From the "Catacombs"; travels in Britain, the Isle of Man and mainland Europe between 1935 and 1957

[jhb171achill]

As referred to in another thread, I will post here a selection of material from the above places, taken by jhb171Senior or (in a few earlier cases) my grandfather during the mid 30s to mid 50s.

I hope these are of interest.

Starting with the Isle of Man, which includes the Ramsey Pier Tramway, a rare beast in photos. Foxdale features too - even then, it was little used as the mines had closed.

The man on the platform at Peel with camera, is Inchicore's own H J A Beaumont...... he is seen lurking in Ramsey MER station too.

Edited August 1, 2021 by jhb171achill

[popeye]

A great selection, a different world.

[Galteemore]

What a treat - these are lovely. Quite a rarity too - shows what IOMR livery was like before the colour explosion of the Ailsa era. J I C Boyd argued that the Irish NG was far more akin to IoM than Welsh NG in its scale and practice, and the IOM Rlwy still allows one to experience something of what the Ballymena to Larne section was like with BP 2-4-0Ts. 

Edited August 1, 2021 by Galteemore

[Midland Man]

wonder who this person is @jhb171achill any ideas 

 

Lovely photos by the way 

[jhb171achill]

6 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

wonder who this person is @jhb171achill any ideas 

 

Lovely photos by the way 

My grandfather - the GSWR & GSR's Chief Draughtsman until he retired in 1945, H J A Beaumont. He took some of the earlier pics among my dad's stuff.

18 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

What a treat - these are lovely. Quite a rarity too - shows what IOMR livery was like before the colour explosion of the Ailsa era. J I C Boyd argued that the Irish NG was far more akin to IoM than Welsh NG in its scale and practice, and the IOM Rlwy still allows one to experience something of what the Ballymena to Larne section was like with BP 2-4-0Ts. 

Yes, a plain brown, somewhat darker than that used by the GNR. Some older stock was still in the earlier two-tone livery.

[jhb171achill]

27 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

J I C Boyd argued that the Irish NG was far more akin to IoM than Welsh NG in its scale and practice, and the IOM Rlwy still allows one to experience something of what the Ballymena to Larne section was like with BP 2-4-0Ts. 

Boyd said that exact thing to me when I toured with him in the 1970s; his particular favorite, as might be expected, was the T & D.

Regarding the similarity, the modern IOMR is maybe what a section of the CDR would be like had it survived! But jhb171Senior ALSO said, when we were there in 1973, that the then IOMR reminded HIM of the CDR. The rocking and rolling of creaky carriages over shockingly bad track (at that time) was pure Donegal, he said.

The Welsh lines couldn't even compare with the 200 miles of 3ft gauge track in Donegal; it would be like comparing a funfair fifteen-inch-gauge with the down Cork Mail on a Monday morning behind "Maedb"!

Forgot to add, the pic of No. 3 "Pender" is a rare enough one to start with, but the loco is shunting the siding on Ramsey Quay. That's something very rarely surviving in pictures.

[Georgeconna]

Some Fab shots there, If you have not visited the IOM make sure you do, Fab Spot.

[jhb171achill]

I’ve only been a couple of times - 1973 and a few years ago. HIGH time I went back.

[jhb171achill]

So from the Isle of Man to the "mainland"; Switzerland and possibly Austria in several cases - some of you folks will have a better knowledge of things continental than I have.

I think this lot must all be 1956, though it's possible some is earlier. I notice my late aunt sitting facing us in the first picture - this one will be about 1951/2.

[jhb171achill]

"....I normally put my sandwiches in here, but one o'them damn cheapskate tourists has taken them...."

 

"Ah, y'see, you should have brought them up here. I keep mine in a little fridge here with my beer".

 

[NIR]

5 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

 

First two are Jungfrau Bahn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungfrau_Railway

 

Third is Brienz-Rothorn Bahn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brienz_Rothorn_Railway

Edited August 2, 2021 by NIR

[Irishswissernie]

21 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

The man on the platform at Peel with camera, is Inchicore's own H J A Beaumont.

You can still do this by train if you go to the Isle of Man , that's Port Erin not Peel. Its a pity the line to Peel didn't survive as well then all the major centres on the island would have had a rail connection of some sort. The Peel line track bed however is now a footpath with some of the infrastructure still there including a rail mounted crane at Union Mills.

[NIR]

5 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

 

 

The above three are all Interlaken area which is German but the French in this niggled me.

Internet tells me it's a Vevey-Montreux-Chillon tram, runs along Lake Geneva

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vevey–Montreux–Chillon–Villeneuve_tramway

I would guess they travelled between the two areas on the Golden Pass line

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoldenPass_Line

Edited August 2, 2021 by NIR

[jhb171achill]

7 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

You can still do this by train if you go to the Isle of Man , that's Port Erin not Peel.

