Category: History

Posted on

Ghost train: Northampton to Peterborough.

I received this from Mark Hernandez Deputy Editor of Nene Steam. My thanks to him for this contribution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ARtlQ16skU

I’ve seen the video above shared on a few local railway groups I belong to on social media and by a lot of NVR volunteers so I got in contact with James, the young lad who created it . He kindly agreed to a short Q&A over email which I’ve included below.

Hi Marc. No problem. I am glad you like the vid it is probably the longest I have made in this format! (Ghost Train)I’ll try and answer as best I can.

Q – What made you decide to produce a then and now animated journey on the Northampton-Peterborough railway? I take it’s part of a series you’ve been doing of lost/closed railways

A –  I chose the Northampton – Peterborough line in part via a suggestion from one of my followers. Every now and then I will throw a poll or question as to where I should explore next with my various projects – after I had produced several “Ghost Train” films in this style it was recommended that I take a look at the Northampton to Peterborough line. On quick inspection I discovered some interesting changes to the local landscape. (A lot of the track seems to be cutting through water/ lakeland in many places.) I myself am not a local being based in North Norfolk.  However I am always interested in dramatic change from anywhere in the country and railways provide a striking albeit poignant one. 
Q – Have you got any local connections to the original railway or ‘Nene Valley’ area?

A – I have not been to the Nene Valley but no doubt its on the to do list after all these lockdowns!
Q – Can you briefily talk us through the process of how you created the video? Time it took etc
A – I split into phases with these films. First I research the stations along the route – what images are available to use etc then I plot the route out on both the old map and the modern day. I then synchronize the two so they work in tandem with one another. I can then animate the train and add in any extra “cutscenes” showing the on the ground locations as they are now. True trainiacs will note that the locomotive I have been using isn’t authentic to the line but that is more a limitation of my resources and should be taken as illustrative of the route rather than a reflection of the original railway. I can usually get one of these done in a matter of a few days – with the pandemic I have had more time than usual to devote to such projects!
If you could link to my youtube channel that would be a great help. https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesFoxTimeTravelArtist/  Let me know if there are any other questions and I will try  and answer as best I can!

Please visit the James Fox YouTube channel. The history of the railway and its social implications are my areas of interest, so I personally found this video very interesting.

Posted on

The Wansford to Stamford Branch Line.

Occasionally you will, when trawling through the junk on YouTube come across little gems. Here is one such gem.

© Peterborough Images

The video is from Peterborough Images, please look at their YouTube channel and also their excellent web site at www.peterboroughimages.co.uk where there are many pictures of not only the railways of Peterborough but also pictures from around the city.

My thanks for their permission to link to the video.

Posted on

Great Northern Lamp

Just a couple of images of a Great Northern Railway Company lamp from New England I photographed a few years ago.

Not the greatest of images but they do show the lamp and also it’s identification plate.

© Robert Maskill
© Robert Maskill

Posted on

Does the river flood very often?

One question that I have often been asked over the years, especially when it was raining was does the river flood very often?

The answer is yes it does on a regular basis and depending on the amount of rain the level of the river can change dramatically.

This year Nene Park was quoted as saying that it’s one of the worst winters yet for flooding.

Here are three pictures taken a few years ago at Orton Mere showing how the river can overflow and how close it can get to the station.

The lock at Orton Staunch © Patrick Knight
© Patrick Knight
© Patrick Knight

The above show the waters flooding immediately behind platform 2.

As a visitor said to me a few years ago. It makes a change from photographing trains.

Posted on

Putting a label on things

Here are two labels from my collection of photographed items.

Whilst not connected directly with the NVR they do show that Peterborough was an important staging post for goods by rail through the area and across the country.

Now the one above is for fish from Mallaig in Scotland to Lowestoft on the East coast.
I would guess some will be thinking why send fish from Scotland to a port on the East Anglian coast?

Well as far as I can find out they used to follow the herring around the coast and it was sent to Lowestoft for processing, should you know differently please drop me an email.

This image above again shows fish from the West coast of Scotland to the East coast of England. But in this case to Gt Yarmouth.

Judging by the date on the top left of the second image these are from the 1930’s

Should you have any more you can add to what I have written above reference the transportion of the fish from one port to another then I would love to hear from you.
Contact details are in the right hand column.

Posted on

A few more tickets

Previous posts showing old tickets have been popular with some site visitors asking if we have any more.

So here are a few more old tickets. I hope you enjoy them.

Wansford to Penrith
Castor to Northampton for a bicycle
Castor to Northampton 3rd class
Peterborough East to Wansford
Uppingham to Peterborough via Wansford.
Peterborough North Platform Ticket
Posted on

Old Railway Maps.

There is a lot to be learnt from old railway maps.

Take this one for example:-

Right click on image and save to computer to view a bigger version

If you look at this map you will be able to follow the line from Wansford to Peterborough and beyond.

The keen ones will notice the line from just outside Wansford to Stamford. Also you will notice this map predates the Fletton Loop.

It’s interesting to use something like Google Earth to follow the old lines that whilst on this map don’t exist anymore, the Stamford one being a good example.

Have a try and look at what you can see from current on line maps of what still survives.

Posted on

Advertisements and tickets

Many tickets these days seem to have adverts on the back for a variety of things from half price burgers to free cinema tickets.

Well back in the day railway tickets also had advertisements , however these were in the form of slip in adverts into pockets in the ticket.

Here are a couple of examples, I do wonder how successful they were.

Would they have encouraged you to purchase anything?

Would you buy a ticket from Nassington and be tempted to buy China tea?