Returning to Grantham

[workev]

A slightly contraversial question today.

I am currently doing some in-depth research using info from various sources. It has been brought to my attention that the move of 4 A4s to Grantham between April and September 1957 may not actually have happened. Does anybody have any firm evidence that they did indeed become based at Grantham? No.'s 3 and 10 seem to have been in Doncaster works for much of that period, but I think 8 and 30 may indeed have worked Grantham diagrams (at least during May).

Any help gratefully received!

Ian

[strang steel]

I have lifted this snippet by John Cherry from the MREmag website

http://www.mremag.com/

I hope they don't mind, but I thought it might be useful for modelling purposes.


"I’m still looking for a photo of an ER V1/V3 on freight, but on 23 July 1958, L1 2-6-4T No.67800, the last built, arrived at Grantham with a pick-up freight off the Nottingham line. It comprised about 10 open goods wagons, all of the wooden variety, plus an LMS 20-ton Brake Van. A nice modelling moment.

(Photo: N.Stead, Steam Memories No.43, Book Law)"

[Ladas]

Evening All,

Being an enthusiast of all things Grantham during LNER/BR steam days... I've stumbled across a few photographs on www.geolocation.ws

I can't recall seeing them within the "Returning to Grantham" thread before... Please feel free to ignore the shots of the modern scene!

The link is: http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Gran ... k.jpg/-/en

Enjoy.

Regards,

Marcus.

[giner]

Great find, Marcus. Thanks.

In those more recent pics, it hardly looks like a railway any more. More like those desperate spaces you see on run-down Russian tenement estates with all those weeds growing everywhere. Sad.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

The class 60 on the oil train, looks like it's been abandoned, amongst the weeds, so depressing, are Britain's railways going the way of the Dodo !!!!!

manna

[Ladas]

I agree manna, the railways of Blighty have certainly gone to the dogs!

Unfortunately for me, I've never been able to witness Grantham in the good ol' days as I wasn't born until 1981.

The first time I visited Grantham was August 1992 with my father. My interest, even at that time was the LNER first and foremost, but... also the nearly new BR Class 91 locos and HSTs. Seeing them fly through Grantham at c.115MPH was something to excite a young lad of 11.

Even though the station was a shadow of it's former self, it was clean and 'spotter friendly. I recently visited (Oct-11) Grantham with a friend of mine (who used to go spotting with me in 1992 when I were a lad)... my main reason for the visit was to take a few pictures of the original "fixtures and fittings" that remain from steam days, this is for my impending model railway. (once the hernia op from last week has had time to heal properly!). Even from my memories of 1992/1993, Grantham station is a weed strewn shambles. Where's the pride? Gresley, Wedgewood, Newton et all would turn in their graves to see a once proud railway be driven into the ground.

Rant over!

Regards,

Marcus.

[60129 GUY MANNERING]

Unfortuneately its not just the railways,the road edges and central reservations are a disgrace. When in France in recent years it has been enlightening to see how tidy they still keep their vegetation at the roadside and then upon returning to England being embarresed by how untidy ours are.
Derek.

[60800]

A slightly contraversial question today.

I am currently doing some in-depth research using info from various sources. It has been brought to my attention that the move of 4 A4s to Grantham between April and September 1957 may not actually have happened. Does anybody have any firm evidence that they did indeed become based at Grantham? No.'s 3 and 10 seem to have been in Doncaster works for much of that period, but I think 8 and 30 may indeed have worked Grantham diagrams (at least during May).

Any help gratefully received!