So it is - my error.

[Irishswissernie]

Having missed seeing the Irish narrow gauge railways I tried to make up for that by several visits to the Isle of Man starting in 1970. I have also collected a fair number of views from the old days. This is the Collection of some 1200+ views.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/collections/72157719627780099/

[jhb171achill]

Continuing the alpine theme, plus a miniature railway (in Britain?). No idea where the first pic, a harbour view, is - any takers?

That big 4.4.2 is a tasty looking thing!

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by jhb171achill

[Galteemore]

Harbour pic is possibly Newport, Isle of Wight. Crouchers was a shipping company linking Southampton with the island. 

[jhb171achill]

3 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Harbour pic is possibly Newport, Isle of Wight. Crouchers was a shipping company linking Southampton with the island. 

Funny you say that; the Island of Wight appears in tomorrow's stuff, which will be from the People's (well, Boris's) Republic of Brexit!  Good spot.

Any ideas about the miniature one? Romney?

[Galteemore]

Loco and setting looks more like a German park railway than RHDR, I’d say, JB….

[jhb171achill]

9 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Loco and setting looks more like a German park railway than RHDR, I’d say, JB….

Could be. 

Much of this stuff I'm posting has few if any notes. I want to find some sort of appropriate historical body to give it to - my sister lives in Switzerland so I'll ask her to poke about.

[Galteemore]

Excellent idea. These are great quality pics that deserve an appreciative, informed audience. 

[leslie10646]

I agree with Galteemore that the Park Railway is probably either the railway in the Prater Gardens in Vienna (where the Third Man "Big Wheel" is); or the famous railway in Dresden. As there are other Austrian scenes, the Prater seems more likely.  I've travelled on both (actually, I've probably timed both!).

JB, these are great pictures - I've pointed McLachlan to them, as he's in Spiez at present and can almost certainly give you chapter and Verse on the ones in Der Schweiz.

I know someone who will go into orbit when they see the ancient "Innertkirchen Train" - possibly the last train Sherlock Holmes travelled on - getting off at Reichenbach to seek his foe Moriarty!

[jhb171achill]

Leslie - thanks for that!

Given Senior's meanderings at the time, Vienna is a very good bet - I don't think he was ever in Dresden.

[murphaph]

The Spitzensignal is missing if it's Prater. It looks like there's a single lamp on the lower left as viewed from the footplate. I'm looking at this on my phone though.

[Irishswissernie]

Here are the answers from the Haltwhistle Jury (where he knows them!)

1. Newport Isle of Wight.

2.Montreux

3 Spiez BLS

7 Brienz BRB

11 WAB Kleine- Scheidigge

12 Spiez BLS

13 Kleine- Scheidigge JB

14 Spiez BLS   

All the above except No 1 are in Switzerland and the spelling of Kleine-Scheidigge not guaranteed. Last time I was there there was a giant Teepee with rock music blaring out. It was the same on a Sunday morning on the summit of the Rigi but with some pop group practicing (off key) Sort of destroyed the peace and tranquillity .

Edited August 3, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[jhb171achill]

6 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

Here are the answers from the Haltwhistle Jury (where he knows them!)

1. Newport Isle of Wight.

2.Montreux

3 Spiez BLS

7 Brienz BRB

11 WAB Kleine- Scheidigge

12 Spiez BLS

13 Kleine- Scheidigge JB

14 Spiez BLS   

All the above except No 1 are in Switzerland and the spelling of Kleine-Scheidigge not guaranteed. Last time I was there there was a giant Teepee with rock music blaring out. It was the same on a Sunday morning on the summit of the Rigi but with some pop group practicing (off key) Sort of destroyed the peace and tranquillity .

Much appreciated, Ernie!

Your superior knowledge will come in handy once I post some of the British stuff too.......

[jhb171achill]

Some varied stuff here from Brexitstan.  First we've LMS, then we go south. The IOWR is in there too. The Mersey Railway gets a look in, as does the Festiniog, which he visited pre- and post-preservation, the last time in the 1970s.

An interesting aside is that Senior's father paid a semi-official visit to the Liverpool Overhead while the Drumm trains were in design stage.  I am unaware of whether Dr. Drumm was with him, but since Seniorx2's job was the bodywork design of these things, the electrical aspect of it had nothing to do with him. 

Could it be that the GSR was actively considering a system similar to the Liverpool Overhead trains for the Bray - Amiens St., and Bray - Harcourt St. lines? THAT would have been interesting; had such a system been put in place, it would have been running into the 1960s, thus the Harcourt St. line would likely have avoided its 40-year closure.

