Roy B

George Elwell takes the victory in a close finish with Callum Thornton

YF in the opening laps - 36 stopped on the exit of turn 4. In turn 2 we have 175, 8 & 20 piled up against the fence. All ok. 399 67 368 head the restart.

Heat 2 Grid as earlier post minus the non-starting 132 & 453 Green flag!

Pit News: 132 - Replacing left front link 526 - Working on the bent rear axle 259 - Right rear corner re-work in op 498 - Changing front right shock 501 - Left rear spring change 453 - Diff cover removed. Possible half shaft removal imminent.

Heat 1 result: 36 399 498 368 408 67 212 16 515 501 20 259 DNF: 526 345 120 132 124 226 453

Jordan Falding takes the win

Heat 1 Grid as above Green flag!

As it is an all in format this grid will apply to each race: 'B' 399 453 67 226 132 36 'A' 22 120 498 381 368 345 124 Star 526 8 501 20 259 212 175 Superstar 16 408 515

In the pits we have the following 23 cars: 8 Catherine Harris 16 Mat Newson 20 Liam Gilbank 22 Lewis Hunter 36 Jordan Falding 67 Henry Robson 120 Casey Englestone 124 Kyle Gray 132 James Hall-Morton 175 Karl Hawkins 212 Danny Wainman 226 Darren Lindsay 259 Paul Hines 345 Jake Harrhy 368 Callum Thornton 381 Tyrone Evans 399 Harry Clayton 408 Anthony Whorton-Eales 453 Thomas Andrew 498 Olly Spencer 501 George Elwell 515 Frankie Wainman Jnr 526 Finn Sargent Following on from Buxton: Mat Newson is using the 312 car after a suspect broken crank in the 16 car. JJ not racing as a hole appeared in the top of the timing cover possibly due to a high link on the timing chain.

Welcome to Hednesford folks. Race order as listed in the programme: F2 Ht 1 F2 Ht 2 F1 Ht 1 Ministox Ht 1 Saloons Ht 1 F2 Consolation F1 Ht 2 Ministox Ht 2 Saloons Ht 2 F2 Final F1 Final Ministox English Championship Saloons Final F2 GN F1 GN

That's it folks. Many thanks to Stanton Ben. I'll be back from Hednesford 👍

Eddie Collins wins Ht 2

Ht 1 - 11th 501, 12th 20. Pit News: 312 - Rewiring the transponder 175 - Changing left front shock 132 - Bleeding the brakes 453 - Porta power on the bent front axle 8 - Changing left rear shock

Heat 1: Callum Thornton takes the win

In the pits we have: 8 Catherine Harris 16 Mat Newson 20 Liam Gilbank 22 Lewis Hunter 36 Jordan Falding 67 Henry Robson 120 Casey Englestone 127 Austin Moore 132 James Hall-Morton 147 Eddie Collins 175 Karl Hawkins 212 Danny Wainman 259 Paul Hines 312 John Thompson 345 Jake Harrhy 368 Callum Thornton 389 Jack Morris 399 Harry Clayton 453 Thomas Andrew 498 Olly Spencer 501 George Elwell 515 Frankie Wainman Jnr 526 Finn Sargent 555 Frankie Wainman Jnr Jnr & 124 Kyle Gray - later arrival

An amended seventeen race running order: V8 Ht 1 F2 Ht 1 F2 Ht 2 Mini's Ht 1 V8 Ht 2 F1 Ht 1 Mini's Ht 2 V8 Final F2 Consolation F1 Ht 2 Mini's Ht 3 F2 Final F1 Final V8 GN Mini's Final F2 GN F1 GN

Welcome to Buxton Raceway folks Looking good Turns 3 & 4 Current weather conditions: Glorious blue sky and sunshine but the easterly wind is lowering the temp to 9C. Once the sun goes it'll be down to 2C 🥶. Today's eighteen race order as listed in the programme: V8 Ht 1 F2 Ht 1 F1 Ht 1 National Ministox Ht 1 V8 Ht2 F2 Ht2 F1 Ht2 NM Ht2 V8 Final F2 Ht3 F1 Ht3 NM Ht3 F2 Final F1 Final V8 GN NM Final F2 GN F1 GN Results from Stanton Ben, and myself tonight.

Sold 👍

I am selling my copy of this book - £60. Can bring to a meeting.

