Dave F's photos - ongoing - more added each day

[DaveF]

It's June 1972, probably the 10th  this morning and we are at Fenny Comptom watching trains while waiting to see Clun Castle on a special working.

 

 

Fenny Compton Class 33 6513 down oil June 72 J2936

 

 

Fenny Compton Class 47 1758  June 72 J2937

 

 

Fenny Compton 7029 Clun Castle Birmingham to Didcot Celebration Steam Run June 72 J2938

 

 

Fenny Compton 7029 Clun Castle Birmingham to Didcot Celebration Steam Run June 72 J2940

 

 

Fenny Compton Class 47 1753 Birmingham to Paddington June 72 J2944

 

 

Fenny Compton Class 117 Reading to Birmingham June 72 J2945  dmu class corrected

 

David

Edited April 10 by DaveF

[Phill Dyson (onslaught832)]

Really enjoying your pics David.

 

It's funny how we would wait for a special, but the pics we take of the everyday services while we are waiting are even more interesting 🙂

Edited April 10 by Phill Dyson (onslaught832)

[brushman47544]

J2945 is interesting. Other than the fact the passengers would have had to put up with a DMU all the way from Reading to Birmingham (I'd simply wait for the next loco hauled train), it's the first time I've seen a Reading based Pressed Steel Class 117 unit with a fourth coach added - and a Met-Cam with non-suburban seating to boot.

Edited April 10 by brushman47544
typo

[big jim]

4 hours ago, DaveF said:

 

Fenny Compton Class 47 1758  June 72 J2937

interesting to see the bridge carrying the SMJR line to line toward Woodford halse still in place at wormleighton 

[eastwestdivide]

2 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

J2945 is interesting. Other than the fact the passengers would have had to put up with a DMU all the way from Reading to Birmingham (I'd simply wait for the next loco hauled train), it's the first time I've seen a Reading based Pressed Steel Class 117 unit with a fourth coach added - and a Met-Cam with non-suburban seating to boot.

Could it have been a last-minute replacement/relief for a no-show/very late hauled service? I saw that a few times when I was down that way in the early 80s. But yes, the 4-car 117/Met-Cam is pretty unusual.

[DaveF]

The ECML around Little Bytham in 1971 and 1973 once again this evening.

 

 

Little Bytham Class 40 down March 71 J2528

 

 

Little Bytham Class 47 poss 1515 down  14.20 Kings X to York May 71 J2652

 

 

Little Bytham Class 55 9018 11.30 Kings X to Leeds and Harrogate May 71 J2654

 

 

Little Bytham Class 47 1973 12.00 Kings X to Aberdeen   May 71 J2657

 

 

Little Bytham Class 47 1101 14.10 Newcastle to Kings X May 73 J3193

 

David

[Market65]

Good evening, David. That’s a great set of photo’s from June, 1972, possibly the 10th, at Fenny Compton. J2944, of Class 47, 1753, on a Birmingham to Paddington service, is a superb composition by your Dad, and the 47 is well weathered, especially the cab roof.

 

The photo’s of the ECML, around Little Bytham, in 1971 and 1973, are a fantastic selection. J2657, of Class 47, 1973, on the 12.00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen express train in May, 1971, is a splendid composition from track level which makes it most impressive.

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[keefer]

11 hours ago, DaveF said:

Fenny Compton Class 115 Reading to Birmingham June 72 J2945

 

As mentioned, this is a cl.117 unit - according to railcar.co.uk L420 was formed 51367, 59519, 51409 (DMBS, TCL, DMS) and the unit was gangwayed.

The Met-Camm TCL was one of three allocated to Reading, used to strengthen services to 4-car.

These TCLs were replacements for three converted l/h Hawksworth coaches (which had initially been used in Cross-Country sets).

https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/class-117/operations

[DaveF]

Some photos at Butterley , The Midland Railway Trust in 1978 and 1982.  Once again a reminder that in those days people were allowed to walk almost anywhere they liked.

 

 

Butterley 6203 27th May 78 C3845

 

 

Butterley 4F 44027 27th May 78 C3848

 

 

Butterley 673 27th May 78 C3851

 

 

Butterley 27th May 78 C3858

 

 

Butterley 16440  Aug 82 C5841

 

 

Butterley 16440  Aug 82 C5847

 

David

[Johann Marsbar]

My first visit to the MRC was back in 1982 and, as you say, it was rather a different place back then.....

 

 

 

 

Last time I went there was for a Diesel Gala back in 2007 and, frankly, I wasn't that impressed with the way the place seemed to have gone, so haven't actually been back since then.....

[DaveF]

Black and white late 1940s photos at Cambridge from Dad come next.  One  is at March

 

 

Cambridge B1 up Yarmouth to Liverpool St c1948 JVol1202

 

 

Cambridge B17 1624 up pass c1948 JVol7270

 

 

Cambridge J15 ecs 1947 JVol1438

 

 

March J20 1947 JVol1429

 

 

Cambridge K3 ord pass 1947 JVol1430

 

David

Edited April 12 by DaveF

[Market65]

Good evening, David. That’s a fantastic selection of photo’s at Butterley, The Midland Railway Trust, in 1978 and 1982. C3848, of 4F, 44027, on the 27th May, 1978, is a splendid three quarter portrait shot of the locomotive.

 

The black and white, late 1940’s photo’s at Cambridge, are a superb set. The last photo’ of a K3 on an ordinary passenger train in 1947, is an excellent photo’, and it can be seen that the formation of stock after the LMS BG, is a five car steel articulated set with the CK replaced with a teak bodied example.
 

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[31A]

Thanks David for posting yet more lovely pictures taken by your father at Cambridge in the 1940s, but are you sure the one of the J20 (JVol1429) was taken there, as I can't place whereabouts if could be?

