Meeting Reports

Monday 10th May 2010
The Gezira Light Railway of the Sudan
Alan Wild

Alan spent two spells each of six weeks in the Sudan in 1986 and a further spell of nine weeks there in 1987. When BREL proposed closure of Swindon works, where Alan was employed, they set up a consultancy, TransEastern, to find jobs for some of the people being made redundant. In conjunction with the Crown Agents and Overseas Development Agency Alan was asked to go to Sudan to look at wagon maintenance on the Gezira Light Railway which was at that time undergoing rehabilitation with foreign aid. Of the 1500 or so wagons the GLE had some 7 – 800 were out of service with worn flanges and other wheelset problems.

The Gezira Light Railway began as a contractors line used for the construction of the Gezira Irrigation scheme which enabled cotton to be grown in areas previously too dry for cultivation. A dam was built at Sennar on the Blue Nile in 1925 to irrigate the Gezira scheme via a network of canals. After construction of the scheme was complete the railway was taken over by the Sudan Gezira Board and used to service the cotton farm area. The principal traffic being cotton from the fields to the ginneries and fertilizers, seed corn, fuel, food, pesticides, herbicides and other supplies to the villages in the area.

Wad Medani was Alan’s base for his first visit. The GLR’s wagon fleet consisted mainly of 9 ton bogie flat wagons maintained in the most basic facilities, often outdoors, with minimal machinery and no accurate measuring equipment. The principle issue was derailments caused by worn wheelsets and flanges, Alan noted that the wear only occurred on one wheel on each axle. After investigation he found that the wear always occurred on one side of the wagon, eventually the cause was determined to be the side loading caused by the prevailing 15 knot wind on wagons loaded with sacks. As there was no cure for this a program of turning the wagons to even out the wear was initiated.

The locomotive fleet consisted largely of Hunslet 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 diesels along with some Schoma 0-4-0 and 0-6-0s. Alan took many shots of redundant locomotives sitting in sidings, or just on the dirt, gently rotting away. Loco’s were never scrapped as there were no scrap merchants and it would be too costly to dispose of them!

Alan also showed a few shots of ‘main line’ trains but these were few and far between. The mail contract was lost as there had been no train for 20 days!

Monday 12th April 2010
Mangapps Farm Railway and Museum
John Jolly

John Jolly joined us to relate the history and development of the Mangapps Railway Museum. John’s a farmer who started with a Hornby Dublo train set and then developed an interest in trainspotting, he always looked at the railway with a modeller’s eye for detail. The change in the Colchester area from steam to electric operation excited his interest in the formerly everyday things that were suddenly disappearing.

1956 was when the idea of a museum collection started with a visit to an exhibition in Southend Odeon of small memorabilia. In 1960 John visited Southend shed to see the D8400 diesels there, also present was a line of withdrawn steam locos and he was offered a souvenir, becoming the proud owner of a gauge glass brass frame from J17 No. 65503. By pure luck 30 years later he also acquired the smokebox door numberplate from the same loco.

In 1970 John married and had a son who also became interested in railways. They moved to a farmhouse some 150 yards from the East Suffolk line and set up a room full of collected memorabilia. On moving to a larger farm John was offered the station building from Brampton, provided he could move it within three days, as this wasn’t possible he had to pass up the opportunity.

The first loco was the 04 from the erstwhile Norwich Coal Yard then a few items of rolling stock were acquired, including an SR Van B. At this point it seemed like obtaining planning permission would be a good idea! John related the tale of his efforts to secure a BR standard 20T brake van that was languishing in sidings locally. He was told that BR only sold them from Tinsley Yard (at £650 apiece) where there was no road access for collection!

In Autumn 1987 the station building from Horam was acquired, followed by that from Laxfield, which had been in use as a football pavilion. In 1988 much work took place on the track to enable the museum to open to the public. The former March station pilot – 03 399 – was purchased as a second loco, followed in June 1989 by the first steam loco when Bagnall saddle tank ‘EMPRESS’ was invited to join the collection. In August 1989 the museum opened to the public and by Easter 1990 400 yards of track had been laid to enable public trains to run consisting of two brake vans. Subsequently this has been extended to provide a three-quarter mile running line with 10 chain curves and a 1:40 gradient. A further quarter mile ‘branch line’ has since been laid in the opposite direction.

Museum policy has been to display everything in context, with small exhibits displayed within coaches. There is a full collection of signalling equipment and a London Underground car full of LT memorabilia. The main collection is of freight rolling stock and incorporates items previously housed in the North Woolwich museum.

Initially Thomas the Tank Engine themed open days were very successful and provided an encouraging start. In 2004 they were given up as Thomas had become over-commercialised.

