| Launched to complement our successful and popular District Controller's View series, BRITISH RAILWAY CENTRES follows a similar format but concentrates on the minutiae of daily 1950's operating at specific locations. The first in the series makes a detailed examination of minute-by-minute operations at LEEDS CENTRAL on a typical 1957 day and covers every aspect of operations from the prestigious Queen of Scots Pullman to the individual movements of the station pilot - a duty, incidentally, covered by no less than thirteen engines in the course of a day! All the Great Northern services to Kings Cross are given their share of attention - the classes and sheds of engine allocated to each service are naturally shown - as is the surprisingly high number of stopping trains to Doncaster which varied greatly in nature from an A3 and three coaches to a B1 with nine. Operations at Leeds encompassed a great deal more than the Kings Cross expresses and included a very intensive suburban service to Bradford, Castleford and Harrogate. All these are described in detail as are the London Midland (L&Y) services which ran to West Lancashire and Liverpool via Halifax and Manchester Victoria and produced the sight of Black 5 4-6-0's and LMS 2-6-4T's rubbing shoulders with Gresley Pacifics and B1 4-6-0's. Amongst the secrets unfolded is the time of the daily visit by a Newton Heath Jubilee 4-6-0 (rare at Leeds Central) and the movements of Southport 5MT 4-6-0's. Also shown in full are the carriage workings of the LM trains from Leeds Central and the unique fifteen day (!) cycle worked by each of the Stanier 3-coach sets as they progressed through the timetable. A running commentary on the station working is given together with full details of traffic and locomotive matters; the latter including the allocation of Leeds and Bradford engines for the entire 1950's together with - never before published - the full engine diagrams for the locomotives working into the area. The 1957 Leeds - Doncaster/Bradford Working Timetable is also included. Continent: Europe
Country: UK |
