Midland double header at Hitchin

[giner]

Here's an interesting one. I'm assuming this pair had come over from the Bedford branch. Er, it is Hitchin, isn't it?

[Mickey]

Yeah it's Hitchin giner. Two ex Midland Railway locos working up the GN/LNER main line!!. Maybe the train is bound for Hitchin stock yard or further south Hornsey & Ferme Park Up yards?.

Mickey

[giner]

Thanks, Mickey. It looks like a load of bricks, which I'm supposing must've come over the Bedford branch from Marston or somewhere. If they'd been from Fletton, surely the motive power would've been one of ours. Neat pic. though.
Cheers, Giner.

[Dave S]

They're working their way over from the Hitchin to Bedford line, most likely from Stewartby but could be Ridgemont/Marston. Stewartby had better loading facilities for bogie brick wagons.
I understood when I worked at Hitchin (late 70's early 80's) that when bricks had come from Bedford they would set back into the up sidings which this would be able to do as it's alongside the up platform.

[giner]

Thanks, Dave, my suspicions confirmed, then. I thought that had it been from Fletton it would have been an WD or 9F in charge. Look delightfully 'old' those two Midland relics, don't they?

[Mickey]

Look delightfully 'old' those two Midland relics, don't they?

Typical small engine policy adopted by the Midland Railway with most of there locos either being 0-6-0s or 4-4-0s with 'double heading' being widespread on there railway. The only exception regarding there small engine policy (and there's always an exception on the railway) was the 0-10-0 'Lickey banker' BIG BERTHA that bankrd heavy goods trains and passenger trains up the 2 miles of the Lickey Incline between Bromsgrove station and Blackwell station from 1919 until about 1954/55.

Mickey

[52D]

Tell you what mickey, its incredible to look down the Lickey from the top.

[StevieG]

They're working their way over from the Hitchin to Bedford line, most likely from Stewartby but could be Ridgemont/Marston. Stewartby had better loading facilities for bogie brick wagons.
I understood when I worked at Hitchin (late 70's early 80's) that when bricks had come from Bedford they would set back into the up sidings which this would be able to do as it's alongside the up platform.

To no doubt back up this analysis, the signal seen cleared for the train is Hitchin Yard Box's Up Fast - Slow Home : The points for Up trains off the Bedford line at Cambridge Junction Box only reached over as far as the UF, so this, plus the motive power, seems pretty conclusive.