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Stenlake Publishing - ‘LBSC’ Footplate Experiences: Reminiscences at New Cross


‘LBSC’ Footplate Experiences: Reminiscences at New Cross



Author : L. Lawrence
ISBN : 9780853614982
Cover : paperback
Price : £7.95

‘Curly’ Lawrence is probably the best known writer on model engineering subjects,m writing under his pseudonym of ‘LBSC’. He wrote for many years for the Model Engineer, and first came to real prominence in 1922 in ‘The Battle of the Boilers’ His writing was to continue through to the 1960s. His many successful designs for miniature railway locomotives are his legacy. What is less well known are his exploits on the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway at New Cross. These were published as a series of articles in the 1950s and have been carefully compiled by noted author on ‘Brighton’ subjects, Klaus Marx. ‘Curly’ Lawrence was born around 1882 and in the mid-1890s joined the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway to start his apprenticeship at New Cross as a cleaner at two shillings per day. In the seven or so years of railway service he would only have graduated to approved fireman, but that status enabled him to go out on the road. Shall we ever see his like again?

Lawrence had the genius quality of inspiring people, and his reminiscences are a distinctive and attractive trademark in an era when next to no railwaymen were putting pen to paper.

On the photographic side, Klaus Marx has been able to illustrate every one of the locomotives mentioned in the memoirs, and for the most part within the compass of the years 1898-1904 when ‘Curly’ worked, first as a cleaner and latterly as fireman at New Cross locomotive sheds. These latter years it has been possible to illustrate with hitherto unpublished photographs from the collection of John Minnis. The great majority of illustrations come from two famous LB&SC collections: those of Maurice Bennett, taken personally with his brother Walter in the period between the turn of the century and the First World War; and of John L. Smith whose all embracing collection of Brighton locomotive pictures includes the work of distinguished photographers, such as O.J. Morris.

A5 format, 96 pages, 73 illustrations.

‘LBSC’ Footplate Experiences: Reminiscences at New Cross
£7.95