Prototype Tim Mills' Photos

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Tony - Sorry I missed your posts. I think I was just about posting mine above as yours arrived. Anyway, they made oi larf.

Col - Thanks for your comment there. It makes a lot of difference when you know that these photos are accomplishing what Tim wants. Those latest comments are very apposite too.

Simon. I find these fixed formations difficult to understand from an operator's perspective, although they are doubtless more "efficient" and cost effective. When you look at some of the TV reports about cramming people in to long distance trains because they simply can't be strengthened it makes you wonder whether things are actually better than the "olden days". Certainly not from the consumer's POV.

Four lineside views here with no information provided by Tim for the first three. All are remasked from large format square negatives. I don't recognise the location but it doesn't take a genius to work out that this first one is an A3 on the Southern so likely to be a special train. Trawling Six Bells Junction I've found the likely candidate. I believe this is the Southern Counties Enterprise of 25th August 1963 which was run by the Southern Counties Touring Society. The loco here was 60112 St Simon. The train ran from Waterloo to Hamworthy Junction via Basingstoke behind 60112, then Hamworthy Junction to Hamworthy and return behind M7 30052. 60112 collected the train from Hamworty Junction and took it on to Weymouth Junction where 57XX pannier tanks 7782 and 4689 took over for the stint from Weymouth Junction to Maiden Newton. Then it was 60112 again Maiden Newton to Westbury and Westbury to Waterloo.

60112 was a Grantham engine in August 1963 ending up at New England by way of Doncaster. It was withdrawn at the end of 1964 and was scrapped during February 1965 at Kings of Norwich.

img665 TM No Info  Remask  copyright Final - Copy.jpg

A Bulleid Pacific on its home turf. This is none other than 35028, Clan Line. It's from the same strip of negatives as the one above so same date and same unknown location. At the time this was a Nine Elms engine. The SLS report it as still at Stewarts Lane but I suspect they've missed the transfer which occurred in June 1959. It's very unlikely that a Stewarts Lane engine would be working a train on the Bournemouth line. In September 1964 it moved to Weymouth Radipole and in April 1967 back to Nine Elms from where it was withdrawn on the last day of Southern steam, 9th July 1967.

img666 TM No Info prob 25 Aug 63 Remask copyright Final.jpg

Another Southern Rebuilt Pacific, same day and location. This is Battle of Britain 34088, 213 Squadron, rebuilt at Eastleigh in 1960. At the time it was Nine Elms resident moving to Eastleigh in September 1964. Withdrawal came in mid-March 1967 and thence to Cashmore's Newport where it was scrapped in March 1968.

img667 TM No Info prob 25 Aug 63 Remask copyright Final.jpg

And now for something completely different. This is "Old Oak Common . March 1964." with first generation Castle 4088, Dartmouth Castle. This had been stored at Swindon in 1962 but was reinstated to St Phillips Marsh in November 1963. At the time of this photo it had only a couple of months to go, being withdrawn in May 1964. It went to Cohen's Morriston where it met it's end in September the same year.

img668 TM Old Oak Common Mar 64 Remask copyright Final.jpg

Brian
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Previously....

img540-tm-trains-at-lineside-willesden-old-oak-common-198-copyright-final-jpg.140774



And just now....

img668-tm-old-oak-common-mar-64-remask-copyright-final-jpg.141928



Fifteen or sixteen years between and how things have changed... bit of (Wormwood) scrub and a half hearted fence.

Oh, and the train. In 1964 we have what looks like a Collett brake, three Mk1s and a non-descript parcels vehicle behind one of the finest steam locos built at Swindon. In (say) 1980 we have a Brush Type 4, three Mk2s, a Mk1 restaurant buffet and then two Mk2 brake coaches back to back.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
When you look at some of the TV reports about cramming people in to long distance trains because they simply can't be strengthened it makes you wonder whether things are actually better than the "olden days". Certainly not from the consumer's POV.

couldn’t agree more.

Maybe even commuter trains will become booked seats only to preserve social distancing. It’ll screw up the TOC profit forecasts if they can’t run them at 150% load...

Sorry for the diversion, let’s stick to Tim’s photos of an earlier time.

