Prototype Tim Mills' Photos

[oldravendale]

Martin @Martin Shaw , thank you for the details about 31501 and also 31890, and thanks too to Roger @Scanlon for further info. I knew the story about the Rivers but hadn't put Rivers and U1s together previously.

And thanks for those photos Dave @Yorkshire Dave . Much appreciated. Personally I think all the Southern moguls look better without smoke deflectors but the Brighton K is the best looking of the lot.

Schools Class 30932 Blundells on shed at Ramsgate on 17th August 1958. In post #3309 we saw this loco on the scrap line at Ashford Works Yard on 3rd June 1961. I believe this was the second Schools to be withdrawn - Harrow (30919) was the first. I saw and photographed this loco in the yard at Ashford accompanied by 30933 during my trip on 5th April 1961. It had been a long time resident of Bricklayers Arms where it had been in and out of store since June 1950 but was finally withdrawn in January 1961 so it hung around Ashford for a long while. It was observed in February, May, July and August at Ashford (RO and SLS) and was eventually cut up week ending 19th August 1961.

Lurking behind is U1 31906.



A regrettably horribly underexposed photo of Black 5 44984 in August 1958. I believe this to be at Kentish Town Shed. It was on the Bedford allocation in June 1956 until it moved to Kentish Town in January 1960. It then went to Leicester GC in March 1962, Bedford in June and Cricklewood in July 1963, back to Leicester GC in February and Annesley in July 1964, then Colwick in January 1966 where it was withdrawn in November. (SLS). It was scrapped at Cashmore’s, Great Bridge, in March 1967. (BR Database)



61XX 2-6-2T 6136 on a Reading local train on the GW main line at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. The loco was allocated to Slough from August 1948, moved to Didcot in September 1960 and finally Oxford in July 1965 where it was withdrawn in January 1966. (SLS). It was scrapped at Cashmore’s, Newport, in May 1966. (BR Database).



We saw this loco in post #2823. It’s King Class 6001 King Edward VII here on a Birmingham train at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. The loco had been allocated to Stafford Road since October 1954 and was withdrawn at the end of September 1962. (SLS). It was sold for scrap in December the same year and went to Cox and Danks, Oldbury. (BR Database). It was seen in store at Wolverhampton Stafford Road on 14th October 1962 along with a number of other King Class locos. (SLS)



Brian

 

[oldravendale]

Castle 4085 Berkeley Castle looking specially buffed up - had it been used on an enthusiast special, I wonder, on the GW main line at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. We've seen this in posts #2813 and #2863. 4085 was a Worcester engine in April 1958, Gloucester Horton Road in May, Worcester in March 1960 and became an Old Oak engine in September 1960. It was withdrawn in May 1962. (SLS). It went to Cashmore's, Newport for disposal which was completed in October the same year. (BR Database).



2251 Class 0-6-0 2276 on a goods train on the GW main line at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. Another 2251 Class in London which I never saw myself. BR Database records show the loco allocated to Old Oak Common from at least 1947 and both BR Database and the SLS report it at Shrewsbury from May 1960, then Machynlleth in June 1961where it was withdrawn in September 1962. It was scrapped in July 1964 at Cashmore’s, Great Bridge. (BR Database).

Above the eighth wagon is the footbridge remarked upon previously - a good place for seeing locos coming on and off Old Oak shed and with a great view of the main line too. The wall is between the Grand Union Canal towpath and the railway and somewhat further on there were breaches in the wall which gave reasonably covered access to the shed itself. I seem to remember that these were concrete segments rather than brick but memory is probably at fault...



In post #2326 this loco was seen in Old Oak Common factory but here Modified Hall 7902 Eaton Mascot Hall is on the main line at Old Oak where it had been allocated since new in 1949. It was withdrawn in June 1964 (SLS) and was scrapped at Swindon Works (RO) by the end of September. (BR Database)



Hall Class 6917 Oldlands Hall on a parcels train on the GW main line at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. BR Database report that the loco was allocated to Gloucester Horton Road from at least June 1947. It then went to Oxley in July 1961 and Banbury in January or February 1965 where it was withdrawn in the following September. (BR Database and SLS). It was scrapped by January 1966 (BR Database) and in December 1965 was photographed being cut up on site by J Friswell, Banbury (WHTS).



Brian

 

[daifly]

Castle 4085 Berkeley Castle looking specially buffed up - had it been used on an enthusiast special, I wonder

It was, perhaps, more infamous as being the loco that ran down G. J. Churchward when it was on a Paddington to Fishguard express on 19th December 1933 - it's the 91st anniversary of that event tomorrow.

Dave

 

[oldravendale]

I'd never heard that previously, Dave @daifly ...

N Class 31810 on shed at Ramsgate on 17th August 1958. The loco was at Stewarts Lane from at least 1948 (BR Database), Dover Marine in August 1959, Eastleigh May 1961 and Guildford in September 1963 where it was withdrawn in March 1964. (SLS). It was disposed of at Birds, Morriston, Swansea (RO) in July 1964 (BR Database).

I think I should have painted out that telegraph pole top/lighting post sprouting out of the chimney. I've only just noticed it!



L Class 31764 on an excursion arriving at Ramsgate on 17th August 1958. It was allocated to Ramsgate in October 1955 before going to Nine Elms in June 1959 where it was withdrawn in February 1961 (SLS) going to Ashford Works (SO) for disposal which was completed in April 1961. (BR Database).



King Arthur 30795 Sir Dinadan on shed at Ramsgate on 17th August 1958. Home shed was Stewarts Lane where it was allocated in June 1956 before going to Feltham in June 1959 and finally Basingstoke in October 1960 where it was withdrawn in August 1962. (SLS). It was scrapped at Eastleigh Works week ending 3rd August 1962.

