Prototype Tim Mills' Photos

[Boyblunder]

During my regular trips from Colchester to Cambridge over the last 9 months or so I've noticed a farm just east of Great Yeldham has started to graze old busses in its fields instead of cows. Brian's photos and Pete's description prompted me to look for more info this morning and here it is: ABOUT | Zero2. Its about half a mile from the Stour Valley Railway so it looks like a perfect excuse for at least one outing on the 88 bus (no Sunday service) this year.

 

[oldravendale]

Thank you for that observation about the Routemaster badge, Tony @76043 . It had not registered how poor that is, but having now compared with others I can see it's actually nothing like a proper badge.

Then Pete @Peter Insole . What a wonderful lot of info and photos too. That's all been added to the main file and adds a huge amount of data to an initially pretty bald description. I note your comments about the "Regent 3" which I took from the "Bus Lists on the Web" so I'll not make that mistake again!

Arun @Arun Sharma . Your further info about the STL tree lopper is valued and thanks for the photo as well.

Then Pete again for the location of those photos, further enhanced by Simon @SimonT and even more detail from Dave @Yorkshire Dave. All carefully filed away.

I knew nothing about that bus collection @Boyblunder so worth a visit even if a bit of a trek for me. That info is much appreciated.

Three London Scenes in December 1989 starting with MCW London Transport M1080 (B80WUL) new in October 1984 and here on route 271 to Moorgate, then a bit of an outlier, an Ambulance GUL303W at the Whittington Hospital in London N19 but I can’t guess at the maker and then another London Transport MCW M Class, M1069 (B69WUL) of September 1984 on route 27 to Richmond and clearly in a special livery about which I have no details. I’ll guess that both the MCW buses are somewhere around London N19 but I have no evidence of the precise location. See “Bus Lists on the Web” for details of the buses.







There follows a series of photos of the Rocket 150 exposition at Rainhill on May 24-26 1980 but these are not reproduced here as photos of the run-past have been seen so many times previously that they offer nothing new. Nevertheless, if there’s any interest in seeing them I’ll give them a quick run through on this thread but they’ll be without any commentary.

Three undated traction engine photos without any location information and the main subject in the first one is Marshall Convertible General Purpose Engine 74871 “Lion” of 1921, Reg No BE9002, then a row of engines with “Lion” in the foreground and last is an engine being unloaded from what appears to be a vintage truck.







A long time resident of the GCR when it was the Main Line Steam Trust was 2-6-0 377 King Haakon VII built by NOHAB in 1919. It was based at Loughborough from 1973 to 1977 and I believe is now at Bressingham (although I didn't see it on my last visit a year or two ago). This loco was fundamental to the success of the GCR in the earliest days and was the most reliable performer. I suspect that the GCR worked it pretty much to death.



Brian

 

[daifly]

According to the DVLA, the ambulance is a Bedford. Mfd 1981, 2300cc diesel.
Dave

 

[Arun Sharma]

If I had to guess, I would have said that the truck from which the steam engine is being unloaded is an Atkinson with the fairly standard "bodyline" type of cab.

 

[76043]

I saw King Haakon at Bressingham last August in one of the sheds. Was in reasonable condition.
Tony

 

[AndyB]

Img131 - behind 'Lion' is Clayton & Shuttleworth single cylinder traction 44103 'Enterprise', reg AL9348 of 1911.
Looks like the event is in a former goods yard - a railway overbridge on far left and a loading gauge near the marquee pole in the second picture.
The lorry with the turntable for the small steam tractor (around 3 nhp) was, I think, well known in its day. Can't think of the engine now, but hopefully it will come to me.

 

[Heather Kay]

The lorry is very low slung, which gives me the impression it's actually a bus chassis with a basic cab fitted.

 

[65179]

Looks like the event is in a former goods yard - a railway overbridge on far left and a loading gauge near the marquee pole in the second picture.

It looks like Quorn.

Simon

 

[simond]

Much prefer real mince…

 

[AndyB]

The lorry with the turntable for the small steam tractor (around 3 nhp) was, I think, well known in its day. Can't think of the engine now, but hopefully it will come to me.

The memory cells haven't failed me - I suddenly remembered the name 'MTOTO'! The engine is Fowler 4nhp Tractor 14406, reg U4171 (originally CJ4338), built 1917. Formerly named 'Pandora'. Most small tractors have their steering wheel and winch / fairleads on the left but on the Fowlers they are on the right.
Heather is right about it's transport - it is a former Crossley Motors bus first registered in 1950 as ERD158, ex-Reading Corporation. Believed to have been converted from 1/2 to full cab by Arthur Furnley, who was the first preservation owner of the Fowler tractor - info and picture here. The full cab is possibly by 'Homalloy', as used on Albion lorries - like this one
The bus/lorry was known as 'Pandy's pram' (after the name 'Pandora').

Andy

 

[AndyB]

Img132 - second roller from the right is Marshall 6nhp 40047 reg BE8186, built 1904
Edit - Fourth roller from the right is another Marshall, owned by J T Beeby of Rempstone - a family involved in steam cultivation for over 100 years. I don't know its number.
Edit#2 - Roller next to 'Lion' is Marshall 4nhp 8Ton 76116 'Maid Marion', reg YA5040, built 1923
Edit#3 - The 3rd roller from the right is a Marshall single cylinder, and I'm fairly sure it is number 76796 5nhp 10 Ton Class Q, reg FU1326, built 1923. It lived in the Loughborough area in the 1980s and a later picture shows the small star attached to the chimney by a silver band - not an embellishment commonly seen! This is one in a group of 4 consecutively numbered rollers (and consecutively registered) that survive today - 76795-76798

 

[AndyB]

It looks like Quorn.