[DaveF]

37 minutes ago, 31A said:

Thanks David for posting yet more lovely pictures taken by your father at Cambridge in the 1940s, but are you sure the one of the J20 (JVol1429) was taken there, as I can't place whereabouts if could be?

 

I'll have to be honest and admit I don't know, I didn't look at the railway in Cambridge until the 1970s.  All I can say is that it was one of a small batch for which there was no catalogue entry but was in Album No1.  When I scanned it I took the caption details off the notes he had written on the back of the print.

 

If it isn't Cambridge it will be in the area, I know he visited March from time to time and sometimes travelled to Liverpool Street.

 

Does anyone know?

 

David

[woodenhead]

42 minutes ago, DaveF said:

 

I'll have to be honest and admit I don't know, I didn't look at the railway in Cambridge until the 1970s.  All I can say is that it was one of a small batch for which there was no catalogue entry but was in Album No1.  When I scanned it I took the caption details off the notes he had written on the back of the print.

 

If it isn't Cambridge it will be in the area, I know he visited March from time to time and sometimes travelled to Liverpool Street.

 

Does anyone know?

 

David

I found two GE engine shed books from my father, certainly not Cambridge nor Kings Lynn,

[mullie]

1 hour ago, 31A said:

Thanks David for posting yet more lovely pictures taken by your father at Cambridge in the 1940s, but are you sure the one of the J20 (JVol1429) was taken there, as I can't place whereabouts if could be?

Having looked at a few photos, I wonder if it could be March?

 

Martyn

[woodenhead]

22 minutes ago, mullie said:

Having looked at a few photos, I wonder if it could be March?

 

Martyn

Would the water tower be that close for March?

 

Been through two volumes of GE sheds and nothing similar.

[31A]

1 hour ago, mullie said:

Having looked at a few photos, I wonder if it could be March?

 

Martyn

 

Bingo Martyn, yes I believe you are correct!  The west end of March station with March North Junction box just out of shot to the left, and Norwood Road on the embankment in the background, leading to the overbridge which is visible behind the first vehicle of the train.

 

I can't find any photos on line to support this but here is the March North signal box diagram from the 1960s, by which time the signalling had been simplified and it seems the siding ending at the buffer stops by the platform ramp was no longer there.  But it looks to me as though the picture was probably taken from Platform 6 (per the diagram; present day westbound platform now numbered 1) with the face of Platform 5 in the foreground and the west facing bay platforms 3 and 4 beyond that.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwayowen/7275153232

 

I don't think the water tower in the picture was associated with the loco depot, which was a long way away from the station on the other side of Norwood Road bridge and had its own water tower, but may have been to supply water cranes in the station area.

[woodenhead]

Looking at old maps, I can match a siding to the platform end as per the picture and two buildings at the right angle for one of them to potentially be a water tower nearby.

 

[DaveF]

Thanks for the information about the J20 photo so I now know it is at March.  I've updated the caption.

 

Now for today's photos.  These are again from Switzerland at Zweissimmen, an end on Junction between the MOB (Montreux Oberland Bernois) metre gauge line from Montrues and a branch of the BLS, standard gauge, from Spiez.  Very recently trains have been developed to allow through running from Montreux to Interlaken with aoutomatic gauge changing at Zweisimmen.  The photos are from August 1991.

 

 

Zweisimmen BLS Re4/4 175 Interlaken Ost to Zweisimmen  16th Aug 91 C16450  The loco is in the middle of the train.

 

 

Zweisimmen MOB ABDe8/8 4003 Zweisimmen to Montreux   16th Aug 91 C16451

 

 

Zweisimmen MOB BDe4/4 5004 Zweisimmen to Lenk 16th Aug 91 C16452

 

 

Zweisimmen MOB BDe4/4 37   16th Aug 91 C16454

 

 

Zweisimmen MOB BDe4/4 3002  16th Aug 91 C16455

 

 

Zweisimmen MOB GDe4/4 6003  16th Aug 91 C16457

 

 

Zweisimmen MOB GDe4/4 6002  16th Aug 91 C16458

 

David

Edited April 12 by DaveF

[jwealleans]

Sorry to jump back a post, but this...

 

21 hours ago, DaveF said:

 

 

... leading carriage is either NER or one of the LNER built ones immediately after Grouping for the GE Area.

[corneliuslundie]

One you probably didn't take when you were there: Zweisimmen from the cablecar up the adjacent mountain.

 

When I got to the top the restaurant was so full of Germans I couldn't get served.

Jonathan

[Chris Turnbull]

Here is D6746 at March on 8th July 1968.  Pretty conclusive I think!

 

 

Chris Turnbull

[DaveF]

Some WCML photos around Hademore and Harow and Wealdstone. 

 

 

Hademore Class 87  Euston to Carlisle Jan 76 J5028

 

 

Hademore Class 310 Nuneaton to Stafford Jan 76  J5029

 

 

Harrow and Wealdstone Clas 86 Liverpool to Euston June 76 J5291

 

 

Harrow and Wealdstone Class 501 Watford to London June 76 J5292  going away

 

 

Harrow and Wealdstone Class 501 down June 76 J5293

 

 

Harrow and Wealdstone Class 310 down June 76 J5294

 

David

[Market65]

Good evening, David. That’s a fantastic set of photo’s from Switzerland at Zweissimmen, on the 16th August, 1991. C16454, of MOB BDe4/4, 37, is a particularly excellent three quarter portrait shot of the railcar.

 

The WCML photo’s from around Hademore and Harow and Wealdstone, are an excellent selection. J5292, at Harrow and Wealdstone, with a Class 501, on a Watford to London service, in June, 1976, going away from the camera, is a superb shot, and the guards van door can be seen to be open in the leading car of the rear three car set. 
 

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.