THE PASSION IS STILL THERE – AND GROWING
I take exception to the notion in your Down Main column (SR483) that we have lost the passion for steam. An awful lot of us who lend a hand to support steam in the British Isles are no longer mourning 1968 as ‘the end’.
On a day in high summer, more locomotives are in steam on these isles than there were in the last days of 1968.
We are no longer mourning a lost idyll, we are instead making a new one. The best preserved lines now offer more in the way of steam and beauty than BR could offer – and not just in those last days in 1968 but well before it. Locomotives are being built, lines are being opened, and areas that don’t have a steam railway are desperate for one.
The ‘end of steam’ is more like ‘rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated’ than something requiring an annual requiem mass.
We did it. We made steam a part of life in 21st century Britain.
A lot of us who are too young to remember the BR days would rather celebrate the high days than the dying days.
My feeling is that a lot of things once considered ‘impossible’ will now happen in my lifetime.
We have so much to celebrate in the here and now, so is it any wonder we are less worried about the anniversary of ‘the end’? We now know it wasn’t. We won. All those ‘amateurs’ and ‘mad men’ made spending a day behind a steam locomotive a key part of a British holiday once again. Let’s not say the passion has gone. We are passionate about the future of steam, not just its past. Thomas Smith, King’s Lynn
IGNOMINIOUS END
Steam Railway has a bit to say about the general lack of enthusiasm for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on British Rail. The problem, as I see it, is that 2018 is too much like 1968, as we see main line steam beginning to come to an end, and this time it’s an ignominious ending. Unassisted steam trains are fast disappearing from the network. Time and again what we actually get are diesel trains with a steam locomotive at the front, essentially for decoration but which may, in places, make a small contribution to the powering of the train. This applies whether or not there is a fire risk, and even in cases where the misguided have paid three-figure sums of money in the hope of getting an actual steam train. Of course enthusiasm is disappearing. What else could possibly happen?
Peter Drummond, by email
TOO YOUNG FOR NOSTALGIA
Why don’t people seem to be very interested in the end of BR steam? The answer is simple.
I don’t remember it, nor do I remember anything of 1968, as I’m only 24 years old.
What I find interesting is not the end of steam, but the variety that was once an everyday sight in the Victorian, Edwardian, and ‘Big Four’ eras; different colours, architecture, services, designs – all of this adds up to a unique image. To my mind, keeping engines in the way they are remembered by some enthusiasts is dull. Certainly, owners are allowed to do as they wish with their engines but the increase of recreating some people’s memories, rather than representing engines and stock how they were during their lives, might be seen as an injustice to history; take Union of South Africa for instance – it hasn’t been out of BR green since 1952! It could also be argued that Flying Scotsman wore Apple green for too long and I welcome the change to BR green for the time being as she hasn’t worn it in over 20 years, but why not represent another point in the engine’s life? Similarly, Morayshire in BR lined black was very interesting as I certainly can’t recall the engine bearing these colours in preservation.
This can also affect some preserved engines. Some people argue that if a locomotive didn’t carry BR colours then what is the point in having it out of static display and running? I recall one Facebook user having a meltdown in a discussion group over the Worsdell ‘J15’ being put back as it was built (a ‘Y14’), so it couldn’t carry BR livery!
I’m tired of one era being catered for simply because it’s
what people remember. It’s important to keep history alive, but not just one part of it. Cameron Scott, by email
FRESH BAHAMAS
I regret I cannot give the exact date when F.R. Hebron photographed No. 5596 Bahamas leaving Oxenholme (Down Main, SR483), but I can certainly narrow it down.
The photograph was reproduced in the March 1936 issue of The Railway Magazine. The locomotive’s entry into service in January 1935, its transfer from Crewe to Preston in May 1935 and the presence of trees in full leaf means it must have been summer 1935. The photograph’s caption does not give a date, but identifies the train as a Down Edinburgh and Glasgow express with a through GWR coach from Plymouth. The photograph is one of several illustrating an article by C.J. Allen on LMS locomotive performance between Carlisle and Glasgow. It includes a run by the then new No. 5596.
The location is just north of Oxenholme station. The Windermere branch is curving away from the main line behind the bushes on the right. The junction with the main line is just beyond the rear of the train. The location was popularised by photographer Herbert Gordon Tidey and was known as the ‘Tidey spot’. John Massey, Beith, Ayrshire
‘JUBILEE’ MEMORIES
Seeing the No. 5596 Bahamas feature evokes my memory of her on what I think was the Liverpool to Hull evening express passing through Thornhill, Dewsbury, at about 6.30pm during the late 1940s, when I was a schoolboy looking for things to tick off in my Ian Allan book.
