Edinburgh's Transport  -  Railways

Photographs

by an unidentified photographer

1950s

 

Around Edinburgh

in the 1950s

A railway worker stands beside the track as a train passes heading towards a signal box. Where is it? ©

Beside the Railway

Loco No 47163 at Colinton Station on 19 June 1958 ©

Colinton Station

A railway worker stands beside the railway in front of Woodmuir Junction signal box in West Lothian ©

Woodmuir Junction

Six railway workers on a trolley - Photograph probably taken in the 1950s ©

6 workers

The end of the line at Corstorphine Station in the 1950s ©

Corstorphine Station

National Coal Board loco No 13 and three railway workers ©

NCB No 13

Ten railway cleaners - Photograph probably taken in the 1950s ©

10 cleaners

A group of fourteen railway workers at Craigentinny, with Arthur's Seat in the background ©

Craigentinny

A group of six railway cleaners at Craigentinny ©

Craigentinny

Loco 61407 and a shunter ©

Loco 61407 + shunter

Loco No 47163 at Colinton Station on 19 June 1958 ©

Colinton Station

Six railway workers on the steps of Woodmuir Junction Signal Box in West Lothian ©

Woodmuir Junction
 

Who took these photos?

The pictures above have been made from a large collection of negatives purchased by Archie Foley, Secretary of the Portobello History Society, at the Portobello Golden Days Festival in 2003.

We are keen to discover who took the photos.  He appears to have been a keen photographer and a railway worker in the 1950s.  We believe that this is a photograph of him.  Do you recognise him?

 If you know who this is, please email me.  Thank you.

This appears to be the photographer and railway worker who took many photographs in the 1950s. Who is he? ©

 

Comment

1.

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

1950s Photos

It's now a few years since I added the photos above, from Archie Foley's collection, to the EdinPhoto web site.

I asked if anybody could help to identify:

(a)  the locations.

(b)  any f the people in the photos.

(c)  the photographer.

I've now received replies telling me:

(a)  all the locations above

(b) several of the people in the photos but

(c) not yet any details about the photographer.

However, I've now received another message from Archie Foley, who wrote:

Question

The Photographer

"I've been  working on my old railway negatives again and have unearthed this image.

Is this a photo of the Mystery Railway Photographer who took the Railway Photos in the 1950s that are now in Archie Foley's Collection? Who was this photographer? ©

  I'm certain that this is the photographer in his work clothes at Leith North station.***

I know it is a long shot, as it is such a long time ago, but perhaps someone can identify him."

Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh:  May 14, 2014

__________________________________________________

***  Archie:

Do you have any particular reason for believing that this is the man who took the railway photos above, rather than one of his fellow railway workers?

Whether or not the man in the photo below is the railway photographer, it would be good if somebody could tell us who he is.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  May 14, 2014

 

Leith Photo

This is the photo that Archie Foley has unearthed.  Let's hope that somebody might recognise the railway worker.

Photo

1.

Photographer at Leith North Station

Is this a photo of the Mystery Railway Photographer who took the Railway Photos in the 1950s that are now in Archie Foley's Collection? Who was this photographer?

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh

Photo
zoom-in

1.

Photographer at Leith North Station

Is this a photo of the Mystery Railway Photographer who took the Railway Photos in the 1950s that are now in Archie Foley's Collection? Who was this photographer?

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh

 

Replies

If you think you recognise the railway worker in this photo, or have any other comments about the photo please email me, then I'll pass on the news to Archie.

Thank you.

Peter stubbs, Edinburgh, May 14, 2014

 

Comment

2.

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

The Photographer

Thank you to Archie Foley for writing again, explaining why he believes that Photos 1 above and 2 below are both likely to be of the photographer who took the railway photos in the 1950s that are now in Archie's collection.

Archie sent this message in response to my message in green text in Comments 1 above.

Archie wrote:

Question

The Photographer

"When I acquired the railway photos taken around the 1950s, there were also some family photos from the same source, including many of a family trip to Burntisland.  Here is one of them.

Is this a photo of the Mystery Railway Photographer who took the Railway Photos in the 1950s that are now in Archie Foley's Collection? Who was this photographer? ©

A note on the envelope that contained this photo read:  'Myself at Burntisland' and added that this shot was taken by Anne, his granddaughter.  She features a lot in the collection.

 

Update

8 November 2016

Archie Foley wrote:

"I've now discovered that Irvine Angus was unmarried so would probably not have had a daughter named Elspeth nor a grand-daughter named Anne as I told you above.

