PHOTO COLOUR-RAIL
Carsington, Derbyshire, Spring 1967
T he Beeching Axe – which resulted in the culling of so many railway lines – also saw a lot of final trains being run for enthusiasts. Here, we’re seeing the final days of the Cromford and High Peak Railway in Derbyshire; a very old line from 1831 that closed in its entirety during spring 1967.
Two ex-London and North Eastern Railway Class J94s,
MOTORS NEW FOR 1967
As rail departs, road is about to take over
Nos 68012 and 68006, are working a special with passengers riding in brake vans; something that would probably fall foul of Health and Safety today. In Manystones Lane alongside, other gricers not fortunate enough to bag a goods stock ride have come by car to witness this end of an era.
Keeping pace with the double-header is a Morris Minor Traveller; the lack of orange rear indicators point to a pre-October 1963 1000. The numberplate is unusually situated on a rear door; perhaps 6338 JW has a towbar fitted, which would obscure the registration plate in its usual spot. A blue Farina Austin Cambridge or Morris Oxford is nudging in on the right, after which there’s a fairly new 1966 Ford Cortina MkI Deluxe estate.
Citroën Dyane NSU Ro80 Reliant TW9 Ant Toyota 2000GT Triumph TR5
In front of it, the Volkswagen Beetle is a 1960-63 1200; it has indicators rather than trafficators, but retains the narrow rear numberplate light dropped in 1963. Further up the road are a Vauxhall Victor FB MkII Deluxe and a Thames 400E minibus. The latter will date from 1965 or before, as that was the year the ubiquitous Transit replaced this Ford light commercial.
Today, this former stretch of line survives as a footpath. The locos and the cars with readable numberplates sadly don’t.
Hip to be square
The 1964 MkII revamp of the FB Victor was quite subtle but, from behind, it could be differentiated from the MkI by having a square numberplate rather than a horizontal one.
Papal peak
The distinctive pointed numberplate lamp housing fitted on the back of Beetles up to 1963 was known as the ‘Pop
