Western Times Issue 5

ISSUE No.5 - WINTER 2022

The history periodical for students of the GWR and BR(W) ISSUE No.5 - WINTER 2022

ISSUE No.5 - WINTER 2022

ISSUE No.5 - WINTER 2022

Contents Introduction

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Putting Marlborough on the Railway The Daylight 47s:

by Michael Barnsley

From the Archives of R C Riley

Temperance on the Broad Gauge

by Amyas Crump

5 14 19

West Country Clay Traffic - Part 1: China Clay in Cornwall

by Stuart Malthouse

20

From the Archives: 0-4-0 Saddle Tank - No.96

38

Modernising the Western: Reading Diesel Depot

40

Over Junction Signal Box

43

by Michael Jackson

The Hawksworth Coaches - Part 1: Main Line Stock

52

Book Review

65

Holiday Haunts

67

Recycling Great Western Style

73

The Great Western Trust (GWT) - Bulletin No.4

78

The Guard’s Compartment

79

Above: A beautiful summer’s evening draws to a close Friday 6 August 1976, as D1070 Western Gauntlet heads the 6V53 Stoke-on-Trent to St. Blazey clay empties over Moorswater Viaduct. Just visible to the left is the new A38 dual carriageway, built to by-pass Liskeard and opened two months previously at a cost of £5M. A two-part exploration of the history of West Country clay traffic begins in this issue, with a look at china clay operations in Cornwall.

Roger Geach.

Front Cover: An unidentified ‘Modified Hall’ ascending the climb towards Bincombe Tunnel between Weymouth and Dorchester West in June 1952. The ruling gradient here was as steep as 1 in 50 in places meaning a train starting ‘cold’ from Weymouth could be faced with a challenging haul. The GWR and later the BR(W) provided through trains from Weymouth to Bristol and Paddington, the latter running via Castle Cary, Westbury and Newbury. The engine appears to be working well, but with no whisper of steam from the safety valve perhaps it has been a bit of struggle. The first coach is a Churchward Gangwayed Brake Third ‘Toplight’ of Diagram D46. Built in two batches during 1910/ 11, some of these 56’ 0” vehicles remained in revenue service into early 1962. At the tunnel mouth there is evidence of another train recently having passed through whilst note too on the lineside, the p/way hut perhaps also used by the fogman when required. The line south of Dorchester was transferred to the Southern Region around this time, although direct Paddington – Weymouth services continued to operate for some years after.

S C Townroe.

Rear Cover: Four-wheeled ‘Simplex’ No. 26 stands out of use in the Sawmills Yard sidings within Swindon Works on 27 September 1959. The GWR purchased five of these four-cylinder petrol engined shunters from The Motor Rail and Tram Company Ltd of Bedford from 1923, for light work in confined space locations. This example was the final vehicle to be delivered in April 1927 and worked initially at the Didcot Provender Stores. It had relocated to Swindon by the early 1950s, to work within ‘B’ Shop and the western yards, before languishing on this spot from the summer of 1955. The iconic red and blue engineering brick gables of the (AW) Wheel Shop section of ‘A’ Shop dominate the background. Douglas Twibell.

© The Transport Treasury 2022.

ISBN 978-1-913251-29-1 First Published in 2022 by Transport Treasury Publishing Ltd. 16 Highworth Close, High Wycombe, HP13 7PJ. Compiled and designed in the UK. Printed in Tarxien, Malta by Gutenberg Press Ltd. www.ttpublishing.co.uk or WesternTimes@mail.com 2

INTRODUCTION very commercial enterprise that choses to E ignore customer feedback does so at its peril.

For this reason, publisher and editors are keen to

the fascination of the GWR and its successor with (rail-borne) internal combustion power formed a 66 year continuum through to the demise of the dieselhydraulics. This interest was entirely logical for an organisation greatly concerned with motive power efficiency for the simple reason that energy loss is far greater in the external combustion process than with its internal counterpart. The story is incomplete and records are fragmentary but investigative work by the company during the 1920s appears to have been part of a long term development strategy.

learn how Western Times is being received among the readership. A recent discussion with a wellplaced expert on Great Western matters and hence a valued respondent elicited the remark that a number of readers feel that WT is ‘not quite there’ yet. A request for elaboration revealed the view that diesels are not liked and to editorial surprise, neither is the colour content.

There is no easy way of establishing how widely held are these sentiments. However, they are hard to reconcile with the view articulated by others and discussed in Issue No. 2 to the effect that the selected cut-off year of 1977 (i.e. the end of the diesel hydraulics) was premature as so much of the spirit and style of the Old Company proudly soldiered on into the 1980s and later. As the saying goes ‘you cannot please all of the people all of the time’.

Photography is naturally essential in creation of a lucid record. Sometimes poorer quality images are unavoidable if they provide the only visual evidence of significant features but wherever possible, important topics deserve the support of the best quality images that are available. Whether colour or black-and-white is largely immaterial in the key endeavour to create the fullest possible historic record.

Every reader, irrespective of individual preferences, is important but a target market is today’s 10-year old on the verge of becoming a committed enthusiast, and in due course their eventual offspring. This is a wonderful hobby devoted to the study of, despite its faults, a magnificent institution.

If colour views of diesel hydraulics as the last outward manifestation of a fine tradition hopefully provide common ground between older generations of enthusiasts and those who represent the future then surely the greybeards will acquiesce in the pursuit of these objectives.

Recognition of audience preference is important but exactly what is the gradient profile? A predictable segment comprises those still around who harbour personal memories of ordinary, as opposed to preserved steam. Assuming that 10 years was the optimal age at which the archetypal trainspotter transformed into an informed railway enthusiast, then the chances are that anyone who can remember and was appalled by the sight of a badly run-down, decrepit Hall Class still valiantly at work against the odds has to be at least 67-8 years old today. A claimant to having witnessed a live GWR, i.e. not BR(WR), train would have to be about 84 at least, and anyone asserting that he knew the preGrouping company at first hand about 109, give or take a year.

--- o O o---

Editor: Andrew Malthouse Editorial Assistant: Jeremy Clements

Among other objectives, WT’s editorial policy seeks to pay homage to the past in all its varied facets while staying relevant to the present. In this regard,

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 respective copyright holder.

Every effort has been made to identify and credit photographers where known.

Important Notice - due to circumstances beyond our control we regret the cover price of WesternTimes will increase from the next issue.

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WESTERN TIMES

4

PUTTING MARLBOROUGH ON THE RAILWAY MICHAEL BARNSLEY arlborough was quite a late addition to the M railway network. Whereas many towns of similar size were connected during the 1840s, to its

horses, speeds remained slow. The expense of providing a rail track was only justified where loads were unduly heavy, such as quarried stone or coal.

For the relatively light loads needed by Marlborough, a railway would not have been considered as an option.

great disappointment, Marlborough had to wait until 1864 for a connection. It was 1883 before the town gained links to all four points of the compass.

At the start of the nineteenth century, public transport by horse-drawn coach services along main roads were completed in stages, usually around fifteen miles in length. At the end of each stage, there would be a halt to provide fresh horses and to offer hospitality. Located on the busy London-Bath-Bristol route, Marlborough was an important staging post.

By 1830, the picture had changed following the development of colliery railways in the north-east and the success of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in moving freight and people at reasonable cost and faster than roads or canals could manage, while yielding handsome returns for investors.

Railways were soon being enthusiastically promoted in other parts of the country. The Great Western Railway was of particular significance to Marlborough with establishment of the link from London to Bath and Bristol, in competition with the established coaching service. Unfortunately, Brunel wanted a line with easy gradients that was not expensive to build so he avoided the hills around the town with a route that passed ten miles to the north.

The preferred mode of inland freight transport was by canal. On level stretches boats travelled at the pace of a plodding horse but elapsed journey times could be greatly extended where lock systems had to be negotiated. Despite the slow speed, a boat could carry up to 30 tons which was a major advantage over the use of ordinary roads fashioned from roughly hewn stone while turnpike trusts complained of the damage to their better constructed surfaces wrought by heavy carts. A good horse could pull about five times its own weight (about five tons) on good level roads but this was often reduced to allow for hills and poor roads.

When the GWR was completed between London and Bristol in 1841, travellers found a few hours in a railway carriage preferable to a day in a road coach while trains were equally preferential for transit of mails. The road coaches thus ceased and Marlborough lost a profitable trade, watching with envy as places on the railway benefitted from modern connections.

At this time the only advantage of a railway was that rails provided a solid path for the wagon wheels although as loads were still generally drawn by Right: The Marlborough Railway terminus of 1864, with the link from the Swindon Marlborough & Andover Railway (SM&AR) seen climbing up the hillside in front of the station. The link was opened in 1883 and the fresh condition of the earthworks suggests that this photograph was taken not long after that date.

Opposite page: The Railway Clearing House Map (No.107) dated 1906.

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WESTERN TIMES The Manchester & Southampton Railway (MSR) However, there was hope that Marlborough’s isolation might be short-lived as in 1845 a parliamentary Bill was presented for the MSR. This venture was not as grandiose as its name implied as while its southern terminus would have been Southampton, it would only have reached Cheltenham. The rest of the route would have relied on the established Birmingham & Gloucester and Grand Junction railways.

The prospects looked good, even though the MSR would have had to cross the GWR at Swindon. While the latter objected, as when one company threatened to encroach on the territory of another, and was unenthusiastic about an alternative route to the Cheltenham & Great Western Union line via Gloucester, they were not unduly concerned. If their plans for a ‘greater GWR’ came to fruition, they would ensure that the MSR would not be a major problem.

The MSR would have relied on the Birmingham & Gloucester Railway (BGR) to justify its title and provide the link to the north. However, the BGR had been a disappointment as its intention to connect the factories of Birmingham with Gloucester’s docks (as had been achieved between Manchester and Liverpool) had been stymied by the presence of the old Cheltenham & Gloucester tramroad which enjoyed exclusive access to the docks, a privilege it was loathe to relinquish. To avoid delaying the whole project, the section relating to the dock area was removed from the original BGR Bill, with the expectation that an extension into the docks could be arranged later. This proved optimistic and from the line’s opening in 1840 until 1844, it was denied access to the dock area. All freight had to be manhandled over the last few hundred yards from the railway’s terminus to the dockside, greatly reducing the railway’s usefulness and hence its profitability.

The BGR then succeeded in laying standard gauge rails abreast the tramway track thereby enabling horses to haul wagons singly to and from the docks– a poor substitute for proper railway access.

Consequently, the BGR did not generate large profits from its freight services while opportunities for passenger traffic were limited as Worcester had been bypassed to provide a direct route for freight.

Aware that many BGR financiers would have liked to re-invest their money in lucrative enterprises elsewhere, the GWR offered to buy the line and thus gain access to Birmingham, albeit over a line built to Stephenson’s 4’ 8½” gauge when the rest of their system was broad gauge. By acquiring the BGR, the GWR could control through traffic over the MSR and thus protect its interests.

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Anticipating no competition, the GWR’s offer for the BGR was miserly, and so was rejected. The BGR requested a modest price increase which was refused in the expectation that the original offer would ultimately be accepted. Unfortunately, a chance meeting by at least one BGR director with John Ellis of the Midland Railway (MR) led to an offer from the latter company to purchase the BGR at the Board’s asking price. In January 1845, the GWR was surprised to learn that the MR had acquired the BGR. The GWR bitterly resented the thwarting of its intentions in this fashion as the planned MSR could rely on the MR for through traffic. Also, the GWR feared that if the Midland bought the MSR, the northern company might gain a route through to its Swindon heartland. The GWR opposed the MSR Bill but it passed the House of Commons in 1846. The Bill then failed to get through the House of Lords as the GWR had offered to convert the Oxford-Basingstoke route to mixed gauge.

Despite this line being 20 miles away to the east, the House of Lords considered this an acceptable alternative and so the Bill failed. As a result, Marlborough was left in the wilderness for some years to come.

The Marlborough Railway The Berks & Hants Railway, opened in December 1847, had connected Reading with Hungerford but proposals for a westward extension did not bear fruit until 1859. The Berks & Hants Extension Railway (BHER) Act authorised a continuation to Devizes through Savernake, about 4 miles south of Marlborough and close to the Kennet & Avon canal, which traditionally had served the town for much of its bulk freight. Recognising an opportunity at last for a rail connection, the Marlborough Railway was incorporated in 1861 to construct a branch line from Savernake to the town. The BHER opened in 1862, and the Marlborough branch on 14 April 1864. The BHER was a GWR-owned subsidiary while the Marlborough Railway was independently owned although both Broad Gauge routes were operated by the GWR. The branch provided the town with both east and west connections at Savernake. The BHER linked with the GWR main line at Reading while a line from Devizes connected with the line to Bath and Bristol. Unfortunately the new branch was hardly ideal as it climbed away from Savernake in a north-westerly direction for about a mile with a gradient as steep as 1 in 60. As the gradient gradually eased, the line curved round to the north

ISSUE 5

Above: Marlborough’s two railway stations can be seen in this panoramic photograph. The Marlborough Railway terminus is to the left of the Salisbury Road bridge, with the Swindon, Marlborough & Andover Railway station to the right. The town can be seen in the background, whose population had grown to around 13,600 by the time of this turn of the century view.

Below: A distant elevated view of the Swindon, Marlborough & Andover station and goods yard from the east.

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WESTERN TIMES and then back to the north-west. There was another climb at 1 in 68 before over a mile of descent, mostly at 1 in 58 to the terminus on a hillside south-west of the town. The train carrying the Board of Trade (BoT) inspector had problems with the gradients, enforcing an unscheduled stop midway. The Inspector stated that the GWR had provided an old ballast engine and that better locomotives should be able to cope, noting that the branch would only deal with local traffic which was unlikely to be heavy.

Savernake to meet the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) at Andover. Southampton would be reached by running powers over the LSWR by means of the Andover & Redbridge line then under construction. Complications stemmed from the need to convert the broad gauge section to mixed gauge and in enlisting the cooperation of other companies.

These factors meant that the plans did not proceed.

Meanwhile, the Marlborough Railway’s clientele was complaining that the GWR saw their line as a poor relation, providing superannuated stock with limited life expectancy which made using the branch unattractive. The Berks & Hants route was not then a main line and west of Hungerford it was single track. The double-track section east of Hungerford was worked as a single line with the second track used for storing redundant stock. Trains were infrequent as for example in 1865 with only four in each direction on weekdays and two on Sundays with all but one every day restricted to first- and second-class passengers only.

The Marlborough Railway covered only a tiny section of the MSR that had been planned in 1845.

Accordingly in 1864, London Engineer John Sewell proposed a new company to provide services between Southampton and Gloucester with access at the latter point northwards via the Midland Railway. The Gloucester-Swindon section would use the existing GWR line by means of running powers. A new Swindon-Marlborough line would be needed, linking with the newly-opened Marlborough Railway which would grant running powers to reach Savernake. Another new line would be built from

Berks & Hants Railway timetable from June 1865.

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ISSUE 5 Savernake had a passing loop but only one platform which was quite long following its westerly extension with the opening of the Marlborough Railway. An oddity in the 1865 timetable was the scheduled departure of two trains at 1.30 p.m. This could only have been achieved by the first arrival drawing forward to the far end of the platform with the second using the loop to pass the station, halting and reversing into the platform. Provided both trains were short enough, they could then stand back-toback at the platform. Hardly best practice, but this seems to have been the only means of coping with two trains concurrently.

Use of the Marlborough Railway and the BHER would avoid conflict as those railways would benefit from SMAR trains exercising running powers. A downside was the location of the Marlborough Railway’s terminus which would require the SMAR to engage in the expensive construction of an embankment and viaduct to raise its line to the requisite level. Then their trains would have to cope with the steep gradients of the branch.

Use of existing stations at Swindon and Savernake would be acceptable, provided that SMAR services did not conflict with GWR trains. The SMAR was clearly unaware of the GWR’s hidden agenda based on the knowledge that the BoT was unhappy with the primitive arrangements at Savernake. However, the GWR/ BHER were in no hurry to improve matters, as the BoT could not rescind the approval issued on opening of that line, but would refuse permission for SMAR services to use the station pending improvements. The GWR could then issue an ultimatum that if the SMAR wanted to use the station, it would have to pay for this work.

Formation of the Swindon, Marlborough & Andover Railway Company (SMAR) With GWR gauge conversion increasingly in prospect, the projected feasibility of Sewell’s scheme improved. In May 1872 a meeting was held at the Savernake Hotel, where it was decided to form the SMAR to implement his 1864 plan to connect the places identified in the company’s title.

Surveys were conducted to confirm a suitable route, and a Bill for construction of the line was deposited in Parliament in 1873.

Further, it seemed likely that there would be difficulties in raising sufficient capital to build this expensive line. Without money for locomotives and rolling stock, an arrangement could eventuate similar to that under which the Marlborough Railway operated. Thus GWR control over the SMAR would be almost total.

The SMAR was aligned to avoid opposition but with little regard for engineering and operational matters, construction costs, and the environmental impact.

The Company arranged with the GWR to use the latter’s station at Swindon with the new line diverging at a junction a short distance to the east.

From an engineering standpoint, the obvious route was through the pastures to the east of the town but this displeased Ambrose Goddard, the SMAR’s Deputy Chairman, as the line would then have passed close to his home at the Lawn. Thus it was decided to keep the line well away by burrowing under high ground near Swindon Old Town, despite the high cost of a 773-yard tunnel.

Without substantive opposition, the SMAR Bill had an easy passage through Parliament, gaining Royal Assent on 21 July 1873. The task then was for the directors to raise the capital and engage a contractor able to build the line. A meeting in support of the project was chaired by Sir Daniel Gooch in his capacity as MP for the constituency of Cricklade (which then included Swindon) at the Corn Exchange, Swindon, on 23 October. At the meeting, Sir Daniel affirmed the GWR’s support, as also did coal owners and factors in the Forest of Dean, the merchants of Gloucester and Swindon, Marlborough College, and Southampton Docks.

At the tunnel’s southern entrance, there would be a small station next to Dore’s sale yard. The line would then continue more or less southwards through Chiseldon, where a viaduct would cross a deep valley. After passing through Ogbourne it would make an end-on connection with the Marlborough Railway to reach Savernake. SMAR trains would then run eastwards over the Berks & Hants line for about ¾ mile to a junction at Wolfhall where a second section of new line would commence. This would run southwards through Grafton and Collingbourne to Ludgershall, before turning southeast through Weyhill to Red Posts from where it would run alongside to the LSWR into Andover Junction.

However, while the Marlborough Railway was relaid to standard gauge during 1874, progress with the SMAR was slow as the directors found that vocal enthusiasm did not guarantee financial support. There were questions whether the requisite capital of £400,000 could be raised and at Swindon, concerns were expressed that the planned tunnel would drain the town’s wells and springs. While there was general agreement that a railway to Marlborough would be useful, it was not considered worth the risk of cutting off water supplies.

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WESTERN TIMES In searching for a contractor and with little spare cash, the Company’s best offer was a combination of cash and shares in settlement. It was hoped that a contractor would provide the finance and then recoup once the line was successful. Throughout 1874 some contractors showed interest but all shied away on learning of the tunnel’s complications and the major works necessary at Chiseldon and Marlborough. Also the financial risk was considerable as the shares on offer might not be as valuable as the directors hoped.

The directors were relieved when in June 1875, William Wright of Fazackerley agreed to build the line for £399,045 with settlement in shares and debentures. Turning of the first sod was arranged for 28 July at Marlborough when at 1.30 pm, a procession set out from Marlborough Town Hall to Cold Harbour Meadow, north-east of the town.

