Peterborough North

[great northern]

2 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Presumably it didn't change 'identity' at any time? It did happen! 

P

We don't think so Phil. It will have had several boiler changes in its life, so different types of smokebox door, for example, are quite common. The lighting gear though was attached to the frames. Also, if such things did happen I would expect to see other locos acquiring the gear too, and some which had it when built losing it later on, but I can't find any evidence of either. The full equipment was attached to the tender too, so that would have had to be changed as well. There's no record of any B1 identity swops such as happened with well documented cases elsewhere either.

 

Tim thinks it may have been fitted as a trial before approval for the later engines, and that seems a good possibility to me, but if so it doesn't seem to have been noted on official records, which Willie Yeadon worked from.

 

Anyway, it was regularly seen at PN, and Colour Rail had a picture taken at Hitchin in April 58, and I have one taken by Vic Fincham at PN in 59, so that's enough for me. There are other photos too in various albums.

[great northern]

Two more looks at the unique 61075, both sides on view, but it is the generator on the fireman's side that is the most obvious indication.

 

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

Another quick turn round at KX, this time for Persimmon, now on its way home to Grantham with the 2.28 to Newcastle.

 

 

Just a four minute stop for 60050.

 

 

 

 

 

[jazzer]

On 03/08/2022 at 10:22, great northern said:

Very nearly, in fact so close as to get the prize, if there  was one.

 

61075 was one of the large batch built by North British Loco in LNER days. All were in traffic by the end of 1947, and none had electric lighting. In fact the next batch from Vulcan Foundry didn't have it either, and everything I have read previously said that it was only fitted from 61190 onwards. That was the start of North British's next batch.

 

However, by the late 50s 61075 did have full lighting, as evidenced by several photographs. This is not mentioned in the books where one might expect to find it, there is no mention in RCTS 2B, nor in Yeadon. I can find no other photographic evidence or indeed written evidence of any other of these earlier engines having been fitted, so 1075 does appear to have been unique. When and why it was fitted, I do not know.

I have often wondered about electric lights. It seems probably a case of one department not knowing what another was doing.  After the Golden Arrow was stopped a number of times in the early 1950’ s due to lamps blowing out at speed ( apparently only on the Britannias) one would think that serious efforts at electric lighting would be made but the Southern rectified the problem by fitting modified lamp irons and strangely there seems to be no record of the Brits or any other class for that matter having regular problems with lights blowing out on other regions. 

As far as I can tell electric lights seem to be something confined to certain ER express passenger classes only but oil lamps seem to have been regulation headlights to the end of steam, so why electric lights were fitted remains a puzzle.

[great northern]

Another famous express is our next sighting. Wild Swan has come from Newcastle with the Flying Scotsman.

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

Another attempt at something different. I'm not impressed, but you don't know till you try these things, do you?

 

 

 

The WTT shows a path for another coal train to London after the Scotsman, there being 21 minutes before the next express is due. From what I've read though, by this time of afternoon there were sometimes trains queuing back towards Werrington Junction, so I wonder how often it actually happened. On this occasion I have decided that it did, as it gives an opportunity to admire an 02.

 

 

 

 

[Metropolitan H]

I do like the picture of the C12 and "Wild Swan" - and the O2 is a good 'un as well.

 

Keep them coming.

 

Regards

Chris H

 

[30368]

14 hours ago, great northern said:

Another famous express is our next sighting. Wild Swan has come from Newcastle with the Flying Scotsman.

 

 

I really like the second picture 60021- very steam railway with the water tank and columns and that signage that I, and many others I'm sure, can remember.

 

A very minor point, the walkway needs some weathering down the sides or more ballast to cover same. The A4 though looks really great and very clean so Kings Cross shed has been busy.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[great northern]

34 minutes ago, 30368 said:

 

I really like the second picture 60021- very steam railway with the water tank and columns and that signage that I, and many others I'm sure, can remember.

