Sheffield Steam Sheds Article in Steam Day Magazine

[hillsbro]

Whilst repeating an apology for being "off topic" - yes, we were in the 1959 intake. Fat Nat was still in charge, but in poor health (though he could still wield a cane with gusto). He retired in 1965 and died in 1967, aged 63.

 

There was quite a clique of trainspotters at King Ted's (we called ourselves ferro-equologists) and we would often be planning our next trip to Doncaster or Crewe when we were supposed to be listening to Bert Towers explaining the wonders of igneous rocks, or Twiff going through the intricacies of French verbs...

 

There was even an informal K.E.S. trainspotting "club" but it was derailed when some of its members became more interested in girls (cf. Totley tunnel and ex-L.M.S. suburban stock...)

[Bassman62]

This is a shot of a pencil that belonged to my Maternal Grandfather who died in 1950, he worked out of Darnall Loco sheds until his death at the age of 56.

I know it's slightly off topic; just thought it may be of interest to you railway buffs.

 

 

[CHAIRBOY]

You guys would be 1959 intake then? We are well represented - Michael G would be 1954 I think and I was 1953.Was Fat Nat still in charge in your day?

 

Please excuse 'off topic' subject folks.

 

http://oldedwardians.org.uk/nlc/photos/54.1(1).html

 

Front row, this has to be Ian Wright of Railway Memorabilia fame?

[Hopman]

http://oldedwardians.org.uk/nlc/photos/54.1(1).html

 

Front row, this has to be Ian Wright of Railway Memorabilia fame?

 

I'm sure it is Ian Wright. I remember him teaching me at school.

[Hopman]

There was quite a clique of trainspotters at King Ted's (we called ourselves ferro-equologists)

 

I thought the word was ferroequinologist.

[mikeG]

There's 4 from Lydgate Lane in the 1954 1(1) input.I'm on front row in the 1(2) input which I'd put on here if I could.

[hillsbro]

I thought the word was ferroequinologist.

 

Quite right - many people refer to ferroequinologists, but thereby hangs a tale.... We decided that, as the suffix -ology refers to "a study of", it was more logical to study a noun rather than an adjective, that is a "ferro-equus" rather than a "ferro-equinus", the latter term being somewhat adjectival.......I seem to recall that someone (it was probably "Tich" Taylor) opined that, as there is more to trainspotting than "iron horses", it might be better to us an all-encompassing, adjectival form. We didn't talk to him all the way to York and most of the way back... Someone actually thought of asking the venerable Dr Jameson about this, but we knew only too well that he didn't approve of adding Greek suffixes to Latin roots. We also remembered only too well his lengthy assertion that, according to the rules of classical Greek, a stamp collector should be an atelophilist rather than a philatelist...

[hillsbro]

There's 4 from Lydgate Lane in the 1954 1(1) input.I'm on front row in the 1(2) input which I'd put on here if I could.

 

Maybe here: http://nlc.oldedwardians.org.uk/photos/54.1(2).html

[mikeG]

Well done. There's just 2 of us from Lydgate Lane on this. I'm third from the left on front row. No doubt my quiff was brylcreemed.

[P.Johnson]

Sorry to butt in on you King Ted's chaps, being a High Storrs OB, but Irving Smith and his brother Robert were fellow members of St. Mary's Walkley church choir. Their dad Roy was assistant organist and as an auditor for BR and thus eligible for free travel would sometimes accompany us on trips to York. We formed St Mary's Railway Enthusiasts Society, members Irving ,Robert, myself, John Staley and John Laver, solely for the purpose of applying for permits. I recall trips to Crewe works and Doncaster plant.

We also had a society at High Storrs and managed to arrange a couple of trips, one to all the main London area sheds (that was a long day - the M1 ended south of Leicester) and one to the Leeds area - I recall the coach just scraping under a low bridge approaching Farnley, almost losing its air horns off the roof. An other marathon trip we arranged unofficially using the school society to obtain the permits. It was by minibus to the Newcastle area, setting off from Fitzalan Square very early in the morning and returning just in time to catch the "whistle buses" home at midnight. The last shed visit that day (Thornaby) was completed after dark and all with just one driver!