This meeting was postponed due to the snow of 2009 and the branch having visited the museum in 2007. John's enthusiasm comes through and another visit is called for in 2011 when we shall be able to look at many of the exhibits with renewed interest and catch up on all the items we did not see the first time around.

Monday 1st March 2010
Peter Goes Linesiding
Peter Groom

As a youth on his scooter bashing sheds Peter didn’t do much lineside photography, lineside shots were taken when there wasn’t something else to do. This evening Peter took us back 50 years to sample lineside trainspotting in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Most of the shots were taken with lineside permits, except those from the GW where permits were not readily granted.

We started in East Leicestershire where Peter grew up. In 1945, when he was 9, his parents moved to Asfordby Hill, overlooking the Nottingham – Kettering line, two miles from Melton Mowbray. The first slide was of a Midland compound emerging from Asfordby Tunnel taken in 1956. Followed by a shot of the Royal train returning from Nottingham in the same year emerging from Grimstone tunnel on what is now the test track. There was lots of freight to photograph, with 4Fs and March J39s illustrated, along with up to 8 Garretts a day putting in an appearance on 80-90 wagon trains. Shots around Melton Signal Box included the Corby limestone trains. We then moved on to Leicester (Midland) and the Uppingham Branch, followed by shots of ex LT&S 4-4-2T No. 41975 on the Southwell Branch.

Grantham was next, with several shots in the station area where engine changing offered double value for the photographer. Moving onto Southern territory the first location visited was the flats by Waterloo Station throat, where the offer of a cup of tea was often gratefully accepted from bemused residents. ECS workings hauled by M7s and 82xxx were viewed. We were then taken Westwards to Clapham cutting with a stop at Vauxhall for a variety of workings, including a Merchant Navy on the Atlantic Coast Express and a Standard 5 coming Up from Bournemouth. At Clapham Junction we encountered Warships and the Bournemouth Belle. Moving round to Paddington we found The Bristolian and the Cambrian Coast Express. Western and Hymek diesels were seen at Ranleigh Bridge servicing point and Westerns and Warships at Westbourne Park. Moving on to Camden Bank we saw the Duke of Gloucester on the Mid-day Scot and the LMS twins 10000 and 10001 in their short lived livery of green with primrose yellow roofs. These were followed by the prototype Deltic on a Merseyside Express.

To round off the evening we viewed King Cross from above Top Shed, Holloway Bank, the Kings Cross breakdown train at Hornsey and finally, Wood Green.

Monday 1st February 2010
The Photographs of the Late Dick Riley
Rodney Lissenden

A room almost full to capacity greeted Rodney Lissenden when he presented a selection of slides taken by the late Dick Riley.

The first slides Dick took were on Kodachrome 8, moving on to 25 once that had become readily available. Due to the slow speed of the film stock the choice of subject and location was always carefully chosen to minimise the risk of motion blur. There were very few three quarter front views and many going away shots. Overall Dick created some very imaginative and unusual compositions epitomised by a shot of brand new 9F 92205 in Swindon Works taken in 1959 from the top of a cab roof. Other shots taken from vantage points on scaffolding and signal posts would turn today’s Health and Safety culture apoplectic.

A very rare shot of the Liverpool Street station pilots with their smokeboxes facing into the sun was viewed. Normally these engines faced the wrong way for photography but Dick asked for them to be turned so that he could get his shot and the ‘authorities’ made the necessary arrangements for him.

We started at Camden in 1959, moving on to Derby in 1960, then a shot of Midland Compound 1000 at Derby Works in 1959. Coalville in 1963 and Birmingham New Street in 1961 followed. Next were 1Fs at Staveley Iron Works and then the earliest slide presented, taken on 17 April 1955 of a railtour at Shipton-On-Stour. Then followed Baby Deltics and Deltics at Kings Cross and York.

A brief maritime interlude took us to the Pool of London in 1955 to view a SE Gasboard tug and various other delights from around the English docks. A feature of the evening was the ability of knowledgeable persons in the room to identify every location shown, no matter how obscure, along with the vessel depicted (including its history) and often why it was in the place the picture was taken at that time! A variety of buses and trolley buses also featured.

34084 was shown on its side after derailing at Hither Green in 1960, the Hayling Island branch was visited and finally we viewed diminutive 0-4-0 shunter DS1169 at Broad Clyst to round off an entertaining evening.

