North Eastern Railway ES1 Electric Locomotive interior

[Rlangham]

With thanks to Anthony Coullis of the NRM, I was able to access the inside of the ES1 at Shildon last week - here are the photographs from inside. The end with the control panel of switches running down the centre of the cab windows is 'A' end. If anyone would like larger copies of any of these please let me know and i'll e-mail them over. It struck me how similar the controls are to that of a Tram of the period.

From what i've read, the location of the controls changed since it was first built - I have no definite date for this but presume it was when the ES1s were changed from the large bow pick-up mounted on a wooden beam half way across one of the bonnets to the roof mounted pantograph in 1908



Using A end as the front, which is also the unobstructed front of the locomotive as viewed in the museum, this is the left hand side looking forwards



A end



The electrical resistances in one of the noses - the interior of the other nose is identical. The two vertical cylinders at the end are the sandboxes, filled from the two noticeable circular lids on each nose



B end



B end controls







Control panel on A end





Inside the box for B end on the control panel



A end controls







The handle for the pantograph - this is in the 'down' position



Interior of the box between the cab windows at B end



View of B end with brake wheel in the centre



A end



Right hand side of cab

[52D]

Thanks for those views, you are correct about the tramway type of controller although plenty of other industries used resistance and drum controllers to control machinery.Most notable overhead cranes before modern control systems and ac voltages became the norm.
I will study these images a lot more.
Were the resistance banks open or was there a cover or partition? i am asking because when i suggested that this loco could be possibly run over part of the National Tramway Museum system at Crich one of the possible H&S objections was open live equipment.
I envy you in being allowed to "cab" her.

[third-rail]

used to live at the houses by south gosforth east junc until 67 and saw them both on satardays when one would come in to gosforth car sheds i assume for servicing and one would leave later,
i was at shildon a while back and they had the access stairs up to the cab labeled keep off as there had apparently been a large school party there the previous day.so i asked if i could have a look inside the answer was yes if the door was not locked,and it was not.if the stairs are theres no harm in asking.
if you look at the third from last picture of the "b"end there is a series of butterfly nuts which i believe carried a heavy leather curtain, the two large knife switches where not protected in any way i understand.
nor did i see there the emergency power lead for use if it gapped the third rail,it consisted of a wooden pole with a metal plate attached to the base with a length cable which plugged into a socket on either end of the loco,there also a similar one on manors station.
health and safety now would not be very happy with you using that.
a cold day in winter i think it would nice and warm inside

[Rlangham]

Regarding protection, apparently there was the leather curtain that stretched the entire width of the cabin/nose aperture, but when I had a brief look around when there were stairs up to it a few months ago (but didn't get any good photos as it was busy) the chap in there mentioned he believes it may have originally had wooden shutters.

To add to the Health and Safety of the loco - the big panel which stretches from floor to roof with the switches for A end/B end and shoes/trollley? That's one massive board of asbestos!

[richard]

Asbestos is fine if you don't disturb it (I've been to two open cast asbestos mines, which are potentially a lot more dangerous!).

I would think the knife switches are another area of concern. Your hands need to be near the live metal. To get it running, I'm guessing these might need to be replaced with modern knife switches?

Looks good - I'm sure the modellers will really appreciate the photos.

Seeing the black and brass "tram" controller, I'm wondering if the Autocar controllers were also black & brass?
I painted mine a dark dull grey with silver handle/controls.

[Manxman1831]

Old knife switches are fine so long as you wear thick gloves, or keep your fingers the right side of the bakelite hilt. Most impressive shots, thank you.

[richard]

And a new pair of curtains would be easy to construct, so we're ready for some preservation-era running!

[Rlangham]

The curator certainly said it would be possible to get it working again, it was simply switched off when the museum got it so who knows - could be run with a battery in a wagon/van like the Harton electric at the Stephenson Railway Museum, or then again I think tramways use the same voltage so maybe Beamish or Crich? Would be wonderful to see it going, I'd pay very good money to do so. Presumably they sound a bit like an Edwardian tram - is there any film of the ES1 available, anywhere?

[52D]

I posted a link a while ago regarding Tyneside Trolley Buses and one of the ES1s appears on it for a few seconds.

[Rlangham]

Here it is! Wonderful, skip to 3:05 for about 45 seconds of ES1 action - shame there's no sound. Wonder if there's anything else out there?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCLViX2_ ... ure=relmfu

[billdonald]

Excellent photos of the interior of this fine locomotive. They brought back many details to my memory! Well done!

This is perhaps an opportune moment to mention my forthcoming presentation to the Newcastle branch of the Stephenson Locomotive Society in which the ES1 locomotives will figure prominently. I'll give more details next month as to content but the details are The Newcastle Quayside Branch 1870-1969, and the date of the presentation is Friday, 1st February 2013.

For those who missed my three presentations to the Newcastle SLS on the NER Tyneside electrification, I'll be presenting the first of these again to the Newcastle branch of the RCTS in the same month. These will contain additional material uncovered from further research. Full details will be provided next month.

Bill Donald
Dublin, Ireland.

[BlythStationLad]

Looking forward to 1st Feb 2013 already! I've always had a 'soft spot' for the Quayside system.

I'll try to get one of our XCTrains drivers along too: he recently took ownership of a layout of Trafalgar Yard and, as a man from the Wirral, he's very interested in learning more of this unique NE branch.

[Rlangham]

Bill, do you have to be a member of SLS to attend the talk? If I'm free I'd love to attend. If any of the photos are of use I'm happy to send over high resolution copies

[billdonald]

Bill, do you have to be a member of SLS to attend the talk? If I'm free I'd love to attend. If any of the photos are of use I'm happy to send over high resolution copies

As far as I recall from their web sites, guests are welcome to SLS and RCTS branch meetings, but I wpuld think a nominal donation to branch funds wouldn't be a bad idea. Or better still, join up!

Bill Donald
Dublin, Ireland.