Scrapbook Pic - Year?

[JASd17]

There is another picture - taken by C R L Coles - on page 16 of LNER 150, Whitehouse and Thomas, showing the same tunnel.
The photographer is standing a few yards further back, and the beginning of a platform ramp is visible in the bottom left foreground. So is that the southern end of the down platform of the original Hadley Wood station? I think it rules out Hadley Wood North tunnel, nor is it Potters Bar tunnel.

I am not sure how accurately the picture can be dated, but some time in the mid to late 1930s seems likely.

John

[StevieG]

There is another picture - taken by C R L Coles - on page 16 of LNER 150, Whitehouse and Thomas, showing the same tunnel.
The photographer is standing a few yards further back, and the beginning of a platform ramp is visible in the bottom left foreground. So is that the southern end of the down platform of the original Hadley Wood station? I think it rules out Hadley Wood North tunnel, nor is it Potters Bar tunnel.

I am not sure how accurately the picture can be dated, but some time in the mid to late 1930s seems likely.

John

3007.....I'm quite happy to go with that as the location John.
Come to think of it, up on top of the left-hand cutting-side, I see no evidence of the footpath I was talking about that I think would have been there if this was Hadley North Tunnel!
Perhaps the white sign atop the tunnel is just a standard 'no trespassing' sign at the railway's boundary with private land.

If this was mid-to-late '30s, Hadley Wood signal box (just north of HW Down platform) had probably been demoted to its later Ground Frame status coincident with its semaphore signals being removed for the introduction of colour-lights between Greenwood box and Potters Bar station. But until Greenwood's 1959 abolition with the quadrupling, that box (south of Hadley South Tunnel) gained a mechanical semaphore signal (from then, the only one remaining amongst the colour-lights) at the south end of Hadley Wood platform, as its Up outer Home signal, whose operating wire ran through South tunnel : - Now just beside 3007's Up side buffer, is that a small post for a mechanical signal wire pulley that I see in the cess of the Up Main?

[JASd17]

StevieG,

I most certainly bow to your GN main line signalling knowledge.

Page 50 of the Stephenson LNER Album Volume 1 has a Coles picture showing the Down Yorkshire Pullman in 1939. I think the signalling wire post is clear in this shot, as is the platform ramp. I know that the black cabling was on the Up side of the line.

If the picture of 3007 is by CRL Coles; I think it will be later 1930s?

John

[Iron Duke]

For the railway detectives on this site, two interesting pics, apart from the identity of the locos can anyone fill in any missing information:-
Location, approx year & working? No photographer credit either..... but again lovely images.

[Mickey]

2394 The location is 'Langley troughs' just south of the current Stevenage station the Goods train is travelling along the Up slow line towards Langley Junction.

5469 A pure guess the location could be on the Great Central Railway somewhere south of Aylesbury and north of Amersham?.

[giner]

I think you're right about Langley, Micky. Only in my time around there, there was just the up distant (I think). The loco is just about in the spot where Six Hills Way bridge goes over the line now. Wonder if any footballs landed in any of those open trucks. Stevenage Town's football ground was about where the end of the train is, and many a lofted pass out to the wing ended up who knows where.

[JASd17]

2394. I think it can be dated between November 1931, when 2394 got a standard Robinson superheater, and early 1934 (note trees). In July 1934 the loco received a hinged plate to cover the 2 to 1 lever access hole.

It certainly looks to be working hard, has it just got underway after a signal check?

John

[Mickey]

2394.It certainly looks to be working hard, has it just got underway after a signal check?.

Thats a level section of road hence the water troughs, the signals were Langley Junction's Up fast & Up slow line distant signals possibly the driver has 'opened her up' having got the distant signal off up the slow line towards Knebworth because the road starts to clime on a rising gradient at Langley Junction towards Knebworth.

Stevenage new station (the current Stevenage station that opened in the summer of 1973) was built just beyond were the signals are infact the Up slow line distant signal for Langley Junction remained there for many years being replaced by a upper quadrant arm until being abolished completely sometime around late 1973 or 1974 when colour-light signalling was introduced in that area.

[JASd17]

5469.
I thought it was too good a photo not to have been seen before. RCTS 2B Fig. 70. 'Up Special of Tourist stock near Beaconsfield, September 1938'. Photo credited to T G Hepburn.

[Mickey]

5469.
I thought it was too good a photo not to have been seen before. RCTS 2B Fig. 70. 'Up Special of Tourist stock near Beaconsfield, September 1938'. Photo credited to T G Hepburn.

So it's on the G.W.& G.C.joint line i hazzard a pure guess before and thought it may have been somewhere on the G.C.R. between Aylesbury and Amersham?.

Are those coaches or the first coach G.W.R. centenary stock?.

[JASd17]

[quote="Micky
Are those coaches or the first coach G.W.R. centenary stock?.[/quote]

The carriages are LNER green and cream Tourist stock.

Where exactly is the bridge? East of Beaconsfield? Or even east of Seer Green, south of Jordans?

John

[Mickey]

East of Beaconsfield could well be although i am not totally familier with the road between Beaconsfield & Gerrards Cross whch after leaving Beaconsfield is basically 2-roads that run straight for some distance then turn through gentle curves mainly in deep or shallow cuttings before straightening up for the run towards Gerrards Cross.

My mistake i just glanced at the first coach and without looking closer just assumed it looked a bit like a G.W.R. Centenary coach.

[StevieG]

( Re 2394 ).....

Thats a level section of road hence the water troughs, the signals were Langley Junction's Up fast & Up slow line distant signals possibly the driver has 'opened her up' having got the distant signal off up the slow line towards Knebworth because the road starts to clime on a rising gradient at Langley Junction towards Knebworth.

Stevenage new station (the current Stevenage station that opened in the summer of 1973) was built just beyond were the signals are infact the Up slow line distant signal for Langley Junction remained there for many years being replaced by a upper quadrant arm until being abolished completely sometime around late 1973 or 1974 when colour-light signalling was introduced in that area.

For what it's worth (nowt!) on this one, I can think of nothing to add to your location identity and other related details, Micky.

[Iron Duke]

Thank you everyone for filling in the gaps - brilliant.
I will post some other "unknown scrapbook pics" soon, as I find the "extra information" provided in each reply (on top of the questions asked) fascinating.

ID

[Iron Duke]

After a few hours of scanning and photo editing (old glue marks & creases etc) here are a couple more intriging scrapbook pics.
Loco identity obvious, but any other information to add?