The photography of L Perrin

Post your photographs of the LNER and its Constituents here! Links to film/video are also welcome.

Moderators: 52D, Tom F, Rlangham, Atlantic 3279, Blink Bonny, Saint Johnstoun

Darwin4975
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by Darwin4975 »

Now for another fine B17 photograph. They must have been frequent visitors to Boston in the mid 1950s as Mr Perrin's collection included a fair number of them. This is No 61641 'Gayton Hall' in the Spring of 1957 at the head of a local train travelling south. It had been a March resident since 1952 and remained in service until January 1960.

61641 Boston '57.jpg

Here is a personal favourite of mine from the Perrin archive. It was taken at Barkston South where the line to Lincoln branches off from the ECML. No 60013 'Dominion of New Zealand' is seen carefully approaching the junction from the south, entering the diversionary route on 27th May 1956. The train is obviously travelling very slowly which has enabled Les Perrin to fill the viewfinder. The unique whistle attached to this engine can clearly be seen as being quite different from the Crosby design fitted to most of the other A4s. When No 60013 was withdrawn the whistle was sent to the Festiniog Railway for use on one of their engines, but before it could be fitted, it was stolen from their workshops and has never been seen since. The same fate befell No 60010's also unique whistle.

60013 Barkston 27th May 1956.jpg

Edinburgh seemed to be a regular haunt in the late 1950s as Perrin pictures taken there are known to exist for July 1958 and July 1959. Here is a northbound ordinary passenger train departing Haymarket station on 11th July 1959 behind Peppercorn A2 No 60534 'Irish Elegance'. It will have left Waverley at about 2.35pm -can any well-informed member of the Forum identify this train? The attractive platform clock has long since disappeared, I can vouch for that.

60534 H'mkt Stn 110759.jpg
Darwin4975
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by Darwin4975 »

Stoke Bank was another regular location for visits by Les Perrin. Both ends of Stoke Tunnel were visited and here is a view of a northbound express coasting downhill towards Grantham on 29th June 1961 with A4 No 60025 'Falcon' in charge. The tunnel mouth stonework looks to be in a rather decrepit condition.

60025 Stoke Tunnel 290661.jpg

Recently fitted with a double chimney No 60073 'St Gatien' has just arrived at Grantham with an up express on 6th December 1958. The nearside lamp has already been removed to the back of the tender and the A3 will be replaced by a fresh engine for the onward trip to Kings Cross. It was rare to see Tyneside A3s in the metropolis on passenger trains.

60073  Grantham 061258.jpg

Another from the bag of 20th August 1960 when Les Perrin apparently spent much of the day at Saltersford. Kings Cross V2 No 60814 in customary immaculate condition coasts downhill with a northbound passenger train.


60814 Saltersford 200860.jpg


I have one final selection to show you in a few weeks time.
STAFFORDA4
NBR D34 4-4-0 'Glen'
Posts: 297
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 10:54 am
Location: 5C WCML

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by STAFFORDA4 »

Just a note of thanks for sharing. Lovely photos. Smart locos. Cheers :D :D
Darwin4975
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by Darwin4975 »

Up trains taken from the down platform at Peterborough were a constant source of interesting photographs and many from the Perrin camera were taken at this location. The down home signal located on the platform, originally a GNR somersault was later replaced by an NER lower quadrant as seen here which was finally (c.1960) changed to upper quadrant before colour light signalling swept all semaphores aside.

60110 P'boro 260458.jpg

No 60110 'Robert the Devil' arrives with a semi-fast to London on 28th April 1958. Still with a single chimney which was altered to double in May '59, this was the only A1/A3 which stayed coupled to the same tender throughout its entire existence, (I expect you knew that already).


Sunday services diverted through Lincoln approached Barkston from the south at slow speed and the driver of No 60083 'Sir Hugo' has shut off steam, with a smokey haze obscuring much of the train in May 1956. Heaton kept its pacifics in better external condition than Gateshead did in those days but this one seems to be in dire need of a clean -which it maybe never got before its next 'General' in November 1956.

60083 Barkston 0556.jpg

In the 1950s Boston had a sizeable allocation of K2s -a dozen or more at any one time, which seemed to be used on excursions and local passenger work. Here is a lovely view of an immaculate No 61760 leaving Boston on a Cleethorpes excursion in 1953. This engine had a somewhat nomadic existence working from 9 different sheds since the Grouping but its longest spell was at Boston from 1946-1955.

61760 Boston '53.jpg

I have acquired three more superb Perrin shots for a final display in a few weeks time.
User avatar
strang steel
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 2353
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: From 40F to near 82A via 88C

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by strang steel »

I have only discovered this thread - shame on me - but as someone who grew up only a few miles from Boston it is great to find another photographer who was taking pictures of the area.

Thank you for sharing them.
John. My spotting log website is now at https://spottinglogs.co.uk/spotting-rec ... s-70s-80s/
Darwin4975
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by Darwin4975 »

Good action pictures of the W1 4-6-4 from any source are few in number but the Perrin Collection included at least three, this being one. No 60700 is passing High Dyke with an express from Leeds in 1955, and is about to enter Stoke Tunnel. When the engine was transferred to Doncaster shed from Kings Cross in October 1953, grubby external condition soon became the norm, as seen here, but at least somebody has lightly rubbed the cabside number with an oily rag.

