Returning to Grantham

[strang steel]

Some more excellent photos, including a sunny day at Skegness. I know that I am just an old softie, but there is something about late 50s/early 60s women's fashion that is much more attractive than recent offerings. I think it was so much more feminine, if that makes sense.

[deltic9013]

I have just discovered this fantastic forum. I spent many happy days on Grantham station right at the end of steam. We moved to the area in 1964 and by the time I discovered Grantham, steam on passenger had finished and the shed had all but disappeared. A diet of Deltics was good enough for someone who had grown up on the Midland! I can only imagine what a mecca it must have been in steam days with engine changes being the norm. I have one problem that I hope someone can help me with. As I said steam had finished on passenger trains that were now in the hands of type 4 and 5 diesels. There was still the odd steam working in the form of light engine movements or freight but may be only one or two a day. However on one particular day strange engine movements occurred. There seemed to be more steam activity than normal, mostly 9fs and WDs. The first stranger was Royal Scot 46155 The Lancer light engine on the main heading north. The next also heading north was the only A1 I ever saw in action. 60128 Bongrace and it appeared to be hauling the Flying Scotsman complete with the earlier headboard rather than the gold thistle as used on the Deltics. The engine was immaculate and travelling very fast. I was about 12 or 13 years old and didn’t keep detailed records or dates. I was interested in collecting numbers which I was very particular about. I have the record in my 1963 Combined Volume. I have done a great deal of research but cannot find any reference to this working. As someone said in one of your earlier contributions, you sometimes think you may have imagined it but I have it in writing and the memory as if it were yesterday. I don’t think it was a special as nobody seemed to know anything at the time. I do know that pacifics stepped in for the troubled Deltics in the early years but cannot find any reference to Bongrace as far south as Grantham. Can anyone help!

[61070]

Hello and welcome deltic9013. Here’s a study taken at Grantham on 30th April 1964 when D9013 stopped by. Hope you like it.

I can’t shed any light on what must have been a memorable day at Grantham when you saw 46155 and 60128, but perhaps someone else will be able to. Also, you might like to try the following website http://www.lner-pacifics.me.uk/cms/news.php and follow the email link. The owner, Tommy Knox, has helped me with dates and sightings on several occasions.

We stopped going to Grantham regularly in mid-1964 when, as you say, steam interest was fading. Instead we took trips to Nuneaton because the WCML, even at its southern end, still had a showing of ex-LMS Class 6, 7 and 8 power for a few months yet, into the autumn at least. I too have a memory – and a record - of 46155 from those days, when ‘Scots’ were becoming quite rare. Towards the end of the afternoon into view from the north came an up steam hauled train ‘going like the clappers’. As it approached, and its front end became recognisable, the excitement grew. It was quite grubby but fortunately, as it flashed by, I was able to make out the number. It was the afternoon of 13th August 1964, and I think the last time that I saw a ‘Royal Scot’ in normal service. We saw 46240 City of Coventry, 45552 Silver Jubilee and a couple of ‘Brits’ that afternoon too, so I was well happy!

Anyway this is supposed to be about Grantham, so if you have more tales or experiences to share then please do.

[Hermit 109]

Hi 61070, apologies for my tardiness in replying to your enquiry of Oct 13 but I haven't opened this thread for a while and was just catching up when I noticed your post with 60109 running into Grantham. In answer to your query, "39 Stock" was the name given to a daily late evening odd stock move from Westwood Yard to King's Cross. As I remember the train was loaded up to 13 vehicles and my most vivid memory was George giving the loco it's head after rounding Offord and some time afterwards, tapping me on the back during a bout of firing and pointing to the speedo showing 90mph by the light of the firehole door. Naturally the noise of the engine working hard through the darkness drowned out all conversation and sadly our progress was soon arrested by the distant for Sandy being "on" and being turned onto the slow line to let another train pass, much to the disgust of George. A cherished memory I have carried all my life.

