King's Cross 1962 (probably 26th April) - were you there?

[61070]

Here are five photos taken on the same day at King's Cross in 1962 - I'm not certain of the date, but it was probably Thursday 26th April. In two earlier photos, taken on the streets of London, there are newspaper billboards announcing bulletins on Stirling Moss, who had been seriously injured at Goodwood on Easter Monday, 23rd. From the throngs at the platform end it looks like the school holidays are still on, so probably the same week, and my father's occasional trips to London were usually on Thursdays. Other sightings that day would have been 60047 and 70038 departing (see photos at the-thompson-pacifics-t2585.html ).

I'd welcome comments on the suggested date. If anyone recognises themselves, or a mate, let me know as I'll be glad to send you a high res copy.

[Flamingo]

And similarly numerous gatherings of platform enders would have been seen at Euston and Paddington for certain; at other London termini there would have been fewer.

Nowadays lads of that age go round graffitiing.

[stembok]

61070: I was 237 miles north of King's Cross by the ECML on the afternoon of 26/4/62. It looks as though D9003 'Meld' is standing at the buffers, having possibly arrived -see last reporting number - on 1A03 the 07.50 up from Newcastle at 12.05. The other possibility, perhaps less likely as the accelerated timings had not been introduced at that time, might be 1A23 up morning 'Talisman'. Later that day I recorded D9003 on 1A46 the down afternoon 'Talisman, 16.00 from King's Cross at 19.44. The previous day the 16.00 down had A4 60028.
P.S the engineman by D9003 looks as though he is filling in his 'sheets'. I wonder if it is the Gateshead driver - they usually worked the train weekdays -who had brought her in. It was a lodging turn and two small cases can be seen just inside the door.

[61070]

Was it Aycliffe, Stembok? That's where my BR gradient profiles book tells me milepost 237 should be. Anyway, thanks for looking out your notes on my behalf again. While it's obviously never going to be possible to confirm the date of these pictures from observations so far up the line, it's very helpful to have the benfit of your records, and at least the D9003 record doesn't dispute the supposed date - in fact it does kind of back it up as a 'distinct possibility'.

As you may have gathered from the frame numbers which are the first part of the filename, the photos were taken in the order in which they appear, with the 70038/60047 pictures following directly on in the sequence from the five above. I agree that the Deltic is probably at the buffers having arrived from the north, and I see the two cases you mention. I take it that these would contain the little essentials needed for an overnight stay? It's very likely that the driver could be recognised by someone who knew him.

With regard to the 70038 photos, Flamingo has suggested that 'The Brit was probably on one of the afternoon KX-Grimsby/Cleethorpes trains; one of which left at about 4 pm and the other at about 6.30 pm.' Having photographed the Deltic at say 12:30 soon after his own arrival at St Pancras, followed maybe by 60007 and the platform enders, it's quite possible that my father returned to King's Cross later in the afternoon or evening and saw the Britannia then. He used to travel to London to visit specialist photographic dealers to swap and upgrade his equipment, so on the way back he could well have called in again at King's Cross.

This is all very helpful. Thank you

[stembok]

Aycliffe it was 61070, though by MP 49 from York in those days. Easter was late -Easter Monday 23/4 - in 1962 and I was on school holidays. I wonder what train 60007 is leaving on? One possibility - though there are several others - might be the 14.00 K/X -N/cle which was steam hauled on weekdays, Tues -Fri in the Sept 61- June 62 timetable. It was a Pacific (34A) to Grantham and then a Grantham A3 on to Newcastle, actually 60105 on 26/4/62. I wonder if Tommy Knox has a record of it in his data base.

[Mallard]

And similarly numerous gatherings of platform enders would have been seen at Euston and Paddington for certain; at other London termini there would have been fewer.

Nowadays lads of that age go round graffitiing.

Actually some of them might be fighting in the various conflicts!
PR36E GC

[Ferrybridge Flyer]

I bet platform-enders weren't treated as terrorists then!