There Lord Ernest Bruce duly dug a spade-full of turf and placed it in a ceremonial barrow, which came to grief as it was wheeled away. The event was only completed following emergency repairs.

Concern was expressed whether this mishap was a bad omen and this proved to be true. No-one apparently questioned how an obscure contractor believed he could build the line when so many better

placed concerns had declined involvement. At the half-yearly shareholders’ meeting on 31 July, deputy-chairman Goddard expressed confidence in Wright’s abilities, believing that the line would be completed in 2½ years. On this schedule, Wright would have to start work immediately but he seemed in no hurry. During August, the route north of Swindon tunnel was pegged out, and some barrows and pick-axes delivered to the site, but little else happened. By the end of September, four stationary engines were delivered but Wright did not arrive on site until 13 October together with subcontractor G. Young of Leicester, ready to excavate the northern tunnel approach.

Wright stated that sub-contractors Roberts & Goodyer would start at the southern tunnel end to build the 4½ miles to Chiseldon within a few days, but there was then a further delay. After two years in which to consider the matter, GP Bidder (the SMAR’s consulting engineer) now recommended a deviation between the tunnel and Bush House (south-east of Chiseldon), which would yield more uniform gradients, a better station at Chiseldon, and a saving of £7,000. Construction was delayed while the new route was agreed, a process not helped by extremely wet weather.

10

The Swindon, Marlborough & Andover Railway station viewed from the east.

Wright’s construction contract included a condition that he must place £10,000 worth of plant and materials on site, which would be forfeit in event of his failure to complete. This target should have been met by the end of October, but equipment appeared thin on the ground. Shortage of tools would impede construction even when problems like the Chiseldon deviation had been resolved. When challenged, Wright admitted that he had only delivered supplies worth £6,209 but said with new items arriving daily, he would soon reach the promised total. The directors agreed to wait two weeks before asking their engineer to conduct an audit. Wright then claimed that he had reached £9,348, but the engineer disagreed on the basis that the valuations were generally too high, and in some cases, items could not be traced as delivery was still awaited.

The true value was closer to £6,000- £7,000.

Up to mid-November, some progress had been made at the tunnel’s northern end. Spoil from the tunnel approach had been deposited as an embankment which now stretched for about 100 yards. Track had been laid so that trucks could carry

fresh spoil to keep extending the embankment but then sub-contractor Young announced he would have to cease work as he had run out of money.

Thus after four months, Wright had managed 100 yards of a planned 26 miles. The directors took legal advice, and declared the contract void citing the contractor’s failure to provide the requisite supplies.

They intended to seize the plant in compensation but it emerged that Wright had acquired his equipment on credit. Swindon horse dealers Deacon & Liddiard took matters into their own hands by taking back 14 horses which they had supplied.

The Company sued for theft, but the Bench opined that it was a moot point whether Wright ever had rightful ownership of the horses, not having paid good money for them. Consequently the case was considered not proven, and the defendants found not guilty. Fox Walker succeeded in recovering a locomotive that had been delivered to Broome Manor for construction work at the south end of the tunnel. With many of the other items deteriorating as they were left in open storage, the Company’s anticipated compensation worth about £6,000 began to look optimistic.

Opposite page: The Swindon, Marlborough & Andover Railway station from the west, with the bridge over the Salisbury Road in the foreground. The Marlborough Railway terminus was behind the photographer.

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WESTERN TIMES Although Wright’s contract had been terminated, the Company decided to continue with the works at the northern tunnel end on its own account, while searching for another contractor. With little work completed on the 26 route miles plus tunnel, major earthworks at Marlborough, eight stations, and many bridges and culverts, the Company was back at square one and with no prospective contractor.

the threat to water supplies, the Company found it easier to raise capital. It was at last able to find reliable contractors genuinely interested in building the line. In August 1879 an offer was received from John Dixon of “Cleopatra’s needle” fame but this was rejected in favour of a bid by Messrs Watson, Smith & Watson. The contract was signed on 29 August 1879 although Henry Rose, the Company’s London solicitor, resigned as he was concerned about the contractors’ ability to complete the line.

These fears proved unjustified and construction proceeded steadily. The northern section between Rushey Platt and Marlborough was completed in the summer of 1881, and that between Wolfhall and Andover in March 1882.

Work on the tunnel approach continued until the end of October 1876. Despite money shortage, the Board still retained hopes of engaging a new contractor. A deal was agreed with a Mr C. Woodward Wallis but he could not raise the necessary funds and the deal was cancelled in February 1877. Wright’s confiscated plant was auctioned off the following November.

Further Expansion Plans The SMAR Act required line completion by 21 July 1878 which was now impossible so a 3-year extension was granted through a further Bill. The Company accepted reality by modifying the route to reduce construction costs. Avoidance of the Swindon tunnel and elimination of the viaducts at Chiseldon and Marlborough would yield savings of an expected £100,000; an Act authorising the necessary deviations was passed on 3 July 1879.

Unfortunately, the Company appeared to have learned little through the experiences of the preceding six years. Whereas the original plans had carefully avoided annoying anyone, no sooner had construction started than the directors began looking at extensions: westwards to join up with the Midland Railway at Nailsworth; northward to Andoversford to use the Banbury & Cheltenham Railway in gaining access to the Midland Railway at Cheltenham; eastward to meet the East Gloucestershire Railway at Fairford. They also planned to follow Sewell’s suggestion of 1871 to build a line south from Totton to a new harbour on the Solent at Stone Point. Despite the problems in financing the Swindon-Andover section, even before it was completed the directors were considering construction that would more than double the company’s route miles and create a new harbour.

As before, SMAR trains would start from the GWR station at Swindon, but would now depart westward over the GWR main line for a mile to Rushey Platt, where the new line would commence. From there, the line would run in a southerly direction before curving eastwards to reach Old Town where it would then turn southwards and proceed slightly to the east of the original route to take account of more favourable terrain. Although services started at Swindon Junction, the SMAR station became more important, as the distance by rail between the two was three miles. Passengers from the town centre wondered whether it was worth going north to the GWR station to spend extra time and money going round to Old Town by train, when it was not much further to walk to the latter.

These proposals soured relations with the GWR which already operated the Cheltenham & Great Western Union route via Gloucester and did not welcome competition any more than in its objections to the MSR in 1846. The GWR also saw the proposed Nailsworth link as trespassing on its territory in passing through Tetbury even though the station named “Tetbury Road” on the C&GWU line was seven miles distant.

At Marlborough, the originally planned viaduct was avoided by moving the line further east before curving westwards around the south of the town to the SMAR station located on the eastern side of the Salisbury Road, opposite the Marlborough Railway’s terminus on the western side. A link line then crossed the Salisbury Road and climbed the hillside alongside the Marlborough Railway terminus for about a quarter of a mile before it was able to make a junction. The new route was slightly longer than the original plan at around 27½ miles.

With the construction of the SMAR nearing completion, the Company focussed on how the line would be run. The proposals for extensions had thoroughly annoyed the GWR so help from that quarter was out of the question. An indication that the SMAR might have been considering this option was that little had been done towards obtaining locomotives and rolling stock until the autumn of 1880. The contractor hoped that the SwindonMarlborough section would be ready in the spring of

With this less expensive and easier to construct line, and with Swindonians no longer worried about 12

ISSUE 5 1881 so orders were hurriedly placed. Though the line was not ready until July 1881, stock arrived only just in time for a few trial trips before the official opening. Meanwhile the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway was finally under construction following a protracted struggle for funds and in that case, plans were in hand for the GWR to operate that line. This would allow the GWR access to Southampton so there would be little loss in giving the SMAR the cold shoulder.

disgruntled GWR took its time in upgrading Savernake even after the SMAR had agreed to pay.

Eventually the station was completed at a cost of £4,660, while block telegraph was installed on the Marlborough branch for £247. These unanticipated expenses plus loss of revenue that might have been expected from through traffic dealt a severe blow to finances, and in July 1882 the Company had to borrow £2,500.

The re-modelled Savernake station was approved by the BoT on 31 January 1883, and a special through train for the Directors and their guests was run on 3 February. Regular Swindon-Andover through services were finally introduced on 5 February 1883. Despite having funded the Savernake upgrade, the SMAR had to pay £300 pa to use the station and even then, was not permitted to book passengers between Savernake and Marlborough. Anyone wishing to travel between the two points by SMAR train had to book to a station beyond, either Ogbourne or Grafton. This penalty was of little concern to most SMAR passengers, who were more interested in travelling between Marlborough and Swindon or Andover. Marlborough became a popular tourist destination for Swindonians while Marlburians appreciated their ready access to Andover and its connections over the LSWR to Salisbury, Southampton, and London.

The SMAR’s Swindon Town-Marlborough section was inspected by the BoT on 20 July, and formally opened on 26 July 1881. However, the line northwards ended at Rushey Platt as the GWR was in no hurry to install the junction, which was not ready for inspection until 20 October. Even then it remained out of service as the two Companies could not agree terms for its use so it was 6 February 1882 before passenger trains worked into the GWR station. The GWR had demanded over £5,000 for the easement at Rushey Platt, and a minimum toll of £900 pa, calculated on a notional distance of 6 miles instead of the actual 1 mile 18 chains, plus £1,500 for use of their station. After arbitration the charges were reduced to £105 for the junction easement and a minimum toll of £200 based on a distance of 2 miles, plus £900 pa for station usage. These significant reductions were still a heavy burden for the small company.

So, despite all the difficulties and setbacks between 1863 and 1883, Marlborough had changed from having no rail connections at all to enjoying rail links in all directions, north to Swindon, south to Andover and Southampton, and west to Devizes and Bristol, and east to Reading and London via Savernake, really putting the town on the railway map.

The southern section was ready for inspection in March 1882, and the SMAR confidently announced their expectation of through traffic commencing within a few weeks. However, the company still seemed blissfully unaware of the BoT’s concerns about the situation at Savernake (of which the GWR/ BHER had known all along). The BoT inspector considered that addition of SMAR trains to those already using the station would be a danger to the public, and consequently refused to allow the Company to run through the station until improvements were made. The inspector was also unhappy about use of the staff and ticket system on the Marlborough branch, and stipulated that block working had to be introduced. The SMAR had no choice but to offer to pay for the improvements, but the GWR saw further advantage by insisting that upgrading was only possible if better station accommodation and new sidings were included.

The SMAR had to agree.

Meanwhile, the SMAR had four stations and 14 miles of line between Grafton and Andover ready for trains. Rather than leave this route lie idle, a minimal service was inaugurated on 1 May 1882 by a special train carrying the directors and officials.

Official celebrations were delayed until through running from Swindon could be established. The 13

The Class 47xx prototype appeared in 1919 as Churchward’s final design. Fitted with a Standard No. 1 boiler, this proved inadequate but once replaced with the larger No. 6 boiler, No. 4700 and the eight that followed in 1922-3 were impressive performers.

Apart from extensions to the cab roof around 1927 and provision of 4000-gallon tenders in 1932-3, the only other changes were installation of ATC equipment and relocation of the upper front lamp iron.

Withdrawal took place between June 1962 and May 1964.

A small visual difference was the mounting of snifting valves on the outside of the steam chests with No. 4700-4 while Nos. 4705-8 carried them on the running plate. Cylinder blocks were swapped around during their careers as in the photographs that follow, these valves were visible on Nos. 4701/ 2/ 3 but not on Nos. 4700/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8.

Built for night express freight work, this speciality fell away around 1928/ 9 as they graduated into a genuine mixed-traffic role. Their original designation as goods locomotives was the reason why Viscount Churchill rejected Collett’s proposal that they should be named, feeling that only passenger locomotives should be so honoured.

The mixed traffic 4-6-0s built from 1928 onwards carried names that were repetitious and undistinguished compared with Collett’s reported selection for the 47xx locomotives. These had been drawn from the ranks of 19th Century Broad Gauge machines: Behemoth, Bellerophon, Champion, Dreadnought, Gladiator, Hercules, Mammoth, Plutarch, Romulus, Tantalus, Thunderer, Trafalgar. Will the Chairman’s edict be revoked with the new-build No. 4709?

4700: On 8 August 1960, No. 4700 of Old Oak Common was passing Westbourne Bridge with what has been recorded as the 12.05 pm Paddington-Plymouth. However, this may be in error as the 8th was a Monday, while the only ordinary passenger train departure at that time was on Saturdays with Train Reporting Number C38 under the alpha-numeric system introduced that year. This TRN also referred to the Fridays Only Paddington-Truro empty dining cars working, the train that delivered catering vehicles to the west for the extra services that would bring holidaymakers home the following day. No. 4700’s train appears to comprise only BR Mark 1 stock, however there is a welcome GWR presence on an adjacent line with maroon-liveried Diagram E148 Brake Composite No W6922W and a blood-and-custard Diagram C54 All Third. Class 47xx were favoured around this time for summer Saturday passenger ‘extras’.

(RCR 15238).

14

4701: Exeter St Davids on 20 July 1956 and No. 4701 (81A) was departing Platform 5 with a London-bound rake of milk tank wagons. The locomotive is carrying Class C headlamp code for parcels, milk, perishables etc trains. An ex-LBSCR (Southern Railway rebuild) 0-6-2T Class E1R waits with freight wagons at Platform 4.

(RCR 7767).

4702: In early British Railways days, ‘neo-LNWR’ lined black livery was adopted for mixed traffic locomotives as shown here adorning No. 4702 on 28 November 1954. The location is its home shed of Old Oak Common.

(RCR 5645).

4703: The glorious Indian Summer that saw fully-lined mid-chrome green applied to classes used for passenger work in addition to the 4-6-0 fleet naturally included the 47s. They were always impressive machines, but in this state they looked simply superb. No. 4703 of Bristol St Philips Marsh, was enjoying the sunshine at Swindon shed on 6 September 1959, making an interesting basis for comparison with another Consolidation, the adjacent WD 2-8-0.

(RCR 14254).

4705: Tidily presented in green livery, No. 4705 (Laira) was at its home shed on 25 September 1960. A BR standard 2-10-0 Class 9F stands in the background, along with the resident self-propelled Ash Crane and attendant wagons. (RCR 15429).

4706: The platform-enders are duly noting the passage through Reading of No. 4706 on the 1.25 pm Saturdays Only (SO) Paddington - Kingswear on 1 August 1959. Hawksworth stock is in evidence, with a Brake Third leading, an All Third next and at least one more following. This engine was allocated to St Philips Marsh, so presumably has been commandeered by Old Oak Common to cover for a motive power shortage on this busy summer Saturday. The Train Reporting Number should read 337, but perhaps frames and plates were also in short supply. Despite the express passenger headlamp code, at this point this train was temporarily accorded branch status, as discussed in WT Issues 1 & 4.

(RCR 14009).

17

WESTERN TIMES

4707: From the famous Southall footbridge, No. 4707 makes a fine sight at the head of the 1.15 pm Saturdays Only Paddington-Kingswear on 10 August 1957. The load would appear to comprise 12 or 13 coaches of which the first three are a Collett All Third (possibly a bow ender), a Sunshine, and then a Hawksworth-era vehicle, The remainder appear to be BR Mark 1s except for the seventh whose profile is just discernible as that of a GWR Dining Car. Obviously OOC had that day run short of TRN plates as the “1” of “149” has been fashioned out of a partially masked, inverted “7”. This engine had moved to Southall from St Philips Marsh in November 1955.

(RCR 11066).

4708: GWR stands for Great Western Resurgent in this view of No. 4708 (OOC) as it heads the 1.35 pm Saturdays Only 1.35 pm Paddington-Penzance ‘The Royal Duchy’ away from the London terminus on 30 August 1958 (departure time was 1.30 pm on weekdays). It is a shame about the stock as it is all BR Mark 1 and most un-Great Western like in forming a matched set but redemption lies in the chocolate-and-cream livery. The 47s often appeared on summer passenger trains to the West, allowing the then unique sight of eight-coupled locomotives on such duties.

(RCR 12664).

18

TEMPERANCE ON THE BROAD GAUGE AMYAS CRUMP he demise of the Great Western's broad gauge T system 130 years ago (excluding the LostwithielFowey branch which though dormant at that time,

With all the ensuing drama that a Victorian melodrama could muster, the story ended in a mighty crash. Of the small series of magic lantern slides made to illustrate the story, the principal locomotive is clearly based quite closely on a Gooch 8' single, with archetypal chimney and safety valve cover, and with the domeless boiler covered with iron lagging rather than wood, as did the originals starting with Courier in 1848.

survived a few years longer and indeed is still operational today) remains worthy of note. Of course, there were other lines that operated on gauges wider than 4’ 8½”, but it was Brunel's 7’ 0¹⁄�” system that really captured the public imagination and gave rise to train speeds unknown elsewhere.

Swindon Works also made its mark, and produced its first loco Great Western in 1846 as the father of many large single driving wheel designs running through to the days of Churchward. Following on from Great Western came the much celebrated Iron Duke class of 1847.

It was Lord of the Isles that was exhibited when new at the Great Exhibition of 1851, and as pride of the line worked a pre-opening day directors’ special over the Birmingham route, tragically running into the rear of a local train at Aynho. Perhaps it was a contemporary illustration of the accident that gave inspiration to the Rev Macrae's illustrator? Lord of the Isles worked until June 1884, remaining at Swindon until broken up finally in 1906.

It was perhaps a curious choice of locomotive for an Iron Duke to appear as an illustration in a temperance tale titled The Railway Chase by the Rev D Macrae of Auchterarder in the Scottish Highlands, which described the dire consequences of the demon drink. Driver Campbell 'had had another taste of drink' and Fireman Blacklock's betrothed, Jenny, was a passenger on the train.

For background information, the author is indebted to The Magic Lantern Society Readings Library, and RCTS Locomotives of the GWR Part Two.

19

WEST COUNTRY CLAY TRAFFIC PART 1: CHINA CLAY IN CORNWALL STUART MALTHOUSE uch has been written about the Cornish china M clay industry and the railways serving it (see the Select Bibliography). The aim of this article is to

Austell, that kaolinisation was most active and produced the most extensive deposits of the clay, although commercial exploitation has occurred elsewhere, particularly on Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor. In England, the clay was discovered about 1750 by William Cookworthy (1705-1780), a Quaker minister, with commercial interests as a pharmacist and porcelain manufacturer, the latter being the reason for his interest in finding suitable deposits.

His first discovery was at Tregonning Hill near Helston, an outlier of Carnmenellis, the upland that was to become most associated in the CamborneRedruth area with tin and copper, but this was shortly followed by the first discoveries on Hensbarrow near St Stephen north west of St Austell. The Cornish clay from this area has always ranked among the finest in the world for its purity and this led to the development of the important export trade. Part-kaolinisation forms china stone, but this is also of use as a flux in the manufacture of ceramics. It is found in particular areas of Hensbarrow, often in the same pits as the clay, and production figures normally cover both products.

present a selection of photographs from the 1950s to the 1970s, most of which it is believed have not been published before. These are accompanied by a general introductory text looking at developments down to the 1970s particularly suitable for readers who may not have previously studied the subject in depth.

China clay is more formally known as kaolin, named after the mountain in China where it was first discovered and used in the manufacture of fine porcelain as early as the 7th century AD. It is formed from the decomposition of the feldspar in granite.

