ISSUE Number 70

The Brakes Go On Again!

st WATFORD BRANCH NEWSLETTER Issue Date - 1 October 2020

From the Chairman

elcome to another issue of the Watford Branch Newsletter, as we now move into autumn and look forward to W the clocks going back! Normally, we would now be into the new season of meetings after the summer break, but the Covid-19 lockdown has meant we missed three physical meetings before moving on to the present situation where we are meeting virtually online via the medium of Zoom, including a couple of ‘extra’ meetings to make up for the earlier loss. Your committee still hopes everyone is remaining safe and well, and perhaps managed the odd ‘staycation’ or overseas visit, hopefully, without the need to quarantine on returning home. Although Covid-19 restrictions had been eased to a certain extent and schools/workplaces were being encouraged to get back into action, the brakes have now been applied again as we apparently approach a ‘second wave’ of the virus spreading. We now have the ‘Rule of Six’, together with social-distancing and the wearing of face coverings mandatory in many more situations; this would certainly preclude us returning to meeting physically at our usual venue at Beechen Grove Baptist Church, for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, we will be continuing to hold our monthly meetings virtually, via Zoom, as per usual on the first Tuesday of each month. This has meant a considerable alteration to our original programme for the rest of the year and probably beyond as well. Bernie Holland stood in for Stephen Gay at our September Zoom meeting with a presentation on the Honeybourne Line, this was an excellent event enjoyed by some thirty-one participants, it would have been even better had more members joined us for the evening! You will all be very welcome to join us for future ‘Zooms’. On 6th October, David Jackman, Society Webmaster, has kindly agreed to step up to the plate to give a presentation entitled ‘North from Euston in the 1960s’, utilizing photos from the Society’s archives, so thanks to David for that. He has taken over the slot originally booked for John Day, from the Ipswich Branch, with a talk on ‘The Canadian’, but as yet John is not in a position to be able to do virtual presentations. We look forward to seeing John ‘in the flesh’ at some stage after we can hold physical meetings once again. Rob Davidson has sent out emails with the link to pre-register for the 6th October meeting, but if you haven’t had one of these, please get in touch with Rob at [email protected]. November’s scheduled presentation by Rob Freeman will go ahead as advertised as Rob is geared up for Zoom, so ‘A Miscellany of Railtours in Great Britain from 1970 Onwards’ will be our subject then. December’s meeting will be the traditional ‘Members’ Images’ (unless a speaker can be found), though you’ll have to supply your own mince pies, sausage rolls and perhaps a festive drink! The Society’s national AGM, due to be held last April in Coventry, was another casualty of the lockdown – this has now been rescheduled to be held as a virtual Zoom meeting on Saturday 24th October 2020, commencing at 14:00. There is an announcement about this on the website at https://rcts.org.uk/society/news/2020-annual-general- meeting/ and this also includes a link to pre-register for this meeting – registration will be checked manually so please do not leave this to the last minute if you intend to participate. Physical meetings in the past have included entertaining/educational presentations in addition to the formal part of the proceedings and this may be the intention for the virtual meeting as well. Some details of the event are published in the September issue of the RO, now available on the website, and further details are included in the October edition, on Page 702. The October issue of the ‘Railway Observer’ is available on the website, but please note that if you use Google Chrome as your browser there is a problem at the moment with opening the RO in the ‘Pagesuite’ electronic format, so you may have to open or download the PDF version, or use a different browser if you can. This problem may well have been sorted out by the time this newsletter hits your inbox.

A Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with The Charities Commission. Registered number 1169995.

If you have read October’s RO you will have seen the reference to our Society President, the Reverend Canon Brian Arman, who suffered a heart attack a few weeks ago. Fortunately, he was taken to the Royal Bristol Infirmary very quickly and later underwent a bypass operation and the fitting of a pacemaker; he is now on the way to recovery – we wish him and his family all the best for the future, including coming to visit us at some stage for his postponed presentation. We have the usual mix of articles this month, again mainly from the same few members, please do get in touch if you would like to contribute to future issues at [email protected] – thanks in anticipation, and thanks to those who have contributed this time once again. Your committee will be having its regular quarterly meeting via Zoom on Thursday 8th October 2020, if there are any matters that you would like to suggest for discussion by the committee, please contact me at the email address in the above paragraph. Branch Secretary Rob Davidson has recently moved to a new house – he has sent out an email with his new contact details (and these are also available on the Watford pages of the RCTS website), but in case you haven’t seen them here they are again – Home Address: 2 Legion Court, Middle Littleton, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 8JH Home Telephone: 01386 830502

For those of you who missed Bernie Holland’s Zoom presentation on 1st September, here’s a taster!

