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OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Thu 07 Apr, 2016 11:20 pm
by Brunel

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Fri 08 Apr, 2016 12:23 am
by Leodian
Thanks Brunel for those very interesting images :). Though the traffic has changed greatly between the two photos the buildings are little altered. A sign I would guess of well built and well maintained buildings. As the first photo has a tram then it cannot have been taken after 1959 as (if I recall right) that was the last year that trams ran.

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:12 am
by BLAKEY
The older picture is really fascinating and nostalgic the extreme :) :) How many folks, I wonder, remember the ex London Feltham
tram which ran away from Roundhay Park and smashed into a stationary City bound tram about where the group of four vehicles are in the picture - sending the full car flyimg down the line with disastrous results before mounting the pavement near the shops. :shock: :shock:

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:26 am
by uncle mick
BLAKEY wrote:The older picture is really fascinating and nostalgic the extreme :) :) How many folks, I wonder, remember the ex London Feltham
tram which ran away from Roundhay Park and smashed into a stationary City bound tram about where the group of four vehicles are in the picture - sending the full car flyimg down the line with disastrous results before mounting the pavement near the shops. :shock: :shock:
Is this the one Blakey ? http://tinyurl.com/jrgswbo
Oakwood Crash.jpg
Oakwood Crash.jpg (35.4 KiB) Viewed 4400 times

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:28 am
by sparky415
I love stuff like this....

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Fri 08 Apr, 2016 9:51 am
by BLAKEY
That's the one Uncle Mick !! The driver had left the tram at Roundhay to visit the loo but the conductor was still on the rear platform.
All he had to do when the tram began to move, driverless, was to apply the emergency brake and this disaster would never have happened - but he panicked and jumped off, and was seriously criticised in the subsequent inquiries. The wonderful ex London Feltham trams were fabulous vehicles in nearly every way, especially for a 1930s design, but had one very worrying habit apparently - the braking was perfectly adequate and efficient down to about 5 mph after which they were reluctant to pull up completely, and were even more prone to refusing to stand still for long. Some of the few remaining older chaps told many tales of terrifying incidents with them. :o :o
As far as the date of the picture goes, the Harehills - Roundhay - Moortown service ceased on 28th September 1957, while the final trams of all on the York Road group of routes ceased on November 7th 1959

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Fri 08 Apr, 2016 4:17 pm
by Bruno
That looks like a black Morris Minor parked facing away from the camera, on the far side of the road, which would date it no earlier than 1948.

I think that the car coming down the road is an Austin A40 Devon, also introduced in 1948.

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Fri 08 Apr, 2016 10:12 pm
by BLAKEY
The first ex London Feltham tram entered Leeds service in December 1949 (501) the remaining eighty nine (502 - 590) at varying times between 1950 and 1956. The little black car to the left of the tram is a Standard 8 which had no boot but just a removable panel for the spare wheel, and were wonderful vehicles for the time with incredibly good fuel consumption - and very comfortable too.
The Standard 8 and 10 models were introduced in 1953, thereby dating the picture between then and September 1957.

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Sat 09 Apr, 2016 10:22 pm
by Bruno
Thanks for identifying the Standard 8 Blakey. Interestingly, web-based sources suggest that the car did actually have a boot space, but to save costs it wasn't built with an opening lid, so all boot contents had to be loaded via the side doors then through a folding rear seat. That must have been a bit awkward to say the least.

Re: OAKWOOD THEN & NOW

Posted: Sun 10 Apr, 2016 8:15 am
by BLAKEY
Bruno wrote:Thanks for identifying the Standard 8 Blakey. Interestingly, web-based sources suggest that the car did actually have a boot space, but to save costs it wasn't built with an opening lid, so all boot contents had to be loaded via the side doors then through a folding rear seat. That must have been a bit awkward to say the least.
Yes Bruno, I'm sure that's right now you mention it - I knew there was something odd about the arrangement, but I suppose if luggage was only carried on occasional day trips or holidays it would be of little real inconvenience. Weekly domestic shopping could no doubt be carried on the back seats or floor. Both the 8 and the 10 were plain but very pleasing looking little cars. Now for a red face at this end :oops: :oops: Not having a car at the time I once hired a "ten" late afternoon from an Otley place to give my Dad a treat outing to visit relations in Bridlington the next day. In the morning I eagerly jumped in the car, pulled out the choke, and searched in vain for the starter switch for several minutes. Luckily a neighbour asked about my dilemma and with a kindly smile said "try turning the key further than the "on" position" - well you can guess the rest, yes, it was the first time I'd experienced a car with that new fangled feature !! :oops: :oops: :D :D