1920s Railway Photographs by Cyril Hawkesworth.: 20-34. Southampton area 1928-9.

These are for the engine enthusiast rather than the calendar manufacturer. The first two show the process from original print to enhanced photograph. The original prints are 4 by 2 and a half or 4x3. Numbers and other details are written on the back. See in particular pictures 26 and 27 below for details on the back.

20. Southern E742A Camelot. D[own]. 3.45pm Sun 24.11.1929. "F.R., E.L." - unknown meaning.

21. E662I Dn 4.30. Sat. 9.6.1928. I is the power classification of the engine.

22. GWR 3710 City of Bath. 26.5.1928. Dn 4.19 Special. Dull day.

23. GWR 3834 County of Somerset. Saturday 7.4.1928. Dull. 'Kids' passed away (sic)

24. B447 0.6.0. 2 domes Btn [Brighton?]10.30. 11.7.1928. Class C2X Second dome: for top feed. Photographic details: Inf[inity] 100[th] Sec.

25. E418D U.S.8 up 10.45 Birk [Birkenhead]. An L12
Note: Photo details: Inf[inity].8 50[th] secs. Notice the clock: it is already 5 minutes late.

Here is the Birkenhead timetable. You will see that the route was Basingstoke, Reading, Oxford joining the Paddington-Birkenhead line further north via Birmingham Snow Hill, Wolverhampton, Wellington and Shrewsbury. The train consists of GWR carriages. The Southern engine would be changed to a GWR halfway. Timetable thanks to Geoff (I cannot see one in Bradshaw)

26. Ex LSWR E744A Maid of Astolat Sat 9.6.1928. Down Birkenhead, 4.25. Note the Southampton West (B) sign.

The back of this print: Date at the top. Engine number, 'A' meaning power type (passenger express). 836 has no meaning for me. Dn for Down, plus destination and time of departure. Below are camera settings: set at 100 feet, 5.6 aperture, exposure a fifthieth of a second. A light meter would have been essential. It is worth saying that CH never saw the prints as I have been able to enhance them.

27. E755A The Red Knight plus 657I (hardly in shot) Down Spl 3.38 Whit Monday 28.5.1928

This is the back of the photo. You will see Dep for Depart, Dn for Down, Spl for Special. At the bottom are camera details: Inf[inity], 5.6 focal length, 100th second exposure. He needed to know which settings worked best.