ISSUE No. 96 - JANUARY 2009
Birch Bros. Remembered
Bob Bayman was the speaker at the Friends’ meeting on 25th September 2008. Bob spent
most of his professional career with London Transport, latterly as a senior Underground
manager. However, his first job - for 200 days in 1967/8 – was with Birch Bros.. Bob
recalled those times in a highly personalised memoir, but one which caught the spirit
of the company.
Bob was brought up in North London in an area served exclusively by
RTs. Trips as a child to Barnet presented a fascinating variety from
this staple diet, with trolleybuses and the double-deckers of Birch
Bros. on the route from King’s Cross to Rushden. Such was his
interest in the company that, as a school leaver in the summer of
1967, Bob asked Birch for a job. He was given a post in the Traffic
Office at Kentish Town. Bob recalled that there were three phones
in the office for answering private hire enquiries: two were for Birch
and one was for Monico Motors, which Birch had taken over, initially
maintaining its separate, apparent identity.
K82, a Willowbrook bodied Leyland Leopard, photographed at Bedford
bus station. (Photos by Bob Bayman.)
The company was a family-owned firm, with Raymond Birch as
Chairman; his brother, John Birch, as Managing Director; and John’s
son, Peter Birch, also actively involved as Assistant Managing
Director. The Birch company had started as a bus operator in north
and west London in 1847. It had many battles with the LGOC and
suspended London bus operation in 1912. Resuming in 1924, the
London operations were sold to the LPTB in 1934. The company
then developed services outside London, largely by acquisition,
focussed on the longer-distance route from King’s Cross to Rushden,
via Hitchin and Bedford (numbered 203), with connecting local
services in and around those towns and Luton. Birch achieved a status
and reputation beyond its size, with interesting vehicles, some
originally with Birch-built bodies. The fleet at one time included ten
double-deckers on Leyland and Guy single-deck chassis, for greater
stability on narrow country lanes; also well known were the Leyland
double-deckers used on the 203 Rushden service. With the opening
of the M1 motorway, the 203 was supplemented by the 203M, which
was initially operated by Willowbrook bodied AEC Reliances and later
by Leopards with Willowbrook bodies and some by Park Royal. There
were three garages, at Cathcart Street, Kentish Town (known as Royal
Mail Yard, due to the company’s former mail contracts), Rushden and
Henlow Camp. The first two buildings are still in existence; the site
of the Henlow Camp premises has now been redeveloped for
housing, with one street named “Birch Grove”. Away from buses and
coaches, Birch also diversified into taxis and domestic oil delivery.
Bob’s duties in the late-1960s Traffic Office included: briefing drivers
(he recalled the squabbles over vehicle allocations, with some drivers
being very precious about who drove “their” buses); passenger
censuses; lost property; driving the company car to facilitate ticket
and other on-bus checks; and calculating season ticket rates. Amongst
the events that Bob recalled was a driver reprimanded for delaying
his bus to go shopping; a bus which dropped its gearbox; collisions,
both between buses and between cars and buses; diversions,
including some interesting ones through the USAF base at
Chicksands, near Shefford; and various breakdowns.
Despite the company’s past, well-deserved reputation for passenger
service, Bob’s 200 days with Birch came at a time when things were
clearly in decline. There were serious maintenance problems, with
46 per cent of the fleet off the road at one point, leading to
numerous, impromptu cancellations. January 1968 saw significant
service cut-backs, to reflect declining patronage. There was a threat
of nationalisation of bus companies still wholly or in partly in
private ownership. The BET group, Birch and others mounted a
campaign against this, proclaiming that there would be “no sell-out”.
But sell out was exactly what Birch did, principally to the state-owned
United Counties Omnibus Company, to whom the then remaining
Birch bus services were sold in September 1969. Prior to the sale,
the Birch Luton bus services had already been replaced by UCOC and
London Transport (Country Buses). The private hire operations were
continued for two more years, finally passing to George Ewer Ltd.
(Grey Green) in late 1971. Thus a renowned bus operator disappeared
– and Bob had moved on to career pastures new.
K187, a 1947 Leyland PD1 with 1957 Weymann bodywork, leaves
Cathcart Street for the last time, following its withdrawal.
From The Director’s Chair
During the summer of 2007, as the tide of
builders’ equipment receded and the reopening of the Museum approached, a
colleague from another museum pointed
out- helpfully, it transpired, although it did
not seem so at the time- that opening was
just the start, and not the finish, of all the
excitement. A year on, we have come to
appreciate just what was meant by this. Our
pace has hardly slackened these past twelve
months. The main difference has been
seeing the completion of so much in such
a short time, after the prolonged closure.
Since re-opening on 22nd November 2007,
we have had a record number of visitors –
367,855, 50% more than ever before – and
won prizes and critical acclaim for the new
Museum. During the year, we have piloted
new approaches to the public programme,
including the future of transport and cities,
and invested in our outreach and educational
capability. A three-year research project in
the ‘Art of the Poster’ was completed by
opening the new exhibition and publishing a
new book. Three other exhibitions – Bruce
Rowling’s project archive, ‘Last Stop’ on the
Routemaster and Underground Advertising have been written and mounted.
The new Museum has won quality assurance
for its all-new customer services team within
a year of opening - a great achievement for a
team stretched by very high visitor numbers,
the technical challenges of making the new
kit work and many more evening and
corporate events to handle. We have a new
Museum Chairman and Board in place and are
just starting to explore the challenges and
opportunities of charity status.
All in all, this list of achievements in our first
year is something of which I am very proud.
It is, of course, based on the close
partnership within TfL, our peerless Friends’
organisation and a raft of 93 sponsors and
funders. Next year will be a challenge, but
we are as well-equipped as any to meet this,
with our new museum, talented board and
150+ volunteers. Thank you all for your
support during this momentous year.
I am writing this on the way to Winstan
Bond’s funeral. Winstan was a pillar of
the remarkable National Tramway Museum
at Crich and Treasurer of AIM (Association
of Independent Museums) while I was its
Chairman. Winstan was involved in the
London Transport Museum’s aborted move
to charity status in 1984 and became a
trustee of the Transport History Research
Trust, which deployed the assets London
Transport had vested in the new charity.
Winstan’s contribution to the National
Tramway Museum stood out, even from
such an outstanding volunteer-run enterprise.
He was a far-sighted Treasurer, worked there
six days a week, developed the worldstandard library and was a powerful advocate
for its educational mission. He was a good
friend to me and to AIM and he is much
missed.
Sam Mullins
Added Attractions
Tuesday 10th March
Selling the Suburbs
There is also time to book for the final talks
supporting “The Art of the Poster”
exhibition. These take place in the Museum’s
Cubic Lecture Theatre from 1830 to 1930
hours on the following dates:
“The Art of the Poster” exhibition is on
display at the Museum until 31st March 2009.
Tuesday 17th February
The Intelligent City:
The new publicity and design reform
Friday 27th February
Film Evening: “In the Studio”
Final copy date for the
April 2009 issue is:
Friday 27th February 2009
Page 2
In the latest in our ongoing
series of explanations of
how the Friends are run,
we look at the role and
membership of the
Executive Committee.
