From Grantham to Peterborough on ‘The White Rose’ in August 1962
Above: The White Rose awaits departure for the south at Peterborough (North) station.
All photographs by Colin Walker.
These pictures were taken during a trip between Grantham and Peterborough on the footplate of A1 No. 60130 Kestrel with The White Rose in August 1962. The footplate crew were from Copley Hill shed in Leeds.
The Leeds driver has his right hand on the regulator handle, controlling the power of steam being admitted to the locomotive's working cylinders. The pointer of the speedometer in the top right corner is 'on the pin', so we must be just getting on the move.
The White Rose was an express passenger service which ran on weekdays and SaturdaysbetweenLeeds Central and London King's Cross . This trip must have taken place on a Saturday because The White Rose did not call southbound at Grantham or Peterborough on Mondays to Fridays.
On a Saturday The White Rose departed from Leeds at 3.43pm. Coaches from Bradford Exchange were attached at Wakefield (Westgate) and further calls were made at Doncaster, Retford, Newark (North Gate), Grantham (5.48-5.52pm) and Peterborough (North) (6.38-6.43pm). The scheduled arrival time at London King's Cross was 8.8pm.
From the British Railways (Eastern Region) Passenger Services Timetable, 18th June to 9th September 1962. For copies of this and other timetables see the Timetable World website.Departing southbound from Grantham. Taken by leaning far out of the cab window, some of these pictures demonstrate how restricted was the view of the track immediately ahead from the cab of an express locomotive.Approaching Grantham South signal box on the right, we 'have the road' to proceed on the Up Main Line.Passing under the Great North Road through the distant bridge seen in the previous picture, we emerge from Spittlegate Cutting to cross the River Witham at Saltersford. With Grantham's water works on the right, here also is the north end of Saltersford Down Loop, its colour light signals controlled for Grantham South box..Almost three miles on, continuously climbing at 1 in 200, we approach the signal gantry at Highdyke. Here, on the down side, there was a yard and a branch line from which ironstone quarried locally was brought out to the main line for haulage to the blast furnaces of North Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire. Through the gantry we can see a feather of steam from one of the O2 locomotives which worked those trains. The embankment on the right carried two long, inclined sidings, with a third siding visible alongside the Down Main Line.Still climbing, we are about to enter the half-mile-long Stoke Tunnel which, on this occasion, is clear of smoke and steam from previous trains.'The White Rose' stands at Peterborough (North) station, Colin having left the footplate here. Opposite the third coach a carriage and wagon examiner is walking the length of the train to check for defects in wheels, axleboxes, springs, brakes and other equipment beneath the floor of the carriages.
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