Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

"Bahamas" comes to Finsbury Park

Jubilee class 45596 pulling a steam charter to York on a grey and chilly Sunday morning.

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Comment by Gordon T on October 3, 2021 at 11:07: Thanks Stephen, an unusual viewpoint, bottom corner in (the park) Finsbury Park?

I see you caught the moment the safety valves lifted - I heard it at Harringay station, indifferent ears and all.

Comment by snappy stephen on October 3, 2021 at 11:18: Cheers, Gordon. The photo was taken from the end of platform six. I shall not choose this viewpoint in future, but just fancied a change this morning. Some you win!

Comment by andrew simmonds on October 8, 2021 at 7:28: Sorry if I'm being thick but I do not get The Bahamas.

Comment by Gordon T on October 8, 2021 at 8:29: The engine carries the nameplate 'Bahamas' on each leading splasher (wheel cover), but that's obscured by the vegetation in Stephen's picture.

Here's another picture taken the following day as the engine came back to London via Harringay, and a closeup of the nameplate.

Comment by andrew simmonds on October 8, 2021 at 9:28: Ok got that can you tell me the origin of this name? I'm just curious because I moved from Harringay in 1968 to the Bahamas, hence for me a curious coincidence.

Comment by Gordon T on October 8, 2021 at 10:16: I wondered if that was coming! Wikipedia's little help, but I have now found a list of the names for all of the 191 locomotives that were built (of which four survive). It's here, and scrolling through it there are several themes. The first in the class was named 'Silver Jubilee' - it was named in 1935 to mark King George V's 25 years reign, and the engines are referred to as 'Jubilees' collectively.

After that, names are of Dominions and their constituent states in the British Empire (Canada, Australia, India) then an alphabetical list of individual countries, at the top of which is 'Bahamas'. There are more categories for higher-numbered engines, but that's the answer for 'Bahamas' as I understand it.

Comment by andrew simmonds on October 8, 2021 at 10:35: Brilliant thank you so much.

Comment by Jane Bain on October 9, 2021 at 0:44: I got excited when I read "Bahamas comes to Finsbury Park." I moved from Nassau to the UK in 1979 and was looking forward to splashing on the beach in Finsbury Park, while enjoying some conch salad and fritters. Oh well, another time...........

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