We are now into high summer, though as I remember it 1965 was a very poor one weather‑wise with little sunshine and lots of cloudy skies and rain. On odd occasions, weather permitting, Stuart, the porter and I, used to have games of cricket in the abandoned goods yard, in between trains of course. From time to time I used to wash my ‘sit‑up‑and‑beg’ Ford Popular using the water column on the down platform. The car appeared to be jinxed because apart from breakdowns, punctures and other mechanical failures I somehow managed to wrap the water column control chain around one of the door handles and when I backed the car away it contrived to rip the handle off. Other peculiarities of this car were as follows: The indicators were manual and used to stick from time to time so one had to bang the inside of the car to get them to work and the windscreen wipers were a law unto themselves: vacuum operated, when one drove up an incline they would creep from side to side – useless in heavy rain – but going downhill it was a different kettle of fish – having a mind of their own they would operate at high speed and as a result would jam from time to time. Also there was no such thing as ‘windscreen washers’ in 1965 – no further comment is needed!
On the railway scene, Mr. King, the former Stationmaster, had all but disappeared and from time to time his replacement, the soul‑less ‘Line Manager’ would put in an appearance, as would an Inspector on the odd occasion. Steam still ruled the roost with regards to freight and express passenger duties and the GWR 5100 Class 2‑6‑2T’s still held sway on the 7.06am Henley‑in‑Arden to Birmingham (Moor Street) local passenger.
Steam locomotives recorded in August 1965 were as follows:
GWR: 5700 Class 0‑6‑0PT No. 3625 (2A Tyseley) – pick‑up goods. 5100 Class 2‑6‑2T’s Nos. 4155 (2A Tyseley), 4168 (2A Tyseley). Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 4920 Dumbleton Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 5971 Merevale Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 5988 Bostock Hall (2A Tyseley). 5600 Class 0‑6‑2T No. 6625 (2A Tyseley). Grange Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6848 Toddington Grange (85A Worcester), 6849 Walton Grange (81F Oxford), 6854 Roundhill Grange (2A Tyseley), 6856 Stowe Grange (85A Worcester), 6864 Dymock Grange (2A Tyseley), 6874 Haughton Grange (81F Oxford). Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6918 Sandon Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 6924 Grantley Hall (81F Oxford), 6927 Lilford Hall (81F Oxford), 6931 Aldborough Hall (81F Oxford), 6951 Impney Hall (2D Banbury), 6952 Kimberley Hall (2D Banbury), 6956 Mottram Hall (81F Oxford), 6957 Norcliffe Hall (81F Oxford). Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6965 Thirlestaine Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 6990 Witherslack Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 6999 Capel Dewi Hall (81F Oxford) – Kingswear to Wolverhampton (Low Level) express. Manor Class 4‑6‑0 No. 7829 Ramsbury Manor (85B Gloucester – Horton Road) – weed‑killing train. Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 7907 Hart Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 7908 Henshall Hall (2A Tyseley), Lleweni Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 7915 Mere Hall (2A Tyseley), 7924 Thornycroft Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 7925 Westol Hall (86B Newport – Ebbw Junction), 7927 Willington Hall (86B Newport – Ebbw Junction).
GWR Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6999 Capel Dewi Hall
Shadows lengthen in the early evening as GWR Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6999 Capel Dewi Hall, from 81F Oxford, speeds towards Earlswood Lakes Signal Box with a dirty exhaust at the head of a Kingswear to Wolverhampton (Low Level) express on 7th August 1965. Withdrawn on 31st December from 81F No. 6999 soon became another cut‑up statistic at Cashmore’s, Newport.
Photograph by Peter Hands
LMS: Class 4F 0‑6‑0 No. 44137 (‑) being towed dead from Crewe Works to Bird’s, Long Marston (11.8.65). Class 5 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 44691 (2B Oxley), 44812 (2B Oxley), 44828 (55A Leeds – Holbeck), 44843 (2B Oxley), 44963 (8B Warrington), 45040 (2B Oxley), 45263 (2B Oxley), 45272 (2B Oxley), 45303 (8B Warrington). Class 2 2‑6‑0’s Nos. 46428, 46442, 46457 – all from 2A Tyseley – Stratford bankers. Class 8F 2‑8‑0’s Nos. 48035 (2F Bescot), 48117 (16F Burton), 48133 (2E Saltley), 48255 (5B Crewe – South), 48762 (2E Saltley).
LNER: K1 Class 2‑6‑0 No. 62057 (50A York) – down freight on 19.8.65.
BR: Britannia Class 4‑6‑2 No. 70053 Moray Firth (2B Oxley) – Kingswear to Wolverhampton (Low Level) express. Class 5 4‑6‑0 No. 73156 (2A Tyseley). Class 9F 2‑10‑0’s Nos. 92045 (8H Birkenhead), 92215 (2A Tyseley), 92217 (2A Tyseley), 92243 (86B Newport – Ebbw Junction), 92247 (2D Banbury).
2B Oxley BR Britannia Class 4‑6‑2 No. 70053 Moray Firth
Begrimed 2B Oxley BR Britannia Class 4‑6‑2 No. 70053 Moray Firth, sporting the chalked reporting number of 1V54, in charge of another Kingswear to Wolverhampton (Low Level) express, also on 7th August 1965. Note the single oil tanker in the up refuge siding a victim of a hot box no doubt. It would be repaired on site and collected at a later date.
Photograph by Peter Hands
As can be seen from the above representatives from the remaining Western Region sheds in England were becoming sparse, apart from Bristol Barrow Road, Oxford and Worcester. South Wales was confined to just three examples from Newport (Ebbw Junction). Also, locomotives from distant parts were becoming a rarity: restricted to just one each from Birkenhead and Leeds and two from Warrington. The highlight of the month, however, was the appearance of 62057 from York which had obviously been seconded for a southbound freight working by the authorities at Saltley MPD – oh for a camera on that day!
To be continued
