Chris Ward's Annesley Website

It is with regret that I have to report the passing of another of our ex-colleagues, Driver John (Jack) Davison on 4th November 2008. His funeral is at Mansfield Crematorium on Monday 10th November at 11.40 am.

NEW! "Tornado" at the Great Central!!

CLICK TO VIEW SLIDE SHOW

CLICK TO VIEW SLIDE SHOW

Annesley MPD 9th May 1964 (click above to view)

Click HERE for photos of the 2007 Christmas Dinner / Reunion

Click HERE to see photos from the reunion held at Peak Rail on June 25th 2008 DON'T FORGET.....Click the thumbnails to enlarge!

A NEW PAGE! Signal Boxes between Annesley and Woodford. Click Here.....

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29th August 1959. . See the Photo Gallery for another pic of "Q6" 0-8-0 no.63349 over on no.7 road

Photo from the Roy Warhurst collection.

Annesley Motive Power Depot on a grey day in July 1961

Click HERE to see over 200 photos of Annesley MPD.

CLICK THE PIC TO GO TO THE "DIDO" PAGE

"N7" 0-6-2T no.69691 stands on no.1 road, ready for her next "dido" duty on 24th May 1953

Scroll to the bottom to add your own memories of Annesley and/or the GC.
All contributions (however small) VERY welcome!

" Sounds of Steam"

1: "A3" 4-6-2 No.60102 "Sir Frederick Banbury" accelerates the "Master Cutler" after a signal check near Princes Risborough. November 1955.
2: "A3" 4-6-2 No.60050 "Persimmon" restarts the down "South Yorkshireman" out from Aylesbury on a December evening in 1955.
3: Leicester "V2" 2-6-2 No.60831 roars through Princes Risborough with the late-running "Newspapers" on a clammy August night in 1958.

"A3 " 4-6-2 60054 "Prince of Wales" At Nottingham Victoria . (Withdrawn from 34E June 1964)

Steam on the ex-GC around Nottingham

Click here to see photographs of the ex-Great Central and Great Northern lines around Nottingham

"The Olden Days"

Annesley yard shunter 1912

Ex-"ROD" 2-8-0 no.6262 at Annesley c.1929

She was rebuilt in 1944 as "O4/8" no.63819 and withdrawn from Langwith Jct in November 1965

From the Engine Shed directory 1947:

"The shed is on the East Side of the Great Northern Leen Valley Branch (closed to passenger traffic) about two and a half miles north of Hucknall. At this point the L.M.S. Nottingham - Mansfield, the Leen Valley Branch, and the G.C. Main lines are running parallel. The actual position of the shed is 53.04.20N; 01.12.50W - ANNESLEY"

Yours Truly, now a fireman at Peak Rail

July 25th saw another "get-togethsr" at Peak Rail, Rowsley. Click the above pic to see more photos!

I first started being interested in trains (i.e.trainspotting) around 1952. (I know that it was about this time, because one of the first "namers" I saw was "B1" 4-6-0 no.61029 "Chamois", and it was transferred from Sheffield Darnall (41A) to St.Margarets (64A) in 1953)

I was seven years old, and used to walk from my home at 27 Abbots Rd, Beauvale Estate all the way down Sandy Lane, to Hucknall National Junior School.

As I crossed the bridge over the GC I used to wait at around 08.30 for the "Master Cutler on its southbound journey to London Marylebone. It was always headed by one of Leicester's (38C) "A3"s, nos. 60049 "Galtee More", 60052 "Prince Palatine", 60054 "Prince of Wales", 60102 " Sir Frederick Banbury", 60104 "Solario" and 60107 "Royal Lancer". I would then wait for the "twenty to niner", Maylebone to Bradford,usually headed by a "V2" 2-6-0. Then it was run like mad to get to school before assembly at 08.55!
All my available spare time was spent on the fence outside Hucknall Central Station - I'm sure it never rained in those far-off days!

My Railway Career
(Memories of an Annesley fireman)

After passing my 11-plus,as a pupil of Carlton-Le-Willows (Nottingham) Grammar School, I was expected to leave school at 16+ having taken my G.C.E’s. Not bloody likely! I begged and pleaded with my mother to send a letter to the headmaster asking for my release on my fifteenth birthday. I suspect he was only too glad to oblige! The only things I was interested in, were girls, sports and rock ’n’ roll. The only job I ever wanted to do was to be an engine driver (didn’t we all!), so after an brief interview with Mr. Ede, the Shedmaster, and a subsequent medical at Derby, I started my working life at Annesley ( coded 16D,-ex 38B) at 08.00 on January 11th 1960.

Annesley MPD viewed from Newstead (GN) crossing.

After passing Newstead box, the gradient steepens to 1 in 75! (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

ANNESLEY MOTIVE POWER DEPOT

A 1957 view. Note the "A5" 4-6-2 tank on the slip road.

