Hello again to all.
In my searching through these wonderful threads I discovered that there are some prototype pictures appearing from time to time. I'm therefore taking the opportunity to attach a few of mine. Although I don't have a massive collection there are some quite interesting subjects and some of our members might enjoy these just for the sake of bringing back some memories. You'll note that I didn't concentrate just on steam either although you'll not find any blue diesels - sorry! In fact my interest wained considerably after 11 August 1968 and is what lead to my interest in modelling.
Anyway, here's a random selection. I've provided whatever details I can and will welcome any comments which may fill in the gaps. You'll note that some of the photos are not by me but from bought or given collections and info available on these is very limited.
Finally, please let me know if you want more. I can add occasional images now and again if so but am happy to keep to the modelling theme if this is preferred. Again I'm not using thumbnails. If I'm crossing a convention in this regard please let me know.
This is Met Electric Loco No5, John Hampden, which is the one which ended up in the London Transport Museum at Covent Garden. They were known to the local train spotting fraternity as "Bugs" although elsewhere as "Growlers". It was photographed at Baker Street on 10 September 1961, the last day of loco hauled Met Line services. I came back home from a camping holiday with the Boys' Brigade to be greeted by my father with tickets for the last loco hauled Met line train. (More on that in later posts if OK, although some of the photos are not the greatest quality). These locos were favourites from my youth and I always considered them "honourary steam engines" along with 10000/1 and 10201/2/3. I still remember so well watching the loco changes at Rickmansworth. The photo was taken on my father's Retinette 1A on Kodachrome film.
This is, of course, dear old "Sarah Siddons" at the Met Centenary Exhibition, Neasden, in May 1963. I had an uncle who was an Inspector on the Underground (at Earls Court, actually) and he invited me to this exhibition. In fact I understand that a train of Dreadnought stock had been carefully stored at Neasden for the run behind this loco. I took no photos of this, of course, and it was unceremoniously scrapped afterwards. How I wish I'd taken photos of the stock now that I have a train of Dreadnoughts to build to go behind my "Ken's Profiles" Bug.
This is unmistakably Weymouth. It was taken on 30 August 1961 while on my Boys' Brigade camping holiday preceding the memorable Met run above. (Our camp was at Beer in Devon and this was a trip the whole company made to Weymouth. They went to the funfair. I went to Weymouth Station and saw this on the way there). Note the Southern National single deck Bristol bus and the shunter, if that who he is, clinging on to the front of the loco with another on the opposite side outside the cab. This photo was taken on a Box Brownie camera and despite buying more expensive cameras as I started work my best shots seemed to come from this camera.
This is an LMS Fowler 2-6-4T, No 2306, probably at Euston and probably around 1935. The father in law of a very good friend of mine was a railway enthusiast and had a small collection of black and white negatives which had never been printed. Some, as this one, are on glass plates. We used to visit this chap and his wife at Mudeford in Hants (or is it now Dorset) and one day he handed these negatives to me basically for safe keeping for a future generation. I printed one or two of them for him, but only in recent years had them all printed so regrettably never had the opportunity to talk to him about the detail. The info above is gleaned from chatting to his son in law about the likely locations and dates so can be little more than an educated guess.
Eastleigh, 23rd May 1965. This is Bulleid Electric Loco No 20003 having a full overhaul by the look of it. The trip was one of the Ian Allan rail tours using 35005 as the motive power. From Eastleigh we went to Swindon which by this time was pretty well dieselised. However, steam was still having heavy repairs at Eastleigh at this time although generally limited to the Bulleid Pacifics and Standard classes.
5th April 1961 and I was on an Ian Allan railtour to Ashford and Eastleigh. Locos were a T9 30117 and E1 31019, double headed from Charing Cross to Ashford both of which were immediately scrapped after the railtour. The other locos used were two Schools, 30909, St Paul's and 30913, Christ's Hospital although I can't remember which legs they hauled. This is my only photo of a "King Arthur". It's No 30771, Sir Sagramore, outside Eastleigh Works. Despite appearances, and the condition looks wonderful, the loco had been withdrawn on 1st April and was scrapped at Eastleigh on 6th May. This railtour is particularly memorable as I left my camera on the train with all my photos at Eastleigh of M7s, T9s and goodness knows what else. Fortunately my Ashford photos and this one were on a roll of film in my rucksack. I never did get a photo of a T9!
Black 5 44760 in it's home environment of Willesden Shed Yard on 14th February 1965. By this time I had my own car (a Ford Consul Mk 1) so was able to travel where I wanted when I wanted, but mostly stayed around the London area. It was also a time when steam was rapidly being eradicated so the number of opportunities were limited. This visit coincided with the purchase of a new camera, a Kodak Retinette 1B which was the camera I used for very many years, certainly to the end of steam.
Darlington Works on 3rd October 1964. 65033 is the Class J21 0-6-0 which is now preserved at Beamish and it was at Darlington Works alongside 65099 of the same class which was acting as a donor engine before 65033 was restored. This was another Ian Allan trip, with Flying Scotsman from Kings Cross to, I believe, Harrogate where it met up with The Great Marquess and then double headed to Darlington North Road. Sadly my Eastern Region steam photos are very limited as the London end of the LNER main line and almost all the GER were dieselised vey early. However, as a result I have some photos of the first generation diesels.
May 1959 and my first ever rail trip with a friend to Swindon. This was not an organised trip and so we were lucky to be able to join one of the regular tours of the works. The rest of the day we spent at the station and here is 78007 on a running in turn. At the time the works was at full chat repairing steam locos although some first generation diesels were making their presence felt. Sadly my camera, a Duaflex II was not up to taking photos inside the works buildings.
The final shot, for now at least, is of Warship D 819, Goliath, passing Southall Shed on 2 May 1965. By this time steam was a rarity on the Western Region but Southall was still supplying locos for freight workings. This was almost an accidental shot - you needed a lot of courage to "bunk" Southall shed as it involved a long walk in the open from the bridge over the GWR main line and shed lines with the potential obvious consequences! The tendency was therefore to photograph anything which passed whilst one built up one's courage. Chances of getting to the shed unseen were 50:50 but if you did so there were the remnants of GWR steam still to be seen.
That's it for now. There are a quite a few where that lot came from. I'm aware that this is a modelling web site with which I happily agree so if you want me to stop now I'm pleased to do so. Among my collection though are a few cab shots which might have some particular value as well as a good deal more of the pretty stuff, some shots going back to the early 1930s. Anyway, let me know what you think. They won't occur very often - this lot has taken me a couple of hours to caption and I rarely have that sort of time available away from the bench so you won't get flooded. Also, if you want me to continue do you want these full size copies or thumbnails?
Best regards and Happy Christmas to all.
Brian
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I like the looks of the BG kit, do they company have a web siite or publish a price list anywhere?
