THE FLATLEY DRYER

[Stanley]

["Walton-on-the Hill Engine Shed geograph-2380624-by-Ben-Brooksbank" by Ben Brooksbank. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons]

Locos like this built in 1901, rebuilt in 1920 and still in service with BR in 1948. There were some older than this. We were studying history!

[Tizer]

I did a bit of train spotting on Preston station, probably around 1960 but still early enough to be seeing mainly steam locos. It was great when the expresses thundered through on the fast lines. I regret never seeing the Coronation 4-6-2 Pacifics in their streamlining but they were still impressive even without it. The Jubilees were probably my favourite. I remember once venturing as far as Chester so I could spot some GWR locos. Where I lived in Blackburn was near the Hellifield line out through Wilpshire and we would always watch out there for diverted traffic whenever the main West Coast line was shut. At night we'd get long freight trains passing down that line too. The trip to Hellifield was great for the scenery but train spotting on Hellifield station was like being in the Arctic!

[Tripps]

Just got the Ian Allan ABC book on ebay.
Amazingly no one else bid during last week. It looks a bit tatty, but it was cheap so that's ok.

[Stanley]

Cross that one off the Bucket List? Or go on and find a complete set.....

[Stanley]

I'm currently refurbishing two large lubricators made probably around 1920. They are wonderfully well made out of brass and high quality steel parts. I was musing how much something like that would cost to make today, if indeed they could be made at all, there is so much skilled hand work in them. I suspect that we are looking at something like the price of a small car!

[Stanley]

I can remember a visitor to the engine house at Bancroft criticising the design of the engine on the grounds it was so overbuilt and a waste of materials. I said he was right but they were aiming for longevity and further, all the materials were recyclable so couldn't be described as waste. That's one of the main differences I see today, so many modern products can't be recycled.... Now that is waste!

[Tripps]

My Ian Allan book has arrived. Exceeds expectations. It's a hardback with dustcover, and, I see it cost 15 shillings in 1948. No wonder I didn't have one. I wonder how much that would be today. I just had the LMS - (London Midland Scottish)paperback edition, which was cheaper.

I immediately decide to make a list of all the named engines. It's a geography lesson in itself, and a history of the British Empire, and the armed forces etc etc. What a contrast with the present day. I see that Eire is between Newfoundland and Madras, on the list.

Watch this space.

[Stanley]

Lovely David! And it won't go off-line without warning.....



This was the company name plate on the wall outside the office. I told John to take it down before someone nicked it but it went. He was very upset. However, what he didn't know was that in my trawl of the pattern shop I had found the original pattern so I got three cast at Geoff Smith's in Keighley, one for him, one for me (it's on my wall) and one for Ellenroad. I don't think Ellenroad ever did anything with theirs....

[Tripps]

Well - here goes.
As I was typing this - I found myself slowly turning into a republican pacifist.

From Ian Allan ABC part three. Published 1948.
London Midland Region.
Scottish (ex LMS) Region.


PATRIOT CLASS

45500 Patriot
45501 St Dunstan's
45502 Royal Naval Division
45503 The Leicestershire Regiment
45504 Royal Signals
45505 The Royal Army Ordnance Corps
45511 The Isle of Man
45512 Bunsen
45514 Holyhead
45515 Caernarvon
45516 The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
45518 Bradshaw
45519 Lady Godiva
45520 Llandudno
45521 Rhyl
45522 Prestatyn
45523 Bangor
45524 Blackpool
45525 Colwyn Bay
45526 Morecambe and Heysham
45527 Southport
45530 Sir Frank Ree
45531 Sir Frederick Harrison
45532 Illustrious
45533 Lord Rathmore
45534 E. Tootal Broadhurst
45535 Sir Herbert Walker K.C.B.
45536 Private W. Wood V.C.
45537 Private E. Sykes V.C.
45538 Giggleswick
45539 E.C.Trench
45540 Sir Robert Turnbull
45541 Duke of Sutherland
45543 Home Guard
45546 Fleetwood
45548 Lytham St Annes


