Film footage of an LNER B1 at Paddington

[whole diary]

[Robin Summerhill]

On anotherforum we have been discussing a film clip of Paddington filmed between 1960 and 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qY7kg49qIM

The obvious query is what was it doing there!



I don?t know of any regular working that would bring a B1 to Paddington, even less so hauling LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) stock. Furthermore, the fact that it is hauling LNER stock suggests that it originated on the ER; whilst it was not uncommon to see the odd LNER coach in Bristol in the 60s, for example, it would have been just that ? one coach in a rake.

I suspect it would have been a special working of some kind, although the Six Bells Junction site doesn?t give any information. The other option, and this could have been a special or a normal timetabled service, is a train that had come down the GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line) and had been diverted from Marylebone or Kensington Olympia into Paddington, possibly due to an engineering occupation or a short-notice diversion through a derailment or other short term operational incident.

I don?t know if anyone else?s eyesight is good enough to decipher the engine number (mine can?t) and this may give us a clue as to where it came from. The other point I noticed is that the engine is carrying a non-GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) style train reporting number, and in those days that would usually have indicated a special working.

Does anybody have some other ideas or know something about this working?

[JontyMort]

On anotherforum we have been discussing a film clip of Paddington filmed between 1960 and 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qY7kg49qIM

The obvious query is what was it doing there!



I don?t know of any regular working that would bring a B1 to Paddington, even less so hauling LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) stock. Furthermore, the fact that it is hauling LNER stock suggests that it originated on the ER; whilst it was not uncommon to see the odd LNER coach in Bristol in the 60s, for example, it would have been just that ? one coach in a rake.

I suspect it would have been a special working of some kind, although the Six Bells Junction site doesn?t give any information. The other option, and this could have been a special or a normal timetabled service, is a train that had come down the GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line) and had been diverted from Marylebone or Kensington Olympia into Paddington, possibly due to an engineering occupation or a short-notice diversion through a derailment or other short term operational incident.

I don?t know if anyone else?s eyesight is good enough to decipher the engine number (mine can?t) and this may give us a clue as to where it came from. The other point I noticed is that the engine is carrying a non-GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) style train reporting number, and in those days that would usually have indicated a special working.

Does anybody have some other ideas or know something about this working?

I would agree diversion from Marylebone off the joint line seems the most likely.

[eightf48544]

B1s were regularly to be seen in summer on Slough Shed having hauled excursions to Windsor off the GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line).

[JontyMort]

B1s were regularly to be seen in summer on Slough Shed having hauled excursions to Windsor off the GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line).

Via Greenford, presumably?

[eightf48544]

B1s were regularly to be seen in summer on Slough Shed having hauled excursions to Windsor off the GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line).

Via Greenford, presumably?

Often via Bourne End and the West Curve at Slough.

[TonyN]

Does anyone know when the west curve at Slough closed?
I went on a Hymek hauled school excursion to Windsor in July 1967 but that required a run round in the platform at Slough.

[stuving]

Does anyone know when the west curve at Slough closed?
I went on a Hymek hauled school excursion to Windsor in July 1967 but that required a run round in the platform at Slough.

According to Wikipedia:

The western chord, known as the "Royal" or "Queen's" Curve, was little used except by excursion traffic and royal trains (hence its nickname). It was closed through lack of use in 1964 and was used for a time to stable carriages, after which the track was lifted.