Lost Diesels, Lost Lines Preview

LostDiesels, LostLines

EvanGreen-Hughes

LostDiesels, LostLines

EvanGreenHughes

PassengersNoMore

OppositeTop: TheEnglishElectricType1,orClass20,wasoneofthesuccessstoriesoftheModernisation Planandonceranto228examples.Althoughthebulkofthemwerewithdrawninthe1980s,ahandful soldieredonformanyyearsafterthatandeventodayafewarestillactiveonthenationalnetwork.The locomotiveswereintendedforlightfreightworkbutdidoccasionallyfindthemselvesonotherduties,suchas herewhereD8110iscapturedonAugust25th 1962whileworkinganemptycoachingstocktrainofPullman vehiclesatSaughton,nearEdinburgh.Saughtonstationopenedin1842andatonetimehadtwoplatformson theEdinburghtoGlasgowrouteandafurthertwoonthelinestotheForthBridge.However,itclosedasearly as1921butthesiteremainedbusyasithadgoodsyardsatbothsidesoftheline.Thelocomotiveavoidedthe fateofmanyofitsclassmatesandhasenjoyedalongcareerbothinpreservationandalsobackonthemain line,beingcurrentlybasedattheBattlefieldLine. GMStaddon

OppositeBottom: CentralStationwasformanyyearstheterminususedbytrainsfromLondontoLeeds. Openedin1854asajointeffortbetweentheNorthEastern,GreatNorthern,LancashireandYorkshireand LondonandNorthWesternrailways,thecrampedstationwasmainlyabovestreetlevel.Closedcompletelyin 1967,itsservicesweretransferredtoLeedsCityandthesitewaslevelledandredeveloped,andtodayhouses amixtureofofficesandapartments.ExpresstrainstoLondonwereoftenworkedbythefamous‘Deltic’ locomotives,thefinalmemberofwhich,D9021ArgyllandSutherlandHighlander,isseenheredroppingontoits stockreadyforanotherSouthboundworking.The‘Deltics’revolutionisedEastCoasttravelandwerethefirst enginescapableofconsistent100mphrunning.Theyfirstappearedin1961butallweregoneby1982,having beenreplacedbynewHighSpeedTrains.D9021,as55021,wasscrappedatDoncasterinSeptember1982. D9021

Below: Twoofthenotoriously-unreliableNorthBritish-builtClass21s,D6141andD6150,callatMaudstationin AberdeenshireonMarch1st 1965withonlytwocoachesofalocalpassengertrainintow.Maudwasajunction wherethelinefromAberdeensplitintotworoutes,onetoPeterheadandonetoFraserburgh,andopenedin 1861aspartofthe29-mileroutefromDycetoMintlaw.Passengerserviceswerewithdrawnin1965butfreight continuedforafewmoreyearsbeforetotalclosure.Todaythesitehousesasmallrailwaymuseum.Bothof theselocomotiveshadveryshortworkinglives,beingbuiltin1960andbeingcutuponlyeightyearslater,their earlydemisebeingduetothepooravailabilityrecordandtheirflawedMANpowerunits. SM539

Chapter3-Stations

AttheheightoftherailwayboomBritainhadaround5,000stations,whichrangedinsizefromgiant cityterminusestotinyoneplatformhalts.Mostwereconstructedinthemidtolate19th century,and althoughsomeweremodernisedduringtheirlives,manyremainedjustastheyhadoriginallybeen built,andfeaturedsuchperiodfixturesasgaslightingandoutdoortoilets.Duetothelackoftherail system’sprofitabilitymanyalsobecameextremelyrundown,beingpaintedinfrequentlyand maintainedonlyifandwhensomethingwentwrong.Inmanywaysourstationswereahangoverfrom theVictorianerathatwascompletelyunabletosatisfytheaspirationsofapopulationkeentoshakeoff thedeprivationsofthewaryears,andsofailedtoattractthetrafficthatmighthavekeptthemopen, despitetheintroductionofmoderntraction.

Above: Manyofthecountry’sstationswererelativelysimpleaffairswithlimitedfacilities,andatypicalexample ofthisisBlackfordHillwhichwasontheEdinburghandSouthsideJunctionRailway,justoutsideEdinburgh. AlthoughthislineisstillopentodayitisonlyusedbyfreightserviceswhichrequiretoavoidEdinburgh’s congestedmainstations.Thestation,however,wasclosedin1962and,despiteeffortstore-openitinrecent years,remainssotoday.Oneofthe‘Clayton’Type1sisseenpassingtheclosedstationdemonstratingoneof theclass’sless-populartraits,thatofejectinglargequantitiesofblacksmokewhenunderload.Theselocos werealsowell-knownforspontaneouslycombusting,andseveralwerebadlydamagedbyfireduringtheirshort lives.Althoughafour-characterheadcodeboxwasfittedScottishcrewsseemedtohaveanaversiontousing it,ascanbeseenhere. D85xxGMStaddon