[rob237]

Reckon that is the only close-up picture of The Black Watch crest that I've seen...
The crests disappeared quite early in the loco's career, and were never replaced.
Also, can't recall any other missing Deltic crest being recast...
Cheers
Robt P.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Good one Hermit 109, I can picture that one in my mind, but if your doing 90 mph and the signalman puts you in slow line, what was the speed of the train chasing you ??? was Mallard up to it's old tricks again

manna

[Mallard]

We saw 46240 City of Coventry, 45552 Silver Jubilee and a couple of ‘Brits’ that afternoon too, so I was well happy!
I was at Euston that day and also saw 46240. I think she was a regular on Manchester (?) stuff at that time. Kings X had no steam at all during that visit to the Capital. However, Clapham Junction was still exciting with filthy Pacifics and Standard 5s.
happy days.
36E

[Mallard]

Hi 61070, apologies for my tardiness in replying to your enquiry of Oct 13 but I haven't opened this thread for a while and was just catching up when I noticed your post with 60109 running into Grantham. In answer to your query, "39 Stock" was the name given to a daily late evening odd stock move from Westwood Yard to King's Cross. As I remember the train was loaded up to 13 vehicles and my most vivid memory was George giving the loco it's head after rounding Offord and some time afterwards, tapping me on the back during a bout of firing and pointing to the speedo showing 90mph by the light of the firehole door. Naturally the noise of the engine working hard through the darkness drowned out all conversation and sadly our progress was soon arrested by the distant for Sandy being "on" and being turned onto the slow line to let another train pass, much to the disgust of George. A cherished memory I have carried all my life.

Classic. What a great (if, of course, exhausting), job you had.
Sincerely
36E

[Hermit 109]

Hi, was rummaging through some old slides and came across this which might be of interest. Agfa slide so no date, probably late sixties.

[strang steel]

A nice shot Hermit, and I would agree on 1968/9.

There is a blue class 114 unit in the Nottingham platform, but with only a small yellow panel below the cab windows. There were a few of these around in the late 60s, but not many as most gained full yellow fronts when repainted.

To the left is a similar unit but with both cars in green, and these became very rare in 1970 as far as the Lincoln Derby heavyweights were concerned. In fact, by the late 60s it was more usual to see hybrid blue/green pairings rather than both cars in green.

[Andy W]

Lovely shot but isn't that a Lincoln based Cravens in the station rather than a Derby heavyweight?

Same comments still apply though - by 1970 a green DMU in that part of the world was very uncommon. Even early blue with small panel vehicles were rare.

[Bryan]

I will post this clip here as the title does say Grantham.
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=55007

But I don't think it is.
Any ideas?
Do I make out "Bowling Top" on the platform.

[61070]

'Dowlais Top' I think Bryan. See http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/dowlaistopstation.htm - it looks like the jet-equipped wagon is travelling in the same direction, on the same line and, in part of the film, in the same position as the Dean Goods in one of the pictures.

Who knows how that desolate-looking spot became confused with Grantham when they were indexing the clip!

[61070]

Hermit - many thanks for the very nice late afternoon/evening shot from the cab approaching Grantham from the south. I'm less familiar with Grantham at that time than a few years previously, but I did pay the occasional visit and by then I had my own basic 35mm camera - a Voightlander Vitoret. I haven't scanned all the pictures I took with it yet, but there is one, dated 22 Feb 1966, which shows that there were tracks in the goods yard then which had been lifted by the time your picture was taken (where there seem to be some road trailers standing).

...and thanks for your explanation of '39 Stock' too.

[giner]

'Dowlais Top' I think Bryan. See http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/dowlaistopstation.htm - it looks like the jet-equipped wagon is travelling in the same direction, on the same line and, in part of the film, in the same position as the Dean Goods in one of the pictures.

Who knows how that desolate-looking spot became confused with Grantham when they were indexing the clip!

Desolate spot it was, too. I'm originally from just down the road from there - probably explains why I'm now in the snowswept prairies of Alberta. Yikes, I could do with that contraption in my driveway.