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Managed to buy 4 plates in '68 from a schoolmaster friend who had acquired 20 (!) from Derby Works for their brass weight. Paid £70 for Malay States, Queensland, Hood & North Borneo. Idiot that

Hopefully this will be a picture of the last northbound steam special, perhaps some of you recognise yourselves The last southbound York-Bournemouth is the train on the left.

A topic about old Nottm railway stations might interest a few of the train buffs on here !   http://www.nottinghampost.com/news/history/lost-railway-stations-nottingham-220673

Recon Firbecks text refers to the last picture, though it had me going backwards and forwards a bit.

Not an expert in Railways, but an engine named 'Southend' (or could be 'Souphead')?

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apart from the one poor kid in the shorts n t'shirt.

Nahh, it was nothing, can't you remember the Romany's who lived in a tent during the terrible winter of 62/63 alongside the Black Path railway bridge, they used to wear owt, warm themselves on 'The Moon' and take the horse in the tent everynight, it was a green canvas tent and had a chimney peeping through the top. I think they survived by picking coal off the railway embankment, the 12:30 4F crew used to chuck it at us, as we used to wind them up every day, and the Romaney's picked it up, as regular as clockwork, how they survived that winter, I don't know, but at least they looked after their horse by taking it in the tent, it probably acted as a great big radiator, it was a love that pulled their scrap cart and ended up eating the grass on the Wollaton Colliery Sports Field when the Romany's were given an ex colliery house, the locals weren't amused I recall, but the horse loved it.

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Thanks for the interesting Derby Works site link...

Whilst appreciating that it is primarily devoted to diesels, liitle - if any - reference to Jubilee's.

Recall mid-50's Work's visits when there would be upwards of a dozen in for attention.

Happen their Midland Lines demise at the end of the decade saw their total transfer for overhaul to Crewe?

Cheers

Robt P.

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It's a massive list of numbers that are hard to take in, but I noticed that in 1964, Jubilee 45585 'Hyderabad', one of our pals, was listed as being on the scrapline, I presume it was shunted off to the scrapyard at Spondon and cut up, I remember seeing lines of our old pals waiting to be sent off into oblivion at that place.

I recall me and Fanny Hill going for a bike ride, as we did, 66/67, heading for Matlock and pausing at Ambergate one normal working day in the school holidays and seeing a Jubilee come hurtling past on the Shef/Derby line. We were quite astonished and headed for Derby instead, pausing on the way, some kid at Belper station told us that it was in fact a Jube, but couldn't remember which one it was, we never found out, even the staff at Derby station couldn't or wouldn't remember which one it was, it wasn't visible in the shed road that you could see from the bridge, we assumed it had carried on to Brum or even Bristol, lovely last run, I reckon that was the case, we just got lucky to see it, whichever one it was.

I always found the staff at Derby to be miserable gits, totaly unhelpful. Did you know it was the collecting centre for UK tickets. They were chucked all over the place at the west end of the station, particularly around one of the bay platforms.The powers that be were just 'carrying out procedures', until it got down to the station staff who jumped on you and went mental if you attempted to pick any up. I had a row with one of these 'Ticket Policemen' sad gits, what was the point, strange attitude.

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Yep that's the tunnel we walked through, the huts in the old pic were at the north end and just burnt out remains left in I think 1964? at the other end it was thick mud and impossible to walk through, I think that was from the pit tips? You can still get to both ends, though the north one is banked up to above actual mouth and behind a scout hall through locked gates but twice in recent years have had no problem with permission to go in, It would be interesting to find out how far (legally) you can walk north west from there following the route, I have walked via a footpath, road or snicket through as far as Cinderhill Road and come better weather will start at latter and see where I get to

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i was in that tunnel yesterday.....that pile of rubbish from the air shaft is awesome to look at....tell ya wot though some builder got away with murder there.....just hope the hoodies dont set fire to it because whatevers built on top is in for a shock....was going to climb beyond the pile but me dog thought better of it and i trust her judgement better then mine....lol

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Hi again Firbeck

Well between the two of us we are starting to fill in the gaps at the famous Derby Shows so now we have..

1960 it was 71000

1961 it my have been semi 462XX City of Stoke on Trent

1962 it was 46256 Sir William A Stanier and 70048

1963 it was 46251City of Nottingham

1964 it was 46245 City of London

1965 it was 70012 John Of Gaunt

1966 it was 70028 Something Star

1967 it was 70013 Oliver Cromwell

1968 it was I think diesel HS4000 Kestrel

plus ex works Brittiania 70004 William Shakespeare is in the mix somewhere early 60's or even 1959

Re that Jube at Derby. Either late August or early September 1967 I was spotting at Derby station when we heard a rumour that a Jubilee was working through on a special. At this time there were no steam locos left in the Midlands. Sure enough about one hour later a plume of smoke was seen to the north and into the station rolled a "Jube" on a long rake of stock with lots of "enthusiasts" hanging out of the windows. But actually it was a Black 5 taking Liverpool supporters on to Nottingham for a match with Forest and the train had started at either Liverpool Central or Exchange( i think - it wasnt Lime St). I stayed at Derby until about 4.30 and never did see the Jube but on the way home saw the Black 5 departing from Nottingham - maybe the Jube worked through before I had arrived at Derby. The date shouild not be hard to find with the fottball match a great clue and there is a great website listing special workings so I will try to track it down...