Pics in the gallery. Many thanks to Will for sending them in 👍

Pics in the gallery. Many thanks to AndyJ for taking them 👍

Many thanks for a top job Owen 👍

Pics in the gallery. Many thanks to Kevin, Nic, & Stu for forwarding them 👍

Hi there folks. Welcome to episode 7. In this one: Section 1: F2 pics from Taunton, Cowdenbeath & Hednesford Section 2: Out and About – RM70 Section 3: Odds and Ends Section 1 Taunton – World Final – Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th September 2024 – Final winners: Sat - Jamie Avery (126), Sun - Luke Johnson (194) With it being the WF weekend a number of overseas visitors were in attendance: Gerrit Huussen Wessel Drost Gavin Fegan Shea Fegan Nigel Stegmeijer Jan Bekkers WRC #1 is still going strong in the hands of Gary Wrench An engine change for Alfie Brimble The history of the sport was not forgotten: Kevin Stack (ex-628) gets set for a run out New crash barrier on the back straight infield On the grid Jess was busy signing A tyre-warming duo on B96 Looking good at the head of the grid The Saloons were very entertaining over the weekend ‘Smiler’ added to the leading edge of the wing on the Leah Sealy (475) car Sunday morning saw a quick application of gold for the eventual 2024 World Champ using the 210 car An ecstatic team Braving the inclement conditions waiting for Luke to come to the line Richard ready with the mic Regrettably, that moment of celebration was followed by a distressing incident when 460 Adam Pearce was forcefully followed in by 915 Jamie Jones. The race was instantly brought under caution with Pearce clearly in need of medical attention. The Autospeed track team and medics swung into immediate action, but it quickly became apparent that additional resources would be required to assist with Pearce’s treatment. The extraction was conducted with minimum fuss, and amidst a plethora of emergency vehicles (not to mention two air ambulances that were ultimately not required). Pearce was assisted to one of the waiting road ambulances before heading off to hospital. Whilst visually alarming, the situation was dealt with calmly and professionally as all personnel were trained to do, but nonetheless it was with a sense of some relief when an encouragingly positive update on Pearce’s condition was received post-meeting. At 4:30 in this video: Not a lot salvageable from the 460 car Taunton – Sunday October 20th 2024 – Final winner – Graham Fegan Jnr (989) The final national Stock Car fixture of the year in the south west served up a packed afternoon of racing with the BriSCA F2 Stock Car final in particular serving up a race which will live long in the memory of all those in attendance. Graham Fegan Jnr was using the 24 car after Jon was under a disciplinary following a disagreement at King's Lynn the evening before. Toby Johnson made his debut Neil Hooper back to red Race report from Autospeed: The Final was for the much-coveted Ladies Trophy in memory of the late Marylin Farrell, and two of her grandchildren maintained the tradition of completing a lap of the circuit on foot, displaying the splendid silver cup to the full grid of 26 drivers. The opening laps of the race gave up little clue as to the drama and excitement which was to follow as 895 Ben Goddard took up the running after Rogers and Jamie Cocks had led the formative stages. As the cars reached half distance Goddard was challenged by Fegan Jnr for what would transpire to be the start of myriad lead changes and the potential for any of at least eight drivers to take the win over the second half of the race. Goddard took little time to strike back at the Northern Irishman to get back into the lead only for Fegan to regain first place once more, as their battle allowed 121 Vinnie Neath-Rogers to close on them. All the while, Weare, Farrell and Borthwick were edging towards the lead trio. With Fegan having swept past Goddard to again take command, and Neath-Rogers settled into second, the lead pair looked to be established. When Farrell overhauled Weare to move into third, it was his progress that was being particularly closely watched given the significance of the trophy. There was a clear sense that a large proportion of the crowd was willing Farrell on. Fegan took the five-laps-to-go board but could not shake off Neath-Rogers. Another lap done, and Fegan still led, but three from home Neath-Rogers landed the bumper to momentarily hit the front to become the fifth different leader. Farrell followed him through to take second, but as he attacked Neath-Rogers entering the Honiton bend, the door was opened for Borthwick to join the fray. Two laps remained, and Neath-Rogers led. Borthwick grabbed second, and Fegan, Farrell and Weare squabbled for third. It was Fegan who got his nose in front as they charged down the back straight. He prodded at Borthwick, sending him into Neath-Rogers, and the trio scrambled towards the last lap board. The order at the front was about to chop and change in a hugely exciting and dramatic shuffle of the pack. Borthwick led over the line, Neath-Rogers was trapped on the outside, and Farrell dived at third placed Fegan, sending him into Borthwick. The move worked in Fegan’s favour, for as Borthwick went out of shape, Fegan surged back into the lead yet again. In the mayhem, Weare bounced alongside Farrell to grab second heading down the back straight, and in a chaotic bundle through the Honiton bend, Fegan was clear of the explosive clashes behind which saw 302 Dale Moon emerge in second, from Weare, Farrell and 676 Neil Hooper. Incredibly, Moon had started that astounding final lap in seventh place but came home as the runner-up to track debutant Fegan. In stark contrast, Borthwick had led into the final lap, but was buffeted down the order and finished tenth. Farrell was left to sportingly rue his misfortune at ‘only’ coming home fourth – he wistfully apologised to the Farrell family at the post-race presentations for being unable to claim the win for himself – an apology which as anyone present could attest, was not needed given the part he and all the other drivers had played in serving up such a tremendous contest. Blissfully unaware of what was in store, Fegan took the wonderful trophy, and was duly drenched with the customary champagne overcoat. A happy Graham Even happier with the Farrell girls JP lurking alongside Zoe as she interviews Graham for #Lovef2s Cowdenbeath – Saturday 26th/Sunday 27th October 2024 – Final winners – Brian Hogg (92) & Craig Wallace (16) Greig Rooney Ready for work Gordon back with a red roof Reece McIntosh Antony McAuliffe The Philp team have some stunning kit Sunday saw some hard-hitting Saloon action A damaging end to the weekend for Ryan McGill Hednesford – Sunday November 17th 2024 – Final winner – Kelvyn Marshall (101) A smart Iveco 120E Luke had applied the gold 931 looking good with a red wing Michael Allard with his future F1 transporter Ryan McGill has bought the ex-183 car Graham Fegan Jnr up to blue following his Final win at Taunton Jamie Ward-Scott Richard Bowyer’s good-looker A 1966 Cadillac Sam Tennant Ryan McGill ended the meeting in a similar situation to the Cowdie meeting above! Section 2 - Out and About RM70 Welcome to RM70! On the historic site of Chiswick Works, crowds gathered on 20-21 July for RM 70, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Routemaster. Vehicles travelled from near and far (including Sweden) for the gathering. The event continues a sequence that started with RM40 in 1994 and provides what is the biggest assembly of Routemasters all together in one location. The event commemorates the revealing of RM1 to the world back in 1954. Let us take a brief look around the area before heading to the event: A couple of traditional boozers still hang on in Chiswick Chiswick Park is the closest underground station This 1933 platform view shows the positioning of an automatic BAC (British Automatic Co. Ltd.) 'Try Your Weight' machine and a 'Reeve's Chocolate and Sweetmeats' machine. A tiled poster frame (linked to a station name board roundel) displays the poster 'Map of central London' The view from Acton Lane bridge We are looking east along the District Line from Hammersmith to Richmond. Close by is the disused crossing box at Bollo Lane Junction The London Overground 'Mildmay Line' (Richmond Line) crosses Bollo Lane on the Gunnersbury to South Acton branch here Acton Works was conceived as a central overhaul workshop for the London Underground, and the first part of it was opened in 1922. It was designed to allow the overhaul of around 16 cars per week, and initially serviced cars from the District line, the Piccadilly line and the Bakerloo line. The Bollo Lane railway bridge that carried the South Acton branch line is just visible on the right in this photo adjacent to the work’s gatehouse. When the branch line closed on the 28th February 1959 the bridge remained in situ until January 1964. When workmen started to dismantle the bridge it collapsed onto the roadway and had to be cut up on the spot. Now the gatehouse is boarded up, and only the bridge abutments remain as a reminder. A couple of signs with the LT typeface This was the sight of Chiswick Works. The Chiswick Works was opened in 1921 by the London General Omnibus Company to repair and maintain its bus fleet. New bus designs were also constructed there. This became the main site for London Transport bus maintenance when the independent bus companies were merged into the new London Passenger Transport Board. It is now long gone and replaced by a business park. Chiswick Park takes the form of a necklace of 12 office buildings within 33 acres of landscaped gardens. Each building faces the Park’s ‘inner garden’ with a featured two-tier lake, waterfall, decked boardwalk, pathways, events space and lush landscaping. RM70 was situated on the outer periphery of the business park. With more buses still to arrive it was already looking good The following pics are in not in fleet or numerical order, just how they were parked up. We start with the RMs: RM - The Routemaster in its standard form (built 1958 to 1965) The AEC Routemaster was built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) in 1954 (in production from 1958) and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances. Introduced by London Transport in 1956, the Routemaster saw continuous service in London until 2005 and currently remains on one heritage route in central London. The Routemaster was developed in partnership with London Transport, the customer for nearly all new Routemasters, although small numbers were also delivered to the airline British European Airways (BEA), and the Northern General Transport Company. In all, 2,876 Routemasters were built, with approximately 1230 still in existence. A pioneering design, the Routemaster outlasted several of its replacement types in London, survived the privatisation of the former London Transport bus operators, and was used by other operators around the UK. In modern UK public transport bus operation, the unique features of the standard Routemaster were both praised and criticised. The open platform, while exposed to the elements, allowed boarding and alighting away from stops; the presence of a conductor allowed minimal boarding time and optimal security, although the presence of conductors incurred greater labour costs. Compared with more modern vehicles, the Routemaster is a light-weight design and throughout its operational life has achieved good fuel consumption figures that were far greater than vehicles that replaced it. The traditional red Routemaster has become one of the famous features of London, with much tourist paraphernalia continuing to bear Routemaster imagery and with examples still in existence around the world. Despite its fame, the previous London bus classes the Routemaster