Journal 19 — Summer 2002

Table of Contents

  • The Midland Railway's Initial Problems in South Wales / By John Miles
  • A Midland Dray / By Nelson Twells
  • Locomotive Aesthetics / By Jack Braithwaite
  • Comments on Items in Previous Journals
    • Service messroom band [No. 16, No. 17]
    • Miners' strikes and their effect on the Midland Railway [No. 18]
    • By the Midland Railway to the continent [No. 18]
  • Helpston Waiting Shelter / By David Hanson
  • Beyond the Boundaries (2) / By David Geldard
  • Query Corner
    • Query 28: The station hut, Derby
    • Query 29: Sharland
    • Query 30 (new query): Midland Street, Glasgow
  • Front cover

    Front cover

    Employees from both the Passenger and Goods departments pose on the Up platform at Pontardawe station c. 1910. The cameraman was facing towards Swansea; the station signalbox can just be seen behind the man with the shunting pole on the far right of the photograph. The person sitting third from right, with both a wyvern and ‘MR’ on his hat, appears to be the Station Master. In 1900, the occupant of this post was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a Mr. Jones. The number of Goods Department staff in the photograph indicates that this was the predominant type of traffic on the line. The main employer in Portardawe was Gilbertson’s Iron and Tin Plate Works, while there were also a number of collieries in the immediate area.

    [T. Watkins collection]

  • Rear cover

    The back of a four page leaflet of Vebruary 1885 aimed at the visitor from the United States of America. The front page gives a brief description of the Midland Railway’s facilities and comments on features to be seen along the toute from Liverpool to London and the surrounding districts. The second and third pages contain a number of vignettes of tourist locations. As will be seen, this particular page gives the times and trains between Liverpool and London and details of sailings of the ‘Guion Line.’ Note that the Midland would put on a special train from Liverpool for 50 or more First Class passengers on receipt of a telegram from Queenstown. Records show that the Guion Steamship Company went into voluntary liquidation on 20th February 1900.