Meeting Reports from September 2014 - May 2015
Visit by members of the Ipswich & District Historical Transport Society (21st May)
With our Chairman, Brian Cornwell, unable to attend, our Vice-Chairman, Raymond Halliday, introduced the two members of the IDHTS (click the link for their website) who had travelled north to fulfil the biennial tradition of entertaining us with their presentations.
Mervyn Russen opened proceedings by giving us a brief illustrated history of the Ipswich & Bury St. Edmunds Railway. He mentioned how the Eastern Union Railway had reached Ipswich from the Colchester direction with a terminus at Croft Street, south of the later tunnel and station familiar to all.
He went on to name the prime mover, J.C.Cobbold, of the extension north to Bury in the first instance, with the subsequent extension from Haughley to Norwich following. Peter Bruff was named as Engineer, and Thomas Brassey as Contractor.
The construction of the tunnel was the major engineering feat of the extension, but there were considerable problems with the underlying geology in the Stowmarket area where the line was to be constructed very close to the River Gipping. These problems led to the diversion of the river north of the station to avoid the need to construct two bridges and to the excavation of borrow-pits to provide sufficient fill to raise the line out of the bog to the south.
Mervyn concluded his presentation by giving historical outlines and showing images of all of the stations on a “then and now” theme. Of those that have survived, the great majority have been given listed status. Sancton Wood was the architect who designed both the new Ipswich station north of the tunnel and that at Bury St. Edmunds. The intermediate stations were the work of Frederick Barnes.
The second part of the evening was used to show a series of films taken by Graham Austin since the 1970s. The first short example was shot on the Rheine to Emden line which had been the last line on the German Federal rail system to eliminate steam haulage in 1977. We were shown both coal and oil-fired locomotives hauling passenger, coal and car carriers of, in most cases, of an impressive length – several requiring double-headed working.
After the refreshment break, Graham continued with a series of examples taken on steam-hauled “tourist” lines in the USA. The first two covered were both originally part of the 3’ gauge Denver & Rio Grande system opened in 1882 in Colorado and New Mexico to transport gold and silver ores for processing. The Durango & Silverton Railroad is 45 miles in length while the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad is 64 miles long which gives it the distinction of being the longest and highest narrow gauge steam railroad in the USA. Needless to say, both were seen in spectacular countryside, much of it inaccessible by other means, as well as views at the termini.
The next to feature was the Sugar Pine Railroad in California close to the southern entrance to the Yosemite National Park. Although the route dates back to around 1874 for the exploitation of timber, it closed in 1931, only to be rebuilt in 1961 for the tourist trade. It is just 4 miles long and is operated by two Shay locomotives which featured in the film.
Graham’s final call was to the Georgetown Loop Railroad, also 3’ gauge, connecting the former mining communities of Georgetown and Silver Plume, which are 2 miles apart in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. However, because of the loop, which is used to overcome the difference in height of 640 feet, the length of the route is 4½ miles. It is breathtaking with its sheer drops at the side of the line and its spindly Devil’s Gate High Bridge over Clear Creek.
Warm thanks was expressed by our vice-chairman at the conclusion of the evening with the hope that these exchange visits would continue to take place well into the future.
(Graham Kenworthy)
With our Chairman, Brian Cornwell, unable to attend, our Vice-Chairman, Raymond Halliday, introduced the two members of the IDHTS (click the link for their website) who had travelled north to fulfil the biennial tradition of entertaining us with their presentations.
Mervyn Russen opened proceedings by giving us a brief illustrated history of the Ipswich & Bury St. Edmunds Railway. He mentioned how the Eastern Union Railway had reached Ipswich from the Colchester direction with a terminus at Croft Street, south of the later tunnel and station familiar to all.
He went on to name the prime mover, J.C.Cobbold, of the extension north to Bury in the first instance, with the subsequent extension from Haughley to Norwich following. Peter Bruff was named as Engineer, and Thomas Brassey as Contractor.
The construction of the tunnel was the major engineering feat of the extension, but there were considerable problems with the underlying geology in the Stowmarket area where the line was to be constructed very close to the River Gipping. These problems led to the diversion of the river north of the station to avoid the need to construct two bridges and to the excavation of borrow-pits to provide sufficient fill to raise the line out of the bog to the south.
Mervyn concluded his presentation by giving historical outlines and showing images of all of the stations on a “then and now” theme. Of those that have survived, the great majority have been given listed status. Sancton Wood was the architect who designed both the new Ipswich station north of the tunnel and that at Bury St. Edmunds. The intermediate stations were the work of Frederick Barnes.
The second part of the evening was used to show a series of films taken by Graham Austin since the 1970s. The first short example was shot on the Rheine to Emden line which had been the last line on the German Federal rail system to eliminate steam haulage in 1977. We were shown both coal and oil-fired locomotives hauling passenger, coal and car carriers of, in most cases, of an impressive length – several requiring double-headed working.
After the refreshment break, Graham continued with a series of examples taken on steam-hauled “tourist” lines in the USA. The first two covered were both originally part of the 3’ gauge Denver & Rio Grande system opened in 1882 in Colorado and New Mexico to transport gold and silver ores for processing. The Durango & Silverton Railroad is 45 miles in length while the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad is 64 miles long which gives it the distinction of being the longest and highest narrow gauge steam railroad in the USA. Needless to say, both were seen in spectacular countryside, much of it inaccessible by other means, as well as views at the termini.
The next to feature was the Sugar Pine Railroad in California close to the southern entrance to the Yosemite National Park. Although the route dates back to around 1874 for the exploitation of timber, it closed in 1931, only to be rebuilt in 1961 for the tourist trade. It is just 4 miles long and is operated by two Shay locomotives which featured in the film.
Graham’s final call was to the Georgetown Loop Railroad, also 3’ gauge, connecting the former mining communities of Georgetown and Silver Plume, which are 2 miles apart in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. However, because of the loop, which is used to overcome the difference in height of 640 feet, the length of the route is 4½ miles. It is breathtaking with its sheer drops at the side of the line and its spindly Devil’s Gate High Bridge over Clear Creek.
Warm thanks was expressed by our vice-chairman at the conclusion of the evening with the hope that these exchange visits would continue to take place well into the future.
(Graham Kenworthy)
“National Operating Strategy – Signalling trains into the next decade and beyond”
(Steve Ashling – 16th April)
Steve, a relatively new Society member but who has delivered entertaining presentations in the past, could not be better qualified to deliver this talk as he is the Network Operations Interface Manager. What might have proved to a rather dry subject was delivered with the aid of a fine collection of digital images, whilst his enthusiasm and numerous humorous asides kept the audience keenly focused on the subject matter.
The present Network Rail Chairman, Mark Carne, has announced its intention to deliver a Digital Railway by 2030 which will see conventional lineside signals dispensed with. There will be 12 Railway Operating Centres (ROCs) with Romford controlling East Anglia. Control is due to move to the Romford ROC in May 2015 with Upminster IECC (controlling the c2c network and the North London Line) transferring at Christmas 2015. In due course the control areas of the Liverpool St and Colchester IECCs will gravitate too together with areas due to be resignalled such as the Wherry lines.
The Digital Railway timescales may prove over-optimistic following the transfer of Network Rail finances to the Treasury which may restrict the availability of funds in future years and cost escalation of committed schemes (such as electrification) in the current Control Period to 2019 may reduce funding available for resignalling related works.
The Digital Railway will increase capacity, reduce costs and introduce automatic train protection by introducing ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) incorporating ETCS (European Traffic Control System), GSM-R (fixed telecoms network – the “magic” green hosepipe seen running beside most lines providing voice and data links) - and European Operating Rules and Traffic Management.
Full Traffic Management relies on 5 pillars:-
● Stock and crew;
● C-DAS (Driver Advisory System gives drivers instructions when to reduce power to maintain timetable and to reduce conflict at junctions);
● Customer Information Services;
● Incident management;
● Plan/re-plan (the first 4 pillars interface with the TM Plan/re-plan).
ETCS will move signalling from the trackside to in-cab on trains. There will be difficulty in retrofitting existing historic trains with the equipment but much easier in new build trains such as the IEP and Class 700 (Thameslink). The only sections of railway equipped with ETCS operating passenger trains are the Cambrian routes west of Shrewsbury converted in 2011 and HS1 (St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel). Both Thameslink and Crossrail will have ETCS and ETCS is to be overlaid on existing signalling between King’s Cross and Woolmer Green (north of Welwyn Garden City) by 2018 – lineside signals removed in 2020 followed by the GN route to King’s Lynn in 2021; Peterborough – Ely in 2020 with the first section between Paddington and MP12 (Airport Junction, Hayes & Harlington) due for commissioning in 2017.
In Great Britain (excluding the Cambrian and HS1) we use route signalling whereas the European continent uses speed signalling. ERTMS is designed as a standard product for the European networks with a view to inter-operability in future and most ERTMS to date has been introduced to new high speed lines. The UK will be the first to embrace this technology on complex track layouts handling dense traffic.
ERTMS Level 2 sees a Movement Authority given by a Radio Block Centre to the train with intermittent updates of train location and continuous updates of Movement Authority. It can be installed with or without lineside signals.
ERTMS Level 3 enforces train separation using position data from the train rather than trackside/on-train detection. There is a continuous update of train location.
ERTMS Level 4 would see the driver removed from the cab. Level 4 is unlikely to be introduced…………
ENIF – ERTMS National Integration Facility: a 5 mile long ERTMS section has been created for test purposes between Hertford North and Langley Junction (Stevenage) with the Down line used for the testing whilst public services can use the Up line in both directions. 313121 has been converted for testing of various manufacturers’ products.
DMI (driver machine interface) “screen”: the DMI shows the current speed and the permitted future speed in kilometres. The planning area display shows imminent changes of speed (up or down) and an outer curve shows the permitted speed in white and this changes to yellow where there is a need to reduce speed and should the braking curve not be being achieved the outer curve turns red and initiates a brake application until the desired speed profile is achieved. The driver will then be able to reapply power at this point.
The driver has to input the type and load of the train before the train enters service which enables the computer to determine the braking characteristics.
Steve has researched this technology by visiting the ETCS control centre at Machynlleth and was able to show numerous images, including video, demonstrating the technology in use on the train and explaining the lineside marker boards and valises.
Peter Adds thanked Steve for an excellent presentation and this was met by sustained applause from his audience.
P.S. Network Rail issued a Press release on the same day announcing that their Infrastructure Signalling Programme Director responsible for the signalling delivery teams across the network, including the new technology mentioned during Steve’s talk, “had decided to leave in the summer”.
(Peter Adds)
(Steve Ashling – 16th April)
Steve, a relatively new Society member but who has delivered entertaining presentations in the past, could not be better qualified to deliver this talk as he is the Network Operations Interface Manager. What might have proved to a rather dry subject was delivered with the aid of a fine collection of digital images, whilst his enthusiasm and numerous humorous asides kept the audience keenly focused on the subject matter.
The present Network Rail Chairman, Mark Carne, has announced its intention to deliver a Digital Railway by 2030 which will see conventional lineside signals dispensed with. There will be 12 Railway Operating Centres (ROCs) with Romford controlling East Anglia. Control is due to move to the Romford ROC in May 2015 with Upminster IECC (controlling the c2c network and the North London Line) transferring at Christmas 2015. In due course the control areas of the Liverpool St and Colchester IECCs will gravitate too together with areas due to be resignalled such as the Wherry lines.
The Digital Railway timescales may prove over-optimistic following the transfer of Network Rail finances to the Treasury which may restrict the availability of funds in future years and cost escalation of committed schemes (such as electrification) in the current Control Period to 2019 may reduce funding available for resignalling related works.
The Digital Railway will increase capacity, reduce costs and introduce automatic train protection by introducing ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) incorporating ETCS (European Traffic Control System), GSM-R (fixed telecoms network – the “magic” green hosepipe seen running beside most lines providing voice and data links) - and European Operating Rules and Traffic Management.
Full Traffic Management relies on 5 pillars:-
● Stock and crew;
● C-DAS (Driver Advisory System gives drivers instructions when to reduce power to maintain timetable and to reduce conflict at junctions);
● Customer Information Services;
● Incident management;
● Plan/re-plan (the first 4 pillars interface with the TM Plan/re-plan).
ETCS will move signalling from the trackside to in-cab on trains. There will be difficulty in retrofitting existing historic trains with the equipment but much easier in new build trains such as the IEP and Class 700 (Thameslink). The only sections of railway equipped with ETCS operating passenger trains are the Cambrian routes west of Shrewsbury converted in 2011 and HS1 (St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel). Both Thameslink and Crossrail will have ETCS and ETCS is to be overlaid on existing signalling between King’s Cross and Woolmer Green (north of Welwyn Garden City) by 2018 – lineside signals removed in 2020 followed by the GN route to King’s Lynn in 2021; Peterborough – Ely in 2020 with the first section between Paddington and MP12 (Airport Junction, Hayes & Harlington) due for commissioning in 2017.
