Henley-on-Thames - GWR in the 1930's

[1466]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Best still was the cash system, where the notes were pout into containers and where whooshed along to the cash office!

 

Years later, we knew someone who worked for Sainsbury's and were surprised to hear that modern supermarkets still use such a system.... which passed over the ladies toilet... which apparently was the source of many a tube going missing!

 

 

Thats been the first fire since we have been here. I don't know what the replacement would be - any suggestions?

 

There are a lot of points to change :-(

There was a small departmental  store in Tooting which had a great cash to cashier system . A monorail was suspended from the ceiling with wooden containers which screwed into a chassis . The cash would be placed into the wooden container and then a chain  and handle rather like a loo would be pulled down and released  . The chassis and container would then whizz off and be returned with the receipt.

[Danemouth]

I remember as a boy the Bon Marche in Splott Road, Cardiff (Clothing shop) had a similar system with the cashier in a glass cubicle in the centre of the shop.

 

Dave

[1466]

6 minutes ago, Danemouth said:

I remember as a boy the Bon Marche in Splott Road, Cardiff (Clothing shop) had a similar system with the cashier in a glass cubicle in the centre of the shop.

 

Dave

Yes , that’s it. A bit like the cashier at the cinema .

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Best still was the cash system, where the notes were pout into containers and where whooshed along to the cash office!

 

Years later, we knew someone who worked for Sainsbury's and were surprised to hear that modern supermarkets still use such a system.... which passed over the ladies toilet... which apparently was the source of many a tube going missing!

 

 

Thats been the first fire since we have been here. I don't know what the replacement would be - any suggestions?

 

There are a lot of points to change :-(

What point motors are you using? The simplest and safest way is to use those to change frog polarity directly if they are fitted with a switch.

 

Otherwise, something like the Tam Valley Depot frog juicer range or DCC Specialties Frog-AR would do the job (usual disclaimer).

[Neal Ball]

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

What point motors are you using? The simplest and safest way is to use those to change frog polarity directly if they are fitted with a switch.

 

Otherwise, something like the Tam Valley Depot frog juicer range or DCC Specialties Frog-AR would do the job (usual disclaimer).

 

Thanks for this.

 

The "on-scene" ones are Seep motors, with the fiddle yard (where this occurred) are manual.

[Mike_Walker]

There was a shop in central Reading that catered mainly for "mature ladies" that retained that sort of cash system until it closed a few years ago - fortunately after my Mum passed as she would have been mortified - no trip to Reading was complete without a visit from her.

[Nick Gough]

The latest edition of Great Western Echo, which arrived yesterday, has a short article on Henley.

There are a few photos that I've not seen before:

[The Stationmaster]

On 03/02/2023 at 17:03, Neal Ball said:

 

Thanks for this Mike, Weren't Holton's a large coal merchant at one point in Henley? Maybe not as big as Toomers, but certainly a large concern.

Not sure Beal 0- I've always understood that they were a family business.  I might have a trade directory among the various old books about the town and I'll see if they're mentioned in there.   Arthur was the last of the family in business of any sort in the town -  his sone, John, emigrated to Canada many decades ago.  All sorts of folk got involved in the coal trade over the years (not necessarily in Henley) because it could be a very profitable business even if jy ust a merchant ina small way.

 

Toomers were quite a large concern and only had a branch office in Henley  (and several other towns in the Thames and Kennet valleys). 

[The Stationmaster]

On 03/02/2023 at 19:23, Danemouth said:

I remember as a boy the Bon Marche in Splott Road, Cardiff (Clothing shop) had a similar system with the cashier in a glass cubicle in the centre of the shop.

 

Dave

Not a memory round here Dave v but real life - now.  The butcher we use in Pangbourne still has the cashier lady sat in her separate little booth and the person serving gives you a ticket to hand to her in order to pay.  Brilliant system as it hels keep things flowing when the shop is busy. (Oh and we have some of that butcher's sausages lined up for dinner tonight.)

