R h n hardy collection
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RH448 Henri Dutertre and his last mate before the diesels came, P’tit Louis Lapierre(little Louis)who had fired for years on the E17 on the Paris jobs, a gentle giant whose shovel looked like a pencil in his enormous hands. They are running into Calais Ville with train 19 with the job well done(largely by me)and it is a splendid study of a happy Equipe. RH449 Francois Joly had K73 and when we joined him at Amiens, he produced a piece of chalk and marked the gauge glass one third full or else there would be trouble with priming but we did very well for I was used to the ways of the PLMs by that time. Francois stands as usual at his work,his right hand of the wheel that controls the amount of steam passing at higher pressure to the low pressure cylinders:in practice this is for about half a revolution after starting.The wheels below are the reversing wheel which also controls the travel or cut-off of the valves and to its right, the control of the adjustable blast-pipe cap. By reducing the orifice, the driver can sharpen the blast to improve the steaming against an exceptionally heavy train or advers weather conditions such as a westerly Atlantic gale across the Northern Plain. Chapelon’s engines had no such device nor did they need it! RH450 Jacques Deseigne was Joly’s fireman on both the E19 and K73 and we had know him since our first journey in 1958.He was an amusing and cheerful man who became an unlikely Communist councillor for Calais later on . He was a good chauffeur, a rough diamond by French standards and always had his bottle ready for our refreshment. One day, on E19, I was firing from Amiens to Boulogne where Bill Thomas and I left to return to Amiens on train 84. En route, Jacques had been watching my LNER methods of firing a wide firebox: and turning to Bill, said in his guttural voice, “Quelle Panache, bon chauffeur.bon chauffeur”! This was relayed to me later by Bill and gave me infinite pleasure. RH451 And here is Bill Thomas, not a railwayman but very knowledgeable and experienced due in no small part to the footplate passes he got for him both in France and in England.. He is firing a 141R (under instruction)between Etaples and Abbeville and making a good job of a by no means easy task. (L) are the steam valves to control the steam to the jets and the engine under the footplate that works the stoker. RH452 Edmond Godry, Chef mecanicien and later in charge of Calais shed in its later days is watching Frank Mayes at work on a new but feeble diesel of class 66000BB. It was laughable to compare these things with either a Pacific or a 141R and even a little 230D. When Edmond retired in 1979, we had him and Denise, his Wife over here and saw them into retirement in the Senior officers mess at BRBHQ. Nearly all his BR friends and many others were there and we gave them some memorable presents. On the job, he was quiet or charming but a perfectionist and men had to measure up to his standards or else. He loved this country and on one occasion when he wrote to thank us, he finished his letter with ”Que de Souvenirs imperisable”. RH453 James and I had reached Boulogne with Francois Joly, Rene Vaillant and the K73 when up came Edmond Godry to join us. Here he is in his element for Francois immediately handed over to him for two reasons, that he respected his Chef and that, in France, an inspector takes total responsibility for everything that happens on the footplate he has mounted. Needless to say Edmond was master of the job which he truly loved. After the war he resumed his apprenticeship, qualified as a main line fireman and eleve mecancien and took charge of K4 and then 231C,a Nord Super pacific and finally E37 before becoming an Inspector at Boulogne at the age of 28! On top of this he spent three years in Gemany forced labour. RH454 And now to the Est region en route Vesoul(268 miles to Paris}-Chaumont with train 42 and about 675 tons behind us. Our engine is one of the famous Est Mountains, class 241A modernised by Chapelon and vastved from their original condition. Unlike the 241P class, they are hand fired and I was able to try my strength throughout to Paris as A29 was replaced at Chaumont by A8. With us is Monsieur Gabrion, Chef mec at La Villette who looked after us on the Est and who was a scourge of firemen on our first trip to Bar-le-Duc but by this time we were the best of friends The tall gentleman is a look-alike of old Fred Holdsworth of Copley Hill, Leeds minus the clogs and he was the mecru. His name, Michel Pegoet and they were Chaumont men. The amazing looking fireman (James described him as ”the fiend from hell”) was Robert Collett but he said he was no relation of the GWR CME of years