In Great Britain (excluding the Cambrian and HS1) we use route signalling whereas the European continent uses speed signalling. ERTMS is designed as a standard product for the European networks with a view to inter-operability in future and most ERTMS to date has been introduced to new high speed lines. The UK will be the first to embrace this technology on complex track layouts handling dense traffic.
ERTMS Level 2 sees a Movement Authority given by a Radio Block Centre to the train with intermittent updates of train location and continuous updates of Movement Authority. It can be installed with or without lineside signals.
ERTMS Level 3 enforces train separation using position data from the train rather than trackside/on-train detection. There is a continuous update of train location.
ERTMS Level 4 would see the driver removed from the cab. Level 4 is unlikely to be introduced…………
ENIF – ERTMS National Integration Facility: a 5 mile long ERTMS section has been created for test purposes between Hertford North and Langley Junction (Stevenage) with the Down line used for the testing whilst public services can use the Up line in both directions. 313121 has been converted for testing of various manufacturers’ products.
DMI (driver machine interface) “screen”: the DMI shows the current speed and the permitted future speed in kilometres. The planning area display shows imminent changes of speed (up or down) and an outer curve shows the permitted speed in white and this changes to yellow where there is a need to reduce speed and should the braking curve not be being achieved the outer curve turns red and initiates a brake application until the desired speed profile is achieved. The driver will then be able to reapply power at this point.
The driver has to input the type and load of the train before the train enters service which enables the computer to determine the braking characteristics.
Steve has researched this technology by visiting the ETCS control centre at Machynlleth and was able to show numerous images, including video, demonstrating the technology in use on the train and explaining the lineside marker boards and valises.
Peter Adds thanked Steve for an excellent presentation and this was met by sustained applause from his audience.
P.S. Network Rail issued a Press release on the same day announcing that their Infrastructure Signalling Programme Director responsible for the signalling delivery teams across the network, including the new technology mentioned during Steve’s talk, “had decided to leave in the summer”.
(Peter Adds)
"Rebirth of the Waverley Route" - (Chris Mitchell - 19th March)
The Waverley route - the very name conjures up romantic associations. And what a route it was, with testing gradients and bleak moorland terrain. Named after the novels of Sir Walter Scott, whose house Abbotsford lay close to the route, it ran south from Edinburgh, through Midlothian and the Scottish borders, to Carlisle. The 98-mile-long line was built by the North British company; the stretch from Edinburgh to Hawick opened in 1849 and the remainder to Carlisle opened in 1862.
It closed as a through route in January 1969. The last passenger train was the 21.56 Edinburgh-St Pancras sleeper headed by Class 45 D60 Lytham St Annes. All the track had been lifted by the end of 1972, but, as we know, that was far from the end. The Scottish parliament, which has a successful record of reviving closed lines, has approved the rebuilding of a 30-mile stretch of the Waverley route, its biggest project to date. The Borders Railway, as we must now learn to call it, is expected to deliver major economic and social development opportunities – connecting people to jobs, housing, leisure and other facilities. It will extend the Edinburgh suburban service which currently runs as far as Brunstane and Newcraighall, on to Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Stow and Galashiels. It will end just past Galashiels at an enlarged terminus at Tweedbank. Services will operate every 30 minutes from Edinburgh to Tweedbank and vice versa.
Chris Mitchell remembers the route well, and in the first half of a well-assembled and absorbing presentation he showed Colour-Rail slides of it in its heyday. From Edinburgh Waverley, old NBR 4-4-0s, their names painted on the splasher for economy, would take passenger trains through the city outskirts, and continue for several miles at a gradient of 1 in 80, with a summit at Falahill loop. They would then descend at a similar rate to Galashiels, Melrose and St Boswells before reaching Hawick and climbing at 1 in 80 through Stobs and Shankend to Whitrope Summit, the highest point on the line. After Whitrope Tunnel the line descended at an unbroken 1 in 75 for over 8 miles through Riccarton Junction and Steele Road to Newcastleton; after that came an easier ride into Carlisle. Latterly A2, A3 and sometimes A4 Pacifics were in charge; one loco in particular, A3 60093 Coronach seemed to have found its way into many of the Colour-Rail slides. The Waverley was an important freight route too; Chris showed B1 4-6-0s and K3 moguls slogging up the banks with loads such as the Bathgate - Luton vehicle train.
The line’s subsequent history – that is to say its dormant and resurgent states – was the theme of the second half of the evening. Chris had followed the route in 2000, photographing neglected stations and disused tunnels, and he showed how desolate everything looked at that stage. Then in Autumn 2014 he was fortunate to be among a party of civil engineers invited by main contractor BAM Nuttall to inspect ‘the largest domestic railway to be built in the UK for over 100 years’. His pictures showed track laying in progress as well as the varied earthmoving projects which rebuilding the line has necessitated. The most significant changes appear to be at Galashiels, where a block of flats had to be demolished and an inner relief road road created in order to accommodate the railway. A large transport interchange is also under construction there.
Tracklaying was officially completed on February 12 when Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, clipped the final length of rail into place, and now all seems set for the line’s reopening in September 2015. And after that? Well, in April 2014, Alex Salmond was quoted as saying "the success of the 30-mile stretch to just south of Galashiels would 'calibrate' a feasibility study into rebuilding the remaining 70 miles".
(Mike Handscomb)
The Waverley route - the very name conjures up romantic associations. And what a route it was, with testing gradients and bleak moorland terrain. Named after the novels of Sir Walter Scott, whose house Abbotsford lay close to the route, it ran south from Edinburgh, through Midlothian and the Scottish borders, to Carlisle. The 98-mile-long line was built by the North British company; the stretch from Edinburgh to Hawick opened in 1849 and the remainder to Carlisle opened in 1862.
It closed as a through route in January 1969. The last passenger train was the 21.56 Edinburgh-St Pancras sleeper headed by Class 45 D60 Lytham St Annes. All the track had been lifted by the end of 1972, but, as we know, that was far from the end. The Scottish parliament, which has a successful record of reviving closed lines, has approved the rebuilding of a 30-mile stretch of the Waverley route, its biggest project to date. The Borders Railway, as we must now learn to call it, is expected to deliver major economic and social development opportunities – connecting people to jobs, housing, leisure and other facilities. It will extend the Edinburgh suburban service which currently runs as far as Brunstane and Newcraighall, on to Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Stow and Galashiels. It will end just past Galashiels at an enlarged terminus at Tweedbank. Services will operate every 30 minutes from Edinburgh to Tweedbank and vice versa.
Chris Mitchell remembers the route well, and in the first half of a well-assembled and absorbing presentation he showed Colour-Rail slides of it in its heyday. From Edinburgh Waverley, old NBR 4-4-0s, their names painted on the splasher for economy, would take passenger trains through the city outskirts, and continue for several miles at a gradient of 1 in 80, with a summit at Falahill loop. They would then descend at a similar rate to Galashiels, Melrose and St Boswells before reaching Hawick and climbing at 1 in 80 through Stobs and Shankend to Whitrope Summit, the highest point on the line. After Whitrope Tunnel the line descended at an unbroken 1 in 75 for over 8 miles through Riccarton Junction and Steele Road to Newcastleton; after that came an easier ride into Carlisle. Latterly A2, A3 and sometimes A4 Pacifics were in charge; one loco in particular, A3 60093 Coronach seemed to have found its way into many of the Colour-Rail slides. The Waverley was an important freight route too; Chris showed B1 4-6-0s and K3 moguls slogging up the banks with loads such as the Bathgate - Luton vehicle train.
The line’s subsequent history – that is to say its dormant and resurgent states – was the theme of the second half of the evening. Chris had followed the route in 2000, photographing neglected stations and disused tunnels, and he showed how desolate everything looked at that stage. Then in Autumn 2014 he was fortunate to be among a party of civil engineers invited by main contractor BAM Nuttall to inspect ‘the largest domestic railway to be built in the UK for over 100 years’. His pictures showed track laying in progress as well as the varied earthmoving projects which rebuilding the line has necessitated. The most significant changes appear to be at Galashiels, where a block of flats had to be demolished and an inner relief road road created in order to accommodate the railway. A large transport interchange is also under construction there.
Tracklaying was officially completed on February 12 when Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, clipped the final length of rail into place, and now all seems set for the line’s reopening in September 2015. And after that? Well, in April 2014, Alex Salmond was quoted as saying "the success of the 30-mile stretch to just south of Galashiels would 'calibrate' a feasibility study into rebuilding the remaining 70 miles".
(Mike Handscomb)
“Victorian Railways – Recent Academic Research” (Dr David Turner – 5th March)
How often is it that our speaker appears to be younger than his audience, and how often does a presentation begin by discussing the slave trade? Our speaker – teaching fellow Dr David Turner from the University of York – began by exploring the link between the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, its compensation provisions, who received this money and what happened to it. Merchants in London, Liverpool and Manchester had become very wealthy on the back of the slave trade, and the financial provisions of the Act compensated former slave owners to the tune of £20M.
As the Liverpool & Manchester Railway was paying a 10% dividend on its shares, the former slave owners realised that astute railway investment would be very beneficial. They would take out share options, knowing they’d get “slave money” and of the 649 slave owners who were compensated 164 are known to have invested in railways. The Government never involved itself in strategic railway planning.
The “Railway Mania” of the mid-1840s was caused by speculation in railway schemes – 272 Railway Acts of Parliament were passed in 1846 covering some 9,500 miles, but about one-third were never built. When the Bank of England put up interest rates in 1845, the banks began to re-invest in bonds, which had the effect of taking money away from the railways and schemes simply ran out of funding. Many small investors were particularly badly hit and our larger railway companies were able to enlarge their networks by buying failed companies cheaply. It was generally the case that smaller and inexperienced investors suffered whilst the experienced merchants fared much better.
David then turned his attention to the railways’ territorial nature and their preference for building new lines instead of improving facilities. He had made a close study of the London & South Western Railway and drew attention to the Cobham area where residents were without a railway. The Guildford Kingston & London Railway, which they promoted in the 1880s, was successfully opposed by the L&SWR and, surprise, surprise, they offered what became known as the “New Line” from Guildford vis Cobham to the main line at Esher. This was poorly patronised until the spread of the commuter belt in the 1920s.
He reported on Professor Mark Casson’s study for a planned rail network. Unplanned, the network covered some 20,000 miles in 1914. By contrast Casson came up with a planned network of some 13,000 miles, with London to Norwich being via Cambridge. The unplanned network diluted shareholders’ dividends.
We had a look at excursion trains, which began running in the 1830s, and learnt that Thomas Cook was not a significant player. Excursions offered travel outside one’s home area, and early excursions went to such diverse events as horse racing, regattas and executions! The public was not particularly well catered for, with open carriages being used by the N.E.R. into the 1870s. The growing network also helped the development of football leagues, for example. Surprisingly, the railways did not seem to develop horse-racing attendances as 200,000 attended Epsom in the 1830s. Nor did they help football supporters in the early days, when many walked or used trams.
David concluded with a look at railway operating ratios – below 100% operating costs meant profit. An average of 50% was the ratio in the mid-19th century, but this had worsened to about 60% by 1910, and would continue to worsen.
A most unusual and fascinating presentation, which was much enjoyed by the appreciative audience. Thanks to Chris Mitchell for arranging for David to speak to us, and to Andy Wright for operating the projector. (EM)
David leads the Postgraduate Diploma in Railway Studies run by the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of York. This is an online course. Details can be found at: www.york.ac.uk/lifelonglearning/pg-dip-railways
How often is it that our speaker appears to be younger than his audience, and how often does a presentation begin by discussing the slave trade? Our speaker – teaching fellow Dr David Turner from the University of York – began by exploring the link between the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, its compensation provisions, who received this money and what happened to it. Merchants in London, Liverpool and Manchester had become very wealthy on the back of the slave trade, and the financial provisions of the Act compensated former slave owners to the tune of £20M.
As the Liverpool & Manchester Railway was paying a 10% dividend on its shares, the former slave owners realised that astute railway investment would be very beneficial. They would take out share options, knowing they’d get “slave money” and of the 649 slave owners who were compensated 164 are known to have invested in railways. The Government never involved itself in strategic railway planning.
The “Railway Mania” of the mid-1840s was caused by speculation in railway schemes – 272 Railway Acts of Parliament were passed in 1846 covering some 9,500 miles, but about one-third were never built. When the Bank of England put up interest rates in 1845, the banks began to re-invest in bonds, which had the effect of taking money away from the railways and schemes simply ran out of funding. Many small investors were particularly badly hit and our larger railway companies were able to enlarge their networks by buying failed companies cheaply. It was generally the case that smaller and inexperienced investors suffered whilst the experienced merchants fared much better.
David then turned his attention to the railways’ territorial nature and their preference for building new lines instead of improving facilities. He had made a close study of the London & South Western Railway and drew attention to the Cobham area where residents were without a railway. The Guildford Kingston & London Railway, which they promoted in the 1880s, was successfully opposed by the L&SWR and, surprise, surprise, they offered what became known as the “New Line” from Guildford vis Cobham to the main line at Esher. This was poorly patronised until the spread of the commuter belt in the 1920s.
