The West Riding conurbation
Volume 2 of "LNER Trains and Formations" will have a chapter about secondary services in the the West Riding conurbation, from 1923 to the end of steam. The only problem is that there are few decent pictures of the pre-WWII era. While the search continues, here are some captioned pictures from the post-War period that show the lie of the land, beginning with the transition from ex-GNR articulated carriages to Gresley 51'1 1/2" steel-panelled stock.
New additions placed here temporarily - caption revised.
A delightful picture of N1 No 69450 (COP) dated 5th June 1954 with a Leeds Central-Castleford train near Beeston, with apologies for the quality. The photographer lived in Leeds and was keen to find good locations but his optics were poor and so was his darkroom skill, one feature being use of stippled paper which blurs an already poor image and when scanned, casts a snowstorm.
Such a pity as this sunny day view also has a low depth of field and most of the carriages are out of focus. The formation can be identified as a Gresley 3-set as follows:
BT |
ex-LNER 51'1 1/2" steel panelled |
CL-BT |
ex-LNER 51'1 1/2" steel panelled twin |
Photo: Ralph Thurlow.
Click on the image for an enlargement
Mystery: Since posting this it's not been easy to make progress because of the low quality of the image but my conclusion is that the lighting is oblique and the beading on a teak-panelled body on the twin would have cast shadows - which cannot be seen - and I have looked closely at the original print. My conclusion is thus that it was built in 1940 to D.310 and steel-panelled with a pseudo lined teak finish and has somehow escaped a BR repaint and retained its original livery, probably by revarnishing. Comments still welcome.
A reflection of pre-War formations made up with ex-GNR stock is seen in 1948 as N1 No 9430, carrying its Thompson number, has a quadruplet set.
Some C12s were still being used after the war as this 1949 picture at Holbeck High Level shows with C12 7353 approaching. This station, a mile out of Leeds Central was an interchange via Holbeck Low Level for the line to Leeds City or the Settle and Carlise. Nearby, there used to be masses of Victorian back-to-back terraced houses for the industrial south of the city and I remember when I was very young, passing through on the family's way back from holiday by train and seeing a crowd of people waiting on the platform. Closed in 1958, it used to be popular for train spotters. The C12 is hauling a smart 3-set of Gresley steel-panelled carriages.
A fine shot near Wakefield of C14 No 67445 and another 3-set made up with Gresley 51'1 1/2" steel-panelled carriages, clearly visible as a 3rd brake and a lavatory composite twin CL-BT (to D.310).
This stock used to be available in 4mm scale etched brass from Kemilway and unbuilt kits still crop up on bring & buy stands at shows. I wrote one up in Model Rail, Feb 2005 (see Articles Index, LNER Coaches for a synopsis). I'll do a separate topic in the "Modelling" section (now done).
A shorter formation waits at Keighley on the Queensbury lines system behind a smart N1, No 69494. The two-coach train is made up with a Gresley steel-panelled twin of the BT-CL type to D.310. All three of the above pictures of Gresley steel-panelled stock show the second version with ventilator bonnets over the doors.
N1 69430 is at Wilsden between Keighley and Queensbury. Further modernisation can be seen with the 1st class passengers in mind and a Thompson CL has been provided. Behind it a Gresley 3rd brake to BT(6) remains. There were soon to be many variations in formations around the West Riding and the stock deployed.
N1 No 69452 in plain, unlined black in 1953 gets a mid-afternoon service under way from Leeds Central with a Gresley 51'1 1/2" steel-panelled twin at the head (another BT-CL), followed by a Thompson 3rd brake. There was at least one more carriage but it can hardly be seen.
N1 No 69450 is in the mixed traffic livery, on the long-lasting steam-hauled service to Castleford. It was one of the longest lived locos and not withdrawn until March 1959.
Click on the image for an enlargement
Gresley steel-panelled secondary stock: is here.
Modelling the 51'1 1/2" stock is here.
Leeds Central and its workings: is here.
