Prototype Tim Mills' Photos

[AJC]

Not my beat at all, but the 87 tolled a faint bell: it was exported to Bulgaria after a period of store at Long Marston following its withdrawal:

87025

87025

There's more here: The Locos – Class 87

Adam

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

A final bit on Marylebone.

As we know Marylebone was scheduled for closure in the mid 1980s with the Aylesbury services shuttling to Amersham and the High Wycombe services diverted into Paddington. This was fraught with much opposition and with the break up and franchising of the railways there was a reprieve due to the increase in the number of services from Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Banbury (plus two new stations at Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Haddenham and Thame Parkway) and new services to Birmingham Moor St.

Marylebone was originally built with three roof spans and four platforms with arrival platforms 1 and 2 built around a centre cab road (images are extracts are from the NLS OS collection and t'interweb for illustration purposes)




During the 1990s redevelopment two tracks replaced the cab road creating new platforms 2 and 3. The western roof span was removed (later part used on the new platforms 5 and 6). The old platform 2 became the new shortened platform 4. The old platforms 3 and 4 were extended to create the new platforms 5 and 6. All is within the original station boundary.





And finally these two from the t'interweb effectively show a 'before and after' redevelopment.

 

[oldravendale]

Thanks for the update on the 87s, Adam. That's a useful reference for any other photos which may come up.

Also to you, Dave. As part of the original GCR the Southern Area of the new Loughborough version took a particular interest in the remodelling of Marylebone. As a result of some cheeky questioning of the railway authorities two of the buffer stops made their way to Loughborough (actually probably Quorn Yard) and thence to Leicester North. They are installed at the end of the line.

On to today. More "Trains at Lineside. Willesden. 1980s." Another 310 unit, this time No 050. Latest research shows these to have been withdrawn between 2001 and 2002.



And yet another. This time 310 092.




Finally for today and staying with "Trains at Lineside. Willesden. 1980s." is 86247 ex E3192. This was named Abraham Darby on 1st October 1981 so this photo precedes that date. It was withdrawn at the end of September 2008 after a service life of more than 42 years and has probably now been scrapped although I have no definitive info about when or where that occurred.



Brian

 

[AJC]

Some nicely-framed shots there. The 86 was another slated for export, but that didn't happen. According to the caption to this image on Flickr, 86247 is was scrapped at Crewe in 2015. There's quite a few pictures of it as a stripped shell earlier in that year so that rings true. A bit of it survives though: 86247

Adam

 

[Martin Shaw]

It is somewhat salutary to see historic photos of the WCML taken when I was in the employ of BR LMR, feeling ever so old all of a sudden, even if they bring back memories.
Martin

 

[oldravendale]

Thanks again Adam. It's added a bit more to my knowledge of that 86. Just out of idle interest where is that cab? I assume somewhere in the UK. One of those cabs would have made a decent potting shed, although I'm not sure that the domestic authorities would agree. Actually I'm very sure.....

I agree with that sentiment, Martin. The outer suburban trains from Euston were my staple fare when I was working in town. All gone now along with much of the Willesden and Euston infrastructure of the 80s. The most noticeable thing for me, though, is the absolute absence of graffiti in all these shots including, of course, the earlier ones. Nowadays it's a depressing disgrace on pretty well anything that's not moving - and in fact quite a lot that is! Even the new bridge abutment over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough has already been defaced.

Before moving just down the road to Old Oak Common a final pair at Willesden. Again "Trains at Lineside. Willesden. 1980s." 310 051 is crossing from the up fast to up slow line just outside the Willesden Depot which can be glimpsed between the unit cab and bridge pier.



And the last of these Willesden photos is a 501 unit. This is the inner suburban stock which was so humdrum it was virtually ignored, rarely photographed and had replaced the ex-LMS/LNWR stock in around 1955 or 56, although ran alongside those units for a while. The 501 slam door stock was withdrawn in 1985. Some of these vehicles went on to a short career as part of the service fleet and I believe a couple are somewhere in preservation. The inner suburban lines divert from the main lines in the Willesden area and make a loop around Willesden and Stonebridge Park before rejoining at Wembley. They do the same around Watford. This shot is taken from the position where they rejoin and run alongside the West Coast Main Line again.



We'll start on the Old Oak photos here too. Not surprisingly this is "Trains at Lineside. Old Oak Common. 1980s." My data shows that the Class 50s were all named from 1978 and as this loco is not carrying a nameplate this is a further suggestion that the date of photography was somewhat earlier than the 1980s. Unfortunately there is no clue as to the precise loco in this shot. I believe it is taken of an up train to Paddington and that Old Oak Depot and carriage sidings is in the far distance. If I'm correct The Grand Union Canal is behind the retaining wall on the right.



Finally and again "Trains at Lineside. Old Oak Common. 1980s." An unknown Class 47 having left Paddington is crossing under what I've always believed to be the North London lines (but I may be wrong!), now used by trains running direct from Milton Keynes to West Croydon via Clapham among many others and lots of freight. Many of Tim's earlier shots of freight transfers were taken on this line.



Brian

 

[AJC]

The cab seems to be at Crewe, Brian: 86247 (E3192) 22.03.2020

Adam

 

[Dog Star]

Brian (@oldravendale), you are correct in your thoughts about service and location; the first OOC photo was taken from underneath Mitre Bridge and looking west. The junction to the left of the main line is the link between the GWR main line and the West London line.

The second photo was taken in the vicinity of the north end of Scrubbs Lane road bridge and looking east. The rail bridge in the background is, I believe, the ECS line from OOC carriage sidings to PN holding sidings (to the west of Westbourne Park station) - the photo includes the Kensal Green gasometers to the LHS of the image and those can be seen on satellite view. Appearing from the gloom under the ECS bridge is the OOC carriage washing plant (which is not visible on satellite view so provides a window for removal).

