Christmas Day 1966

We were on our way to Grah’s Uncle and Auntie’s house in Cricklewood to gate-crash their Christmas dinner at very short notice, an act of kindness never forgotten. Our “good idea”, well probably mine, I think, of Christmas at London youth hostels back-fired somewhat, when we discovered that London was largely closed. We were stopped by the police in Southwark, who couldn’t believe that we had forfeited family Christmases at home to wander empty streets.

We went round Nine Elms, with some very grubby engines, but at least they were still not yet separated from their nameplates. We took in Chelsea v Liverpool and the others went to watch Arsenal v Southampton, while I listed the diesels on Stratford sheds, so it certainly wasn’t a complete disaster - and it still provides some amusing memories. Photo with thanks to Dave Beck.

Happy Christmas, all round.

Aspinall Class 3F 0-6-0

The final ex-L&YR survivors to make it into my 1962 Ian Allan combined volume were these elderly-looking Class 3Fs, formerly designated as Class 27 and introduced in 1889. There were 484 of these Horwich-built locomotives. No. 52322 was preserved and is based on the East Lancashire Railway. John Dyer photographed four examples of the class. No. 52129 was at Gorton works in 1961, No. 52218 in Crewe works in 1962, and No. 52225 and No. 52464 were there as well, in January 1959.

 

A Dismal Shortest Day on the Castle Line

The shortest day, in terms of daylight hours, was compounded by heavy skies and rain all morning. When it finally stopped at 1.00, I slipped down on my bike to Rolleston for the lunchtime oil tank returns bound for the Humber refinery. It was due to pass at 13.56 and though it had been shown as being 12 minutes down, it had made up time by Nottingham and was now back on schedule approaching Rolleston.

No. 60054 duly obliged, without keeping me there long enough to get cold standing around. I’m not sure exactly when it was that I started to wrap up warmly, as my Mum had regularly advised me to do in the distant past. It was advice regularly ignored then, but not anymore, she would have been pleased to know.

Closer to home, I climbed the hill a bit more quickly than usual. I was expecting a delivery that was too big for the letter box. If the train had been late it would have been touch and go. There were very precise instructions from the carrier that I needed to be home by 14.42 and for an hour thereafter. A motorbike approached from the opposite direction. As he passed me, he imitated my hill climbing style by putting his knees out wide and adopting a rocking motion, moving his head from side to side in an exaggerated fashion. Even Chris Froome does a bit of that on the Col de Tourmalet. What was his point, though?

“I’ve got a motorbike and you’ve only got a bike, so I must be “considerably richer than yow”.

“Your riding style is pathetically childlike and uncool and you must be an eight stone weakling”.

“I am a complete knob and I just love trying to wind people up at every opportunity”.

I was home with 5 minutes to spare before the specified parcel arrival time. The package was already waiting for me on top of the plastic container marked for deliveries next to the door. It had been dropped off prior to 14.37.

My solstice experience had been determined by a handful of moments in time. Retirement confers the luxury of time to fill, as opposed to time already charted out in advance. It is my waking thought again today that time is mine to do what I want with and I’m very grateful for that, even on the shortest day - and the skies get brighter from now on, as well.

Aspinall Class 2F

These 0-6-0 saddle tanks were Aspinall rebuilds of a L&YR design by Barton. They were introduced in 1877 as dock shunters and also used for hauling short freight trains. Designated Class 23 by the L&YR, they were later given the classification 2F. 230 engines were produced, eventually. I saw only one of these before their complete withdrawal in 1964 - No. 51412. There is one preserved example based at the ELR. John Dyer photographed No. 51412 in Crewe works in March 1962, which is no doubt where I saw her, too.  

Aspinall’s L&YR 0-4-0 Saddle Tank

There were eventually 60 of these “Pug” dock shunters, which were introduced in 1886. The first three were built at Vulcan Foundry and the rest at Horwich works, and all were completed by 1910. They were given the power classification 0F by the LMS. Their short wheelbase meant that they could negotiate the tight curves leading to dockside sidings in Liverpool and elsewhere more easily. The last examples were withdrawn in 1964. Two locomotives were preserved by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust. One is at the K&WVR and the other is at the ELR at Bury.

John Dyer’s photographs show Nos. 51204 and 51237 at Agecroft sheds in August 1962, No. 51206 on a foggy morning at Sandhills in October 1960, and No. 51232 awaiting disposal in August 1963 on a low loader at Salford goods yard.