[Neal Ball]

7 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

The latest edition of Great Western Echo, which arrived yesterday, has a short article on Henley.

There are a few photos that I've not seen before:

Thanks for this Nick, I look forward to receiving my copy in the next week or so. Post from the UK is pretty rubbish at the moment, but we can always depend on the GWS, Pendon and Talyllyn magazines getting through.

 

5 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Not sure Beal 0- I've always understood that they were a family business.  I might have a trade directory among the various old books about the town and I'll see if they're mentioned in there.   Arthur was the last of the family in business of any sort in the town -  his sone, John, emigrated to Canada many decades ago.  All sorts of folk got involved in the coal trade over the years (not necessarily in Henley) because it could be a very profitable business even if jy ust a merchant ina small way.

 

Toomers were quite a large concern and only had a branch office in Henley  (and several other towns in the Thames and Kennet valleys). 

Thanks Mike. I’ll look tomorrow, but one company outlasted the other. I think it was a Toomers, rather than Holtons. Although for my time period, both are correct.

 

5 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Not a memory round here Dave v but real life - now.  The butcher we use in Pangbourne still has the cashier lady sat in her separate little booth and the person serving gives you a ticket to hand to her in order to pay.  Brilliant system as it hels keep things flowing when the shop is busy. (Oh and we have some of that butcher's sausages lined up for dinner tonight.)

I worked in Pangbourne many years ago… at the Copper in the bar… that’s where I got my love of Stilton. 😎

 

I remember being there when the nuclear missiles went on manoeuvres during the night from Greenham Common.

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Not a memory round here Dave v but real life - now.  The butcher we use in Pangbourne still has the cashier lady sat in her separate little booth and the person serving gives you a ticket to hand to her in order to pay.  Brilliant system as it hels keep things flowing when the shop is busy. (Oh and we have some of that butcher's sausages lined up for dinner tonight.)

It also separates handling meat and handling money.

[MrWolf]

7 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

The latest edition of Great Western Echo, which arrived yesterday, has a short article on Henley.

There are a few photos that I've not seen before:

 

This made me search Google images for a current view of the station.

My advice to anyone else developing a similar sense of curiosity is, don't.

It looks like one of those rubbish junior schools / libraries / community centres built in the 70s that had a leaking roof and defective heating from day one.

 

[longchap]

1 minute ago, MrWolf said:

 

This made me search Google images for a current view of the station.

My advice to anyone else developing a similar sense of curiosity is, don't.

It looks like one of those rubbish junior schools / libraries / community centres built in the 70s that had a leaking roof and defective heating from day one.

 

 

Progress eh ?

 

That needs a ''Darn Shame'' or possibly '' I don't believe it !!! '' response icon and that's being polite.

 

 

 

 

 

[ChrisN]

7 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

This made me search Google images for a current view of the station.

My advice to anyone else developing a similar sense of curiosity is, don't.

It looks like one of those rubbish junior schools / libraries / community centres built in the 70s that had a leaking roof and defective heating from day one.

 

 

Yes, very sad.  I have often been to Henley, and for a while took my grandson before they made him go to school.  One of the 'must dos' was a trip up the line to Twyford to watch the trains.  (Just going on a train was a treat.)  It was very sad, one shortened platform and a two coach DMU of some type, train about every 50 minutes or so.  Well used despite the fact the ticket office closes at twelve, well it was pre-Covid.  At least it still has a canopy.

[Neal Ball]

7 hours ago, ChrisN said:

 

Yes, very sad.  I have often been to Henley, and for a while took my grandson before they made him go to school.  One of the 'must dos' was a trip up the line to Twyford to watch the trains.  (Just going on a train was a treat.)  It was very sad, one shortened platform and a two coach DMU of some type, train about every 50 minutes or so.  Well used despite the fact the ticket office closes at twelve, well it was pre-Covid.  At least it still has a canopy.

The service has now increased to half hourly with a 3 car DMU shuttle service - even on a Sunday. From what I saw last Summer, it’s very well patronised.