replaced (the RT-type AEC Regent and Leyland Titan RTL and RTW counterparts) are often mistaken for Routemasters by the public and by the media. Additionally, there were four prototypes (three RM and one RMC) which were built prior to the main production run; all of these prototype vehicles still survive today. There was not a lot of room for manoeuvre RM938 entered service at New Cross Garage in November 1961. Sold to Stagecoach at Glasgow in 1987. Saw service with Reading until 2000. Visits to Czechoslovakia, Germany and Belgium have followed in recent years. RM1274 has been fitted with a tree deflector RM66 entered service at Poplar Garage in October 1959. Withdrawn from Willesden in May 1987 it was converted into this single deck towing vehicle and passed to Borehamwood Travel Services as an Engineering Support vehicle. RM1527 was delivered to Aldenham in February 1963 and fitted with a Leyland engine before entering service at Stockwell in March 1963. It was fitted with a Scania engine in the late 1990s before withdrawal from Upton Park in August 2003. RM1822 new to Tottenham in 1964. By 1991 its Leyland engine had been replaced by an AEC unit before this was replaced with an Iveco engine when allocated to Brixton. It is preserved in Arriva South London livery as at withdrawal. RM9 was one of the first production Routemasters to be delivered to London Transport in May 1959. It was licensed as a training vehicle before entering service at West Ham, Staines, Hammersmith and Peckham. Withdrawn in 1997 it remains in use on private hire work. It has had the Scania engine removed and replaced with a Cummins B-series Euro 2 engine and Allison gearbox. RM44 was allocated to Tottenham in September 1959. Subsequently periods at Upton Park, West Ham, Poplar, Stockwell, New Cross, Abbey Wood and Putney followed. Withdrawn in 1984 it was purchased by Southend Transport in November 1991. Here it was fitted with fluorescent Transmatic lighting and an AEC AV590 engine. Withdrawn again in 1993 it passed to Reading until ending its days there with engine failure. RM1791 delivered to Middle Row in January 1964. It was withdrawn in December 1982 fitted with a Leyland 0.600 engine and Simms electrical system. Exported to Belgium and converted into a novelty pub before abandonment in a salvage yard. RM2213 new to Hackney in May 1965. These last RMs were delivered with the new flake grey cantrail band relief colour. It later ran from Willesden and Leyton before disposal in 1998 followed by eight years passing between various owners in Wales, Scotland and England before ending up with A1 Bus Services at Peterborough RM1138 new to Hounslow in May 1962. Withdrawn from Shepherds Bush in May 1994 and transferred to the London Buses reserve fleet. RM2037 entered service at Victoria in October 1964 originally fitted with illuminated offside advertising panels. Withdrawn from Norwood in 1987 and sold to Southampton before being acquired by Reading Omnibus in May 1996. Final withdrawal came in 2000. RM1990 new to Potters Bar in August 1964. Allocated to six London garages over 22 yrs it then passed to Lincolnshire Road Car, East Yorkshire Motor Services and Reading Mainline until sold for preservation in 2000. RM1859 new to Barking. Withdrawn from Putney in July 1984. London Transport donated the vehicle to the St. Johns Ambulance Chiswick branch and was fitted out with beds. In 1994 it passed back into PCV use with Reading Mainline until withdrawal in 1999. RM1654 to Mortlake in December 1962 remaining there until 1983 when it transferred to Stamford Brook. Withdrawn in 1985 and stored at the London Bus Sales Depot located at the former AEC factory at Southall before being acquired by Southampton. Sold into preservation in 1987. RM2208 new to Hackney in May 1965. After passing through various garages it ended up with the Scottish Bus Group for spares in 1987. Too good to scrap it served with Clydeside Scottish until 1990. Acquired by Black Prince of Morley until preservation in 1993. Alongside RM2213 RM1033 new to Middle Row in January 1962. Spells at Stockwell, Camberwell and New Cross followed. In 1998 a Scania DS9 9.0L engine was fitted. It spent 25 yrs of its working life in South London before purchase by Ensignbus in April 2005. RM1933 new to Putney in 1964. In 1983 it was painted into 1933 General livery to mark 50 years of London Transport. Withdrawn in 1986 and sold to Kelvin Scottish and then onto Stagecoach at Perth. A return to London in 2000 saw service at Edgware and Stratford before transfer to Bow Garage and a repaint into Indian Red and Platinum for the Bow Garage Centenary. In preservation it is back in 1933 livery. RM14 was one of the first to be licensed. Initially at Riverside before moving to Poplar and West Ham. It remained a true east London bus working from various garages including Walthamstow and Dalston. Rear end damage sustained in 1993 saw it placed into storage at Camberwell and with the damage being deemed uneconomical to repair was sold to PVS Barnsley. Numerous owners followed until a rebuild was completed in 2009. A change of blinds later in the weekend RM857 new to Stamford Hill in July 1961 before moving to Cricklewood for just a month . It then became a trainer at Tottenham and Edmonton. The final move was to Clapton in 1981 where it remained in service until withdrawn in 1984. RM 1357 (affectionately known as Marina) was built in 1962. Marina began service in December 1962 operating from Stockwell Garage in London and worked on various routes around London until at least 1985. In 1988 she was sold to Blackpool Transport and used on the Beachroamer service until 1994. She was then put into store again until 1996. Reading Mainline bought RM1357 in 1996 where she remained until 2000. In 2000 she was purchased for use by the Navy as a Sea Cadets Training Unit. The interior was converted to a submarine interior complete with periscope and torpedo (hence the name Marina). The Navy owned Marina for the next 9 years, they used her to tour the country for the first few years, she then became unused, parked up and neglected. In 2009 she was rescued and had her bodywork resprayed back into London livery and then the interior was reinstated with its original features. RM158 was one of 184 buses fitted with air pipes for suspension but this was never used on the central fleet of buses. Poplar, Walthamstow, West Ham, and Battersea were early allocations. The late 70s/early 80s saw spells at Upton Park and Willesden from where it was withdrawn in 1985. RM188 entered service at West Ham in February 1960. After allocations at six garages it was sold to East Yorkshire Motor Services in 1987. They sold the vehicle into preservation in 2005. RM1977 entered service at Holloway in July 1964. It remained there for five years until overhaul at Aldenham in 1970. Later it saw service at Dalson and Peckham. Withdrawn and stored at Mandela Way depot and acquired by Ensignbus in 2005. RM8 was the first production Routemaster being assembled some months before full production commenced for it to appear on the Park Royal stand at the 1958 Commercial Motor Exhibition at Earl’s Court. The bus remained the property of Park Royal Vehicles and was not officially taken into London Transport stock until March 1961. It was then used as a Chiswick works test vehicle experimenting with numerous mechanical modifications, many of which were adopted as standard within the production run. However, RM8 was to be the last Routemaster into service leaving Chiswick in 1976 to take up duties at Sidcup Garage and becoming the last open platform bus to enter service in the UK. It remained in service until withdrawal with conversion to one-person operation in 1985. Purchased from LT in 1985 and continues to be maintained in as close as possible to its condition when displayed at Earl’s Court. RM8 was fortunate in that it evaded the overhaul programme where bodies and running units were interchanged during a vehicle’s life. RM8 is still the complete vehicle as when it appeared at the Commercial Motor Exhibition. Next, we have the RMLs: RML - The final form of the Routemaster (built 1961 and 1965-8) The RML is the high-capacity version of the Routemaster designed for the major central London routes. The extra capacity was obtained by adding a 2ft 4in bay in the centre of the body and is instantly recognisable due to the square windows that rather look like an afterthought. RMLs 880-903 were the experimental batch which were subsequently followed by the main batch of 500 vehicles (2261 to 2760). The last one of all, RML2760, is being maintained in original condition at Upton Park garage and is still made up of its original body and sub-frames. The RML was also the ultimate in terms of the bus weight per passenger which, at a mere 240 lbs (compared to the standard RM's 257 lbs), is lighter than most modern buses and endowed it with excellent fuel consumption. RML3 RML3 is one of four prototype Routemasters built and tested between 1954-1958 before full-scale production began. It was taken into stock in July 1957 and entered service in January 1958, allocated to Willesden garage for use on route 8 into and across central London. One of the two prototypes to have a Leyland engine, it became the only Routemaster to have a body built by Weymann of Weybridge/Addlestone in Surrey at their now long-gone factory. In January 1959 it was involved in a severe collision in the Edgware Road and suffered extensive frontal panel damage. After repair in London Transport’s experimental workshop at Chiswick Works, it was returned to service until November 1959 when its service career ended after only 18 months. It then became a driver-training vehicle in preparation for the introduction of production Routemasters to replace London’s electric trolleybus fleet. In 1961, the bus was re-classified as ‘RM3’ to allow the ‘RML’ designation to be used for the new longer Routemasters. After 1963, the vehicle became disused and saw parts removed to keep its fellow Leyland prototype (the Green Line version) roadworthy. In 1965, however, the bus was repaired and overhauled, losing its distinctive and unique design of bonnet, grille and nearside mudguard in the process and receiving a standard production version instead. In this form, it returned to training duties until April 1972. After a period of storage, it was acquired by the then Cobham Bus Museum in 1974, thus becoming the very first Routemaster to be privately preserved. Thanks to a generous private donation and the skill of volunteers, it was possible to re-create RML3’s unique, original front design during 2003/2004. None of the original parts had survived and there were no drawings of the original design, so all the parts had to be made from scratch, using some original screw holes as a guide together with photographs of the bus when new and others taken when the 1959 accident damage was being repaired. RML 2366 was one of the last Routemasters to run in regular London service at Brixton garage in 2005. It has been returned to mid-1980s London Buses livery. RML 2464 JJD464D was new to London Transport in April 1966 and was pressed into service at Finchley a month later. After spells at West Ham, Hornchurch and Stockwell it received a new Cummins engine in 1991. Upon privatisation in late 1994 it worked for London United and was withdrawn in September 2004 being placed into store at Tolworth. RML 2464 was then sold to Ensignbus (dealers) from where it was acquired three months later by Master Exhibitions of London. They converted the RML into a mobile exhibition unit for the Royal Bank of Scotland complete with open top and awning. It is now used to promote JAZZ FM. RML2543 - This former AEC/Park Royal Routemaster (JJD543D) was new in October 1966 and its first trip was to Paris. It passed to London General