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

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. Astonishing how things have changed, as mentioned previously. Corby was such a hive of activity back when those lovely photos were taken. Can't help with information about the loco's, but I am enjoying seeing them in the photo's.

Then Glenfield tunnel. Very restricted wasn't it, I think class 1F was the largest loco allowed?

 

With best regards,

 

Rob.

[Dave47549]

.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff

[New Haven Neil]

The steam shunter looks like a Stephenson Hawthorn, probably 16".

[Rob F]

Hi, Dave. Astonishing how things have changed, as mentioned previously. Corby was such a hive of activity back when those lovely photos were taken. Can't help with information about the loco's, but I am enjoying seeing them in the photo's.

Then Glenfield tunnel. Very restricted wasn't it, I think class 1F was the largest loco allowed?

With best regards,

Rob.

My late father worked for BR and in the 50s sometimes did overtime in the goods yard at Leicester West Bridge, which was the terminus of the line through Glenfield tunnel. He said that when timber was loaded into open wagons, it had to be angled to be facing away from the direction of travel, as it would often scrape along the roof of the tunnel and this prevented it from 'snagging'.

 

Rob

[edward66]

A Midland 2F 0-6-0 used to work it but I seem to remember a more modern loco was cut down, cab narrowed a bit, was it a 78xxx 2-6-0? Maybe I'm mistaken.

 

Edward

[Leander]

A Midland 2F 0-6-0 used to work it but I seem to remember a more modern loco was cut down, cab narrowed a bit, was it a 78xxx 2-6-0? Maybe I'm mistaken.

 

Edward

BR Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0s nos. 78013 & 78028 received cut down cabs when they replaced the Midland 2F 0-6-0s which previously worked the branch.

[Ray M]

Excellent photographs again Dave, what happened to this country? I love pictures of British industry, when we were still a proud nation. Look at the cars all British

One of many reasons :

The do gooders were born,

& started to breed.

[DaveF]

Some Scottish photos for today, taken in the east, around Fife and Clackmannanshire

 

The trains in two of the photos are very small, but they are there if you look hard enough.

 

 

Menstrie 26032 down molasses tanks 5th April 91 C15746

 

 

North Queensferry 150259 up Fife Circle train 15th Aug 96 J16279

 

 

North Queensferry 150208 down Fife Circle train 15th Aug 96 C21312

 

 

Kinghorn distant view Class 37 up freight from Pettycur harbour Aug 96 J16286

 

 

Kinghorn distant view Class 158 up from Pettycur harbour Aug 96 J16291

 

 

David

[luckymucklebackit]

Last time I went spotting at North Queensferry this poster was stuck to the wall of the platform shelter, I am embarrassed to say that I couldn't suppress a snigger.

 

 

Jim

[edward66]

Thanks for confirming my memory Leander, I often doubt it these days!

 

Edward

[62613]

One of many reasons :

The do gooders were born,

& started to breed.

Que?

[Clive Mortimore]

One of many reasons :

The do gooders were born,

& started to breed.

You mean those do gooding multinationals who when they found out it was getting too expensive to exploit us Brits went elsewhere and exploited some foreign workers at a much lower wage, and poorer working conditions (but who needs health and saftey). And in return we spent our money on cheaper imports. That is why we have no industry in this country, it is called capitalism.

 

Ask the ladies who use to put your Tri-ang trains together what they think of the latest Hornby locos, I bet it isn't "Wow!!! For their price they are very highly detailed".

[DaveF]

Could we get the comments back to ones about the photos now please.

 

 

Yesterday I went to to do a bit of shopping.

 

On the way I had to wait at the level crossing on the ECML at Stannington Station.  It was pouring with rain and too dull to get a photo of the train - which was a northbound Voyager.

 

 

Waiting at the level crossing

 

 

Later on I was in Morpeth and stopped at the station for a few minutes.  By then the rain had almost stopped but there was still a strong wind.

