INTRODUCTION
Our latest offering starts with a look at Stanier’s first express locomotive design for the LMS, the ‘Princess Royal’ class, as depicted on the front cover. These elegant locomotives were the first built at Crewe to have the 4-6-2 wheel arrangement and were designed to be able to cover the Euston to Glasgow route in one run.
The latest in our Manchester Locomotive Society shed articles features Northwich, which transferred to the LMR from the Eastern Region in the first year of the nationalised railway. This is followed by a trip on the Highland line, the journey being joyfully described by regular contributor Ian Lamb. Whether in the countryside or city I always think that railway photos in the Scottish landscape have a cetain appeal. What do our readers think and maybe let me know the location that appeals to you the most.
Our ‘long read’ is another fantastic offering from Philip Hellawell, who writes about the connections from the city that has been described as having “the worst rail connections of all the major cities in England”, namely Bradford. It is accompanied by the usual high quality Transport Treasury images, complemented by Philip’s present-day photos of remaining infrastructure and artefacts.
We then move across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland where David Anderson takes a look at the ‘W’ class
moguls. Although designed by Stanier they owed aspects of their looks to some of Sir Henry Fowler’s locomotives. Moving back over the water we have two small articles dating from the 1920s/30s. The first covers early use of colour light signalling by the LMS on the Barking to Upminster line and the second is a railway accident report featuring a mishap on the Midland Main Line near Hendon.
Finally, we follow up the Bedford article featured in Issue 7 by moving further up the line to feature Sharnbrook and the Wymington Deviation with another fantastic selection of photos of trains passing through in the area. A taster can be seen on page 2 to your left.
As usual we finish this issue with ‘The Platform End’, and my thanks go to the readers who took time to write in with their observations. It is always good to hear from you especially with suggestions of locations you would like to see featured in Midland Times and also pointing out facts and additional information that have not been covered in the articles produced, your input is much appreciated.
To make sure you never miss an issue of Midland Times why not sign up to our subscription service? For details visit www.ttpublishing.co.uk, email admin@ttpublishing. co.uk or call us on 01494 708939.
Peter Sikes, Editor, Midland Times email: midlandtimes1884@gmail.com
Left: First in class of the Stanier ‘Princess Royal’ Class Pacifics, No. 46200 The Princess Royal at Camden Goods Depot waiting for permission to reverse down to Euston to pick up its train before heading north.
Built at Crewe Works, entering service on 27th June 1933 and clocking up over 1,500,000 miles before withdrawal from Carlisle Kingmoor on 17th November 1962.
Photo: R. C. Riley © Transport Treasury
When the Cheshire Midland Railway opened its Altrincham–Northwich line in January 1863, locomotives were housed in a shed at Knutsford, situated on the down side of the line, north of the station. However, when the Helsby line and the ‘salt branches’ opened in 1869/70, a two-road shed was built at Northwich, on the down side of the main line, opposite the station. By 1877, this shed’s size had increased to four roads, thus doubling it’s capacity and in consequence the shed at Knutsford was closed. In addition to the turntable in the goods yard, Northwich shed gained its own turntable in 1892 (replaced in 1902 by a larger one from Trafford Park). As Northwich was a Cheshire Lines shed, its allocation was mainly MSLR and GCR loco types, such as F1 2-4-2Ts, C13 4-4-2Ts and O6 4-4-0s for the passenger work and N5 0-6-2Ts and J9 and J10 0-6-0s for the freight work, this situation continuing well into the LNER period. In 1940, the C13s were replaced (temporarily) by ex-GNR C12 4-4-2Ts, which were regarded as underpowered by comparison. Midland Railway locos were also based at Northwich for the Peak Forest–Winnington limestone trains, this traffic being worked during the 1920s by Johnson 2F 0-6-0s. Midland locos were regularly seen at Northwich on coal trains from Yorkshire and on general goods workings from Heaton Mersey also.
On 31st December 1947, the last day of the LNER, the permanent allocation at Northwich shed was as follows:
GCR D10 4-4-0 2650 Prince Henry, 2652 Edwin A. Beazley, 2655 The Earl of Kerry
GCR J11 0-6-0 (MSLR) 5131/4/8-9/40/2/6-7/55-6/8/65-6/71/ 87/90-1/5202/5
GCR L3 2-6-4T (formerly L1) 9052/62
GCR N5 0-6-2T (MSLR) 9262/93, 9335/49
Total 19
Total 2
Total 4
With effect from 1st December 1948, control of motive power on the ex-Cheshire Lines system was transferred from the Eastern to the London Midland Region and Northwich was given code 13D in 1949, as part of the short-lived Trafford Park District. By May 1950, Northwich had become 9G and retained this code until February 1958, when it became 8E. Thereafter, Northwich was 8E until the shed closed to steam on 4th March 1968, along with Trafford Park and Buxton. The shed had been rebuilt in 1952 with a ‘louvre’ type of concrete roof.