This process of kaolinisation took place by the action of hot gases during the cooling of the granite, but its extent and effectiveness varied from one granite area to another. Of the six main granite masses in Devon and Cornwall descending in height from east to west (Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor, Hensbarrow, Carnmenellis, Penwith, and the Isles of Scilly), it was on the third of these, Hensbarrow Downs north of St

St Dennis Junction was a key location in the operation of the clay lines, and the old A30 road bridge provided a grandstand view of proceedings. What appears to be a double track line straight ahead is in fact two single track routes. The left track is the line to Drinnick Mill and Burngullow on the original formation of the Newquay Railway, while the right track is the Retew branch which descends behind the bushes on the right. The four rakes of wagons, from left to right, are standing on the tip sidings, the up and down loops off the Drinnick Mill route, and the loop off the Retew branch. On the left, the Cornwall Minerals line of 1874 from Bugle, completing the through line to Newquay from Fowey, and later Par, curves in after crossing Goss Moor. This section was doubled in 1921. On the up line, 0-6-0PT No. 3635, sets off with a loaded clay train for St Blazey.

The train is most likely to have come from the Retew branch and the locomotive will have run round before leaving as shown.

In the background, the landscape of Hensbarrow Downs is punctuated by the waste tips of the clay industry. 11 July 1955.

R C Riley (RCR 6409).

20

ON THE RETEW BRANCH On 11 July 1955, Dick Riley enjoyed a brake van trip along the Retew branch on a loaded train returning to St Dennis Junction. This location is West Treviscoe siding serving the Great Treviscoe works (at several locations, the company names of the works and the railway names of their sidings were different). This siding actually formed a loop from the running line but the track is hardly visible for the grass.

However, the dry and siding were not closed until 1965. The photo illustrates a traditional coal-fired pan dry which has now passed into history. A fire at one end was drawn by the chimney at the other, the hot air passing beneath the clay which was spread on the pan (floor) above it. The clay was loaded into the rail wagons from the openings along the front.

R C Riley (RCR 6400).

ON THE CARPALLA DEVIATION In 1907 the Carpalla United Clay Company gave notice that they wished to extract clay from beneath the track of the Burngullow to Drinnick Mill line according to the rights they had possessed since the Newquay & Cornwall Junction Railway had first used the land. The Great Western took the matter to court but lost, and the line was severed from 16 December 1909 between High Street and Carpalla sidings, which could only be served from either end. A deviation to restore through running was opened on 18 April 1922. This involved constructing a cutting on a sharp curve below the village of Carpalla which is illustrated in this view taken on 13 July 1961. The train is heading down to Burngullow and consists mainly of loaded wagons from sidings up to Drinnick Mill and beyond. However, three empty wagons at the front have yet to be dropped off, probably at New Carpalla. The locomotives are 0-6-0PTs, No. 9755 of the Collett 8750 class and No. 1624 of the smaller Hawksworth 16xx class, both of which were residents of St Blazey shed.

P W Gray (PG 2630).

21

22

RAILWAYS OF THE HENSBARROW CHINA CLAY AREA

ISSUE 5 The gaining of the clay was very much a small and localised industry until the second half of the 19th century, after which development occurred rapidly.

The growing industry was able to take over some sites, equipment, and labour from the declining mining activities such as tin and copper which had been worked in quarries that subsequently became clay pits. From a production of some 60,000 tons of clay annually in the 1850s, the figure had reached over 850,000 tons by 1912. Although there was a subsequent decline owing to the World Wars and the intervening recessions, resumed growth from 1946 meant that the figure for the beginning of the 1960s was around 1,500,000 tons, of which about 75% was exported. In Britain, the clay was first exploited for its traditional use in the manufacture of porcelain, and the Staffordshire potters were the main driving force behind the development of the industry until well into the 19th century. This use for porcelain has continued, but the clay's application in the production of high quality coated paper is now greater, and through the 20th century many other uses have been found such as a filler in rubber, pharmaceutical, paint, plastics, and cosmetic products.

then passed into the final settling tanks, and then to the 'dries' for final moisture removal and preparation for storage and despatch.

By the 1960s the china clay industry was largely in the control of the English China Clays group. This had been formed in 1919 by the merger of three of the largest clay-working companies, and the group subsequently absorbed most of the remaining small independents. In 1960 the industry employed some 5,000 workers in the St Austell area to produce the tonnage given above, the export element being an important contributor to Britain's balance of payments.

If the overall tonnage of goods traffic moved by the Great Western Railway in the south west hardly reached the levels of coal, steel, and manufactured products in South Wales and other industrial areas, it nevertheless made up for this by the interest generated by certain specialised flows, eg milk, and early vegetables and flowers. Chief among these, however, must be the railways' involvement in the china clay industry, which alone survives to operate today. Although many short tramways have been utilised for movements in the working areas, the function of the main line railway has always been to carry away the finished product from the dries and other sidings, the best grades in casks and later bags, and the rest in covered wagons. Rail-borne china clay has always included despatches to customers such as the pottery manufacturers in Stoke-on-Trent and the north Kent and Scottish paper industry, but a greater tonnage is the local movement to Par harbour and the jetties at Fowey for UK coastal, European, and deep-sea shipping.

Other rail-borne products handled at the sidings on the clay lines included coal for the dries, gunpowder for blasting, machinery and general supplies.

The traditional method of gaining and preparing the product involved separating the material containing the clay from the surrounding rock in the pits (created by opencast mining and up to 300 feet or more deep) by hydraulic means, with the coarser materials that were also present, such as silica and some of the quartz and mica, settling to the bottom of the pools. The slurry containing the clay was then pumped to the surface for final removal of these impurities. All this waste material was formed into the characteristic white conical mounds (the 'Cornish Alps'), the whole process producing between 5 and 10 tons of waste for every ton of clay. The latter was On 13 July 1961, 0-6-0PT No. 1664 passes Luxulyan with a freight from the Goonbarrow branch. As well as loaded china clay wagons, the consist includes vans and empty mineral wagons. The former could be empties returning after delivering various supplies to the clay sidings, conveying bagged clay, or bringing general goods from the two public sidings on the branch. The mineral wagons are liable to be returning after delivering coal to the clay sidings. Luxulyan was named Bridges until 1905. The station originally had side platforms to the tracks of the passing loop but was rebuilt with the island platform in 1910. Most items of the infrastructure including the stone water tower and the pagoda shelter can be seen, but the camping coach which was sited here until 1965 is unfortunately obscured by the exhaust from the locomotive. The chimney is at Treskilling china clay works which was served by a siding from the goods yard behind the signal box. P W Gray (PG 2629).

23

A panoramic view of the approach to Pontsmill from above the A390 road north of Tywardreath Highway. The Newquay branch enters from the left after passing St Blazey Bridge Crossing and begins the steep ascent up the Luxulyan valley, on which a pannier tank, banked by a small prairie, is attacking the climb with a train of empty clay wagons. The bend in the branch towards the left of the photo marks the site of the junction for the siding to Pontsmill following the original course of the Par Railway. The nearby clay works on the far side of the line is TIMES PrideauxWESTERN Wood. This originally had a siding from the Newquay branch and also, until around 1962, was served by a 2' gauge tramway from an interchange siding on the Pontsmill branch. This siding was near the building beyond the bushes in the centre, and the tramway passed beneath Prideaux Viaduct on the Newquay branch which can be made out to its left. The long building of the Pontsmill dries is to the right, served by New Consolidated siding. (The siding named Pontsmill on the accompanying map served the Pontsmill China Stone Works which was a separate facility off to the right.) 3 September 1954.

R C Riley (RCR 5408).

ST BLAZEY YARD On 10 July 1961, Warship No. D816 Eclipse prepares to leave the yard at St Blazey with a loaded clay train for Fowey. On the left is the side of the wagon works which has been responsible for maintaining and repairing the fleet of china clay wagons from the days of the Cornwall Minerals Railway through to today. The view is looking north towards the junction of the connection from Par which comes in from the right. The bracket signals for both entering and leaving the loop can be seen.

R C Riley (RCR 16070).

DESCENDING FROM TREVERRIN On 5 July 1955, 42xx class 2-8-0T No. 4206 carefully descends the 1 in 62/109/84 section of the Cornwall main line between the summit at Treverrin Tunnel and Par. The train is approximately half way down the bank, passing beneath the over-bridge carrying the minor road between Tywardreath and Treesmill. The clay empties, bound for St Blazey, could be a returning long distance consist, or be coming from Fowey. Before the closure of the direct Fowey to St Blazey line in 1968, although most of the clay trains on the Lostwithiel to Fowey line were movements between Fowey and locations further east, such as Wenford Bridge and Moorswater, a number of St Blazey workings did travel via Lostwithiel with reversal, anticipating the only way for rail traffic to reach Fowey today. After 1929, there were at least two of these locomotives allocated to St Blazey essentially for working the trains over the heavily graded Fowey to St Blazey section. However, their regular duties also included train engine or banking work between St Blazey and St Dennis Junction and turns on the main line as seen here. R C Riley (RCR 6270).

LEAVING ST BLAZEY Left: A train of empty clay wagons destined for the Goonbarrow or Retew branches leaves St Blazey yard and crosses over the Par River as it approaches Middleway Bridge Crossing. On the left is the original course of the Par Canal; the Newquay branch then runs between the river and site of the canal as far as St Blazey Bridge Crossing. The locomotive is No. 2182, the last surviving of the 1939-40 2181 class rebuilds of the Dean 2021 0-6-0PTs and originally built at Wolverhampton in 1903; it was withdrawn in 1955. In early BR days 2181 of this sub-class was also allocated to St Blazey. The rebuilds had modified brakes for increased braking power on heavy gradients. This and their light weight made them ideal for work on the clay branches; they were replaced by 1600 class panniers. Since the days of the Cornwall Minerals Railway St Blazey has been the operational and control centre of the clay lines. This photo looks southwards along the whole complex from the sidings at the north end. The buildings of the closed passenger station can be seen above the right hand pair of stabled carriages beyond which is the junction for the connecting loop to Par; the bracket signal for this can be made out to the left of the other pair of stabled carriages. On the west side of the route on to Par Bridge Junction can be seen the yard, the large building of the wagon works, and steam rising from the engine shed.

The latter, a quarter-roundhouse served by an outside turntable, dates from the Cornwall Minerals Railway and was used into diesel days until 1987. Adjoining was a locomotive works which was used for this purpose until well into Great Western days. Now the complex is a listed building and is in use by small industrial units. 3 September 1954.

R C Riley (RCR 5397).

25

WESTERN TIMES Hensbarrow

speculator W R Roebuck formed the Cornwall Minerals Railway Company, the act authorising the company to carry out the following:

The fascinating history of the railways serving the Hensbarrow area has been told in detail elsewhere and only a brief outline is appropriate here, although further information will be found in the photo captions.

1) To take over and improve the Par and Newquay Railways for locomotive working. This involved several small diversions and realignments as well as a general upgrading, but the major work in this context was a new route from Pontsmill to Luxulyan up the Luxulyan Valley replacing the original course of the Par Railway via the Carmears Incline and the Treffry Viaduct.

The first railway to be involved with the transport of china clay was the Pentewan Railway opened in 1829. However, the first two lines that ultimately became part of the Great Western Railway were the horse tramways of the enterprising Joseph Treffry of Fowey who needed improved transport to develop the minerals and agriculture on his extensive estates. The Par Railway ran from the head of the Par Canal at Pontsmill to Bugle via the Carmears Incline up the eastern side of the Luxulyan Valley, crossing to the western side on the noble Treffry Viaduct. It was opened throughout in 1844, and in 1855 was extended alongside the canal to Par Harbour. The Newquay Railway (1849) ran from Hendra Downs to Newquay Harbour with a branch to East Wheal Rose Mine. Initially, as clay extraction was in its infancy, a greater tonnage of the outgoing traffic was tin, copper, lead, and granite, with coal, timber, and lime being the main incoming commodities.

2) To take over the broad gauge Newquay & Cornwall Junction Railway. This had been opened from the Cornwall main line at Burngullow to Drinnick Mill in 1869. (The broad gauge Cornwall main line from Plymouth to Truro had been opened in 1859 and became fully part of the Great Western in 1889.)

3) To build several new lines: i) Fowey Harbour (jetties 1-3) to St Blazey. ii) Bugle to St Dennis (originally Bodmin Road) Junction connecting the Par and Newquay Railways. iii) Drinnick Mill Junction to Hendra Junction connecting the Newquay & Cornwall Junction line and the Newquay Railway. iv) A branch from Bugle to Carbis Wharf. v) A branch from St Dennis Junction to Melangoose Mill (the Retew branch).

Treffry died in 1850 and his estate went into Chancery although under the Treffry Trustees the tramways continued operating. In 1873 the

PASSING PAR HARBOUR 0-6-0PT No. 9655 attacks the 1 in 61 climb on the main line after passing Par Harbour with a train of empty clay wagons.

These will be destined for any of the clay industry sidings along the Trenance Valley branch, at Burngullow, or along the line to Drinnick Mill and beyond. On the left is one of the clay dries of the Par Moor complex served by the line under the low bridge from the harbour. The line of vans are standing on sidings beyond Par Harbour Junction, from which there was direct access to the harbour from the main line.

R C Riley (RCR 5381).

26

ISSUE 5 PAR HARBOUR On 1 September 1954, the coastal vessel SS Simultaneity is being loaded alongside the eastern quay in Par Harbour. On the right, the Port of Par's Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 2572 Judy is at work. The reason for these cut-down locomotives was the low bridge under the Cornwall main line where a branch from the port served the dries of the Par Moor complex on the far side of the line. The course of the main line and the northernmost of these dries (although this one actually not rail-served) can be made out beyond the harbour to the left of the Simultaneity. It was the advent of pipelines serving these dries from clay works up to eleven miles away that began a gradual decline in the deliveries of clay to the harbour from the main line clay branches. After 1968, the finished clay from these dries (and from other later ones in the harbour itself) was not only shipped from Par, but also from Fowey by ECC lorries using the new private road. The port's own locomotives were withdrawn from service in 1977, but both Judy and her later companion Alfred of 1953 have survived into preservation.

Since that time the limited amount of rail traffic to and in the port has normally been handled by one of St Blazey’s allocation of Class 08 shunters or the train locomotive.

R C Riley (RCR 5376).

With remarkable energy, all these standard gauge railways (except for the NCJ line which remained broad gauge) were ready for opening in June 1874.

However, the company initially struggled for viability as the old mineral traffic was declining, new prospects for iron ore from the Perran Beach area south of Newquay failed to materialise, and the clay business was still only slowly developing. In an attempt to boost revenue, a passenger service from Fowey to Newquay began in June 1876.

systems had been opened from St Blazey to Par in 1879 but there was a break of gauge at the latter, as well as at Drinnick Mill, until the conversion of 1892.

The Lostwithiel & Fowey Railway had been opened in 1869 and handled china clay to the first wharves (later jetties 5-7) at Fowey, but was closed in 1880 following the competition from the Cornwall Minerals Railway with its direct line to St Blazey. In 1892 the derelict line was taken over by the Minerals company, and in 1895 reopened and connected to its line at Fowey so joining the two routes that were available for clay exports to reach the developing port of Fowey.

The Minerals company was leased to the Great Western Railway from October 1877 and fully absorbed in 1896. A curve connecting the two 27

WESTERN TIMES From the 1880s the clay industry was to expand steadily, helped in no small measure by the railways, although it has to be said these were often inefficient in the face of many operating difficulties. New lines included the Goonbarrow branch from Goonbarrow Junction to Gunheath and Carbean (1893), the short Wheal Rose branch (1893), an extension of the Retew branch to Meledor Mill (1912), and the last of the clay lines, the Trenance Valley branch from the Cornwall main line at Trenance Junction west of St Austell to Bojea and Lansalson (1920). A negative event was the closing of the Fowey to St Blazey section to public passenger services in 1929. On the Burngullow to Drinnick Mill line a break to through traffic was created at Carpalla in December 1909 when the clay company exercised its right to claim clay beneath the trackbed. This lasted until a deviation line was opened in April 1922.

The accompanying map illustrates the china clay railways of the Hensbarrow area at their maximum extent, including virtually all the sidings serving the industry. This situation survived until the 1950s and early 1960s, the period illustrated in the majority of photographs in this article. In these, all the characteristic operations of the china clay railways towards the end of the steam era can be seen: the varied workings on the ferocious gradients of most of the lines, the motive power and the specialised clay wagons, the activity at the operational and engineering hub of St Blazey, and the interface with shipping at Par and Fowey. Inevitably, the focus on these railways is on freight traffic, but it must be

remembered that the Par to Newquay line (thankfully surviving) is also Cornwall's longest passenger branch with, since the 1930s, a wide range of long distance summer services. However, despite various improvements over the years, its tramway origins with severe gradients and many curves has meant that it has always been a problematical route to operate. Incidentally, Newquay harbour was also used for shipping clay until 1921, but the tonnage never approached that of Par and Fowey.

The early 1960s marked not only the end of steam, but the beginnings of rationalisation throughout the clay industry with its consequent effect upon the railways. As the remit of Western Times covers developments up to 1977, some attention must be given to these events.

The fate of many of the clay routes was determined by the industry's move to the creation of super pits from the many smaller workings, and the increase in the piping of slurry (begun as long ago as the late 19th century) to fewer larger and modern dries with a consequent decrease in the number of rail loading points required. Thus, the period from 1964 to 1973 saw the closures of the Burngullow to St Dennis Junction line beyond Parkandillack (and a reduction of sidings on the surviving southern section), the Trenance Valley and Wheal Rose branches, and the Goonbarrow branch beyond the short stub to Rocks.

The Retew and Carbis branches (although not all the sidings) survived into the 1980s, and Pontsmill until 1992.

APPROACHING PAR SANDS Having completed the 1 in 36 descent from Pinnock Tunnel, 2-8-0T No. 4206 reaches level track approaching Par Sands with empties from Fowey to St Blazey on 31 August 1954. The steep gable profile of the single-track route between these points with its summit at the tunnel made the section a difficult one to work, and the unfitted clay trains had to stop for brakes to be pinned down in both directions. The settlement in the middle distance is Tywardreath with St Blazey beyond. The Cornwall main line at Par station is out of site behind the buildings of the former, but can be seen on the left approaching Par Viaduct on an embankment. The train will shortly be passing beneath the viaduct as it approaches Par Bridge Junction before reaching St Blazey yard.

R C Riley (RCR 5350).

ISSUE 5

LEAVING FOWEY FOR ST BLAZEY On 23 September 1960, 42xx class 2-8-0T No. 4273 is passing Fowey station and preparing to attack the climb to Pinnock Tunnel with empties returning to St Blazey. Loaded china wagons destined for the harbour are passing on the left. The sidings on the right are the entry to the goods yard at Fowey, the passenger station being obscured by the locomotive.

R C Riley (RCR 15380).

FOWEY HARBOUR On 2 September 1954, the Maria Victoria is loading at No 8 jetty at Fowey. The first facilities at Fowey were here at Carne Point on the site of what became jetties 5-7, being the original ones at the end of the Lostwithiel & Fowey Railway (1869).

These were followed by jetties 1-3 at the terminus of the Cornwall Minerals Railway (1874) on the west bank of the river north of Fowey town. After the connecting of the two lines in 1895 and the single ownership of the Great Western Railway the following year, the company began ongoing investment in the port. Jetty 4 was opened in the early 1900s and No 8 in 1923.

Rationalisation in BR days began with the closure of jetties 5 and 6 in 1950 and the reduction of sidings at No. 7 in 1962.