As previously explained, the Trustees are the
principal governing body of the Friends. The
Trustees delegate day-to day management to
the Executive and Operations Committees.
The Executive Committee is charged with
the formulation of policies to achieve the
objectives of the Friends, as defined in the
Trust Deed*. Specifically, the Executive
Committee concerns itself with:
Membership strategy
Finance, including membership fees
and the submission of an annual
budget to the Trustees
Interface with the Museum, including
financial support for conservation and
other projects
Marketing
External Relations
Organisation and succession.
Appointments to the both the Executive and
Operations Committees are made by the
Trustees and advised to members at the
Annual Members’ Meeting.
Members of the Executive Committee are:
If any Friends are visiting Covent Garden
between 4th and 8th February, they can take
advantage of complimentary tickets for them
and a companion to the Watercolours &
Drawings art fair at The Flower Cellars, 4-6
Russell Street. As its title suggests, the fair
features watercolours and drawings, together
with modern artworks on paper. Just show
your Friends’ membership card on entry. For
further details, you can visit the website:
www.worksonpaperfair.com .
Tuesday 3rd February
A Modern Medici: Frank Pick –
Patron of the Arts
Executive
Committee
Tuesday 24th March
Art for All?: The public response to
Underground posters.
For further details, please see the Museum
website. Tickets must be pre-booked by
phone on 020 7565 7298. There is a
concessionary price for Friends of £6.
Editorial
There’s no space for a
full Editorial this time;
so we’ll just
wish all Friends a
Very Happy New Year.
Barry Le Jeune
14 Jireh Court, Perrymount Road
HAYWARDS HEATH
West Sussex RH16 3BH
Tel: 01444 450822
E-mail: barrylejeune@yahoo.co.uk
Ian Arthurton .... Chairman
Barry LeJeune ... Vice Chairman, with
responsibility also for
communications issues.
Ian Crane ........... Secretary to the Friends
Chris Angell ....... Treasurer
Paul Hopper ....... responsible for
Project Management
Richard Meads ... Membership Strategy
John Self ........... Fund raising.
Museum Director, Sam Mullins, is also a
member of the Friends’ Executive
Committee “ex officio”.
Becky Lee acts as Minutes Secretary.
Next time, in the final part of this series of
short articles on Friends’ organisation and
management, we will look at the Operations
Committee.
*The Friends’ Trust Deed requires the
Trustees to act “for the advancement of
public education in the history of transport
and in particular by assisting and encouraging
the work and activities of the Museum…”.
Not A Friend?
Visit our website
www.ltmuseum.co.uk/friends
for details of membership benefits and
to download an application form.
Away Day
Members of the Management Committees of the Friends, together with the Museum’s
Senior Management Team, held an “Away Day” discussion meeting in October 2008. In
the report that follows, we give a flavour of some of the issues that were discussed.
The meeting was held in the Headquarters of Pearson plc. in the
Strand. Why so? Because Sir David Bell, Chairman of the London
Transport Museum Trustee Board, is also Chairman of the Financial
Times, which is a Pearson Company. Sir David gave an introductory
address to the meeting. He explained the history of the building,
which was constructed for Shell in 1929/30 (so is contemporary with
London Transport’s 55 Broadway Headquarters). Shell still occupies
one floor of the Strand building. It was here that John Betjeman
delivered the copy for his series of Shell guides. Taken over by the
Ministry of Defence in the Second World War, Winston Churchill is
reputed to have come to the tenth floor balcony, after dining at the
Savoy, to observe the progress of German bombers as they flew
along the Thames towards their targets in the London Docks. (The
views from the top of the building are certainly impressive, as the
accompanying photo shows. Sadly, it was a dull day. Editor.)
In his introductory remarks, Sir David paid tribute to the Museum’s
achievements before he and the Trustee Board were appointed. He
emphasised that it was not the role of the Board to manage the day
to day running of the Museum. Like the editorial independence of the
Financial Times, this required an “article of faith” in the management
team. The Museum Trustees were pursuing a “low key” role of
listening and learning in their first year and would be watchful over
the Museum’s strategy and governance. From their wide range of
expertise in transport, retail business, museums, community affairs
and politics, the Trustees would also offer support, guidance and
advice in all that the Museum was seeking to achieve. Sir David
commented that TfL had inherited a remarkable tradition from its
predecessors. This was to be “recognised, celebrated, embraced and
polished” at the London Transport Museum. The Museum depended
on London and its community for its ongoing success. The Friends
were central to that dependence, and were a clear example of how
“ownership” of the Museum extended into London’s wider
community.
The business sessions of the Away Day started with a presentation
by Graham Page and Joanne Howe on existing and future volunteer
opportunities. The point was made that, while it was easy to add up
the hours volunteers contributed, this could in no way be calculated
as a simple “people equivalent”; no one person (or even four or five
in the arithmetic total that all the volunteers’ efforts added up to)
could offer the wide range of skills and expertise that the volunteers
collectively did. Issues raised in this presentation and subsequent
discussion included the currently unused potential for resuming
gallery tours at Covent Garden (the Museum promised a response
on this by the end of the year); the need for succession planning to
ensure that individual volunteers’ specialist skills and knowledge
were not lost; and the desirability of advising new Friends of
volunteering opportunities, as well as advertising particular current
volunteer needs (see page 11).
Richard Meads followed with a presentation on membership strategy.
While Friends’ numbers had increased substantially in the past year,
there remained a number of target groups who were relatively poorly
represented in the membership total. These included employees of
TfL and other transport companies, as well as the individual staff of
the Museum’s Corporate Members and Sponsors. Strategies were
being developed to attract these target groups. It was also important
that the Friends actively welcomed new members and sought to
ensure that the programme of Friends’ meetings and other activities
was broadly based to attract - and retain - not just the core
“transport enthusiast” group, but also those with a wider interest
in London’s social history.
Legacies were the next topic for discussion, in a presentation given
by Paul Ross. This identified the need for the Friends to be more
pro-active in advising Friends, and other potential donors, of the
practicalities of charitable giving, as a legacy on death or as a gift
during a member’s life-time. Such donations or legacies could be
in cash or of artefacts and ephemera collections. The latter would
be offered first to the Museum, to enhance its collections; but
otherwise would be offered for sale to raise funds for conservation
work.
Sam Mullins then gave a perspective of the Museum one year on
from re-opening. This touched too on the Museum-Friends
relationship. Sam commented that this tremendously supportive
relationship was looked on with awe by many other museums; but,
however successful, now was a good time to re-examine that
relationship against the background of all that had already changed
and some challenging financial times in the future. Sam committed
himself and the Museum management team to working
constructively with the Friends to develop volunteering
opportunities; extending the membership package and benefits;
and to promoting the Friends to the widest possible audience.
