Contents Introduction 3 TheGWRTraffic,LocomotiveandEngineeringDivisions5 LocomotiveMiscellanyfromtheArchivesofRCRiley Part1:Four-CoupledTenderEngines16 SwindonWorksMay1920 22 ShepherdingtheBranchLine“CornishRiviera” 24 ISpyStrangersbyJefferyGrayer 28 TheNewtonAbbotBreakdownTrain 30 BookReview 35 A FewClosedLines 36 PassengerDivisionsandSuburbanSets 40 ModernTraction 44 SomeEarlyIncidentsandAccidents 50 JohnArmstrong 57 GWRBarrowsbyAmyasCrump 60 ReadingSignalWorks:AnInitialPerspective 65 TheStationDiagramBooks 72 ModernisingtheWestern:Part1-Laira 78 TheGuard’sCompartment 80
THEGWRTRAFFIC, LOCOMOTIVE AND ENGINEERING DIVISIONS
inter-actionwithothers.
TheGWR(inmodernmanagement-speak)was verticallyintegratedinmanufacturingmostofthe fixedandmobile assetsthatit operated.Therewere afewnotableexceptions-forexamplesteelrails, breakdowncranesbyRansomes&Rapier,andthat rarestofsurvivingartefacts,miniaturebottles[full]of highlyregardedGWRScotchwhisky.Thecompany wasthusamajormanufacturerinadditiontoits obligationsasatransportcompany.Perhapsthe mostprofoundrailwayindustrychangesincethe 1950shasbeentheprogressivesheddingofmany functionsbyout-sourcingthemtocontractors.
Byroutemileage, theGWRwas thelargestof theactivitycouldonlybetrulyeffectivethroughefficient pre-Groupingcompaniesmakingitnecessaryto administertheorganisationthroughadivisional structurethatrecognisedbothgeographicand technicalareasofresponsibility.Theextentand diversityofthesedivisionswasdefinedinaseriesof diagrammaticmapsissuedbyPaddington.Inthis andsucceedingissues,thesemapswillbe illustratedtogetherwithbackgroundcommentsto explainthecomplexityofthecompany’s organisation.Thefirstappearsoppositeandshows segmentationofthenetworkinrespectofthetwo mainincomesources–goodsandpassengertraffic. Divisionalresponsibilitywaseasilydefinedatsome locationssuchasExeterwhichwasthefocalpoint oftherelativePassengerandGoodsdivisions.In contrastthesituationwasmorecomplexatAynho whereLondon,Birmingham&Worcester Passenger,andWorcesterGoodsdivisions converged.
Thismapappearedinthe RailwayGazette of5 November1915andwastakenfromapamphlet entitled OrganisationofthePassenger,Goods, Locomotive,EngineeringetcDepartments issued byFrankPotter,GeneralManager.Heappearsto haverecognisedthenegativeaspectsofthe divisional/districtstructurethroughthefollowing statement:
Theidealorganisationisthatwhichaccomplished theobjectforwhichitiscalledintobeingwiththe minimumofpower,noise,fussandfriction,andthe maximumofefficiency.Itsecuresthebestmenfor eachclassofworkandforeachparticulardutyand looksaheadtoprovideforthereplacingofthose menbytrainingotherstotaketheirplaceindue course. Abigorganisationmusthaveits departmentsandsections,butitisonlyinsofaras theyarenotonlyintegral andindispensablepartsof thewhole,butasallareco-relatedthateachpart assistsandfurthertheobjectofothers.Each individualmemberofadepartmentmustremember thathisdepartmentisonlyself-containedtosecure theduedevelopmentofitsfunctionstothewhole organisation.
Thepamphlet’stitleplaced“Passenger”first presumablyacknowledgingthecompany’s operationalshopwindowwhereaswith“Goods”was byfarthegreaterrevenuesourcethenandforthe remainderofthecompany’sexistence. “Locomotive”,theprimefocusofmostenthusiastic interestcamethird.“Engineeringetc”wasacatchallthatembracednumerousdivergentactivities. Potter’skeypointwasthateachdivisional/district
Inset:Thisisthecover oftheAppendixtothe ServiceTimeTables forFebruary1943. Theareacoveredby No12Sectioninthis 1943editiondi fromthoseofearlier years.Exactlywhen thesebookswere issuedforeach divisionplushow oftenrevisions followedis uncertain.Some examplescanbe readilytracedbut othersarevery rare.Wehopeto featurethe contentsofa typicalexamplein alatereditionof WTtogetherwith detailsofhow manyissuesfor eachareawere actually provided. Historically, theyarean invaluable information source.Details oftheSection Number,area anddateforany examplesinreaders’collectionsanda scan/photographofthefrontcoverwouldbegreatly appreciated.
