The LNER Encyclopedia

Many years ago I acquired an old Train Register from Penshaw North signalbox on the Leamside Line and I've just scanned a couple of pages from 2nd September 1963 and uploaded them to Flickr. I thought some of you may be interested to see them, particularly as they mention a few LNER locos such as 60061 Pretty Polly on what must have been one of her last runs before being scrapped.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/518 ... 8ccd_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1300/518 ... 611f_b.jpg

Pretty Polly was one of the last that I saw for the first time, but after that I saw it several more times. I photograhed it twice, once at Kings Cross in March 1962 and again at Sandy a year later. At King's Cross it was in remarkably clean condition (see below) the Sandy shot was in march 1963.

Great shot! There used to be an evening parcels train from Park Lane (Gateshead) to York Dringhouses via Sunderland and it produced some startling motive power - I think one time it was an A3 from Sunderland closely followed by an A4 from Newcastle via Washington. Would you like to hear an interesting story about Pretty Polly?

A memory of 60061 at Doncaster in this BR photo.

PinzaC55 wrote: Would you like to hear an interesting story about Pretty Polly?

YES

OK....about 14 years ago I went to the Swinderby antiques fair and to get back to Newark station I phoned for a taxi. The driver and I ended up on the subject of Railwayana, and he said "I've got a steam engine nameplate in my garage". "Really" I said, "where did you get it?". He replied, "well, in the 60's it was shunting coal trains near us and for my 15th birthday my dad and went down and I nicked the nameplate and put it in a sack". "Its still in my garage."
"Oh, what was the name?" I asked thinking it might be a nice industrial 0-6-0.
"Pretty Polly" he said. I was dumbfounded. "But..but that was an A3, what would it be doing shunting coal trains?" then I realised that of course the A3's would be "worked to death" on such trains. Still not convinced I asked why he hadn't put it over the fireplace and did it have any markings on the back? He replied it was about 5 feet long and too heavy to go over the fireplace and that it had the numbers of other engines on the back.
"Would you be interested in selling it?" I asked and he replied "Maybe. I'll get it out, clean the cobwebs off and polish it">
"NO! I said, leave it like it is!!"
I got his phone number but when I rang him he said he was ill and I never pursued it.
In case it sounds unlikely I made enquiries and it turns out only one nameplate from Pretty Polly is known to exist.
The other is in a sack in a garage covered in cobwebs.

Fourteen years ago, eh? A lot can change in that time but, if I were you, I'd do a Poirot and get back on it. It just might still be in that old sack.

G'Day Gents

There's probably loads of loco nameplates hidden away in attics and garden sheds, that may one-day see the light of day.

manna

manna wrote:G'Day Gents

There's probably loads of loco nameplates hidden away in attics and garden sheds, that may one-day see the light of day.

manna

Actually I visited a reclusive railway photographer about 12 years with a friend and when we went through the front door the first thing I saw was the nameplate off 60034 "LORD FARINGDON" lying on the floor in the hallway looking as though it had been dumped there. It had a large patch of green verdigris one end and I asked him what had happened? He replied that somebody had brought their dog round and it had promptly cocked its leg.....he never bothered cleaning it off.

G'Day Gents

LORD FARINGDON, was a local engine, I was sick of seeing it, in the early sixties....... what wouldn't I give to see it again

manna

Ay up!

In my spotting days, Healy Mills' 40 007 (D207 as was) was as common as muck! We swore at it whenver we saw the blamed thing.

When I bought my two Bachy class 40s, they had a piccie of 007 on the box, taken in Valley Road Goods Yard in Bradford. The engine went for scrap. Even the location no longer exists, it is now a retail park!

How time passes.

But now I realise that I miss 40 007. Wierd, innit? A previous generation thought the same of 45581 "Bihar and Orissa", nicknaming it BO! When I renumbered my Bachy Jubilee, it drew a big crowd. They felt the same.

I used to groan a bit when I saw Deltic 55011 as she seemed to be everywhere all the time. I had my last run from her in November 1981 from Sunderland to Seaham and that was it. Wish I could turn back time and say sorry to her.

Ay up!

'Tis truly written - you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone!

Another memory in this old cutting of her. I would say judging by the box with the number it's one of York power box's points.

Pretty Polly was the first glimpse I had of an A3. Travelling up from Felsted on an Eastern National coach I saw her cross the overbridge at Finsbury Park as we approached. Must have been 1961 and I recall she had those small deflectors fitted. Saw her on several occasions after either at Kings Cross or when bunking Top Shed. 60061 remains my favourite A3 to this day
Bob