GWR ‘Castle’ Class 4-6-0 No. 5046 Earl Cawdor heads (1)Z16, presumably a special of some sort, along what is now part of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway on Wednesday 14th March 1962. It is passing under the Southam Lane bridge on the approach to Cheltenham Race Course station and this may have been a Gold Cup Festival special. Photo © Bill Potter, courtesy Kidderminster Railway Museum.

Several other branches are now conducting virtual meetings via Zoom, members and visitors from any branch are welcome at these meetings. Details are available on the website, together with contact email addresses to apply for an invitation pre-registration online form.

Geoff Plumb, Chairman, RCTS Watford Branch

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Some more from Rob Freeman – just the ticket!

Something a bit different from me this month. As well as all the photographs, the Casserleys had a huge collection of memorabilia and tickets. I currently have loan of some of the latter as we are going to use some to help decorate the pages of ‘Steaming Through the Chilterns’. It is not an area of the hobby I have ever explored, but here are some that struck me as historically interesting locally. Any comments or information from members would be appreciated. I have learnt that the word furlough is not new! The Aylesbury to Verney Junction complete return ticket is dated 2nd May 1936, that is just a couple of months before closure on 6th July 1936. [In addition to Rob’s captions, there are some further notes included below by Geoff Plumb – if anyone can add anything further please contact me at the [email protected] email address.]

Above: A selection of tickets issued by the Met. & G. C. J. Ctee (Metropolitan & Great Central Joint Committee), including the above-mentioned return from Aylesbury to Verney Junction. The hand-written ticket No. 1039 from to Road would be from what was originally Waddesdon Road station on the , rather than station on what was the main line, south east of Quainton Road.

Left: Soldiers Furlough Special Tickets, Wendover to Croydon (East) and Woolwich Arsenal to Wendover, via specified routes.

In this instance, a furlough is a military term for an extended period of leave from front line service in order to return home.

Furlough originates from the Dutch ‘verlof’, meaning ‘leave of absence’.

Right: Another military ticket for a rather interesting journey from Quainton Road to Oakham, specified route via Marylebone and King’s Cross (why not St. Pancras?), so presumably meaning a change at Peterborough, or even at Hitchin?

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Left: Some more tickets issued by the Met & GC, including a local trip from Harrow-on-the-Hill to Watford, via Moor Park & Sandy Lodge.

Right: This would have been an exciting event - a day excursion from Brill (O. & A.T.) to Baker Street and return! The O. & A. T. was the & Aylesbury Tramroad (from August 1888) which had intentions to extend the Wotton (Brill) Tramway beyond Brill to Oxford, though this never happened.

Left: Another couple of local journeys, just one station apart in both cases, from Wood Siding (where the Brill tramway crossed over the GWR ‘ cut-off’ route from 1910) to Brill and return. Also from Verney Junction to Winslow Road station on the line from Quainton Road Junction.

Right: This ticket for a single journey on the Brill Tramway, between Brill and Wotton, is dated 22nd June 1935. This was just a month before Transport conducted a formal survey along the line on 23rd July 1935, this re-affirming the intention to close it – closure took place from 30th November 1935.

Left: A selection of ‘Workman’ tickets issued by the Great Western & Great Central Joint Railway, High Wycombe to Aylesbury via Little Kimble, Beaconsfield for Penn to Aylesbury and Seer Green Halt to Brentham via Greenford. The full name for Brentham was Brentham Halt for North Ealing and this station was just to the north west of the present Hanger Lane station. A road named Brentham Halt Road ran under the ‘New North Main Line’ from Western Avenue to Hanger Lane, this is now named West Gate, and just on the north side of this road was the large ‘Virol’ factory, whose orange enamel advertising signs were a regular feature of many railway stations. This may have been the destination of the Workman who bought the ticket!