I wonder how many of your current readers watched for trains in order to fill out the ‘Jubilee’ class all those years ago?
Barrie Mellor, by email
WRONGLY ACCUSED
Before Mr Martin accuses me of being wrong, he should check and understand what I wrote (SR482, ‘Ward is wrong’).
I did not claim that Peppercorn ‘A1s’ were designed to haul trains at 60mph. I said they ran at an average speed of 60mph, which has an entirely different meaning. Nor did I claim they were only to be used at high speed in emergencies. What I said was they were only used on high-speed trains in emergencies. I did not claim there was any instruction to this effect – only what happened in practice. It is not correct to state the Gresley ‘Pacifics’ were far more numerous than the Thompson and Peppercorn ‘Pacifics’. There were 113 of the former and almost 90 of the latter. If the latter had been considered more suitable for high-speed work they would have been reallocated to the depots where that work was rostered. The debate, however, is about the benefit of increasing the maximum speed for a Peppercorn ‘A1’ class ‘Pacific’ from 75mph to 90mph to improve pathing opportunities and overall journey times. My contention is that there is no historic evidence to show this class of locomotive could provide any benefit in achieving this objective unless the load is reduced to 8/9 carriages. We should be thankful that there are still engineers today prepared to certify their operation at 75mph and not be asking them to certify a maximum speed of 90mph which, all evidence shows, would push them beyond their realistic maximum limit with loads of 12 carriages.
David Ward, Cambridge
I FIRED FIRTH OF TAY
Two articles in SR480 brought back memories for me.
The first was about ‘28XX’
No. 2857, in which Simon Marshall mentions the night trip from Kidderminster to Newport with a loose-coupled freight. I was the driver as far as Worcester, where we got relief by (probably) Hereford men. The traction inspector was Angus Brymer, if I remember right. The second was in Mike Hedderly’s Top Link column, in which he mentions a trip by the Warwickshire Railway Society from Birmingham to Carlisle with No. 70052 Firth of Tay. I was the fireman on this job as far as Crewe. Working the empty stock from Walsall to New Street, she didn’t perform very well.
We left New Street with a full head of steam, but she was back to 150lbs/sq. in well before Wolverhampton.
My mate Frank Cole said we’d fill the tank at Wolverhampton to give her a chance to come round. I maintained a full head to Stafford because it’s mainly downhill, but by the time we got to Norton Bridge she was back down to 150lbs/sq. in, and that’s where she stayed until running down the bank to Crewe, when she came round again.
CORRECTIONS
It was great to see the Isle of Man Railway’s Caledonia in SR483, but there are two errors in the text. Caledonia is not the only surviving Manx Northern Railway engine; No. 14 Thornhill is privately preserved at Lezaye in the north of the island, having been bought from the railway in 1978. The engine is kept in its own purpose-built shed, along with an MNR Cleminson coach. The locomotive is unrestored (but complete) but is not for public viewing. Secondly, the MNR actually ran from St John’s, not Peel, to Ramsey.
John Kinley, via Facebook
In SR483, Simon Turner states that neither nameplate from Flying Scotsman has been on public sale before. Simon is obviously unaware that when Tony Marchington was in financial difficulties he held an auction at his mother and father-in-laws’ Brosterfield Farm, at Foolow, Derbyshire, on May 18 2002. It’s right-hand side nameplate and a worksplate were auctioned together and the auctioneer dropped the hammer at £55,000, although it subsequently transpired there was no buyer.
David Dippie, Poynton, Cheshire
In ‘Last of the Last’ – SR483), there is no mention of the station pilot duty carried out by ‘Black Five’ No. 45212 on August 4 1968.
The late Alan Castle informed me that he had further confirmation that the engine was still in Preston station shortly before 4.30pm. My last photograph of the 4-6-0 was taken at approximately 3.15pm. Alan and I agreed that this duty constituted the last normal roster for a BR steam engine.
Your accompanying article, ‘Great Gathering’, has a picture of the late Dougie Wilson sitting on No. 48773. This picture was actually taken by me, not Dennis Bentley, on August 3 1968. Les Wheeler, by email
I told my relief at Crewe about the problem and off they went. A footplateman came to see me as soon as I stepped off. He told me he was a Crewe fireman and asked me how I’d got on with her. I told him the tale and he said he’d had the same trouble a few days before. We heard later she’d been taken out of service at Carnforth with suspected leaking superheater elements.
