SOCIETY MATTERS Bulletin copy dates
Copy to Editor Anticipated PUBLICATION No Announcements and Enclosures DEADLINE Despatch Dates JULY 2021 492 25th June 2021 early July 2021 –––––––––––
The Bulletin dates above are from R&CHS MC's calendar (issued 10th February 2021). The announcement below, and what we should expect to be 'normal' life for the next few months, may change some dates in 2021 but I would be grateful if contributors for Bulletin 491 will adhere to my Copy to Editor Deadline above please.
Coronavirus Update (April 2021) The rollout of the vaccination programme, together with recent announcements from the government, offer optimism that we may soon be able to recommence Society events (talks, walks and conferences) of the type we have all enjoyed for many years. Some of the Regional Groups have included encouraging updates on their plans in this Bulletin. This year’s Society AGM, to be held on 22nd May, will be a virtual meeting. Details on how to attend and vote may be found in this Bulletin and on the website (https://rchs.org.uk/2021-agm/). As an alternative to the paper voting and proxy forms, this year we are also offering an online facility. Thanks go to those members who voted and/or attended the EGM on 20th March. The motion was carried with only one vote not in favour of the change of date for receipt of nominations for Council. It will now be much easier to arrange elections in the future in which all members will be able to participate. In these challenging times, it is even more important that we are able to communicate with members between editions of the Bulletin. Should you have not received Society news by e-mail recently, and would like to do so in future, please let the web team know (via the link https://rchs.org.uk/Subscribe) and your e-mail address will be added to the mailing list. Roger Brice, RCHS Secretary ([email protected])
THE SOCIETY'S FORTHCOMING LECTURE MEETINGS Following feedback from members who, for reasons principally (but not exclusively) of geography, have not in the past been able to attend Regional Group meetings, the Managing Committee have decided to extend the traditional period of lecture meetings into May. Five meetings have been scheduled during May with the expectation of more being arranged for September; before the Regional Group meetings begin again in October. The meetings will use the video-conferencing facilities of Zoom. Information on how to join these meetings may be found on the website https://rchs.org.uk/events/. 19.00 Wednesday 12th May 2021: Talk by Adam Cromerford Water Management – too little, too much, and just right 1 Adam Cromerford is National Hydrology Manager for the Canal & River Trust. His talk will discuss the problems of water management as faced by the C&RT today - there will be several examples used covering the scope indicated by the title of his talk. The talk will take 40-45 minutes to deliver, after which there will be time for questions. 14.00 Saturday 8th May: Talk by Peter Brown An appraisal of the life and works of Thomas Telford Telford came to Shropshire intending to practice as an architect, was appointed County Surveyor and then as General Agent of the Ellesmere Canal. Over the next 40 years was the adviser to several West Midlands canals and was in charge of the improvement of the main road from London to Holyhead via Shrewsbury. This talk, organised by the West Midlands Group, will have a particular emphasis on Telford’s work in the West Midlands and is subtitled “. . . and why I wouldn’t have wanted to employ him”. 14.00 Saturday 15th May: Talk by Anthony Dawson The Leeds & Selby Railway The Leeds & Selby Railway was first proposed in 1814 to link Yorkshire's major textile centre with its nearest port. Twenty years in gestation, it finally opened in September 1834 as a Yorkshire clone of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. Uniquely it operated its own fleet of steamboats to continue the line toward Hull and York. Yet despite being managed by some of Leeds' leading businessmen, it always possessed a certain naiveté and sadly fell prey to the machinations of George Hudson after an independent existence of less than a decade. 19.00 Wednesday 19th May 2021: Talk by Tony Riley The Victorian Railway in Kent In his talk, fully illustrated with 19th century photographs and maps, Tony looks at the development of Kentish railways from the 1830s onwards. 19.00 Wednesday 26th May: Talk by Robin Leleux Railways and Social Change in Victorian Britain – Part 2: Activities When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 the Railway Age was getting into its stride, with significant trunk lines either already open, nearly so, or authorised by Parliament, plus several local ones. When she died in 1901 railways were indisputably a major part of the fabric of Britain. In the intervening 2-century and more they had directly or indirectly played a major part in changing the nature of society, whether in policing, education, religion, employment, diet, dissemination of news and views or holidays and relaxation, not overlooking the standardisation of time. In the second part of his talk on the subject of railways and social change in Victorian Britain, Robin Leleux moves on from ‘attitudes and economics’ to consider the impact of railways on ‘activities’. It is not necessary to have heard the first talk, given on 28th April, to enjoy the second. The talk will take about 45 minutes, after which there will be time for questions and discussion. For more information on the Society’s Spring Meetings please contact the Hon Secretary, Roger Brice ([email protected]; 07702302242) MEMBERSHIP NOTES TO 23rdth April 2021 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Subscriptions were due on 1st January for 2021. 