Time Capsules
A4 Steam Locomotive Sir Ralph Wedgwood
Photo of the A4 class Steam Locomotive 60006 'Sir Ralph Wedgwood'. Here seen at signal box 'North Box', Peterborough (England).
The 60006 was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built in 1938 at the Doncaster Works (LNER). A total of 35 were built in this class and although six or so have been preserved, unfortunately the 'Sir Ralph Wedgwood' did not survive modernisation and was disposed off in 1965 in Motherwell.
The sign 'The Capitals Limited' was to promote the non-stop services between King's Cross, London and Waverley Station, Edinburgh with stops at Dundee and Aberdeen.
Photo © The Step Back Through Time Collection
Picture added on 08 November 2008
This picture is in the following groups
Step back through Time, trains and stations
Step back through Time, trains and stations
I love this picture as I saw this beautiful engine as a child in 1952. I'd love to be able to save it to MY DOCUMENTS.
Added by Elinor Herbert on 15 May 2009
No 6 did not have a corridor tender, so I am somewhat puzzled as to why it is on this train, other than a similar loco fitted with a corridor tender had failed further up the line. Doesn't she look good though. Lots of spit and polish here from Kings Cross Cleaners.
Added by Ken Morey on 10 October 2009
Ended her days on the Glasgow to Aberdeen 3 hour expresses introduced in 1962 and against all odds worked by steam, mostly A4s.
Added by Paul Strathdee on 19 November 2009
Peterborough was a busy junction on the GNR/LNER/BR Eastern Region route from Kings Cross to the north. Ben Brooksbank's 1958 photograph shows the approaches to the station: www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2261350
Added by Martin Bodman on 08 February 2011
Ah! Happy memories. I lived in Peterborough from 1957 to 1962, and spent many hours spotting at the station, although more were spent in the "fairground" car park just south of the river, as you could see the lines from the East station as well as the main line from North station.
The station itself had an overall roof and the tracks were curved through it, which meant speed was restricted to (I think) 20mph. This was no good for high speed services, so the whole station area was rebuilt and realigned later.
The station itself had an overall roof and the tracks were curved through it, which meant speed was restricted to (I think) 20mph. This was no good for high speed services, so the whole station area was rebuilt and realigned later.
Added by Mike Caird on 09 February 2011
England
BR no. 60006 shown here was LNER no. 4466, originally named "Herring Gull", and received the name "Sir Ralph Wedgwood" in January 1944.