N1 in Cambridge

[Bryan]

Query posed in the latest Railway Herald.
Why was an N1 allocated to Bradford 37C seen at Cambridge on the 19th August 1953?
See picture in article.

http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/issues/RHUK/Issue196.pdf

[Flamingo]

Could it have been on the way to or from Stratford for a works visit? Stranger things did happen. The relevant volume of Yeadons should have dates for works visits.

[PaulG]

.........a similar post was put on the GERS E-Group and a member confirms it was on its way to Stratford Works.

Regards
Paul

[chaz harrison]

I have seen pictures of N2s at Stratford works for overhaul. Isn't there a piece in "Top Shed" about N2s going east for repair? It certainly meant less of a trip than returning to Doncaster for London based engines - although Doncaster is a lot closer to Bradford than Stratford!

Chaz

[lead_plug]

Some of the N1's overhauled at Stratford Works were returned to service with their large Doncaster works-plates mutilated.
The wording 'Great Northern Railway' was infilled.
Touch of anti-GN spite??

[52D]

Chaz I believe at one time even the LNER tried to rationalise by sending certain classes to one works for repair as it enabled better stock control on spares etc and avoided duplication.

[Flamingo]

I have seen pictures of N2s at Stratford works for overhaul. Isn't there a piece in "Top Shed" about N2s going east for repair? It certainly meant less of a trip than returning to Doncaster for London based engines - although Doncaster is a lot closer to Bradford than Stratford!

Chaz

Yes, N2s certainly went to Stratford for works overhauls. I saw 69576 running in on the Lee Valley line after a visit. As for the distance that engines were sent to Stratford Works, what about a West Auckland BR 4MT 2-6-0? Darlington was much closer but one of their 76XXX at least had an overhaul at Stratford in about 1957 or '58. Once the word went round that it was standing in the shed yard it caused quite a stir among the north London spotting fraternity.

Not that far from Stratford was Bow Works ex NLR, which was still overhauling steam in the late 1950s. Early in 1958 I photographed a 3F 0-6-0 from Burton just ex-works at Bow, with Derby so close to its home that seemed to make no sense at all. Jinty tanks from the Stoke area were fairly often seen on Willesden shed on their way back north after overhauls at Bow. It must have been something to do with balancing the workloads on the various workshops.

[50C]

In the mid 50s I saw a few London based L1s ,always heading south, light engine, through Selby, in ex-works condition on their way back to 30A/34E. I assume they had passed through Darlington works.Never saw them heading North so I assume they were nighttime trips or went from Doncaster to York via Knottingly and Church Fenton.
Was Darlington the centre for L1 refurbishment for a period of time or was the works just looking to fill some spare capacity.I assume the North Eastern based L1s (51A,51D and 53B) always visited Darlington until withdrawal.

50C

[37b]

Reading this thread takes me back to my school days in the early 50's. Every day I got the train from Pudsey (Greenside?) to Bradford exchange (and return). At that time these Leeds central to Bradford exchange trains were invariably N1 hauled.
What a wonderfull little loco! I remember vividly the bark of the exhaust, and the tremendous acceleration out of Bradford exchange up the bank past St. T????????? (what was that name?) old station.
Those were the days, although the memories - names in particular - grow dim!
Dave

[Bryan]

St Dunstans?

[37b]

Thanks for that Bryan - don't know where I got the T from.
Dave

[Bryan]

Thanks for that Bryan - don't know where I got the T from.
Dave

You must have been thinking of schoolgirls again.