Auden in the Pennines and on Railways
Model Railway History: Brighton Belle, Wrenn Horsebox, Catalogues, Jamieson, Irish Jouef, Mark One Coaches.
Other questions are likely to be raised and some headings removed as answers are found, so remember to return to this page.
Much of my research has relied on detailed study of long runs of periodicals. There are certain titles which do remain of interest to me in completing runs. Segments of Model Railway Journal, Model Railway Constructor and Model Railway News and its successor titles are needed. An internal British Railways business circular with various titles like Sales Circular/Retail Circular/Newsrail Express is fascinating for ephemera studies. I have a good number but more are needed, even last week's issue.
Other material that may interest me would be overall Matchbox catalogues from 1993 onwards, Corgi, OOC, EFE, Bachmann owners club newsletters, Train Collectors Society material before 2000. Big Big Train catalogues and catalogues from recent years for Far Eastern diecast manufacturers like Welly, Hongwell, Maisto, ToysRus Fastlane, this sort of esoteric material does interest.
A collection of LT bus route leaflets in numbered order is maintained and I hope to list here routes with no leaflets represented in the collection. I know I need from around 2005 the A5 book local journey planners numbers 1, 4, 6, 18, and 19.
"In my Eden we have a few beam-engines, saddle tank locomotives, overshot waterwheels and other beautiful pieces of obsolete machinery to play with". So wrote the poet W. H. Auden in Vespers 1954. It is an interesting thought that two of the leading British poets of the 20th century manifest far more than a passing interest in railways. In the case of John Betjeman, that interest is well charted. With Wystan Auden, beyond the knowledge that he wrote the words to Night Mail, a General Post Office documentary film of 1935, the connections are not so well recognised. Even so, his poems from In a Train of 1924 to Lullaby in 1972, and the biographical accounts, all make clear that railways exercised a special pull. Auden could have been a splendid member of the Branch Line Society or the Industrial Railway Society but since from 1939 much of his life was spent in America those opportunities did not arise. Even so, he is remembered as listening to records of English Trains whilst in wartime America. What might these have been?
I write with the longshot that if some of these connections are sketched, there may be some readers who could make links to some more evidence that could expand the story. Auden was born in 1907 and in the summer of 1913 a family holiday from Birmingham took in a detailed visit to the Elan Valley reservoirs and railway. In August 1913 all this was virtually new and the construction railway (with saddle tank locomotives) still in use (just). Of course, only the Audens, one feels, could have managed anything as plum as a personal conducted tour of the Elan Valley Waterworks but this was Birmingham's water.
The score of eminently exciting railways that Auden saw builds to include: Elan Valley Waterworks; Festiniog Railway (at Easter 1914, it became part of his 'numinous map'); probably the line through Scots Gap/Bellingham (from his play The Dog Beneath the Skin); the M&GN whilst at school at Gresham's Holt 1920-25; and the Downs School Minature Railway whose loco Tubby gets a mention. Both the Kinver Light Railway and the Sutton Park Minature Railway near Birmingham may be described within the Age of Anxiety. The Leek and Manifold and the Caldon Tramroad at Froghall are both distinctly possible. Auden loved limestone countryside: The Canal, Froghall and Flowers and Stationmaster each around 1925 hint at these possibilities, as does his prose piece England: Six Unexpected Days done for American Vogue in 1954.
One area of interest stands above all other. This is the Weatherhill and Rookhope Railway. This obscure industrial system happened to be at work in a side valley of Weardale in 1919 when the 12 year old Auden reached the valley. Precisely how he came to be there is not yet obvious, even to those who have studied Auden closely. What is certain is that for at least two decades afterwards he explored the area in detail. Rookhope came to play a key role in his self definition as seen in the poems New Year's Letter and Amor Loci. It seems eminently possible that he went to Bolt's Law engine house and that he could have easily recognised the saddle tank locomotives on the system. The little Lewin engine 'Sampson' which ran at Cornish Hush mine in nearby Bollihope is also a potential member of his cast. Auden often used references to the area in an obscure way and assembling the connections somewhat resembles a detective story. Around 1921 the family bought a holiday home at Wescoe opposite Threlkeld Quarries near Penrith. Those quarries had their narrow gauge engines too which Auden could have seen, the quarries certainly enter his poetry. Evidently the Cockermouth Keswick & Penrith Railway was a railway he became very familiar with.