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Annesley M.P.D. c.1963/4

Copyright Colin Swainson Oct 1965

Four "Black 5's" stand on the shed front. Three months later Annesley closed completely.

Photo copyright Roy Warhurst.

An unidentified "9F" 2-10-0 stands under the coaling plant on a busy afternoon.

"K3" 61804 has just come off the ashpits. She was withdrawn from Woodford (2F) in March 1962

Sunday 2nd June 1957

Frodingham (36C) O4/6 2-8-0 no.63906 outside the shed shunters cabin. withdrawn from 36C Jan.1965

Sunday 25th August 1963.

92033 has just been disposed of, and is on her way to the turntable.

"Standard 5" 4-6-0 73156 stands on no.1 road in 1959. Withdrawn from Bolton (9K) in Nov.1967

Photo c.1958/59

"K3" 2-6-0 no. 61975 is under the sheer legs, "Pom-Pom" 0-6-0 no.64375 is on the adjacent road.

After repairs, 92093 has just been lit up. In a few hours she will be on her way to Woodford again.

Click here for more photos of Annesley MPD.

Annesley MPD Allocation in 1960

Ex LMR 2-6-2 Push & Pull Tanks 41280 41320


Ex-LMR 2-6-0 "Crabs" 42769 42784 42847 42872 42897

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"Crab" 2-6-0 no.42784 waits to go off shed on 22nd May 1959

"Black Five" 4-6-0's 44932 45116 45223 45234 45450

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"Black Five" 4-6-0 no.45234 stands on the ashpits ready for disposal. 1965. (Wdn. from 9D Sept 1967)

Ex-LNER "O1" 2-8-0's 63578 63579 63591 63610 63676 63689 63711 63740 63752 63777 63789 63792 63796 63806 63808 63817 63838 63854 63865 63867 63869 63886 63901

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"O1" 2-8-0 no.63865 propels a brake van towards Annesley North Junction. January 1962

Ex-Great Central "Pom-Pom" 0-6-0's 64375 64420

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"Pom-Pom" no.64420 is leaving the shed on her way to another pilot job in this photo taken 24/8/58

Ex-LNER J39 "Standard" 0-6-0's 64739 64798 64955

BR "9F" 92010 92011 92012 92013 92030 92031 92032 92033 92043 92067 92068 92069 92071 92072 92073 92074 92075 92076 92087 92088 92089 92090 92091 92092 92093 92094 92095 92096


Diesel Shunters D3859 D3860 D3861
Total: 71

Five years later, only three types of steam engine remained on Annesley's books; ex-LMS 5MT's and 8F's, and BR 9F's:

"Black Fives": 44665 44717 44835 44847 44848 44932 44984 45215 45234 45301 45333 45334 45335 45342 45346 45406 45416 45450.

"8F'"s: 48037 48057 48079 48141 48166 48168 48142 48293 48304 48324 48363 48378 48661.

"9F"'s: 92011 92013 92014 92030 92031 92032 92033 92043 92067 92068 92069 92071 92072 92073 92074 92075 92083 92087 92088 92090 92091 92092 92093 92094 92095 92096 92113 92132 92154.

Diesel Shunters D3859 D3860 D3861

Total: 64

Express Passenger Engines

Class "6P" and "7P" locomotives allocated to Annesley in the 'sixties are as follows:

"Britannia" 4-6-2's

(click to enlarge)

Note the brackets for the "Golden Arrow" on the smoke deflector

70014	Iron Duke	June 1962 - Oct 1962
70015	Apollo	June 1962 - Oct 1962
70048 70049	The Territorial Army 1908 - 1958 Solway Firth	June 1962 - Oct 1962 June 1962 - Oct 1962

Photo copyright I.Smith, courtesy of Brian Orange

Firemen "Nobby" Clark and Brian Orange are (probably) making a shunting movement with 70049

Photo copyright Tony Parker

Willesden (1A) "Britannia" 4-6-2 no.70031 "Byron" at Annesley 8/9/63

"Patriot" 4-6-0's

45529

Stephenson

October 1963 - Jan 1964

Fireman Pete Bradbury and Shunter Gordon Langholm

"Rebuilt Patriot" 4-6-0 45530 "Sir Frank Ree" (1A) ready to work the 17.15 to London.10th Oct 1963

45522 "Prestatyn" stand under the "legs" in this undated view.

"Jubilee" 4-6-0's

45626

Seychelles

November 1962 - Jan 1963

Rebuilt "Jubilee" 4-6-0's

45735

Comet

October 1963 - Sept 1964

"Royal Scot" 4-6-0's

Copyright M.Castledine (13th Jan 1964)

46165 "The Ranger (12th London Regt..)" passes New Basford with the ecs for the 17.15 to Marylebone

46101	Royal Scots Grey	December 1962 - August 1963
46111	Royal Fusilier	January 1963 - Sept 1963
46112	Sherwood Forester	September 1962 - March 1964
46122 CLICK TO ENLARGE!