[WFPettigrew]

14 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

This made me search Google images for a current view of the station.

My advice to anyone else developing a similar sense of curiosity is, don't.

It looks like one of those rubbish junior schools / libraries / community centres built in the 70s that had a leaking roof and defective heating from day one.

 

 

If you think Henley is bad, poor Marlow is even worse.... A new bare platform created by BR in the grottiest corner of the old goods yard, so they could flog off most of the site to an industrial estate.

 

[The Stationmaster]

6 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

The service has now increased to half hourly with a 3 car DMU shuttle service - even on a Sunday. From what I saw last Summer, it’s very well patronised.

Although lately a 2 car unit has been in evidence contrary to the agreement with the brancg user group (I suspect the 3 car set was needed on the Basingstoke branch).

 

As for the rest of it - well the aptly named Daft T have forced booking office closure on GWR so that it and the associated waiting area indoors are now firmly out of use.  Fortunately the café has reopened under a new tenant but as you can no longer get to it from the 'booking hall' it's not as convenient as it was in the days of Tubby's Diner and his excellent bacon sarnies.  Of course part of the canopy from the Edwardian rebuilding survives in good order on the remaining operational platform - which sees 5 car trains at Regatta time. And it's now  50 years since teh station was reduced to a single platform face.

 

I think the old station lost a lot of its charm in the later 1960s when the frontage went and took the booking office and original booking hall with it resulting in the new entrance knocked through the side of the building in the vicinity of the SM's and Parcels offices.   The good thing was that when the main bulding was demolished to build the present office block at least somebody (I know who) in BR managed ti get the developers to pay for the present building to replace what had gone.  Just a shame that the oafs at DafT have now stopped passengers using it but what more can you expect of pea brained (un)Civil Servants who've got less idea of how to run a railway than our cats.

 

But - at the moment we have got the most frequent train service the branch has had in its entire history and with some improvement to off peak journey time to London to come with the summer timetable change.  Only downside is that a lot of trains from Twyford are operated by those appalling Crossrail/Liz Line bloated 'Underground things' although most London connections are firtunately by GWR 387s.

 

So not as pretty as it once was but far from as decrepit as it became in its later years before the station resiting and with a better service than ever before.   But still a long way removed from the golden years portrayed by Neal

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Although lately a 2 car unit has been in evidence contrary to the agreement with the brancg user group (I suspect the 3 car set was needed on the Basingstoke branch).

 

As for the rest of it - well the aptly named Daft T have forced booking office closure on GWR so that it and the associated waiting area indoors are now firmly out of use.  Fortunately the café has reopened under a new tenant but as you can no longer get to it from the 'booking hall' it's not as convenient as it was in the days of Tubby's Diner and his excellent bacon sarnies.  Of course part of the canopy from the Edwardian rebuilding survives in good order on the remaining operational platform - which sees 5 car trains at Regatta time. And it's now  50 years since teh station was reduced to a single platform face.

 

I think the old station lost a lot of its charm in the later 1960s when the frontage went and took the booking office and original booking hall with it resulting in the new entrance knocked through the side of the building in the vicinity of the SM's and Parcels offices.   The good thing was that when the main bulding was demolished to build the present office block at least somebody (I know who) in BR managed ti get the developers to pay for the present building to replace what had gone.  Just a shame that the oafs at DafT have now stopped passengers using it but what more can you expect of pea brained (un)Civil Servants who've got less idea of how to run a railway than our cats.

 

But - at the moment we have got the most frequent train service the branch has had in its entire history and with some improvement to off peak journey time to London to come with the summer timetable change.  Only downside is that a lot of trains from Twyford are operated by those appalling Crossrail/Liz Line bloated 'Underground things' although most London connections are firtunately by GWR 387s.

