An Evening with Phil Marsh, 4th January 2022
4th January 2022 Meeting
For our January Meeting we started off with the first of three Zoom meetings and welcomed Philip Marsh for an interesting two-parter talk: ‘The inside story of Wolverton Works, its Royal Visitors and trains 1842-2020’ and Part Two ‘The Construction and Operation of the London & Birmingham Railway’
We opened with a photo of a plaque commemorating the Queen’s visits to the works in 1948, 1966 and 1976 along with the Royal Crest. There followed a shot of a London & Birmingham coach at York which was designed as a stage coach placed on bogies. The next picture showed part of an incredibly detailed part of the Royal Train Log with date, occupants, journey, consist etc. The next one was of two 6-wheeled coaches later converted to a 12 wheeler built in 1869. We saw Queen Victoria’s funeral train along with coffin and a timetable of the train which ran at speeds of up to 70mph to catch up time as it was originally scheduled for 40mph which was the fastest that the Queen would let the trains she was on travel. In 1903 electric light arrived and everything inside and out was manufactured at Wolverton by the LNWR. In 1904 the Royal Train was seen with a pair of 4-4-0s.
The Royal Train shunting in Wolverton Works, 2013. Image Credit: Phil Marsh
Moving along we had a 1943 photo of the armoured carriages featuring number 798 and 799. We than saw LMS Generator Van 31209. We finished with a Class 67 hauling the train.
After the break Phil took us on a trip at the formation of the London to Birmingham Railway which was costed at just over £2,000,000 but just like nowadays it finally cost double that! The first shot was of the building of the Euston Arch, now sadly gone, despite the late intervention of John Betjeman.
We moved down the line from Euston and the following shots were shown, Hampstead Road Bridge, Cut & Cover through Primrose Hill, Watford Tunnel, Tring Cutting, dynamiting and blasting at Linslade, Denbigh Hall Bridge, Wolverton Viaduct, Kilsby Tunnel which came out at £300,000 which was three times the estimate and also made the line later in opening. When the line opened between London and Tring there were just four trains a day! The first London to Birmingham Timetable had just five trains a day. There was a lovely shot of the original trains with open wagons and the Guard and Brakesmen on top. More photos followed with Camden Incline, Watford Embankment, Kings Langley Bridge, Loughton Bridge near Wolverton, a sketch of the original station at Wolverton in 1838 and also one of the second station in 1842. It was an important station in the early years as engines were changed here and passengers used to get refreshments and use the toilets as there was nothing on the train. We than carried on along the route with shots of Blisworth Cutting, Rugby Road Bridge, Curzon Street Roundhouse which was exposed a few years ago and finally Curzon Street Station which was the original terminus of the line in Birmingham.
Philip also told us some interesting Royal tales which you will enjoy when you see his presentation.
84 zoomers joined the presentation and a good time was had by all!
Rob Davidson, Watford Branch Secretary