Paul Hopper and Spencer McManus then gave a general update on
elements of the “Moving Tube Heritage” project, including progress
with the first stage of the Q-stock restoration; future fundraising
for the ultimate objective of full restoration to operating condition
(in time for the 150th anniversary of Underground railways in London
in January 2013); and heritage train operating plans for 2009.
Finally, Brian Staines, Chairman of the Friends’ Trustees, summed
up the day’s discussions. Brian commented that the Friends had
achieved much in the 30 years of their existence to date. The
constructive nature of the discussion, and of the Friends-Museum
relationship, gave confidence that the Friends would go forward
and achieve much more in the years ahead.
Meetings and
Events
Saturday/Sunday 7th/8th March
Acton Depot Open Weekend.
London Transport in Miniature.
Monday 26th January
18.15 hours. Cubic Lecture Theatre, London
Transport Museum.
Monday 20th April
18.15 hours.
Cubic Lecture Theatre, London Transport
Museum.
Friends’ Meeting: Shashi Verma, Director of
Fares and Ticketing, Transport for London:
“Oyster – Back to the Future”.
Annual Members’ Meeting
Followed by presentation.
(Further details in the April newsletter.)
Friends’ meetings are expected to take place
later in the year on 28th September and 30th
November. Why Mondays? The Museum
asked us to consider a move to Mondays, as
Thursdays is becoming a popular evening for
commercial hires of the Museum and/or
Cubic Lecture Theatre by other organisations.
Please bring your Friends’ membership card
to events at the Museum, as this assists in
the security arrangements for gaining access
to the Cubic Theatre.
Page 3
Acton Miniature Railway
Here’s the latest update from AMR Manager, Adrian Allum:
The final nail had hardly been hammered into the new signal cabin
when a crate-load of parts from two lever frames was wheeled out
of the Museum Depot . One was a Westinghouse Style B that
was used at Holborn for the Aldwych branch. At the time of its
withdrawal, the spare levers had already been removed and, as such,
it is of no use to the AMR presently. The other was also a
Westinghouse product, but Style N, and recovered from the same
area. Our research shows that the ‘B’ was removed to make way for
the new “IMR” signalling equipment; but, whilst this work was going
on, a temporary frame (the “N”) was installed nearby. The “N” had
been made up from parts recovered from the original frame at
Drayton Park and is therefore a bit of a mis-match; but it suits our
needs perfectly.
We seem to be missing one of the front legs, so the front of the
frame is resting on parts of a Westinghouse Style L frame, but we
hope to procure a leg soon! The levers and electrical ‘bands’ have all
been connected up. We were able to make temporary use of it for
some of the November Open Weekend (with something a bit more
permanent being prepared for March).
The new lever frame inside the signal cabin.
(Photo: A. Allum.)
The GNR loco at Wesley’s Halt, with Stephen Trower, son of the
owner, in charge. (Photo: D. Hayes.)
The November Open Weekend clashed with “Halloween Parties”
on many other miniature railways, so we had only two visiting trains
available on the Saturday; but the service was uncompromised. On
the Sunday, a GNR ‘Atlantic’ visited from the Great Cockcrow Railway
(having been in service there on the Saturday); this had plenty of
pulling power. Our Sarah Siddons was not in service, due to the
ongoing investigation into her poor performance.
Since November, much of the track at Depot Approach has been
lifted, in preparation for the new layout that I mentioned in the
previous newsletter; and, as I write, we are preparing for the next
work party, when we shall hopefully lay all of the new track. At this
time, we shall also make provision for the track circuits (which are
part of the signalling).
We intend to have work parties on the last Saturday of each month;
more volunteers are welcome. However, sometimes the work party
is brought forward or backward, so prospective volunteers are invited
to contact me at adrian@ActonMiniatureRailway.co.uk or on
01252-377647 beforehand.
On The Track Of Jack
On Thursday 2nd October 2008, some 50 Friends from the four London Hub Museums
visited the Museum in Docklands for a viewing of the “Jack The Ripper and The East
End” exhibition.
Many of the guests elected to travel by the Routemaster (RM298) from
the Embankment, kindly provided by Roger Wright’s London Bus
Company. On arrival at Docklands, we were welcomed by David
Spence, the Museum Director, who explained the Museum’s origins
and role as an integral part of the Museum of London. He also looked
forward to the opening at Barbican, in 2010, of the Museum’s new
Galleries of Modern London. Refreshments were served. David then
introduced Julia Hoffbrand, one of the two joint curators of the Jack
The Ripper exhibition. Julia explained something of the thinking and
approach behind it, before the guests toured the (now closed)
exhibition at their own pace.
The infamous series of murders – eleven in total in the years 1888
to 1891 - had been the subject of the most extensive Police
investigation then known. The exhibition was based on surviving
Page 4
Barcelona Railway Museum
Your Editor visited Spain in September 2008
and his itinerary took him to the railway
museum at Vilanova near Barcelona. Here’s a
brief description of what is on display there.
The museum is located in and around the historic steam engine
shed at Vilanova, which is a 40-minute suburban train ride from
Barcelona’s main station, Sants. The shed is claimed to be one of
the best examples of railway industrial architecture in Catalonia.
The group of historic buildings is made up of three water tanks, a
semi-circular main “roundhouse” building and 33 tracks leading to a
turntable, which layout permits all the rolling stock to be moved.
century display space in the former steam engine repair shop.
However, this had not been installed at the time of your Editor’s
visit; maybe later visitors will be more fortunate. (The latest highspeed line, from Madrid to Barcelona, is very impressive, reducing
the fastest journey times from roundly 4½ hours to 2½ hours.) In the
main museum building are displays of railway objects and models, a
small book and gift shop and what is described as a “virtual theatre”,
in which a video display shows a theatrical performance based on a
visit to a 19th century railway station, featuring comedy sketches
based around passengers’ lost luggage. (Sadly the performance was
not in English, but all of the museum’s explanatory display texts are.)
In summary, the Vilanova museum houses a fairly traditional
collection and displays, but is well worth a half-day visit if you happen
to be in Barcelona – a city of many attractions for the transport
enthusiast and general sightseeing traveller alike. These include the
historic blue trams, pictured here, along with two images from the
railway museum.
There are 25 steam locomotives on display, some of them British
built, from all railway time periods. Only one is actually capable of
being operated in steam- the replica “Centenary Train” built for the
100th anniversary of Spanish railways in 1948. Also to be seen outside
are withdrawn electric and diesel locomotives, including an early
Talgo set, with the trademark features of articulation, low centre of
gravity and independent suspension. (The museum’s English catalogue
quaintly refers to this as “independent rolling”.) Visitors with an
interest in signalling will be impressed by the gantry removed from
Barcelona’s Estacio de Franca station, together with its control panel.
