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.