Although both feature in many of his photographs their connection to him is unclear. However, the name Elspeth could be a pointer towards Irvine Angus being the photographer as this was the name of his mother and his older sister."

Archie Foley, Joppa:  8 November 2016

Comparing the faces of:

-   the man with the camera round his neck in 'Photo 1' and

-   the railway worker at Leith North Station

I believe that both photos are of the same man,   i.e. they are both of the railway worker who took the railway photos in and around Edinburgh around the 1950s."

Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh:  May 15, 2014

Burntisland Photo

This is the photo, taken at Burntisland, that Archie refers to above:

Photo

2.

Photographer at Burntisland

Is this a photo of the Mystery Railway Photographer who took the Railway Photos in the 1950s that are now in Archie Foley's Collection? Who was this photographer?

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh

Photo
zoom-in

2.

Photographer at Burntisland

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh

 

Comment

3.

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

This appears to be the photographer and railway worker who took many railway photographs in the 1950s. Who is he? ©              The Railway Snapper who took Railway Photos in and around Edinburgh in the 1950s and 1960s. Who was he? ©

The Photographer

Here are two photos of the man who is thought to have taken the photo at the top of this page and other railway photos in and around Edinburgh in the 1950s and 1960s.

 Archie Foley, Joppa, believes that he was a railway worker when he took these photos.  If you recognise him, please email me to let me know.

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh

Update
October 2015

An article was recently published in the Edinburgh Evening News under the headline:

"I'm on the right track to find railway snapper after a year-long hunt".

The Photographer

This article reported that Archie Foley does not yet know the photographer's name, but he has discovered that the photographer:

-  lived in Gardner's Crescent, off Morrison Street.

-  was an engine driver working from the Dalry Road depot.

-  owned a Morris Minor and an Austin A30.

-  had a daughter called Elspeth, and a granddaughter called Anne.

The Photos

A selection of the photos taken by this photographer have been included in a book:

"From Diesel to Steam through the lens of a Scottish Railway Man".

This book was launched on 3 October 2015 as part of the Portobello Book Festival at Portobello High School.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  10 October, 2015

Comment

4.

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

Thank you to Archie Foley for writing again letting me know that he believes he is now close to confirming the identity of the mystery photographer who took these and other railway photographs around the 1950s:

A railway worker stands beside the track as a train passes heading towards a signal box. Where is it? ©      Loco No 47163 at Colinton Station on 19 June 1958 ©      A railway worker stands beside the railway in front of Woodmuir Junction signal box in West Lothian ©

Archie wrote:

Update
November 2016

The Photographer

"I think we may be close to the end of the quest for the mystery photographer that started on the EdinPhoto site more than 10 years ago.  Of course, we always knew that the photographer must have been an engine driver,.

This appears to be the photographer and railway worker who took many railway photographs in the 1950s. Who is he? © 

After examining hundreds of negatives, when working on our book and exhibitions, we became almost 100% certain that his address had been 18 Gardner's Crescent, which is a tenement building."

Irvine Angus, Railway Worker

"We had the good fortune, a month or so ago to make contact with someone who grew up in that stair and recalled an engine driver living there. He could only remember his first name of the driver.  It was  "Irvine" - but from old Electoral Registers we got his surname, "Angus". His death entry in Register House confirmed his occupation and address.

Our informant knew nothing about the photography so we probably do need something from elsewhere to confirm that Irvine Angus was the photographer. There could have been another engine driver in that tenement.

We think that he may have done some of his own processing so might have belonged to a camera/photographic club or society.  I wonder if he might have been a member of Edinburgh Photographic Society.

Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh:  7 November 2016

Reply to Archie Foley

I was at a meeting of Edinburgh Photographic Society yesterday evening and asked if anybody recognised the name, Irvine Angus. Unfortunately, nobody did.  That's probably not surprising, as we're going back about 60 years!

This appears to be the photographer and railway worker who took many railway photographs in the 1950s. Who is he? ©

If you recognise the man in this photo, or if you remember a railway worker named Irvine Angus who used to live at 18 Gardner's Crescent, please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on your message to Archie Foley.

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:   November 2016

Comment

5.

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

Thank you to Archie Foley for sending me another photo, yesterday, of the railway photographer, now believed to be Irvine Angus. 

Here is the photo:

LRailway Photographer, 1950s - believed to be Irvine Angus

©  Reproduced by courtesy of Archie Foley

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:    8 November 2016

 

 

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