Andy Y Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I can post more photos, especially of the colliery end of the line and locos, etc, in a new topic on the colliery itself, if there is any interest Absolutely PGH! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Absolutely PGH! OK, will do, I'm busy scanning negs ! Strange to relate that some of these photos taken 30 years or more ago have never been printed, so its quite an interesting exercise for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RThompson Posted November 2, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 2, 2012 Don't mind PGH if you want to put them on this thread, would certainly keep them together. If you do PGH, would one of the MODs mind knocking the "Boscomoor sidings' off the thread title to reflect on looking at the whole line? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 I did do a change over a cuppa this morning so the topic can be used for the whole branch as necessary. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 (edited) Following the discussion on the Littleton Colliery exchange sidings at Boscomoor, I can add a few photos of other parts of the colliery system which may be of interest. These were taken on a number visits between 1966 and 1993, the last being the occasion of a steam photo charter just one month before the colliery closed. Some visits were made on a weekday when locos were working and others at weekend when the locos were on shed. Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) The following photos were taken in May 1970 on a weekend visit Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Thanks for sharing those PGH, the colour shed shots are excellent and very tempting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RThompson Posted November 4, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 4, 2012 Agree with Andy, will certainly be building a model of austerity 7 soon, got to create those transfers now! Its interesting looking at austerity 6 which is missing its air vent above the coal bunker which was meant for the diesel engine behind that rectangular patch to drive the automatic stoker. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) In April 1971 the scene at the shed was similar to the previous visit 11 months earlier albeit with the locos rearranged, and LITTLETON No.5 conveniently posed outside Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) Thanks for sharing those PGH, the colour shed shots are excellent and very tempting. Yes, I should have taken more in colour. The irony is the colour shots were taken with a relatively simple camera whereas the black & white were taken with a SLR, but the combination of my sometimes lousy efforts and commercial overdeveloping – producing too grainy, dense and contrasty negatives – gave rather disappointing results at times. Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) Its interesting looking at austerity 6 which is missing its air vent above the coal bunker which was meant for the diesel engine behind that rectangular patch to drive the automatic stoker. There is a photo of No.6 with the Hill-Bigwood mechanical stoker in the Industrial Railway Society’s RECORD No.196. In addition to the diesel engine vent above the bunker there is also a circular grille near the bottom similar to the one on Walkden Railway’s WARSPITE shown below, although without the hinged door. I assume that the oval hole in the centre of the grille would be for hand starting the engine. You can just about make out on my photo of No.6 (better on the original than the low resolution version posted) the circular patch where the grille has been removed. The light patch on the inside of the cab backsheet would be where the stoker controls have been removed, these can be seen on the WARSPITE photo. Apparently at Littleton the stoker screw regularly jammed and the crew had to break up the larger lumps of coal by hand. Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Hunslet No.3D at the Otherton level crossing having just left its train in the loop at the far side of the road Only a minor point of interest but I now realise the still existing gates are of a later date than your photos (an embarrassment of riches indeed!), I'd imagined timber gates as being their immediate predecessors but obviously not. I don't suppose you took any pictures around other mineral lines around the Chase or Cannock areas around the same time? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc smith Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Some lovely atmospheric piccies here folks What a nice thread Someone on this forum either has the answer to your question, or has relevant photos..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) Only a minor point of interest but I now realise the still existing gates are of a later date than your photos (an embarrassment of riches indeed!), I'd imagined timber gates as being their immediate predecessors but obviously not. Perhaps replaced when the line was upgraded ? - see below I don't suppose you took any pictures around other mineral lines around the Chase or Cannock areas around the same time? Yes, a few, not as many as Littleton and mainly of locos In 1977 the new GEC 750hp locos were introduced and about that time a rapid loading bunker was installed at the colliery and the track layout rationalised. The original track layout is shown in the September 1972 Railway Modeller. The inward empties line, forming the southern leg of the triangular layout, was lifted and the cutting it occupied subsequently filled in. The new rapid loading bunker was situated alongside the fulls out or northern leg of the triangle. Most of the track on the third leg comprising the screen and washery sidings was lifted leaving just access through to the loco shed. Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) Only a minor point of interest but I now realise the still existing gates are of a later date than your photos (an embarrassment of riches indeed!), I'd imagined timber gates as being their immediate predecessors but obviously not. WHISTON from Foxfield on a photo charter at Otherton level crossing just one month before the colliery closed. Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