696 members have paid their 2021 subscriptions and that is much appreciated because it saves the time spent reminding the 88 who have not yet paid. The label accompanying the Journal has ‘Sub Due’ for those members who were thought not to have paid up at the copy date for the Bulletin of 23rd April. The Society’s system is not perfect so if you think we have got something wrong, please e-mail or phone the Membership Secretary to sort things out. MEMBERSHIP CHANGES After accounting for the changes noted below, the Society has 786 memberships including 54 joint and 24 student memberships so a total of 847 members. Net membership has increased by 9 since the last Bulletin. Notification of address changes, gift-aid status, missing or damaged mailings etc, should be sent to: 2 Membership Secretary, Andrew Wager, Hollow Croft, Church Lane, Thorpe, Ashbourne. DE6 2AW. or by e- mail to
London Anthony Coles Horsham North John Elliott Railway history research – MA student at York [email protected] East Sheffield University Institute of Railway Studies Stefan Early railways; Pipelines and materials handling; Jarkowski [email protected] Waterways history research; Railway history research Sale North West St. James Vicarage, Westbury Street, Rev. Roger Farnworth Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 9NL Railway chronology; Early railways; Ashton-under-Lyne
Region Name and Location Year Joined London H P Rudd of Wantage 1996
3 Region Name and Location Year Joined East Midlands Brian & Janet Collings of Towcester 1995
DECEASED MEMBERS: We are saddened to record the deaths of the following members: Dr. Reginald Gadd MBE FRAeS of Usk, South Wales who joined in 2020 Andrew Davies of Ashford, Kent who joined in 2017 CHANGE OF STATUS: Clifton Baker of Armidale, NSW, Australia is now enrolled on the MA course in Railway Studies at the University of York. Both his postal and e-mail addresses have changed. CHANGES OF E-MAIL ADDRESS: The Society no longer has the working e-mail addresses of the following:
Address Group Name Richard Sharland of Hitchin London Dr. N M L Barnes of Kidlington
R&CHS OFFICERS AND CONTACTS 2019 – 2020
Office Name * Contact President Matthew Searle
4 Office Name * Contact
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: In March Secretary Brice, in the course of some e-correspondence about the R&CHS Bulletin, asked me to prepare a paper for the Managing Committee addressing three issues: 01 My Editorial 'Mission' for the Bulletin 02 Number of pages required and how my experience as Editor informs that number. 03 Need for all of the current content or, for example, the need to include all types of content in all editions of the bi-monthly Bulletins. I welcomed this initiative and decided to 'sound out' IN CONFIDENCE 8 R&CHS members, including several SIGS contributors, explaining what I believed Secretary Brice and the MC required. All responded at some length, and very perceptively, so I wrote the paper to reflect their views and mine. In due course I was encouraged to learn that MC: “. . . considered a paper from Rob Shorland-Ball and recognised that the Bulletin is valued by the R&CHS membership . . . MC felt that ". . . [the] Bulletin should aim to average around 16 pages and should not generally exceed 20 for any one issue.” It seems relevant, therefore, to include a slightly edited version of my paper to MC and hope that some of you may be inspired to write a 'Letter to the Editor' agreeing - or disagreeing – and suggesting improvements I might make as life returns to more nearly 'normal.' 01) My Editorial 'Mission' for the Bulletin The Bulletin is not a casual or insignificant part of the Society's publications. The Journal is a more formal publication, for papers and reviews and is a very worthwhile production. But the Society's 'glue' is the Bulletin: a place for diary items and more informal notices, notes, short articles, several interesting images and 'hares' 5 which may run and provoke member responses. The Bulletin should be a conversation with and between the Members, and it is the only element of the Society that does this – it is our meeting point. Online Bulletins can enable members to see it much more quickly than waiting for the printed version to arrive. Another advantage of the online version is that they can be read / printed in the size that is suitable to the member, nor does all of it have to be printed so that can save the member's costs of paper and printer ink. However, not all members are 'online' and some may have older and less sophisticated computers / printers so cannot produce a colour Bulletin like the Society's printed version. My IN CONFIDENCE respondents, and members who contact me after a lively issue, tell me that my introduction of photographs / pictures and especially coloured ones is a great asset and reflects well on the Society. I have also learned that some members are online but do not enjoy the process of tracking down a Bulletin in the 'Members' section of the Website and prefer to read a printed version away from a computer screen. One IN CONFIDENCE respondent found the printed version helpful to carry to meetings, or just out and about, to show to non-members who may be persuaded to join the Society. When I inherited Editorship from Tony Jervis I decided it would help me to draft a framework of likely Contents for my Bulletins thus:
