1-9. King Arthur class, Redbridge Cutting.

This section contains Cyril Hawkesworth's photographs  small 3x2 inch photos rather than postcards. I don't know what cameras were easily available in 1926. Many are of poor quality (fuzzy, too distant, too near) so I am picking through to enhance those that are clear. Details are written on the back in pencil, including the location Redbridge Cutting, near Southampton. Twenty five years ago I researched them and mounted them into this folder, six per page, several hundred in total, and others I didn't mount but still have. I wrote details from the back onto the page, and class numbers and other details. Here is a sample page.

My task now is to rephotograph the best to produce a photograph of reasonable quality. I have found enlarging from a small print can lead to fuzziness, but the following are examples that have worked reasonably well. The images anyway are archivally important, showing engines in 1927-8, some with a range of quirks. All photos are dated and often timed, as you will see. I have kept with the King Arthur class for this post.

1. N15 (E) 753A King Arthur "Down 4.20 spl ltd cutter", 4.6.1927. The cutter is an alternative windcutter to the one shown in number 5. For these two next poexamplessts I am showing you the original photograph, followed by its digital enhancement. Since the images are so small, I am rather pleased by them.

2. N15 (E)777A Sir Lamiel, "Up 3.15", 18.5.1927

3. (E)741A, N15 A Joyous Gard, on 7.5.1927, "Up Mail, 4.30".

4. (E)737A,  N15 King Uther "Up 4.29 Mail", 18.5.1927

5. Interesting "windcutter"smoke deflector on (E)783A N15 Sir Gillemere, 7.5.1927, "down 3.40 late".

6. Light engine, N15 (E)739A, King Leodegrance, 6.6.1929, "New place. Down light 5.18".

7.. Light engine N15 (e)742A Camelot, "rebuilt" (possibly referring to changed chimney), 4.6.1927

8. Southern (E)450A Sir Kay, up, on 4.6.1927. "2.56 Spl", followed by the back of print. Normally these report distance from object, aperture and film speed, but this bottom line is untypical. T.12 is a mystery.

9. Southern ex LSWR (E)748.A.Vivien Up Mail 4.26 on 24.5.1928. 4.5 is the aperture, film speed a hundredth of a second.