Kings Coss Passenger Loco

[Mickey]

Deleted

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

Going off topic here, but we had Met-Camm DMUs converted to Sandite cars after West Yorks had the dreaded Pacers inflicted upon it. As if our own wasn't bad enough, we also got a batch from the South West, painted chocolate and cream!

They were converted in the same way and drivers seemed to like the jobs, provided the sandite was being mixed in the other car. If it was being mixed in the car they were driving from, the dust would invade the cab and make for an uncomfortable shift. The Guards, it has to be said, were less than pleased because they couldn't avoid the dust at all!

[sandwhich]

Quite right as regards pass loco, the foreman did put a board in his office window, one side "shed" other side "pit", I remember these foreman as well as siderod Sid Booth, there was Harry Burge, Roy Beecham, Dennis Lawton and earlier still Alf Buckman and Bill Harris, all sadly no longer with us. Jack Hewitt was another dont know about him last I heard he moved to Lincolnshire many years ago.
The old loco yard is now built over, Network Rail accomodation on part of it.

[Mickey]

Deleted

[sandwhich]

Some more names as pass loco foreman, Stan Hart, Maurice Lindley both also no longer with us, George Hagland who left around 1970 and was thought to have emigrated to Australia and the very last shift in that place in May 1979 was Dave Kirkland who I saw a short time ago. Hard to believe when it closed how unreal it all looked after the years of it being a bit of a mad house, the old saying of a quart into a pint pot comes to mind.
I do remember in 1975 it was closed for a couple of weeks and all engines had to go to Clarence Yard for servicing because the condition of of the loco had become so bad that attention had to be paid to it including some new ballast.

[strang steel]

A bit of lurking on another forum has turned up this link to a superb aerial photo of Kings Cross and St Pancras.

http://www.railmagazine.com/gallery/def ... e=6&pid=16

Browsing a little further into the gallery collection you will come across one of the Top Shed / KX Goods area.



Enjoy the nostalgia.

[Dave]

Thanks SS

Love the shots of the centre of the universe York...old and new

[JeffB]

Cracking pictures of Kings Cross and York, its how I remember them.

[Mickey]

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[manna]

G'Day Gents

Well this is how I remember it, packed to the max.

Now to explain, what was what, I will use the headcodes on the locos, then tell you where they are, far left, class 31, 0-01, is on the 'coal road' (even in diesel days) oil and spares wagons, cl 47 1A10 'arrival rd', cl 31 2B65, is on the 'Ash Pit' , cl 47, 1A06 is dropping down on to the stops (far right, by sign) cl 47, 1A02, is going into or out of the 'shed' The two green liveried cl 47's beside the shed are on the 'pit' Next to the 'pit' is the 'slip' (empty track)

You can see from this photo how cramped the loco was, when the cl 47 on the arrival road, passes the cl 31 on the ash pit there was only 2-3feet clearance, you soon learn't not to ride on the loco steps that side.

I'd forgotten about the 'shed'-'pit' sign, great site for refreshing the memory

manna

[Mickey]

Deleted

[strang steel]

That is excellent stuff manna, thanks very much. It was fascinating watching the movements from the end of the platform; however that photo seems to be even more interesting as the dmu on the right would appear to be a Metro-Cammell unit.

I dont remember seeing those, or in fact anything other than the Derby suburban 3-cars and Cravens 2-car units.

[Multiprinter]

Yes, that's what surprised me. I cannot recall seeing a photo of a Met-Camm at the Cross. They normally didn't come south of Hitchin.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Glad you liked the photo, interesting a, it's dated 19-9-70, (5 weeks before I started at the Cross) and the DMU appears to be in green ! (maybe a good excuse to run one on my Edgware layout) they were used on the Royston - Cambridge shuttles ?

manna

[Bryan]

Has anyone seen the aerial shot of KX in Modern Railways that I mentioned earlier?
Interesting to hear any comments on how much has changed around the loco stabling point and surrounds.