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Left: This one is presumably either a Season Ticket or Pass of some sort, valid between Beaconsfield and Paddington, via Greenford, or Marylebone, via Sudbury Hill (Harrow), until 14th August 1943, though when its validity commenced is not known. By 1943, the Great Central had become part of the LNER twenty years earlier – were the Joint Lines ever renamed to reflect that?

Right: It would seem that the notes under ‘Not Transferable’ on this single ticket from Ruislip & Ickenham to Haddenham answer the above question, as it refers to ‘the G. W. and L. & N. E. Ry. Cos’ current Time Tables’ etc. – though it still has ‘G. W. & G. C. Joint Ry.’ printed at the top! Ruislip & Ickenham opened in 1906 and was renamed West Ruislip (for Ickenham) on 30th June 1947, when the Central Line extension was opened between North Acton and Greenford, the section onwards to West Ruislip opening in November 1948.

Left: Another ‘Furlough’ ticket, though no mention of soldiers on this one! A single from Aylesbury (Joint) to Oxford (G. W.) Via Thame, presumably with a change of trains at Princes Risborough. Aylesbury (Joint) station was also known as Aylesbury Town, to differentiate it from the original station of Aylesbury High Street, terminus of the branch line from Cheddington.

Thanks to Rob Freeman for that fascinating collection of tickets – if anyone can add anything further, please do get in touch with either Rob or Geoff Plumb.

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Railway Exhibitions, Part 4. By Humphrey Gillott. ‘Doncaster (The Plant) 150 1853- 2003’. Friday 25th July 2003 - Sunday 27th July 2003.

Right: Doncaster Works shunter Number 08834 brings Class 91 No. 91107 Newark on Trent into the Exhibition Area on a very wet Friday 25th July 2003.

All photos Copyright © Humphrey Gillott.

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Left: Ivatt Class J52 0-6-0ST No. 68846 is flanked by Robinson Class 04 2-8-0 No. 63601 (left) and Stirling Single No. 1 (right) on 25th July 2003.

Right: Gresley Class V2 2-6-2 No. 60800 Green Arrow with Flying Scotsman behind and 68846 to the right on 25th July 2003.

Left: From left to right: two ‘Deltics’; and then examples from classes 58, 56, 08 and 59 on 25th July 2003.

Right: Stanier Class 8F 2-8-0 No. 48151 shunts coaching stock beside Doncaster station, in torrential rain, with a Eurostar for Leeds behind at the platform, on 25th July 2003.

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Left: Class 89 No. 89001 on Saturday 26th July 2003.

Right: Electric and diesel ‘line-up’, 26th July 2003.

Left: Gresley Class D49 4-4-0 No. 246 (BR No. 62712) Morayshire, with Henry Oakley behind outside the shed, on Saturday 26th July 2003.

Right: Worsdell Class J21 0-6-0 No. 65033 basks in the sunshine on Saturday 26th July 2013.

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Left: EWS Class 47 No. 47635 The Lass O' Ballochmyle outside the Wabtec Paint Shop on Sunday 27th July 2003. The engine had been named without ceremony at Toton two days earlier and officially unveiled at the Doncaster exhibition.

Right: Class 85 Electric No. 85101 has just been named Doncaster Plant 150 1853-2003; the unveiling of the nameplate having been carried out by Richard (Dick) Hardy (second right) and Peter Townend (extreme right), both gentlemen having been Premium Apprentices at Doncaster at the end of the 1930s / early 1940s. Also in the photograph, from the left are: Mike Roe, Engineering Director of Wabtec; me (Humphrey Gillott) Railway Mission Chaplain and Mal Munday, owner of ‘Knightwing’, the owners of the locomotive. I had been invited by Mal to say a few words about the Railway Mission (RM) before the nameplate was unveiled. The Headquarters of the Railway Mission was in Dennison House inside Doncaster Works at the time. It was a great privilege to be invited to speak at such an occasion. Photo taken by Reverend Ron Keen.