10th May 1949 • Ex-G.C. Class L3 2-6-4T No. 69052 (8E), used for banking limestone trains from Northwich to Winnington (ICI Ltd), pictured at Hartford North.
By January 1957, there had been a substantial influx of ex-LMS engines at Northwich and the allocation was as follows:
Locomotive Numbers
LMS 4MT 2-6-4T 42467,42575
MR 3F 0-6-0 43538, 43651
LMS 4F 0-6-0 44155, 44341, 44456
LMS 8F 2-8-0 48045/6, 48155, 48254, 48340/68, 48426, 48506/21/55, 48605/13/97, 48711/7/42
LNWR G2 0-8-0 49304
GCR D11 4-4-0 62661 Gerard Powys Dewhurst, 62662 Prince of Wales, 62664 Princess Mary, 62665 Mons, 62669 Ypres
GCR J10 0-6-0 65134/58/69, 65202
2
2
Total 3
Total 16
Total 1
Total 5
By January 1961, the ex-LNER locos had left Northwich and the allocation was entirely ex-LMS plus three BR Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0s, as follows:
Numbers
LMS 4MT 2-6-4T 42319/40/56/9/69/86/93, 42423 Total 8
LMS 4F 0-6-0 44155, 44341, 44456
LMS 8F 2-8-0 48017/39/45, 48135/55/66, 48254/95/7, 48340, 48426/62, 48511/21/55, 48605/31/83/93, 48711/7/64
Total 4
Total 3
Total 22
Standard 2MT 2-6-0 78038/55/7 Total 3
At the time of closure of the shed to steam, the allocation consisted entirely of nine Stanier 8F 2-8-0s, i.e. 48036, 48272, 48304/40, 48493, 48617/32, 48722/7.
Turning now to the various loco classes at Northwich, and their workings, it is interesting to note that the last ex-GCR D9 4-4-0 in service, 62305, which was withdrawn in July 1950 from Trafford Park, had previously worked from Northwich_ Two ex-GCR L3 (formerly L1) 2-6-4T locos, 5274 and 5343, came to Northwich in 1943 and became 69052/62 after nationalisation. They were employed banking ICI hopper trains from Hartford CLC to Winnington and on trip workings between Winnington and the yards at Northwich, surviving on these duties until the early 1950s.
The ex-GCR D10 ‘Director’ 4-4-0s worked the local passenger services between Manchester (Central) and Chester (Northgate) until their withdrawal in 1953-55, when they were replaced on the same duties by D11 ‘Large Director’ 4-4-0s. The latter spent a relatively short period at Northwich, as all five were moved to
Ex-Great Central Class D11/1 4-4-0 No. 62664 Princess Mary (8E) awaits its next turn of duty in the mid 50s, together with 8F 2-8-0 No. 48155, another resident, with a further unidentified 8F.
Pollitt Class J10/4 0-6-0 No. 65138 (8E) is seen stabled in the shed yard in the early 1950s.
3rd June 1963 •
Stanier Class 5MT 4-6-0 No. 44695 bursts out of Bowling Tunnel. Note the state of lineside vegetation compared to the present day photograph on page 36. Photo: Robert Anderson/Transport Library
were laid down. No longer were the Divisional Signal and Telegraph Engineers responsible in the way they were for the Bow Road/Barking re-signalling although the line came under the jurisdiction of the Derby Division with Alfred Oldham being the Divisional Signal & Telegraph Engineer. A. F. Bound, the recently appointed LMS Signal and Telegraph engineer, had been an employee of The British Power Railway Signal Co. Ltd. (BPRS) in 1903, and he was keen to engage that Company, and so it was that their equipment was utilised in this scheme.
Power Supply
Electricity was supplied by the County of London Electric Supply Company’s sub-station adjacent to Heathway station through 22,000-volt transformers stepped down to 11,000 volts. Four substations were constructed, situated at Upney, Heathway, Hornchurch and Upminster. An 11,000/400-volt single-phase transformer was provided at each sub-station to supply the needs of the Signal and Telegraph Department.
