For Modellers

[hq1hitchin]

A spare boat train set? - given that the three class system continued on boat trains until, I think, 1956, nothing remarkable at all about a spare set stabled outside London. The LNER built new sets as soon as 1924 for use on what were prestige services to replace these old warriors.

I would have expected that the replaced set would have been shopped shortly after the new stock was put into service. This would enable the sets to be broken up and the stock cascaded into other services.

Incidentally, didn't the GN suburban service have second class until 1939? Basically third class with a bit of carpet on the floor. Almost as big a con as first class on Southern today- standard class with antimaccasars - a scam.

Yes, but the reason for the boat trains having second class was to enable trough bookings from places on the Continent to London. And there was a greater difference between 2nd and 3rd on the continent than here.

I think we are labouring the point here and must admit defeat until we arrive in that great messroom in the sky, where the people who can give us the definitive answers are to be found - just don't put me near those Channelsea carriage cleaners, thats all....

[Malcolm]

This one was sent to me by a friend who is not familiar with railway history. They thought I might like it, but unfortunately there is no caption or date with the image, so I'm not sure of where or when. I'm not sure it's even LNER.

Malcolm.

[Malcolm]

Another one for NER modellers. Whilst looking for pictures of Felling, I came across this nice one of the Colliery railway and brickworks at Victoria Garesfield, Gateshead.

Malcolm

[Bryan]

Is the plank across the siding an official crossing point?

[61070]

Malcolm - many thanks for the stunning picture of Victoria Garesfield. Shows how tidy everything was kept (or maybe they just cleaned it up because it was being photographed?).

May I suggest, however, that the structures leading away from the camera are beehive coke ovens and not brick kilns? The SINE (Structural Images North East) website has some photos of some similar beehive ovens that are still preserved (I think) at Whinfield, near Rowlands Gill. The stacks of firebricks may be for use when repairing the ovens, and also for sealing up the openings during firing. The metal poles, curved at the top, rotated in sockets in the ground and were used to hang long rakes and other iron tools used when discharging the red-hot contents of the ovens onto the 'coke bench', as the platform is known, where they would be quenched and cooled before loading into wagons.

The coke ovens at Whinfield, Rowlands Gill, are illustrated at http://www.sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_image.as ... oc_id=3076 , and you can see the similarity.

Also the Durham Mining Museum http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/v002.htm tells us that: The Victoria Garesfield Colliery is situated about a mile south of Garesfield, and is working the same royalties as that colliery. At both these collieries large quantities of excellent coke is made, as well as fire brick, and further developments may be expected. This colliery is being worked by Messrs. Priestman. (Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham)

Sorry for labouring this, especially as it's not strictly railway history, but hope it's of interest. Any more photos of the Durham coalfield?

[Malcolm]

Another one for the modellers.

A good shot of the old NER water crane at Heaton Yard.

Malcolm

[Malcolm]

Great photos. I have done a fair bit of research into Grimsby Commercial docks, and had not seen the VERY instructive picture of the Coal unloading machinery. I'm sure no one is THAT interested, but it is the Northernmost hoist of the two built for the 'new' Alexandra dock, to the west of the older 'Royal' dock. They were out of use very quickly after the opening of Immingham, not just because Immingham hoists could managed twice as much coal, but also because the lock to access Alexandra docks was a notorious bottleneck (one that was not widened until the 1970's). The dock was used primarily for the unloading of timber, as can be very vaguely made out in the photograph. I believe the ex- coal hoists were kept in place for a few years an may even have become associated with the handling of timber. By 1936 the northern hoist was described as un=used, and the southern-most as dismantled.

Incidently, the photograph of brickpit sidings is taken only a few hundred yards away to the north of the hoists.

cheers for the photos. Any more of Grimsby?!?!?

Will

Three more (a little late maybe?)

Malcolm

[Bryan]

With the lack of ballast of any description in the siding photo, am I right in supposing that they had only just been laid? It certainly seems that way to me.

[Autocar Publicity]

I don't know about the historical railway information, I think the postcards say something about the Edwardian sense of humour - and entrepreneurial spirit.

How many pictures of (say) Milford Haven's refineries' pipework would sell as postcards today?

[Malcolm]

With the lack of ballast of any description in the siding photo, am I right in supposing that they had only just been laid? It certainly seems that way to me.

Photo taken just prior to the official opening of the docks on 22nd of July 1913, which may explain the shortage of ballast.

Malcolm

[Malcolm]

This one might help some modellers.

Malcolm