Prototype Tim Mills' Photos

[oldravendale]

Thank you, Adam, for a bit more meat on the wagon bones.

Michael - you are so right. It was all so routine until suddenly, one day, it was gone.

Thanks for confirming the allocations of that 8F, Martin. It looks as though it probably was indeed a long way from home.

Two here of V2 60914 carrying a 34E New England shed plate and crew on the 6.32 York Parcels at Kings Cross on 1st September 1962. It had been a New England loco since October 1959 and was withdrawn in September 1962 (SLS) going to Doncaster Works where it was scrapped in December the same year. (BR Database).





Two more of A4 60013 Dominion of New Zealand at Kings cross in an undated scene but probably 6th October 1962 - in fact probably on the same date and location as shown in post #3474. If so it's departing with The White Rose at Kings Cross on 6th October 1962. This loco has been seen previously in posts #2949 and #3470. It had been allocated to Kings Cross since the end of June 1950 and was withdrawn in mid April 1963. (SLS). It was scrapped at Doncaster Works by the end of the same month. (BR Database).





Brian

 

[simond]

It was a long time ago…. I am astonished by the massive pile of what I take to be mail bags on the left hand platform.

Presuming they are mailbags, was that normal? Every day? Don’t see it modelled very often!!!

I believe the White Rose was to 0850 KGX to Leeds return 1537?

 

[oldravendale]

You're right, Simon, and we too easily forget that this photo was taken a lifetime ago - 61 years in fact. I'm pretty sure those are mail bags - as we've seen previously there's even been a calf crate recorded by Tim at Kings Cross. At the time there was a huge amount of parcels traffic carried by passenger trains. When I first started work we used to have a delivery to our local station every day of parcels to be carried by passenger train as the most reliable means of getting goods to far distant destinations.

Having looked at these shots again I'm not convinced that the V2 is on a parcels train. Although an acute angle the photo back along the train seems to show passenger carriages and not parcels vans - there's also a lack of any parcels on the platform. In my own memory I don't think I ever saw parcels on that platform which was always the favourite for us train spotters.

Brian

 

[Eastsidepilot]

I can recall the mailbags on the up platform of Rayleigh station being collected by the class 15 hauled parcels in the mid 60's. My mate who lived next door would go down to meet his Father coming home from London which seemed to be timed with the arrival of this parcels train, on occasions I'd go with him on our bikes, mainly with the sole intention of seeing what we thought was a bloody great diesel, we'd stand next to it just taking in the sound and smell of it whilst the piles of mail bags were 'thrown' in the carriages. I was a petrol head at an early age !

Col.

 

[simond]

I’m old enough to have used Red Star parcels, which was a brilliant service. Don’t recall how expensive (or not) it was.

 

[Martin Shaw]

The V2 has express passenger lamps so likely not a parcels train.
Martin

 

[Roger Pound]

My work took me to London on occasion , well in to the diesel era unfortunately, but I recall an occasion when I had to stay overnight an evening visit to 'The Cross' seemed a good idea. For someone more familiar with next door (St. Pancras) it was extremely interesting and a lot of different aspects to see, The outstanding one was seeing a section of one platform filled with containers of cut flowers in transit, their scent briefly overcoming the fumes of an adjacent 'Deltic' awaiting departure. A truly deafening machine at close quarters ! The blooms were just another of the many diverse items that travelled by rail in those days. We took it all for granted and thought it would last for ever - but of course, it didn't. I suppose it comes under the general heading of 'progress'. .

Roger

 

[Arun Sharma]

Having looked at these shots again I'm not convinced that the V2 is on a parcels train. Although an acute angle the photo back along the train seems to show passenger carriages and not parcels vans - there's also a lack of any parcels on the platform. In my own memory I don't think I ever saw parcels on that platform which was always the favourite for us train spotters.

Brian

The V2's headcode lamps are those for an express. Would a fitted parcels train have used that headcode - or was it reserved for express passenger [and of course breakdown trains proceeding to an incident]?

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Looking at photo's of parcels trains here Parcels traffic in BR days - Steve Banks
it shows that the head codes on the whole were lamps on the left ( facing) and centre.

 

[djparkins]

I’m old enough to have used Red Star parcels, which was a brilliant service. Don’t recall how expensive (or not) it was.

I recall a semi-humorous run-in l had with Red Star. This was in 1980 and two boxes of etchings were sent on the 17.25 Birmingham-Poole to arrive in Bournemouth at 21.20. I got to the station and was told the train was running around 20 minutes late, and that I’d be unable to get them that same day as they had to remain in the parcels office for a statutory 30 minutes after delivery.

I remonstrated that l needed to work on the contents over the weekend. He said no and that I’d have to return on Monday. I could see the parcels about two feet from where he was standing. Fortunately he left the office and l retrieved my property from behind the counter and hot footed it out to a taxi rank. He saw me and came running out shouting ‘you can’t do that’ to which l replied ‘l just did’ as I closed the door and we drove off.

Ah the good old days! Give me home delivery any time!