The Atmospheric Eastern

The Atmospheric Eastern

‘I was once told that one man’s atmosphere is another man’s smog, so I hope you enjoy our perambulation around the LNER, its precedents and antecedents.’

ISBN 978-1-913251-72-7

£29.95

The Classic Eastern Region Collection

Described by Alan C Butcher

F

rom London Kings Cross to Fraserburgh, from bucolic branch lines to the hives of industry, the London & North Eastern Railway had it all. Its range of motive power was tremendous, from Pugs pootling around goods yards to streamlined Pacifics streaking through the landscape. With good bits, bad bits and in some cases the downright ugly bits all adding to the atmosphere that stretched from the banks of the Thames to the northern coast of Scotland – the 6,500 route miles were full of contrast. Many of the inherited locomotives and rolling stock did well to survive into the Nationalised era – the LNER, as a company was never flush with cash. It was however full of new ideas, from steam railcars to electrification – not always successful – that was to capture the public’s attention. The sheer variety of motive power, rolling stock and goods traffic certainly contributed to the flavour of the times.

The Atmospheric Eastern

Images from the Transport Treasury

Described by Alan C Butcher

FLAGSHIP

The Atmospheric Eastern The Classic Eastern Region Collection

Images from the Transport Treasury

Described by Alan C Butcher

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Copyright: Images: Transport Treasury. Text: Alan C Butcher.

ISBN: 978-1-913251-72-7 First Published 2024 by Transport Treasury Publishing Ltd. 16 Highworth Close, High Wycombe, HP13 7PJ www.ttpublishing.co.uk Printed by Shortrun Press, Exeter.

The copyright holders hereby give notice that all rights to this work are reserved. Aside from brief passages for the purpose of review, no part of this work may be reproduced, copied by electronic or other means, or otherwise stored in any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the Publisher.

This includes the illustrations herein which shall remain the copyright of the copyright holder.

I was once told that one man’s atmosphere is another man’s smog, so I hope you enjoy our perambulation around the LNER, its precedents and antecedents.

Front cover. We commence our journey around the former London & North Eastern Railway routes that, following Nationalisation, were split to become British Railways’ Eastern, North Eastern and Scottish Regions, at London King’s Cross with Gresley Pacific No 60066 Merry Hampton awaiting departure with a north-bound express. As one of Gresley’s racehorses it was named after the winner of the 1887 Epsom Derby – coming on his racecourse debut this was his sole victory as an 11/1 ‘dark horse’.

He never won again but did finish second in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster. The image is dated to the period between 14th January 1953, when it was converted to left-hand drive, and 15th October 1958 when a double-chimney was fitted. The locomotive was constructed by the North British Locomotive Co at its Glasgow works, entering traffic at Haymarket depot on 16th July 1924 as No 2565. As with most LNER locomotives it was renumbered, to 66 during 1946, in this case on 7th July. It acquired its BR number on 17th March 1948 following a Light Repair at Doncaster Works. No 60066 is fitted with a GNR-style tender meaning that it was not used on through trains to Scotland. It was withdrawn from Grantham depot on 8th September 1963, entering Doncaster Works for dismantling within a fortnight.

George Heiron (256) Frontispiece. Having been given the ‘right away’, Class A1 No 60136 Alcazar departs from platform 6 at London King’s Cross. The area of King’s Cross was once a village known as Battle Bridge, which was an ancient crossing of the River Fleet, originally known as Broad Ford, later Bradford Bridge. The river flowed along what is now the west side of Pancras Road until it was rerouted underground in 1825. Plans for the station were made in December 1848 under the direction of George Turnbull, resident engineer for constructing the first 20 miles (32km) of the Great Northern Railway out of London. The station took its name from the King’s Cross building, a monument to King George IV that stood in the area and was demolished in 1845. The station was built in 1851-52, being the fifth London terminal to be constructed. It replaced a temporary station next to Maiden Lane (now York Way) that had been quickly constructed with the line’s arrival in London in 1850; opening on 7th August 1850, it closed on 14th October 1925 with the opening of King’s Cross the same day. A significant bottleneck in the early years of operations was at Gas Works Tunnel underneath the Regent’s Canal immediately to the north of the station, which was built with two tracks. Ultimately, as the station was extended over the years due to expanding suburban services, the second and third Gas Works tunnels opened in 1878 and 1892 respectively. The station sustained no damage during World War I even though large amounts of high explosives were carried to the station in passenger trains during the war. It was not so lucky during the Second as in the early hours of Sunday 11th May 1941, two 1,000 pound (450kg) bombs fell on the, then, platform 10 at the west side of the station, damaging a newspaper train in that platform and destroying the general offices, booking hall and a bar, and bringing down a large section of roof. Today the station still hosts main line services to the north of England and Scotland as well as ever increasing suburban traffic. The history of No 60136 will be found on page 142. George Heiron (254) Rear cover. We end our journey at Hull (Paragon) where Class V3 No 67691 has arrived with a local service. Built at Doncaster in April 1940 as LNER No 401, it was renumbered 7691 as part of the 1946 renumbering scheme and withdrawn from Gateshead in November 1964, one of nine withdrawn that month rendering the class extinct. It was allocated to Hull Botanic Gardens between June 1956 and July 1957, dating the image towards the end of that timeframe. The station was designed by G.T. Andrews and was originally named Hull Paragon Street, and, together with the adjoining Station Hotel, opened on 8th May 1848 as the new Hull terminus for the growing traffic of the York & North Midland (Y&NMR) line that was leased to the Hull & Selby Railway (H&S). As well as trains to the west, the station was the terminus of the Y&NMR and the H&S railways’ Hull-Scarborough line. From the 1860s the station also became the terminus of the Hull & Holderness and Hull & Hornsea railways. At the beginning of the 20th century the North Eastern Railway (NER) expanded the trainshed and station to the designs of William Bell, installing the present five-arched span platform roof. In 1962 a modernist office block, Paragon House, was installed above the station main entrance, replacing a 1900s iron canopy; the offices were initially used as regional headquarters for British Rail. A sign points ‘To Hotel’ which was built in a similar style to the station, located at the east end of it with its main façade and entrance facing east. It was completed in 1849 as a three-storey building, nine bays wide, of an area 120ft by 130ft (37m by 40m). The centre of the building contained a 650sq ft (200m²) square light well with ground glass roof. Architect for both buildings was G. T. Andrews, and these represent his last major commission.

The station and hotel were described by some contemporaries as ‘Hudson’s Folly’, who thought the scale of the development too great; the station was the largest built in England to that time associated with a railway. By the time of completion of the station hotel George Hudson, chairman of the York & North Midland, was in disgrace after his fraudulent dealings had been discovered. The hotel’s official opening ceremony took place on 6th November 1851. In 1931-32 the hotel was internally revamped, and expanded by the addition of an extra storey of rooms on the roof, replacing staff bedrooms; and by a cement rendered wing on either side of the main entrance; an art deco entrance onto the station concourse was also added. After the privatisation of British Transport Hotels in the 1980s the ‘Royal Station Hotel’ was renamed Royal Hotel. In 1990 the building was gutted by fire, the interior was rebuilt and the hotel re-opened in 1992. Neville Stead (NS200021) Copies of the images within this volume (along with tens of thousands of others on UK, Irish and some European railways) are available direct from The Transport Treasury.

To order copies of images within this volume please quote the scan reference number shown at the end of the relevant caption.

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Introduction

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rom bucolic branch lines through to express passenger services and heavy freight trains, the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER), and its successor British Railways (BR), had them all in abundance – from London to Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth. With a route mileage of over 6,500 miles (10,500+km), it was the second largest of the ‘Big Four’ companies created on 1st January 1923 as a result of the Railways Act of 1921.

The wording of the 1921 Act showed the company title as ‘North Eastern, Eastern and Scottish Group’ – there had been discussions on a separate group for Scotland but that did not come to pass until the creation of BR 25 years later.

The main constituent companies that made up the LNER (route miles and number of locomotives) as at 31st December 1922 were: Great Northern Railway (GNR) 1,051 1,359 Great Central Railway (GCR) 855 1,358 Great Eastern Railway (GER) 1,191 1,336 North Eastern Railway (NER) 1,866 2,156 Hull & Barnsley Railway (HBR) amalgamated with NER 1st April 1922 North British Railway (NBR) 1,378 1,075 Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) 334 122 On top of these were a number of joint lines and subsidiary companies such as the Great Eastern & Great Northern Joint line (123 miles) and the Cheshire Lines Committee at 143 miles being owned by the GN and GC along with the Midland Railway company. This gave the LNER a two-thirds ownership, with the London, Midland & Scottish Railway holding the remaining third.

At the Grouping the LNER established its headquarters at Marylebone, the London terminus of the GCR. Ralph Wedgwood, ex-NER, was appointed as Chief General Manager, a position he held until retirement in 1939, being succeeded by Charles H. Newton who in turn retired just before Nationalisation. The last Chief General Manager was Miles Beevor; all of these people had Class A4 locomotives named after them.

The position of Chief Mechanical Engineer was occupied by Nigel Gresley (ex-GNR) who held the position until his death in 1941.

Edward Thompson replaced him until retirement in 1946 with Arthur Peppercorn holding the reins until Nationalisation. Gresley’s name was carried on one of his A4 locomotives; Messrs Thompson and Peppercorn had their names on the Class A2 Pacifics that they had designed.

In the mid-1930s around two-thirds of the LNER’s income was from goods traffic and at the beginning of the decade it possessed around 273,000 goods vehicles – one for every 160 members of the population of the UK! This was of little concern to the travelling public who were drawn to the named trains of the decade and the Gresley Pacifics that pulled them.

The LNER was never a particularly wealthy company and opened numerous halts during the 1920s and 1930s to try and stimulate additional passenger traffic – perhaps an early version of the ‘every little helps’ slogan. Where it didn’t the LNER and its successors were not shy in closing unremunerative lines. The demise of virtually the whole of the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway on 28th February 1959 – the first main line to close – was perhaps the most extreme example until Dr Beeching’s report was put into action the following decade.

From the start of 1948, the railways were nationalised to form British Railways (‘British Rail’ after 1965) under the control of the British Transport Commission.The LNER was effectively split into three Regions – Eastern, North Eastern and Scottish (the latter with former LMSR lines north of the border).

Though there were few initial changes to the service, usage increased and the network became profitable. Post-war regeneration of track and stations was completed by 1954. However, despite these improvements rail revenue fell and, in 1955, the network again ceased to be profitable.The mid-1950s saw the hasty introduction of diesel and electric rolling stock to replace steam in a modernisation plan costing many millions of pounds but the expected transfer back from road to rail did not occur and losses began to mount.This failure to make the railways more profitable through investment led governments of all political persuasions to restrict rail investment to a drip feed and seek economies through cutbacks.

This desire for profitability led to a major reduction in the network during the mid-1960s following the publication of Dr Beeching’s report on The Reshaping of British Railways, on the 27th March 1963, which ultimately led to the decimation of the railway network with many branch lines and secondary routes being closed because they were deemed uneconomic.

The closure of stations serving rural communities had the unforeseen reduction of much of the feeder traffic to main line passenger services.

Why drive to a station to catch a train when you can drive direct to your destination? The closure of many freight depots that had been used by larger industries such as coal and iron led to much freight transferring to road haulage – most branch line freight traffic had already been lost. As a result of these reductions, separate operating areas could no longer be justified and the Eastern and North Eastern regions were amalgamated in 1967.

The majority of images herein cover the steam era, with just a touch of early ‘modernisation’. Since the end of the steam era passenger trains have changed out of all recognition, with the majority of services made up of multiple-units, although thankfully much of the remaining infrastructure is still recognisable. Freight services owe much to the ideas behind Dr Beeching’s report with ‘liner’ trains from point of origination to destination.

The images in this book are from the Transport Treasury archive and the majority are previously unpublished – so please join us while we perambulate around the LNER, its precedents and antecedents.

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It’s 2.30pm and two of Gresley’s finest stand at the buffer stops at King’s Cross, and the scene oozes with the atmosphere of the period – and, although taken around 60 years ago, a number of the companies advertising their services are still around today. Nearest the camera is an unidentified ‘A3’, complete with double-chimney and ‘elephant ear’-style smoke deflectors. The ‘A4’ is No 60010 Dominion of Canada, built at Doncaster Works; it entered traffic on 4th May 1937 for running in as No 4489 Woodcock – less than two weeks later, on the 17th, it returned to the works for repainting and renaming. Under the LNER’s locomotive 1946 renumbering scheme it gained the number 10 on 10th May 1946, and its final BR number on 27th October 1948 followed a light repair at Doncaster Works. Although the image is undated it postdates December 1957 as the locomotive is fitted with a double-chimney as the bell in front of the chimney has been removed. After a service life of just over 28 years

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it was withdrawn from Aberdeen Ferryhill depot at the end of May 1965, and following open-air storage at Darlington Bank Top shed it was sent to Crewe in August 1966 for restoration externally in BR livery, having been donated to the Canadian Railroad Historical Association by British Rail. It was shipped to Canada via Southampton Docks in April the following year. In October 2012 it visited the UK for the 75th Anniversary of Mallard’s record-breaking run. During the visit, the National Railway Museum restored it back to 1930s condition in LNER Garter Blue complete with the ceremonial bell it carried when new. It returned to the Exporail Canadian Railway Museum in May 2014. George Heiron (262)

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Building on the Gresley legacy, although with design changes for easier maintenance, Arthur Henry Peppercorn – the LNER’s last Chief Mechanical Engineer – introduced his version of the Class A1 and A2 Pacifics. The real strength of these classes lay in their reliability. By carefully incorporating the best of Sir Nigel Gresley and Edward Thompson, his immediate predecessor, designs as well as ideas of his own, he had produced two masterpieces of durability and low service cost. Five of the A1 locomotives had roller bearings fitted throughout, and they regularly covered 150,000 miles between intermediate overhauls. Even the plain bearing versions were capable of 90,000 miles between overhauls, not too bad when no other express passenger locomotive class in the UK could achieve more than 80,000. No 60124 Kenilworth was built at Darlington Works after Nationalisation, entering service at Gateshead on 23rd March 1949. It moved to Darlington depot via Heaton and York (North) shed, arriving during November 1965, from where it was withdrawn on 27th March 1966 after a service life of just over 17 years. It was one of ten to be recycled by Albert Draper’s cutters at Hull, being cut on 8th August 1966. It is seen awaiting departure from King’s Cross, with a member of the ‘new order’ lurking in the murk. George Heiron (679)

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Lambley was a station on the branch line that ran between Haltwhistle and Alston.

The station, situated 43/4miles (8km) south-west of Haltwhistle, served the village of Lambley in Northumberland.

The station was opened by the NER on 21st May 1852, following the completion of Lambley Viaduct (hidden behind the tree on the right). The imposing stone viaduct is located to the northeast of the former station, and was designed

by Sir George Barclay Bruce. It spans a length of 850ft (260m) over the South Tyne river. The viaduct was designated a Grade II* listed structure on 23rd August 1985. There were a number of unscheduled calling points on the section of the line between Lambley and Slaggyford, including those at Burnstones, Softley and Whitwham.

Trains regularly stopped to allow passengers to board and alight, despite no platform or facilities being available at these locations.

Featherstone Park and Slaggyford were reduced to unstaffed halt status in 1954, along with Coanwood in 1955. Lambley joined the list in 1966, with Alston following on 6th January 1969; by this date the line was for passenger use only as goods traffic ceased on 6th September 1965. The line was originally marked for closure in the 1960s, under the Beeching plan, however the lack of an all-weather road kept it open. Following improvements to the road network, including a temporary level crossing over the branch at Lambley, the line was closed on 3rd May 1976 by the British Railways Board, with the last train working two days earlier.

The locomotive number has not been recorded, but it is one of Gresley’s Class J39 0-6-0s, – possibly No 64812 that is seen later at Alston, and having parked the locomotive clear of the running line the crew are returning the train staff to the signalman, enabling the line to be released for a passenger service.

Neville Stead (NS209611A)

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A long way from the pristine LNER apple green livery it was delivered in, No 60122 Curlew, is seen on the approaches to King’s Cross station in a work-a-day condition. Built at Doncaster in December 1948, it entered service at King’s Cross ‘Top Shed’ depot on Christmas Eve. Having moved onto Gateshead and Copley Hill (Leeds), it returned to the Cross on 15th September 1957 before a final relocation to Doncaster shed on 5th April 1959. No 60122 arrived at Doncaster Works for attention on 11th December 1962, however, these were not authorised and it was withdrawn on 17th December 1962, a few days short of 14 years in traffic. It would meet its end in the nearby scrapyard within a matter of days. Taken from York Road over-bridge, No 60122 can be seen with a couple of ‘L1’ 2-6-4T locomotives and an unidentified Class A2 Pacific on the station turntable. The iconic structure gasholders in the background were built in the 1850s by the Imperial Gas Light & Coke

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Co as part of St Pancras Gasworks and in the 1860s it was said to be the largest gasworks in the country with a large number of retorts and two groups of gasholders built on either side of Wharf Road. In 1876 the Imperial Gas Light & Coke Company was amalgamated with the Gas Light & Coke Co and is identified as the original company from which British Gas plc is descended. Although manufactured gas had been superseded by the natural version, the gasholders remained in use until the late 20th Century and were finally decommissioned in 2000. When the regeneration of the area around King’s Cross area commenced, Gasholder No 8, together with 10, 11 and 12, were dismantled and shipped piece by piece to Shepley Engineers in Yorkshire. It took two years to restore Gasholder No 8, and in 2013 it returned to King’s Cross and was rebuilt piece-by-piece in its new home on the banks of the canal. George Heiron (255)

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Left. The Great Central Railway opened its locomotive depot at Leicester in 1897, consisting of a four-road dead end shed, water tank, coal stage and turntable. It became known as Central to differentiate it from the Midland Railway’s shed and the GNR’s one at Belgrave Road. BR closed the depot on 6th July 1964 – the derelict sheds were still extant in 1975. Thompson-designed Class B1 No 1085 emerged from the North British Locomotive Co’s works in October 1946 as Works No 25842, and entered traffic at Gorton depot on the 11th. It gained its BR identity on 4th August 1948, having just undergone a General Overhaul at Doncaster Works, being returned to Neasden depot, its allocation at the time. It arrived at its new depot of Leicester Central on 1st June 1958, and is seen under the depot’s sheer legs on 13th August 1959.

On 27th November 1961 it became the first of the class to be withdrawn, apart from accident damaged No 61057, when it was condemned at Leicester Central depot; a service life of just over 17 years. Less than two weeks later it was in the scrap roads at Darlington Works for disposal. H. Gamble (HG0738)

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Above. Another locomotive under the sheer legs at Leicester (Central) is Class K3 2-6-0 No 61883 clearly showing two ‘Not to be moved’ signs, although one is upside down! Its leading pony truck has been extracted, presumably for maintenance. Of GNR design, the Class H4 was a 2-6-0 locomotive designed for mixed-traffic work.

This was a more powerful development of the earlier ‘H3’ (LNER ‘K2’) class and was notable as the 6ft-diameter (1.8m) boilers were the largest fitted to any British locomotive up to that time. After formation of the LNER, the type became known as Class K3 and was adopted as an LNER standard design. They got the nickname ‘Jazzers’ after the rhythm of their exhaust beat and the unbalanced gyratory movement. The first 10 locomotives were built at Doncaster Works in 1920, to the design of Nigel Gresley. Six further batches were built at Doncaster and Darlington works, along with Armstrong Whitworth, Robert Stephenson & Co and the North British Locomotive Co. The last few of 193 examples were delivered in 1937. Having entered traffic as No 1391, it became 1883 under the 1946 scheme, and gained its BR number during January 1949. It was withdrawn on 3rd December 1962 and scrapped the following February. Alongside is a member of Nigel Gresley’s ‘V2’ class of 2-6-2 locomotives that can be traced back to 1932 when a modification of the K3 2-6-0 was being considered. This modification included a rear bogie which was shared with the tender and was described as a 2-6-4-4. By 1933 the articulated tender was abandoned to give a 2-6-2 arrangement. One advantage of removing the articulated tender was that the 2-6-2 wheel arrangement allowed the classic Gresley wide firebox to be fitted. The ‘V2s’ were allocated to all regions of the LNER, although most were posted to sheds along the East Coast main line between King’s Cross and Aberdeen. The first, No 4771 Green Arrow, quickly became famous working the first leg of the King’s Cross to Glasgow express goods. Although they were designed for this kind of express goods work, they proved adaptable and occasionally substituted for the ‘A1’ and ‘A3’ Pacifics and even the streamlined ‘A4s’. A total of 184 were built between 1936 and 1944. Built at Darlington Works in December 1939 as No 4861, the V2 entered service at the adjacent depot on the 28th. It gained its 1946 number, 890, on 11th August whilst allocated to Sheffield Darnall depot. It gained its BR number, 60890, following a General overhaul at Doncaster Works. Having been withdrawn on 5th May 1962, it is seen with its chimney covered by sacking alongside the shed on 16th July 1962. Someone has painted 82E in place of the shed plate although this was not one of those despatched at Swindon, Darlington doing the deed in August 1962. H. Gamble (HG0728)

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Top left. The North Eastern Railway’s mile long Newcastle Quayside branch connected the Newcastle Quayside to Trafalgar Yard near Manors East station. This short line descended a semi-circle at gradients of between 1 in 27 and 1 in 30 through three tunnels and ventilation of the tunnels was particularly bad under certain wind conditions, making life particularly difficult for steam locomotives and their crews.

Following electrification of the passenger lines on the north bank of the Tyne, it was decided to upgrade the branch. Electrical operations of the Quayside branch began on 5th June 1905, using two Bo-Bo locomotives (NER Nos 1 and 2), which were classified ES1. The frames and bodies were constructed by Brush Engineering in Loughborough, who acted as sub-contractors to British Thomson-Houston Co who supplied the electrical equipment. As can be seen the locomotives had a central cab and sloping bonnets and, as built, were fitted with a bow collector, but this was replaced with a pantograph in 1908. Additionally the bogies were fitted with collector shoes that were initially mounted on the outer ends of each bogie, but these were later moved to the centreline of the bogies. British Railways renumbered Nos 1 and 2 as Nos 26500 and 26501 in May 1948. Both locomotives continued to work the Quayside branch until its closure on 29th February 1964. The ES1s were put into store at South Gosforth car sheds, and withdrawn from stock in September 1964. No 26501 was sold for scrap in April 1966 to Messrs Willoughby who operated out of the appropriately named Choppington. Following a period of storage, No 26500 was preserved in September 1968. Seen here sandwiched between two diesel shunters, No D2047 is on the left, No 26500 is seen outside the works of Unilever, manufacturers of the first washing up liquid in the world, that inspired the slogan ‘easy peasy lemon sqezy’, that was first launched in 1959. Neville Stead (NS205012)

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Above. In 1902 the Newcastle electric tramway system opened and, within two years, the NER lost four million passengers, some 40% of the 1901 total. The NER directors saw this coming and in 1902 decided to electrify the suburban lines on the north bank of the Tyne, east of Newcastle, using the three-rail system operating at 600V DC. Initial opening, between New Bridge Street and Benton, took place on 29th March 1904, becoming the second electric passenger service operated by a British main line railway company, the Lancashire & Yorkshire having started its first Liverpool services one week earlier. The Tyneside system was fully operational on 25th July 1904, and quickly regained the lost traffic. Passenger ridership figures again topped 10 million in 1913. The electrified route was circular from Newcastle Central via Percy Main to Tynemouth, and back to Newcastle New Bridge Street via Whitley Bay, Monkseaton, Benton, and Jesmond. Services started at Central and terminated at New Bridge Street, or vice versa. A connection between the two Newcastle stations was built in January 1909, allowing New Bridge Street to be closed.

Manors North station became the new terminus until 1st March 1917 when out-and-back running from Newcastle Central was put into effect. A number of the original carriages were lost on 11th August 1918, when fire destroyed Heaton Car Sheds together with 34 cars. These were totally burned out, with others suffering heat and smoke damage. Showing the resourcefulness of the railway companies of the day, the next day’s service was operated by a mixture of electric and steam trains. A completely electric service was resumed by 12th September. A replacement carriage shed was opened at South Gosforth on 1st October 1923, and the old Heaton site was cleared and used as sidings for the electric stock. Between 1920-2, 34 cars were built to replace those destroyed in the fire; they were fitted with elliptical roofs, allowing them to be easily identified from the original clerestory stock. These were very similar to those they replaced, even down to the original running numbers being reused. In 1955, BR replaced the elliptical-roof stock with new stock to a Southern Railway design with the remaining NER stock withdrawn in 1955, and was last recorded operating the South Shields service on 17th May 1955. This Trailer Third vehicle started life in 1920 as NER No 3790 becoming 23790 at the Grouping and as No E29388E it is seen at South Gosforth in 1960, probably having been withdrawn that May. Its body was grounded at Shildon in July the same year and subsequently scrapped. Neville Stead (NS205020) Bottom left. The ‘main line’ version of the ES1 shunter was the EF1 being used on the 18 mile route from Shildon Yard to Newport Yard. The North Eastern Railway’s CME – Sir Vincent Raven – was convinced of the advantages of the main line electrification, and in 1913 the Board gave him permission to demonstrate his ideas on the relatively self-contained route. The Shildon Yard was a collecting point for coal from the surrounding coalfields, and Newport was a distribution point for coal to docks, blast furnaces, and iron works in the Stockton-Newport area. This traffic, dating from the pre-railway era, was the principal reason for building the original Stockton & Darlington Railway. It was very profitable for the S&D and later NER and by the early 20th century, stretches of the mineral line had already been expanded to four tracks. Electrification using the new 1,500V DC overhead system began in 1914. The first stage opened on 1st July 1915, with the entire line operational by 10th January 1916. The infrastructure was designed with simplicity and economy in mind. Luckily the public power system was sufficiently developed that it could supply the power. In fact, the power company contracted to supply the sub-stations as well as the actual traction current. To operate the line, 10 freight Bo-Bo locomotives (NER Nos 3-12) were built between 1914 and 1919. Nine were actually completed by December 1914, but the tenth (No 12) stood on a siding lacking both motors and pantographs until December 1919. In the opening years, there was insufficient traffic, initially due to restrictions on coal shipments in World War 1, but even in the 1920s the coal trade continued to be depressed. The Depression of the 1930s hit hard, and traffic continued to fall and, by this time, it was necessary to replace much of the overhead equipment. The reduced traffic levels could not warrant the expenditure, and it was decided to dismantle the overhead lines and revert to steam haulage. The Shildon yards closed on 7th January 1935, and all ten locomotives were stored at Darlington. As a part of the Manchester-SheffieldWath electrification scheme, it was proposed to convert the Shildon locomotives into banking engines. It was not to be and all ten were relocated to South Gosforth car sheds and remained in store. As part of the LNER’s 1946 renumbering scheme Nos 3-12 were renumbered as Nos 6490-9 and then 26502-11 at Nationalisation. In 1949 No. 26510 was transferred to Ilford to perform shunting duties at the new electric carriage sheds built for the Liverpool Street-Shenfield electrification. In 1950, one of the locomotives was tested on the Quayside branch as a possible replacement for Nos 26500/1 – again nothing came of the idea and the remaining nine of the class were condemned. In January 1959 the sole survivor, No 26510, was renumbered as Departmental No 100 and survived as depot shunter until 4th November 1960 when the Shenfield line was converted to AC operation. It did, however, survive until it was finally withdrawn in April 1964. The image shows No 26505 at Catercliffe, Sheffield, awaiting demolition by Wanty & Co’s cutters. Neville Stead (NS205015)

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Top left. With rail traffic increasing on the Edinburgh-Aberdeen line additional, and more powerful, motive power was required for express passenger services. The LNER’s Chief Mechanical Engineer Nigel Gresley answered the request by introducing his P2 class 2-8-2 locomotives. Despite the popularity of this wheel arrangement in many other countries, the LNER was the only British company to operate such standard gauge tender locomotives. Construction took place at Doncaster Works and six locomotives were put into traffic between 1934 and 1936 and were the most powerful in Great Britain at the time, capable of hauling 600-ton trains. Problems were soon discovered with the design and the fixed wheelbase of 19ft 6in (5.94m) was found to be too long for the continuous curves on the line and they were soon experiencing cracked frames. The Scottish crews did not like the class, as they tended to slip under adverse rail conditions. With maintenance they were kept in traffic, however, restrictions brought on by World War 2 caused them to suffer mechanical problems during the 1940s that contributed to the decision to rebuild the class into Pacifics by Gresley’s successor, Edward Thompson. In as-built condition No 2003 Lord President is seen at Dundee; new to traffic on 13th June 1936 it was rebuilt in December 1944. Despite all the locomotives being rebuilt all is not lost, as a new build is under construction at Darlington Locomotive Works. Managed by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, it will be the seventh Class P2 locomotive and named after the Prince of Wales. Costing an estimated £5 million, the locomotive is expected to be completed in 2024. Neville Stead (NS206546) Bottom left. Nigel Gresley was knighted in 1936 and died in office on 5th April 1941. Edward Thompson, who introduced a much needed programme of standardisation, succeeded him. This resulted in the rebuilding of several locomotives of Gresley design, including examples of the ‘A1’ Pacifics, ‘V2’ express goods, and ‘P2’ locomotives. The only ‘A1’ to be rebuilt, was none other than the original prototype Great Northern, and none of these rebuilds could ever be described as elegant.

But in contrast to these inelegant rebuilds, his ‘B1’ and ‘L1’ designs were well proportioned. The ‘L1’ was never built in the intended numbers due to Nationalisation, but the ‘B1’ proved to be a capable locomotive for wartime use. In rebuilding the ‘P2’s, existing parts would be used as much as possible, including the short outside connecting rods which led to an ungainly appearance as seen here on No 60503 Lord President at Doncaster in 1957. Rebuilt at Doncaster, No 2003 was returned to traffic in December 1944, being renumbered 503 during June 1946; note the small ‘wing’ smoke deflectors just below the chimney. As BR No 60503 it was withdrawn from York depot on 27th November 1959 and recycled at Doncaster Works. Neville Stead (NS206555) Below. In 1944, the LNER board authorised the construction of 30 standard Pacifics based on Thompson’s ‘A2/2’ design (his rebuild of the P2s, see opposite). An additional 13 were authorised in 1945 – although the change of CME resulted in only 15 built to the original design. The design was marked by a number of innovations, including steam brakes, a hopper ash pan, electric lighting, and a self-cleaning smokebox. The design of the smoke deflectors was changed to the larger versions before construction commenced. Five of the ‘A2/3’s were allocated to the Southern Area, one to the Scotland Area, and the remaining nine to the north-east of England.