An exhibition featuring the construction and operation of Spain’s
new 350kph high-speed rail lines was advertised as being in the 21st
documents in the Metropolitan Police archives and other
contemporary material drawn from many museums in the UK. The
cases co-incided with the growth of what today we would call
“sensational journalism”. The exhibition had to deal with a difficult
and sensitive subject, in a non-sensational way. The approach taken
was to reflect the late 19th century world of London’s East End and
the appalling social conditions of the time. The murdered women
had all been forced into prostitution to pay for a night’s lodging and
for a drink to fuel their alcohol addiction. They typically had no
possessions other than the clothes they were wearing. A significant
feature of the material on display was the original master map of
Charles Booth, highlighting the relative poverty of individual streets,
based on Booth’s site inspections. The “grizzly bits”, showing the
crime scene and post-mortem photographs, were all discretely
screened off, so that visitors had knowingly to decide to see them.
So who was Jack the Ripper? You probably won’t be surprised to
learn that the exhibition offered no definitive answers, What it did
do was to present the fourteen principal suspects in a time-line. This
intriguingly demonstrated how the names of first batch of suspects
were all put forward in the few years following the time of the
murders. There was then a long gap before renewed press and public
interest generated more names from the 1960s onwards.
Page 5
The Glasgow Subway: One Quaint Underground
Brian Hardy’s talk to the Friends’ meeting on 22nd November 2008 was entitled “Two
Quaint Underground Systems”, referring to the Glasgow Subway and Post Office
Railway. In this, the first of two summaries of the talk, we focus on Glasgow. Brian
dedicated this part of his talk to the memory of John Wright, a former member of
London Underground’s Mechanical Engineering Department, who was the Glasgow
Subway’s Underground Engineer at the time of Brian’s first “behind the scenes” visit in
1974. John Wright, said Brian, “was the Glasgow Subway”.
The Glasgow Subway comprises a 6½-mile-long circle line of two
tracks. Construction work began at St. Enoch Square in 1891. The
tunnels were built to 11ft. internal diameter and the track gauge
was smaller than standard, at 4ft. There are 15 stations in all and the
depot was built near Govan Cross. However, there were no points
and crossings; trains were lifted into the depot by overhead crane,
through an opening in the tunnel between Copland Road and Govan
Cross. The Subway was to remain without any pointwork until after
the system closed for modernisation in May 1977.
Despite the City & South London Railway opting for electric traction
in 1890, the Glasgow District Subway chose cable traction. Initially,
thirty gripper cars were built by the Oldbury Carriage & Wagon Co.,
although only twenty were ready for the opening day. The cable
operated at 13 mph, which permitted a round trip time of 39
minutes for the trains.
The car sheds were in Broomloan Road, near Govan Cross. The
sharpest curve on the system is at 660ft. radius, just west of
Cowcaddens. The deepest point is near Hillhead at 155ft. and the
shallowest, at just 7ft. from the surface, between Cessnock and
Kinning Park. The deepest station is Buchanan Street, 40ft. below
the surface. The cable powerhouse was located in Scotland Street.
The cables were powered by two giant steam engines. The
continuously running cable entered and left the power station at a
specially constructed point between West Street and Shields Road.
It took about five hours to replace a worn cable.
The gripper mechanism was controlled by the Gripman through a
horizontal handwheel and lever in the small, then unenclosed, driving
cab, about one third of the width of the car. Considerable skill was
required to operate the grip, but it was not uncommon for rough
starts, in which case the cable could jump to a height of 10ft. or
more. At the point where the cable went into and out of the power
house, the Gripman had to release the cable; in case he forgot, an
automatic trip mechanism came into play to make sure the cable was
released. Although Westinghouse air brakes and manual handbrakes
were provided, there were no air compressors on the gripper cars.
Crew changeover in the car sheds ‘pit’ between
Copland Road and Govan Cross.
Although all motor coaches had been given solid sliding
doors by 1965, not so the trailers. Five of them with
gates were even in service on the last day – 21st May
1977. (All photographs by Brian Hardy.)
The compressors were in the power station and a large storage
reservoir was provided at West Street station. Trains had to recharge
their air after two round trips.
The Subway soon became popular and therefore additional stock
was required. To that end, 24 four-wheeled trailers were built in
1898 by Hurst Nelson of Motherwell. Being much shorter in length
than the gripper cars, they seated only 24. 14 were converted to
standard length between 1902 and 1907 and the other ten scrapped.
To compensate, a further six gripper cars were built between 1901
and 1913, which were the last new stock built for the Subway before
the 1970s modernisation.
By the early 1920s, The Glasgow District Subway was in financial
difficulties. Even though the Glasgow Corporation eventually
purchased the undertaking, it did not prevent closure, which took
place on 25th March 1922. The Subway reopened on 3rd July 1922,
under the auspices of the Glasgow Corporation.
Despite the desire to electrify the system, cost
always got in the way, especially after the collapse
of the GDS and its takeover by the Glasgow
Corporation. However, experiments eventually
began in 1932, using the newest gripper car, No.60
of 1913 vintage, which took advantage of the
Corporation’s vast tramway resources. A short
section of track was laid in the depot yard where
the initial tests took place.
The next stage took the experiment a stage further,
with just over a mile of track being electrified on the
inner rail between Merkland Street and Copland Road.
Its success saw the conversion to electric traction
take place in two stages. The inner rail was converted
first on 31st March 1935, followed by the outer rail
on 5th December 1935.
Gripper cars were selected for conversion to motor
cars. From the 36 that were available, 26 were
Page 6
Six of the eight 1992 Hunslet-built
trailers have been vinyl-wrapped
in a “Back the 2014 Commonwealth
Games in Glasgow” livery.
Birmingham; this, in historic terms as the
Oldbury Carriage & Wagon Company, is
the same company which built the original
stock in 1896. The original livery for the
new cars was a light orange with a white
waistline stripe. It was perhaps no surprise
that the system soon became known as the
Clockwork Orange. With new signalling, new
stock and automatic train operation, the
round trip time allowed was reduced to 22
minutes, but with two minutes extra for
recovery, making 24 per circuit. The hopedfor reopening within 18 months was wildly
over optimistic; it took one month short
of three years, with services resuming on
16th April 1980, foreshadowed by a Royal
“opening” event five months earlier in
November 1979.
converted between 1935 and 1938, while the other ten continued
to operate as trailers, along with the 14 lengthened cars. Round
trip time was reduced from 39 minutes to 27, although this was
eventually regularised to 30 minutes, for service recovery purposes.
The hand-operated gates were converted to air operation at the
same time. Because the trains only ever worked in one direction
(but regularly changed over from one circle to another), the public
never saw their off-sides. Therefore, these were painted in a dull
red for many years and it was only in the 1960s that both sides of
the cars were actually painted in bright gloss red.
The modernisation of the Subway was authorised in January 1974,
which was to change the shape of almost everything. The original plan
was to do the same as when the Subway was electrified in 1935 –
close one circle at a time. However, on a number of occasions, the
system had to close because of subsidence and cracks in the tunnels;
so the only option was to close the system totally for 18 months,
instead of one circle for 12 months and the other for nine. To that
end, the final day of normal operation was planned to be Saturday
28th May 1977, with a special service the following day. In the event,
further cracks in the tunnel at Govan Cross forced closure a week
early. A low-key farewell event did take place on Wednesday 25th May
on the south side of the inner rail, far away from the subsidence
problems.