I believe that the present content needs to be there to enhance the 'glue' which can sustain members' loyalty to the Society.. One IN CONFIDENCE correspondent suggested that Society matters, membership changes, dates for diaries, reports from regional groups and from SIGS were essential for every issue. Other ancillary news such as that from other societies and museums should be recorded when possible. Letters to the Editor are also essential to allow freedom of speech and because I received a variety of possible stories for inclusion in a Bulletin I added topics 6.0) and 7.0) to embrace pictures and discussion 'hares' that could provoke informative responses. 02) Number of pages required and how my experience as Editor informs that number. The most economical way of printing the Bulletin is in multiples of 4 pages and the current maximum is 20 pages. MC suggested 16 pages but I cannot tell how many pages I may need until I have received all the copy for the Editor's copy date. I am pleased to report that contributions are almost always on time. I need to compose each new edition as a continuous copy-run wherever possible so that the text 'flows' from page to page and any table formats I use – such as the membership copy from Andrew Wager or Godfrey maps analysis from Tony Jervis – also 'flow.' 6 At first in 2020, and then after successive lock-downs, there was little to report from the Regional Groups or from most SIGS but, as the 20 pages for Bulletin 490 indicate, the Groups are beginning to plan ahead and to report potential future arrangements. So ". . . my experience as Editor . . ." tells me that as we return this year to something more like 'normal' I may find on copy date that I am likely to need 20 pages if I am to fulfil the 'Mission' for the R&CHS Bulletin I have outlined in 01) above. 03) Need for all of the current content or, for example, the need to include all types of content in all editions of the bi-monthly Bulletins. I have made a strong case – supported by my IN CONFIDENCE respondents – for sustaining the contents which I have evolved for the Bulletin. Generally the items contributors send me are time-conditioned so I must either include them or discard them altogether. Nonetheless, I guess that the principal reason for controlling and reducing the page numbers in each Bulletin is financial probity. Therefore, I shall be pleased to 'edit' the contents to ensure that there will be no more than 20 pages and, sometimes, only 16. in each edition My reason for sustaining the whole contents in each edition has been to remind some contributors that they have chosen to miss an edition – they rarely so advise me beforehand which adds to the difficulty of forecasting page numbers! Another reason is to show new members the scope and range of the Bulletin in the hope that they might chose to contribute – which several have done. GROUP EVENTS London Group 2021 Programme No more news yet Midlands East Group [EMG] – contributed by Bob Branson on 15th December 2020: Please check the East Midlands RCHS Website address:
Founded 1954 Website: www.rchs.org.uk Incorporated 1967 Charity registration number 256047 Company registration number 922300 (England & Wales)
Notice of the 2021 Annual General Meeting 23rd April 2021
The 2021 AGM will be held via Zoom video-conferencing on Saturday 22nd May at 11:00am.
Documents related to items 3-5 are available from the RCHS website (https://rchs.org.uk/2021-agm/) and, by request, in a printed format from the Secretary.
The agenda will be as follows:
1. Apologies for absence 2. A reminder of the rules for the meeting 3. Minutes of the 66th AGM, 15th August 2020 – Proposed: that these be approved as a correct record. 4. Annual Report 2020 – to be received by the meeting 5. Annual Accounts and Independent Examiner’s Report 2020 – to be received by the meeting 6. Subscription rates for 2022. Proposed: that there be no change to the annual membership subscription 7. Appointment of Independent Examiner for 2022: Proposed: Scrutton Bland LLP of Ipswich be reappointed. 8. Election of members of Council for 2021/22
Society Officers (ex-officio members of Council) offering themselves for election Treasurer: D C Smith Secretary: R Brice
Members of Council (minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 elected annually)
P A Brown Dr N Higton P Moss P Cross-Rudkin G Leach P Scowcroft T Edmonds Dr P Lloyd A Wager
No elections are necessary at this AGM for the following:
President: Matthew Searle (AGM Chairman; elected to a 2-year appointment in 2020)
Vice-Presidents – current (maximum of 8)
G J Biddle Dr J V Gough M J Messenger G A Boyes D Joy I P Moss Dr W J Freer Dr M J Lewis
Regional Group Representatives (appointed): R Haskins (London), G Wild (East Midlands)
9. Any other business — The Secretary having received no notices of motions, any resolutions passed can only be advisory for the Council and not binding.
