The LNER Encyclopedia

Things weren't easy by this stage in the war but the LNER is still very much in business. A shot taken by a GI in 1944 on a passing train looking back at Hitchin Loco. Courtesy Neil Stevens

G'Day Gents

The only thing I can remember, that's in the photo is the water tank, was still there in the 70's, and so was a station pilot that seemed to forever be shunting parcels vans vans around, beside Cambridge Junc, (is that yard still there)

If my memory serves me correctly, didn't the Midland, loco shed survive for many more years after it closed as a banana store ??

manna

hq1hitchin wrote:Things weren't easy by this stage in the war but the LNER is still very much in business. A shot taken by a GI in 1944 on a passing train looking back at Hitchin Loco. Courtesy Neil Stevens

Unusual view there, 'hq'(/Neil); thanks.
For what it's worth, the train that the photo was taken from was leaving/passing Hitchin up platform on the Up Slow (as I'm sure 'hq' knows), so could have come from the Cambridge or Huntingdon directions.

manna wrote: " .... a station pilot that seemed to forever be shunting parcels vans vans around, beside Cambridge Junc, (is that yard still there) "

Yes, Hitchin Up Yard's still there manna, still with access from the up platform, the siding/s behind same, and at the other end from the up and down Cambridge lines.
I think it's minus a road or two from the east side compared with the good old days, but while flashing by at 125 it looks like there's at least four roads still there, though with at least one secured out of use (probably for poor track condition). But it seems rare to see anything much in there these days, barring perhaps the odd engineering train or vehicle: Sometimes I think I've seen it completely empty.

There are some rather odd sleepers in the up yard at Hitchin.. The chairs are dated 1943.

G'Day Gents

They are wartime concrete sleepers, There used to be some on running lines near Stapleford and some more near Ashwell/Baldock, very noisy, thanks for the pics.

manna

Ay up!

We had a short section of them on the Worth Valley which, when the preservationists took over, was virtually all concrete sleepers (Dow-Mac, presumably from the 1950s experiments?) under bullhead rail.

I always wondered why they were different - now I know. Cheers, Manna!

tut , tut a camera in war time , lucky he was'nt court martialed branded as a spy .

mr B

Well, you DO know that old coal chute was a secret rocket launcher that, set at the right trajectory and on a good night with the wind in the right direction, could have annihilated Knebworth?

A few colour shots taken at Hitchin from my collection of original slides for you all to enjoy.

Cheers Simon

http://simonlathlane.zenfolio.com/

A proper A3, and a V2 in steam What I wouldn't give to see that

What lovely photos! Thanks so much, Simon.

60148 Aboyeur on the down fast, the two V2s on the up slow with a view of the old shed roof in the background (what I wouldn't give for an hour sitting again on that low wall separating the up platform from the two roads into the shed), and Royal Lancer on the up fast.

G'Day Gents

Oh, what a lovely sight, a 'Black' A1 and a V2 on a model railway sized five wagon goods train, 'never happened in real life'

manna

Glad that you liked the images from Hitchin one more for you to enjoy. A2 Class No 60513 'Dante' with a up express to KX.

Cheers....Simon

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10257146@N05/

Thanks very much Simon. Those are excellent photographs.

It never ceases to amaze me how many great colour photos are out there when you consider the cost of film and its low ASA rating in the early 1960s.

I notice in the first picture that the EE Type 1 has wasted no time in gaining a small yellow warning panel.

Yet another lovely shot, thanks Simon. Just to note she's on the up slow at this point, so probably on a semi-fast from Peterborough.

Got any more Hitchin pics?