Train Spotting in the 1960's

[9K43]

Shed Bashing 1960 Style.

I started my like of railway in the 1960's, when my mate and I went down to Storrs Hill Road Bridge over the track at Healey Mills.
In the summer months there were many lads same as me trainspotting.
We could hear the Auzzies coming and going with wooden coal trucks and brake vans.
In the yard was a shunter D2595 and a steam loco turntable where the diesel shed now occupies.
In the summer times at 8pm was a York to Liverpool express came through, on the up main. The engine was either 45517 of Dauntless or Glorious ,these engines were off 27A Bank Hall Shed, Liverpool.
Now we come to the best part of my tale was the visits to the numerous sheds within reach of my house, and within the range of my push bike.
On a Saturday Night in the summer months I could ride my bike to Wakefield shed.
This shed was full of WD2-8-0, J50, J39, Crabs, LMS 2-6-4/ 2-6-2 Tanks LMS Jinty Tanks, Hughes Fowler 2-6-0 Crabs and a few scrapped L and Y 0-6-0 tender engines. On one visit, there was 70018 Flying Dutchman, with and 88A shed plate.
On Sunday Morning, I would set off on me bike to visit Ardsley Shed, 56B.
This shed had some A1 locos, and a good scattering of Gresley J50 Tanks, but this shed was on the verge of shutting.
After 56B it was then a short ride to Stourton shed, I am sure this was 55B.
One time I went to this shed and saw a J94, with a Gesil oblong ejector in the colours on the NCB.
I also saw an 8F 2-8-0, which was made famous as An Hornby Double O model of the 3 rail variety. The number was 48158, with a ringfield motor with the pick ups on the tender
This shed again was due to demolition, as the Freight liner Terminal is now built on that site, also the M1 and some steel companies.
From Stourton it was an easy ride to 55A Holbeck Shed to climb up a lamp post to look inside the shed, there were lots of Peaks and other express and black 5/Jubilee/Royal Scots/Clans/ and the odd A3.
After this a pedal up to Leeds City Station, which at this time was under going restorations.
On one visit, it was said the the 70047 was on Farnley Junction Shed. At this time the was the only brit without a name, The Shed code was 55C.
Also there was 3 Royal Scot Engines scrapped waiting to go to Crewe to be cut up,

I later came in touch with 70047 at Llandudno Junction (6J), as I rode behind it on a passenger train from Llandudno to Pennmanmawr on a train bound for Bangor.
This was 1965 as I was on a School Summer Camp on the Conway Old Road.
All this is from memory, with no Diaries to help me.
All the sheds in and around Leeds apart from 55G are long since shut.
Wakefield Shed was still there until the C and W ceased repairing wagons, in the 1990's. Holbeck is still there.

 

[neilmc]

That rings a chord; I lived in Leeds in the 1960s and first starting spotting in March 1967, which didn't leave me a lot of time to see steam! Holbeck had the last five Jubilees 45562/45593/45647/45675 and 45697; we went round every Saturday morning by various surreptitious means, if we weren't out elsewhere, then walked into the shed foreman's office by the front door to look at the board to see what we'd missed earlier - on one summer Saturday we struck lucky, the West Coast main line was blocked and a packed Holbeck hosted four Britannias and a Crosti 9F. We also did Normanton and Wakefield once - Normanton had a variety of steam including WDs and 77000 class standards, Wakefield was closed but acted as a staging post for steam on its way to scrapyards. B1s also came across from Low Moor.

Holbeck closed in October 1967 leaving Normanton to service incoming steam from the London Midland for a month or two but by 1968 it had all gone. Well, not quite, Carnforth based 9Fs still came through to Neville Hill on oil trains and if you spent a while at Healey Mills you might see one of Rose Grove's 8Fs coming into the yard with a freight but that was more or less it.

It was notable that we felt we could "bunk" any shed at will, though technically it was trespassing very few railwaymen would bother you as you scurried round noting the numbers although a few shed foremen would feel duty-bound to eject you if they actually left their office during your unofficial visit.

I still feel very lucky that I have these memories of better times.

 

[wbbminerals]

You were lucky to have so many working depots/yards nearby... Are there any pictures out there of the turntable at HM? I read the shed was a later addition, built slightly later in the 60s? If it hasn't gone already its days are numbered after the demolition of the main building.

 

[Soyyo]

Lived near here as a kid. Started to be interested in trains in 1956 or 57 when I was a toddler. My grandad used to take me to the bottom of Intake Lane in Ossett to the level crossing where the old steam trains passed into and out of Ossett station. He used to take me on these old trains to Dewsbury market, and to Bradford (where it was believed in the family that he had a fancy woman!)

http://www.ossett.net/pages/Ossett%20Station4_jpg.htm

Of course it was ripped up in the sixties so I had to go train spotting at the bottom of Storrs Hill Road where you are talking about.

 

[9K43]

I was born in Ossett, and later on delivered green groceries for a shop called Wilkingsons, next the the Optcians.
I dont lve far from Ossett, and go through on a regular basis.
I attended Gawthorpe County Primary School.

 

[Soyyo]

I was born in Ossett, and later on delivered green groceries for a shop called Wilkingsons, next the the Optcians.
I dont lve far from Ossett, and go through on a regular basis.
I attended Gawthorpe County Primary School.

So was I. I don't remember Wilkingsons. I delivered newspapers for Roland Smith on Station Road and was at South Ossett! I moved away years ago.