This only changed in 1963 after withdrawals had started to occur, and the remaining locomotives were concentrated away from the north-east. No 500 Edward Thompson, named after the CME, was constructed at Doncaster (Works No 2000) and entered traffic at Gateshead on 24th May 1946. Following a General overhaul completed in February 1948 it was temporarily numbered E500. It gained its BR number following 67 days undergoing a further General overhaul at Doncaster during August-October 1949. It was withdrawn from New England depot, where it is seen, on 15th June 1963, after just over 17 years service. Neville Stead (NS206551)

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Above. Development of the ‘W1’ class started in 1924, when Gresley was considering ways of efficiently generating steam that used less coal than the original design of his A1 Pacifics. In September 1924, Gresley approached Harold Yarrow (of Yarrow & Co), and over the next three years they designed a new water-tube boiler for locomotive use. The resulting water-tube boiler consisted of a long steam drum, and four water drums. The water drums were connected to the steam drum with a series of tubes through which water circulated at a pressure of 450psi (31 bar). The resulting locomotive was No 10000 that would be the only 4-6-4 tender locomotive to run in Britain and is illustrated at Hull (Dairycoates) depot in 1933. In its original condition it was not considered a success, however, it did work a number of high profile services, but required frequent works visits and numerous modifications. On 21st August 1935 No 10000 entered Darlington Works for further repairs, having run about 90,000 miles since new. A number of additional modifications were being considered, when Gresley ordered all further work to stop whilst he considered a scheme to rebuild it with a conventional fire-tube boiler. As a result No 10000 was completely rebuilt and re-entered service in 1937 with a conventional boiler and A4-style streamlining. Interestingly, out of the 1,888 days since it was built, No 10000 spent 1,105 days in Darlington Works! After the rebuild, the water-tube boiler was returned to Darlington and used for pressure testing and space heating between 1939 and 1965. It was finally cut-up on 10th April 1965, outliving the rebuilt W1 by almost six years that was withdrawn from Doncaster depot on 1st June 1959. Although designed for top link passenger services No 10000 never carried a name, and it was often referred to as the ‘Hush-Hush’ due to the initial secrecy of the project. Neville Stead (NS207055) Both right. No 69999 was the first main line Garratt to enter service in Britain, being the most powerful steam locomotive of any type and is seen at Dewsnap Yard in 1953. The LNER’s constituent company – the Great Central Railway – initiated the design of what was to be a four-cylinder locomotive in 1910. The design evolved to use the GCR-designed 2-8-0 (LNER Class O4) chassis. Following Board approval in 1924 two locomotives were to be constructed; between the initial order in 1924 and construction in 1925, the design was amended by Gresley to use three cylinders at each end, and to use some of the motion from the O2 class. In the event only one locomotive was built by Beyer, Peacock Ltd (works No 6209). In an amazingly short time frame for a ‘one-off’ the frames were laid on 1st June 1925, and the engine was delivered on the 21st, ready to be displayed in shop grey at the Stockton & Darlington Centenary celebrations on 1st July 1925. After the celebrations it was painted in black, and entered service as No 2395 in August 1925. The locomotive’s prime duty was to bank coal trains up the Worsborough Incline between Wentworth Junction and West Silkstone Junction. This incline was about 31/2 miles (5.6 km) long with a gradient of about 1 in 40. Typically coal trains of 60+ wagons arrived from Wath pulled by an O4 with a banker, the Garratt would then come off its siding and push from behind the banker. Once at West Silkstone Junction, it would then return to Wentworth Junction. The train would continue to the main Sheffield to Manchester main line at Penistone. No 2395 was renumbered 9999 on 17th March 1946, then becoming 69999 at Nationalisation. It was withdrawn from Gorton on 23rd December 1955, with scrapping taking place at Doncaster Works the following March. The two views show the locomotive at Dewsnap Yard; this was one of those railway places of business that almost everyone ignored. Neville Stead (NS207068 and NS207069)

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Top left. The Axholme Joint Railway was created as a joint enterprise between the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L&Y) and the North Eastern Railway (NER) and was established by the North Eastern Railway Act of 31st July 1902. It took over the Goole & Marshland Railway, running from Marshland Junction (near Goole) to Reedness Junction and Fockerby, and the Isle of Axholme Light Railway, running from Reedness Junction to Haxey Junction. Construction of the Goole & Marshland Railway had begun in 1898, and by the time of the takeover in early 1903, was virtually complete. The Isle of Axholme Light Railway was started in 1899, but only the section from Reedness Junction to Crowle was complete at the takeover. The northern section opened on 10th August 1903, and the line from Crowle to Haxey Junction opened for passengers on 2nd January 1905. The line closed to passengers on 15th July 1933, however the section from Haxey Junction to Epworth remained in use for freight, finally closing on 1st February 1956, by which time most of the traffic was peat, supplemented by seasonal sugar-beet. Although now closed to all traffic, the line was not lifted, and was maintained as a long siding until 1972, on behalf of the Central Electricity Generating Board, who paid for its maintenance. This was to facilitate the maintenance of the stators from Keadby Power Station, which were too heavy to be transported over the bridge where the A161 road crossed the Stainforth & Keadby Canal. When required, the heavy haulage company Pickfords would move a stator by road to Ealand depot, to the south of Crowle. It would then be loaded onto the railway, and moved across the canal to Belton, where it would be transferred back to the road vehicle. Lindsey County Council eventually replaced the A161 road bridge in 1970, and as a result the complicated manoeuvres became unnecessary. Consequently, the rails were removed in 1972. The image shows the North Moor viaduct that carried the Axholme Joint Railway over the Folly Drain and the South Engine Drain. Neville Stead (NS207317) Bottom left. In order for the Isle of Axholme bridge to cross the Stainforth & Keadby Canal it was necessary for the railway company to construct a swing bridge, as the Humber Keel Barges that used the canal were wind powered and carried large sails. The bridge was completed in 1905 and powered by a Crossley 20hp diesel oil engine, though a hand-operation was possible in case of failure. The original design work was carried out by the Yorkshire District Railways Syndicate of Leeds.

However, the resident engineer – F. S. Wheat – worked to the designs of W. J. Cudworth of the North Eastern Railway, who in turn was under the supervision of the company’s Resident Engineer, at York. An accident was reported in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph on Saturday 15th October 1904 that had occurred the previous day when a steam crane overbalanced whilst hauling a four ton girder, with ‘the engine and girder it fell, crashing over the side of the bridge into the Soak dyke below’ – fortunately no one was injured. Construction of the bridge was by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Co Ltd of Darlington, at a cost of £20,000, and although it was designed to carry double tracks it only ever carried one. Neville Stead (NS207318) Above.Constructed by the Vulcan Foundry (Works No 5512) for the LNER, Class B1 No 1154 entered service at Gorton on 6th May 1947, moving to Sheffield Darnall shed the following month. Renumbered as No 61154 on 27th November 1948 following a General overhaul at Gorton Works it would remain at Darnall until withdrawn on 16th September 1962, being consigned to Cashmore’s yard for scrapping the following March. In happier times it is seen crossing the lattice-work iron bridge over the River Esk, just to the south of Ruswarp station that was opened on the Whitby & Pickering Railway on 8th June 1835. That July saw over 1,000 people carried from Pickering for the Ruswarp Fair Day. The original bridge here was made from Baltic pine and covered a distance of 312ft (95m), crossing the river on a diagonal compared to its flow, compared with the adjacent road bridge seen to the right of the image. In the early 1980s, rationalisation of the Esk Valley line led to the singling of the line between Grosmont and Whitby. The down line through the station was kept open, whilst the up line and platform were removed. The signal box was kept open as control for the level crossing until 1986 when it was automated. Neville Stead (NS201886)

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The Kelvedon & Tollesbury Light Railway was a locally promoted railway company, intended to open up an agricultural district that suffered from poor transport links. The enactment of the Light Railways Act 1896 encouraged the promoters to persuade the dominant local main line railway, the Great Eastern Railway (GER), to participate in the construction and operation of the line. The line opened from Kelvedon to Tollesbury on 1st October 1904. At Kelvedon it had its own station close to the GER main line station; known as Low Level it is seen here in 1951 just prior to closure to passenger services. All the stations had minimal buildings – in most cases old coach or bus bodies served as waiting rooms, as in the case of Tolleshunt Knights, also seen in 1951, and the passenger rolling stock consisted of old vehicles. Passenger business was never dominant, but the area around Tiptree experienced major growth in the cultivation of soft fruit and of jams. The GER took over the original company, and built an extension to Kelvedon Pier on the River Blackwater estuary; this opened in 1907. It was hoped that this would lead to numerous commercial possibilities: the development of housing and of yachting facilities in addition to the increased use of the pier as a transport terminal, but these developments never materialised, and the pier extension railway closed in 1921. By the time of Nationalisation passenger journeys on the line had reduced to between eight and ten persons daily, and it could hardly be overlooked that the passenger train service was losing money. Accordingly the last passenger journeys took place on 5th May 1951; closure was on 7th May 1951. This was followed by the withdrawal of goods facilities beyond Tudwick Road Siding, south of Tiptree, from 29th October 1951. The traffic on the residual branch was coal in and Tiptree jam products out. This arrangement continued for some years, but was hardly sustainable, and the final revenue earning run on the branch was from Tiptree on 28th September 1962. Neville Stead (NS207366 [page 20] and NS207371A [page 21])

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Top left. Sentinel Waggon Works of Shrewsbury built their first steam railcar in 1923 for the narrow-gauge Jersey Railways & Tramways Ltd. This used coachwork constructed by Cammell Laird & Co of Nottingham, and was reportedly successful. Another railcar was exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924, and came to the attention of Nigel Gresley. The LNER was in need of vehicles that were cheaper than steam trains but with better carrying capacity than that of the petrol rail bus and auto car on trial in the North-East (NE) Area. Hence Chief General Manager Wedgwood informed the Joint Traffic & Locomotive Committees on 31st July 1924 that a railcar would be loaned from Sentinel for a fortnight. If successful, this would be followed by the purchase of two railcars. The trial took place from 17th to 31st August 1924 in the NE Area. Interestingly in 1927 Wedgewood decided that the majority of the railcars should be named and he decided that they should reflect those of an earlier age, being named after stagecoaches. The LNER’s steam railcar programme expanded greatly in the 1928 Build Programme, with an order for 40 Sentinel steam railcars and 10 Clayton steam railcars. The first 20 Sentinel railcars were delivered in the first half of 1928; the second 20 were deferred pending trials of a gear-driven version. The latter were successful, and the final 20 were replaced with orders for a gear-driven version incorporating a number of improvements.

Trap doors in the engine compartment were modified so that the coal bunker could be filled using a conventional coal chute. The luggage compartment was moved forward so that it was directly behind the engine compartment, probably in an effort to reduce noise levels in the passenger saloon. The luggage compartment’s tipup seats were removed, and the entrance vestibule was enlarged, reducing the seating capacity. The larger vestibule allowed more standing space and straps were provided for 10 standing passengers. The vehicle seen here is 272 Hero, which entered traffic at Shildon on 15th May 1928. It arrived at Hull Botanic Gardens depot on 13th June 1944 and underwent a Light overhaul at Darlington the following year. It was condemned on 12th October 1946, returning to Darlington for breaking.

Neville Stead (NS207590) Bottom left. The Cheshire Lines were jointly owned by the LMS and the LNER. The Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) purchased four Sentinel railcars (Nos 600-3) in July 1929; all were operated by the LNER, although none were named. The intention was for there to be three operating diagrams and a spare railcar, but in reality they operated four diagrams each week. These diagrams included local services from Liverpool and Stockport, as well as operations on the Cuddington-Winsford branch.

Two of these workings reached beyond the Cheshire Lines to Marple and Widnes. The workings were modified a few times, but were significantly cut back with the outbreak of World War 2. By November 1941, three of the CLC railcars were in storage. CLC railcar, No 602 – seen here at Skelton Junction on a Liverpool (Central) to Stockport (Tiviot Dale) service in the late 1930s – started its service at Northwich on 16th July 1929 and after 15 years service was put into storage in July 1944.

Withdrawal occurred on 16th October 1944 and it was broken up at Doncaster. Neville Stead (NS207590 Above. York Carriage Shops built the first of these inspection cars in March 1908. It was intended for use by company officers on inspection journeys, having a central map table with six seats around it. The original engine is unknown, but is thought to have been capable of about 35-40bhp at 950rpm. Batteries were included for lighting, however an electric starter motor was not fitted and in case of emergency a traditional coupling arrangement was fitted. It was initially based at Middlesbrough, later relocating to Darlington. In 1911, Vincent Raven, Locomotive Superintendent of the NER, suggested two more cars should be ordered. A tender to Wolseley Motors Ltd was considered too high, and they were eventually built by the NER using White & Poppe 6-cylinder engines rated at 75hp. These later cars were larger, and had seats for 12 passengers. On 22nd October 1921, No 3768 (of the second batch) was destroyed by fire at York; a replacement entered service in December 1923 as No 3768Y and is seen here. This replacement had a slightly longer body and the clerestory roof was replaced with a domed roof – an extra heating radiator was also included. By 1929, the two oldest inspection cars were beginning to show their age and the oldest, No 3711, had 114,000 miles on the clock, so both had new 80hp Leyland engines fitted. In 1938, No 3769 went to Gateshead for a broken axle to be repaired. This led to the economics of these cars being analysed, and although they were about 2d/mile (1p) cheaper to run than a steam engine and carriage, the latter could also be used for other duties. The decision was taken to scrap them and all three were withdrawn in February 1939. Neville Stead (NS207595)

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Top left. These locomotives were a standard design used by the US Army Transportation Corps (USATC). Designated Class S160, they were built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO), Baldwin Locomotive Works and Lima Locomotive Works over a period of four years – in all 2,120 2-8-0s were supplied as part of the Allied war effort, and many were shipped to Britain during World War 2 ready for the invasion of France in 1944, over 800 arrived in the UK during 1942-45. The first locomotives started to arrive in the UK in December 1942; they were used by all four of Britain's main railway companies. The first 43 locomotives to arrive in Britain were overhauled by the LNER at Doncaster, and hauled local services whilst running in. As built the locomotives and tenders were fitted with steam brakes and Westinghouse air brakes for use on the train, but were piped for vacuum brakes if required. Those destined for use in the UK were fitted with vacuum ejectors, reservoirs and brake valves to operate services. The first S160s were concentrated in the South Wales area, so they were quickly transferred to the Great Western Railway (GWR) in early 1943. Between March 1943 and January 1944, a total of 168 S160s would enter regular LNER service. It is recorded that USATC No 2128 arrived at Liverpool Docks on 10th May 1943 aboard the Pacific Enterprise in the company of Nos 2125-7; over the course of 14 days, 1st-14th May, 36 locomotives were off loaded in the docks. At the same time scores of locomotives were arriving at docks around the country. After the invasion of France on 6th June 1944 (D-Day), the Ebbw Junction S160s were prepared and shipped out to France. Then, the locomotives on loan to the ‘Big Four’ were returned to the USATC and shipped out to France. The LNER lost the bulk of its allocation between August and September 1944. No 2128 is seen at Newport-on-Tees in this undated view; there is no record as to where it served in Europe or its subsequent history. Neville Stead (NS207793) Bottom left. With the outbreak of World War 2, Riddles was appointed as the Director of Transport Equipment at the Ministry of Supply. He quickly adopted the LMS design of William Stanier, the Class 8F 2-8-0, as the standard military goods engine. In 1941 he was appointed to the post of Deputy Director-General of Royal Engineer Equipment, and by 1942 had started work on a new ‘Austerity’ 2-8-0 that took into account the lack of material and manpower. Construction started in January 1943, and a total of 935 locomotives would be built by May 1945 by the North British Locomotive Co and Vulcan Works. Before the Normandy Landings, the Army had very little use for these locomotives, so they were loaned to the ‘Big Four’ railways. Of the 457 loaned during this period, the LNER had 350. After June 1944, these locomotives were shipped out to France. Initial allocations from the LNER actually went to the Great Western and Southern Railways, but by February 1945 all of the initial ‘Austerities’ were transferred to the Continent. Following cessation of hostilities, the British Army had large numbers of the locomotives surplus to requirements and they started to return to the UK in November 1945. The LNER offered to take many of these on loan. At the end of 1946, the LNER purchased 200, including the 190 that it already had on loan. With the ownership becoming permanent, the ‘Austerities’ were classified as Class O7 in January 1947. By the end of 1947, the LNER had also taken on an additional loan of 270 locomotives. Many of these needed quite a bit of maintenance work, and it was not until July 1948, seven months after Nationalisation, that the last entered service. With examples in service on other Regions, and in several number series, British Railways dropped the ‘O7’ classification on 26th January 1949 and re-classified them as ‘WD 2-8-0’, renumbering them from 90000 to 90732. The example seen here at Hull (Springhead), War Department No 77018, was built by NBL, at Queen Park Works, Glasgow (Works No 24989), in March 1943; becoming BR No 90116 in March 1949. After service at Hull Springhead it ended its days allocated to West Hartlepool, from where it was withdrawn in June 1967. It was scrapped by Albert Draper’s of Hull on 9th October 1967 – one of over 200 members of the class scrapped in the yard. Neville Stead (NS200272) Below. Following the creation of British Railways, initial proposals for a BR Standard freight locomotive were of a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement, with drawings being produced in 1948. In 1951 a Class 8 2-10-0 followed this variation, incorporating 5ft diameter wheels with roller bearings on all axles. Interestingly, all the diagrams for these proposals incorporated the ‘Austerity’-style chimney, as seen opposite, as late as 1953. The ‘definitive’ 9F-variation appeared later with the actual design allocated to Brighton Works, although none of the class was to be built there. Of the total of 251, 198 were built at Crewe and the remainder at Swindon including the last one of all, No 92220, that was named Evening Star in a ceremony at the works on 18th March 1960. It was the 999th BR Standard, and last steam locomotive, built for use on British Railways. It is interesting to note that the initial thoughts for the run-down of steam, anticipated some 5,000 locomotives remaining in service in 1975 with final elimination in 1985, although the latter date could stretch until 1990. No 92173 was completed at Crewe Works and entered traffic on 28th February 1958 being allocated to Doncaster, and withdrawn from there on 6th March 1963 after a little over eight years in service. No 92173 heads a fitted freight through Selby as a look out waits for the train to pass before giving the all clear for the PW team to recommence work.

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Left. A number of railways tried to use large tank engines to haul heavy goods and mineral traffic, but these engines tended to lack sufficient braking power and fuel capacity. The Great Central Railway (GCR) tried this with their Class 1B 2-6-4T (later LNER L1) locomotives. These were also the first 2-6-4T locomotives to enter service in Britain. Not being given the best of looks, they were quickly nicknamed ‘Crabs’. The L1s were intended to haul coal traffic from pits in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to the docks at Immingham. However, braking deficiencies became apparent and they were quickly re-allocated to other services such as pick-up goods, short colliery trips, and even some passenger services. The example seen here started life at the GCR’s Gorton works in June 1916 as No 341.

Becoming LNER No 5341 at the Grouping, then 9060 under the 1946 renumbering scheme, then BR 69060 in May 1948. It entered traffic at Neasden then spent its career moving round various GCR depots until arriving at King’s Cross on 31st May 1953; it stayed for only three weeks before moving to Frodingham on 21st June 1953. It was condemned from Frodingham depot on 7th June 1954 and moved south to Stratford to serve as a stationary boiler, where it is seen, until condemned in August 1957 and scrapped at the works.

Neville Stead (NS205577B)

Bottom right. How the mighty are fallen; once to be seen at the head of passenger services on the Great Eastern main line No 62588 has been reduced to stationary boiler duties at Stratford. As a member of the ‘Claud Hamilton’ design it was built at the nearby Works in June 1910 as a Class D15 4-4-0; numbered 1817, it became No 8817 during 1924 as part of the LNER renumbering scheme. Rebuilding as a D16/3 in mid-1937 saw the decorative valancing removed. Renumbered to 62588 during August 1948, it was allocated to Norwich Thorpe depot at the time. Its final relocation to Cambridge occurred in spring 1958 from where it was withdrawn on 13th October. It was taken to Stratford Works for recycling, but before that it was appropriated to heat the building. Final demolition occurred during December 1959. In front stands Gresley Class J39 No 64715 that had been dragged south from Colwick to meet the same fate. Neville Stead (NS202768)

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Left. Twenty medium-powered goods locomotives were built by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) in 1909-10, to meet the increasing goods and coal traffic being experienced at that time. The GNR Class J22 (LNER J5) locomotives had the same dimensions as the existing mixed traffic GNR Class J21 (LNER J1) locomotives, except they had smaller 5ft 2in coupled wheels. Two batches of ten J5s were built at Doncaster in 190910 and 1910. No further J5s were built due to the advent of the larger, superheated Class J6 (GNR J22) locomotives fitted with piston valves. No 65484 left Doncaster Works in June 1910 as GNR No 25. It became LNER No 3025 at the Grouping then 5484 under the 1946 scheme. It was withdrawn from Colwick depot on 9th March 1953 and returned to Doncaster for disposal.

However all was not lost as its boiler was appropriated for use heating the Works, where it is seen in 1959.

Neville Stead (NS208006)

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Top left. After World War 1, a number of railways purchased these small Simplex engines for light shunting work and were probably the smallest item of motive power owned by the LNER. Although low powered (40hp), they were ideal for replacing horses to shunt small yards. The GER purchased Works No 1931 (Petrol Engine No 2: LNER No 8430) in 1919, and the NBR purchased Works No 2037 (Petrol Engine No 1: LNER No 8431) in 1921. Both engines received their LNER numbers in 1930 as Class Z6; they were designated as LNER Class Y11 in 1943. So successful were the original locomotives that the LNER purchased the overhauled Simplex Works No 2126 in August 1925. This had previously worked for Preston Water Works in Lancashire. It spent most of its life in obscurity at Greenland Creosote Works in West Hartlepool. Many records fail to recognise this locomotive’s existence, and it was not officially rediscovered until 1949 when the Civil Engineering Department requested a replacement. As No 15097 it was withdrawn in June 1950 and scrapped at Doncaster that August. The example seen here, LNER No 8089, was to become BR No 68189 in December 1948 then 15099 the following May. This locomotive and sister No 15098 were withdrawn in 1956 and scrapped at Stratford.

Neville Stead (NS207599B) Bottom left. In 1952, the Eastern Region of BR introduced its own number series for departmental (non-revenue earning) vehicles. Numbers were allocated from 1 to 1000, with blocks of 100 numbers allocated to specific types of vehicle. Locomotives were numbered in the 1 to 100 series with the Great Northern section taking 1-30 (maintained at Doncaster); the Great Eastern section (maintained at Stratford) being 31-50 with the North Eastern section (maintained at Darlington) being allocated 52-100. Forming part of the Chief Civil Engineer’s fleet, Departmental Locomotive No 56 was of Ruston & Hornsby manufacture (works No 338424) that was introduced to service at Hull in March 1955 and withdrawn from Thornaby in May 1970. Sold into industrial service, it was cut at Stockton by T. J. Thompson in August 1981. The locomotive is seen at Chalk Lane yard on 5th March 1959. Neville Stead (NS208027) Above. English Electric DP1, commonly known as Deltic, was the prototype 3,300hp (2,500kW) demonstrator locomotive employing two Napier Deltic engines, built

by English Electric in 1955. The high power of the locomotive at an acceptably low axle load resulted in 22 similar locomotives being ordered by British Railways for use on East Coast Main Line express passenger services, the serial production of which became the British Rail Class 55. The locomotive was instantly recognisable by the long aluminium beadings on the sides that were painted cream, with the name centred within. This was a visual device to make the locomotive’s high sides appear more slender and add to the impression of speed. Three curved chevrons on each nose, in the same cream, added to that effect. DP1 was in service until 24th November 1960 when a severe oil leak in one of the engines was discovered. The locomotive was sent to English Electric at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire the next day for repair. However no repairs were sanctioned and the locomotive was withdrawn from service in March 1961 having completed 450,000 miles (720,000km).

Plans to test it in Canada fell through, and the locomotive was donated in April 1963 to the Science Museum, South Kensington and placed on public display. Today it forms part of the National Collection. The locomotive is seen in the bay platform at Doncaster in May 1959, note the engineer, in the second man’s seat, wearing white overalls. Neville Stead (NS208474)

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Left. No doubt about the end of ‘Y1’ class No 68149 and ‘Y3’ class No 68180 as the bodies were grounded in the scrapyard outside North Road station at Darlington. They served as lock-up sheds for the men that worked there for around five years, disappearing when the yard closed in 1964. No 68149 was built by Sentinel (works No 784) and entered traffic on 1st August 1929 as No 175. It became 8149 in December 1946, gaining its BR number of 68149 in July 1953 during an overhaul at Gateshead – the last of the class to be renumbered other than those that were to become service locomotives. Class Y3 No 68180 left Sentinel’s works (works No 8476) in April 1929 carrying No 117 and was allocated to Hull Springhead depot.

It gained its BR number in April 1949 during an overhaul at Doncaster. Its final depot was Selby from where it was withdrawn in May 1956. A number of the class surviving into the BR era were condemned without carrying a 6xxxx series number.

Neville Stead (NS204731)

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Top left. The LNER, as with virtually every company, were always looking for cost savings and all of the Big Four companies performed trials of the Sentinel C.E. (Centre Engine) type. Following trials that proved savings were possible, the LNER purchased a large number. The C.E. locomotive was based upon their steam road lorries, using the same type of vertical boiler, and a similar chain drive to the wheels and, as such, considered ideal for work on small branches and yards where the track may not have been of a high standard. The LNER ordered a total of 15 C.E. locomotives, and gave them the classification Y1. Sentinel also produced a C.E.D.G. (Centre Engine, Double-Geared) locomotive that had two gear speeds. A total of 32 C.E.D.G. types were purchased and these were given the classification Y3. No 68182 was despatched from Sentinel (Works No 8477), as LNER No 148, it entered traffic at Hull Dairycoates on 25th April 1931. It is seen at Leyburn during 1954 with a shunter performing his duties as a rake of milk tankers are attached to a passenger service for onward working. The railway first reached Leyburn in November 1855, when the Bedale & Leyburn Railway opened its line from Leeming (where it made an end-on junction with the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway branch from Northallerton). Passenger services commenced six months later, with a further extension westwards to Hawes being built by the North Eastern Railway in 1877/8 (the NER having also absorbed the B&LR in 1857). At Hawes, another end-on junction was made with the Midland Railway branch from Hawes Junction that gave the NER access to the Settle-Carlisle Railway by means of running powers (which it made use of for passenger trains). The branch became part of the LNER under the terms of the 1923 Grouping. Today the station is on the heritage Wensleydale Railway. No 68182 gained its BR number during a works visit to Darlington in August 1948. It was condemned at Selby depot on 27th January 1958. Neville Stead (NS204619) Below. In 1909, the industrialist Joseph Watson bought land in the parish of Barlby, near Selby, to set up an oil and cake mill – The Olympia Oil & Cake Company – that traded under the name OCO before being taken over by Unilever and then BOCM (British Oil & Cake Mills). Specialised in crushing linseed, cotton seed and soya beans to press out the oil they contained for use as animal feed. BOCM went on to become one of Selby's largest employers, with its factory buildings dominating the Selby waterfront and a fleet of barges carrying seed and oil up and down the River Ouse. Allocated to Selby depot, Class Y1 0-4-0T No 68150 would have been a regular visitor. Built by Sentinel Waggon Works (works No 7847) in 1929, as LNER No 183 it was one of 24 delivered between 1925 and 1933. All survived into the BR era although two examples were withdrawn in 1948, and in the early 1950s seven were transferred to Departmental stock. No 68150 was withdrawn from Selby depot on 4th May 1959, as the last example in Capital stock, during the period when small diesel shunters were displacing steam. Neville Stead (NS200123)

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Above. Two of Gresley’s finest awaiting entry into Doncaster Works in early January 1962. No 60063 Isinglass entered traffic from Doncaster Works on 27th June 1923 as No 2562 and was allocated to the adjacent depot. Under the 1946 scheme it gained its first new number, 531, on 6th April 1946, and its second, 63, on 3rd July. It gained its BR number on 21st January 1949 following a General overhaul at Doncaster Works where it had arrived on 20th December the previous year. Its known allocations show it to have been a bit of a nomad, having spent time at over 20 depots during its 39 years in service. It was withdrawn from New England depot on 28th June 1964 and consigned to R. A. King’s scrapyard in Norwich for disposal a few weeks later. No 60014 Silver Link had left the Works on 7th September 1935 carrying the number 2509 which it retained until the 1946 renumbering scheme; originally allocated 580 (although not carried) it became No 14 on 14th June 1946 and gained its BR number following a General overhaul at the Works between 9th May and 22nd June 1949. Allocated to King’s Cross shed when new, its BR career was either spent there or at Grantham, being withdrawn from the former on 29th December 1962. There was an attempt by Sir Billy Butlin (of holiday camp fame) to save the locomotive, but it was unsuccessful. An item of note is the ‘bucket’ seats for both driver and fireman – although the latter would not be able to take it too easy!

Neville Stead (NS207268) Right. Built at Doncaster Works, Class A4 No 4494 Osprey, entered traffic on 12th August 1937 and was allocated to Heaton depot, before moving to Doncaster Shed on 24th January 1938 – moving to Grantham on 26th April the same year. From then until withdrawal it rotated between Grantham and King’s Cross depots. It retained its Osprey nameplates until 11th July 1942, and on 21st August it was renamed Andrew K. McCosh. Andrew Kirkwood McCosh (31st August 1880-27th September 1967) was an administrator in the coal and steel industries, born in Ayrshire, Scotland. He was Chairman of the LNER Locomotive Committee, having come to the LNER Board from that of the NBR, and amongst many other high level appointments was Deputy Controller, Raw Materials, Iron and Steel Control, at the Ministry of Supply from 1939-42. Under the 1946 renumbering scheme the locomotive was originally allocated 596, although this was never carried, and the number 3 was applied on 11th September 1946. It entered Doncaster Works on 17th May 1947 for a General overhaul and was out-shopped 36 days later on 21st June. It is seen here around the latter date having been painted in Garter blue with black frames, red wheel centres, and narrow red and white lining. It gained its BR Number 60003 on 4th March 1949 and was withdrawn from King’s Cross depot on 29th December 1962, to be scrapped at its birthplace. R. E. Vincent (2455)

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Left. Today Anlaby Road is better known as the location of Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull’s main general hospital. It is an ancient route from Hull city centre via Carr Lane and crossing Ferensway, leading to the western outer suburbs of Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire villages of Anlaby, Kirk Ella and West Ella. At one time a major Victorian thoroughfare, at its eastern end, it is the backbone of a district of Hull once containing a warren of side streets with a high proportion of urban decay. Class N10 0-6-2T No 69093, dating from November 1902, was built at Darlington by the North Eastern Railway as No 1697. It was first renumbered 9093 on 5th May 1946 and again on 3rd March 1949 when it gained its BR number. It is seen here at the head of a mixed freight service passing beneath the footbridge as it approaches the road crossing – the large number on the buffer beam lamp bracket was the duty number. It was withdrawn from Tyne Dock depot on 23rd December 1957 and cut up at Darlington. Presumably the signalman is a cycling enthusiast as a racing bike of the period leans against the wall beneath the steps. The construction of a flyover taking traffic over the main railway line greatly altered the character of the area. Neville Stead (NS200034) Above. Rillington station served the village of the same name in North Yorkshire on the York-Scarborough line and was opened on 5th July 1845 by the York & North Midland Railway. It closed to normal passenger traffic on 22nd September 1930, but was used by special trains until the 1960s; complete closure was from 10th August 1964 when the final freight services ceased. The station building has been converted to a private house but the remainder of the station has now been demolished.

