Trev52A

Some b&w from the 80s.. 55007 southbound near the site of Bensham station on 1st February 1981 Street scene in Gateshead with 55015 northbound on 14th February 1981 I couldn't NOT put a shot from the Keep, could I? 55004 on 18th July 1981 Trevor

Thanks - it was Peak of some sort (see attached) but I didn't record the identity! Cheers Trevor

Actually, I got to like the HSTs, even though they had displaced the Deltics (in the same way as I got to like the Deltics, even though they had displaced the East Coast Pacifics) and I went out of my way to photograph the last HSTs on the ECML (which is something I never imagined I would be doing when they were introduced!) Trevor

A couple from the 1980s now, not long before the end.. 55009 heading north at Newcastle on 23rd August 1980, as an HST (boo!) waits to leave in the opposite direction 55002, repainted to pseudo-original livery (pity about the full yellow ends!) blasts through Gateshead with a Newcastle to Whitby special on 2nd August 1981 Trevor

This Deltic was too far away to identify at the time, but there are enough clues to work it out now - a large two line nameplate with regimental crest above, and if I enlarge it I can see that the bottom line is shorter than the top one and is probably one word. Only one fits the bill - it must be 55021 'Argyll & Sutherland Highlander'. Job done! (Although most reference books which I have seen describe it as 'Argyll and ...' the actual nameplate says 'Argyll & ...') 55021 southbound on the Royal Border Bridge, Berwick upon Tweed on 7th August 1975 Here's the same loco on my 'patch' the previous month.. 55021 northbound at Low Fell on 6th July 1975, having just passed over a PW slack where work continues installing a new crossover between the fast and slow lines. Trevor

55019 southbound approaching Retford on 29th July 1975 55018 takes the station avoiding lines at Darlington with the up 'Flying Scotsman' on 5th August 1975 55013 pauses at York with a northbound train on 28th June 1975 Trevor

55005 gets ready for the 'off' at Kings Cross on 3rd August 1975. I'd forgotten that a lot of the interest in those days was watching locos coupling on to the front of northbound trains - the chap on the extreme right (the driver?) seems to be checking it's being done correctly! ...and the train dives into Gas Works Tunnel. I hope the two unsuspecting passengers at the front had the sense to close the window before the Deltic erupted! I'm no coach expert but I have noticed the first vehicle is coupled ahead of the brake. Trevor

Your super shot at Selby where you have focused on the nameplate of 55011 reminds me of this one of mine at Kings Cross.. 55015 waits to head north out of Kings Cross on 3rd August 1975 ..and here's the front view, just before I boarded the train for the run to Newcastle at the end of an 'Eastern Rail Rover' ticket (£21 for seven days!) (I uploaded some of my favourite shots from July and August 1975 on this thread back in November 2017 and I'm trying not to duplicate any!) Two days earlier I caught two at the buffer stops.. 55005 and 55001 on 1st August 1975 Trevor

55002 enters Newcastle from the south on 1st June 1978 55003 waits to head south on 5th June 1976 55018 enters Gateshead from the King Edward Bridge in Silver Jubilee year on 28th May 1977 Trevor

55005 heads south out of Newcastle on 4th August 1975 55008 crosses the Ouseburn Viaduct on the approach to Newcastle Central on 6th December 1975 On the same day, 55013 has just crossed the viaduct and enters the Heaton area of the city on its way to Edinburgh Trevor

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread to include some recent scans of mine from the 1975 archives, all in the Newcastle area 55014 heads south near Bensham, Gateshead on 28th March 1975 This is the view looking the other way from the next bridge to the north (on the right in the previous picture), as 55011 heads towards Newcastle on 27th December 1975. The smoke and steam in the background was from the Norwood Coke Works, which closed five years later. This is 55012 entering Newcastle off the King Edward Bridge on 22nd March 1975. The rear of its train can be seen to the left of the loco - even the real railway had to use Hornby first radius curves on occasion! Trevor

