Does Anyone Know Where or When?

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 17 January 2017

• #1

I'm resurrecting this thread because I have no idea about this one whatsoever.



Does anyone have any thoughts?

The only clue I have is that the collection of negs from which this comes all seem to be around 1958 - 60.

Brian

 

C

ColPeake

Member

• 17 January 2017

• #2

Weymouth Miniature Railway, alongside Radipole Lake. Some details here: 7¼" gauge in the garden - Weymouth Miniature Railway, picture and info here: Weymouth Miniature Railway, Radipole Lake, another pic here: Weymouth Miniature Railway, Radipole Lake - and yes, trains ran into the station over the turntable!

Colin

 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 17 January 2017

• #3

Thanks Colin. Clearly right on the button.

In my very early teens I visited Weymouth several times when camping in Beer, Devon, with friends, probably sometime between 1958 and 1962. I remember the model railway alongside the roller coaster type thingy - called a "Wild Mouse" or something similar. As I couldn't see the roller coaster in my photo I was less than certain. In fact, in one of yours the "Wild Mouse" can be seen in the back of the shot.

Not only have you identified which railway, you've even identified the loco and the driver!

Great stuff!

Brian

 

Alan

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #4

My first impression was that it is the Radipole Lake railway in Weymouth.

 

West Junction

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #5

Here is a photograph taken at Weymouth in about 1948/49 with my brother in the cab of the engine and me (very blonde) sitting behind him with my back to the camera. As can be seen the coaches are the same as the photo above.

 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #6

Thanks again, chaps. Lovely picture there. I'm guessing mine is quite a bit later in date as the loco has lost it's front buffers, so my estimation of 1958 - 60 is probably about right.

Brian

 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #7

oldravendale said:

Thanks again, chaps. Lovely picture there. I'm guessing mine is quite a bit later in date as the loco has lost it's front buffers, so my estimation of 1958 - 60 is probably about right.

Brian

Click to expand...

I think they're different locos. Your picture shows a loco with a high running plate, rather European in aspect. The loco in WJ's photo is more UK outline.

 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #8

Y'know what? You are absolutely correct.

The loco I have in my photo is an Atlantic so can't be Robin Hood. And, as you say, the footplate is too high anyway. In fact it's Black Prince which, judging by the historic photos, never had front buffers anyway, so dating my photo once again becomes a matter of guesswork.

Thanks for picking this up, Heather. Now to retitle my photo.......

Brian

 

AJC

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #9

Heather Kay said:

I think they're different locos. Your picture shows a loco with a high running plate, rather European in aspect. The loco in WJ's photo is more UK outline.

Click to expand...

The details given in the first of @ColPeake - welcome Colin! - links demonstrates this (and Brian's reply above) to be the case: 7¼" gauge in the garden - Weymouth Miniature Railway

It's interesting that the pacific's general form seems to replicate Mr Thompson's rebuilds of the P2s - LNER Encyclopedia: The Thompson A2/2 Pacifics - given the controversy (on which I have neither any opinion, nor interest) these still elicit among enthusiasts.

Adam

 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #10

Agreed, Adam. In fact, in it's way, not 100 miles away from the RHDR loco outlines.

B

 

Mr Grumpy

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #11

A tad off subject but I had my first ride on the Wild Mouse around 1964. You rode in a single car rather than a train. I think the rail bridge may have been disused by then. Did the railway continue to Portland Bill?
I can't believe we didn't discover the miniature railway...although the real one to the dock always fascinated me.
Thanks for bringing back some very special memories

 

AJC

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #12

Mr Grumpy said:

A tad off subject but I had my first ride on the Wild Mouse around 1964. You rode in a single car rather than a train. I think the rail bridge may have been disused by then. Did the railway continue to Portland Bill?
I can't believe we didn't discover the miniature railway... although the real one to the dock always fascinated me.
Thanks for bringing back some very special memories

Click to expand...

Portland, yes, the Bill, no, or at least, not quite. The railway closed to freight in '65 (passengers 13 years earlier) so not in regular use by then but still just about in commission. All this vanished long before I was born, though I do recall the boat trains down the quay in the '80s; it's astonishing that they lasted that long really.

Adam

 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #13

Thanks for the additional info.

I remember the boat trains too. In fact I've put this pic up on WT previously, but now is a good time to do it again,



1368. Weymouth Quay. 30 August 1961. Photo Brian Dale.

In fact I go out fishing on a boat which leaves the quay approximately where the last coach of this train would be. Lines are still in place.

Brian

 

Mr Grumpy

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #14

My favourite steam loco
I have gone out fishing from there...I have never been so ill in my life
We were anchored just off the Bill and were tossed around like a cork!

 

Last edited: 18 January 2017

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #15

Yep. Quite amazing, isn't it. In one lifetime the very ordinary has gone to being amazing or quaint, rather depending on one's point of view, to incredibly amazing. My wife's grandmother saw the first planes fly, Concorde and the first man on the moon. When that happened the tears were falling down her cheeks.

My own children have seen the raising of the Mary Rose, Rocket 150 (well, one of them), the end of Concorde and the beginning of PCs and the WWW. When I heard this guy talking about the WWW on the way in to work on the "Today" programme one morning I remember going in to the office and saying to my secretary that I'd just heard this absurd proposition that everyone in the world would be connected and all the information in the world would be freely available to everybody. My quote (and I'm reminded of it often) was "in your dreams". Mind you, he'd not considered Wikipeadia.....

As for sea fishing. That's my other great passion. Never been sick, but I've known people who've never had a problem suddenly suffer. That must be bad.

B

 

dibateg

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #16

I remember going on the Wild Mouse as a young child. I don't think I've ever been so frightened! I don't remember the miniature railway though... Mid sixties...

Tony

 

SteveB

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #17

This is slightly off topic but has a bit of relevance. DVD Marsden Rail 37 is mostly about S&DJR but it also features a few minutes of the Weymouth Harbour Tramway, just in case you’re interested.

I think many of the locos on the miniature railway were built by a chap called David Curwen. A very skilled and I think, self taught engineer. I met him a few times many years ago when I was building a 7 1/4” gauge Denver & Rio Grande K36. I’ve got of photo of it somewhere. If I can find I’ll post it on the forum.

Regards

Steve

 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #18

Let's keep it on this thread, Steve. This is going all over the place!

Brian

 

SteveB

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #19

Sorry

 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer

• 18 January 2017

• #20

I'm delighted!!