when London Buses was privatised in 1994 and was withdrawn in 2005. It was then operated by Boogie Bus Travel, Southampton, complete with onboard generator, and branded as The Big Red Bus Experience. The lower deck retained its traditional seating while the upper deck was fitted out with luxurious leather perimeter seating and a bar. RML2271 new in 1965, and into store at Holloway. Entered service at Tottenham, followed by Chalk Farm, Stockwell, Finchley and Camberwell. It stayed there until withdrawn from service in 2004 and was sold to Ensignbus for a Routemaster raffle. Purchased by Graham Laurie from Glasgow who drove it the full distance with no problems. Acquired by another preservationist who travelled to Glasgow by Easyjet which took an hour, and drove back to Northampton which took 10 ½ hours. RML2690 was allocated to Hanwell in 1967. It remained there until 1974 before a move to Shepherds Bush. Withdrawn from Willesden in 2004 and converted into a mobile bar. RML903 was delivered to London Transport in January 1962. Having briefly seen service on route 104 in March 1963, in October 1963 it toured the USA, visiting Philadelphia, Delaware and New Jersey. Having returned by November, it didn't enter service again until May 1964, again on the 104. From 1965 to 1967 it served as a training bus, before again returning to the 104. It then saw continuous service, latterly on the number 43, until February 1975, when it was downgraded again to a trainer. By December 1975 it was being used as a showbus, wherein it is used occasionally, but kept in mint condition for being exhibited at shows and special events. As a rarely used showbus, it retained its original AEC engine and interior condition, rather than being refurbished and re-engined like all normal RML buses in the early 1990s. It remained a showbus into the privatisation era, passing in 1994 into the fleet of MTL London (ex-London Northern), and then to Metroline in 1998 when it bought MTL. It was last allocated to Holloway (HT) garage, notionally operating route 390. When that route ended Routemaster operation in September 2004, RML903 was re-allocated to the Metroline special purposes fleet, where it has continued to be used as a showbus and for special events. RML2276 – Like many former LT vehicles RML2276 was purchased by dealer, Ensignbus and was included in their December 2004 Routemaster Raffle as the 26th bus to be drawn. The current owner was particularly pleased to draw this bus as she had been based at Hanwell during his time there as an electrician. Stored safely in the Old Tram Sheds at Tinsley in Sheffield she is used regularly in the Chesterfield area. RML2267 entered service at Tottenham. During its service life it was also allocated to Chalk Farm, Putney, Leyton and Hendon. Withdrawn in 2004 and sold to Ensignbus where it became another to enter the Routemaster Raffle. It is currently on loan to London Bus 4 Hire. Delivered to North Street Garage and placed into storage until allocation to Upton Park in 1966. Spells at Hornchurch and Stamford Hill followed during the 1970s. It was fitted with a Cummins engine in 1991 and moved to Camberwell. In March 2002 In March 2002 it was selected to receive a special gold vinyl livery to commemorate the late Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Withdrawn in 2004 and placed into the Ensignbus raffle pool. The 'green' fleet: Green Line had its origin in the network of coach services established by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) in the 1920s and 1930s, being absorbed into the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933. After World War II, the network was part of London Transport Executive/London Transport Board, and from 1970 to 1986 was operated by London Country Bus Services. The London Transport roundel travelled well past the boundaries of the capital after World War 2. The Green Line and London Country bus networks penetrated Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Essex and Kent. And those joyful, rural journeys used vehicles like the Regal Four (RF) single decker. I have always loved the shade of green on these buses and we start with CRL4, an absolute stunner both inside and out: CRL4 was the first truly bespoke London double-deck luxury coach and was painted in the usual Lincoln Green when received in June 1957. It took to the road on 9th October after a few modifications at Chiswick. The most noticeable departure from three other prototypes was the addition of four-leaf folding platform doors. The mechanism for this caused the side blind above it to be moved higher. Based on the success of CRL4, a batch of 68 RMCs (Routemaster Coach) were built and entered service in 1962, this time with Park Royal bodies, a while after CRL4 had been re-classified RMC4 in August 1961. In place of the usual longitudinal sideways facing bench seats these lower deck rear seats are simply magnificent The registration plate by the offside rear was unique to CRL4 Other features of note were the position of the offside rear route number blind on CRL4, which moved farther back on the RMCs to the usual production Routemaster location. CRL4 had no front nearside route number blind under the canopy and the emergency bell push above left of the doors was moved down on the RMCs. RML2440 was delivered to London Transport in May 1966, in the dark green livery for use in the outlying 'Country Division' garages. In January 1970 it passed to the newly created London Country Bus Services when the country area was passed from London Transport to the National Bus Company, with the dark green livery retained but the cream band replaced by yellow, and with the application of yellow London Country fleetnames and logo. It lasted in service long enough to be one of the several London Country Routemasters bought back by London Transport. After being bought in June 1979, it was stored and then overhauled, finally entering service in red Central Area livery in August 1980. As with all RML buses, in the early 1990s it was re-engined (Cummins) and refurbished. It saw use in London into the privatisation era, passing in 1994 into the fleet of London Central, who in July 1995 route-branded it for use on route 12. In April 2004 it was sold to dealer Ensignbus, and a year later sold into private hands for preservation. After restoration to its original London Transport Country Area livery, it has been an active participant in rallies and events ever since. Another beauty is SLT 57 (also known as RM2). It is the second prototype of four and was built in 1955 right here at Chiswick Works. It was used for extensive testing and trials before briefly entering service at Reigate. Initially it was fitted with a smaller AEC AV470 (7.68 litres ) engine thought to be more fuel efficient than the 9.6 litre engine fitted to RM1. However, after testing this was found not to be the case. After considerable problems with the gearbox it was returned to Chiswick Works in 1957 and subsequently allocated to Turnham Green. Withdrawn from passenger use in 1959 and used as a training vehicle at Clay Hall. In 1964 it was fitted with a standard bonnet, grille and wing and handed over to the experimental department at Chiswick. Transfer to the LT Museum came in 1986 where it was returned to its original ex-works front end. It is still a very easy and comfortable vehicle to drive, and is able to keep up with modern day traffic. RML2334 was delivered new to London Transport in October 1965, in the dark green livery for use in the outlying 'Country Division' garages. It worked first from Godstone garage, on routes 409, 410 & 411. In January 1970 it passed to the newly created London Country Bus Services when the country area was passed from London Transport to the National Bus Company, who eventually repainted it into their lighter shade, corporate NBC, green. In October 1979 it was bought back by London Transport, painted red, and used on London service. It was one of the batch of buses given life extending refurbishmants/Cummins engines in the early 1990s. During the privatisation of London bus services, in 1994 it passed to Leaside Buses, later becoming Arriva London North. Latterly working route 38, it was finally withdrawn from London service in October 2005, and sold to dealer Ensigbus that December. It was then immediately sold to a private buyer. In preservation it has at some point been restored to its former NBC London Country green livery. RF 600 was new into service from Guildford garage in July 1953, moving to Garston in 1957. She had her first overhaul at Aldenham in May 1958, returning to Garston for a month before moving to Hertford. A month later she moved to St Albans, being modified for OMO in September 1958. She returned to Hertford in January 1962, received her second overhaul in June and then returned to St Albans, where she remained until November 1966. She then returned to Hertford, her final operational garage, receiving her third and final overhaul in February 1967. She passed to London Country Bus Services upon the formation of that company in January 1970 and was withdrawn in August 1971. She was bought by Hall’s Coaches (Silverline) of Hounslow in September 1971 and numbered 106 in its fleet. She was withdrawn in December 1974. She was purchased for preservation in 1975 and painted red, despite having been a green bus throughout her life with LT. Traces of red paint were found when she was prepared for her repaint in February 2022! Soon after she was repainted to LT Country Area green, in which livery she has remained ever since. She was purchased by her current owners in 2010. RCL - The extended Green Line coach version of the Routemaster (1965) The RCL was introduced initially to take over routes 715A, 721, 722, 723 and 726 from the old RFs and RTs although many people considered it an expensive gamble by London Transport. The main motive was an attempt to attract travellers out of their cars and back onto public transport by providing what they called 'private car comfort'. There is no doubt that they were the most comfortable Routemaster model produced but they were fighting a losing battle with route 715A being returned to single deck RF operation within a year. Like the RMCs, they had a special livery, twin headlamps and electrically operated platform doors plus the more comfortable seats and luggage racks. They also received the larger 11.3 litre engine, partly to offset the greater weight but also to give smoother running at higher speeds. RCL 2219 was new to Romford London Road garage in May 1965. London Transport was divided in 1970 and its Green Line coaches passed to a new company, London Country. In 1972 RCL 2219 was downgraded to a bus and transferred to Reigate, moving in 1977 to Godstone. Declared redundant by London Country in 1978, it returned to London Transport, initially as a driver training bus. In 1980, however, it was overhauled and painted red for a few more years service. RCL2229 was one of 43 specially built in 1965 for Green Line express coach services. After operating on services from Romford and Reigate, it was withdrawn from normal service and used for two years as a training vehicle. Later it was converted into a Central area bus. RCL2233 entered service in June 1965 from Romford on routes 721, 722, 726. Repainted into a simpler Green Line livery in May 1968 it worked route 704 & 705. In January 1970 transferred to London Country and in 1972 downgraded to bus services. CUV233C was bought back by LT in December 1977 and the following month became a trainer vehicle out of West Ham still wearing her green livery. In December 1978, 2233 was repainted red although still on trainer duties. In 1980 RCL2233 was converted to a bus (doors removed, bell chord installed, re-seated, stanchion fitted) and entered service on the 149 from Stamford