Photo Gallery 21 EALING BROADWAY STATION,40B IMMINGHAM SHED, MYSTERY SHED-HELP, 34e PETERBOROUGH.

---

On arriving at work early one August morning during 1964, I discovered that they were looking for a volunteer to collect an urgently required machine part from a company near Ealing Broadway Station, so no suprise I jumped at the chance !

I sped South at speed (40mph plus !) in my three wheeler Bond Minicar, collected the item and dived into the station with just enough time to take the three shots illustrated.

First on the scene at 12.40pm  was the arrival of a single bug cart from Greenford Station displaying the head code reporting number 2A80 indicated it's destination to be a trip working to or from Greenford Station.

I was pleased to follow this with a steam engine snap, a 6C Croes Newydd alocated Churchward 28xx class number 3849 powering through the Station at a lively speed in the London direction.

Then came type 3 Hymek D7013, an 82A Bristol Bath Road allocation sporting a 3T09 headcode which identified it as the 10.45am Kensington to Cardiff milk empties train.

I was fortunate to see such a variety of motive power, albeit just in the three workings,  ie;  bug cart, steam and diesel during my short lived flying visit to the station, before heading back up North with the urgently required machine component for work.

During 1964, as well as visiting my favourite locations like the Shipley triangle as often as possible, I had itchy feet to visit pastures new and ventured on a few organized shed bashes, one of which was to visit sheds in both Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.

The tour by bus started in the early hours from outside Doncaster Station so I made the decision to leave home after supper the night before and to bunk Wakefield shed for a bash at night photography of its many WD’s, followed by spending the rest of the night on Doncaster Station in the hope of catching a few night shots of steam.

The Wakefield shed idea failed totally as I was escorted off the premises before I even had the opportunity to set up my tripod and camera.

My luck was out that night as I then spent around six hours on the Station platform at Doncaster without observing any steam workings, although it was very busy, it was a case of just none stop diesels, one after another. 

I boarded the bus at the pick-up point joining fellow enthusiasts and at last, after arriving at Immingham shed (40B) in the early morning in brilliant sunshine I started taking snaps.

The two photographs above are of  a resident B1 61248 GEOFFREY GIBBS which was parked out side in the glorious sunshine and I set my stall out to attempt another into the sun shot. I enjoyed the challenge using about ten frames in an attempt to get a decent shot. As I have remarked earlier, despite many attempts I could not master the light meter I had bought, especially in taking shots in heavy rain, snow, at night and especially into the sun shots. 

I followed this up by taking a close up of its right hand nameplate.

And now we have arrived at my mystery shed photo !

Anybody have any suggestions ?

The negative strips I still have show that after the Peterborough photographs my next exposures were shot at 5B Crewe South at the end of October 1964.   

In view are;

42950 allocated to  5E Nuneaton.

48194 allocated to 17B Burton.

with an U/i 9F completing the line up.

I would be very gratefull for any information regarding this shed bash which started from Doncaster station forecourt sometime in September/October 1964.

Above and below;

having “done” March shed earlier, it was most refreshing to arrive at the 34E New England (Peterborough) shed, for despite all the Brush type fours on view, (one of which can be seen in the following picture, D1514 a 34G Finsbury Park visitor) I was pleased to see two  Pacific’s in view, the last numbered A3 and the first numbered A1. After snapping both I asked the fireman if there was any chance of moving the A3 alongside the A1 so I could take a front shot showing the smokebox number plates, the different smoke deflectors and a comparison of the frontend detail.

No problem was the reply and with his help I was able to take the shot I wanted. He had been most helpful and I returned back to the coach for a nap whilst the group continued round the shed noting all the remaining diesel engines.

                        THE DOMINION OF CANADA AND THE MYSTERY WORKING AT DONCASTER.

On Sunday 29th December 1963, during the Xmas break, Uncle Gordon and Auntie Mildred were at our house watching television having finished tea without me as I arrived home late, (much to my parents’ annoyance) as a result of calling into Buxton 9L going and Heaton Mersey 9F plus Stockport 9B sheds on the way back from a trip to 5A & 5B sheds at Crewe. 

I was in the "dog house" yet again. 

After a quick brush and clean up, I had what was by now my dried-up tea. Mum -"it is in the oven if you want it, if not, give it to the dog, Pluto". 

