Rail Album - SECR Photographs

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Rail Album for railway and other photographs

SECR Photo A.
This is Sydenham Hill station, which can be identified by the church and the other building in the background (both of which were still standing when this web page was prepared). Photo taken looking away from London.

The station buildings on the Down platform are in the process of being built. The scaffolding has joints, but they are not of the design that we see today. There is a repeater signal just beyond the footbridge, presumably necessary because the tunnel would have severely limited visibility of any signal at the far end.

SECR Photo A Feedback:
The date is suggested as 1911. It is certainly after 1899 because a photo of that date shows no canopy on the Down platform. The station was improved in 1906 and was altered in 1911 (longer platforms and new signalbox).

Rail Album for railway and other photographs

SECR Photo B.
An early 0-4-2T in a station. The headboard appears to say "Beckenham Jctn".

SECR Photo B Feedback:
The station is identified as Holborn Viaduct. Locomotive is a London Chatham & Dover Railway Kirtley class D, 'Large Scotchman' 0-4-2WT. These were reboilered with domed boilers between 1901 and 1903 and the last one was withdrawn in May 1914. The smokebox at the left of the photograph belongs to a LCDR Kirtley class E 'Scotchman' 0-4-2WT, the last one of which was withdrawn in May 1909. So the photograph was taken between 1901 and 1909.

Rail Album for railway and other photographs
SECR Photo C.
A tank loco with curved splashers and cab sheets.

SECR Photo C Feedback:
An LCDR 'Scotchman' class locomotive. Beyond the loco is an island platform, so the location may be Beckenham Junction, Bromley South or Herne Hill.

Rail Album for railway and other photographs
SECR Photo D.
This view shows three signalboxes within a handful of yards of each other. The location is assumed to be Bricklayers Arms, on the basis that this was the only large yard on the SECR.

The signal posts in the foreground carry signals for traffic in both directions and are of the old slotted type, where the signal could disappear into a slot in the post when in the ?off? position. They were phased out after the GNR Abbots Ripton crash when ice caused one of them to freeze in the slot and it could not be returned to danger.

SECR Photo D Feedback:
It is suggested that the location could alternatively be in the Slade Green area.

Rail Album for railway and other photographs
SECR Photo E.
SECR 4-4-0 at a wooden station whose name begins with the letter "H". The first vehicle in the train has a "birdcage" compartment above the roof line, which allowed the guard to look back along the train.

SECR Photo E Feedback:
There is strong agreement that the location is Hither Green station, specifically the Dartford Loop line platforms.

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