Opposite:ExtractfromTheRailwayGazette1916. Accompanyingtheoriginalarticlewasasecondcoloured drawingshowingtheEngineeringandLocomotivedivisions whichappearsoverleaf.Moredetaildescribingtheexact areaofresponsibilityandactualboundarypointswas providedintabularformtogetherwiththenamesofthe responsibledivisionalandseniorofficers.Someexamples areshewnonthefollowingpagesbutthisinformationhas beenabridgedtosavespace.
5
Someyearsagoacollectionof150+glass negativeswasloanedtooneofyour editorsandknownastheShaftsbury collection.Thenametakenfromthetown wherethisboxofpricelessmaterialwas foundinasecondhandshop.Fortunately therewasanindexofsortswhilsteven better,perusalrevealedmosttobeofGW subjectsaroundthe1930s.Manywere recordedintheSalisburyarea,staticviews ratherthanmovingimagesbutexplained bytheslowfilmoftheperiod.Wedonot believeanyhavebeenseenbeforeandwe aredelightedtopresentasmallselection withmoretofollowinfutureissuesof WesternTimes
ISSUE 1
11
WESTERNTIMES
Opposite: Shuntingdutyfor57xxNo.7730completewithshortwheelbasediagram M1,Lot256shunterstruckNo.41818. A fireman’sshovelhasbeenlodgedbehindthe upperhandrail–apopularpositionforstorageofthisimplement–whilethepep pipeandafireironhavebeen“parked”alongsidethecab.TheGWRandLSWR originallyhadduplicatedfacilitiesatSalisburyincludingmotivepowerdepots.In 1934,theGWR’sallocationincludedan0-6-0PT,aDeanGoods,thee28xx,three Bulldogs,andtwoMogulsbutbytheendof1947,thishadshrunktojustan0-6-0PT andtwoHalls.TheshedclosedcompletelyinNovember1950.Inthebackgroundis SalisburysignalboxwhichopenedinMay1900having95levers;itbearsanonstandardidentityboardbeneaththechimneywhichstates“SALISBURYGWR SIGNALBOX”.UnderBritishRailwaysitwasrenamed‘SalisburyC’ intheSouthern styleandwasclosedinNovember1973.
InthebackgroundtotherightasignadvertisesthepresenceofMarcroftWagons Ltd,???Sidings,Radstock,Cardiff &PortTalbot.Thisfirmwasoneofseveral engagedinprovisionofconstruction,repairandhireservicestothevastprivate ownerwagonsector.
14
Above:DukedogNo.3215hadbeenfittedwithtopfeedinthisundatedphotograph.Nodetailshavebeenrecordedinthe Archiveforthislocomotive Opposite:Thelast4-4-0tobeallocatedtoDidcotwasrestoredCityClassNo.3440 CityofTruro.Here,thecelebrityhas wanderedontoforeignmetalsandisatNorwoodJunctionShedonspecialdutyworkingincompanywithex-LBSCR MogulNo.32348. ISSUE 1 TRAFFICDEPARTMENT.AugustBankHolidayTraffic.Toprovidefortheheavypassengertraffic duringtheAugustBankHolidayperioditwasnecessarytoduplicatemanyofthethroughexpresses onseveraldays.OnSaturday,July31,theprincipalthroughexpresstrainsfromandtoPaddington, andalsothecross-countryservices,wereduplicated,andinsomecasestriplicated;theholidaytraffic totheever-popularWestofEnglandwasexceedinglyheavy;the‘CornishRiviera’ expresshadtobe runinasmanyasfiveportions,constitutingarecordforthistrainsinceitcommencedtorun;the ‘TorbayLimited’ wasruninthreeparts,andthevariousportionsofthesetrainsconveyedinallnearly 5,000passengers.EighteenexcursiontrainswererunfromPaddington,onFriday,July30,conveying 10,300passengers.Theprovincialperiodexcursionswerealsoverywellloaded,andtheshortdistanceexcursiontrafficoverthewholeofthe AugustBankHolidayperiodwaswellabovethe average.OnSunday,August1,sevenhalf-dayexcursiontrainswereruntotheWyeValleydistrict, Weston-super-Mare,andtheMidlands,andconveyedatotalof3,500passengers.OnAugustBank HolidayMondaytheidealweatherconditionsresultedinconsiderablepassengertrafficbetweenlocal stations,andlargenumbersofpassengerswereattractedfrompopulouscentrestoadjacentseaside resorts.(GreatWesternMagazine 1926) 21 No. 2 in this serieswillbe‘Castlesby the Sea’.
