George Heiron's Travels: Midland and Western Preview

GeorgeHeiron’sTravels: MidlandandWestern

GeorgeHeiron’sphotographs DescribedbyLesliePrice

Image25:Awonderfullynostalgicscenefullofatmosphere,fromtheausteredaysofthe1950’s;itlookssomewhatbleakandcold, exceptfortheboilerof‘Jubilee’‘Jervis’again,glisteninginthelowsun,attackingFiltonBank.Thisthenisdecidedlyamid-winter shot,whenthesunonlyrisesmarginallyabovetheyardarm.WearenowsomewhereinthevicinityoftheplatformendsofAshley HillStationlookingsouthtowardsTempleMeads;notethe‘PASSENGERSarenotallowedtoCROSStheRAILWAYexcept bytheBRIDGE’noticeinthebottomlefthandcorner.Inthecoldandlowlighttheengine’sexpressheadlampsglowandinthe foreground,therunnerbeanshavewitheredontheirricketysticksintheallotment.Theothersigntotheleftreads‘CYCLINGON THISPATHSTRICTLYPROHIBITED’.Clearlytheverywellwrappedupmanonhisbicycleisblithelyignoringit(surelythere musthavebeenasimilarsignattheotherendofthepath!).Andisthepartlyseencycle,parkedagainstthefencebesidethesign, George’strustysteed?Closeinspectionofthephotographrevealsthat‘Jervis’iscarryingaheadboardatthetopofitssmokebox doorandtheonlytrainthatthiscouldcontendforis‘TheDevonian’.ThistrainplieditstradeallyearroundbetweenYorkshire andDevonforfortyeightyearsfrom1927to1975.Throughoutthe1950’sthenorthboundtrainleftPaigntondailyaround9.30am; inwinterasinthispicture,loadedtoeightcoaches,itleftTempleMeadsaround12.45pm. GH0910

Image71:FurthernorthontheothersideofShortwoodSidingsanotherpublicfootpathcrossedtherailway.Thisisanareawhere GeorgeandShirleymusthavetakentheireveningstrolls.HereGeorgepersuadedhiswifetositonthecornerofthewoodenstileto watchthetraingoby.Inhisphotographsheoftenusedamemberofhisfamilyasameansofprovidingperspective.Asinthiscasethe techniquealsooftenledtheeyeintohispicture.Theintroductionofayoungladyalsoaddscharmtotheatmosphereofaneveningstroll acrossthefields.Notethefiremanlookingoutfromthelocomotive’scab;hashegothiseyesonherorhadhespottedthecameraman waitingandtakentheopportunitytobeintheshot?Theex-MidlandRailwaydesignofShortwoodSidingssignalbox,whichcanjust beseeninthebackground,wasonthe‘Up’side.ThebracketsignaloppositetheboxcontrolledtheentrancetotheShortwoodBrickand TileCompanysidings.Theexpress,largelycomposedofBRMk1coacheshasjustpassedtheShortwood‘Home’startersignalandthe ‘Distant’signalbelowitisalsoclearedforastraightrunthroughWesterleighSouthJunction.ThetrainengineisaBR‘StandardClass 5’73015whichwasbasedatBarrowRoad(22A)fromMay1957toJuly1965sowiththisphotographhavingtheappearanceofalate 1950’s/early1960’sviewtheinferenceis,itisheadingforBirmingham. GH1236

Image99:Thisisanabsolutelylovelyscene;takentowardsthesettingsunonaspringtimeevening,asshownbytheblossomon thebushintheforeground.WearenowatRodfordlessthanamilefurtheronwhereGeorgeobviouslysawthisoldgnarledtree anduseditasbothaframeandhispointofperspectivetocapturethisveryartisticandarrestingview.OneoftheubiquitousexMidlandFowler’Class‘4F’0-4-0’s,whichlookssuspiciouslylike‘43953’,headsaverymixedassortmentofvansandwagonspast YateSouthJunction‘Up’DistantSignal.ThroughoutadecadefromJune1949toApril1959thisenginewasconsistentlynoted onitshomesheddisplayingaBristolBarrowRoad(22A)shedcodeplate.Withthechangeofregionalboundariesitbecame82E andtheengine’sshedcodeplatewaschangedaccordingly.BytheCarriersActof1830therailwayswereconsideredtobeCommon Carriers.ButtheRailwayandCanalTrafficAct1854placedadditionalobligationsontherailwaysduetotheirmonopolystatus. Eachrailwaycompanywasnowrequiredtotakealltradeofferedandtosetandpublishthesamelevelsoffarestoall,inrespect ofanyparticularservice.Thissituationcontinuedwiththenationalisationoftherailwaysin1948.Bytheendof1960BRhad accumulatedadeficitof£500million.TheTransportAct1962remediedthis,butironicallyalsoenactedtherecommendationsofthe BeechingReportwhichledtotheclosureofsomuchoftherailwayinfrastructure. GH0108