Selection of the Managing Committee
Membership of the Managing Committee will be considered by a meeting of Council immediately following this AGM. The following have offered themselves for selection for the Managing Committee in addition to the ex-officio status of the President, Treasurer and Secretary: Patrick Moss (chairman) Andrew Wager Nick Higton Phil Lloyd – who would be Assistant Secretary serving the Managing Committee
1
Railway and Canal Historical Society
Founded 1954 Website: www.rchs.org.uk Incorporated 1967 Charity registration number 256047 Company registration number 922300 (England & Wales)
Please Note: The AGM is being convened while there is still significant uncertainty regarding the free movement of people and social distancing arrangements that may be in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is therefore intended that the 2021 AGM be held via Zoom. Also:
- To participate you will need to obtain a link to the meeting from the Members area of the website (https://rchs.org.uk/2021-agm/). This link will give direct access to the meeting. The AGM agenda and papers can also be viewed in advance of the meeting from this link. You should have logon details, but if not then contact [email protected]
- You will need a PC/laptop/tablet with a camera and a microphone to “attend”. If you do not have access to the above technology, you may still use the Zoom phone-in service from a traditional phone. The details will be on the website as above.
- It is proposed that only essential business shall be transacted. No notices of motion have been submitted under Article 12 of the Articles of Association. Any resolutions passed under AOB will be advisory for the Society’s Council.
- On-line meeting protocols shall apply, with one person speaking at a time. Instructions on giving a “hand wave” prior to being invited to speak by the chairman will be explained at the commencement of the meeting. Your microphone should be switched off during the meeting unless and until you are invited to speak by the chairman. At that point, please ensure your microphone is turned on and state your name before speaking. Should it be necessary to amend this protocol, due to the number of members attending, this will be explained at start of the meeting.
- The chairman shall call for a member to propose and second resolutions. However voting shall be only by means of the proxy form (attached). Please use the proxy form, making the chairman of the meeting your proxy.
- Please note that the meeting will be recorded. If you do not wish to appear in the recording, switch off your camera.
Notes Regarding Voting at the Annual General Meeting
1. Within the limitations set out above, Council has resolved that all categories of member shall be “admitted” to the meeting.
2. Any member wishing to vote will need to use the Proxy Form to express their votes and to appoint the Chairman of the Meeting as a proxy on a poll to vote, even in the case of the virtual presence of the member. The Proxy Form must be lodged with the Secretary, either in hard copy or as a PDF, or by use of the online version of the form not less than 48 hours prior to the AGM.
3. Only instruments on the official paper or online proxy form will be accepted.
4. Should you have any questions on the AGM please contact: [email protected] For assistance with logging in to the members’ area of the website, contact [email protected]
Roger Brice Secretary, Railway & Canal Historical Society 7 Hough Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 2LG (email: [email protected]; tel: 01625 533959, 077022 303242)
Railway and Canal Historical Society
Founded 1954 Website: www.rchs.org.uk Incorporated 1967 Charity registration number 256047 Company registration number 922300 (England & Wales)
2021 AGM 22nd May 2021, 11:00am Motions to Vote On
Note: There will be no voting during the meeting. All members wishing to vote must complete both the Voting Form below and the Form of Proxy overleaf, or use the online voting facility – available from the website https://rchs.org.uk/2021-agm/ .
Voting Form 2021 AGM (please mark your votes with an ‘X’)
YES NO Abstain Motion YES NO Abstain Motion (Elections, cont.)
Minutes of 66th AGM, 15 Aug 2020 (1) Election of Council
Annual Subscription: maintain at £25 Philip Brown
Appt. of Independent Examiner Peter Cross-Rudkin (Scrutton Bland LLP, Ipswich)
Tim Edmonds
Motion (Elections) YES NO Abstain Dr Nick Higton
Election of Officers Gerald Leach
David C Smith (Treasurer) Dr Phil Lloyd (MC Secretary)
Roger Brice (Secretary) Patrick Moss (MC Chairman)
Philip Scowcroft
Andrew Wager (1) Available, along with the instructions for joining the meeting, on the Society’s website, or by post from the Secretary (see address below). A stamp, addressed C5 envelope would be appreciated.
