Tom Burnham

Used for all the new electrifications initiated since (i.e. not just extensions to existing systems) - the Manchester-Altrincham, Manchester-Sheffield-Wath and Liverpool Street suburban. 1500V or 3000V dc had become pretty standard in Europe by the 1930s, except (admittedly a big except) in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden. It may be significant that all those generated much hydro-electric power - often dedicated for railway supply. France and Holland (and I believe the Copenhagen suburban lines) were 1500V dc and Italy, Belgium and the USSR 3000V dc.

I've suggested elsewhere that if Gilbert Szlumper had continued as GM of the Southern instead of being diverted into Government work during WW2 and then prevented from returning to the railway, there would have been a good deal more constructive criticism of Bulleid's proposals at the highest level. Szlumper was a trained engineer and a distinctly extrovert character. Missenden (the son of an SE&CR stationmaster) had started on the railway at 14 and worked his way up. He was undoubtedly a brilliant operator but (I suspect) always had something of a chip on his shoulder and tended to be defensive with people who were better educated and from a higher social circle.

I've just looked up a report in the ERS Journal of a talk by Leonard Lean (of the RCTS) to the Electric Railway Society in 1974. "The first plan was put forward in a report ordered by Sir Felix Pole in 1925 and completed by the consultants in early 1927. This envisaged the electrification of almost all GWR lines west of Taunton, together with some private sidings and SR lines - 498 route miles of GWR lines (883 track miles including sidings) and some 20 miles of private and SR lines. The system of electrification was not specified in the report, although Mr Lean suggested that the then standard 1500V dc overhead would have been most likely. 56 express locomotives of 2400 hp, 173 mixed traffic locomotives of 1600 hp and 4 battery locomotives for use in Millbay docks, the only part of the system to escape electrification would have been needed. Oil-fired boiler vans would have been used in winter, the attendants acting as motormen in summer. Trains stopping at Taunton would have changed engines; however, it was stated that the Cornish Riviera and Torbal Expresses would still be steam-hauled throughout.... About 30 minutes acceleration was expected for Penzance trains. Although a 7% return was forseen, no further action was taken, perhaps due to the Depression. The second plan was commissioned in 1938 by Sir James Milne and the consultants, Merz & McLellan, reported in early 1939. This scheme covered only the main line from Taunton to Penzance, the Kingswear and Brixham branches and the Par to Newquay line with its principal connections, 583 track miles in all. Permission was to be obtained from the MoT for the usee of the 3000 V dc overhead system, for which 12 substations, 18 miles apart, would have been needed. Express locomotives would be 2500 hp (1 hour rating) 1-C-C-1's weighing 140 T and geared for a maximum speed of 75 mph. In illustration, Mr Lean produced a 7 mm scale model constructed for the GWR Board during the 1930's. Less powerful locomotives would also be used. In all, 165 electric locomotives would have replaced 165 steam engines; no savings were expected from higher availability. Again, no details of timetables were given but trains between Taunton and Penzance would have arrived 25 to 40 minutes earlier; no ecomomies were looked for, however, from more intensive use of stock. EMU sets of unspecified type would have been used for Plymouth local services. The financial return expected was 0 3/4% and there was thus no question of carrying out the plan."

The SE&C T class locos replaced P class locos at Boulogne, where they needed something with a bit more oomph. Boulogne harbour was managed by the SE&CR for the Army for quite a while.

And my childhood journey to London also passed the Chiltonian biscuit factory between Lee and Hither Green.

Left hand down a bit it is, sir!

Chalk, you were lucky. It was blackboard rubbers when I were a lad...

Thanks, all!

I'm curious as to what this expansion joint is doing alongside the platform at Marlow. Are sleepers at expansion joint usually tied together like that? There's a short section (about 20 sleepers) of flat bottom rail off to the left, and then a similar length of chaired bullhead rail with a rail-built buffer stop attached to it. I believe quite a lot of the line between Marlow and Bourne End was relaid a year or so ago. Thanks in anticipation!