Though the station served Rillington, it was located almost 1-mile (1.6km) away from the village. As can be seen, immediately to the north- east, was the junction for the line to Whitby via Pickering and Grosmont that also opened in 1845. Despite a fierce local campaign of opposition, the line between Rillington junction and Grosmont closed on 8th March 1965. The line from Rillington as far as New Bridge signal box (about a mile north of Pickering station) remained open for goods for a further year, a solitary signalman being retained at Pickering to work all the cabins needed by the goods trains. Of interest is the advertisement on the side of the crossing box for Earles Cement; the company was established in Hull in 1821 when George and Thomas Earle constructed a pioneering cement works beside the River Hull. The Wilmington works eventually became part of Blue Circle Industries but have now been demolished. Neville Stead (NS201836)

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Both left. On 25th August 1956, Class K3 2-6-0 No 61846 was hauling an empty stock train which ran away and crashed through the buffers at Filey Holiday Camp station, Yorkshire. The accident was due to the failure to connect the brake pipe between the train and locomotive – a fundamental safety test was not carried out before the movement took place. No 61846 emerged from Darlington Works in February 1925, numbered 156. As usual the locomotive was renumbered, becoming 1846 in October 1946, gaining its BR number in March 1948. It was withdrawn on 17th December 1962, being one of the last of the class to be withdrawn, however three were kept as stationary boilers until 1965. None of the original K3s were preserved; however, it was announced in September 2018 that following on from the construction of a new-build Class P2 locomotive, No 2007 Prince of Wales, additional new-build locomotives of LNER Class V4 (No 3403) and LNER Class V3 are planned. After these a new K3 is to be built once these are completed. The number of the engine has not yet been confirmed, but is expected to be a replica of an original engine since the number 61993 was allocated to the LNER Class K4 moguls. Neville Stead (NS200346C, top, and NS200346CC, below) Above. On 7th March 1950, locomotive No 61057 was hauling an express passenger train at night, when it collided with the rear of a mineral train in fog, 3⁄4-mile (1.2km) north east of Witham Junction; the passenger train fireman and goods train guard were killed. The official report on the collision reads as follows: The 11.0pm Up express passenger mail train, Peterborough to Liverpool Street (via Ipswich), overran all signals at Rivenhall and collided at about 60mph with the rear of the 7.45pm Class A mineral freight train Whitemoor to Witham, which was approaching Witham Junction Outer Home signal at slow speed preparatory to entering the Up loop.

I regret to report that [the guard] of the freight train and [the fireman] of the express were killed. There were only about 20 passengers and postal staff on this train and seven of them received minor injuries. The driver and second guard of the express were also injured, the former seriously. Prompt steps were taken to summon assistance; the Police arrived at 3.35am, followed by the Fire Brigade, ambulances, and doctors shortly afterwards. No 61057 was constructed at the North British Locomotive Co (works No 25813), entering service on 8th July 1946 as LNER No 1057, being allocated to Ipswich. As can be seen the locomotive was badly damaged and would require extensive repairs including new frames; after being moved to Stratford Works for assessment, it was condemned on 17th April 1950.

Neville Stead (NS207019B)

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In 1862 the Edgware, Highgate & London Railway obtained an Act to build a line from the GNR at Seven Sisters Road (now Finsbury Park) to Edgware; proving costly to build, the EH&LR was taken over by the GNR. Situated in a deep cutting on the north side of Archway Road, London, Highgate station was opened on 22nd August 1867; it was to the immediate west of Highgate East tunnel and above Highgate (Northern Line) station concourse. The original station was first rebuilt in the 1880s, and again as part of London Transport’s 1935 ‘New Works’ programme. World War 2 brought an early end to some of the planned works and as a result the intention to incorporate the line into the Northern Line generally ceased in 1940. Although the intention to electrify the line remained on paper, the work never took place and closure to passenger services occurred on 5th July 1954 with freight traffic ceasing on 1st October 1962 – the goods yard was beyond the west tunnel and was renamed Highgate Wellington Sidings when passenger services ceased. Built by the North British Locomotive Co at Glasgow (Works No 22596) in 1921 as GNR No 1740 as a member of Class N2, the locomotive became 4740 at the Grouping and then 9519 under the 1946 scheme, gaining its BR number in June 1946. Allocated to King’s Cross for much of its BR career, it was withdrawn in October 1957. Neville Stead (NS205387)

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Gainsborough station, on the Brigg branch of the Sheffield-Lincoln line, was opened by the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) on 2nd April 1849, and as usual for many events, the opening day was a gala occasion, shops were closed and the town was full of visitors. It was reported that some hundreds of people saw ‘a veritable locomotive on a line of railway at Gainsborough’ for the first time. The MS&LR became the Great Central Railway (GCR) on 1st August 1897, which in turn amalgamated with other railways to form the LNER at the Grouping. The LNER inherited two stations in Gainsborough, and to distinguish them, the ex-GCR station was renamed Gainsborough Central in September 1923. The station buildings were designed by architects John Grey Weightman and Matthew Ellison Hadfield who had formed a partnership in 1838; it was dissolved 20 years later. It had substantial stone frontage with full-height portico with four attached Roman Ionic columns and triple arcade with moulded round arches. The station buildings were demolished in 1975, leaving just the two platforms and a footbridge over the two railway lines.

Looking in an easterly direction, Class J11 No 64335 is waiting to depart with a short freight train. It was built by Beyer, Peacock Ltd (Works No 4527), to an order of the GCR, in October 1903 carrying the number 210. It was renumbered 5210 in March 1924 following the Grouping, and again in September 1946 as No 4335. It gained its BR number during February 1950 and survived until withdrawal on 13th September 1954, being superseded by new motive power. R. E. Vincent (445)

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The new order is being admired at London Liverpool Street, whilst the ‘old order’ in an adjacent platform is being used for Cambridge line services as it contained a Buffet car – note the amount of parcel traffic on the trolleys. This was a nice little earner for BR until HGVs and smaller delivery lorries took it away. Turning to the motive power, Class 40 No D205 was built by English Electric at its Vulcan Foundry works. It entered traffic on 25th June 1958, being allocated to Stratford – and was to replace the BR ‘Britannia’ Pacifics on the Norwich service.

It left East Anglia in July 1967 for service on the London Midland Region, later being allocated to Longsight. Renumbered 40005 during February 1974, it was withdrawn on 24th January 1976 and dismantled at Crewe Works just over a year later. The nearer locomotive, looking virtually new, is Class 37 No D6703, also built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry. It entered traffic on 28th December 1960, being allocated to Stratford – it left the area for Wath depot in September 1967.

Renumbered 37003 on 2nd February 1974, it was withdrawn from Thornaby depot on 21st January 2000; it is now in preservation and at the time of writing is undergoing a heavy overhaul. George Heiron (276)

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Above. Immingham Dock was opened on 17th November 1913 by the Great Central Railway at a point where the deep-water channel came close to the Lincolnshire bank of the River Humber. Dock operation was labour-intensive and the GCR recognised that it would need to operate a passenger service to bring in dockers from neighbouring towns, principally the fishing port of Great Grimsby, a journey of about seven miles. The company also built a large locomotive depot at Immingham, which required workers’ transport. These enactments and considerations were the starting point of the G&IER. The Grimsby & Immingham Tramway was built by the Great Central Railway (GCR) to convey passengers (usually dock workers) to the GCR's new docks at Immingham. The tram replaced a GCR steam railcar service that ran on the parallel Grimsby District Light Railway – originally laid by the dock contractor. The tramway was inspected on 22nd November 1911, and initially opened for traffic on 15th May 1912 to Immingham Town. The final section to Immingham Dock's Eastern Jetty opened on 17th November 1913. The tram system was built as a conventional street tramway between Grimsby Corporation Bridge and Cleveland Bridge, and for a short stretch at Immingham. The remainder ran on reserved track alongside the steam-operated goods line. The Eastern Jetty section was also the only double-tracked section of the line. The remainder was singletrack with passing loops. A branch from Immingham Queens Road to the Immingham locomotive shed was inspected in 1915, but was never used regularly. The branch was disconnected in 1946 and lifted in 1955. Excluding this branch, the tramway was 7.75 miles in length. Although built to standard gauge, the line did not have a physical connection to the main GCR system. Cars were lifted between adjacent tracks by crane, when they had to be sent to the GCR works for overhaul.

The line’s depot was formally known as ‘Cleveland Bridge Works’ but rarely so in practice, gaining the name ‘Pyewipe’ from nearby marshes and road on the edge of Grimsby. They serviced all the trams. They did not house the cars, which, unusually for British trams, spent their entire life outdoors, only entering the workshop when repairs were needed. The workshop had the capacity to hold three trams on two tracks. It also housed a machine shop, paint shop and store. Post-World War 2 Grimsby Corporation promoted a 200-acre industrial estate west of the town and near the tramway. In the absence of any direct road, workers at the new factories also relied on the tramway. To cater for the additional traffic the line’s 15 original trams were augmented by additional vehicles – British Railways acquired three single-decked bogie trams from Newcastle Corporation Transport in 1948 and a further 19 were bought in 1951 from the Gateshead & District Tramways Co, which had just ceased operation, although only 18 entered service. Although partly re-laid in 1950, the in-town street section was closed from 1st July 1956 when Grimsby Corporation exercised their right to buy the line in order to abandon it, and the trams then terminated at the edge of Grimsby with a connecting bus service. Closure of the remainder was first proposed in 1958, and a bus service commenced on 28th February 1959, worked jointly over an indirect route by Grimsby Corporation and the Lincolnshire Road Car. A tram service was only retained in much curtailed form in peak periods, pending completion of a direct road to the industrial estate and the docks. Although the road had still not been built, the tramway was again proposed for closure in 1960, and the service was finally withdrawn on 1st July 1961 despite the fact that it was still handling around 250,000 passengers a year. Tram No 20, seen here at Pyewipe in 1960, was purchased from Grimsby tramways when it closed and today, restored to Gateshead & District Tramways livery as No 5, it is on display at the Crich Tramway Village. Neville Stead (NS205690)

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In September 1894 the Great Eastern Railway put two bogie tram cars into traffic; numbered 7 and 8 they were sent to work on the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway line running on six return services a day. Passenger services ceased on 31st December 1927 due to competition from road transport with the carriages relocating to the Kelvedon & Tollesbury Light Railway where they remained until the line closed to passenger services on 7th May 1951. No 8 (BR No E60461E) was restored to GER condition at Stratford Works and is best known for its appearance in the ‘Titfield Thunderbolt’ film, but unfortunately was not to survive scrapping. The other vehicle, GER No 7 (BR No E60462E), survives, albeit much restored from derelict condition with new chassis and bogies, on the North Norfolk Railway. The vehicle on the right is from the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway; built to a Robert Whitelegg design in the early 1900s it was classified as a Non-Corridor Third Lavatory. It’s a sign of the times in that six of the eight compartments are labelled ‘smoking’ – only the two compartments flanking the toilet compartments are for non-smokers. There is no recorded date of withdrawal; however the remaining ex-LTSR carriages were taken out of service during the winter of 1955/6. Although this example was restored, it was not to survive for preservation. A. E. Bennett (0913)

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Top left. Designed by the GER’s Locomotive Superintendent James Holden in 1903, the GER Class C53 variety of locomotive was totally enclosed, resembling a goods brake van. With a driving position at each end, they had a short wheelbase with side skirts and ‘cowcatchers’ at each end. Fitted with a bell on the roof to serve as a warning device, they were ideal for use in congested locations – docks and warehouse districts – where the railway frequently crossed roads, such as Ipswich, Yarmouth and Lowestoft. The 12 LNER J70 class members entered traffic between 1903 and 1921 and were the first GER locomotives to have Walschaerts valve gear. Eleven examples entered the BR era, Nos 68216-26. Entering traffic as GER No 136, this one gained its LNER numbers as 7136, then as 8217 it was allocated to King’s Lynn at Nationalisation, receiving its BR number in September 1949. It was transferred to March depot during the summer of 1952; less than a year later it was condemned. No 68217 is seen at the head of a freight train at Outwell on the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway. Dr Ian C. Allen (E2587) Bottom left. Well, if you wanted to know what a ‘J70’ looked like in the raw, this undated view shows No 68219 at Stratford. The locomotive entered traffic in October 1908 as GER No 139, becoming LNER No 7139, then 8129, before gaining its BR number, 68129, in November 1950. At the time of Nationalisation it was allocated to Ipswich; moving to Yarmouth South Town in November 1949, it returned to Ipswich in March 1953 from where it was withdrawn the following August. Transferred to Stratford Works for disposal, its wooden bodywork has been removed – and no doubt used as fuel – while the boiler and chassis await recycling.

Neville Stead (NS205786A) Above. Looking like something only its designer could love, LNER Class Y4 0-4-0T No 68126 is seen shunting at Stratford. Designed by A. J. Hill, the last Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Eastern Railway, the class consisted of five large shunting locomotives with Belpaire fireboxes, and Walschaerts valve gear with outside cylinders. With an official coal capacity of 15cwt and 750 gallons of water, No 68126 appears to be carrying a few extra lumps of the ‘black stuff’. The crew have also protected themselves against the prevailing wind as the cab entrance has been screened with what may well be wagon sheets. The locomotive was constructed at Stratford Works in October 1914, and never strayed far from its birthplace; entering traffic as GER No 228 it was allocated to the adjacent depot, becoming LNER No 7228 in 1924 then 8126 under the 1946 renumbering scheme, obtaining its final number, 68126, in June 1949 some 18 months after Nationalisation. It was withdrawn on 23rd October 1957, the last member of the class in capital stock, although class mate No 68129 – by now running as Departmental 33 – was to last until December 1963. Dr Ian C. Allen (E1347)

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Briningham Single Line Junction ‘box opened in June 1900 when the single line from Sheringham was doubled from here to Melton Constable west junction, all five chains of it. Following closure of the bulk of the M&GN network on 2nd February 1959, the line between Sheringham and Melton Constable remained open for passenger services until 6th April 1964. The line had been singled in March and the ‘box relegated to a gate box until complete closure on 28th December 1964 when freight traffic was withdrawn. The location of the crossing, on the B1110, just to the north of Briningham, can be found where the road zig-zags to cross the line at nearer 90 degrees. No 65509 emerged from Stratford Works in November 1900 as a member of the 90 strong GER Class G58; numbered 1159, it became 8159 in 1924 and then 5509 under the 1946 scheme. It spent much of its BR career operating on the M&GN, being allocated to Melton Constable at the time of the illustration that was taken in 1956. It was withdrawn on 27th January 1958 after just over 57 years of service. Neville Stead (NS207942)

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Blyth station originally had two signal boxes: Blyth signal box at the end of the passenger platforms and Blyth Crossing box (seen here) controlling the level crossing near the engine shed on Renwick Road (previously Alexandra Crescent). A German parachute mine destroyed Blyth box on the night of 25th April 1941, killing the signaller instantly. Thereafter only Blyth Crossing box was used. The Blyth, Seghill & Percy Main Railway Company (BS&PMR) opened the line to Blyth on 3rd March 1847; the first station was at Croft Street (now King Street). On 1st May 1867 a new station was opened to replace the original, this was at the north end of Turner Street (now part of Regent Street) on the site now occupied by Morrison’s supermarket and the Community Hospital. The BS&PMR became the Blyth & Tyne Railway in 1853 and was taken over by the NER on 7th August 1874. By the 1890s the increase in goods and passenger traffic was such that a new station was needed; however, the NER’s plans to build on newly reclaimed land on Bridge Street, between Union Street and Beaconsfield Street, were turned down after an objection from the neighbouring Thomas Knight Memorial Hospital, on the grounds of noise. The NER therefore rebuilt the existing station between 1894 and 1896, at a cost of £20,000.

Most of the building was by J. & W. Simpson of Blyth. Despite being next to a through line, the station was a terminus. It faced Turner Street and had a single island platform projecting from the rear that was half covered by a glazed apex canopy. Adjacent were a goods shed next to Delaval Terrace and a coaling stage. To the west stood South Blyth locomotive shed and cattle dock. Passenger services were withdrawn on 2nd November 1964 under The Reshaping of British Railways report; the station buildings stood derelict until they were demolished in 1972.Neville Stead (NS209540)

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Left. A view from the train as it crosses the Forth Bridge; this is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, 9 miles (14km) west of central Edinburgh. Construction of the bridge began in 1882 and the Duke of Rothesay, the future Edward VII, opened it on 4th March 1890. Sometimes referred to as the Forth Rail Bridge (to distinguish it from the adjacent Forth Road Bridge), it was designed by English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker. The bridge carries the Edinburgh-Aberdeen line across the Forth between the villages of South Queensferry and North Queensferry and has a total length of 8,094ft (2,467m). When it opened it had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world, until 1919 when the Quebec Bridge in Canada was completed. It continues to be the world's second-longest single cantilever span, with a span of 1,709ft (521m), it stands 360ft (110m) above high water and 449ft (137m) above its foundations.

It is considered as a symbol of Scotland, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A. E. Bennett (1440) Above. No 69838, at the head of a three coach train, crosses East Row viaduct just to the south of Sandsend on the Whitby, Redcar & Middlesbrough Union Railway.

It was opened on 3rd December 1883, and served the villages of Sandsend and Lythe. It was the only station between Whitby and Loftus not to possess a passing loop and was 4 miles 2 chains (6.5 km) north-west of Whitby West Cliff and 12 miles 64 chains (20.6 km) south-east of Loftus. A small goods yard with a warehouse and a 2-tonne (2.2-ton) crane was situated 0.5 miles (0.80km) from the station at East Row, towards Whitby. This yard also had space for camping coaches, with three being normally located there as can be seen in the image. The station had a single platform, a brick station building that included the stationmaster’s house, and a single siding serving coal drops behind the station. The line closed completely on 5th May 1958. A second viaduct, called Sandsend, was sited immediately south of the station, both were demolished in 1960. The station buildings survive in private ownership and in October 2020 the owners of the land that the station covered successfully applied to site railway coaches on the platform as holiday accommodation. No 69838 was built by Hawthorn Leslie for the LNER in December 1925, to a John Robinson GCR-design; as Class A5 No 1768 it was renumbered to 9838 under the 1946 scheme, then carrying its BR number from March 1949. It was withdrawn from Stockton depot on 5th November 1958 and dismantled at Darlington Locomotive Works later the same month. Neville Stead (NS200422)

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Top left. In 1948, the newly nationalised British Railways organised trials between locomotives from the former ‘Big Four’ constituent companies – GWR, LMS, LNER and SR. Officially, these comparisons were to identify the best qualities of the four different schools of thought of locomotive design so that they could be used in the planned BR standard designs. However, the testing had little scientific input, and political influence meant that LMS practice was largely followed by the new standard designs regardless. However, the trials were useful publicity for BR to show the unity of the new British Railways. The Southern Railway had no water troughs, so its locomotives were coupled to LMS tenders to enable water to be replenished en route. The Southern sent Bulleid Pacific No 34006 for trials on the Eastern Region and it is seen here at Sheffield Victoria whilst working the GCR route from Manchester to London Marylebone on the 9th June 1948. The leading carriage is the former NER Dynamometer Car No 902502 dating from 1906. Sheffield’s Victoria station opened on 15th September 1851, and with the opening of the GCR’s London Extension in 1899, the city gained a new direct service to London. On 1st July 1903 the GCR launched a ‘Sheffield Without A Stop’ service, the 163.75 miles (263.53km) being run in exactly three hours, an average speed of nearly 55 miles per hour (89km/h). For passengers wanting to alight at Leicester and Nottingham ‘slip coaches’ were provided.

The station took on great importance when the line through the Pennines, known as the Woodhead Route after the long Woodhead Tunnel on it, was electrified for freight purposes after World War 2. The 1950s saw the station at its zenith with named expresses the ‘Master Cutler’, the ‘Sheffield Pullman’ and the ‘South Yorkshireman’ serving the station. The electrification of the line reached Sheffield Victoria by 1954, reducing the journey time to Manchester to 56 minutes. This was the only UK main line to be electrified at 1,500V dc. Although the 1950s saw services at the station reach their peak, this period also marked the beginning of its decline and during the early 1960s, there was a concerted effort to concentrate Victoria’s remaining local and express train services at Sheffield (Midland) station. From 4 October 1965, most services were diverted to Sheffield Midland and after September 1966, Victoria was left with just an hourly Manchester service and the daily Liverpool-Harwich ‘Continental’ boat train service. Passenger services were withdrawn from the line on 5th January 1970. Neville Stead (NS205688) Bottom left. Following the Locomotive Exchanges, one of the principal lessons learned was that large diameter driving wheels were not necessarily required to maintain high speeds, while wide fireboxes would be required due to the deteriorating standard of coal available – at this time the best was exported as the country required the foreign exchange to pay for imports. On 2nd January 1951, three years and one day after Nationalisation, No 70000 was steamed for the first time and underwent a series of trials in the north-west of England. On 30th January it was named Britannia by the then Transport Minister, the Right Honourable Alfred Barnes, at a ceremony at Marylebone station. Allocated new to Stratford, No 70000 is seen on 7th June 1951 at the head of the ‘Norfolkman’ climbing Brentwood Bank. This was an express passenger train between London Liverpool Street and Norwich. In the summer, the service was extended to the Norfolk coast, first at Sheringham and later at Cromer. Nineteen members of the 55 strong class were allocated to Stratford from the introduction of No 70000 in January 1951 until January 1959 when the remaining examples were transferred away, many going to Norwich, as Stratford depot was to be reconfigured for the new era. In February 1962 it was reported that: ‘Britannias 70000/1/2/3/5/6-13 were all placed in store at March in February due to further dieselisation by Type 3 diesels from Sheffield Darnall and these now cover several March freight turns; three of the Britannias are understood to be unserviceable due to frost damage’. No 70000 left for the London Midland Region’s Willesden depot in March 1963 and was withdrawn from Newton Heath depot on 28th March 1966. After a period in store it was sold for preservation. R. E. Vincent (REV53A-4-2) Above. The larger Bulleids – the ‘Merchant Navy’ class – were not regular visitors to Eastern metals until towards the end of steam when they were occasionally used for enthusiast excursions. Here No 35026 Lamport & Holt Line is seen at York on 22nd October 1966 where it will take over the ‘Elizabethan’ from the now privately owned No 4472 Flying Scotsman. The ‘A3’ had brought the train north from King’s Cross via the East Coast main line. The Bulleid was used for the York-Newcastle-York leg before it returned to London behind Flying Scotsman. Leslie R. Freeman (LRF8569-70)

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On 18th June 1846 the Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway Act was passed authorising construction of a line from Braintree to Maldon via Witham that was on the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) main line from London to Colchester. Before construction commenced the powers had been sold to the ECR that opened the line on 2nd October 1848 – although not as a through route, but two separate branches from Witham with the junctions facing London. As can be seen the station building at Maldon was an impressive example of Victorian railway architecture, being built in the Jacobean style, with a large booking hall, waiting rooms and ticket office on the ground floor. The upper floor contained the stationmaster’s apartments that were reached by a winding staircase from the booking hall. Originally the single platform was partly covered by a glass roof but this was removed after an explosion of an engine boiler caused significant damage.

The station was originally named Maldon, but after the opening of the Maldon West line from Woodham Ferris (now Ferrers) on 1st October 1889, the station was renamed to Maldon East. In 1907 the station was further renamed to Maldon East & Heybridge as its actual position is halfway between the two villages. In an effort to increase passenger footfall railbuses started operating the line to Witham in 1958 with an improved schedule and in 1959 more frequent services were introduced. It was however too late and despite the efforts of local campaigners the last passenger train ran on 6th September 1964. Freight lingered on with gravel and fruit traffic until 15th April 1966. The station building has survived but is largely surrounded by an industrial estate, although its impressive frontage can still be viewed from Station Road.

Leslie R. Freeman (2431)

The imposing station was originally opened with the name Needham by the Ipswich & Bury Railway on 24th December 1846 and is situated between Ipswich to the south and Stowmarket to the north. The main building, described as ‘one of the best in East Anglia’

by Gordon Biddle in Britain's Historic Railway Buildings, was designed in a grand Jacobean style with decorative brickwork by Frederick Barnes and was completed by the contractor, Daniel Revitt, in 1849. It was later slightly simplified, and the platforms rebuilt, by the LNER. It was closed to passengers on 2nd January 1967, general freight services had ceased on 18th April the year before.

The station reopened as Needham Market in 1971, being used by local services. The main building, now in alternative use, is a Grade II listed building and was restored in 2000 by Spacia Ltd, and won an award in the 2002 National Railway Heritage Awards.

Paul Hocquard (326)

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Following passing of the Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury & Halstead Railway Act on 26th June 1846 the company was authorised to construct a line from Marks Tey to Sudbury.

A further Act on 8th June 1847 extended the line from Sudbury to Clare, with a branch line to Bury St Edmunds diverging off at Long Melford (see page 91). By the time the Marks Tey-Sudbury section of the line opened on 2nd July 1849, the Eastern Union Railway owned it.

After numerous delays, and various takeovers, the Great Eastern Railway opened the section from Haverhill to Shelford on 1st June 1865 and then the section from Sudbury to Haverhill on 9th August. Haverhill station, seen here in BR days, was sometimes known as Haverhill North because of a separate station in the town on the Colne Valley & Halstead Railway.

The line north of Sudbury closed to passenger services on 6th March 1967, despite strenuous efforts to save it; freight traffic had been withdrawn on 31st October the previous year.

Leslie R. Freeman (3538)

The Saffron Walden Railway Act of 22nd July 1861 authorised the construction of a two-mile (3.2km) line from north of Audley End station to Saffron Walden that opened on 23rd November 1865. An extension to Bartlow, on the Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury & Halstead Railway, was authorised on 2nd June 1863 and that opened on 22nd October 1866. The line was the initiative of the local Gibson family whose bank helped to finance the railway. It remained independent until 1st January 1877 when the GER purchased the line. Initially, there were six return trains a day and, between 1877 and 1894, trains operated between Saffron Walden and London. Carriages dating from the 1890s operated on the line until the 7th July 1958, then the line was modernised, being operated by four-wheel railbuses until closure to passengers on 7th September 1964.

Freight services ceased three months later on 28th December. The station was of white brick construction and an unusually large for a town of the size of Saffron Walden; two storey H-shaped building with a pitched slate roof.

The ground floor contained the usual facilities, booking office, general and ladies’ waiting rooms and toilets – the upper floor was the stationmaster’s accommodation.

Leslie R. Freeman (2349)

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Above. Goods traffic on the Maldon branch survived for two years following the cessation of passenger services, with a Monday to Friday gravel train augmenting the weekdays only freight trains. The building behind the locomotive is the goods shed, it was later reroofed, that remained intact until early 1984 when it was dismantled by members of the Stour Valley Railway to enable the material to be used to repair buildings at Chappel & Wakes Colne. Constructed by the LNER at Stratford Works in November 1923 to a GER Class C72 design, it entered traffic numbered 40E, becoming LNER No 7040 a few months later as a member of the J68 class. During January 1947 it gained its second LNER number, 8666, and its BR one in April 1948. The ‘J68’ class only made occasional visits to Maldon and No 68666, carrying the first BR crest, is preparing a freight train for a trip to Witham on 29th September 1956. No 68666 was withdrawn from Stratford depot on 18th August 1959. The steel-bodied wagon, No B161944, is one of the ubiquitous BR 16 ton mineral wagons that were seen all over the country. Leslie R. Freeman (2430) Top right. The idea of building a harbour at Granton is said to have been suggested by R. W. Hamilton, the manager of the shipping company General Steam Navigation, in 1834. The company ran a fleet of passenger steamers and felt that it would be useful to have a harbour that could be used at all states of the tide. The 5th Duke of Buccleuch, who owned land in the area (and elsewhere), saw the opportunity to build a new harbour on part of the estate he owned. Robert Stevenson, better known as a lighthouse engineer, advised the Duke about the design of the harbour. (He was the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, the author.) An act of parliament was obtained in 1837, following rejection of a bill to build a harbour just to the east at Trinity. A new road to Leith was also built. The first part of the new harbour, generally called the Middle Pier, was opened on Queen Victoria’s Coronation Day, 28th June 1838. Construction of the harbour continued, firstly with the building of the Western Breakwater, completed in 1851, then the Eastern Breakwater, completed in 1863. The stone used for the construction came from the Duke’s own Granton Quarry nearby. The railway connecting the harbour was authorised by the Edinburgh, Leith & Granton Railway Act of 19th July 1844, connecting the harbour to Trinity, opening on 19th February 1846. The EL&G was taken over by the Edinburgh & Northern Railway under an Act of 22nd July 1847, and again by the Edinburgh, Perth & Dundee Railway Act of 1st August the same year (although in this case it was just a change of name). A final take over was on 29th July 1862 when the North British Railway absorbed it. The passenger station at Granton opened on 19th February 1846, closed to public traffic on 1st February 1917 (due to the Royal Navy traffic having priority). It reopened to the public on 1st January 1919 – however, it was not to last, being closed by the LNER on 2nd November 1925. General freight traffic continued to use the line until 1st June 1960. The image shows NBR-built 0-4-0ST No 68097 running along the harbour line. Designed for shunting dockyards and the smaller yards, the locomotives were fitted with open back cabs and limited coal capacity, resulting in them being coupled to small four-wheel wooden tenders – generally converted from ancient wagons – carrying extra coal. No 68097 was built at the NBR’s Cowlairs Works in 1887 as its No 97, gaining its BR number in May 1948. It was withdrawn in October 1958, sister locomotive No 68095 survives in preservation. During both World Wars, the harbour served as a base for naval vessels, including minesweepers, with a shore base and naval hospital nearby. The port was then nationalised and came under the control of the new Forth Ports Authority from 1st January 1968, as did other ports on the Firth of Forth, although it has subsequently been privatised. Neville Stead (NS206126) Bottom right. From 1600 the growth in the export of coal brought prosperity to Newcastle. Until the 19th century the port was the responsibility of the City of Newcastle, but navigation became difficult, and in 1850 the Tyne Improvement Commission (TIC) was established to better maintain the port and river. In 1881 they published a review of their achievements. One significant action was the removal by dredging of King’s Meadow Island. The TIC deepened the river to 32ft (9.75m), and built the North and South piers, and the Northumberland, Tyne and Albert Edward Docks. In 1928 the TIC opened the Tyne Commission Quay at North Shields, now known as the Northumbrian Quay, to handle mail and cargo trade with Bergen in Norway. An easy way was required to load ships with coal either for export or home use and staithes were developed, enabling vessels to be loaded direct from railway wagons with the minimum of handling. These could be seen at any port that handled coal and the one seen here during 1952 is at Northumberland Dock at East Howdon on the River Tyne. These were situated within an enclosed dock area, accessed by a lock that enabled vessels to be loaded at all states of the tide. Neville Stead (NS201787)

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Over the course of many years it was common for large companies to charter a special train to take their workers to the coast for a day trip. In this case Bison Floors’ staff have taken a day trip to Scarborough that featured games and activities for staff and their families to enjoy. The company was founded as Concrete Ltd in 1919 by two Royal Engineers – J. G. Ambrose and C. B. Mathews – who had developed their expertise in concrete while creating pillboxes used on the Western Front in the Great War of 1914-1918. Thompson Class B1 No 61237 passes Washbeck box, Scarborough, with the Bison Floors special. Built by the North British Locomotive Co (works No 26138) at Glasgow, as LNER No 1237 it entered traffic on 24th September 1947 at Neville Hill depot, gaining its BR number in February 1949. It was withdrawn from Wakefield depot on 6th December 1966 and scrapped by Arnold Young’s workforce at Parkgate in February 1967. Note that although the locomotive has electric lamps, they are surmounted by traditional white-painted oil lamps showing the head code for an express passenger service. Interestingly, although Scarborough is a seaside terminus, the station is some 150ft (45.7m) above sea level, and is still popular for rail charters as it possesses a turntable enabling steam locomotives to be turned for the return trip. Neville Stead (NS200383)

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The first York station was a wooden building of a temporary nature on Queen Street, outside the walls of the city, that was opened in 1839 by the York & North Midland Railway. A new station inside the walls succeeded it, in 1841. However, being a terminus, through trains between London and Newcastle needed to reverse out of the old York station to continue their journey. Once again another station was required enabling through running, this time outside the walls. The present station, designed by the NER architects Thomas Prosser and William Peachey, built by Lucas Brothers, was opened on 25th June 1877, and at the time was the largest in the world, having 13 platforms. As part of the new station project, the Royal Station Hotel (now The Principal York), designed by Peachey, opened in 1878. Additional platforms were added in 1909, and in 1938 the current footbridge was built and the station resignalled. The building was heavily bombed during World War 2, and on 28/29th April 1942, 800 passengers had to be evacuated from a King’s Cross-Edinburgh train which arrived during a bombing raid. On the same night, two railway workers were killed, one being station foreman William Milner, who died after returning to his burning office to collect his first aid kit. He was posthumously awarded the King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct. Post-war, the station was extensively repaired in 1947. The station was designated as a Grade II* listed building in 1968.