60700 High Dyke 0355 .jpg

It's always nice to be reminded that there is a crew on the engine footplate of a moving train by the presence of a face at the cab window.

On 1st September 1955 while working a Kings Cross-Doncaster train, the front bogie frame fractured, badly derailing No 60700 just north of Peterborough. This photograph will have been taken before that event as the locomotive remained out of action until mid December when it was next released to traffic following a General overhaul. Lack of leaves on the tree above and to the right of the chimney would suggest early Spring 1955 for this photograph.

Are there are carriage experts out there who can identify the very clean second coach in this train?




Now to another streamliner but this time A4, No 60022 'Mallard' cautiously entering Peterborough with the down 'Northumbrian' on New Years Eve 1955. The train had left Kings Cross at 12.18pm, so the low sun at this time of the year will still be offering enough light by the time the photographer is reached -but not for much longer.


60022 Peterbprough 311255.jpg


A relatively lowly LNER named train for the famous 'Mallard' to be working, it passes slowly through Peterborough but will stop at Grantham, York, Darlington and even Durham before reaching Newcastle, by which time on this day it will be quite dark. Contemporary photographs show that 'Mallard' seems to have been a regular performer on the 'Northumbrian' at around this time.



Five years later on Easter Saturday 1960, an untypically clean Gateshead A1, No 60129 'Guy Mannering' is observed at the south end of Grantham station, possibly about to be relieved by a fresh engine to take the train on to London.


60129 Grantham 160460.jpg

Rivet counting model builders have an good subject to examine here, this A1 being the last of the early batch of Doncaster built locomotives. The Darlington A1s from No 60130 onward sported flush sided tenders, with not a rivet head to be seen. What's interesting is that the location of rivets completely avoids the BR crest including the obvious place where a rivet head would be in the word 'Railways'. A matter of chance? I think not. Your views

I have searched the usual hosting websites and my own extensive LNER Library for similar rear tender view shots of A1s and made the discovery that such shots are RARE but I did find one of No 60114 which confirms the rivet pattern in the later 1950/60s.

60114 Darlington 250960.jpg

Regarding the earlier 'Cycling Lion' emblem, I have seen one or two pictures of Doncaster built A1s which are of lesser quality but give the impression the the transfer was certainly affected by rivet heads poking through it. I'm still searching for a really good one though to confirm this.

More superb samples from the Les Perrin Archive coming at the end of the month
LNER4479
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
Posts: 388
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:12 am
Location: 51A

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by LNER4479 »

Hi there,

Les Perrin was - I believe - a professional artist. What I certainly know is that my Dad commissioned three (oil) paintings from him, all of which still adorn his railway room to this day.
WP_20180704_20_08_43_Pro_crop.jpg
This is a snapshot of one of them - it just happened to be in the corner of a photo I took of the room - it wasn't taken to show the painting!

I'm going to my Dad's on Wednesday so I'll try and find out a bit more. And I'll take some decent shots of the paintings!
(recreating pre-war Grantham in model form http://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9076.
Forthcoming exhibition appearances: Newcastle (Nov 2023); York (Easter 2024); Bristol (May 2024)
Darwin4975
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by Darwin4975 »

That's a most interesting contribution and news to me. Any other info you can glean about this man would be most welcome. Apart from artistry was he trained in anything else? He was obviously an admirer of Gresley Pacifics. That painting you have shown looks very similar a W J V Anderson shot of an A3 taken on the climb to Glenfarg. Looks to be an excellent painting. If you can provide more images of his paintings I have no doubt they would be well worth seeing. Thanks.
LNER4479
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
Posts: 388
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:12 am
Location: 51A

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by LNER4479 »

Well, a bit more information following trip to my Dad's yesterday.

He met Les Perrin in the 1970s more or less by chance having seen a notice in Boston advertising a display of paintings. He more or less parked up there and then, walked in and was met by all these wonderful railway paintings. He introduced himself, got talking and bought the following painting on the spot:
LP1.jpg
I'm not sure if it's based on any specific location or more of an idealised image but Dad was certainly taken by it. He then struck up a correspondence and they agreed a commission, Dad sending him a picture in the post, with the following result:
LP2.jpg
Yes, it is indeed based strongly on one of WJVA's wonderful photos at Glenfarg and I think you'll agree Les made a lovely job of it.

Just in case you think all he could ever paint was A3s going round right hand bends(!), Dad also commissioned another picture, this time of a Duchess heading south from Carlisle. But that's not an LNER subject ...

Dad believes Les wasn't actually a professional artist, just an enthusiastic - and obviously talented - painter. He didn't know any more about him than that, unfortunately, so unable to comment any more re his profession.