Hill until December 1982 when she was withdrawn from service. Bought for preservation by Alan Brown in February 1984 but due to a mix-up the vehicle was nearly scrapped by Norths in Sherburn. Alan restored CUV233C back to her early Green Line livery and rallied her for many years. Since July 2005 internal re-painting of the drivers cab, stairs & rear-platform area, complete refurbishment of the luggage racks, mechanical work including in late 2006 replacing the B-frame (rear sub frame) has been carried out. In addition, all the tyres have been replaced; as have the indicator ‘ears’ and a complete new set of destination blinds. Whilst the AEC AV590 (9.6ltr) bus engine fitted to 2233 was a good engine, the RCL was under powered being much heavier (8 tons 3cwt) than a standard Routemaster (7 tons 7cwt). It was originally built with an AV690 (11.3ltr). An AEC AV690 engine that the RCL would have had when new was found and fitted in February 2010. Now 2233 cruises beautifully with little effort. In 2012 all the seats were refurbished and reupholstered with new foam cushions and the original-style grey Routemaster Coach moquette. In early 2013, the platform flooring was replaced with new ‘Treadmaster’ slats. During 2014 some repainting has been done both internally and externally and the underneath silvered again, along with the refurbishment and repainting of the wheels. Many running components have been replaced or refurbished including the gearbox, accumulators, diff oil seal, brake cylinders, rear shock absorbers which are different to standard RM/RML as the RCL has air suspension on the rear. June 2015 was the 50th Anniversary of RCL2233. RMA - The London to Heathrow Airport Express Coach (1966/7) Following on from the successful trial of RMF1254, an order was placed for 65 coaches to take over from the old Regal IV one-and-a-half deckers, which were now becoming rather too small for the work required of them. They were designed to Routemaster coach standard with a large powerful engine, high ratio differential (4.08:1) and luggage racks, and also to haul a luggage trailer. The Ministry, however, insisted that this main batch would have to revert to the old standard length of 27ft 6in. These vehicles were perfectly capable of running up to 70 mph on the M4 even though, legally, they were restricted to 50mph because they were towing a trailer. Between 1975 and 1979 the fleet was withdrawn and passed to London Transport who used them for Aldenham staff buses and driving trainers. They were numbered in the RMA series but in the order of acquisition not registration. RMAs 5 and 8 were eventually used for passenger service on the X15 route from Upton Park, East London. This sensation stole the show: BEA2 entered service for British European Airways in 1966. It was the second of the Routemaster executive coaches built for the airline. In 1990 It was sold to ‘Green Rover’ which operated in the Watford area. It was stored in 1993, and did not emerge until 2013. Tow hitch for the trailer This was how she looked in 2015 (Pic credit to Routemaster Restoration) Some shots of the interior: The cab is well enclosed Lower deck Stairwell Top deck A wonderful line-up I was very fortunate to jump on board for a trip down the M4 towards Heathrow. What a flying machine! An unforgettable ride that will stay in the memory bank forever. A few non – Routemaster vehicles were in attendance in addition to an LT class New Routemaster : The original Chiswick Works site was home to one of London’s main bus overhaul works for much of the 20th Century and was famous for being the place where trainee drivers were put through their paces on its impressive skid pan. One of the fleet of skid buses was present. RT1530 remained on LT's books for fourteen more years after the last RTs were withdrawn from service in April 1979. A ride on this was another highlight. A route around the perimeter roads was taken with our driver delighting in how fast he could take the corners, literally flooring it entering the turns. It felt like we were on the tilt test! All the lower deck seating is still in situ The driver’s side bulkhead glass had been taken out for communication purposes Some of the upper deck seats have been removed RT 604 was delivered new in 1948 to the LT country area at Tring in Hertfordshire, with a roof box body. During overhaul in 1956, she was fitted with a standard Weymann body. The vehicle remained on country service north of the Thames until 1970 when she was transferred to London Country, where she served south of the Thames as well. In 1977 she received the National Bus Company "leaf" green livery, which is retained in preservation - it is thought that only three RTs were painted in this colour. RT 604 has the distinction of being the last RT in service with London Country, working on route 403 out of Chelsham Garage, in 1978. She was sold for preservation in 1980. New to Maidstone & District in March 1956 as DL39. Lowheight AEC Regent (VKR 39) has been extensively restored after being repatriated from Austria where it had latterly been used as a playbus and had been heavily modified. RF392 MXX280 AEC Regal IV Metro-Cammell new in 1953 to London Transport In the Beginning - RT1702 began its life when chassis number 09613644 was delivered by AEC to Park Royal in March 1950 and allocated to Park Royal body number L1435. The completed bus was delivered to London Transport at Chiswick in May of the same year and given LT body number 3675 and fleet number RT1702. It was registered on 24th July 1950. At that time plans had been made by the Government for four buses - RTs' 1692, 1702, 3070 and 3114 (the latter two being Weymann bodied buses) - to make a goodwill tour of eight European countries to publicize the forthcoming 1951 Festival of Britain. Although London Transport was introducing a new livery of all red with a cream band to their fleet, these four buses had the older livery of cream surround on the top deck windows. Three buses were converted for the tour into mobile exhibitions, showing views and information about Britain; whilst RT3070 was to be used to give passengers rides around the towns they visited. RTs' 1702 and 3144 were driven to Hull Docks and shipped to Oslo on the SS Tinto and at about the same time RTs' 1692 and 3070 were shipped from Millwall docks on the SS Silvio. Reunited at Oslo, the buses - the first ever Ambassadors abroad for London Transport - were checked for the tour which would take them through Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. They travelled over 4000 miles without any mechanical trouble visiting 26 towns en route including Oslo, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Amsterdam, The Hague, Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Liege, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Dijon, Lyons, Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Poitiers, Tours, Orleans, Paris, Rouen, Lille and Dunkirk. One small problem was caused by single-deck tram overhead wires having to be lifted, in several towns, to allow the buses to pass underneath. Over 122,000 people visited the buses and on their return to Great Britain on 30th October 1950, the buses and their crews were welcomed back by the Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin. After the tour the buses went to Chiswick to be converted back to passenger service condition and between December 1950 and March 1951 the buses entered service with RT1692 going to Hackney Garage, RT3070 to Willesden Garage, RT3114 to Catford Garage and RT1702 going to Mortlake in January 1951 to operate on such routes as 9, 33 and 73. In May 1951 the buses were reunited at Old Kent Road Garage to operate London Transport’s Service “J” sightseeing tour during the Festival of Britain. In November 1951 RT1702 was transferred to Holloway Garage. In June 1952 the four buses were once again reunited for the “Excursion 1” sightseeing tour following which RT1702 returned to duties at Holloway. In June 1954 RT1702 had its first overhaul coming out with its original body 3675 to work at Victoria. Four years later in July 1958 the bus went to Aldenham Works for its second overhaul returning to Victoria, again with its original body 3675. In early August 1959 it was transferred to Stockwell Garage and de-licensed. It was almost immediately moved to Seven Kings Garage and on 19th August it was re-licensed. Following its third overhaul in June 1962 it was moved in October of that year, still with its original body, to Hornchurch garage until its final overhaul in July 1966. In August 1966 it was taken to Catford garage where it remained unlicensed until 30th October of that year, still with its original body. Whilst at Catford it paid another visit to Aldenham in November 1969 for a repaint. In 1971 the bus was re-certified, rather than being overhauled, and remained in service at Catford garage until July 1972 when, finally, it was withdrawn from service, and de-licensed at Bexleyheath Garage. Unlike other RTs which were usually given a different body following overhaul at Aldenham, as a GB Bus RT1702 kept its original body throughout its life. In July 1972 RT1702 was purchased from London Transport by three Catford staff members. Leyland Titan T1064 A64 THX New in 1984 to London buses at New Cross Garage where she spent the majority of her life working Routes 21 and 321. In 2001 1064 was used for a Railway safety Exhibition bus. Subsequently being rebranded as Think Thameslink. In early 2002 T1064 was sold via Ensignbus. A one-way ticket to the cemetery 1963 AEC Regent V Merryweather TL CBY 1 was new to the Croydon Fire Brigade, before becoming part of the London Fire Brigade fleet when the GLC was formed. LT70 LTZ1070 London Transport LT class New Routemaster In 2013 In 2022 It had been a very enjoyable couple of days at this once-in-ten-years event. The site itself was not the best in terms of access, and parking up of the buses was difficult owing to the restricted space. The event was originally planned to be held in Finsbury Park (just like the previous RM60, RM50 and RM40 events) however after ongoing negotiations with the parks management it became clear that another event at this venue could not go ahead. This short film shows the overhaul process at the legendary Aldenham Works. It was unlike any other bus maintenance facility in the world. At its peak it could overhaul over 2000 buses per year! If only it still existed today. Odds & Ends Our local photographer has had the drone out capturing some brilliant scenes this past couple of weeks: Looking south towards the Central Pier on a very foggy morning. You can just make out the Big Wheel on the pier and further south the top of the Big One is visible. Over the Pleasure Beach A spaghetti of steel at the Pleasure Beach in clear conditions Happy International Women's Day (Pics credit to Greg Wolstenholme) Going, Going, Gone The sad demise of the Heritage Trams booking office at the Pleasure Beach Loop: Huntapac Gate guardians Sunset A DAF line-up Workers in the 70s cutting through the Gordano Valley hillside for the stretch of the M5 as you approach Bristol: A before and after of the staggered section of the M5 motorway as it passes through the Failand Ridge and Gordano Valley near Bristol Opened in 1973, the carriageways have three lanes and a hard shoulder each, the southbound section higher to match the hillside slope. At Doncaster: Three snow ploughs lined up The Structure Gauging Train Pulled by Jonty Jarvis 37219 A couple of eye-catchers parked up near our yard in Blackburn: From just around the corner is this beauty from MK Transport fitted with a Fassi F485C crane Atiz Heavy Logistics from Turkey with a rear-steer trailer That's it for this off season folks. We will reconvene in November when we see where this disused trackbed will lead us:

Hi there folks. Welcome to episode 6. In this one: Section 1: Saloon & F2 pics from Cowdenbeath & Aldershot Section 2: Out and About – Millbrook Sidings & Hartshead Power Station Section 3: Odds and Ends – Miscellaneous, Furness Railway Trust Updates Section 1 Cowdenbeath – Saturday August 31st & Sunday September 1st 2024 – Final winners Euan Millar & Gordon Moodie It is the Saloons WF weekend with F2s sharing the bill: David Philp Commercials were one of the sponsors of the WF. They had brought along this stunning eighteen-year-old Scania R480. Russell Taylor had the two-seater F2 in the pits Charlie Faichney would get involved with Paul Reid on Sunday The recently returned Euan Millar won Saturday’s Scottish Championship Final Doddie the JCB joined the Scania Timmy Barnes’ car looking smart Team Burgoyne 647 547 In the top pits was another beauty from Davy Philp - A seven-year-old Renault T A display of cars on the infield: Bob Jones John Halifax Lana Middler The grid walk A big crowd A busy weekend for the trophy girls The T was moved down into the lower pits on Sunday Brian Hogg The 2024 National Saloon Stock Car World Champ - Archie Brown A parade lap before the meeting for Archie Richard Kaleta was on the flags To cap a fine weekend he won the Raymond Gunn Tribute race as well 675 incurred a big fencing from 17 after some hard racing between the pair. Charlie ended up rolling it such was the force of the hit. Back in the pits Paul Reid ended up with a lot of damage also The Saloons entertained as always. A roll for Austen Freestone. Kegan Sampson was over in turn 3 As was Jordan Cassie Gordon won the Mac100 Trophy A selfie A great group shot on the Philp T Unloading time The story of Stuart's weekend: Aldershot – Sunday September 8th 2024 – Semi-Final winners – Charlie Guinchard (183) & Gordon Moodie (7). Meeting Final winner – Harley Soper (654) With the Saloons also on the bill it gave Archie Brown a chance to show off the World & English championship roof Jessica Smith was trying out the big wing again Heat 1 & GN winner was Joelan Maynard Josh Hamstead Gordon having a chat to Michael Green F1 WF entrant Tyler Walker getting some seat time in an F2 Josh Rayner was using the Dale Seneschall car Section 2 - Out & About Millbrook Sidings & Hartshead Power Station A while ago in a previous write up we had a look at Butter House Tunnel which is on the Stalybridge & Diggle Loop line (Micklehurst Loop). THE MICKLEHURST LOOP Such was the success of the Huddersfield – Manchester route that two tracks proved hopelessly inadequate to handle the traffic. The original single-track Standedge Tunnel (opened in 1849) – dubbed the ‘Nicholson Tunnel’ in honour of its engineer - was joined by a second single-track tunnel of the same length in February 1871 (the ‘Nelson Tunnel’); the original was officially designated Standedge ‘Down South’ and the second ‘Up South’. The section between Huddersfield and Marsden was quadrupled between 1883 and 1894, even though this involved accommodating the extra tracks in an already congested valley and excavating a third tunnel at Standedge - this time a double line bore, 2yd longer than the single line tunnels, to be known as ‘Standedge North’. An interesting feature of the three railway tunnels is that none of them has the conventional vertical shafts. The earlier canal tunnel does have shafts, and horizontal galleries were used from this tunnel to build the first railway tunnel; this method was repeated for the later tunnels, using the existing tunnels for access. Between Diggle (immediately south-west of the Standedge Tunnels) and Stalybridge the railway clung to the steep western slope of the Tame valley, and industry and housing crowded the route so closely that it was impossible to squeeze two extra railway tracks into the space without extensive demolition and expensive engineering. The solution was to construct an entirely new 6¾-mile route on the eastern side of the Tame valley, with slightly less severe gradients, skirting the settlements which were already served by the stations at Saddlewoth, Greenfield and Mossley on the original line. Even this route involved some challenging engineering work. At the northern end of the loop was Butterhouse – otherwise known as Ryefield or Saddleworth - Tunnel (329yd); Royal George Tunnel (140yd) lay between Friezland and Micklehurst; and Stalybridge New Tunnel (c300yd). The industrial nature of the valley demanded that goods depots and sidings be provided at intervals along the route. This required expanses of flat land which had to be created by cutting or tipping on the steep valley side – and none of the goods depots were adjacent to the four passenger stations. All of these engineering works ensured that the impact of the new line on existing industrial and residential buildings was kept to a minimum. Royal Assent for the Micklehurst Loop was obtained by the LNWR on 17 June 1878. A previous Bill of 1877 had failed; if it had been successful there would have been much disruption of the urban fabric and street pattern of Stalybridge. Tenders for the line’s construction were advertised on 13 July 1881, and the successful bid was submitted by Messrs Taylor & Thompson of Manchester at £177,949 8s 2d, about £35,000 below the LNWR’s estimate of the cost of construction. During the construction process there were, as expected, some engineering setbacks and accidents and the customary outbreaks of violence involving the navvies. Uppermill was the scene of several unsavoury incidents involving navvies who were the worse for liquor, requiring attendance by the police. Local interest in the project was stimulated by the innovative practice of continuous construction work during the night, illuminated by powerful electric lights. The Oldham Chronicle reported on 4 August 1883 that work in the cutting at Greenfield attracted curious onlookers, one of whom likened the scene to the promenade at Blackpool. The Stalybridge and Saddleworth railway opened for through traffic on the 1st May 1886. The stations opened on 1 July 1886 which were named Uppermill, Friezland, Micklehurst and Staley & Millbrook. However, three of them merely provided a second station for places which already possessed one on the original line. Incidents 58-year-old Betty Hall (mother of Josiah Hall) was killed whilst crossing the line at Friezland Station in June 1890. The station master, Thomas Dingle, had seen the danger Mrs. Hall was in and had tried to grab her, but she was struck by the Manchester to Hull express train. She had been carrying a young girl, Annie Tinker (aged 3½), who was thrown under the platform and received cuts to the head. The wooden station at Micklehurst was partially destroyed by fire on the night of 21 July 1893. According to newspaper reports, it was believed an ember from a passing goods train had started the fire, which engulfed the porters' room and waiting rooms. On 10 August 1909, a passenger train partially derailed near to Friezland Station whilst travelling at around 60mph, killing the engine driver (William Turton of Huddersfield, aged 40) and stoker (James Albert Oates of Brighouse, aged 20), and injuring 13 passengers. The line closed completely in 1966 apart from coal traffic as far as the Hartshead Power Station at Heyrod which continued until 1972. The power station was demolished in 1989. We’ll be taking a look around the area (arrowed on the map) at the southern end of the loop this time. There are plenty of abandoned remains here and i rate it highly. I have put the photos together in seven separate groups in line with what there is to see. We will be visiting two railway buildings, two underground tunnels, plus what is left of the power station. A bit of info to explain how the site functioned: In 1932, a private railway siding and coal conveyer were added on a loop to serve the nearby Hartshead Power Station and facilitate the handling of coal. The sidings were capable of holding around one hundred and thirty 10-12 ton wagons with provision for one hundred full and thirty empty. A fireless steam locomotive, which was charged with steam through a pipeline at a pressure of 200 psi, was used for shunting purposes and could travel 9 miles with one charge. The coal was transferred by the conveyor across the River Tame & the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Let’s set the scene with a few pics of the area and a couple of maps: The Huddersfield Narrow Canal The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs between Huddersfield in West Yorkshire and Ashton under Lyne in Greater Manchester. The story of this canal begins over 200 years ago at a time when a network of canals was being constructed through many parts of Britain. In 1794, some shareholders of the Ashton canal, which was already being constructed from Manchester to Ashton under Lyne, saw the possibility of constructing a new canal to link the Ashton canal with the existing Broad Canal at Huddersfield. This would provide a more direct link between Manchester and Leeds than the Rochdale Canal further north. The plan, however, was very daring: so daring that it nearly failed to become reality. The proposed line of the canal would take advantage of the valleys of the River Tame and River Colne but would still require a tunnel under the Pennine watershed at Standedge. This tunnel, between Diggle and Marsden, at over three miles, would be the longest canal tunnel in Britain. The canal would need 74 locks over its 20 mile route and the central section, at 645 feet above sea level, would be the highest stretch of canal in Britain - so the canal really was intended to be "a cut above the rest"! The canal was due to open five years after work on it had begun. However, when 1799 arrived, while the canal had been constructed to each side of the tunnel, the tunnel itself was far from open. The construction of the tunnel was beset by many problems, many of these being due to poor organisation. The excavation of the tunnel began at both ends but after a while it was realised that the Diggle end was being constructed several feet higher than the Marsden end. In correcting this, previous work was undermined, causing several collapses. There was also a persistent problem of large quantities of water seeping into the workings and in one year only 150 yards of tunnel was excavated. The canal's engineer, Benjamin Outram, had many other commitments so that most of the canal construction had taken place under the supervision of a young, inexperienced surveyor, Nicholas Brown. Some of the construction work was inadequate and was washed away by floods in 1799. This and the tunnel's poor progress almost caused the project to be abandoned. More capital was raised and repairs carried out, but the company desperately needed the revenue from carrying goods, so a system was set up of transporting cargo by horse between the two completed sections of canal at Marsden and Dobscross. After Outram's resignation, the well known engineer Thomas Telford was called in to advise on the tunnel's completion. Excavation had been taking place, not only from each end, but also from the bottom of the air shafts. (The spoil was hoisted up the shafts and dumped nearby, where it can still be seen.) This led to the tunnel being somewhat crooked and Telford discovered that, at one point, the two excavations were not going to meet, and they were going to end up with two tunnels! Correcting this has resulted in the tunnel having noticeable bends! The tunnel was eventually opened in 1811, and the canal became a through route 17 years after work began. Using the tunnel wasn't an easy option for the boatmen, however. To keep costs down, the canal was built without a towpath. While the horses were led over the hill, the boatmen had to "leg" the boat through the tunnel, by lying on boards across the front of the boat and walking along the walls or roof of the tunnel, which took up to four hours. Most of the tunnel was only wide enough for one boat. There were four passing places, but as the traffic increased and with time meaning money for the boat crews, there were frequent fights as crews refused to back off. The Canal Company decided that boats could only be propelled through the tunnel by its own official "leggers," and to operate a traffic control system. This involved only westbound traffic using the tunnel for a four-hour period, then only eastbound during the next four hours. The tunnel thus became an enormous bottleneck and resulted in processions of boats emerging from the tunnel only to have to queue to use the locks one at a time. Tailbacks are not just a feature of the motorway age! Much of the tunnel is brick lined, but parts are unlined with the surface being the hewn rock face, which would have made difficult work for the leggers. The canal took 17 years to construct rather than the planned 5 years. The costs rose to £396,267, which was more than twice the original budget. Standedge Tunnel alone cost £123,804 to construct. These figures are the equivalent of many millions of pounds at today's prices and gave the shareholders no return on their investment for 30 years. However, the canal did enjoy a short period of relative prosperity until 1845, when it was bought by the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway Company, whose line was to follow a similar route to the canal. The railway company did not fear competition from the canal, but as they were building a tunnel alongside the canal tunnel, they wanted to use the canal to remove spoil from their excavations. They did this by boring short connecting passages so that boats could be loaded in the tunnel. Once the railway was open, the railway company had no reason to promote the canal, which fell into slow decline and was eventually closed in 1944. In 1974 the Huddersfield Canal Society was formed with the objective of seeing a re-opening of the canal. This seemed extremely ambitious as whole sections had been filled in or even built over and several bridges had been removed to create nice, straight roads. However, with the hard work of volunteers, the backing of Kirklees, Oldham and Tameside Councils and British Waterways, and aided by grants and work schemes, the restoration of all the sections of canal that had not been infilled had been achieved by the 1990s. The Huddersfield Canal Company was established to co-ordinate the work of re-opening the remaining sections of canal. The partnership with Tameside Council and the changing attitudes towards canals meant that when Asda built their new store across the Ashton Canal, on the site of the former Wharf Mill