This voting form and the form of proxy must be received by the Secretary, in hard copy or as a PDF, or by use of the online facility, no less than 48 hours prior to the AGM
Return Completed Form to: Roger Brice
Secretary, Railway & Canal Historical Society
7 Hough Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 2LG (email: [email protected]; tel: 01625 533959, 07702 303242) 3
537 Recollections of a One-Time National Serviceman Philip L Scowcroft 1p 538 New Zealand Aircrew in the Battle of Britain Geoff Simpson 14pp, illus 539 Some Lesser-known RAF Aircraft of the Era Between the Wars Philip L Scowcroft 4pp, illus 540 Donald Marcus Kelway Marendaz Adrian Padfield 4pp 541 Battle of Britain Pilots Buried at Warmwell Geoff Simpson 14pp, illus 542 The Hawker Hart and its Derivatives 1929-1944 Philip L Scowcroft 1p 543 Book Review: Dresden and the Heavy Bombers: Frank Musgrove Geoff Simpson 2pp, illus 544 A Noteworthy Singleton: The Short Sarafand Philip L Scowcroft 1p, illus 545 Transporting Troops By Air: An Early Example Philip L Scowcroft 1p 546 The Short Sunderland Philip L Scowcroft 2pp, illus 547 Book Review: Battle of Berlin - Martin W Bowman Geoff Simpson 2pp, illus Early Railways Group [ERG] – contributed by Andy Guy A new Occasional paper – OP 261 Andy Guy A remarkable waggonway bridge 14 pages and details of the latest ERG Circular – C40 March 2021 8 pages – Plymouth tunnel on the Merthyr Tramroad Notes on the Early Railways Conference Ransom’s ‘Iron Road’ Lambton Archives British Town Maps OS draft drawings Update to OP254 – Gambadella portrait group Mansfield & Pinxton Railway Foggintor Quarry, Devon Blenkinsop’s ‘Salamanca’ Tranent & Cockenzie waggonway Maritime Heritage Trust – No Report Modern Transport Group [MTG] – contributed by Ray Shill Notice: Changes to distribution of the MTG Newsletter: Following . . . the notice sent out in July and . . . the last postal distribution . . . in January, the MTG 51 is now ready for despatch by e-mail in PDF format. The main society had decided to suspend funding for postal distribution, an option . . . [is] . . . to allow for group members to receive hard copies for a remittance. R&CHS members can obtain paper copies (b/w only) of Railway Chronology and Modern Transport newsletters from Ted Cheers for £2 per newsletter (including postage). Contact by e-mail to
10 105-34 ABERTILLERY [104/8] Richard Maund 105-35 WOLVERHAMPTON HIGH LEVEL OPENING Richard Maund 105-36 STEVENAGE [101/22] Richard Maund 105-37 LEIGHTON BUZZARD STATION Richard Maund 105-38 ARUNDEL & LITTLEHAMPTON Richard Maund 105-39 KENSINGTON ADDISON ROAD / OLYMPIA Richard Maund 105-40 BLAKE HALL [GER] Richard Maund 105-41 CALLINGTON Richard Maund 105-42 CHAPELTON [LSW]: Richard Maund 105-43 FERRYHILL – SPENNYMOOR Richard Maund 105-44 LONDON VICTORIA Richard Maund 105-45 MOTSPUR PARK Richard Maund 105-46 NEW PASSENGER SERVICES, 1914 - 1948:ALLHALLOWS-ON-SEA [43/3, 74/28] Richard Maund 105-47 NUNHEAD – LEWISHAM Richard Maund 105-48 HURN [LSW] Richard Maund 105-49 MOSS [GW] Richard Maund 105-50 VICKERS PLATFORM (Broomhope) [NB] Richard Maund The following items (attached) have been submitted for inclusion in Newsletter 106. Any queries or responses to be included with them should be sent to
ALAN GODFREY MAPS – from Tony Jervis Over 3,000 titles have now been published in this series. The majority of maps cost £3.00 each, but colour- printed maps, including those of Germany and France, cost £4.00. However, considerable discounts are available for those subscribing in advance for all issues or for all of particular areas. A new series recently started is of maps of Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington, just 2 centuries too late! These could have been of considerable benefit to engineers engaged to build either a canal or a railway between those towns. For a copy of the complete catalogue of available maps send a stamped, addressed envelope to the publisher: Alan Godfrey Maps, Prospect Business Park, Leadgate, Consett, County Durham, DH8 7PW, or visit the website at
