andover.

 

The south end of Lansdown station, with the adjacent Honeybourne line, would thus make an interesting model.

 

Here, spewing out some Maybach clag, we see D1032 Western Marksman leaving Cheltenham Spa Lansdown with a Paddington-bound train.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

For better or ill, the Westerns were largely replaced by the Cl.50s.

 

Crewe was their original home before moving west. On a glorious July day in 1970, D443 backs down onto the 09.05 Euston to Blackpool/Carlisle, replacing the electric loco which had brought the train from London.

[Rugd1022]

Lovely photos Peter - do you have a precise or approximate date for the 1032 shot at 'Nam...? Bit of a rare one in blue as it was on the dump at Laira in early '73... ;-)

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Think it was August 1969 Nidge.

 

Anyway, staying at Crewe but moving forward 15 years from the last photo finds a deserted station. What's happening? It was the time when the station was being modernised and the track layout rationalised. This is the view north along the then platform 2.

Note those lovely red GPO barrows; wonder what happened to them all?

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Leaving Crewe on the Derby line, but turning right at Stenson Junction brings us near to Trentlock. Here 58014 crosses the still waters of the Erewash Canal with MGR empties bound for Toton.

The graffiti is very much of the 1970s period, rather than the coloured "Tagging" seen today.

 

 

As we're near Trent, shall we go north, south, east or west next?

[Rugd1022]

Thanks for the answer on 1032 Peter - just checked the relevant records which say 1032 emerged freshly overhauled and dual braked from Swindon on 20th May '69 so it may have been just after that date instead.... chances are it's on a Cheltenham job as a test run as it looks fresh out of the box in your lovely photo, although there's already a small build up of clag on the roof ;o)

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Continuing east brings us to Nottingham, a city rather neglected by photographers considering it's size and central location.

 

Here in 1981, a 3-car Swindon Cross-Country DMU is rather lost in the former Midland grandeur. The unit is waiting to leave for (the now closed) Lincoln St Mark's station.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Taking the Grantham line from Nottingham we reach the ECML and one of my favourite spots - High Dyke. Watching the procession of expresses passing by in the quiet Lincolnshire countryside was always a treat.

 

I can still hear those Deltics droning across the landscape as they climb to Stoke Tunnel.

 

Here on a beautiful June day in 1973, we see 9013 "The Black Watch" heading for KX on the 08.00 from Edinburgh. In those days the sidings were still full of 27t tippler wagons loaded with ironstone for the furnaces at Scunthorpe.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Moving 100 or so miles south brings us to Kings Cross (or is it King's Cross?). We've also moved 36 years on from 1973 to a cold and dark November.

 

The Deltics are long gone, replaced by Cl.91s and, in this picture, a pair of HSTs waiting to depart.

[Physicsman]

Great thread, Peter.

 

Good idea to put these photos into the public domain. Anything mid 60s would be appreciated - steam or diesel! Keep the photos coming!

 

Jeff

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Mid 60s - I was still at primary school Jeff!

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Moving down the "Widened Lines" brings us to Farringdon. Already a pretty busy station, when Cross Rail is completed it'll become one of the busiest on the network.

 

Here in 2009, St Paul's Cathedral overlooks a couple of Underground trains and a northbound Thameslink service departing.

[Phil Bullock]

Hydraulics at Worcester and Cheltenham?

 

Now this is a proper thread!

 

Any more please?

 

Phil

[Peter Kazmierczak]

If we eventually get back to Cheltenham, Phil, there might be another Western there. And possibly a Warship and a Cl.22 at Shrub Hill.....

[Phil Bullock]

Class 22 at Shrub Hill??? Ooh you are a tease!

 

Phil

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Taking the "tube" we stop off at Paddington. The hydraulics have gone but the Cl.50s are gaining a following.

 

Here in 1981, we find one of Old Oak Common's allocation, 50034 "Furious" still in original condition, at the end of platform 9 with ECS off the 11.20 ex Liverpool. At that period there were some rather unusual through trains serving Paddington; shades of the Birkenhead through services of twenty years earlier.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Wanting to travel north, we double-back to St Pancras and find 45101 just about fitting into platform 4 with the 12.55 to Sheffield. A view which one would now find hard to recognise over 30 years later from the totally sanitised St Pancras International. No place for an odd oil drum and other bits and pieces lying around as we see here.

 

The late 1950s signalbox still retains its original LMR maroon enamel sign, which is a nice touch.

 

 

[Rugd1022]

Two wonderful shots there Peter, very nice.... the clarity of your Paddington shot in particular makes it look as though it was taken just yesterday - if only!

 

Looking forward to the remainder of your Hydraulic pics ;o)

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Well Nidge, as you wanted an hydraulic and we're at St Pancras, here's one of the Cl.127 DMUs which operated the local services to Luton and Bedford.

 

Hydraulic transmission of course.....

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Moving north, we bail out at Loughborough and walk across the town to the now preserved ex-Great Central station.

 

Here we find, totally appropriately, a B1 waiting to depart for a run up the line.

[eastwestdivide]

Is it possible to "like" a whole thread? Apart from the hydraulics, you could have been following me round in the 70s/80s. More Midlands please...

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Loughborough is also home to Brush, where countless locomotives have been built including Cl.31s, 47s and 92s.

 

here in 1989 we see the first batch of Cl.60s under construction. The bodyshells were fabricated by Procor in Wakefield and brought down to Loughborough fully painted. I'm not sure where the bogies werebuilt though; anyone know?

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Heading north again we take the direct Erewash Valley line past Toton Sidings.

Here a northbound HST screams past with its Valenta engines at full blast.

 

 

This will be the site of the HS2 station serving the East Midlands, when (of if) the line is built.