Hitchin
Meeting Reports
Saturday 14th January 2012-Sunday 15th January 2012
St Albans Model Railway Exhibition 2012
Wednesday 11th January 2012
Branch Annual General Meeting followed by Quiz
Tom Gladwin
We opened 2012 with our AGM at Hitchin on Wednesday evening 11th January attended by 15 members and 1 guest.
The AGM was followed by an ingenious quiz compiled and presented by Tom Gladwin. Tom covered the whole county of Hertfordshire and after initial questions on station and former station site identities moved on to the TOCs serving Hertfordshire today. In covering the whole county instead of our usual, Eastern, lines, Tom gave us pause for thought as we looked westwards through Boreham Wood and on into the more 'remote' parts of Watford and the West Coast Route. We were then asked to relate the several TOCs which run through the county with their territories and to identify and name the various types and classes of motive power which they operate. We were split into teams of four for the questions and, after the break, the answers brought all teams together into one big and useful discussion group. Much was discovered about the way Hertfordshire's railways have reshaped over the years and how privatisation has created a confusion of operators and franchises - in Hertfordshire alone. We wondered about the confusion which this profusion will bring to our national railways.
Tuesday 20th December 2011
Members' Afternoon
At Welwyn Garden City on Tuesday afternoon the 20th December the De Havilland Model Railway Society's amazing Eastern and Midland based layout, Havil Junction, was displayed to 18 members and visitors in their premises above our own monthly meeting hall. Havil Junction, together with the D,H's other model railway projects is well worth a look at, on their website. Downstairs four members entertained with slide and digital presentations; Steve Lacey showed us scenes on the seldom seen Norwegian railway scene, then Cyril Crawley brought us home and showed us Great Eastern steam scenes, mainly on the approaches to Liverpool Street, after which Norman Hill illustrated a recent newsletter text showing a day on the Kent and East Sussex Railway. Chris Appleby closed the evening in fine style when he took us across 'the pond' with an unusual tour of the USA where he found locos that are now stored or plinthed in way-out, often back-woods, locations; Chris's show also included several images of 'Shays' and their cousins, the 'Williamette' locomotives. Also included was a charter trip with the magnificent Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449.
Wednesday 14th December 2011
Members' Evening
14 members and friends came to our Christmas evening meeting at Hitchin on December 14th. Three members gave short presentations. Using his own carefully hand-drawn maps Peter Fleming gave us an intriguing and detailed account of 'The Rise and Fall of Great Yarmouth's Railways', from the opening of the first line in 1844 to the busy times when three stations served the town; Yarmouth Beach closed in 1959, and South Town in 1970, leaving Vauxhall as today's only Great Yarmouth station.
David Cole's quiz on station names taxed our memories and elicited the usual amazingly knowledgeable comments.
After the traditional sausage rolls and mince pies Tom Gladwin took us 'Out and About' and illustrated his 32 railway outings made during 2011 with some fine images, notably those showing the plentiful freight passing inland from Felixstowe's huge entrepot. Richard Allen then took us to Wernigerode whence mighty tank engines climb into the Harz Mountains, to the summit of the Brocken mountain or on through charming villages to Nordhausen. Richard finished with a selection of images from his collection of British railway photographs.
Tuesday 29th November 2011
Archive Material
Brian Stephenson
Brian came to Welwyn Garden City on Tuesday 28th November with an introductory cornucopia of East Coast plenty, best quality photographs by the best railway photographers, showing the majority of locomotive classes which graced GN and LNER metals between the end of the 19th century and Nationalisation. Starting with the glorious 8-foot 'Singles' we progressed through examples of the many humbler Stirling designs, and so into the 20th century; Ivatt's 'Atlantics' and smaller designs, and so to the remembered reign of Nigel Gresley, his magnificent 'Pacifics' and, for us, nostalgic images of 'N1' and 'N2' tanks and all his smaller creations and adaptations. The first half closed with plentiful photographs of 'foreign' visitors to the Kings Cross end of the ECML.
After the break we crossed the border and enjoyed a selection of the great photographs taken by Scotland's top steam photographer, W.J.V. Anderson; all classes, Midland and LNER, throughout 'Bill's' homeland.
Finally Brian showed some of his own photographs both British and Continental, finishing with several fine freight shots taken near his home in Kent, the latest being taken last Friday the 25th November - 1880s to date in just two wonderfully nostalgic hours.