No 61424, heading a southbound service out of the station, was built at Darlington Locomotive Works as a member of the NER’s Class S3 in February 1921. No 929 was sent new to Neville Hill depot. It acquired its 1946 number – 1424 – on 1st December 1946 and its BR one on 21st April 1949. No 61424 was one of four of the class withdrawn in October 1960, from the nearby York (North) depot that now forms part of the National Railway Museum. Neville Stead (NS201431)

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As well as the GCR’s Central and the Midland Railway’s London Road stations in Leicester, the GNR also had a toehold at its Belgrave Road terminus to the north of the city. The line ran eastwards to the Great Northern and London & North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction that was triangular, allowing for traffic to turn north or south. The main services from Leicester were to Grantham and Peterborough. The station was also well provided in summer with specials, especially to Mablethorpe and Skegness. Belgrave Road station was opened on 1st January 1883. The Peterborough service ceased as a war economy in 1916. Throughout the life of the branch local traffic was never heavy, and by 1950 there were only two Grantham trains remaining, one of which was a semi-fast with limited stops that connected with the ‘Flying Scotsman’ service at Grantham. This train was withdrawn in 1951, the remaining stopping train survived until the end of regular passenger services over the joint line on 7th December 1953. Summer specials continued to run until 1962 and one of these to Skegness is seen at Humberstone Road junction on 7th August 1961; the line closed to all passenger services on 9th September 1962. However, various depots continued in use for a few years using a reinstated connection with the former Midland Railway that had last been used for materials delivery during construction in 1883 (it closed the same year). The reinstated connection opened in 1964, closing on 1st January 1969 when the final location, Catherine Street oil depot, closed. The site of the original connection was known as Humberstone Road junction where Class B1 No 61142 is seen passing the signal box. Built by Vulcan Foundry (Works No 5500), it was delivered to the nearby Gorton depot for acceptance on 15th April 1947, as No 1142; it arrived at its first depot, Sheffield, on the 27th. It was withdrawn from Colwick shed on 22nd September 1963, being sold for demolition in December. H. Gamble (HG0751)

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Blyth (North) depot was located amongst the sidings at the end of the branch to Blyth docks from Bedlington, being to the south-east of the village of Cambois (in south-east Northumberland) and to the north of the town of Blyth on the north-eastern side of the River Blyth harbour. The line was part of the Blyth & Tyne Railway network dating from June 1852 that incorporated numerous smaller companies before becoming part of the NER on 7th August 1874. The depot building at Blyth (North) was a roundhouse, opening in 1897, some 30 years after the branch itself. Although passenger services over the line ceased following the publication of the Beeching report, it still serves the Alcan Lynemouth Aluminium Smelter bauxite sea terminal and the rail terminal at the nearby Battleship Wharf, part of the Port of Blyth operating division of the Blyth Harbour Commission, an independent statutory trust established in 1882. The image was taken during what appears to be an organised depot visit as the people are smartly dressed and shows Class K1 2-6-0 No 62057. Built by the North British Locomotive Co (Works No 26661), it entered service at Darlington depot on 30th November 1949, arriving at Blyth (North) on 13th March 1966 following stints at Haverton Hill and York (North). It was withdrawn on 1st May 1967, a few months before the depot itself ceased operating on 9th September 1967. The ‘contraption’ to the left of the smokebox was the steam-driven generator supplying power for cab lighting and headcode lamps, although the one above the left hand buffer has seen better days. H. Gamble (HG0842)

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Left. The Aldeburgh branch line linked the town of Saxmundham on the East Suffolk line and the seaside resort of Aldeburgh; running from the junction about half a mile north of Saxmundham station, the line opened as far as Leiston on 1st June 1859 and was extended by four miles to Aldeburgh on 12th April 1860. The line was proposed by local hero Samuel Morton Peto and supported by local agricultural machine manufacturer Richard Garrett who had a factory at Leiston. The private Leiston Works Railway operated to link the line to Garrett’s works. The branch was operated initially by the Eastern Counties Railway, and was taken over by the Great Eastern Railway in 1862. An additional station opened at Thorpeness on 29th July 1914, but was little more than a wayside halt with minimal facilities. The terminus of the line at Aldeburgh consisted of a single platform with an attractive overall roof – quite an unusual feature for the GER. The station building was a two-storey affair.

There was a small goods shed as well as a small engine shed at this location. A hotel was built at the same time next to the station; it later became the Railway Tavern and exists today as the Railway Inn. Class F6 No 67230 was one of 20 locomotives built by the GER at Stratford between April 1911 and April 1912; originally numbered 1, it entered traffic during October 1911, remaining in service until withdrawn on 13th May 1958. Whilst passenger services on the branch ceased on 12th September 1966, the goods yard at Leiston was still open in 1972 when it was recorded as handling military traffic. The line continues in use as far as a transhipment siding for nuclear flask trains servicing Sizewell power station. The new power station – Sizewell C – has received the go-ahead, and it is anticipated that the line will be used to transport materials to and from the construction site. L. R. Freeman (LRF2243 Below. The line from Smeaton to Ormiston was opened to freight traffic by the North British Railway in 1867, extending to Macmerry in 1868. Stations at Ormiston, Winton and Macmerry opened to passengers on 1st May 1872, with Crossgatehall Halt following in 1913. The Gifford & Garvald Railway was authorised to build a line from Ormiston to Gifford on 3rd July 1891, however no construction took place. It was not until the 1896 Light Railway Act, that provided a cheaper alternative, that the Gifford & Garvald Light Railway (G&GLR) was authorised on 14th July 1898 and construction commenced. The line to Gifford was opened on 14th October 1901, but the continuation to Garvald was never commenced. The North British Railway operated the G&GLR, but the company retained its independence until the Grouping of 1923 when it passed to the LNER. Passenger services were an early casualty with services at Crossgatehall Halt ceasing on 22nd September 1930 and the remaining stations closing on 3 April 1933. Freight traffic continued with the line east from Humble to Gifford closing on 1st January 1959, then cut back to Humble on 2nd May 1960, and the remaining Smeaton to Saltoun section on 24th May 1965. The station at Ormiston is seen here during the freight only era in 1955. Situated immediately beyond the overbridge, the line to Winton Mine and the Macmerry branch turns a sharp left. The branch opened to freight traffic in 1868 with passenger services commencing on 1st May 1872; these ceased in 1925 although the line remained open for freight traffic until closure on 2nd May 1960. Neville Stead (NS202853A)

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Above. Saltburn station was opened by the Stockton & Darlington Railway as the terminus of its line from Redcar on 17th August 1861. Some 11 years later, the NER opened a line towards Brotton (the Whitby, Redcar & Middlesbrough Union Railway) from the town, however this diverged from the original route some 440yd (400m) west of the 1861 station in order to avoid excessively steep gradients further east. As a result this meant the passenger trains from the town to Loftus and Whitby had to reverse into and out of the terminus before regaining the correct direction at Saltburn West Junction. Although passenger trains ceased in 1958, the line is still in operation to serve the Skinningrove steelworks and the Boulby potash mine. Saltburn station was designed by the S&D architect William Peachey and opened to passengers on 17th August 1861. It was a single-platform terminus with a train shed identical with that surviving at Redcar, sheltering a carriage siding as well as the platform line. Within the train shed, the buff brick and stone seen on the facade was replaced by a more striking combination of buff and red brick. Declining passenger traffic in the 1960s led to the abandonment of the train shed, which had lost its tracks by 1971, as seen here, with trains being handled at the western bays. As with many locations, the overall roofs had been removed, with Saltburn acquiring a BR awning instead. Neville Stead (NS204785A) Right. On 10th August 1857 the Bourn & Essendine Railway (the station name was changed to Bourne on 1st July 1893) was authorised to construct a seven mile long branch line to connect Bourne in Lincolnshire with a railway connection to London via the GNR at Essendine. The line was opened on 25th July 1860; it was a single line and served the villages of Thurlby and Braceborough. An additional stop, Wilsthorpe Crossing Halt, was added by the LNER in September 1925. The B&ER was the first railway to reach Bourn, that later became an important junction for the Bourne & Sleaford and the Eastern & Midlands (later the Midland & Great Northern Joint) Railways. The GNR acquired the B&ER and its assets in 1864. An early closure, the line and stations closed to all traffic on 18th June 1951, although Bourne and Essendine stations remained open for passenger traffic until 2nd March and 15th June 1959, respectively. Public goods services ceased at Essendine on 5th April 1965 and Bourne on 7th March 1966. The signal box and station building at Thurlby were photographed in 1953, note that despite closure all the panes of glass remain intact. Neville Stead (NS205424)

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Above. The LNER inherited a considerable number of adequate, but ageing 4-4-0s for secondary services. After grouping, the LNER had built a series of ‘Directors’ to the Great Central Railway design for service in Scotland. When the demand came for additional 4-4-0 locomotives, Gresley decided on a new type – his first passenger design for the LNER; his Pacifics had of course entered service in Great Northern Railway days. The idea being that a modern 4-4-0 could not only handle the local workings but could tackle secondary main line services. The original batch of the ‘D49s’, as they came to be known, as were initially designed with service in Scotland in mind, although a number were allocated to the North-Eastern area. Designed with three cylinders, piston valves and Walschaert’s valve gear for the outside cylinders with the inside piston activated by Gresley’s conjugated valve gear. The boilers were pressed at 180psi, normal for the 4-4-0s of the era, and with 6ft 8in driving wheels giving a tractive effort of 21,555lbs – significantly greater than the pre-grouping locomotives they were designed to supplement or replace. No 62710 Lincolnshire is seen at Dairycoates, Hull, during 1959, around a year before withdrawal from the nearby depot on 3rd October 1960. New to traffic from Darlington Works on 7th February 1928, it was numbered 245 and allocated to Neville Hill; unusually the locomotive was allocated to King’s Cross for a few months – September 1928 to April 1929. It gained its 1946 number of 2710 on 14th September 1946 and was the last of the class to have the former owner’s initials – LNER – on the tender when ex-works on 23rd January 1948. Neville Stead (NS208297) Right. St Andrew’s Dock, to the west of Kingston-Upon-Hull, was originally designed for the coal trade but by the time it opened, on 24th September 1883, was used mainly by the fishing industry. It was named after the Patron Saint of Fishermen, St Andrew, though known to many simply as ‘Fish Dock’, and with the development of steam powered trawlers and of the railway network, underwent a period of rapid expansion. The dock extension was opened in 1897. However, by the 1930s road transport was challenging rail and the last fish train ran in 1965. The last boom period in the industry was in the early 1970s, but by this time the fish market buildings on the north side of the dock were in need of repair. With the expansion of the freezer trawler fleet it was decided to move the fish docks to new buildings at Albert Dock in 1975 and St Andrew's Dock was closed. Class J25 No 65693 was built at the NER’s Gateshead Works in April 1900, and is seen here 60 years later trundling through the docks whilst allocated to the nearby Hull Dairycoates depot where it had arrived during July 1955 from Darlington shed. It moved to Tyne Dock in March 1961, being withdrawn from there on 9th April 1962. The white wagons in the background are BR-built insulated fish wagons, dating from 1954 to 1961. Those fitted with roller bearings carried a blue spot as a means of identification. With the loss of fish traffic in 1968 around 600 became Express Parcels vans, whilst others went to the engineers’ department. In 1985 the dock was filled in and it is now the site of a retail park named St Andrew’s Quay. Neville Stead (NS200052)

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The ‘Tees-Tyne Rail Tour’ of 2nd September 1956 was a joint venture between the Stephenson Locomotive Society and the Manchester Locomotive Society and included a circular trip from Darlington Bank Top. Headed by Class B16 No 61443, this part of the tour ran via Bishop Auckland, Hartlepool and Wellfield. No 61443 was constructed at Darlington Works, entering traffic on 17th April 1923 at York (North) carrying the number 2372. It was renumbered 1443 in 1946 and gained its BR number on 5th October 1948. Having moved round a couple of north-west depots, Hull Dairycoates and Neville Hill, it was withdrawn from its original shed on 25th September 1961, and returned to Darlington for scrapping a few weeks later. Seen passing the signal box at Castle Eden on the Hartlepool-Wellfield leg of the journey, the station here was opened on 27th July 1839 by the Hartlepool Dock & Railway. It closed to passengers on 9th June 1952 and to goods on 1 June 1964. The Hartlepool Dock & Railway was incorporated on 1st June 1832 and acquired by the NER on 13th June 1857. Neville Stead (NS201471)

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On the 4th September 1955 the Stephenson Locomotive Society ran its ‘Northern Dales Rail Tour’, an out-and-back trip from Manchester Victoria. The first section was handled by LMS 4P No 41102 from Manchester Victoria to Tebay, then Class J21 No 65061 and Ivatt 2MT No 46478 took the train on to Darlington North Road.

The locomotive for the Darlington North Road-Northallerton section of the tour was No 69855, dating from January 1913 when it left the NER’s Darlington Works as No 2148, although as built it was of a 4-4-4 wheel arrangement as a member of NER Class D and later LNER Class H1. It was rebuilt at Darlington Works to a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement between 17th January and 26th March 1936 becoming a Class A8, in which form it was renumbered to 9855 in July 1946 following a General overhaul at Darlington. It became BR No 69855 following General overhaul in October 1948 and survived until 25th January 1960. LNER Class D9 (ex-GCR 4-4-0) No 62360 joined with No 69855 for the Northallerton-Hawes leg when the D9 and No 41102 took the train to Garsdale from where the LMS locomotive returned the tour to Manchester Victoria. No 69855 is seen at Darlington Top Bank running past properties backing onto the line in Adelaide Street. These and other properties in the immediate area were later demolished. A. E. Bennett (1622)

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The 2.5-mile (4km) long Eyemouth Railway was opened on 13th April 1891, connecting the coastal town to the NBR at Burnmouth. It was worked from day one by the NBR who acquired the company on 6th August 1900. The principal engineering feature on the line was the six-span Eye Water viaduct some 53ft 6in above the river.

On 11/12th August 1948 torrential rain caused extensive flooding throughout the area and one major catastrophe was the collapse of the central pier. Fortunately the viaduct itself remained standing – although it was not until June 1949 that repairs were completed with the branch reopening on the 29th. Unfortunately, during the 10 month closure the goods traffic was diverted onto the roads and was never regained after reopening. The last train ran on Saturday 3rd February 1962, with the branch being lifted during the summer. The terminus is seen here, situated on the west bank of the Eye Water, consisting of a single platform, run-round loop and three goods sidings – with no turntable, tender locomotives were generally worked facing Burnmouth. Generally worked with ‘one train in section’ the view here, taken on 13th August 1960, raises a few questions. Firstly with the branch’s single carriage stabled in the siding, did its locomotive work back to Burnmouth to double-head the privately-charted excursion train into Eyemouth – some of its passengers are walking down towards the harbour. With the yard occupied by numerous box vans, and with the run-round loop blocked, a couple of shunting moves could put the locomotive nearest the camera at the head of the train to work it back to Burnmouth.

Neville Stead (NS202918)

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After a number of abortive attempts to link the market town of Masham, Wensleydale, the branch line was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1871 and construction started in 1873. The line was delayed in opening for a full year as the NER could not agree terms for some of the land. Other problems were also encountered; when building an embankment across a peat bog just outside of the village of Wath, the railway builders found that their initial estimate of 16,000cu yd (12,250cu m) of earth would need to be increased threefold to traverse the bog beneath. The branch line opened on 9th June 1875 and services started the following day. The line was poorly used from the start. Passing to the LNER in the 1923 grouping, the line continued to suffer from light traffic apart from a period during World War 2 when the local area was used for munitions storage in the area around Tanfield station. In the run-up to D-Day, trainloads of 50 wagons were leaving the site to supply the operation with munitions. A six-mile (9.7km) 2ft (0.61m) railway was built between Masham and the Leighton Wood area (just north of Masham Moor). This line was used to transport equipment and materials to the building of a reservoir at Roundhill for the Harrogate Corporation and the line was also used by the Leeds Corporation to build their reservoir at Leighton immediately downstream. The line opened in 1905 and was closed in 1930, some time after completion of both reservoirs. Masham, along with Tanfield, closed to passenger traffic on 1st January 1931, with freight services surviving until 11th November 1963, an unidentified former NER locomotive is doing the honours in this undated view. The two hoppers full of coal await movement to the coal drops, at the end of the siding near the station building. These were a feature of a large number of stations in the north-east of England. Neville Stead (NS204610B)

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A heavyweight tank locomotive takes a passenger service past the signal box at Fighting Cocks on the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR). No 69855 was built by the NER at Darlington Works during December 1913, as a member of Class H1, with a 4-4-4T wheel arrangement. It was rebuilt to a Class A8 4-6-2T in March 1936. As No 2148 it entered service at Saltburn, becoming No 9855 during July 1946 and 69855 in October 1948. Withdrawal came at Sunderland on 25th January 1960, with dismantling taking place at Darlington Works virtually immediately. The opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825 brought a dramatic change to the small agricultural hamlet at Fighting Cocks. A coal depot alongside the main line was followed by the opening of Middleton & Dinsdale passenger station sometime later. As the 19th century progressed it brought a variety of industries such as foundries, iron works, gas works, brickworks and other businesses to the area. The station, renamed Fighting Cocks on 1st September 1866, was a busy place, with coal drops, a goods station, signal box, sidings and numerous through mineral trains keeping the level crossing keeper busy! The nearby Fighting Cocks Inn served this activity. All was not to last as with the opening of the diversion of the NER Darlington & Saltburn branch in 1887, with its station down the road at Dinsdale (opened on 1st July 1887), took passengers and some through freight traffic away from Fighting Cocks (the station here closed to passenger services on the same date – general freight traffic survived until 9th March 1964). In the middle of the 20th century traffic generated by Paton & Baldwin’s knitting factory at Lingfield Point (the largest wool factory in the world), and the BR Welding Depot, bolstered declining traffic but by the 1980s tracks had been lifted and infrastructure demolished. Neville Stead (NS204740)

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The Seaham & Sunderland Railway, a name that referred to the extension of the Londonderry Railway from Seaham to Sunderland, built the first railway route into Seaham.

The line was built as a means of exporting coal from nearby collieries owned by the Marquess of Londonderry. It opened in 1854, and ran from Seaham Harbour to Ryhope Grange junction, near Sunderland, where it joined with the NER. The station, originally known as Seaham Colliery, was opened to passengers on 2nd July 1855 by the Londonderry, Seaham & Sunderland Railway. The NER purchased the line in 1900. To create a new coastal route between Sunderland, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, the line was extended south along the coast, with the section between Seaham and to West Hartlepool opening on 1st April 1905. Upon the opening of the line the original terminus was rebuilt as a through station, and on 1st March 1925, it was renamed from Seaham Colliery to Seaham. On the same day, the nearby harbour station was renamed from Seaham to Seaham Harbour, closing to passengers 14 years later, on 11th September 1939. Constructed by the LNER to an NER design, Class Q6 No 63409 entered traffic at Hull Dairycoates on 8th April 1924 as No 629. Renumbered to 3409 in November 1946, it gained its BR number in September 1948. Following withdrawal on 3rd December 1962 it was recycled at Darlington during April 1963. It is seen here passing the signal box at the head of a short freight during 1959; over 60 years later the train can still be used to visit the places indicated on the poster, though prices may well have risen! Neville Stead (NS204822)

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The town of Grosmont, and its station, has been seen by millions on television, albeit by its fictitious names of Aidensfield (as a result of it being the ‘home’ of the ‘Heartbeat’ television series) and Hogsmeade (Harry Potter) – along with a multitude of other ‘walk-on’ appearances. The station is located on the deviation line opened by the NER in 1865 to avoid the cable-worked Beckhole Incline, which was part of the original 1836 Whitby & Pickering Railway route. Opened as Goathland Mill on 1st July 1865, it was named due to its proximity to the watermill on the Murk Esk river adjacent to the station. The original Goathland station was located at the head of the incline, where there are still some York & North Midland Railway cottages, together with a single Whitby & Pickering one. The station buildings were to the design of the NER’s architect, Thomas Prosser, and were very similar to those being built by the same contractor, Thomas Nelson, on the Castleton-Grosmont section of the Esk Valley line at Danby, Lealholm, Glaisdale and Egton. The collection of buildings is very little altered since they were built – the last recorded change (apart from NYMR restoration) was in 1908. Deemed to be uneconomic, the line was closed to passenger traffic on 8th March 1965, freight traffic at Goathland having ceased a year earlier, as part of the Beeching cuts, before reopening in 1973 as part of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Neville Stead (NS201880) Taken from the platform end, just in front of the DMU in the above image, Class J25 No 65671 hauls an unfitted freight into Goathland station sometime in the early 1950s, as it arrived at Malton depot in December 1950.

The locomotive, built at Darlington in June 1899 as No 536, had an interesting history as it was loaned to the Great Western Railway from November 1939 until August 1946 as cover for its Dean Goods 0-6-0s that had been requisitioned by the War Department.

Renumbered as No 5671 when returned to the LNER, it gained its BR number during January 1949. It was withdrawn on 27th September 1954. Neville Stead (NS201881)

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Today the seaside town of Whitby is at the head of the Esk Valley line, which runs between Middlesbrough and Whitby via Nunthorpe. The station is situated 61/4 miles (10.1km) east of Grosmont. The original station stood near to the end of the current platform, in the form of the offices, workshop and carriage shed of the Whitby & Pickering Railway; the single-track horse-worked line opened throughout in 1836, having been engineered by George Stephenson. In 1845, the W&P was taken over by the York & North Midland Railway and converted into a double tracked, steam worked line. The Y&NM built the present station to the design of its architect, George Townsend Andrews, who also designed the locomotive shed and the goods shed. Andrews’ station incorporated a fine ‘Euston Truss’ overall roof that was removed by BR in 1953 and replaced by the present awnings. In 1854, the Y&NM helped form the NER, who later added two more platforms to help deal with traffic from the other branch lines that served Whitby; the Esk Valley Line finally opened throughout to a junction at Grosmont in 1865 while the coast line from Loftus opened in 1883 and that from Scarborough in 1885. As with many coastal locations Whitby was scheduled to be closed as a result of the 1963 Beeching Report, which recommended the removal of all three lines serving the station. The route to York via Pickering and Malton was closed as scheduled, and the coast lines had gone by 1965. However the Esk Valley line to Middlesbrough was kept open because of poor road access for replacement buses. With the famous Whitby Abbey dominating the background, the station and yard were next to the River Esk, along with the turntable and engine shed (the latter now serves as holiday lets alongside the tracks). No 69879 started its career, constructed to a 4-4-4T design, at Darlington Works in March 1922, being allocated to Starbeck. Originally classified as an ‘H1’ by the LNER it was rebuilt to a 4-6-2T wheel arrangement during May 1934, becoming a member of the A8 class. Originally carrying the number 1500, it was renumbered 9879 on 16th March 1946, then briefly carrying an ‘E’ prefix at Nationalisation until gaining its BR number during November 1948.

Neville Stead (NS204912) Preserved Class K1 No 2005 darkens the sky as it leaves Whitby with the return leg of an enthusiasts’ excursion on 28th June 1975.

The LNER Society rail tour, ‘The Eskdale Venturer’, used a Class 45 diesel, No 45121, for the London St Pancras-Battersby section with No 2005 taking the train onto Whitby. The same locomotives were used on the return journey. Built by the North British Locomotive Co, Glasgow, it entered traffic on 10th June 1949 as BR No 62005; it was initially allocated to Darlington before moving onto Heaton on 25th September. It was withdrawn on 10th September 1967 from Holbeck shed and put into storage, being sold into preservation on 30th May 1969. Neville Stead (NS201892)

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A busy scene at Cleethorpe Road junction, Grimsby, as Thompson Class B1 4-6-0 No 61183 passes the box with a passenger service from Cleethorpes. The line behind the box led to Alexandra and Union Docks along with the north-west side of Royal Dock. Behind the train, rails led to the south-east side of Royal Dock, along with Nos 1 and 2 Fish Dock. With the docks still in operation today, Alexandra dates from the 1880s, Royal from 1849 and Union from 1879. No 61183 was built by the Vulcan Foundry (Works No 5541) in July 1947 and initially allocated to Gorton, although a rapid relocation to Sheffield Darnall occurred the following month. It was to remain there until withdrawn on 9th July 1962 after a service life of 15 years. Today this view is totally different as Cleethorpe Road is now a busy dual carriageway (the A180) that crosses the single track line to Cleethorpes. Neville Stead (NS205437)

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Situated on the East Coast main line between Retford and Doncaster, the GNR opened its Sutton & Barnby Moor station during July 1850. As its name suggests it served the villages of Barnby Moor and Sutton cum Lound, Nottinghamshire. In September the same year it was renamed Sutton, retaining it until 16th November 1909 when another change saw it become Barnby Moor & Sutton. An early casualty of the BR era, it closed to all traffic on 7th November 1949. The crossing box survived much longer, as it is seen here with a Class 37 diesel-electric locomotive at the head of a freight service. It closed on the 18th of October 1975, when control was transferred to Ranskill signal box and the crossing was converted to CCTV. Two young enthusiasts sit on the gate watching its approach, almost oblivious to the fact that the signage retains references to the GNR and LNER – although the wording on the cast-iron signs is still relevant. Paul Hocquard (4164)

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Above. Dukeries Junction (High Level) station was jointly opened by the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) (later GCR) and the GNR on 1st June 1897. It was originally called ‘Tuxford Exchange’, being situated where the LD&ECR's main line from Chesterfield Market Place to Lincoln (later Lincoln Central) crossed over the GNR's main line from King’s Cross to Doncaster. It was soon renamed ‘Dukeries Junction’. It was a two-level interchange and was never intended to serve Tuxford as such, being situated throughout its life surrounded on one quarter by railway sidings and an engine shed and on the other three quarters by fields, with no road access.

The LD&ECR hoped to attract tourist traffic to the North Nottinghamshire area, which they promoted as ‘The Dukeries’, though this traffic never materialised, and its principal use over the years was by railway workers at the workshop and engine shed. The station had two opposing platforms on the GNR’s lower level tracks and wooden buildings on a wooden, island platform with two faces on the LD&ECR’s tracks immediately above (seen here) – the two levels were connected by stairs. Incidentally the only other station on the LD&ECR with an island platform was Scarcliffe, near Bolsover. British Railways closed the station to passenger traffic on 6th March 1950; and unusually for those days, the high-level station buildings were demolished not long after closure. From 1980 the only traffic was coal to High Marnham Power Station and occasional enthusiasts’ specials. When the power station closed in 2003 the track through the High Level station site became redundant and is now part of the High Marnham Test Track. Neville Stead (NS205661) Right. A late arrival on the scene, Hayburn Wyke station was on the Scarborough & Whitby Railway, which was opened on 16th July 1885 – almost 40 years after the first proposal to connect the two seaside towns. The topography, and lack of funds, no doubt contributing to the delay. Hayburn Wyke, some seven miles from Scarborough, opened with the line and served the popular beauty spot and its hotel. The station was rebuilt in 1893, and closed temporarily (as a wartime economy) on 1st March 1917.

Reopening took place on 2nd May 1921, before final, permanent closure on 8th March 1965. From 1955 the station was reduced to an unstaffed halt, and it is probably after this date that LNER Class A8 No 69890 was photographed as it approaches the station. Originally built by the NER at Darlington as 4-4-4Ts, the entire class was rebuilt by the LNER between 1931 and 1936 as 4-6-2Ts. The last examples were withdrawn in 1960, No 69890 succumbed in January 1958. The route survives as the Scarborough to Whitby Trailway, a cycleway and footpath. Neville Stead (NS201713A)

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A Parliamentary Bill for the line, to be called the Northumberland Central Railway, was submitted for the 1863 session, this would be a 45-mile (72km) line from Scotsgap northwards through Rothbury and Wooler to Cornhill, near to Berwick on the Kelso line of the NER. A cash deposit of £20,800 was required to do so, but the cash available to the provisional company was inadequate, so three individuals provided the money themselves – perhaps this was a portent of things to come; however, the bill received the Royal Assent on 28th July 1863. The company was unable to provide money to make a start on construction, and on 7th August 1865, a shareholders' meeting took place, which ended with agreement to abandon the proposed line north of Rothbury. On 1st November 1870, the line opened to the public, being worked by the NBR. The steepest gradient was said to be 1 in 60 and there was a 12-arch viaduct at Fontburn. There were stations at Rothbury, Brinkburn, Ewesley with a connection to the Morpeth-Reedsmouth line at Scotsgap. A private platform at Rothley, for the use of the Trevelyan Estates, was later renamed Longwitton in April 1875 and made available for public use. Under the NBR the passenger train service settled down to three trains each way daily, aligned towards Morpeth. Although journeys from Rothbury towards Reedsmouth and beyond were possible, connections at Scotsgap were not good. After the railways were nationalised by the Government in 1948, the line became part of the Scottish Region; increasingly efficient road transport caused a collapse of the passenger and goods traffic, and closure was inevitable. The last passenger trains ran on 13th September 1952. A basic weekly goods service continued but, on 9th November 1963, the line was closed completely.

