In the early 1960s I used to travel regularly from the Midlands to Manchester Piccadilly; then Manchester Victoria to Blackburn.
>From Crewe, electrification was complete to Liverpool and to Manchester; so locomotives were changed at Crewe. The carriage next to the loco did not carry passengers but had steam raising plant for carriage heating. I was in the next. On one journey, the electricity had failed so the steam loco completed the journey. Until Sandbach, speed is restricted because of salt mine subsidence (the gantries have screw jacks). After Sandbach the loco ran with very little cut off, glowing cinders flying past. The train arrived on time. The loco was 'City of Stoke on Trent'. It must have been doing 100mph+. >From Victoria the locos were usually Aspinall's 2-4-2 tank engines. There is Sough Tunnel near Darwen, over a mile long. Lancashire coal is quite sulphurous so to avoid the evil mustard coloured smoke, windows had to be rapidly raised. An Aspinall Atlantic hauled the first train to achieve 100mph in 1899 (5 years before 'City of Truro') on a journey from Liverpool Exchange to Southport. Not content with this, in 1904, Aspinall electrified the line, the first main line electrification. Aspinall was CME of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and became general manager. At the grouping, except for the GWR, all the CMEs were trained under Aspinall at Horwich. Brian of SpotMog On Thu, Jul 19, 2012 at 7:44 PM, Adrian Slade <[email protected]> wrote: > I remember at age 3.5 traveling from St Pancras to Sheffield 1st class > on Pullman, having lunch in silver service dining car, then to rear > observatory car with comfy chairs. Being met by my dad at Sheffield who > marched me to the blue mallard steam engine up front, standing on the foot > plate and being surrounded by steam. MAGICAL!!! It was 1961 and the end of > steam, the tickets were from the company my father worked for as part of a > job move. > > By the way 200 yards from where we live is a steam railway, The BHLR, top > marks who knows it? > > Regards > > Adrian > > On 19 Jul 2012, at 19:11, Dave Wellings <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Unfortunately I was only seven when my grandfather died (at 60yrs), > after a life on the GCR/LNER. I would like to think I might have managed a > footplate ride or two, had he made it another five years.**** > > I can remember him coming in from work, having been offered a job at Wath > yard on the electrics, and contemplating whether it would be for the best. > He must have really loved the WD’s and K3’s!!!!!!!!! (at Mexborough shed). > **** > > Railways are therefore in my blood from the year dot. **** > > I still have the calipers they made for him at the shed, engraved > “Fearless Fred”, and his carriage door key T bar stamped “LNER”.**** > > ** ** > > Dave**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > > *Sent:* 18 July 2012 22:08 > *To:* mogtalk2 > *Subject:* RE: [mogtalk2] Woodhead petition - For rail buffs**** > > ** ** > > I can remember being taken for a ride on the new electric train to > Penistone by my dad in 1954 when it was opening.**** > > ** ** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Dave Wellings [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* 18 July 2012 19:30 > *To:* mogtalk2 > *Subject:* [mogtalk2] Woodhead petition - For rail buffs**** > > ** ** > > Rail buffs will understand without further clarification.**** > > ** ** > > The best trans-Pennine route, my grandfathers old stomping ground, should > never have been closed……….. > > > http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/19823**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > Dave. > > ------------------------------------------- View posts on The Mail Archive http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ [http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/] Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=22459785&id_secret=22459785-4a39ddf8 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