 

 

ASC_1743 Morpeth 91117 down 22 Dec 15

 

 

ASC_1744 Morpeth 82217 down 22 Dec 15

 

 

David

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. Excellent photo's. I love the Scottish ones, always like seeing the scenery. I could make out the trains in those last two!

Good one at the LC at Stannington, which is the kind of view that I think we all have everyday and do not photograph. And a good two photo's at Morpeth of a 91 + MkIV stock.

 

With best regards,

 

Rob.

[blueeighties]

Good evening Dave. C5135. I stood on that spot and watched that 1S15 Newcastle-Edinburgh depart hundreds of times, I may even have been on the platform when you took this shot. 9 Years of age, we had only very recently moved to Cramlington and I had just discovered the joys of spotting on the ECML. It's an absolute joy to keep seeing gems such as this posted, thank you so much. All the best for Christmas and the New Year, and I look forward to more wonderful archive North East postings.

[RANGERS]

Corby steelworks and a couple of disused railway photos today, just for a change.

 

There is less information than usual in Dad's notes on the Corby photos, does anyone know more about the locos?

 

 

Corby and Weldon BISC shunter 214 Oct 70 J2388.jpg

Corby and Weldon BISC shunter 214 Oct 70 J2388

 

 

Corby BISC 0-6-0ST and 0-6-0DS 214 Oct 70 J2389.jpg

Corby BISC 0-6-0ST and 0-6-0DS 214 Oct 70 J2389

 

 

Corby BISC p w train Oct 70 J2390.jpg

Corby BISC p w train Oct 70 J2390

 

 

Corby BISC p w train Oct 70 J2391.jpg

Corby BISC p w train Oct 70 J2391

 

 

Rushden trackbed of MR Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers branch Oct 70 J2394.jpg

Rushden trackbed of MR Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers branch Oct 70 J2394

 

 

Glenfield Tunel Feb 71 J2521.jpg

Glenfield Tunel Feb 71 J2521

 

 

David

The locos in the Corby pics are examples of the Hawthorn Leslie which were the standard "Works" locos. They mostly dated from the 1930s when the plant was developed but IIRC some may have been post-war. The diesels were English Electric DH bought new in the late 1960s to replace the steam fleet. At least two of the saddle tanks survive but I believe all of the EE diesels have now been scrapped.

 

J2388 shows Lloyds Sidings and was taken from Rockingham Rd Bridge/ West Gate entrance into the "Steel Side" of the works, the original 1935 blast furnaces are shown here before the project to rebuild No3 Blast Furnace in 1973/ 74 which also added the new Sinter Plant and would appear on the skyline to the centre of this shot. Lloyds South box would still have been operational, the up home signal with Corby North Distant on the same post is to the left at the side of the up line. This spot was a regular haunt for us at lunchtimes in the late 1970s. Th incoming coal, ore and limestone were tripped from Lloyds up the bank at the far end of Lloyds into the Wood exchange sidings on the top of the embankment.

 

J2389 is taken from Weldon Rd, through the railings, and behind the two trains shows the Continuous Weld (CW) plant, still operational today, with the line to the loading bay curving round in the centre. The PW train is standing on the line to Corby Sidings in the foreground (Now the Network Rail line into the works) and the internal line to Weldon Rd Sidings which usually held tube wagons before and after loading. These sidings have been disused since the early 1990s but were only recently lifted. The road trailers in the background are remnants of a bygone age which would soon be replaced by the higher capacity 32 ton trailers which had recently been introduced. BRS used this park for their internal user tractor units used to shunt trailers around the works, Bristol HAs into the early '70s before they were replaced with AEC Mandators displaced by Guys and Scammells on the road.

 

J2390 was the same train taken from slightly further along Weldon Rd, looking West towards the steelmaking plant and shows the line to Corby Sidings and the outside world curving away under Weldon Rd on the left. Virtually all outgoing wagons went out that way. The plant in the background is the Electric Resistance Weld (ERW) plant which produced finer gauge tubes for premium applications, my dad worked there for most of his 50 years in the steel industry. Weldon Rd sidings can be seen here with tube wagons and bogie bolsters in abundance.

