Dick Simmonds Loco Centre Erith

[Colin RainsburyParticipant @colinrainsbury99374]

Hi All

I am doing some historical research in to my local area, and as a boy, I recall that in Erith Kent there used to be the following next to a pub, I remember every time I used to go into Erith, I would stop and look in the shop window of the loco center, I was taken by a big to me at the time steam locomotive that was painted red, I later found out that it was an LMS Princess class loco, which I think was either a 31/2 or 5inch gauge steam loco.

I never did find out what happen to it, but like so many things the shop closed and a bit of local history went with it.

I know this is a long shot but I wonder if anyone knew the people in the shop or had purchased anything or had some work done by them.

There used to be a local model engineering club as well but I am not sure it that has gone as well.

Any how the shop in question is the following:-

Dick Simmonds, Loco Center, 5 South Road, Erith. It was to the side and behind the Britannia Public House, South Road, Erith. Kent.

If anyone has any information about the place I would like to know so it can be added to the local historical society information data base.

Thank you in advance for any help given.

Regards

Colin Rainsbury

[Colin RainsburyParticipant @colinrainsbury99374]

[julian atkinsParticipant @julianatkins58923]

Hi Colin,

Can I suggest you contact the secretary of the East Grinstead and District MES.

They have a 5"g version of LBSC's 'Dyak' which was built by Dick Simmonds and I believe purchased direct from him.

Cheers,

Julian

[Colin RainsburyParticipant @colinrainsbury99374]

Thank you Julian,

I will do that, it will be interesting to trace any other locos from them as well.

Regards

Colin Rainsbury

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Colin

To call it a Loco Centre was rather grand ! I remember going to a dingy dusty shop with a workshop at the rear in Erith with my father to purchase copper materials for a 3.5" gauge Tich which we were building, I was about 12 years old then, 48 years ago circa 1968 The shop/workshop was by then owned and run by Fred Stone who had made the boilers for Dick and then took over the business, He made to order Dick's design "Ajax" a 5" gauge dock tank. I still have an extended 0-6-0 Ajax built buy my uncle. Fred Stone retired to Norfolk and passed on some years ago, he was quite a character and had a wooden leg, having lost it in a shunting accident on the railway.

The local club of which I am still a member is the Welling & District Model Engineering Society which have a clubhouse and permanent track 3.5" & 5" at Falcon Wood.

By chance my father Lesley John Wood was the Librarian of the Bexley Library in Bourne Road in the late 50's

The Tich locomotive now belongs to my grandson Will Wood

Regards Ray

[SteveWParticipant @stevew54046]

I too lived near the Dick Simmond's establishment. In the early 60's I'd park my bike against the green painted shop and venture inside. Chaos appeared to reign but Dick would proudly show off whatever he was making. He was very proud of any steam passages that went 'round corners' and how he had drilled and plugged the holes. While at school a small group started on an Ajax. My bit was the lever and latch for the valve gear(?). We had the frames and some castings. I wonder what happened to them…

[Colin RainsburyParticipant @colinrainsbury99374]

Hi Ray

Thanks for the update and the location of at least one more loco with a Dick Simmonds connection, these used to by a guy I knew as 'Pop' who I think lived in Belvedere. I had to go these once to pick up a locomotive and some portable track for a model railway show in Plumstead many years ago with the Erith Model Railway Society. I don't remember taking it back, so I guess someone else must have done that.

In all the time I have lived in Bexley I have only been over to you track once, which was many years ago, I should try and get over again.

Years ago there used to be a track in Russel Park Bexleyheath,but sadly I never got around to seeing it, was that your track as well before you moved to Falconwood?

[Colin RainsburyParticipant @colinrainsbury99374]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for that, I only ever looked in through the door, I have a feeling that when I went past the shop was always closed, which was more of a pity, as I could have taken up mechanical engineering rather than becoming an electrician.

I have LBSC book on how to build 'Tich' and I have just found his book 'shop shed and road'.

I have been a life member of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust, so my interest has always been into narrow gauge railways.

It is a pity that in Bexley I don't know of any where that you can go and learn how to use Lathes and Milling Machines this day and age, I am sure that with the advent of CAD and CNC Machines there is very little appetite for anyone to want to learn how to used such machines in our area unless you use them for work.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Colin

The guy you knew as "Pop" was my grandad Frank Wood who lived in Picardy Road, my uncle Roy built the extended AJAX I now have. Small world ? I was lucky to have all the machinery to use from about 8 years old and we still had lathes at school in the late 60's and early 70's but to be fair the teachers knew little about the machines then and proper engineering. Many of the older model engineers in the area were in the Woolwich Arsenal or Vickers in Crayford and had served apprenticeships. My generation of model engineers are I would guess self taught on lathes & milling machines with books and belonging to a club as there is always plenty of advice from the old hands, its never to late to start, but the equipment & hand tools could cost a fair bit.