My Uncle, who worked as an engineer at Hepworth and Grandages in Bradford, asked me all about the trip as he was very interested. He asked me if I would take him on my next trip to Crewe when I planned to visit the works, this I did on Sunday 15th March 1964, it was an eventful day not least due to the fact my "car" broke   down resulting in a mad dash to Bradford's Exchange Station to catch a train   plus the heavy snowfall which persisted most of the day. 

Despite all this he thoroughly enjoyed the trip, especially the works which as an engineer he found eye opening in relation to the heavy engineering equipment and the vast range of workers skills which enabled the well-organized workshop to be almost self-sufficient. 

During this trip I became aware that an ex-workmate of his worked at BR and had access to privileged information on special workings-one of which was to involve an A4 on an unusual train at Doncaster. Having expressed much interest my uncle contacted his friend for more details. 

It was to be a very low-profile event and he could only find out the departure date and time at very short notice but Gordon promised his friend would ring me at work as soon as he had the details. 

Not being sure he would advise me, but just in case, I bought an Ilford FP3 fine grain 35mm film (I had used my last one up on a recent visit to Darlington Works and shed 51A on Saturday 11th April) funds were very low but I risked hiring yet  again a 35mm camera for the week, borrowed the train fare from Mum and packed my duffle bag ready just in case with everything under the sun, including camera, tripod, wagon wheels, jubbly's (orange drinks inside pyramid shaped waxed cartons) pac-a-mac, house keys and an empty red oxo tin containing notebook, pen and pencils and unused platform tickets from my collection for both Bradford Exchange and Doncaster Stations, plus the unclipped return ticket from my previous visit behind "Falcon". Having returned to work from my dinner break on Wednesday 22nd April, the switchboard  gave me a piece of paper which simply said the item I was chasing would be leaving at 9am prompt tomorrow! 

At work personal calls were strictly not allowed unless in an emergency, however as part of my job at the time was to chase up the delivery of goods from the railways there was no problem in my receiving the message. 

With finance just about in   place and with both bus and train times checked, permission for a day's holiday at such short notice would undoubtedly be refused, so I had no option other than to have a rare sick day off. 

I studied a Doncaster street map in the Bradford commercial library straight from work that evening and decided the best vantage point would be on the St James's Bridge just South   of the station. Straight home for tea (late again) with my agitated Father once again stating I was treating home like a  b ... y hotel. 

Map into duffle bag and away   to bed wondering what the special train to be hauled by a streak would be, I imagined it just had to be a Royal Train. 

Early next morning, on Thursday 23rd April, I was greeted by heavy rain, but my bus was on time, and the train was also on time departing c7am. 

                                                  THURSDAY 23rd April 1964 DONCASTER STATION. 

                                  A visit to remember - at   times torrential rain, but none stop trains. 

Doncaster   Station, despite the atrocious weather, was reached early, so I had a quick   look around and took snaps of a works shunter- steam! And a Brush type 3   pottering about outside the Works.

At 8.40am, J50/3 68976   withdrawn on 30th September1962 then into departmental stock as   BR16, allocated to Doncaster Works until cut up by T.W.Ward, Beighton,   Sheffield on 30th September 1965. 

Busy shunting in clouds of   steam in the works environs. 

I wondered why on earth did Doncaster plant still have a steam shunter in the form of a 34-year-old Gresley 0-6-0 Tank engine in operation despite all the numerous 08 0-6- 0   diesel shunters that were now readily available. 

At 8.45am, Brush type 3   D5677 a 34G Fins bury Park allocation, light engine from the works and then with its train of condemned passenger stock  collected from the West yard. Years later I learned the loco would have been  in the works to be re-conditioned and serviced would have been moved into the Works yard the previous day for an engine start up and various checks  including bearings etc, Once in the yard it would have been shunted on to the  ZP load bank resistor equipment for further checks before the engines were  run up to maximum load level which was then maintained for four continuous

 hours. 

Then followed a quick dash off the Station  platform, handing in my unused Doncaster platform ticket and out into the now pouring rain to take up a position on St.James Bridge, just South of the  Station, pac-a-mac on, eyes "peeled". 

It was strangely quite despite the heavens opening up with another deluge of rain, the Station and surounding areas were almost empty with no police, reporters or camera men in evidence, however the sight of a clean Al 60114 W.P.Allan on stand by duty with the   crew talking to what appeared to be an inspector track side gave me hope of   seeing a possible Royal train! How wrong could I be as at exactly 9am I heard   a whistle from the works yard followed by Bl 61157 (36A Doncaster allocated   loco) slowly hauling a short train out onto the Sheffield line during yet more rain. 