Image108:GeorgeobviouslycontinuedtovisitYateduringeveningsintothedieselareatocontinueworkingonhisnight-time photography.ThispicturerecordsaBRType4‘PeakClass’DieselElectricD29duringacallatYate. Thisisanothersuccess withthepictureclearlyshowingthecablitupwiththedriverandsecondmanawaitingthe‘rightaway’.The‘Peaks’wereinthe vanguardoftheearliestmainlinedieselsproduced.Thefirstten,gainedthesobriquet,duetoeachbeinggiventhenameofan EnglishorWelshmountainpeak.Theyproduced2,300horsepower.SubsequentmembersoftheClass,ofwhich’D29’wasone, wereproducedwithagreaterhorsepowerof2,500.Therewereonehundredandninety-threelocomotivesofthecombinedClasses built.‘D29’wasdeliverednewfromDerbyWorks(17A)on13thMay1961butwasverysoonre-allocatedtoLeeds,firstatNeville Hill(55H)fromJune1961andthenHolbeck(55A)untilAugust1968.The6.30pmsemi-fastTempleMeadstoBirmingham(New Street)stillranintheWinter1960/61WesternRegionpublictimetable,validuntil11thJune1961buttherewasalsoalater stoppingtrainfromTempleMeadstoGloucester(Eastgate)whichcalledatYateat10.15pm,whichcouldbethetraininthis picture. GH0811

Image124:Movingfromthewarmthofasummereveningthesecondpicturestarklycontraststhesamesceneindeepmid-winter. ItmusthavetakensomegritonGeorge’sparttodriveoutfromhometoasmallcountrylaneintheheartofruralGloucestershire insuchconditionswiththehopeofgettingagoodphotograph.Thegroundisblanketedinsnowandintheskyitlooksasthough thereismoretocome.Buthiseffortwasworthit,capturingthisphotographofwhatappearstobea‘BRStandardClass5’pressing onwardthroughthiswinterwonderlandwithaTempleMeadstoBirminghamexpress.Thelandmarkinthebackgroundwhich marriesthetwopicturestogetherisaverysubstantialfarm.ThisisHallEndFarmhouse.Itisanearly17thCenturybuilding, remodelledin1688,standingonamedievalsite.ItwasGradeIIlistedinSeptember1952.Notethatsomeofthewindowsonthe trainareopen;eitherthetrainiscarryingfewpassengersorthoseonboardareveryhardysouls.Thereweretwomemorable ‘whiteout’ChristmasandNewYearperiodsduringtheearly1960’s.In1961therunuptotheNewYearintroducedheavysnowfalls withdepthsofsnowreaching12-16inches,givingawhiteNewYeartomanyplaces.Thefollowingyearwasfarworse.Significant snowfallbeganonBoxingDayandcoldairbecamefirmlyestablished.Thebigfreezebegan.Asthenacallowyouth,thewriter recalls,returningtoLondonbytrainfromShrewsburyinsuchconditionsafteraChristmasbreakathome.Iremembertravelling throughacuttingsomewhereinthevicinityofHaddenhamintheChilternsandallthatcouldbeseenoutofthecarriagewindow wasasheerwallofsnow;IbelievethiswasreportedtobethefirsttrainonthelinetogetthroughsinceChristmas.Athawdidnot beginuntil6thMarch.Thispicturecouldhavebeentakenduringeitherwinter. GH0707

