Hitchin loco

[StevieG]

Yes Simon; lovely photos indeed.
Regarding those of 60148, 60841 and 60513, can you by any chance put a date, or a month, or at least a year to when they were taken? - I have an acquaintance desperately trying to learn when some subtle changes took place to the Up Fast and Up Slow signals at either end of Hitchin station. Yours show the later arrangements so it might be very helpful to know when these images were captured.
Thanks v.m.

[madgewildfire60135]

These slides taken at Hitchin are all part of my original 35mm collection and sadly these have no date written on by the photographer. They are all on cardboard mounts Kodak 'Ektachrome' and were purchased some years ago. Another to wet your appetites is this image of world record holder A4 No 60022 'Mallard' at rest with a down service at Hitchin again sadly no date. Glad that you are all enjoying these images only to happy to share these with you. Shame to keep them locked away like most collectors do these need to be seen and enjoyed but please respect the copyright purchased with all these images.

Simon

http://simonlathlane.zenfolio.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10257146@N05/

[Andy W]

Stevie - how about September or October 1962?

They reason I say that is 60841 has it's front numberplate over the top strap and that was a very late (1962) Doncaster modification and 60841 was ex-Plant on 23/08/62. It is also very clean (for a New England V2!) and looks reasonably recently ex-works. 60107 has smoke deflectors on so this also dates it as post Feb 1962.

The shots look as if they were taken at the same time. There is a similar CCT in the yard in two of the photos and the trees look to have full growth on them. That, to me, points to late summer-autumn 1962.

[StevieG]

Stevie - how about September or October 1962?

They reason I say that is 60841 has it's front numberplate over the top strap and that was a very late (1962) Doncaster modification and 60841 was ex-Plant on 23/08/62. It is also very clean (for a New England V2!) and looks reasonably recently ex-works. 60107 has smoke deflectors on so this also dates it as post Feb 1962.

The shots look as if they were taken at the same time. There is a similar CCT in the yard in two of the photos and the trees look to have full growth on them. That, to me, points to late summer-autumn 1962.

Excellent details, as ever Andy. Most useful.
FYI, seems from some slight mentions in another source or two, that the signalling alterations about which I seek had not taken place before 1959 : (these being replacement of the 3-doll bracket at the south end of the up platform, which carried the two splitting Up Fast Distants for Hitchin South and Hitchin Yard's Up Slow Starter, lower distant for the South, and Calling-On arm, - by a BR bracket having only the same Up Slow signals; and the resulting fitment of one Up Fast Distant for the South under Yard box's Home).

[Mickey]

Great photos madgewildfire have you any taken around Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City & Welwyn north from the 1960s as well?.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Here's a couple of shots of Hitchin !! Enjoy'

manna

[Blink Bonny]

Ye Gods!

Two Midland 3Fs with bogie brick wagons? What working would THAT be?

[Mickey]

Ye Gods!

Two Midland 3Fs with bogie brick wagons? What working would THAT be?

The same thing crossed my mind where was that train heading for?.

Interesting to thing that those 2 Midland 3Fs working up the GN main line towards London or were they bound for Hitchin stock yard?.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

A very interesting photograph, and by the look of it, it's coming off of the UP Main !! could there have been a problem between Peterborough and Hitchin and it's come around and through Bedford !! and then across the Midland branch to reach Hitchin, the lead loco is not short of steam !! leading loco looks like 43808 or 43803, any idea were they were shedded.

manna

[R. pike]

The connection to the Midland was beyond the connection to Cambridge so it is impossible to tell where it has originated. The Stockyard was for pway materials so i'd say that is an unlikely destination. Also there was no signalled facing move from the up slow into the Stockyard. It's an urban legend how it was done but that's a different story.
A very interesting photo.

[giner]

Very tempting to think that the train of bricks had originated at Fletton just south of Peterborough and come straight up the ECML, but the motive power here suggests very strongly against that. So . . . could the train have originated at London Brick Company's site at Marston, Beds. and, rather than coming across from there via Shefford and Henlow, have used the old LNWR branch across to Sandy, joining the ECML at that point? Hmmmm . . .

[Mickey]

Also there was no signalled facing move from the up slow into the Stockyard. It's an urban legend how it was done but that's a different story.

Yes i'd forgotten about that there wasn't a direct signalled route off the up slow or up fast lines at HITCHIN SOUTH s/box into the stock yard although there was a connection/lead.

How did the 'bobby' do it?.

I presume that a train for the stockyard was stopped at either HITCHIN SOUTH's up slow or up fast line home signals (by the tall overbridge) then the road was set-up (points reversed and locked by a FPL) then a green hand signal was exhibited by the bobby from the south box to the driver to proceed into the stockyard??.

Also was there a YELLOW faced disc-signal on the up slow line at the facing points that lead into the stockyard that either read a long the up slow line towards Wymondley or if "pulled off" into the stockyard??.

Thats all just a guess on my part and it was all of 40 years ago??.

[R. pike]

I've started a new thread so as not to digress from this one..

[Belvoir]

1955 Locoshed has 43803 at 16C (Kirkby) and 43808 at 6B (Mold Junc.)

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Mold or Kirkby, Which ever loco it is, it's a long way from home, I wouldn't have thought a small engine like that would have gone far, !!!!!!

manna