The branch finished with a turntable, giving access to the run round loop and locomotive shed. Class G5 No 67295, carrying a 52F (Blyth South) shed plate, has arrived at the head of the twice-daily passenger service from Morpeth. The 0-4-4T was built at Darlington in June 1897 as NER No 1917, becoming No 7295 on 20th January 1946. It was withdrawn on 8th March 1954; note that the remnants of its BR number, painted on the buffer beam, are still visible. Neville Stead (NS206055)

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We first visited the Alston branch on page seven and we have now arrived at the end of the line that terminated with a turntable, although this was removed before the end of steam. The station was provided with a single platform with a train-shed roof covering both the platform, and two tracks. The original train-shed roof was arcshaped, however this was replaced in 1872-3 with a double-pitched roof as seen here. The train shed was connected to a set of station buildings with ornate chimneys and mullioned windows. Other buildings included an engine shed, goods shed, signal box and, unusually, a snowplough shed. It was noted that the height of the original platform was constructed to be only 12in (30cm) high, although this was later increased to 30in (76cm). The station was host to a camping coach in 1933 and again from 1936 to 1939 – one of 119 vehicles converted by the LNER between 1933 and 1938. Class J39 No 64812, seen here in the platform soon after arrival at the terminus, was built at Darlington Works and entered service allocated to Blaydon on 11th December 1929 as No 1418. Renumbering to 4812 took place in November 1946 and again in May 1949 when it acquired its BR number. Withdrawal came on 3rd December 1962 whilst allocated to Sunderland with recycling taking place six months later. Hiding in the engine shed is BR Standard Class 3MT No 77014 that was later to become the only member of the class to work in the south of England, surviving until the end of Southern Region steam on 9th July 1967 as the last member of the class in service. Today Alston is the southern terminus of the narrow gauge South Tynedale Railway, albeit without the original train shed roof. Neville Stead (NS209614)

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Left. Two snow ploughs awaiting their next turn of duty in the yard at Waskerley on the line to Crawley. The Stanhope & Tyne Railroad was built without Parliamentary approval using a way leave system (payments to individual landowners, usually annually). The line ran from Weardale via Crawley, Waskerley, Carr Hope ending at Tyne Dock, South Shields. The section from Stanhope to Annfield opened on 15th May 1834, the section on to South Shields was completed on 10th September the same year. The route followed the natural terrain with stationary engines and inclined planes to overcome the steep gradients. Subsequent owners included the Derwent Iron Co (1842), Wear Valley (1847), Stockton & Darlington (1858) and North Eastern (1863). Crawley (for Stanhope) opened to passengers on 14th February 1845, closed on 31st October, reopened 1st April 1846 before finally closing on 31st December 1846. Waskerley suffered similarly, opening on 1st September 1845, closing on 4th July 1859, renamed as Waskerley Park and reopened in 1880 before finally closing to passengers in 1921. Thereafter the branch was open only for goods traffic with the final section closing in 1968. The snow ploughs, Nos 18 and 20 are seen here, were built on old locomotive tender frames, these wooden giants were the NER’s answer to the threat of snow blocking its lines. During and after inclement weather the snowplough would be pushed by two steam engines and when it came across a snowdrift it would charge straight through, clearing the rails for traffic. As today, parts of the railway were isolated and exposed, and snow on the line presented a serious hazard to vehicles and passengers. The first NER snowplough was built in 1887 and, despite an accident in 1888 where a plough train upended a locomotive at Annitsford, 23 more were constructed.

All 24 were made of wood except the final two, which were metal. Neville Stead (NS205217)

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Top left. Opened on 9th July 1867 as Haxey and renamed as Haxey & Epworth in May 1884, the station served the towns of Haxey and Epworth on the Isle of Axholme, see pages 18 and 19 for details of the line. It closed to passengers on 2nd February 1959 and completely on 29th June 1964. From 2nd January 1905, it provided an interchange with the Axholme Joint Railway, whose Haxey Junction station was immediately adjacent to it. Although the lines were connected, movement between the stations required two reversals. The interchange ceased on 1st February 1956 when the Haxey Junction to Epworth section of the Axholme Joint Railway was closed.

Haxey was also the junction for the Bawtry-Haxey line, which was conceived as a trunk haul route for colliery output. The line never fulfilled that expectation, and the Haxey end may only have been used for wagon storage. Note that the platforms are at ground level, making life a little difficult for intending passengers. The windmill hiding in the murk is Brock’s Mill, first mentioned in 1811, a four storey tapered tower mill made from tarred red brick. Since 1905 it has been known as Burnham or Wilkinson’s Mill and was converted from wind to engine power in 1928, and is today a listed building. Neville Stead (NS207314) Below. A dismal scene at Sheffield Darnall in 1959, and one all too representative towards the end of steam with a large number of locomotives in store, note the sack cloths covering the chimneys. The snow covers piles of coal, awaiting use should any shortage in supply occur during the cold weather. The depot at Darnall was a 10 road through shed with a corrugated iron north light pattern roof. Constructed by the LNER, it opened on 11th April 1943, incorporating a coaling plant, seen to the left of the shed, and a 70ft (21.33m) turntable. The depot closed to steam on 17th June 1963 and totally on 4th October 1965. The roofless structure remained standing for another 30 years. The only clearly identifiable locomotive, left hand row, second in line, is Class K2 No 61761. This was constructed by the North British Locomotive Co and entered traffic with the GNR during June 1918. It gained its first LNER number, 4671, on 10th October 1925, and its second, 1761, on 2nd June 1946 following a Light repair at Stratford Works. It gained its BR number on 11th March 1949 following a General repair at Cowlairs whilst allocated to Stratford depot. It ended its days at King’s Cross, being withdrawn on 19th January 1961. Neville Stead (NS208007)

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Edinburgh’s Waverley station is situated in a steep, narrow valley between the medieval Old Town and the 18th century New Town. Princes Street, the premier shopping street, runs close to its north side. The valley is bridged by the North Bridge, rebuilt in 1897 as a three-span iron and steel bridge, on huge sandstone piers.

This passes high above the station’s central section, directly over the central booking hall (which cleverly hides one of the main stone piers within its bulk). Waverley Bridge lies to the west side of the station (though platforms extend below it) and it is this road which, by means of ramps, formerly afforded vehicular access to the station and still provides two of the six pedestrian entrances to the station. The valley to the west, formerly the site of the Nor Loch, is the public parkland of Princes Street Gardens. From 1866-1868, the North British Railway acquired the stations of its rivals, demolished all three and closed the Scotland Street tunnel to Canal Street. The present Victorian station was built on the site. Along the tracks of this first station, Hanna, Donald & Wilson built some very impressive roofs. The station was extended in the late 19th century. In 1897, the impressive glass dome was added. From its opening in its current form by the eastward tunnelled extension from Haymarket, Waverley has been the principal railway station in Edinburgh. For over 90 years the city had a second major station, Princes Street (opened 2nd May 1870, closed 6th September 1965), operated by the rival Caledonian Railway, but this was never as important as Waverley. Class K2 No 61770 leaves Waverley with a westbound local service during the summer of 1955 passing through East Princes Street Gardens. Built by Kitson & Co, Hunslet, Leeds, (Works No 5330) as No 1680 it entered service during June 1921, initially allocated to Peterborough’s New England depot. Renumbered 4860 at the time of the Grouping, it gained its 1946 number, 1770, on 13th June 1946 following a General overhaul at Cowlairs Works. It gained its BR number following a further General overhaul, again at Cowlairs, on 6th November 1948. It arrived at its first locomotive depot in Scotland (Eastfield in Glasgow) in January 1951; and arrived at its final Scottish depot, Dunfermline Upper, on 28th September 1952 from where it was withdrawn on 8th July 1959. Neville Stead (NS 202477)

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Princes Street Gardens are two adjacent public parks in the centre of Edinburgh, lying in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The Gardens were created in the 1820s following the draining of the Nor Loch and building of the New Town, beginning in the 1760s. The loch, situated on the north side of the town, was originally an artificial creation forming part of its medieval defences and made expansion northwards difficult. The water was habitually polluted from sewage draining downhill from the Old Town. The gardens run along the south side of Princes Street and are divided by The Mound, on which the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy buildings are located. East Princes Street Gardens run from The Mound to Waverley Bridge, and cover 8.5 acres (3.4ha). The larger West Princes Street Gardens cover 29 acres (12ha) and extend to the adjacent churches of St John’s and St Cuthbert’s, near Lothian Road in the west. In 1846 the railway was built in the valley to connect the Edinburgh-Glasgow line at Haymarket with the new northern terminus of the NBR line from Berwick-upon-Tweed at Waverley station. Designed by Arthur Peppercorn, Class A1 No 60160 Auld Reekie is seen passing through West Princes Street Garden, with the National Gallery above the tunnel, during 1954. It was allocated new to the local Haymarket depot, arriving on 2nd December 1949 from Doncaster Works. Always a Scottish allocated locomotive, it ended its days at St Margaret’s depot on 12th December 1963; arriving at Darlington Works for recycling in March the following year. Neville Stead (NS207446)

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Above. Tanfield was the only intermediate station on the Masham-Malmerby branch that was opened by the NER on 9th June 1875 – it served the village of West Tanfield. See page 69 for details of the line. The view is taken looking south, along Mowbray Terrace with the station off to the left, the spiritual needs of the local population were well cared for with the Methodist church (Wesleyan) tower, on the left, and St Nicholas church tower to the right. During World War 2, ammunition storage in the area increased the number of trains through the station for offloading and forwarding too. The British Army supplied the LNER with extra staff to supplement the two railway workers. Over 84,000 tons (76,000 tonnes) of munitions were stored near the station that were forwarded out on 42 armament trains in the weeks leading up to D-Day. Freight traffic survived until 11th November 1963, however coal wagons continued to arrive for Masham and special arrangements were made for these to be delivered, with traffic ceasing a week after the official date. Class J39 No 64855 is seen heading towards Masham with a single hopper and brake van in tow; it was built at Darlington Works, as LNER No 1475, and entered service on 19th October 1934, being allocated to Newport (Teeside). It gained its 1946 number, 4855, on 20th October 1946, a few days before entering Gateshead Works for a Light repair. It was renumbered again on 4th May 1948 during a further Light repair, this time at Cowlairs. Withdrawn from Heaton depot on 20th August 1962, it survived for almost a year after withdrawal, not being scrapped until July the following year by Cowlairs’s cutters. Neville Stead (NS204612) Top right. On 26th June 1846 the Great North of England Railway was authorised to build a line between Northallerton and Bedale. The 5.5-mile (8.9km) section between Northallerton and Leeming Lane opened on 6th March 1848. However, the section between Leeming Bar and Bedale that was authorised by the Act was not built.

The result was a separate company, the Bedale & Leyburn Railway, financed by local landowners, which was formed to construct an 11.5-mile (18.5km) extension between Leeming Bar and Leyburn that was authorised on 4th August 1853. The section between Leeming Bar and Bedale station opened on 1st February 1855 and the remainder on 28th November 1855 for goods and minerals and 19th May 1856 for passengers. The line would later become part of the NER that would raise an Act of Parliament to extend the line between Leyburn and Hawes. This was authorised on 4th July 1870. The section between Leyburn and Askrigg opened on 1st February 1877; the section between Askrigg and Hawes was opened for goods on 1st June 1878; the Hawes branch of the Settle & Carlisle line was opened for goods on 1st August 1878; the sections between Askrigg and Hawes and between Hawes and Garsdale were both opened for passengers on 1st October 1878. At this point, there was a through route between Northallerton and Garsdale. Passenger services over the full length of the line finished on 26th April 1954. However one passenger train each way was operated between Garsdale and Hawes until 14th March 1959 at which point this part of the line closed to all traffic. The line between Redmire and Hawes closed completely on 27th April 1964 with the track west of Redmire lifted and many bridges on this section of the line were demolished in 1965. However, trains serving the quarry near Redmire ran until 1992, otherwise all remaining freight traffic on the line ceased in 1982. Although closed to passenger traffic, occasional excursion tours ran to Redmire through to the early 1990s particularly the Dalesrail services in 1977 that prompted interest in a renewed passenger service on the line.

Today Redmire is on the 17 mile (27.35km) Wensleydale Railway that is operated as a community line between there and Leeming Bar, with the aim of reconnecting to Northallerton, five miles away. A longer term aim would be to extend westwards to Garsdale, adding an additional 18 miles to the line. The station building itself is now owned by the 2nd Acomb Scout Group. Of particular interest in the image is the number of guy lines holding the signal pole in position. The point nearest the camera provides access to the quarry and the hopper wagons probably await loading. Neville Stead (NS204658A)

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Left. LNER Class G5 0-4-4T No 67345 is seen departing Redmire in the early 1950s. It entered traffic during November 1901 following construction at the NER’s Darlington Works as No 433, gaining its later LNER number during November 1946, arriving at Bishop Auckland depot a few months later in April 1947. It was withdrawn from Sunderland depot on 13th December 1955 following 54 years in service. Neville Stead (NS204646)

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Left. A view taken at Halstead station on 10th August 1959 looking towards Long Melford on the Stour Valley line. The GER was ultimately responsible for promoting the line to provide a connection, at Haverhill, between the Stour Valley and Colne Valley railways. The first section between Shelford and Haverhill opened on 1st June 1865. The remaining lines from Haverhill to Sudbury followed on 9th August 1865. During the period prior to World War 1, the line saw some of its best traffic with through trains between Cambridge and Clacton via Sudbury. The war saw little reduction in traffic. However, by the 1920s the usual pattern of road competition was taking place although rail traffic continued quite healthily for some years. When World War 2 came, the situation changed dramatically. Passenger services were reduced although freight services remained active. Once the allied bomber offensive commenced, the line’s importance increased with airfields being established throughout the area. Post-war, excursion trains returned once again to Clacton and other seaside resorts. The Modernisation Plan saw steam traction replaced by multiple-units and four-wheel railbuses from 1st January 1959, however losses increased and total closure (apart from the Sudbury to Marks Tey section) of the line took place on 31st December 1966. There are several items of note on view, the station seat has a cast nameplate fitted with Haverhill picked out in white paint, whilst the North remains unpainted indicating its name from 1923 to 1952, to differentiate it from the Colne Valley & Halstead Railway station, although that had closed to passengers in 1924 with trains diverted into the GER station. The signal post has a white painted diamond plate, indicating that the area was protected by track circuits that indicated line occupation to the signalman. The decorative cast-iron water column has a fire ‘devil’ located alongside that will provide some heat during cold periods to stop the water freezing. Leslie R. Freeman (3533) Above. The first locomotive shed in Hull was opened at Wellington Street by the Hull & Selby Railway on 1st July 1840. This was closed in 1863 having been replaced by the NER’s new depot at Dairycoates that consisted of a roundhouse. Two additional roundhouses were opened in 1876. Eventually there was a total of six connected roundhouses in use on the site along with a two-road and three-road sheds. The original multi-hipped roofs were replaced by BR in 1956 with flat concrete and glass ones. The depot has all of the usual facilities, most of which were steadily improved throughout its existence. The steel framed coaling tower was clad in a mixture of corrugated sheet and wood, and unlike the majority the hopper was fed by a conveyor belt as seen above No 61462. Hull Dairycoates was closed to steam on 24th June 1967; however, withdrawn locomotives continued to arrive for scrapping at Draper's nearby scrapyard. They were stored in nearby sidings awaiting entry to the yard. An enthusiast visited the yard on Sunday 7th August 1967 and recorded 25 withdrawn steam locomotives, the majority of which would be scrapped within the month. The depot closed completely on 21st September 1970. No 61462 was constructed at Darlington Works in November 1923 to an NER design of Vincent Raven and was designated as a Class B16 by the LNER. It entered service at Heaton depot on 21st November as No 1379, and was renumbered to 1462 on 30th June 1946.

It gained its final number following a Heavy Casual overhaul at Darlington on 13th August 1949; it is seen here in early BR livery with its number carried on the buffer beam whilst allocated to York (North), where it arrived on 4th December 1949 before leaving for Neville Hill on 6th May 1951. Withdrawn from York (North) on 29th May 1961, it was dismantled at Darlington Works the following month. Neville Stead (NS200218)

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Left. Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge (officially Monkwearmouth Bridge, also called Wearmouth Railway Bridge or Sunderland Railway Bridge) was built in 1879. It crosses the River Wear at Sunderland and Monkwearmouth laying adjacent to, and upstream of, the Wearmouth Road Bridge. Originally built as part of the Monkwearmouth Junction line, it provided a connecting line across the River Wear to link the line of the former Brandling Junction Railway at Monkwearmouth to the south bank at Sunderland and the line of the former Durham & Sunderland Railway – the first direct railway link between Newcastle and Sunderland. Designed by T. E. Harrison, it consisted of a 300ft (91m) main span, an iron bowstring bridge, constructed from box girders connected by a Vierendeel truss with curved corner strengthening to create elliptical voids in the bracing. The bridge is 86ft (26m) above high water level on the Wear and at the time of its construction was claimed to be the largest hogs back iron bridge in the world. The structure was grade II listed in 1978 and is now used by Tyne & Wear Metro and Durham coast line services. Class G5 No 67253 propels a local service over the bridge; having arrived at the local depot during the summer of 1957 it would survive in service until 31st October 1958. It had been constructed at Darlington Works in April 1895 as No 1839, becoming 7253 during December 1946 before gaining its BR number during April 1948.

Neville Stead (NS204846)

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Top left. The south end of Sunderland tunnel with a hive of activity taking place, with the line to Durham heading off to the left – now terminating at South Hylton – and the line hiding behind the over-bridge carrying services to Hartlepool. Two LNER Class G5 0-4-4Ts are in view with No 67294 heading westwards with a 4-wheel parcels van and two carriages in tow. Built at Darlington in June 1897 as No 1916, it was renumbered on 20th January 1946 as 7294 and gained its last number during November 1948.

During the BR era it spent two periods allocated to Sunderland – September 1954 until July 1955 and April 1956 until withdrawal on 15th January 1957. The light engine in the centre of the image is No 67347, again constructed at Darlington, entered service as NER No 436 in November 1901. Renumbered to 7347 in November 1946, it gained its BR number during January 1949. It arrived at Sunderland depot in July 1955 and was withdrawn the following April. No doubt a third G5, with a push-pull service, is heading towards the station having arrived from Hartlepool. Of note is the building with ‘Binns’ lettering on the wall, this, on Fawcett Street, was the department store whose history predates the railway. George Binns moved to Sunderland in 1804, establishing a small drapery business in 1807 before taking over a larger wool and linen drapery store owned by Thomas Ellerby. By 1884 the business was renting two houses at 38-39 Fawcett Street where the house frontages were replaced with a new shop front and the interior remodelled. During 1897 the business was incorporated as H. Binns, Son & Co Ltd and the buildings at 38-39 Fawcett Street were purchased shortly afterwards.

The business grew quickly and within seventeen years became Sunderland's biggest department store. It had acquired or leased 32 to 37, 40 and 42 Fawcett Street and was trading on both sides of the street. By 1924 every tram in Sunderland had the advertisement ‘Shop at Binns’ on its front. In 1934 the company changed its name to Binns Ltd, and in 1935 employed over 5,000 people across its business. World War 2 saw the Sunderland store badly damaged during air raids in early 1941. Construction of a replacement store in Sunderland began in November 1949 but it took until 1953 for the store to be re-opened. However, before it was completed, the House of Fraser made an approach to purchase Binns Ltd, which, despite opposition from the board of directors, was completed by April 1953. Binns operated as a separate business within the House of Fraser empire. The 1990s heralded a period of review and rationalisation across the House of Fraser business. Binns saw many of its branches close during the decade with the Sunderland store closing in 1993. Neville Stead (NS204856) Below. The village of Woodford Halse became notable for the role it played as an important railway centre. Destined not to have a railway at all, as the nearest stations were at Byfield (about two miles west), and Moreton Pinkney (three miles south-east), these were on the East & West Junction Railway (later part of the Stratford-upon-Avon & Midland Junction Railway [S&MJ]). Opened on 1st July 1873, no other lines seemed likely to be built in such a thinly populated area. However, in the late 1890s the village found itself on a major trunk route, the Great Central Railway’s London Extension, and a north to west line, to the south of Woodford & Hinton station, gave access to Stratford-upon-Avon and Towcester (later part of the LMS). A further branch to Banbury gave access to the Great Western Railway. As a result Woodford Halse (as it was renamed on 1st November 1948) became a hub for freight workings. For many years the locomotive depot and yards were a hive of activity, but not busy enough to ensure survival when the Beeching Axe closures of the 1960s took place. The S&MJ had already closed on 7th April 1952 although the Woodford North to West Curve which gave access to it had actually gone earlier, on 31st May 1948. On 5th April 1965 the marshalling yards closed, and on 5th September 1966, virtually all of the Great Central was closed, including the remaining lines converging on Woodford Halse. On 25th July 1961, No 90520 is seen arriving with a freight service working in from the London Midland Region. This was one of 733 locomotives that ultimately saw service on British Railways. Built by Vulcan Foundry in May 1945, as part of a World War 2 order to increase the number of locomotives available for service at home and in Europe, it was numbered 79308 by the War Department when it entered traffic. One of 200 acquired by the LNER following the cessation of hostilities, it was numbered 3199 in March 1947. Following a decision to place all of the ‘Austerity’ 2-8-0s in the BR number series, it was allocated 90520. It was allocated to Woodford Halse for a number of years before being withdrawn from Aintree depot in early February 1964. H. Gamble (HG1047)

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One thing the railways have never really been short of are signs – everything from ‘Beware of trains’ to those giving much more information, that usually commenced with the company’s name as seen on this NER warning notice. Generally manufactured from cast iron, they would last virtually indefinitely and as lines were taken over or absorbed the lettering, or rather the painting of, was amended – by the date of the image taken during the BR era the NER was long gone. Another use for cast iron was for urinals, otherwise known as ‘cast iron gents’, and Victorian gentlemen could certainly relieve themselves in style in these elaborate and distinctive structures. The highly decorated version seen here was to the design of the Saracen Foundry that was the better-known name for the Possilpark, Glasgow-based foundry company W. MacFarlane & Co Ltd. The business was founded, and owned by, Walter MacFarlane and was the most important manufacturer of ornamental ironwork in Scotland.

The MacFarlane’s Patent consisting of standard panels could be erected to accommodate any number of standees, this example being able to accommodate two. Paul Hocquard (119 left, and 2044 below).

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Above. On 23rd July 1860, the Sudbury & Clare Railway Act received permission to build a line from Sudbury to Clare via Melford. However, as soon as the powers were obtained, the ECR took over and immediately sought extended powers to build from Sudbury (via Melford) to Shelford on the London-Cambridge main line, as well as a branch from Melford to Bury St Edmunds. The latter was opened on 9th August 1865 with intermediate stations at Bury Eastgate, Welnetham, Cockfield and Lavenham. The line provided no real alternative to the Bury-Colchester service via Ipswich and the cascading of elderly rolling stock didn’t help with competition from road traffic. The signal box, at the east end of the up platform, controlled access to the goods yard that was unusually large for a small country station, however its size came in useful during the busiest time in its life, when with the advent of World War 2, with the railway delivering hard core to build numerous airfields and later fuel and munitions to service the planes of the US Air Force based nearby. Despite the introduction of diesel multiple-units in the late 1950s, traffic did not increase enough to save the line and it closed to passengers on 10th April 1961, with freight services ending on 19th April 1965. Paul Hocquard (2059)

Right. Railway safety was, and still is, a priority to ensure passengers and goods reach their intended destination without accident. On a single line railway every train had to carry a ‘ticket’ or ‘staff’ to allow access to a particular section of track, which could cause operational problems at times. Most of the UK railways either designed their own equipment or utilised private contractors’ designs. One of the latter was Tyer & Co who manufactured a range of single-line instruments and one of the most widespread was the No 6 pattern seen here in Sudbury signal box for the line to Chappel. This was one of many types of instrument designed to replace ‘One Engine in Steam’ or ‘Train Staff & Ticket’ working methods to allow more flexibility of working without allowing more than one train into the single line section. An instrument such as this was provided at each end of the section, and each was loaded with single-line ‘tablets’, only one of which could be withdrawn from either instrument at any one time. Paul Hocquard (3671)

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Left. LNER Class D49 No 62740 The Bedale is seen standing on the turntable at Scarborough, having worked a service in from York towards the end of its career.

It entered service new from Darlington Works, being allocated to York depot on 2nd June 1932 as No 235. Becoming 2740 under the 1946 scheme on 28th April 1946, it gained its final number on 2nd December 1949 following a General overhaul at Darlington. It ended its days allocated to Hull Dairycoates depot having arrived there from Selby three months earlier; withdrawn on 1st August 1960, it was dismantled the following month. Neville Stead (NS206763) Bottom left. Class mate No 62747 The Percy is seen at Corbridge wearing the early BR livery with the owner’s title spelt out on the tender. Following construction at Darlington it entered traffic on 21st August 1933 and was sent to York. It was renumbered 2747 on 8th December 1946 shortly before a Light overhaul at Darlington.

Whilst allocated to Gateshead it underwent another Light overhaul at Darlington between 3rd and 23rd April 1948, emerging with its BR number. The locomotive was fitted with new cylinders at Darlington during a Light Casual repair between September 1957 and January 1958 only a few months after having a General overhaul – this fact possibly saved it from an early withdrawal as the scrapping of the class had commenced in December 1957. It was withdrawn from Carlisle Canal depot on 4th March 1961. Neville Stead (NS206772) Below. Authorised by Act of Parliament on 21st July 1845, the Ipswich & Bury Railway (I&BR) was formed to build a line from Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds. With an authorised capital of £400,000 it shared many shareholders and directors with the Eastern Union Railway (EUR) who were in the process of building their line from Colchester to Ipswich. The companies also shared the same head office location in Brook Street, Ipswich. The proposed line was 261/2 miles (42.6km) long, with intermediate stations at Bramford, Claydon, Needham, Stowmarket, Haughley Road, Elmswell and Thurston. The official opening occurred on 7th December 1846 when a special train ran from Shoreditch (later Bishopsgate) to Bury. Inspection by the Board of Trade took place on 15th December 1846 with the line opening for traffic on 24th December. The existing station at Bury opened a year later in November 1847. The EUR and I&BR were worked as one from 1st January 1847, and formal amalgamation was obtained by an Act of 9th July 1847. The EUR was taken over by the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) in 1854; however by the 1860s the railways in East Anglia were in financial trouble, with the majority being leased to the ECR. It was not until 1862 that they obtained government agreement to amalgamate formally and create the GER. During World War 2 Bury was an important freight location for the many airbases in East Anglia, the railways being instrumental in the delivery of supplies and munitions as well as the all-important fuel for the aircraft. The Bury St Edmunds to Thetford line closed to passengers on 8th June 1953 and goods traffic on 27th June 1960. The line to Long Melford closed to passengers on 10th April 1961 and freight on 19th April 1965. On 21st July 1956 Class D16/3 No 62615 is seen departing Bury St Edmunds in a westerly direction bound for Newmarket and Cambridge. It was built at Stratford Works in June 1923 as GER No 1784 and renumbered into the LNER 1924 series as No 8784 before carrying 2615 as a result of the 1946 scheme. At the time of the photograph it was allocated to Bury depot, remaining there until July 1957 when it was reallocated to March, being withdrawn from there on 13th October 1958. Leslie R. Freeman (2360)

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Top left. The original terminus station at Selby was opened in 1834 for the Leeds & Selby Railway. The Hull & Selby Railway extended the line in 1840, and a new station was built, with the old station becoming a goods depot. The station was rebuilt in 1873 and 1891, the 1891 rebuilding being required due to the replacement of the swing bridge over the Ouse at the same time. The area around the station has been the location for the junctions of a number of lines, including the former East Coast main line route between Doncaster and York, as well as the Selby to Driffield line (dating from 1848), and the Selby to Goole line (1910). After 1983 with the opening of the Selby Diversion, the town is no longer on the East Coast main line, today the station building, dating from 1891, is a Grade II listed structure. Class D20 No 62384 was allocated to the nearby depot, being withdrawn from there on 15th August 1955, and is seen during 1952 departing with an express passenger service.

It was built by the NER at its Gateshead Works in June 1907 as No 1184. Being renumbered in February 1946 as 2384. It gained its BR number on 16th September 1950 and survived in traffic until condemned on 15th August 1955 whilst stationed at the nearby depot that was situated in the vee of the junction between the lines to Doncaster and Leeds. The shed was a standard NER roundhouse design being a square overall shed, with 20 tracks. The shed was extended to a similar extent in 1896-8 with an adjacent square shed. It was closed on 13th September 1959 and demolished a few years later. Neville Stead (NS200117A) Bottom left. Gresley ‘A4’ No 60033 Seagull heads the ‘Elizabethan’ express at Selby, sometime after December 1953 as it carries the later short guard irons. Built at Doncaster Works as No 4902 it entered traffic on 28th June 1938, being allocated to King’s Cross. Under the 1946 renumbering scheme it became No 33, on 31st October 1946, gaining its BR number on 10th April 1948 following an unclassified overhaul. Apart from a brief period allocated to Grantham it spent its BR days allocated to King’s Cross’ ‘Top Shed’ depot, being withdrawn from there on 29th December 1962. Neville Stead (NS206389) Above. Designed for the NER by Wilson Worsdell as an ‘O’ class 0-4-4T, No 1837 entered traffic during March 1895 having been out-shopped from Darlington Works. It became a member of the LNER’s ‘G5’ class following the grouping and retained its original number until June 1946 when it became 7250. During November 1940 it was fitted with Push/Pull equipment, seen to the left of the smokebox, whilst the buffer beam also sports the additional ‘pipework’ required to operate the vacuum-based system. It gained its BR identity during August 1948 and is seen here with the new owner’s name in full on the side tanks passing under Bawtry Road bridge heading south along the main line to Doncaster. No 67250 had arrived at Selby during August 1950, remaining there until withdrawn on 16th September 1957.

