Passenger trains were rare on the Waterside branch line at Hadfield. In fact, there appear only to have been a handful during the line’s 85-year history. In late 1904 as part of a drive to improve the town’s railway services, Glossop Council approached the Great...
During 1957, cinema goers in the UK were in for a treat with The One That Got Away, starring Hardy Kruger as Luftwaffe pilot Oberleutnant Baron Franz von Werra. Produced by Earl St John and Julian Wintle, and directed by Roy Ward Baker, the film, based on a true...
When convoy HX 84 assembled at Halifax, Nova Scotia during late October 1940, it comprised 30 merchant ships escorted by the Royal Canadian Navy Town class destroyers HMCS Columbia (ex USS Haraden) and St Francis (ex USS Bancroft) and his majesty’s armed merchant...
For nearly six decades, Doctor Who has captivated audiences with its imaginative storytelling, iconic villains, and the ever-magnetic presence of the Doctor. Beyond the titular Time Lord, however, the series has also been a launchpad for numerous actors who have gone...
On Wednesday, 2 February 1916, driver George Lockwood and his fireman had brought the 1.40pm Leeds to Penistone in on time. Having arrived at 4.07pm, their Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 2-4-2 tank engine was detached from its train and was diagrammed to shunt...
We’ve all heard of gun runners, drug runners, booze runners, ciggy runners, and so on. A friend of mine even told me of his tee-total, staunch Methodist, aged great uncle whose weekly ‘running’ consisted of taking a bottle of Irish Whiskey to his equally aged, though...
Audrey Hepburn remains an enduring symbol of grace, beauty, and humanity. Born on May 4, 1929, in Brussels, Belgium, Hepburn's rise from her modest beginnings to become a Hollywood legend and a compassionate humanitarian is a story of inspiration and nostalgia....
The Blackpool Tramway is a British icon, one of the oldest electric tram systems in the world and a symbol of Blackpool's rich history. Stretching along the Lancashire coastline, the network has been intrinsically tied to Blackpool's evolution as a beloved seaside...
The Trafford Centre, nestled in Greater Manchester, England, stands as one of the United Kingdom's premier shopping and leisure destinations. Its journey through time is a fascinating story of persistence and evolution. Let's take a closer look at how this iconic...
You are going to be disappointed if you think this article might be a review for a new movie in the Iron Man Franchise from Marvel Studios. Our iron man isn’t Robert Downey Jr. It is in fact Freddie Steele who became one of Port Vale’s most loved and respected...
Douglas Earle Marshall, Locomotive, Carriage & Wagon Superintendent of the London Brighton & South Coast Railway was on a roll. The company was pleased with the success of his I3 class 4-4-2 tank engines, so much so that Douglas was given free reign to design a 4-6-2 tank engine capable of hauling the heaviest express trains between London and Brighton.
During July 1910 the first of these locomotives, No.325 Abergavenny, was built at Brighton Works and designated class J1. The locomotive performed well and in May 1911 the company authorized the construction of a second engine No.326 Bessborough.
However, Marshall was not a well man and went on long term sick leave. He was superseded by Lawson Butzkopfski Billinton who made detail design changes to No.326 before construction commenced. The changes were sufficient for Bessborough to be designated class J2.
Of the two, Bessborough was said to perform well and was the faster machine.
When the LB&SCR was absorbed into the Southern Railway, Bessborough was renumbered 2326.
The engine, minus its name, was allocated to Tunbridge Wells West when British Railways was formed, though it was four months before its new number 32326 was painted on the cab sides and new numberplate fitted to the smokebox.
32326 didn’t survive long under BR ownership. On week ending 7 October 1950, the engine was officially listed as being reallocated to Brighton.
Eight months later on week ending 2 June 1951, she was withdrawn from service after 39 years, three months and four days. She was cut up during July 1951.
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Featured Image – 32326 on New Cross Gate MPD. – Photographer not known. Collection Clive Hardy
Clive is our Transport and Railway writer, with years of experience he is a fount of knowledge on all things transport nostalgia.