Note the graffiti saying 'Make Peace Not War Pacts'
Note also the pale, almost circular area on the side of the engine's tender; this appears to be a British Railways feature known as a totem (emblem). Therefore, dating of the photograph can be further refined, as British Railways came into being in 1948. The very thin, vertical structure planted in the ground on the nearest side of the viaduct on the left (behind the smoke) could possibly be part of the Woodhead electrication caternary (overhead wiring). Electrified services to Sheffield (Victoria) station began in 1954. The engine was running light , a railway term meaning without a train (this looks like one of the '04' heavy-freight class).
Information from J Thickitt. |