Left: ‘Tailpiece’: on my way in my car to the village of Owston (co-incidentally my wife's, Joy's, maiden name) on Thursday 24th July 2003, where I was going to stay in a bed and breakfast guest house, I received a telephone call from the National Railway Museum, to confirm that Green Arrow was on her way from York to Doncaster towing Mallard (I think, at 25 MPH). I was near to Arksey, just north of Doncaster, so I headed for the East Coast Mainline. This was the first level crossing I went over (pictured, possibly at Shaftholme [yes, Shaftholme Daw Lane – editor]) and just after I had reached this spot, this tranquil scene was before me. I saw the engines from the next level crossing southwards in Arksey, but, sadly, was not in a good position to take a photograph.

Thanks to Humphrey for those photos from an excellent exhibition, despite some rather inclement weather on the first day!

There is more from Humphrey later in the newsletter, covering further engines now preserved, when they were still in BR service.

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Humphrey Gillott’s brother Roland has sent in a further photo taken at Quainton Road, prior to the Railway Centre opening to the public for the day at 10:30. Note the signal gantry reflected in the loco’s windscreens!

DB Cargo 66079 James Nightall G.C. travelling south through Quainton Road with 6L58, the 10:06 train of empty box wagons to Acton Yard, at 10:07 on Wednesday 26th August 2020, running a few minutes early. Photo © Roland Gillott.

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Some more from Rob Davidson.

Left: GWR 'Manor' Class 4-6-0 No. 7820 Dinmore Manor passing through Winchcombe Station with the 10:55 train from Cheltenham Race Course to Broadway at 11:20½ on Tuesday 25th August 2020. This engine carries BR Lined Black livery. Photo © Rob Davidson.

Right: GWR continues to operate short formation HSTs, as 43040 brings up the rear of 2C67, the 08:00 GWR HST service from Cardiff Central to Penzance, seen departing from Exeter St David’s at 10:26¼ on Friday 18th September 2020.

Photo © Rob Davidson, taken during a ‘Staycation’ in the West Country.

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Headstone Lane over the Years

One of our local Watford Branch members, John Hutchings, kindly sent me a copy of a B&W negative he had recently added to his collection. It was annotated as being ‘Near Watford’, though at a location he did not recognise. He asked if either I, or any of our members could identify the whereabouts – it was in fact at Headstone Lane, with the Pre-Fab houses in the background that John had not realised were there in years gone by. So here’s the picture, together with a couple more in later years at the same spot – thanks to John, and there are some more photos from John later in this issue.

Above: Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No. 46431 is running light engine on the down slow line at Headstone Lane on Saturday 18th March 1961, perhaps returning to its home shed at Watford (1C). The Pre-Fabs were situated on what was then named Bancroft Road, this is now known as Augustine Road and newer housing has replaced the Pre-Fabs.

Right: LMS Stanier ‘Black 5’ 4-6-0 No. 45344 is in charge of a very short ‘Class C’ fitted-freight train heading north on the down fast line at Headstone Lane, in the weak wintry sunshine of Wednesday 23rd December 1964. The shot is taken from the south end of the up platform on the DC lines at Headstone Lane station. The bufferstops on the left of the picture are at the end of the shunt neck of the goods yard. Photo © Geoff Plumb.

Left: Bernie Holland took this shot recently at the same location, no housing now visible due to tree growth, and the bridge in the background carries Courtenay Avenue over the railway.

GBRf 66789 British Rail 1948 - 1997, in BR Large Logo Blue livery, is passing Headstone Lane Station on the Down Slow Line at the head of 4M46, the 12:05 from London Gateway to Hams Hall Intermodal, at 14:43 on Monday 7th September 2020. Photo © Bernie Holland, and thanks for the picture!

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We may have only just moved into autumn, and it’s been some time since we had a cold and snowy winter, but here are some local shots from John Hutchings in wintry conditions – thanks to John for submitting these to share with everyone! Wrap up warm…

Above: 85020 at Watford Junction on Friday 11th December 1981 with the Up ‘Manchester Pullman’. It was terminated here due to adverse weather conditions and passengers transferred to special 6-car train on the DC - a bit of a comedown!

Above: 86214 Sans Pareil pausing at Watford Junction on Friday 11th December 1981 with a down Manchester service in poor conditions.