 

J2391 is the same stretch looking East towards Weldon village, taken from the bridge at No2 gate to the Tube Side of the works. The plant in the background is the Electric Weld Stretch Reduction Plant with the line to the East side of the works which eventually circumnavigated the entire plant to arrive back at Wood Sidings, on the embankment at the far end of Lloyds Sidings and just about visible in the first shot J2388. Full wagons worked into the works through Lloyds and out through Corby Sidings having gone full circle round the plant. Empty tube wagons came in through Corby sidings and along this stretch of line to Weldon Rd sidings.

 

The works are still in production but a mere shadow of what it was when these shots were taken and although there are a couple of inbound coil trains a day, nothing leaves by rail nowadays.

 

This link gives more details of the history of the plant http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/37/Corby.htm

Edited December 23, 2015 by RANGERS

[DaveF]

The locos in the Corby pics are examples of the Hawthorn Leslie which were the standard "Works" locos. They mostly dated from the 1930s when the plant was developed but IIRC some may have been post-war. The diesels were English Electric DH bought new in the late 1960s to replace the steam fleet. At least two of the saddle tanks survive but I believe all of the EE diesels have now been scrapped.

 

J2388 shows Lloyds Sidings and was taken from Rockingham Rd Bridge/ West Gate entrance into the "Steel Side" of the works, the original 1935 blast furnaces are shown here before the project to rebuild No3 Blast Furnace in 1973/ 74 which also added the new Sinter Plant and would appear on the skyline to the centre of this shot. Lloyds South box would still have been operational, the up home signal with Corby North Distant on the same post is to the left at the side of the up line. This spot was a regular haunt for us at lunchtimes in the late 1970s. Th incoming coal, ore and limestone were tripped from Lloyds up the bank at the far end of Lloyds into the Wood exchange sidings on the top of the embankment.

 

J2389 is taken from Weldon Rd, through the railings, and behind the two trains shows the Continuous Weld (CW) plant, still operational today, with the line to the loading bay curving round in the centre. The PW train is standing on the line to Corby Sidings in the foreground (Now the Network Rail line into the works) and the internal line to Weldon Rd Sidings which usually held tube wagons before and after loading. These sidings have been disused since the early 1990s but were only recently lifted. The road trailers in the background are remnants of a bygone age which would soon be replaced by the higher capacity 32 ton trailers which had recently been introduced. BRS used this park for their internal user tractor units used to shunt trailers around the works, Bristol HAs into the early '70s before they were replaced with AEC Mandators displaced by Guys and Scammells on the road.

 

J2390 was the same train taken from slightly further along Weldon Rd, looking West towards the steelmaking plant and shows the line to Corby Sidings and the outside world curving away under Weldon Rd on the left. Virtually all outgoing wagons went out that way. The plant in the background is the Electric Resistance Weld (ERW) plant which produced finer gauge tubes for premium applications, my dad worked there for most of his 50 years in the steel industry. Weldon Rd sidings can be seen here with tube wagons and bogie bolsters in abundance.

 

J2391 is the same stretch looking East towards Weldon village, taken from the bridge at No2 gate to the Tube Side of the works. The plant in the background is the Electric Weld Stretch Reduction Plant with the line to the East side of the works which eventually circumnavigated the entire plant to arrive back at Wood Sidings, on the embankment at the far end of Lloyds Sidings and just about visible in the first shot J2388. Full wagons worked into the works through Lloyds and out through Corby Sidings having gone full circle round the plant. Empty tube wagons came in through Corby sidings and along this stretch of line to Weldon Rd sidings.

 

The works are still in production but a mere shadow of what it was when these shots were taken and although there are a couple of inbound coil trains a day, nothing leaves by rail nowadays.