After the 1968 arrangements with English China Clays, jetty 8 is the only surviving one to be rail served, at the end of the branch from Lostwithiel. In this view of Carne Point, the line from Lostwithiel parallels the river to the right of the photographer and curves round to jetty 8. Beyond can be seen jetty 7 and the sites of jetties 5 and 6. A line of clay wagons is visible before the railway curves around the point to reach jetties 1-4 and further still, Fowey station. After 1968, all this section of railway was converted to the road, and further developments by ECC have considerably altered the scene.

Shunting at Fowey was done by the train locomotives, although ECC acquired their own diesel shunter after 1968.

R C Riley (RCR 5390).

29

WESTERN TIMES

30

ISSUE 5 Inevitably, there was also the competition from road transport, although this did not occur to the degree that affected freight tonnages in most other sectors.

By the early 1960s, BR's share of deliveries to UK customers had fallen owing to the unreliability of the conventional wagonload service. In an attempt to reverse this situation, BR's response was to offer regular trainload deliveries. The 'clayliner' to the Stoke-on-Trent Potteries started in 1965, followed by slurry in tanks to Sittingbourne for Bowaters in 1967.

These moves were relatively successful. In the 1970s, over 2 million tons of clay was produced annually, of which some 1.5 million was exported through Par and Fowey. Of the balance to UK customers, over 200,000 tons went by rail, around 200,000 tons by coastal shipping, and some 170,000 tons by road.

Lostwithiel to Jetty 8 at Carne Point, the sole surviving one with rail access. EEC began extensive modernisation at the harbour which included the ability to handle larger vessels and new clay storage facilities. Despite the increase in road traffic to the port, BR was still left with handling over half of clay exports through Fowey, some 600,000 tons per year.

Although Western Times does not focus on events after 1977, a few concluding sentences on the Hensbarrow area will not be out of place. Inevitably, both the industry and the railways serving it have undergone further substantial change: modernisation of mining and refining methods; new ownership with reorganisation on a world-wide basis; a consequent contraction of output and employment following overseas competition; new motive power, rolling stock, and traffic flows; and so on.

Rationalisation also very much affected the railserved ports of Par and Fowey. At Par, the harbour and the railway within it remained owned by the Treffry Estate after 1873 when the Par Railway was taken over by the Cornwall Minerals Railway. It was leased to English China Clays in 1946 and sold to them in 1964. The increase in the direct piping of slurry to dries at the harbour led to a gradual decline in the rail traffic. Par was only able to accommodate smaller vessels which were largely involved in the UK coastal and near-Europe shipping trade.

The landscape has also changed, as the familiar conical white spoil tips have now largely been removed as the construction industry, always a user of a certain quantity, has taken greater amounts.

Some sites have been abandoned, and more of the workings have been combined into large super pits, some enveloping the sites of former sections of railway route. One disused pit has been brought fully into the new tourist economy of the 21st century as it has provided the site for the Eden Project. Yet the whole Hensbarrow area and its fringes such as Goss Moor, with the atmosphere of the remaining workings and the clay villages, is still a landscape that represents the antithesis of the Cornwall as known to and loved by most visitors. However the more traditional tourist Cornwall of the coast and the countryside is never far away, and the working railway still continues to have a presence in that most beautiful and historic of locations, the Luxulyan Valley. With the remains of the original course of Treffry's Par Railway and the industrial archaeology of the Pontsmill area among the woodland, the valley was designated as part of a World Heritage Site from 2006.

Fowey Harbour was owned by the Cornwall Minerals Railway and its successors and was exclusively rail served, but by the 1960s English China Clays very much wanted its own road access and some control over the important export tonnages through the port.

In return for guaranteeing an amount of rail-borne traffic to British Rail, an agreement was reached by which the harbour, including the last half mile of the route from Lostwithiel, was leased to ECC and the railway from Fowey to Par Bridge would be converted to a private road for the exclusive use of ECC lorries. The closure of the line (an expensive and awkward one for BR to operate) took place in July 1968 after which all rail traffic travelled via ON THE CORNISH MAIN LINE

Opposite top: On 22 August 1974, No. D1015 Western Champion is seen on the climb from Par nearing Treverrin Tunnel with a working from St Blazey to Fowey Carne Point. The train includes wagons with the conventional flat tarpaulin covers as well as the newer pitched 'clayhoods'. These angled nylon coverings were introduced onto the existing wooden wagons from 1974 to overcome the problems of tearing and water seepage found with the flat tarpaulin covers used as shown in the previous illustrations.

Roger Geach.

LEAVING LOSTWITHIEL FOR FOWEY Opposite bottom: Wednesday 12 October 1977 sees Class 47 No. 47 024 on a train of 'clayhoods' leaving Lostwithiel for Carne Point alongside the River Fowey. The pitched hoods were being used almost exclusively on shipments to Fowey and Par by this time, as more modern wagons were being constructed for movements further afield. Behind the train the distant signal for trains arriving at Lostwithiel can be noted and, unseen behind the row of trees, the main line begins the ascent to Treverrin Tunnel.

Roger Geach.

31

WESTERN TIMES Bodmin Moor

Most famous of all, if only for the long association with the Beattie Well tanks, were the Wenford dries, half a mile short of the Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway branch terminus at Wenford Bridge, served by clay piped down from the pits on Stannon Downs.

Lest purists cavil at the inclusion of a Southern line in Western Times, it must be remembered that the surviving LSW routes in North Cornwall became part of the Western Region from 1 January 1963. More importantly, although Wadebridge and Padstow had been used as clay shipping ports in the early days, from the 1890s most of the clay, and after World War Two all of it, travelled from the exchange sidings at Boscarne Junction on western metals and behind western motive power, mainly to Fowey. After the reversal at Boscarne, this transit involved further reversals at Bodmin General and Bodmin Road before reaching Fowey via Lostwithiel. Traffic from Wenford survived until 1983.

The china clay industry on Bodmin Moor was limited when compared with Hensbarrow, a dozen or so pits being opened from the 1860s, but with only three remaining in production in the 1960s, at Stannon, Hawkstor, and Parsons Park, and none working today. No railways except internal tramways served the pits directly, but clay in slurry form was piped down to dries served by rail in three places.

Onslow Siding, over a mile east of Bodmin Road on the Cornwall main line, was opened in 1931 to serve a dry operated by Bowaters receiving slurry from Hawkstor. It was closed in 1968. The dries at Moorswater were opened in 1904, slurry being piped from Parsons Park. Served by the Looe branch from Liskeard, in the early days much of the output was shipped through Looe, but in later years, until closure in 1997, all the clay was sent to Fowey via Liskeard and Lostwithiel.

BODMIN ROAD On Saturday 4 June 1960, 57xx 0-6-0PT No. 7709 is in the up platform at Bodmin Road with a train of empty clay wagons.

The details of the working were not recorded but the train is most likely to have been bound for Wenford. In that case, the train would be shunted into the branch platform on the left, and the loco would run round on the adjoining loop before proceeding up the branch to Bodmin General. Alternatively, the train could be pausing before travelling further up the main line, the wagons destined for Moorswater or Marsh Mills. Neither is the identity of the passenger train in the down platform recorded; however, being a summer Saturday, the presence of ex-LMS carriages is more easily explained. This also invites the question of how frequent were the paths available for empty goods workings on such a day?

James Harrold (H1537).

32

DESCENDING FROM WENFORD Taken from the footplate, Beattie 2-4-0 well tank No. 30585 descends from the Wenford dries with a full consignment of china clay.

The train also includes vans probably carrying bagged clay or traffic from the Wenford Bridge public siding at the terminus of the line half a mile beyond the dries.

The Wenford line is notable for its frequent curves and wooded surroundings. Both are evident here; although the exact location was not recorded, it is believed to be on the sharp north to west curve by Shell Woods south of Tresarrett Siding. In 1962, shortly before the Western Region assumed operational responsibility for the route, the Beattie tanks were replaced by Nos. 1367, 1368, and 1369 of the lightweight 1366 class 0-6-0 panniers.

The beauty of this line can still be enjoyed today as the trackbed forms part of the Camel Trail. 19 July 1960.

R C Riley (RCR 15137).

ISSUE 5

CLIMBING FROM BOSCARNE Small Prairie No. 4552 attacks the climb from Boscarne Junction to Bodmin General with a train of Wenford china clay bound for Fowey.

Unseen, the line from Wenford passes Dunmere Siding and Crossing in the valley to the right, alongside the River Camel below Dunmere Woods, to reach the exchange sidings at Boscarne Junction off to the left. Here, Western motive power would take over from the Beattie tanks at what was also the boundary between ex-London & South Western and ex-Great Western metals. 27 May 1961.

P W Gray (PG 2542).

WESTERN TIMES

ENTERING LISKEARD Standard Class 4 4-6-0 No. 75028 enters Liskeard from the west with a goods train consisting largely of empty china clay wagons bound for Moorswater or Marsh Mills.

The train is breasting the short 1 in 59 climb from Moorswater Viaduct. The roof of the wooden goods shed in the main line goods yard can be seen above the first wagons of the train. Standard locomotives are not generally regarded as common in Cornwall, but as this locomotive bears a Laira shedplate workings such as this can hardly have been rare.

R E Vincent (REV 155-2).

LISKEARD EAST END Small Prairie No. 4523 stands alongside the down main line platform at Liskeard while engaged in shunting the sidings alongside the connection to the Looe branch to the left. At the moment, the train consists mainly of loaded china clay wagons that have been brought up from Moorswater and will most likely be destined for Fowey.

The single passenger platform for Looe trains is at right angles to these main line platforms and is out of sight to the left of the parachute water tank. Ahead beyond the signals, the main line eastwards crosses the valley on Liskeard Viaduct, beneath which the Looe branch, having curved through 180 degrees, descends to Coombe Junction.

R E Vincent (REV 155-3).

34

APPROACHING COOMBE JUNCTION The Derby Type 2 Bo-Bo Class 25 were among the first types to replace the Western Region ISSUE 5 diesel hydraulics, but their stay was relatively short-lived, being replaced by 37s and other classes from the late 1970s. In this view of 4 August 1976, No. 25 216 has passed beneath Moorswater Viaduct carrying the main line with clay for Fowey from the Moorswater dry beyond the viaduct. The train is approaching Coombe Junction where it will leave the branch down to Looe and take the steeply graded connecting link up to the main line at Liskeard.

Roger Geach.

35

COOMBE BY SALTASH VIADUCT A panorama encompassing the River Tamar, the Royal Albert Bridge, and the Devon shore at St Budeaux. Crossing Coombe by Saltash WESTERN TIMES Viaduct over a small inlet of the river is a Large Prairie with empty clay wagons, most likely for Marsh Mills.

R E Vincent (REV 156-3).

SALTASH STATION On 4 April 1967, one of the less than successful pioneer North British Type 4 diesel hydraulics, No. D603 Conquest, enters Saltash station with an up freight which includes a significant number of loaded china clay wagons in the consist. The ultimate destination of these was not recorded, but could be the Staffordshire potteries or Scotland.

Alec Swain (V67/2).

ISSUE 5 Select Bibliography The following two works provide background to the geography of the china clay districts: A H Shorter, W L D Ravenhill, and K J Gregory: Regions of the British Isles. Southwest England.

Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1969.

W G V Balchin: The Making of the English Landscape.

Cornwall. Hodder & Stoughton, 1954.

Railway books and articles of particular relevance include: R A Cooke: Atlas of the Great Western Railway as at 1947. Wild Swan Publications, 1988.

E T MacDermot, revised by C R Clinker: History of the Great Western Railway. Volume 2 1863–1921. Ian Allan, 1964.

David St John Thomas: A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume 1 The West Country. David & Charles, 5th edition 1981.

John Vaughan: The Newquay Branch and its Branches. Oxford Publishing Company, 1991.

John Vaughan: An Illustrated History of West Country China Clay Trains. Oxford Publishing Company, 1987.

Alan Bennett: The Great Western Railway in Mid Cornwall. Kingfisher Railway Productions, 1988.

David Mitchell: Devon & Cornwall Railfreight.

Silver Link Publishing, 2019.

Bernard Mills: From Lostwithiel to the China Clay Rails. Fonthill Media, 2016.

Tony Fairclough and Eric Shepherd: Mineral Railways of the West Country. Bradford Barton, 1975.

Jeremy Clements: Western Region NonPassenger Trains. The Transport Treasury, 2020.

R C Riley: The Cornish China Clay Traffic. In Trains Illustrated Summer Annual No 1. Ian Allan, 1957.

Gerry Beale: Cornish China Clay. In Great Western Railway Journal: Special Cornish Issue.

Wild Swan Publications, 1992.

ROYAL ALBERT BRIDGE Finally, a photograph on the very edge of Cornwall, illustrating a loaded china clay train entering the county. Two of the North British Type 2 diesel hydraulics, No. D6318 in blue and No. D6307 in green, curve off the Royal Albert Bridge into Saltash station. The working, from Tavistock Junction yard, is bringing clay from the Marsh Mills dry to Fowey for export.

Marsh Mills will be one of the first locations to be considered in part 2 of this article. 29 August 1969.

Bernard Mills.

37

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

0-4-0 SADDLE TANK - No. 96 he Chester and Birkenhead Railway opened on T 23 September 1840 to connect those two towns.

In July 1847, the CBR amalgamated with the Birkenhead, Lancashire & Cheshire Junction Railway under that title and a line from Chester to Walton, a junction on the London & North Western near Warrington was completed in December 1850.

The company’s title was changed to plain ‘Birkenhead Railway’ on 1 August 1859 and the undertaking was purchased jointly by the LNWR and the GWR on 1 January 1860. At time of takeover, the Birkenhead’s fleet totalled 42 locomotives which were equally divided between the new owners. Two goods locomotives that were on order were taken into GWR stock in 1861. The 23 engines thus acquired by the GWR were numbered 95 to 116/ 118.

Sharp Stewart built a pair of identical 0-4-0 saddle tanks for the Chester and Birkenhead Railway. No. 39 was built in September 1856 and No. 6 about November 1857. They were christened Cricket and Grasshopper but it is uncertain which name related to which engine. On acquisition by the GWR, they were renumbered: 6 to 95 and 39 to 96, and the names were removed.

When built, the dome was mounted on the firebox and the tank covered the barrel only. The footplate

38

lacked any form of weather protection and access was only possible from the left-hand side. No. 96 was fitted with new cylinders in June 1871. More rebuilding followed at Wolverhampton in December 1888 with the fitting of a new boiler, a centrally placed dome and a saddle tank that extended forward over the smokebox. The replacement chimney was more modestly proportioned but there was still no way on board from the righthand side.

Weather protection of a sort was provided and the engine remained in that condition for the remainder of its career with withdrawal in November 1935.

Allowing for the early confusion over identity, No 96 worked for 78 or 79 years. Reportedly, it was a Northern Division engine for most of its career.

The Great Western had a significant interest in harbour facilities, especially after the Grouping and a variety of dock shunters was owned down the years. No 96 was an obscure example and comparatively unusual in having inside-cylinders.

‘Dumb’ buffers (i.e. timber blocks) were mounted at both ends for most of its career but the later photograph reveals a concession to modernity with conventional buffers at the rear. The recorded weight distributions (original and as rebuilt) appear strange but can be explained by the amount of rear body overhang.

ISSUE 5

Leading Dimensions: Boiler Barrel - length - inside diameter Firebox - inside length Heating Surfaces - tubes - firebox Grate [sq ft] Boiler Pressure Cylinders Tractive Effort [lb - 85%] Wheel Diameter Wheelbase Weight [tons] - total - maximum axle loading Water Capacity (gallons)

As Built

Rebuilt 1881

9’ 9” 3’ 7” 3’ 6”

9’ 10” 3’ 7” 3’ 4”

545 60 n/a n/a 14” x 18” 4’ 0” 7’ 2”

829 60 9.4 140 14¹⁄�” x ¹⁸” 16,080 4’ 0” 7’ 2”

19.35 13.45 (rear) n/a

25.85 15.75 (rear) 490

The Northern Division seems traditionally to have received less attention than operations further south.

The editorial team would welcome contributions that describe the GWR’s more far flung corners.

39

WESTERN TIMES

MODERNISING THE WESTERN:

READING DIESEL DEPOT he first permanent steam depot at Reading T opened in November 1840, some eight months after the broad gauge had arrived at the town. Prior

Motive power facilities were augmented from August 1959 with a new three-road servicing depot for diesel multiple units built on the site of the former coal stack and sidings at the west end of the steam shed. These DMUs were employed on main line stopping services and on several local branch lines.

Concurrently the servicing of diesel shunters was transferred from the steam shed to the new depot.

Diesel units had been operating in the area for a little while before this, with refuelling facilities available at what had been the former tip sidings in the triangle area, hard by the west curve leading from the main line to the Berks & Hants.

to this, engines were serviced at a temporary site close to the River Kennet bridge. The structure was a simple dead-end shed with two roads capable of holding four engines each and located adjacent to the station. In line with increasing traffic, 21 years later the building was converted into a through shed with flat-roof extensions at either end and one road was converted to mixed gauge. A further extension to the mixed gauge road only took place in 1864.

Discussions regarding replacement facilities dated back to 1865, but it was not until 1880 that what was to become the final steam shed was opened. It was sited west of the station on the south side of the London-Bristol line and at a slightly lower level. This shed was effectively ‘rail-locked’ as it was surrounded on two sides by the triangle that formed connections with the Berks and Hants route. Traffic expansion over the network generally and an upgrade of the Berks & Hants services had made this new investment in locomotive maintenance and stabling facilities necessary.

The diesel depot was expanded in 1964 when two further roads were added plus a 150’ extension, intended to service main line locomotives. The decidedly dilapidated steam shed closed on 2 January 1965. Subsequent changes have included further expansion in 1981 of the 1959 depot, and later a revised DMU depot for more modern stock on the site of the tip sidings. More recently, multiple unit servicing and maintenance facilities were relocated north of the main line in connection with the major remodelling of the whole Reading complex.

On 2 March 1960, looking eastward from the 3-road diesel shed with the embankment of the curve from the main line to the Berks & Hants to the right. The water tower survived for some years after the end of steam. On the extreme left, a line of steam engines is just visible.

British Railways Official.

40

ISSUE 5 Top: The office end of the depot on 10 May 1960. At least one open day was held here in connection with the GW150 celebrations in June 1985. After a life considerably shorter than its steam predecessor, the extended shed and offices were razed to the ground in the 21st Century in connection with the Reading re-modelling programme.

British Railways Official.

Middle: Interior of the new 3-road depot on 2 March 1960 with a diesel shunter on the left-hand road, a dmu to the right, and a late Collett All Third coach visible on the siding beyond the centre road. Some steam maintenance personnel were retrained, but the motive power transition had led to a significant reduction in the total number of depot employees. (Reading Motive Power Depot had been home to ninety-three steam locomotives, five diesel railcars and a solitary petrol shunter in December 1947).

British Railways Official.

Bottom: A three-coach Pressed Steel DMU (introduced in 1959 and later classified 117) is receiving attention with Driving Motor Brake Second No W51343 to the fore in this photograph dated 24 October 1960. Local DMU workings were initially to steam rosters, but changes were afoot that would culminate in truncated stopping services on the former B&H route.

All but one of the stopping places between Bedwyn and Westbury would eventually close, with similar fate befalling the stations between Didcot and Swindon. At least one single coach ’bubble car’ was based at Reading and used on some of the final Newbury - Didcot services. Folklore holds that this unit also had ‘Lambourn’ on its destination blind, although the BR vehicles never worked that branch.

British Railways Official.