Right: 86002 passing through Kings Langley on Saturday 12th December 1981 with a down freight in cold but sunny conditions.

Left: Two Class 501 units near Queens Park on Tuesday 8th December 1981 with a Euston- Watford service.

On the next page are some more shots from John, this time all taken at Watford Junction.

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Right: Rebuilt Bulleid 'Battle of Britain' 4-6-2 No. 34090 Sir Eustace Missenden, Southern Railway arriving at Watford Junction on Saturday 11th March 1961 with ECS from a Poole to Wembley Central special in connection with a Women’s International Hockey Match at Wembley Stadium. The empty stock stabled in the sidings and loco turned on the Croxley triangle. The return train was scheduled to leave Wembley at 17:30. To turn on the Croxley triangle I assume it must have crossed over onto the DC lines. So a Bulleid pacific passing through Watford High Street, twice! Something I would like to have seen.

Left: Class 501 with 61148 leading, then 70148 and 75148 at Watford Junction, on Thursday 1st October 1981 with a Broad Street Service.

Right: Showing the 07:43 departure from Watford Junction to Elephant & Castle, on Wednesday 17th March 1982, Class 501 units either side.

Left: Under rather threatening-looking skies at Watford Junction station, DC lines, on Monday 3rd May 1982, an LT Bakerloo Line train on the 08:03 service to Elephant & Castle and a Class 501 EMU alongside on a Broad Street service. The Bakerloo Line services stopped running through to Watford from 23rd / 24th September 1982.

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Steam now preserved, photographed when working for British Railways, Part 3.

By Humphrey Gillott.

All Photos © Humphrey Gillott

Right: Stanier ‘Royal Scot’ Class 4-6-0 No. 46115 Scots Guardsman approaches Watford Junction with an Up express for Euston in the Summer of 1961.

Above Left: Gresley A4 Pacific 4-6-2 No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, leaves Kings Cross with a north-bound express, in the Spring of 1962.

Above Right: Fowler Class 4F 0-6-0 No. 43924 at Barrow Road MPD, Bristol, on Sunday 23rd August 1964. This engine appeared in the first episode of the current new television series of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. This was the first engine to leave Woodham’s scrapyard in Barry, for preservation in September 1968

Left: LMS Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41298 at Weymouth MPD on Sunday 28th August 1966. Built by BR in 1951, it spent most of its career on the Southern Region based at various sheds, its period at Weymouth, on the Western Region, followed by Nine Elms. Initially preserved by the Ivatt Trust, at the Longmoor Military Railway, it was then moved to Quainton Road for restoration. It is now based on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, so still a Southern Region engine! The rather ugly narrow chimney has been replaced with a wider diameter version as fitted to many other members of the class.

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Right: Rebuilt Bulleid ‘Merchant Navy’ Pacific 4-6-2 No. 35029 Ellerman Lines at Nine Elms MPD on a murky Sunday 9th October 1966. This locomotive has been ‘Sectioned’ and is on display at the National Railway Museum, York.

Left: BR Standard Class 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73096 on pilot duty at Manchester Exchange, on Saturday 12th August 1967.

Once again, thanks to Humphrey for sending these pictures in, and we look forward to seeing further examples!

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‘World Steam’ Tour of Java, 1973, by Geoff Plumb – Part 2

All Photos © Geoff Plumb

There is a rudimentary railway map of Java with the first part of this article in Newsletter No. 69

At the end of Part One of this saga, we had reached This was the direction we had to go in any case, so off Tasikmalaja, visiting the loco shed in the dull early we went as the weather started to perk up a little. morning of Friday 20th July 1973 and discovering D52 Class 2-8-2 No. D52 080 doing some shunting. It was then due to work Train 2342, departing at 09:10 for Bandjar, further east along the main line.