Neville Stead (NS200122A)

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In September 1884 the NER’s Locomotive Superintendent, Alexander McDonnell, suddenly resigned from his position. His new Class 38 4-4-0 locomotives, of which 36 had been ordered, and only seven delivered, were lacking in power when hauling the heavier trains that they were designed for; his predecessor’s ‘901’ class 2-4-0s proved more capable with these duties. It would be a year before his successor, Thomas William Worsdell, would be appointed and the NER urgently needed a capable express locomotive. As a result the NER’s General Manager, Henry Tennant, chaired a special committee to design an express locomotive, and in December 1884 tenders for materials were issued with the first locomotive entering service in May 1885. Officially known as Class 1463 (LNER E5), the new locomotives quickly acquired the nickname of ‘Tennants’ after the design committee's chairman. The new locomotives were direct descendants of Fletcher’s ‘901’ class. The cab design was changed, and a completely new tender design was used. A total of 20 were built in 1885, with Darlington and Gateshead works contributing 10 each. Designed for heavy express passenger work, they took up these duties very quickly with few problems and they were quickly clocking up totals of 40,000 miles per year. This was in excess of any other contemporary NER locomotive type, and would not be exceeded until the introduction of the ‘D20’ 4-4-0s in 1899. When they entered LNER ownership all 20 E5s were allocated to secondary express duties. As well as being associated with the Scarborough route, typical services also included Darlington to Penrith, and Darlington to Tebay duties. Withdrawals started in 1926, and the final allocation during the 1920s was: Darlington (7), Kirkby Stephen (4), York (3), Sunderland (3), Durham (2), and West Hartlepool (1); the last withdrawal, No 1474, was from York in February 1929. No 1477 entered traffic in August 1885 and was condemned in April 1928 whilst allocated to Kirkby Stephen. Neville Stead (NS201700)

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The line between Cambridge and Mildenhall was built by the GER, using Henry Lovatt of Wolverhampton as contractor; the first sod was cut on 3rd January 1883.

Tenders for the construction were awarded, to the value of £45,494 for the Barnwell to Fordham section, and £30,833 for the Fordham to Mildenhall section. On 28th May 1884 Major General C. S. Hutchinson, an Inspecting Officer of the Board of Trade, carried out an inspection of the line; he approved it for opening, and it did so on 2nd June 1884 for all traffic – the total cost for the Barnwell-Fordham section was £52,574. A further visit by Hutchinson on 28th March 1885 to inspect the Mildenhall extension from Fordham enabled the line to be opened to traffic on 1st April 1885. Traversing a thinly populated and mainly agricultural terrain, the line was not heavily used. The GER introduced cost-saving measures on passenger trains, including push and pull trains and a conductor-guard system, and in 1922 opened three very basic lineside halts. In 1931 construction commenced on what was to become RAF Mildenhall, the airfield became operational in 1934. Four miles away is RAF Lakenheath that started life as a decoy site during World War 2 but soon became an operational base. RAF Mildenhall brought additional traffic to the branch during the war, much in the way of munitions – it is recorded that on one occasion a freight train for the base took refuge from enemy aircraft by hiding in Newmarket tunnel. In 1941 RAF Mildenhall was used for the making of ‘Target for Tonight’, being renamed Millerton Aerodrome so as not to give away important information to the enemy, which focussed on the planning and execution of a raid on Germany as seen by the crew of Vickers Wellington ‘F for Freddie’. During the course of the war Mildenhall’s crews flew over 8,000 missions. Today both Mildenhall and Lakenheath are operated by the United States Air Force. In 1956 diesel multiple-units were introduced and operated some services on the branch in an effort to reduce operating costs; however reliability was not always good, and from 7th July 1958 diesel railbuses seating 54 supplied by Waggon-und Maschinenbau were brought into use on the line. The line closed to passenger services on 18th June 1962 with freight traffic ceasing on 13th July 1964 – the main station building survives in private ownership. Initially it was assumed that tank engines would operate the branch line, but it was found more practical to use small tender engines, partly due to the lack of water facilities between Cambridge and Fordham. There was a 50ft turntable at Mildenhall. In later years ‘E4’ 2-4-0 locomotives were in general use on passenger trains, and ‘J15’ 0-6-0s on goods trains. The line was said to be the ‘last haunt’ of the ‘E4’ locomotives and No 62796 is seen here at Mildenhall on 12th January 1957, a little over four months before it was withdrawn from Cambridge depot. It had been built at Stratford Works for the GER in July 1902 before being renumbered by the LNER as No 7414 during 1924 and again to 2796 in September 1946.

Leslie R. Freeman (2549)

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Seamer station is actually sited between the communities of Eastfield and Crossgates, about one mile from Seamer. It took the name of Seamer since there was already a Cross Gates station in West Yorkshire. It lies near the end of the Scarborough branch on the TransPennine Express North route, 39 miles east of York at its junction with the northern end of the Yorkshire coast line. The station was opened by the York & North Midland Railway (Y&NMR) on 7th July 1845, becoming a junction station when a branch line to Filey was opened on 5th October 1846. An island platform configuration was chosen to make it easier for passengers to change between the two routes here rather than continuing into Scarborough to do so. A second branch line from the station to Pickering (the Forge Valley line) was opened by the NER on 1st May 1882. The station subsequently underwent improvements in 1911 (including the construction of a second signal box and an additional passenger line & platform) to accommodate the additional traffic. The original Y&NMR signal box was set back from the track and when the improvements took place this closed and a new one opened to accommodate the additional signalling and point levers. A second box, Seamer West, was opened in 1906, being located at Seamer junction, half a mile south of the station. The old box remained in situ for many years after closure. It survived until 1993 by which date it was in a derelict state, its wooden steps having been removed, however it was subsequently demolished. In 1928 the line became the first in the area with a regular Sentinel steam railcar service for passengers introduced by the LNER in an attempt to keep costs down (see page 22). These were considered suitable for this line as passenger traffic was light and there were no steep gradients; however, the Sentinels were mechanically unreliable and struggled to cope with attachments such as horseboxes, commonly required on rural lines. Another attempt to reduce costs was made during 1935 when the first Armstrong-Whitworth diesel-electric railcar, the Tyneside Venturer, was tried in the area, operating a circular route via Scarborough, Whitby, Goathland and back to Scarborough along the Forge Valley line. The Forge Valley line was never particularly busy and it was an early victim of road competition, closing to passengers on 5th June 1950 (less than three years after the nationalisation of the railway system). Neville Stead (NS201844)

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Class B1 4-6-0 No 61291 passes the derelict signal box at Pontefract (Baghill) whilst allocated to Darlington depot during 1959. The town has three stations, two of which – Monkhill and Tanshelf – are on the Pontefract line that passes through the former mining areas to the east of Wakefield and Castleford. Baghill lies on the Dearne Valley line 21.25 miles (34km) south of York towards Sheffield. The station was opened to passenger services with the Ferrybridge to Moorthorpe section of the Swinton & Knottingley Joint Railway on 1st July 1879, freight traffic had already commenced. Pontefract Baghill was also once linked to the Wakefield, Pontefract & Goole line by means of a short chord to Pontefract Monkhill. This connection closed in November 1964. Two short curves north of the station near Ferrybridge connect the Dearne Valley Line to the western end of Knottingley station westbound and the eastern end of Monkhill station (both on the Pontefract Line). New from the North British Locomotive Co’s Glasgow works in February 1948 it initially carried number E1291 as at that time the new BR numbering system had yet to be finalised. It was not until 8th June 1950, following a General overhaul at Darlington, that its final BR number was to be applied. The locomotive was fitted with a steam generator to power the electric lighting system. This included the lamps for the head codes, however, as these could not be seen during daylight hours it was still required to carry the white-painted oil lamps – seen here for an express passenger service. No 61291 was to be withdrawn from Ardsley depot on 20th May 1965 and sold for scrap the following month.

Neville Stead (NS201971)

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Above. Class A8 4-6-2T No 69867, has been given the road at Scarborough whilst it waits for the last of the passengers to climb aboard prior to departure for York. The station opened on Monday 7th July 1845, following the completion of the line from York. The original station building was designed by G.T. Andrews, having a wroughtiron and glazed roof, 348 feet long by 88 feet wide, in two spans and 30 feet from the rails. At first there were two platforms connected at the north end, with four tracks in between them, each track having a pair of turntables, one at each end of the platforms. To accommodate excursion traffic two new platforms were added in 1883, now known as platforms 1 and 2. In 1924 Platform 1A was formed out of platform 1 for easier access to the Whitby line and opened for the beginning of the summer timetable. Until 1965 the station also served a line from Whitby and until 1950 from Pickering. The station was previously named Scarborough Central to distinguish it from the now closed Scarborough Londesborough Road on the York to Scarborough line. In the late 1960s most of the roof that covered platforms 1 and 2 was demolished, leaving these platforms outdoors, though the platforms still remain in use. From 1907 until 2010 the station approaches were controlled from a 120-lever signal box named Falsgrave (seen here and located at the outer end of platform 1 and close to the former excursion station at Scarborough Londesborough Road). In its final years the box controlled a mixture of colour-light and semaphore signals, including a gantry carrying 11 semaphores. The signal box was decommissioned in September 2010 and the gantry was dismantled and removed in October 2010 to its new home at Grosmont, on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The locomotive illustrated was built by the NER at Darlington Works, it entered traffic during March 1914 as a member of its Class H1, No 2160. Becoming a member of the LNER’s Class A8 at the Grouping, it was renumbered 9867 on 10th February 1946, gaining an ‘E’ prefix to the number on 20th February 1948. It was renumbered into the BR series on 14th October 1949, and of note is the fact that the locomotive still carries its last LNER number on the buffer beam. Withdrawn from Scarborough shed on 23rd December 1959, it entered the Darlington Works for cutting up the same day. Neville Stead (NS201745) Top right. A railway between Malton and Driffield was first proposed in 1845 as the Newcastle-upon-Tyne & Hull Direct Railway but within days it became the less cumbersome Malton & Driffield Junction Railway and received its Act on 26th June 1846. Settrington station was opened on 19th May 1853. The station building was gradually improved through the 19th century and in 1894 a new single storey block was built on the north end of the station building that housed the booking office/ waiting room, ladies waiting room and ladies toilet. At about the same time a new higher platform was built, this was added to the south end of the original platform.

It closed for passengers on 5th June 1950, however, during the hard winter of 1957/8 when much of the Wolds were cut off by snow, a special passenger and goods service was again introduced over the line. Two enthusiasts’ specials ran in 1957 – the Branch Line Society ran its ‘Yorkshireman’ tour on the 2nd June using No 62387 and the RCTS ran its ‘Yorkshire Coast Rail Tour’ on the 23rd June using No 62731. Closure occurred on 20th October 1958 although the last goods train ran on 16th October, whilst the very last train along the line ran on 18th October. Settrington station was one of the quietest on the line and was the only station where passenger revenue exceeded freight revenue. The first of the NER’s ‘P3’ class of 0-6-0 emerged from Darlington Works in April 1906 and the last in September 1923. A batch of 20 was built by Beyer, Peacock & Co, being delivered in July and August 1908 of which No 1211 (Works No 5108) was one. It was renumbered 5844 on 24th March 1946 and again on 7th April 1947 when it gained its BR one following a General overhaul at Darlington Works. At the time it, was photographed, in 1958, it was allocated to Malton shed – withdrawal came on 14th August 1963 whilst shedded at York (North). Neville Stead (NS201815) Bottom right. Looking as if it is running ‘wrong line’ No 61461 is seen at Scarborough junction, to the east of Malton, as it runs in from Driffield sometime during 1961.

The cameraman is standing by the line leading to Ampleforth and Thirsk. Services from Malton started on 7th July 1845 when the York to Scarborough line was opened.

On 3rd May 1870, there was a gas explosion at the station. The platform edging stones were built on a double wall of bricks, separated by a gap, into which gas had leaked. A porter passing with a lamp caused the explosion, which lifted a 50yds (46m) length of the flagstones off the platform. Today the station is only served by trains between Scarborough and York (and beyond), however, prior to the Beeching cuts, Malton was also served by the Pickering branch of the York & North Midland Railway with trains heading north (diverging at Rillington junction) to Pickering and then onwards to Grosmont and Whitby. This line closed entirely north of Pickering in 1965, with a freight-only service to Pickering surviving until 1966. Designed by the NER as a Class S3, No 1378 entered service with the LNER on 15th November 1923, becoming a member of its Class B16/1. It was one of 17 of the class to be rebuilt between 1942 and 1949 as Class B16/3 – it emerged from Darlington as No 61461 on the 13th August having spent eight months in the Works. It was withdrawn on 16th September 1963, after just short of 40 years in traffic. Neville Stead (NS201808)

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Alexander McDonnell’s arrival as the NER’s Locomotive Superintendent initiated a reorganisation plan and work started on two standard designs. These were the '38' Class 4-4-0 express passenger design, and the '59' Class (LNER J22) 0-6-0 mixed traffic design. First deliveries of the mixed traffic engines took place in September 1883.

A total of 44 were built between 1883 and 1885. The first 32 were built at Darlington, with the last 12 being delivered by Robert Stephenson & Co. McDonnell resigned in 1884 before the Stephenson locomotives were delivered. Those in traffic had already proved unsatisfactory in a number of respects and the NER paid Stephensons for a number of refinements to be incorporated during construction. The frames were slightly longer and had a 6in overhang at the front end. The Stephenson boilers also had 193 tubes, compared to 190 in the original Darlington engines; the tenders were also different. The Darlington built locomotives had a new tender design similar to that which McDonnell had designed for the Great Southern & Western Railway of Ireland. The Stephenson built tenders were similar to those built for the ‘38’ class 4-4-0s. Most examples of both tender types had coal rails fitted at a later date. Designed for mixed traffic duties, they were built with Westinghouse brakes, the pump of which can be seen in front of the cab. All 44 members of the class survived to Grouping, when the allocation was: Malton (6), Darlington (4), Ferryhill (4), Newport (4), South Blyth (3), Whitby (3), Scarborough (3), North Blyth (2), Borough Gardens (2), Dairycoates (2), with the remaining 11 spread widely with single allocations. By this time, they were mainly used for station pilot and coach marshalling duties, and the LNER soon started withdrawals. The first being withdrawn in 1924, and the last two were withdrawn in 1930. Carrying L&NER lettering on its tender, along with its number of 502, the locomotive is seen at Carlisle during 1928. Neville Stead (NS202040) Class J27 No 65805 is seen outside Haverton Hill depot during 1956. The depot, situated on the north side of the River Tees, just to the west of Middlesbrough, was opened in 1899 by the NER, facilities included a ramped coaling stage, seen behind the locomotive, and water tank. It closed on 13th June 1959 and was demolished six years later. The locomotive was constructed by the NER at Darlington Works and entered traffic during September 1908. Renumbered in January 1946 to 5805, Haverton Hill was its home depot from February 1949 until November 1958 when it was transferred to West Hartlepool. A final relocation occurred in March 1965 when it was moved to Blyth (North) from where it was withdrawn on 20th January 1966. Neville Stead (NS202041)

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Above. Built by the NER at Gateshead Works in August 1891, as No 1122, it entered traffic as a twocylinder compound, this enabled the steam to be used twice using cylinders of 18in and 26in diameter.

It was rebuilt as a two-cylinder locomotive using simple expansion (steam used once) in February 1909. Classified as a ‘J21’ class by the LNER, it was renumbered 5100 on 10th February 1946. It was renumbered 65100 in December 1948, being withdrawn from Kirkby Stephen depot six years later. It is seen standing on the turntable at Penrith depot during 1953. The London & North Western Railway opened the depot here in 1865. It was closed by BR on 18th June 1962 and subsequently demolished. Neville Stead (NS202074A) Left. A brace of Class J24s stand in the scrap roads at Darlington Works. No 5624 was constructed by the NER at Gateshead and entered traffic during March 1897 as NER No 1899, gaining its 1946 number of 5624 on 20th January 1946. It was withdrawn from Whitby depot on 13th September 1950. Alongside is No 5611; dating from September 1895 as NER No 1847 it gained its 1946 number during December 1946. Withdrawal took place at Borough Gardens depot on 2nd October 1950. Thirty-four of the 70 locomotives constructed survived to be taken into BR stock at Nationalisation, of which only nine carried their 6xxxx series numbers. Neither of these locomotives carried their allocated numbers; with the last class of the class withdrawn during December 1951. The original image is undated, but in all probability was taken during October 1950 as the Works usually broke locomotives up within a very short time frame following withdrawal – sometimes within days. Neville Stead (NS202093)

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Left. In 1913 John G. Robinson, Locomotive Engineer of the GCR, introduced his Class 11E ‘Director’ 4-4-0s, later LNER Class D10. A total of 10 of the class were built in 1913, and quickly proved to be a great success. A second order was placed in 1916, but this was postponed until after World War 1. Following on from these a modified version would be introduced which would become known as ‘Improved Directors’. They were given the GCR classification of 11F, and the LNER classification of D11.

The first batch was delivered between 1919 and 1920. Post-Grouping the former North British Railway was in need of new express locomotives and additional D11s were introduced. Twenty-four examples were ordered at the end of 1923, and built within a five month period during 1924 – Kitson & Co and Armstrong Whitworth & Co both built twelve. These were given names after characters in Sir Walter Scott’s novels and poems. No 62671 was constructed for the LNER by Kitson & Co (Works No 5379) and entered service in July 1924 carrying the number 6378 and given the name Bailie MacWheeble. (Baron Bradwardine’s legal adviser Bailie McWheeble features in Waverley (1814), the first of Scott’s internationally famous series of Waverley Novels.). No 62671 spent the majority of its BR career shedded at Eastfield, where it is illustrated; arriving during August 1950 it remained there until withdrawn on 11th May 1961. A. E. Bennett (1259) Below. Looking very smart in its mixed-traffic livery complete with the first BR emblem on the tender, No 62269 started life at the GNoSR’s Inverurie Locomotive Works in March 1913 as its No 33. In 1899 the GNoSR ordered 10 of William Pickersgill’s new class from Neilson Reid but found itself in financial difficulties and could only afford to take five of the class – the other five were sold to the South Eastern & Chatham Railway. Under the 1924 renumbering scheme it became 6833 then 2269 during August 1946. As No 62269 it was shedded at Keith from August 1950 until withdrawal from there on 9th September 1955. William Pickersgill was born at Crewe in 1861, and was an apprentice with the GER, subsequently a Locomotive & Technical Inspector followed by the position of District Locomotive Superintendent. In May 1894 he moved to the GNSR as its Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent. In March 1914 he moved to the Caledonian Railway, and following the 1923 Grouping was Mechanical Engineer of the LMS’s Northern Division from where he retired during 1925 and died on 2nd May 1928. A. E. Bennett (1322)

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Above. This example of the ‘D40’ class was built by the North British Locomotive Co (Works No 22566), entering service during October 1920 as GNoSR No 54 Southesk.

It was renumbered by the LNER in June 1924 to 6854, and again in August 1946. It is seen here carrying the wartime abbreviation of NE on its tender, standing in platform 12 at Aberdeen shortly later. It would not survive to the BR era as it was withdrawn during January 1947. The station in the image was built as Aberdeen Joint station between 1913 and 1916, it replaced a structure dating from 1867 of the same name, and on the same site. The station and the new Denburn valley line enabled the main line from the south and the commuter line from Deeside to connect with the line from the north. The lines from the south originally terminated at the adjacent Aberdeen Guild Street. Although, even this had not been the town’s first station, that distinction belonging to a previous terminus a short way south at Ferryhill. After the construction of the Joint Station, Guild Street – that closed to passengers on 4th November 1867 – became a goods yard. Prior to the construction of the Joint Station, lines from the north had terminated at Aberdeen Waterloo, which closed on the same date, a short but inconvenient distance along the edge of the harbour. This too became a goods station after the construction of the Joint Station. The Waterloo tracks join the north-south connecting Denburn valley line in the Kittybrewster area of the city, where the very first terminus of the lines from the north had briefly been, before extension and the building of the Waterloo station. As far north as Inverurie, these follow the route of the Aberdeenshire Canal that had been purchased and filled in by the Great North of Scotland Railway. Neville Stead (NS207515) Right. Standing under the impressive signal gantry at Aberdeen is former NBR Class S No 517, in its BR guise as Class J37 No 64630.

Built at the NBR’s Cowlairs Works it entered traffic in June 1921, gaining its first LNER number, 9517, during April 1926. Its second renumbering to 4630 took place in May 1946, before a final renumbering to 64630 in September 1948. It was withdrawn from Dunfermline Upper depot on 6th September 1962, being consigned to Inverurie Locomotive works for scrapping the same month. Neville Stead (NS207504)

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In 1944, the LNER board authorised Edward Thompson to build 30 Pacifics based on his A2/2 design (his rebuild of the P2s – see page 15). The boiler pressure was increased to 250psi, and the cylinder diameter was reduced to 19in. A further 13 were authorised in 1945, although these and half of the original order were built as designed as Thompson had retired in 1946; in all, 15 were built to his design between 1946 and 1947. These were the first new Pacifics built at Doncaster for eight years and carried a number of enhancements including steam brakes, a hopper ash pan, electric lighting, and a self-cleaning smokebox. However, the rocker gate and V-shaped cab (as seen on some of Thompson’s rebuilds) were absent. New on 29th March 1947 as No 520 Owen Tudor, it was allocated to the adjacent depot before moving south to Peterborough’s New England depot on 12th December 1948. It had been renumbered as 60520 following a General overhaul during July and August 1948. It is seen standing at the buffer stops at King’s Cross carrying a Grantham shed plate where it was allocated between October 1957 and July 1959, when it was reallocated to New England. It was withdrawn from the latter depot on 16th June 1963 after a little over 16 years’ service. George Heiron (249)

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Above. Although both of these Class J27s are carrying 52E (Percy Main) shed plates, the location is Blyth (North) as their home shed did not have a roundhouse for locomotive stabling. With bare buffer beams it is clear that the locomotives have no equipment fitted for providing braking power to their train, limiting their use to working unbraked freight trains – the guard in his van applied braking power as required using his hand-brake. The locomotive on the left is the newer of the two having been built at the NER’s Darlington Works in June 1908 as a member of its ‘P3’ class. Under the LNER renumbering scheme it became 5802 on 17th March 1946, and then during April 1951 it gained its BR identity. During the BR era it was allocated to Percy Main for two periods, August 1950 to June 1956, and again from October 1956 to February 1965 when it was moved to Blyth (North) from where it was withdrawn on 7th August 1966. No 65809 was completed at Darlington, entering traffic during November 1908 as NER No 1012. On 17th February 1946 it became 5809 and it became 65809 during August 1948. It was allocated to Percy Main between August 1950 and February 1965, when, as with No 65802, it was moved to Blyth (North) from where it was withdrawn on 4th September 1966. Percy Main was closed to steam on 28th February 1965, and totally a year later. H. Gamble (HG0886) Right. Now carrying Lord Faringdon nameplates, No 60034 emerged from Doncaster Works on 1st July 1937, being allocated to the nearby depot numbered 4903 and named Peregrine. It gained its 1946 number of 34 on 3rd November 1946, and received its new name on 24th March 1948 whilst undergoing an Unclassified repair during a four day stay at Doncaster Works. The locomotive is painted in the BR green livery that was initially applied in August 1952 – it spent the first 15 years of the BR era allocated to King’s Cross depot so the image may well have been taken there. It arrived in Scotland in November 1963, being allocated to St Margarets. Its final depot was Aberdeen Ferryhill from where it was withdrawn on 24th August 1966. Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon, known as Sir Alexander Henderson, 1st Baronet, from 1902 to 1916 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Faringdon, was a British financier and Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament. He was best known as a financier of railways in Great Britain and overseas (such as the Algeciras Gibraltar Railway Co), and was chairman of the GCR from 5th May 1899 until the end of 1922, and then deputy chairman of its successor, the LNER, from 1923 until his death on 17th March 1934 aged 83. The first locomotive to carry His Lordship’s name was GCR No 1169 – the 9P (LNER B3) class generally known as the ‘Lord Faringdons’ – which was withdrawn, as No 1494, on 6th December 1947. His heir was (Alexander) Gavin Henderson, 2nd Baron Faringdon (20th March 1902-29th January 1977) who was a Labour politician and pacifist. He was mostly known for his charity work, and heavy financial support of medical aid programmes, and for housing 40 child refugees fleeing Hitler-backed fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War. Paul Hocquard (4641)

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Left. Wrangbrook Junction, near Upton in West Yorkshire, was a location where two lines branched off the Hull & Barnsley Railway main line from Hull Cannon Street to Cudworth. The first junction led to Denaby and Conisborough on the South Yorkshire Junction Railway, and, four chains (80m) further on, the Hull & South Yorkshire Extension Railway to Wath diverged. The H&BR line between Hull and Cudworth opened on 20th July 1885, with the branch to Denaby on 1st September 1894 and the Wath line on 31st March 1902. This set of junctions was originally operated by three signal boxes – ‘Wrangbrook North’ on the south side of the main line by the Denaby branch; ‘Wrangbrook South’ on the west side of the Denaby branch and ‘Wrangbrook West’ on the west side of the Wath branch. Ever short of money, the LNER rationalised the boxes during 1934 when the South and West boxes were closed and control passed to North box that was renamed Wrangbrook Junction. The line between Wrangbrook Junction and Little Weighton was closed on 6th April 1959.

The Moorhouse to Wrangbrook Junction section followed on 30th September 1963, and the lines between Wrangbrook Junction and Moncton and Sprotborough both closed on 7th August 1967.

Neville Stead (NS201387)

Right. If the date of the photograph is correct, 1959, then this is probably one of the last images taken of this William Worsdell-designed Driving Brake Carriage built for the North Eastern Railway in 1908. The last survivor, No E2433E, was withdrawn in January 1959 and is seen here at Darlington with a service to Middleton-in-Teesdale. The 7.75-mile (12.47km) Tees Valley Railway was built from the North Eastern Railway’s (ex-South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway) station at Middleton Junction, to the west of Barnard Castle, to a terminus at Middleton-in-Teesdale. The station opened to passenger traffic on 12th May 1868 with the line being worked by the NER, who formally acquired the line on 19th June 1882. Although the town was in County Durham the station was in Yorkshire, with the River Tees a short distance to the north of the station being the county boundary. Following withdrawal of the Barnard Castle to Penrith service through running ceased and all Middleton trains started from Darlington. Passenger services ceased on the branch with effect from 30th November 1964 with freight traffic following on 5th April 1965. Neville Stead (NS204719A)

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Top left. On a winter’s day No 67282 approaches Springhead Halt during 1955 with two carriages and a horsebox in tow on the former Hull, Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway that became part of the Hull & Barnsley Railway (H&BR) in 1905. A station on or near this site and close to the hamlet of Wolfreton, to serve the nearby village of Anlaby, was originally considered by the H&BR but never built. The halt was opened by the LNER, on 8th April 1929, to coincide with the introduction of a Hull suburban service on the H&BR and other local branches, many of these being operated by Sentinel steam railcars. The halt consisted of two 25ft (7.62m) wooden platforms on the embankment with steps up from ground level on both sides – known locally as Forty-Nine Steps, this being the number of steps one needed to climb to get to the platforms – there were no other facilities, books of paper tickets were available from local shops. The halt closed on 1st August 1955 when passenger services along the route ceased. Class G5 0-4-4T No 67282 started life, as No 1884, in December 1896 at Darlington Works as a member of the NER’s Class O of which 110 were built between 1894 and 1901, across seven batches. The class was noted for being sturdy, working long and economical careers. They worked throughout the north-east, and could be found on both branch line passenger trains and the heavier suburban trains. They were regularly clocked at 60mph on the Middlesbrough to Newcastle services. The ‘G5s’ were only moved away from these heavier suburban services with the arrival of larger tank locomotives. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, many of the G5s were replaced with steam railcars. In turn, the displaced G5s replaced withdrawn F8s and G6s. In further attempts to economise on branch-line routes, twenty-one G5s were converted for vacuum-operated push-pull working from 1937, part of the equipment can be seen to the left of the smokebox. No 1884 received its 1946 number, 7282, in August 1946 and its BR number in September 1948 with withdrawal in May 1957. The class survived pretty much intact to 1949 with only two failing to carry their allotted BR numbers.

The first withdrawal was in 1948, but the majority were withdrawn between 1955 and 1958 as they were replaced by diesel railcars and DMUs. The last 10 of the class were withdrawn in December 1958. Neville Stead (NS201365)

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Above. During World War 1 there was a need for additional motive power to handle the increased need to move troops and munitions both at home and in Europe as the overseas nations were adverse to lending their locomotives for the Allied war effort. The decision was made that a heavy freight locomotive was the best answer and the GCR Class 8K 2-8-0 was selected with the first orders being placed in February 1917. In all 521 locomotives were built for the Railway Operating Department coming from five different manufacturers, the last emerging from the works of Robert Stephenson & Co Ltd in 1920 with many being loaned to UK operators. Following the release of the railways from Government control on 15th August 1921 the locomotives became available for the UK and overseas railways to purchase. The LNER purchased 125 locomotives in December 1923, 48 in February 1925 and a final 100 in February 1927. During World War 2 the War Department required motive power for use in the Middle East and 61 ex-ROD locomotives and 32 GCR examples were prepared for service in 1941. The North British Locomotive Co, Glasgow, built what became No 63864 in August 1919, as its Works No 22166, carrying the ROD number 2075. It became LNER 6534 on 8th August 1925 and, as usual, was renumbered to 3864 on 19th July 1946 whilst allocated to Doncaster depot. Following a General repair at Gorton Works between 26th March and 16th April 1946 it emerged carrying its BR number. It was withdrawn from Ardsley depot on 8th August 1962 and was consigned to Gorton for recycling. It is seen here passing through the former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway’s Pontefract Tanshelf station during 1959 with a short freight in tow and is included for the locomotive rather than the station.

Neville Stead (NS204192) Right. From the early 1830s there had been a number of attempts to build a line from Darlington to Barnard Castle, however these were blocked by successive Dukes of Cleveland who owned much of the land. It was not until 3rd July 1854 that Parliament passed the Act authorising construction of the Darlington & Barnard Castle Railway. All stations on the line, except Broomielaw, opened to the public on 9th July 1856, the day after formal opening. The station at Broomielaw was opened on 8th July 1856 as a private halt for the Bowes-Lyon family who lived in nearby Streatham Castle. Its station had a single platform located in a cutting on the up side of the line with a covered stairway down from the road above. At one time John Bowes was so proud of the station that he named one of his horses after it in 1862.

