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

[Clive Mortimore]

The Peak in J029 is definitely a class 45 (& not a 46 as suggested here) as there is no extra lower grille in the middle of the bodyside as on a 46.

It is a Brush not a Crompton. It has plain battery boxes. Cromptons (class 45) had a "X " pattern embossed on their battery boxes. Early Brushes (Class 46) had twin central headcode windows and no triangular grille. Late Brushes had a one piece headcode window and no triangular grille. All Class 45s (a hand full) and Class 46s (that was all of them) when refurbished by Brush in the late 60s had a one piece central headcode box and the triangular grille. No changes to the battery boxes. A few of the Class 46s were returned to traffic in green livery after being refurbished, the rest in blue. All the refurbished 45s as far as I am aware reentered service in blue.

 

Edit, I forgot to say that the Great Northern drivers for many years were only passed on 46s hence Holbeck 45s were not used on trains like the Yorkshire Pudding Pullman.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Clive Mortimore

[Strathwood]

Hi Dave

If it is D856 Trojen it's a rare shot because the Southern men were only trained on the Swindon built Class 42 Warships there was a plan to train the Salisbury Drivers on the NBL Warships but it got dropped.

 

Nice to see the hydraulic photos.

 

Cheers Gareth

Just to throw another spanner in the works don't forget that Weymouth men were trained on the NBL versions and a number of them would have signed their route cards for the length of the Weymouth-Waterloo-Exeter routes.

 

Kevin

Edited May 4, 2016 by Strathwood

[Arpster]

Well, I've learned something today. There's a song by John Shuttleworth (sung in a duet with Leo Sayer) about Crich Tram Museum which I'd always assumed had been made up for the purposes of the song. Now I know different. For those who haven't heard it (which is probably everyone reading this) the song's chorus goes like this:

 

At the Crich Tram Museum

I went with a lad called Ian

We were there from nine

'Til chucking-out time

There was so much there worth seeing

 

Sorry for the thread creep, lovely pictures, as always. And congratulations on two years; there must be a great many of us who deeply appreciate the time and effort you invest in your daily posts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIkMxXnKJfU - Have a listen here. I never knew it was pronounced "Crigh-ch".

 

Arp

[DaveF]

A set of what are really just record pictures taken at Folkestone today.. They may prove useful as reference material for modelmaking, no trains for once.

 

 

Folkestone Harbour view up incline April 75 C1979

 

 

Folkestone Harbour view up incline from road April 75 C1982

 

 

Folkestone Harbour view inland Dec 77 J5905

 

 

Folkestone Harbour station from BR Sealink Ferry Vortigern April 83 J7880

 

 

Folkestone Harbour station from MV Princess Astrid April 83 J7944

 

 

David

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. Fascinating to see those photos of Folkestone. I am not too familiar with the station, although I have seen plenty of views of the incline. I see the station was on quite a curve.

I also have taken photos for the record, including some a couple of weeks ago of Driffield station. They might well come in useful one day.

 

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[talisman56]

A set of what are really just record pictures taken at Folkestone today.. They may prove useful as reference material for modelmaking, no trains for once.

 

 

David

 

Which is, indeed, the current situation...

[DaveF]

Pictures of the Great Central's London Extension today.  Some show dereliction and decay, others were taken in happier times.

 

The East Leake photo does contain a train, it is a long way away but there is a loco and a train of 16T minerals if you look carefully.  I suppose it's a "windcutter" but we never called them that when I lived near the line.

 

 

Bulwell Common remains view north May 74 J3662

 

 

East Leake 9F down freight Sept 59 J1681

Dad took this photo from the back garden.  The view is no longer there, the field is now full of houses. Of course that bit of railway still exists.  When I was young the lower part of the field was our sledge run in winter.

 

 

East Leake Class 20 shunting yard May 71 C586

 

 

Stanford on Soar Class 105 Rugby Central to Nottingham Arkwright Street last day of service 5th May 69 J1658

 

River Soar viaduct Aug 75 C2239

 

 

Brackley GCR Oct 70 J2400

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. Excellent photos of the GCR London Extension. What a state that class 20 is in in C586. It would make a great modelling project. And then one of the quite rare 3-car Cravens DMU's in J1658.

What a good view of the River Soar Viaduct in C2239. It would be another fine modelling project. But so sad to see a once great railway rotting away etc. Surely it could have been kept open, and then HS2 would not be needed in the way it is.

 

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[Swindon 123]

Pictures of the Great Central's London Extension today.  Some show dereliction and decay, others were taken in happier times.

 

 

r East Leake Class 20 shunting yard May 71 C586.jpg

East Leake Class 20 shunting yard May 71 C586

 

 

 

The 20 in shot C586 looks to have its number painted on its front buffer beam, which if is as I think makes it D8037. I don't think I've come across that sort of numbering on a diesel before.

 

Nice photos as always Dave. Thanks for sharing.

 

Paul J.

[corneliuslundie]

Yes, no trains at Folkestone beyond Central at the moment, as illustrated in another excellent thread on this site.

In the current HMRS Journal there is an article about modelling the predecessor to the swing bridge in your photos. Quite a challenge.

Jonathan

[highpeakman]

Thanks for the pictures of the London Extension. Brings back so many memories. I could just see the GC line from my bedroom window (on Wilford Hill) as it went past Clifton Colliery and the power station before entering Nottingham. Difficult to tell the types of locos from that distance but my eyesight was sharper in those days. Many 8Fs and 9Fs every day at that time.

