What was I doing 50 years ago today

1st March 1976

From 1974 until 1985 I was based in BR Nottingham Division offices at Furlong House. The office was built on part of the old Nottingham steam shed yard and from my desk I overlooked the west approach to Nottingham and the extensive goods yards. On this day, a Monday I seem to have anticipated the sunny day, taken to work my camera and spent my lunch hour photographing over the boundary fence by the office. The class 31 is interesting as at this point in time they were not that common at this location,

08617 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/6010356539/
20067 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5775649398/
20169 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/8058561725/
25118 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/8018513600/
31180 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/7855342790/
45054 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/48622590171/
45147 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5900031276/
45148 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5538256038/
47213 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/8282595677/

 

6th March 1976

A sunny Saturday ride out from Nottingham to Peterborough via Leicester.

08713 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/9515279626/
25099 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/7554107676/
31255 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/8494561668/
45121 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/14003362545/
47413 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5976425655/
47426 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/6067878359/
47457 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/16202813945/
47459 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/9048279052/
55022 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5979972763/

 

7th March 1976

A grey, damp Sunday and a somewhat strange day out. Outbound from Nottingham via the Midland Main Line, brief visits to Kings Cross and Paddington, a bit longer at Euston, and a return up the West Coast via Birmingham

1072 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/6225795836/
55010 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/6855374207/
86022 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/16701149452/
86208 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/15578038670/
86213 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/16160430687/
86237 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/49929017201/
86250 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/35032556310/

 

Helping return GWR pannier 3738 to steam when I should have been doing my engineering degree. I believe it is still the fastest return to steam from Barry ever, 1975 t0 1977 or 2 1/2 years. Mind you it had gone through Swindon 6 months before withdrawal. One of my favorite stories remains the contrast between the general public idiot questions and crazy statements to that of an old man leaning on a stick. I was getting the gunk off the frames of the locomotive and he stopped and watched me for a bit. I too stopped and looked at him. He hit me with an amazing question which I did my best to answer. He nodded and came up with another stunner. I did my best. He nodded again and went away. In Didcot shed you can only go two ways between the pits. I went the other way to the one he did and found one of the stalwarts "Who was that old man who quizzed me?". "Ah, you just met Ernie Nutty, he was on the Swindon test staff in the '50s!"