The Stationmaster Has Been to an Auction -

[40F]

The photo with 1462/1402 and the Saint on shed looks like Oxford.

[The Stationmaster]

And now another mystery one - clearly a large prairie but even at very large magnification it is near impossible to make out the number while the location is unknown to me so no help from that - but someone might know?  It has potentially been identified as Cookham which does fit quite well (thanks David) but further info to confirm would be helpful

 

 

And another Welsh engine (there are lots of them, helped to make the lot very attractive!) in the shape of No.42 which was once RR No.46, the location wasn't noted but it might possibly be Swindon Works - Penrhos has added that this is an RR Class R engine, thanks.

 

 

And another Metro - no idea of the number but the location is easy and the date within a few years isn't difficult so it's Paddington in the late 1930s for those who don't recognise the various clues.  From detail visible in another picture of a Metro at Paddington I think it's fair to conclude they were taken at about the same time - probably on the same day - which would date this picture to some time in the months before August 1933.

 

 

And another mystery - a pair of 8750 panniers at a location which someone (but not me) will hopefully recognise.  (Crewe passed through my mind but I doubt it ever had a pair of small tank engines - definitely not Crewe, any offers anybody, please).

 

 

Now another unknown location which I at first wondered might be Barry but on reflection am fairly sure is Radyr as 3401 was allocated there from 1958 to 1964

 

Edited October 28, 2013 by The Stationmaster

[br2975]

5648 & 3401 parked on the roads between Radyr shed and the Pre-Assembly Depot sidings. The bush behind the farthest 56xx is at the top of the bank leading down to the River Taff.

.

Brian R

[The Stationmaster]

5648 & 3401 parked on the roads between Radyr shed and the Pre-Assembly Depot sidings. The bush behind the farthest 56xx is at the top of the bank leading down to the River Taff.

.

Brian R

Thanks Brian, I only worked there for a year (but in my defence it was 1973).

[David Bigcheeseplant]

The large prairie one may be Cookham

[bbishop]

Mike,

 

For my sins, I'm Portfolio Organiser for the South Western Circle.  Have you acquired any London & South Western Railway photographs?

 

Bill

[The Stationmaster]

Mike,

 

For my sins, I'm Portfolio Organiser for the South Western Circle.  Have you acquired any London & South Western Railway photographs?

 

Bill

There are one or two 'Southern' ones Bill but I don't think there is any LSWR pre-group although there is one post -group.-

[multiprinter]

Fascinating photos Mike - looking forward to seeing more. 

One last point about Neath Riverside is that the station was referred to as Bridge St for some time in GWR days and I have an unissued GWR season ticket bearing that appendage.

[bbishop]

Mike,

 

I'll pm you.

 

Bill

[The Stationmaster]

Cracking selection of photos Mike, please keep them coming. I do like the South Wales ones; an area that seems to be neglected, especially by modellers.  Looking forward to the few Southern ones as well!  

They will keep on coming for a while Paul with quite a few more South Wales ones (some of which will be posted when I've caught up with the latest on RMweb but then it will be back to more scanning, for more South Wales stuff).

 

One thing I would ask please is that if you have any information about unidentified (or misidentified) locos or locations can you please explain why unless I happen to know that you would know - e.g I know br2975, ChrisF, and Fat Controller have a good knowledge of South Wales although even then FC carefully explained his reasoning about Neath Riverside.  Simply saying 'it's so & so' is pretty meaningless especially if you don't explain various things about a place we have already talked about and said why we can't positively identify it but  'I think it might be' posts can be helpful as they can lead me to making searches on the 'net for further hints.  The same with locos of course.

 

Hopefully this is going to grow into a large thread as I have well over 150 pics to scan in for the Western alone and in many cases that also means checking loco allocations to assist identification, checking origins on absorbed locos and where I have an inkling about a location searching the 'net looking for a confirmatory view.  I will (unlike my shortcoming on Abercynon with 304, I hope) try to update captions if/as reliable identifications became available so the thread also, perhaps, becomes a resource.  Ultimately I will try to add an index but that will take a fair bit more work and time.  Also as the  number of posted pics increase it will help me with updating captions if you could refer to the page/post number.

 

Sorry to sound like the Sgt Mjr dictating orders but, honestly, it takes a lot of time to scan and research these pictures and i do want them to be helpfully captioned if I, with your help, can manage it. 

[The Stationmaster]

And so the next lot. And we start with 1104 standing outside the distinctive workshop building at Danygraig (at least part of which still survives in non-railway use).  1104 was a member of a small class built for the GWR by Avonside to one of their standard designs although some fittings were of, or altered to, GWR pattern.

 

 

Now back north to see 4549 in the regular photographic spot at Machynlleth shed

 

 

Now 6669 and 4177 at Radyr (well I'm reasonably sure it's Radyr!).

 

 

And a couple of engines which should need no introduction but I'm not sure which one is which.  The picture was taken inside Oswestry works 'sometime in 1958' according to the note on the back.

 

 

Back to Danygraig where 1105 was recorded on the shed on 16 June 1957

 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

And these are the final ones from the first round of scanning - starting with two views of the same engine, plus a bit of another.  The centre of attraction is 1144, formerly Swansea Harbour Trust No.13 and takenover by the GWR in 1923.  It was a standard Hawthorn Leslie design and lasted until 1960

 

 

The second photo shows a lot more of 1140, another ex SHT loco but in this case a Barclay product which lasted until 1958 and had just under a year left when these photos were taken at swansea East Dock shed on 16 June 1957.  The oil barrels on the foreground might also be of interest to modellers - painted black and containing, it would seem, lubricants, they were to be returned empty to swindon 

 

 

The next one is an easily identified engine - 4686 - but the location is a bit harder.  I'm reasonably sure it's Radyr but the engine doesn't seem to have been allocated there although it was at Cardiff East Dock for some years.