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1960 it was 71000...Duke of Gloucester

1961 it my have been semi 462XX City of Stoke on Trent...46254

1962 it was 46256 Sir William A Stanier and 70048...The Territorial Army 1908-1958

1966 it was 70028 Something Star...Royal Star

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i was in that tunnel yesterday.....that pile of rubbish from the air shaft is awesome to look at....tell ya wot though some builder got away with murder

There isn't a bath in it is there? lol (see my wanted advert) Re air shaft assume you are talking of "pepper pot" in the woods? not in Scout "camp"? has brickwork been knocked down? as can't see how rubbish dumped otherwise? There used to be 3, the 3rd being where new housing built on site of demolished fitness club, same day we walked tunnel we climbed 3rd one with crazy idea of going inside it. luckily it had iron mesh grill on top. which way did you go to tunnel mouth?

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Notts Lad

I've thought of one Derby Open Day visitor we haven't mentioned, 92220 Evening Star, I reckon it could have been 1961. The reason I'm thinking that is because my brother went on a cycle tour of Devon and Cornwall and took the camera with him, this scuppered any pics of our holiday in Weymouth and all the amazing trains we saw that year and also probably explains why I haven't got any pics of Derby Open Day '61.

It's interesting how hard it is to find out much info on the Net about the Derby Open Day attendances.

I thought you might be interested in this picture, I just took it in my shed.

derbyw.jpg

About 12 years ago we went to stay with some friends in Sheffield and met up with my brother. We caught the train down to Derby and went for a 'few' pints in the Brunswick. After working our way down the list during a saturday afternoon, I went for a walk to sober up a bit and ended up in the old works. I was horrified what had happened to the place of memories, it was like a bomb site. Anyway, I spotted this on the wall of the old clocktower building and decided it needed rescueing from destruction. It fell off the wall quite easily, needless to say, everyone was horrified when I walked into the Brunswick with it. It was good fun catching the HST back to Shef and stashing the sign on a seat, the staff at Derby seemed impressed and looked the other way. The only problem was the taxi driver at Shef, we convinced him it would be OK to stick the end of it out the window.

Perhaps this is the only sign left that designated all those works roads, it's only a bit of painted ply, but a unique thing.

I've just found some pics of another rare local open day, Loughborough, Brush Works, I'll scan them and tell you another tale.

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Re Mapperley Tunnel, when we walked it it was not at all overgrown or in a bad state, and no signs of previously mentioned roof fall nor any supports etc, that said only one small torch between the 3 of us, thinking about it they must have cleared such to remove tracks etc maybe dismantling train drove through it? or did they remove rubble etc prior to line shutting to see how bad it was. At time we didn't know of fall history, Re smoke outlet, rereading your post I see you didn't take in tunnel pics and now assume pile of rubbish is under the demolished arnold end one?

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The Works open days and Mapperley Tunnel are rotating beautifully, in sync.

Which rather raises the question...was there ever an open day at Mapperley Tunnel? slywink

Cheers

Robt P.

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Is this the tunnel ( mapperley ) that goes under Whitby Crescent ???.....Found it on the map....doesnt look to any way to it except thru a gate by a hut off Weaverthorpe Rd.....has it got another end anywhere or has it all been demolished ???.....must go walkies with camera if its accesable.

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Yes thats the way into north end of railway cutting,in 1960's all there was open fields, the hut referred to is scout hall/community centre, if you ask there they don't seem to mind you going down to end of cutting, best in wellies as almost a swamp in parts and have map/railway book etc with you as "proof" you are an enthusiast and not planning to rob the place! Last time I went down at the "face" there was a large fox in it's den sat watching me! As regard open day there would they have had a "bottoming out" ceremony the day it was completed? !laughing!

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walked in from gedling tip end clear path all the way up.....the rubbish is dumped down the airshaft that used to be behind the old squash club at the cross roads......no tell a lie lookin at the map its the pepper pot one......those bloody scouts dumpin the crap lol....must be them as its the second shaft from gedling......and as you walk in the roof supports are all the way down...one every six foot or so......

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ube, How far did you walk in? what's confusing me is the pepper pot (scouts land gedling side of mapperley plains) looks to be still intact "chimney"? can't see how rubbish got down it? they'd have to take rubbish up 12? ft to drop it down? last time I saw gedling end one was about 10 years ago, then still intact. no idea when squash club one went? always assumed demolished when squash club built?

A few other items of interest, most know of the old valley rd GCR bridge being replaced? but I only found out recently via "picture the past" photos that the perry road bridge on same line we all knew wasn't the original one, ditto the arnold rd bridge over the GNR Leen valley route, also that GNR mainlines from around there to daybrook had goods line added making route 3 tracks with edwards lane bridge having to be widened. knew likes of ilkeston rd bridge at radford and wilford rd bridge being altered but these were for road widening. Anyone any other info on post building alterations to lines, bridges etc? (after GCR and NSR built) or remember where line to Hucknall no.1 pit crossed hucknall rd near 44 bus terminus?

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Ashley i go there a few times a week to walk the dog...park at Lambley Lane footie pitches and get on to the Colliery sidings/branch line(still intact) and walk through the pit yard and straight up to the tunnel...i go in as far as the pile and 20 foot beyond that is the "Fill" from the Arnold end....doesnt reach the roof so ya might beable to belly crawl the rest ...lol.....and yeh its deffo the second one in which accordin to the map is pepperpots....i remember the one behind the squash club having a large hole knocked into it in which we kids would chuck stones down....so i imagine the pepper pot having the same done to it for the "dump"...Ashley is there anymore of that map?...ie the next bit down towards the pit

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