The OCS 25" map for 1935 (courtesy NLS - thank you Ian (@Ian Pope) for guidance through the menu maze) shows two tracks over the ECS bridge.. Google satellite views shows just a single line remaining - the formation for that lifted line is visible in the picture to the left of the "castellated" wall (the remaining line is hidden from view by the leftmost wall which is supporting the towpath to the Grand Union canal).

To the right of the loco is a derelict area which was occupied by a wagon works (shown on 1935 25" map) before clearance and subsequent use for North Pole Eurostar servicing facility.

If anyone tells you that the railways are contracting then just look at this area today using Google satellite.

regards, Graham

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

And the last of these Willesden photos is a 501 unit. This is the inner suburban stock which was so humdrum it was virtually ignored, rarely photographed and had replaced the ex-LMS/LNWR stock in around 1955 or 56, although ran alongside those units for a while. The 501 slam door stock was withdrawn in 1985.

Your collection now has photos of these units at both ends of their lives. Tim's here at the end and those in your thread An Unusual Collection D M Herbert where they were being introduced into service.

Seeing the 86's, 87's and 310's here is how I remember the WCML.

And the last of these Willesden photos is a 501 unit. This is the inner suburban stock which was so humdrum it was virtually ignored, rarely photographed

Not completely ignored . Some of my photos of these units from the early 80's are in my thread Singing or (reminiscing) the Blues.

 

[oldravendale]

Thanks for the info Adam, Graham and Dave, All this extra stuff is nicely filling gaps in my knowledge (and memory).

Three more "Trains at Lineside. Old Oak Common. 1980s." A nice shot, but unidentified, of a Class 47. I believe this was probably taken from the derelict land to which Graham refers above.



Next another un-named and unidentified Class 50 in pretty much the same location as the first shot of a Class 50 above. In the absence of a nameplate the date is looking more like pre-1978. Graham has given chapter and verse about the precise location for this one as well.



And finally for today this is unit L411 but class and details otherwise elude me. All I remember about these was that they replaced the 61XX 2-6-2 tanks on the Paddington suburban trains at which point I freely admit to losing interest......


Brian

 

[SimonT]

Brian,
I've still got British Railways First Generation DMUs from my days modelling Blue BR. L411 is listed in the 1972 allocations as a London Division set made up from W51352, W59504 & W51394 at Reading 81D. This configuration is listed in the 1965 allocatiuons as RDG310. The set is Class 117. I can dig for more info on each unit if you want.
Simon

 

[Dog Star]

A nice shot, but unidentified, of a Class 47. I believe this was probably taken from the derelict land to which Graham refers above.

Correct.

 

[David B]

I think the second 50 may be 50037 (later Old Oak’s own Illustrious), based on the number shown in the headcode box in late 1970s style. Loving the Willesden and Old Oak photos - happy rail blue memories. Nice to see a Pressed Steel DMU on WR home ground too - it somehow didn’t feel quite right to see GW150 set B430 so far from home and masquerading as a Brummie unit from Tyseley on the Blaenau branch in Larry’s great photo at Llanrwst on his thread.
David

 

[oldravendale]

Excellent info, Simon, thanks for the confirmation, Graham, and some more lovely personal memories and thoughts from David. Thanks to you all.

There now follows the first of two diversions. As far as I'm aware Tim has no particular interest in aircraft, either military or civil. but these appeared in a 35mm railway film and as I know there is more than a smattering of interest in things aerial, and as I guess I can divert my own thread if I want to here are the photos. Tim's brother in law and sister lived in Cranford, next door and under the flight path to Heathrow, and I suspect these were taken from the back garden. From their position within the film strips I'll guess at these being about 1976 (actually, I suspect this date is more accurate than the proposed 1980s for the railway photos at Old Oak and Willesden above). There may be a clue in the "British Airways" rather than "BOAC" and "BEA" branding. I've taken a guess on the aircraft types for those I think I recognise, but confirmation of those and suggestions for those I don't recognise will be appreciated.

Firstly I believe this to be a British Airways Vickers Viscount.



Next a Boeing 747, coming and going, again of British Airways. It has the BOAC logo on the tail. Was this used initially as the logo for BA?




Another British Airways. Is this a Tri Star?



I freely admit to not knowing this one or the airline.



I don't know this one either but will take a punt at a BA Boeing 707.



Finally is this an Irish Boeing 737?



Brian

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Finally is this an Irish Boeing 737?

View attachment 140903

Brian

No, I believe it's an American Boeing operated by Air Lingus

Col.

 

[Heather Kay]

I reckon there’s the BOAC speedbird logo on the 707's tail, so that’s likely another British Airways plane.

 

[Alan]

Is the photo under the Tristar a Trident

 

[Osgood]

Got any of Ruskin Air Services?

 

[daifly]

Is the photo under the Tristar a Trident

No. It’s a Royal Air Maroc B727
Dave

 

[oldravendale]

Thanks all for your comments. Ruskin Air Services at Heathrow? I'd have thought not, Tony.

Continuing outside our normal theme, but with content which I know from previous posts will be of interest to certain of our number were taken by Tim at a vintage car auction at Ally Pally in 1976. I can identify the MGs for which Tim has a soft spot and I think there's a Vauxhall in there somewhere - oh, and a Roller too. Some of them I don't recognise at all. As ever, comments and confirmation of vehicle types will be more than welcome. Sorry, Paul - as far as I can see no Rileys.

Photos are attached without comment as I don't want to display my ignorance. There's probably a couple more postings of these before we start to return to the main matter in hand via some museum photos, but more of that later.

Let me know if these are of no interest as we're a bit off piste at the moment.



Brian