1st October 2019 · ‘Titled Trains of the MML’

Presenter: Ray Schofield

At our October meeting, 23 hardy souls turned up on a foul evening to welcome Ray Schofield with ‘Titled Trains of the MML’. The colour and B&W slides started with an 1868 shot of two MR 3Fs at Hitchin with a brick train to St. Pancras. That station started as a four ­platform terminus with seven sidings within, some of which later accommodated the wooden platforms 3 and 4 which were wrecked with a direct hit during a bombing raid in WW2. We saw the 07:55 ‘The Palatine’ to Manchester, the 09:10 ‘The Waverley’ to Edinburgh, the 10:10 ‘The Thames-­Clyde Express’ to Glasgow and the 10:30 ‘The Robin Hood’ from Nottingham, followed by shots along the line at Cricklewood, St. Albans and onwards to Manchester. A Blue Pullman at Cheadle Heath and 78019 on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway finished the first half.

We resumed with trains at Glendon Junction, on Harringworth viaduct, Bennerley viaduct (now re­opened as a cycleway and footpath), and Chesterfield’s three railways all on different levels. After travelling along the S&DJR with ‘The Pines Express’ from Parkstone through to Bath Green Park, it was once more up north to the Settle & Carlisle and the Waverley Route with Ribblehead, Hawick and St. Boswells. An enjoyable evening with some Q & A thrown in, those that made it were glad they did!

Rob Davidson, Branch Secretary