Posted by Laurence Monkhouse on May 02, 2006 at 15:08:37 from 80.3.128.6 user Laurence_.
In Reply to: Re: Thorpe Station - engine changing posted by Owen Roberts on May 02, 2006 at 11:16:05:
OK, 'Seconds' may exaggerate.
But in O S Nocks 'Railway Race to the North' it reads "the fresh engine backing down...followed the train in and...touched buffers only a few seconds after the train had stopped....The engine change took no more than 2 1/2 minutes..." Apparently there is a letter in 'The Scotsman' of that date complaining that the writer had nipped out of the train for a drink and his hat had gone on to Aberdeen without him.
But I doubt if Thorpe was quite so well organised. There would have been plenty of time for Dick to get back to his compartment after the fresh engine was coupled on.