JUBILEE CLASS

45552 ` Silver Jubilee
45553 Canada
45554 Ontario
45555 Quebec
45556 Nova Scotia
45557 New Brunswick
45558 Manitoba
45559 British Columbia
45560 Prince Edward Island
45561 Saskatchewan
45562 Alberta
45563 Australia
45564 New South Wales
45565 Victoria
45566 Queensland
45567 South Australia
45568 Western Australia
45569 Tasmania
45570 New Zealand
45571 South Africa
45572 Eire
45573 Newfoundland
45574 India
45575 Madras
45576 Bombay
45577 Bengal
45578 United Provinces
45579 Punjab
45580 Burma
45581 Bihar and Orissa
45582 Central Provinces
45583 Assam
45584 North West Frontier
45586 Mysore
45587 Baroda
45588 Kashmir
45589 Gwalior
45590 Travancore
45591 Udaipur
45592 Indore
45593 Kolhapur
45594 Bhopal
45595 Southern Rhodesia
45596 Bahamas
45597 Barbados
45598 Basutoland
45599 Bechuanaland
45600 Bermuda
45601 British Guiana
45602 Britis Honduras
45603 Solomon Islands
45604 Ceylon
45605 Cyprus
45606 Falkland Islands
45607 Fiji
45608 Gibraltar
45609 Gilbert and Ellis Islands
45610 Gold Coast
45611 Hong Kong
45612 Jamaica
45613 Kenya
45614 Leeward Islands
45615 Malay States
45616 Malta G.C.
45617 Mauritius
45618 New Hebrides
45619 Nigeria
45620 North Borneo
45621 Northern Rhodesia
45622 Nyasaland
45623 Palestine
45624 St Helena
45725 Sarawack
45626 Seychelles
45627 Sierra Leone
45628 Somaliland
45629 Straits Settlement
45630 Swaziland
45631 Tanganyika
45632 Tonga
45633 Aden
45634 Trinidad
45635 Tobago
45636 Uganda
45637 Windward Islands
45638 Zanzibar
45639 Raleigh
45640 Frobisher
45641 Sandwich
45642 Boscawen
45643 Rodney
45644 Howe
45645 Collingwood
45646 Napier
45647 Sturdee
45648 Wemyss
45649 Hawkins
45650 Blake
45651 Shovell
45652 Hawke
45653 Barham
45654 Hood
45655 Keith
45656 Cochrane
45657 Tyrwhitt
45658 Keyes
45659 Drake
45660 Rooke
45661 Vernon
45662 Kempenfelt
45663 Jervis
45664 Nelson
45665 Lord Rutherford of Nelson
45666 Cornwallis
45667 Jellicoe
45668 Madden
45669 Fisher
45670 Howard of Effingham
45671 Prince Rupert
45672 Anson
45673 Keppel
45674 Duncan
45675 Hardy
45676 Codrington
45677 Beatty
45678 De Robeck
45679 Armada
45680 Camperdown
45681 Aboukir
45682 Trafalgar
45683 Hogue
45684 jutland
45685 Barfleur
45686 St Vincent
45687 Neptune
45688 Polyphemus
45689 Ajax
45690 Leander
45691 Orion
45692 Cyclops
45693 Agamemnon
45694 Bellerophon
45695 Minotaur
45696 Arethusa
45697 Achilles
45698 Mars
45699 Galatea
45700 Britannia
45701 Conqueror
45702 Colossus
45703 Thunderer
45704 Leviathan
45705 Seahorse
45706 Express
45707 Valiant
45708 Resolution
45709 Implacable
45710 Irresistible
45711 Courageous
45712 Victory
45713 Renown
45714 Revenge
45715 Invincible
45716 Swiftsure
45717 Dauntless
45718 Dreadnought
45719 Glorious
45720 Indomitable
45721 Impregnable
45722 Defence
45723 Fearless
45724 Warspite
45725 Repulse
45726 Vindictive
45727 Inflexible
45728 Defiance
45729 Furious
45730 Ocean
45731 Perseverance
45732 Sanspareil
45733 Novelty
45734 Meteor
45735 Comet
45736 Phoenix
45737 Atlas
45738 Samson
45739 Ulster
45740 Munster
45741 Leinstaer
45742 Connaught.