He reported on Professor Mark Casson’s study for a planned rail network. Unplanned, the network covered some 20,000 miles in 1914. By contrast Casson came up with a planned network of some 13,000 miles, with London to Norwich being via Cambridge. The unplanned network diluted shareholders’ dividends.
We had a look at excursion trains, which began running in the 1830s, and learnt that Thomas Cook was not a significant player. Excursions offered travel outside one’s home area, and early excursions went to such diverse events as horse racing, regattas and executions! The public was not particularly well catered for, with open carriages being used by the N.E.R. into the 1870s. The growing network also helped the development of football leagues, for example. Surprisingly, the railways did not seem to develop horse-racing attendances as 200,000 attended Epsom in the 1830s. Nor did they help football supporters in the early days, when many walked or used trams.
David concluded with a look at railway operating ratios – below 100% operating costs meant profit. An average of 50% was the ratio in the mid-19th century, but this had worsened to about 60% by 1910, and would continue to worsen.
A most unusual and fascinating presentation, which was much enjoyed by the appreciative audience. Thanks to Chris Mitchell for arranging for David to speak to us, and to Andy Wright for operating the projector. (EM)
David leads the Postgraduate Diploma in Railway Studies run by the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of York. This is an online course. Details can be found at: www.york.ac.uk/lifelonglearning/pg-dip-railways
South American Standard Gauge (Ken Mills – 19th February)
As a taster for the rather more extensive routes which were to follow, Ken started with a 1968 visit to Trinidad, the island off the coast of Venezuela. His series of slides started in Port of Spain, illustrating the station, signal box and a coach which had been transferred from Canada. We continued via the locoshed, which contained - amongst others - an Alco locomotive, to St. Joseph’s Junction where the system divided into three separate branches.
Ken then moved on to Guyana (formerly British Guiana) where the first railway had been constructed in 1845. Much British engineering was in evidence, including a Ransome’s turntable at Rossignol, the station across the river to the west of the major port of New Amsterdam. The views moved further west to Georgetown by one of the eight daily trains which took four hours to travel the 60 mile journey. Having seen a 4-6-4 tank engine named Sir Graeme at Rossignol, various members of the audience were pleased to see Sir Gordon, Sir John and Sir Geoffrey at Georgetown. A Doubey shunter, constructed from spare parts in 1946 rounded off this part of the tour.
The second half of the evening made use of five differently owned standard gauge lines northwards from Buenos Aires through the provinces of Entrerios (“between the rivers”) and Corrientes into land-locked Paraguay. The rivers in question for Entrerios are the Uruguay to the east and the Parana to the west. Ken had visited each of these railways during a number of visits to the area during the late 1960s/early 1970s.
The first railway in the area dated from 1862, the main reason for the number constructed being to provide freight services rather than for passengers. During his visits Ken saw a number of examples of locomotives dating from the later years of the 19th century.
We were taken through an alphabet of classes (literally A to Z), built by a considerable number of different companies in the United Kingdom, but also featuring examples from Belgium, Germany and USA. The British builders featured included Dübs, Hudswell Clark, North British and Kerr Stewart. There was also a variety of those burning different fuels – coal, wood and oil.
The British influence in the early railways featured was also in evidence in many of the views shown, particularly where original semaphore signals and signal boxes survived.
The customary thanks of the Chairman were expressed followed by a show of appreciation from the members present, not only for Ken’s presentation but also for the button-pushing skills of Ian Woodruff, Ken’s projectionist. (Graham Kenworthy)
As a taster for the rather more extensive routes which were to follow, Ken started with a 1968 visit to Trinidad, the island off the coast of Venezuela. His series of slides started in Port of Spain, illustrating the station, signal box and a coach which had been transferred from Canada. We continued via the locoshed, which contained - amongst others - an Alco locomotive, to St. Joseph’s Junction where the system divided into three separate branches.
Ken then moved on to Guyana (formerly British Guiana) where the first railway had been constructed in 1845. Much British engineering was in evidence, including a Ransome’s turntable at Rossignol, the station across the river to the west of the major port of New Amsterdam. The views moved further west to Georgetown by one of the eight daily trains which took four hours to travel the 60 mile journey. Having seen a 4-6-4 tank engine named Sir Graeme at Rossignol, various members of the audience were pleased to see Sir Gordon, Sir John and Sir Geoffrey at Georgetown. A Doubey shunter, constructed from spare parts in 1946 rounded off this part of the tour.
The second half of the evening made use of five differently owned standard gauge lines northwards from Buenos Aires through the provinces of Entrerios (“between the rivers”) and Corrientes into land-locked Paraguay. The rivers in question for Entrerios are the Uruguay to the east and the Parana to the west. Ken had visited each of these railways during a number of visits to the area during the late 1960s/early 1970s.
The first railway in the area dated from 1862, the main reason for the number constructed being to provide freight services rather than for passengers. During his visits Ken saw a number of examples of locomotives dating from the later years of the 19th century.
We were taken through an alphabet of classes (literally A to Z), built by a considerable number of different companies in the United Kingdom, but also featuring examples from Belgium, Germany and USA. The British builders featured included Dübs, Hudswell Clark, North British and Kerr Stewart. There was also a variety of those burning different fuels – coal, wood and oil.
The British influence in the early railways featured was also in evidence in many of the views shown, particularly where original semaphore signals and signal boxes survived.
The customary thanks of the Chairman were expressed followed by a show of appreciation from the members present, not only for Ken’s presentation but also for the button-pushing skills of Ian Woodruff, Ken’s projectionist. (Graham Kenworthy)
“Pictures from Here & There” (David Pearce – 5th February)
David’s presentation was subtitled “A Celebration of Vernacular Railway Photography”, and if you check the meaning of “vernacular” its principal meaning is concerned with language. Open up a Thesaurus and it has various entries including ones under “native” & “plain”. Putting all that aside, once again David had dipped into his vast photographic library – this time including photographs he had bought from others – and the audience was forced to think why people take photographs and about the threads holding groups of photographs together.
David showed that he is very much a North of England person – ranging from the Settle & Carlisle, across to Northumberland & Durham, and he enjoyed photographs of the North British Railway’s incursions into England. So it was no surprise that he began with a shot of a returning Blackpool – South Shields holiday service at Bleath Gill on the Stainmore route. I was surprised that his father was a signalman on the NYMR, duly photographed on duty and on holiday beside the Hopton Incline gradient post. David’s grandfather had the same interests – witness the photographs (from the Evening Standard) of a model railway show of 1937.
Some people prefer no people in their images, but David prefers the human angle, and we saw a K1 2-6-0 with plenty of people in front of it and a much smaller group close to an O2 0-4-4T at Ventnor where the pointwork suggested a variety of alternative routes. Unsurprisingly we saw David’s earliest photographs – a Royal Scot at Nottingham MPD and a Class 37 on the Bournemouth – York service which used to run via Nottingham (Victoria). In the same area we saw something of the “last trains” on the Great Central (David’s favourite, perhaps?) and an old photograph of Ollerton with the station staff – presumably – lined up for the camera for reasons unknown. Earlier, I referred to David’s interest in the NBR’s cross-border probes – we saw something of Angerton, Scotsgap in 1937, the Border Counties bridge at Hexham, clearly weight-restricted and closure not far away, and the NER’s spindly Belah viaduct both before closure and its site today.
Just before the end of steam, David enjoyed a footplate ride aboard 45073 hauling a freight train. Many years later he must have been delighted to secure a print of that very train! We also saw a Black Five near Buxton. The noted photographer Paul Riley was on hand to run through the snow to Buxton MPD to procure an assisting loco!
We were treated to some unusual views – from inside the signalbox at Bottesford West Junc and also of the mail being wheeled across the tracks after a train departed. At Long Eaton Town signalbox we saw how close the buildings were to the railway and then moved to Weymouth to see the Channel Islands Boat Train (that pub was really close!) and then to Boyces Bridge on the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway for more parallel rail/road running.
It may have come as a surprise than David resorted to ebay to acquire some photos, but this enabled us to see Portsmouth (Lancs) and Wigan (Wallgate). He related how a medium format negative of 10000 (the W1 4-6-4) changed hands for £127.01! Engine sheds featured, of course, such as Hellifield, Westhouses and Toton, where a Beyer-Garratt was a welcome sight.
David had been to S.W. Wales on a family holiday in his younger days but returned to see the steam specials operating between Swansea and Fishguard, photographing them from the Llanstephan side of the River Towy as they passed Ferryside.
At the close of David’s presentation David offered several alternative meanings to his show, including “What was that all about?” I’m not sure how many cared – it was the usual excellent evening’s entertainment from David, and thanks to Andy Wright for operating the projector. (EM)
David’s presentation was subtitled “A Celebration of Vernacular Railway Photography”, and if you check the meaning of “vernacular” its principal meaning is concerned with language. Open up a Thesaurus and it has various entries including ones under “native” & “plain”. Putting all that aside, once again David had dipped into his vast photographic library – this time including photographs he had bought from others – and the audience was forced to think why people take photographs and about the threads holding groups of photographs together.
David showed that he is very much a North of England person – ranging from the Settle & Carlisle, across to Northumberland & Durham, and he enjoyed photographs of the North British Railway’s incursions into England. So it was no surprise that he began with a shot of a returning Blackpool – South Shields holiday service at Bleath Gill on the Stainmore route. I was surprised that his father was a signalman on the NYMR, duly photographed on duty and on holiday beside the Hopton Incline gradient post. David’s grandfather had the same interests – witness the photographs (from the Evening Standard) of a model railway show of 1937.
Some people prefer no people in their images, but David prefers the human angle, and we saw a K1 2-6-0 with plenty of people in front of it and a much smaller group close to an O2 0-4-4T at Ventnor where the pointwork suggested a variety of alternative routes. Unsurprisingly we saw David’s earliest photographs – a Royal Scot at Nottingham MPD and a Class 37 on the Bournemouth – York service which used to run via Nottingham (Victoria). In the same area we saw something of the “last trains” on the Great Central (David’s favourite, perhaps?) and an old photograph of Ollerton with the station staff – presumably – lined up for the camera for reasons unknown. Earlier, I referred to David’s interest in the NBR’s cross-border probes – we saw something of Angerton, Scotsgap in 1937, the Border Counties bridge at Hexham, clearly weight-restricted and closure not far away, and the NER’s spindly Belah viaduct both before closure and its site today.
Just before the end of steam, David enjoyed a footplate ride aboard 45073 hauling a freight train. Many years later he must have been delighted to secure a print of that very train! We also saw a Black Five near Buxton. The noted photographer Paul Riley was on hand to run through the snow to Buxton MPD to procure an assisting loco!
We were treated to some unusual views – from inside the signalbox at Bottesford West Junc and also of the mail being wheeled across the tracks after a train departed. At Long Eaton Town signalbox we saw how close the buildings were to the railway and then moved to Weymouth to see the Channel Islands Boat Train (that pub was really close!) and then to Boyces Bridge on the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway for more parallel rail/road running.
It may have come as a surprise than David resorted to ebay to acquire some photos, but this enabled us to see Portsmouth (Lancs) and Wigan (Wallgate). He related how a medium format negative of 10000 (the W1 4-6-4) changed hands for £127.01! Engine sheds featured, of course, such as Hellifield, Westhouses and Toton, where a Beyer-Garratt was a welcome sight.
David had been to S.W. Wales on a family holiday in his younger days but returned to see the steam specials operating between Swansea and Fishguard, photographing them from the Llanstephan side of the River Towy as they passed Ferryside.
At the close of David’s presentation David offered several alternative meanings to his show, including “What was that all about?” I’m not sure how many cared – it was the usual excellent evening’s entertainment from David, and thanks to Andy Wright for operating the projector. (EM)
“From Radipole Halt to Wymondham Abbey: Chronicles of a mis-spent life” (Mike Handscomb – 22nd January 2015)
Mike commenced his presentation by stating that he had been a member of the Society for 30 years and, apart from his Chairman’s address in 1990, he had not given a full evening’s talk since. The long wait was definitely worth it!
What followed was a personal autobiography commencing when Mike was a mere 11 years old. Being enrolled at Hardye’s (boys only) School in Dorchester necessitated the hardship of commuting daily by train from Radipole Halt – about 1 mile north of Weymouth - to Dorchester South (S.R.) or West (W.R.) stations initially by steam but later with early diesel locomotive haulage to/from Dorchester West station. The first picture was 1450 plus an auto coach standing at Radipole Halt and this image was followed by many others in the Dorchester/Weymouth locality illustrating the railways in the area including images of Bincombe Tunnel and Dorchester Junction signal boxes – Mike is the proud owner of both ‘box nameboards. Mike admitted to having fond memories of using Third Class Lavatory First vehicles – one had to get into the right compartment to use the on-board facilities!
