Bank Hall Locomotive Depot in 1948: two ex-Lancashire & Yorkshire engines outside the smaller through Shed: ex-L&Y 1F 0-6-0T No. 11535, fitted with dumb buffers and swinging spark-arrestor for working in the Docks; behind it is Class 30 6F 0-8-0 No. 12782. (Beyond can be glimpsed an 8F 2-8-0 with the unusual combination of 'M' as well as the BR initial '4' added to its number). Photo: 20 June 1848 by Ben Brooksbank, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

Recording Locomotive Sightings 1943 - 1968
A generation of enthusiasts recorded the movements of locomotives around the railway system. These records of visits to locomotive depots have been collected and carefully analysed to provide an overall portrait for the period 1943 to 1968. During that period of steam's final years, there was a marked change from the pre-grouping types that still found work at a few depots, to the modern BR designs that worked until the end in 1968. The handling of freight and passenger services was a major undertaking from town and cities, ports, coal mines and factories. All of it traversed the labyrinth of lines that criss-crossed the country. There were numerous 'sheds' spread throughout the length and breadth of the land that provided and serviced the vast army of steam locomotives (20,000 in 1948). Here is just a taste of that history.

Tuesday 21 May 2019

Days Out No. 15 - 16th September 1956 - Hither Green to Tonbridge

A C class 0-6-0 No. 31298 at Hither Green on 12 March 1960. 
Photo - Ben Brooksbank, licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons 2.0 licence.
This was a short day out by train from Charing Cross to visit the sheds at Norwood Junction, Redhill, Tonbridge and Hither Green.
Norwood Junction
Opened by the Southern Railwayopened:1935prior to 1950NOR
type:A concrete-built 6TS dead-ended shedclosed:Jun-64Feb 1950 - Jun 196475C
location:On the east side of the line, north of the station.
AbbreviationsFb - FairburnLBSCR - London, Brighton & South Coast Railway
Sunday 16 September 195675C10.00am - 10.20amtotal:32
E6 0-6-2T (LBSCR)E6X 0-6-2T (LBSCR)W 2-6-4TC2X 0-6-0 (LBSCR)0-6-0 diesels
3241375C3240775C3191473A3244375C3254375C1304715201
3241475C3241175C3191775C3244475C3254475C1304815202
3241675CQ 0-6-03191875C3244575C3254575C1304915211
E4X 0-6-2T (LBSCR)3053375C3191975C3244675C3254675CK 2-6-0 (LBSCR)
3246675C3053775Ccl 4MT 2-6-4T (Fb)3244775C3255473B3235375E
3247775C3054975C4206975E
shed codes73A Stewart's Lane73B Bricklayer's Arms75C Norwood Junction75E Three Bridges
Visits to Norwood Junction 1937 - 1963
Redhill
Opened by South East Coast Railway opened:1853prior to 1950RED
type:A brick-built 3TS through-road shed.closed:Jun-65Feb 1950 - Jun 196575B
location:In the fork of the Tonbridge and Brighton lines, south of the station.
AbbreviationsLBSCR - London, Brighton & South Coast RailwaySECR - South East Coast Railway
LSWR - London & South Western RailwayBR - British Railways
Sunday 16 September 195675B11.35am - 11.50amtotal:25
E4 0-6-2T (LBSCR)C2X 0-6-0 (LBSCR)N 2-6-0BR 4MT 2-6-0S15 4-6-0 (LSWR)
3250775B3244975B3186374A3186875B7601475B3083675B
3256075B3245075B3186475B3186975B7605375BL 4-4-0 (SECR)
Q 0-6-0Q1 0-6-03186575BU 2-6-07605775B3176074D