OppositeTop: InJuly1964,withasadmessagechalkedonitsfrontbufferbeam,BTHType1D8221haulsthe finalfreighttrainfromBurySt.EdmundstoLavenhaminSuffolkandisseenmakingacallattheremainsof Welnethamstation,whichhadclosedtopassengersthreeyearspreviously.Inthe1960smanystationsthat wereactuallyopenhadbecomerundowntothiskindofconditionandsoitisnosurprisethatsomuchtraffic waslosttothebusandthecar.Whilethecrewseemverypleasedwiththeturnofevents,theywould, presumably,likethousandsofotherrailwaymen,soonlosetheirjobs.Welnethamstationsurvivestoday, however,asthebuildingshavebeenconvertedintoaluxuryhousebutthelocomotivewasnotsolucky,being withdrawnin1971andscrappedatCreweworks. D109

OppositeBottom: Duringthe1960senthusiastsorganisedmanyspecialtrainssothattheycouldtakeafinal journeyoveroneorotheroftheroutesthatwerebeingcloseddown,andtheLavenhambranchwasno exceptionwiththestationbeingvisitedonJune4th 1961byaramblers’specialhauledbyBrushType2D5537 andwiththetraincontainingmostlywoodencarriagesofGresleyorigin.Theheadboardproclaimsthisasthe lasttrainandthismaybethecaseasthelinehadactuallyclosedtopassengertrainssixweeksbefore. ConsideringitslocationLavenhamstationwaslavishlyequipped,themainstationbuildinghavingatwo-storey stationmaster’shouseandattachedstationfacilitiessuchasbookingoffice,waitingroomandtoilets.There wasalsoalargegoodsyard,signalbox,cattledockandgoodsshed.Afterclosurethesitewasoccupiedbya factorybutthathasnowinturnbeenreplacedbyhousing. D5537

Above:

untilcompleteandcontroversialclosurein1969.Hawickwasoriginallytheterminusofthelineandwasserved

November23rd 1968andonlysixweeksbeforethelineclosedforgoodtheBorderRailwaySocietyorganiseda ‘FarewelltotheWaverleyRoute’tour,withthisbeinghauledbyBRCWClass26D5311.Thetrainisseenat Hawickstationwhichtodayisthenexttargetofthosehopingthatonedaythewholeroutemightbereopened. SofarreconstructionhasproceededasfarasTweedbank,adistanceof31miles,atacostof£295m.The Class26inthepicturehasbeenluckierthanthelineandwaspreservedin1983,althoughitiscurrentlystored. WS9423

Below: LocomotivesbuiltbytheBirminghamRailwayCarriageandWagonCompanywereverymuchafeature oftheScottishsceneformanyyearsandthisviewofEastKilbridestation,takenonAugust14th 1972,isno exceptionasitshowsD5398engagedintripfreightworkwhileaCravens-builtDMUcallsattheadjacent platform.Thegoodsyardherehandledalargeamountofcoaltrafficandthiswasstillthecaseuntilverylatein thestation’shistory.Intheeventthiswasnotenoughtosavethegoodsyard,whichclosedaround1983,with thesitesubsequentlybeingsoldoffforhousing.Thestationitselfisstillopenbutisattheendofwhatis essentiallyalongsidingandtheportionoflinebeyondthestationthatwasusedforshuntinghasbeen abandonedandtornup.Thelocomotiveitselfwasscrappedin1977atStRolloxworks,Glasgow,as27039. WS9747

TheWaverleyprovidedanalternativeroutebetweenEnglandandScotlandfromitsbuildingin1862

bytrainsfromEdinburgh,butitbecameathroughstationwhenthelinewascompletedtoCarlisle.On

ShuntingByways

Below:

trainscameintoclosecontactwithroadtraffic.OneofthesewasatWeymouthQuaywherepassengersbound forChannelIslandsferrieswereconveyeddirectlytothedocksbywayoftheQuayTramway.Here,onAugust 15th 1966aheavily-ladentrainproceedsslowlydowntheline,accompaniedbyapoliceconstable,andhauled byanotherDrewryClass04.Thefirstofthe142Class04swasbuiltin1947withexamplesbeingbuiltbythe VulcanFoundryandRobertStephensonandHawthornsandthereweremanydifferencesbetweenindividual members.D2295isfromalaterbatchthantheWisbechengineandthereforehaslargerdrivingwheelsandan improvedcab.EliminationofmanyofBR’sgoodsyardsmeantthattheselocomotivesweredisposedofin favourofthelaterClass03andasaresultallhadgoneby1972.D2295waswithdrawnin1971whilethe WeymouthTramwayfinallyclosedin1999. D2295

Streetrunningwasnotrestrictedtoruralareasandthereweremanyotherinstanceswhereordinary

Chapter7-Terminus

Nowadaysarailwayterminusisalmostalwaysoneofourmoremajorstations,atoneendoranotherof amainline,butinthepasttheendofthelinecouldequallywellbeinacountryfieldorsomeother ruralbyway.Thepost-warrailwaycontainedmanysuchstations,mostofwhichwerehangingontoa precariousexistenceduetocompetitionfromroadlorries,carsandbuses,andalmostallofwhich werelosingmoneyataconsiderablerate.Therewerealsosomelargestationsthatwereeffectively wastefulduplicatesofothersinthesametownorcityandwhichwereanunnecessaryluxury.Diesels arrivedearlyenoughtobeseenatmanyofthesestations,althoughtheirreignwastobeshort-livedas mostofthesestationsclosedasaresultoftheBeechingreview.