School came out at 1550 (no doubt 3.50pm at that time!) and Mike had a choice of either a dash for the 1601 service from Dorchester South or the 1615 from the West station with WR motive power. Saturday afternoons and Sundays offered the chance of spotting from Alexander Bridge situated near the throat of Weymouth station with Weymouth locomotive shed beyond. Photographs taken at the shed included a Bulldog locomotive 3319 Weymouth taken before 1930 as these locomotives lost their nameplates that year lest the travelling public take the locomotive name as the train’s destination; a fireman struggling with the manually worked turntable and a letter dated 9th December 1931 written by Locomotive Superintendent C.B. Collett to H.C. Casserley who would later become a renowned railway author and photographer. SR steam ended in July 1967 and after the shed had been used to store condemned locos the site was ultimately redeveloped as a housing estate.
He was briefly interested in model railways and a newspaper picture was shown featuring Mike and friends at a model railway exhibition – one of his friends held a BTC booklet “All along the Lines” which was a potential recruitment publication featuring diesel locomotive 10000 on the cover.
Mike showed pictures of his enamel sign collection of local SR station totems including a green Dorchester West sign – historically WR brown but became SR green following the revision of regional boundaries in 1950. Another sign showed directions for passengers alighting at Dorchester West either for the town centre or Dorchester South station.
Photographs displayed showed the Weymouth Quay branch in operation – plus a view of BR coach label BR 21778/16 which asked passengers not to use the lavatories whilst the train was passing along the Quay line – the branches to Portland, Abbotsbury, Bridport (change for West Bay – the location for the current ITV series “Broadchurch”), Lyme Regis and Swanage all long closed with only the last named re-opened as a heritage line. A 5’6” long running-in board from Corfe Castle was repatriated from Glasgow – having been sailed up there – via the WCML and then the London Underground with extreme personal difficulty! The sign now resides in the Swanage railway museum having been swapped for a single line token. Mike showed an original copy of the 4’ 6” gauge Merchants Tramway Act of Parliament dated 10th June 1825 now in his possession but previously owned by E. Lomax (depicted in “The Railway Man” film). The tramway allowed stone to be carried from the quarries down to the pier at Castletown on the Isle of Portland.
Mike then went to Exeter University to read French and Latin. Joining the railway society and another model railway society visits took place to Meldon Quarry with brake van rides behind a Hymek diesel and a “WC/BB” Pacific-hauled ballast train en route; HM Dockyard at Devonport; Halwill & Meeth Railway, part of the North Devon & Cornwall Junc Light Railway (closed 1965), and others. Mike became the University Railway Society’s secretary, riding on the last Tiverton Junc to Tiverton freight service and gate-crashing the arrival of 1442 in steam prior to it being lifted and taken to Tiverton Museum for display. Other visits shown included the Dartmoor tramway of 1820 and the Brendon Hill Incline which took iron ore to Watchet harbour for export..
After his Final exams Mike had to endure a 6 months stay in Lausanne, Switzerland. What hardship! Further visits took place to the Settle & Carlisle line; Sunderland South Dock shed and Seaham with pictures of a Steven Lewin 0-4-0 saddletank – now restored as no. 18 at Beamish.
Another of Mike’s interests is railway literature and he is the proud owner of all 15 volumes of “The Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain” (volume 2 came as a book prize at school) and Colonel Cobb’s Atlas using 1” OS base maps to overlay all lines. Mike said that if anyone had a publication not listed in George Ottley’s Bibliography of British railway book titles – 7950 titles in the original volume now with two supplements – they could be worth money!
Mike’s career path saw him employed by Sainsburys rather than BR. Commuting to Sainsbury’s offices near Blackfriars saw him commute from various homes near Notting Hill Gate, Streatham, Whyteleafe (on the Caterham branch to London Bridge), and then Colliers Wood (an annual season ticket in March 1982 cost just £307). We also saw views of the unique double-deck vehicles 4001/2 withdrawn in October 1971 (one vehicle survives).
A BR document on the Channel Tunnel released in 1974 proposed a London terminal being created at White City with a tunnel beneath East Croydon but this scheme did not proceed. Neither did another proposal to join the main line railways between Euston and Victoria.
In 1984 Mike and his wife Ann decided to move to Norfolk where Mike joined the Society. Our 10th anniversary souvenir booklet 1955-65 was displayed. Mike met Philip Standley (a local collector of postcards) and in collaboration they published Norfolk’s Railways Vol. 1 the GER and then Vol. 2 the M&GNJR based on the postcard images available.
Mike was Editor of the Society Newsletter for 10 years becoming an expert in local railway developments in the process and in 1968 he founded “The Railway Collectors Newsletter” which he then sold to Keith Montague to concentrate on running a railwayana business - “All stations to Runhall”. Mike’s retail enterprise has now concentrated on eBay sales and he has successfully disposed of a number of collections owned by deceased Society members and others.
He became a crossing keeper on the Mid-Norfolk Railway in 1998 manning different crossings along the line (various lineside views including Mike in action!) but he has now decided to take life out of the wind and rain and act as a ticket clerk at Wymondham Abbey station.
Mike concluded his enthralling presentation by displaying the rail tickets he and his parents used on a family outing travelling from Radipole Halt to Weymouth and back on 26th February 1983 for nostalgic reasons. The station closed on 31st December 1983 and was demolished subsequently.
Judging by the spontaneous applause which greeted the conclusion of Mike’s talk the audience certainly did not believe that he had had a mis-spent life. Come back again soon, Mike! Thanks also to Andy Wright for operating the projector. (Peter Adds)
Mike commenced his presentation by stating that he had been a member of the Society for 30 years and, apart from his Chairman’s address in 1990, he had not given a full evening’s talk since. The long wait was definitely worth it!
What followed was a personal autobiography commencing when Mike was a mere 11 years old. Being enrolled at Hardye’s (boys only) School in Dorchester necessitated the hardship of commuting daily by train from Radipole Halt – about 1 mile north of Weymouth - to Dorchester South (S.R.) or West (W.R.) stations initially by steam but later with early diesel locomotive haulage to/from Dorchester West station. The first picture was 1450 plus an auto coach standing at Radipole Halt and this image was followed by many others in the Dorchester/Weymouth locality illustrating the railways in the area including images of Bincombe Tunnel and Dorchester Junction signal boxes – Mike is the proud owner of both ‘box nameboards. Mike admitted to having fond memories of using Third Class Lavatory First vehicles – one had to get into the right compartment to use the on-board facilities!
School came out at 1550 (no doubt 3.50pm at that time!) and Mike had a choice of either a dash for the 1601 service from Dorchester South or the 1615 from the West station with WR motive power. Saturday afternoons and Sundays offered the chance of spotting from Alexander Bridge situated near the throat of Weymouth station with Weymouth locomotive shed beyond. Photographs taken at the shed included a Bulldog locomotive 3319 Weymouth taken before 1930 as these locomotives lost their nameplates that year lest the travelling public take the locomotive name as the train’s destination; a fireman struggling with the manually worked turntable and a letter dated 9th December 1931 written by Locomotive Superintendent C.B. Collett to H.C. Casserley who would later become a renowned railway author and photographer. SR steam ended in July 1967 and after the shed had been used to store condemned locos the site was ultimately redeveloped as a housing estate.
He was briefly interested in model railways and a newspaper picture was shown featuring Mike and friends at a model railway exhibition – one of his friends held a BTC booklet “All along the Lines” which was a potential recruitment publication featuring diesel locomotive 10000 on the cover.
Mike showed pictures of his enamel sign collection of local SR station totems including a green Dorchester West sign – historically WR brown but became SR green following the revision of regional boundaries in 1950. Another sign showed directions for passengers alighting at Dorchester West either for the town centre or Dorchester South station.
Photographs displayed showed the Weymouth Quay branch in operation – plus a view of BR coach label BR 21778/16 which asked passengers not to use the lavatories whilst the train was passing along the Quay line – the branches to Portland, Abbotsbury, Bridport (change for West Bay – the location for the current ITV series “Broadchurch”), Lyme Regis and Swanage all long closed with only the last named re-opened as a heritage line. A 5’6” long running-in board from Corfe Castle was repatriated from Glasgow – having been sailed up there – via the WCML and then the London Underground with extreme personal difficulty! The sign now resides in the Swanage railway museum having been swapped for a single line token. Mike showed an original copy of the 4’ 6” gauge Merchants Tramway Act of Parliament dated 10th June 1825 now in his possession but previously owned by E. Lomax (depicted in “The Railway Man” film). The tramway allowed stone to be carried from the quarries down to the pier at Castletown on the Isle of Portland.
Mike then went to Exeter University to read French and Latin. Joining the railway society and another model railway society visits took place to Meldon Quarry with brake van rides behind a Hymek diesel and a “WC/BB” Pacific-hauled ballast train en route; HM Dockyard at Devonport; Halwill & Meeth Railway, part of the North Devon & Cornwall Junc Light Railway (closed 1965), and others. Mike became the University Railway Society’s secretary, riding on the last Tiverton Junc to Tiverton freight service and gate-crashing the arrival of 1442 in steam prior to it being lifted and taken to Tiverton Museum for display. Other visits shown included the Dartmoor tramway of 1820 and the Brendon Hill Incline which took iron ore to Watchet harbour for export..
After his Final exams Mike had to endure a 6 months stay in Lausanne, Switzerland. What hardship! Further visits took place to the Settle & Carlisle line; Sunderland South Dock shed and Seaham with pictures of a Steven Lewin 0-4-0 saddletank – now restored as no. 18 at Beamish.
Another of Mike’s interests is railway literature and he is the proud owner of all 15 volumes of “The Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain” (volume 2 came as a book prize at school) and Colonel Cobb’s Atlas using 1” OS base maps to overlay all lines. Mike said that if anyone had a publication not listed in George Ottley’s Bibliography of British railway book titles – 7950 titles in the original volume now with two supplements – they could be worth money!
Mike’s career path saw him employed by Sainsburys rather than BR. Commuting to Sainsbury’s offices near Blackfriars saw him commute from various homes near Notting Hill Gate, Streatham, Whyteleafe (on the Caterham branch to London Bridge), and then Colliers Wood (an annual season ticket in March 1982 cost just £307). We also saw views of the unique double-deck vehicles 4001/2 withdrawn in October 1971 (one vehicle survives).
A BR document on the Channel Tunnel released in 1974 proposed a London terminal being created at White City with a tunnel beneath East Croydon but this scheme did not proceed. Neither did another proposal to join the main line railways between Euston and Victoria.
In 1984 Mike and his wife Ann decided to move to Norfolk where Mike joined the Society. Our 10th anniversary souvenir booklet 1955-65 was displayed. Mike met Philip Standley (a local collector of postcards) and in collaboration they published Norfolk’s Railways Vol. 1 the GER and then Vol. 2 the M&GNJR based on the postcard images available.
Mike was Editor of the Society Newsletter for 10 years becoming an expert in local railway developments in the process and in 1968 he founded “The Railway Collectors Newsletter” which he then sold to Keith Montague to concentrate on running a railwayana business - “All stations to Runhall”. Mike’s retail enterprise has now concentrated on eBay sales and he has successfully disposed of a number of collections owned by deceased Society members and others.
He became a crossing keeper on the Mid-Norfolk Railway in 1998 manning different crossings along the line (various lineside views including Mike in action!) but he has now decided to take life out of the wind and rain and act as a ticket clerk at Wymondham Abbey station.
Mike concluded his enthralling presentation by displaying the rail tickets he and his parents used on a family outing travelling from Radipole Halt to Weymouth and back on 26th February 1983 for nostalgic reasons. The station closed on 31st December 1983 and was demolished subsequently.
Judging by the spontaneous applause which greeted the conclusion of Mike’s talk the audience certainly did not believe that he had had a mis-spent life. Come back again soon, Mike! Thanks also to Andy Wright for operating the projector. (Peter Adds)
Chairman's Address (Peter Cooke - 8th January 2015)
Part 1 – “Railway Guns”; Part 2 – “Railways in the Cinema” & Part 3 – “Commercial Breaks”.
Past Chairman Gordon Bruce introduced our Chairman’s address, and Peter opened by showing scale models (another of his interests) to demonstrate how a rail-mounted gun dwarfed two modern battle tanks.
Although the rail-mounted gun was eventually superseded by the use of aircraft they were part of the artillery arsenal for some 75 years. Both sides used railroad guns in the American Civil War, and the Union used them in the 1864 siege of Petersburg. The British intended using rail guns against the Boer capital of Pretoria but the city fell before they were deployed.
The French made experiments in the 1870s but the Germans were quick to exploit them in WW1. They developed a massive siege gun – the 420 mm “Big Bertha” which was very accurate against French and Belgian fortifications, the armaments firm Krupp modifying naval gun designs with rail mountings to develop some long range guns including the K5E which was used against Verdun.
Although all major combatants used rail-mounted guns in WW1, special mention should be made of the long-range siege guns (the Paris guns) used to bombard the city in 1918. They could fire a 234 lb shell at a range of some 81 miles (roughly Norwich to Chelmsford) but they lacked the accuracy to hit a small target, whilst the British – using rail guns also for coastal defence – had success with a rail gun, landing a direct hit on Douai railway station with a larger payload.