in Ashton, a tunnel beneath the store was constructed for the canal. However, these enlightened attitudes came after some serious blockages of the canal had already been made. Among the remaining obstacles to re-opening the canal were: a) a stretch of just over half a mile, through Stalybridge, which has been filled in and partly built on. b) a half mile in-filled stretch through Slaithwaite, luckily not built over. c) two factories in Huddersfield extended across the canal. d) a number of road bridges, including at Wade Lock, Uppermill and Wool Road, Dobcross, that had been removed to allow road widening. The Canal Company worked with the local authorities, British Waterways and property owners to overcome these costly obstacles. Luckily, funding from English Partnerships, the Millennium Commission and other sources enabled the re-opening of the blocked sections and the tunnel so that the whole canal became navigable once more in May 2001. Bridge 94 shows just how narrow it is A bed valve capstan Adjacent to the capstan, in the middle of the canal, there is (or more often was, many have subsequently been permanently sealed) a bed valve, being a brick lined culvert, capped by a hinged door. These bed valves allow(ed) sections of the canal to be drained down. As you can imagine, they are tough to open, with significant water pressure to overcome. The opening mechanism consists of a chain attached to the bed valve, which is fished out and wrapped round the capstan, which is used with a bar to open the valve. A past view of the power station with the base of a lockgate mechanism in the foreground That base still remains at the edge of the canal This pic shows the stone-lined section of Scout Tunnel which lies between Stalybridge and Mossley, between Locks 11W and 12W. It is 615 feet long and has a towpath running through. Apart from the towpath, it is almost a miniature version of Standedge Tunnel, with lined and unlined sections. The remedial work needed was similar to that in Standedge tunnel except that as Scout Tunnel was navigable much of the work was carried out working from a boat. Part of the unlined section showing some of the rock bolts that have been used to stabilise the roof Another picture showing the jagged surface of the unlined section Sections where there was a risk of parts of the surface breaking off have been stabilised with steel mesh as well as rock bolts. The wonderful cobbled Grove Road in Stalybridge which led to one of the eight mills in the area This derelict building is the remains of Spring Grove Woollen Mill. The high rainfall made Stalybridge an ideal town for the many cotton mills and was one of the first centres of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution. The damp climate was perfect for the spinning of cotton, and the many streams and the River Tame provided the water-power for the mills. By 1793 steam power had been introduced to the Stalybridge cotton industry and by 1803 there were eight cotton mills in the growing town containing 76,000 spindles. This mill was cotton from 1818 to 1868, and then was in wool production for 100 years, it was the last steam-powered mill in the area. A large mill, and rows of terraced houses can be seen in this view from Grove Road. This view of the goods shed (A) shows the main L. & N.W.R line passing between the group of properties at Black Rock (B) and Osborne Villas (C) to the right (in shadow) The sidings and goods shed are shown to good effect here A great aerial shot showing the whole area. From the left we have Wakefield Road, the main railway line, the power station, River Tame, Huddersfield Narrow Canal, the Micklehurst Loop & the Goods Shed. The coal conveyor can be seen across the loop line and the two water courses. This drawing of the same scene has a clearer position of the lower conveyor showing it going underground at the right-hand side All that is left today. The conveyor cut off and marooned in mid-air. The Goods Shed Hidden amongst the trees is this wonderful example of Victorian architecture The shed was constructed from blue engineering brick and is in amazing condition externally and has stood the test of time. It would be great to go back in time to when this was a hive of activity used for unloading the wagons, storing the coal and transferring it to the conveyors. It is a huge structure The picture mainly shows the demolition of the power station but is also good for showing the small building joined to the goods shed. It may have been a boiler of some sort. Inside there is a small furnace and this picture shows a chimney on top. It could have been a brew room as well. There is not much left of it today and difficult to get a picture as it is very overgrown Inside the shed it is in a very dilapidated and vandalised state The pit A stunning brick vaulted ceiling A tantalising glimpse of the completely inaccessible upper levels A door from an upper level swings back and forth in the wind The very large empty area below the floor. Current thinking is that it was used to store coal. Clearly, lots of graffiti artists have left their stamp on the place, and it also seems to be the local rave setting of choice based on the sheer amount of nitrous oxide canisters scattered around the place. The structure's supports are something else! This is standing on a solid block of sandstone One gate remains Back outside now. The wood was an addition to protect the building from contact. Likewise, it was the same for the corners of openings protected here with substantial ironwork. The opposite corner of this opening - 2024. The same view in 1952! A magnificent photograph. He is marking Ordnance Survey minor control revision points. In the immediate surroundings of the goods shed are a few relics from the past. This access point has a Newhey brick visible. Newhey Brick & Terra Cotta Co. Ltd., Huddersfield Road, Newhey, Rochdale. The works opened in 1899 and was, in its later life, taken over by Pope & Pearson of Normanton, West Yorks. prior to its eventual closure in the 1930s. Its bricks are found in buildings worldwide. Most mills and associated terraced houses in the Rochdale and Oldham areas were built from this "Newhey brick". Part of a cobbled way A wooden sleeper A spigot base The goods shed utilised a crane (arrowed) Here is that crane base A more recent concrete sleeper remains The Underground Coal Conveyor When the power station was constructed the River Tame and Huddersfield Narrow Canal sat between the two, so movement by hand or truck was not an option. To overcome this an underground conveyor was tunnelled out. This stretched low over the canal and river. A simple mechanism was made, a few hoppers based under the railway for trains to drop coal off, and it worked well. For a while. Due to it being underground, it constantly flooded and had issues with people getting ill due to coal dust from the enclosed space, so a secondary conveyor was required. We’ll take a look at what remains of the secondary conveyor in the next set of pics that follow after these: The view looking away from the tunnel A fair bit of the conveyor system remains here The partly collapsed entrance means a crawl to get in Once inside the first half is dry However, at the hopper end it is deep water. No option other than head back out and try and locate the entrance above the hopper. After much searching in the woods the mechanism for releasing the hatches on the bottom of the coal wagons came into view Close by were the steps descending into the depths A green rusting hopper remains Another capped shute on the far wall The discharge port at the bottom of the hopper which allowed coal to directly fall onto the conveyor Nature even finds a place down here. Not sure how long this snail has left as it is carrying a parasitic worm on its shell. The Overhead Conveyor With the expansion of the power station and sidings, coupled with the problems of the underground conveyor a secondary conveyor was created. One of the support towers The overhead conveyor severed in mid-air In the direction of the power station Over the trackbed of the loop line The opposite end above the River Tame A wonderful pic of the two industrial ghosts. The Chief Engineer for Tameside said they set explosives to bring the whole conveyor down but this section didn’t fall. He said it was safer leaving it standing rather than try again. This great photo shows the layout with both conveyors. The lower conveyor can be seen leaving its underground section to the right. The Cable Tunnel After the power station’s initial construction, a small substation was built with an underground power line stretching out to a substation further into Millbrook. Another terrific photo. This showing the cables having left the tunnel to cross the canal. Let’s head inside More about the meaning behind ‘Free Hugs’ later Not the most inviting place for a free hug! You can see here a lot of wiring. The floor is very muddy, and along it are random pieces of concrete, several saying ‘Danger Electrical’. This is the end of the box section of the tunnel. Here we find the large cable supports, and behind them, a lower drop. Minerals leaching through from above have created vivid colours on the brickwork of the arch The skill of the brick-layer is evident here with the brick courses laid in a spiral. From this point on the tunnel floor was deep with bubbling and stinking mud. Without my gas detection meter it was not worth the risk to continue. It also lowered to a crawl up ahead which would not have been pleasant. At my turn back point there is a ventilation shaft which brought cold air into the tunnel to keep the cables cool. It was tempting to climb up here but the exit is way above ground level as pictured below: The Engine Shed Hartshead Power Station owned two locomotives for shunting the yard. This engine shed accommodated them. The sidings trackbed to the engine shed Over an old bridge Moss has formed on the top of this side We are actually walking through the site of the Goods Yard. Here is an image with an excellent view across the site when it was still in use and shows three concrete lighting towers as well as the fireless loco in operation. At the back of the scene, the coal handling facilities, the conveyor and the goods shed can be seen peeking out of the gloom. Now with the area heavily overgrown these two photographs show tower No. 3 which is close to the remains of the engine shed. The rear of the shed comes into view The shed access trackbed Two roads inside As it was with ‘Hartshead’ standing outside with the wooden turntable in the foreground The 0-4-0ST stands on one of the lanes giving access to the engine shed which is off this image to the left Not a lot to see inside Buffer stop brackets remain at the far wall A makeshift way to the upper floor The tricky part is getting from the top of the fence panel onto what remains of the stairway The height of the gap to negotiate from the top of the fence panel Made it! Not a lot of info about the purpose of this upper level. It gave a good view of the coal staging To get back down there is always the option to jump off the edge! I chose the slightly easier route. Don’t forget to ‘Mind the Gap’ On the coal staging looking back at the shed The opposite direction A couple more pics of the locos that were in service here The Power Station Hartshead Power Station was coal-fired and was opened in 1926 by the Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield Transport and Electricity Board. The station began operation with three Metropolitan-Vickers 12,500 kW turbo-alternators generating at the local SHMD supply frequency of 40 Hz. Later that year the station's output was changed to the nationally agreed standard of 50 Hz. In 1935, a major expansion of Hartshead began which saw the first of three new Metropolitan-Vickers 30,000 kW generating sets being commissioned. The cooling towers were constructed in the 1940s, and coal was delivered to the plant via the Millbrook railway sidings situated on the opposite side of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The station closed on the 29th October 1979 with a final generating capacity of 64 megawatts. Most of the power station was demolished on the 24th September 1989, with only a small number of buildings surviving, which are now in a severely dilapidated state. This one is pretty hard to find if you don't know where to look, simply because it is so overgrown and shielded by a thick foliage of the usual nettles, brambles and other ruthless and evil plant life. Here is our old friend again still taking measurements this time with the power station in the background You can clearly see the upper conveyor crossing the canal He has made it to the power station for his next set of measurements A small part of the site remains today. In the distance can be seen the truncated conveyor. From the outside Now from the inside We’re going onto the site of the first cooling tower before heading onto the main site where many buildings once stood Not a lot left of the cooling tower The buildings emerge out of the woods The offices have two entrances either side of the building ‘Free Hugs’ here as well The Princess of Desolation has paid this place a visit. Hence the ‘Free Hugs’. It is her urbex marker and can be found at numerous abandoned sites in the north-west. This pic was taken close to the canteen block. Inside the canteen block The offices have been stripped bare A blood-soaked knife and saw swing in the breeze Along with teeth extractors and a cleaver. Props left behind from an overnight cosplay session. It is tempting to return at night! There is an area directly under the canteen which appears to have been linked to the kitchens above Generator switchgear room The only safe way of getting to the upper storey is to go back out and around the building To the switchbox room The English Electric Company was formed on 14th December 1918 and over the following year acquired Dick, Kerr & Company of Preston, Willans & Robinson of Rugby, the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, and Coventry Ordnance Works. After the First World War the various German owned Siemens works were distributed to different UK companies and in November 1919 English Electric acquired the Siemens Brothers Dynamo Works at Stafford, which became the company headquarters in 1931. Coventry Ordnance, primary output naval guns, did not feature in the gradual product rationalisation which took place between the First World and Second world Wars. Willans & Robinson’s Rugby works specialised in prime movers, steam, hydro and internal combustion, and