Wednesday 9th November 2011
"From Lanzhou to Lhasa" and "Southern Miscellany"
Andy Davies and Richard Golding came to Welwyn Garden City from the RCTS Surrey Branch on Wednesday 9th November. Andy recalled a memorable rail journey from Lanzhou in Northern China to the city of Lhasa in Tibet, once the home of the Dalai Lama. Although taking some 36 hours to cover 1100 kilometres, the service is classed as 'local', crossing mountains in -20 degrees of permafrost. Twin diesel locomotives powered the train and were changed during the night. Many isolated stations had large but deserted goods yards. Andy's presentation covered a fascinating and rarely considered aspect of rail travel.
After the break Richard brought us quickly back to the West with his 'Southern Miscellany'. Richard's interest in rail tours started with the end of steam, notably the end of Southern steam in 1967. We saw the reputedly last locomotive to work a BR train, 77014, and from this time Andy attended and photographed many tours through to the 1990s. There were also visits to heritage railways. We saw 'Terriers' on the Bluebell, 'T9' on the Swanage and 'Bullieds' on the Great Central while one scene took us up to the Llangollen Railway.
Tuesday 25th October 2011
Irish Railways
David Soggee
David Soggee came to Welwyn Garden City on the 25th October and gave an interesting talk on Irish Railways, mainly as they were in the 1960s. He started in the capital, Dublin, and from the old Kingsbridge (now Heuston) station we travelled on the main line to Cork in the south, and from Amiens Street (now Connolly) along the main line and across the border to Belfast. David explained the 1958 split of the GNR(I) between CIE and the UTA including a 50/50 split in locomotive ownership resulting in classes being halved between the two concerns.
We saw a variety of scenes both outside and inside Inchicore works when that hub of the CIE locomotion operation was at its busiest. Further south we saw scenes on the rural Trallee to Mallow line including Mallow steam shed and the single Sligo and Galway line. David also showed us related slides of Irish buses and trams.
Locomotives seen included the '400' class 4-cylinder 4-6-0s renowned for their poor steaming, the ubiquitous J15 0-6-0s and the extremely successful Derby built 'Jeep' 2-6-4 tanks.
We thanked David for a nostalgic look back to how the railways of Ireland used to be.
Wednesday 12th October 2011
The Question in Why
John Tomlinson
At Hitchin on Wednesday evening the 12th October we welcomed John Tomlinson who asked 'The Question is Why? - 35 Years of Railway Photography'. The question is - why do we photograph railways ? John answered the question with many of his own photographs, arranged under several themes which showed how railway photography has played its part historically, as a record of social and economic change. With an interesting variety of photographs John showed initially the ways in which the transport of such essential rail freight as coal and iron, has changed over the years.
Political change was illustrated with a variety of photographs taken before and after the reunification of Germany and it was interesting to see such measures as temporary de-electrification of routes as a means towards the unification.
Photographs of railways in preservation showed how static museum collections such as the NRM became active preservation and operating movements, thus contributing to the total 'record of things gone' which was John's broad statement at the outset of his presentation.
Privatisation was John's last theme and we saw examples of the many TOCs and liveries which have emerged since the eighties. We thanked John for a most interesting and intriguing evening.
Tuesday 27th September 2011
Unusual Locomotives
Nick Kelly
On 27th September at Welwyn Garden City, Nick Kelly's 'Unusual Locomotives' proved to be 'fireless locomotives'. We did not know what to expect from this neglected topic of steam locomotion; we tend to think in this context of small uninteresting shunting engines, receiving power from an external source, never leaving works or factory sidings and only able to operate for a few hours at a time. However Nick very quickly changed this image and introduced us to a whole new world of steam locomotion - and one with a viable future at that!
Since as early as 1835 in New Orleans the fireless locomotive, with steam produced by a variety of ingenious external methods, has been the answer to locomotion where it is necessary to avoid fire or the emission of smoke.
Nick took us all over the 'Fireless World', enthusiastically describing how most European countries have used fireless engines with varying degrees of success but also how they may be found as far afield as China and Indonesia as well as America. The largest fireless locomotive is used in a paper mill in Pennsylvania and is reminiscent of a New York Central streamlined 'Hudson' !
Nick closed his fascinating presentation by emphasising the promising future worldwide for the fireless locomotion.
Wednesday 14th September 2011
Freight Trains around Btitain in the 21st Century
Geoff Brockett
On Wednesday evening 14th September Geoff Brocket returned to Hitchin to talk about 'Freight Trains around Britain in the 21st Century'.