gone by. He immediately handed me the shovel and from then onwards operated the coal-pushed bringing forward a great heap of wet dust and distributing wine to all concerned. It was a happy and very competent journey. RH455 The same people(particularly good of the”Fiend”) plus James. RH456 We came down from Paris with La Villette engine to Troyes where it was replaced by G21 on which the fireman was a certain Jacques Vidal, eleve-mecanicien who became a life-long friend and who was a big resistance-fer man in the war. Here he is leaving Vesoul for Belfort where they came off and later returned to Troyes. More about Jacques later. RH457 Monsieur Gabrion is now completely relaxed with his English charges after my little do on the shovel and which I continued to Vesoul.So here he is with James and on arrival at Vesoul he had a whacking great lunch with us in the buffet and was ready for A29 and L’Equipe Pegeot/Collett. RH458 Here is Jacques Vidal on that first trip, indeed our only trip until he came to England in 1980. We rae not far off Chaumont, our speed drifting down and now was the time to take some pictures. We are going at 116kph on the Flaman recorder and Jacques is a happy man. There is no room in front of the driver for the Flaman so it has to go over the other side and the mecru has to glance across to see that the speed is within the limit of 120kph on this stretch although the Es, K, and Gs can run at 130kph, track permitting. RH459 Alfred Bouchard has eased but not closed the regulator(forbidden until the last moment) and has his left hand on the Westo brake ready to slow up and stop at the water column. He will be concerned for a moment with the amount of air he will permit to enter the brake cylinders, usually 14.7 psi. The RH top gauge shows the boiler pressure on the bottom level and above the steam pressure in the HP and LP steam chests, well back as befits an almost closed regulator. RH460 And here we are at Chaumont, the old firm of James, Alfred, Jacques, M. Gabrion the train despatcher and another gentleman who wanted to be in the act. RH461 G21 resting from her labours at Chaumont: There is no macaron” on the smokebox door on the Est nor is the standard of engine cleaning so high but the engines are maintained in perfect condition. RH462 After 241A29 had gone off at Chaumont,A8 backed on and I was given the go-ahead by M.Gabrion so I was the chauffeur most of the way to Paris. As the engine was fresh out of the shed, there was no need to use the coal-pusher but yet again, the crew(and I) were on top of the job and the great engine had no difficulty with its vast train The driver had been a prisoner-of- war in Berlin and then forced labour for five years so both he and his fireman had a rough time but that was all in the past and they were a happy Equipe, Jean Delaborde and Roger Bichet. The latter had been a baker before the war and deported to German East Africa for five years of hell in a forced labour camp and both men joined the SNCF at Chaumont at the same time- for a rest!..
train 9 with their own engine, the E5. Pierre who I had not met before,said of E5”Une belle machine, elle produit bien”, she steams well! The group contains Monsieur Eugene Lavieville, a much respected Ingenieur Chef de Depot for many years, the Examining Fitter ready to see to E5, our Peter showing off, Henri Dutertre aiding and abetting and James, our elder son. RH464 Gwenda, the children and I crossed the Channel from Lydd in a 100mph Bristol freighter and we met at the airport by Henri and Gilbert Sueur whilst Anthea and Gwenda went off for a tour of Calais as we were bound for the shed(see above). RH465 Alfred George White was born of British parents who moved to Calais soon after the first war so that Fred was brought up a Frenchman and was at school with both Henri Dutertre and Francois Joly in Bleriot Plage. He was the SR, BR and then Sealink Interpreter along with Bob Gontier at the Maritime and always came with the groups to act as the interpreter and to help me over any language difficulties. His English was slightly foreign but with a Brummy accent! He was one of the best and a great friend of Ben Hervey.Bathurst who often came to France as he had other connections having worked with the Resistance as a Grenadier Guards officer completely fluent in the language and the way of life of the working people for whom he had a profound respect. RH466 One of many gatherings probably the first for Danny Whelan, Divisional Operating Supt at Liverpool and the salt of the earth. This was in 1969 towards the last days of steam and how he enjoyed himself for he had a royal welcome from the start and that short, stocky, white haired figure missed nothing and was greatly admired by the French