The discovery of an album of 1930s photographs of the Midland and ‘Little North Western’ lines between Leeds and Hellifield enables Andrew Wilson to highlight the diverse motive power used at that time.
The recent discovery of an album of 1930s photographs of the Midland and ‘Little North Western’ lines between Leeds and Hellifield highlights the diversity of motive power in use at the time, as Andrew Wilson explains.
Norman Hindle was born on 23 July 1911 at Kildwick, near Cross Hills, between Keighley and Skipton in the West Riding of Yorkshire. He was the only son of Smith Hindle, a textile mill worker, and his wife Hannah. His father was a railway enthusiast and Norman developed a keen interest in railways from an early age, going on outings with him. Kildwick station, sidings and shunting yard were within easy walking distance of his home and he would spend many happy hours there with his father. Hannah passed away while he was a young man, and Norman subsequently spent many years enjoying regular railway outings and railway holidays with his father at home and abroad.
During these trips Norman was rarely without his camera. As a result, he was able to record the changing scene in the Aire valley during London, Midland & Scottish Railway days when the Midland Railway’s Kirtley, Johnson and Deeley types were giving way to Fowler and Stanier classes; the 2-4-0s, 4-4-0s and 0-6-0s turned out from Derby Works were being ousted by 2-6-0s and 4-6-0s as
LMS-built Hughes/Fowler ‘Crabs’ and ex-London & North Western Railway ‘Claughtons’ coupled to ex-ROD tenders appeared before the new wave of Stanier 4-6-0s arrived in numbers. The common denominators throughout this period were the Midland ‘3F’ and ‘4F’ 0-6-0s, with ex-Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and Furness Railway 0-6-0s also making appearances.
Norman went to Keighley Boys’ Grammar School, leaving at age 14 and taking up an office position in his uncle’s textile business of J W Brown (Cross Hills) Ltd. He studied at night school, gaining accountancy and business qualifications, and spent all his working life with the same company, eventually becoming a director. He married Violet in 1940 and soon after was called up for war duty, serving in the ‘Signals’ throughout. On his return to civilian life he spent the rest of his pre-retirement days in the Keighley/Skipton area. Norman retired in 1970 and moved to Lazonby, near Penrith. His interest in photography was incidental and was never his main hobby, being rather expensive. He did, however, keep meticulous records of what he saw and photographed,
noting its starting point and destination, whether passenger, freight or light engine, as well as the camera settings used and the weather conditions.
Norman, who died in 2011, took all of the photographs in this article. The album only recently came to light when his daughter Sheila discovered it in her attic. As someone who thought he knew these lines well, what struck the compiler is the range of Midland, LMS, L&NWR, L&YR, Furness and LT&SR locomotives that were in daily use hereabouts at one time or another between 1929 and 1939. We start our journey at the Midland’s Leeds (Wellington Street) station and end it at Hellifield, the junction of the ex-L&YR line from Clitheroe and the main line of the ‘Little North Western Railway’. In between, we will follow the valley of the river Aire between Keighley, Kildwick and Skipton.
Steam Days would like to thank Mrs Sheila Dennis for allowing us to use the album of photographs taken by her father.
Leaving Keighley, trains heading further up the Aire valley passed the small engine shed at Lawkholme Lane and entered the flood plain of the river Aire at Utley. On 12 October 1935 the up ‘Thames-Clyde Express’ is seen at Utley in the charge of two new Stanier 4-6-0s – ‘Black Five’ No 5048, built by the Vulcan Foundry and new to traffic in October 1934, pilots ‘5XP’ or ‘Jubilee’ No 5659 Drake. Although Drake was allocated to Leeds Holbeck shed, No 5048 was based at Sheffield Grimethorpe and so has probably been ‘borrowed’ by Holbeck to pilot No 5659, the load of 340 tons being over the limit for a single ‘5XP’, which at the time were experiencing steaming difficulties.
We start our journey at the ex-Leeds & Bradford Railway/Midland Railway station at Wellington Street, Leeds on 30 June 1931, where we find three Compounds – Nos 1087, 1006 and 1070 – waiting to take over trains to London and Carlisle. Through trains travelling north or south had to reverse here, which made it convenient to change locomotives. Of the Compounds only No 1006, completed at Derby Works in November 1905, is of Midland Railway origin, the other two being standard LMS variants with 6ft 9in coupled wheels, against the 7ft of the Midland build. All three would enter British Railways stock and be withdrawn between May 1952 and November 1955.