Broomielaw won the Chester Cup and the Prince of Wales Stakes. At first it was a private station, used by the Bowes-Lyon family, although it was also used by children for excursions. It was not until 9th June 1942 that it was opened to the public, even then it was not until 1944 that it appeared in the Hand-book of Stations. To the north was a siding controlled by a signal box to the west. The station had no general freight facilities although a siding was provided on the north side of the line controlled by a signal box to the west of the station. Broomielaw did handle parcels and continued to do so until final closure. The station closed to passengers on 30th November 1964 and closed to goods on 5th April 1965. No 69831 was built to a GCR design by R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co for the LNER, as a member of its Class A5, in 1925 at its St Peter’s works in Newcastle upon Tyne. It entered traffic on 3rd October 1925 as No 1719, being allocated to Darlington. Following a General repair at the same works during June and July 1946 it emerged as No 9831, and became 69831 following a further General repair in August and September 1948 whilst allocated to the nearby depot. It was withdrawn from Thornaby depot on 27th November 1958, but not scrapped at Darlington until May 1959 so may well have been stored at Broomielaw between these dates. Neville Stead (NS208051A)

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Above. The Hull, Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway & Dock company (usually abbreviated to Hull & Barnsley [H&BR]) was authorised by Act of Parliament on 5th July 1880. The H&BR never manufactured any of its own locomotives, all being built elsewhere. The first types in use were to the design of W. Kirtley (Locomotive Superintendent of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway) who was acting as a consultant. Matthew Stirling (son of Patrick Stirling of ‘Stirling Single’ fame) was the first and only Locomotive Superintendent of the H&BR during its independence, and who undertook the rebuilding of some of Kirtley's designs, as well as contracting the construction of his own designs to various builders. In 1924 the LNER proposal to close Hull Springhead Works and transfer overhauls and men to Darlington resulted in an exchange of views in Parliament, one of the comments made was: ‘that it is believed that the closing of the Springhead works and the use of a single works for the whole of the North-Eastern district will still further curtail the bad goods services about which he has received so many complaints, and cannot he inquire into that before these works are closed?’ Springhead locomotive shed was adjacent to the works. On the middle road is an ex-GCR-design Class 8K (LNER O4/3). This was one of those built for the Railway Operating Department by the North British Locomotive works in Glasgow as ROD No 2116 (see page 112 for the story). Acquired by the LNER it was numbered 6632 on 17th March 1928 following a General overhaul at Gorton Works, and again to No 3881 on 8th September 1946 following another General at Gorton. As BR number 63381 it was withdrawn from Sheffield Darnall depot on 9th December 1962 and was consigned to Derby for scrapping after over 43 years in traffic. On the right is Gateshead-built NER Class M1 (LNER D17) No 1637 that entered traffic in November 1893; one of 20 built to William Worsdell’s design between 1892-94. Rebuilt with a superheated boiler in March 1921 it survived in traffic until January 1935, having been in traffic for just over 42 years. The engine shed was opened by the H&BR in 1885 and closed by British Railways in July 1961 and subsequently demolished. Neville Stead (NS201366) Right. The equivalent of the NER Class E1 (LNER J72) 0-6-0T locomotives had been built, virtually unchanged, since 1898; the final example left Darlington Works during 1951 – over three years since Nationalisation – where No 69023 is seen nearing completion, with, in all probability, No 69024 following on. The 4ft 1.5in (1.25m) wheels for 69025 are standing in the foreground. No 69023 entered traffic at Blaydon during April 1951 before moving to Gateshead in October 1962. Two years later it was transferred to Departmental stock and allocated No 59. It was then used to de-freeze coal wagons on the Blyth shipping staithes, but after a year was moved back to Gateshead where it was used, amongst other non-glamorous jobs, to de-ice points in Tyne yard. Following withdrawal it was placed into store and sold into preservation in September 1966, being named Joem in honour of the purchaser’s parents. The locomotive is now owned by the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group and at the time of writing is undergoing overhaul in Darlington. Neville Stead (NS204734)

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Left. Class B12 No 61547 runs a passenger service into Wisbech East station. It was the Eastern Counties Railway that first reached Wisbech from the south in May 1847 with the opening of a line from St Ives via March; a temporary wooden station named ‘Wisbeach’ was built on the site of the future Wisbech goods yard.

The East Anglian Railways made its way from the east to Wisbech the following year with a line from Magdalen Road station; their station – on the site of the future Wisbech East station – was also a temporary structure named Wisbeach. The two lines were connected by a short curve, however, the two stations remained in use until at least 1851 when a lease was agreed between the two companies giving the operation of the East Anglian Railways to the Eastern Counties, the agreement taking effect at the beginning of 1852. In 1862, the GER acquired the line and subsequently closed the Eastern Counties’ Wisbeach station to passenger traffic the following year. The spelling of the name as Wisbech occurred on 4th May 1877. Following Nationalisation, ‘East’ was added to the station name on 27th September 1948. The line from March to Magdalen Road via Wisbech closed on 27th September 1968. The section east of Wisbech was subsequently dismantled, but the rest of the route remained open for freight traffic (from March Whitemoor Junction) to Wisbech in order to serve the Spillers (later Nestle Purina) pet food factory, Metal Box (later Carnaud Metal Box, now Crown Cork) can factory and a coal depot. The last trains ran in the summer of 2000, although the track still remains in situ for most of the route. Designed by Stephen Holden, Locomotive Superintendent of the GER from 1908-12, the ‘S69’ class was one of the few classes he introduced during his short tenure of office. A total of 71 locomotives were built for the GER in eight batches (No 1506 was written off following an accident when seven months old and replacement, No 1535, was built to replace it, leaving 70 in service). No 61547 was built by William Beardmore & Co, Dalmuir, Glasgow as GER No 1574 in September 1920. Renumbered 8547 in January 1924, and back to 1547 during September 1946, it gained its BR number two years later. Withdrawal came at Norwich Thorpe depot on 13th October 1958. The majority of Beardmore’s locomotive output was for Indian railways, however the company also built ships (including naval vessels), aircraft (both licensed and own design), along with cars and motorcycles. Beardmore's various companies became unprofitable in the post-WW1 slump, resulting in the company facing bankruptcy. Most of Beardmore’s various businesses were wound down, or sold, over the next few years until his retirement and death in 1936.

R. E. Vincent (713) Above. Today Witham is the junction for the Braintree branch line to the north-west that opened in 1848. Between 1848 and 1964 it was also the junction for a southwest-facing branch line to Maldon East, from where No 67190 rounds the sharp, eight chain, curve at the junction. This line was opened on 2nd October 1848 by the Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway, its terminus was originally named Maldon but was renamed Maldon East on 1st October 1889 and then Maldon East & Heybridge on 1st October 1907. The line closed to passenger services on 7th September 1964, one of many branch lines closed as a result of the Beeching Report; freight services continued until 18th April 1966. (See page 52 for further details.) At Witham junction the maltings is advertising its operators as Hugh Baird & Sons Ltd – and was once operated by Harrison Gray – note the wagon turntable on the extreme right that was the only means of wagons gaining rail access into the maltings.

Running into Witham station is Class F5 No 67190 during its time allocated to Colchester depot – it moved to Lowestoft during September 1952. This was built at the GER’s Stratford Works and entered service during March 1903. No 143 was originally a Class M15 and was rebuilt with a higher boiler pressure and reclassified M15R during October 1911. It was renumbered 7143 in 1924 and again to 7190 in May 1946. It is seen here sporting its final operator’s name on the tank sides and number on the rear buffer beam. It was withdrawn from Lowestoft depot on 23rd November 1955. R. E. Vincent (3372)

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Top left. The Stamford & Essendine Railway opened Stamford East station on 1st November 1856 as the terminus of the line to Essendine on the GNR main line. The line was mainly intended for passengers travelling north, however through bookings were possible to Peterborough in direct competition with the Midland Railway. In 1867, the S&ER opened a line to Wansford on the London & North Western Railway’s Nene Valley line from Northampton to Peterborough. The Wansford line ran east immediately adjacent to, on the north side, of the Midland line for over two miles, before gaining height and crossing over the Midland and curving south just before Uffington & Barnack station. The GNR agreed a lease of the S&ER lines on 15th December 1893; it was to be a lease in perpetuity from 1st January 1894 at a rent of £3,000 for ten years, and then £3,500 annually. Following Nationalisation the station had the suffix East added from 25th September 1950. Passenger usage of the Stamford East-Essendine line was very light; most passengers who used the line changed trains at Essendine to reach Peterborough or London, and it was obvious that those passengers could use the former Midland line to Peterborough instead. Closure to passengers was proposed, and services were transferred to Stamford Town (the former Midland station) on 4th March 1957. The Midland station lost its Town suffix on 18th April 1966. Constructed at Darlington Works during October 1898 as a member of the 60-strong GNR Class C2 4-4-2T, the locomotive was originally numbered 1019, becoming 4019 when renumbered in April 1926. Withdrawals of the class commenced in 1937, and a total of 10 had been withdrawn by the outbreak of war in 1939. With a wartime shortage of motive power, withdrawals were postponed enabling 4019 to be renumbered as 7357 during October 1946. Following the cessation of hostilities, withdrawals started again in 1947 with one locomotive withdrawn, leaving 49 to enter BR ownership in 1948 with 7357 becoming 67357 during February 1952. Despite rapid withdrawals, between 1948 and 1949 five C12s were fitted with push-pull gear for services from King’s Cross to Alexandra Palace; from Bulwell Common to Annesley; and from King’s Lynn to South Lynn. No 67357 was withdrawn from New England depot on 22nd May 1958. Neville Stead (NS205399) Bottom left. With sunlight and shadows resulting in an atmospheric view of the interior of the train shed at Newcastle station, with No 60115 providing the steam effects. Constructed by the Newcastle & Carlisle Railway and the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway it was originally called Newcastle-on-Tyne Central and on 29th August 1850 Queen Victoria visited the station by train and formally opened it. Situated some 268 miles (432km) north of London King’s Cross, it is on the East Coast main line from London to Edinburgh. In the 1860s the passenger train service was increasing, the six platforms were increased to nine in 1871 and to 12 in 1877, and then to 15 in 1894. Additionally a through island platform was provided in 1871. The increase in traffic continued, as also increasing train lengths, and it was clear that a major extension of the station was essential. Newcastle had been given city status in 1882 and was supportive of the work, seeing it as a civic improvement.

Major reconstruction work was completed in 1894. The NER continued expansion during the early 20th century, including third rail electrification of the suburban services. Development of the station and services continue to take place. Built to Arthur Peppercorn’s Class A1 design the locomotive was constructed at Doncaster Works; entering traffic on 3rd September 1948 it was painted in the early BR express locomotive livery of blue lined in black and white and named Meg Merrilies. It was allocated to Gateshead depot when new, transferring to Copley Hill (Leeds) during November 1960 from where it was withdrawn on 12th November 1962. It was scrapped at its birthplace the following May. Neville Stead (NS206604) Above. The ship alongside the quay at Newcastle is Hoegh Lines’ Silvercrest, which was completed in 1940 by Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, as Hoegh Trader. It was taken over in the builder’s yard by Germany and renamed Kurland and transferred to the Kriegsmarine. Until 1942 it served as a Fleet Scout Ship and then as a Target Ship and Naval Auxiliary. Following cessation of hostilities in 1945 it was retaken at Kiel and returned to Norway. In 1947 it was re-commissioned under a new name, Hoegh Silvercrest. Hoegh Lines sold the vessel during 1961. The unidentified locomotive trundles a rake of wagons filled with logs along the quayside, in precontainer days a large number of dockers were required to load and unload the ships as most cargo of the period was either in sacks or packages that required manhandling into larger rope ‘sacks’ for transfer from ship to quayside. See page 55 for a history of the docks in the area. Neville Stead (NS205299)

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The station approaches to King’s Cross seen from above Gasworks Tunnels with Gresley Class A3 No 60054 Prince of Wales heading an express service. Built at Doncaster Works as an ‘A1’ class, it entered service on 31st December 1924 as No 2553 carrying the name Manna, and following a brief stint at Gorton was allocated to its new home of King’s Cross on 28th January 1925.

It was renamed Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) on 11th November 1926. Along with the rest of the class it was rebuilt as a Class A3, in the case of No 2553 this occurred at Doncaster Works between 18th June and 28th July 1943. It became No 54 (following a brief period numbered 522) on 23rd September 1946, and again as No 60054 on 9th April 1948 following a General repair.

Although not very clear in the image No 60054 is fitted with an original GNR-designed tender; it was never fitted with the LNER version, being withdrawn on 28th June 1964. The locomotive appears to be fitted with a double chimney, dating the image to the August 1958 to May 1962 period. The ‘A4’ arriving cannot be clearly identified, but it is fitted with a Gresley corridor-style tender. In the murk are two Thompson Class L1 2-6-4Ts, introduced in 1945, which were used on some suburban services. George Heiron (275)

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Right. Class V2 No 60821 heads northwards on the through lines at Beningborough,; the line had been opened by the Great North of England Railway. The initial Act was passed on 4th July 1836, with the Croft-York line sanctioned on 12th July 1837. The Newcastle & Darlington Junction Railway acquired the company by an Act of 27th July 1846, subsequently changing its name to the York & Newcastle Railway when the Pontop & South Shields Railway was taken over. In 1854 the NER acquired the company and they opened the station here on 1st December 1898. It was closed to passengers on 15th September 1958 with goods traffic surviving until 5th July 1965. No 60821 emerged from Doncaster Works on 3rd December 1937, as No 4792, being allocated to the nearby depot. Under the 1946 renumbering scheme it carried two numbers, 721 that was applied on 17th March and then 821 from 26th May. As with a number of former LNER locomotives it gained its final number on 16th April 1948 following a General overhaul. Its final shed was New England where it had been allocated on 14th December 1958, and it was condemned on 29th December 1962. Neville Stead (NS204577) Below. Gresley A3 class No 60072 departs from York during 1959 with a northbound express. Built at Doncaster Works as Class A1 No 2571 Sunstar it entered traffic on 30th September 1924, being allocated to Gateshead. As with all of the class, it was rebuilt to ‘A3’ specification, in this case in July 1941. It was renumbered as No 72 on 27th July 1946, and again on 19th August 1948, both following General overhauls at Doncaster. The locomotive is carrying a 52D shed plate for Tweedmouth depot where it was allocated between 14th September 1958 and 12th June 1960 when it moved to Copley Hill (Leeds). It was withdrawn from Heaton depot on 22nd October 1962, and scrapped virtually immediately. The train consists of mainly BR Mark 1 carriages, the second is in the Crimson & Cream livery, whilst third vehicle is a wooden-bodied Gresley Vestibule Restaurant First dating from the 1929-34 period.

Neville Stead (NS204548)

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Above. Inside the train shed at York during 1958 is Peppercorn Pacific No 60128 Bongrace. Built at Doncaster works, it entered service at Copley Hill (Leeds) on 19th May 1949 where it stayed for a year before moving south to King’s Cross, being allocated there from 4th June. Following stints at Grantham, and again at King’s Cross, it carries the 34A shed plate in the image, it was reallocated to Doncaster shed on 5th April 1959, where it remained until withdrawal on 10th January 1965 when it was sold to Drapers of Hull for recycling. The rear of a freight train can be seen on the down through line. The carriage on the right, No E18268, is a Gresley Vestibule Composite Corridor; dating from 1935, it was withdrawn during April 1962. Above it is an advertising poster for J. H. Fenner & Co Ltd, a manufacturer of conveyor belt systems once used in the coal mining industry.

Neville Stead (NS204544) Left. Chaloners Whin junction, to the south of York, is where the York & North Midland Railway’s 1839 line from Leeds/ Barnsley connects with the NER’s 1871 Selby-Askern junction line. When the lines opened this area was in the middle of the countryside and there was never a station here, today housing stretches most of the way to York. Class V2 No 60857 heads south towards Selby with a motley rake of fuel tanks in tow, complete with the requisite barrier wagons.

No 60857 was built at Darlington Works as No 4828, entering traffic on 10th May 1939 and allocated to Gorton. It was allocated to Sheffield Darnall when its 1946 number, 857, was applied on 30th June 1946. Following a General overhaul at Doncaster Works it re-entered traffic on 21st October 1949 carrying its BR number. Its final shed was Doncaster from where it was withdrawn on 17th April 1962, entering the Works the same day for scrapping. Neville Stead (NS204696)

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Left. Thompson Class B1 No 61275 heads north at Norton South junction during 1961 with a rake of loaded 16-ton mineral wagons in tow. The locomotive was built by the North British Locomotive Co, Glasgow, entering traffic on 12th January 1948, being allocated to Darlington depot where it remained until 4th November 1951 when it was moved to Stockton. By the time the image was taken it was allocated to West Hartlepool, where it remained until transferring to York (North) on 12th May 1963.

Withdrawn on 28th October 1965, it was scrapped at North Blyth. The nearby Norton Junction station was opened on 11th July 1835 by the Clarence Railway located at the junction between its two eastern branches to Port Clarence and North Shore Staithes. The station was poorly located for the village of Norton and so it was closed to both passengers and goods traffic in July 1870 by the NER to be replaced by Norton-on-Tees station, a short distance to the east along the Port Clarence branch.

The Clarence Railway was authorised by Act of Parliament on 23rd May 1828. Its main line ran from Haverton Hill, on the River Tees, to Sim Pasture junction on the Stockton & Darlington Railway at Newton Aycliffe. The line was extended from Haverton Hill to Port Clarence – two branches were also constructed. One was from its main line between Carlton and Norton-on-Tees down to Stockton via Norton South junction. In 1844 the Clarence Railway was leased to the Stockton & Hartlepool Railway. Neville Stead (NS204799) Above. The York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway, opened the station at Borough Bridge on 17th June 1847. It was resited in 1875 with the first station remaining open for goods traffic until 1964. Between 1875 and 1886, the first service of the day to Harrogate would originate at Boroughbridge, and the last service of the day would terminate here also, so the engine shed was retained for overnighting purposes. The 1847 station had two dead end platforms, with the goods yard only being accessible from the southernmost platform via a reversal. The second station, to the west of the original, opened on 1st April 1875 and closed for passengers on 25th September 1950. Images of the station show the station signs as Borough Bridge instead of Boroughbridge; these were hand-painted and it is possible this was a mistake by the sign writer. The newer station had eight goods lines, including two which were located within the old station area, and two platforms adjacent to double track, making it the only station on the line with a passing loop. The 1904 Hand-book of Stations, lists Boroughbridge as having a (51/2-ton) (5-tonne) crane, and being able to handle most types of goods traffic. Typical freight traffic handled at Boroughbridge included cleaning products and sugar beet outbound, and coal, animal feed and oil inbound. The original engine shed, seen here with its doors closed, was opened on 17th June 1847 by the YN&BR and closed by the NER on 1st July 1866 following which it was used as a goods shed. With two cattle vans correctly positioned behind the tender, as per operating instructions, No 61438 assembles its freight train prior to departure. Built to a Vincent Raven NER design at Darlington Works, it entered traffic on 17th July 1923 as a member of the ‘B16/1’ class. It was rebuilt to ‘B16/2’ specification at Darlington Works during August to November 1939, and renumbered to 1438 on 6th December 1946. It gained its BR number on 16th September 1948 following a Light Repair. It was withdrawn from traffic at Hull Dairycoates on 29th June 1964 and sent to Drapers of Hull for scrapping that commenced on 5th October the same year. Neville Stead (NS204576)

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Above. The Norwich & Spalding Railway opened its station at Sutton Bridge on 3rd July 1862, however it failed to cross the River Nene and was situated alongside the Quay. Four years later the Lynn & Sutton Bridge Railway arrived and crossed the Nene via the 1850-built, Robert Stephenson-designed, Cross Keys swing bridge that had been purchased by the N&SR in 1862. The Peterborough, Wisbech & Sutton Railway arrived the same year. From January 1867 all three companies used a new Sutton Bridge station with the original N&S station becoming a goods depot. The second station was improved in 1891 and again in 1897, resulting in what was effectively a third station. Class J6 No 64260 is in charge of an eastbound service, the brake compartment of the first carriage is being loaded, or unloaded, with parcels. The locomotive was built for the GNR during December 1919 at Doncaster Works, entering service as No 621. It was renumbered 3621 in October 1925, and again as 4260 in October 1946, finally gaining its BR number during April 1948. The locomotive spent much of its BR career based at Boston shed but was withdrawn from King’s Cross on 1st March 1961. Sutton Bridge closed with the line on 2nd March 1959, the final passengers travelled over the whole line on 28th February when the Peterborough and Norwich lines closed to all traffic. The Bourne/Spalding-Sutton Bridge line was retained for freight services until 5th April 1965 when that section was finally closed. Immediately to the east of the station the Cross Keys swing bridge still survives, albeit for the use of road traffic as originally designed.

Neville Stead (NS207927) Right. The station, that became known as Norwich City was opened on 2nd December 1882 by the Lynn & Fakenham Railway, and later became the southern terminus of the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway (MG&N) line from Melton Constable. The station became well-used, with services to Cromer and through-carriages to a range of destinations including Peterborough and Leicester. The station was badly damaged in the Baedeker raid of the night of 27th April 1942 when the main building was largely destroyed. Additional damage occurred on 24th November 1944 when Consolidated B-24H Liberator, 42-95133, on a practice mission from RAF Horsham St Faith whilst flying at low level, with a 10/10s cloud base at 4-600ft and poor horizontal visibility, struck the steeple of St Philip’s Church, losing the outer part of the right hand wing and tail assemblies. Those on the ground saw the bomber fly on for about another 1,000yd (304m), before banking steeply to the right and plunging onto the site – all nine on board were killed. Thereafter, the station operated from ‘temporary’ buildings constructed on the site. It was closed to passengers on 2nd March 1959 along with most of the M&GN system, although the station remained in use for goods traffic until 1969. The three-road locomotive shed at Norwich City is seen in its 1935 condition before it was totally destroyed on the night of 27th April 1942. It was reduced from three roads to two and shortened considerably when reconstructed in 1944. The locomotive was M&GN No 53, one of Johnson’s Class C 4-4-0s that was later to become LNER Class D54. Built in 1896 by Sharp, Stewart & Co, (Works No 4192) it was later rebuilt, in 1910, with a Belpaire boiler. It was further rebuilt in 1925 and in July 1937 became LNER No 053 and was withdrawn from South Lynn shed in January 1940. Neville Stead (NS207935)

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Left. Glasgow Queen Street station was built by the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway, and opened on 21st February 1842 as Dundas Street before being renamed as Queen Street. Despite opening in 1842, the train shed (curved glass roof) wasn’t completed until 1878 – over three decades later. In 1865 the E&GR was absorbed into the North British Railway, in 1878 the entire station was redesigned by the civil engineer James Carswell. He introduced electric lighting at the station, which was one of the earliest examples of electricity use in Glasgow. Queen Street station’s platforms are on two levels, with the high-level platforms running directly north-south and the low-level running east-west. The adjacent Buchanan Street station, of the rival Caledonian Railway, opened on 1st November 1849, and as a result of the Beeching Report, closed on 7th November 1966, with services to Stirling, Perth, Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen transferred to Queen Street. This caused difficulties with longer trains, as Queen Street is in a confined position between George Square and the tunnel. Buchanan Street was demolished the following year. No 67628 brings a local service into the station during 1962. It had been built at Doncaster as a Class V1, entering service in December 1934 as No 2928. It was renumbered 7628 during August 1946 and gained its BR number during September 1948. In January 1957 it was converted to a Class V3 by increasing its boiler pressure to 200lb/sq in from its original design pressure of 180. It was allocated to Eastfield depot between November 1961 and December 1962 before a transfer to Heaton. It was withdrawn from Gateshead shed on 24th November 1964, after just less than 30 years of service. Neville Stead (NS207500) Above. Hadley Wood station was opened on 1st May 1885 by the GNR and is situated between the North and South tunnels on what was for decades just a doubletrack line with a small goods yard that was closed on 1st March 1950. This was causing a bottleneck and the Potters Bar (Greenwood)-Potters Bar quadrupling was commenced in March 1953. This was completed in May 1959 with the original tunnel being used for services to London. Access to the station is off the Crescent Road overbridge and has four platforms, but only the outer ones are in everyday use, with passenger services stopping there. Fast services use the central tracks and do not stop at the station, however parts of the inner platforms have been resurfaced, to allow for use in an emergency. Designed by Gresley for use hauling fast freight services, this member of the ‘V2’ class was built at Doncaster Works as No 4874, entering service at the nearby depot on 20th March 1940. It was renumbered 903 on 11th December 1946 and gained its temporary BR number, E903, following a General overhaul between 25th December 1947 and 28th January 1948. It would not gain its final BR number until 22nd March 1950 following another General overhaul at Doncaster Works. It was allocated to King’s Cross from February 1943 until 27th January 1963 when it was reallocated to New England from where it was withdrawn in early February 1963. Neville Stead (NS207172)

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Above. BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 No 92174 passes under Holgate Road bridge just to the south of York station on the former York & North Midland line. The locomotive and its freight train are approaching the site of York Racecourse station, also known as York Holgate Excursion Platform and Holgate Bridge station, that served the York Racecourse in Holgate. The station was opened on 14th December 1860 by the NER, however, it was only used on race days; a cattle dock, no doubt for horse traffic, and a third platform were later added. The sidings were used when the passenger numbers became too high, although this drew complaints due to delays and chaos. With World War 2 just around the corner, the station was last used for the races on 24th August 1939. No 92174 emerged from Crewe Works, entering traffic on 28th February 1958, being allocated to Doncaster, that became its one and only home depot. It was withdrawn on 12th December 1965 after less than eight years in service. The following May it was despatched to T. W. Ward’s Killamarsh yard for recycling.

Right. Hessle was opened on 1st July 1840 by the Hull & Selby Railway and is 4¾ miles (7.6km) west of Hull Paragon. From the platforms when looking west a good view of the Humber Bridge can be had, it is also the nearest station to it. Originally constructed as a double track line, it was quadrupled early in the 20th century and the platforms were aligned as to serve the outer lines only. When the section was rationalised down to two tracks by British Rail in the early 1970s, they were extended out to meet the surviving centre tracks. There was, for a short period only, a Hessle Road station in Hull, opened by the York & North Midland Railway; it opened on 8th May 1848 and closed in October 1853; the company was taken over by the NER in 1854. A very smart looking K1 Mogul, No 62028, passes through the station proudly wearing its 52C Blaydon shed plate. Following construction by the North British Locomotive Co (Works No 26632) it entered traffic on 17th August 1949; it was allocated to Blaydon until 6th May 1962 when it was transferred to Gateshead. It was withdrawn from York (North) depot on 21st November 1966.

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Although the Hull & Barnsley Railway (H&BR) was built primarily to carry coal, it also attempted to generate passenger traffic. In October 1905, this resulted in the Midland Railway granting the H&BR running powers between Cudworth and the Midland’s Sheffield station. To operate this service Matthew Stirling designed his Class J (LNER Class D24) 4-4-0 locomotives. The five members of the class were built by Kitson & Co, being delivered in December 1910. World War 1 led to the service being cut back from Sheffield to Cudworth in 1917. By 1929 the original boilers were in need of replacement and it would have been natural for the LNER to have withdrawn such a small class. Instead, they replaced the old boilers with new ones that had a dome but no superheater. These new boilers had Ross pop safety valves, in contrast with the Ramsbottom valves used on the original boilers. The ‘D24s’ continued to haul the Hull-Cudworth services until 1932 when the passenger service was cut back to South Howden. The shorter journey meant that the LNER was able to use the more economic tank locomotives and Sentinel steam railcars. This was only three years after the new boilers were fitted, so although attempts were made to use the ‘D24s’ on other secondary passenger services from Hull, the class spent much of the next two years in storage, and all five were withdrawn between 1933 and 1934. No 2429 emerged from Kitson’s (work No 4704) in December 1910, being numbered as H&BR No 42. It was renumbered 3042 when they were taken over by the NER in 1922 and again as No 2429 in July 1924, having become LNER stock at the Grouping. It was withdrawn during September 1934. Neville Stead (NS201304)

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By the late 1890s, the emphasis on rail travel moved more to comfort rather than speed. This led to an increase in express train weights, and a need for more powerful passenger locomotives that were not necessarily as fast. To meet this need, Wilson Worsdell designed the Class S (LNER B13) 4-6-0 in 1899 for the NER. They were the first passenger 4-6-0 locomotives of British design. The first three locomotives were also built with a deliberately short wheelbase of only 48ft 4in (14.72m), so that they could be turned on existing 50ft (15.24m) turntables. This resulted in a short tender and a short cab that proved more impractical than the need to use large turntables or triangle tracks. They had conventional cabs fitted in 1901. The class did not prove to be as free running as would have been expected from their dimensions and this led to them only being used for main express services for a few years before they were displaced by the NER Class S1 (LNER B14) in 1900 and the NER Class V (LNER C6) in 1903. Despite their shortcomings, they proved to be successful on less demanding services. Between 1905 and 1909, 30 further engines were built to meet a need for locomotives to haul recently introduced fast goods trains. By the time the last of the class were built, they had found a place hauling fast, perishable freight services and excursion trains. With the Depression in the late 1920s and early 1930s, traffic declined and withdrawals started in 1928. Constructed by the NER at its Gateshead Works, as its Class S No 775, it is seen at York (North) in 1936 a short time before its withdrawal on 15th August that year. The last of the class was withdrawn in 1938.