"ROYAL SCOT" Class

46101 Royal Scots Greys
46102 BlackWatch
46103 Royal Scots Fusiliers
46104 Scottish Borderers
46105 Cameron Highlander
46106 Gordon Highlander
46107 Argyll and Sutherland Highlander
46108 Seaforth Highlander
46109 Royal Engineer
46110 Grenadier Guardsman
46111 Royal Fusilier
46112 Sherwood Forester
46113 Cameronian
46114 Coldstream Guardsman
46115 Scots Guardsman
46116 Irish Guardsman
46117 Welsh Guardsman
46118 Royal Welch Fudilier
46119 Lancashire Fusilier
46120 Royal Inniskilling Fusilier
46121 H.L.I.
46122 Royal Ulster Rifleman
46123 Roya Irish Fusilier
46124 London Scottish
46125 3rd Carabinier
46126 Royal Army Service Corps
46127 Old Contemptibles
46128 The Lovat Scouts
46129 The Scottish Horse
46130 The West Yorkshire Regiment
46131 The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
46132 The King's Regiment Liverpool
46133 The Green Howards
46134 The Cheshire Regiment
46135 The East Lancashire Regiment
46136 The Border Regiment
46137 The Prince of Wales Volunteers (South Lancashire)
46138 The London Irish Rifleman
46139 The Welch Regiment
46140 The King's Royal Rifle Corps
46141 The North Staffordshire Regiment
46142 The York and Lancaster Regiment
46143 The South Staffordshire Regiment
46144 Honourable Artillery Company
46145 The Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding)
46146 The Rifle Brigade
46147 The Northamptonshire Regiment
46148 The Manchester Regiment
46149 The Middlesex Regiment
46150 The Lifeguardsman
46151 The Royal Horseguardsman
46152 The Kings Dragoon Guardsman
46153 The Royal Dragoon
46154 The Hussar
46155 The Lancer
46156 The South Wales Borderer
46157 The Royal Artilleryman
46158 The Loyal Regiment
46159 The Royal Air Force
46160 Queen Victoria's Rifleman
46161 King's Own
46162 Queen's Westminster Rifleman
46163 Civil Service Rifleman
46164 The Artists' Rifleman
46165 The Rangers (12th London Reg't)
46166 London Rifle Brigade
46167 The Hertfordshire Regiment
46168 The Girl Guide
46169 The Boy Scout
46170 British Legion

"PRINCESS ROYAL" Class

46200 The Princess Royal
46201 Princess Elizabeth
46202
46203 Princess Margaret Rose
46204 Princess Louise
46205 Pricess Victoria
46206 Princess Marie Louise
46207 Princess Arthur of Connaught
46208 Princess Helena Victoria
46209 Princess Beatrice
46210 Lady Patricia
46211 Queen Maud
46212 Duchess of Kent


"PRINCESS CORONATION" Class.

46220 Coronation
46221 Queen Elizabeth
46222 Queen Mary
46223 Princess Alice
46224 Princess Alexandria
46225 Duchess of Gloucester
46226 Duchess of Norfolk
46227 Duchess of Devonshire
46228 Duchess of Rutland
46229 Duchess of Hamilton
46230 Duchess of Buccleuch
46231 Duchess of Atholl
46232 Duchess of Montrose
46233 Duchess of Sutherland
46234 Duchess of Abercorn
46235 City of Birmingham
46236 City of Bradord
46237 City of Bristol
46238 City of Carlisle
46239 City of Chester
46240 City of Coventry
46241 City of Edinburgh
46242 City of Glasgow
46243 City of Lancaster
46244 King George VI
46245 City of London
46246 City of Mnachester
46247 City of Liverpool
46248 City of Leeds
46249 City of Sheffield
46250 City of Lichfield
46251 City of Nottingham
46252 City of Leicester
46253 City of St Albans
46254 City of Stoke-on-Trent
46255 City of Hereford
46256 Sir William A. Stanier F.R.S.
46257 City of Salford

[Tizer]

Well done Tripps! What an amazing list, it all means so much more to me than it did when I was a young whippersnapper.