Above: TheEastofEnglandatonetimecontainedalargenumberofdelightfulbranchlines,andoneofthese wasthesix-mileroutebetweenWickhamMarketandFramlinghaminSuffolk,whichopenedtopassengersin 1859.Althoughsubstantialstationbuildingswereprovidedtherewasonlyoneshortplatformandpassenger loadingswerealwayslight,leadingtoservicesbeingwithdrawnin1952.Goodstrafficwasatonetimemuch moresignificantandthisenabledthebranchtoremainopenuntil1963whenallserviceswerefinally withdrawn.InthefinalyearsthesewerecustomarilyworkedbytheBTHClass15s,oneofwhich,D8220,is seenhitchedtoacoupleofwagonsintheformerpassengerplatforms. D177

OppositeTop: TheextentofthestationbuildingsatFramlinghamcanbejudgedbythisview,whichshows sisterClass15D8221preparingtoshuntthealmostemptyyard.Thereisevidenceofconsiderablecoaltraffic evenatthislatedate,whilethesizeoftheadjacentwarehousesgivesevidencetothefreighttrafficwhichonce flowedfromthislocation.Atonetimethebranchevenhaditsownsteamengineandashedforthiswas providedatthislocation.Todaythestationbuildingstillexistsalthoughthisisusedasaretailunit,thesameis nottrueofthelocomotivewhichwaswithdrawnin1971afteronly11yearsinservice,andlatercutupat Crewe. D248

Chapter9-Demolition

Althoughtherehadbeensomeclosuresbeforetherailwayswerenationalised,thebulkweretocomeas aresultoftheBeechingReportwhichrecommendedadrasticpruningofthesystem. Itwasironicthatmanyofthediesels,thathadbeenintendedtoturnroundthefortunesoftherailway, wereinsteaddeployedtoassistwiththedismantlinganddestructionofroutesthathadclosed. AlthoughmanylineswereliftedbyBritishRailwaysitselfandthereforeusedwhatevermainlinetraction wasavailable,somewereliftedbyprivatecontractorsandemployedtheirownlocomotives,probablythe firstandlasttimethatanindependentitemofmotivepowerhadbeenseenatmostofthelocations.In somecasesalso,dieselsweretomaketheironeandonlyappearancesonlinesthathadformerlybeen allsteam.

Above: TherailwaylinebetweenBangor,CaernarfonandAfonWeninNorthWaleswasonceavitalroutefor bringingintouristsandforconnectingthelocalpopulationbutdespiteitsusefulnessitwastobecomeavictim oftheBeechingclosures,withthelasttrainsrunninginDecember1964.Todaytherearecallsforthisrouteto bere-established,althoughthiswouldbeproblematicalaspartofithasdisappearedunderroadimprovements andthesectionbetweenCaernarvontoDinasisnowutilisedbythe1ft11.5ingaugeWelshHighlandRailway. HereBR/SulzerType2D5018isseenatCaernarfonTownrecoveringtrackshortlyafterthelineclosed.The locomotivewastobeluckierthantherailwaylineonwhichitisoperatingforitwastolastfor16yearsin service,finallybeingwithdrawnas24018in1975. KN1132

OppositeTop: Gatehouse-of-FleetwasonthePortpatrickandWigtownshireJointRailwayinScotlandandwas openedin1861.Itslocation,atsixmilesfromthetownitwassupposedtoserve,meantthatitwasvery vulnerabletolosingtradetoalternativemeansoftransportandthisprovedtobesoasmotorvehiclesbecame morewidelyavailable.Asaconsequence,thestationclosedin1965,alongwiththerestofthe‘port’line,with thestationbuildingsbecomingahouse.ThelastriteswereperformedbyEnglishElectricClass37D6856 whichisseenhaulingatrainloadofrecoveredmaterialsduringtrackliftingoperationsin1966.Thisenginewas toenjoy35yearsinservice,beingfinallywithdrawnin2000,beforebeingcutupatWigan. NF277-34

OppositeBottom: AnotherNorthBritishproductthatturnedouttobenotparticularlysuccessfulwastheirType 1,laterClass16.Only10oftheseengineswereconstructed,withtheperformanceoftheirPaxmanengines beingparticularlycriticisedwhenmeasuredagainstotherdesigns.AllofthemwereallocatedtoStratfordaftera shortperiodatDevonsRoad,Bow,butnonelastedforlongerthan10years.Hereoneexample,D8405,is seeninMarch1965haulingashorttrainthatisbeingusedtodismantletheremainsofWidfordStationonthe BuntingfordBranch.Thislittlestationhadbeenopenedin1863andonlyeverhadoneplatformandasmall signalboxthatcontrolledaccesstoacattleandgoodssiding.Littletraceoftherailwaynowremainsatthis locationandnoexamplesoftheClass16havebeenpreserved. D8405