Prototype Tim Mills' Photos

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Great stuff, Martin. Thanks for giving me a bit of confidence about the description! I'm less than knowledgeable about the LNER/GER 0-6-0s so some further comment will be valuable.

Brian
 

Martin Shaw

Western Thunderer
Your confidence may well be misplaced, at least some of the J17s had larger tenders so it could be, I think in your position it's best to take the info at face value unless there is a reason to doubt it. Apart from that there is nothing really to detemine it either way so best left alone.
Regards
Martin
 

robertm

Active Member
Hi
I’ve lurked in the background on this thread saying nothing, but for me it’s very poignant and nostalgic .
I was born in Braintree and lived at Felsted during the 50s and 60s. I spent many happy hours in and around the railway and had footplate rides on J17s, J19s and the BSC Barclay. During that time I never saw a J39, or a WD so they must have been very rare. I well remember the F5s on the branch, mainly on the Witham trains and recall my Dad boarding a train at Felsted when he was called up for Korea. Sadly the service finished in 1952. I also remember the N7s bringing the Felsted School carriages from Bishops Stortford at the end of term.
My last sighting of steam was B1 61156 in very clean condition hauling a Roadrailer trial train long after the diesels had taken over.
I hope there a loads more pics to come.
Best wishes
Bob
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Brian
Yeadon has the same dates for 67222, and whilst the engine was allocated to Cambridge in 1954, it could conceivably be on loan to the Stratford district, although they must have been v short to have to borrow from another district. I have info that has positively identified the following F6s on the Braintree branch, 7222,7225,7227,7228, also known is 67219 which looks like an F6 but is an F5.

Re #117/118, is it actually a J17, the tender side looks very high, I think a J19 might be the case, what do you think Col?
Regards
Martin

The shed bash site for Startford 30A April '54 has 10 of the F5's on shed, servicing? so the F6 could be standing in ?

I agree Martin, it could be a J19, both 17's & 19's used the same tenders, the goods version was 3,500gal , low down hand rail at the front for shunters, and no water scoop as the passenger tenders had.
But what makes me think it's a 19 is the fact that although the photo is taken from an acute angle you can see the side of the smoke box.
The 19's basically had the D16 boiler which was bigger in dia. than the 17's which was the belpaire type of smaller dia. from the earlier D56 4-4-0, I think.
If it was a 17 you might not of been able to see the smoke box from that angle.

Col.
 

robertm

Active Member
The shed bash site for Startford 30A April '54 has 10 of the F5's on shed, servicing? so the F6 could be standing in ?

I agree Martin, it could be a J19, both 17's & 19's used the same tenders, the goods version was 3,500gal , low down hand rail at the front for shunters, and no water scoop as the passenger tenders had.
But what makes me think it's a 19 is the fact that although the photo is taken from an acute angle you can see the side of the smoke box.
The 19's basically had the D16 boiler which was bigger in dia. than the 17's which was the belpaire type of smaller dia. from the earlier D56 4-4-0, I think.
If it was a 17 you might not of been able to see the smoke box from that angle.

Col.
I take the other view. The footplate on the J19 was wider at the cab end whereas the Loco in the pic appears to have a footplate of constant width along its whole length. So my money is on the J17.
Either way it’s a brilliant picture and a reminder of how things were.
Bob
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Thanks, Col, for that research. As you say, we'll never know for sure but if Tim's date of July '56 is correct we'll have to guess that it could be one of three.

Anyway, on to the next. This is a truly dreadful neg. It looks as though it's been peppered and it also has any number of processing streaks. It's taken a while, but the subject justifies a bit of effort, I reckon. This is "Braintree sub shed 1954". The loco is F4 67194. It was at Stratford in 1954, so that fits. It was withdrawn in 1956 so that fits too. Just a shame that the shadows are so deep. As it was withdrawn from Stratford it's was probably scrapped there.

img346 TM 67194 Braintree sub shed 1954 - Final - Copyright copy.jpg

Brian
 
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Martin Shaw

Western Thunderer
One can only say yet again that the standards of engine cleaning in the Stratford district were truly abysmal, even by the fairly low standards of the day.
It was built as an F4 number 781 but became an F5 in 1911 when it was fitted with a new 180 psi boiler also numbered 781. It was predominantly a Stratford engine but seems to have had alternate spells at Colchester from WWII onwards, although as Brian says in 1954 it was a Lunnon engine. I'm a bit intrigued by the safety valves, they should be pops but there seems to be some sort of tail sticking out, bit more reading I suspect.
Regards
Martin
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Thanks Martin. That "tail" is definitely a part of the image in the neg but I wonder whether it's a part of a tree or something similar in the background rather than an unknown design of safety valve. Of course, you may be able to prove different!

In fact, on blowing this up to a pixel level it can be seen that the rear safety valve doesn't have the typical top either. In both cases I reckon I can trace the normal shape which suggests that there is something in the background. I could paint this out but, as I've discussed previously, that's not my normal practice.

Brian
 
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robertm

Active Member
The first page of “The Bishop’s Stortford Dunmow and Braintree Branch” by P Paye published by OPC, shows 67194 near Hockerill on 14/7/51. The photo is quite clear and shows normal Ross pop valves so I think the extra bits are behind the engine.
I can recommend this book and the enlarged reprint. Mine are both decidedly dog eared from constant perusal.
Looking forward to more photographic gems.
Bob
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Sorry to break the news, Simon, but there are only two panniers in this collection, and at the current rate they are weeks away.

However, here's one from a much better negative. It's "Braintree Goods Yard 1956". What immediately struck me is how busy this yard is. Even in the background, to the right of that shed building, there's a string of (possibly) mineral wagons. There's a loco lurking in front of that shed as well, possibly another "F" tank. The area taken by the yard is vast. Doubtless it's now a housing estate.

img347 TM Braintree Goods Yard 1956.  View away from entry - Final - Copyright Copy.jpg

Brian
 
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Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
I believe that the goods yard was originally the station terminus when the railway was first built, the more Northerly goods shed being on the original platform.
Would make a great layout for shunting fans ( and wagons :rolleyes::D) and going by the shot in #134 they marshalled the coaching stock there also.

Col.
 

Martin Shaw

Western Thunderer
My thanks to Robert and Brian, whatever lurks around the safety valves in #128 it's nothing to do with them, perhaps a crow? Notice in Osgood's map post that the loco shed is named as Bagbie Shed, I wonder where that comes from, and who or what is Bagbie? The internet is uninformative on this matter.
Regards
Martin
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
My thanks to Robert and Brian, whatever lurks around the safety valves in #128 it's nothing to do with them, perhaps a crow? Notice in Osgood's map post that the loco shed is named as Bagbie Shed, I wonder where that comes from, and who or what is Bagbie? The internet is uninformative on this matter.
Regards
Martin
I read it as Engnie Shed. Looks like a spelling error to me. It does raise the question of how the lettering was applied to OS maps, was it typeset or was it traced?
 

Martin Shaw

Western Thunderer
I had my eyes tested last week, so there's no excuse but after zooming in I think Overseer is correct. I should, along with the rest of the population get outside for some fresh air and spend less time looking at screens.
Regards
Martin
 
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