Simon
 

Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Western Thunderer
Brian,
Looking at photos such as these is brilliant, I was born in 1950 and did most of my train spotting in 1960/66. We had no money for me to spend on photography so seeing these pictures takes me straight back to those days. I'm lucky to still have a couple of my spotting notebooks and an Ian Allen ABC Combined Volume from 1963, at 14/6d it must have been a birthday present. Keep them coming, whilst I'm not really into looking back and thinking how wonderful the past was these bring back many happy memories.

all the best
Tim
 

MarkR

Western Thunderer
The train ran from Waterloo to Hamworthy Junction via Basingstoke behind 60112, then Hamworthy Junction to Hamworthy and return behind M7 30052. 60112 collected the train from Hamworty Junction and took it on to Weymouth Junction where 57XX pannier tanks 7782 and 4689 took over for the stint from Weymouth Junction to Maiden Newton. Then it was 60112 again Maiden Newton to Westbury and Westbury to Waterloo.
I seem to remember that the special was late arriving at Maiden Newton after a body was discovered in one of the carriage toilets.
The panniers then worked the train over the Bridport Branch.
Mark
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Thanks Dogstar. That's an interesting comparison, and useful stock info to go with the loco.

Simon. Aah! The politics of railways. As you say, probably best to let it rest there.

Dave. You've done it again! Thanks so much. That's a great result because now we have a precise date and location.

Tim. Your post has brought memories back for me. I had my first Combined Volume in 1958 and it was a Christmas present. I still have it, but wish I'd kept my notebooks. It's my intention to keep these coming for as long as there's interest. Only (about) 2 1/2 thousand to go!

Stewart. You are quite correct about the route - I précised the info from Six Bells Junction but if anyone is interested the full route and additional info is there, but there's nothing about "the body in the loo". It's probably not unique but certainly a new one on me! Judging by the timings it was only a matter of 30 minutes or so late at the worst so the body must have been dealt with really expeditiously.

Tony and Dave. It's a good question to be asked about the colours of the stock. Tim took very few colour photos - I have some but we've not got to them yet. I must bow to better info about precise liveries.

Three for today, all at Cricklewood. Lineside photos can be inspiring but I have to admit to being a sucker for shed and works photos. This is "Cricklewood. March 1964." Here's Standard 4 2-6-0 76036. In March '64 it was a Cricklewood engine but moved to Saltley in August of the same year. It then went to Bescot, Stourbridge Junction and Chester (MR) before being withdrawn at the end of January 1967. It ended up at Cohens Morriston where it was despatched in July the same year.

img669 TM Cricklewood Mar 64 Remask copyright Final.jpg

The same depot but a bit later in the year - September in fact - two views of an LMS Jinty. I suspect (but can't remember) that most if not all the MR 3Fs had gone by then, and I remember this particular 3F at Willesden. Its 47432 which had been at Cricklewood since early in 1959. It moved to Willesden at the end of 1964 and was withdrawn in August 1965. Where it went for final disposal remains a mystery. A quite reasonable shot of a wooden wagon in the first of this pair too.

Frustratingly I have a photo of this loco at Southall sans coupling rods on the way to the scrapyard on 5th December 1965. It's carrying a disposal label attached to a cab handrail but I didn't record it. That would have given chapter and verse about where it was going.

img670 TM Cricklewood Sept 64 Remask copyright Final.jpg img671 TM Cricklewood Sept 64 Remask copyright Final.jpg

Brian
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Some nice ex-LMS Period III carriages in BR maroon beyond the signal box in the first Jinty shot. Does anyone know when pre-nationalisation passenger stock was finally removed from service?
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
It's my intention to keep these coming for as long as there's interest.
Brian, (@oldravendale),

I think that you do not need to worry about keeping this thread going, just be sure to let Tim know (a) how many "views" and "likes" are recorded (as a measure of interest) and (b) how many WTers are moved by the photos to contribute memories and information. In my case I am using the photos to explain about operational aspects of BR(WR) to Peter... the way that railways were run then and why I try to include such features in our modelling.

Nerd alert... in the first photo of the Jocko, centre foreground, who would believe a 3 hole fishplate on a model!

regards, Graham
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Does anyone know when pre-nationalisation passenger stock was finally removed from service?
Heather (@Heather Kay),

The answer for the Western Region has two answers... from passenger service and from engineering use (and I am not thinking about the use of old stock for departments such as permanent way, civil engineering, bridges... medical services). The reason that there are so many Collett coaches in preservation today is that Swindon retained carriages, withdrawn from passenger service, as engineering test trains for use with running-in of locos fresh out of works. Apart from the Great Western Society, I believe that other coaches from the test trains went to the Dart Valley and, possibly, the Severn Valley. I started at Didcot in 1972 and the arrival of coaches from the test train was around that time.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Does anyone know when pre-nationalisation passenger stock was finally removed from service?

There were a few ex LNER Thompson and Gresley buffet cars according to some sources lasting in service until 1977 in the blue/grey scheme.

If this was extended to EMUs...

The class 502 Liverpool/Southport stock introduced in 1940 by the LMS was withdrawn by 1980 and the class 503 Wirral/Mersey stock introduced in 1938 (again LMS with a second batch in 1956) were withdrawn by 1985 although I haven't looked to see if any of the 1938 stock survived to this date.

