Returning to Grantham

[jwealleans]

It is. The last 2 K3s with GN cabs were only rebuilt on the eve of WW2.

[61070]

Oh, and have you seen this:-

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... ner-years/

Marvellous

Yes John.Absolutely wonderful is'nt it.I think he's absolutely nailed it with regard to track layout and the general atmosphere of the scenes.
Roy.

What a wonderfuly evocative scene this already is, and it's sure to get even better. I enjoyed reading about the carefully thought-out approach which has captured the character of the station and its approaches so effectively. I'm hoping we might be able to see this at an exhibition sometime; I'd gladly travel a distance to see it. Perhaps an opportunty for a 'Returning to Grantham' convention?

[workev]

It’s been far too long since a posting on here, so I thought it's time for a question.

Much is made of the freight that passed through Grantham, iron ore, coal, fish and meat; but what about the freight that was processed at Grantham. The WTTs for the 1950s show a few pick up goods trains that called at Grantham (mainly between New England and Doncaster/Colwick) so was traffic for or from Grantham arranged through these services, or direct trains?

Grain, cattle, coal (for local use), general goods and of course machinery to/from the local industries were processed but I have yet to see many photos of shunting in the Goods area at Grantham, or mention of them being marshalled in other trains. This must have taken place during John's time of the early 1960s, but maybe at night?

I have also seen some photos of Horse Boxes (Mk1s), but what about other traffic that must have passed through?

There, a small question to get discussion going again!

Ian

[61070]

Thanks for ‘raising steam’ again on this one Ian.

When we were visiting Grantham (from August 1962 to autumn 1964, always on Thursday afternoons during school holidays) no doubt general goods traffic was being handled. However, I wasn’t very conscious of it so I don’t think it could have been very intensive. We were invited by the C&W examiners to use their cabin at the south end of platforms 3 & 5 as our ‘base’. I’m sure I would recall regular movement of wagons into or out of the goods shed because it was behind the buildings on platform 1, right opposite. Such activity is something that I’m sure my father would have photographed too - shunters ‘in action’ was the kind of subject he would have been attracted to. Perhaps we were there at the wrong time of day for the arrival and departure of the traffic by rail.

One episode that sticks in my memory was seeing an open wagon - probably empty - apparently rolling slowly along by itself down the yard, towards the goods shed. As it approached I could see that it was being pushed, manually, by two or three men. As a youngster I was amazed – I’d never imagined that something as huge as a railway wagon could be propelled by human muscle power.

What was evident were consignments of goods and parcels by passenger train, which were moved on trolleys, sometimes precariously loaded, along the platforms; several photos on this thread show the porters handling this traffic – occasionally with an Inspector lending a hand!

Unfortunately, other than this I don’t think I can say any more about goods traffic at Grantham than I already have at one or two points in this thread.

[61070]

This has spurred me into catching up on some points previously discussed.

1. Some interesting pictures of the seldom-photographed south end of platform 5 have turned up in searches of photo websites:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2878811
http://railphotoprints.zenfolio.com/p74 ... #h3327df79

2. The current edition of Steam Days (No.279, November 2012) has a feature Gresley Moguls in Lincolnshire. On page 692 there’s a nice clear photo, dated c.1926, which shows the arrangement of wooden boards, presumably covering some mechanism/equipment yet to be identified, which puzzled us on this thread earlier this year; see
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3429&hilit=60533&start=690 (from near the bottom, and subsequent pages). Now I wonder whether it was a Mechanical Fouling Bar, to prevent conflicting movements over the trailing crossover immediately in front of the locomotive, as discussed here:
http://85a.co.uk/forum/view_topic.php?id=721&forum_id=1 ?

3. There’s been some progress on the amazing model of Grantham in the 1930s which strang steel discovered in July. It’s shortly moving to a new ‘home with railway room attached’ (!). See: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... ner-years/

[workev]

Folks,

I am looking for some information about the Colwick-New England coal workings in the mid-late 1950s (and any photos). I am trying to build up a picture of the normal locos used on these services, which were effectively through workings to New England for crews (and presumably locos). I know that K3s, WDs, 9Fs, O4s, O1s and the odd V2 worked these trains, but does anybody have any recollection of regular workings or types?

I have a good idea of passenger workings, but freight is an area on which little is covered....

Still no reponse to my request of local freight traffic, so I keep trawling the net and magazines....

Thanks, Ian

[Iron Duke]

Me too.............

Ref my post Grantham 1958 to shed closure.