Signals
The Bow Road/Barking scheme used two-aspect colour light signals but the new line to Upminster used the BPRS searchlight type whereby one lamp gave red, yellow or green, and, as the sections were virtually all the same length there was no need for a double yellow aspect. The signalling commenced on the down line at Barking East Down Line Local Advanced Starting Signal and in the up direction at Up Local Platform and Down Local Platform Starting Signals at Upminster West box. The purely automatic signals carried prefix A with the semi-automatic signals controlled from the signal boxes showing the number and designation letter of the signal box controlling them – BE Barking East; DH Dagenham; HC Hornchurch and UW Upminster West. Telephones were provided at the signals indicated by a letter T. Splitting signals of the bracket type were provided for the crossover junction to the steam lines at Dagenham East as they were also for the junction at Upminster West.
Route Indicators
Only two signals were provided with this facility at Upminster West being the Down Local Platform Starting Signal for up trains and the Up Local Platform Starting Signal for up trains, the indications for the four directions being to the up through (T), up local (L), Romford branch (B) and Branch siding (S). The route indicators were the multi-lamp type.
Marker Lights
This was the second scheme to use Marker lights, the first being Mirfield which was commissioned in July 1932. The marker light provided on this scheme was a second lower light to be found on most signals the purpose of which was:
1. To provide for the upper light failing as each light was on a separate circuit.
2. The new lines were used by District Line trains that were provided with train stopping gear that was actuated by train stops situated at signals having the additional lamp. When the upper signal was red the train trip was vertical but when it displayed yellow or green the train stop moved clear of the trip on the train. The rules of automatic signalling allow for trains pulled up at stop signals to proceed cautiously having stood for one minute at the signal. This was achieved by the provision of a time relay that operated from the moment a train arrived on the berth track circuit, i.e. that immediately in the rear of the signal exhibiting ‘danger’. At the expiration of one minute from the time the train came to rest, and providing the overlap in front of the signal is unoccupied –the marker light changed to portray a small yellow light and the train stop operated, allowing the train to proceed with caution, against the red light in the upper signal. The advantage being with this arrangement was that there was no need for the motorman to alight to the track in order to adjust his trip so as to pass the stop and then to reset it. When a signal was passed at ‘danger’ the driver was instructed to give two long blasts on the whistle.
3. Drivers of steam trains or engines were instructed to remain at the signal for one minute and then proceed to the telephone and obtain instructions from the signalman, this even if the indication had changed to the ‘yellow’ calling-on aspect.
4. When the upper light showed ‘clear’ the marker light was extinguished.
Three signals had no second light as they controlled train movements through crossovers to lines controlled by block signalling.
LMS Officers pose at Upminster during a press inspection. Left to Right: A. Oldham, Divisional Signal & Telegraph Engineer, Derby; S. H. Fisher, Operating Assistant to the Chief Operating Manager; J. W. Watkins, Assistant Divisional Superintendent, Derby; Ashton Davies, Chief Commercial Manager; H. G. N. Read, Assistant District Passenger Manager, London; G. H. Loftus Allen, Advertising and Publicity Officer; and C. R. Byrom, Chief Operating Manager.
Signal Boxes
New signal boxes were built at Hornchurch and Upminster, in addition six new carriage sidings were provided at Upminster with the goods yard remodelled as well as the motive power accommodation.
Train Stops
The latest design of BPRS train stop was used which later proved unsatisfactory as the design required the stop arm to be run ‘off’ by a rack and pinion action when the motor was caused to lift itself and thus lower the train stop arm. When the hold off circuit was de-energised the motor unit fell by gravity placing the train stop arm in the stop position. However cases occurred of the arm sticking ‘off’ and so the Westinghouse pattern was then used as a replacement as fitted on the Bow Road/Barking scheme.
Fenchurch Street Station
Perhaps it should be mentioned that the LTSR terminus at Fenchurch Street was the property of the London and North Eastern Railway, as was the approach to it from Gas Factory Junction over which the LTSR had running powers granted in 1876. To increase traffic the schemes considered here also eventually required the remodelling of Fenchurch Street Station as well as the re-signalling of the LNER line to Gas Factory Junction, a distance of 2¾ miles. The re-signalling of this section used four aspect colour light signals, the fourth aspect being double yellow meaning “pass the next signal at restricted speed”, the new facilities were brought into use on 14th April 1935. The LMS Board meeting on 28th April 1932 dealt with LNER Fenchurch Street alterations that cost £275,000 and permitted
A view of the magnificent Ribblehead viaduct crossing Batty Moss as a freight train makes its way north. Designed by John Sydney Crossley, chief engineer of the Midland Railway, construction started in October 1870 with the viaduct being opened on 3rd August 1875. It is 440 yards long, comprised of 24 arches and reaches a height of 104 feet.
Photo: Gerald Daniels Collection © Transport Treasury