avonside1563 Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Haha, I was on Whiston during that charter, the brakevan was from Foxfield also and we had specially repainted it a matter of days before the charter to make it look a little more suitable. I remember coming down from the colliery with a rake of empty MGR's and having to stop them before the level crossing then realising that Whiston's brakes weren't as good as I thought, we stopped but it was a little worrying for a few moments! Luckily Wimblebury was on the back and had better brakes! Another little incident was during one evening when we were standing by the pithead for some night shots and had to move both locos pretty smartish as the drifting smoke had been sucked into the downcast shaft and set the fire alarms off! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 (edited) In July 1982 GEC locos WESTERN ENTERPRISE (leading) and WESTERN PROGRESS cross the canal at Otherton as a canal boat passes underneath. Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 (edited) Two GEC locos inside the loco shed in November 1993. Edited October 11, 2018 by PGH 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hi PGH, Many thanks indeed for posting these wonderful photos - they really are incredibly atmospheric and evocative. Such a tragic shame this industry was lost. I've never seen these GEC locos before, they are real brutes (lovely!). Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
avonside1563 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I think that the GEC's from Littleton ended up going to British Steel at Teeside, but I'm prepared to be told I'm completely wrong on this. When I was up at Teeside works for a steam charter in the 90s there were a couple of these GEC's in green round the back of the very well appointed workshop for the railway there and I'm sure the info was they were ex-littleton. We saw one of Teeside's GEC's come in with a broken axle and the next day it was back out in service. Not sure if they're still using the GEC's at Teeside still since its reopening earlier this year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I cannot say that there were no ex Littleton GECs at British Steel Teesside, but some went there brand new in 1976/77. There's a photo at the head of this thread of one working there in 1979; http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28937-steel-making-on-teeside/ and a manufacturers ad. from 1976 in post #10 here; http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28782-locomotive-rolling-stock-manufacturers/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28782-locomotive-rolling-stock-manufacturers/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I think that the GEC's from Littleton ended up going to British Steel at Teeside, but I'm prepared to be told I'm completely wrong on this. When I was up at Teeside works for a steam charter in the 90s there were a couple of these GEC's in green round the back of the very well appointed workshop for the railway there and I'm sure the info was they were ex-littleton. We saw one of Teeside's GEC's come in with a broken axle and the next day it was back out in service. Not sure if they're still using the GEC's at Teeside still since its reopening earlier this year. The Industrial Railway Society’s recently published latest ‘EL’ handbook (which I don't yet have) probably has the current position, but the previous edition (published in 2009) lists 26 GEC locos at Corus, Lackenby Works including two ex Littleton noted as dismantled. Presumably these would be the two green ones at the workshop, perhaps used as a source of spare parts. A third ex Littleton loco is listed at Corus, Shapfell Quarry, and the remaining two are not listed, so scrapped (or exported ?) by that date. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Michael Edge Posted November 8, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 8, 2012 As far as I know the Littleton GEC locos went to Bickershaw pit where they replaced the Austerity 0-6-0STs. We have measured one of these locos with a view to eventually producing a kit. One of the real oddities of the design is that the compensation is not symmetrical - leading two axles are compensated on one side, trailing pair on the other. All the other locos in these photos apart from the MW 0-6-0ST are already in our kit range. Michael Edge Judith Edge kits 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGH Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 As far as I know the Littleton GEC locos went to Bickershaw pit where they replaced the Austerity 0-6-0STs. Michael Edge Judith Edge kits No, it was the other way round, WESTERN QUEEN (GEC 5479) was delivered new to Parkside but quickly moved on to Bickershaw in March 1979. WESTERN KING (GEC 5480) was new to Bickershaw in February 1979 Both were redundant when BR locos began working through to a new rapid loading bunker in 1985 and were transferred to Littleton about February 1987. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
avonside1563 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Thanks for the info regarding the GEC's, it was over 15 years ago and memory can play tricks, unfortunately I didn't get to have a good look or take any photos as we were there with a Foxfield loco for a charter. I will dig out the photos and get them scanned and posted if I can. (Still looking for the Littleton Charter photos) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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