Kings Cross

[Mickey]

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[60526]

Jack Searle, I'll concur with that. In taking to a friend who seems to have a better memory than me, the other character Frank Sargeson was the guy from GN house who used to come down to Platform 10 with the days arrivals etc.
Another of Jacks prints, I bought it for the loco, I wonder who the driver was?

[52D]

Excellent pic, 52A and i have been talking about this loco and one of its drivers. i saw it a day before its demise at Thirsk. It is a shame the production version of this was castrated at birth, i always liked seeing her about.
I know some of my fellow spotters used to curse at the lack of cops when she seemed to be working every day. A missed chance to have made this the forunner of the last great British loco class.

[60526]

Here's another. This could be at Newton Le Willows. Seem to remember reading that DP2's engine still exists in a cl50?

[thesignalman]

I know some of my fellow spotters used to curse at the lack of cops when she seemed to be working every day. A missed chance to have made this the forunner of the last great British loco class.

To my memory it was always on the same job, an early lunchtime departure from Kings Cross to Hull (I think) and return. About 1220 departure, maybe? I have some photographs but they are out on loan at the moment.

I don't know much about engines in locomotives but I wouldn't have thought the engine would have been directly transferred to a Class 50 as they sounded completely different. As I remember DP2 ran with a smooth whine just like a Deltic or Baby Deltic but the Class 50s had a real rough chug to them.

John

[Mickey]

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[Andy W]

The derailment at Sandy that I know involved a Deltic was the one in 1969 when No 15 and the northbound Tees-Tyne Pullman hit some heat buckled track and the middle to back half of the train came off the road.

I think there was one that occured in 1964 but that, I believe, was D1521 which came to grief on the slow road with a goods and blocked all lines.

The 50's never sounded the same after they took the air filters off and instead of that smooth "hoover" noise, they sounded very lumpy, in true EE fashion. I can't recall DP2 for sure but remember my first sight of a 50 and thinking it sounded the same as DP2.

A great shame that a decent gene wasn't put on those 50's. The KV10 arrangement for power control was a bit dodgy too -they could "lock on" to full power - very frightening to witness.

It's 20 years since we had them at the Oak but I think the DP2 unit was in 50037 when we had it. I don't think that power unit has survived but am happy to be proved wrong!

[hq1hitchin]

By the early 1970s, unfitted trains like this had pretty much become a rarity at our end of the GN main line, and I was struggling to recall what this was doing in the down platform in Hitchin about 1973. Some of the wagons are 21 tonners and that made me think of Barford CEGB coal traffic, which normally came via New England. However, a friend has a better memory than me and tells us:
'Yes this train was going to Little Barford power station. Most always a Class 40, and used to run like a 1 speed (class 'C'). I remember being at Arlesley on early turn one day when it came main line from sunny Hitchin, and I just had a margin for a 1 speed. From past experience of how this train always ran, I pulled off in front of the Scotsman. Needless to say it cleared it. A Class 'F' you will notice on the photo.

Where did it come from? There was a contract for a period of time around 1970ish of imported coal through Tilbury Docks. Now you know why I pulled off with "reckless abandon" - Yes Ripple Lane men.

Obviously as you are well aware the wrong way since St Neots had been relocked, and altered for the Barfords to come over, and in facing road from the north. A strict instruction was issued not to cheat by giving the release to Barford ground frame, and calling him by the signal (!) by you know who, who was the District Inspector at the time. So the train went down the slow to St. Neots, ran round, and back to Barford. Visa Versa with the empties, and back on the up road to Tilbury for some more.'

[Mickey]

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[StevieG]

'Do me eyes decieve me?' Did Hitchin Yard box's Down Slow First Home (showing 'clear', near the rear of the train) really get so shortened, becoming much lower than the (fairly tall) miniature signal out of the Down Sidings alongside? Looks quite wierd.
If the camera had been angled very slightly to the left, it ought to've just included South box's Up Fast Homes bracket, standing on the 'wrong' (Down) side by Benslow bridge.

[Mickey]

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[manna]

G'day Gents

Here's a picture of a couple of Brush 2's at 'tuther end' of Hitchin station, and of a second man at Bounds Green, but I can't remember his name.

[Mickey]

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[StevieG]

Couple of good 'uns there, manna.

If memory of the Hitchin track layout and signalling serves, the 31s are on the Up Fast and the signal 'off' is Cambridge Junction's Down Slow to branch Home, which I think means that if the locos are on the move, and have been, right through the junction, the signalman's been pretty slick at changing the road and getting that signal 'off' already.

[Mickey]

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