In WW2 some very large guns were developed by the Germans, notably “Gustav” and Dora”. Krupps were given the job of creating them and the technical specification was amazing – a 31½” diameter barrel firing a 7 ton shell! It was designed to blast fortifications such as the Maginot Line but, impressive as the guns were, it came at a cost. Two parallel sets of track were needed, and it took 2,000 men 6 weeks to assemble the gun ready for firing. As the German “Blitzkrieg” had by-passed the Maginot Line the guns were later used – successfully – to bombard a number of Russian forts. With the tide of war going against Germany these guns were destroyed to prevent their re-use. Another very successful rail gun was “Anzio Annie”, an 11” gun with a respectable rate of fire which was deployed against the Allied Anzio landings. With the advantage of a railway tunnel, these guns kept being brought out to fire several rounds before retreating inside the rail tunnel once again. Despite air reconnaissance these guns were never located, and were eventually destroyed by the retreating Germans.
As the first part of Peter’s presentation reached its end, we were entertained by a couple of medical clips – Hancock’s The Blood Donor and Porridge starring Ronnie Barker, obsessed with his flat feet!
Part 2 opened with a clip from The Password is Courage with a determined group of P.O.W. being transported in cattle trucks after Dunkirk. How fortunate that there was straw in the trucks, a lighted cigarette and a passing German munitions train! All filmed in England!
The next film clip came from The Eagle Has Landed, starring Michael Caine, about a plot to capture or kill Winston Churchill, and we saw a confrontation between Michael Caine’s Special Forces and a group of S.S. soldiers in a rail yard. This time the rail scenes, and the locomotive, were Finnish.
Time for more commercial breaks – the ever popular “Four Candles” sketch from the Two Ronnies and the classic clip from Only Fools and Horses where Del Boy falls through the bar!
Finally, we saw lengthy extracts from The Train, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Burt Lancaster. I will not dwell on the story – about the running of a special train of looted French art treasures and the Resistance’s efforts to stop it at all costs - as I’m sure nearly everyone has seen it and enjoys every opportunity to see the rail action (and the spectacular crashes) one more time! And it was all in the right country for once.
Just to conclude, what’s better than a clip from The Ladykillers where we saw several gang members “bumped off” near Copenhagen Tunnel, not far from King’s Cross!
Thank you, Peter, for an entertaining and instructive evening, and thanks also to Andy Wright for making the evening such a success. (EM)
Part 1 – “Railway Guns”; Part 2 – “Railways in the Cinema” & Part 3 – “Commercial Breaks”.
Past Chairman Gordon Bruce introduced our Chairman’s address, and Peter opened by showing scale models (another of his interests) to demonstrate how a rail-mounted gun dwarfed two modern battle tanks.
Although the rail-mounted gun was eventually superseded by the use of aircraft they were part of the artillery arsenal for some 75 years. Both sides used railroad guns in the American Civil War, and the Union used them in the 1864 siege of Petersburg. The British intended using rail guns against the Boer capital of Pretoria but the city fell before they were deployed.
The French made experiments in the 1870s but the Germans were quick to exploit them in WW1. They developed a massive siege gun – the 420 mm “Big Bertha” which was very accurate against French and Belgian fortifications, the armaments firm Krupp modifying naval gun designs with rail mountings to develop some long range guns including the K5E which was used against Verdun.
Although all major combatants used rail-mounted guns in WW1, special mention should be made of the long-range siege guns (the Paris guns) used to bombard the city in 1918. They could fire a 234 lb shell at a range of some 81 miles (roughly Norwich to Chelmsford) but they lacked the accuracy to hit a small target, whilst the British – using rail guns also for coastal defence – had success with a rail gun, landing a direct hit on Douai railway station with a larger payload.
In WW2 some very large guns were developed by the Germans, notably “Gustav” and Dora”. Krupps were given the job of creating them and the technical specification was amazing – a 31½” diameter barrel firing a 7 ton shell! It was designed to blast fortifications such as the Maginot Line but, impressive as the guns were, it came at a cost. Two parallel sets of track were needed, and it took 2,000 men 6 weeks to assemble the gun ready for firing. As the German “Blitzkrieg” had by-passed the Maginot Line the guns were later used – successfully – to bombard a number of Russian forts. With the tide of war going against Germany these guns were destroyed to prevent their re-use. Another very successful rail gun was “Anzio Annie”, an 11” gun with a respectable rate of fire which was deployed against the Allied Anzio landings. With the advantage of a railway tunnel, these guns kept being brought out to fire several rounds before retreating inside the rail tunnel once again. Despite air reconnaissance these guns were never located, and were eventually destroyed by the retreating Germans.
As the first part of Peter’s presentation reached its end, we were entertained by a couple of medical clips – Hancock’s The Blood Donor and Porridge starring Ronnie Barker, obsessed with his flat feet!
Part 2 opened with a clip from The Password is Courage with a determined group of P.O.W. being transported in cattle trucks after Dunkirk. How fortunate that there was straw in the trucks, a lighted cigarette and a passing German munitions train! All filmed in England!
The next film clip came from The Eagle Has Landed, starring Michael Caine, about a plot to capture or kill Winston Churchill, and we saw a confrontation between Michael Caine’s Special Forces and a group of S.S. soldiers in a rail yard. This time the rail scenes, and the locomotive, were Finnish.
Time for more commercial breaks – the ever popular “Four Candles” sketch from the Two Ronnies and the classic clip from Only Fools and Horses where Del Boy falls through the bar!
Finally, we saw lengthy extracts from The Train, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Burt Lancaster. I will not dwell on the story – about the running of a special train of looted French art treasures and the Resistance’s efforts to stop it at all costs - as I’m sure nearly everyone has seen it and enjoys every opportunity to see the rail action (and the spectacular crashes) one more time! And it was all in the right country for once.
Just to conclude, what’s better than a clip from The Ladykillers where we saw several gang members “bumped off” near Copenhagen Tunnel, not far from King’s Cross!
Thank you, Peter, for an entertaining and instructive evening, and thanks also to Andy Wright for making the evening such a success. (EM)
Members’ Evening (19th December)
When I became a Society member these evenings were a mix of slide shows and videos, with some talks and readings thrown in for good measure. Nowadays, memory sticks and disks tend to rule the roost but the advances in technology give our projectionist, Andy Wright, a few headaches.
This was amply demonstrated when Lewis Kenworthy opened proceedings with “My Railway Summer”, mainly moving footage shot at the NNR’s Diesel and Steam Galas. The sound part was fine but, unfortunately, the pictorial part was inexplicably a long way behind. It was a great pity that nothing could be done to make Lewis’s efforts synchronise properly, and his presentation had to be abandoned. It’s to be hoped that we can see his intended show again soon.
Ray Halliday is a part-time ticket inspector on the NNR, and back in 2007 artist and wildlife conservationist David Shepherd brought 92203 Black Prince to the NNR. We saw an interview with David and the locomotive working to Weybourne, culminating in some side-by-side running with 90775. Apparently the 9F is for sale, David having bought it for just £3,000!
Ivor Self then took us to Chambéry where the early 20th century roundhouse is still intact. As well as servicing SNCF locomotives, a number of preserved locomotives – including early electric “dinosaurs” – are housed there along with other SNCF locomotives that seem to be awaiting disposal. By a quirk of fate both of our European experts were absent, and so the many locomotives could not be identified. We also saw images of a heritage line, fairly close by, the engine driver being a refugee from the K&ESR!
John Hanchet gave a short and sweet presentation just before the interval, recalling the late spring Plandampf he and several Society members attended. We saw classes 52, 58, 41 and 01 as well as a class 95 railcar and a VW Camper van on rails! Heilbronn depot consists of a half-roundhouse where we saw the recently-restored 01 after arrival from Switzerland but, best of all, was a stunning night shot of the roundhouse with about a dozen engines arranged outside.
After the interval, Chris Mitchell said that he’d been with Crossrail for 3 years 8 months. He said that the Technical & Financial Audit was 80% complete, with the Civil Engineering due to be completed next August. We saw 2 film clips – there are few visible signs of the work – and learned that the 2 Tunnel Boring Machines operate in echelon. Crossrail will increase rail capacity in London by 10%!
Graham Kenworthy had also been in London, taking advantage of a voucher to go to the top of the Shard. Timed entrances are issued, and you go up 70 floors in 2 stages but then have to climb 2 flights of stairs to reach the viewing gallery. London Bridge station – which is being extended - is almost beneath, and good views could be had of a much-improved Cannon St, and the lines leading to Charing Cross and Waterloo (East). Landmarks that could be seen included the London Eye, Wembley Stadium and the Thames Gateway cranes some 30 miles away.
Ken Mills has placed his early “Box Brownie” photographs on disk, and what a mix we saw! We opened with a Society visit to the B.S.C. factory at Wissington in June 1957 – Wissington and Newcastle were prominent, along with many others which would have needed an I.R.S. handbook to identify them. Ken also got to the Cantley factory which, for many years, had an ex-L.N.E.R. J79
0-6-0T performing shunting duties after being sold out of service in the 1930s. We were then treated to a tour of depots mainly in the Eastern, North Eastern and Scottish Regions much to your scribe’s delight. Although many of these depots were dilapidated they continued to serve for several years.
Whilst Andy made way for a slide show Peter Cooke read an extract from a book by the late Sir John Betjeman which commented unfavourably on BR’s attitude to its architectural heritage and some of the concrete monstrosities that replaced good Victorian buildings.
Malcolm Cooper concluded matters with a set of Blackhawk colour slides of U.S. steam taken in the 1950s. The Union Pacific featured strongly with its 39xx Challenger articulated 4-6-6-4s and 40xx Big Boy articulated 4-8-8-4s hauling massive freight trains across Wyoming. We also saw something of the Norfolk & Western, centred on Roanoke, Virginia, where its impressive J class 4-8-4s were seen on passenger trains.
Thanks to everyone who contributed towards our evening’s entertainment, and thanks also to Andy Wright for his projection work. (EM)
When I became a Society member these evenings were a mix of slide shows and videos, with some talks and readings thrown in for good measure. Nowadays, memory sticks and disks tend to rule the roost but the advances in technology give our projectionist, Andy Wright, a few headaches.
This was amply demonstrated when Lewis Kenworthy opened proceedings with “My Railway Summer”, mainly moving footage shot at the NNR’s Diesel and Steam Galas. The sound part was fine but, unfortunately, the pictorial part was inexplicably a long way behind. It was a great pity that nothing could be done to make Lewis’s efforts synchronise properly, and his presentation had to be abandoned. It’s to be hoped that we can see his intended show again soon.
Ray Halliday is a part-time ticket inspector on the NNR, and back in 2007 artist and wildlife conservationist David Shepherd brought 92203 Black Prince to the NNR. We saw an interview with David and the locomotive working to Weybourne, culminating in some side-by-side running with 90775. Apparently the 9F is for sale, David having bought it for just £3,000!
Ivor Self then took us to Chambéry where the early 20th century roundhouse is still intact. As well as servicing SNCF locomotives, a number of preserved locomotives – including early electric “dinosaurs” – are housed there along with other SNCF locomotives that seem to be awaiting disposal. By a quirk of fate both of our European experts were absent, and so the many locomotives could not be identified. We also saw images of a heritage line, fairly close by, the engine driver being a refugee from the K&ESR!
John Hanchet gave a short and sweet presentation just before the interval, recalling the late spring Plandampf he and several Society members attended. We saw classes 52, 58, 41 and 01 as well as a class 95 railcar and a VW Camper van on rails! Heilbronn depot consists of a half-roundhouse where we saw the recently-restored 01 after arrival from Switzerland but, best of all, was a stunning night shot of the roundhouse with about a dozen engines arranged outside.
After the interval, Chris Mitchell said that he’d been with Crossrail for 3 years 8 months. He said that the Technical & Financial Audit was 80% complete, with the Civil Engineering due to be completed next August. We saw 2 film clips – there are few visible signs of the work – and learned that the 2 Tunnel Boring Machines operate in echelon. Crossrail will increase rail capacity in London by 10%!
Graham Kenworthy had also been in London, taking advantage of a voucher to go to the top of the Shard. Timed entrances are issued, and you go up 70 floors in 2 stages but then have to climb 2 flights of stairs to reach the viewing gallery. London Bridge station – which is being extended - is almost beneath, and good views could be had of a much-improved Cannon St, and the lines leading to Charing Cross and Waterloo (East). Landmarks that could be seen included the London Eye, Wembley Stadium and the Thames Gateway cranes some 30 miles away.
Ken Mills has placed his early “Box Brownie” photographs on disk, and what a mix we saw! We opened with a Society visit to the B.S.C. factory at Wissington in June 1957 – Wissington and Newcastle were prominent, along with many others which would have needed an I.R.S. handbook to identify them. Ken also got to the Cantley factory which, for many years, had an ex-L.N.E.R. J79
0-6-0T performing shunting duties after being sold out of service in the 1930s. We were then treated to a tour of depots mainly in the Eastern, North Eastern and Scottish Regions much to your scribe’s delight. Although many of these depots were dilapidated they continued to serve for several years.