 

 

And now back to Machynlleth for 5809, one of the non pus-pull fitted series of Collett 0-4-2Ts

 

 

Finally a trip way off to the east and a B12 at Peterborough.  Alas number not decipherable.

 

 

 

 

[roythebus]

How did 1598 manage to get under the bridges with the water tower attached to the dome??

[Miss Prism]

Hmmm - what kind of duties would a Machynlleth-based (or visiting) Collett 0-4-2T have?

[Miss Prism]

Not convinced about Cookham.
 

 

[The Stationmaster]

Apologies for posting this singleton (and for it being a bit large) but it intrigues me.  A note on the back suggest that it might be GW No.52 which would make it exRR No.10, an A Class engine which received a taper boiler in 1933 (if I'm reading the RCTS book correctly).  The staff do look a bit pre-war-ish but two wagons don't so the suggested number could be wrong.

 

Penrhos has now added the following, very helpful, information about the engine -

 

Definitely an ex Rhymney A1 class.  The sandboxes are the give-away.  The first 2 batches of A class and the M class where the only inside frame 0-6-2T Rhymney locos with sandboxes above the footplate sand boxes.  M class side tanks over hung the footplate.  At sometime (sorry I don't have my books to hand) the boiler was changes to a Belpaire firebox type which made it almost the same as the latter batches and it became an A1.

 

Given what has been said about the first wagon of pit props I reckon it might be 57.  I have various photos of 57 with the correct GWRified bunker.  Only one is dated (1938) but it had a flush riveted smokebox.  A much later photo shows it with proud rivets.  It's not 53, as 53 received an inverted V shaped rain gutter on both sides of the cab roof.

 

The second wagon is a GWR iron mink with post 1927 doors.

 

The next question is location and I am minded to think that it could well be the top end of Aber Jcn yard round the curve towards the Senghenydd branch - the number of through lines is correct, the dead end sidings on the left look to be correct but I haven't counted them but there should be allotments over on the right if the only maps I can find are correct.  Any help with identifying the place gratefully received.

 

Edited October 28, 2013 by The Stationmaster

[Fat Controller]

Which two wagons are you thinking of, Mike? I can see the 7-planker that's had a top door removed being one, but can't think which the other might be.

[The Stationmaster]

Hmmm - what kind of duties would a Machynlleth-based (or visiting) Collett 0-4-2T have?

 

5809 was a Machynlleth engine from 1956 to 59 during part of which time the shed had two others as well - how about things like the Van branch as Oswestry also had 2 or 3 during the earlier part of the 1950s suggested it was looking for some work for the rest of a Divisional allocation perhaps?

 

 

 

Not convinced about Cookham.

 

 

Fair point Miss P - some things fit quite well especially the roofs & chimneys in the right background and what can be made out in the distance ties up with the track layout as it was at one time but beyond that I'm not sure as too little of the building is visible.  Perhaps David has further information?

[jwealleans]

B12/3 at Peterborough looks like 8519 to me, Mike.  Pre-1946 number and a nice ex-GE corridor coach in the background.

[cary hill]

Hmmm - what kind of duties would a Machynlleth-based (or visiting) Collett 0-4-2T have?

 

5809 resting at Barmouth in 1957 http://railphotoprints.zenfolio.com/p608550011/h5E2540A2#h5e2540a2 Barmouth - Dolgelley "shuttle" ?

[The Stationmaster]

Which two wagons are you thinking of, Mike? I can see the 7-planker that's had a top door removed being one, but can't think which the other might be.

The third one in the train Brian - I'm wondering if it too has any bare wood planks in it?

[unravelled]

I think Oxford for 3608 in batch 3. That looks like St Barnabas church in the background, with the old steep roof.

A fascinating collection, thanks for posting them

 

Dave

Edited October 25, 2013 by unravelled

[Fat Controller]

I agree Mike, on enlarging the photo, the 2nd plank down to the right of the door looks unpainted.

So in that case, you're looking at something in the 1945-48 timeframe, and the loco can't be the one quoted, as it hasn't received a Swindon boiler?

[The Stationmaster]

So in that case, you're looking at something in the 1945-48 timeframe, and the loco can't be the one quoted, as it hasn't received a Swindon boiler?

Agree Brian - the number was written on the back of the photo but whoever wrote the numbers in on various of the photos was clearly blessed with either remarkable eyesight or a very strong (and distorting) magnifying glass as several have turned out to be well adrift and - as in this case - can't really be divined apart from identifying the class and a potential date.  One of the enginemen's caps looks distinctly GWR and that leading wagon seems to have a number or something in quite large numerals at the leading end while teh engine number is fairlydefnitely two digits as far as I can see.  

 

The bufferbeam number might be brought out with some sharpening possibly?

[chrisf]

Post #45 with the ex-Rhymney tank - the location reminds me of Barry Sidings on the Vale of Glamorgan but I'm not saying that it is!  The Rhymney loco makes it far more likely that it is Aber Junction.  If only we could read the lettering on the target board, which I can't despite zooming it in and out, that would provide a very useful clue. 

 

Chris, trying to convince himself that he knows a bit about South Wales ...

Edited October 25, 2013 by chrisf