TheDeptfordWharfBranch,Part1 AlanPostlethwaite
Openingin1704,DeptfordWharfwas originallyaprivateboatyardownedbythe Evelynfamily.Between1783and1812, twenty-threeRoyalNavywarshipsandtwo EastIndiamenwerelaunched(Ref. Wikipedia).Convictswerealsoexportedto Australia.Theyardwastakenoverbythe LBSCR,openingin1849withrailconnections toOldKentRoadandtobothsidesofNew CrossGate.Importsincludedtimberfrom Scandinavia,coalfromNEEnglandand generalgoods.Latterly,coalbecamedominant
withmanytrainsdailytothegasworksand powerstationsonWaddonMarsh,nearWest Croydon.Thewharfwasalsousedforempty stockandparcelsreversalstoandfromthe DownsideofNewCrossGate.Thebranch closedin1964andthewharfhassincebeen redevelopedwithhousingandoffices.
Thisfirstpartlooksatbothendsofthebranch. Inthenextissueof SouthernTimes, Part2will unraveltheColdBlowTangleinthemiddle ground.
Map:TheprimevalBermondseymarshesweredrainedto createmarketgardens.ThencameSurreyCommercial Docks,theGrandSurreyCanal,theCroydonCanaland thenthenumerousrailwaysthatkilledthefarms,followed bysuburbaninfillofhousing,businessesandpublic services.Thismapshowstherailwaytanglein1908. TherewasonceanadditionalspurfromOldKentRoadto theDownsideofNewCrossGate. TheRailwayClearing House
Left:JustnorthofNewCrossGatestation,thesestately LBSCRauxiliarysignalsareguardingthestartsoftheOld KentRoadspur,theEastLondonlineandtheDeptford Wharfbranch. JohnJ.SmithCollection,BluebellRailway Archives,ca1910
Oppositetop:EastLondonUpJunctionsignalboxwasof Saxby&Farmerpattern.Thefootbridgewasprovidedfor staffuseoverthemultitudeofrunninglinesandsidings. JohnJ.Smith,BluebellRailwayArchives,1961
Oppositebottom:HeavycoaltrainsfromDeptfordWharf randailytotheCroydongasworksandpowerstations. PassingthroughBrockley,thisonehaspickedupa banker (E2class0-6-0TNo32104)atNewCrossGatefor the1in100ascentofForestHillbank.Therailway’s predecessor,theCroydonCanal,needed23locksforthis ascent.The4-SUBunitisaBulleidtypeandthegoods brakeisLBSCR. JohnJ.Smith,BluebellRailway Archives,1957
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ISSUE2 No30266ex-works–theflutedrodswillbenoted–carryingaSalisbury‘72B’shedcode.PossiblyoneSalisbury dutyforthetypewouldbeontheMarketHousebranchandanothershuntingtheyardatFisherton. The TransportTreasury Nexttime:theLSWRA120-4-2class
Oppositetop:Byrightsitshouldbearound2.00pmbuttheleadenskygivestheimpressionitmaywellbe somewhatlater.No35004 CunardWhiteStar isleavingSouthamptonCentralwiththedownBournemouthBelle butpossiblyonlyforashortdistanceasthedistantsignalforMillbrookremainsstubbornlyon. Oppositebottom:WemovenownorthandeasttoBrookwoodinMarch1955wherethecoldatmosphere emphasisesthesteamescapingfromtheinsidesofT9No30724asitdepartswithvansfromWaterlooto Southampton.Theoccupiedtrackcircuitaheadofthestartingsignalhasalreadyrestoredthesignalto‘on’,the latteroftheLSWRpneumatictype. Above:BetweenBasingstokeandSouthamptonwehavetheimpressivesightofwhatisprobablyanS15 (numbernottotallyidentified)workinghard.Onboardthecrewwillberoastedononesideandfreezingonthe other,theconcerninconditionssuchasthisisthatthewaterconnectionsbetweentenderandlocomotive mightfreezeandsorendertheinjectorsinoperable.Consideralsohowfarthephotographerwillhavehadto trudgetogethisshotaswell,andhowlongtowait? 51
60 Above:OntheBrightonmainline,wemovesouthtoGloucesterRoadJunctionandthe131Westinghouse‘L’frame installedinthenewboxbroughtintouseon21March1954andpartofStage3oftheCentralSectionColourLight SignallingScheme.Photographedon17March1954,fourdaysbeforegoing‘live’,againallisinplace,the131leverframe freshandnew.Ithadanoperationallifeof30years. BritishRailways