41

WESTERN TIMES

Above: The new Over Junction signal box which faced south. Built in a somewhat austere style the necessary addition of the high pitch to the roof probably did little to enhance its outward appearance. Whatever, it was ‘home’ to Michael and his colleagues for some years and was kept pristine inside without the heavy pulls associated with its predecessor and similarly without the draughts associated with many other boxes. The magnificent pole route will be noted whilst in the right background it is possible to note the former rail bridge over the River Severn. Although not shown here, a standard cast iron nameplate ‘OVER SIDINGS SIGNAL BOX’ was added later – salvaged probably from the original box. The window frames and sills etc were painted in the then standard chocolate and cream livery. The box had a life of 15 years closing in 1968 when its work was taken over by a new NX panel covering the Gloucester area.

Below: The old signal box with its new flat roof seen here converted to a permanent way hut. In the background is the Ledbury branch and facing the camera just before the bridge, signals ‘7’ and ‘8’; the branch starting signal and the shunt ahead signal. The branch, which note has been freshly ballasted, became single just under the bridge.

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OVER JUNCTION SIGNAL BOX THE RECOLLECTIONS OF SIGNALMAN MICHAEL JACKSON Unless stated all images are by the Author. The interior views are of Michael taken by him with tripod and timer.

rough calculation suggests that at one time A there were in excess of 2000 signal boxes controlling trains on the Great Western and its

go on for ever, as well as would there be interest. In response to both of these points all we can say is look around and see what is left. Excluding those operating as museum pieces on heritage lines, the number of former mechanical GWR boxes extant and working numbers far less than three figures and all of these must be on borrowed time.

Operationally too things are very different, different types of train together with changed operating rules mean the true days of the mechanical signal box have sadly faded into history, recalled now by a dwindling number of men who were proud to serve in a profession at the time essential to the safe passage of trains and similarly long respected.

constituents. Some of these were veritable cathedrals to the art of the signal engineer with in excess of 150 levers whilst at the opposite end of the scale might be a tiny structure with the number of levers counted in single figures, and yet each was important as the next in the regulation of trains in its specific area of responsibility.

Working these boxes was a skilled task, a skill learned over the years often commencing as a booking boy – recording the times of the bell codes (and trains) and writing these in the all important Train Register. Progression thereafter might be to a small signal box perhaps as a Porter / Signalman and then climbing the ladder to a full time signalman’s post and so on. Some boxes were so busy they even required more than one man although this was not to everyone’s liking and there were many who chose the solitary existence as being preferable, but from what was heard there were many grievances, that one signalman would want the windows open and the others would not.

This was in boxes where there were three or more men, in the two-men boxes they were often friends and they and their families went on holiday together.

Fortunately one of those survivors contacted Western Times a short time ago and a chance comment has led to what follows. Michael Jackson was a signalman at Over Junction west of Gloucester Central on the South Wales main line to Grange Court and Chepstow between 1955 and 1959. He takes up the story of how he came to be there, “The earliest date I can find for joining the railway was in July 1949 at which time I was training as a booking lad at Filton Junction Signal Box, Bristol. In this box lads worked only 6.00am to 2.00pm and 2.00pm to 10.00pm. Getting to the ‘box was by the `Staff Train' from Stapleton Road station which comprised a pannier tank loco pulling a single coach that ran between Bristol and Stoke Gifford Yard (now Bristol Parkway). The service also carried shunters and loco men.

Signalman’s recollections are rare in comparison with those from the footplate. Over decades there was the understandable belief that their role would

Circa 1926 GWR location plan for the original box.

GWR Official.

43

Signalman’s view east from Over Junction looking towards Gloucester over the replacement rail bridge. Beyond the river bridge the line to Gloucester Docks curves off to the right. A check rail is provided for trains taking the Ledbury branch and as was standard for the time, both divergences are in the form of a double junction.

This time we are looking west from the signal box towards Oakle Street with the goods loops clearly well used. Tubular pattern semaphore signals dominate the scene, the short distance between Over Sidings and Over Junction signal boxes meaning the respective distant signals were motor operated.

Looking west from the A48 road bridge (itself later replaced in the 1970s).

At least two trains are present in the up goods loops. A temporary speed restriction was in force on the down line; note the ‘T’ board immediately prior to the Docks branch. Two persons are also visible in the ‘four foot’ beyond the river bridge.

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ISSUE 5 The Over Junction Signal Box Michael arrived at in 1955 was not the original box carrying this name.

The original Over Junction box had opened by 1864, was extended in 1903 and lasted until June 1953. It was reputedly also a heavy box to work – possibly due to the type of (unspecified) locking provided. At the time of closure it had 53 levers at 5¼” centres. Subsequent to this it was stripped of its contents and the operating floor removed. A roof was then added and it took on a new role as a permanent way hut. The permanent way gang covered the line from about a mile east towards Gloucester Central and as far as Oakle Street station, a distance of about five miles.

controlled access and egress to the Gloucester Docks Branch Goods sidings. Over Junction was a busy box and was graded as a Class 2. (The number of lever pulls, bell codes, movements of the block instruments etc dictated the grading of a signal box and consequently the pay of the signalman. In general terms Grade 6 was the lowest (quietest) and Grade 1 the highest, whilst in addition there were separate grades for Relief SIgnalman and Special Class men.)

Absolute block working applied on the up and down main lines although Michael recalls that on the down main line, the absence of the track circuit mentioned meant that the down advanced starting signal could be pulled off without obtaining ‘line clear’; although a local instruction covered this situation stating, ‘No train or engine shall be permitted to go forward to the advanced starting signal unless Line Clear had been obtained from Over Sidings’. Token working was in force between Over Junction and Newent on the Ledbury branch whilst the Docks branch was worked by telephone both inwards and outwards although fixed signals did of course control entry/ exit to and from the main line. Such was the traffic on the Docks branch that it was regular practice for light engines and northbound freights to be routed and stabled on to the Ledbury branch to await acceptance; there was a ‘shunt’ signal, below the section signal to enter the Ledbury branch for these moves, also the ‘Blocking Back’ bell signal (‘3-3’) had to be sent to and acknowledged by the Newent signalman (see the diagram). Another local instruction that applied whilst an engine / train might be standing on the Ledbury branch was that it was possible to accept a train from Newent under Regulation 5 ‘Section clear but junction blocked’. This was not allowed in conditions of fog – see later – or falling snow.

The replacement signal box, opened at the same time was a non-standard brick structure, nonstandard as according to Michael it had originally been intended to have a flat roof but this was vetoed by the local planning department and a high pitched roof was instead substituted. In appearance it is believed to have been unique. The new box had been necessary as just east of the original, the bridge carrying the railway over the River Severn was in need of replacement, the replacement bridge having the effect of slewing the lines slightly south.

Inside was a 58 lever frame at 4” centres. An illuminated diagram showed the progression of trains on the up and down main lines only but excluding that part of the down main west as far as Over Sidings Signal Box; the goods loops on the west side and branches also not equipped. The neighbouring boxes were to the east Gloucester West and to the west Over Sidings. As the Junction name implies, the location was the junction for the branch to Ledbury with the single line section from Over Junction to Newent. Over Junction also

Over Junction Signal Box interior.

Standard for the time BR(WR) lever frame with ivorine lever leads. The No 9 key token instrument for the Ledbury branch is at this end of the frame. The fogman’s oil hand lamps mentioned in the text, are stood on the shelf above the windows of the end wall. Polished lever tops and an indoor ‘privvy’, this was luxury compared with having to go downstairs and outside on a wet and windy night.

That most important of items, the comfy chair also creeps into view at the end of the frame. The single large glass panes gave signalmen uninterrupted vision, although slightly unusual for the time was the traditional forward facing lever frame.

45

Left: Block shelf with the ‘1947’ style WR block instruments for the up and down main lines – that and the corresponding bell on the right are for Over Sidings (the block switch is in-between). Several Bakelite release plungers face the signalman together with a single point indicator. In the background are a number of lamp indicators on top of which are some round lever collars – very good for holding a boiled egg when necessary.

Right: Train register entry. The telephones are not defined but would likely include a Control phone, at least one for the docks, and possible direct lines to Over Sidings and Gloucester West. Again luxury in the form of good lighting and beyond a sink.

Over Junction Signalling Diagram.

Signalling Record Society.

Above: An unidentified WD 2-8-0 leaving the docks branch and heading west over the River Severn just at the time the tidal race of the Severn Bore was taking place.

WESTERN TIMES At that time Gloucester West Signal Box (1m 30ch distant) which Michael worked to as the neighbouring box in that direction, was operated by a one armed signalman. This man had a pad strapped to his forehead so that he could simultaneously pull a lever and press the signal release plunger with his head. The goods loops (one down and two up loops) to and from Over Sidings Signal Box (50 chs. westwards) were worked under permissive block regulations.

February and September 1956, I saw five of them No.s 3402/03/04/06/08 taken dead in various freight trains to South Wales destined for Radyr shed.

“The two principal passenger trains of the day were the 6.50pm Neyland to Paddington, and a Paddington to South Wales express which left Gloucester at about 4.10am. Freight trains were well watched when these two were in the offing, and I always felt relieved when they passed for while there may have been a rap on the knuckles for a delay to other trains, for these two it was a letter beginning ‘Please explain’ etc. There were also times when there were mishaps at or in the Severn Tunnel, causing several diversions of both the up and down main line services between Paddington and South Wales to come this way. One I remember was the steam hauled down ‘South Wales Pullman’ which, I heard, caused excitement amongst those on the station as it passed through Gloucester Central.

Over Junction was normally open continuously but was also fitted with a block switch (this may be seen in the interior views) and was on occasions closed from 6.00am Sunday to 5.00am Monday. “When I initially went to the box, for the first year the other signalman and I had to work 12-hour shifts because no one else in the area wished to work there, something I could never understand. Later the signalmen rotated around three shifts with the early turn man taking on the additional role of washing the lino floor, polishing the brasses and tending to the oil lamps; there were two, one for each end of the box. Invariably these would have the glass turned to red – if an oil lamp was required in emergency it would always be the red light that was needed. There was also a metal megaphone intended to be used to shout instructions to a driver although in practice the decibel level of the human voice was no match for Swindon safety valves.”

“The Permanent Way gang at Over Junction comprised the Ganger, Sub-ganger and five men.

Unfortunately I have forgotten the names of all except Ganger Tom Trigg who lived in a village further down the line and who for a while when I first met him puzzled me with tales of the ‘Damnation Dog’ owned by someone in the village. After hearing two or three tales I realised he meant a Dalmatian dog. They were a good bunch of men, always ready to help when there was a spot of trouble such as acting as a hand signalman at a defective signal, or as groundsman if points needed to be clipped and, of course in poor weather as fog signalman. Over was noted for the amount of fog in the area, it could be thick fog here whilst in Gloucester and further to the west the sun was shining; this was due to its situation and proximity to the River Severn. Many times I had the Permanent Way Inspector ring me up to ask why we needed fog signalmen when it was as clear as a bell in Gloucester. Ready prepared on a shelf inside the box were six oil burning hand lamps for the use of the fog signalmen. These lamps differed from the normal hand-lamps used in signal boxes and by guards and shunters in that they also had an amber glass for use when flagging at a distant signal. The River Severn was also famous for its ‘Tidal Wave’, the Severn Bore which occurred every day and grew higher each day until it reached its maximum then started all over again. At its highest it flooded the fields on either side in front of the box. One of the PW Gang was a keen elver (young eels) fisherman and he and others would come fishing at night with their nets, and looking from the box one could see many lights of other ‘Elverers’, then as the Severn Bore came up you would hear the warning cry ‘BORE’ and all the lights would move smartly to the top of the bank.

Despite Michael losing his numerous notebooks in a fire soon after leaving the railway, he recalls the train service from this time. “While I worked at the box there was a regular passenger service to/ from Hereford, Cinderford and Ledbury, and also to Cardiff & Swansea, both local and express. The expresses originated from Birmingham Snow Hill station, except one which was the 8.15am Newcastle to Cardiff which split in two at Gloucester Central and changed engines, the front portion for Cardiff and the rear for Bristol. The Ledbury branch had about five or six trains a day including a daily pick up freight. I remember when there was a big football match on in Birmingham, two football specials were routed this way one of which was hauled by a standard 75xxx class loco. There were several freights to and from South Wales many of which ran daily, one in particular was the 3.45am from Aberdare to Didcot Moreton Cutting, which comprised wagons of loco coal hauled by a 28xx loco often No 2836. This train I particularly noted because the Aberdare shed locos were always clean, as were the Castle class engines working from Cardiff (Canton) shed. There were often light engines, some coming from repairs at Caerphilly Works, some being transferred to another shed, and others making their last trip to Swindon Works to be cut-up. Also, when the then new 94xx pannier tanks were being built by outside builders between

48

ISSUE 5

Above: Over Junction ganger Tom Trigg – he of ‘damnation’ dog fame (it sounds very fierce), sub ganger and the gang. Their area of responsibility was from Over Junction as far west as Oakle Street. In addition to their primary duties the gang often assisted as emergency ‘fog signalmen’, a phenomenon frequently suffered due to the proximity of the River Severn.

Right: ‘Jack the Lampy’ is photographed in his hut during a short period of respite. His was an unrewarding task, out in all weathers and expected to climb signal posts regardless of the conditions and inherent dangers.

“An important weekly visitor on Fridays was the lamp man, known ‘Jack the Lampy’ who no matter what the weather turned up to renew the signal oil lamps. He had a small hut near the signal box where he cleaned, refilled and trimmed the lamps, then carried four or five at a time on a special carrier comprising a four foot long piece of 3 x 2” timber with a handle on the top and the hooks below to hang them on. After he had finished he would then clean two or three spare lamps should one in a signal go out, in which case it was invariably the signalman’s job to replace it. All the main line signals had a ‘Lamp Repeater’ on the block shelf which indicated if a lamp was out and by sounding a bell. Jack was the most conscientious lampy I met in my railway career.”

process, whilst others might spend their down time in a more productive manner. Michael recalls several in the latter category, “There was a signalman in Bristol who employed his son not only to clean the brasses but also to work the whole box.

This was because the father was a watch & clock repairer while at work.

Signalmen often had a hobby that they could keep going while on duty, the management knew but said nothing as long as there were no problems. The son eventually became an official booking lad and when his father retired he applied for and was appointed to the same box.

One of the fellow signalmen I worked with later was a Meccano enthusiast. He made a model of a man (not full size) that could take a box of matches, strike it, and offer to light a cigarette. While under construction it stood behind the lever frame and not a word was said. During my own time at the same box I found time to write four or five books on medieval castles, one on Shropshire, and the rest on northern counties.”

Working a signal box could sometimes mean almost continuous activity and on occasions periods when nothing was happening, especially during the ‘quiet hours’. At such times some men might simply ‘get their head down’, others would talk on anything from football, to local gossip on the omnibus phone circuit – invariably ‘putting the world to rights’ in the 49

Above: Two trains in one on 12 February 1958. No. 2295 working the 8.00am Hereford to Gloucester pick-up freight, but coupled ahead of the 9.45am Alexandra Dock Jn. (Newport) to Stourbridge freight. This double working enabled it to get through the busy Over - Gloucester section quicker. A very unusual working and although I cannot fully remember now, I probably had the permission of the Dispatcher at Gloucester East Box for the move.

Below: Keeping the traffic moving. On 22 October 1958, W19 had formed the 6.05am Cheltenham to Ledbury service but failed on arrival at Gloucester. Fortunately around the same time No 3620 had arrived at Gloucester Central en route to Southall shed after repairs at Caerphilly Works. It was quickly commandeered to work W19 to Ledbury and back. It is shown paused briefly on the branch at Over Junction to allow the S&T lineman off to return excess single line tokens which had accumulated at Newent to the Over Junction machine. (Token transfers were always undertaken with an even number of tokens; this so the token machines remained ‘in-phase’.) Although I worked in the Bristol area for a number of years and where the former GWR railcars were used on several regular services, I had never seen this method of working before. In Bristol if a railcar failed it was normal to replace it with an engine and 'B' Set.

ISSUE 5 In 1959 Michael left his permanent post at Over Junction to become a Rest Day Relief Signalman working the former LMS signal boxes in Gloucester but which now due to boundary changes had become part of the Western Region. Consequently he learned and covered Elmbridge, Gloucester Goods Junction, Barton Street Crossing, California Crossing, Painswick Road Crossing, and Tuffley Junction. In 1961 he moved on promotion to Gloucester South Box, but then resigned in 1964.

After an 11-year gap Michael returned to the railway in 1975 this time away from the Western Region working again as a Signalman at Aspatria and then Tamworth as a Rest Day Relief Signalman. This area operated under Track Circuit Block instead of what he had been used to (Absolute Block).

Subsequent moves were to West Hampstead and then further north to work various boxes in Cumbria until his final retirement from British Rail in 1999.

Above: The curious case of Collett 0-6-0PT No. 7705 recorded on 23 February 1960. This was one of four pannier tanks destined for scrap by Hayes Metals Ltd, who had a site on the Docks Branch. It was en-route from Swindon when the yard inspector noticed that the locomotive had been repainted and asked the driver of the train the reason. The driver replied he had been told that when about to be despatched from Swindon Works it was discovered it had never been officially photographed and that consequently one side only was quickly repainted and made to look new for the obligatory shot.

Right and below: Extracts from part of the working instructions for Over Junction.

Taken from the ‘GWR Appendix to the No.7 Section of the Service Time Tables, March 1941 UFN.’

51

uring the Second World War, coach D construction and repair at Swindon Works was severely restricted. Following the bombing of Short

In these circumstances, it was understandable that new coach manufacture should be limited to completion of orders placed pre-war plus delivery of Diesel Railcar Units Nos. 35-38 and a few special vehicles. No new coaches for general service were introduced between September 1941 (All Third Dia. C81) and May 1945 (Passenger Brake Dia. K42).

Bro Ltd’s aircraft production at Rochester in 1940, that company’s factory moved into the enormous 24 Shop at Swindon, and also into other locations in the vicinity of the town. Completed in 1929/ 30, this shop could accommodate 160 coaches at a time but the need to change to aircraft manufacture reduced facilities available for railway work to just two repair roads. The carriage shops where new construction was undertaken were also re-focussed on war work, in this case the provision and modification of vehicles needed for specialised military use (e.g. ambulance trains).

By the end of the war, the company’s assets were severely run down and a staggering amount of overdue repairs and maintenance had to be tackled. Deciding priorities must have been a challenge but particular urgency was attached to the coach fleet which at the end of 1938 had totalled 6,138 units with an average age of 18 years. Seven years later the fleet had been reduced to 5,738 units while their average age had risen to 22 years. There were several reasons for the contraction: hiatus in new construction during the war; non-operable vehicles damaged in air raids; non-replacement of life-expired units; requisition of coaches for military use. Twelve months after cessation of hostilities, the company was still providing 250 trains per week specifically to meet governmental requirements. In 1938, around 5.7% of the fleet had been out of service awaiting repair, rising to 22.6% by 1945.

Another major priority was wagon production.

Availability and utilisation had greatly improved through nationwide requisition and abolition of the private owner wagon incubus in 1939 (as described in WT Issue 2) but demand for new wagons and for maintenance of the existing fleet was intense. By the middle of the war, the wagon shop was fully extended in annually building some 4,500 new vehicles and in repairing 20,000 others.

