Information

Please advise Webmaster on tony@abrail.wanadoo.co.uk of any information you require on this page.

February 19th 2011 - Request from some LNWR Society for information on Webb Era Sand Driers.

Could anyone with information and/or photographs relating to this subject please contact Tony Robinson at anthony.j.robinson.121@btinternet.com or telephone 01948 664994 -
mobile 07989 199864.

January 17th 2009 Member requiring information regarding turntable at Bankhall Shed

I am trying to build a model of the area around (and including) Bankhall Engine Shed (27A) as it would have been in the late 1950s/early 1960s. I understand that the shed received a 70ft Cowans Sheldon turntable as part of the LMS modernisation programme for MPDs. I have one low resolution photograph of the turntable kindly sent to me by a friend but I do not have sufficient data to build a model of the accuracy I wish.
With some effort I have tracked down possibly relevant sets of Cowans Sheldon's drawings in the National Archives of Scotland. These are all for 70ft Cowans Sheldon turntables but not specifically for Bankhall. The ones listed are for Oakley and Salisbury, Perth and Thornton, Dunfermline and Polmadie plus one that seems to be generic.
My query therefore is to ask if any member can advise me whether any of these sets of drawings might show a design of turntable identical to that installed at Bankhall?
Many thanks in anticipation, David Catton - Member 116 - d.j.catton@btinternet.com

Member is interested in compiling a database of all known codings given by various railways (before and after pre-grouping, nationalisation and privatisation).

Code Depot Name Railway Start Finish Closed to Steam Other Codes
(Example)
1E Bletchley LMS 02/03/52 06/05/73 05/07/65 4A from 08/07/50

If any member can help with lists of depot codings (especially pre 1948) I would be most grateful. Any expenses would be refunded.
This database would be made available for members to download.

Contact: Tony Booth, 33 Central Boulevard, Doncaster, DN2 5PE. Phone 01302 367233, Fax 0870 1289844 or e-mail tonybooth333@btinternet.com.

ESS member Brian Robertson, 298 Tithe Pit Shaw Lane, Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9AR.
e-mail robinson 45596@aol.com is seeking information about INGROW GNR, a sub-shed of Bradford. He can find no records of locomotive allocations to Ingrow and would greatly appreciate any information at all about this obscure shed which closed in 1936.

Ian Prince (Member 383) has sent me the following e-mail relating to Bristol Bath Road Depot.

Tony,
Re Engine Shed Society Requests.
I am currently looking for information on Bath Road depot, concentrating on the years from diesel conversion in 1963 through to 1982.
Anyone with plans of the buildings, internal photos, or large scale plans 1:500 or better, of the buildings/layout would be much appreciated.
I already have most published sources and OS 1:1250 plans, but more detailed information is sought.
I can be contacted on ianprince@btinternet.com

If any member can help Ian in his quest would they please make direct contact with him.

Hylton Holt (Member 313) has sent me the following e-mail relating to Westbourne Park shed.

What did the Great Western shed at Westbourne Park actually look like? Are there photos?

If any member can help Hylton in his quest would they please make direct contact with him at hylton.holt@btopenworld.com

November 28th 2005

Hylton Holt (Member 313) has sent me a further question asking for members help.

Here's a question for you. In the December 2005 issue of "British Railways Illustrated" a head on picture of 42159 appears with a caption stating that "this particular shed can't be identified". Now that's a red anorak to a bull in this house so I've set out to see if I could identify the location.

The view looks outwards from a shed building towards 42159 standing on an outside inspection pit in a very grubby condition and surrounded by another three similarly grimy LMS 4MTTs. To it's left is a water crane with a rather swanned neck which rests on a roller. 42159 is a loco that moved around in BR days. My earliest record has it at 6A Chester in 1953, in 1956/7 she moves to 14C St. Albans and then, in February 1960 forms part of the Midlandisation at 14D Neasden. On Neasden's closure, June 1962, 9F Heaton Mersey receives 42159 where she remains until 1965 going to 9K Bolton, 12E Tebay and back to Bolton for a July 1966 Withdrawal. You'll note that none of these depots is coded 2F which is the shed plate clearly attached to 42159 in the photo.

2F was Coventry 1948-50 but no 4MTTs were allocated there and, as a Coventrian, I can say very clearly it ain`t "Cov". Market Harborough had the 2F code from 1955 to 1958 but this isn't there. Bescot finished it's steam days in 1966 as 2F but it wasn't a shed known for it's passenger workings. The most likely user of the code is, to my mind, Woodford Halse which was 2F from 1958 to 1963 and that the shed depicted is Neasden during that period. Why not Woodford itself? Four LMS tanks congregated at the same time? I don't think so as Woodford never had that many. The water crane looks GCR too.

The problem I have is that I have no record of 42159 ever being a Woodford engine. Are any members aware of a period when she was, perhaps, loaned out from Neasden?

I look forward to forthcoming revelations. As an aside whilst looking through the relevant copies of "Modern Railways" for the monthly reallocations I stumbled across the Spring 1962 official move of 30925* to 16D, Annesley, for that RCTS special and then, equally officially, back to "SR"! Loved it! I recall reading before that Annesley had used their exotic charge on the Gotham gypsum job but I'd no idea how formal the arrangements had been.

If any member can help Hylton in his quest would they please make direct contact with him at hylton.holt@btopenworld.com

February 5th 2006

Hylton Holt (Member 313) has sent me a further question asking for members help.

Having recently been to look for the site of Westhouses (flooring and filled in pits on a surprisingly small site) and having been there in both steam (1965) and diesel days (1978/9 & 80) I'm prompted to ask about closure dates. I believe steam closure was the 3rd. October 1966 but when did total closure take place? I'm guessing that a) given Westhouses trade was in coal and b) proximity of other depots (Barrow Hill, Shirebrook, Worksop, Toton) that it was as a result of the Miners Strike in `84/`85.

Any views? When did demolition take place? Though from memory "fell down" would be more like it!

As ever in hopeful anticipation,

If any member can help Hylton in his quest would they please make direct contact with him at hylton.holt@btopenworld.com

November 7th 2006

Tony Guyan is requiring information on Perth HR shed

I am planning a model of Perth Highland shed which only lasted until about 1936 when a new shed was built on the sight of the Caledonian shed. My layout is set in 1918 and I have the information from LMS. engine sheds volume 6 The Highland Railway so I have the track plan but do any of your members have a plan or elevation for the building. I would be prepared to pay any copying costs.
Tony can be contacted at lindsey.guyan1@btinternet.com

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