Readers’ Forum

Station location – ‘Aberdare’ 2-6-0

I’ve had two nominations for the unidentified station location on p630 of the November issue – Porthmadog and Barmouth. However, an article next month on the Ruabon-Barmouth line notes that the ‘Aberdare’ Class was allowed on that route following upgrading in 1929 but remained barred from the Cambrian Coast line – which seems to tip the balance in favour of Barmouth. But were they allowed over the Bridge?

Ed.

J. F. McIntosh

There is an error in the above article (November issue) in the final sentence (p595) concerning the ‘92’ Class (condensing) 0-4-4T locomotives stating that in LMSR service the tanks were numbered 1512536 and all were withdrawn by the post-grouping company. This is clearly not so as perusal of the respective Ian Allan ABC locomotives book for 1949 clearly shows the class concerning the condensing versions of this type bearing their by now BR numbers in the range order 55125-46 making seventeen in total. In addition, evidence of their continuing existence into the BR era is borne in the photograph on the preceding page of No.55125 active at Stranraer in 1956.

John Macnab, Falkirk

It is always pleasing to read of James Clark Bunten of Dunalastair, chairman of the Caledonian Railway from 1897 until his death in 1901. He represents the best of Glasgow Victorian businessmen without a strong public face (contrast Sir James King, sometime Lord Provost, etc.). His fortune, over half a million pounds at his death, derived from the Anderston Foundry, where he succeeded his brother-in-law as managing partner in 1880. Anderston’s prosperity owed much to manufacturing railway track fittings, not least for the Caledonian. Bunten and King were among