Hawksworth coaches are probably best remembered as forming the bulk of the vehicles assembled for prestige services in the early 1950s. No. 5035 Coity Castle is at the head of the Up ‘Torbay Express’, date and location unrecorded. The first, second, fifth and sixth coaches are to Hawksworth’s design, separated by Collett vehicles including a restaurant car.

Author’s Collection.

52

ISSUE 5 No. 4092 Dunraven Castle of Stafford Road was paused on an Up express at Bicester in 1952. The two coaches in view (a Brake Third and an All Third) display destination boards immediately below the gutter on the body sides.

Patrick Kingston.

Right: Central Wales was the haunt of several ageing 0-6-0s in the 1950s, as exemplified by exCambrian Railways Class 15 No. 849 (as ‘Great Westernised’ in April 1931) at Talyllyn Junction on 3 May 1951. The train seems out of place as its two coaches are an E164 Brake Composite and a D131/ D133 Brake Third which were built between September 1947 and January 1951. Although primarily deployed on prestige services, a certain number of Hawksworth coaches were diverted to secondary trains quite early in their careers. Such modern stock should surely have been used on more important duties than could be found in this picturesque backwater.

R C Riley (RCR 2216).

Collett 0-6-0 No. 2214 seen arriving at Southampton Terminus on 25 June 1957 with a train off the route from Didcot and Newbury. The rake of three comprises a Diagram D131/ D133 Brake Third, a Collett C54 All Third and what appears to be Collett E148 Brake Composite. R C Riley (RCR 10829).

WESTERN TIMES These circumstances combined to underline the need to grow and up-date the fleet. Wartime demands had extended the working lives of some ageing locomotives e.g. 2-6-0 Class 26xx (Aberdares), 0-6-0 Class 2361, and 0-4-2T Class 3571. A parallel situation obtained with coach stock, exemplified by seven All First coaches of Diagrams A7 & A8. These were gangwayed Clerestory mainline vehicles built 1902/ 3 and in ordinary service as at 31 December 1947. The last (No. 8316) was withdrawn in January 1953.

Seating capacity was the same as with the corresponding pre-war stock but the extra three feet in length allowed a welcome increase in vestibule size (which had been cramped with the Collett series) and in the space between seats. The 8’ 11” body width had been adopted before the war to enable general service stock to work freely off GWR territory and this dimension was retained as standard. The dimensional simplicity was a logical and cost-effective advance over pre-war coach manufacturing practices that had tolerated significant variations. Different body lengths of orders completed in calendar year 1938:

Seasonal factors added further strains. With petroleum rationing in force and large numbers seeking to escape the grim reality of austere city living by going on holiday for the first time in years, demand for accommodation was intense. The number of long distance passengers handled by Paddington in the third week of August 1946 was almost double that for the corresponding period in 1938.

Carriages were the GWR’s shop front.

Overcrowded, dirty, tired, out-dated rolling stock coupled with schedules only marginally improved from the war years did little for the company’s image. To the travelling public, it would have been irrelevant that these conditions were beyond the railway’s immediate control so it was important to demonstrate that improvements were in hand. In anticipation of the restoration of peace, Lot numbers were issued in 1944 for passenger coach construction to a new design. Unfortunately, a farreaching new construction programme faced substantial resource hurdles. By the start of 1945 over 3,000 employees of beyond normal retirement age were still at work and 12 months later 6,000 GWR men were still awaiting release from military service. The manpower shortage was prolonged as

by December 1946, over 5,700 essential posts remained vacant. Even if the labour had been available, there remained severe shortages of suitable construction materials.

Body Length

Diagrams

57’ 58’ 7” 59’ 10” 59’ 3¹⁄�” 60’ 1¹⁄�”

D125 [1] E160 [2] E158 [2] E156 [3] A22 [4] C76 [5]/ C77 [5]/ D126 [6] D127 [6]/ E159 [7]/ F24 [8] H55 to H57 [9]

60’ 11¹⁄�”

KEY: [1] Non-corridor Brake Third. [2] Composite.

[3] Non-corridor Composite. [4] All First. [5] All Third.

[6] Brake Third. [7] Brake Composite. [8] Double Slip.

[9] Catering vehicles - three types.

Exposure to alternative wartime manufacturing processes had induced Swindon to accept new methods, many of which had remained unchanged since Churchward’s time and this evolution included coach construction. The new generation was created by direct body assembly on to the underframe which was of rivetted construction, and which was equipped with steel brackets to which vertical body pillars were bolted. The upper end of these pillars were fitted with similar brackets that were welded to the cant rail. This method eliminated the need for long horizontal frame members in timber, a building material then in short supply.

The floors comprised two thicknesses of laminated timber sheeting treated with asbestos and with a layer of asbestos sandwiched in between. The floor was bolted direct to the underframe rather than form part of the body structure as hitherto. Mild steel body panelling was screwed in sections to the pillars. The rivetted roofs sloped down longitudinally at the ends in the LNER style (sometimes described as a ‘dome end’). The vertical pillars resulted in the slab body style and no ‘tumblehome’ beyond slight inward curvature towards the sole bar. Non-corridor suburban stock was built in the same fashion, but without the distinctive end roof profile. The building process was broadly similar to that which had been used by the LMS for some years and provides a hint of the cordial personal and professional relationship between FW Hawksworth and William Stanier.

Design and Construction For Hawksworth’s main line stock, the body length was standardised at 64’ 0” while the configuration of compartments remained unchanged from the layouts used in the 1938/ 9 construction programme but the similarity ended there. Pre-war compartment stock [All First Diagram A22/ All Third C77/ Composite E160] had four doors on the corridor side but only end-vestibule doors on the compartment side. (Pre-war C81/ E162 had three doors on the compartment side). The Hawksworth versions [A23/ C82/ E163] had four doors on both sides i.e. two compartments had outer doors in the old fashion.

54

ISSUE 5 The opportunity was taken to experiment with alternative materials, principally aluminium and light alloys. The former material was used for some body panels, body frames and window fittings. The intention to respond more to customer preferences was evident with internal fittings which exploited recent technological advances. Five coaches were fitted with fluorescent lighting developed in collaboration with British Thomson-Houston although the quality of the light emitted was generally considered unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, this experiment was well ahead of anything that BR would attempt. Timber scarcity led to difficulties in sourcing traditional veneers so some compartments were panelled in laminated plastic commercially known as ‘Formica’. Several alternative materials were tried for seating and upholstery. A feature that showed consideration for passenger convenience was the removal of destination boards from their traditional position on the roof and slanted away from the viewer’s line of sight to the bodyside immediately below the cant rail. This change made the route more easily discernible at platform level.

greater length. What can be divined about his policies suggest that there were ideas for more lavishly appointed internal facilities and improved passenger comfort. Reduction in the tare without compromising structural strength would have assisted these objectives. Weight considerations stimulated the most interesting of the various experiments which concerned All Third No. 2399, for which Diagram C85 was issued. The underframe was constructed entirely of aluminium which significantly reversed the weight trend: Diagram C77 C82 C85

Lot No. 1593/ 1623 1691/ 1720 1685

Tare [tons] 31.45 31.7/ 31.9 27.6

No. 2239’s history symbolised the frustrated hopes that afflicted the GWR’s post-war aspirations. It entered service in April 1950, apparently proved entirely satisfactory and while the exact withdrawal date is not recorded, it worked until the mid-1960s.

It seems to have had no appreciable impact on post-GWR designs.

Hawksworth’s All Third Diagram C82 was heavier than Collett’s Diagram C77 on account of the

Above: Official photograph of Diagram C85 All Third No. 2239, completed in April 1950. This coach was issued with the earliest Lot number [1685] assigned to Hawksworth main line stock but was completed with the last of the All Thirds. This was probably due to its experimental status in being fitted with an all-aluminium chassis to reduce the tare weight while maintaining structural strength. This was the most significant of several trials conducted with alternative materials, and appears to have been entirely satisfactory although it remained a ‘one off’.

British Railways.

Below: Official photograph All First Diagram A23 No. 8003 completed in November 1949, in full BR ‘blood and custard’ livery. The third of the initial batch of three, this coach operated for just over 15 years before withdrawal. There was one early withdrawal in 1958, but the remaining 28 members of Diagram A23 were all taken out of service in 1964/ 5 serving shorter careers than their All third counterparts.

British Railways.

55

WESTERN TIMES Building Programme

improvements were on the way. A promotional demonstration was held at Paddington on 5 November 1946 when oil-burning No. 5091 Cleeve Abbey was placed on show with brand new All Third No. 790, Collett Composite Diagram E158 No. 7022 of 1937, a Restaurant Car and a Sleeping Coach.

The two ordinary coaches were fitted with fluorescent lighting and the non-Hawksworth vehicles had been re-furbished to match the new arrival. In the post war period, the GWR led the Big Four in the restoration of on-train catering although with food rationing, the fare on offer must have been dull and meagre. The exhibition train reflected the priority accorded the premium travel sector and the hopes for oil-fired locomotives. This modest event was a microcosm of the GWR’s progressive ideas but ominously, the nationalisation Bill was published 22 days later.

The plans of 1944 were ambitious. It was hoped that Swindon would eventually deliver five new main line coaches per week starting with 260 in calendar 1946. The reality proved different as during the first seven years of peace and with the assistance of contractors, only 529 main line vehicles were completed: Type All First All Third Brake Third Composite Brake Composite Passenger Brake

Number Built 29 207 167 37 44 45

As the new coaches became available, they were widely dispersed in express services and it would be some time before there were sufficient numbers to make up the matched sets that became synonymous with the ‘Cornish Riviera’ and other prestige trains in the early 1950s. When this became possible, the impact was impressive in the sleek and stylish nature of the design. However, remaining Great Western in all but name meant that the symmetry of the rake was disturbed by two notable exceptions. Catering vehicles were absent from the post-war programme; the youngest built for general service had been the Collett Composite Diner Diagram H57 of November/ December 1938.

Accordingly, the tradition was maintained of catering vehicles provided contrasting roof and body profiles within otherwise matched sets. The other exception was the Slip Coach although later in their careers, three of Brake Composite Diagram E164 were converted to fill this role.

However laudatory were these initiatives, they resulted in no significant progress during GWR days for two reasons. The widespread shortage of materials persisted while the government’s manifesto promise of public ownership took shape in the nationalisation Bill published 27 November 1946 and passed into law as the Transport Act 1947 on 6 August. There was understandable reluctance to spend more shareholders’ money on experimentation that would offer no payback in the limited period before their holdings were exchanged for government stock.

Construction for main line use initially focussed on All Third coaches which made sense as they had the densest seating capacity and thus provided the most effective means of showing the public that

Left: Brand new All Third Diagram C82 Nos. 910 to 912 at Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Works in 1948.

Built to Lot No. 1714, this trio were part of a batch of 70 such vehicles (855-924) constructed under subcontract between Nov 1947 and Nov 1948. Historical Model Railway Society.

56

ISSUE 5

Above: Compartment side of All Third C82 No. 2113 at Oxford in 1951. Another product of Gloucester RCW, this coach was completed in December 1948, painted in the last style of GWR livery minus company insignia.

Patrick Kingston.

Below: Corridor side of C82 All Third No. 791 at Marazion on 26 August 1958. Delivered in October 1946 together with Nos. 789 & 792, these were the first three Hawksworth coaches in service. No 791 worked for 19½ years.

R S Carpenter.

57

Above: Official works photograph of the compartment side of Brake Third Diagram D133 No. 2251 following construction by Metropolitan-Cammell in December 1950.

British Railways.

Below: Composite Diagram E163 No. 7252 showing the corridor side. An official photograph displaying the GWR’s last style of coach livery. Nos. 7251/ 2 were the first of this diagram to be delivered, in November 1947.

GWR Official.

Hereford’s Collett 0-6-0 No. 2241 in lined green livery makes an explosive start from its home station on 1 October 1960.

Forming a Gloucester service, the first coach of which is a Brake Third Diagram D133 No. 2143 (corridor side).

R C Riley (RCR 15459).

ISSUE 5 Once there were enough of the new coaches available in their various types, many were assembled into set trains for services from Paddington to the West of England, and to Birmingham/ Wolverhampton. They also formed matched sets for Birkenhead-Bournemouth trains, thus ensuring that all vehicles were compatible with off-GWR loading gauges. Rather curiously, a few soon made their way to stopping and branch line duties, as recorded in some of the photographs.

Brake thirds and brake composites were most common on this secondary work, partly explained

by these vehicles accounting for 44% of the general service coaches (i.e. excluding Sleeping Cars and Passenger Brakes), thus representing a disproportionately large share of the total build.

They would have been better deployed on main line services thereby allowing displacement of older counterparts for secondary work. This wasteful use of modern, often brand new vehicles was regrettable but of minor significance compared with the greater scandal that beset the Hawksworth coaches in their closing years, as will be discussed in part 2 of this article.

All First Diagram A23 [7 compartments/ 42 seats/ one toilet/ weight 31.85 tons]

The All First mainline coach was comparatively rare and apart from articulated stock in the 1920s, none had been built in the post-grouping period until Collett revived the type in 1937 (mainline diagrams A20/ A22, plus suburban A21). The perceived need for this type seems to have been limited and it was the first to be withdrawn, between December 1964 and December 1965.

Lot No. 1688 1703 1734

Build Dates Nov-49 Nov-49 to Jan-50 May-50 to Jul-50

Above: Compartment side of Composite Diagram E165 No. 7813 at Barmouth on 13 September 1959.

59

Nos. 8001-3 8053-64 8112-125

Pamlin Prints.

All Third Diagrams C82/ C84/ C85 [8 compartments/ 64 seats/ two toilets]

Lot No. Dia. C82 1691 1714 1720 Dia. C84 1706 1735 1735 Dia. C85 1685

It is unclear what accounted for the progressive weight increases but they were sufficiently significant for Nos. 2264-2288 to be fitted with aluminium body panels before reverting to steel for the remainder of that lot. No. 2239 with its aluminium chassis is discussed above. Diagram C82 survived rather later than the All Firsts with the majority withdrawn in 1966, although No. 866 lasted until March 1969. Most of Diagram C84 went in 1967 but Nos. 1719/ 2283 survived until November 1968.

Build Dates

Weight

Nos.

Nov-46 to Jun-47 Nov-47 to Nov-48 Nov-48 to Apr-49

31.7 t 31.7 t 31.9 t

781-832 855-924 * 2107-2136 *

Dec-48 to Mar-49 32.8 t Dec-49 to Apr-50 30.95 t Apr-50 32.3 t Apr-50

27.6 t

1713-1737 2264-2288 2289-2292 2239

* Built by Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co.

Lot No.

Brake Third Diagrams D131/ D133

Dia. D131 1692 Dia. D133 1707 1732 1732 1732 1744

[4 compartments/ 32 seats/ one toilet/ guard’s compartment/ van space/ weight 32.1 tons]

The majority were withdrawn in 1966/ 7 with a few surviving into the following year, the last being withdrawn in December. This type is reasonably well represented in preservation. * Built by Metropolitan-Cammell.

Build Dates

Nos.

Sep-47 to Dec-47

833-854

Mar-49 to Jul-49 Mar-50 to Jul-50 Jul-50 to Sep-50 Sep-50 to Nov-50 Nov-50 to Jan-51

1772-1786 2137-2185 2187-2223 2225-2238 2240-2259 *

Build Dates

Nos.

Dec-47 to Oct-48

7251-7262

Apr-49 to Nov-49 Jan-50 to Apr-50

7798-7816 7817-7822

Composite Diagrams E163/ E165 Lot No.

[4 x first & 3 x third class compartments/ 24 first class & 24 third class seats/ two toilets/ weight 31.75 tons]

Dia. E163 1689 Dia. E165 1704 1737

Nos. 7254/ 7804/ 7813 were converted to work in BR DMU sets in September/ October 1961 thus extending their working lives until March 1968. The remainder were withdrawn in 1965-7.

Brake Composite Diagram E164 [2 x first & 4 x third class compartments/ 12 first class & 32 third class seats/ two toilets/ guard’s compartment/ van space/ weight 32.45 tons]

The majority were withdrawn in 1966 with Nos 7841/ 7861 lasting until September and October 1968 respectively. Nos. 7372 & 7377 never worked in ordinary service but were retained at Old Oak Common in chocolate & cream livery for use with the Royal Train. On retirement it was their excellent condition that helped secure their future in preservation.

Lot No.

Build Dates

Nos.

1690 1705 1738

Jun-48 to Dec-48 Jun-49 to Jul-49 Sep-50 to Dec-50

7372-7385 7838-7847 7848-7867

duties when it was slipped on Friday 9 September 1960 from the 5.10 pm Paddington-Wolverhampton to stop at Bicester. It was recovered there by the locomotive of the 4.40 pm Paddington-Banbury and attached to that service for completion of its journey.

The last multiple slip comprising a Hawksworth Slip Coach with an All Third attached had taken place at Didcot on Tuesday 7 June 1960, from the 7.00 am Weston-Super-Mare to Paddington.

Nos. 7374 to 7376 were converted into doubleended slip coaches in 1958 (no separate diagram issued). No. 7374 was the last to be used on such

60

Top: Brake Composite E164 No. 7377 with No. 7372 beyond at Old Oak Common in the 1950s. Both are in chocolate and cream livery, and as mentioned in the text, the pair was never used in BR ordinary service having been set aside from new for exclusive use with the Royal Train. No. 7372 was the prototype Hawksworth Brake Composite; both were delivered in October 1948 and withdrawn in February 1966.

Lens of Sutton.

Middle: Brake Composite E164 No. 7863 at Birmingham Snow Hill circa 1962/ 3.

Bottom: The corridor side of Sleeping Car Diagram J18 No. 9083.

R S Carpenter.

Lens of Sutton.

WESTERN TIMES The compartment side of Sleeping Car J18 No. 9085, at Old Oak Common on 12 September 1964.

R C Riley (RCR 17724).

Right: The corridor side of Passenger Brake Van Diagram K45 No. 319 on 18 March 1966. Branding was still prominent at this late date. In this case, it states ‘PARCELS TRAIN BRAKE VAN’ and ‘PADDINGTON AND BIRKENHEAD’. The location is Calstock in Cornwall.

Author’s Collection.

Above: The van side of much travelled PBV No. 310. The date 62and location is not recorded. In this case the branding states ‘RETURN TO PADDINGTON’ and ‘PARCELS TRAIN BRAKE VAN’, and the livery is weathered lined maroon. R K Blencowe.

First Class Sleeping-Car Diagram J18 [10 x single berths/ one toilet/ attendant’s compartment/ weight 45.4 tons/ 6-wheeled bogies]

As at 31 December 1947, the GWR’s fleet of Sleeping-Cars was a heterogeneous collection of All First, All Third and Composite vehicles. The most elderly were a pair of Toplight Composites (Diagram J8) dating from May 1914 and the most recent was a solitary 12-wheeled First Sleeper, originally built as Diagram J12 but re-designated J17 following rebuild in 1945. Prior to introduction of J18, the disposition of berths across the fleet was x138 First

Passenger Brake Van Diagrams K45/ K46 [Guard’s compartment amidships and two van spaces]

The diagrams were identical except that K46 had no side corridor i.e. intended for service in parcels trains. Withdrawals took place between 1977 and 1979. Examples from all three lots have been preserved.

Lot No.

Build Dates

Nos.

1702

Apr-50 to Feb-51

9082-9085

Class and x356 Third Class. This new construction was evidently intended to redress the disparity as sleeping facilities were more likely to appeal to more wealthy passengers. To this end, the four were fitted with Stone’s pressure ventilation, an early form of air-conditioning. Withdrawal occurred between August 1969 and May 1970, and all survive in preservation.

