L.N.E.R. stations, s/boxes & gas lighting

[Mickey]

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[52D]

Senility i had forgotten about the Tilleys

[Andy W]

When I reached the ODM in 1977 there was precious little gas left on the KX area. It was a civils job to look after this kit and when it got converted to elecy it became ours. I think Knebworth station was the last station to go, in 1975.

I can remember gas in Hitchin up yard, Finsbury Park Stone Yard (part) and the civils accomodation at the bottom of Culross Buildings at KX lasting past the turn of that decade but all had gone shortly after. I think the KX installation was the last to be used and when I was doing C&W it was always an odd experience to pay a visit downstairs to a gas lit khasi. Lovely soft light, though.

[Mickey]

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[cambois]

The talk of Tilly lamps reminded me that Chathill was still lit by oil lamps in the late 1970's and still staffed on a split shift by one Fred Steffenbeck (Hope the spelling is right - it is a long time ago).

[Blink Bonny]

[quote="Micky"

I believe that these oil lamps were used as some sort of marker on the down goods line when the Kings Cross goods yard pilot loco was making a 'long shunt' with wagons into Copenhagen tunnel i would guess?.[/quote]

Ay up!

Quite probably also as an indicator of forward progress for goods trains. They could have done with them on the old GN lines out of Halifax where the tunnels were so fume filled that the only way to check forward progress was to touch the tunnel wall!

[Andy W]

Coming back from Hull today, we slowed at Cambridge Jct and two long redundant gas lamp columns are still there at Hitchin. Are they the last ones still standing south of P'Boro?

[Mickey]

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[mr B]

not railway but talking about oil lamps 1970's again, Donny by-pass A1M police had contraflow lined with 'flashing' blue paraffin lamps , only can think that they worked like a 'magicoal' fire.

mr B

[kudu]

Micky, I hope you will allow me to tell you the GN was a constituent of the LNER.

Kudu

[Mickey]

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[PinzaC55]

The talk of Tilly lamps reminded me that Chathill was still lit by oil lamps in the late 1970's and still staffed on a split shift by one Fred Steffenbeck (Hope the spelling is right - it is a long time ago).

Indeed it was http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3327712017/ Somebody has said that these posts were relocated from the Newcastle & Carlisle Railway and had "NCR" on the back (turned back to front) but I certainly can't remember that. On the the day I took that photo I was invited into the ticket office and it was all pure NER.

[kudu]

Micky, I hope you will allow me to tell you the GN was a constituent of the LNER.

Kudu

Fair point Kudu i've amended the topic heading.

I'm afraid you've missed the point I was really trying to make, Micky. Your heading was fine as far as I'm concerned, but the thread was and is in the wrong place. Not that you're the only culprit - it would be a full-time for richard to shunt offending threads into the correct sidings.

It just makes it so hard to find them sometimes.

Kudu

[Mickey]

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[geofrancis]

I recall, before some remote signal boxes were fitted with mains electrics, the lovely big brass oil lamps were left under the signal box. what would they be worth today. As Linesmen before torches we were issued with Carbide lamps, the Platform Inspectors & Foremen also used them
Geofrancis