The Leeds and Bradford to Morecambe residential trains were a common sight along the Aire valley and on 29 February 1936 ex-L&YR ‘1008’ class 2-4-2T No 10631 is seen near Cononley as it works the Bradford portion of one of these workings to Skipton, where it will be joined by the Leeds portion and worked through to its destination by a larger locomotive, a ‘2P’ or ‘3P’ 4-4-0 or a Compound, rostered by Leeds Holbeck shed. No 10631 emerged from Horwich Works in April 1890 as L&YR No 1033 and it would enter British Railways stock as No 50631, but never carried this number as withdrawal came in November 1948. Some 13 years after the grouping, No 10631 still carries early LMS livery.
Being brought up in Kildwick, Norman Hindle was familiar with sights such as this, where Johnson ‘2F’ 0-6-0 No 3561 is busy shunting Kildwick yard in January 1936 – it was immediately east of the station, officially ‘Kildwick & Crosshills’, with Station Road overbridge in between. Located between Silsden & Steeton and Cononley, the yard was kept busy handling domestic and industrial coal and general merchandise. No 3561 was built by Sharp, Stewart &
Co Ltd as Midland Railway ‘1873’ class No 2275 in 1897, being renumbered in 1907, rebuilt in 1918, and ultimately withdrawn as British Railways No 58290 in September 1954. Despite the line remaining in use, both the station and goods yard at Kildwick would close from 28 June 1965, although some buildings, such as the goods shed, are extant and there is talk of the station reopening for commuters as the area has seen much new building in recent years.
With the Stanier ‘4P’ three-cylinder 2-6-4Ts ousting many of the London, Tilbury & Southend line Whitelegg tanks from their traditional duties the LMS tried to find work for them elsewhere and in January 1939 we find No 2118, complete with a 20E Bradford Manningham shedplate, calling at Kildwick & Crosshills station with a two-coach Skipton to Bradford all-stations local service. The LMSbuilt No 2118 was transferred to Manningham during the week ending 13 August 1938, along with No 2140 (originally LT&SR No 42 Commercial Road). These 4-4-2Ts were thoroughly disliked locally and regarded as unsuitable, so No 2118 was quickly sent back to Shoeburyness, from where it came, with No 2140 returning to Tilbury, where they returned to working 10-coach commuter trains, not lightweight local services as seen here. The antipathy to the 4-4-2Ts was not unexpected but No 2118 had been built at Derby Works in August 1923.
In May 1930 ex-Midland Railway ‘3F’ 0-6-0 No 3747 is seen in Skipton’s north sidings at the head of a rake of cattle wagons, all of different design and one of which is from the Southern Railway. Skipton handled a considerable amount of livestock movements to and from the nearby auction mart throughout the year. In the foreground are loaded wagons of locomotive coal destined for the engine shed, behind the photographer. No 3747 entered traffic in 1902 from Neilson, Reid & Co Ltd as MR ‘1873’ No 2718, being renumbered in 1907 and eventually being withdrawn in November 1951 without receiving its British Railways identity of No 43747. The tracks in the centre of the photograph are the main lines to Earby and Settle Junction, which diverged at Skipton North Junction.
Access to Skipton engine shed, which was located on the Hellifield side of the station just beyond Carleton New Road bridge, was easy as Engine Shed Lane ran parallel to the depot and its associated yards. On 6 September 1930 Norman Hindle was able to photograph Kirtley double-framed Standard Goods 0-6-0 No 2484 and an unidentified Johnson ‘1P’ 0-4-4T. The tank engine was employed on the Barnoldswick passenger turns, while the Kirtley, a ‘480’ series locomotive from 1866, found employment on local trip work, as well as on passenger turns on the Barnoldswick branch. The 0-4-4Ts would eventually be replaced by 2-6-2Ts, while No 2484 was broken up in October 1932.
In April 1930 Johnson 6ft 9in 2-4-0 No 251, originally Midland Railway No 1511, stands at Skipton while displaying the second version of LMS livery that it carried. Interestingly, in December 1927 the ‘1P’-rated locomotive was reboilered with a G6 boiler and Belpaire firebox and appears to have received a new coat of crimson lake paint in error, as late in 1927 it was decided that this class warranted black paint with the LMS insignia on the tender. That
No 251 was not repainted probably made economic sense, as it was cheaper to re-letter No 251 rather than paint it black. Completed in March 1881 by Neilson & Co Ltd as MR class ‘1502’ – sister engines to the Derby-built ‘1400s’ but with slightly larger driving wheels – its withdrawal would not come about until April 1940, when it was running as No 20251. In their heyday these Johnson 2-4-0s were found on the principal expresses from Hellifield to Leeds.