12 Sheet Partial County or Area Title Notes No. ISBN 16.01 Thornaby (Mandale & Teeside Park), 1913 423-1 NO4 204.15 Aberford & Parlington, 1906 416-3 Yorkshire 233.11 Lofthouse Gate & Outwood, 1913 417-0 N05 233.15 Outwood, 1892 407-1 258.11 Sandal Magna, 1890 409-5 N06 Notes: N01) – According to the Ordnance Survey, who “Partially Revised” the Southampton (West) area in 1931, 352.634 acres of newly raised land plus a probably equal area in Millbrook Ward behind a yet-to-be- completed “Base Wall” were “Reclamation Work in Progress.” However, the outline foundations of two Transit Sheds-to-be were already in place as the surveyors plodged by. One standard-gauge railway siding from the vicinity of the Royal Pier penetrates this area but peters out after about 330 yards just before a completed building that coincides with the former Herbert Walker Avenue main entrance gate, No 8. To the north, rail passengers travelling west of Southampton West Station would no longer find the waters of the River Test lapping beside their trains, even at high tide. N02) – On the back of the Southampton Docks, 1931, sheet, purchasers will receive part of Hampshire Sheet 65.14 showing from north to south, the Royal Pier (from which the Prince of Wales appears to have had his own Landing Stage), Town Quay, The Gymp, Deep Lake and Dibden Bay and three areas of carefully delineated Mud. On the eastern shore of the River Itchen, for the virtual track-basher, there are two complex railway track layouts — for an Electric Control Gear Factory and for “Woolston Works (Shipbuilding & Engineering” with adjacent Coal Barge Dock and numerous tall-chimneyed buildings, Cranes, a Winch and a Kiln — neither connected to the national network as represented by the Southern Railway. There is also a large area of mud called Weston Shelf across which a strip of gravel (alias “Weston Hard”) allows the wellie- shod or well-booted to collect tide-washed vegetative matter for storing in the adjacent “Seaweed Hut”. N03) – Lancashire Sheet 94.09, Hindley. — Alan Godfrey recommends this map to the “railway enthusiast of the 1890s” but a latter-day railfan would also benefit. The front cover depicts an upside-down, temporarily tenderless, 0-6-0 steam locomotive while the plethora of railways inside does not require much imagination to delight from the “cacophony of steam” as “locomotives of the LNWR, LYR and MS&LR, together with those of Crompton and Shawcross with running rights on the main line” trundled along the several railways. And one should not forget the steam trams of the Wigan Tramways Company, whose reversing triangle terminated Market Street and whose depot appears to have shared a party wall with a school whose opposite wall bordered a chapel. To list the railways: there’s the L&YR’s Liverpool, Bolton & Bury Line and Pemberton Loop, coming alongside but not joining on the map; the L&NWR’s Lancashire Union Line, with sidings for Riding Mine Colliery and the Edith Pits of Hindley Collieries, and the Platt Bridge Junction Line diverging at Amberswood West Junction; an unallocated “Mineral Railway” serving the Mabel Pits of Hindley Collieries; and the MS&LR’s Wigan Junction Branch, serving Hindley & Platt Bridge Station and from which the L&NWR Hindley Junction Branch diverged at Strangeways East Junction and the Sheffield company’s Amberswood South and North Curves linked with Lancashire Union’s line at Amberswood West and East Junctions respectively. It is at the last that the inverted 0-6-0 would have been found on 24th July 1900. The 15.55 L&NWR express from Blackpool Talbot Road to Manchester Exchange derailed down the embankment while turning on to the GCR at or near the junction, killing its driver and one passenger and causing a brake van to be “absolutely smashed to pieces”. Shades of today’s private railways, which Company was to blame? At the subsequent inquiry, as each Company’s lawyers insisted it was all the other’s fault, Lt-Col. P.G. van Donop may well have thought, “Get thee be Hindley, gentlemen”, and wisely adjudicated that the L&NWR driver was probably travelling too fast for the junction and that the GCR’s track was old, partly worn out and thus weak. Strangeways Hall Colliery’s semi-circular sidings were served off the Amberswood South Curve and the keen of eye may spot other track at triple-pitted Ladies’ Lane Colliery to the north of the town and at Grammar Colliery, presumably named after the nearby school that perhaps emphasised the correct use of punctuation, to the south. 