MDR brick

[terryt]

Just been sorting out the garage and came across a most surprising find-an almost perfect brick stamped MDR (like the one in the definitive book) I had forgotten I had `acquired` the brick and it must have been some years ago. Anyone any idea roughly how many are still in existence i.e are they rare?

[AlanL]

Legend has it that they all came from Burdale Tunnel Cottage. When I visited Burdale station in the 1970's I checked the bricks there and they were not marked MDR. The bricks used to turn up in the Malton auction regularly but since the auction has died they are probably quite rare.

[terryt]

Thanks for that Alan-has anyone asked the obvious question "why just the one building and why,possibly,use unique bricks on the most remote building on the whole line? I was speaking to a railway historian of some worth the other day and he told me that railway companies, in the early days of the four independent companies, used locally sourced clay etc to manufacture bricks to reduce the costs as manufactured bricks were more expensive.Could there have been a local brick kiln near Burdale? Also,where did all the station name boards go-I know of the Wharram one. Also,also,I have searched pictures of the MDR and can`t find evidence of platform seating at either Burdale or North Grimston-was this an economy measure perhaps-TERRYT

[AndyB]

I definitely did not go looking for an MDR brick today, during a trip out to the coast, but sometimes things just turn up unexpectedly, and I just about fell over myself to buy this in a shop when I stumbled across it
Andy

[4008]

Thats ace!

[Neil Gow]

That's where I got mine from in 1966 but mother threw it out during a house move.

[Rail Rover]

I've just had a call form a lady who is kindly donating a MDR brick.

Interestingly her late husband picked it up at Sledmere & Fimber station in the 1970s. I didn't realise those bricks were used there.

[4008]

Neither did I. Interesting!

[AlanL]

Thanks for that Alan-has anyone asked the obvious question "why just the one building and why,possibly,use unique bricks on the most remote building on the whole line? I was speaking to a railway historian of some worth the other day and he told me that railway companies, in the early days of the four independent companies, used locally sourced clay etc to manufacture bricks to reduce the costs as manufactured bricks were more expensive.Could there have been a local brick kiln near Burdale? Also,where did all the station name boards go-I know of the Wharram one. Also,also,I have searched pictures of the MDR and can`t find evidence of platform seating at either Burdale or North Grimston-was this an economy measure perhaps-TERRYT

The photo was probably posted long after your 2012 post , but in the photos of Burdale station there's a photo of Mr Birdsall and a boy standing in front of a seat which has an LNER cast iron seatback sign "Burdale" on it. As for the station nameboards their vast size meant that that they were ideal for shelves. I remember visiting Everingham station in 1977 and the old NER diagonal paling fence had been lined with old enamel advertising signs , possibly to keep rodents out of the garden.

[Will]

When Ebberston station was still an unrestored mess, I remember seeing the enamel sign in two halves. One piece was being used as a lid for the copper boiler in the wash house