THE RAILWAY PHOTGRAPHS OF PETER BATTY

RECONNAISSANCE WITH A CAMERA

Please note...some photos have been re-sized to fit the page. If the text is illegible - simply click on photo (as you would a thumbnail) to see the original (readable) size.

To give credit where it's due, the compilation of this website would not have been possible without the support of many 'seasoned old timers' (now well past the Big Six-'0') who have all shared a small boy's passion for collecting engine numbers at one time or other. As the years rolled by, many turned their attention to railway photography - a natural adjunct to train spotting - and spurred on by the

pictures that appeared in the monthly railway magazines, set about the task of recording the railway scene for the sheer joy of it. One such man is Peter Batty, whose collection of railway photographs date back to the 'Big Four' railway companies (LNER; LMSR; GWR; SR) before they came into public ownership in 1948. His shot of a rather grimy Stanier Pacific No 46245 City of London - still carrying LMS on the tender - was taken at Camden shed on 4th April 1950. Now retired, PR Batty has dedicated his time to the Friends of the National Railway Museum as member of the editing staff on the quarterly journal, 'Review'.

(Below) To facilitate the increase in wartime freight traffic to English ports, the Southern Railway’s CME 1937-1947, OV Bullied designed the Class ‘Q1’ 0-6-0. This all-purpose engine had a maximum tractive effort of 30,000lb with a minimum weight of 51 tons 5cwt which gave the Q1 the widest possible route availability throughout the SR network. Shortages of materials meant that Bullied had to dispense with traditional locomotive embellishments such as a footplate, wheel splashers and, in place of spoked

wheels, a lighter ‘boxpox’ variety was used instead. The unusual ‘bucket-style’ chimney and non-cylindrical outer cladding of the boiler casing (made up of three sections) gave the engines the dubious distinction of being one of the ‘ugliest’ ever seen on Britain’s railways. Nonetheless, Bullied succeeded in producing a locomotive almost 14 tons lighter than any other engines of comparable size and power. Here, the ‘no frills’ design is clearly seen as No 33016 shares the company of a more conventional Class ‘700’ No 30684 at Nine Elms in June 1956 . Photo © PR Batty

(Below) This charming shot of 'E' class 4-4-0 No 31166 at Bricklayers Arms in April 1953, gives some idea of the grimy conditions to be found at steam sheds in the Fifties. By the 1960s, Britain was showing signs of recovery from the ravages of World War 2, and more lucrative job prospects were being offered in alternative industries than BR had on its books. Therefore few willing hands could be found to do the hard, dirty job of cleaning and firing steam engines at depots, and BR's ageing steam fleet fell into a dire state of cleanliness. The 'E' class was a Wainwright design, introduced in 1905 for the South Eastern & Chatham Railway. Harry Wainwright was appointed the SECR's locomotive superintendent between 1899-1913, and produced several designs comprised of robust and conventional 0-6-0, 0-4-4T and 4-4-0 locomotive types, several of which survived into BR days. The last 'E' class was withdrawn in 1955 and Bricklayers Arms shed (73B) closed its doors at the beginning of the 1962 summer timetable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PETER BATTY PICTURE GALLERY