Neville Stead (NS201542A)

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Vincent Raven’s Class S3 (LNER B16) was a culmination of the NER’s development of the 4-6-0 wheel arrangement started by Wilson Worsdell’s Class S (LNER B13). When they first appeared in 1919, they were described as ‘fast goods’ locomotives, but this was later changed to the more appropriate ‘mixed traffic’ description. An initial order for ten was placed in November 1918, but an additional 25 were requested before these were delivered from Darlington Works – in all 70 were built in six batches from 1919 to 1924 – all being fitted with Stephenson valve gear on all three cylinders. In 1937, Gresley rebuilt No 2364 with Walschaerts valve gear on the outside cylinders, and his conjugated valve gear on the central cylinder, to be classified ‘B16/2’, and six more ‘B16s’ were rebuilt with Gresley's conjugated gear. In 1944, Thompson authorised further rebuilds, but with his favoured layout of having separate Walschaerts valve gear on all three cylinders. These rebuilds were known as ‘B16/3’, and a total of seventeen were converted between 1944 and 1949. Initially the B16s were allocated in and around the ECML for mixed traffic duties. In 1925, some were allocated to Dairycoates to replace the Hull & Barnsley ‘Q10’ 0-8-0s that were proving to be insufficient for NER duties. By 1930, they were being regularly used to haul heavy excursion traffic to the Yorkshire coast, as well as football specials. Extra coaches would often be added to these services at very short notice, and the ‘B16s’ coped with this heavy traffic. On multiple occasions, over 30 different ‘B16s’ were sighted at Scarborough on the same summer Saturday. By 1935, the ‘B16s’ were concentrated at Darlington, York, Dairycoates, Neville Hill, Scarborough, Tyne Dock, and Blaydon. During World War 2 and afterwards, the ‘B16s’ tended to wander further south and often worked on the Great Central main line to places such as Woodford Halse and Banbury. For a while, a York (North) Class B16 was allocated to the Marylebone parcels train. After World War 2, they were also seen south of Peterborough, often as a replacement for a V2 2-6-2 or a Thompson ‘B1’. In 1949, the York ‘B16s’ were dispersed to Neville Hill and Dairycoates. One ‘B16’ (No 925) was destroyed at York Shed during the same air raid as ‘A4’ No 4469 Sir Ralph Wedgwood. The remaining ‘B16s’ survived intact until 1958 when withdrawals began due to their age and the introduction of diesels. The last ‘B16/1’ was withdrawn in 1961, and the last rebuilt ‘B16’ was withdrawn in 1964. LNER No 1408 was constructed by the NER and entered service as its No 848, becoming 1408 on 9th December 1946. It was reallocated from Hull Dairycoates to York (North) on 4th December 1949, and gained its BR number 61477 on the 13th – so the image was taken around this time. It is seen here in a fairly clean condition, probably soon after emerging from Darlington Works on 9th August 1947 following a General overhaul. It had been intended for it to become BR No 61408 but to make way for Thompson’s B1 class it was renumbered 61477. It was withdrawn from York shed on 1st January 1960. Neville Stead (NS201408)

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The first station in Alnwick was on the edge of the town, opening to the public on 19th August 1850 – however, a special had run over the line on the 6th. It had been constructed by the NER to connect with its station at Alnmouth, three miles away on the East Coast main line. The original station was replaced on 5th September 1887 when it was moved northwards, nearer to the town centre. The new station was also the terminus of the Cornhill branch; at 351/2miles (57km) long it was single track line from Alnwick via 10 intermediate stations to a junction on the Tweedmouth to Kelso branch line at Cornhill-on-Tweed. Construction was started by the NER in 1884. The line opened to freight between Cornhill and Wooperton on 2nd May 1887, and the whole line for both freight and passengers on 5th September of the same year. The line had difficulty attracting passengers because many of the stations were some distance from the communities they served. Increased bus competition in the 1920s led to passenger trains being withdrawn on 22nd September 1930, although the service resumed briefly during World War 2 to serve RAF Milfield, near Akeld. After a severe storm in August 1948 washed away a bridge north of Ilderton station, BR, which had recently taken over the line, decided that the low volume of rail traffic did not warrant replacing it so through freight services ceased. The Alnwick-Alnmouth line closed to passengers on 29th January 1968 and completely on 7th October; whilst the platforms have been in-filled, the train shed remains intact and in use, including by Barter Books. A two-coach train waits for its passengers to board for the short trip to Alnmouth behind Class V3 No 67683. The locomotive was constructed at Doncaster, entering service during October 1939 as No 391, becoming No 7683 during June 1946. It bears a 52A shed plate which was the code for Gateshead depot where it was allocated during its BR career, August 1950 to December 1955, and again between June 1963 and its withdrawal on 23rd September 1963 – a life of just under 24 years. Neville Stead (NS209689)

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The approaches of King’s Cross are seen from above Gas Works Tunnel as Gresley A4 No 60010 Dominion of Canada takes a northbound express out of platform 7. The illustration predates November 1957 as the bell carried in front of the chimney was removed when the locomotive was fitted with the double blast pipe arrangement during a General overhaul at Doncaster between 19th November and 27th December 1957. The history of No 60010 is recounted on pages 4/5. The canopy, bottom left, is on the surface platform of York Road that gave access to the Metropolitan lines. The underground station here opened on 15th December 1906 that was one of the original stations on the Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway, the precursor to today’s Piccadilly line. The surface buildings were constructed in the distinctive style of architect Leslie Green, and were connected to the platforms by a single lift shaft containing two lifts. Traffic levels were never high, and the station closed on 19th September 1932, on the same day that the northern extension of the Piccadilly Line from Finsbury Park to Arnos Grove opened. George Heiron (252)

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Above. The shed at Alloa is seen here during 1958 with Class J35 No 64487 standing by the buffer stops. Opened in 1885 by the NBR, the building was to the east of the station and originally built as a dead-end shed; it is seen here in 1958 having been converted to a through shed at some date. Interestingly Alloa was one of only three depots in Clackmannanshire, the Caledonian Railway also had a single road shed in Alloa (closed by the LMS in 1930), the other shed was at Alva and was constructed by the Stirling & Dunfermline Railway that was closed by the LNER in 1931. The depot was finally closed in January 1967. Built by the NBL (Works No 18883) in September 1909 as NBR No 200, it gained its first LNER number in 9200 in August 1924 and then 4478 in October 1949. It was withdrawn on 22nd April 1960. The private siding leading off to the right served Alloa Brewery that was established in 1810 by William Foote, Ebenezer Thompson and Andrew Roy. In 1866 the company was acquired by Archibald Arrol. It was registered in May 1895 to amalgamate Walter and Archibald Arrol with John Meikle’s Arthur’s Hill Brewery, and acquire some houses from William Turnbull & Co, both of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The company was purchased by Allsopp & Sons Ltd of Burton-upon-Trent in 1930. Later trading as Ind Coope Alloa Brewery Ltd and then as the Alloa Brewery Co Ltd. The site closed in 1998 and the buildings were demolished. Neville Stead (NS206179) Right. The original two-road shed at Wrexham was opened by the Wrexham, Mold & Connah’s Quay Railway on 1st January 1866. The line became part of the GCR in 1901 and the building was damaged beyond repair in 1910. The shed was replaced by a six-road dead-end building that opened in 1912 and was known as Wrexham Rhosddu to differentiate it from the Great Western Railway’s Croes Newydd depot. The depot became part of the London Midland Region following Nationalisation and the shed was reduced in length as seen here in this undated view. Four of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (GCR) Class N5 0-6-2Ts stand outside the building, on the left is No 69267 that was allocated to the depot between August 1950 and September 1957. Interestingly, the ‘N5’ prototype, MS&LR No 7, was the first locomotive built for a British railway to use the Belpaire boiler design. The neighbouring Beyer, Peacock & Co had been using them for a few years, but all of these locomotives were built for export. No 69267 was built to an MS&LR order by Beyer, Peacock in December 1893 as No 534; it was renumbered by the LNER to 5534 and then in August 1946 to 9267, finally gaining its BR number in July 1948. It was withdrawn from Peterborough New England shed on 26th January 1960, having arrived there from Tyne Dock in July 1958. On the right of the view is an Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-2T No 41234; built at Crewe in August 1949, it was allocated to Wrexham between September 1955 and August 1956 when it moved to Bangor. It was withdrawn in November 1966 from Sutton Oak (Peasley Cross), a matter of weeks after arriving from Llandudno. The depot closed on 4th January 1960. Neville Stead (NS205677)

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Above. Looking as if destined for the paint shop, LNER Class D16/3 No 62510 stands outside the works at Stratford during 1953. The first member of the class was numbered 1900, the year it was built in, and carried the name Claud Hamilton after which the class became known – it was exhibited at the Paris Exposition the same year. No 62510 left Stratford Works in July 1900 as GER No 1899 as part of the first batch of Class D14s. Its first LNER number was 8899 and it acquired its 1946 number of 2510 in November 1946 having been rebuilt to Class D16/3 configuration (the ‘Rebuilt Clauds’) during September 1943 with superheated round topped boilers, and the loss of its decorative framing over the connecting rods. The chalk marks on the smokebox read ‘Wrong Square’ referring to the fact that the smokebox dart needs adjusting and ‘Flat Plate Handrail Loose’ – the latter giving access to the front of the inside cylinders. Once these, and any other remedial work required, are attended to, the locomotive will enter the paint shop and then return to Norwich Thorpe depot for further service. It would remain there until June 1956 when relocated to Cambridge and then onto King’s Lynn from where it was withdrawn on 7th October 1957. Neville Stead (NS205819) Top right. Darlington Works was established in 1863 by the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) and the first new locomotive was built at the works in 1864.

Though the S&DR had amalgamated with the NER in 1863, it continued to build its own designs for a number of years. In 1877, the first North Eastern designs appeared. Under the LNER it continued to play a major role, producing a new engine each week, with Gresley’s K3 class 2-6-0 appearing in 1924. Both the Class V2 and A1 express locomotives were also built there. By 1927 the works was the town's largest employer. After nationalisation, Darlington built both steam and diesel locomotives, including all 65 examples of the BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0 design. In 1954 during the modernisation of BR the works was enlarged and had grown to cover over 238,000 square feet (22,100m²). In 1962 the BR Workshops Division was formed and, with rationalisation, the works was run down and closed in 1966. This image outside the Works was taken during 1959 and shows numerous locomotives in various states. At one time during the run down of steam traction, the Works was dismantling locomotives almost immediately once they had been withdrawn. Of interest is the pile of new tyres awaiting fitting, bottom right of the image. Only two locomotives are identifiable; nearest the camera is Class J27 No 65874. Built at Darlington Works it entered traffic as NER No 2325 during June 1922, becoming LNER No 5874 in November 1946 and gaining its BR number in December 1949. The locomotive arrived at its final shed of Blyth (North) in September 1963 and was withdrawn in August 1966. The other locomotive is No 62727, which left the Works on 1st June 1929 as a member of Gresley’s D49 class – No 336 Buckinghamshire. It was renamed The Quorn in May 1932 after a general overhaul at the works. In November 1946 it was renumbered 2727, acquiring its BR number on 19th August 1950. It arrived at its final depot of Hull Dairycoates in September 1959 and was withdrawn on 16th January 1961, and, like many of its classmates, scrapped at its birthplace a few weeks later. The image can be dated to the period of 7th to 17th August 1958 as No 62727 was at the Works for a Light Casual at the time. Neville Stead (NS204732) Bottom right. An earlier example of the Class J72 0-6-0T. This example was built by the NER at Darlington Works, entering traffic during December 1925. It is seen here in the yard at Darlington during 1947 carrying number 8753 that was applied in June 1946. It acquired its BR number, 68753, during May 1948. It was withdrawn from Hull Dairycoates depot on 15th August 1960. Neville Stead (NS204895)

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Pacifics awaiting departure from King’s Cross with No 60030 waiting to take the ‘Tees-Tyne’ express northwards. New to traffic on 26th November 1948, No 60136 Alcazar was a member of Arthur Peppercorn’s Class A1 Pacifics and was constructed at Darlington Works; its initial allocation was to Copley Hill (Leeds). It was reallocated to King’s Cross on 21st May 1950 then spent the next 13 years allocated there, Grantham and Doncaster where it arrived for a final time on 5th May 1959.

It was withdrawn from there on 22nd May 1963 – being allocated to the adjacent works for recycling a few days later. On the nearer platform is one of Gresley’s finest, A4 class No 60030 Golden Fleece. It emerged from Doncaster Works and entered traffic at the nearby depot on 30th August 1937 in Apple Green livery as No 4495 Great Snipe. Its original nameplates were removed on 11th September 1937 as it had been returned to the works to be repainted in Garter blue, emerging on the 25th as Golden Fleece. On 23rd November 1946 it was renumbered 30 following a General overhaul at Doncaster Works, final renumbering to 60030 occurred on 30th June 1948, again following a works overhaul. From 24th September 1937 it spent its life allocated to either Grantham or King’s Cross from where it was withdrawn on 29th December 1962, and, as with 60136, consigned to Doncaster Works for dismantling. George Heiron (267)

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The south-bound ‘Elizabethan’ arrives at King’s Cross behind No 60009 Union of South Africa, sometime prior to September 1952 when the long ‘guard irons’ were removed during a General overhaul at Doncaster Works. Originally intended to be named ‘Osprey’, when delivered from Doncaster Works it was allocated to Haymarket as No 4488 carrying Garter blue livery and its new name. Reallocated to Aberdeen Ferryhill depot on 20th May 1962, the locomotive was to spend much of its working life on the three-hour services between Aberdeen and Glasgow. Condemned on 1st June 1966, it was fitted with a corridor tender and sold into preservation. Across the adjacent platform Class N1 0-6-2T No 69441 is waiting to take the stock of the previous arrival to the carriage depot for servicing. Built by the GNR in March 1910 as No 1561, it was renumbered 4561 by the LNER during May 1926 and again in September 1946 as No 9441. Following its stint in London it was sent north in the spring of 1954, initially to Colwick and a year later to Bradford Hammerton Street from where it was withdrawn in late May 1955 as No 69441. George Heiron (250)

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Left. With the dates scrawled on the cab side – 2-4-66 and 21/4 – giving a clue as to the date of the image, the shed man on the footplate is probably carrying out the first instruction to empty the firebox so the boiler can be inspected and washed out at a later date. This action was a regular occurrence during the steam era, and indeed still is on heritage railways, as a certain amount of ‘crud’ would accumulate in the boiler, shortening its life and decreasing its ability to create steam. This dates the image to have been taken during the locomotive’s tenure at York (North shed), where it arrived during March 1965, and departure in October 1966. No 65823 was constructed by the North British Locomotive Co, Glasgow, (Works No 18368) entering traffic during June 1908 as NER No 1036. Renumbered 5823 in February 1946, it gained its final number during November 1948. It was withdrawn on 20th March 1967 at Blyth (North) and following a period of storage it was scrapped in July the same year. Paul Hocquard (1724) Above. The only clearly identifiable locomotive standing on shed at York (North) is ‘K1’ class 2-6-0 No 62065. Built by the North British Locomotive Co, it entered traffic at Darlington during January 1950 with a transfer to Stockton following on 25th June the same year. Its final shed was York (North) from where it was withdrawn on 20th March 1967. Over the years 22 members of the class were shedded at York (North) between June 1956 and May 1967. The shed closed to steam in June 1967 and part of the site is now incorporated in the National Railway Museum. With its number partially obscured by No 62065’s vacuum hose is a member of the ‘J27’ class.

Eighty were built for the NER from 1906 to 1909 to a design by William Worsdell at Darlington Works, North British Locomotive Co, Beyer, Peacock & Co, and Robert Stephenson & Co. Twelve years later, a batch of 25 with Schmidt super heaters and piston valves were built at Darlington Works. These were delivered in 1921-2 and were followed by a final order of 10 placed in December 1922 and built by the LNER at Darlington in 1923. Paul Hocquard (1742)

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Above. The final approach to King’s Cross was always a hive of activity with a multitude of light engine and empty coaching stock movements. Standing in the station locomotive sidings, taking water, is Class B1 4-6-0 No 61328 that was built by the North British Locomotive Co, Glasgow, (Works No 26229), entering service on 16th June 1948 and sent to Immingham. From where it was withdrawn just over 16 years later on 22nd September 1963. Also dating from 1949 is Arthur Peppercorn’s Class A1 Pacific No 60144 King’s Courier that was built at Darlington Works, entering traffic on 2nd March at Darlington. It was allocated twice to King’s Cross, from 4th June 1950 until 15th July 1951 and from 15th September 1957 until moving to Doncaster on 10th November the same year. It was withdrawn from Doncaster depot on 30th April 1963 and scrapped at the nearby works within two weeks. Having arrived with a southbound service, it is seen here reversing out of King’s Cross bound for the nearby depot, that was generally known as ‘Top Shed’ where it would be turned and prepared for a northbound train later in the day. George Heiron (247) Left. An express emerges from the Copenhagen Tunnels heading north behind A4 No 60025 Falcon. Built at Doncaster in January 1937 as LNER No 4484, it spent most of its BR life allocated to East Coast main line depots – Grantham and King’s Cross. It was renumbered to 25 on 4th May 1946, following a General repair at Doncaster Works from where it emerged in wartime unlined black livery. It gained the better known Garter blue livery 18 months later. On 27th January 1950, following another General overhaul, it was painted into BR blue carrying the number 60025. It arrived at its final shed, New England, on 16th June 1963, being withdrawn on the 20th October the same year. Neville Stead (NS207178)

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A damp day at King’s Cross as A3 No 60062 Minoru waits for departure time. The fireman has spotted the photographer. The image is pre-16th February 1955 as the locomotive was fitted with a GNR-style tender, and during a General repair in August-October the same year it was converted to left-hand drive. Constructed at Doncaster Works, it entered service on 30th May 1925 as No 2561, initially being allocated to Gorton depot. It was rebuilt from the original A1 design during a Heavy repair between 15th May and 24th June 1944. It gained its final LNER number, 62, on 18th October 1946, and an interim BR number, E62, on 4th March 1948 following a Light repair. A General repair during May-July 1949 saw it renumbered to 60062. Although allocated to various East Coast main line depots, it was never fitted with a corridor tender so would not be seen on the non-stop London-Edinburgh services. Its final depot was New England; allocated there on 20th October 1963, it would survive until withdrawn on 26th December 1964. George Heiron (257)

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Above. No 61997 runs into Arisaig that is the westernmost station on the national network, and is the only one of the four cardinal points that is not a terminus. The station is on the West Highland line, some 32 miles 2 chains (51.5km) from the former Banavie Junction, near Fort William, between Beasdale and Morar on the way to Mallaig, and was opened on 1st April 1901 as part of the Mallaig extension of the West Highland Railway. The WHR was formally acquired by the NBR on 21st December 1908, becoming part of the LNER at the Grouping. No 61997 is a member of Gresley’s K4 class of 2-6-0s that was introduced in 1937, being designed for working on the West Highland line. Although nominally the most powerful of his moguls, with 5ft 6in driving wheels they had a relatively small sized boiler. This was because they only needed to use the higher power for relatively short periods at low speed on the line. Built at Darlington in January 1939 as No 3445 MacCailin Mor, it was renumbered to 1997 in December 1946 and gained its BR number in January 1949. In 1945 as LNER No 1997 it was rebuilt, on the orders of Thompson, with two cylinders and reclassified as a K1 (later K1/1), becoming the prototype for the Peppercorn K1 class introduced in 1949. It spread its wings after rebuilding, working from Norwich Thorpe for a year from October 1946, then moving to New England before a return to Scotland in November 1949. It was condemned on 12th June 1961 whilst shedded at Fort William. George Heiron (678) Right. Glasgow’s Eastfield depot was opened by the North British Railway in September 1904 as a 14-road through shed complete with ramped coal stage (later replaced by a mechanical plant), water tank and two turntables. The shed was reroofed by the LNER , finally closing to steam in November 1966, with a diesel depot being constructed on the site that survived in operation until 1992 – the site subsequently being cleared. Two NBR 0-6-0s are seen here outside the shed. Class J36 No 65270 was built at Cowlairs Works in March 1893 as No 181, it became LNER No 9181 following the Grouping and then 5270 in June 1946 before finally gaining its BR number in February 1951. It was allocated to Eastfield between August 1950 and June 1957. It was withdrawn from Parkhead depot on 14th February 1958. Some 25 years after the ‘J36’ was delivered, NBR No 461 was to emerge from the North British Locomotive Co’s Glasgow Works in October 1918, classified as J37. It became No 9461 at the Grouping and then 4581 in September 1946, gaining its BR number in December 1950. It arrived at Eastfield in August 1950, remaining until 29th December 1962 when it was withdrawn. A. E. Bennett (1255)

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The station at Mellis was proposed by the Ipswich & Bury St Edmunds Railway as part of their route to Norwich and was authorised by Parliament on 21st July 1845 – with the section between Haughley and Burston opening on 2nd July 1849; by 1862 the Great Eastern Railway was running the line. For many years Mellis acted as a railhead for Eye, the only sizeable town in the area with a horse omnibus connecting them; by the 1860s the economic impact of not being on the railway network was being felt in Eye, and a connecting branch was opened on 2nd April 1867. An early casualty, passenger services on the Eye branch ceased on 2nd February 1931; however freight traffic continued until 13th July 1964. Mellis station itself closed to freight on 28th December 1964 and to passengers on 7th November 1966. The station building itself was not demolished until 1975 and in the mid-1980s the line was electrified and re-signalled with electric services to Norwich operating from June 1986. A member of the original batch of Class 30 locomotives, No D5518, is seen at the head of a south-bound service prior to closure of the station. Built by Brush Traction, it entered traffic on 16th October 1958 and was allocated new to Stratford Depot. Following collision damage, it was rebuilt to Class 31/1 specification during the summer of 1967 incorporating parts from a classmate that altered its appearance, as it now incorporated four-digit route indicators. Withdrawn from Stratford Depot on 11th January 1993, it survives in preservation. Paul Hocquard (1838)

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The original station named Manors was opened on 1st July 1847 by the Newcastle & Berwick Railway, which amalgamated with the York & Newcastle Railway to become the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway that was authorised by Parliament on 9th July. Manors station opened on 30th August 1850 to replace a temporary station that became a coal depot, and had two platforms on a bridge over Trafalgar Street. When the East Coast main line was widened to four tracks in 1887, an additional two platforms were built. On 1st January 1909, the former Blyth & Tyne Railway terminus at New Bridge Street closed and the line was extended to join the East Coast main line between Manors and Newcastle Central. Manors North was opened on this line, with two through platforms and three bays. The original station was renamed Manors East. The former station at New Bridge Street became a coal yard that supplied customers in the east of the city. When the two stations were combined on 20th February 1969, Manors North formed platforms 1-5 and Manors East platforms 6-9. From 1904 until 1967 the lines through the station were electrified with the third-rail system and No 67683 is seen here departing the electrified bay platform with a local service for Benton. It was built at Doncaster in October 1939; entering service as Class V3 No 391, it was a member of the last batch of 10 to be constructed between February 1939 and April 1940. It was renumbered as 7683 during April 1946 and was the last member of the class to receive its BR number during April 1950. Withdrawal came on 23rd September 1963 whilst allocated to Gateshead. Most platforms at Manors closed on 23rd January 1978 to allow for the construction of the Tyne & Wear Metro. Neville Stead (NS209502)

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Gresley A3 Pacific No 60046 was named after Diamond Jubilee that was a British-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Born in 1897, in a career which lasted from June 1899 until October 1901 he ran 16 times and won six races, including the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Epsom Derby in 1900. Diamond Jubilee was bred by the Prince of Wales and when he became King Edward VII in January 1901, he leased all his racehorses to the Duke of Devonshire for the rest of the year. Retired to stud, he ended his days in Argentina where he died on 10th July 1923. Diamond Jubilee was built at Doncaster Works as No 2545; it entered service on 9th August 1924, being sent to Gorton for running in. It arrived at King’s Cross depot on 3rd September where it remained until transferred to Grantham in June 1928. Under the 1946 renumbering scheme, initially as 514 (although this was not carried), it became 46 on 13th June 1946 that it carried until

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gaining its BR number of 60046 following a General overhaul in August 1949. It left Doncaster Works carrying the broad black with thin white lining blue livery that it retained until appearing in BR Brunswick green livery following a Heavy Intermediate overhaul in October 1952. The image is undated although it pre-dates November 1962 when the locomotive was fitted with ‘trough’ smoke deflectors shortly after its arrival at New England depot. It returned to its original home at Grantham on 21st April 1963, being withdrawn from there two months later on 16th June 1963. The public are warned not to ‘pass beyond this notice’ that is hanging off the bracket signal. All three signals are at red – always at the bottom of the pile in contrast to road traffic lights – and the indicators show ‘S’, for the slow lines. George Heiron (258)

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Left. With overhead wires in place, the 25kV electrification of Glasgow’s suburban network is signifying the ‘new era’ at Queen Street station that was completed in November 1960. Most of the system covered the LNER’s ex-NBR lines, although the section between the former Dumbarton East Junction and Balloch belonged to the Dumbarton & Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian/NBR). The section between Dumbarton East Junction and Dunglass Junction was a deviation over the former Caledonian lines. A longstanding member of Eastfield depot’s allocation – that despite its name the shed was located to the north of Cowlairs station – No 61342 arrived new from Gorton Works on 3rd January 1949. It remained there until 10th November 1966 when it was allocated away, in this case to Motherwell, when Eastfield closed to steam. A diesel depot was constructed on the same site, but this closed in 1992 with the area being redeveloped. Note the double electric lamps above the coupling hook above the buffer beam – the left hand one will give a red colour to act as a tail lamp at night, although, as can be seen, white-painted oil lamps have to be carried during daylight. No 61342 was withdrawn on 31st December 1966 after serving for just under 18 years. Paul Hocquard (4482) Above. Peppercorn A1 class Pacific No 60140 Balmoral stands at the King’s Cross buffer stops having brought in a southbound service to the Capital. Built at Darlington Works in December 1948, York (North) shed had an early Christmas present as it arrived there new to traffic on the 24th. It moved south to King’s Cross’ Top Shed depot the following October before relocating to York (North) on 4th June 1950 where it was to remain until withdrawal on 11th January 1965 after a little over 16 years of service. Sold to Albert Draper’s of Hull, it was one of 10 of the class to be recycled at their yard, meeting its fate on 7th April 1965. The water stand pipe between the tracks was for the use of any shunting locomotive that had brought in empty carriage stock for outgoing services that might need a top up. George Heiron (245)

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Left. Liverpool Street station was built as the new London terminus of the GER that served Norwich and King's Lynn. The GER had been formed from the merger of several railway companies, and inherited Bishopsgate as its London terminus.

This station was far from adequate for the company's passenger traffic and its Shoreditch location was in the heart of one of the poorest slums in London and hence badly situated for the City of London commuters the company wished to attract. As a result the GER planned a more central station, its original intention was to build a terminus that reached as far south as the London Wall. However the city authorities did not permit the more southerly location. Construction of the line and station was authorised by the Great Eastern Railway (Metropolitan Station & Railways) Act 1864. The station was built on a 10 acre (4.0ha) site previously occupied by the Bethlem Royal Hospital, adjacent to Broad Street station, west of Bishopsgate and facing onto Liverpool Street to the south. Initially viewed as an expensive white elephant, within 10 years the station was working at capacity (around 600 trains per day) and additional land to the east of the station was acquired for expansion. An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1888 and work started in 1890 on the eastward expansion of Liverpool Street by adding eight new tracks and platforms. This gave the station the most platforms of any London terminus until Victoria station was expanded in 1908. The initial World War 1 air raid on London took place on 13th June 1917, when 20 Gotha G.IVs, a heavy bomber used by the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service), attacked the capital. Liverpool Street was one of a number of sites attacked. Around seven tons of explosives were dropped, killing over 160 people and injuring over 430. Three bombs hit the station, of which two exploded, having fallen through the train shed roof, near to two trains.

One of these hit a carriage on a train about to depart, another hit carriages used by army doctors; the death toll at the station itself was 16 dead and 15 injured. It was the deadliest single raid on Britain during World War 1. During World War 2, the station’s structure sustained damage from a nearby bomb, particularly the Gothic tower at the main entrance on Liverpool Street and its glass roof. With the Main Line Departures display dominating the image, there is no excuse in missing a train – the 1.30 service to Norwich shows the connections to Harwich and Sheringham. The hourly service to Norwich shows that the GER main line services had been uprated following the introduction of the BR ‘Britannias’ into service. George Heiron (269) Above. An example of the motive power that made the hourly service possible, the BR Standard Class 7MT, is seen at Liverpool Street in the shape of No 70001 Lord Hurcomb. No 70001 left Crewe Works in February 1951 and was allocated to Stratford depot on the 14th; it was relatively new when the image was taken as it has yet to gain its 30A shed plate. It left the Eastern Region in March 1963 when it was reallocated to Willesden depot. It was withdrawn from Carlisle Kingmoor depot on 3rd September 1966 and dismantled in Wishaw by the Motherwell Machinery & Scrap Company.

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Situated on the northern bank of the River Humber, and now dominated by the Humber Road Bridge, Hessle lies just to the east where we see an NER Class C6 4-4-2; look closely and there is a locomotive hidden in the detail. Designed by Wilson Worsdell for the NER in 1903, No 696 entered service in May 1910 and served in capital stock until 31st December 1947 when it was withdrawn as LNER No 2939. Only two of the 20 strong class survived to be nationalised, being withdrawn in March 1948, never to carry their allocated BR numbers. As seen earlier a large number of companies required a source of steam to carry out their operations and redundant locomotives were useful if the site was rail connected – Hessle waterworks was no exception and No 2939 has been plumbed into the works network and is being used to supply steam. The area has been obliterated and a dual carriageway now covers the site. N. E Stead (NS200078)

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Right. After a service life of 68 years it should have been a welcome retirement for Class J71 No 68238, instead it occupies the scrap roads at Darlington Works. Built by the NER at Darlington Works in May 1887 as its No 347, it was renumbered 8238 in December 1946, gaining its final number in June 1950 whilst allocated to York depot. It was withdrawn from Normanton shed in early September 1955. Behind it is Class D20 No 62384, this time a product of Gateshead Works in June 1907 as NER No 1184. It was renumbered 2384 by the LNER in February 1946, and renumbered again to 62384 in September 1950 shortly before being transferred to Selby depot. It was withdrawn from there on 15th August 1955. The wheels in the foreground are marked as being from Class N13 0-6-2T No 9117, a Hull & Barnsley locomotive dating from February 1914. A. E. Bennett (0592) Below. No 60024, a member of Gresley’s A4 class of express locomotives, departed Doncaster Works on 26th December 1936 sporting LNER green livery lined in black and white; it carried the name Kingfisher from new. It would not gain the better-known Garter blue scheme until January 1938 following a General overhaul at Doncaster. As with most A4s it spent much of its life on the East Coast main line from London to Scotland, being allocated to Haymarket, Doncaster and King’s Cross at various times.

No 60024 escaped Scotland in March 1966 when it headed south to work two rail tours on the Southern Region’s South Western Division between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the 26th and a return trip from Waterloo to Exeter on the 27th, before returning north. Following relocation to Aberdeen Ferryhill on 21st March 1965, the locomotive was primarily used on the three-hour service to Glasgow until it was withdrawn in September 1966 as the last A4 to operate a revenue earning service. It was consigned to Hughes Bolckows of North Blyth for disposal the following month where it is seen awaiting entry in to the yard for disposal. N. E. Stead (NS206368)

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The end of the journey in more senses than one! When the LNER introduced the ‘Coronation’ high speed express in 1937 it built 26 vehicles for the service, that included two Observation saloons. The roof boards of these were shaped to form an end that curved downwards while the sides were tapered inwards. The complex shape created made the use of curved glass panels impossible so acrylic sheets were used to good effect for the rear observation windows. The view from the rear was limited to all but the passengers in the end swivelling armchairs. There were 16 seats in all and a supplement of a shilling an hour (5p) was charged for an hour’s occupation of each armchair. At the inner end of the carriage was a compartment for letter mail and luggage. The bulk of the ‘Coronation’ carriages were withdrawn in the early 1960s, although the two Observation, or ‘beaver tail’, cars lasted longer and, in modified condition with the storage compartment removed, continued in use on the West Highland line until the end of the 1967 summer season; withdrawal occurring that December. No E1729E is seen here in BR ‘blood & custard’ livery being shunted by an NBR Class D34, No 62485 Glen Murran, at Dundee on 15th May 1955. Both carriages survive in preservation, No 1719 in rebuilt condition, with 1729 restored to original as-built condition. A. E. Bennett (0592)

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FLAGSHIP

The Atmospheric Eastern

‘I was once told that one man’s atmosphere is another man’s smog, so I hope you enjoy our perambulation around the LNER, its precedents and antecedents.’

ISBN 978-1-913251-72-7

£29.95

The Classic Eastern Region Collection

Described by Alan C Butcher

F

rom London Kings Cross to Fraserburgh, from bucolic branch lines to the hives of industry, the London & North Eastern Railway had it all. Its range of motive power was tremendous, from Pugs pootling around goods yards to streamlined Pacifics streaking through the landscape. With good bits, bad bits and in some cases the downright ugly bits all adding to the atmosphere that stretched from the banks of the Thames to the northern coast of Scotland – the 6,500 route miles were full of contrast. Many of the inherited locomotives and rolling stock did well to survive into the Nationalised era – the LNER, as a company was never flush with cash. It was however full of new ideas, from steam railcars to electrification – not always successful – that was to capture the public’s attention. The sheer variety of motive power, rolling stock and goods traffic certainly contributed to the flavour of the times.

The Atmospheric Eastern

Images from the Transport Treasury

Described by Alan C Butcher