Lot No.

Build Dates

Dia. K45 1722 Dec-49 1740 Mar-50 to Nov-50 Dia. K46 1752 Jun-51 to Jul-51

Weight

Nos.

30.3 t 30.3 t

290-299 300-324

28.8 t

325-334

Catering Vehicles It was mentioned above that the building programme drawn up in 1944 omitted main line catering vehicles. However, some thought at least was given to a novel means of providing passenger sustenance through an automated buffet that would have operated on a self-service basis. Presumably this was in response to changed and more rushed eating habits induced by the war years. The idea’s feasibility seems questionable against the available contemporary technology in the automated dispensing of food. Perhaps its greatest significance was as a sign of fresh attitudes towards identification and satisfaction of passenger needs.

Right: Artist’s impression of how an Automat Buffet might have appeared.

Drawing by R T Horley.

Dynamometer Car

Above: Dynamometer coach No. DW 150192 following conversion from All Third C82 No. 796 in August 1961 at Swindon.

Slip Coach

Above and below: Two views showing both sides of E164 Brake Composite No. 7375 following its conversion into a double ended Slip Coach. This was one of three vehicles (Nos. 7374-7376) so treated at Swindon in 1958.

RCTS Archive.

64

BOOK REVIEW SWINDON: The Complete Works Peter Timms Crécy Publishing Ltd. (ISBN 978 191080 9860) Hardback, approx 200 photos and illustrations, 247 pages. 280mm x 215mm. £25.00

Any new book on Swindon Works, that hallowed hub of the Great Western engineering enterprise, is certain to attract healthy interest. This comprehensive tome by Peter Timms is worthy of such attention and it must be stated from the outset that it is not simply a reworking of the author’s previous published works on the subject.

It is a substantial book running to some 247 pages, presented in Crécy’s pleasing well-established house style, and lavishly illustrated throughout in both b&w and colour. The ‘Complete’ title is a little misleading, in that the aim is to provide ‘A detailed history of the Great Western Railway’s centre of manufacturing during its heyday in the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s’. This it most certainly achieves, but readers wishing to learn about the inception of the Works from 1843 through to the Churchward era, and the final years of rundown to closure in 1986, will need to look elsewhere. This is in no way a criticism of the excellent material presented within the 25 chapters, but caveat emptor for those seeking a definitive epoch coverage of the subject.

The author skilfully blends an overview of the myriad of engineering and support facilities with the personal reminiscence of those who were employed ‘inside’ the walls.

Not just the high-profile locomotive and rolling stock construction and maintenance activities, but the medical, telephone exchange, fire station and even laundry services are covered. In this respect it is as much a work of industrial social history as it is a review one of our most famous railway engineering complexes.

Much new and original information is introduced, and some ‘rose-tinted’ myths are debunked, which provides a balanced overview of an industry that was as arduous for its employees as it was romantic for its enthusiastic followers. This book is highly recommended for all aficionados of the ‘Old Company’ and provides a welcomed alternative approach to the previous writings on this ever-popular topic.

ASM.

Have you had a book on the GWR published recently?

If so we would be happy to provide an objective review.

Speak to your publisher and ask them to send a copy to the address on Page 2.

65

HOLIDAY HAUNTS he term ‘Holiday Haunts’ is uniquely T synonymous with the GWR having been adopted in 1906 as a promotional slogan and was

believe that any company would give money away for nothing! ‘Nobody can expect to be paid for work that is not done …..they are trying to trick us, just you wait and see!’ Consequently when his turn came for annual leave he had absolutely refused to accept it, saying that ‘he could not afford to be without a week’s wages.’ This response may have been typical of others and if so, it implied that the company was perhaps less-than considerate towards the wages of staff in the past, despite a job on the GWR meaning lifetime employment, a retirement pension and a certain amount of unpaid leave.

the title of the publication that advocated travel to resorts served by the company. Its release coincided with inauguration that year of the shortened West of England route via Castle Cary and also the opening of Fishguard Harbour. Access to the west was also improved with commencement of through services from the Midlands by way of Honeybourne and Cheltenham. With opening of the ‘Badminton line’ which brought Wales closer to London a few years earlier, 1906 represented the zenith of the GWR’ s network expansion. This massive investment had to be financed and enhanced income through encouragement of leisure travel was one means to that end so the GWR’s publicity machine moved up a gear.

The growing demand for accommodation at coastal and inland resorts stimulated the era of holiday boarding houses. These establishments were targets for promotion in Holiday Haunts and station masters and canvassers were required to call upon them to sell the advantages of advertising in the publication as a means of expanding their businesses. The publication appeared every Easter and its effectiveness in filling a pressing market need was apparent when four years after launch annual sales exceeded 100,000 copies. Publication continued until 1916 by when unit sales had fallen for obvious reasons; Richard Burdett Wilson recorded sales for that year as about 50,000. When publication resumed in 1921, circulation was 40,000 but thereafter volumes revived. Circa 1930 the page count was around 1,000 sides with a print run of 200,000 copies. The years of Depression would result in a fall in annual sales (1932 less than 124,000 copies) followed by steady recovery (1935 – 150,000 copies & 1938 – 172,000).

At the time, many workers lacked entitlement to a paid holiday so the notion of ‘going away for a break’ was novel. It would be 1938 before one week’s paid holiday became an obligation upon employers through the ‘Holidays with Pay’ Act although even then this ‘generosity’ evoked suspicion in some.

Behind the Steam by Bill Morgan and Bette Meyrick (Hutchinson & Co. 1973/ Firecrest, Chivers Press 1988/ KRB Publications 2003), a useful chronicle of GWR staff reminiscences includes an account of the new legislation’s reception at Neyland shed: ‘…we had all been delighted with an entire week off work every year.’ All that is, except Joe Jenkins [shed labourer] who had stubbornly refused to Left: Front cover of the 1931 guide for public sale.

Holiday Haunts was one of a series of GWR guides produced for Ireland, Devon, Cornwall etc. These publications ignored locations beyond GWR territory; Ireland was justified as the rail journey and the Fishguard ferry involved GWR travel. These publications’ success in attracting passengers (‘customers’ for hotels and boarding houses) induced other railway companies to follow suit with their own similar publications some years after the GWR. Painting by D Penty.

Right: An image that typifies the output of the GWR Publicity Department in the 1930s, as Collett ‘King’ Class 4-6-0 No. 6025 King Henry III majestically hauls a Holiday Haunts Express westwards. Handbills were produced together with carriage window labels for ‘the Holiday Haunts expresses’ which ran early each year from key conurbations to the West Country to enable customers check up on suitable locations for their Summer holiday. The location is Reading West and the date is Easter Sunday, 21 April 1935.

Maurice Earley.

67

WESTERN TIMES While the greater share of the content was a catalogue of hotels and boarding houses, there was a description of every county served by the GWR plus each town within. Illustrations of each area’s scenery and historic venues were prolific and where appropriate, there were plenty of ‘bathing belles’.

Advertisements extolled local products as with ‘Take an apple a day the Symons way; healthful, delicious, the glory of Devon. Symons sparkling cider.’ Perhaps not quite what the doctor had ordered.

Holiday Haunts had an antecedent publication named The Cornish Riviera, launched in 1904 a few months before commencement of the train of that name. This booklet was produced by one Walter Hill and priced at one penny. Whether Mr Hill was an employee or an independent entrepreneur is unclear but he was most probably the latter as the GWR looked askance at staff engaged in outside commercial activities. In any event, Paddington took over Hill’s work and developed it into Holiday Haunts although mystery attaches to how and by whom the title was coined.

Burdett Wilson in ‘Go Great Western: A History of GWR Publicity’ (David & Charles, 2nd edition 1987) comments: ‘It is not perhaps, to the company’s credit that the general arrangement of the book changed so little during most of the forty years of its existence’. With hindsight, was this fair criticism?

The style could have been improved but the masses continued to take holidays in the UK so the boarding house remained dominant until the 1960s when overseas package holidays opened more exotic escapism. In other areas Holiday Haunts remained stoically within past eras with the same illustrations of hotels appearing year on year and contributing to the Edwardian feel, even in the changing 1920s and 1930s. One change at odds with the old-fashioned style within was use of brighter colours on the covers, in 1929 even depicting a swimming costume clad bathing belle.

The hardback version of the 1911 issue; page size remained consistent throughout its life. The Holiday Haunts publication had been preceded by various other GWR publications. Peter Rance at the Great Western Society Museum advised that the earliest in their collection is dated 1894 and covers Farmhouse and rural Country lodgings, Boarding Houses and Hotels etc!

with the GWR’s own sale of holiday accommodation in the form of Camp Coach facilities although these were miniscule by comparison. During that decade more serious competition arrived with the introduction of holiday camps. There were about 200 such establishments by 1939, spread throughout the country which were reached by train thereby harmonising with the essential raison d'être for Holiday Haunts i.e. encouragement of travel by the GWR. Cross-pollination within Holiday Haunts allowed promotion of GWR souvenirs and services, including the company’s ‘enthusiast’ books and the famous jigsaw puzzles.

The nature of the advertisements is striking compared with 21st Century practice. Much of the accommodation on offer is supported by glowing accolades, often apparently written by the proprietors, and no medium in the form of modernday ‘feedback’ from clientele. Adverts often alluded to the rules of the house which had to be obeyed without question e.g. fixed meal times and no return to the establishment permitted until perhaps an hour before evening meal. In between, holidaymakers were expected to make their own amusement other than at the property, regardless of the weather. Those paying extra to stay in a hotel would enjoy more latitude in their coming and going.

Two versions were published annually. That in paperback form was for public sale while the stouter cloth bound version was supplied to hotels, clubs, enquiry offices and ships. From 1908, the term ‘The Holiday Line’ entered use and included the offer of souvenir picture post-cards for a halfpenny each or ‘fine art engravings as used in carriages’ at one shilling each. The scenic views were almost certainly taken by the GWR’s own photographers making this was one of the rare means by which ‘official’ views were offered for public sale.

Holiday Haunts promoted accommodation provided by third parties which from the mid-1930s competed 68

ISSUE 5 Apart from the commissioning of advertising and the compilation of each edition, another hurdle was distribution. This was the handled by the stationery department which collated orders from stations, bookstalls, bookshops and other outlets. If additional copies were required, these were recovered from sales points where demand had been less than expected which implies disciplined stock control and possibly consignment (sale or return) arrangements. The system was efficient as the annual print run usually completely sold.

Miss Frasers’s article appears below. Also, the Great Western Magazine regularly mentioned or advertised Holiday Haunts to keep the publication fresh in the minds of staff. The article shows how much the printing industry has changed following advent of the computer and desk-top printing.

‘It takes a year to produce Holiday Haunts. That was the first amazing discovery I made with this famous annual. Within less than a month of publication, photographers are preparing to take new views ready for the illustrations that will form the photogravures in the following issue.

Sales at GWR stations were smaller than might have been expected and again according to Burdett Wilson accounting for about 20% of the total. He also commented that in later years, advertisement income plus sales receipts enabled Holiday Haunts to yield a ‘small profit’. In view of the promotional impact on the market at large, a major advertising exercise that was largely self-financing in terms of direct income and expenditure was a considerable achievement.

‘The chief rule observed in obtaining new photographs is that each view must indicate the character of the scenery of the individual Holiday Haunt, and be free from the allurements of holiday seasons. If some resorts are peopled with gay bathing parties in the height of the summer, the pictures leave this to the imagination or to a mention in the text – a wise rule when many of the glorious summer holiday haunts served by the GWR are scarcely less famous as winter resorts.

By 1930, the printing was handled by Messrs Butler and Tanner at Frome. The importance of the task required five members of the Publicity Department to reside at Frome between October and January each year, complete with requisite office equipment.

As statistics are meant to impress, 2,400 miles of 36” wide paper were used to produce 200,000 copies of 1,000 pages.

Contraction in the early 1930s was a demonstration of how the Depression assaulted the company’s trading base. The 200,000 unit sales achieved in 1930 were never repeated and advertisers increasingly withdrew on grounds of cost containment or because they were no longer in business. The 1937 page count was 1,032 but it was a sign of the publications’ enduring appeal as the 1940 edition comprised 744 pages between utility covers with half-tone illustrations. The company eschewed maintenance of profitability by retail price increases. The retail price remained steadfast at six pence per copy up to the final edition in 1947 which contained 688 pages.

The Great Western Magazine for March 1930 included a four page illustrated article on the production of Holiday Haunts, compiled by Miss Maxwell Fraser. She was well placed to describe what was involved as she had worked on a complete text revision for the 1930 edition. For much of 1929, she had travelled throughout the system visiting over 1,500 stations and stopping places. Her aim was to note interesting features relating to locations mentioned in the guide.

Subsequently, one area (not specifically defined) per annum was visited and revised accordingly in addition to the routine up-date of other changes elsewhere.

A page from the 1931 edition showing the type of scenes included.

Each county section was preceded by an introduction and images, taken by one of the company’s official photographers. ‘Dawlish from Lea Mount’ is one of the few showing the railway line, as the intention was to promote sights the holidaymaker might wish to view.

Such scenes were also displayed ‘under luggage racks’.

69

WESTERN TIMES ‘The printing of the photogravures for Holiday Haunts is a separate contract, but early delivery is necessary to ensure co-ordination in completing the various sections of the book. It is this fact which necessitates the seemingly incredibly early search for views. Each edition has an entirely new series of views, and although with 1,500 stations on the Great Western system there is no difficulty in securing original photographs, the task of travelling all over the country and obtaining so great a number of views, takes months of specialised work. All the photographs have to be selected and finally settled

by June in order to be printed by the autumn.

‘The summer is scarcely over when a start is made on the advertisements which are a feature of the guide. Accuracy is essential, and the most careful methods are observed. At every one of the stations the station master watches the advertisements for his district, and it is a testimony to the care taken in securing the right kind of advertisement, that although thousands of addresses have been included during the quarter-of-a-century in which the guide has been published, there has rarely been any complaint as to the character or comfort of the accommodation.

‘The caterers for holiday accommodation believe in Holiday Haunts. Towns say that its circulation brings in shoals of enquiries. The censorship of the advertisements is very keen. This fact, which gives added value to such advertisements as do appear, has increased the reputation of Holiday Haunts as an advertising medium. This year the advertisers have increased their requirements by 54 pages over last year.

An introduction to Dorset as a holiday destination and examples of the location descriptions.

‘The work of printing of Holiday Haunts (exclusive of photogravures), the setting-up, folding, collating, ‘tipping in’ the illustrations, maps and binding, is entrusted to Messrs. Butler & Tanner at their book printing works at Frome, Somerset.

‘Every year the letterpress for each town or village is carefully revised, but this year every word has been entirely rewritten. The contract for this started in April, and took until the middle of December to complete. Visiting and writing up the various areas occupied the whole time, opening up a wonderland of interest and beauty to the writer, whose knowledge of the countryside served by the Great Western Railway was already unusually extensive.

‘The ‘Cornish Riviera express passes Frome every day, and those who look through the window will see a huge building on the right-hand side of the line after the train has run through the station. That is only a portion of this great establishment, the actual scene of the printing. There are other printing works on the further side of the valley, where the preliminary work is done. It is difficult to believe that any unemployment exists at Frome when passing through these works and seeing the numbers employed there, and it would gladden the heart of Mr. J H Thomas to witness the busy scenes inside these works, famous for many notable books that have been produced on their machines. Frome without its printing works would be difficult to imagine. The works are easily accessible from the Great Western Railway, and huge warehouses stand by the railway sidings, in one of which is housed the reels of paper used in the production of Holiday Haunts. It takes 560 reels to make the book - equal to 2,435 miles of paper, 36 ins. wide.

‘There can be little doubt that if those who have only a few weeks in the year at their disposal would explore the GWR system shire by shire, they would gain immeasurably both in the knowledge of scenic beauties and in our nation’s brilliant history. It is a reproach that so many English people travel abroad without having visited scarcely any of the English beauty spots.

‘England is one of the loveliest, most interesting, and delightful holiday countries in the world, and every English man and woman should realise the glory of our land.

70

ISSUE 5 upon, a curious cylinder covered with figures and attached to the machine is consulted, which by mechanical means determines and adjusts the amount of space necessary between the words in the printed line, to make the margins even. This process is followed to the end of the ‘copy’ and the resulting roll of perforated paper - which resembles a roll of player-piano music on a small scale - is detached and handed to the head of the typecasting department. All the machines used in present-day printing are extraordinarily fascinating, with their seemingly human intelligence, but the process of type-casting is undoubtedly one of the most engrossing to watch, for when the prepared roll of paper is inserted, and the levers adjusted, this uncanny machine takes the paper over a series of holes down which compressed air passes and sets in motion those parts of the machine which bring the desired matrix in contact with the mould, into which molten lead is forced; the shaping, trimming, and cooling of the resulting letters then takes place and by means of small steel ‘hands’ each letter is put into its correct place in the row with suitable spaces between the words and the required distance between each line.

‘Packed round with strips of wood to prevent the type, from becoming displaced, these columns of type, after rough proofs have been taken off and checked, are taken to be used as required with advertisements. The advertisements, with their display in varied type and inserted drawings and pictures, are set by handicraftsmen who stand at high desks with drawers filled with number-less varieties of type, each in perfect order. So skilful are these men that they set up the type with extraordinary swiftness, taking the required letters and metal blanks for spaces with unerring hand, and setting them into place in the metal case known as a composing stick - which is gauged to the width of the panel of type decided on for the page without glancing from the ‘copy’. The type is transferred from the composing stick to trays of metal, called galleys, from which rough proofs are run off for correction.

This extract from the 1935 edition shows examples of single line entries. Advertising space varied between this and full page – or more – complete with illustrations. Few of the advertisements included a telephone number with communication by then almost exclusively by mail. In the opening pages of each issue were two Post-Cards allowing the customer to contact proprietors for details or to make a booking. The company also included advertising and promotional material on its own account.

‘The setting-up of the letterpress is done by monotype operators; that of the advertisements by hand and both processes are absorbingly interesting to watch. The monotype method is used for straightforward printing where there is no variation in the size and style of the lettering. Each compositor has a machine somewhat resembling a large typewriter, with a series of keys covering every letter of the alphabet in small letters, capitals, and italics; numerals; and all the usual punctuation and abbreviation signs. A long roll of paper unwinds on to an empty spool as the machine is operated, rather in the manner of a typewriter ribbon, except that it receives perforations instead of the actual impression of the type. A clip on the machine holds the ‘copy’ to be set up, on a line with the compositor’s eyes, and the typing is done with almost incredible rapidity. A lightning calculation shows the operator whether it will be possible to fit the next word into the line, or whether it will be necessary to hyphenate. This decided and acted

‘Hand-set advertisements and monotype letterpress are brought together in the process of ‘‘making-up” the pages, which are arranged or imposed together with engraved plates or blocks of pictures in an iron frame or “forme” in such a way that when the pages are printed they will fold in proper sequence, with an accurate allotment of marginal spaces - allowed for in the forme by the insertion of metal or wooden blocks called “furniture”. Then a wax impression is made by subjecting the forme to a hydraulic pressure on to a layer of wax. The pressure rises to 1,500 Ib. to the square inch in a couple of seconds, and is maintained for 2 - 4 seconds. (This pressure can be 71

WESTERN TIMES varied in accordance with the type of block to be moulded and can be increased up to 2,000 Ib. per square inch). All the type appears in raised characters on the resulting sheet of wax, which, after being prepared and polished is immersed in a copper bath and left for a considerable time in order that a thick deposit may form and provide a strong, durable printing surface.

giant which operates with such dexterity and surety that it seems as though it is endowed with a brain, for not only does it collect together the pages in their proper order, but it actually stops if any mistake occurs!

