Lacey & Allen Carriage, New Image!

[What About The Bee]

While looking for data about fishbelly rail manufacture, I encountered this "panorama" of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The museum states the panorama was made before 1835, so definitely a period image

It is essentially a series of images on a long reel. Why not I said. As I was looking at the images, I noticed the Duke of Wellington's carriage depicted on the line on Opening Day. Quite a distinctive one that and certainly fodder for Hornby. The Duke's carriage will be for another day.

As I continued scanning the panorama

I noticed this

That red carriage behind the standard 1st class carriage in yellow. There it is. Fantastic! The Lacey & Allen in consist. We have a single passenger and a guard seated in the rear. The other two known images do not show people.

Unknown artist. Pre 1835.

For the record, here are the other known images. First depicted by Booth, top row, middle. 1830

Then by Ackermann, middle row, right. 1831

Bee

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@Bee. What a find! It's interesting to see the subtle differences between the three images but the one thing in common to all three is the rather odd roof line - sloping at the front and square at the rear. It looks for all the world like a folding roof of the type commonly found on cars of the 1920s (and earlier).

[What About The Bee]

@ThreeLink

Quite the discovery for me, I have never seen that particular image before. This from a fellow enchanted with the LMR for a very long time. For me, it was an exciting moment!

The roof line looks all the world like leather or oil cloth stretched over a metal frame. Dave Engel at Engel's Coach Shop shows how it is done.

One word of caution about the panorama. It appears to be a collection of derivative images. The Lacey & Allen consist is pulled by Rocket, fair enough. Rocket has a generation 3 tender. Still not an issue. There are female passengers standing in the tender. Okay, that's a problem. Long dresses, coal and being in the way of the fireman might prove cumbersome. These types of issues tell me the artist did not view the railway first hand.

The consist on the far right is San Pareil pulling two chaldrons and a sheep wagon. Where's the tender?

Bee

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Derivative no doubt but there is a precedent for ladies on locos. The actress Fan Kemble wrote of a trip on Rocket with George Stephenson. One thing that has always puzzled me is that the vast majority of illustrations show the guards wearing top hats - how on earth did they keep them on? I would have thought that the slip stream in such exposed positions as theirs would blow their hats off. The same goes for loco crews on locos with no spectacle plate. I have never seen a topper with securing strap.

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The word checker did not like the commonly adopted version of Ms Kemble's first name, hence the abbreviation of it. We live in sensitive times!

[What About The Bee]

Women in the tender or on the footplate:

Per RGH Thomas: Miss Kemble's ride resulted in Board of Directors issuing orders, that no one was to ride in tenders or on footplate except enginemen or Directors. All presumably male. The Panorama therefore, has a problem.

HATS:

Before a proper discussion of top hats can occur, it should be put into context. I surveyed every period image I know of. There are three types of individuals shown. Enginemen, Riding Guards and Stationary Guards on right of way. If I could not observe the type of hat, primarily from lack of detail, the individual does not appear in this survey.

All guards wore top hats, without fail. It appears part of the uniform. Riding Guards only appear on first class trains, never on luggage or second class trains. 19 of 19 wore top hats. Stationary Guards are always depicted giving arm gestures, so they can always be selected. 7 of 7 wore top hats. Look at this image of Olive Mount and see the Stationary Guards

Enginemen have only 27 of 86 depicted in top hats. These numbers are weighted heavily FOR tophats due to Rainhill Trials and Opening Day images. Discounting those images brings top hat crew down considerably to 9 of 68 in top hats. 

Before we examine the practicality of hat wearing, we must understand that most of the imagery relates to the early days of the LMR, not the years just before consolidation. In later years, express Royal Mail permitted a top speed of 40 mph. Yet in the early years, it was far, far slower.  

The average speed was 16 mph for first class, 8 mph for everything else. This was measured by arrival time less departure time. The rules changed considerably in the early days, but Stephenson was concerned about rail breakage and wear and tear on the locomotives. When we consider even express stopped in Parkside, higher speeds could be expected elsewhere.  