Speaking of Chancellors of the Exchequer, I visited Hughenden Manor this morning where the exhibits include Disraeli's very ornate Chancellor's robes. Allegedly one reason why Disraeli and Gladstone were on bad terms was that when Gladstone took over as Chancellor he wouldn't pay Disraeli for the No 11 furniture and in retaliation Disraeli hung on to the robes...

Happened with carriages in Southern Railway days with underframes built in one works and bodies added elsewhere (e.g. Lancing and Ashford). Only Ashford related case of locos I can think of is a batch of L class 4-4-0s built by Borsig in Berlin just before WW1. Parts shipped from Hamburg to Dover and then by rail to Ashford -boilers on boiler wagons borrowed from the London & North Western Railway, frames on bogie bolster wagons (I think) and other parts in crates. Some German fitters only just got home before war was declared.

It's in the Jutish Kingdom of Kent (which included a sizable chunk of East Surrey). I've occasionally thought that Kent should secede from England and form a loose confederation with Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein.

If that's the 4-wheeler I suspect it is, it was later converted to serve ground level halts on the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway. The added handrails (black painted iron) were removed when carriage was restored to its Met Rly condition for the 150th anniversary of the London Underground.

Fine reproduction of a genuine Edwardian joke.

SE&CR special traffic notices always referred to troopers' horses but officers' chargers. In cattle trucks and horse boxes respectively as you say.

Very sorry to hear that. What I enjoyed about his North Cornwall and East Suffolk articles in "Model Railways" was that he treated them as models of railways, where the people and the business were just as important as the hardware. It created that intangible sense of place and time.

As an ex commuter from Staplehurst to CX, and also one who used to go to Sevenoaks for train spotting in the mid 1960s (when it still had platform faces both sides of the outer tracks), I'm pleased to see your 375. Looks as if it will be very good. Not so sure what I think about Connex liveries - rather a low point in the view of many actual passengers...

Without referring to sources, I seem to recall that the Southern Railway and possibly some of its predecessors had one of the waist panels painted black for inscriptions. I guess it would depend whether the goods agent or whoever was doing the chalking was standing on a platform or at ground level and the Hopewood Tramway might well have fewer platforms. Incidentally, our PM for the time being would be pleased by the healthy output of British Cheese....

Came across some further details of P R Wickham, including his connection with Sodor - https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/P.R._Wickham

Thanks. 8 cars would have been OK in the early days of Thameslink as the Holborn/Blackfriars section of the SE Division had 8-car trains even after the CX/Cannon Street lines went to 10.

Am I right in thinking that there are or were some stabling sidings in the darkness just north of City Thameslink? Never used much I believe but perhaps they would have allowed a third rail only unit to be got out of the way if it had been signalled on to Thameslink rather than the terminal platforms at Blackfriars in the early days.

Yes, although the vintage set is not always being used at present, so check first if you're planning to visit to ride in them! The rather fine South Eastern Railway family/invalid saloon has just been outshopped from Tenterden, although in Southern Railway olive green. Incidentally, 353 was provided with additional handrails during its WC&P service so that passengers could climb up or down at ground-level halts. The London Transport Museum didn't need these, so they're displayed on a section of ex-London Chatham & Dover Railway carriage in the Colonel Stephens Museum at Tenterden.

I have a feeling there was a portrait of the Queen somewhere in my primary school in what was Kent at the time, 1955-1961, but can't recall exactly where. What did happen was that every couple of weeks at assembly the whole school would have to chant: "The Prime Minister of Great Britain is Mr Harold Macmillan. The Member of Parliament for Chislehurst and Sidcup is Dame Pat Hornsby-Smith." I suspect the head had seen some survey of children that showed how they weren't aware of politics, and thought that his pupils at least wouldn't be caught out like that - at any rate if they were asked about Conservative politicians...

Do we know what time of year the photo was taken? Heavy rail traffic in broccoli and other seasonal farm produce from Cornwall would probably still have been a feature of the West Country railways in 1960.

Very nice. The white brick of the station building seems very typical of the Eastern Counties (GN and GE). Hadn't realised the GN went in for a grey livery for locos.