Who else had the Hornby model?? Looked exactly not quite like this.



94XX 0-6-0PT 9406 on a local train at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. (In the event of a 61XX not being available a pannier tank was normally commandeered). The loco was allocated to Slough in May 1951 moving to Southall in September 1963 and finally Old Oak Common in November the same year where it was withdrawn in October 1964. (SLS). It was observed in store at Southall in November 1964 then went to Bird’s, Risca (WHTS) where it was scrapped in December the same year. (BR Database).



Brian

And Seasons Greetings to all.

 

[timbowales]

Season's greetings to you too.
Accompanied by a huge thank-you for your time and trouble scanning and posting these wonderful images

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

L Class 31764 on an excursion arriving at Ramsgate on 17th August 1958. It was allocated to Ramsgate in October 1955 before going to Nine Elms in June 1959 where it was withdrawn in February 1961 (SLS) going to Ashford Works (SO) for disposal which was completed in April 1961. (BR Database).

Interesting mix of coaching stock. As far as I can make out from the engine: Maunsell restriction 4 brake third > SECR 'Continental' > Maunsell restriction 4 full third > SECR 'Continental' > SECR 'Continental' > Maunsell restriction 4 > Maunsell restriction 4 > SECR 'Continental' > Maunsell restriction 4 (brake?) and what appears to be a loco at the rear (when enlarged).

This is a Sunday excursion and if the 17th August 1958 excursion followed the same pattern as the April to June 1958 excursions in the February 1958 handbill, then this will be around 19:15 (7.15 pm) on it's return from Margate via Broadstairs to Ramsgate thence to it's origin. However the headcode doesn't fit as it is Ashford (Kent) and Dover via Minster and Deal. As far as I can make out Margate and Ramsgate services did not carry this headcode.



The chimneys on the right are Ramsgate power station.

 

[oldravendale]

Thanks to you, Tim @timbowales for your contributions to this site and to everyone else who has expanded and corrected the available and sometimes misleading information. Thanks too to those who have contacted me by way of PMs. I'm so pleased to see that the site is gathering people along the way, at least judging by the "Likes" and that, for me, is what it's all about. There's still a huge quantity of material to come so I hope those viewing this will continue to enjoy and let me know when you've had enough.

There have even been some mentions of photos believed to originate from here which have appeared elsewhere, in breach of copyright. This sort of message is of value to me as Tim's family are jealous of the copyright and I do all I can to protect it. So far I'm pleased to say that no breaches have been detected after investigation.

Moving on to yours, Dave @Yorkshire Dave , I think we can say with a degree of certainty that sometimes Tim's descriptions are somewhat fanciful and photos this early in Tim's photographic journey may be more prone to misdescription than those from later (although sadly many of his much later colour slides have no information attached at all). I suspect img3555 falls in to the category of those photos where we can legitimately question the veracity of the attached data. Thank you for providing corrective info, Dave, and I suspect that this is indeed an Ashford/Dover train. Thanks too for your run down of the stock. Now you mention it that could indeed be another loco at the tail of the train but if so I wonder why?

Tanner-oner 6133 on an up local on the GW main line at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. This was a Slough engine from at least June 1947 (BR Database), then Oxford in November 1959 and Southall in January 1960 where it was withdrawn in November 1963. (SLS). It went to King’s of Norwich for disposal where it was observed intact in November 1964 and was cut up in December 1964 (RO) although BR Database report a scrapping date as early as March.



Seen previously in post #2523 is King Class 6012 King Edward VI with the head board for The Mayflower on the GW main line at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. It moved from Old Oak Common where it was allocated in July 1954 to Stafford Road in April 1962 and was withdrawn from there in September. (SLS). It was scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury in October 1963. (BR Database).



Condensing 57XX pannier tank 9706 previously seen in posts #1239 and #2372 here with empty stock on the GW main line at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. It had been an Old Oak engine for ever – since at least 1947 and probably when new in 1933 (BR Database) and was withdrawn from there in November 1964. (SLS). It went to RS Hayes/Birds, Tremains Yard, Bridgend where it was scrapped by the end of February 1965. (Rail UK).



Castle Class 5004 Llanstephan Castle on the GW main line at Old Oak Common on 16th August 1958. It was allocated to Landore in April 1958, moving to Neath (Court Sart) in June 1961 and withdrawal in April 1962. (SLS). It was scrapped at Swindon Works in June the same year. (BR Database).



Brian

 

[Martin Shaw]

Some notes,

6133 Slough 1/48, Oxford 11/59, Southall 1/60, Reading 11/63, Wdn 12/63. This is according to Longworth, note the month at Reading which may or not have been a paper transfer.

6012 It looks as though it's going backwards to OOC shed for servicing presumably having hauled the up Mayflower. Both the crew are looking over the tender and there is what appears to be a tail lamp on the front buffer beam. The steam from the safety valves also strongly suggests this.

9706 was indeed allocated to OOC new in 12/33, all of the series 9700-10 going there between Sept 33 and Jan 34. 9701/2/5/7/9 had a spell at Southall in 1940/41, 9707 after OOC went to Southall 30/11/63 and a paper transfer to Taunton 24/8/64, Wdn 9/64. The rest were all withdrawn from OOC, 9706 being the last in 11/64.

5004 Llanstephan Castle Old Oak Common 21/12/35, Shrewsbury 6/56, Canton 20/9/57, Landore 20/3/58, Neath 13/6/61, Wdn 3/4/62, Cut up 6/62. These are Irwell's dates, Longworth agrees apart from Shrewsbury which he has as 5/56.

Fortunately I didn't have to go Christmas shopping today.

Martin