Newcastle Parcels Dept

[92227]

I an currently having a large Potts NER 24” dial clock restored. The records show it was used at Newcastle Parcels Dept, East Dock later described as ‘East Dock extension’. Am I correct in assuming these were the lines adjacent to the parcels office at the East end of the central station? The dial has been overwritten with modern numerals so I suspect the clock was still in use well into the British Railways era.
Any information would be much appreciated, Ian

[Trestrol]

Can't help when it was a parcels depot but i worked in there from 1988 to 91/92 when it was the S&T stores.

[PinzaC55]

The Parcels Depot was the 3 roofed wooden building in this photo http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/ ... p?id=21815 Your clock must be an epic piece of work at 24"? Does it by any chance have a drive shaft for an external "slave" face like this one I recently sold on ebay? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180942830888? ... 731wt_1397

[92227]

Hi, the clock did originally drive a slave clock

[PinzaC55]

Hi, the clock did originally drive a slave clock

Interesting. So potentially if you can get a decent photo of the platform side of the depot you may be able to see the slave face.

[Trestrol]

Hi, the clock did originally drive a slave clock

Interesting. So potentially if you can get a decent photo of the platform side of the depot you may be able to see the slave face.

I would suggest that the slave unit was inside the upper floor of the parcel building.

[PinzaC55]

Hi, the clock did originally drive a slave clock

Interesting. So potentially if you can get a decent photo of the platform side of the depot you may be able to see the slave face.

I would suggest that the slave unit was inside the upper floor of the parcel building.

Normal practice was to have the Slave unit on the OUTSIDE wall of whatever building housed the Master clock. This was because the Slave face was weatherproof and the Master clock was not weatherproof.

Here's a photo of a Slave clock I saw at Widdrington in 1979 http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3324402032/
One at Robin Hoods Bay, disgracefully neglected in 1998 http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/6648045257/
And one at Kirkby Stephen in 1998 http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/6637315633/

I think the Widdrington one was the only I can remember with the "NER" letters.

[Trestrol]

Yes but it would be covered by a canopy and the top deck of the parcel building was not that big and wouldn't warrant a 24" clock.

[92227]

Many thanks for the various posts, the clock is in reasonable condition so I suspect it was either located indoors or under some form of canopy outside. I believe the station was extended during the 1890s, could anybody confirm that the 'East Dock Extension’ was associated with this? Ian

[PinzaC55]

Its hard to say for sure but in 1892 the signalling was renewed and a new (and very short lived) Newcastle Number 1 signalbox was opened at the end of what was the parcels depot. The depot itself being all wood was typical of NER buildings of the 1890's such as Heaton station so my bet is that the depot was built in 1892.
In this postcard view the parcels depot has extensions over the platform.

[billdonald]

The east end of Newcastle Central was remodelled in 1894 after the quadrupling of the line between Castle Junction and Manors (Argyle Street). The section between Manors and Heaton South was quadrupled in 1887.

The new works at the east end included new platforms (P1-3), the Fish Dock, and the Parcels Bay as well as the associated Parcels Office. As far as I know, the parcels traffic prior to this had been handled at Forth, and the new parcels depot on Westgate Road was more accessible to the city. Closure came sometime in the sixties after the opening of the new depot in Gateshead (TCFD?).

Bill Donald
Dublin, Ireland

[Trestrol]

No parcels moved to the west end. TCFD was for wagonload and speedlink traffic.

[92227]

Thanks to Pinza for the fabulous picture postcard view of the East end of the station showing the parcels department. Thanks also to Bill for the historical details regarding the extension works.
Ian

[ArthurK]

This photo was taken early 60s and shows the parcels dept on the right. What is interesting is that there appears to be a clock face dumped(?) just over the wall to the immediate left of the parcels office. Not very clear I must see if I can get a better Scan of the negative.

ArthurK

[92227]

Arthur
Thanks, very interesting. I attach a photo of the clock, the overall form is similar to that on the photo. Although the face is 24” the overall diameter is approx 32” so its pretty big and would match that on the photo. Ian