‘Railways at the Dawn of Nationalisation’, by Robin Mathams, 7th January 2025
7th January 2025 Meeting.
For our January meeting, which has been via Zoom since 2021, we welcomed back Robin Mathams of the Sutton Coldfield Railway Society for his show entitled ‘Railways at the Dawn of Nationalisation’, from the Percy Moseley Collection.
Excellent photographs and each one had the location and date along with the engine involved. We started just after the war and featured all the main railway companies.
We kicked off at Tile Hill with a Jubilee and a Patriot, a Royal Scot, Princess Royal, a LNWR Super D 9253 and Webb Tank. LMS Black 5s and 2Ps followed then a GCR Robinson C14 4-4-2T and a B3, a LMS Coronation Scot with a LNER J39 at Charwelton.
A trip to the RH&DR saw Pacific ‘Black Prince’ later ‘Dr. Syn’, No.6 ‘Samson’, No.2 ‘Northern Chief’. Along at the Folkestone MR we saw a steam outline diesel. Along at Sandling we saw a Battle of Britain, a SR H and L Class, at Folkestone Harbour was a SECR P Class and a 01 Class and three SR R1s.
GWR locos seen were a Star and County at Leamington, a Castle, King, Grange, Hall, Manor, 26xx [Aberdare Class] at Hatton and Bentley Heath.
LMS locos were a Compound, Crab, 3F, 4F, Ivatt Class 2, Co-Co Diesel Electric 10000,
LNER locos were an A3, A4, K3, B1, B17/6 and Robinson Class 04. Finishing with a SR 02 on the IOW, a GWR 4300 Class at Highclere and a Riddles Austerity.
A brilliant evening with approximately 70 viewers.
Rob Davidson, Branch Secretary