A Short bit of Nostalgia
The loco's I can't remember but the turns I can but it was a day with a twist, I wish I still had the records for this day, I'd love to pour over it.
One morning whilst on my paper round I bumped into my friend Cal's Dad, returning home on his bike after a nightshift, I passed him a spare Daily Mirror, when he asked, what I was doing the upcoming Saturday? I dunno, I'll have to see what everyones up to? He said, he was thinking of asking Cal about going to York Works Open day, your welcome to tag along if you fancy it. I said, as long as your not going till after 8.30, then I'm up for it. He said, ok, just get to our house as soon as you can, after you've done the papers and we'll go, he briefly showed me a list of what was on Gateshead shed, before we went our seperate ways. At school, Cal was waiting by the gate, he said, my Dads said he saw you this morning about York Works Open Day, aye he did, you up for it?, I asked. Cal said ofcourse, its only a quid for you by the way, Dads got the railcard. Smashing and handed over the quid to Cal, not that Cal's Dad ever asked for it but I always gave it to Cal because it went in the Rail Riders voucher pot.
On the morning I was up at 05.30, albeit not very bright eyed and bushy tailed, I had the milk round to do first, by 06.45, I was picking up my papers, threw a couple of extra papers in the bag, one for George, my gaffer on the milk and one for Cal's Dad to read on gthe train. I picked up my wages and shot off, dashed round to get the papers done, stopping briefly to drop Georges paper off and get my wages off him too. I dashed in the house, went and got a shower, I laugh now thinking about it, one of those rubber attachments, where the two pipes fitted onto hot and cold taps and a seperate rubber pipe with shower head on, fitted onto the bracket on the wall, anyway I digress. Quick shower, dressed, pick up my bait for the day and dash the 10minute run to Cal's house. I'm there for about quarter past 8, 10mins later we're in a taxi to Central.
After picking the tickets up, Cal's got the ever timetable out of his bag, I look at him and say, why you got that, we're only going to York Works Open Day? Cals Dad, was a lovely bloke, still is, dead laid back, really easygoing fella, however Cal was a bit of a spoilt brat and would constantly argue with his dad about doing this and that. I was just glad to be out having a cheap day out, well for me it was. We boarded some peak on the Poole train, may have been 45134, can't be too sure and Cal had persuaded his Dad we were bailing at Darlington for the following Trans Pennine turn, which to my utter dismay was another peak, we'd seen it at Central, running light from Gateshead up to Heaton for the stock. Meaning we had a fair ole fester at Darlo waiting for it.
If it had just been Cal, the lads and I, we'd have went back to Durham, if not there'd have been ructions on, between Cal and I, about festering for there for another bloody wagon
. However Cal's Dad was here, so I buttoned it, not wanting to seem ungrateful, even though inside, I was calling Cal worse than muck.
Cal was off taking photo's of the new names that we're being adorned to the zings at the time, whilst I getting the stock. Sooner rather than later the aforementioned peak rolled in, Cal was excitedly saying, look its a 45/0 man, I couldn't muster any enthusiasm about it. Cal was at the window, whilst his Dad and I got a tble seat. Cal's Dad was a bit quiet today, he wasn't a man of many words but when he spoke of the railways, he was quite fascinating to listen too. I asked if he was ok, he said, oh I've got a bit of a headache this morning, I'll be ok, before we got talking about, what time I'd got up this morning and what we'd both seen this week, whilst keeping our eyes peeled out the window for Freight South of Northallerton and the sidings outside York Station.
We bailed a busy York Station and after noting down what was there, Cal asked if it was ok to go to Rail Riders world, to pick up some vouchers, his Dad agreed and said, you 2 go in and go back to the Station, I'm gonna go find a pair of cheap sunglasses and some headache tablets. We got a fivers each of vouchers and wandered round the model layouts, before wandering back into the station, watching 31/4s, 45 and 47s disappearing to Scarborough, I could see Cal's mind working overtime but I was too busy trying to cop stuff to be bothered wondering what he was thinking. About an hour later, Cals Dad rocked up in his new pair of sunglasses, we laughed and asked if he'd been offered a part in the Six Million Dollar Man(one for the young uns to youtube) before we walked off to York Works.