Regards Ray

[Colin RainsburyParticipant @colinrainsbury99374]

Hi Ray

This is a very small world, I used to work at North Kent College as it is now called at both the Dartford and Gravesend campuses.

The Dartford site was and still is the more academia of the two sites where as the Gravesend site is more of the engineering and construction based site.

Gravesend still had up until last year, a fair old machine shop where students could learn to used Lathes, Milling machines, grinders and many of the basic principles of mechanical engineering.

I did try to get a model engineering club establish there in the evenings, but the college didn't thing it was financial viable, so it never happen, even if the staff thought it was a good idea.

Sadly I never got around to using any of them, but I did have a couple of the guys show me what to do, that's the trouble when you work in one section, as you have some people that don't want you to cross over and learn new stuff.

Going back to my school days for a moment I think the metal work teacher I had for one year was a Mr Green I think and he was from Yorkshire (great bloke). I recall him bringing in parts for an LNER 3 1/2 inch gauge steam loco he was building, I think it was an A3. I am sure he said he had already built a black 5 in 3 1/2 gauge. In the last two years I wanted to do technical drawing as that was one subject I really liked, I did have have him for that, but the way the school worked was that I was not able to do mechanical engineering at the same time, as I was told at the time that Mechanical Engineering was a dying industry and there was no call for them, how wrong can you be.

This was at the then named Slade Green School which by the time I left, it had changed its name to Howbury Grange Secondary Modern. It is no longer there, as I went past it the other week only to find the whole school had gone and it was now a large housing estate.

After school I found an interest in Model Railways which has been with me most of my life , but my one passion if you can call it that has been the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in North Devon, I have been a life member for 37 years of the Trust and Association, it is only in the past ten years that we have been able to start the rebuild of this railway at Woody Bay http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/

I am looking forward to my visit later this month as it has been some time since I was there.

I will have to look out for the Ajax design so I can see what I can learn from it.

Regards

Colin

[Bob YouldonParticipant @bobyouldon45599]

Good afternoon Colin,

I knew Fred Stone quite well, and as people have said, a bit of a character. The shop always reminded me of being a greengrocers/ nursery in a previous existence. Previously the model engineering business was owned by Dick Simmonds, who used to advertise as the original back yard foundry. There was no water laid on, so no facilities etc; Fred always collected rain water in a big tank out the back. Fred didn't live too far away so he would often pop home, you could never find him during Saturday afternoons, he would always like to watch the wrestling on the television, home we'd all go and his wife, May, would ply us with tea and cakes!

I don't think the shop ever got cleaned, at high level all around the shop were shelves on which there were piles of Model Engineers dating from the year dot, vast cob webs and some enormous spiders! at low level there were wooden bunkers filled with castings of every description here again there were some seriously big spiders lurking in some of the cylinder castings. The door stop was a 71/4" gauge cylinder casting.

Fred's boiler making skills were first class most of which was carried out at the in a small workshop at the rear.

Someone mentioned Fred's wooden leg, he would frighten the youngsters as he hammered in drawing pins to hold his socks up!

Fred built a number of fine locomotives, I seem to remember a nice 5" gauge GNR Atlantic and I think he built a 71/4" LNER mogul amongst others.

Great days.

Regards,

Bob Youldon

[Pat BraveryParticipant @patbravery]

I also lived in Welling from 1955 until I got married and remember the narrow gauge steam railway in Danson Park that ran alongside the lake, what ever happened to it? and I also attended Erith Tech and would wander into town to look at the shop but never went in, happy days. Regards Pat

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Pat

Yes I remember the 10.25" gauge line which ran along the south bank of Danson Park lake in the 60's, apparently the operation of which was offered to the Welling & District MES by the council, but as the Welling club was at a low ebb membership wise they declined to task and it would have been a huge undertaking. The Welling club had a brief spell of running in Russell Park Bexleyheath, but the neighbours objected and they moved to Falcon Wood where they currently run and have meetings etc.

Regards Ray

[Colin RainsburyParticipant @colinrainsbury99374]

Hi Guys found this on Facebook

Danson Park Miniature Railway.

The Railway was a 9 1/2" gauge line, the line and engines were run by Miniature Railways (Bexley) limited of 82 Danson road, Bexley Heath. The company was run by Ron Hammett. Trains that operated on the line were, Princess, Kestrel, Lake Shore and Austerity. It ran from 1946 to 1962. Probably stopped due to lack of money. Ron Hammett sold off the running stock, "Lake Shore" was sold to Brookland Miniature Railway in Sussex in 1962."
"Lake Shore" is now privately owned by someone in Essex.

There where some photos with this but I don't know how to add them to this forum yet.

Lake Shore was a 4-4-2 Tender loco

not sure which was which but there is a photo of another 4-4-0 tender loco

and finally there is a 4-6-2 Tender loco.

No photo of the Austerity.

I would love to know where they all are now

 

 

Edited By Colin Rainsbury on 12/09/2016 17:58:46

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