Kings Cross

[JeffB]

Hi Micky, when we first got the diesels at the Cross, Sulzers, North British, Brush, etc we were told only to use one red tail light. If there were two up/down roads use the tail light furthest away from the other line. That persisted all the time I was down there till the late 60,s

[Mickey]

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[John C]

Hi all,

Regarding the EE Type 4's I have a couple of tales to tell.

I apologise that the first isn't GN, but feel it's worth airing and it concerned a Watford crew who had been sent to Euston for work. They were directed to a "2000", but advised the Engine Arranger (a sort of On-the-Spot Controller) that they hadn't been trained on them. Knowing this to be true, but also knowing that Watford men were trained on their smaller cousins (the EE Type 1's), he said "You know the 1000's don't you; there's two of the b******s - get on with it", which, being game for an adventure, these two did!

The other little story, concerns the engines nickname. I never heard of them called Buckets, but one day, when I had transferred to the Cross, I was standing on one of the platforms with Driver John (Jean) Arlow and a 2000 came off the Pass Loco and he said "Hark at that - sounds like someone chucking a load of empty beer bottles up in the air"! And when you listen carefully, you could hear exactly what he meant!

Regards and Happy New Year to all,

John.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Micky, I thought you were going to say the Stratford loco, had a seeing eye dog running along in front of the engine ????

manna

[Mickey]

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[Mickey]

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[StevieG]

" .... Also with regards to the two parallel running lines running in the same direction like as on the G.N. it was the same for the guards brake vans i seem to recall, if a loose coupled train was running on the fast line the guard should have TWO red side lights and a red tail lamp, if the same train was running along the slow line the guard should have ONE red side light on the LEFT and ONE white side light on the RIGHT plus a red tail lamp as well, .... "

... And I think when there were three or more roads, the requirements were that the same lamp arrangements carried on, alternating; i.e - on a Goods or second Slow line beside the (first) Slow, back to the three red lights again, as for the Fast ; a 4th road, red tail lamp and left side light plus white right-hand side light again, and so on.

[Mickey]

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[Mickey]

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[manna]

G'Day Gents

I was going to transfer to Ripple Lane, it had been approved, but left the railway instead, but, yes Micky, they went to a lot of place's, Didcot and I think Southampton, so, yes, Wanders would be a good name for them.

manna

[Andy W]

Didcot men had the same reputation on the Western. The old joke was that when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon there was a Didcot crew waiting to take Apollo 11 back to Earth! I heard that one later except that it had become Saltley men, who also went everywhere.

The best a Didcot crew managed was Inverness and when they got there they (jokingly) asked for a working back! Once the TCS worked out where Didcot actually was - there was some difficulty in understanding the accent (on both sides!) - they were put up for the night. Back at Didcot the news that two of their crew were actually lodging in the Highlands didn't exactly go down well and on their return they were "advised" not to try that again.

The furthest north Didcot got a Hymek was apparently Mossend on a car train. On that occasion they expected to change over in Birmingham but the replacement loco and crew were nowhere to be seen and said they would take it forward!

Back on the GN, when I was at GN House we kept a list of how many drivers knew what type of traction. In 1979 there were still drivers who "signed" class 24 & 26 diesels. One of my more greener colleagues said that this must be a mistake. My reply was short and to the point - "no driver, least of all a GN one, signs away any overtime or mileage opportunity"!

[52D]

Andys post above, I bet any "Jock" spotters who reported the Hymek were laughed at. There are always odditys turning up all over the system such as D9004 at Alnwick circa 1967 with the Gateshead breakdown crane probably came to assist an errant Clayton.

[Mickey]

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[Mickey]

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[strang steel]

Just saw a book in the Ian Alan shop at Waterloo called Kings Cross to Welwyn Garden City by Peter Coster (a long time L.N.E.R. fan he also turns up on TVP dvds) published in 2010 in hard back featuring quite alot of previously unseen black & white photographs of the route including interior shots of Goods & Mineral Junction and all the Holloway s/boxes including interior photographs (north up had a Dutton & Co lever frame by the looks of it) as well as photographs of all seven of the Finsbury Park s/boxes (if you don't count Ashburton Grove & East Goods Yard s/boxes) plus an interior shot of of Ferme Park south down and two pretty rare shots of Ferme Park north up & Ferme Park south up s/boxes as well. Also included is a number of other photographs of Hornsey up goods and all the Wood Green s/boxes including a 'late' photograph of Wood Green tunnel box with the flats behind the box also plenty of other photographs taken along the route to Welwyn Garden City all with a lot of text included. The price is £26.99p

What is even more interesting (to me anyway) is that the official title of that book is The Book Of The Great Northern, Part 1 Kings Cross to Welwyn Garden City.

Which surely implies more parts as the series moves north up the main line?

I am going to (a) have no money left and (b) no room in my house as I feel the need to purchase as many of these titles as possible.