Whilst Andy made way for a slide show Peter Cooke read an extract from a book by the late Sir John Betjeman which commented unfavourably on BR’s attitude to its architectural heritage and some of the concrete monstrosities that replaced good Victorian buildings.
Malcolm Cooper concluded matters with a set of Blackhawk colour slides of U.S. steam taken in the 1950s. The Union Pacific featured strongly with its 39xx Challenger articulated 4-6-6-4s and 40xx Big Boy articulated 4-8-8-4s hauling massive freight trains across Wyoming. We also saw something of the Norfolk & Western, centred on Roanoke, Virginia, where its impressive J class 4-8-4s were seen on passenger trains.
Thanks to everyone who contributed towards our evening’s entertainment, and thanks also to Andy Wright for his projection work. (EM)
“Norfolk’s Beeching closures of 1964” (Richard Adderson - 4th December)
An image of the cover of the infamous Beeching Report set the scene for Richard’s subject. It was published on 27th March 1963 and its contents, as far as proposed Norfolk closures were concerned, appeared in the Norwich “Eastern Evening News” on the same day. The branches listed were:-
Melton Constable to Sheringham
Swaffham to Thetford
Mundesley to North Walsham
Dereham to Wells
Richard continued by covering each of these lines in chronological order of subsequent closure.
Melton Constable to Sheringham
In order to show the differences that had occurred since closure of the M&GN system in 1959, we were shown the evidence of what remained during the five years prior to the withdrawal of the passenger service on 6th April 1964. This included views of the formation westwards to Fakenham and east towards North Walsham. The general rundown of the various buildings and sidings was also illustrated as was the continued use of Melton East signal box merely to transfer the ten daily DMUs from the arrival platform to the departure side.
A trip along the line to Sheringham also showed the situation at the intermediate locations of Briningham Junction, Holt and Weybourne. Illustrations of trains on the last day, including that of a normally law-abiding teenager (Richard, of course) venturing onto the trackbed at Melton to use his camera, were shown. This section was completed with illustration of the return ticket from Norwich to Melton used by Richard to travel on the last train, the 2142, arriving at Melton at 2304; however, the return half could not be used as there was no scheduled return journey because the train was normally stabled at Melton to provide the first up journey of the following day, a journey which, in this case, never took place. Richard’s father provided the substitute service using the family car!
Swaffham to Thetford
Slightly more than two months later, on 15th June, it was the closure of the service from Swaffham to Thetford that made the local Press. The Beeching Report had noted that, by way of example, the line from Thetford to Swaffham carried five trains each weekday in each direction, carrying an average of nine passengers with only 10% of the costs of operating the line covered by fares.
We were again taken for a trip along the line, pausing at Roudham Junction, Wretham & Hockham, Stow Bedon, Watton and Holme Hale. At each location the tidiness of the station platforms and surroundings were noted, as was the small number of passengers either leaving or joining the trains where these were illustrated. The platforms at Watton were enhanced considerably by an impressive display of immaculate topiary work which included the station name.
The number of stations where freight facilities existed was pointed out, although most sidings obviously saw little use in the general rundown of the line.
Mundesley to North Walsham
The illustrations of the other two lines followed, with Mundesley to North Walsham covered first, although both closed on the same day, 5th October. Both branch stations, Mundesley and Paston & Knapton, displayed somewhat upmarket architecture, having been opened optimistically in 1898, in the wake of the “Poppyland” publicity at a time when seaside holidays were beginning to gain in popularity. Unfortunately this small corner of Norfolk never managed to catch up with its near neighbour, Cromer, and the through route beyond Mundesley closed in 1953. This closure left Mundesley with more grandiose facilities than it required for what was, latterly, a 2-car DMU service at approximately hourly intervals. However, it did mean that there was ample room to stand what was at one time reputed to be the location with the largest number of camping coaches.
Both stations were provided with sidings for goods traffic, but, towards the end, this was largely used for loading sugar beet. In fact the branch remained open for this traffic after the passenger closure until the end of the autumn “campaign”.
Dereham to Wells
More stations and halts were deprived of a passenger service by this closure, even though the line had been the first in Norfolk to be served by DMUs in 1954. All, including Dereham itself, were shown in their operational days.
Richard visited the line on its final day, obtaining souvenir tickets at most of them, notably Walsingham where the signalman came down from his box to open up the booking office specially. At Wighton Halt he took a photograph which included another photographer; much to his amazement, some 45 years later, he discovered the shot taken by the other individual. Both images were shown.
Having used the paternal taxi service to tour the Wells line, Richard returned home for tea, after which the same mode of transport was used to get to North Walsham for a ride on the last train to Mundesley and back. It was on this trip that he met Norfolk Railway Society Secretary, Gerry Wright, who suggested he should join – the rest, as they say, is history.
Richard then presented a table which suggested how (relatively) little Beeching had been to blame for the closure of Norfolk branch lines to passengers. Before the report, between 1952 and 1959, 184 miles had been closed. After the report, but not actually itemised in it, a further 74½ miles succumbed between 1966 and 1970. The report itself was only to blame for the closure of 60¾ miles.
The meeting was rounded off with views of some of the closed station locations, in several of which all traces of the structures themselves had disappeared. (Graham Kenworthy)
Thanks to Andy Wright for operating the projector – and what an obliging father Richard had – Ed.
An image of the cover of the infamous Beeching Report set the scene for Richard’s subject. It was published on 27th March 1963 and its contents, as far as proposed Norfolk closures were concerned, appeared in the Norwich “Eastern Evening News” on the same day. The branches listed were:-
Melton Constable to Sheringham
Swaffham to Thetford
Mundesley to North Walsham
Dereham to Wells
Richard continued by covering each of these lines in chronological order of subsequent closure.
Melton Constable to Sheringham
In order to show the differences that had occurred since closure of the M&GN system in 1959, we were shown the evidence of what remained during the five years prior to the withdrawal of the passenger service on 6th April 1964. This included views of the formation westwards to Fakenham and east towards North Walsham. The general rundown of the various buildings and sidings was also illustrated as was the continued use of Melton East signal box merely to transfer the ten daily DMUs from the arrival platform to the departure side.
A trip along the line to Sheringham also showed the situation at the intermediate locations of Briningham Junction, Holt and Weybourne. Illustrations of trains on the last day, including that of a normally law-abiding teenager (Richard, of course) venturing onto the trackbed at Melton to use his camera, were shown. This section was completed with illustration of the return ticket from Norwich to Melton used by Richard to travel on the last train, the 2142, arriving at Melton at 2304; however, the return half could not be used as there was no scheduled return journey because the train was normally stabled at Melton to provide the first up journey of the following day, a journey which, in this case, never took place. Richard’s father provided the substitute service using the family car!
Swaffham to Thetford
Slightly more than two months later, on 15th June, it was the closure of the service from Swaffham to Thetford that made the local Press. The Beeching Report had noted that, by way of example, the line from Thetford to Swaffham carried five trains each weekday in each direction, carrying an average of nine passengers with only 10% of the costs of operating the line covered by fares.
We were again taken for a trip along the line, pausing at Roudham Junction, Wretham & Hockham, Stow Bedon, Watton and Holme Hale. At each location the tidiness of the station platforms and surroundings were noted, as was the small number of passengers either leaving or joining the trains where these were illustrated. The platforms at Watton were enhanced considerably by an impressive display of immaculate topiary work which included the station name.
The number of stations where freight facilities existed was pointed out, although most sidings obviously saw little use in the general rundown of the line.
Mundesley to North Walsham
The illustrations of the other two lines followed, with Mundesley to North Walsham covered first, although both closed on the same day, 5th October. Both branch stations, Mundesley and Paston & Knapton, displayed somewhat upmarket architecture, having been opened optimistically in 1898, in the wake of the “Poppyland” publicity at a time when seaside holidays were beginning to gain in popularity. Unfortunately this small corner of Norfolk never managed to catch up with its near neighbour, Cromer, and the through route beyond Mundesley closed in 1953. This closure left Mundesley with more grandiose facilities than it required for what was, latterly, a 2-car DMU service at approximately hourly intervals. However, it did mean that there was ample room to stand what was at one time reputed to be the location with the largest number of camping coaches.
Both stations were provided with sidings for goods traffic, but, towards the end, this was largely used for loading sugar beet. In fact the branch remained open for this traffic after the passenger closure until the end of the autumn “campaign”.
Dereham to Wells
More stations and halts were deprived of a passenger service by this closure, even though the line had been the first in Norfolk to be served by DMUs in 1954. All, including Dereham itself, were shown in their operational days.
Richard visited the line on its final day, obtaining souvenir tickets at most of them, notably Walsingham where the signalman came down from his box to open up the booking office specially. At Wighton Halt he took a photograph which included another photographer; much to his amazement, some 45 years later, he discovered the shot taken by the other individual. Both images were shown.
Having used the paternal taxi service to tour the Wells line, Richard returned home for tea, after which the same mode of transport was used to get to North Walsham for a ride on the last train to Mundesley and back. It was on this trip that he met Norfolk Railway Society Secretary, Gerry Wright, who suggested he should join – the rest, as they say, is history.
Richard then presented a table which suggested how (relatively) little Beeching had been to blame for the closure of Norfolk branch lines to passengers. Before the report, between 1952 and 1959, 184 miles had been closed. After the report, but not actually itemised in it, a further 74½ miles succumbed between 1966 and 1970. The report itself was only to blame for the closure of 60¾ miles.
The meeting was rounded off with views of some of the closed station locations, in several of which all traces of the structures themselves had disappeared. (Graham Kenworthy)
Thanks to Andy Wright for operating the projector – and what an obliging father Richard had – Ed.
An Evening with Colin Gifford (20th November)
63 shillings. 3 guineas. £3 3s….whichever pre-decimal terminology you favour, it was a lot to pay for a railway ‘picture book’ in 1965, particularly when you were just starting to earn a living. But I’d been brought up on railway photographs with standard front-three-quarter views of a loco or train, so I was bowled over by the images in Colin Gifford’s Decline of Steam. Here was an eye-opening cornucopia: gloomy industrial landscapes, silhouetted viaducts, smoky engine sheds penetrated by the occasional shaft of sunlight.
Colin trained as a designer, and was fortunate to have worked as art editor for Ian Allan for a few years. After IA published Decline of Steam, more of Colin’s photographs have reached us through a few prestigious volumes: notably Each A Glimpse (1970) and And Gone Forever (1994). Through the good offices of Dave Pearce – for whom chairman Peter Cooke stepped aside for the evening – the Society was privileged to have Colin as our speaker for the evening.
His early railway expeditions, he told us, were on RCTS shed bashes, but while the rest of the party were busy collecting every number Colin would wander off and explore photo possibilities. Later he favoured public transport for reaching his locations, which must have involved some complicated journey planning in that pre-internet age.
Through his books we associate him with monochrome images – so it was a surprise that all the evening’s images were in colour. He warned us that the nearest we’d get to East Anglia was Spalding (in fact we did see a shot of Ipswich) - but even so, the geographic spread was breathtaking, with no time to get accustomed to a particular location. After the Tay bridge came Barmouth bridge, and then the timber swing bridge over Langstone Harbour on the Hayling Island branch - and so on.
Shed scenes abounded, from Weymouth to Polmadie. Colin has always had a fondness for industrial lines (his Steam Railways in Industry album appeared in 1976), and we saw wonderful shots of the delightful RSH crane tanks at Doxford & Sunderland Shipbuilding Co.
The pictures were enlivened by Colin’s self-deprecating commentary on his technique, which provided a useful pointer to elements which would not have occurred to many of us - here, he had taken care to position the yard lamps; here, the train had been captured a second or two before the ‘usual’ position as he felt it related to the background more sympathetically. As with his monochrome work, a foreground object would often occupy pride of place: a grounded wagon body, a clump of rosebay willow herb in front of a Bolton viaduct, a line-up of 1970s cars (Colin and many in the audience having fun identifying them). Meanwhile the train was in the background but not as the centre of attention. Colin doesn’t believe in digitally manipulating images, but he did confess to having occasionally enhanced things: one view had a red oil drum rolled into a more suitable location, while snow scenes on occasions had extra footprints for effect.
Perhaps his best piece of advice was ‘there’s no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ weather’. You can, as he’s proved time and time again, create superb photographs on a gloomy wet day.
Both Dave Pearce and Peter Cooke thanked Colin for giving us a wonderful evening, and several Society members left the URC Hall happy to have the author’s signature on their treasured copy of Decline of Steam or Each a Glimpse.
Thanks also to Andy Wright for operating the projector.
(Mike Handscomb)
“Railways across Canada” (6 November 2014)
Regular Society visitor John Day entertained us on a November evening, when the heating was turned up high, with an illustrated account of his train-chasing adventures in Canada. John’s high-quality pictures were taken from 7 different trips to the large country, accompanied by a small group of similarly-minded enthusiasts, and followed the railway scene between Toronto and Vancouver (a distance of 2,775 miles) and then on to Churchill, on Hudson Bay.