 

A very minor point, the walkway needs some weathering down the sides or more ballast to cover same. The A4 though looks really great and very clean so Kings Cross shed has been busy.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Can't get the staff, that's the problem. Only paint the bits they think  can be seen.😁 The A4 had been on the Elizabethan quite recently, so we assumed that most of the shine would still be there.

[great northern]

The other side of a Tango.

 

 

And the terminating arrival of the 1.45 stopper from KX.

 

 

[great northern]

A moment in the sun for the C12, which has been to fetch the stock for the 4.25 Harwich, and has reveresed it into the carriage siding.

 

 

The constant flow of expresses on the down continues, as Patrick Stirling brings the 2.45 Newcastle through, not stopping here.

 

 

 

 

 

[Metropolitan H]

I do like a C12 - here is my "O" gauge one.

 

Regards

Chris H

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Metropolitan H

[great northern]

Doncaster Rovers has backed on to the Harwich stock, while Patrick Stirling passes on the main.

 

 

 

And now just a few yards further on.

 

 

Only six lattices to photoshop.

 

 

[great northern]

Patrick Stirling lurches across the points at the end of the dog's leg curve.

 

 

And KX A3 Hermit approaches with the 1.25 Hull-KX. It won't stop here, and after it clears section the B17 will have about seven minutes to draw into the platform get loaded up with passengers, and depart for Harwich.

 

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

Hermit carries on rolling through.

 

 

At Platform 4 we now have the first DMU to be seen today. It isn't going along the E.Lincs as it normally does either, because for some reason those locals aren't shown as diesel hauled. No, it will be off to Grantham, as some of the Peterborough-Grantham trains are shown as DMUs on the Saturday WTT. It is the same driver though, so the destination blinds are still wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

The 2.52 KX- Leeds brings another of those unkempt New England V2s.

 

 

It then passes the B17, which has another three minutes to collect passengers and then get on its way.

 

 

[Anthony]

Wonderful impressions of just how busy PN was in those days.

[great northern]

One more look at a dirty V2.

 

 

But on the Up we are back to Top Shed standards of cleanliness, as Quicksilver heads south.

 

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

A front on view reveals that we have yet another named train on the Up, this time the Northumbrian.

 

 

Another look through the arch. Unfortunately the nice lady in the spotted dress is hidden from view, but one can't have everything.

 

 

 

 

 

[Metropolitan H]

Two superb pictures - bravo.

 

I'm sure that signalman in "North Box" moves around between pictures - but he is kept busy.

 

Regards

Chris H

[great northern]

The 3.00 Newcastle, a prestigious job for a local A2/3. Sun Castle is not that long out of Plant after overhaul though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Herbert Nigel]

The nice lady in the spotted dress reappears (but seems to have a very nasty bruise on her leg)!

[30368]

6 hours ago, Herbert Nigel said:

The nice lady in the spotted dress reappears (but seems to have a very nasty bruise on her leg)!

I am afraid that it may be a tattoo!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[great northern]

Now we have the arrival from Harwich, and the usual Saturday shortage of motive power means that we get a Claud rather than a B17. Could there be a nicer sight than a Claud at Platform 6 on a bright summer's day? And what would we give to see it now?

 

 

From that upstairs window, 60523 is seen starting away.

 

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

13 hours ago, Herbert Nigel said:

The nice lady in the spotted dress reappears (but seems to have a very nasty bruise on her leg)!

I have asked for a female employee to go and see her, but in the end had to do so myself. I had forgotten that she does have a very thin pin attaching her to the platform, so when I had to pick her up to see what was going on some cursing took place, as I could not find the very small hole into which she needed to be reinserted. She is now back where she belongs. And the mark the camera saw? You will not be surprised to hear that it is tiny, which is why I had to disturb her, as from normal viewing distance I couldn't see anything at all.

 

I had suspected that stupid porter, as he is very careless in what he does with that trolley when he moves around, but I think he is probably not guilty this time.