3053475C3303074D3186675B3162170A7605975B3177775A
0-6-0 diesels3303174D3186775BU1 2-6-0
13226152123190974D
shed codes70A Nine Elms74A Ashford74D Tonbridge75A Brighton
75B Redhill75C Norwood Jct.
Visits to Redhill 1946 - 1965
Tonbridge
Pre Grouping Ownership - South Eastern Railway opened:1842prior to Feb 1950TON
type:A brick-built 6TS shed with 3 through roads.closed:Jan-65Feb 1950 - Oct 195874D
location:In the fork of the Ashford and Tunbridge Wells lines.Nov 1958 - May 196273J
Jun 62 - Aug 6375D sub
AbbreviationsLBSCR - London, Brighton & South Coast RailwaySep 63 - Jan 6575B sub
SECR - South Eastern & Chatham RailwayBR - British Railways
Sunday 16 September 195674D2.15pm - 2.35pmtotal:52
H 0-4-4T (SECR)E3 0-6-2T (LBSCR)C 0-6-0 (SECR)Q1 0-6-0V "Schools" 4-4-0
3116474D3245474D3127073C3302474D3092773B Clifton
3117774D3245674D3158374D3302874DD1 4-4-0 (SECR)L 4-4-0 (SECR)
3118474DE4 0-6-2T (LBSCR)3158574D3302974D3124674D3176174D
3125973E3248874D3158873D3303274D3147074D3176374D
3132975F3257874D3159074D3303474D3149274D3177374D
3151774D3258074D3168173A3303674D3173573BE1 4-4-0
3152374DBR 4MT 2-6-4T3169173CU1 2-6-03174973A3101973A
3153074D8001675A3171674D3189073BN 2-6-0 (SECR)N1 2-6-0 (SECR)
3155474D0-6-0 diesels3171774D3189773A3181775B3182273C
13100152203190874D3182873BBR 4MT 2-6-0
152173191074D3187273B7605875B
shed codes73A Stewart's Lane73B Bricklayer's Arms73C Hither Green73D Gillingham73E Faversham
74D Tonbridge75A Brighton75B Redhill75F Tunbridge Wells
Visits to Tonbridge 1941 - 1963
Hither Green
Opened by the Southern Railwayopened:1933prior to Feb 1950HIT
type:A concrete-built 6TS dead-ended shed.closed to steam:Oct-61Feb 1950 - Oct 196173C
location:East of the line, south of the station.
AbbreviationsLBSCR - London, Brighton & South Coast RailwayLSWR - London & South Western Railway
J - JohnsonSECR - South Eastern & Chatham RailwayBR - British RailwaysGER - Great Eastern Railway
LCDR - London, Chatham & Dover RailwaySER - South Eastern RailwayGNR - Great Northern Railway
Sunday 16 September 195673C4.20pm - 4.30pmtotal:48
W 2-6-4TN15 "King Arthur" 4-6-0C 0-6-0 (SECR)0-6-0 diesels
3191173C3077273C Sir Percivale3103373C3169273C1309715221
3191273C3080673C Sir Galleron3106173C3169373C1309915222
3191373CN 2-6-0 (SECR)N1 2-6-0 (SECR)3128073B3169473C1310115224
3191673C3140274A3187673C3148073C3169573C1521615227
3192273C3140774A3188073C3149873C3171973C1521815228
3192373C3185173BU1 2-6-03168673C3172573C15219
3192473C3185573C3190273B3168873CQ1 0-6-0Drewry 0-6-0DM
3192573C3185673C3168973C3301473CDS1173*
3185873C3169073C* Hither Green Engineers Department
3185973C
shed codes73B Bricklayer's Arms73C Hither Green74A Ashford
Visits to Hither Green 1939 - 1961
Notes:Charing Cross to Norwood Junction - 9.23am - Electric Set
Charing Cross Station held four Schools class 4-4-0s: 30928, 30932, 30924 and 30939
Norwood Junction to East Croydon and then East Croydon to Redhill by Electric sets.
Redhill to Tonbridge - 12.37pm, three coach train hauled by U1 2-6-0 31909 (74D)
Tonbridge to Sevenoaks - 3.05pm, nine coach train pulled by 'Schools' 4-4-0 30907 "Dulwich" (74E)
Sevenoaks to Hither Green - 3.38pm, four coach electric set.
Hither Gren to Charing Cross - 4.45pm, four coach electric set.