Simon

I thought it might be on the GCR, but expected Brian to have recognised it due to his long involvement. I agree though - loading gauge is still there. Image from the GCR website.

 

[oldravendale]

Thank you Dave @daifly . I don't know why I didn't think to check the DVLA site...

Tony @76043 - I'm grateful for your confirmation of the whereabouts of King Haakon.

Then Arun @Arun Sharma , Heather @Heather Kay and especially Andy @AndyB - my grateful thanks for so much info about those traction engines and the history of that transporter. Thanks to Simon @65179 and Andy @AndyB again for pointing out the location. I really can't explain how I missed the obvious!

Two photos of London Transport AEC 3RT3 (note, not Regent III – hope I have that right, Peter) RT2178, new in May 1949, Reg KGU107, deputising on route 41 at Crouch End in May 1977. (It must have been a hot day, though, with the top deck front windows well wound down. Proper air conditioning!) Then London Transport ECW bodied Bristol LH6L BL35 of 1976 at Gospel Oak Station, probably also in 1976 on route C11 to West Hampstead. Finally a London Transport Daimler CRL6, fleet number DMS916, Reg SMU916N of October 1974 on route W3 at an unknown location and on an unknown date. Again see “Bus Lists on the Web” https://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/...o.uk/list.asp?ListName=1173&Type=&Page=2&WW=0.









The GCR was exceptionally fortunate to host GNR 8ft single No1 between December 1961 and October 1982. We don’t have a precise date for these photos but all three are at Loughborough Central from rather under exposed and contrasty slides. There are other much superior photos of the visit of No1 to come.







A pair of unidentified Class 20 believed to be at Loughborough Midland on an unspecified date.



Brian

 

[daifly]

A little online research using Shepherd Motors in the last photo suggests that this may be Nottingham. Tim is standing on the Station Road overbridge facing SSE. Bessell Lane on the left. I'm happy to be shot down!

Dave

 

[Barry37]

A little online research using Shepherd Motors in the last photo suggests that this may be Nottingham. Tim is standing on the Station Road overbridge facing SSE. Bessell Lane on the left. I'm happy to be shot down!

Dave

You mean Station Road in Stapleford, Nottingham, I assume. The house with the + between the bargeboards matches, and the frame for the Shepherds Motors sign is still there (or another one that replaced it).
It's a odd load in the leading wagons – looks like scrap, but not very full.

 

[daifly]

You mean Station Road in Stapleford, Nottingham, I assume.

I do. Should have been more specific. Thanks for clarifying.

Dave

 

[daifly]

Yep.That's the one!

Dave

 

[Arun Sharma]

Brian - The RT bus was built on an AEC Regent 3 chassis - The same body but placed on a similar Leyland PD2 chassis was called an RTL and the same body on an earlier [usually] pre-war version of the AEC Regent chassis [formerly under an STL] was called an SRT.
The descriptor 3RT3 refers to a bus with a post-war Regent 3 chassis but with a specific body type viz., the earliest type of post war body with a roofbox at the front. Subsequent Regent 3 chassied vehicles with bodies built by say, Saunders would also have had a front roofbox but the offside route indicator plate would have been pushed further rearwards. These bodies were RT3/3 and so the complete descriptor would have been 3RT3/3 for the Saunders bus. The digit before RT referring to the chassis and the digit(s) after referring to the body type.
Altogether there were over a dozen variations in body nomenclature. The RT in the pic [RT 2178] can't be a 3RT3 as it doesn't have a roof box.

slight amendment for clarity in line 4

 

[AndyB]

Brian - just for completeness / accuracy of your notes on the Fowler tractor 14406 - the 5th and 6th editions of the Traction engine register (pub 1987 & 1992 respectively) shows her carrying the name 'Pandora' and registered CJ4338 - which would include the date of Tim's photo. By the 7th edition (pub1996), she is renamed 'MTOTO' and registered as U4171.
Sorry, but I don't know why she was re-registered so late in her preserved life.

Edit with new info - the tractor was sold new to a coal merchant in the Hereford area, which would account for it's CJ registration. 'U' was a Leeds area registration. I'm trying to determine if it was registered by Fowlers in Leeds before its sale, or if they bought it back at some point.
Andy

 

[oldravendale]

Thank you, Dave @daifly and Barry @Barry37 for locating that photo of the Class 20s. I had, indeed, seen the name on the side of the garage but read it as "Shepshed" - despite the fact that I could not find a "Shepshed Motors" on line. If it had, indeed, been "Shepshed" Loughborough would have been a reasonable guess.

Arun - as ever I appreciate the granular detail. However, it's made my brain hurt so in future I'll just refer to the RTs as RTs.

Then Andy @AndyB . Great detail about that particular engine. These are all fascinating histories - I'm pretty certain there are more traction engine/roller pictures to come so will lean on you for complete details on those as well.

Four photos of unidentified Deltics believed to be at Hornsey although unconfirmed. Date unknown. The final shot shows Class 313 EMU units in the background.









Dual voltage pioneer class EMU 313 063 probably at Hornsey on an unknown date. Some high level digging suggests that the last went for scrap in 2023 although I’ve found no detailed information about this particular unit



Three unidentified HSTs believed to be at Hornsey at an unknown date.







Probably at Hornsey is an unidentified Class 31 diesel. The date is not recorded.



Brian