Win a few....

One day recently, I overtook two cyclists and no cyclists overtook me. That was a first. The next day, my record of one day’s duration was still intact, when a cyclist pulled up alongside me and started to chat. It was a narrow lane and he was not two metres away so I drifted a bit nearer to the grass verge. I limited my responses in the hope that he would overtake me, in spite of the imminent danger to my now potentially short-lived record. “Horrible year it’s been”, he had started, moving quickly on to the other, big - and pre-Covid - talking point. “Looks like no deal”, he said. “Getting the lorry parks ready in Kent”, I replied. “We voted out”, he said, “but it makes you think we might have got it wrong”. I glanced over towards him. “You don’t say”, I thought.

We climbed the sharp rise to the T junction at the top. A bin lorry sat across the junction waiting for us both to get out of the way. I prayed for him to go left, as I had planned to go right - though I had just decided that my travel plans were actually very flexible. He stopped to engage the bin lorry driver in conversation. “Horrible year…”, I guessed. I braved a quick look over my shoulder. If the driver had already managed to extricate himself, my new friend must have gone left and he hadn’t even overtaken me.

Yesterday, with the sun out, I noticed an unusual freight working from Immingham was due mid-morning so I shot off to the station. The train never came but its cancellation was not posted until I got home. I photographed my bike, instead, along with its shadow. Somebody needs to give that bike a good clean. I was overtaken by a cyclist on the way home. Not to be completely outdone, I slipped back down to the station in the car in the afternoon, in time to see Class 60 No. 60015 returning the oil empties to the refinery.

 

Aspinall 2-4-2T

 We knew where we were with Westerns because they only had four numbers. Southerns all began with a “3”, Midlands with a “4”, Easterns with a “6” and then there were the Standards. The “5s” were a bit of a mystery, however. I would go as far as saying that we weren’t actually that interested because none of them were namers, anyway.

So much for the perspective of the young teenage trainspotter. Aspinall designed his 2-4-2 tanks for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1889, and they were built at Horwich works. The last of the class was withdrawn in 1961, by which time No. 1008 had already been preserved for the nation. They had originally been described as L&YR Class 5s, but for the LMS and BR their power classification was recorded as 3P.

John Dyer found these two examples in 1960, still at work on part of their old stomping ground between Liverpool Exchange and Southport. No. 50721 was shunting at Exchange and No. 50850 was at Southport Chapel Street.

 

The Bowen-Cooke Class 7F

These London and North Western Railway 0-8-0s were first introduced in 1912 as Class G1. Further developments were made by Beames for the LNWR and Fowler, under the London Midland and Scottish Railway, in 1929. This left three consecutive classes of visually similar 7Fs that survived into BR days. Over 500 had been built originally and the last examples were withdrawn in 1963. No. 49395 was the only one to be preserved and is based on the East Lancashire Railway.

John Dyer’s photographs show No. 49099 on Birkenhead sheds in May 1960, No. 49406 at Buxton in August 1962, as was No. 49446. No. 49454 was on Crewe South sheds in March 1962, and No. 49509 was at Longsight in Manchester during the following month.

Window of Opportunity

Opportunities to get out and about in the normal way have been seriously curtailed during 2020, but we managed a visit to the Severn Valley Railway between the waves and obviously struck a pleasant sunny day. I never bothered with sun glasses in the past, dismissing them as unnecessary fashion accessories until I was advised very specifically by my optician that I should think again.

The compartment was ours for the day and, as can be seen, the staff were taking the necessary precautions, too. The only place that was in “Crisis, what crisis?” mode was the pub at the end of the platform, where, apparently, it was still 2019, especially when the diesel-hauled special disgorged its full trainload at the end of the day. It was time to go home.

“But we’re all so fed up with it, and where’s the science that the hospitality sector is an important factor in spreading the disease?” You don’t need science to tell you that. It’s common sense. In fact, its so blindingly obvious I almost need my sun glasses on to see it.

 

The Stanier Class 8F 2-8-0s

These London Midland freight locos were largely unsung work horses and we probably didn’t give them that much attention at the time, with so many more glamorous engines around to entertain us. They were not as pleasing to the eye as the Stanier Class Fives. It was, perhaps, only after the end of steam on BR that the survivors became more noticeable. No. 48151, particularly, has become a stalwart of the preservation scene. The versatility of the class was certainly born out for me during a rousing return trip behind her over the Settle and Carlisle.