There was a multitude of new units in production, however I'm not sure which type, maybe the 313 and 315s but I seriously can't remember but there was plenty stuff to see, I remember 92220 Evening Star was in full steam and various kettles and other locos, sure one of the last few new build 56's was present, maybe a 58 too, though the latter may have been at Donny Works open day. Cal was clicking away like hell with the camera, his Dad, normally would've been too but today he was just writing stuff down. After a couple of hours, we'd done what we wanted and I'd bought a couple of pin badges and a couple of Rail magazines at one of the stalls on the way out. On the way back to York station, Cal's Dad, said he didn't really feel well and did we mind if we went straight home, I was disappointed but said, I'm fine but Cal's face was ashen. He went, your joking aren't you Dad. When his Dad replied No, I'm sorry but I really don't feel well son. Cal got a real cob on and the rest of the walk was done in utter silence.
At the station I nipped to the loo and as I came out the door saw, Cal's Dad finger waving and giving Cal, a more than stern talking to. I paused a bit and slowly walked towards them. Cal's Dad, walked up the platform and left us 2 and went to the Station buffet for a cuppa and arrived with 2 cans of pop for us, with another guy and 3 kids in tow. The guy was one of Cal's Dads friends from work, he'd been to the NRM, with his grandkids. The eldest was about our age and we'd seen him a few times on Central, we were all going home on the next trans peninne turn home or were we?
Turns out, Cal's Dad had been telling his friend about his sons strop and wether he liked it or not, he'd have to come home, unless his ticket was invalid because we were on the railcard too. Credit to that bloke, he said, well why don't i loan you my Grandson, he can use the ticket, that way you can go home, I'll take the other but what about the other 3 lads, how much is 3 child singles to Newcastle for them coming back later. Cal, who was always a bright lad said, why don't we just get 3 Northumbrian weekend Rangers, we had Rail Riders vouchers, I said, I can pay for mine too. In the end our new mate, Paul, was onboard and after doling some vouchers about it cost us about £8 each amd we had our very first Northumbrian Rangers in our hands. Cal's Dad wasn't too enamoured leaving us behind but Cal and I were keen to tell him, we'll be ok, we're told to be back home no later than 9pm, we all promised:roll:, we would be. Cal's Dad, shoved a £5 note in Cal's hand and said, for christ sake dont tell your mam, I've given you that too.
We said our goodbyes, as they left on a zing home, we sat on a parcel barrow as Cal, got the time table out the bag, he was working out moves for later but had already plumped on getting some of the loco hauled stuff going to Scarborough line, off we set for the ticket office and blew the majority of our Rail Riders vouchers to get 3 tickets to Scarborough. The £27 I'd left the house with that morning was diasppearing quicker than a fart in a gale, thank the lord Cal's Dad paid me into the Open Day and I'd done a couple of rounds to cover for a lads holiday and helped load the milk onto the various vans on the previous Sunday evening, unless I'd have been going home on that zing too.
We quickly made for a peak(again) on a Liverpool Scarboro turn and bailed at Malton, festered a while and got the next turn, this time in the hands of a 47 to Scarborough, we had a bit of a fester here, before a 31/4, may well have been 31424, arrived to take us back to Malton. Another fester there before yet another peak took us to York. I was getting sick of peaks and said so, Paul on the other hand was just sick of festering. So on arrival at York, we made for the trans peninne turns, which was a 47, we met another 47 back from Thirsk, to York before taking another to Darlington but coming back to York. About 4hrs later we were making tracks back home on a 47, having got 3 peaks and 3 47's plus a zing and a 31/4 in the bag for the day, plus the open day. Getting to Central for about half 9 and Cal's Dad waiting for us, looking down at his watch. We all jumped in the car and got dropped off at home. Turned out Cal's Dad, had a migrane and slept it off, in the afternoon, we'd had a great day though and we had a whole Sunday, to do too.
Paul didn't turn up the next day though, so Cal and I just decided we'd travel up to York, we agreed, that if it was a peak there, we'd geta 47 back or vice versa, we done a bit spotting and came back at about 4pm, having had a 47 there and I had to endure a peak back..