Thursday, August 17, 2017

PURPLE HAZE & STEAM ALONG THE BRIGG LINE




Here's a picture taken in the 1970s showing how much things have changed on, and near, the railway in Brigg.
It shows a Class 37 Diesel, in blue British Railways livery, approaching the signal box with a train of oil tanker going back to be filled at a refinery in Killingholme.
The driver has received the all-clear from a traditional semaphore signal.
The leafy trees indicate this moment in time was captured during the height of summer.
There's something of a purple haze around the wagons which has nothing to do with Jimmy Hendrix!
Sidings,  since removed, were accessed through the set of points on the right. Not that they were much used by the time this picture was taken.
In the distance on the right is Platts agricultural engineering depot, the site later being redeveloped to provide new housing.
Just visible, far away on the left, is the roof of the only remaining building on Brigg station - all the others having been removed.
Some Class 37 Diesels - designed by the renowned English Electric firm - are still doing good work today, despite the class being introduced in the 1960s.
Originally, Co-Co was the description used - nothing to do with circus clowns but instead denoting the wheel arrangement according to a popular formula which was harder to follow than that used in the steam era were 0-6-0 could be worked out by anyone!
Later, BR decided to number its Diesel classes, which made much more sense.

Despite the presence of the steam loco, the picture below was taken only a dozen-or-so years ago from a vantage point near Bigby Road and shows a preserved Black Five 4-6-0 loco passing through, in evening sunshine, with an enthusiasts' special.
Many people from Brigg turned out to see  a rare sight for the 21st century.


The picture below shows a preserved B1 4-6-0 crossing the Old River Ancholme's Cadney bridge with a special train one Saturday in November 2010. This type of loco could be seen in North Lincolnshire from the 1940s through to 1965/6. Quite a few people turned out to see this steam-hauled train but wet weather and the fact it was running very late saw many of them going home before it arrived. We were rewarded for our patience with this picture, the rain having stopped shortly before the B1 finally appeared.


3 comments:

Ken Harrison said...

Apart from a bright summer's day, Nige, I would say the time was about 1 to 2 pm...
The rail-track/road run about WSW to
ENE at that point; the reflection of the Sun is hitting the vehicles at a slight angle from their rear quarters...the add +1GMT...it all adds up to an early afternoon photo.
Also been trying to identify the vehicles...I'm no expert, but the rear end to the right could belong to a Ford Escort....the red car could be a Morris/Austin 1100/1300..I first thought was that it was a Maxi, but that car had 3 side windows....the small yellowish van, perhaps a Bedford HA van, based on the early version of the Viva car, with the bigger yellow van possibly being a Austin/Morris J2 van (which also looks like a Commer)

Ken Harrison said...

Apart from a bright summer's day, Nige, I would say the time was about 1 to 2 pm...
The rail-track/road run about WSW to
ENE at that point; the reflection of the Sun is hitting the vehicles at a slight angle from their rear quarters...the add +1GMT...it all adds up to an early afternoon photo.
Also been trying to identify the vehicles...I'm no expert, but the rear end to the right could belong to a Ford Escort....the red car could be a Morris/Austin 1100/1300..I first thought was that it was a Maxi, but that car had 3 side windows....the small yellowish van, perhaps a Bedford HA van, based on the early version of the Viva car, with the bigger yellow van possibly being a Austin/Morris J2 van (which also looks like a Commer)

David Barrett said...

I think that the rear end is more likely to be that of an HC Viva and the last car in the queue looks like a Triumph 2000.