railwaymen whom he met over here and in France. So, Henri Dutertre, Marcel Dewevre, Georges Chatillon, Jean Querlin, Edmond Godry, Danny, RH, the legendary Pierre Leseigneur, long retired as Chief Inspector of the Nord region but still very much in charge when on an engine and Maurice Vasseur, another great character, Far right is a Longueau chauffeur who enjoyed himself no end. He was there because the diesel booked could not manage a 700 ton train and the 141R was deputising. RH467 Another typical gathering for Danny in 1968 and this time beside the 141R on train FY is Maurice Vasseur’s son, Louis Sauvage, chauffeur to Maurice V on E7 and with him for many years, Danny, a shunter, Edmond Godry, Maurice wearing Fred White’s BR cap, Rene Agnerai, chauffeur to Maurice Devos, Marcel Dewevre just before his retirement as Chef mec Calais, Fred White in Maurice Vasseur’ s beret, Maurice Devos and Georges Chatillon, Chef de Depot. We went to Rang on train 34 and then back with 27 for dinner at Marquise Rixent with more or less the same gang! RH468 The same group plus RH and minus Marcel. RH469 This was an amazing day when I was the driver of R428 and was instructed by Edmond to regain time form Boulogne to Rang du Fliers. Never have I thrashed an engine so hard but the mechanical stoker produced all the steam we needed and the noise form the chimney was unforgettable. We should have had a diesel but our luck was in as the train was far too heavy, about 700 tons, for a 66000 so here we go again this time with Bill Thomas. L-R Marcel, Michel Lacroix, Edmond, the Longueau fireman, Henri, Jean Guelton, our mecru, RH, Bill Thomas and Eugene Lavieville by now retired! Edmond, Jean and Michel’s great day was yet to come in May 1971, with the K82 from Paris Nord to Calais Maritime. RH470 The characters are the same as RH467 but Maurice has his own beret in his hand and is striking a distinguished attitude. It is a better photo than 467. RH471 Another group this time with Bill Doughty, another man greatly admired by the French for he had been a fireman at Melton Constable and Doncaster, then a driver at Doncaster. At 50, he failed with his eyes(colour blind and normal retirement age in France) and came off the footplate. He was no longer able to represent the footplate staff as secretary of Sectional Council B and became a salaried diesel instructor at Ilford. He was a remarkable man and proved at the age of 60 to be no longer colour-blind. Medically, this was said to be impossible. RH472 At Calais in Sept 1965 towards the end of the reign of the PO Pacifics .The E5 had left on train 82 with Pierre Beghin in charge with Michel Lacroix as his mate and here we are with the E4, by now in charge of Albert Annicote on train 34 as far as Rang du Fliers. Fred White, Chauffeur Jules Lebbe and his mate off FY opposite is Roger Chabe, the champion boule player of the SNCF Nord, Fernand Chaussoy ,Chauffeur to Albert Annicote, Albert, James, Henri Dutertre and Eugene Lavieville. RH473 The same group with RH and minus Eugene. RH474 Back in March 1962 on the visit of Stanley Sears, we had E23 on train 82 and this engine had come fairly recently from La Chapelle. The train despatcher, the Chef de Gare, Eugene Lavieville, Chauffeur Charles(Charlot) Vasseur, the only left handed firemen I ever met in France and so he had to alter his wall of brickettes on the shovelling plate to accommodate my style of firing from the left behind the driver. The mecru, Robert Seys, was a splendid man of few words and, lastly, Stanley Sears. RH475 The same group but including RH. RH476 March 1961,Henri,s engine was still the beautifully cleaned E16 ready to take George Mitchell to Amiens for by May 1960 the 16000BBs had taken over to Paris and what wonderful machines they were. The Chef de Gare, George Mitchell, Monsieur Leclerc, the sous chef de depot, Henri and Arnaud Flamant , champion billiard player of the SNCF Nord! RH477 See 476 RH478/9 Similar photographs taken in March 1963 of E41 at Calais. There had been a strike of some sort and the engine arrangements were all ohoo so that the Fleche was hauled by an uncleaned engine, driven by Jean Guelton with the usual chauffeur for E41, Rene Hochart. This was Bert Webster’s weekend: he was my Assistant at Liverpool St and more of him anon except to say that he was another Danny Whelan who loved his work and who was a delight to work with. (L-R) M.Godsmet, Bert, Jean Guelton, Rene Hochart, Henri Dutertre ,Eugene Lavieville, Georges Chatillon. RH480 An interesting picture of E40 at Calais at the start of what turned out to be a difficult journey for steam for there was a steam blow at the front end and we had quite a struggle in which I did my best to give Auguste Beauchamps as much help as