35 BOOKREVIEW WecorrespondedrecentlywithAlanJSharkey whohasproducedaseriesofself-published bookson therailways andtheir associationwith theStJohnsAmbulancemovement.Manywill recallthestretcherswiththeemblemofStJohn onthewoodworkwhileanyone whohasstudied the GreatWesternMagazine willrecallthe importanceaccordedknowledgeofFirstAidby bothmanagementandmanyofthestaff.First aidequipmentwasreadilyaccessibleatstations andwasalsokeptinguard’svans,atdepots, andatotherkeylocations.SofarastheGWRis concerned,Alanhasproduceda59pageprinton-demandtitledetailingthehistoryofFirstAid ontherailwaywithexamplesofStJohns insignia,awards,andalsointerestingcase studies.Thecoverpicturecertainlysoldthis workforthereviewer.Detailsfrom alansharkey@btopenworld.com. HaveyouhadabookontheGWRpublishedrecently?Ifsowewouldbehappyto provideanobjectivereview.Speaktoyourpublisherandaskthemtosendacopytothe addressonpage2.
GWRBARROWS……………AMYASCRUMP
"Standaside!"wasaoncecommoncrybystation porters,especiallyoncrowdedplatformsduringthe holidayseasonsoletustakeafewminutesto considertheHolidayLine’shumblestofvehicles.
Allowingthatmanyrailwayswerebuiltprimarilyfor goodstraffic,andthatfromearlytimespassengers expectedtobeabletotakeluggage(orinsome casestheirowncarriage,butthatisoutsidethe scopeofthisarticle),therewasaneedtofacilitate thattraffic.
Intheabsenceofphotographsofthefirstyears, thereareonlyafewcontemporarylithographtype illustrationstoshowhowpassengers’baggagewas
movedtoandfromthetrain.Itwouldseemthat luggagebarrows,sacktrucksandthelike,hada hardlife,asfewearlyexamplesappearinlater photographs.Onetypethatisclearlydepictedisa singlewheelbarrow.Thistyperesembledold fashionedmarketbarrowsbeingquitelong, lightweight,andpresumablymadebythesame manufacturers. A morerobustandcompactversion oftheseungainlydeviceswastobefoundacross theGWRsystemfromVictoriantimesandintothe 1970s.
Left:ThetypicalGWRsinglewheeler,withfourspoke wheel.InBRdays,manyofthesewerefittedwithasingle fivespokewheel.ThisexamplewasatLlangwrilin1967. Unwieldywhenempty,yourauthorcanvouchforhow difficulttheyweretomanoeuvre,particularlyacross unevensurfacesandplatformramps.Whenloaded,they musthavebeendecidedlychallenging.
Bottomleftandoppositepagetopleft/right:Forheavier loads,particularlywiththeadventofmilkchurns,alarger 4-wheeltrolleywascommonby circa 1900.Theysoon becameslightlyshorterandgainedaraisedliparoundthe trolleyplatformtoenablesafeloadingwithchurnstothe fullwidthofthevehicle.Forordinaryparcelsandcases, thisfeaturemusthavereducedlossesanddamagetoo. Initially,theywereequippedwithlargecastironwheels, laterreplacedwithsmallercastironwheelswithorwithout solidrubbertyres.Thesedulybecamethenormand platformluggagescalesweredesignedespeciallyfortheir use.Parcelstrafficwaschargedbyweight,sobarrowsall carriedaninscriptionorplatestatingtheirtareweight.At largerstations,whereelectrictugswereused,such trolleyswerefittedwithcouplingsfrontandrear.Manywill recallthoselongtrainsofbarrows,skilfullybeingdriven throughthecrowdsatPaddington.Theviewsofthese4wheeltrolleysweretakenatTotnes. Rule21a(GWRRuleBook1933). “Luggageandparcelsmustnot,wherethewidth oftheplatformwilladmit,beleftwithinsixfeetof the edge of the platform; platform trollies, barrows etc.,notinusemustbekeptbackclosetothe buildingsortothewallorfence atthebackofthe platform,withtheirhandlessoplacedastoavoid theriskofpersonsstumblingoverthe,When necessary,platformtrollies,barrowsetc.,mustbe sosecuredastopreventthemfrommoving.” 21b.“Unauthorisedpersonsmustnotbeallowed tousetrollies,barrowsetc.”
60
71 Readingwasalsothecentreforrepairofthecompany’stimepiecesincludingstationclocks,brasssignalboxdrum clocks,andguard’swatches.Inlateryearssomeformerstationclocksfoundtheirwayintosignalboxestoreplacethe originaldrumtype.Theviewoppositeshowspartoftheclockrepairfacilitywithinthemainworks.Theviewabove,dated 20May1948showsclockrepairsbeingundertakenintheformerReadingMiddleSignalBoxwhichhadbeen decommissionedin1896.Thisroomseemsalsotobeinuseforcabinetrepairsjudgingbythesawdustwhichwould hardlyseemcompatiblewithclockworkmechanisms.(OneoftheeditorsrecallsvisitingthestoresatSwindoninthelate 1980sandseeingaroomalmostfullofGWRlongcaseclockswhichhadbeenliterallythrownontopofeachother.) A passingthoughtforamusementonly.Doesanyreaderknowhowmanydifferentfonts andstyleswereusedbytheGWRonluggagelabels?Herearefourexamples. ISSUE 1