their Stafford works on power station and distribution electrics, including transformers and large electric machines for applications such as mining and steel works. Dick Kerr & Company continued building equipment and vehicles for bus, tram and railway applications with the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company concentrating on medium and small electrical machines. Involvement with aircraft continued a small scale. By 1929 the company was in financial trouble and an American syndicate fronted by Lazard Bros. put in new capital. In 1930 Westinghouse of Pittsburgh entered into an agreement with the company for the exchange of technical information relating to steam turbines and electrical apparatus. This cooperation continued into the 1950s. 1930 saw the closure of Preston West works and the transfer of traction electrical design and manufacture to the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing works. The Westinghouse influence included top management changes with Sir H Mensforth becoming chairman and George Nelson managing director. Both had been with British Westinghouse at Trafford Park. The early 1930s saw a remarkable improvement in the company’s finances and domestic appliance manufacture was started at Bradford and Stafford. In 1936 they began production of diesel locomotives at Preston and were later involved in the production of the Deltic locomotive for British Rail, presaging the end of steam traction in the UK. Extensive shadow factory building for war production commenced in the late 1930’s, including at Preston East works and Salmesbury for aircraft production and at East Lancashire Road, Liverpool for D. Napier aero engines. A large variety of military equipment built during the war included thousands of Cromwell tanks from Stafford and over 3000 Handley Page Hampden and Halifax bombers from Preston and Salmesbury. After the war manufacture of smaller products from Bradford and Stafford moved to the large Liverpool works. This included electrical distribution transformers, switchgear, fuse gear, fractional horsepower motors and domestic appliances. Napier’s continued engine manufacture with the development of the ’Deltic’ diesel engine, mainly for marine applications. The nearby Netherton works took over the manufacture of large hydro-electric turbines and generators from Willans and Stafford. In 1942 English Electric acquired D. Napier & Son Ltd and Marconi in 1946. A section of the assembly bay for transformers of the largest types for service all over the world. Circa 1950. Napier Deltic Diesel Maintenance at East Lancs Works DP1 Deltic on a Spur Line at Netherton Works The company went on to extend their railway interests with the acquisition of the Vulcan Foundry and Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn Ltd in 1955. The company tried to take over The General Electric Company (GEC) in 1960 but failed. Traction manufacture, but not the offices, moved back to Preston East works and ‘K’, ‘RK’ and ‘V’ engine design and manufacture moved from Willans to Preston West works which was now also used for locomotive building. Kidsgrove works in Stafford made industrial controls and for a while was a major player in the UK computer industry, merging with Leo Computers and then into ICL. Train performance calculations were an early user of the mid-fifties ‘Deuce’ computer. Preston also became a major player in the aircraft industry taking over the wartime RAF/USAF base at Warton aerodrome - major design and manufacture contracts included Canberra bombers and Lightning fighters. Rationalisation in the 1960s resulted in English Electric Aviation becoming 40% of the new British Aircraft Corporation. In 1961 English Electric took over Dorman Diesels Ltd which in turn had acquired W. G. Bagnall Ltd. In 1966 English Electric Diesels merged with Ruston and Hornsby which already included Paxmans. This company eventually became GEC Diesels. Elliott Automation was acquired in 1967. The following year GEC took over English Electric, ending its independent existence. Back at Hartshead: A big drop if you go through here! The skylight frame has held up The base for a generator with the opening for the cables behind in the left corner The generator switchgear with the cable openings from the generators above under the boxes A vent pipe for an underground tank which I was unable to locate Hartshead Power Station Locomotives Hartshead’s Fireless Locomotive The Hawthorn Leslie Fireless 0-6-0 (HL3805/1932) pictured in 1967 was fed with steam from the power station and was much cheaper to run than the saddle tank. “A fireless locomotive ……. uses a reciprocating engine powered from a reservoir of compressed air or steam, which is filled at intervals from an external source. They offer advantages over conventional steam locomotives of lower cost per unit, cleanliness, and decreased risk from fire or boiler explosion; these are counterbalanced by the need for a source to refill the locomotive, and by the limited range afforded by the reservoir.” They were most often used, for industrial rail yards where either: a conventional locomotive was too noxious or risky, such as in a mine or a food or chemical factory; or where the source of air or steam was readily available, as here at Hartshead Power Station. “A fireless steam locomotive is similar to a conventional steam locomotive, but has a reservoir, known as a steam accumulator, instead of a boiler. This reservoir is charged with superheated water under pressure from a stationary boiler. The engine works like a conventional steam engine using the high pressure steam above the water in the accumulator. As the steam is used and pressure drops, the superheated water boils, replacing the used steam. The locomotive can work like this until the pressure has dropped to a minimum useful level or the water runs out, after which it must be recharged.” Looking north from the Staley and Millbrook Yard. Coal trains entered the Yard full from the south along what was once the Micklehurst Loop, and empties were returned to the south. 0-4-0ST Locomotive: BEA 2 BEA No 2, Jan 1977 The Saddle Tank was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn. Its Works No. was 7661 and was numbered BEA (British Electricity Authority) No 2 in service in the yard opposite Hartshead Power Station. It was an 0-4-0ST locomotive. It shared its duties with the large fireless locomotive. “Because the fireless was cheap to run (there was a good supply of steam from the power station boiler), it was preferred as the working engine, and so No. 2 was used as the standby, and also whenever the power station boiler was shut down, as there would be no supply of steam for the fireless.” When the Micklehurst line was closed to traffic in October 1966 the short section of line between the Millbrook sidings and Stalybridge remained in use until the power station closed in 1979. At this time the locomotive was transported to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway where it sits awaiting restoration. Two images of BEA No. 2 0-4-0ST at the end of its working life in 1977 being prepared for, and being transported off site. ‘Beano’ was its nickname! The 0-4-0ST being loaded onto a low-loader transport for the trip to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway in Jan 1977. Of additional interest in this picture is the backdrop. The view is taken from the Micklehurst end of the site. In front of the goods shed is the coal conveyor still apparently at its full extent. Also, visible to the left of the picture is one of the lighting towers. The same locomotive awaiting restoration in 2010 Our final photo shows our man has made it to Ash Lynn’s front door. Judging by the way he is leaning on the side-gate frame, his wild hair, and his tie all askew he looks like he has had enough for the day! One of the cooling towers looms large in the background. I’m sure you will agree it has been a very varied day looking around this fascinating area. It has a lot to offer if you are prepared to search it out. Credits and thanks to the following: Roger Farnworth, J.W.Sutherland, Gerv Wright, Mick Cottam, National Library of Scotland, RailMapOnline, Manchester Libraries, Talking Mask & Ant T Odds & Ends A mixed bag of all sorts to start followed by the latest from the Furness Railway Trust at Preston Docks: A glorious morning in Blackpool with a contrail running parallel with the Tower Wyre Beach Management Scheme at Fleetwood: This is a major £40m coastal defence project, funded by the Environment Agency. The completed works to construct rock armour protection and new rock groynes will better protect 11,000 properties and infrastructure against flooding and erosion. End of week wash down for the truck Where the transporters now park there used to be a workshop specialising in van conversions. The whole lot was lost to a fire that broke out one night: In the Doncaster Library (Danum) the lower ground floor has these two beauties: Visitors can explore Doncaster’s fascinating rail history. This area is home to the Rail Heritage Centre, featuring some of the Doncaster Grammar School Rail Collection. The Doncaster Grammar School Railway Collection was started in the 1930’s by the school’s Railway Society and the Doncaster Grammar School Railway Collection Trustees have been collecting railway memorabilia ever since. Public access to the massive collection of around 10,000 artefacts was previously very limited. The display of the collection in the Danum’s Rail Heritage Centre marks an exciting new chapter in the Society and in the significant role of the railways in Doncaster’s history. Alongside the objects on display are two Doncaster-built locomotives which have returned home to take centre stage in the Danum. They are on loan as part of a partnership between Heritage Doncaster and the National Railway Museum. No. 251 ‘Atlantic’ Locomotive Built at Doncaster Plant in 1902, the No.251 ‘Atlantic’ locomotive was built for the Great Northern Railway. The design of this class of locomotive meant it was able to pull very heavy passenger trains at considerable speed. No. 251 pulled passenger trains along the East Coast Mainline until it was retired in 1947. It is the only one of its class to survive. The locomotive was restored in 1953 to celebrate the centenary of the Doncaster Plant Works. Green Arrow The Green Arrow was built in 1936 at Doncaster Plant Works. It was the first of the V2 class of locomotive to be built at the works. V2 class locomotives have a hard-earned reputation as powerful locomotives. The Green Arrow was withdrawn from British Railways service in 1962 and is the last surviving British 2-6-2 tender locomotive. Spotted this stunner on Stafford Services: A 1978 RS2000 Who remembers going on one of these: A 1950s children’s roundabout. This one is at Croome Court in Worcestershire. ’Capability` Brown originally landscaped the park and redesigned the Court for the 6th Earl of Coventry c1751. Curves in all the right places – The approach to the Forth Bridge from Fife. A lady looks on as a shiny two tone Vauxhall Victor is loaded onto the top deck of the East Coast car sleeper service at Caledonian Road, London. October 1962. The demolition of the Old Tram Bridge over the River Ribble at Preston. The bridge, which has been a key transport and active travel link for visitors and commuters between Preston and South Ribble for over 200 years was deemed life expired. An official view of the new Signal Gantry and the Great Central Bridge photographed on 30th July 1896. The raised line on the extreme left is the Down Goods, The Down line from London is on the left in the cutting Furness Railway Trust The latest happenings: Another few weeks have gone by and the stay drilling team are closing in on the last few stays to be replaced on Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643’s firebox which are being drilled out from the outside. There is still some work to be done on clearing the holes on the inside of the firebox which will be done with the gas torch, but that side of the project is now nearing completion. Another set of stay holes are tapped and ready to receive new stays Elsewhere, with Caliban’s boiler away receiving a new firebox, it’s time to ensure that other elements of the project are brought up to speed. The back of the cab has been sanded down with filler applied where necessary, whilst the threads at the bottom 0f the two cab stanchions have been cleaned up. Meanwhile, a new bracket has been fabricated to hold the steam heat pipe on the front of Great Western Railway ‘Hall’ class 4-6-0 No. 4979 Wootton Hall. Another shunt of the shed has taken place and Furness Railway No. 20’s engine has been split from the tender in order for it to be squeezed into the heated part of the shed, above the pit, to enable winter maintenance to take place. 5643’s chassis is now at the west end of the shed to allow work to replace the cylinder liners to take place. With the Peckett 0-4-0ST Caliban’s boiler away at Williton for the fitting of a new firebox, attention has turned to repairing the cab and readying it for painting. A skim of filler is being applied to improve the surface of the metalwork. At Embsay the Trust’s ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Cumbria is in service. The Ribble Steam Railway’s workshop has turned out Peckett 0-4-0ST No. 1935 Hornet of 1937, which was being warmed up in the sunshine in readiness for a full steam test. A fork lift placed one of Great Western Railway 0-6-2T No. 5643’s side tanks on its side. This has enabled a clean and check for any weak spots. Work has taken place to remove the left-hand connecting rod from Furness Railway 0-4-0 No.20. The slide bars and rod are seen after removal, ready for measuring to remove unwanted movement around the little end. Whilst we are at this site I mentioned a few weeks ago that the bitumen trains have come to an end. Here is a short video from the national treasure that is Francis Bourgeois covering one of the last runs. In Francis’ own words – “Join me as we witness the penultimate move of empty bitumen tanks from Preston Docks to Eastriggs M.O.D. From the winding docks to the steady incline of the Settle and Carlisle Line, possibly the best chase in my books, mainly down to the insanity of being so close to 56049 as it wrestled with adhesion issues coming up the bank. A special thank you to Amy for the expert camera operation and holding on for our tea room break at Carlisle.” Next time: As the BSCDA celebrates 70 years we step back a few months to 2024 to celebrate another 70th Anniversary 👍