Who were the crew of GNR No.1 on 11th September1938?

[giner]

Hi Earl,

Yeah, that was my impression, too. But in the suburban platforms? Come to that, I've never seen any coaches with roof boards on in the suburban platforms.

[hq1hitchin]

Yeah, that was my impression, too. But in the suburban platforms? Come to that, I've never seen any coaches with roof boards on in the suburban platforms.

That might fit in with it being a press run. Perhaps some of the new 1938 Scotsman stock was available for public inspection?

[StevieG]

This information and comments are greatly appreciated. Perhaps the crew seen in the photograph are not the crew who took the loco out to Peterborough, I expect we may never know! Thanks for the help though.
Steve
download/file.php?id=9312&t=1

Sorry to pour cold water on the thoughts of the photos being at King's Cross, but I'm pretty certain that the SGE Ltd. type of small ('Banner' type) signal casing seen on the ground, particularly in the first pic ('crew.jpg'), and presumably in use as a ground shunt signal, was never fitted for such locations/purpose in the SGE 1932 resignalling of 'the Cross', though it was used up with main signals (example of such type of fitment also seen in the third pic [ '380911 GNR No1.jpg' ], from the 'quote' post above) used at KX for departure and those at Gasworks Tunnel south entrances, for 'Shunt-ahead' and 'Calling On' purposes. All the KX ground signals (except for 82/97 inside the centre bore of Gasworks for Down Main No.1) were, I'm sure, rotating discs similar to mechanical ones.

They were used as ground signals in the Liverpool Street 1949-ish signalling (probably irrelevant here?), and may have also been so used in the SGE mid/late-'30s resignalling of Waverley station (I'm less familiar with such details for there; but know there were also examples there of 'Banner's up with main signals, serving as 'Warning' signals).
So, if we proceed on the premise that No.1 is seen in these photos in association with some ECML connection, did she ever get to Edinburgh in those times?

[ P.S. Just noticed, in the third pic, that as well as the power signals we can see the back of, around the fringes, there are also mechanical signals, apparently still in use: Top right is a lower quadrant main signal which doesn't look GN but I can't see enough to guess at its likely manufacturer. But lower right, there are two mechanical ground signals which look suspiciously like a Stevens 'flap' type, much favoured by some Scots companies, but I couldn't say if the NBR was one of them.
So this rather suggests that wherever it is that features in this photo, the location was in the throes of having its signalling modernised.]

[61070]

Hello folks. StevieG’s mention of Scottish-style signalling sent me back to the LNER Magazine for 1938 and I think this helps:

August 1938 (Vol. 28 No8)

On p.476 there is a short account of the departure of the Flying Scotsman from Edinburgh Waverley on July 4th 1938, when GNR No.1 was present on the adjacent platform to mark the inauguration of that year’s summer non-stop service. Comparing the picture of No.1 accompanying the article with photo 380911 above, the latter was clearly taken on that occasion. Perhaps the other two photos were taken then as well? Note that the smokebox door handles are positioned differently on ‘No.1.jpg’, though the location appears to be the same.

Previously, on pages 424 to 426, No.1’s run from King’s Cross to Stevenage on 30th June, to celebrate the jubilee of the 1888 race to Edinburgh, is reported. This event features on the front cover photo (a fine shot of No.1 departing from King’s Cross) and there are several other pictures. The passengers transferred across to the modern, A4-hauled (4498), Flying Scotsman train at Stevenage - ref. the photo on google linked by giner.

October 1938 (Vol. 28 No.10)

Pages 544-545: an illustrated account of an August 24th trip by No.1 from King’s Cross to Cambridge and return for ‘enthusiasts’, some of whom were in period (1888) costume.

Page 571 reports - unillustrated - the RCTS London to Peterborough excursion of 11th September.

[soulmansteve]

I've tried to enhance the carriage nameboard in 'Photoshop' but unfortunately it's just too indistinct to decipher. There are several (even more shaky) broadside views of No. 1 but the train in the background has departed in all the others. I'll post another photo or two from this fascinating series of negatives in due course. Don't expect any great improvement in quality though!
Steve

[2002EarlMarischal]

If only people wrote "when, where, who and why" on the back of their photos!

Of course, I never did in the pre-digital days, and now with disk space a-plenty I don't do more than index the directory I save the picture files to.

Not sure anyone in 70+ years will be looking at my photos though!

[soulmansteve]

This further negative, I somehow overlooked, confirms the location as Edinburgh Waverley, south end. It also answers several of the other points raised as to the signal types and related queries. Regrettably it only deepens the mystery crew! As to the point regarding the changed position of the smokebox door handles. I wonder if No.1 was actually in steam? Perhaps a smouldering 'oily rag' was used to generate the smoke seen in the photos and hence the smokebox had been opened.