Immediately north of the junction of the ‘Little North Western’ and the L&YR’s line from Bolton and Blackburn, Hellifield was a busy station in the 1930s, with extensive yards and a medium-sized engine shed where enthusiasts were sure to see a variety of ex-Midland,
L&YR, L&NWR and Furness Railway locomotives on view, as well as the expanding fleet of Stanier standard LMS classes. On the sunny afternoon of 11 September 1937 Aspinall ‘3F’ 0-6-0 (L&YR ‘F19’ class) No 12203 waits for the signals to clear on the shed road opposite the up station platform. After the LMS closed the ex-L&YR engine shed at Hellifield, in November 1927, its allocation of locomotives was transferred to the Midland shed. No 12203 was completed at Horwich Works in June 1893 as L&YR No 606, and it would be withdrawn as British Railways No 52203 in March 1957 from Lostock Hall.
On 13 May 1939 a lengthy up fitted express freight is seen near Niffany sidings on the approach to Skipton. The unusual combination of locomotives shows the train engine to be Hughes/Fowler ‘Crab’ class 2-6-0 No 2771 of Leeds Holbeck shed, while the pilot engine is LMS Compound No 1069 of Carlisle Kingmoor, neither of which are in the best of external condition. The need for a pilot engine suggests that the train has run over the Settle & Carlisle and is making for Leeds. The Compound was completed in May 1924 at Derby Works and would serve until November 1955, while the ‘Crab’ emerged from Crewe Works in July 1927 and was condemned in October 1963.
After their introduction in 1930 the so-called ‘Baby Scots’ quickly became established on the ‘Little North Western’ lines, replacing the ex-L&NWR ‘Claughton’ class 4-6-0s that inspired them. These Fowler 4-6-0s were quickly found at work on the ‘Thames-Clyde’ and ‘Thames-Forth’ expresses, as well as the Heysham boat trains, but on 26 September 1936 we find No 5547 of Newton Heath shed in the up bay platform at Hellifield waiting departure time with an express working to Manchester over the ex-L&YR line through Blackburn. In Midland days these workings were the preserve of the MR and L&YR 4-4-0s, and later LMS days saw 2-6-2Ts and 2-6-4Ts employed. The un-named No 5547 is still quite new, having emerged from Crewe Works in April 1934. Considered a ‘Patriot’ postFebruary 1937, the pictured locomotive would remain in traffic until September 1962.
This view of an up train entering Hellifield was captured by Norman Hindle on 21 September 1935 as Compound No 1137 brings in an all-stations stopping train from Carlisle, bound for either Leeds or Bradford. To the right is the four-road former Midland Railway engine shed, with a Johnson ‘3P’ in steam on the sand house siding. Carrying a 12B shedplate for Carlisle Upperby, No 1137 was built by the North British Locomotive Co, first entering traffic in July 1925, and it remained in use until April 1956. To the left is Hellifield North Junction signal box, which survived into the 1960s, before being demolished, leaving the still extant Hellifield South Junction box in use out of the original two Midland and one L&YR signal boxes.
It is hard to believe that this 4-4-0 started life in August 1886 as one of Johnson’s elegant ‘1738’ class of 7ft 0½in 4-4-0s. Rebuilt in September 1906 with a larger ‘H’ boiler, it was again altered in June 1911 with a ‘G7’ boiler and new frames, by which time it had become No 372. In this final saturated Belpaire condition it was destined to be one of the last of the large wheel saturated Belpaires to be scrapped in July 1940. When seen at Hellifield on 11 September 1939, the Skipton-allocated 4-4-0 is waiting for its train, to take it back to Skipton, and has its tender well loaded with choice lumps of coal. Behind No 372, the outline of the shed’s wooden coal stage can be made out, while to the right an ex-L&YR 0-6-0 is making its way on to shed.
During the 1930s the superheated Johnson ‘3P’ 4-4-0s were a familiar sight at Hellifield working through on all manner of passenger duties, and by September 1935 Nos 735, 738-41, 747 and 773 were all allocated to the shed. The ‘3Ps’ found much favour and were preferred to the ‘2P’ 4-4-0s as they steamed well and were free running. When new No 700, then numbered as No 2606, was recorded as running the 30 miles from Mallerstang to Lazonby at an average speed of 79.7mph, with a maximum of 90mph at Crosby Garrett. On 21 August 1937 No 741 waits to come off shed at Hellifield to pick-up its next working. The livery is the short-lived 1936 black with shaded block letters and numerals. New from Derby Works in December 1903 as MR No 831, its withdrawal would come as British Railways No 40741 in September 1951.