An Unusual Collection

[oldravendale]

Thanks for the thought, Col. I have no knowledge of the east side of London or lines there from at all, apart from Stratford which I was lucky enough to visit twice. I'll add Wood Street as a probable location.

Brian

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Thanks for the thought, Col. I have no knowledge of the east side of London or lines there from at all, apart from Stratford which I was lucky enough to visit twice. I'll add Wood Street as a probable location.

Brian

It's one of the few I could think of that were/are on a curve, plus the style of architecture fits well, very ex GER.
I'll keep looking

Col.

 

[oldravendale]

Here's a couple for today. The first, below, is a continuation of the previous posting as it shows a vehicle on the extreme right which can be identified as one of the Oerlikon vehicles with one of the LMS sets in front. The recently restored LMS vehicle is on the extreme left. My earlier confusion is caused by remembering the ex LMS units as shown here, ie without the obvious grilles seen on the Oerlikon units, but they obviously had them at one end!



And the next is one of those promised for Larry, the interior of one of the vehicles. I don't know whether this is an Oerlikon car, an LMS one or even a 501 unit. There is another photo of a different interior to come, but the layout suggests that it's probably a similar car, or maybe even the same one but facing in the opposite direction.



Brian

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I don't know whether this is an Oerlikon car, an LMS one or even a 501 unit.

I would say it's a 501 unit interior as there are 3 bars across the door window, the side appears to be a continuous curve and the compartment windows have rounded corners.

The LMS compartment window corners are square and the Oerlikon stock has large saloon windows.

 

[LarryG]

Oerlikon stock was pretty spartan inside with low-back seats.

 

[oldravendale]

Only one today - it took me all evening to clean up and looks remarkably similar t the last one, but this one has pictures in the frames so is, in fact, a different subject. Possibly the photographer simply turned around. Following the advice above for which many thanks, this is probably the inside of a 501 unit.




Brian

 

[mickoo]

It's a 501 interior, as Dave notes; three bars across the door windows I think is unique to only this stock due to restricted clearances on the NLL. We used to call them prison trains. The seats have a distinctive Mk1 appearance and the luggage rack is very Mk1 in style.

 

[oldravendale]

Sometimes I wonder why I do this, particularly when the photos are total crappage like this one. However, they help to add some texture to the story and put some circumstantial background to other photos so I will persist. After a fat two hours of processing this is the latest. I believe it's Metropolitan T stock in the same approximate location as the P stock which Yorkshire Dave identified recently. Other than that, IMHO it has no saving graces but is published as part of a much larger set.....



Brian

 

[DougT]

Interesting shot, one possible saving grace..? it gives lie to the received wisdom that the railway lineside was always vegetation free in days gone by.

Really fascinating collection of shots these.

Doug

 

[richard carr]

Sorry Brian, but that was just a waste of your time.

Richard

 

[76043]

As a professional photographer I find it intriguing, I can imagine the story behind it could be catching the unit before it got away. You know that it will be a wasted shot, but you take it anyway, as soon as the shutter is pressed you feel the disappointment and when the shots are developed the disappointment is confirmed. But sometimes you have to take a chance and sometimes it comes good, so you know you'll do it again.

But it's also intriguing because we don't know anything else about this collection or photographer, so for me it adds to the mystery.
Tony

 

[Overseer]

Maybe not a great photo but the more you look the more there is to see. Looks like great inspiration for hiding a fiddle yard entrance in a rural setting. Track in a small valley or cutting with some trees then disappears into a dense copse. Add the pylon and high tension power lines to distract the eye. Could make a convincing solution to a difficult problem for some people.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I believe it's Metropolitan T stock in the same approximate location as the P stock which Yorkshire Dave identified recently.

More than likely T stock (or possibly Dreadnought with the loco at the front of the train in the distance) but I don't think it's the same location as the P stock photo (which is in a deeper cutting with telegraph poles). If it's T (or Dreadnought) stock this may be between Rickmansworth or Watford and Moor Park or even on the Chesham branch just after electrification.

What is noticeable is the absence of the lineside telegraph poles whereas the P stock photo has telegraph poles but no wires.

 

[oldravendale]

A waste of time in one way, Richard, but as you can see it's again stimulated some interesting discussion. Thanks to all for extra info and comments. I'm adding all this to the data to go with the photos - we'll never know the precise dates of these photos but we have some dates we can surmise, at least within a year or two. Locations are sometimes more difficult, but as has been suggested already some intelligent guesswork comes up with likely suggestions.

The next two are a bit more easy to interpret. Clearly this is the front end of a Class 24 with a 501 unit in the background (thanks for confirming the interior shots earlier, Mick) and the lack of a yellow panel will give a bracketable date. I surmise that this was actually soon after the diesel was delivered as there were quite a few allocated to Willesden. Location IMHO is almost certainly Stonebridge Park.





This one gives context to the above. It looks as though the Class 24 is about to be used to remove some Oerlikon stock from Stonebridge Park, and bearing in mind the earlier pictures this is probably on the way to the breakers. That may be a shunters hook on the front of the electric unit.


Brian

 

[DougT]

D5018 was allocated to Camden from October 1959 to January 1966. It had been at Crewe before that.

Replacement of the Oerlikon trains took place between 1957 and 1960

Would suggest that this places the shots between October 1959 and the time the last Oerlikon units were disposed of.

D

 

[oldravendale]

Thanks Doug. I don't think we could get a closer date than that!

Brian

 

[Martin Shaw]

Brian
Fascinating collection, re the interior views confirmed as class 501, the similarity to SR EPB stock is marked, in fact to all intents and purposes the same. I guess since they were all built at Eastleigh it's hardly surprising.
Regards
Martin

 

[oldravendale]

Here's the submission for tonight.

Firstly an unidentified motor. I've no idea about its significance. The best we can assume is that it's around 1958 - 60.



Next, something a bit more interesting from my personal point of view. This is D5018 once again coupled up to the Oerlikon unit as in a previous shot. Note the (possibly) shunter's pole on the front of the electric unit. There's someone in the cab - I wonder why.



Finally, the same train. Someone is joining the train in the cab. Could this be a necessity to work the brakes or for some other reason? As far as I remember most of the usable material was removed from units - (certainly on the Southern Region) - before they went for scrap. If that occurred on the LMR as well surely a train of units for scrap would be effectively an unfitted freight?



Brian

 

[simond]

I’d bet a pound that the motor is pretty definitely a traction motor, but I know no more.

Best
Simon

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Someone is joining the train in the cab. Could this be a necessity to work the brakes or for some other reason?

Brian

Must be to wind the brakes on, the hoses are not connected between loco and stock.
Col.