The two photos above and the one bellow complete the set of three I managed to take in the pouring rain of this unusual working, the lamps on the guards van indicating it to be specified as a class H through freight train. 

The surprise was it had an immaculate A4 in tow, tender first 6000.8 DWIGHT.D.EISENHOWER, originally   named GOLDEN SHUTTLE on 4th Septemberl937 which it carried until removed on 4th September1945 then being nameless until the 25th  September 1945 at which point it was named DWIGHT.D.EISENHOWER. 

60008 had been withdrawn on 20th July 1963 from 34E New England (Peterborough) and I later discovered in the Railway press that it had been given to the USA as a gift and after arriving in New York Harbour on 11th May it was transferred to Green Bay, Wisconsin and put on display in a museum. 

WD 90665 allocated to 36C Frodingham shed with a heavy north bound iron ore train approaching the Station as the rain eased, just about keeping to the speed limit on this section of track!  At the time these heavy iron ore trains from the High Dyke area had not been entrusted to regular diesel haulage. 

With heavy rain still persisting it down, one of 4 lA Darnall (Sheffield) based Brush type 3 Class 30's, D5860 heads north on the station approaches with a short class J mineral   train. 

EE Type 4 Class 40 D247 allocated to 52A Gateshead shed waiting for a clear road through the station heading north with a class F express freight, all unfitted stock, as the incessant heavy rain continued to fall. 

At twelve minutes past nine, Brush type 3 D5677 now sporting revised head code 3Z58, 3 indicating class of train, (in this case a diesel engine on test pulling empty coaching stock), Z stands for special train, with 58 indicating the route to be taken or the train reporting number as it powers South to the long sidings just North of Peterborough. 

Having run around its train in the sidings it would then return back to Doncaster Works for any final adjustments that were needed, prior to being released back in to traffic. 

52A Gateshead allocated EE Type 4 Class 40 D237 at the head of a North bound class F express freight, it was an all unfitted stock train crawling along to a halt with a heavy load, after hoping that the signal would have changed to give it a clear run through the station before it had to stop. 

EE type 3 D6710 a 5OB Hull Dairycoates diesel allocation heads south after winding its way around the back of the station, passing the stand by steam loco, Al 60114 W.P.ALLAN. That despite the heavy rain it looked in fine external condition with a full tender of coal and plenty of steam ready for the next southbound diesel failure to  occur.

Above, seen coming and going at 9.55am,  BRCW Type 3 D6573 appears on one of the most popular workings for railway enthusiasts on the East coast mainline which was the North bound (Head code A4) cement train from the Kent cement works at Cliffe to Uddingston in Scotland and the South bound return working of empties (head code 4E). 

It was rostered for a Southern Region, 73C Hither Green based Birmingham R.C.& W.Co Type 3 as far North as York (returning with empties that had been returned from Scotland) where it was usually replaced by a 50A York based EE Type 4 Class 40 locomotive for the remainder of its journey to Scotland. It was recorded as normally having a train of 26 cement wagons plus two guards vans equivalent to a total train weight including the diesel locomotive of in excess of 1,000 tons, however the few times I saw this working during 1963/4 it had comprised 30 wagons plus two guards vans, including on this occasion. 

Departing at 2.40am from Cliffe in Kent it usually arrived at York around eight hours later. 

It was designed for 60mph running but following a rash of derailments including a rather severe one at Uddingston Junction during July 1965 with wagons all over the place; it was down graded to a maximum of 45mph running in 1966. 

This action proved to be of no avail as a major collision occurred in July 1967 following yet another derailment just North of Thirsk, despite its guard running down the track waving a red flag warning the approaching DP2 (which was travelling at high speed on the noon Kings X to Edinburgh). The driver of DP2 could only reduce speed not having enough time to stop. 

A terrible crash ensued killing seven and seriously injuring a further 45 passengers. 

The emergency services had been notified by an R.A.F. pilot who was flying overhead at the time. 

DP2 was written off following this incident after 100.000 miles in service, having successfully proved that the engine destined for the new class 50 diesels, whilst not as powerful as the deltics Napier engine, it was more reliable and could accelerate faster.