possible for he was well over fifty. The mecru was the redoubtable Maurice Saison of whom more anon but who was a thorn in the side of his depot engineer. Although we could have swallowed half a dozen Maurice Saisons at Stewarts Lane without noticing the difference for Maurice was very gruff and English in his ways. It was Bill Harvey’s first journey with me in France and the reception committee consists of Emil Lefebvre, Anick Dutertre, Henri, M.Godsmet, Auguste, Bill, Maurice, Eugene and yet another Chef de Gare. RH481 and RH482 Calais with the E4 not long to go and Maurice Vasseur, our mecru, has to share her with another driver, the end of the world! Basil de Iongh and I are on the way to Paris where we shall meet our old SNCF friends and have a wonderful time until we return with the train 19 at 1230 next day.. Eugene, “Dodo”,Jules Froy, Maurice, Basil and Henri. RH483 See 480 with myself added to the picture and Emile Lefevbre once of E36 centre stage. RH484 E5 almost at the end of the road but still her own mecanicien, Pierre Beghin and his new fireman, Michel Lacroix, very good indeed and first choice for the last days of steam along with Michel Rock.Frank Mayes is making his first trip on the SNCF and reckoned the E5 was a better engine his old A4 ”Woodcock”! The usual gathering to see him off and James and I went on train 34 with E4 and Albert Annicote to Rang du Fliers. RH485 and 490(inc RH). Way back to 1960,E16 at the top of her form at Calais on train 84, the heavy summer train which followed the Fleche hauled by a Boulogne engine, a rare event. See 490 for an excellent one of the two engines, no personnel. Henri with his BR cap, Arnaud Flament, Henri’s new chauffeur, the very keen Arnaud Flament, James and Eugene. RH486 and 487 The splendid Bebert Bethune of La Chapelle who took us for the last time to Paris Nord with a steam engine, a wonderful journey for he was a go-er and worked his BR stoker quite hard. Our group include James, Rene Sene, eleve mecanicien, Henri, Bebert and the friendly gendarme who had got to know us well by that time,April 1960. Paris and Fives men did Lille Calais Paris for a days work for the next month and that was that with the May electrification Paris Amiens. RH488 The E5 when Alfred Regnier had her and he retired in a month’s time from the day of the photo in June 1960. He was yet another splendidly strong character. Then his mate Alfred Hamy who suffered ill health later on which . spelt the end of his career. Henri with his daughter, Annick, and Monsieur Leclerc and Geoff Ford who died tragically young and who was DMPS Norwich, a man respected by everybody and a dear friend to me. RH489 Alfred Regnier holding court, this time an SNCF group with Henri, Annick and a traffic gent:on the right is the cam box and the OS cam gear, one of the many secrets of the brilliance of the great Chapelons. RH491 Same story as 476 but RH on left smoking a Gauloise with much enjoyment. RH492 See 485/90 but RH substituting for James C-F. RH493 A rare view and a very interesting one. On the left, the K47, a Boulogne engine, Mecru Auguste Halloin, a PLM Pacific, the universal Pacific engine at Boulogne whereas Calais had the Es in Roulement 1 and the Gs and Ks in the second link. The technical differences make very interesting reading and are well worth investigation. Both engines did great work but the Chapelon was unique when it came to very heavy and fast work. My last PO journey was unforgettable in this respect. RH494 Calais on one of Danny Whelan’s visits. We did not travel on this occasion but saw them off on their way to Amiens. L-R:- Edmond Godry, Auguste Beauchamps, Marcel Dewevre, retired these several years, Jean Guelton, Marcel’s ace driver, George Chatillon, now depot manager, the regular shunter and Danny. RH495 A classic which includes me, Rene, Andre, George and M.Jean Kerleau, the Chef. I had been driving and from the chimney of a stoker fired engine comes a solid stream of fine gritty coal, goggles are essential as was a good wash but we had no time for that until we got to Calais! RH496 April 1965 and it is Bill Harvey’s second trip to Paris. This time there was the K22 at Calais, beautifully cleaned in readiness for the Fleche and we are seen off by the Asst Chef de Gare, Henri, Eugene and Georges Chatillon and in the centre, Jules Lebbe, chauffeur, DWH, and Roger Chabe deputising for Danny Kaye and SNCF Nord Boule Champion. A splendid journey which pleased that great practical engineer, David William Harvey. no end. RH497 The same group with me instead of Eugene. Roger always wore a Basque beret and rarely if ever goggles other than on stoker fired engines on account of the grit. He was quiet, calm, and completely competent. RH498, 499 and 