13 N04) – The Thornaby (Mandale & Teesside Park) map, which comprises all of Yorkshire 16.01 and an L- shaped portion of 6.13 to the north, seems to include the “fiddle yard” for one of the largest model railways in the country, for between the River Tees and the NER Darlington & Saltburn line are at least 120 sidings grouped into nine parallel sets plus many others serving as exchange or storage sidings for nearby works and arrival and departure tracks and engine release roads. The single-track tramway with occasional passing loops along Middlesbrough Road pales into insignificance in comparison. The Old River Tees, encircling Stockton Race Course, is a tiny stream that swells to ten times its width at high tide but is still important enough to define the Parliamentary County constituency boundary between Yorkshire and Durham. The backing map is L-shaped because the land north and west of the diverted River Tees, defined only by “High Water Mark of Ordinary Tides” and two bench marks 9.7ft and 12.3ft higher than a point at Liverpool, is shown as an empty unmapped area but does provide room for Alan Godfrey’s essay that points out that the twirly-whirly intersection of the A66 east-west and A19 north-south dual-carriageways makes difficult “a normal perambulation” of the area. N05) – Alan Godfrey’s Yorkshire Sheet 233.11 should perhaps be described as “Lofthouse Gate & twice Outwood” as the latter village, which occupies two-fifths of the main 1913 sheet, also appears in its 1905 form on the rear. The map can be folded in such a way that one can flick from one face to the other and kaleidoscopically spot additions and subtractions during the intervening period, e.g., the appearance of the West Yorkshire Alum Works, the disappearance of the Old Tile Shed Brick Works and the enlargement by the miners at Lofthouse Colliery of their waste heaps. The GNR’s West Yorkshire Railway runs from north to south and eastwards from a triangle at Lofthouse Junctions it shares with the NER and L&YR the Methley Joint Line. At the top of the sheet a single line bounded on both sides by several sidings heralds the approach of the East & West Yorkshire Union Railway. This sheet also has something for the air transport enthusiasts ensconced within our broad church: an “Aerodrome”, whence Harold Blackburn demonstrated his 50hp Gnome Blackburn. The passengers of the Yorkshire (West Riding) Electric Tramways Co. Ltd were sufficiently impressed by these aeronautics and other attractions that the tramway company added sidings at the Lofthouse Park stop on their Wakefield to Leeds route. From 1914 the Park became a place of rest for German businessmen who had failed to return home and for others of middle class status found in German colonies. Later, prisoners-of-war who “draw their soup through their teeth, clean their ears with their fingers at dinner, [and] hiccough unavoidably when they get up from their meal” were also boarded there. N06) – Yorkshire Sheet 248.11, Sandal Magna. — Worry not if you do not have big feet, Little Sandal is close by and, if you do not wish to go barefoot, you may be able to shoe-share with your neighbours in Sandal Three Houses. A great S-bend of the River Calder occupies the NW corner of the map but “just-in-time” boaters in a hurry could short-circuit a circumnavigation of the Calder Soap Works by cutting through the appropriate narrow- and broad-gauge Thornes Locks into the Thornes Cut. The Works is not connected to the outside world by rail but has a narrow-gauge internal system with at least eight sets of points, two of which delimit a short loop enabling a locomotive to haul or propel wagons into the various sidings. As far as “big railways” are concerned the Lancashire & Yorkshire is limited to 200 yards of plain double track across Thornes Common in the NW corner but the Great Northern and Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire companies do rather better in the NE with 58 chains of their joint West Riding & Grimsby Section and 9½ chains of spur from Sandal Junction that joined the Midland Railway off-map. Sandal Station had a small goods yard of just two sidings but a long looped siding to the south, perhaps a refuge for lengthy coal empties plodding north from London, almost 174 rail-miles distant. Sandal, as the “Site of Battle Fought between the Forces of the Duke of York & Queen Margaret, AD 1460” which the latter emphatically won, was much involved in what Sir Walter Scott immortalised as the “Wars of the Roses” and gruesomely described with a degree of playwright’s licence by Shakespeare in Henry VI, Part 3, extracts of which are quoted here in Alan Godfrey’s back-of-map essay. The Ordnance Survey also put their ranging rod into the mix by pointing out not only the site of the “Duke of York’s Grave” in Many Gates Lane but the “Human Remains, Swords, Spurs, &c.” found in 1825 near Portobello House on the banks of the Calder.
