Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2022 i Steam World

Between 1973 and 1992 I lived in the Royal Borough of New Windsor, or the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, as it became. Going between home and work involved crossing historic Runnymede, where in 1215 King John had signed the Magna Carta, the first step in limiting royal power and establishing some rights for ordinary folk. In the opposite direction, going into Windsor town, one crossed the Long Walk, which led into the Great Park and up to the statue of King George III, known locally as ‘the Copper Horse’. Windsor was active as a royal home back then, and we were surrounded on three sides by royal parkland (Windsor Great Park) and on the fourth by the River Thames. During that time Prince Philip made an impromptu visit…

After catching the 7.58am train from Sutton to Clapham Junction, there was a tight connection to Reading (Southern), where I crossed to the Western Region station and bought a ticket to Hereford (7s 2d – 36p). The train, the 9.15am from Paddington, was quite crowded, but emptied considerably at Oxford. Engines were changed at Worcester Shrub Hill (one ‘Hymek’ to another) and they dropped all but the front three coaches. A huge crowd boarded the train at Worcester Foregate Street, but most got out at Malvern Link or Great Malvern. The line between Worcester and Hereford was double track, but single through tunnels at Colwall and Ledbury. The Midland branch to Tewkesbury was still in place at the junction, but lifted further on. The Gloucester branch at Ledbury was lifted.…

A third and final ‘wash-up’ selection of pictures will follow soon.…

In the days of the ganger, platelayer and lengthman, daily track patrols were common. Track workers ‘walked the length’ for which they were responsible, tightening fishplate bolts, hammering in loose wooden or steel rail keys, checking gauge and levels, maybe screwing down loose rail chair fastenings and noting more major track defects requiring subsequent repair. The appearance of their ‘length’ was a matter of considerable pride and they would meticulously maintain ballast shoulders not only for neatness but also to maintain a ‘safe cess’ alongside the tracks – the ash path which provided a safe walking route. This neatness was encouraged by the staging of regional competitions rewarding the best teams, who displayed cut-out ‘Prize Length’ signs at the trackside.…

Trespass and train spotting Thank you for a fascinating article on trainspotting and trespass. Interesting that none of the accidents described occurred while bunking sheds! Back in the 1960s we were not against sitting on an embankment at the trackside but it was rarely necessary; the real lure was the engine sheds. We knew, of course, that bunking sheds was illegal but didn’t really see it as morally culpable. Getting permission to visit sheds was not straightforward. Our authorised shed visits were all with a school Railway Society but even then we were refused entry to Horton Road and Low Moor. Requests to visit were almost always unsuccessful, whether in person, accompanied by a highly respectable father or in writing. In fact, the only time when I was allowed access…

At the far side of the yard, overlooking the main line, was the coaling plant. The centrepiece of this was the hopper, which was the tallest building for miles. As the locomotives came onto the shed, this was the first place they visited. They would stand to have their tenders or bunkers replenished with coal before being left on the ash pit for disposal. The hopper was supplied by a raft of wagons stabled on an adjacent line; each wagon was uncoupled and drawn individually on to the hopper cradle, with the aid of a capstan and rope. Each wagon was then taken up by the cradle and its contents emptied into the hopper by the coaling plant attendant. The total weight of the wagon and contents was limited to…

The day tour of Yorkshire The skies were darkening for the steam chaser that year. The winter timetable changes, starting on Monday September 5, would see a great many summer dated trains, mostly steam-operated, cease to run. In addition, many all-year workings were being turned over to diesel locomotives. My first steam train of the tour as an example, the 2am Sheffield to Leeds, was from the following Monday being re-diagrammed from a Holbeck ‘Jubilee’ to a ‘Peak’. By changing off of this train at Normanton, you could travel on the westbound Calder Valley mails as far as Hebden Bridge before crossing over to connect into the eastbound equivalent as far as Castleford. After breakfasting at the adjacent bus station staff canteen you could, on a summer Saturday, board the…

On its formation in January 1948, British Railways inherited a very diverse array of 20,000 standardgauge steam locomotives. The great majority of these had been built between 1858 and 1947 to the direct order of nearly 50 privately owned railway companies, both large and sometimes very small. Almost exactly half of these dated back to before 1923, when the so-called ‘Big Four’ companies were created by amalgamation, which between them then went on to produce nearly as many new locomotives again over the course of their 25-year existence. In addition were a large number of locomotives, mainly 2-8-0s, which had been ordered by the Ministry of Munitions for service overseas with the Railway Operating Division of the British Army, during the First World War, and the Ministry of Supply for…

For me, a trainspotting location had to be ‘comfortable’. I was pretty timid. I could never ‘bunk’ a shed for fear of being caught. My brother Roger ‘bunked’ Nine Elms on one occasion in the company of a number of other lads who were complete strangers. I couldn’t have done it with friends, never mind people I didn’t know! I preferred a lineside location on public land with certain basic facilities nearby. Primarily, that needed to be a place where I could buy food and a soft drink. I preferred to be alone or just with people I knew. I could pick up a Lyons Individual Fruit Pie (remember them? – I liked the apricot ones) from Stroud’s dairy shop at the top of our road, but they were invariably…