The modernisation gave further opportunity to reinforce the
Underground name – but the Subway has always been the Subway,
so much so that the management finally succumbed to Glaswegian
pressure in early 2005 and all signage was changed to suit!
Initially, after the modernisation, trains were two-cars only. Three-car
operation began in November 1980, using a motor car in the middle
of a two-car set, with the motors isolated. But with only 33 cars in
the fleet, the Subway had to do with a mix of two- and three-car
trains for several years. The original orange with white stripe livery
became extinct by late 1983 and was superseded by the slightly
darker Govan Orange. Although it was desirable to have all trains
three-cars, the difficulty in finding a company that would build just
eight vehicles of non-standard size to run on 4ft. gauge was
problematical. In the end, Hunslets was awarded the contract and
eight trailers were delivered in 1992. This not only enabled more
three-car trains to operate, but also allowed the 33 motor cars to
be refurbished over a three-year period. The Strathclyde “blood
and custard” PTE livery then followed, the first car appearing in it in
2003; but it took until 2007 finally to eliminate the orange, during
which time mixed livery trains were the norm.
Most of the cars were dumped in
the area surrounding the depot and,
in August 1977, a public sale of
redundant assets was held. Six
motor coaches were sent to the
Beamish Museum-not for service,
but so they could be ‘robbed’ of
their motors for the Museum’s
trams. All six cars were later
scrapped on site. Work soon began
on creating a modern Glasgow
Underground. The new stock
comprised 33 driving motor cars,
built by Metro-Cammell of
Motor coach 23 leading at
Bridge Street outer circle.
This is one of 30 “gripper”
cars built for the opening
in 1896. It survived until
closure for modernisation in
May 1977, but did not see
service on the last day.
Page 7
Paul Garbutt OBE
We record, with deep regret, the death of Paul
Garbutt on 2nd December 2008. He was 89.
We pay tribute here to Paul’s distinguished
railway and military career – and to his
contribution to the Friends.
Paul Garbutt was born in Westcliffe-on-Sea in 1919. His father
was a goods railway clerk in London, initially with the LNWR and
later with the LMS. His early and sudden death in 1933 meant
that Paul had to abandon the possibility of University studies
and go out to work to support the family. He too joined the
railways, taking a position in the accounts office at Camden
Goods Yard, working in a classic “Dickensian” office environment
and striving to meet a target of 150 ledger entries per day.
In an interview for the Museum’s oral history archive (from which
much of the detail here is taken), Paul recalled that promotion
processes were very different then from today. A much-prized
vacancy occurred at the LMS Headquarters at Euston. The staff
at Camden were summoned and asked a question on some
obscure geographical detail of Greek mythology. Paul alone knew
the answer and was offered the job. He therefore transferred
to the Pass Section of the Secretary’s office, dealing with LMS
Officers’ travel facilities and those for visiting railway officials
from overseas.
Still only 17, Paul wrote his first book: “A Survey of Railway
Development and Practice”. He found a publisher, though Paul
said he was grateful they never met and the publisher never
discovered the age of its new author. The book caused him
trouble with his employers. He was called to the office of the
LMS Vice President, Sir Harold Hartley. Sir Harold read out aloud
a number of passages from Paul’s book and commented that
they were contrary to the policies of his employer. Expecting
the sack, Paul was surprised to be reprimanded, but then to be
offered a job in the Vice President’s personal office. Paul
remembered that one of the challenges of that job was to be
given the task of writing, in three weeks, a paper for the World
Power Congress in Vienna on Britain’s coal reserves; and the
paper had to be written in German! It earned a Gold Medal, but
for Sir Harold who delivered it, not for Paul who wrote it.
Paul enlisted into the army in December 1939 and was attached
to the Medical Corps, where he rose to the position of Orderly
Room Sergeant. He later applied for a posting to make better
use of his railway knowledge; he was initially transferred to the
Royal Army Service Corps and then to the Royal Engineers, with
the rank of Captain. He worked on transport intelligence in the
War Office in London, monitoring German troops and identifying
bombing targets in France to disrupt their movement. During
this time he secured promotion to the rank of Major.
As the war drew to a close, Paul was seconded to the Control
Commission in Berlin, going in to that city with the first British
troops and visiting Hitler’s bunker. Paul worked on transport
matters in the British and American sectors, becoming Secretary
of the four-power Directorate of Transport. As his own personal
de-mob approached, Paul was asked to stay on for another year,
with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and the award of a military
MBE. Paul’s post wartime role concluded as a civilian in the Joint
Intelligence Bureau in London, where he served for a year as
Acting Head of the Transport Department.
In 1947, Paul decided to return to his public transport career
and approached Anthony Bull, then Chief Staff Officer (later
Vice Chairman) of London Transport, whom he had met and
served with in Berlin. Paul was offered a job, initially as a
Technical Assistant in LT’s Press Office. One of his first tasks
there was to draft the speech for Lord Latham to give at the
opening of the first section of the Eastern Extension of the
Central Line. To Paul’s’ surprise, he was also asked to draft the
response by Alfred Barnes, the Minister of Transport.
Page 8
In 1948, Paul was appointed Senior Personal Assistant in
the office of Alec Valentine, then the Executive Member for
Operations and Engineering. He transferred to the Commercial
Department in 1951, to work on a complex fares revision,
which assimilated the separate LT and BR fares structures in
London. One of Paul’s roles was to identify some 400 difficult
questions that might be asked at the Transport Tribunal hearing
– and to script the answers.
Paul then transferred to LT’s Railway Operating Department,
as Planning Assistant. He worked initially on the timetable
proposals for the four-tracking of the Metropolitan Line between
Harrow and Moor Park and on evaluating some fanciful and
unrealistic proposals for Underground extensions that were the
personal ideas of the then Operating Manager. A much more
substantive project was the construction of the Victoria Line,
which engaged Paul’s attentions for over 15 years. He worked
on the traffic estimates for the proposed line, which precise
calculations (all before computers) fed into the cost-benefit
analysis, which gained the project its approval. Paul recalled that
he travelled on the Victoria Line on its first day, filled with
justified pride at his substantial role in making it all happen, but
was later denied a place in the presentation line-up to meet the
Queen at the Royal Opening. He achieved that objective later with
the opening of the Heathrow extension of the Piccadilly Line.
Paul continued his involvement with major Underground works
and extensions in a series of subsequent roles, including Director
of Transportation Policy and Chief Secretary. He was particularly
involved with LT’s formal submissions to the Ministry of
Transport and later the GLC. It is said that Paul’s eloquence in
report writing was the envy of his British Rail colleagues in
Ministry of Transport days, as LT got more of its projects
approved than BR did.
Paul’s Underground planning responsibilities, and extensive
personal knowledge, led to his involvement with consultancy
work worldwide. Initially, this was conducted as part of his other
LT duties, but later Paul was instrumental in the setting up of
LT’s consultancy company: London Transport International.