Geoff opened by summarising the variety of freight companies operating throughout the country in 2000 and outlined the changes which had occurred since privatisation; the decline of 'wagonload' freight and the growing success of the 'Freightliner' or more generally known 'intermodal' container trains, together with more specialised freight services such as 'binliner' domestic rubbish trains, the Mendip Rail stone trains and the nuclear-flask trains operated by DRS.
Many intermodals now originate at Felixstowe which has become the main British container port although in 2002 freight started to come through the Channel Tunnel. In 2004 GBRf started intermodel operations and have become a major freight presence. We were shown the variety of freight locomotives running at the beginning of the century and the rise of 'class 66' which now by far outnumber all others. Geoff showed us slides of smaller Freight TOCs, some of which have ceased trading in recent years and illustrated how the successful companies have changed their routes over the years to suit the varied traffic flows.
We thanked Geoff for a most interesting and informative talk.
Tuesday 30th August 2011
Visit to Bure Valley Railway
A round dozen of members and friends met at Norwich soon after 12.30 on Tuesday 20th August for the branch's annual 'awayday'.
A full report is available here
Wednesday 13th July 2011
"A Double Bill"
Our programme this evening was a dual event featuring our Branch Chairman Cyril Crawley & Branch Secretary Norman Hill. The evening began with Cyril taking us on a journey along the Central Wales Line in & around 1968, with a digitized selection of photographs from the Courtney Haydon collection with additional material by Peter Green.
The journey began at Craven Arms & Stokesay through to Llandrindod Wells, the photographs particularly highlighted some of the wonderful architecture & detail on some of the station buildings and the relatively difficult terrain the line and locomotives had to cope with. The line reached 1000 ft. above sea level at its highest point with a very steep gradient up to this summit near Dolau before dropping sharply into Llandrindod Wells. The rolling stock mostly depicted on this journey were some of the original Class 120 DMUs, the few sets used on this line were one of the first to be fitted with single directional headlights above the cab windows.
An interesting and to my knowledge rarely shown section of line which also created as much members participation as I can recall for quite some time.
Following the tea interval and in complete contrast Norman Hill went back to basics charting history from the Trevithick 1803 tram in Coalbrookdale following the development of locomotives through to Robert Stephenson in the early 1830s. Showing the stages of evolution of the steam locomotive which originally looked like a barrel on whells with rods everywhere to the almost respectable 1812 “Steam Elephant” closely followed by Wylam “Dilly and “Billy” of 1813. We also traced some of the work of Hackworth and George Stephenson with his “Blucher” and “Locomotion No.1” in 1825. These engines led up to The Rainhill trials on the Manchester – Liverpool Railway in 1829 and the now famous winner of the trials “The Rocket”, from which the development in 1830 of “Planet” and the “Patentee” which was to determine the basic shape and style of the steam locomotive that we recognise to this day.
Tuesday 28th June 2011
"From Lanzhou to Lhasa" and "Southern Miscellany"
See Wednesday 9th November for a report of this presentation.
Wednesday 8th June 2011
East Anglian Steam and Diesel in the 1950s and 1960s
Rodger Green
Twenty-three members and visitors gathered at our Hitchin venue for this presentation by Rodger Green of the Great Eastern Railway Society.
Travelling from Ingatestone, Rodger was confronted by large crowds and few trains at King's Cross - disruption caused by a lineside fire at Doncaster! Rodger's slides were from a number of sources and gave a wide coverage of the steam and diesel motive power to be found within largely the Great Eastern Area. We saw many Britannias at rest and at work, complemented by numerous B1s, B2s and B17s though sadly not my two favourites 2830 & 2872. (61630/72) You can probably guess where I was brought up!
GE types were not forgotten with B12s, 61572 on the "Wandering 1500" and 61576 beautifully turned out for an RCTS Railtour. There were 2-4-2Ts on the Epping - Ongar push/pull, a service which hopefully start up again in 2012, There were E4s galore around Cambridge and Haverhill, a J17 at Sudbury, J15s at Long Melford. J19 & J20 were not forgotten nor were the 0-6-0 tanks. We saw some of the infrastructure of the area, notably a lovely GE semaphore at Long Melford and views of Liverpool Street, Norwich, Yarmouth South Town and Colchester, to name a few.