John’s talk was divided into a number of geographical sections (which didn’t necessarily tie in with individual visits). For instance, we began in British Columbia, running through Thompson and the Fraser River Canyon to Ashcroft BC, a distance of only 125 miles but which took 10 hours for a freight train to traverse, as a result of the many constraints on speed - steep gradients, sharp curves, and not forgetting the sheer length of the trains. These could be two or even three miles in length – the longest train noted had two locos at the front and no less than 220 empty wagons in tow! Comparisons were made with the extremely short Sandite train which came to grief at Lingwood a few days prior to the meeting.
Many of the routes depicted had separate lines owned and operated by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, although some of the time these lines were on alternative sides of river valleys, with trains of both companies sharing one line in one direction, and the other the opposite way. The (very long) passing loops were similarly shared, with 4-aspect colour lights (red, yellow, green and white) controlling operations.
John is an excellent raconteur, and his stories of train-chasing were very entertaining. He explained that the group always hired 4x4 vehicles, as these – along with the slow speed of the trains – made chasing very easy. There were encounters with the local wildlife to contend with, mind you, be they rattlesnakes, a golden eagle, bears (brown, black, grizzly and polar) and elks! Experience, coupled with sound advice from the locals, taught them how to deal with such creatures, many of which were depicted in John’s images in case we needed a respite from the trains! We also heard tales about accommodation, getting permission to enter Indian lands, and how taking a package tour to Canada but choosing to depart from the main party to do their own thing proved to be surprisingly difficult!
Although some passenger trains were seen, it was the immense freight trains that North America is known for. Principal traffics included grain, coal, sulphur, ingots and “stacks” (containers stacked one above the other). We also visited a few “branch lines” serving various mines and isolated communities in the Rockies – one such “branch line” was 357 miles long (about 50 miles longer than Paddington – Penzance – Ed.)!
Locations such as Ashcroft, Kamloops, Jasper, Jasper Park, Field and Cathedral Rock yielded stunning Rocky Mountains images and colossal bridges, whereas Winnipeg and Toronto showed the other extreme of freight yards in a large city. The extreme cold could be felt at Churchill, Manitoba, where there is no road access to the outside world. Everything goes in and out by rail, the inward freight train preceding the passenger with much-needed supplies. Tender scenes of polar bears at Churchill served to remind us that Canada is not all about railways.
Chairman Peter Cooke thanked John for an entertaining evening, while John took a number of questions from the appreciative audience. (Gordon Bruce)
“The London Outer Orbital Railway – Historical, Construction & Proposed Developments” (16 October)
A large audience was present to hear from Les Bird, Operations Manager, Transport for London. Les began by explaining that his 34 years in the rail industry had begun trackside. He later went on to become General Manager at Nottingham for Central Trains, but was made redundant and went freelance.
Having helped win the London Rail Concession (LRC) with Mass Transit Rail Hong Kong, he became Head of Operations for London Overground Rail Ltd and MTR Crossrail won the bid to run Crossrail. He will be moving to MTR Crossrail in January.
He explained that London Overground is a concession (as opposed to a franchise) which is a contract to supply a service, with no fare box income. It receives a fixed price + inflation but there are lots of penalties for non-delivery e.g. £62 per minute of lateness.
London Overground’s humble beginnings were in November 2007 with just the North London line, West London line (Willesden Junc – Clapham Junc), Tottenham & Hampstead (Gospel Oak – Barking) & the D.C. line (Euston – Watford Junc). Traction was Class 150 DMU and Classes 313 & 508 EMU with 166 drivers.
New traction appeared in October 2009 with 24 x 3-car Class 378 EMU and 8 x 2-car Class 172 DMU. 2010 saw 23 x 4-car 378s for the East London line whilst 2011 saw the 378s boosted to 4-car units throughout.
To run the services, there are now 448 drivers on new terms and conditions which include Sunday in the working week, the only difference being that on Sunday mornings services start later. There is full Driver Only Operation (DOO). The reduction of operational incidents (e.g. SPAD) is coupled with a new style of learning with much use made of DVDs (using professional actors) and we were treated to some very amusing clips, but the most disturbing incident was drivers releasing doors on the wrong side. A general reduction of these incidents was essential with the Olympics fast approaching (and, in the event, passed off very well).
Route expansion has continued with the East London Line Core Route opening in December 2009 and the full ELL opening in May 2010. In 2011, the ELL was extended to Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line), now a massive hub. The South London line from Clapham Junc to Surrey Quays opened in December 2012, making it possible to have a circular journey around London. DOO now exists on all routes.
In May 2015, London Overground will take over the West Anglia routes to Cheshunt, Chingford, Enfield Town and Romford to Upminster. In 2018 there will be new electric trains for the T & H, West Anglia & D.C. lines.
Crossrail is a concession, similar to London Overground, but with tougher targets – delays costed @ £126 per minute. Driver numbers will increase from 86 to 396 and the Class 315s will be replaced by the Class 345s. Crossrail’s opening timetable is:
May 2015 – Liverpool St – Shenfield (effectively a take-over of the present suburban services), with Class 345s coming in May 2017;
May 2018 – Paddington – Heathrow;
December 2018 – Paddington – Abbey Wood along with the Central Operating Section (& its 3 measurement points to calculate delays);
May 2019 - Paddington – Shenfield;
December 2019 – full opening to Maidenhead, with the likelihood of extending to Reading.
Crossrail’s stock will be maintained at 2 depots – Old Oak Common & Ilford. Those of you with long memories may recall visiting Old Oak in steam days, and just think of the number of uses the depot and surrounding area have seen since!
We are often reminded that the Norwich – London line has all sorts of problems so it was refreshing to hear some railway good news from a real expert.
There was time at the end for a comprehensive Q & A session, in which Les ably dealt with all of the questions put to him. He was warmly applauded and we are grateful to Les for taking the time to make this presentation. Thanks also go to Chris Mitchell for acting as “go-between” and to Andy Wright for projection services.
Chris has told me that, since the meeting, he has received several very favourable reports from members which he has kindly relayed to Les. (EM)
“The Train to Sóller” and “Diesel Train Driver" (2 October 2014)
On another warm evening we enjoyed presentations on disparate subjects!
Before the interval, Bob Brister took us to Majorca (or Mallorca, if you prefer) and gave a digital show describing the railway to Sóller which ran north from the capital, Palma. It is privately owned and opened in 1912. Steam locomotives (4-6-0Ts) and the British influence – along with British equipment – has meant the gauge was – and is – 3’. Construction of the line took some 5 years, and above Bunyola there are 13 tunnels and a viaduct. Steam continued until the line was electrified in 1929 and the electrical equipment still in use is probably unique. The line runs on a 1200V overhead supply and is single track with passing loops. There are numerous citrus orchards, almond orchards and olive groves to be seen as the train heads north before serious climbing starts after Bunyola. Having reached the summit above Sóller the train has to travel 4 miles on a horseshoe descent to cover the last direct mile into Sóller. The coaches are all wood, are in excellent condition, have toastrack seating and have verandahs at each end. The journey takes just under an hour. Sóller station was originally a manor house, built in 1606, and it also houses a small but notable art gallery.
Bob concluded an excellent presentation with some images of the main rail/bus interchange at Palma – spotlessly clean and very modern!
After the interval, Roger Kingstone presented “Diesel Train Driver” – a B.R. instructional film from the mid-1950s, co-incident with the introduction of DMUs in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. This was divided into sections – “Driving the Trains”, “Dealing with Faults” and “Operational Matters”.
The film opened with a standard Derby unit being started up at Lincoln, and then we saw shots at Firsby and Skegness. It came as a surprise to see this unit in Norfolk along with the usual Derby “Lightweight” and Metro-Cammell units. The units then put in appearances all over Norfolk – sometimes with a cast of “passengers” – and we saw them at diverse locations including County School, North Walsham, Tivetshall and Wymondham, as well as a session on the Ashwellthorpe branch where D16/3 4-4-0 62619, amid cheers from the audience, “rescued” a defective unit!
An enthralling film, showing so much that has since been swept away, and thanks to Roger for bringing it to our attention. Thanks also to Andy Wright, our projectionist. (EM)
63 shillings. 3 guineas. £3 3s….whichever pre-decimal terminology you favour, it was a lot to pay for a railway ‘picture book’ in 1965, particularly when you were just starting to earn a living. But I’d been brought up on railway photographs with standard front-three-quarter views of a loco or train, so I was bowled over by the images in Colin Gifford’s Decline of Steam. Here was an eye-opening cornucopia: gloomy industrial landscapes, silhouetted viaducts, smoky engine sheds penetrated by the occasional shaft of sunlight.
Colin trained as a designer, and was fortunate to have worked as art editor for Ian Allan for a few years. After IA published Decline of Steam, more of Colin’s photographs have reached us through a few prestigious volumes: notably Each A Glimpse (1970) and And Gone Forever (1994). Through the good offices of Dave Pearce – for whom chairman Peter Cooke stepped aside for the evening – the Society was privileged to have Colin as our speaker for the evening.
His early railway expeditions, he told us, were on RCTS shed bashes, but while the rest of the party were busy collecting every number Colin would wander off and explore photo possibilities. Later he favoured public transport for reaching his locations, which must have involved some complicated journey planning in that pre-internet age.
Through his books we associate him with monochrome images – so it was a surprise that all the evening’s images were in colour. He warned us that the nearest we’d get to East Anglia was Spalding (in fact we did see a shot of Ipswich) - but even so, the geographic spread was breathtaking, with no time to get accustomed to a particular location. After the Tay bridge came Barmouth bridge, and then the timber swing bridge over Langstone Harbour on the Hayling Island branch - and so on.
Shed scenes abounded, from Weymouth to Polmadie. Colin has always had a fondness for industrial lines (his Steam Railways in Industry album appeared in 1976), and we saw wonderful shots of the delightful RSH crane tanks at Doxford & Sunderland Shipbuilding Co.
The pictures were enlivened by Colin’s self-deprecating commentary on his technique, which provided a useful pointer to elements which would not have occurred to many of us - here, he had taken care to position the yard lamps; here, the train had been captured a second or two before the ‘usual’ position as he felt it related to the background more sympathetically. As with his monochrome work, a foreground object would often occupy pride of place: a grounded wagon body, a clump of rosebay willow herb in front of a Bolton viaduct, a line-up of 1970s cars (Colin and many in the audience having fun identifying them). Meanwhile the train was in the background but not as the centre of attention. Colin doesn’t believe in digitally manipulating images, but he did confess to having occasionally enhanced things: one view had a red oil drum rolled into a more suitable location, while snow scenes on occasions had extra footprints for effect.
Perhaps his best piece of advice was ‘there’s no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ weather’. You can, as he’s proved time and time again, create superb photographs on a gloomy wet day.
Both Dave Pearce and Peter Cooke thanked Colin for giving us a wonderful evening, and several Society members left the URC Hall happy to have the author’s signature on their treasured copy of Decline of Steam or Each a Glimpse.
Thanks also to Andy Wright for operating the projector.
(Mike Handscomb)
“Railways across Canada” (6 November 2014)
Regular Society visitor John Day entertained us on a November evening, when the heating was turned up high, with an illustrated account of his train-chasing adventures in Canada. John’s high-quality pictures were taken from 7 different trips to the large country, accompanied by a small group of similarly-minded enthusiasts, and followed the railway scene between Toronto and Vancouver (a distance of 2,775 miles) and then on to Churchill, on Hudson Bay.
John’s talk was divided into a number of geographical sections (which didn’t necessarily tie in with individual visits). For instance, we began in British Columbia, running through Thompson and the Fraser River Canyon to Ashcroft BC, a distance of only 125 miles but which took 10 hours for a freight train to traverse, as a result of the many constraints on speed - steep gradients, sharp curves, and not forgetting the sheer length of the trains. These could be two or even three miles in length – the longest train noted had two locos at the front and no less than 220 empty wagons in tow! Comparisons were made with the extremely short Sandite train which came to grief at Lingwood a few days prior to the meeting.
Many of the routes depicted had separate lines owned and operated by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, although some of the time these lines were on alternative sides of river valleys, with trains of both companies sharing one line in one direction, and the other the opposite way. The (very long) passing loops were similarly shared, with 4-aspect colour lights (red, yellow, green and white) controlling operations.
John is an excellent raconteur, and his stories of train-chasing were very entertaining. He explained that the group always hired 4x4 vehicles, as these – along with the slow speed of the trains – made chasing very easy. There were encounters with the local wildlife to contend with, mind you, be they rattlesnakes, a golden eagle, bears (brown, black, grizzly and polar) and elks! Experience, coupled with sound advice from the locals, taught them how to deal with such creatures, many of which were depicted in John’s images in case we needed a respite from the trains! We also heard tales about accommodation, getting permission to enter Indian lands, and how taking a package tour to Canada but choosing to depart from the main party to do their own thing proved to be surprisingly difficult!