MISCELLANIA Finishing off what Dr Beeching started? This interesting question has been provoked by an article in The Times sent to me for the Bulletin as a 'disused tunnels' hare. My subsequent GOOGLE search generated another interesting headline: Railway heritage at risk 14 from Highways England’s “wrecking ball.” (©Rail Media – RailStaff Publications Limited and RailStaff Select Limited). The government-owned company, Highways England, is responsible for managing the DoT’s Historical Railways Estate (HRE) – a collection of around 3,200 bridges, tunnels and viaducts, some of which carry or span routes earmarked for walking and cycling, or for re-opened railways and extensions to heritage lines. HRE has an annual budget of around £10M and repairs are generally on a ‘reactive’ basis if inspections reveal problems. However, in a strategic report from 2016, Highways England made clear its preference to “significantly reduce the level of liability and risk . . .” by proactive interventions such as demolition and infilling. But according to The HRE Group – an alliance of engineers, cycling campaigners and greenway developers – no assessment is being made about the strategic value of the affected structures for future transport provision It seems that HRE is attempting to infill some structures under permitted development powers to prevent scrutiny through normal planning processes. Case example: Queensbury Tunnel It’s been 65 years since the last train trundled through the Queensbury Tunnel. A local campaign has been mounted to bring the tunnel in West Yorkshire back to life as one of Europe’s longest underground cycle paths, forming the centrepiece of a dedicated “greenway” running between Halifax and Bradford. However, the tunnel, built in the 1870s, is in disrepair, has suffered two partial collapses and heavy flooding now submerges its southern portal. An even bigger obstacle to re-use lies in Highways England plans to block it off, plugging either end with concrete to prevent the risk of a big collapse. It is one of 134 disused railway bridges and tunnels across Britain earmarked for infilling or demolition by the state-owned roads company over the next five years. Opposition to the programme is growing, particularly at a time when “active travel” has shot up the government’s list of priorities. About £2 billion was earmarked by the prime minister last year to transform the country into a “great walking and cycling nation”, including the promise of thousands of miles of new bicycle lanes. There have also been repeated pledges to resurrect old lines as full passenger railways to reconnect towns and cities; a key goal of Boris Johnson’s levelling-up agenda. Bringing [the tunnel] back to life would cost £6.9M, it is claimed. This week, the Queensbury Tunnel Society released an analysis claiming this repair bill was eclipsed by the amount that has already been committed – £7.5M – to prepare it for infilling. It said a further £3 million would be spent on the work, which requires planning permission to proceed. “There’s been a scandalous waste of public money,” said Graeme Bickerdike, a TV cameraman who became fascinated by railway infrastructure while carrying out filming work. HRE maintains that blocking tunnels and in-filling bridges on disused railway tracks will effectively kill off any attempts to bring them back to life. Furthermore, it is claimed that the method used to determine many bridges’ structural condition — often whether they are fit for 44-tonne lorries — greatly exaggerates the risk level when most are on country lanes carrying little more than farm traffic. Bickerdike who is a member of the HRE Group, told The Times: “It is extraordinary that they’re able to get away with this. Infilling, demolition and destruction may tick a box on a spreadsheet for some civil servant but it derives no benefit for the wider community that demonstrated during lockdown a great desire to embrace active travel and to connect with green space.” Highways England is understood to have identified 114 bridges and 2 tunnels that will be fully or partially infilled. A further 18 are likely to be demolished although the final plans are still being confirmed. The Company has insisted that all local authorities had been contacted to potentially take ownership and contribute towards future maintenance of these structures. In all cases Highways England explains that “experienced engineers” have ruled the structures to be potentially unsafe. Across Britain, increasingly noisy campaigns are being mounted to keep infilling work at bay. In East Renfrewshire, advanced plans have been drawn up for a 3-mile pedestrian and cycle route between the villages of Neilston and Uplawmoor which could be scuppered by arrangements to infill 3 bridges on the route. The issue was raised by the SNP at Westminster in January, with Rachel Maclean, the junior transport minister pledging further talks between Highways England and the local council. 15 Proposals for a 20-mile greenway from Hereford to Hay-on-Wye are similarly threatened by plans to infill 2 bridges. The Monsal Trail in the Peak District runs along the former Midland Railway line which was abandoned in 1968. Andrew Davidson, a local barrister who is part of the campaign to save this route, said: “These [structures] are solid . . . they’re [at present] taking traffic. We are trying and struggling to get £44,000 – not a huge sum of money in the great scheme of things - to get a feasibility study carried out. It sits uneasy with me that huge sums are instead being spent on surveys to support the planning permission . . . to fill them in without even considering the alternatives.” Supporters point to the success of disused lines elsewhere in the country as proof of their potential. The Monsal Trail in the Peak District runs for 8.5 miles along the former Midland Railway line which was abandoned in 1968. Up to 4,000 people used the route on a single day last summer. In north London, the former Great Northern branch line from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace has been transformed into a 2.5- mile nature reserve, the longest of its kind in the capital. An assessment published last year by Bradford council said that a full green route between the Bradford and Halifax, via Queensbury Tunnel, would create £5.60 in economic benefits for every £1 invested. A Highways England spokesman said [all their] work was being carried out to “maintain the safety of communities living near, and the vehicles using, historic railway estate structures”. In reference to the Queensbury Tunnel, the Company dismissed the quoted figures for infilling work as “inaccurate”, adding: “The structure is flooded, causing the tunnel lining to deteriorate at a rapid pace. It needs to be strengthened, and preventing an uncontrolled collapse is our best option for keeping this tunnel [safe in the future].” The language of US railroads . . . I had hoped that my reflections on the back page of Bulletin 490 about US railroad talk might encourage some responses but, alas, not yet . . . I guess I must order my beanery queen to draw one and then drink it before the hogger gets the highball and my varnish speeds away from Scranton depot to . . . (destination suggestions please for the next Bulletin!). Below is Steamtown – Scranton National Historic site – today
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