Senior's first visit to the Festiniog was, I believe, in the late 1930s. In 1942/3 he was working for the LMS, based in the Civil Engineer's HQ in Blackburn (where he saw "the new engines" (Black 5s) passing along). While in England, he did a number of side trips, and on frequent returns home to Dublin would have passed through North Wales frequently. The visit to the Vale of Rheidol was at some stage in the early 1950s - I do not know the circumstances as by then he was on the GNR, based in Enniskillen.

The several bridges here are of interest; doubtless someone can identify them.

Modellers of things British will be interested to look at the wagons to be seen in these pictures.

The picture of the Southern Railway 2.6.0 shunting wagons appears to be at the side of a canal wharf about to overflow! Any ideas where that is?

The miniature railway  - could that be Ravenglass? 

Edited August 3, 2021 by jhb171achill

[airfixfan]

Miniature railway looks like the Ravenglass Line. Was at the RHDR line 10 days ago and still an unique experience today.

[Irishswissernie]

OK A quick look as I am awaiting the onslaught of the grandchildren and  no 2 son and his spouse who have gone to destroy Beamish Open Air Museum.

No 3 R.A.B (not RAB C) one of my favourite programs but definitely not PC these days.

5   Mersey Railway somewhere on the Wirral (not Liverpool Overhead Rly)

6   Liskeard with the still open branch to Combe Junction and Looe passing underneath.

7  I think this is Bude Canal with the goods only branch. Smashing shot!

8 Newport IOW looking the other way from the previous photo and 9 is  Newport with a train entering the Freshwater line. 

11 Portmadoc or now its Porthmadog with the Fairlie standing where the coal stage is today.

12 Ravenglass

13 Portmadoc

14 VOR looks like Devils Bridge.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Irishswissernie
No 9 confirmed

[jhb171achill]

Re. No. 7 - a MGWR Woolwich, narrow-gauge version!

Yes, 14 is Devil's Bridge. Found a note....

[Irishswissernie]

The viaduct at Newport Isle of Wight is quite interesting. It carried 2 single tracks, the near one went to Ryde and the rear one to Sandown. The girder span on the right pivoted upwards to provide a clear route for the sailing barges to reach the warehouses in the distance.

The Fairlie view at Porthmadog also shows the old Britannia Foundry in the distance (the building with the letters on it. This was demolished in the 1970's or 80's and replaced by an appalling Tax Office building which in turn has been demolished and a new Premier Inn is being built on the site. You will have a choice of 2 superb views from its rooms. Either up the Glaslyn estuary towards Snowdon or towards the sea with the Ffestiniog/Welsh Highland station in the foreground. A bit better than the Travelodge on the Industrial Estate which actually has frosted windows on the rear rooms to blot out the building and scrap yards.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Irishswissernie said:

The viaduct at Newport Isle of Wight is quite interesting. It carried 2 single tracks, the near one went to Ryde and the rear one to Sandown. The girder span on the right pivoted upwards to provide a clear route for the sailing barges to reach the warehouses in the distance.

The Fairlie view at Porthmadog also shows the old Britannia Foundry in the distance (the building with the letters on it. This was demolished in the 1970's or 80's and replaced by an appalling Tax Office building which in turn has been demolished and a new Premier Inn is being built on the site. You will have a choice of 2 superb views from its rooms. Either up the Glaslyn estuary towards Snowdon or towards the sea with the Ffestiniog/Welsh Highland station in the foreground. A bit better than the Travelodge on the Industrial Estate which actually has frosted windows on the rear rooms to blot out the building and scrap yards.

A room with a view!  I'll take the one overlooking the station.......  must remember that, actually, as I'm planning a visit within the next year.

[Irishswissernie]

Its still under construction planned opening Spring 2022

13 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

A room with a view!  I'll take the one overlooking the station.......  must remember that, actually, as I'm planning a visit within the next year.

 

[Irishswissernie]

I had a weekend in North Wales a fortnight ago, the Tallylyn had an 'Anything goes' Weekend with 4 locos in steam and various diesels also working trains. An all day rover cost £22. The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland though on the Sunday was a bit disappointing with very few trains. One working to Blaenau and 2 to Tan-y-Blwch . The Welsh Highland had one return working Porthmadog -  Beddgelert and one return Caernarvon- Beddgelert which didn't connect. £100 for 2 people Portmadog-Beddgelert!. The weekday service is only marginally better - even in August.

The Porthmadog Premier Inn is now open.

I did however acquire a few 009 items for my roundy-roundy in the shop and also video'd the new Garratt 130.

 

[Andreas Weniger]

HI,
since ship modeling and ships in general are also a great hobby of mine: can anyone say something about these ships (picture 6 ) and the place where the photo was taken? possibly other details ?
Thanks in advance
Andreas