The diesel era was not forgotten with slides including the small shunters, 82xx & 84xx Bo-Bo classes. Brush Type 2s and a brand new Baby Deltic.
Shed scenes were shown, particularly poignant being Stratford, now sadly swept away!
Rodger finished the evening with some different views such as GT3 at Harrow, a Merchat Navy on the GE with a "Cathedrals Express" and 18000 at a location we couldn't decide on, among others. Thanks once again Rodger. We hope you will come to Welwyn Garden City next year!
Tuesday 31st May 2011
South Africa in the 1960s
Ron White
The Welwyn Garden City afternoon meeting of 31 May was entertained by Ron White talking on South Africa in the 1960s. Ron recounted that in a country with some lines having one train a day or even a week early pre breakfast rising was the order of the day to reach a suitable photographic spot before the train arrived. Followed by a quick return to ones hotel for a late breakfast. The photographs showed that the effort was worthwhile. Charter trains being followed by minibuses produced superb location shots as well as stops ‘in section’ for run pasts. A suitable monetary inducement could also achieve photo stops on scheduled services approaching branch terminus so that in one location the train arrived 4 times before the photographers were satisfied. An enjoyable afternoon delivered in Ron’s delectable style.
Tuesday 26th April 2011
Discovering Lost Railways
Stephen Gay
At Welwyn Garden City on Tuesday afternoon 26th April we were, as always, delighted to welcome Stephen Gay. Stephen is a Sheffield based railway raconteur who's illustrated walks are always guaranteed to transport his audience back into earlier railway times and also to set the railway scenes within the country-side through which they ran. Stephen's talk this visit was entitled 'Discovering Lost Railways' and was much more wide ranging than usual.
Stephen dedicated this presentation to the memory of Stuart Little, our late Branch Secretary.
With his inseparable German Shepherd companion Wrawby, often included in shots to provide a scale, Stephen took us from Scarborough to Whitby, a line closed in 1965 but still providing many reminders of the railway days. A bus from Scarborough terminates at Ravenscar from where the line can be explored; Cloughton station is now a cafe and museum and there are wonderful views along the coast to Robin Hoods Bay from where The Cleveland Way leads to Whitby and on the way the Esk Viaduct still crosses the NYMR extension into Whitby.
From Yorkshire Stephen took us cross country to the fondly remembered Somerset and Dorset Railway which we followed out of Bath Green Park station, closed in 1966, its exterior saved by Sainsbury's who's Bath branch now stands inside. We walked to Evercreech Junction, speculating on the way about the choking conditions experienced by footplate crews in Combe Down Tunnel, the 'Titfield Thunderbolt' running under the S&D.R's Midford Viaduct and the 'Phantom Lampman' of Radstock. Evercreech Junction is now covered by a trading estate but it's site is still remembered by the 'Natterjack' pub which was once the 'Railway Hotel'.
We continued west to visit the Lynton and Barnstaple narrow guage railway, originally closed in 1935 but now restored to running order with Chelfham Viaduct refurbished in 2000 and Woody Bay as the lines headquarters station. Stephen reminded us of the disasterous floods here in 1952.
We then made a brief trip into the Highlands, following the Callander and Oban line to Killin and the branch to Loch Tay and the ferry through the Loch to Aberfeldy after which Stephen took us back to his home territory, showing slides both East and West of Sheffield, illustrating the many ways in which industry and its maze of railways has left a legacy of returned countryside with the old trackbeds turned to many uses; walk and cycleways and in one place for training racehorses.
We thanked Stephen for a most enjoyable and varied afternoon's 'walks'.
Tuesday 29th March 2011
The Hadley Wood Widening and The 1962 Joint SLS/RCTS Three Day Scottish Tour
John Burden
We began our March meeting in W.G.C. with a few moments silence to remember our late Branch Secretary, Stuart Little.
Our AGM was the first business of the afternoon. The Officers and Committee Members were re-elected en bloc, with former committee member Norman Hill taking on the post of Branch Secretary.
We then enjoyed a two-part presentation by John Burden, who began “The Hadley Wood Widening” by taking us through the historical events which led eventually to the elimination of the bottleneck from Greenwood to Potters Bar.
We then heard of the technical aspects of modern tunnel boring/building in which two “shields” were used and of how the bores were lined with concrete segments produced on site. John also explained the disposal of the excavated London Clay, which was first taken by conveyor belt to a storage hopper from which it was loaded into narrow gauge tipping wagons and taken to a local site where it was contoured, covered with topsoil and seeded. All this accompanied by numerous slides showing all stages of the project, which were taken at weekends when the site was deserted. Luckily, John lived nearby.