Excellent - Many thanks for providing this link. I had read (I think on the KWVR site) that the original 4 axle tender had been cut down (shortened to 3 axles) to fit the Swedish turntables when it was in use over there. Cheers Trevor

Another HST power car with buffers - 43080 with a southbound train at Carlisle in August 1994 Contrasts at Newcastle on 5th September 1999 with 43122 and 43119 Trevor

I have never seen anything to suggest oil-firing on this loco was used on the KWVR (perhaps I will shortly!) so I have always assumed it was normal coal-fired. And thanks for the kind comment! As a matter of interest, can someone say where the current tender came from? Is it the original which has been much altered? Trevor

48431 in Haworth yard on 29th May 1972 The same loco (but with a different tender) leaving Keighley on 29th August 1999 Trevor

Lots of front end detail for modellers of 43013 at Newcastle in August 1994 - fresh out of the paint shop, by the look of it! Trevor

The crew of 75078 on the KWVR on 7th June 1981 Trevor

Close up on 91001 at Newcastle on 18th February 1996, with 91026 beyond Trevor

I visited the line on 1st October 1994 in really dull, occasionally rainy weather. As a result I had to uprate my b&w film to get decent fast shutter speeds - hence the grainy effect (which some people like, i suppose!) Super power that day was provided by 45596 'Bahamas' double-heading with 5305 'Alderman AE Draper'. Photographed from the train, the two locos depart Keighley Here's a close-up showing the crew of the 'Jubilee' at Haworth.. ..and the 'Black Five' Here's a surprise in Haworth yard Still life in the loco shed - this must be 78022 48431 departs north from Haworth Trevor

Thanks - also, have you noticed that the WD still had its 6-wheel tender in my 1976 pictures? (as opposed to the current 8-wheels). Trevor

My first sight and photo of a 91: 91003 (with 91008 next in line) at Leeds on 29th May 1989. No 3 appears to have suffered slight front end damage - a high speed argument with a bird, perhaps, with traces of blood? Trevor AMENDMENT: Closer examination of my notebooks (rather than what I had written on the original slide mount) shows that the front loco was actually 91003 (not 4). My error, but why did BR have such tiny running numbers on these things in the early days? By 1990, when they reached Newcastle, the numbers were much larger, near the 'pointy' end. It's the same with today's Azumas - I predict their numbers will eventually be reapplied in a much larger style.

I've been checking back and see that you uploaded a fine selection of French pictures in November (which have had 29 'likes', including one from me!) so it looks like you are correct, anything goes! So if I can get away with it, here are two I originally uploaded yesterday, but then deleted.. Class QJ 2-10-2 locos receiving attention (one with a hammer, by the look of it!) at Daban shed, Inner Mongolia (China) in April 2004 Trevor

Some colour pics. from the 1980s... The S160 departs Keighley on 7th June 1981.. ..followed by 75078 at the same spot ..and approaching Haworth on the same day 'Bellerophon' at Keighley on 18th April 1987 'Austerity' 0-6-0ST 'Brussels' at Keighley on 23rd April 1987 34092 'City of Wells' climbing away from Keighley on 29th May 1989 Trevor

I visited the line in 1987 over the Easter weekend, when the locos in action were 0-6-0WT 'Bellerophon', 4F 0-6-0 No 43294, Ivatt 2-6-2T No 41241 and 'Austerity' 0-6-0ST 'Corby' (which I later identified as RSH No 7761 of 1954 which is now at the GCR(Nottingham). 'Bellerophon with its 2-coach train at Keighley on 18th April Seen from the train headed by 'Bellerophon', No 41241 enters the passing loop at Damems on 18th April 'Bellerophon' after arrival at Haworth on 18th April No 43924 awaiting its next outing in Haworth shed yard on 18th April No 41241 and 'Corby' climbing away from Keighley on 20th April ...and again, shortly after leaving Haworth No 43924 arriving at Keighley on 20th April .. and prior to running round its train 'Corby' and No 41241 arriving at Keighley on 20th April Trevor

Post removed - not actually UK prototype! (Sorry, petethemole - deleted just as you liked it!)