Roger Farnworth Railways

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: Roger Farnworth Railways
British Railways in 1948

I have recently purchased the six copies of The Railway Magazine which were issued in 1948. The first of these coincides with the formation of British Railways, and the January/February 1948 issue of the magazine highlights for the readers a little of the history of railways in Britain which led up to that momentous occasion. The linked article below builds on the article in The Railway Magazine.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/12/09/bri...lways-1948

Quote: A copy of the article is reproduced in Appendix 1 to this article.

The Railway Magazine was not alone in seeing the 1st January 1948 as a significant landmark in railway history. The Guardian carried an article on 30th December 1947 which said: "Of all the landmarks in Britain's railway history, January 1 1948 will probably be outstanding. It is over a hundred years since railway nationalisation was first advocated. Since then enthusiasts for State ownership have never ceased to proclaim the benefits to be obtained, though in 1867 Sir Rowland Hill in a minority report as a member of a Royal Commission on Railways gave a warning of the "undue enlargement of expectation". The clamour became louder towards the end of last century when the trade unions took it up strongly and after the first world war nationalisation nearly became a fact. Since then the pressure has continued to grow, culminating in the Transport Act of last August which provided for the transfer of the railways to the State on January 1. Thus after more than a century of controversy the decision has been taken."

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: Roger Farnworth Railways
Horwich Loco Works

For a number of years in the 1920s and possibly also the 1930s my grandfather worked as a blacksmith in Horwich Loco Works. The works have always, as a result, had a specific interest for me. It has been somewhat saddening over the years to see their gradual deterioration and eventual closure.

In November 2019 I finished reading Issue No. 27 of the Railway Archive Journal published by Black Dwarf Lightmoor Press of Lydney, Gloucestershire.

I enjoyed reading Jeff Wells article in the journal about the Manchester Exhibition of 1887. [1] The article highlights a number of railway exhibits on display at the exhibition. Among these exhibits was 'Dot' a Beyer Peacock 1ft 6 inch gauge 0-4-0T engine. 'According to the official catalogue, Dot was 'specifically built for working on tramways in yards and workshops, and also adopted for tail-rope shunting of ordinary wagons'. After the exhibition, Dot found work at the L&YR's Horwich Works, joining two other Beyer, Peacock 18 in engines, Wren and Robin, which had arrived in April 1887. Such engines were considered necessary to convey materials around the seven miles of internal works' railway.'

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/11/30/hor...way-part-1

Horwich Locomotive Works "was the last major British railway works to be established on a green field site. There were traditionally very strong links between the Lancashire & Yorkshire and London & North Western railways, and John Ramsbottom, late of the LNWR was in 1883 appointed consultant to the LYR regarding the planning of Horwich Works. He advocated an 18in gauge internal transport system similar to that he had earlier installed at Crewe. Originally extending to 7½ miles, this enjoyed a longer life as the last surviving locomotive built for it, 'Wren', was not retired until 1962. The system was used for moving components around the works."

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: Unusual Locomotives and Railcars - Part 1
All around our world different engineers designed vehicles which seemingly suited the circumstances with which they were dealing.

Across the British railway network, and particularly on some of the light railways which sprang to life after the Light Railways Act 1896, there were a number of unusual locomotives and railcars.

This article focusses on two locomotives - Gazelle and Old Chainey.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/01/02/unu...ars-part-1

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: Unusual Locomotives and Railcars - Part 2
Three further unusual locomotives/railcars. ...

The first was the first Michelin Pneumatic-Tyred Railcar (Type No.9) in the UK. The second are locomtives designed to serve the narrow gauge lines in The Guinness Factory i Dublin and a clever conversion vehicle which allowed the same locos to proviide traction on the Irish Standard Gauge as well. The third are railcars that were used by Colonel Stephens on a number of his Light Railways. ....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/01/03/unu...ars-part-2

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: British Railways 1948 - Part 2
When was nationalisation of the railways first promoted as a significant idea? Perhaps you'd like to fix a year in your mind before reading the linked post.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/01/23/bri...948-part-2

Quote:Was the idea of nationalisation first thought of in the preparations for the major conflict which was looming in the early part of the 20th century?

When conflict was declared on 4th August 1914, the Railway Executive Committee, which had been formed in 1912 as an intermediary between Government and the 120 private railway companies, moved swiftly to take control of the network. Within 24 hours of the start of the conflict, the Committee used the powers of the Regulation of the Forces Act 1871 to secure its ascendancy.

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: The Garstang to Knott End Railway - Part 1
In January 2020, my wife and I stayed, once again, to the Southeast of the City of Lancaster and explored the area between the Line estuary and the Wyre estuary. It is a superb area for watching overwintering birds!

It gave me another opportunity to look at railways in the area. After a visit in November 2019 when I explored the Glasson Dock branch, this time I took the chance to explore the railway which linked Knott End at the mouth of the River Wyre with the West Coast mainline near Garstang.

The first of two articles can be read by following the link below. ....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/01/28/the...way-part-1

Quote:The area across the River Wyre from Fleetwood was, for many years, quite isolated. There was a ferry across the river to Fleetwood, which still operates in the 21st century, otherwise, narrow un-metalled roads had to suffice.

The local community, particularly those with agricultural interests, were determined to have a railway. The line was built between Garstang and Pilling by those local agricultural interests to develop unproductive land. It had been intended to continue to Knott End but the company ran out of money. It eventually opened between Garstang and Pilling in 1870.

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: The Garstang to Knott End Railway - Part 2
This is my second article about the line between Knott End and Garstang. It completes the full length of the line. I am very grateful to a number of people for permission given to publish their photographs as part of the article. You will see their pictures referenced throughout.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/02/08/the...ay-part-2/

I hope that I will get round to publishing one further article about the motive power and rolling stock on the line.

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: Lancaster Green Ayre Railway Station
Lancaster had three railway stations. It now only has one. The article below considers all three stations before focussing on the Midland Station at Green Ayre. ...

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/02/28/lan...ay-station

Quote: Lancaster Green Ayre Station was the erstwhile Midland Railway Station in Lancaster and it provided East-West service through the city to Morecambe in the West and Yorkshire in the East.

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: Nice to Digne-les-Bains in Provence
The Nice to Digne-les-Bains Metre-gauge line in Provence-Cote d'Azur again. ..... An update on maintenance work. ....

The Nice to Digne-les-Bains Line has been in the news in France over the past few months. In February 2019 there was a collapse of the tunnel at Moriez while strengthening work was taking place. In November 2019 the already closed line suffered some further damage as a result of bad weather. The linked post covers the latest news about repairs on the line. .....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/09/les...nance-work

[rogerfarnworth]

RE: The Tanat Valley Light Railway
This second post about the Tanat Valley Light Railway covers the length of the whole line and the Nantmawr Branch.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/17/the...ch-part-2/