Ray Churchill, by email
GLAD TO MISS ‘BRITS’
The ‘Butchered ‘Brits’ article (SR481) must be two of the saddest couple of pages I have ever seen: both ‘Golden Arrow’ locomotives William Shakespeare and Iron Duke being scrapped. Yes, we would boo them if ever they came near Clapham Junction, but only because they were not our favourite Bulleid ‘Pacifics’. As I grew older I came to respect what British Railways was trying to do, and especially what the Stewarts Lane cleaners were about. The ‘Brits’ always looked resplendent as they hauled the ‘Arrow’ and therefore I am glad I did not see them in such a state in 1968.
Peter Gower,
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
NARROW FOCUS IS NARROW-MINDED
I think it’s a bit daft for the NRM (a familiar title with automatic location recognition to most people) to waste money in dropping the word ‘National’ from its logo. (SR483).
There are many excellent railway museums throughout the UK. Kidderminster Railway Museum and the Museum of Scottish Railways at Bo’ness are just two examples.
York is unique, however, and certainly houses a national collection, be it buttons, tickets – or locomotives. While ‘national’ implies sinister narrowmindedness when applied to politics, it has no such implication with our heritage.
I doubt whether the English National Opera would consider altering to ‘English Opera’ or that the National Trust will be relabelling itself ‘Trust’!
Michael Denholm, Dunbar, East Lothian
NATIONAL NONSENSE
The question of using the term ‘national’ and the curious justification for dropping it from the logo of the NRM are nonsense!
It is an unnecessary waste of public money by those who have little, if any, knowledge or experience of railways.
Sadly, along with other such places they are in the grip of ‘managerialism’, the dismal doctrine that takes the approach that you can manage something without the requisite experience and knowledge of what you are managing.
Dugald Cameron, by email
MINORITY RULE
The verbose response from the museum seems to ignore the wishes of the many. They talk about ‘some’ objecting to the word ‘national’. What is ‘some’ in relation to thousands of visitors?
All the focus groups were from Yorkshire. Perhaps ‘some’ thought dropping it made the Railway Museum more for their benefit. To me, the inclusion of the word has always meant ‘for the benefit of the nation’.
Erasing it diminishes the museum’s status.
Derek Parkinson, Burnley
‘OUR WORK HERE IS DONE’
“Hi everybody and welcome to this focus group here in Wakefield – I’m sorry – Leeds, to find a new title for the National Railway Museum.
“We’ve been given shedloads of money by the Department of Culture to get rid of what is quite clearly the dull, dry and boring title of the National Railway Museum. It is obviously a complete turn-off and we need your help in finding something new; something that’s distinctive, dashing and diverse. Yes, we want your views on why you think the existing name is too 20th century. And what would be more in keeping with the new multicultural zeitgeist that shouts excitement, energy and enjoyment?
“You fire away and we’ll jot down all your responses on the flip chart.
“Er, what’s up with the current title?”
“You clearly weren’t listening! We need something that relates to the ordinary person in the street. The man in Chichester with a Nissan Leaf and a golden retriever…” [Long silence…]
“I suppose you could just call it ‘Railway Museum’.” “Brilliant! Yes, yes, yes! Genius! Thank you so much! Our work here is done. Thanks again everyone for your input. Skinny lattes and oat biscuits all round.” John Ellwood, Carnforth
UNDERLYING BIAS
I think the rebranding weakens the NRM standing: it will become just another railway museum – not THE museum. I am a proud Englishman and proud of national things. Unfortunately, the current political and media bias is against using the word ‘national’ because it has connotations with the far right. I suspect that this is the underlying reason for deleting the word. Frederick Parkinson, Bath
BLUNDER WALL
With the removal of the NRM lettering on the end wall of the Great Hall, to my eye, it looks as though someone has used aerosols to mark up the wall. The museum was originally set up to show the pride of the nation in its historical railway past… Have the jobsworths been at it again? This building (externally) looks ready for a demolition gang, more so now that the lettering has been removed. Surely the £100,000 could have been used to help restore the ‘Duchess’?
S. Giles, Chelmsford
● Of the correspondence received on this subject, none was in favour of the rebrand. In the interests of balance, the Editor welcomes any views to the contrary.