John Dyer photographed the class in a number of locations and I’ve chosen the ones that were closer to home - on the Wirral, at Chester and in North Wales. No. 48262 is on her way from Bidston dock to Shotton steelworks with an iron ore train in August 1962, and No. 48392 is similarly employed, departing from Bidston in May 1965. Freight traffic from the ore terminal and from Birkenhead docks had to snake its way across the electrified West Kirby to Liverpool lines at this point. No. 48406 was on Bidston sheds in July 1960, and No. 48476 was also there, in January 1962. No. 48633 passed through Chester General in March 1962, and No. 48742 was seen at Hope and Pen-y-fford on the ex-GCR route to Wrexham, in April 1962.   

 

Braunton at Taunton

In those carefree late summer days of 2019, we took the Riviera Express from Bristol to Kingswear. There was a water stop at Taunton, and I felt that I just had to get out and walk the platform that I had spent glorious trainspotting days on 56 years earlier, as a fourteen-year-old in 1963. As well as seeing half the Warship Class in one day, steam was still around, including Castle Class No. 7010 Avondale Castle.

Original railway art sold at railwayana auctions in 2020

 Only original paintings depicting railways in Britain and sold at the main railwayana auction houses during 2020 are added below, namely at GCRA, GNRA, GWRA, Railwayana Auctions UK Ltd and Talisman RA. The auction year’s live events have been severely disrupted by the pandemic, but all the auction houses have shown creditable ingenuity in adapting to challenging circumstances, by organising alternative online sales in a variety of formats. Results do not include general auction houses that hold occasional railwayana auctions, nor those that have a limited railwayana section within a mixed sale. Only lots containing paintings advertised in auction catalogues and listed as sold on the day are included. It is highly likely, of course, that railway paintings will also have changed hands in fine art and other sales during the same period. All of the information from which this summary has been taken has been available on the auction houses’ own websites. Railway paintings continue to make a notable contribution to railwayana auctions and examples of original artwork provide popular catalogue cover illustrations for many such auction events. The paintings of a relatively small group of leading railway artists continue to attract considerably more interest than the majority of the pictures brought to auction, which then tend to sell comparatively cheaply. 

1. The number of lots of original railway paintings sold at railwayana auctions rose from 2011 to 2016 and has dropped since then: 2011 - 32, 2012 - 41, 2013 - 61, 2014 - 88, 2015 - 105, 2016 - 136, 2017 - 81, 2018 - 66, 2019 - 87, 2020 - 70. 

2. The number of railway artists whose work was sold at the same auctions rose from 2011 to 2016 but has also been lower since then: 2011 - 25, 2012 - 20, 2013 - 27, 2014 - 34, 2015 - 42, 2016 - 48, 2017 - 31, 2018 - 25, 2019 - 25, 2020 - 33. 

3. Unsurprisingly, the number of railwayana auction events that sold railway paintings also rose from 2011 until 2016 and has fallen since then: 2011 - 7, 2012 - 10, 2013 - 13, 2014 - 19, 2015 - 18, 2016 - 22, 2017 - 18, 2018 - 14, 2019 - 16, 2020 - 16.  

4. In 2020, seven paintings by four different artists reached or surpassed a £1,000 hammer price at railwayana auctions. Over the last ten-years, work by Don Breckon [17] and Barry G. Price [13] has been the most successful in this category. During the last decade, the number of such paintings sold at these venues each year and the artists concerned were: 

2011 - 3 paintings - by Heiron [2], Broom,

2012 - 3 paintings - by Bottomley, Hawkins, Broom,

2013 - 8 paintings - by Broom [2], Breckon [2], Heiron, Root, Price, Freeman,

2014 - 7 paintings - by Root [3], Elford, Breckon, Freeman, Hawkins,

2015 - 11 paintings - by Breckon [3], Hawkins [2], Root [2], Beech, Ellis, Elford, Price.