2-6-0T No. C11 39 (Hartmann No. 1721 of 1891) stands nose to nose with 4-6-4T No. C28 20 at Bandjar depot. The C28 is On Friday 20th July 1973, 2-8-2 No. D52 080 is shunting in the at least in steam, though whether likely to do anything was yard at Tasikmalaja, making up what eventually became a uncertain. The C11 looks serviceable, but again, quite what mixed train to Bandjar, perhaps Train 2342, supposedly its duties might entail was an unknown detail. That steam 09:10 from Tasikmalaja, but in the usual fashion around one was in decline even in these parts is perhaps illustrated by the hour late. One hundred of the D52 class were built by Krupp state of the water column in the foreground, now in 1951, works numbers 3224 - 3323, they were more or less demolished. a scaled-down version of the Deutsche Reichsbahn Class 41.

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At Bandjar the shed area was occupied by various locos, including C11 2-6-0T, C28 4-6-4T and CC50 2-6- 6-0 Mallet, at least a C28 was doing some shunting. A couple of D52s were undergoing maintenance. D52 080 arrived with its mixed train from Tasikmalaja at around 11:50, just over an hour late, with plenty of passengers aboard its wagons. A diesel-hauled passenger train departed towards Tasikmalaja with a BB301 in charge, this was probably the same working as we had seen the day before at Tjipeundeuj. We now moved on out of West Java into Central Java, further on the southerly main line to

Maos, junction for a branch southwards to Tjilatjap. PNKA Class D52 2-8-2 No. D52 019 does some shunting at There wasn’t much happening at Maos, but we did find Maos in the fading light on Friday 20th July 1973. The loco a C11 2-6-0T in steam at Tjilatjap, though it was only was working a mixed train along the south coast main line, acting as a stationary boiler to supply steam to the presumably here dropping off some wagons for the branch pumps to fill up the depot water tank… There was also to Tjilatjap. It looks like several of the local kids would like to a C12 compound 2-6-0T here, out of steam by the shed be engine drivers when they grow up! building, which seemed to be home to several people. Having got our shots, complete with plenty of the local It was now rather dull and not far off sunset, so we kids, we returned to Maos. moved on again, northwards to Purwokerto for our next overnight stop. One of the things we took on board fairly quickly was that on some of the busier roads it was a good idea to reach the intended destination before it got dark, as the roads became hazardous to say the least. During the day, things were not too bad, but even quite major routes could be little more than single carriageway width. Ostensibly, traffic drove on the left, perhaps a legacy of the Japanese occupation during the Second World War, but in practice most people drove in the middle of the road. When oncoming traffic was encountered, a sort of game of ‘chicken’ ensued, each vehicle sticking to the

In fading evening light, 2-6-0T No. C11 23 simmers at centre of the road and hoping the other would give Tjilatjap depot alongside the water tower and water crane. way… As well as the motor traffic there was also plenty The loco was just providing steam to power the pumps to fill of farm traffic, the odd ancient tractor but mostly the water tower, though it does look as though it is capable bullock carts, bicycles, rickshaws and heaven knows of movement! The engine was pretty ancient even then, what, pushed or pulled manually. having been built by Hartmann in 1887, works No. 1526. As In daylight these could all be seen, but at night usual, our presence has attracted a crowd of the local kids! it was a different story. Many of the commercial lorries th Friday 20 July 1973. and buses were lit up like Christmas trees, with multi- coloured lights on both front and rear, so on seeing Here, a light engine appeared, perhaps from the lights in the distance it wasn’t obvious at first if we Tjilatjap branch at around 16:00. This was 0-6-0T No. were catching something up or whether it was coming C14 11, one of a class of 14 engines built by Beyer, towards us. Non-motorised traffic generally had no Peacock between 1895 and 1910, and by now lights at all, so it was easy to sweep round a bend and something of a rarity. It fussed about the yard at Maos find two bullock carts plodding along, completely with much whistling, making for some good shots. blocking the road. Many trees that lined these roads D52 019 appeared shortly afterwards at 16:15 had the lower parts of their trunks painted white, so at with a westbound goods train working from Kroja to least one could avoid these, hopefully! Bandjar and proceeded to do some shunting until I cannot now recall where we stayed in departing at 16:45. During the shunting, it was noted Purwokerto, but as usual we were at the station and that the cab was full of kids, perhaps all hoping to grow loco depot fairly early in the morning, with some nice up to be engine drivers! As it departed there were quite sunshine, on Saturday 21st July 1973. This was on the a few ‘passengers’ perched on the loco’s tender! line that ran from Kroja on the southerly main line, northwards and north westerly to Prupuk and Tjirebon Page | 15 on the northerly main line. There was also a long branch line to Wonosobo from Purwokerto, though this line was thought to be all diesel-operated by this time. Mallet 2-6-6-0 No. CC50 06 had arrived earlier on a train from Prupuk and was now on shed being prepared to work the train back again, supposedly at 08:45.