 10.20am saw "Peak"   D184 from 52A Gateshead depot on a Hull to London working. Gateshead  "Peaks" were often seen arriving at Kings X as they were used as  cover for cases of Deltic "unavailability" until at least the end   of 1967. When "Peaks" were ok,   they were very good, but they did suffer from engine failures on occasions when bad weather crippled their train heating systems, their reliability was probably not helped by each loco needing twenty-one different component  part manufacturers. When I queried with a loco crew why "Peaks" were used so   much on freight turns from Valley goods yard in Bradford whilst the  "Thames Clyde" often had to revert steam power, they replied it was because as freight turns did not need the motive power unit to provide heating,  diesels with faulty heating system often found employment on goods turns. I found this so after I travelling on a cheap "Moonlight Express" train overnight  from Bradford to London behind a peak - I was frozen!       

Following the demise of the  A4's, the heavy (133tons) EE4 type 40 diesels were used, however Gerry Fienes  the then Line Traffic Manager was not amused and informed the powers that be  at B.R. that he was most dissatisfied with their performance. 

He then persuaded the  authorities that he needed to have the fleet of Deltics, as they should not now be needed on the West Coast main line owing to the impending electrification. 

His wish was granted and as  a result the London to Edinburgh run initially took the Deltics a time of 715 minutes compared to the A4's (with up to thirteen coaches) taking 750   minutes, thus Deltics were nearly four per cent faster. 

Despite a lower top speed  than streaks of 105mph the Deltics had good acceleration and climbing abilities.  During the next hour two northbound and two southbound Deities were observed. 

First on the scene was Deltic D9020 Nimbus, a 34G Fins bury Park allocated diesel speeding South on the through road heading for London. 

It had a 1A03 head code displayed indicating the train to be an express from Newcastle to Kings X.

 10.20am.  

The next Deltic seen was   D9007 PINZA on a Kings X to Leeds express. 

The Deities weighed just 100 tons (thus being 25% lighter than the EE 4's) and with a total b.h.p. Rating of 3,300 (having two power units) compared to the type 4's rating of 2,000   b.h.p. Soon proved to be a more than able replacement for the A4' s. 

10.30am 

PINZA was soon followed   north by fellow Fins bury Park stable mate Deltic D9018 BALLYMOSS on a Kings X to Edinburgh express, showing a head code 1A06 indicating the train to be the down "Talisman". 

 Last but not least in this batch of 4 Deltics we see D9008 THE GREEN HOWARDS of 52A Gateshead shed heading South on the through road at speed with the  "Tees Tyne Pullman" train to London. 

08 0-6-0 shunter D3623 looking well worn and wet through with the dry and warm crew enjoying a break from duties on the West side of Doncaster Stn. When built it was first allocated to Retford Thrumpton 36E (G.C.) but after a couple of months was transferred to 36A Doncaster where it remained until withdrawn on 15th March 1969.  

11.10am. 

EE Type 3 D6732 heading the  South bound Hull portion of the Yorkshire Pullman. Of interest in this shot is the cattle dock behind the two rows of coaches, as well as being used for loading and unloading cattle and farming equipment it had also been used for off loading circus animals and equipment in the past, however it is now being  converted to a platform for local services and is to be designated platform 0 !

 11.12am. 

There was a steady procession of diesels, one after another, so I was pleased to capture two shots of  34E New England allocated A3 60054 PRINCE OF WALES coming and going on a North bound Class D freight as it  coasts through Doncaster Station on the North bound through road shortly after yet another heavy cloudburst. 

Sadly, it was withdrawn just over a month later on the 28th June and was cut up in August the same year by RA.King of Norwich.

11.15am. 

Brand new to traffic on   Saturday 4th April 1964 and allocated to Holbeck mpd 55A, Brush Type 4 D1571 on the   South bound Yorkshire P

11.23am. 

Next to appear out of the murk was 50A York allocated V2 60929 heading North (during yet another rain storm) drifting effortlessly     

1.10pm. 

With possibly just the one   exposure remaining, I caught a train back to Bradford headed by one of56A   Wakefield's many Bl's, 61034 CH

  An interesting first snap was that of 50A York’s B1 61319, pushing what appeared to be an inspection saloon through the Station environs displaying 

  Light engine, Space ship 9F 92179 off New England (Peterborough) 35A Shed was the first steam loco to come into view using the line connecting the s

K1 2-6-0 62009 one of York Shed 50A allocation, also light engine looking in fine fettle only to be withdrawn just a few months later in November. K

 Much to my delight A1 60139 SEA EAGLE, albeit a Doncaster 36A engine, came off shed and backed onto a waiting lengthy parcel train in the Station. 

A3 60051 BLINK BONNY from Gateshead 52A shed, arriving around 11.30am on the first leg of a Newcastle-York –Malton-Scarborough-Whitby-Middlesborough