 

So not as pretty as it once was but far from as decrepit as it became in its later years before the station resiting and with a better service than ever before.   But still a long way removed from the golden years portrayed by Neal

Excellent Mike thank you. Oh to have a Time Machine 😎

[The Stationmaster]

On 06/02/2023 at 16:31, Neal Ball said:

Excellent Mike thank you. Oh to have a Time Machine 😎

The only problem with the time machine would be the income difference and the lack of digital cameras.   When I was covering Henley booking office (early mornings before I started my 'proper' job in the DMO in Reading) my basic was under £20 a week and there were only two other members of staff, both of whom had started after the war.  

 

But the time machine we could access was people - some of whom  knew well such as Bert Broad, who'd worked at Henley before the war, or Reg Daniels who'd been a young spotter there back then - and  happy to talk about 'the old days' and conjure up those mental pictures of times past.

[Neal Ball]

Inbound!

 

This is a quote from @Accurascale Fran on the Manor thread…. “Production is back up and running and due to be completed in the coming weeks, and we can't wait!”

This sounds great… it looks like we have a few busy months ahead.

 

Plus, I’ve already got Iron minks in my Hattons trunk, with the Rapido open wagons due shortly…. 
 

Then of course, there is the Siphon as well. 
 

 

[Harlequin]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Inbound!

 

This is a quote from @Accurascale Fran on the Manor thread…. “Production is back up and running and due to be completed in the coming weeks, and we can't wait!”

This sounds great… it looks like we have a few busy months ahead.

 

Plus, I’ve already got Iron minks in my Hattons trunk, with the Rapido open wagons due shortly…. 
 

Then of course, there is the Siphon as well. 
 

 

And the City and Mainline Toplights!

😃

[longchap]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Inbound!

 

This is a quote from @Accurascale Fran on the Manor thread…. “Production is back up and running and due to be completed in the coming weeks, and we can't wait!”

This sounds great… it looks like we have a few busy months ahead.

 

Plus, I’ve already got Iron minks in my Hattons trunk, with the Rapido open wagons due shortly…. 
 

Then of course, there is the Siphon as well. 
 

 

 

.  .  .  and not forgetting the SRM.

[Mike_Walker]

On 06/02/2023 at 12:59, WFPettigrew said:

 

If you think Henley is bad, poor Marlow is even worse.... A new bare platform created by BR in the grottiest corner of the old goods yard, so they could flog off most of the site to an industrial estate.

 

Technically, the old Marlow station wasn't demolished to make way for an industrial estate, that came later.  Initially the site was cleared to permit expansion of the adjacent sawmill which had opened in 1947.  This replaced a mill in east London and was served by block timber trains which ran to Marlow from Bow via High Wycombe hauled usually by Stratford Class 31s (or 30's as I was once told by someone who worked them - they still had Mirrlees engines then) although on at least one occasion a pair of Class 15s were apparently deployed.  The operation didn't last more than a couple of years before the sawmill closed and the site was redeveloped as an industrial estate.

 

The last run appears to have been in late 1969 or early 1970.  Interestingly, the first WTT  issued after closure of the Bourne End-High Wycombe section in May 1970 included a revised path for the timber trains running via Maidenhead with a reversal at Bourne End.  That is the reason why, initially, the station level crossing at Bourne End was retained and a stop block installed just short of the Cores End LC.

 

Incidentally, none of us in the area have ever come across a photograph of these timber trains on the branch so if anyone reading this can oblige we'd be eternally grateful!

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, Harlequin said:

And the City and Mainline Toplights!

😃

Yes indeed, although I think they are still a while off… particularly the shirtbutton livery, which was going to be in the second batch.

 

3 hours ago, longchap said:

 

.  .  .  and not forgetting the SRM.

Definitely not forgetting the Steam Railmotor. 

[Harlequin]

For anyone interested (and because I can't remember where this was being discussed previously...)

 

I asked Hornby about the image of Caldicot Castle in their 2023 release list with the fire iron tunnel visible and they have confirmed that it is a graphics error and the model in pre-1934 livery will not have a fire iron tunnel.

 

Well done Hornby!

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Harlequin