Oppositetop:Withtwodaysofquietleftbeforeallwouldbehustleandbustleasitcameintouse,thisisSouthCroydon on6May1955.31leversreplacingatleastonemechanicalboxhavingagreaternumberofmechanicalleversthus confirmingsomedualoperationwasinvolved.Invariablythiswasthedualfunctionofpointmovementandlockingwhich wouldbeconfirmedbythelightsbehind.Onlywhenthesehadbeenconfirmedwastheinterlockingwithintheframe releasedandtheleverabletobepulledtoitsfull(reverse)positionandtheappropriatesignalcleared. BritishRailways. Oppositebottom:NewCrossGate,interiorofthenewsignalbox,on29September1950.Traindescribertransmittersat eitherendandreceiversonthewallalongsidethediagram.Telephonesateitherend.Thisboxwasinusefor25years. BritishRailways SOUTHERNTIMES
Fromthearchives: Photofeature:Southern2/3carDEMUs
ikethemorloaththem,the2/3carDEMU setsthatoperatedontheSouthernRegion forinexcessof40yearswereafeaturethat manywillremember. Bornoutofaneedtoreplacesteamonlines notatthetimeconsideredworthwhilefor electrification,theirinitialintroductionwas greetedwithbothacclaimandcriticism. Acclaimasherewasamodern(sic) replacementforwhatwasseenasanold fashionedsteamtrain,butcriticismoverthe noiseandvibrationexperiencedwhen travellinginthepowercarandtherestricted toiletfacilitieswhenthesetswereusedon longerdistancewordings;whichhadnever beentheoriginalintention. Weseeherethreesetsinvariationsofgreen liveryworkingintheHampshirearea. 74 Above:EnteringStDenysfromthedirectionofPortsmouthisunit1130withaPortsmouthtoAndoverservice,via SouthamptonCentral.Portsmouth-AndoverservicesalsooperatedviaBotleyandEastleighbutwhichcarrieda‘54’ headcode. GrahamSmithcourtesyRichardSissons Oppositetop:AlltheoriginalHampshiresetswereoriginallybuiltwithjusttwocarsbutthiswassoonchangedwiththe exceptionofNos1120-1122.(No1122wasrarelyseeninHampshireworkinginsteadwithinSussex/Kent.)Here2-carset No1122isatAlresfordwaitingtodeparttowardsAlton.Onlylimitedfirstclassaccommodationwasprovided-two compartments-identifiedbytheyellowbandatcantrelllevel.Theyellowwarningpanelwasasteptowardsfullyellow ends,theyellowhandrailsratherrarer.Nos1120and1121wereregularperformersonthissteeplygradedline. Graham SmithcourtesyRichardSissons Oppositebottom:Temporarilyrunningwithoutitscentrecoach,unit1124isheadingwesttowardsTottonprobablyaround 1966/67andstillingreenlivery-thethird-railisinplace.The‘03’headcode’doesnotappearinanylistwehavelocated whilstcloseexaminationappearstoshowsomepassengersonboard. RogerHolmes4571
L
Firstly,thankstothosewho havekindlywritteninwith kindcommentsandconstructive suggestions.
Afewhavepointedoutthe(not) deliberatemistakerethecover captiononIssue1.Yes,we(morelike‘I’) gotthecovercaptionwrong.The ‘MerchantNavy’viewwassubstitutedfor the‘Schools’atthelastmoment,andof courseImeanttochangethecaption…. DoIblamethepublisher,thedog,the weather,anyotherexcuse;no,justme. Whatshouldhaveappearedasthecaption issimply,‘Schools,No905 Tonbridge at therearofEastleighshedbeingprepared foraboilerwashout.’
Severalreadershavealsobeentouchon othertopics,westartwith MartinJames ‘HelloSouthernTimes.Ienjoyedthefirst
edition…Ihopethefollowingwillbeof interest.…Thelocationofthephotoonthe topofpage26isBoscombeStation.The overbridgecarriesAshleyRoad…anda tramwaytractionpole-whichwasinthe middleoftheroad-canclearlybeseen.The locationofthephotoonpage29isBodmin North.ForsomereasontheH12/H13isinthe yardonthethirdlinefromtheplatform.The ramshacklebuildinginthebackgroundison thegoodsshedroad-vanshavingtocome throughthegoodsshedforloading/ unloading….’.
Wehavealsobeenfortunateenoughto receive‘bestwishesforthefuture’notesfrom anumberofreaders,Iwillmentionjustafew byname;BillAllen,ChristopherFifield,Colin Martin,TonyTeague,AlastairWilsonamongst others.
Gentlemen,Ithankyou.
Fromthefootplate
80 WewererecentlypassedtheoriginaloftheabovefromBarryCoombe.OfficialviewofNo35004 CunardWhiteStar of course(withwhitebuffers),andwiththeadditionofthesignatureofthegreatmaninthebottomcorner.Onthereverseis the‘SouthernRailwayCopyrightFree’stamp,thedateof9January1942andthereferenceA3363.Possiblythiswasone ofseveralprintscirculatedandtheoriginalownersubsequentlymetMrBandsimplyaskedhimtosignit.
