Flaxfield- A bucolic 1950s Suffolk backwater

[40057]

Hi,

Sorry, not sure I follow you here.

My understanding is that Bachmann have worked with the M&GN Circle to ensure that what they are producing is accurate for the arc roof stock transferred by the LMS to the M&GN.

My spin ( and this us where it slides into the realms of fantasy ) is that one or two of these could have survived long enough to find their way onto a Suffolk backwater, Flaxfield, the fictitious subject of this thread, albeit by some rather odd means.

That part is bending reality.....quite a lot actually.

Rob

No, I had indeed misunderstood your post. Apologies. As I said, I don’t follow manufacturers’ announcements. I know (at least, I believe) some generic Victorian era coaches have been offered in recent years carrying various liveries. I took your words ‘M&GN liveried ex-LNWR coaches … now, their not prototypical’ to mean that the LNW vehicles concerned had not carried that livery. My mistake.

 

[NHY 581]

Not a problem. I've amended my post by adding in ' as in I'm as yet unaware of any that were used on East Anglian branchlines ' to avoid any further misunderstanding *.

Rob

* IF however, anyone is aware.............

 

[John57sharp]

I neither know nor care, those new coaches look like they’ll fit in nicely. Look on the bright side, you could spend months scratch-building the just right ones, and then somebody would brig out an RTR version that's even better….

Also, more seriously Rob, the journey being enjoyed is what makes this hobby for me. There's a chance that one of my layouts might get “finished” in the new year, but it doesn't matter if it takes longer, or that I might start something else in the meantime, I'm enjoying the ride.

I'm enjoying your ride too by the way, its very inspiring. Thank you.

John

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Here's a different view taken at around the same time.

This one was taken when the line opened in 1913 as there is no seat nor advertising hoardings.

The photo seemingly taken around 1913 in post #284 I think is actually later either during WWI or just after but before 1923 as the coach body was placed there by the GER. The seat and advertising hoardings appearing before the grounded coach body.

It's also interesting the original fencing was removed and replaced together with the removal of the advertising hoardings when the coach body appeared. Added to which fire bucket board had its wooden (probably rotted) posts replaced.

 

[NHY 581]

Morning Dave,

Indeed, but fundamentally, there were no real changes for a considerable length of time. I have seen a couple of interwar images but can't remember where. I've not saved them, so that's unhelpful.

Sadly, I cannot see me modelling Cutlers Green, attractive though it may be and despite how tempting the prospect of a diorama is.

I'm sure these halts are worthy of a book........


Rob

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Hi Rob

I would concur these type of halts are worthy of a volume in their own right as a fair few speculative Victorian and Edwardian branch Iines up and down the country were closed early on in their lives from WWI through to the to the early 1950s and of course 1965.

We should be thankful a number of photographers such as R W Kidner, H C Casserley, Lens of Sutton and others had the foresight to photograph these before they disappeared completely providing us with a permanent record. In most cases it's knowing where the photograph collections ended up and sadly there will be a fair number in private and family collections which will never see the light of day.

Before privatisation British Rail had an extensive photograph collection inherited from its predecessors which are now in the NRM collection and those taken by the British Rail Community Unit between 1977 and 1998 are with the Historic England archive. Naturally, TfL and its predecessors are in the London Transport Museum collection. Other sources will be County archives, postcards and local newspapers as a new railway openings (and closures) were significant events in their day.

 

[asterix2012]

Further to my last, to support Bachmann's forthcoming product ( and arguably my proposed use of it ) they have indeed got it right.

MIDLAND & GREAT NORTHERN JOINT RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE - Paul Johnson

M&GN 2008 - Corridor Brake Third - still lettered M&GN but bearing its LNER number 82008 - seen here at Melton Constable, 03/39.

transportsofdelight.smugmug.com

Stretching the facts, almost to breaking point gives us E82001 as seen at Flaxfield, still in it's pre war brown livery and conveniently produced by Bachmann, which ended it's days on the Flaxfield line.....

Rob

Looking closely that looks like another ex LNWR coach behind it

 

[Osgood]

.....
Now, they're not prototypical ( as in I'm as yet unaware of any that were used on East Anglian branchlines ) , they will be beautifully detailed, they ARE going to be really expensive.......but I only want two !

However, I do think they'll give an impression of the type of coaching stock relegated to eke out their last days on a rural backwater in the 1950s.

So, off with the M&GN branding and on with the E 's in front of the numbers and frankly, they'll do for me.


Rob.

From Ronald H Clark, A short History of the M&GNJR:

The 50ft LNWR coaches present in 1935 comprised:

11 x corridor composites, built 1898/1901, scrapped 1947 - 1953​

5 x brake corridor composites, built 1901, scrapped 1945 - 1952​

35 x corridor thirds, built 1899/1902, scrapped 1948 - 1953​

13 x brake(?) corridor thirds, built 1900/1903, scrapped1944 - 1953​

Note: the 13 x brake corr. 3rds are listed only as corridor 3rds and listed immediately below the 35 x corr. 3rds - I wonder if these should have been listed as brake corr. 3rds as there would surely be a requirement for more than just 5 x brake coaches in this fleet, although there were also 5 x 30ft ( 6 wheel?) luggage brake vans.