Above: Class CC50 2-6-6-0 Mallet No. CC50 06 pulling away from Purwokerto with the 08:45 mixed train to Prupuk in Central Java, Saturday 21st July 1973. This engine was built by Werkspoor of Amsterdam in 1928, Works No. 563.

Eventually, having been turned and serviced, CC50 06 came off shed and went to the rather imposing station alongside to couple up to its train. This consisted of one bogie coach and one wagon, the loco being somewhat longer than the train. We had time to walk up the line a little way to capture this train’s departure, it finally getting away at 09:00, making a great effort with its minuscule train. PNKA 4-6-0 No. C54 01 potters around at Purwokerto loco depot on the morning of Saturday 21st July 1973. Alongside is Returning to the minibus we now made our 2-6-6-0 Mallet no. CC50 06 being prepared by its crew and way southwards, to return to the main line through just visible behind is a diesel, No. D301 33. The 19 members Kroja. En route we passed through Sokaraja and then of class C54 were built by Hartmann and Beyer, Peacock. C54 came across our first sugar mill line at Kalibagor. Java 01 was built by Hartmann in 1922, works No. 4449. is, of course, famous for its sugar mill lines, some still in operation to this day, but on our trip they were of 4-6-0 No. C54 01 was also in steam and pottering about secondary consideration, though it was very welcome the yard; dotted around the shed area were locos of to see them. classes C27, C28 and CC50, with C28 10 and CC50 20 in steam. There was also an 0-8-0D diesel shunter No. D301 33.

In steam and minus its dome cover is Kalibagor No. 5, a Maffei built 0-8-0T (No. 3967 of 1920), on shed at Sokaraja. Wood-burning 4-6-0 No. C54 01 (Hartmann No. 4449 of This engine later went to the mill at Sumberharjo. The 1922) is doing some shunting around the yard at Purwokerto engines here were oil-burners, whereas at many mills the depot, while the shed fitters try to coax some life into Krupp engines burnt ‘bagasse’ which was the compressed remains 305hp 0-8-0D No. D301 33 (Works No. 4181 of 1962) on the of the sugar cane after the extraction process was complete. bright morning of Saturday 21st July 1973. Page | 16

At the Kalibagor loco depot were several of the 700mm gauge engines, mostly in steam but presumably undergoing maintenance of some sort as several had their dome covers removed! There were 0-8-0Ts built by Maffei and O&K, also a Mallet 0-4-4-0T built by Borsig, though this was not in a photographable location. In the usual fashion, staff posed proudly with their charges for the cameras. This mill closed in 1997, but two of the locos moved on to Sumberharjo and two to Gondang Baru mills. We resumed the southbound journey to Kroja, in the hopes of seeing something on the move. The shed area at Kroja contained 4-6-4Ts of classes C27 and Krupp built B-B diesel hydraulic No. BB301 10 arrives into C28 and a C54 4-6-0, also Mallet 2-6-6-0 No. CC50 14. Kutoardjo with a westbound short mixed train, though where One of the C28s was in steam, but with connecting rods from and to is an unknown! Saturday 21st July 1973. removed it was simply supplying steam to the pumps to fill the water tower… However, D51 Class 2-8-2 No. D51 04 was shunting in the yard and D52 063 was preparing to depart with the 10:55 mixed train to Bandjar. Not long after its departure, nicely bulled-up D52 080 arrived from Bandjar at 11:15 with another mixed train, to be met by a throng of people and their possessions, all trying to remain in the shade of the elaborate wooden canopies of the station. This train then continued its journey eastwards towards Kutoardjo, and we set off in the same direction soon after.