500( which has RH on it.) The weekend was a great tonic for Dick Lawrence who has had a hard life and had been with me at school. He went to the LMS at Derby and I to the LNER at Doncaster. The LNER looked after their young men and Dick left the LMS as did many others. He is on the left, then Maurice Vasseur, the minature Andre Desmolliens, just 5 ft tall but like many small men, a bit of a pounder. Then that splendid fireman, Aime Deloisin. later with Maurice Saison, Henri and Eugene. A full gale from the west and some signals were blown to danger on the northern plain, quite remarkable as was the sea next day, flat calm! RH501 Gilbert Sueur and his own chauffeur, Rene Hochart on the G81 at Calais with James C-F, Georges Chatillon in 1967. As nearly always there is Fred white although by this time both of us understood SNCF talk! The engine is the G81. RH502 In 1965, I took George Barlow to Rang, Calais and Amiens all with Calais men and an evening with them all in Calais. We went on train 34 with Louis Vasseur, no relation to Maurice and Charlot. I never saw him again as he retired soon after But I saw plenty of his excellent mate, Rene Vaillant with whom I must have had half a dozen journeys with various mecrus. The “Old Firm” met us and by now they need no introduction. Engine G235 also vanished from the scene and was never seen again. RH503 Another great friend of the Calais boys, Bebert Hooker, and this was his first trip with me although he had been over twice before on my account. Bert is wearing his washed overalls(however many time Irene had had to do them, the lord only knows) and he is having a rare send off, Georges Chatillon, Marcel, Fred White, Louis Sauvage(Maurice Vasseur’s fireman,) Henri’s last mate on the steam, ”P’tit Louis” Lapierre and Henri himself.Bert so vastly experienced learned a great deal from four journeys over the two days with Henri. The engine is the K81. RH504 For the first time but not the last, L’Equipe Gauchet/Delattre along with Eugene, Bill Doughty, Georges and Fred striking one of his distinguished poses! Rene Gauchet was a marvellous engineman and had E14 and then E37 for many years: Emilon Delattre was an equally good fireman with fourteen years with Gauchet and then they fell out one morning at Abbeville and Rene asked for another stoker.on arrival at Calais Michel Lacroix was booked with him and Emilon said “To hell, I’m going driving and so he did for his last eighteen months of service! RH505 1967 and the PLMs were getting overloaded in the eyes of management so we had a 141R on the front.Geoffrey Wilson from King’s Cross, our Commercial manager, had never had anything like it in his life and we had a grand trip with little Andre Desmolliens and Marcel who had actually retired but still kept his overalls to come with us. The K97, I think.. And now until 535 we leave the Calais men and go to Paris, La Chapelle. RH506 Next morning in March 1961, George Mitchell made his first trip with Andre Duteil on the 232S001. He had shared S2 for several years but this is nearly the end of steam when the engines were ”banalise”. Georges was offered wine at 0820 that morning as we passed through the Forest Of Chantilly and it was for him an incredible experience especially as I was the Mecru. Here we are at Aulnoye where we changed for Lille: Rene De Jong, an ace fireman on any engine who retired near Calais, Andre and the Ingenieur of the depot of Aulnoye which had a lot of passenger work with the PLMs. RH507 My last journey with Andre on a steam locomotive in May 1961 was with Harry Noden, our Carriage and Wagon Engineer at Liverpool St. We had crossed to Zeebrugge to see our C&W Foreman, Bill Cleaver who looked after the ferry wagons that crossed via Harwich on the BR train-ferries and thence in the train to Jeumont where we boarded the S1. It was a memorable journey, one of the finest demonstration of firing on an engine past its best with an enormous train. I wrote about it for a French guide book . Here again are Andre and Rene, a magnificent equipe vying with one another to get the very best from their splendid if ageing mount. RH508 This photo should really be at the end for it forms a fitting conclusion to our activities which included servicing the engine, walking heavy laden to the Jeumont messroom, a distinguished lunch with various wines, a walk across the Sambre to an auberge for cognac and coffee and here we are resting whilst we wait at Jeumont for our train to arrive from Belguim. Henri Douillet, the senior chauffeur at la Chapelle and normally titulaire on the U1, Andre, RH and JC-F. We were, of course, in prime form despite our lethargic appearance. Download 0.62 Mb. Share with your friends:
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