Although some passenger trains were seen, it was the immense freight trains that North America is known for. Principal traffics included grain, coal, sulphur, ingots and “stacks” (containers stacked one above the other). We also visited a few “branch lines” serving various mines and isolated communities in the Rockies – one such “branch line” was 357 miles long (about 50 miles longer than Paddington – Penzance – Ed.)!
Locations such as Ashcroft, Kamloops, Jasper, Jasper Park, Field and Cathedral Rock yielded stunning Rocky Mountains images and colossal bridges, whereas Winnipeg and Toronto showed the other extreme of freight yards in a large city. The extreme cold could be felt at Churchill, Manitoba, where there is no road access to the outside world. Everything goes in and out by rail, the inward freight train preceding the passenger with much-needed supplies. Tender scenes of polar bears at Churchill served to remind us that Canada is not all about railways.
Chairman Peter Cooke thanked John for an entertaining evening, while John took a number of questions from the appreciative audience. (Gordon Bruce)
“The London Outer Orbital Railway – Historical, Construction & Proposed Developments” (16 October)
A large audience was present to hear from Les Bird, Operations Manager, Transport for London. Les began by explaining that his 34 years in the rail industry had begun trackside. He later went on to become General Manager at Nottingham for Central Trains, but was made redundant and went freelance.
Having helped win the London Rail Concession (LRC) with Mass Transit Rail Hong Kong, he became Head of Operations for London Overground Rail Ltd and MTR Crossrail won the bid to run Crossrail. He will be moving to MTR Crossrail in January.
He explained that London Overground is a concession (as opposed to a franchise) which is a contract to supply a service, with no fare box income. It receives a fixed price + inflation but there are lots of penalties for non-delivery e.g. £62 per minute of lateness.
London Overground’s humble beginnings were in November 2007 with just the North London line, West London line (Willesden Junc – Clapham Junc), Tottenham & Hampstead (Gospel Oak – Barking) & the D.C. line (Euston – Watford Junc). Traction was Class 150 DMU and Classes 313 & 508 EMU with 166 drivers.
New traction appeared in October 2009 with 24 x 3-car Class 378 EMU and 8 x 2-car Class 172 DMU. 2010 saw 23 x 4-car 378s for the East London line whilst 2011 saw the 378s boosted to 4-car units throughout.
To run the services, there are now 448 drivers on new terms and conditions which include Sunday in the working week, the only difference being that on Sunday mornings services start later. There is full Driver Only Operation (DOO). The reduction of operational incidents (e.g. SPAD) is coupled with a new style of learning with much use made of DVDs (using professional actors) and we were treated to some very amusing clips, but the most disturbing incident was drivers releasing doors on the wrong side. A general reduction of these incidents was essential with the Olympics fast approaching (and, in the event, passed off very well).
Route expansion has continued with the East London Line Core Route opening in December 2009 and the full ELL opening in May 2010. In 2011, the ELL was extended to Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line), now a massive hub. The South London line from Clapham Junc to Surrey Quays opened in December 2012, making it possible to have a circular journey around London. DOO now exists on all routes.
In May 2015, London Overground will take over the West Anglia routes to Cheshunt, Chingford, Enfield Town and Romford to Upminster. In 2018 there will be new electric trains for the T & H, West Anglia & D.C. lines.
Crossrail is a concession, similar to London Overground, but with tougher targets – delays costed @ £126 per minute. Driver numbers will increase from 86 to 396 and the Class 315s will be replaced by the Class 345s. Crossrail’s opening timetable is:
May 2015 – Liverpool St – Shenfield (effectively a take-over of the present suburban services), with Class 345s coming in May 2017;
May 2018 – Paddington – Heathrow;
December 2018 – Paddington – Abbey Wood along with the Central Operating Section (& its 3 measurement points to calculate delays);
May 2019 - Paddington – Shenfield;
December 2019 – full opening to Maidenhead, with the likelihood of extending to Reading.
Crossrail’s stock will be maintained at 2 depots – Old Oak Common & Ilford. Those of you with long memories may recall visiting Old Oak in steam days, and just think of the number of uses the depot and surrounding area have seen since!
We are often reminded that the Norwich – London line has all sorts of problems so it was refreshing to hear some railway good news from a real expert.
There was time at the end for a comprehensive Q & A session, in which Les ably dealt with all of the questions put to him. He was warmly applauded and we are grateful to Les for taking the time to make this presentation. Thanks also go to Chris Mitchell for acting as “go-between” and to Andy Wright for projection services.
Chris has told me that, since the meeting, he has received several very favourable reports from members which he has kindly relayed to Les. (EM)
“The Train to Sóller” and “Diesel Train Driver" (2 October 2014)
On another warm evening we enjoyed presentations on disparate subjects!
Before the interval, Bob Brister took us to Majorca (or Mallorca, if you prefer) and gave a digital show describing the railway to Sóller which ran north from the capital, Palma. It is privately owned and opened in 1912. Steam locomotives (4-6-0Ts) and the British influence – along with British equipment – has meant the gauge was – and is – 3’. Construction of the line took some 5 years, and above Bunyola there are 13 tunnels and a viaduct. Steam continued until the line was electrified in 1929 and the electrical equipment still in use is probably unique. The line runs on a 1200V overhead supply and is single track with passing loops. There are numerous citrus orchards, almond orchards and olive groves to be seen as the train heads north before serious climbing starts after Bunyola. Having reached the summit above Sóller the train has to travel 4 miles on a horseshoe descent to cover the last direct mile into Sóller. The coaches are all wood, are in excellent condition, have toastrack seating and have verandahs at each end. The journey takes just under an hour. Sóller station was originally a manor house, built in 1606, and it also houses a small but notable art gallery.
Bob concluded an excellent presentation with some images of the main rail/bus interchange at Palma – spotlessly clean and very modern!
After the interval, Roger Kingstone presented “Diesel Train Driver” – a B.R. instructional film from the mid-1950s, co-incident with the introduction of DMUs in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. This was divided into sections – “Driving the Trains”, “Dealing with Faults” and “Operational Matters”.
The film opened with a standard Derby unit being started up at Lincoln, and then we saw shots at Firsby and Skegness. It came as a surprise to see this unit in Norfolk along with the usual Derby “Lightweight” and Metro-Cammell units. The units then put in appearances all over Norfolk – sometimes with a cast of “passengers” – and we saw them at diverse locations including County School, North Walsham, Tivetshall and Wymondham, as well as a session on the Ashwellthorpe branch where D16/3 4-4-0 62619, amid cheers from the audience, “rescued” a defective unit!
An enthralling film, showing so much that has since been swept away, and thanks to Roger for bringing it to our attention. Thanks also to Andy Wright, our projectionist. (EM)
Members’ Summer Round-Up (18th September 2014)
On a particularly warm evening, the Chairman welcomed all members to the resumption of meetings and particularly new members, Ken Pooley and Alan Wilkinson. After a prolonged period of Notices business got underway showing the members’ summer reports.
1. Chris Mitchell started the evening with the nationally acclaimed Mid-Norfolk Steam Galas of 2014. The first Gala at the end of May saw the visit of West Coast Railway steam locomotives. At various locations along the line an 8F, a “Jubilee” and “Royal Scot” were photographed. The second Gala in mid-June featured A4 Pacific Union of South Africa, K4 The Great Marquess and the N7. The photographs were interspersed with short video clips of the various trains.
2. Philip Moore showed various photographs of model railway layouts in N and OO gauge. These layouts were seen at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, together with preserved engines and railway rolling stock. Trams at the nearby Crich museum in Derbyshire were also seen. The presentation finished with a historic tour of Newark, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight where trains, ships and buses were seen at the locations visited. A short feature was the September North Norfolk Steam Gala.
3. Edward Mann showed photographs of his summer visit to Derbyshire. Millers’ Dale and the spa town of Buxton revealed local scenes of surviving railway stations, trains and a tram. He then went on to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry showing various exhibits of cars, motor bikes and railway engines. His return to Norfolk took in Matlock, Crich, Leek and Manifold Centre, and the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (Wirksworth).
4. David Beeken & Brian Sayer of the Gauge 1 Society showed video footage of the railway and rolling stock at the venue of Hepworth in Suffolk.
5. John Laycock introduced his contribution as a childhood favourite, “Ivor the Engine”. John recently acquired a video at a car boot sale showing footage of Ivor’s antics in an early cartoon film. The voiceovers of distinct Welsh dialects made a refreshing change to the current media overload of the Scottish accents!!!
6. Mike Fordham’s contribution was photographs of the Mid-Suffolk Railway Steam Gala on 13th September. Three engines were in steam featuring two Bagnall 0-4-0 tanks and 0-6-0ST Wissington. The recently-restored GER 1889 built horsebox with groom accommodation was a prominent feature at Wetheringsett station.
7. Andrew Wright’s presentation featured the Society’s summer visit to the Epping & Ongar Railway. The black and white photographs of a Black 5 and a Beattie well-tank, Great Western 2-6-2 tank and a 3F 0-6-0 tank at various station locations was an effective presentation in the period they were trying to re-enact. Andy’s presentation also included a visit to Wales which took in the Gwili Railway on the former Carmarthen to Aberystwyth line. An all day rover ticket came with an option of a reserved compartment for a nominal sum. Motive power was in the form of an 0-6-0 saddle-tank hauling various compartment coaches. There was a large assembly of rolling stock in various stages of restoration. His presentation concluded with a view of the North Norfolk Railway from the rear cab of a DMU during the Society’s summer visit to the railway.
8. Ken Mills rounded off the evening with various slides of the March and September North Norfolk Railway Steam Galas. Visits also to the Mid- Norfolk, Epping & Ongar, Mid Hants and Isle of Wight Railways showed scenes of their various engines whilst Ken gave an authoritative account of their original workings on British Railways.
With thanks to all who contributed, and to Andy Wright for projection services. (Chris Mitchell)
On a particularly warm evening, the Chairman welcomed all members to the resumption of meetings and particularly new members, Ken Pooley and Alan Wilkinson. After a prolonged period of Notices business got underway showing the members’ summer reports.
1. Chris Mitchell started the evening with the nationally acclaimed Mid-Norfolk Steam Galas of 2014. The first Gala at the end of May saw the visit of West Coast Railway steam locomotives. At various locations along the line an 8F, a “Jubilee” and “Royal Scot” were photographed. The second Gala in mid-June featured A4 Pacific Union of South Africa, K4 The Great Marquess and the N7. The photographs were interspersed with short video clips of the various trains.
2. Philip Moore showed various photographs of model railway layouts in N and OO gauge. These layouts were seen at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, together with preserved engines and railway rolling stock. Trams at the nearby Crich museum in Derbyshire were also seen. The presentation finished with a historic tour of Newark, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight where trains, ships and buses were seen at the locations visited. A short feature was the September North Norfolk Steam Gala.
3. Edward Mann showed photographs of his summer visit to Derbyshire. Millers’ Dale and the spa town of Buxton revealed local scenes of surviving railway stations, trains and a tram. He then went on to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry showing various exhibits of cars, motor bikes and railway engines. His return to Norfolk took in Matlock, Crich, Leek and Manifold Centre, and the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (Wirksworth).
4. David Beeken & Brian Sayer of the Gauge 1 Society showed video footage of the railway and rolling stock at the venue of Hepworth in Suffolk.
5. John Laycock introduced his contribution as a childhood favourite, “Ivor the Engine”. John recently acquired a video at a car boot sale showing footage of Ivor’s antics in an early cartoon film. The voiceovers of distinct Welsh dialects made a refreshing change to the current media overload of the Scottish accents!!!
6. Mike Fordham’s contribution was photographs of the Mid-Suffolk Railway Steam Gala on 13th September. Three engines were in steam featuring two Bagnall 0-4-0 tanks and 0-6-0ST Wissington. The recently-restored GER 1889 built horsebox with groom accommodation was a prominent feature at Wetheringsett station.
7. Andrew Wright’s presentation featured the Society’s summer visit to the Epping & Ongar Railway. The black and white photographs of a Black 5 and a Beattie well-tank, Great Western 2-6-2 tank and a 3F 0-6-0 tank at various station locations was an effective presentation in the period they were trying to re-enact. Andy’s presentation also included a visit to Wales which took in the Gwili Railway on the former Carmarthen to Aberystwyth line. An all day rover ticket came with an option of a reserved compartment for a nominal sum. Motive power was in the form of an 0-6-0 saddle-tank hauling various compartment coaches. There was a large assembly of rolling stock in various stages of restoration. His presentation concluded with a view of the North Norfolk Railway from the rear cab of a DMU during the Society’s summer visit to the railway.
8. Ken Mills rounded off the evening with various slides of the March and September North Norfolk Railway Steam Galas. Visits also to the Mid- Norfolk, Epping & Ongar, Mid Hants and Isle of Wight Railways showed scenes of their various engines whilst Ken gave an authoritative account of their original workings on British Railways.
With thanks to all who contributed, and to Andy Wright for projection services. (Chris Mitchell)