‘The wire stabbing of the pages is done by a machine which can be adjusted to books of any thickness, the wires being forced through the whole book and bent into place by heavy pressure. The picture covers are then fixed and the guillotining follows, on a machine which is so arranged that a pile of books is taken round to each of three specially placed knives, which cut the top, side and bottom of the pages, and so finish the production of Holiday Haunts in the neat and handsome style in which it is to reach the hands of the reader. The book is then ready for sale’.

‘This copper shell, after being backed with a suitable metal, is sent to the actual printing works, where a machine bends it into a semi-circle to fit the cylinders of the printing machine - a vast monster where the great rolls of paper are pressed on the smoothly inked ‘electros’ and pass out at the other end in a seemingly endless roll, on which 64 pages at a time are printed, folded, cut, and ejected into a basket-like container, ready to be prepared for the most wonderful of all the machines - a mechanical

With grateful thanks to Peter Rance.

Originally costing one penny, the book increased to threepence in 1908 and again to sixpence by 1911, the price it remained until the end.

This is the title page from the 1935 ‘Centenary’ edition. After nationalisation the name was changed to Holiday Guide but reverted to Holiday Haunts in 1958. This coincided with an ongoing public revival of the spirit of the GWR, exemplified by several locomotive classes appearing in lined green, the re-introduction of chocolate and cream livery coaches and named expresses returning to the timetable from 1956. The publication of Holiday Haunts by British Railways ceased in 1963, in which year it was taken over by an outside publisher who repeated the exercise for 1964. It then ceased completely apparently succumbing to the growth of foreign package holidays.

72

RECYCLING GREAT WESTERN STYLE here is a term in modern usage, ‘If you bought it T yesterday, do not look in the same shop window today’ implying that a more sophisticated version of

minimal residual book value in humble but useful departmental or secondary revenue-earning duties.

the recent purchase will be on sale almost immediately. If the purchase is a replacement, disposal of the old item sadly often involves the landfill rather than recycling. Railways have traditionally lacked this throw-away culture, certainly so far as locomotives and rolling stock are concerned. Equipment replacement is planned through depreciation schedules, and by taking to account initial cost, routine maintenance and expenditure on spare parts. If still in sound condition at the end of the scheduled life span, it could be financially attractive to re-deploy an asset with

As at 31 December 1947, a remarkable number of moveable assets dating back to Dean and Churchward times remained in service.

Locomotives in this category are well documented but coaching stock is more diffuse, given the variety of survivors and the sometimes obscure duties on which they were employed. A significant debt is owed to those perceptive photographers of the post-war period who recognised that there were some railway operations which resembled those of a working museum. Illustrated over the following pages are examples of such recycling.

Example 1: No 59, a 4-wheel composite, almost certainly to Diagram U4 as built circa 1894 although this vehicle might be of a later batch. It is gas lit and carries the standard safety chains of the period plus the conventional screw-link couplings.

Livery is the beautifully ornate fully-lined chocolate and cream with garter crest, despite its deployment on secondary duties as apparent from the solebar branding ‘6.55 am Corwen to Bala’. Michael Harris in Great Western Coaches from 1890 (David & Charles 1985) notes that coaches in Diagrams U4, S9 (All third), T47 (Brake third), and V5 (Passenger brake van) were formed as sets for work in the Ruabon - Dolgelley area about 1900. Vehicles were allocated to work particular services and it seems logical that they should be labelled for fixed rosters, identified by the first duty of the day.

Prior to 1907, coaches were numbered sequentially from ‘1’ in accordance with their type. Thus parallel number series were maintained which made it theoretically possible for All third No. 15 to be working coupled to Composite No. 15. This confusing system which had obvious shortcomings was revised whereby All thirds (the most numerous type) retained their identities, Second class coaches were identified by adding 5000 to their running numbers, Composites by 6000 and First class by 8000. Great Western coaches for the most part are well documented but the search continues to catalogue narrow (standard) gauge vehicles of the pre-1890 period.

All Third No. 59 would have gone through livery changes during its career: crimson lake, the simpler chocolate and cream of the 1920s, overall and probably rather dull brown, and perhaps finally Engineer’s black. A surprising number of aged four-wheelers were still in service after World War 2 and often retained many of their original features, except of course for the glorious livery in which they commenced their long careers.

GWR Official.

73

Example 2: This view of No. W9940W at Landore in BR days highlights the hazards of accurate type identification with vehicles of late 1890s/ early 1900s vintage. Available records suggest that it was of Diagram T49 and in service as a Camping Coach at this stage of its career. However T49 apparently comprised two passenger compartments, a long van section and guard’s compartment with ducket in the centre of the vehicle which clearly does not accord with the coach depicted. This particular body configuration with the end ducket was used with Dean Brake Thirds of Diagrams T31/ T32/ T33/ T35/ T36, examples of which all found work as Camping coaches late in their careers. No 9940 is thought to have been in use as a Camp Coach prior to World War 2 only and was later noted at Caldicot providing staff accommodation in connection with track quadrupling near the Severn Tunnel. By May 1944 it was with the S&T department at Newbury racecourse and here it is in overall black at Landore; it survived until November 1965. The running number of the more distant coach cannot be identified but the body detail suggests that it is a Diagram T37 ex-Brake Third.

Austin Attewell.

Example 3: These coaches were noted in departmental service at Avon Wen in September 1967. That closer to the camera numbered DW 14146 was recorded as a Mess & Sleeping Van and appears to be an ex-Composite, possibly of Diagram U4 as in Image 1. Although by then over 60 years old, externally it retains numerous original features. However, all doors except the third from the camera have been sealed and metal plating partially covers the second (sealed) door but otherwise the side panelling plus that on the end is intact.

The other coach is a six-wheel, four passenger compartment vehicle with a separate central van section for guard and/ or luggage. It is older than its companion (note the arc-roof and lower positioning of the windows) and possibly started life as a composite. Most panels have been plated over and all but one of the doors have been sealed. The number is just discernible as either 9395, 9595 or 9995 which suggests retention of this identity from Camp Coach days but none of these can be identified in the relevant lists.

Vehicles of this type were used for staff accommodation. A water container stands beside steps to the further coach and someone has apparently just collected coal from the wagon against the buffer stops. Note also the chimneys installed in the roofs of both coaches, probably for cooking and heating.

Transport Treasury.

Example 5: Another destiny for a redundant coach was sale of its body for use as grounded accommodation; perhaps well away from the railway environment. This Dean clerestory First was at Bristol Canon’s Marsh in 1934, about to start its journey to a new life. It rests on a 10-ton horse pole (telescopic) trailer to which a special long tow bar has been fitted for tractor haulage. It would be interesting to know how this body was transported to Bristol, most likely on a ‘Crocodile’. The body panels are in good condition but the quality of the photograph prevents confirmation of the number. Research suggests that it is possibly of diagrams A1, A2, A3 or A4.

Notes by the late Tony Atkins.

Above - Examples 6 & 7: Two former 40’ passenger brake vehicles, diagrams K4 or K5, with bogies removed and mounted on what seem to be frames constructed from redundant sleepers. They were in service as grain stores at Lechlade in 1935. Both bodies are in sound, near original condition and the challenge lies in identification of the diagrams. K4 started life as a broad gauge convertible type which seems to be the first body depicted (ducket in place and no evidence of a corridor connection) whereas the other is possibly K5 (no evidence of a ducket and sealed off corridor connection). Overall body dimensions were the same for both. More definitive information on these vehicles would be most welcome.

GWR Official.

Left - Example 4: The local stationmaster is on hand to attend to the holidaymakers’ needs in this posed image at Duffryn-on-Sea. This was probably an official photograph taken for publicity purposes in 1934, at commencement of the Camp Coach service; vehicles engaged in these duties were so labelled from the following year. This vehicle was a 6-wheel former Tri-composite believed to have been originally numbered 244, then changed to 6244 in the 1907 scheme. The number 9984 depicted here was apparently later carried by 4-wheel Diagram U27 Brake composite transferred to Camp Coach status, according to available records. The reason for this discrepancy is unclear but it highlights the risks of being too specific about the running numbers and diagrams of pre-1890 narrow gauge coaching stock.

That issue aside, the No. 9984 shown originally comprised Third class accommodation at either end, and a central luggage compartment flanked on the left by a First class compartment with Second class to the right. It was in capital service until condemned in October 1931 but apparently then stored until resurrection and conversion for Camp Coach use. Several features are noteworthy including the prominent centrally located Dean/ Churchward type handbrake handle, and the rather insecure means of gaining access to the accommodation. Camp Coach vehicles which were unheated remained on site for the holiday season only, usually May to September, and returned to Swindon for storage and servicing during the winter months.

GWR Official (B11101).

75

Example 8: W215W is in smart condition for an ageing departmental vehicle in BR days. This was another of diagram U4, built 1900 as No. 747. Serviceable four-wheel coaches were relegated to workmen’s train before World War 2 and All thirds were preferred on account of their greater seating capacity. Composites seem to have ended up in departmental service.

Converted in 1946 and employed by the Newton Abbot M&EE Dept as a Riding Van, detailed in WT Issue 1. Austin Attewell.

Example 9: This grounded body started life as No. 252 (No. 9501 from 1907), built as a Diagram H2 clerestory First Dining Car in 1896. Six vehicles of this type were constructed between 1896 and 1900. Here it enjoys a second lease-of-life by providing staff association accommodation at Liskeard in October 1961. This area of Cornwall played host to a number of other grounded coach and van bodies.

John Chamney.

Example 10: This former Toplight slip eked out its final years working as a single-coach on the Lambourn branch. Judging by the large window in the first class section of the side corridor, this was a diagram F16 Toplight Composite Double Slip. ExMSWJR 2-4-0 No. 1355 was withdrawn in September 1952 which helps to date this view. R C Riley recorded another F16 on singlecoach branch duties at Newcastle Emlyn on 30 July 1951, hauled by 0-4-2T No. 1472. The relegation date of these coaches from mainline work was not recorded but they were rather belatedly re-designated as Non-Corridor Brake Composite in September 1954. J F Russell-Smith.

ISSUE 5

Example 11: Concertina-style First Dining Cars (Diagram H13 Nos. 9522-5/ 9528-33) were impressive-looking vehicles and this example was providing office accommodation at Swindon Loco on 10 July 1963. Numbered IU 079128, its earlier identity cannot be verified from records available. A member of the editorial team saw this coach in June 1965 by which time it was standing close to C Shop with the implication that its working days were over.

Roy Dennison.

Example 12: Another passenger carrying vehicle relegated to internal use was this former Collett A27 auto-trailer from December 1928 which was withdrawn from ordinary service in July 1959 and seen here at Laira in July 1960. Several vehicles from this batch found their way into departmental use; at least one other auto-trailer was used at Old Oak. In general terms, it was chance whether a vehicle found an additional life after withdrawal, based upon prevailing demand for office, messing or other accommodation.

R C Riley.

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THE GREAT WESTERN TRUST (GWT) - BULLETIN No.4 n our first Bulletin, I illustrated material relating to Idevelopment the attitude of the GWR and BR(W) towards staff and ‘thinking customer’, to use a

greater acknowledgement was contained in the ‘Presidential Address’ by Frank Potter, General Manager, to the GWR London Lecture & Debating Society in 1912. He extolled the definitive, ground breaking work of Inglis in starting proper (by our standards) staff educational opportunities, and he then listed the relevant dates and the various forms that these measures took.

present day managerial expression! I added that the Trustees believe that study of both GWR and BR(W) organisational structures will reward scrutiny. This article relates to a GWR initiative that was extraordinary for its day, and another example will appear in a future bulletin.

I began by reiterating my Bulletin No.1 statement on the benefits of studying the GWR’s organisational administration. Compared with locomotives, trains and infrastructure, it can seem a dry and potentially boring niche subject. I hope that this article gives sufficient glimpse of just how crucial it was to the existence let alone commercial success of the GWR over its 112-year evolution. Certainly, Inglis was the vital catalyst recognising that the GWR’s Victorianera managerial approach of ‘filling old men’s shoes only by stratified and time-served promotion’ was both dangerous and out-dated, denying talent, from wherever it came, for the benefit of both the Company and the individual.

An article in the GWR Staff Journal for May 1909 (page 44) described the company’s sponsorship of ‘The Brunel Medal’. Endowed in 1907/08 by Lord Winterstoke, a GWR Director, this was an award for those students who gained three First Class passes in approved exams during four years of study in Railway and Cognate Subjects at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University of London. The silver design was crafted using the original die-stamp donated by the GWR to the Railway Dept of the LSE. The very first GWR employee winner was none other than W G Chapman, then of the General Manager's staff together with two other non-GWR students. Chapman went on to author the widely acclaimed ‘Boys of All Ages’ GWR publications. Of the 176 such medals won, 76 were by GWR staff when students [Source: Rosa Matheson's The Fair Sex - Women and the Great Western Railway]. The Trust Collection also includes a very informative LSE booklet describing the Courses and Examinations for its 1923-24 Session, based upon those lectures. From this document, it is clear that these were significant academic undertakings.

Students who were selected and who went on to successfully attain The Brunel Medal, clearly demonstrated their individual ability and of course their managerial potential.

As a closing subscript, I thank Western Times for reminding readers who hold valuable historical records, that acting to preserve them for future generations is so vital. Because of that editorial, the Trust has been generously donated important GWR and BR(W) Working Timetables (WTT’s) to enhance our collection of these documents.

Peter Rance - GWT Trustee & Collection Manager.

Having therefore set the context, I can disclose that the wonderful original medal which the Trust possesses (illustrated opposite) was generously donated by Chapman’s two great nephews. It is 2 inches in diameter, in its original presentation box and engraved on its rim ‘W G Chapman 1908’.

It is no mere coincidence that the original GWR educational initiative began under James C Inglis when General Manager. A Scotsman could hardly deny his country’s long established focus upon education as a key to achievement in all walks of life. Sir Felix J C Pole in his book (page 42) stated ‘In my opinion, he (James Inglis) was the finest General Manager, the Company ever had’. An even

Above: The Brunel Medal awarded to W G Chapman in 1908, which is referred to in the text and now resides within the Great Western Trust collection at Didcot.

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THE GUARD’S COMPARTMENT ISSUE 2

frames were described as being ‘Windsor brown’, and ‘purple brown’ is mentioned as an alternative to Indian red on some specially favoured locomotives.

None of these descriptions match the red used on City of Truro. Even if we are fairly certain of the shade used, one question though does remain:were the outside faces of inside frames painted black or Indian red up to 1906?’

Terry McCarthy took the editorial team to task over the view of No. 5653 at Penrhos Junction on Page 39. The train depicted was on the original Rhymney Railway mainline from Walnut Tree Bridge (i.e. not a Taff Vale Railway branch as stated in the caption) and is close to the junction of the Rhymney route with the link line (tracks are just visible at bottom left) built by the Barry in 1901. The tracks to the right were built in 1884 for the Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway, (the Alexandra Dock Railway from 1897) which aimed to transport coal to Newport Docks.

The TVR and Cardiff Docks were overwhelmed at the time by coal traffic as the Rhondda Valley was achieving peak production levels. The TVR did not reach Penrhos but merely passed beneath the Barry’s viaduct at Walnut Tree to the west and had a junction with the RR at Walnut Tree Bridge (later Taffs Well). Between 1859 and 1870 the RR’s only access to Cardiff Docks was via the TVR. Fed-up with delays, they built their own line to Cardiff through Caerphilly Tunnel which joined the original RR mainline at Aber Junction.

A sincere apology is given to Amyas Crump for the oversight in crediting him with the cover image.

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ISSUE 4 Stuart Johnson has pointed out that the Bulldog in the background of the lower image on Page 24 is No. 3426 Walter Long. The duly chastised author agrees and adds that No 3426 (renumbered 3374 in 1912) is carrying the type D0 parallel Standard No 2 boiler which was fitted when new and replaced in November 1912. The Rt Hon Walter H Long MP was a GWR director from February 1894 to August 1903.

Whilst affirming the value of a magnifying glass in helping identify locomotives in photographs, the Editor would like to correct the caption on Page 58, where the left hand locomotive is actually No. 6010 King Charles I and not No. 6018 as stated.

Regarding ‘Experimental Motive Power: The Crocodile’, Terry also mentioned that he had seen a reference that No. 36 had spent a short time working coal trains to and from Aberdare in the late 1800s. He cannot recall the source and wonders if any reader can provide relevant information?

Brian Bailey offered an explanation to Freddie Huxtable’s comment in his article on Dulverton that on occasion the usual 43xx locomotives were replaced by other classes on the Taunton to Barnstaple line (as witnessed by the photograph of No. 82042 on Page 15). This became a necessity in the early months of 1962 when the Moguls were relieved of their duties, some being stored. The reason was given by a Mr M Squire of Barnstaple in a letter published in the May 1962 edition of Modern Railways, where he explained that for several weeks beginning in mid-January Standard Class 3 2-6-2Ts, 55xx Class 2-6-2Ts, and even 0-6-0PTs, took over branch workings because first the Barnstaple (Junction) and then the Taunton turntables were out of commission. At the time of writing his letter Mr Squire further reported that the Moguls had returned to working their old turns following repair to the turntables.

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ISSUE 3 John Daniels referred to the article about the Dean Singles (Part 1) and the comment about the precise shade of Indian Red on outside frames up to 1906.

He added, ‘coincidentally this issue includes the marvellous colour photograph of City of Truro and its rather garish interpretation of that colour.

Although the exact shade of any colour will be affected by different batches of paint, the effects of the sun, cleaning and of course dirt, most commentators feel that the colour used on City of Truro is wrong, in fact it has been suggested that BR wagon bauxite was used in the absence of a suitable colour from stock. A contemporary account (1896) describes the frames as being painted ‘dark red brown’ and this is confirmed by the colour chip in Great Western Way and by at least one well known model paint manufacturer who claims that the shade they use was copied from a panel held at Swindon and dating from that time. It may be worth mentioning that at the dawn of the GWR, outside

The Editor would like to apologise to Peter Rance for the mistake in not using the revised version of his GWT Bulletin No.3. It is hoped this did not detract from the overall message and enjoyment of his most interesting piece on the sterling work of the Great Western Trust at Didcot.

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EDITOR’S COMMENT Query: Mention is made elsewhere in this issue about the preponderance of Brake Third and Brake Composite vehicles in the Hawksworth coach construction programme. In this context, does any reader have an explanation for the composition of the first four (older vintage) coaches behind the King on Page 47 of WT Issue 3?

PREVIEW

Social Media: Readers are respectfully reminded that it is editorial policy to use social media solely for announcements of an administrative nature e.g. notification of future issue contents and publication dates. Feedback, comments, criticism, corrections, duly signed by contributors (i.e. no pseudonyms) are welcome and should be sent direct to the Editor.

They will only be included or acknowledged through this column, for the benefit of the total readership.

WESTERN TIMES Published April 2023

• •

Hungerford West Country Clay Traffic Part 2: China & Ball Clay in Devon

• •

GWR Dishonesty Hawksworth Coaches Part 2: Suburban & Other Stock

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Modern Traction ‘Westerns’ in Colour

•

Three Position Signals

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Plus Much More

ISSUE 6

ISSUE No.5 - WINTER 2022

ISSUE No.5 - WINTER 2022