Monday 7th December 2009
Branch A G M + Community Rail Partnerships
Nigel Whitburn

Following the SE Branch AGM and seasonal refreshments we welcomed Nigel Whitburn to enlighten us about the Kent Community Rail Partnership. This is one of 38 rural community councils offering funding advice and other support for rail service planning. Involving the local TOC, NR, employers, agencies, schools, colleges and other stakeholders it is not however a User Group. It is part of ACoRP and was established 15 years ago to increase ridership of local services, increase freight use and revenue, manage cost reduction and involve local communities. Facilitating the improvement of lighting and provision of CCTV helps reduce vandalism and enhance safety and security. Local Area Agreements set priorities for TOCs, councils and local agencies.

Finding new uses for redundant station buildings, such as Cuxton, Queenborough and Kearsney and promoting station improvements at Paddock Wood (clock repair), East Farleigh (car parking) and Queenborough (landscaping) are recent successes. The CRP also facilitates volunteering in the local community for activities such as gardening and promotes station adoption schemes; Wateringbury has been adopted in 2009. Lines designated as Community Rail lines have been Sittingbourne to Sheerness (SwaleRail) in 2003 and Strood to Paddock Wood (Medway Valley) in 2005.

The main activity is the promotion of lines by means such as press coverage, public consultation, passenger surveys for Passenger Focus and TOCs, attending events to distribute timetables, newsletters and booklets. Another avenue is public artwork at stations, with projects at Maidstone West and Snodland completed with Sittingbourne to come.

The Kent CRP is part of the Action with Communities in Rural Kent organisation, further information about these activities may be found at www.ruralkent.org.uk/community-rail.htm. Kent CRP is associated with the Sussex CRP (www.sussexcrp.org) who promote the Ashford to Hastings Marshlink line, the Uckfield, Oxted and East Grinstead lines and the Arun Valley line. The Sussex CRP have one four awards this year and are recognised as the best CRP in the country. They have found new uses for redundant buildings at Ham Street, Rye and Appledore.

Following the presentation a Question and Answer session allowed any queries or suggestions to be discussed.

Monday 2nd November 2009
New Zealand Railways 2008
Gerald Siviour

We welcomed Gerald Siviour to give us an account of his visit to New Zealand in 2008, the purpose of which was to take part in a Steam Photo Tour organised as part of the celebrations of the Centenary of the North Island Main Trunk Route. He had previously visited New Zealand in 1980 which gave the opportunity to compare current views with some from 28 years before.

We were initially given an introduction to the geography and railway history of New Zealand, the railway's development being heavily influenced by the mountainous geography of the interior and the population distribution along the coastal plains. The railways were originally constructed by the state and were privatised in the 1980's, now they have been renationalised as KiwiRail. Today most journeys are undertaken by car or 'plane and the principle passenger services are tourist trains and railtours although commuter services are making a comeback with Chinese built diesel locomotives and ex-BR Mk2 coaching stock. Freight is the main user of the remaining lines, with coal and milk for export being notable flows.

We started the photo tour with comparisons of Christchurch in 1980 and 2008; one notable change being that trams had re-appeared. Other sights were a steam tug in the port area, preserved 1870's built locomotives reclaimed from river beds and an RT bus plus some vintage trams. The first leg of the steam tour was the 280 miles from Christchurch to Dunedin behind No. 1236, a JA class 4-8-2 with stops at Ashburton (for a trip on the Plains Railway behind a Wild West style Rogers K88 2-4-2) and Oamaru for water and the Point Pleasant Railway.

At Dunedin the Otago Settlers Museum is home to unique Double-Fairlie "Josephine" and other transport exhibits. A trip along the Taieri Gorge Railway to Pukerangi followed with spectacular viaducts and scenery. Next to Queenstown, with a trip across Lake Wakatipu on the steamship TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station, home to the Kingston Flyer vintage steam train operation which is unfortunately not currently in operation. Returning to the tour, the steam loco, No. 1236 had failed, so the trip West continued behind diesels.

Following a mishap resulting in a broken camera four photo free days ensued until arrival in Napier where the purchase of a second hand camera enabled the Art Deco architecture to be recorded. The tour continued via Palmerston to Feilding where a parade of vintage rolling stock was enjoyed. This concluded an entertaining and informative evening which afforded an insight into New Zealand's current railway scene and history.

Monday 5th October 2009
45 Years with a Camera
David Walker

We were pleased to welcome David Walker, member of the RCTS Development Sub-Committee, from the West Midlands branch to our venue following his weekend at the Folkestone MRC Exhibition. As an employee of Massey Ferguson he travelled the country on business from around 1963 taking his camera with him. As he lived in Coventry since 1952 that was the logical starting point for a photographic tour of the country comprising some 300 slides. Our journey was in geographical order, but jumping back and forth in time to compare locations as they were in the 60's, 70's or 80's with the more recent past. Also noted was the explosion of colour in modern TOC liveries, although some drew acerbic comments as to their suitability!