Paul identified and arranged the LT input into consultancy
studies, undertaking some of the work himself. Metros in
some 25 cities around the world are a memorial to his thoughtful
planning and influence.
Paul responded to criticism of an unpopular, angular version of
the Underground map by creating a new design, restoring the
map’s elegant curves, to relieve intellectual boredom at home
during two days in the Christmas break of 1962. He can therefore
be said to be one of the few people who have been able to alter
the course of the Thames - and the Circle Line. Paul continued to
adapt the map to accommodate new lines and other changes up
to his retirement. He recalled the occasion on which LT was
planning to take a T-shirt manufacturer to court for “pirating” the
Underground map. At a briefing meeting prior to the court case,
Contd. on page 9.
Paul Garbutt OBE contd.
Counsel asked Paul to confirm that he had produced his design
at the request of LT and in LT’s time. He replied “no” to both
questions. Counsel’s opinion was therefore that the copyright
belonged to Paul and not to LT. It was typical of Paul’s loyalty to
“the old firm” that he transferred copyright to LT straightaway.
It was a gesture that was later properly rewarded by an
unsolicited, but substantial, one-off payment.
Paul retired from LT in December 1978, with an award of OBE.
He then became an active member of the London Transport
Museum Friends of which he was a long-serving Committee
member. He edited the Friends’ newsletter for 17 years, proudly
claiming to have published in that role more words than Charles
Dickens. Paul continued to serve as a Trustee of the Friends until
June of 2008. He was also a Fellow of the Railway Study
Association.
Paul drew on his inside knowledge to write the book “London
Transport and The Politicians” (Ian Allan 1985). This showed the
effects of increased political interference in the affairs of London
Transport, especially in the period of Greater London Council
policy control. Paul drew on his broader transport knowledge to
write “ World Metro Systems” (Capital Transport 1989, with a
revised edition in 1997). In an entirely different field, he also
wrote “Assassin” (Ian Allan 1992).
In his later years, Paul’s life was greatly enriched by his marriage
to Dorothy, to whom we send our sincere condolences. Paul
was a gentle man (and a gentleman), with a mischievous, boyish
sense of humour much appreciated by his colleagues and by his
godchildren and their children. He will be remembered with
affection, as will his fund of stories from his full and varied life,
only a few of which we have been able to record here.
Recent Acquisitions
The Friends have recently purchased the following items for the
Museum’s collections:
·
A Southern Railway book about residential
properties in its area;
·
A Metropolitan and Great Central Joint Committee
notice;
·
Some early Central London Railway postcards, other
postcards, and two posters;
·
A set of LGOC stable horse stalls (with woodworm!).
The first two items are illustrated alongside.
Ken Avery
stands to this day; he held the seat until
1986. Ken also served as a governor at
Argyle Primary School in Bloomsbury.
In October 2008, we were saddened to
receive the news that Ken Avery had died
suddenly, but peacefully, after a short
illness, at the age of 66.
Following his retirement, Ken moved
to Canterbury, where he remained active
as a local councillor. In addition to
politics, Ken also had a life-long passion
for London Transport and was a great
supporter of the Museum. He would
travel to Covent Garden once a week
to assist as a volunteer in the Museum’s
library or to lead guided tours for
visitors.
Ken grew up in Finsbury Park, attended
William Ellis School in Parliament Hill
and went on to study science at London
University. On leaving university, Ken
worked as a market researcher at the
Paddington Headquarters of chemical
company Beechams; he was to remain
in this job until his retirement.
At school, Ken enjoyed the debating
society and, as a 24-year old, stood in
local elections for the Conservatives in
Bloomsbury. He won the seat in 1966,
becoming the youngest-ever Tory
councillor in Camden – a record that
During the Museum’s recent refit,
designers modelled the figure of one
of the passenger manikins on Ken; he
now sits immortalised in the Q23
surface-stock car, located on the first
floor of the main gallery.
(Joanne Howe)
Page 9
Bean Bus
The Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway,
near Sittingbourne in Kent, is home to
largest collection of Bean cars in the UK.
Included in the collection is a single-deck
Bean bus with London connections.
UL 1771 is a 30 cwt. Bean model 11 chassis with a 14-seat body by
Birch Bros.. It was ordered in 1928 by Henry Turner for his newly
granted bus route between Barnes and Richmond Park. The vehicle
was first registered on 14th January 1929. It was Turner’s second
vehicle – the other being a 12-seater based on a Bean 25 cwt. chassis.
By 1930, Turner was in serious financial difficulty and Birch
repossessed both vehicles to clear his outstanding debt to them.
In 1932, it was purchased by a Mr. Nutt who planned to start a bus
service in the Colindale area. However, the looming threat of the
absorbtion of such a service into the LPTB caused those plans to
be abandoned. The bus disappeared form records until 1941, when
it was purchased by Walter Church for use as a family retreat from
the blitz in the Hatfield area. After the war, it was used as a caravan
by a Mr. Ellingworth at Dunsmore near Wendover. The vehicle was
acquired for preservation in 1966, but work did not start seriously
until 1988. The bus appeared on the HCVS London to Brighton run
in 1991. It was then displayed at the British Commercial Vehicle
Museum in Leyland, Lancashire, until moving to Bredgar in September
2000.
Further details of Henry Turner’s unsuccessful attempts at bus
operation may be found in “London’s Buses, volume one, The
Independent Era: 1922-1934" by Blacker, Westgate and Lunn.
The Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway houses a working collection
of narrow gauge steam locomotives and rolling stock, along with
models, railway relics, agricultural steam engines and the Bean motor
cars. It is open to the public on Easter Sunday and then on the first
Sunday of each month from May to October inclusive. For further
details, visit the website at www.bwr.co.uk.
Yet More On The Archives
Friend and archive volunteer Lawrie Hooley offers some further thoughts, prompted
by the articles in recent newsletters:
It was very interesting to read Richard Kinnibrugh’s recollections, in
the October 2008 newsletter, about the state of LT’s archives at 55
Broadway in the 1980s.
There is no doubt that he and his colleagues came just in time to
save for posterity these priceless records of London’s history. The
archive is of very broad scope, covering not just the technicalities
of London’s transport history but a vast amount of social, personal,
economic and industrial history as well. Anyone seriously interested
in researching the history of London from the mid 19th century
onwards is well advised to refer to its content.
As has been mentioned in the newsletter before, for the past two
years the London Transport Museum Friends have been playing a
small, but significant, part in the preservation and cataloguing of this
invaluable resource. The work is ongoing. I am not certain how much
there is still to do, as new files keep turning up. From a volunteer’s
point of view, the material could offer something fascinating, such
as the Metropolitan Railway staff records from 1900; or something
more mundane, such as an LT Staff News index from the 1970s.
So the Archive Project is still very much an active operation, with
about eight Friends’ volunteers working on a regular basis at 55
Broadway. There is an embargo of 75 years on the publication of
personal information, so Richard Kinnibrugh can rest easy for years
to come!
