Read your report with Albert, I remember him when I was a young trainspotter in Woodford and met up with him again at the GCR Loughborough. I wrote a long article in the magazine given out that weekend. Bill Howes (Great Uncle) drove 44814 the last loco off shed and on the 50th Anniversary of that at Loughborough I had the honour of driving 5305 numbered as 44814 on the Sunday and have a nice picture of me on it and Albert 

Hello Dick - Yes, I remember our Warley chat, and I've also enjoyed your article in a recent magazine. I'm sure I'll find SMJ Soc. membership most rewarding. Martin

Dick... I guess for some people its all relative!!!!

Peter

Further history on 0-6-0 La Savoie. In 1841 Joseph Locke, engineer of the Paris & Rouen Railway, asked Brassey & Mackenzie contractors, in conjunction with William Allcard, contractor for the Permanent Way on the Grand Junction Railway and William Buddicom, engineer, to jointly supply the plant at the Chartreux Works. Hence the company of Allcard & Buddicom was formed specifically to supply locomotives, carriages & wagons to the Compagnie de Chemins de Fer de Rouen. This contract was for 40 locos, 120 2nd class carriages & 200 wagons. The first locos were built in October 1842, to an "Allen Crewe" design manufactured under license. In 1845 the company moved to better premises in Sotteville near Rouen. The 2 French tender engines 2-4-0 and 0-6-0 were purchased from Le Chemin de Fer de Rhone et Loire in 1858 by Thomas Brassey for a contract in Savoy, namely the Mont Ceris Tunnel Railway, which opened in October 1871. Savoy is part of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region following its annexation to France in June 1860. The test train took a party of 54 including Buddicom, Crampton & Brassey as Director. Both French engines were probably hired to the E & WJR in 1874 from Thomas Brassey.

Thomas Crampton, an English engineer, was the contractor who built the line for the E & WJR and was later a director of that company.

William Buddicom, an English engineer, who built some of the first locomotives in France.

Thomas Brassey, an English civil engineering contractor, had by 1870 built 75% of French Railways, 33% of British Railways, and 1 in 20 miles of railways in the world.

Two questions come to mind. When was La Savoie actually named and where was she built? We know La Savioe was built in one of two places, but was she named in honour of Savoy being annexed to France?

Dick

I have seven photos of the magazine's pages relating to Blakesley Hall Railway waiting to be sent to you. I do not know how to send attachments via this site so please let me know your email address. Have you tried toysteam31@gmail.com for me?

Murray

Dick

I am not good at navigating around sites such as this. I have an email with first effort copies of an article I wish to send to you, I know you have been unable to reach me through my usual email address so please try toysteam31@gmail.com

Murray

47203%20%40%20Swithland%20on%20passenger%2013.6.15.jpgFurther to Dick's comments re the Woodford Halse event at the GC last weekend, I attach a couple of photographs - one of 43106 - a Woodford resident for some in the late'50s/early 60s. This loco moved on to various other sheds including a short stint at Kettering in 1963.

The other is of 47406 renumbered as 47203 going well on a passenger duty at Swithland. 47203 was at L'ster GC as yard shunter in 1958/59,

replacing J52 68839.

Robin

Dick

please feel free to don't know if you are aware but Rubio is buried at Sholebrook Lodge' Whittlebury

Regards Ian

Many thanks for the welcome Dick. I am one of Frank's nephews, known as William, or Bill, and son of Jim who was the eldest of the Reynolds boys. There were actually five of them, Jim, Frank, Reg, Ron and Cliff. My father was a policeman and I grew up in Northampton and  have many fond memories of Blakesly.

Dick

Yes I am that photographer, the SMJ has fond memories for me and was the catalyst for my intersest in railways. It is hard to believe and I still cannot believe it myself that some fifty years on as a trainee fireman on the GWSR that I fired a 9F between Toddington and Winchcombe hauling a goods train which is where the goods ran after closure of the Stratford  to Broom section in 1960.

Paul

Dick

After the demise of the pick up goods with its ex MR 4F loco all traffic that came into the SMJ yard at Stratford was handled by the duty loco at Stratford GW. This loco was almost always a 2251 class loco that was primarily used to bank freights out of the GW station in the up direction until they were all cleared out around early 1964. After that various small ex LMS or BR standard 2 or 3 types were used for a while but by early 1965 there was often no loco available for this duty and by 1966 all banking duties had been withdrawn. Until the ex GW sub-shed at Stratford closed the 2251 allocation was serviced at Tyesley after closure they were moved to Leamington ex GW. If you give me your direct e-mail I will send you a load of notes concerning the activities at Stratford GW that will allow you some perspective of how the railways at Stratford operated. I don't think it appropriate to lodge them on this site as they are not strictly SMJ line related.

       The wagon labels I have posted show the ash traffic to Ettington as described by John Jennings.The traffic has originated from various western region engine sheds. The recipient at Ettington was a Mr H.J.Jaques. Although the labels are from an earlier period than discussed.

 Hi Dick                                                                                                                                      The wagon labels I have posted show the ash traffic to Ettington as described by John Jennings.The traffic has originated from various western region engine sheds. The recipient at Ettington was a Mr H.J.Jaques. Although the labels are from an earlier period than discussed.

Hi Dick

After the demise of the pick up goods no traffic came to or from Stratford to either Ettington or Kineton. I was in the brake van of the trip working that went to clear the remaining trucks from these two stations. The guard had been told that all traffic for the MOD was routed via Fenny Compton and empties there would go out that way. The situation at Clifford Sidings was a little better. It remained open for traffic because of a contract with a local coal and ash merchant who had ash delivered in standard 10t open trucks from various loco sheds that were still open for steam. I remember that the labels on the trucks indicated various sources including Leamington Spa and Nuneaton. This traffic came in via the GW yard at Stratford and was trip worked by the Collet 2251 class loco kept there for banking duties. This was a daily trip regardless of whether any traffic was about because as there was no fresh drinking water at Clifford a churn of water was taken up daily. If there was no traffic to move this would just be taken as a light engine move to remove the necessity of a brakevan and guard. The final traffic to Ettington was fertiliser in sacks and Kineton received coal and fertiliser. I believe the merchant was an agent of Warwichshire Farmers Co-op. The ash merchant at Clifford just seemed to vanish after the supply of ash dwindled due to the on going closure of steam loco sheds. The SMJ yard at Old Town handled coal and bagged agricultural traffic until around summer 1963 again this was worked down from the ex GW yard at Birmingham Road. The two merchants involved were Dingley's and the CoOperative Coal dept. 

Hi Dick thanks for your reply re Byfield/Woodford

Rex and Chris Bazeley hold GCR section meetings once a month - they meet i think on the 2nd wednesday of each month

The social Club is holding an open day again this year

The Model Railway was donated some money for renovation work by the Social Club on the premise that we would have an open day

We got all other local groups involved including Rex and Chris with a GCR slideshow and memorabilia

The Byfield Photo Archive

Woodford Historical Society/Photo Archive

It was a good day

I believe it is planned this year for the 14th May  i will keep this site posted

Thanks

Keith