Michael J. Gamble

Rob - Thank you! I have just had an email from Stephen - He DOES have Volume 1! and has put it aside for me with a question whether I want it posted? Yes! I'm near Brighton just over the hill from Glyndebourne. Thanks to you, Rob I shall soon have the definitive 'Full Set' (of pages) so shall be able to source more information for my Track Survey project (the Route taken by the Leicester Express from Bourne. M&GN) Best wishes Michael

Thank you Rob - on Friday 11th. Feb 2022 Having only just seen your message I have immediately sent Mr. Brooking an e-mail and keep my fingers X-ed for a positive result. Michael

Thank you Rob - on Friday 11th. Feb 2022 Having only just seen your message I have immediately sent Mr. Brooking an e-mail and keep my fingers X-ed for a positive result. Michael

Thank you, Stephen. I am currently working on a project requiring all possible information on the closed Saxby - Bourne Railway and Dave Harris, at the M.R. Study Centre, has been extremely helpful - as has John Lacy at the Signalling-Record-Society and many of my colleague members of the M&GN Circle. This was brought about by an article in the "Circle Bulletin" by Ray Bullock and my Great Grandfather. (see ult. para. below.) My project is to emulate the LNER TRACK SURVEYS of the M&GN (three of the M&GN Circle Booklet publications) and to extend the Survey's Western Section out from Little Bytham End On Junction to Saxby and thence through to what was named Leicester London Road. The LNER Surveys were very detailed and their Distances were measured in Miles, Chains and Links. Due to the closure of the entire Railway to Saxby I have to rely on data from the on-line O.S. for Distances, since accuracy to 1 Link is out of the question I am cutting out the Links part - and my 'Distances' are, like those in Peter Kay's System Maps, in miles and chains only. Dave at The Silk Mill has been enormously helpful in producing many documents as well as the original M.R. '2 Chains to 1inch plans' and the Engineers 'Reports on Bridges, Culverts &c.' shewing the 'Distancing' for all these structures - which has been extremely useful in setting out the entire project. Only one final 'Distance' has yet to be determined - that of the 'Distance' of Point 5 on the UP Passenger at Leicester London Road JN. This allowed the M&GN's 'B12' or '4MT' to reverse onto Point 5 on the Down Goods line. So much trackwork has been changed at Leicester and only the positioning of the Bridges remain constant! In my searches I was fortunate in having purchased, in 2009, a copy of "Building a Railway - Bourne to Saxby" as a pre-Publication offer from the Lincoln Record Society. Then a copy of The Syston and Peterborough Railway by Peter Smith - from Andrew Cholerton at the Midland Railway Society - in which book I found information about a WW2 S.B, Station and sidings at Queniborough. I then purchased John Gough's "The Midland Railway - A Chronology" (what a labour of love that must have been!) and all the M.R. Distance Diagram books (thank you eBay!) it was interesting to note - as you pointed out - Peter Kay's Volume 3 included the M&GNJR. My family on my Father's side, had been employed by the M&GN right from its building in 1893 up to its closure in 1959 and had amassed an impressive 200 years working on that Railway. One of them, my Great Uncle Charlie actually ground the paint and painted the Locos, another, my Great Grandfather William Miller was the Guard on the very first "Leicester Express" - one of the basis of my researches. my Father was in the Rates Dept in the Traffic Managers' Office (TMO) Austin Street, Kings Lynn, until 1936 when Mr. R.B. Walker, Traffic Manager, arranged for him to transfer to the Goods Manager's Rates Office, L N E at Kings Cross in 1936. My Father ended his Railway career at Peterborough in 1965 as the last District Commercial Officer. He then became a Member of the M&GN Circle - which Membership I took over in 1986. I hope you enjoy family histories! Michael Gamble. M&GN Circle Member.

I am actively seeking Volume 1 of Nigel's fabulous book (I have Volume 2 which starts at page 281) so I'm missing out on the first 280 pages - and all the data therein! Does anyone have, or know where, a copy can be obtained? Michael G.