The highest speeds could be expected on the down hill inclined planes. Indeed, From LMR Regulations, we have Rule 27: That no engine, either with or without passengers, coals, goods or luggage [freight], shall go down any of the inclined planes at at greater speed than 20 to 25 miles per hour.....  

Now the fashion of wearing top hats depicted in films shows the top hat perched high on the skull. That would easily be blown off in a breeze. The images in which we have detail (and a good observer like Ackermann), the top hat is worn virtually to the Guards ears.

Now it just so happens that I own a beautiful top hat, my hat size measured appropriately. This isn't a costume, rather, it is the genuine article. When I jam it on my head, my ears touch the brim, exactly as depicted. It also happens that today is very blustery and quite windy. Data at the government bouy nearby shows sustained winds at 25.2 mph(21 knots) and gusts to 32 mph(27 knots). Much to the amusement of my neighbors, I stood outside wearing my top hat. It never even shifted. Quite secure on my head.

I think top hats quite feasible, particularly as the Guard could grab onto his hat on the downhill inclined planes. Not that it was particularly needed, per experiment.

Cheers!

Bee

[JJ73]

Hello Bee

Now that you have told us that you own / wear a 'Top Hat' - we now need if you would be so kind, to see a photo of you wearing you Lovely Top Hat Please 🙂😉🚂

[What About The Bee]

Hi JJ

SWMBO could not stop laughing at my appearance in normal attire and a top hat! She obviously knows I have it, size 7⅜ if you please, but the incongruity of attire was amusing her.

I tried to explain the scientific nature of the experiment, but SWMBO wasn't having it. Sigh, the indignity I put up with!

There will be no image of my face on the internet, due to operational security concerns. I do recognize your request however JJ, would an image from the back be sufficient?

Bee

SWMBO: In yachting circles, sometimes referred to as "The Admiral". SWMBO means: She Who Must Be Obeyed! You may be the captain of this vessel lad, but The Admiral out ranks you!

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@bee Another informative post, thank you. I was not aware of the prohibition of females on the footplate. I am so impressed by your practical experimentation with a top hat!

[What About The Bee]

@3link

Not a prohibition of women specifically. In effect, yes, but the rule was established to prevent non-employees from being on the footplate. As the enginemen and directors were universally male, the effect was obvious. I will not view 200 year old social structures through the lens of modern sensibilities.

Miss Kemble, ~21 years of age at the time, reports that she was quite taken by George Stephenson, ~49 years of age at the time. She was a striking woman.

I like to think of the rule as the "No Miss Kemble for you George!". The rule makes perfect sense from a corporate standpoint. Prohibiting joyriding reduces exposure to financial settlements, which the railway occasionally did pay out.

Bee

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@Bee

As a matter of interest, did the LMR pay compensation to Huskisson's estate? Apologies for misconstruing your reference to non-employees on the footplate - I entirely agree that we should not alow modern thinking to influence our view of history. Fan Kemble certainly was a looker if contemporary illustrations are to be believed. I recall what a fascination it was to read for the first time her account of the Rocket footplate trip, expressed in her inimtable style and purely from a lay persons point of view.

[What About The Bee]

A brief review of my materials does not reveal if MP Huskisson's estate received remuneration.

The director of Rocket certainly bears some degree of fault in the incident. Today, we might call it reckless endangerment. Commanding the vehicle to proceed at a rapid pace, into the crowd of persons at Parkside certainly shows lack of judgement.

Perhaps Locke is to be forgiven. Rocket had no brakes, and even with brakes, would require hundreds of yards to stop. There was little built up experience. Further, MP Huskisson directly contributed to the incident by his actions.

A dreadful accident, and given the state of medical practice at the time, a predictable outcome.

As to Miss Kemble, I do wonder if perhaps she exaggerated her emotions towards George, so as to excite the public and thereby sell more copies of her tome. She was an actress, with actor parentage, and thus would clearly understand manipulating public emotions.

Bee

[JJ73]

Hello Bee

Ok Fair enough - either from the back or just a Photo of the hat will do!!! & yes I did under stand about "SWMBO" - b/c I have come across that saying b4 on this forum!!! 😉🙂🚂