Gems regularly come to light. Taking the staff records of the
Metropolitan and District Railways of the early 1900s as an example,
we find that all employees were male, except for a few elderly
women employed as Ladies’ Waiting Room Attendants. The average
height of male employees was about 5 feet 6 inches. Many came
straight from school, aged 14. Where there is a record of previous
employment, there is a huge variety of backgrounds, from farm
labourers to footmen, errand boys and craftsmen.
The records vary from the light-hearted (larking with the female
attendant at the tobacconist stall) to the dramatic (commended for
bravery in saving a boy’s life). This is from just one entry – that of
Edward Summers, a porter at Baker Street.
Page 10
Major problems before the First World War seem to have been
drinking on duty and late arrival at work. Industrial accidents were
fairly common; and there are sometimes sad footnotes to the effect
that the employee had died as a result of heart failure, tuberculosis
or an industrial accident.
Very poignant are those that record deaths in France during the First
World War, where you can see that the Fredericks, Alberts and
Georges have signed up “to join the colours”, only to perish later
in the hell of trench warfare. Sadly, there are a lot of these.
It is also obvious that working hours were very long. One man was
criticised for turning up 50 minutes late for his 5.40 am shift, having
left work the previous evening at 9.55 pm. This was exceptional
(Coronation Day, June 1911), but it gives a clear picture of the
standards required of ordinary employees.
These records paint a remarkable and unvarnished picture of life in
the late 19th/ early 20th century, expressed in its own terms. Few
bosses nowadays could dismiss a young employee as “utterly useless
and, in my opinion, mentally deranged” (Finchley Road Stationmaster,
1913). There is also the case of the Hammersmith & City conductor
who “ indulged in a practical joke on a passenger, by wrongly calling
out the name of a station while he was dozing. Cautioned and warned
against a repetition.”
I particularly enjoyed an account of a W.H.Smith’s lad being placed in
a barrow and sent up in the goods lift at Baker Street by a group of
high-spirited young porters. The main concern of management was
the damage to the barrow! Can you imagine that happening now?
These records are a source of unending interest and their immediacy
is striking. You are constantly reminded how great organisations
depend on their humblest employees to keep operating; and you
are aware that you are probably the first person to see these
documents in seventy years or more. It is as well that they are being
recorded now, as they are in a poor state, crumbling and fading with
years-just like some of the archivists, I suppose!
Letters
Downtown Historic Railway
May I add a few observations and corrections to the article on the
Vancouver DHR, which you published in the October 2008
newsletter?
The DHR is owned by the City of Vancouver. The City of Vancouver
purchased the freight only track from CPR and leased the interurban
cars from their owners. The fact that the Downtown Historic Railway
is not owned by any transport authority is the big problem. The
transport authority, TransLink, has a legislated monopoly in Greater
(Metro) Vancouver and is not interested in funding any extensions to
the DHR at this time. The proposed extensions are way too much for
the City budget.
Some further explanation of local geography, in relation to former
tramways, might also be helpful. Marpole, referred to in the article, is
a neighbourhood in south Vancouver, about eight miles from the City
centre. It was served by the Arbutus line, operated by two-car trains,
which continued to Steveston. The “town” 50 miles east, outside of
the city, is Chilliwack. This Fraser Valley line was operated by threeand four-car trains.
The single-deck car No. 4 is from Brussels (donated by STIB with
shipping paid for by the Tramway Museum Society). It was built by La
Brugeoise et Nivelles in 1935 with a wooden body. The car was
rebuilt in 1956 with a steel, PCC-style body. It was converted to a
breakdown car (depannage) and “tow truck” in 1985 by STIB. We
converted it back to a passenger car. Most of the volunteers love this
tram because it will become our accessible car. The doors and steps
on the historic cars are not conducive to wheelchairs. We are also
working on installing an electronic controller on car No.4. The
original manual cam controller will destroy the arm of anyone
attempting to operate it for a full shift! Neither the City nor the
Society paid for the restorations. Car 1207 was restored as a transit
centennial project by the former transit authority. Car 1231 was
restored by a consortium of volunteers headed by Bill Bailey.
progresses. However, a better time to visit would be during the
2010 Winter Games, when, along with the historic cars, we will be
operating two modern Bombardier Flexity Outlook trams to handle
the expected crowds. These cars will be on loan from Bombardier
before they go to Brussels Transit (STIB). If we do a good job,
maybe there will be money for extensions.
Best wishes to all tram fans in the UK.
Dale Laird
Operations Superintendent, Downtown Historic Railway, Vancouver.
____________________________________
Blackwall Tunnel
I am enclosing a copy of a photograph that I have had for many years,
but have only recently rediscovered. I thought that you might like to
publish it in the Friends’ newsletter.
It obviously depicts the southern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel
and the start of a nightmare for all the vehicles following the horsedrawn truck. I would guess that it dates from around the late 1930s,
although it could possibly be early post-war. That style of coach was
still very much around then.
Brian Beckett,
Carshalton.
Thanks Brian. Can any Friends date the photo more accurately, or offer
more information on the coaches? The one nearest to the
photographer has the name “Henry Coaches” on the rear panel. (Editor)
Trams on the DHR run every weekend from 12:00 until 17:00
between mid May and mid October. However, do not come looking
for them in 2009.The track is being completely replaced and
upgraded, to allow the operation of modern low-floor LRVs. This
will also enable operation of car No. 4, which has streetcar wheels
that could derail on freight track. It is unknown at this time when the
line will be returned to its eastern terminus (the three miles
mentioned in your article) due to rebuilding of 1st Avenue for the
Winter Olympics.
The latest word from City staff is that the track might be finished for
a partial summer season in 2009. They will know better as work
Volunteer Opportunities
We are currently looking for potential volunteers in four areas:
1. Oral History Transcribers
Some interviews are from the Museum’s archive and others have
been carried out more recently. Transcribing the interviews from
the recorded tapes into a written record is a vital role to ensure that
researchers can easily see what has been said in an interview. It can
also be very interesting listening to different peoples’ experiences.
Skills required - You need to be comfortable using a word processor
and have attention to detail.
Location and timetable - There is no definitive number of hours you
need to do. You can take on as little or as many interviews you feel
comfortable with. You can also do the work from home in your own
time, fitting transcribing into your own schedule.
2. Opportunities to work with the trains and buses
For many years volunteers have been assisting at the Depot with
the sorting of collections and regular cleaning of the large exhibits.
With projects like the Q-stock restoration and heritage bus operation,
there is a need for more “hands-on” involvement from people with
bus or rail engineering knowledge and skills. We are hoping to expand
the range of work done on one or two days a month to coincide with
existing sessions.
3. Conductors
We are looking to recruit more conductors for the planned heritage
bus operations in 2009 and beyond. Key competencies are:
·
Able to engage/communicate with the public (adults and
children)
·
Appreciation of passenger and vehicle safety issues
·
Reasonable agility/fitness to work on, and move around,
a bus in motion
·
Manual dexterity, to work a ticket machine/issue tickets/
handle cash on a moving bus
·
Appreciation of historical significance of vehicles used
on public trips
·
Ability to work as a team (especially with driver)
4. Legacies
We are also looking for a volunteer able to assist with legacy guidance
to Friends, recording and keeping in touch with potential benefactors.
