Mystery loco in mystery location.

Afternoon All,

Mike Morant has put a couple of intriguing pictures of an 0-4-0ST on a local branch line train on his superp 'Old Pix Brought to the Fore' website. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what, or where it is, and neither do I. But, maybe someone on this forum will recognise it and put us out of our misery; here's the link to the first one :

http://gallery62603.fotopic.net/p59100934.html

Any ideas, anyone?

 

If it helps, the leading coach is of North London Railway design.

 

I didn't even know that there was a North Sunderland Light Railway! Any more ideas or information, anyone?

 

I would say that it was a Grant Ritchie loco rather than an AB, judging by the shape of the cab and the size of the builders plate. Comparing it to http://www.ribblesteam.org.uk/stocklist/272.htm shows a similar sized worksplate. No idea on location though.

 

I've just had a look, via Google, at the North Sunderland light. Looks interesting, but their saddle tank is (was) an 0-6-0 and definitely not the one in Mike's picture which is clearly only an 0-4-0.

Nevertheless, I've learnt something new today, so thanks for the suggestion.

 

It is a Barclay...

I think that this photo is from the Lever Bros. industrial railway at Port Sunlight on the Wirral.
The Lever supplied worksmen's train used old North London stock.

The Port Sunlight site from it's inception around 1900, was a frequent customer of Barclay - but did not supply a loco with a cab back to Lever's until the 1930's ! - hence the cab sheet !.
When they dieselised in the mid '50s - they still purchased from Barclay....

The platform looks to be on the internal system - not on the 4 track mainline it joined on the Chester to Birkenhead line !.

 

Could it be a mental asylum railway? I've seen something similar in an edition of The Railway Magazine from 1934 (which I don't have with me at the moment). From memory I think it was the Whittingham Hospital Railway, which had a possible match for the loco and the NLR carriage:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittingha ... al_Railway

 

http://whittingham.myphotoalbum.com/vie ... m01&page=5

What a fascinating place !
Have a look at the link above for photos they seem to have a Stroudley Terrier and a Sentinel as motive power and old brake vans for 'passenger' stock....

 

Hate to sound like a geek but that was not a 'Terrier' but a example of the slighty bigger D1 0-4-2T. I 'think' she was the last of the class to be in use, going for scrap in late 1950's. Don't know anything else.

Back to the orignal photo, I don't know...

 

This sounds promising. I tried googling but couldn't find anything; any chance of a link to any pictures?

 

I have just checked my book on Port Sunlight's railways by Mike Lister, and there is nothing like this at all. Levers also had Pecketts and Manning Wardles as well.

 

Courtesy of the LNER forum
http://www.lner.info/co/NSR/index.shtml

 

Well done, Ben! =D> That's where it is - well, was. I had no idea that there was such a line, so that's something else I've learnt this weekend.

 

......... nor those North London carriages - they must surely be the clue to the identity of this line.

 

Erm, not quite - I have that book too 1 Peckett and 1 Manning Wardle, a powerful Avonside and around 10 Barclays.

Also confirms ran NLR stock until 1929 when the main line station was improved.

Also on one side of Commercial Road it confirms that there was a 'cinder-topped' platform - the open country aspect - did exist on the other side of Commericial Road - which at this time was undeveloped - hence the rural-looking aspect behind the train.
On the other side there were oil depots, oxygen depots a power station and a glue factory !

Unfortunately, Mike's otherwise excellent book - is a little short of photos of the Levers 'main line' - excellent for the internal stuff tho' !

Still the stronger candidate for me by a country mile...

 

Just had another look at the original photo http://gallery62603.fotopic.net/p59100934.html and Ron has updated the caption to read:

Richard

 

Good spot Richard - this seems to confirm the Whittingham site.

I looked up Barclay works no.304 which dates from 1888 - a relatively early one and supplied to another business new in Preston.

I bow forthwith to the weight of evidence - but heartily recommend a look at Mike Listers' Port Sunlight book for those looking for a larger industrial complex with its' own running lines - a fascinating complex including a dock on the River Mersey!

May I profer a correction on the number and manufacturers of Lever Bros owned locos :

Prior to the standardisation on Barclay products:
All 0-4-0ST
2 Hunslet
1 Peckett
3 Hawthorne Leslie

then
7 Barclay 0-4-0ST

followed by
3 Barclay 0-6-0T

back to 0-4-0ST
1 Avonside
1 Hudswell Clarke
2 Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST
1 Dick & Stevenson
1 Manning Wardle
1 Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST
1 Black Hawthorne
2 Sentinels - 4 coupled
plus 2 other Barclays - works no 787 and 888 in the very early days of the works.

Later all were replaced by:
9 Barclay DM 0-4-0
plus
1 Bagnall 0-6-0 DE

All including the diesels had interesting names and that should of been my main clue in the photo - no names or fleet numbers - Doh!