14th March 2023 “Cambridge Area Railways Yesterday and Today (Part 2)” by David Scudamore

On Tuesday 14^th March we were delighted to welcome railway historian David Scudamore back to the Branch for Part 2 of his “Cambridge Area Railways Yesterday and Today” talk.

Over the evening we covered the lines from Cambridge station to Fordham and Soham via Quy, then from the station to Newmarket via Dullingham, concluding with a run up the main line to Whittlesford.

David opened the evening with views around Cambridge station, dating from turn-of-the 20^th Century views of May Ball attendees in striped blazers to B17 No. 61659 on the Down East Anglian in 1948 through to the modern high-rise buildings that now surround the station. Of great interest was a brass Great Eastern Railway platform ticket.

We then headed out on the Mildenhall Branch, passing the four-wheeled vertical-boilered, chain-driven 1929-built Sentinel steam engine at the City’s gas works, and saw English Electric Class 37s Nos. 37370 and 37042 in the sidings at Barnwell Junction on a Thames Haven oil train in the year 2000. After Quy (the only wooden station structure on the line) we saw the well-known RCTS “Fensman” railtour at Burwell behind J17 No. 65562 on 24^th July 1955, followed by a quintessential Mildenhall Branch working at the ground-level Exning Road Halt behind J15 No. 65438 and two former Great Eastern carriages of some antiquity.

Mildenhall Branch trains were seen crossing at Fordham Junction and again the Fensman, taking the branch to Mildenhall. We visited the 2.5 mile Burwell Tramway (Prentice’s Siding, between Fordham and Soham; serving the Fisons fertiliser works and closed 1971) to see Peckett 0-4-0 No. 1649/24 and its 1958-successor Hibberd Planet 4wDM No. 3887/58. A quick look at Soham then followed to see the devastation caused by the explosives train on 2^nd June 1944.

Returning to Cambridge we next headed out on the Newmarket line, beginning with a charming view of E4 No. 62785 rounding the sharp curve at Coldham Common with a vintage two-coach working from Newmarket. Passing Brookfields box at Cherry Hinton (for the Norman cement works and Hunslet 0-4-0ST 156/1876 ‘Commoner’), Fulbourn, Six Mile Bottom and Dullingham we arrived at Wood Ditton, a crossing box at Newmarket which was brought into use as a signal box on race days by the fixing of signal arms kept under the box to nearby signal posts!

At Newmarket, David showed the original terminus station (closed to passengers in 1902 and to goods in 1967), the ‘old’ Newmarket station before demolition (and now superseded by a 'bus stop) and the ‘new’ Newmarket station in use today. Topping all of this was a fine 1966 view of ‘Charlie’ - BR’s last horse shunter, used to shunt horse boxes on race days.

Returning again to Cambridge for the final part of David’s talk, we were treated to 1958 cine film taken on the locomotive depot and identified a number of well-known figures from the day including Bill Last, Ron Gooch, Sid Guy, George Ingle, Joe Youngman and Les Hudson. Class E4 No. 62785 put in an appearance again from Mildenhall along with Britannia 70009 ‘Alfred the Great’ on a Norwich-Liverpool Street working and A3 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ on the turntable after arriving from Kings Cross.

Many more views over the depot from Bridge 1545A (Spotter’s Bridge) were seen, including some unusual visitors such as West Country Class No. 34039 ‘Boscastle’, withdrawn M&GN Class J93 0-6-0ST No. 8488 from South Lynn and newly arrived BR/Sulzer Type 2s (later Class 24) D5036 and D5042.

Heading South past the many spotters at the Cattle Market, the accident at Offord Cluny on 8^th September 1962 produced A2 No. 60500 ‘Edward Thompson’ on a diverted Newcastle to Kings Cross and D9020 (not yet named ‘Nimbus’) on the 8 am Kings Cross-Edinburgh.

David illustrated the beautifully drawn diagram in Hills Road signal box and its labelling of the Bedford route as the ‘LNW Main Line’, followed by a fascinating aerial view of Shelford in July 1922 showing the substantial temporary station erected on the GE main line at Trumpington to serve the Royal Agricultural Show.

More vintage J15 action was then seen in the form of 65475 heading to Haverhill and 65448 on a working from Colchester. The line’s through express was shown with B1 No. 61371 working the Leicester to Clacton Summer Saturday holiday train.

We completed the evening with some marvelously detailed views of Whittlesford signal box and yard from 1911, Class B1 No. 61121 on a Cambridge to Liverpool Street express and Deltic 55009 ‘Alycidon’ on the Deltic Fenman II railtour on 25^th May 1981.

Due to the richness of the material presented by David, and the extent of the discussion it stimulated, we were forced to close the meeting at 10.05 without covering all the routes planned - giving clear demand for a further visit from David, to which we look forward with great anticipation.