Any reply on anything would be most welcome

Iron Duke

[workev]

I have just bought a copy of a colour slide showing 8F 48269 with an up goods at Gamston in April-60. It made me ponder once more the chances of an 8F in Grantham. I assume that this working was to Colwick via Newark, although if this was the case why route it down the ECML in the early afternoon?

Does anybody now the working (I don't have a WTT from that time) and by chance now the shed of the loco?

Thanks, Ian

[DaveF]

I have just bought a copy of a colour slide showing 8F 48269 with an up goods at Gamston in April-60. It made me ponder once more the chances of an 8F in Grantham. I assume that this working was to Colwick via Newark, although if this was the case why route it down the ECML in the early afternoon?

Does anybody now the working (I don't have a WTT from that time) and by chance now the shed of the loco?

Thanks, Ian

Regarding the possibility of 8Fs at Grantham bear in mind that the LNER had Class 06, built 1944-6, which were Stanier 8Fs, - in the 1947 Ian Allan book they are Nos 3100-3167 (ex7651-75 + new builds), so it might have been possible.

I wonder....

David

[strang steel]

I have just bought a copy of a colour slide showing 8F 48269 with an up goods at Gamston in April-60. It made me ponder once more the chances of an 8F in Grantham. I assume that this working was to Colwick via Newark, although if this was the case why route it down the ECML in the early afternoon?

Does anybody now the working (I don't have a WTT from that time) and by chance now the shed of the loco?

Thanks, Ian

I don't have the 1960 WTT, but I do have the 1961 and there are only a few goods trains booked to take the Bottesford North Junc route, and most would be running at rather inconvenient hours for photography in April.

The loco database indicates that 48269 was a Northampton engine, which is interesting. This is a bit of a wild stab in the dark, but there was a 3pm Doncaster Mineral to Welham class J which rain daily, except Sundays. It could be that for some reason it had been diverted away from the GN&LNW Joint and was running through to Peterborough East, where it could reverse?

I know that it is a long shot, but stranger things have happened.

PS, I did see a very occasional 8F between Sleaford and Boston on High Dyke iron ore trains, so they were not complete strangers to the area, although in this latter case they would not have visited Grantham.

[workev]

I have just bought a copy of a colour slide showing 8F 48269 with an up goods at Gamston in April-60. It made me ponder once more the chances of an 8F in Grantham. I assume that this working was to Colwick via Newark, although if this was the case why route it down the ECML in the early afternoon?

Does anybody now the working (I don't have a WTT from that time) and by chance now the shed of the loco?

Thanks, Ian

I don't have the 1960 WTT, but I do have the 1961 and there are only a few goods trains booked to take the Bottesford North Junc route, and most would be running at rather inconvenient hours for photography in April.

The loco database indicates that 48269 was a Northampton engine, which is interesting. This is a bit of a wild stab in the dark, but there was a 3pm Doncaster Mineral to Welham class J which rain daily, except Sundays. It could be that for some reason it had been diverted away from the GN&LNW Joint and was running through to Peterborough East, where it could reverse?

I know that it is a long shot, but stranger things have happened.

PS, I did see a very occasional 8F between Sleaford and Boston on High Dyke iron ore trains, so they were not complete strangers to the area, although in this latter case they would not have visited Grantham.

Which route would they take from High Dyke to reach Boston- Sleaford line if not via Grantham?

[strang steel]

Sorry, that was the result of me typing without my brain in gear. It should have read Frodingham iron ore trains.

They originated from other places than High Dyke.

My apologies.

[workev]

Sorry, that was the result of me typing without my brain in gear. It should have read Frodingham iron ore trains.

They originated from other places than High Dyke.

My apologies.

No apology necessary....

I guess the chances of an 8F down the ECML are rare, but a Northampton based one at that... Might have to put out a question on the BR yahoo group...

[workev]

Whilst at Warley I joined two Societies, the Gresley Society and the Great Northern Railway Society. The GNRS is smaller, but what a fantastic decision on my part to join. A 7-part article has been written about Grantham, the station and shed. A wealth of information and inspiration in one. The Society promotes research and encourages members to declare their interests so that information can be shared. Best £18 I ever spent!

The Gresley Society is bigger, and owns N2 1744 as well as some important coaches. Again, a wealth of information and the archivist is Tommy Knox, so a plethoror of data exists on those Pacifics we all love (and V2s)!

I encourage all readers of this forum to consider joining either society; and don't be put off by the GNRS website (it's very basic), download the form and join!

Ian

P.S. I am not on commission!

[Iron Duke]

Hi Ian,

Do you have details of how to join the GNRS?

I have tried the link on their website but it seems to return as failed........