European Railroad Discussion > Oh to be in England: Hull 1984

One morning during my time in the Hull area my host took me on a tour of the area which included a brief visit to the Hull train station.  The station at Hull is a stub-end station with a line to the west and a line to the north.

1. Two Class 31/4 locomotives rest at the bumper posts with their trains.  There were evidently an impressive 14 platforms.  Austere looking apartment (flat) towers (blocks?) provide the urban background.

2. A decent roster shot of Class 31/4 number 31436 minus a view of the A1A trucks. British Rail did not always want you to be able to see the unit number. Note the two blue stars on the front of this locomotive.  My locomotive guide says "Multiple Working: Blue Star Coupling Code" but I don't really know what that means.

3. A two-unit MetroTrain DMU is seen adjacent to a covered platform at the station.

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4. A view of the other side of Class 31/4 31436 with an only marginally better view of the A1A trucks, but there is a unit number!

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Interesting shots! In British Rail days it was usual to have the locomotive/engine numbers (never referred to as units in the UK) at one end on reach side only. Multiple working was usually with only a limited number of 'similar' loco classes, so the 31s could work in multiple with other 31s, as well as other classes built around the same time (with similar brakes/control systems).

In the UK we call the wheelsets 'bogies', not trucks... there are lots of naming differences regarding railways between the two countries actually.

NMlurker Wrote:
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> One morning during my time in the Hull area my
> host took me on a tour of the area which included
> a brief visit to the Hull train station.  The
> station at Hull is a stub-end station with a line
> to the west and a line to the north.
>
> 1. Two Class 31/4 locomotives rest at the bumper
> posts with their trains.  There were evidently an
> impressive 14 platforms.  Austere looking
> apartment (flat) towers (blocks?) provide the
> urban background.
>
> 2. A decent roster shot of Class 31/4 number 31436
> minus a view of the A1A trucks. British Rail did
> not always want you to be able to see the unit
> number. Note the two blue stars on the front of
> this locomotive.  My locomotive guide says
> "Multiple Working: Blue Star Coupling Code" but I
> don't really know what that means.
>
> 3. A two-unit MetroTrain DMU is seen adjacent to a
> covered platform at the station.


The apartment blocks are called tower blocks in the UK, but an individual apartment is a flat if that makes sense?

Nice selection of photos again, the '80s are one of my favourite periods in rail.

2 - Blue Star is the code for which other types of loco the 31 can multi with, blue star is an electro-pneumatic system which uses a control air pipe to provide control of loco engine speed.

3 - the ubiquitous Class 101 DMU, among the longest lived - some lasted in regular service until 2003.

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exhaustED Wrote:
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> Interesting shots! In British Rail days it was
> usual to have the locomotive/engine numbers (never
> referred to as units in the UK) at one end on
> reach side only. Multiple working was usually with
> only a limited number of 'similar' loco classes,
> so the 31s could work in multiple with other 31s,
> as well as other classes built around the same
> time (with similar brakes/control systems).
>
> In the UK we call the wheelsets 'bogies', not
> trucks... there are lots of naming differences
> regarding railways between the two countries
> actually.

Not just railways of course.

Isn't it said we are two peoples divided by a common tongue? ;)

To be fair some many terms are not too dissimilar; sometimes it's the specifics or way the terms are used. Sometimes the US continues to use a term once common in the UK but now obsolete.

Engineer is a good example, we used to use that in the UK but driver for the person in control of the train has been the usual term in the UK for at least 100+ years now. Certainly my great grandfather who drove trains for the LNER from at least the 1920s-1940s was known as an 'engine driver' for his whole career and not an 'engineer'.

Posted from Android

You're absolutely right, 'Hexagon789'! Lol.

Do you know any details of the steam engines your great grandfather 'drove'? A4s, for example?

exhaustED Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You're absolutely right, 'Hexagon789'! Lol.
>
> Do you know any details of the steam engines your
> great grandfather 'drove'? A4s, for example?

A1s and A3s certainly, not sure about A4s. I'd have to see what Scottish depots were allocated in the period - I've an idea A4s were Gateshead, Newcastle and King's Cross, London but none allocated to Scotland in this era. Could be wrong though but I thought they were first allocated to Scottish depots after the East Coast Main Line was dieselised in 1961-62 with the A4s allocated to Scotland being used on internal Scottish services which their greater power allowed accelerations of while keeping within the then 75mph maximum permitted within Scotland.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/21 06:17 by Hexagon789.

I bow to your greater knowledge of steam matters, a fascinating period in railway history though.

exhaustED Wrote:
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> I bow to your greater knowledge of steam matters,
> a fascinating period in railway history though.

It's not really that great, my knowledge is more 1970s to present day. I have only a passing knowledge of steam operations.


I actually found out I was wrong, there were A4s allocated to Scotland during their pre-war heyday and pre-diesels in the 1940s/1950s. Haymarket Depot in Edinburgh had seven A4s allocated.

Just shows how good my knowledge is or rather isn't!

Posted from Android

NMlurker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One morning during my time in the Hull area my
> host took me on a tour of the area which included
> a brief visit to the Hull train station.  The
> station at Hull is a stub-end station with a line
> to the west and a line to the north.

I'm pretty sure when you were there Hull Paragon was still controlled by the pre-WW2 power signals installed by the LNER.

Hexagon789 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> exhaustED Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I bow to your greater knowledge of steam
> matters,
> > a fascinating period in railway history though.
>
> It's not really that great, my knowledge is more
> 1970s to present day. I have only a passing
> knowledge of steam operations.
>
>
> I actually found out I was wrong, there were A4s
> allocated to Scotland during their pre-war heyday
> and pre-diesels in the 1940s/1950s. Haymarket
> Depot in Edinburgh had seven A4s allocated.
>
> Just shows how good my knowledge is or rather
> isn't!
>

Live and learn! ;-)

exhaustED Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hexagon789 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > exhaustED Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I bow to your greater knowledge of steam
> > matters,
> > > a fascinating period in railway history
> though.
> >
> > It's not really that great, my knowledge is
> more
> > 1970s to present day. I have only a passing
> > knowledge of steam operations.
> >
> >
> > I actually found out I was wrong, there were
> A4s
> > allocated to Scotland during their pre-war
> heyday
> > and pre-diesels in the 1940s/1950s. Haymarket
> > Depot in Edinburgh had seven A4s allocated.
> >
> > Just shows how good my knowledge is or rather
> > isn't!
> >
>
> Live and learn! ;-)

My excuse is its before my period of interest! That's what I'm saying anyway!

Posted from Android

Not Bumpers, Bufffer.  More differences
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/21 03:58 by Rattie.