Anyway, it is quite reasonable to expect that a few of the drier / less damp coaches would have been moved on locally to a bucolic Suffolk backwater to fulfil a coaching stock need instead of being scrapped

Where the heck is Flaxfield anyway?

 

[NHY 581]

From Ronald H Clark, A short History of the M&GNJR:

The 50ft LNWR coaches present in 1935 comprised:

11 x corridor composites, built 1898/1901, scrapped 1947 - 1953​

5 x brake corridor composites, built 1901, scrapped 1945 - 1952​

35 x corridor thirds, built 1899/1902, scrapped 1948 - 1953​

13 x brake(?) corridor thirds, built 1900/1903, scrapped1944 - 1953​

Note: the 13 x brake corr. 3rds are listed only as corridor 3rds and listed immediately below the 35 x corr. 3rds - I wonder if these should have been listed as brake corr. 3rds as there would surely be a requirement for more than just 5 x brake coaches in this fleet, although there were also 5 x 30ft ( 6 wheel?) luggage brake vans.

Anyway, it is quite reasonable to expect that a few of the drier / less damp coaches would have been moved on locally to a bucolic Suffolk backwater to fulfil a coaching stock need instead of being scrapped

Where the heck is Flaxfield anyway?

That's great. Thank you, Tony. Corresponds with a little known photograph which I'm currently unable to locate but one which shows a couple of these at Flaxfield behind 65447 in 1952.


Rob

 

[Mike Walker]

Will do!

But it will be delayed. The storm has taken out the phone line to my house so I've got no broadband at the moment. The parish council needs to get some tree branches removed before BT can put up a new piece of string...

 

[46240]

Good afternoon folks,

For those of an interest in bucolic country railway halts/stations I can do no more than recommend the Branches and Byways books from OPC.

I recently acquired the two covering Kent and East Anglia. Both show the type of locations covered by Cutlers Green and the many twigs of the Col. Stephens empire, amongst others.
Including some track plans and photos of many of the stations/halts.

Both of mine were second-hand, but in perfectly good condition via online book sellers.

Cheers, Nigel.

 

[NHY 581]

Good afternoon folks,

For those of an interest in bucolic country railway halts/stations I can do no more than recommend the Branches and Byways books from OPC.

I recently acquired the two covering Kent and East Anglia. Both show the type of locations covered by Cutlers Green and the many twigs of the Col. Stephens empire, amongst others.
Including some track plans and photos of many of the stations/halts.

Both of mine were second-hand, but in perfectly good condition via online book sellers.

Cheers, Nigel.

Hi Nigel,

Noted but I gather not relating to Great Eastern/ East Anglian subjects so perhaps outside of the scope of this thread?

Rob.

 

[46240]

Hello Rob,

The second volume mentioned is all about East Anglia, covering Norfolk and Suffolk.

It includes the Thaxted branch, the Kelvedon & Tollesbury, Middy, W & U, Waveney valley, etc, etc.

Cheers, Nigel.

 

[NHY 581]

Ah ! Missed that. Just read Kent and East and my brain added Sussex !

Back in the Room.

Thanks Nigel

Rob.

 

[46240]

Good evening Rob,

Not a problem

Just checked online sellers currently but copies seem to be going for around £30 second-hand hardback.

Full of East Anglia inspiration, right down your street.
Backwaters or is that Blackwaters?

Cheers, Nigel.

 

[NHY 581]

Sorry, but the following appeared on my fyp. It might be of interest.
Mid Suffolk Light Railway closure, the last day in 1952. Laxfield station. Deep cream over plum paint. The fated railway ended in a field beyond Goreham's mill, and would have continued to Halesworth, going across my Grandmothers field... alas this was closed (before Beeching's report was in, by the way). It was designed to being agricultural transport to the centre of rural Suffolk. I spoke to someone yesterday who told me his Dad arrived that year, all the farm goods and stock came by rail.

View attachment 229256

Morning Tim,

Thanks for posting that image. Just out of interest, where's the info located regarding cream over plum paint ?
Happy to be corrected but my understanding is that the Laxfield buildings ended up in pre-war LNER Cream and brown ( separated by black line ). Other stations remained in overall light grey until closure.

Rob

 

[NHY 581]

A quick search turned up this image of Laxfield after closure.......



Putting it into the colourize app provides us with this



Tweaking the settings via Snapseed.





Rob

 

[NHY 581]

And adopting the same process with Tim's image gives us this rather fetching result.





Rob

 

[simond]

It’s very believable.

 

[Martin Shaw]

Isn't it just. I gather from Mrs Santa that Lightmoor's recent publication "Railways with a Colourful Past" has been despatched from the North Pole which I'm rather looking forward to if the colourisation of Pilton Yard in 1926 is anything to go by.