After the break we were taken to Scotland for the 1962 joint SLS/RCTS Grand Scottish Tour. The stars of the show were undoubtedly No.49 “Gordon Highlander” and the Jones’ Goods No.103. At Wick we saw also a truly venerable inspection saloon. Is it preserved we wondered? Thanks John for a memorable afternoon, enjoyed by twenty-seven members and visitors.
Wednesday 9th March 2011
A 45 Year Wander with a Camera
David Walker
Having delighted our meeting at Welwyn G C in January, David Walker returned to present his "45 Years Wandering with a Camera" to twenty members and visitors at our March evening meeting in Hitchin. The journey began and ended at Coventry, this being David's current base. We went north to Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe, seeing a range of motive power over the decades from 1963. From Crewe we took a diversion via Chester, before returning to the WCML at Preston, where we were treated to a rare glimpse of the East Lancs. side along with some night shots, before moving on to Shap and Carlisle. One highlight on Shap was a 9F going flat out climbing the bank contrasting with a Pendolino slowing down to 100 mph going over the summit, to avoid spilling the drinks! And so to Carlisle. The changing scene again - steam - diesel - electric - we saw them all, with particular praise for the Class 156 DMUs. Now Kingmoor, Beattock and Glasgow and the Highlands, Kyle and Glenfinnan. Back south via the ECML - Waverley, York, Grantham and so on. A Deltic at the Cross. We got to Exeter via the Southern and then to Penzance, seeing the Saltash Bridge on the way. We must have come back via Bristol as I recall Temple Meads. I remember too we were at Leamington on our way back to Coventry. A memorable evening! This is a presentation you should not miss. Thank you David (and Derek.)
Tuesday 22nd February 2011
County Donegal Joint - Narrow Gauge
Ken Grainger
Today thirty-three members and visitors were entertained by Ken Grainger from Sheffield with his excellent presentation "County Donegal Joint Railway - Narrow Gauge." Ken spent some time, with a map projected onto the screen, showing us where the various lines were to be found and what has happened to them. We were taken to the Foyle Valley Railway, a three mile three foot gauge line laid on the trackbed of the erstwhile G.N.R.I. Broad Gauge line beside the river Foyle. This uses two ex Donegal Railways railcars coupled back to back. When in service these railcars were always turned at the end of a journey and always driven forward, often pulling a lightweight passenger trailer and a light goods van. Goods trains were almost always steam hauled by Class 5 or 5A 2-6-4-Ts. All stock was braked so a goods train always had a passenger brake for the guard, there being no goods brake vans. Ken took us first to Strabane, where at the interchange station we saw both narrow and Broad gauge areas. On the narrow gauge, shunting was being done by a small deisel named "Phoenix" Ken took us on the lines from Strabane to Londonderry, Victoria Road and to Donegal, through the Barnesmoor Gap to Ballyshanon and to Killybegs. There were also views of the long closed Glenties branch. I cannot really do justice to Ken in this short report. You need to see to appreciate the subject. Highly recommended!
Wednesday 9th February 2011
Spa Valley Railway
Brian Halford
Our February meeting at Hitchin saw nineteen members and visitors entertained by Brian Halford with an excellent presentation on the Kentish SVR, if I may call it that. The story begins in 1985 when BR closed the Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge line. A reopening group, TWERPS, was formed immediately and after much support locally, though not financially, the society was able to acquire enough of the station site for a single platform with a run-round loop plus the semi-derelict engine shed alongside. Sainsburys, hoping to buy most of the site, gave much assistance, undertaking the refurbishment of the engine shed, with roller-shutter doors, polycarbonate windows an a new roof. With the trackbed secured, 1996 found trains running half a mile towards Groombridge. This was helped by the arrival of the North Downs Group from Dartford, with their stock and track. We heard too of track clearance and refurbishment, making a single line with the best parts of double track, of the loss of Groombridge station to a housing development, but with a new platform built by the developer on a slightly different alignment and use of part of the trackbed to Ashurst Jc. for storage sidings, was explained. Eridge was not forgotten, with a tale of muscle and crowbars slewing rails to make a reconnection. I could say lots more but space stops me. This was a most enjoyable evening. Thank you Brian! Your slides and commentary were most educating.
last updated: 21/01/12