 

I am still bitter about the sheer vandalism of the closure of that line. The early foresight of Watkins and the opposite blindness of 60's government!

Edited May 5, 2016 by highpeakman

[JeffP]

Those pics make me think this site needs a sad icon, like Facebook. Like is too happy for them.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Good to see pictures of the old Great Central David. I think the term "runners" was more often used by railwaymen, rather than "windcutters".

[Clive Mortimore]

Thanks for the pictures of the London Extension. Brings back so many memories. I could just see the GC line from my bedroom window (on Wilford Hill) as it went past Clifton Colliery and the power station before entering Nottingham. Difficult to tell the types of locos from that distance but my eyesight was sharper in those days. Many 8Fs and 9Fs every day at that time.

 

I am still bitter about the sheer vandalism of the closure of that line. The early foresight of Watkins and the opposite blindness of 60's government!

It was the right decision at the time. The railways were losing money. All the major centers of population served by the GC had alternative rail routes to London and other major cities. What local traffic there was could be accommodated on local bus services. The freight traffic had declined, not only on the GC but else where, the Midland having spare capacity was quite able to take on the additional work load from the GC. In 1963 it could well have been argued "What sheer vandalism it was to cut trough the country side with yet another north to south railway which has not paid its way."

 

All railways were built to make money, not for the likes of us puffer nutters, so if they don't and look like they will never do so then economically they should be shut, just like BHS or any other business.

[luckymucklebackit]

I particularly like the "freshly derelict" photographs you have in your collection, they are very much of a time, just shortly after the mass closures of the 1960s. Nearly every scrap of the closed station sites from that era has been built over or been absorbed back into the landscape, doubt if we will ever see their like again

 

Jim

[Peter Kazmierczak]

In connection with "runners", I thought we were referring to the David's 1959 photo of the 9F..........

[30851]

In connection with "runners", I thought we were referring to the David's 1959 photo of the 9F..........

Sorry - I got the wrong photo!

[great central]

J1658, last day of service, as in this section of line shuts the next day (for a few years anyway), but look at the condition of the permanent way, better than a lot you'll see nowadays

[talisman56]

C586 - they did let Class 20s out on their own occasionally - usually they had to go out with a mate...

[railsquid]

C586 looks like the kind of painting which used to grace 1960s/1970s model railway catalogue covers.

[stovepipe]

The 20 in shot C586 looks to have its number painted on its front buffer beam, which if is as I think makes it D8037. I don't think I've come across that sort of numbering on a diesel before.

 

Nice photos as always Dave. Thanks for sharing.

 

Paul J.

 

The Claytons at Barrow Hill (D8606-16) had numbers on the buffer beam too.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/21264139981/

[Rob F]

Great pictures of the GCR, thanks.

 

Do you have any photos in your collection of the Midland line from Nottingham to Melton in West Bridgford, after closure, during demolition? That is something I have never seen.

 

ROB

[highpeakman]

It was the right decision at the time. The railways were losing money. All the major centers of population served by the GC had alternative rail routes to London and other major cities. What local traffic there was could be accommodated on local bus services. The freight traffic had declined, not only on the GC but else where, the Midland having spare capacity was quite able to take on the additional work load from the GC. In 1963 it could well have been argued "What sheer vandalism it was to cut trough the country side with yet another north to south railway which has not paid its way."

 

All railways were built to make money, not for the likes of us puffer nutters, so if they don't and look like they will never do so then economically they should be shut, just like BHS or any other business.

Not sure I agree with you and my argument is certainly not as a "puffer nutter". As an ex  director (of a successful company) I do understand business cases.

 

My point was really that Watkin built the railway with far sighted and long term development aims in mind (Channel tunnel and communication spine up the middle of the country. If a similar long term vision had been applied to use the high speed curves and large loading gauge I believe that a future could have been envisaged even with the decline of use in the 60s. Governments of the time were only interested in roads for various reasons (thinking of Ernest M there, as one example). It was all cost saving and cutting with a lack of inspiration and future vision of what could be done. That's my criticism. 

 

Trouble is that only hindsight proves the rights and wrongs of such arguments.

 

That's my response. However I do not want to turn Dave's thread into a debate about the rights and wrongs of the time so will not comment further or longer.

 

Keep the pics coming Dave please.

[jonny777]

Ah, the good old Hotel Burstin in J7880. The name always made our kids smile when we were down that way visiting the in-laws.

 

(They insisted it was so named because it only had one toilet, and that was outside in the car park.)

 

Shaped like an ocean liner, I see from internet photos that it has had a recent face-lift in the last few years; as it was looking very sorry for itself when I last saw it and half expected it to have closed.

[DaveF]

Some photos taken around Manningtree and the Cattwade bridge today, on the Great eastern main line to Ipwswich.

 

 

Manningtree 37052 down 12th June 76 C2773

 

 

Manningtree Class 47 Liverpool St to Norwich Nov 76 C3088

 

 

Manningtree Cattawade Bridge Class 47 down Feb 77 C3193

 

 

Manningtree Cattawade Bridge Class 47 down Feb 77 C3195

 

 

Manningtree Class 105 Harwich to Manningtree May 77 C3347

 

 

David