 

This link gives more details of the history of the plant http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/37/Corby.htm

 

 

Rangers,

 

Thanks very much indeed for the information, I've now got a much better understanding of what is in the photos and of exactly where Dad was when he took them.

 

David

[luckymucklebackit]

I thought that I recognised the Corby photos but couldn't place then myself, I used to visit the works when I worked for my last employer about 8 years ago. The Cold Drawn Tube business had just relocated from Birmingham to Corby and as they were my supplier I had to check that they were relocating smoothly.  This didn't happen as they punched a couple of holes in the roof to build new flues, and in doing so disturbed a lot of blue asbestos, so the site had to be sealed off while it was cleaned up.

The hazards of reusing old industrial buildings indeed!

 

Jim

[DaveF]

Some more photos today from a trip up the Westgate branch from Darlington to Eastgate on the "North Briton" on 23rd May 1987.

 

 

Etherley Class 101 North Briton special 23rd May 87 C8488

 

 

Etherley Class 101 North Britain tour 23rd May 87 C8494

 

 

Frosterley Class 101 23rd May 87 C8502

 

 

Stanhope Class 101 North Briton 23rd May 87 C8506

 

 

Eastgate goods shed 23rd May 87 C8514

 

 

Eastgate Class 101 North Briton 23rd May 87 C8519

 

 

Eastgate Blue Circle cement Thomas Hill shunter 23rd May 87 C8516

 

 

David

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. Great to those photos of that railtour. I think that the line since preservation has retained at least some of the character it had on that day. A fairly typical country branch line.

 

With best regards,

 

Rob.

[North Eastern]

All the best for Christmas & the New Year - David.

 

If you are up for it tomorrow it would be great to see some festive photos especially with a J27 or two in them.

 

Regards

 

Chris

[DaveF]

All the best for Christmas & the New Year - David.

 

If you are up for it tomorrow it would be great to see some festive photos especially with a J27 or two in them.

 

Regards

 

Chris

 

 

You can have a J27 - but it has to be preserved; you can have festive photos, you can have snow - but check the date for one of them.  I hope no one minds a Swiss photo creeping in here today.

 

 

Goathland J27 2392 ecs July 73 C1255

 

 

Train on Christmas Day C20774

 

 

Bottesford Class 114 Nottingham to Boston Dec 81 J7616

The destination says Skegness but the line was blocked beyond Boston by snow on that day.

 

 

Switzerland Oberalppasshohe Furka Oberalp HGe4/4 101 Glacier Express plus Regionalzug Brig to Disentis combined 2nd Aug 89 C12864

 

 

More seriously, neither Dad nor I ever saw J27s in BR days - we weren't far enough north.

 

David

Edited December 24, 2015 by DaveF

[96701]

One of many reasons :

The do gooders were born,

& started to breed.

A bit of a simplistic statement perhaps? Which do gooders, when were they born, and when did they influence anything? Edited December 24, 2015 by 96701

[The Pilotman]

A bit of a simplistic statement perhaps? Which do gooders, when were they born, and when did they influence anything?

Come on guys, this is Dave's photo thread and he has already asked nicely once in post #5284.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Western Aviator

[DaveF]

I thought we'd have a simple picture quiz over the next few days.  

 

All you have to do is identify the locations, you may also be able to work out an approximate date and where the trains (if any) are going.  There aren't any prizes!

 

I've removed any words which might have been helpful.

 

They are all easy if you know the areas!  Most of the locations have not yet appeared in this thread, they may give some clues as to what is still to come.

 

There will also be the usual photos later each day.

 

So here is the first batch.

 

C001

 

 

C771

 

 

C1525

 

 

C2278

 

 

 

 

 

 

hols2 057

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited to try to sort out the numbering on the last image but all it did was move the images around.  WHY??!

David  The one below here is IMG2342.  I've no idea why it won't go in the right place.

Edited December 25, 2015 by DaveF