In the late 1880s the GER was fond of taking photographs to show the difference between its latest designs and antiquated stock about to be withdrawn. The Dia.1 brake was one of twenty built in June 1887 to Order M20 (17.1.1887), the first batch without diagonal washer plates and half-round beading dividing up the body sides. The shaded numbers and letters include its home depot, Cambridge. A small plate above the horizontal handrail shows the allocated guard is F. Halvey. No.1534 is an old ECR design, almost certainly from the 1850s, and also allocated to Cambridge. Its running and buffing gear was renewed in the early 1880s, including the Type A grease axle boxes, self-contained buffers, and three-link couplings, however the wheels appear to be relics from the 1870s. By this date its slide brake was already an archaic feature, although it has eight wooden brake blocks instead of the original four. The cabin has a low roof and the verandahs are open - not a very comfortable prospect for the guard in Cambridgeshire's backwater lines on cold, dark winter nights. The lettering must be fairly recent as it uses the revised spelling from the earlier 'Break'. Note that it still displays a white cross, a feature discontinued circa 1887.
GERS Collection