Journal 22 — Summer 2003

Table of Contents

• Early Accidents on the Midland Railway: 1847 (part 2) / By Chris Rouse
• Locomotive Aesthetics / By Jack Braithwaite
• Focus on Signalling at Melbourne Junction / By David Harris
• Skipton women staff 1916-1918
• No. 1106A at Devynock / By Tudor Watkins
• New Mills : Then and Now / By Ashley Sanders
• Beyond the Boundaries (5) / By David Geldard
• "The Emigrant and other poems"
• Query Corner
  • Query 32 : Where was this photo taken? — Bedford North Junction [no. 20, p.20; no.21, p.20]
  • New query 34 : Which shed is this?
• Comments on Items in Previous Journals
  • Early Accidents on the Midland Railway: 1847 [no. 21, p.1]
  • The Midland Railway's 100 ton gun truck [no. 21, p.9]
  • Deeley and the 900 class [no. 14, p.4; no.21, p.16]
  • Turntables Used by the Midland Railway [no.19, p.15; no.21 p.17]

• 

  Front cover

  No. 902 is shown on the 50ft turntable at the engine servicing point just outside Leeds (Wellington) station. It is one of Mathew Kirtley’s 890 Class locomotives, 62 of which were built between 1871 and 1875. Essentially an updates version of his 800 Class double framed engines, all were destined to be rebuilt by Johnson which resulted in the 890s being almost indistinguishable from his own locomotives. No, 902 spent most of its life based in Yorkshire, initially on the principle expresses, being progressively at Normanton, Sheffield and Hellifield, and survived until 1928. The other locomotive appears to be one of the Leeds based Johnson 1400 Class 2–4–0s. Taken in June 1906 at a time of transition in livery, the Johnson engines represents the Victorian era with its rather showy lining out. We also have a rare view of the back of a tender with the plates carrying the loco number and water capacity (lower) both prominent. No. 902 is in the rather American styling of Richard Deeley with large tender numerals, smokebox numberplate, and very restrained edging.

  The locomotive servicing point allowed engines to turn and take water. It would have been used by those on shorter runds, such as to Sheffield, that still had enough coal for the return journey, and reduced the number of engine movements to and from Holbeck shed. Just to the west, at Leeds Junction — one of the busiest junctions on the system — the main lines to London and Bedford diverged. Despite quadrupling in the area, 170 yards at the junction itself remained double track until 1927, perhaps due to land acquisition problems.

  [Roy F. Burrows Midland Collection Trust : notes by Peter Witts]

• Rear cover

  The cover of a 16 page booklet for the French and Belgian traveller advertising the ‘Chemins de Fer Midland D’Angleterre’. It contains details of the usual tourist spots and hotels and has no fewer than 8 maps. Principle fares from ‘Londres (St. Pancras)’ are also included.

  [Roy F. Burrows Midland Collection Trust]