Image138:AclassicHeironpinsharpphotographofapristineex-GW‘GrangeClass’6871‘BourtonGrange’speedingoutofthesouth endofWickwarTunnelwitha‘Class3’parcelstrain.Thelocomotive’spresentationcoulddeceiveoneintobelievingthispicturewould havebeentakenmuchearlierthanitactuallywas.Howevercloseinspectionofthesmokeboxdoorrevealstheengine’sshedcodetobe 2B.‘BourtonGrange’hadbeenre-allocatedfromLlanelly(87F)toOxley(then84B)duringtheearlyautumnof1960.Howeveron1st January1963,duetoWesternRegionboundarychanges,OxleyhadbeentransferredtotheLondonMidlandRegionandsubsequently became2Bfrom1stSeptember.Whilstthesechangesweretakingplace‘6871’wasnotedon24thMarchinStaffordRoadWorksat Wolverhamptonundergoinganoverhaul.Puttingthisinformationtogethersuggeststhisphotographwouldhaveperhapsbeentaken duringearlyautumn1963.Thetrainitselfwaslikelytobea‘Parcels’fromtheWestMidlandstoBristol.‘BourtonGrange’wasagain notedin‘A’shopatSwindonWorksundergoingfurtherattentioninApril1964.Shewaseventuallywithdrawnfromserviceonlyeighteen monthslateron16thOctober1965andwenttoCohen’sYardatKetteringwhereshewascutupduringMarch1966.Itisamatterofgreat regretthatnotevenasingle‘Grange’wasrescuedforpreservationbuthaditbeen,surely‘BourtonGrange’wouldhavebeenaprime candidate.Bywayofcompensation,anewlybuilt‘Grange’6880‘BettonGrange’,the’81stoftheClass,iscurrentlyunderconstruction. GH1330

trimwithitssmokeboxlookingpolishedandaverydistinguishing‘21A’shedplate.ThisenginewasbuiltfortheMidlandRailwayby ArmstrongWhitworthandreleasedintoservicein1921.IthadbeenallocatedtoSaltley(21A)duringthelate1940’sandwasnotedby anSLScorrespondententeringDerbyWorksforanoverhaulon30thApril1950,carryingitsLMSnumber‘3946’.Itmusthavebeen duringthisworksvisitthatitsBritishRailwaysnumberwasfirstapplied.Theengine’sappearancemaythereforesuggestthispicture beingtakenduringtheearlypartofthedecade.Thedurabilityandversatilityofthisclassoflocomotiveisperfectlydemonstratedinthis photographofathirtyyearsplusoldenginestillbeingdeployedonalongdistancemainlinefastfreight.The1,401yardslongWickwar Tunnel,whichhadlongstandingfloodingandassociatedproblems,openedatthesametimeastheBristolandGloucesterRailwayin 1844.ItwasoriginallyengineeredbyIsambardKingdomBruneltoaccommodatethebroadgaugebutwiththealmostimmediatetakeoveroftheB&GbytheMidlandRailway,waslaidtostandardgauge. GH0034

Image141:AnothericonicHeironphotograph,oneofthecompiler’sfavouritepictures;Georgeappearstohaveinveigledtheentire Wickwarstationstafftostandandsalutethepassageofan‘Up’BristoltoBirminghamexpress.Onparadeonthesignalboxbalcony are,accordingtotheirrespectiveuniforms,thestationmaster,porterandwithhisheadoutofthewindow;theWickwarsignalman. Viewedfromraillevelwehavequiteadramaticactionshotofanimmaculate‘JubileeClass6P5F’4-6-045662‘Kempenfelt’,thistime roaringthrough.WithregulatoropensheistakingfulladvantageofthefallinggradientonwardstoCharfield.Thehazeemitting fromthetunnelshroudsthebackground.Aswesawearlier‘Kempenfelt’wasalongtermresidentofBarrowRoad(22A)from,at least,1948rightthroughuntilOctober1961whenherexpressdutieswereusurpedby‘Peak’Diesels.Heresheisinimmaculate condition;acredittotheBarrowRoadcleaners.Thefirstcoachbehindthetenderisanex-LMSPeriod1coachfromthelate1920’s; theothersvisiblearealsoex-LMSbutofalaterflushsideddesignintroducedbyWilliamStanier,probablydatingthepicturetothe firstyearsofthedecade.OntheleftistheverysubstantialbuildingofWickwarBrewery.Intheforegroundissomeveryintricate trackworkassociatedwiththeGoodsShed.Thewindsofchangeareafoot.Atthisstagetheloopappearsstilltobeinuse,occupied byaBrakeVanandsometrucks. GH1320