Has the 'Perrin Collection' ever been published? I think many of us would love to see a book of photos such as the ones you've posted so far.
(recreating pre-war Grantham in model form http://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9076.
Forthcoming exhibition appearances: Newcastle (Nov 2023); York (Easter 2024); Bristol (May 2024)
User avatar
kimballthurlow
GCR D11 4-4-0 'Improved Director'
Posts: 432
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:58 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Contact:

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by kimballthurlow »

Darwin4975 wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 2:52 pm ...

60700 High Dyke 0355 .jpg


It's always nice to be reminded that there is a crew on the engine footplate of a moving train by the presence of a face at the cab window...
Lack of leaves on the tree above and to the right of the chimney would suggest early Spring 1955 for this photograph.

Are there are carriage experts out there who can identify the very clean second coach in this train?

..
I am certainly no carriage expert, but could that be an ex GW Centenary of some sort?

Kimball
John Palmer
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2012 7:27 pm
Location: Somerset

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by John Palmer »

The window and footboard arrangement, together with what one can discern of the lower bodyside mouldings, lead me to wonder whether this carriage may be a Gresley Vestibuled Open Third to one of the varieties of Diagram 27.
Darwin4975
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by Darwin4975 »

The down Heart of Midlothian is seen leaving Peterborough behind one of the roller bearing A1s, No 60154 Bon Accord, in 1957. I've waxed lyrical before about Les Perrin's eye for a good picture and here is another one. The engine and train are in excellent sharp focus and dominate the scene, but imagine it without the interesting items occupying other lines, including a WD on a freight waiting for the road and possibly a V2 heading for the shed. Drifting steam from the safety valves of all three locomotives adds to the atmosphere. A beautifully composed photograph.

60154 Peterborough '57.jpg

An A3, seen this time at Saltersford on 7th August 1959. No 60056 'Centenary' climbs uphill with a southbound express. Ex-works (15th July) and newly fitted with double chimney, the engine is barely run-in but would still end up being scrapped in May '63.

60056 Saltersford 070859.jpg

Last, another A1 again at Peterborough. In July 1953, No 60133 Pommern is in charge of the down Queen of Scots Pullman which it will take as far as Leeds. The young spotter in the right foreground with a short back and sides haircut will have been included deliberately, and provides a nice extra human touch. He'll be the same age as me now. I wonder if he is a member of the Forum, looking back at himself all those years ago.

60133 Peterborough 0753.jpg

The seller of these negatives has recently listed a few more after a gap of some time. Another selection to come from me in a few weeks time.
burnie
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by burnie »

Darwin4975 wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 8:44 pm Stoke Bank was another regular location for visits by Les Perrin. Both ends of Stoke Tunnel were visited and here is a view of a northbound express coasting downhill towards Grantham on 29th June 1961 with A4 No 60025 'Falcon' in charge. The tunnel mouth stonework looks to be in a rather decrepit condition.


60025 Stoke Tunnel 290661.jpg


This image takes me back, me and my school mates used to camp there for a week every summer in the early '60's, though usually a week or two later than this image date. School holidays began in July, sadly I have no pictures as I didn't own a camera then.
Darwin4975
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by Darwin4975 »

The best pictures from the Les Perrin Archive seem now to have been finally dispersed. They proved to be extremely popular and attracted some very high prices. Many over £50 each.

Here are a couple to finish, one also in colour.

First, another from that fruitful day of 20th August 1960 at Saltersford. Les Perrin's camera has filled the viewfinder with A4 No 60006 'Sir Ralph Wedgwood' coasting slowly downhill on a northbound parcels train. Plenty of crisp detail to see. A classic image of an A4 in its final form working a train.


60006 Saltersford 200860.jpg


Sadly there must be an end to all good things, and it comes with this picture taken on the southern approach to Stoke tunnel. No 60050 'Persimmon' brings an express northwards in the summer of 1955. Another superb composition. Note how the telegraph pole sits perfectly between tender and leading coach (where a lady passenger sits enjoying the ride with the window down.)


60050 Stoke '55  .jpg



Also the important role played by the track in the foreground leading the eye in to the scene beyond. Not to mention the distant trees not obscuring important boiler top fitments. A 'rods down' outcome for a moving train is never easy to achieve but he managed it with this one.


60050 Stoke '55.jpg


I have been privileged to acquire a carefully chosen selection of this wonderful archive.

We are all indebted to railway photographer Les Perrin whose work has not been given the credit it deserves over the years. I hope you have enjoyed this insight into the quality of his photography.
Darwin4975
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: The photography of L Perrin

Post by Darwin4975 »

Negatives from the Perrin Archive are still coming onto the market though at a much slower rate and the quality is not as high as the earlier dispersals. Nevertheless, there are still some nice photographs to enjoy. Here's one of `No 60066 'Merry Hampton' arriving at Grantham with an up express in August 1958, just 2 months before being fitted with a double chimney. Opinions vary but I think the A3s looked their best in single chimney form. The photographer made a slight error with his camera focus resulting in the train being far from sharp but the A3 itself is absolutely razor sharp. The signal man was quick to set the signals back to the 'on' position which the photographer will probably have wished otherwise.

60066 Grantham 160858.jpg
Post Reply