Then of course London Transport.... The London Passenger Transport Board was nationalised on 1st January 1948 as part of the 1947 Transport Act to form the London Transport Executive (now TfL through various incarnations). The last of their pre-nationalisation 1935-40 O and P surface stock lasted until 1981 and the 1938 tube stock until 1988. The latter sold to BR for the IOW 'Island Line' were in service until January 2021.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
I was given a date by a friend in the offices at Crewe when all Big four designs had to be withdrawn from passenger revenue work regardless of when they were built (many were built after Nationalization). I think that date was 1972, and I'm guessing it was at the end of the summer timetable. The 'wooden-wall' Gresley Buffet Cars got through though.
 

DougT

Western Thunderer
Heather (@Heather Kay),

The answer for the Western Region has two answers... from passenger service and from engineering use (and I am not thinking about the use of old stock for departments such as permanent way, civil engineering, bridges... medical services). The reason that there are so many Collett coaches in preservation today is that Swindon retained carriages, withdrawn from passenger service, as engineering test trains for use with running-in of locos fresh out of works. Apart from the Great Western Society, I believe that other coaches from the test trains went to the Dart Valley and, possibly, the Severn Valley. I started at Didcot in 1972 and the arrival of coaches from the test train was around that time.

Although somewhat peculiarly, having managed to withdraw the remaining GWR vintage coaches by the early 1970’s, an influx of Gresley buffet cars from the premier route occurred in the mid-1970’s. One can only imagine the reaction at Swindon.

W9135E_Exeter_7-8-76
 
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oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Various interesting stuff about the coaching stock. Thanks to all for the info.

Graham - Your comments are really appreciated. I call Tim quite regularly and keep him up to date. He remains amazed and delighted at the comments and additional info, particularly as he's seen only a very few of these negs printed.

.....and I'd not noticed the fishplate bolts until you mentioned it, Dave!

First, today, and with apologies for failing to add it to the other photos of 47432 yesterday, is another of the same loco but clearly on a different date in 1964, although still at Cricklewood. Note the smokebox straps are picked out on this one. Lovely fishplate detail here in the foreground - only two bolts in this one!

img674 TM Cricklewood 1964 copyright Final.jpg

Also "Cricklewood 1964" is this one of Standard 5 73000. The first of the class in 1951 and built at Derby the SLS records the first allocation when new as Perth South, but BRDatabase says it was new to Derby Shed. The latter seems to me as most likely, because the works may have wanted to "debug" it before it went in to full revenue earning service. The SLS reports say it was at Perth for only two weeks from new before going to Derby shed.

The shed plate in this shot is for 1G, the identification for Woodford Halse after it was transferred from the Eastern Region to the LMR. The loco travelled widely, being reported on Midland, LMS, Eastern and Western (transferred to Midland Region) allocations. At the time of this photo it's recorded as a Woodford Halse loco. It was unexpected to see this at Cricklewood at the time, as locos which would have been serviced at Neasden, now closed, were officially dealt with at Willesden - but see the B1 below. 73000 ended up at Patricroft in October 1966 from from which it was withdrawn in March 1968, going to Cashmore's Great Bridge where it was scrapped in the following June.

img672 TM Cricklewood 1964 copyright Final.jpg

Finally for today B1 61144. Initially I suspected that this photo was actually at Willesden but I'm now convinced that Tim's location of "Cricklewood 1964" is correct, not least because of the Class 25 sniggering in the background. That's D5215 which was on Cricklewood's allocation at the time and had been since August 1963. 61144 was an Immingham loco in 1964 and this shot must have been early in 1964 as, despite its tidy appearance it was withdrawn from Immingham in April going to Central Wagon Co, Wigan for disposal which happened rapidly, in June.

img675 TM Cricklewood 1964 class 25 sniggering in background copyright Final.jpg

Brian
 

Rob R

Western Thunderer
Can anybody read the lettering on the (Bauxite?) 16 tonner to the right of 73000?
I think the top line says "Experimental" but the rest is beyond my eyesight.

Rob
 

Crimson Rambler

Western Thunderer
Are we absolutely certain about the date for No 73000? I ask simply because in conjunction with No 73001 it hauled a series of controlled tests in October 1952 - seen here near Harpenden on the up fast:-

Toton Experimental I.jpg

Also the wagons were specially branded:-

Toton Experimental II.jpg
Both photos scanned from Midland Record issue No 13. Will remove if anyone objects to the photos being posted in this manner.

A couple of years later the same two engines were fitted with Westinghouse pumps and used in a similar series of tests with the trains air-braked. The pumps were fitted on the smokebox on the fireman's side i.e. the side visible in the photo.


Crimson Rambler
 
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