In a nutshell any further evidence for Auden's railway excursions and any knowledge of how this young man was able to explore areas like Alston Moor, Nenthead and Rookhope is sought. During 1999, a booklet called W. H Auden: Pennine Poet was published.
On behalf of the North Pennines Heritage Trust who now care for this restored viaduct on the former Alston branch railway, I have written an account of the viaduct, the branch and with Charles Blackett-Ord, the restoration. A major question remains. Just who did design the structure? It is generally assigned in various sources to George (later Sir) Barclay Bruce. The problem with this may be summarised:
Sir George Barclay Bruce (1821-1908) was an apprentice at Robert Stephenson's in 1836 and from 1845 was resident engineer at the Royal Border Bridge, Berwick which only opened in 1850. What is known is that Barclay Bruce was employed on site by the N&CR on the Alston branch for around a year at the time Lambley was being built. It is most likely that he fulfilled the resident engineer role and it is quite possible that he was involved in the design too. Subsequently he went on to build railways in India from 1851 and South America and became President of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1887-8.
The likely location for an answer is buried in Newcastle and Carlisle Railway minute books and other archives in the Public Record Office, Kew to which we have not yet been able to access.
British Railways' (and other transport operator's) publicity has fascinated me since I was 12. A very large collection is maintained which supports our writing detailed in our bibliography. An example of an ongoing research project is our list of Eastern Region pocket timetables.
In 2006/07 I was working on a major manuscript on the History of BR Timetables 1948-1997. 68,000 words, 12 chapters and 410 scans. If you have a special expertise that could contribute please be in touch. It fills two CDs. There are many questions but for instance the pattern of Southern Region suburban timetable book issue, the sage of what happened to Southern timetable books around 1968, the issue of A4 All Lines timetables in ring binders, the various debacles like the autumn of 1995 or the printer's strike in 1959, all these are issues where I could always learn more.
I believe that the Paytrain brand was fully launched on the conversion of the Newcastle Carlisle service in January 1969 (Railway Magazine so reported). Any Paytrain branded material issued before this date I would wish to know of. John Hague has produced possible contenders like posters. Since 1966 the Eastern Region had been implementing, initially in its Norwich Division, the so-called Basic Railway with Conductor Guard operation. The first scheme was the Hunstanton branch. Even earlier than this, the Western Region implemented Conductor Guard operation on the Clevedon, St Ives and Looe lines in 1964. Our resources contain a vast bank of Paytrain information enabling I suspect every conversion date to be listed. Nonetheless I am always interested to consider new material like individual line start leaflets, reminiscences of anyone involved and official paperwork like the Regional Commercial Circular. One key item I do have and recommend is Eastern Region Management Bulletin July 1966 and C. Hankins Norwich Divisional Manager article "A Passenger Plan for Action - Norwich Division".
I worked in conjunction with The Kit Exchange/Amlor Publishing, and Alistair Rolfe of No-Nonsense Kits who now own Modern Traction Kits to compile a full history of their products. At present a production table has been assembled and articles like Colin Marsden's Rly. Mag. 3.98 p74 on BR classes are proving very handy. I wonder if the gap classes 406-409 have ever been filled in? Could they possibly be for ex SR designs which whilst just about around at the outset of TOPS numbering never ever carried these numbers? For instance the 4DD doubledeckers did not go until 1971? So did the 4GRI units last to that year. Colin thinks the answer is no but if anyone knows anything else, please say.
Does anyone own examples of CCW, Stronlite or LMC models which they could offer illustrations of? And how about a Gauge 1 Fulgarex example c1970? Very little indeed is known about that.
The MRE feature in February 1998 reveals a Wrenn horsebox in plain maroon livery which catalogues available to me along with Eric Jones' Compendium does not list. This resulted in some internal tension within the article which should be apparent to eagle eyes. Other examples including mine of W4315X are plain green. Can anyone supply chapter and verse on this model? It will also be noted that the text and illustrations are in tension with regard to running numbers on the Wrenn maroon vehicle. W2830 does appear as the number in the Tri-ang 1972 catalogue. The hunt was then on for actual examples, a hunt solved in the summer of 2000 when Humphrey Bryson from BRMNA in Connecticut confirmed he had bought a plain maroon model numbered E96435 in a box reference W4316. His photo of this model is reproduced below. Hattons were selling this in 1989.