Ian

According to Yeadons;
60003 shedded at Grantham - 7/4/57 till 15/9/57 (moved to KX)
60008 shedded at Grantham - 7/4/57 till 15/9/57 (moved to KX)
60010 shedded at Grantham - 7/4/57 till 15/9/57 (moved to KX)
60030 shedded at Grantham - 7/4/57 till 15/9/57 (moved to KX)

As far as I'm aware, everything in Yeadons is backed up with photographical evidence

[61070]

Being an enthusiast of all things Grantham during LNER/BR steam days... I've stumbled across a few photographs on http://www.geolocation.ws
I can't recall seeing them within the "Returning to Grantham" thread before... Please feel free to ignore the shots of the modern scene!
The link is: http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Gran ... k.jpg/-/en
Enjoy.
Regards,
Marcus.

Hello Marcus,

Thanks very much for that link - those pictures were new to me too.

I think we non-railway people took the general tidiness of the railway for granted back in the '60s. I didn't appreciate that it had to be maintained by the continual attention of staff, backed up of course by watchful Stationmasters and others in middle management. In their formative years, coming up through the ranks, no doubt many of these men had been drilled in the benefits of a clean and tidy railway - not least the pride which it engendered among the railway community. You only have to look at the smart turnout of the station staff in those days to see that. For example, attached is a portrait of porter Bob Carpenter taken at Grantham in April 1964. Originally 'an unidentified man', Bob was recognised by a relative. He had come to Grantham from the London area and wears the badge of The Essex Regiment Association on his lapel.

In terms of deterioration of standards I recall being quite shocked when travelling by rail in the 1970s at the seemingly careless way in which old ballast then was poured down the sides of embankments during maintenance. It really made the railway appear uncared for.

[52A]

http://railwayeye.blogspot.co.uk/search ... ompetition

The pig sty that is now Notwork Fail is well covered here!

[workev]

A slightly contraversial question today.

I am currently doing some in-depth research using info from various sources. It has been brought to my attention that the move of 4 A4s to Grantham between April and September 1957 may not actually have happened. Does anybody have any firm evidence that they did indeed become based at Grantham? No.'s 3 and 10 seem to have been in Doncaster works for much of that period, but I think 8 and 30 may indeed have worked Grantham diagrams (at least during May).

Any help gratefully received!

Ian

According to Yeadons;
60003 shedded at Grantham - 7/4/57 till 15/9/57 (moved to KX)
60008 shedded at Grantham - 7/4/57 till 15/9/57 (moved to KX)
60010 shedded at Grantham - 7/4/57 till 15/9/57 (moved to KX)
60030 shedded at Grantham - 7/4/57 till 15/9/57 (moved to KX)

As far as I'm aware, everything in Yeadons is backed up with photographical evidence

If photographic evidence exists I would love to see it...

I do have some evidence that some of the engines worked what I believe to be Grantham diagrams, which would suggest that they were shedded at 35B. However, I am only looking acrosss two 2-week periods of notes. One thought is that the moves never really took place for the full 5 months. Given that this was also the time when Kylchaps were fitted to the A4s a couple were in Doncaster Works for some time.

When I have finished my analysis I will post again!

Ian

[60800]

You may be right; 60003 was in at Doncaster from 15/5/57 till 5/7/57 for her d/k blastpipe

[madgewildfire60135]

I've followed this board for sometime and found it most interesting.I thought you might like to see a scan of a negative in my collection showing Peppercorn A1 No 60118 'Archibald Sturrock' on a up Yorkshire Pullman service.Lovely view of the spotters on the platform on this rather damp day at Grantham....enjoy best wishes Simon.

http://simonlathlane.zenfolio.com/

[strang steel]

Those spotters must have been very well behaved, or the station master was in a good mood or on holiday, because spotters were regularly turfed off the station and many locals were not even allowed on with a platform ticket unless they were obviously with adults and meeting other travellers.

Even those who had arrived by a local service and were minding their own business out of the way at the north end of platform 3 could be told to leave until their return train was due. Or was I just unlucky?

An excellent photo by the way, and appears to be mid to late 1950s?

[giner]

LOL! Must've been a grumpy lot of old beggers at Grantham, then. Never had any trouble with that at Stevenage or Hitchin. (Watch someone prove me wrong now ).