Guest Book: Page 15

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I used to live in Rugby, Warwickshire but no longer live any where near. Mike's site though is fantastic, bringing back many memories.

Bernard Dodd

I work for Warwickshire County Council’s Education for Children who are Out of School Service (ECOS) – based in Rugby. The reason why I am writing to you is that we are working on a fascinating project called 'Beyond the School' which compares historical photographs with images of the same places today.

Our young people are tasked with identifying the locations featured in historic photographs so that they can capture new photographs of the same locations. The educational project involves young people tracing the story behind changes to our environment. We have regular meetings in Rugby Museum and Art Gallery; the project will culminate in an exhibition in April on the same place. We will also print calendar with best results (best pairs of photos) and pairs memory game.

More information about the project can be found on project website Beyond the school. I have found your website, which is really amazing and full of great photos and information! I am wondering if there is some possibility of using old photos from your website for our educational purposes. I am particularly interested in photos with reference gcrcs98 – 100.

I went through the copyright section, but I have not found the right person to contact. I would be really grateful If you can help me with it.

Thanks a lot Looking forward to hearing from you - Bara Peskova

Hi Bara - The photographs you refer to are by SWA Newton now part of the English Heritage collection and whilst I have the odd photo the majority of my collection (including the ones you are interested in) are derived from their website. Some 6,500 of SWA Newton’s glass negatives survive in the care of English Heritage’s National Monuments Record in Swindon and the Record Office for Leicestershire Leicester and Rutland in Wigston and Leicestershire County Council hold the rights to lots of them, so I am sure they will help should you contact them. They have 'The Learning Zone' - designed for teachers and students to use actively to build upon the resources provided in the rest of the Transport Archive'.

In the 1890s Sydney Walter Alfred Newton, a young commercial photographer in Leicester conceived a singular passion – to record in detail the construction of the London Extension of the Great Central Railway, from Nottingham to Marylebone. Travelling the route with his heavy plate camera he produced a unique archive of the railway and its associated engineering triumphs, the navvy gangs who built it, and the people and long-lost rural life of the villages along the line. I hope this helps - if you need any help regarding other areas where I probably have a photo - please do not hesitate to ask. All the best with your project and tell us when its complete and we can see their efforts. - Mike

Hi. I am helping a friend to research a death of a Thomas Price on Christmas Day 1899. He was decapitated by a railway engine. His occupation was an engine driver and we understand he worked at Saltley Gas Works, Birmingham.

I just wondered if you could offer me any advice as to how we might get more information about this man. We can't currently access Central Library Birmingham until February, its our intention to see if there are newspaper reports from the day, and also a coroners report. Would the engine drivers involved in shunting be employed by the Gas Board or the Railway Company? Do you think maybe there might be other records? And if so where might we look for them?

I am stunned with the fantastic images you hold on your website, I'm not what you would call a railway fanatic, but I am heavily involved with the history of Aston & Birmingham. Thank you for what is a brilliant on-line resource.

Rod Birch

Rod - Thanks for the kind words regarding the website. Large private sidings such as Gas Works etc often had their own locomotives with their own drivers. I do not know in this instance but I can suggest some forums where you can ask the question with hopefully a better chance on getting some answers. Try the following forums/archive sources:

New Railway Modellers
Google Groups UK Railways
National Preservation Steam Traction
The Railways Archive
National Archives

If anyone can help by providing information or pointing Rod in the right direction please let me know.

WONDERFUL SITE!!! Congratulations on this fabulous collection. My wife's grandfather was an LMS driver out of Saltley Sheds so to come across all these fantastic photos is just brilliant.

Thanks a million - Terry Stanners

The caption with your picture of No 44942 says "Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 Black 5 No 44942 runs forward to be turned on Rugby's turntable after being coaled and watered. Its excellent condition indicates that it must have only just left the works after being overhauled." - I think this picture was taken on the day of the Queen's visit to Coventry to consecrate the new cathedral. This engine was one of a pair of Black 5's that hauled the train.

Michael Byng

Excellent site. Found it by Googling "Lens of Sutton".

Peter G Scott

Why can't we simply download the lists of photographs available? I am looking for anything re: Bridgend.

Peter.Pimwong

Peter - I can understand your frustration. You need to understand that I am not connected to the selling of any of the photographs and the lists are only included on the site as a service to readers. If they were made available I would of course make them downloadable.

My grandfather was a steam engine driver on the LMS. Excellent web site. When I was young he always told us stories of the railway and the LMS/GWR conflict in the area. Great web site. Will continue to use it.

Steve Parker

Hi Steve - If you can recall any of his stories I am sure we would all like to hear them.

In response to my reply to his earlier email, Gerry wrote "Hello Mike. I quite understand the point about captions. I have just set up a much more modest web site to display my wildlife photographs and up loading was the easy bit, the narrative was the challenging bit. My main problem with detail is that when she was alive my dear mother had one of her clear outs and with all the rubbish went my photographic note books. As I have now just retired I will make it a small project to sift out some of what I think may be the more interesting stuff.

I have a scanner so it will be a good rainy day job. (at our present rate that wont be long coming) Fortunately my brother in law has a much better recall of dates so I can draw on him when I have got the list together It might take a little while but I will let you have some stuff. Equally I am happy to take responsibility for the words if you think the photos are OK".

Best wishes - Gerry

Many thanks Gerry. It was my 'first' wife not my mother who did the damage to the records of my collection of photos. Dates are obviously helpful if known, otherwise use the proverbial 'circa' to give an approximate date. My main point regarding the expansion of descriptions was that locomotive build and scrapping details turns a half sentence caption into a reasonable length as well as adding information. Anyway, I am more than happy for you to take responsibility for the words.

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