Spot the location

[thesignalman]

I have inherited from an old frend a huge collection of photographs but sadly not all of his meticulous notes have come with them and some locations are proving hard to identify. If anybody can help pin down the location of the following it would be appreciated:

Picture No1. This was amongst a group of views of Deltic on diversion so is not necessarily on the East Coast Main Line

Photo N L Cadge, collection of John Hinson

Picture No2. Another possible diversion:

Photo N L Cadge, collection of John Hinson

All ideas welcomed and appreciated.

John

[52D]

Possibly Sleaford area?

[Dave Cockle]

I've got a feeling it could be Stonea.

[thesignalman]

Ta for the info so far.

Just to be clear - these are unconnected shots other than the locomotive type.

Picture No1 - I can see where you are coming from, we need to find somewhere that has short block sectioons but a glance at Sleaford signal plans shows no signal of that configuration on a straight fast-looking piece of line.

Picture No2 - YESSS! Almost certainly Stonea and taken from the signal box window I should think. Thanks for that Dave.

John

[Mickey]

I always liked those concrete signal posts there was still quite a few of them around in the 1960s going into the early 1970s on the southern part of the GNR/LNER & GCR/LNER but does anyone remember which is the GNR design and which is the LNER design concrete post?.

There was 2 designs types of concrete signal posts one had pare or teardrop shaped holes and the other was a hole of equal size sides and a rounded top & bottom rhombus but which was the GNR and which was the LNER design?.

Most of the concrete signal posts that i ever remember seeing were of the single straight post types although there was a few concrete bracket signal posts to be seen around and one such place was at Hatfield No.1 (box) the Up slow line home & Up slow to Up fast line home signals (just outside the box) and another concrete bracket signal post was at Biggleswade (south box) the Up slow to Up Goods line home signal & Up slow to Up fast line home signal again near to the box.


Mickey

[Andy W]

In picture No 2, I'm looking at the hill in the background and the distinctive tower. Lincoln perhaps? If so this shot was taken north west of the city and the Deltic is probably heading towards Saxilby. So with the half mile post visible in the foreground, is Norman Cadge at Kesteven Sidings Box?

[R. pike]

The second photo is a bit off patch for me but i have to agree. Kesteven Siding.

[thesignalman]

Brilliant work Messrs Holmes and Watson! Some unbelievable sleuthing to achieve that.

Many, many thanks indeed.

John

[JASd17]

I am sure Andy W is correct, Kesteven Siding is the location.

John

[Andy W]

Thanks for the confirmation!

The loco, I am pretty sure, is No 12. It's a racehorse, with a long plate and that means No 12 or No 18. However it has a red buffer beam which narrows it down to No 12 - it got that for the East Coast Pullman Salute in May 1978. If I am right, I would hazard a guess that this shot was taken later on in 1978.

[JASd17]

If picture No.1 is at Stonea, and everything visible does fit, it is some diversion off the main line, coming off at Hitchin and going through Cambridge and Ely to March, Spalding and Sleaford, then on to Lincoln?

John

[StevieG]

If picture No.1 is at Stonea, and everything visible does fit, it is some diversion off the main line, coming off at Hitchin and going through Cambridge and Ely to March, Spalding and Sleaford, then on to Lincoln?

John

Errr ..... How about Hitchin - Cambridge - Ely - Manea - Stonea - March - Three Horse Shoes - Whittlesey - Pingle - Kings Dyke - Peterborough ?
I recall a few times going home to P'boro' off a mid-1970s Saturday late shift or two at KX, my 22:30 'overnight' (1S72?) train to Scotland having to go this way owing to engineering work on the mainline : Took about 1 hour extra, sometimes getting to my destination really quite late (around 00:50?).

[JASd17]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for this, that is why it was a question, not a statement!

John

[thesignalman]

The loco, I am pretty sure, is No 12. It's a racehorse, with a long plate and that means No 12 or No 18. However it has a red buffer beam which narrows it down to No 12 - it got that for the East Coast Pullman Salute in May 1978. If I am right, I would hazard a guess that this shot was taken later on in 1978.

The number 55012 can be confirmed from the original picture. Date-wise it is certainly 1978 and falls about midway in the number-batch for that year. I can't get closer than that, but the numbers do not mean he took an even quantity of pictures through the year of course.

If picture No.1 is at Stonea, and everything visible does fit, it is some diversion off the main line, coming off at Hitchin and going through Cambridge and Ely to March, Spalding and Sleaford, then on to Lincoln?

He went out of his way to catch unusual workings, whether they are unusual locos or routes. In fact I think I can muster more Deltic pictures in the wrong places than the right. There are many views of ECML trains on the GN & GE Joint line at a range of places.

John

[strang steel]

I do hope that you will share some of the GN&GE photos with us. It is not a line that appears that regularly in photo albums.