In connection with my interest in Model Railway History, I am always ready to consider sourcing model railway trade literature. This can range across all periods. A 1990s Crownline item, a 1950s Ratio catalogue or material covering Marklin British outline can all be equally useful to my research. Post war railway magazines are well stocked but coverage of the pre-war period is still sought. Anyone with a spare Bond's Marklin sale catalogue for 1936 is welcome to make contact (smile).
Often of interest are catalogues from kit manufacturers especially those whose productions were not hardy annual printed volumes. So I am well stocked for Wills, but Kerka, Bristol Models, these might well be able to assist our research. Since first creating this page responses have ensured that my MTK run of catalogues is now quite good. They throw up more questions: did the MTK 4mm Class 60 referenced DC20 in the 1989 catalogue ever appear?. To whet your interest in a full history of MTK (which is being researched) enjoy the sight of one of their rarer models: the prototype BR 4w railbus. During 2003 a splendid addition to our catalogue holding came by way of Chris Bush very kindly photocopying a huge assortment of old catalogues: many thanks Chris, the fruits will be seen in the magazines.
MTK's catalogues known to me are: 1976 Temporary Price List from MTK 33 Stoke Road, Slough; a 1977 Mustard Cover with D821 Greyhound; 1978 Green Cover with D821 Greyhound; January 1979 D821, D7029, D1015 (white duplicated); January 1980 D821, D7029, D1015 (white duplicated) ; January 1981 Lime with D821, D7029, D1015; January 1982 Yellow with D821, D7029, D1015; October 1982 Unillustrated text ;1985 (First edition) Unillustrated text 13 Royston Way Burnham; 1985 (Second edition) Yellow cover of unillustrated text with 1985 PO Box 350 Maidenhead; 1987?; Spring 1988 Bright yellow with Class 59 13 Royston Way Burnham; 1988 Class 59 and 150106 13 Royston Way Burnham ;1989 Class 60 cover; 1990 Yellow with Class 158, MTK 13 Royston Way, Burnham;1990 7mm Brown with 'Elcrappo' easi-build kits, crapping donkey O Gauge MTK 13 Royston Way, Burnham; 1991 Pale blue with 321310 and LT stock; 1991 7mm. Of those I do not have 1987, 1989, 1991 7mm
Jamieson would be well known to the modeler active in the 1950s through to the 1980s when, at least in the earlier part of that period, they provided some of the most admired 4mm scale UK locomotive kits. Made out of pressed and cut nickel silver, they were very much a craft modeler's domain. Their history has been given one start date which is 1947. However, that relates to when the Pearse family took the concern over and it moved to Mid Taphouse in Cornwall. I have the assurance of Michael Pearse who still makes model locomotives there, that his father bought the Jamieson range from one Harry Jamieson in Preston in 1947. This has surprised me but thanks to Peter Corley and the Model Railway Constructor and its adverts in 1946-47 we can confirm this is true. Anyone able to comment on the early history of Jamieson, or able to elaborate on Harry Jamieson's subsequent interests which include 1970s Jaycraft models, or who knows which modelers actually made Eames/Jamieson Handcut models from the 1960s onwards, please be in touch. A feature in Model Rail for February 2003 covered Jamieson and itself brought more feedback.
This is a surprising subject but it appears (thanks Bill Thursfield and Tony Reece) that between 1980-81, certain French owned Jouef trains were made in a factory which was on the Shannon Airport Industrial Estate. These models included a German V200 style diesel which is known of in Spanish and British liveries. Features in SNCF Journal by Bill for March 2000 and British Railway Modelling for April 2000 covered these. There was also an Irish diesel which was an assembly of European prototypes and a reliveried ex SNCF CIE diesel shunter. Who can illustrate these? Models are marked "Jouef HDI (for Hobby Developments Ireland) Made In Ireland" as was track. Class 40s were assembled in Ireland from French made components. Foreign coaches were liveried for CIE. There were catalogues, and I recommend the website Jouef in Ireland and also Jouef HDI. The residue of these models is with Southern Model Railways now in Worcester. Information about this or other Irish models is most welcome, I know of quite a number of Irish Lima items.
The subject of models of the Mark One Coach has been a long term interest of mine. A more or less completed manuscript for this covering ready to run models in 00/TT as well as Kitmaster kits exists. Additional notes covers kits and others gauges and Marks. I would welcome any publisher/patron who came forward wishing to assist publication of this material in book form (and recognising the research effort involved). A document elsewhere on this site introduces the subject by listing in running number order known model Mark Ones available in ready to run.
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