From Coventry we were taken up the West Coast main line to Glasgow, with brief excursions down some of the branches along the way. The damp conditions in all the slides taken at Crewe were noted as it always rains whenever David takes his camera there! Within Glasgow the erstwhile Transport Museum featured a Jones Goods and a G&SWR 0-6-0ST. We then journeyed to Inverness, Kyle and Mallaig before a visit to Lady Victoria Pit at Newtongrange. "Next was a Railway Air Services liveried deHavilland Dragon in the East Fortune Museum of Flight, followed by a J27 in action at Beamish before views of the Crane Locos at Doxford’s Shipyard. We then saw Gladstone at the original York Museum, some EM1s at Wath and Stirling Single No. 1 before taking a coffee break.

We resumed with Eurostars at Waterloo, travelling back in time to view D800 Warships there and thence to Nine Elms shed. We then followed the L&SWR to Eastleigh, visiting Bournemouth and Salisbury sheds on the way. At Weymouth a Class 03 shunter and Class 33 hauling trains along the tramway were followed by IoW ferries. A brief visit to the Isle of Wight was followed by Exeter and then Penzance, where Class 47 "Northumbrian" was about as far from it's namesake region as it could get. We then retraced our steps to arrive in Paddington via Swindon, visiting the T&DSR from Paignton, the semaphores at Newton Abbott and back to back HST power cars near Dawlish along the way.

9F 2-10-0's at Banbury were followed by other GCR locations, then "City of Wells" on Hatton Bank and Open Days at Tyseley. The APT featured in slides taken in 1977 at Nuneaton and Rugby.

Monday 7th September 2009
American Wanderings
Gordon Davies

Members attending this meeting were on their best behaviour in the presence of the Branch Liaison Secretary who proceeded to give a splendid presentation on his “American Wanderings”. Gordon Davies has visited the U.S.A. no less than 21 times in search of the perfect American railroad photograph and during the evening we saw some of his very best efforts over the years. Gordon took us from the east coast via the mid-west, the southern states and finally the west coast. Over the years he has built up a considerable knowledge of where to go and at what time of day. He also knows now where to avoid the rattle snakes. We were treated to main line electrics, diesels of all hues, steam in preservation, interurbans and metros not forgetting trams both ancient and modern. Gordon had just returned from his first digital odyssey but this collection of colour slides along with Gordon’s pithy comments showed American railroads in the latter part of the 20th century at their very best. Even those amongst us who are not overly keen on anything outside of the UK went away with more than a passing interest. A return visit has been requested in due course.

Monday 3rd August 2009
SouthEastern Railways and The Class 395s
Mike Gibson, Public Affairs Manager

A large turnout of members welcomed Mike Gibson, Public Affairs Manager, Southeastern who started his presentation with a history of the franchise since privatisation and outlined the historical reasons why the first incoming franchisee Connex inherited a railway infrastructure that had grown out of a very competitive environment between two railway companies hell bent on outdoing each other no matter the cost. Mike then explained what had happened when Connex “handed back the keys in 2003”, a very topical point, the formation of South East Trains and the award of the new franchise to the Go Ahead Group in June 2006. Apart from the many other commitments within the terms of the franchise contract, many of which Mike commented on, the major requirement was to establish a domestic high speed service to London from the south east. This requirement was inherited from the DfT as part of the draft service specification for the franchise and led to the development of the new timetable. Bringing the situation up to date Mike then threw open the meeting to questions and debate. As to be expected the initial questions related to the shadow 375 services and the new timetable for the full Southeastern network including the HS services to be introduced on 13th. December next. The new timetable will see the biggest revision in railway services in the south east since electrification and will increase the Southeastern network capacity by 5%. We were fortunate that we had more then one member in the audience who has used the shadow services and they were able to outline their experiences so far. The vexed question of would all the south east commuters who currently go to Victoria, London Bridge, Canon Street and Charing Cross really want to go to St Pancras probably generated the most lively part of the evening. This also questioned the use of the new DLR service from Stratford International to get to Canary Wharf. The problems of services to Maidstone were also debated. Members being reminded that the elected representatives of Maidstone Council turned down the opportunity to have a Park & Ride station on HS1 at the planning stage. A decision that they are now likely to regret. Many other aspects of Southeast’s operation were discussed including the issue of First Class on 375s and their up coming mid life refurbishment in a few years time. The evening ended on a lighter note with a plea to try and find a way to make the 375 toilet hand dryers actually work. It is some time since the branch experienced an evening without a visual content, however the time swept by and both parties agreed that it had been a very worthwhile evening everybody learning a great deal. Mike concluded by asking if he could come back, possibly with some colleagues, for another round and he was assured he would be made most welcome.