As mentioned previously, S.W. Johnson’s 0-4-4Ts looked after much of the Midland Railway’s passenger, goods and coal services on the Widened Lines during the 1890s.
Johnson built 205 0-4-4T locos for the Midland over a period of 25 years between 1875 and 1900, all to a design based upon his 134 class built during his time at Stratford as Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Eastern Railway. Although superficially the design remained constant throughout the 25 year building period, there were of course many minor changes and improvements over the years which resulted in several distinct (and indistinct!) classes.
Many of Johnson’s 0-4-4Ts were fitted with condensing apparatus and sent to work on the Widened Lines services, and after much deliberation and scouring dozens of photographs, I chose one of the P class locos built by Neilson in 1893, more commonly referred to as part of the 1833 class. It was rather interesting to find that this particular batch of ten was built as the result of a report by Johnson on 22 September 1892 which stated that:
‘…there are not sufficient four wheels coupled bogie tank condensing engines for working the passenger, goods and coal traffic over the Metropolitan Railway and to the stations beyond.’
How could I resist?
To model 2222 I have a Slater’s kit for the 1252 class as a basis, and will need to make several alterations during the build, not least the size of splashers, as there was a reduction in wheel diameter between the two classes, as well as a change in the wheelbase itself.
Number 2222, delivered in September 1893, is seen at Cricklewood, just short of it’s 10th birthday in June 1903, looking resplendent in the fully decorated London livery where just about everything panel and fitting was lined both inside and out. Blimey.
Basilica Fields 
April 22, 2010 at 7:28 am
Another interesting loco to add to the mix. What is the significance of the ‘St Andrew’s Cross’ on the panel on the front of the tank?
April 22, 2010 at 8:58 am
Hi Mike
It’s one of the square headcode boards the Midland used, and the crew have simply hung them over the end of the tank with a hook.
So far I’ve identified four Midland boards, viz: plain white, white with a blue circle in the centre, white with a black St. Andrew’s cross, and black with a white diamond. When lamps were substituted they used combinations of white, blue, purple and red.
I’ve yet to get hold of a Midland Appendix to the WTT for the period, though the Signalling Record Society have copies of the one from 1913 which may be of use.
April 22, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Happy accidents – I love ’em. Whilst looking for something completely different this morning, I turned to p.39 of Midland Record No.21 where there is a photo of Johnson’s 0-4-4T 6 Class No.18 (one of the originals of 1875 based on the GER design), at Childs Hill c1900. This loco is carrying a single white square with black St. Andrew’s Cross on the tall middle bufferbeam iron. Bob Essery comments that with the addition of a blue lamp over each buffer, this would signify a Midland passenger train between Moorgate Street and Hendon, and between South Tottenham and Moorgate Street.
April 22, 2010 at 10:13 am
A very nice photo and one which is new to me. As to an interpretation of the boards, what might Bob Essery have to say on the matter?
Johnson makes reference to workings over the Met and “to the stations beyond” – just what was the great manner thinking when he wrote that statement?
April 22, 2010 at 12:43 pm
A good idea Graham – I’ll drop Bob a line.
Isn’t it obvious that Johnson was obviously referring to Basilica Fields and other stations on the EWL 😉
Of course, he might also have had in mind the traffic to and from Victoria via Ludgate Hill and the LC&DR from places such as South Tottenham, Hendon, Kentish Town and Finchley Road, which by 1897 totalled 10 trains departing from Victoria per day, down from 12 per day in 1877.
However, bear in mind that the 0-4-4Ts were also rostered for goods and coal trains, and there were 58 such trips over the Widened Lines each day in 1877 to destinations south of the river including Hither Green, Battersea (coal was delivered here from Cricklewood via the Widened Lines was then transhipped to the MR/LNWR joint coal depot at Peckham Rye, opened in 1891), Herne Hill, Walworth Coal Drops (opened in 1871 and usually served from Brent Sidings, from 1881), Brixton (MR coal depot opened 1876), and Bricklayers Arms.
Obviously most of these services are too far west to be represented on here, but some of the services over the LB&SCR line to Peckham Rye which then traversed the Inner South London Line to New Cross and from there to either the ELR via the Thames Tunnel or, more appropriately, to Surrey Commercial Docks and on to the EWL via the New Thames Tunnel.
I’ve recently found reference to the mass cessation of Midland Services over the Widened Lines in 1908 (Circular No.1110, June 27th) which references passenger trains from Hendon to the LB&SCR via St. Pancras & the LB&SCR, and via Moorgate Street and London Bridge, and I’m following that one up.
April 22, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Bob Essery did an article about the Walworth coal drops in an early Midland Record and there was a more expansive text in an early issue of either British Railways Illustrated or Railway Byelines – copies likely to be in the attic at the moment.
Graham
April 22, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Ah, thanks – will locate Bob’s article in MR.
I have the article by Keith Miles in BRILL Vol.18 #8 – May 2007, some of which was useful, despite primarily focussing on traffic in the 50s.
April 18, 2017 at 2:26 pm
As members of the MR Society will know, I have copies from each of the MR Appendices from 1904 to No.26 of 1922, plus the LMS (Mid Div) issues of 1931 and 1937. These list all the lamp/board codes used in the London area, for passenger and goods services. There is little change throughout this period, with just one or two routes deleted or added as traffic patterns changed. Some of the widened lines ones are also shown in the Appendices of the SE&C and LB&SC of course, and the N&SWJ ones in the Appendices of the LNWR and LSWR.
Far too many to list here of course!
Reg Instone
Research Co-ordinator, Signalling Record Society
April 18, 2017 at 3:12 pm
Where can I find a copy of Circular 1110 1908 please?