EARLSWOOD LAKES – CHAPTER TEN – NOVEMBER 1965
The months of November, running into December 1965 were, as I remember, particularly bleak weather‑wise. Damp and wet days interspersed with hard frosts and fog. The wintry chill also extended to railway operations over the North Warwick line and was in fact the continuation of a long‑running battle, first muted in 1964, to axe the line under the Beeching plan and like many other routes and stations doomed to closure, it was done in a sneaky underhand way. In those days there was no such thing as flexi‑time for office workers. They had to be at work on or before 9.00am – or else! A popular train for commuters was the 8.35am local passenger from Shirley to Birmingham (Moor Street) which upon arrival allowed office workers enough time to get to their places of work. The authorities altered the time of this train to 8.40am. Five minutes does not sound a lot but it did if it meant travellers being late for work, so as a consequence patrons ceased to use this train in droves and the loss in revenue would go down in the railway ‘accountants books’ as a loss.
Other ‘nails in the coffin’ with regards to eventual closure were the running of ‘empty freights’ over the line – another ‘accountants loss,’ plus, for some months English Electric Type 4’s (Class 40) had been employed hauling empty coaching stock under the guise of ’driver training,’ which again contributed as a ‘loss‑maker.’
To cut a long story short the authorities eventually failed in their bid to close the North Warwick line thanks to the actions of a determined group of commuters, whom, in their desperation, turned to the legal profession as a last resort and as a result of their steadfastness and courage in taking on the BR monolith (backed by public money) won the day. The judge in the case was scathing in his criticism of the antics of BR.
Returning to November 1965 it was the month when all freights ceased to run over the North Warwick along with the demise of steam, which, thankfully, has made a comeback in more recent years with the likes of ‘The Shakespeare Express’ to mention but one example.
Steam locomotives observed in November 1965.
GWR Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6990 Witherslack Hall
Wintry sunshine highlights the exhaust of GWR Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6990 Witherslack Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road) as it passes Earlswood Lakes Signal Box and the disused goods yard with the up Tavistock Junction fitted freight on 2nd November 1965.
Photograph by Peter Hands
GWR: Grange Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6829 Burmington Grange (85A Worcester). Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6952 Kimberley Hall (2A Tyseley). Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6990 Witherslack Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 7924 Thornycroft Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road).
GWR locomotives being hauled to scrapyards:
Grange Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6803 Bucklebury Grange (ex. 2B Oxley) to Bird’s, Long Marston on 17.11.65.
Grange Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6827 Llanfrechfa Grange (ex. 2B Oxley) to Cashmore’s, Newport on 17.11.65.
Grange Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6854 Roundhill Grange (ex. 2A Tyseley) to Bird’s, Long Marston on 17.11.65.
Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6918 Sandon Hall (ex. 2A Tyseley) to Bird’s, Long Marston on 11.11.65.
LMS Class 8F 2‑8‑0 No. 48729
Black smoke darkens the skyline as LMS Class 8F 2‑8‑0 No. 48729, from 2F Bescot, powers through Earlswood Lakes station with a down partially fitted freight on 4th November 1965.
Photograph by Peter Hands
LMS Class 8F 2‑8‑0 No. 48729
Black smoke darkens the skyline as LMS Class 8F 2‑8‑0 No. 48729, from 2F Bescot, powers through Earlswood Lakes station with a down partially fitted freight on 4th November 1965.
Photograph by Peter Hands
LMS: Class 5 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 44766 (2F Bescot), 44822 (9D Newton Heath), 45040 (2B Oxley) – assisting a ‘failed’ Class 47 diesel on the up Margam on 5th November, Class 2 2‑6‑0’s Nos. 46428 and 46442 both of 2A Tyseley – Stratford bankers. Class 8F 2‑8‑0’s Nos. 48083 (16C Derby), 48351 (2E Saltley), 48365 (9F Heaton Mersey), 48638 (16G Westhouses), 48729 (2F Bescot).
BR Class 9F 2‑10‑0 No. 92227
Equipped with a double chimney BR Class 9F 2‑10‑0 No. 92227, of 2D Banbury, minus its smokebox numberplate, heads the down Swindon partially fitted freight on 5th November 1965.
Photograph by Peter Hands
BR: Class 5 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 73003 (81F Oxford), 73019 (2B Oxley). Class 4 4‑6‑0 No. 75022 (85A Worcester). Class 9F 2‑10‑0’s Nos. 92113 (8H Birkenhead), 92137 (2E Saltley), 92152 (2E Saltley), 92165 (8H Birkenhead), 92212 (2A Tyseley), 92227 (2D Banbury).
The ‘honour’ of hauling the last freight over the North Warwick line fell to GWR Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6952 Kimberley Hall (2A Tyseley) on 18.11.65. Two days later one of the last three Western Region motive power depots to host steam – 82E Bristol Barrow Road) – closed – followed by 85A Worcester (31.12.65) and 81F Oxford (1.1.66).
After the 18th November my future prospects on BR looked rather bleak with countless railwaymen being made redundant. With the freights now gone the night shift at Earlswood Lakes Signal Box was axed and as a result the wages dropped significantly – it was time to look elsewhere – I was to remain a railwayman for a while, but the elsewhere was going to be as far away from Earlswood as one could possibly get, but that is another story.
Photographs taken at Earlswood Lakes station, now simply called Earlswood, on 16th January 2015 exactly fifty years after I commenced my first shift in the Signal Box.
Earlswood ‑ Stationmaster’s House
The former stationmaster’s house in which Mr. King lived in 1965. Now privately owned it was being renovated when this photograph was taken.
Photograph by Peter Hands
Earlswood
Looking down the incline towards Henley‑in‑Arden and Stratford‑upon‑Avon. The Signal Box was situated just beyond the railings in the right of the frame. To the left the former goods yard is now completely overgrown.
Photograph by Peter Hands
Earlswood
Looking towards Shirley and Tyseley. Observe the ‘bus shelters’ accommodation.
Photograph by Peter Hands