2016 - 13 paintings - by Breckon [4], Price [3], Hawkins [2], Freeman, Root, Broom,

                                  Greene,

2017 - 7 paintings - by Freeman [2], Price [2], Broom, Root, Breckon,

2018 - 9 paintings - by Hawkins [4], Breckon [2], Price [2], Root,

2019 - 9 paintings - by Breckon [4], Broom, Cuneo, P. O. Jones, Root,

2020 - 7 paintings - by Price [4], Freeman, P. O. Jones, Shelbourne,  

 

 

Jinties

Here are some excellent atmospheric pictures from John Dyer’s archive, featuring the LMS Class 3F 0-6-0 tank. We knew them as Jinties and they were plentiful on both sides of the Mersey and at Chester. They were the standard shunting tank engine for goods trains in our area and also used for station pilot duties and moving empty stock. As always, I’m very grateful to John for allowing me to share his splendid collection in this way.

This selection features examples at Chester General, Liverpool Lime Street, Liscard and Poulton and Bidston and date from between 1958 and 1965. Liscard and Poulton was the nearest station to our house and during my short stay at Poulton Junior School, it was on my way home, walking up Mill Lane.  I don’t remember ever seeing a train there, though steam and smoke from the Seacombe stoppers was visible from the classroom and the school yard as it drifted up from the cutting, which is now part of the Wallasey tunnel approach road. 

No. 47389 was at Chester in July 1964, No. 47414 was in Lime Street station in August 1965, Nos. 47495 and 47507 were at Bidston in 1962 and 1961, respectively, and No. 47622 was observed at Liscard and Poulton in 1958.

Sign of the Times

I came upon this less frequently observed road sign. At first glance, I thought horse and carriage. On closer inspection, it was not even Wild West wagon train, but more mundane horse and cart. The gated entrance is to a muddy track at the foot of a hillside and probably impassable for part of the year, hence the need for this instruction.

It reminded me of how, with the coming of the railways, those who were used to being carried around in their own horse-drawn carriages could now be ferried around on flat-bed wagons without having to leave their own comfortably upholstered seats [or mix with the hoi-polloi] for the entirety of their journey. The first long wheel-based passenger railway carriages maintained the traditional coach design - effectively a row of horse-drawn carriage bodies joined together but now permanently attached to the wagon.

The reclusive 5^th Duke of Portland made use of his specially constructed system of tunnels at Welbeck for the first part of his journey to Worksop station, where his carriage was put on a train to take him to London for business reasons and where he also had a house. With his blinds drawn, he was able to cut himself off from the outside world at every stage, which is, apparently, just how he liked it.

Nothing in my Attic

My attic used to be full of stuff until I decided that I was never going up there again [bad back, bad knee, moan, moan]. I cleared it out. If the ball cock in the cold-water tank fails, I shall have to get a man in. There is absolutely nothing else in the attic and certainly no valuable original railway posters. Such as I possess are framed and displayed on the walls already.

Every now and then, finds like this one come to light – treasure troves of rolled posters that have just been lying there collecting dust for decades. If only.

'Holy grail' rail posters collection saved from attic - BBC News

Of my ilk - sort of

 A special guest contribution today from my good friend, John Beck. A winter's tale with some atmospheric photographs to match.

"He pulled onto the wide cinder road edge, swung out of his car, pushed the metal gate leading down the steps to the track open, and polished his camera lens, seemingly all in one motion. 

‘Thought it would have broken through by now’ he said without looking up. ‘I saw the sun come up on the Malverns at 7.30 and then straight here for the 60 from Margam’.

He had a Worcester Warriers bobble hat firmly on, and a similar coloured scarf wrapped round his face. He had clearly done this a hundred times before. Confident, comfortable, communicative. A nice enough bloke.

I noted that there was an immediate assumption that I was ‘one of us’. That’s why I was there, on the bridge. 

Innocent, perhaps a little brave, perhaps a little foolish. In any event, not a moments doubt. Quite touching really.  He was right of course. 

‘The class 66, fully laden, came through 5 minutes ago’ I said. 

‘I know. 169 probably. The light engine from Bescot five minutes earlier was cancelled. Im here for the 60 from Round Oak in ten minutes’.

‘How do you know what the loco’s will be’ I asked.

‘Well there are certain apps, and it helps if you know certain people’. At this point there was eye contact.

 

There was no pressure to talk.  It was nice to start the day on the bridge, with the sun starting to break through the mist and frost, and in the company of my ilk. 

With one deviation - I mounted my (Wills) bike and, as a farewell offering, remarked that it will be some time before we see steam on this stretch. As my wheels started turning I was met with a resounding ’Oh, I don’t do steam’.  I’ve met people like this at SVR diesel galas I thought. There's more of them than you might think.

Each to their own."