A5 Grantham

[Iron Duke]

This one just says A5 Grantham, photographer not known.
Presume this is a Nottingham train, but what is the approx date and what are the two "windows" in the leading coach for?

[60129 GUY MANNERING]

69827 came to Grantham on 16th May 1954 and was withdrawn from there on 2nd November 1959. However maybe the biggest clue is the fact that the Roof over Platform 4 is still in place. Although on reflection that may have collapsed in the early months of 1963 under the weight of Snow on it.( its in 61070's thread "Returning to Grantham".) It could have been going to Nottingham,Lincoln or Boston from Platform 5 ,but I would favour Nottingham.
The Windows in the Brake Coach could be because at some time it was Push - Pull fitted. Others will perhaps correct me on this?
Regards,Derek.

[jwealleans]

If it were push-pull fitted there would be more windows. That's just a standard brake end as far as I can see. I couldn't swear that every diagram had them but a lot did.

[StevieG]

I'm far from being a rolling stock expert, and this may be totally irrelevant to the owner(s) requirements/practices, - but I think I recall seeing occasional photos of some companies' slip coaches having end windows similar to these.

[strang steel]

I have been trying to concentrate on the vehicle in platform 4 for any clues, even to the extent of increasing the brightness on a saved copy, but it looks like a brake compartment or maybe part of a full brake. It seems to have a Gresley bogie.

However, it is not a dmu which became much more common in that platform from 1959, but that proves nothing I'm afraid as the diesels often used to use the platform while a parcels van was 'parked' at the buffers.

I would guess at about 1957/8, but that is all it is - just a guess.

[Saint Johnstoun]

The end windows could be found on a number of non corridor brake ends and have nothing to do with the coach being equipped for push pull or motor train operation.

This also applied to railways other than the LNER.

[hq1hitchin]

The quadarts had them too. Suspect it just to allow more natural daylight into the brakevan

http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.50503110 ... 0&pid=15.1

[workev]

Ok with a little detective work I think the date is somewhere between May 1954 and 1955/56.

1) The A5 may have been photographed because it was new to 34F.

2) The coach is a GN Twin from Diagram 210, which were built specifically for the Lincolnshire-Nottingham/Derby trains in 1936/37. This is likely to be a Grantham-Derby service, although I an unsure whether the A5s worked these, or it is shunting the stock from an inbound working (the headcode seems to indicate it is working the service).

3) The twins were increasingly replaced by Thompson surburbans with the advent of Derby Lightweight DMUs on the Lincoln services. I am not sure where the twins were moved to, but most were withdrawn by the early 1960s.

Hope this sheds a little more light.

Does anybody know which timetable heralded the first Derby Lightweights on the Lincolnshire/Nottinghamshire services?

Ian