Ex-North Eastern Railway Wirsdell 'P2' (LNER 'J26') class 0-6-0 No. 517. Built at Gateshead in Oct. 1905 and withdrawn in June 1962 as BR No. 65773. This c. 1924 view of 517 is at Poppleton Junction, York. This is an Up train at the Junction, with the Harrogate lines diverging to left. The powerful and reliable ex-NER 'J26' and the similar 'J27' 0-6-0s were some of the last pre-grouping locomotives to survive. Note the proportion of open wagons in the train (only the leading ex MR and a GER van can be identified) and also note the wagons loaded with sawn timber, some sheeted, are loaded in the correct fashion so that the exposed end faces away from the direction of travel. Presumably this was to minimise the risk of hot coals lodging in-between the end of the timbers whist 'in-transit'.

© Stephen Barrett Archive-SA Collection