If you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, please
contact Joanne Howe, by email at joanne.howe@ltmuseum.co.uk or
by phone at 020 7379 6344 extension 2263.
Page 11
Models
Shop News
An autumn dominated by miserable economic news has cast gloom
over the retail sector, but it is good to see so many Friends still
patronising the shop; and, in the book sector at least, business is
still brisk.
On behalf of the Museum’s retail staff, I wish all Friends and their
families a happy and healthy 2009.
Books
- It has been a very good quarter for interesting new
books and it is good to see Ian Allan’s titles improving their design
standards.
“Working Days - Midland Red” by Malcolm Keeley (£16.99) from Ian
Allan illustrates the improvement. This is a good overview of a
company that had many parallels with London Transport (their own
vehicle designers and in-house manufacture, a reputation for
innovative design, a standardised fleet, strong corporate identity
and a large operating area). Sadly, with the effects of the 1968
Transport Act, the company went into well-documented
fragmentation and decline. The book is well worth buying.
Also from Ian Allan are: “Buses by Design” by Gavin Booth (£24.99),
which presents an overview of bus design; and “British Railways in
Wartime” by Kevin Robertson (£19.99), which is an excellent book
with some outstanding illustrations from the Getty Archive.
Capital Transport has produced three superb books. The previously
highlighted “Paris Metro in Map and Station Design” by Mark Ovenden
(£29.95) will tell the reader everything they ever wanted to know
about maps and stations in that fabulous city; and the book is
beautifully designed too.
It is rare to come across a book of personal transport reminiscences
that is worth buying. “Beneath the Wires of London” by Charles
Wyatt is very much an exception. The author chronicles his working
life with trolleybuses in a most engaging way, and the book is well
illustrated with largely unpublished photographs. A must at £25.
As time marches on, memories of steam traction in everyday use
on Britain’s railways fade away. Enthusiasts may have personal
favourite classes of engines, or areas of the country that particularly
interest them. There is a special affection for Southern steam,
particularly on the erstwhile South Western Division, and the
Somerset and Dorset. Authored by Michael Welch, “Somerset
and Dorset Sunset” at £18.95 is a fantastic book, with superb
photographs of the line’s dying days in full colour and a joy to own.
I do have the tiniest criticism – there is no map for readers to relate
to the photographs.
The excellent Abandoned Underground Stations by Jim Connor is
now in stock (£15.95), as is a new edition of the very popular Quail
Map Railway Track Diagrams, covering Southern and TfL, at £14.95.
Two unusual titles are worth mentioning. “Municipal Buses of South
Wales” (Venture Publishing, £16.00) has been a surprise best seller.
The book charts in full colour the sometimes obscure and
conservative (small c!) Council fleets of the Welsh Valleys and
illustrates some of the unusual vehicles that were operated. Also
another world away from London Transport, the second unusual
title is “Great Northern Railway of Ireland Road Motor Services”
(also from Venture, at £30). As interest in all matters relating to
Irish transport seems to grow, this is an interesting record of a
progressive railway company that innovated in all its operations,
both road (many vehicles were constructed in their own workshops)
and rail (very early users of railcars).
DVDs
- Following on from the last newsletter, another British
Film Institute DVD (No.9 “Just the Ticket”) is released at £20.99,
as is an omnibus edition of 18 discs at £99.99.
Maps - Two excellent maps are now stocked; both are produced
by Maxwell Roberts (the noted map historian) and are refinements of
Harry Beck’s proposed London Railways Map from the late 1930s and
a Paris Metro Map from 1950. Both designs remained unused, but
Maxwell has faithfully kept to Beck’s original design intentions. Both
are priced at £12.99 each.
Secretary:-
Ian D. Crane,
- In a very flat market for models, there is news from
Exclusive First Editions, with the announcement of a BET Federation
36ft (post 1964) single-deck bus and coach casting to be available from
late summer 2009, and a Dennis Dart SLF casting to be released
around the same time. Of particular note from EFE is the release of
a superb British European Airways RMA with trailer. This is the first
model to excite the market for some time.
Creative Master Northcord has announced a new casting to be
available in mid 2009, a Polish built Scania double-decker, such as
are now making their appearance with a number of London fleets,
including Go-Ahead and East London.
Our own Standing Order system for special models has been finally
upgraded to the latest standards that conform to Transport for
London’s guidelines; all data is now entered on the system and the
first despatches have been made. We apologise to Friends for the
long wait, as minor teething problems have been discovered and
rectified. All outstanding model orders are expected to be
despatched by early spring 2009.
We are now actively planning a special model release programme for
2009; details will be sent to all subscribers when this is finalised.
Michael Walton
What, Where, When?
Alan Mellor submitted the only correct entry to last time’s
particularly puzzling competition picture. Alan correctly identified
the location of the picture as Hillingdon. Alan explains:
“In the early 1990s, the Department of the Environment, now the
Highways Agency, rerouted the A40 at Hillingdon Circus to build an
underpass. It was required also to build a new railway bridge for the
Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines and to reconstruct the B466 road
bridge and slip road to the eastbound A40. A brand new “state of the
art” (and award-winning) Underground station replaced the original
one, with its timber entrance hall.
At the time, the Channel Tunnel was being constructed near
Folkestone and the DoE were experimenting with different road signs
and canopies. They decided to use the A40 project to assess which
would be the best arrangement. One potential system is shown in the
photograph – other signs were also tried out. From memory, a sign
further east – the photo shows the westbound carriageway – was
positioned asking motorists to disregard the new signs and explaining
what they were, in case anyone thought they had taken a wrong
turning!
Jim Bleasdale, who supplied the photo, provided the exact
circumstances in which it was taken. The date was March 1994 and an
advertisement for the Ford Fiesta was being filmed on an unopened
section of the new roads. The filming extended over two days,
though very little was used in the final advert.
Alan wins the book prize, kindly donated, as usual, by Ian Allan
Publishing.
And so to this month’s picture, kindly provided by John Howe. Of
which London Transport building is this the only remaining structure?
John produces an excellent
range of card kits of LT
premises, which may be
viewed at
www.radleymodels.co.uk
or
www.doublehhmodels.co.uk.
You may find a clue there!
Please submit your
answers by email or
post to the Editor’s
home address, by the
closing copy date for
the April issue.
(Regis tered Charity 285108)
15 Springbank, Eversley Park Road, Winchmore Hill,
London N21 1JH.
Individual Membership enquiries:Write to G.P.Tilly, c/o Friends Off ice, London Trans port Museum, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7BB.
(Please write, do not telephone, as the off ice is not open every day, and Museum s taff cannot help when it is closed.)
This newslet ter is produced by JR Printing Services,
Burgess Hill,
Wes t Sussex,
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