The LNER Encyclopedia

Although there are a couple of Leeds Central topics in the modelling section on this site, I don't think either one covers this question:

Although Leeds Central was a joint station I believe that the GNR interest in it was the overwhelming one by the time of the 1923 grouping and I assume that under LNER auspices Leeds Central operations along with the other ex-GNR lines and services in West Yorkshire fell under Southern Area management, even if the North Eastern area headquarters was much closer by, and North Eastern Area partly owned Leeds New. Unless this assumed situation changed, presumably Leeds Central became an Eastern Region, rather than a North Eastern Region station under BR as first organised. Did Leeds Central pass into North Eastern Region in 1958 or thereabouts as part of the reorganisation of regional boundaries? I ask because of implications for a model that a friend is building. He seems well set upon the idea of having tangerine running-in boards at the station, and says he has evidence in a photograph to support this. By way of contrast, I've seen a photo showing a number of probable post-1958 features in which the visible station name sign has a very dark background to the white lettering, suggesting that it is (still?) dark blue. IF Leeds Central had blue Eastern Region signs up until 1958 at least, but then officially became NE region, I'm wondering how many signs were changed, if at all, and how quickly.
As he will be modelling the "mainly steam" era, I'm tempted to think that dark blue signs will be a safer "general" modelling interpretation.

Hi Atlantic

Not sure if this helps......

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41294071@N02/5894252651/

Andy

Ta. Obviously then, tangerine did appear at some stage before closure.

It also had orange totems. I've seen a couple in auction.

Thanks also. So is anybody aware of other surviving visible evidence for any earlier dark blue signs, or confirmation of Leeds Central having changed regions in '58 or at some other date - other than upon disappearance of the separate NE region.

Atlantic 3279 wrote:Thanks also. So is anybody aware of other surviving visible evidence for any earlier dark blue signs, or confirmation of Leeds Central having changed regions in '58 or at some other date - other than upon disappearance of the separate NE region.

Part of a b&w photo dated 8 August 1954
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60050243/Leeds% ... eboard.jpg

Another Andy

Re "Dark Blue" signs it needs to be remembered that the earliest possible date for the erection of BR(NE) orange enamels was 1st January 1948 (formation of British Railways) and that Leeds Central was closed on 1st May 1967 so the orange enamels there could only have been used for 19 years tops.
There are some good pix here http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page6.htm and in the top one you can see a "totem" to the left of the loco; in the photo of the green Deltic you can see that the wooden building to the left is painted BR(NE) Baby Blue and white.

One of my NER line diagrams of the Leeds and Selby runs over the viaduct and through Leeds Stn to Leeds West and is dated 1913.

It was Orange totems when we ran into it in the early 60s.

Copley Hill mpd transferred from the ER to NER in July 1956.

Kudu

Thanks for all of those comments. That last one might be particularly useful, setting a probable date of regional change a couple of years earlier. That does widen the believable range of dates for operation with tangerine signs in place.

Incidentally, regarding Andy's link above:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60050243/Leeds% ... eboard.jpg
Is that an Eastern region sign on a dark blue background, or a surviving LNER item? That wooden hut in the background could for instance still be in faded post-1937 LNER green and cream.

Atlantic 3279 wrote:Thanks for all of those comments. That last one might be particularly useful, setting a probable date of regional change a couple of years earlier. That does widen the believable range of dates for operation with tangerine signs in place.

Incidentally, regarding Andy's link above:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60050243/Leeds% ... eboard.jpg
Is that an Eastern region sign on a dark blue background, or a surviving LNER item? That wooden hut in the background could for instance still be in faded post-1937 LNER green and cream.

Actually it NARROWS the range for orange signs from possible 1948 to 1967 down to 1956 - 1967. Thus the stations enamels and totems would have seen a mere 11 years use before going in the skip!

I should perhaps have clarified the way in which it widens the scope: I was assuming, unless proven otherwise, that Leeds Central was part of Eastern Region and would thus have had ex LNER or new dark blue Eastern Region signs until at least 1958, with no tangerine appearing until NE region decided to spend some money. A possible start to NE region signs as early as 1956 thus does ADD up to two years, although the total window is still a maximum of 11 years