2-8-2 No. D51 03 is coming out of the loco depot at Kutoardjo, hopefully to work a train! The loco was built by D51 Class 2-8-2 No. D51 04 is doing some shunting around Hartmann, No. 4131 of 1920, originally for the Hedjaz the station at Kroja on Saturday 21st July 1973. This was one Railway but sent to Java instead. A wonderful line up of of ten locos originally ordered by the Hedjaz Railway, all built semaphore signals completes the scene. Saturday 21st July by Hartmann in 1920, this one being Works No. 4132. 1973.

At Kutoardjo another CC50 was at the shed, together Eventually, D51 03 departed with the 13:30 mixed with a further D51. A short mixed train arrived behind train from Kutoardjo along the branch line to a diesel, BB301 10, and another D51 was working off- Purworedjo and we were able to get a few action shed, hopefully to haul a train! D51 03 proceeded to do shots near the intermediate small station at Batoh some shunting around the station yard, where a couple where the train stopped. of the local kids were riding around on their water We then returned to the main line and headed buffaloes. east towards Jogjakarta, where we found a rather elegant-looking 2-6-2T No. C24 01, pottering around in the shed yard. 2-8-2 No. D52 045 (with the tender from D52 096) was shunting some rather exotic looking coaches as dusk fell.

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Jogjakarta was our base for the night, though I don’t recall where we stayed, so presumably, nothing untoward happened!

To be continued…

PNKA 2-8-2 No. D51 03, Hartmann No. 4131 of 1920, is working the 13:30 mixed train along the branch line from Kutoardjo to Purworedjo and has stopped here at Batoh station in southern Central Java. The loco is one of ten originally ordered for the Hedjaz Railway. Saturday 21st July 1973.

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A recent submission from Rob Davidson.

Some more test running on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.

Right: GWR 2-8-0T No. 4270 at Toddington Station, ready for a test run to Winchcombe and back (twice), at 13:34¼ on Saturday 26th September 2020. Photo © Rob Davidson.

If you are very lucky, Bernie Holland may have a spare tin of ‘Norwegian Smoked Brisling’ as a prize, if you are able to tell him how many rivets can be seen on the loco!

And another one from Bernie Holland, featuring an unusual livery…

Left: 47832 in Victa Westlink livery heads 1Z47 Hertfordshire Railtours Pullman (08:05 from Southend Central to Lincoln for the Christmas Market) on the down slow at New Southgate at 10:00 on Saturday 8th December 2007. 47802 was on the rear of the train. Photo © Bernie Holland.

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Finally for this month’s issue, here’s another ‘three-dimensional’ photo.

GWR ‘King’ Class 4-6-0 No. 6024 King Edward I waits on the turntable at Yeovil Junction before being turned to work the return leg of ‘The Yeovil Betrothal’ back to Paddington, on Saturday 16th June 2007.

The photos are a ‘Cross Stereo Pair’, and thus when looked at correctly, form a 3D image. In order to view these images, sit well back from your screen, look at the join between the two photos and then attempt to go ‘cross-eyed’, focusing your eyes just beyond the end of your nose as it were. It takes some practice, but eventually the two images will merge in the middle and produce the 3D image in the centre (you will still see images to the left and right of the 3D image). Once you have got it, yours eyes will ‘lock-on’ and you can look around inside the image. Enjoy, but don't strain your eyes! Once your eyes have ‘locked-on’, you can hide the side images by holding your hands up a few inches in front of your face with a gap of a couple of inches between them. Unfortunately, the technique used for producing the image cannot be used for moving trains! Photo © Geoff Plumb.

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That’s it for another month or so until the next newsletter – in the meantime, if anyone would like to send in contributions, they would be most welcome – it’s very good that the regulars continue to submit material (and many thanks for that!), but I’m sure that many more members have recollections, reminiscences , stories of railway exploits, tales of shed bashes, trips and travels that could be shared with all our members! Please don’t be shy, this is a medium where all can contribute articles freely – without judgement, for everyone to enjoy in these fraught times! Anything you would like to be published, please submit to me at: [email protected] – I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks also to those who have sent in contributions for the first time, we appreciate your efforts.

Geoff Plumb, Chairman, RCTS Watford Branch

A Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with The Charities Commission. Registered number 1169995

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