[Stanley]

That was a trip down Memory Lane! We saw plenty of namers from our vantage point at Heaton Moor station because we were on the main line of course but we were just as interested in the local traffic. There was a lot of local goods traffic between Manchester and Stockport and there were tiny 0-6-0 locos pulling long rakes of goods wagons. Just half a mile to the south there was an enormous railway warehouse and across the front in white firebrick was the legend London and North Western Railway so we were reminded of rail history every time we passed it.

[Stanley]

When I was a lad domestic technology was a wringing machine, a back boiler if you were lucky and wonder of wonders, an indoor toilet and a bathroom! I look at the levels of technology we can access now and wonder how much of it is a sales ploy and how much is essential. Apart from electronics, my candidate for the best innovation is the microwave.....

[Tizer]

Being someone who hates the cold my candidate would probably be the Polartec fleece used in clothing and blankets. Very light but very warm and not itchy on the skin. Made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as used in water, beer and cider bottles. Recycled PET bottles can be used to make the fleece. It was developed by Aaron Feuerstein's Malden Mills company which later became Polartec LLC. Feuerstein didn't patent the material because he wanted it to be made widely and cheaply available.

[Stanley]

Ahh... the cheap scratchy woollen vests we used to have to wear.... The big advance when I was a lad was the 'Chilprufe' brand which I see has survived, you can buy Chilprufe underwear today online.

[Stanley]

Can anyone remember the 'liberty bodice' with its tapes and rubber buttons....

[plaques]

Personally I'm not into ladies underwear but the fashion name 'Louisette' always makes me smile. This is not because there is anything wrong with this particular brand but because of its alternative meaning. Link

[Stanley]

Well I never, you learn something new every day..... Thanks for that P!

[deebee]

A more local connection;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Gibbet

db

[Tizer]

That explains the origin of Halifax's town motto: `If you want to get ahead, get a guillotine'.

[Stanley]

I've heard a saying, "From Hell, Hull and Halifax, good Lord preserve us!" I have an idea Hull practised decapitation as well?

[Stanley]

After my brush with the hackers yesterday I started to ask myself whether old age was blunting my capacity to smell a rat! Worrying stuff.... It has never occurred to me before that this could be one of the faculties that deteriorates with age. Not a lot I can do about it so I shall just have to live with it!
This was one problem that my parents didn't have to cope with.... Times change!

[Tizer]

That's how I felt when I had that `broken leg' text message. You suddenly feel that bit more vulnerable, a feeling that `this wouldn't have happened to me before'. But we should think about how lucky we are to have the faculties we've still got! Yes, you're right about how times change. In the past we just had to take more care we didn't trip up over flagstones as we got older, now we have to watch out for being tripped up on the Internet and on mobile phones. Another difference is that now the danger doesn't only come from criminals but from the very people who are supposed to be providing our essential services - banks, energy, broadband etc.

A change of subject. I hadn't realised how, centuries ago, when charcoal furnaces were being used to reduce metal ore the people who dug up the ore often dug through coal seams and threw away the coal as waste, usually burying it as infill. Later when coal became more widely used this buried coal was dug up up again. Apparently such `recycled' coal was still being sourced in the early 1900s, for example when the miners were on strike.

[Stanley]

The first exception I know of to that was the seam of 'blackband' (ore and coal mixed) in Scotland. They soon realised that it was more efficient to calcine them both together. (LINK)

[Tizer]

That's an interesting web site - I've been to it before for the shale oil page. On the ironstone page I particularly enjoyed the paragraph half way down describing Coatbridge with its furnaces lighting the sky red at night, and the bit at the end about the way the co-operative store was run.

[Stanley]

In my cattle wagon days in the late 1960s and early 70s I spent a lot of time delivering and picking up cattle in Lanarkshire and SW Scotland in general. This took me down the by-ways and I noticed that I occasionally got a strong whiff of acrid sulphur smell on the wind. I eventually found out that this was from what the locals called the 'burning bings'. These were spoil heaps from old shale oil workings and early coal mining on the Blackband and they were subject to spontaneous combustion, nothing could be done about them and they were just left to smoulder. I wonder whether they are still burning 45 years later?