Journal 45 — Winter 2010

Table of Contents

• Locomotive Aesthetics / By Jack Braithwaite
• Items from the Study Centre — 8 : Carriage Compartment Stool / By Roy Burrows
• Two 1914 Derby Proposals for Tank Locomotives / By Charles Phillips
• A Midland Railway Gauge ‘0’ Brake Van / By George Huxley
• Accident on the Tottenham and Hampstead Joint Railway / By Ian Howard
• Northampton Branch — Oakley Junction to Northampton St. Johns / By Maurice Jeyes
• Whatstandwell Station — Florence Nightingale and Florence’s Bell / By J. P. Taylor
• Glendon South Junction / By Robin Cullup
• The Midland Railway’s External Auditors and the Audit Committee / By Roger Brettle
• Bees [a short extract from Railway Magazine vol. 1.]
• Accident at Derby Station — 30th November 1880 / By David Harris
• Query Corner
• Comments on Items in Previous Journals

• 

  Front cover

  Although appearing crude in comparison with modern ‘0’ gauge models of similar vehicles, this tin plate model by Carette of Nuremburg of the D390 Midland goods brake van would have seemed extraordinarily good to those fortunate enough in 1911 to be able to buy it. Even now, given the limitations of the modelling medium, the model is highly authentic, in dimensions, livery and detailing. Any ‘Midland’ enthusiast of the time would have been enraptured by it. George Huxley, the present owner of this model, provides some background to it, and to the relationship between Bassett-Lowke of Northampton and Georges Carette of Nuremburg that brought such models to Britain.

  At the time, Bassett-Lowke was primarily a sales organisation, contracting out the manufacture of railway (and ship) models to specialist manufacturers, like Carette.

  [Photograph by Mrs. Priscilla Frost; George Huxley collection]

• 

  Rear cover

  Our back cover depicting Sir Arthur Bass, Bart, 1st Lord Burton, was drawn by Leslie Ward and first appeared in Vanity Fair, November 1908. Sir Leslie Matthew Ward (1851 – 1922) was a well-known portraitist and caricaturist of the time, publishing under the pseudonyms of ‘Spy’ or ‘Drawl’.

  Lord Burton was elected to the Audit Committee of the Midland Railway in August 1891, serving on it until his death in 1909. He is just one of the many experienced and prominent men upon whom the Midland drew to perform the essential functions of auditing a large and complex company. Roger Brettle’s article describes the function of the MR Audit Committee and provides a snapshot of those who worked within it. This important aspect of MR working has hardly been touched upon, and Roger’s article is a step towards putting that right. Its appearance now is especially illuminating, when we are all beginning to suffer the consequences of the recent disregard of honest and ethical auditing of large and powerful financial institutions.

  Like his father (Michael Thomas), Michael Arthur Bass was a generous benefactor to Burton, making many fine contributions to the town, including the Ferry Bridge, the St Paul’s Institute and Liberal Club (now the Town Hall) and St. Chad’s church. A bronze statue of Lord Burton, sculpted by F. W. Pomeroy, was erected in front of the Burton Town Hall in 1911.