Sheffield Steam Sheds Article in Steam Day Magazine

[hillsbro]

Whilst scouring the depths of my hard drive I found this picture of Millhouses & Ecclesall station:

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/MillhousesStation.jpg

 

I don't remember where I found it, but it is evidently an early postcard view. The photo perhaps dates from the 1920s/30s. As far as I remember, the station hadn't changed much by the late 1950s when my spotter pals and I, having "bunked" Millhouses shed, used to buy a 3d. ticket at the booking office and then catch a local service (from Chinley via the Hope Valley line) from the platform at the far right to the Midland Station, stopping at Heeley on the way. I do remember the clock on the side of the rather nicely-designed building housing the booking office etc., and the PASSENGERS MUST CROSS THE LINE BY THE BRIDGE sign.

[bus man]

Might be earlier if my eyes arnt decieving me there are white dots on the home signals as obosed to the white line , when did the dot get replaced by the line ?

 

Think Ive seen that view before see if i can find the book and read the caption , any way its a good photo

 

THANKS

 

Isnt it strange to think that the telegraph pole on our right used to link with further down the line at the next bridge all these years latter the other poll is still there gaurding the entrance to shed to stop you lot getting in he he he

 

(See post # 177 photo E for photo)

[hillsbro]

It could well be an earlier view. It dates from after about 1902 (?) when the station was enlarged. Often it's possible to judge the age of a photo by the style of clothing worn by people in the photo, but I suppose that in the pre-war period, railway uniforms didn't change as much as fashions generally.

 

At the far right of the photo you can just see the end of the canopy over a platform building - presumably a waiting room; I had forgotten this, though I imagine there would have been a platform waiting room at a station that must have been quite busy in the first half of the 20th century.

 

Oh - the telegraph pole. Even these belong to a past age, in these days of fibre-optic cables and satellite communications. How times change...

 

A rather nice, early view of the Midland Station is on offer at eBay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MIDLAND-STATION-SHEFFIELD-RARE-UNUSED-FINE-CONDITION_W0QQitemZ250336934221QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Postcards_MJ?hash=item250336934221&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[bus man]

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.

 

 

 

As the op this is not off topic : Iam very pleased that the thread as opened up to produce a very very good thread wonder if it will get to being a year old ?

[Texas]

Regarding the starter signal in your photo hillsboro, the arm is lowered. On later signals the arm was raised. And what is the signal on the downside, a signal to go into a side road perhaps? Later maneuvers would have used a 'dolly'. I don't remember the backboards either, but I remember the clock.

[CHAIRBOY]

NEWS ITEM from Sheffield page. http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=428626

[bus man]

Please be aware that this loco - the class 40 - is in a odd livery its large logo livery ie BR blue but with the massive BR double arrow and large loco numbers - that would have helped you when you were trying to see the numbers through the railings

[Bassman62]

As the op this is not off topic : Iam very pleased that the thread as opened up to produce a very very good thread wonder if it will get to being a year old ?

 

Thanks for that, I've taken the liberty of attaching a shot from my 'Great Uncles' birth certificate showing that my Great grandfather was an engine driver in 1878 both on my Grandfathers were drivers as were two of my uncles, my paternal Grandfather was brought out of retirement to drive during WWII.

 

Sorry about the shot quality but as you can see I'm no David Bailey

 

 

PS wonder if the Queen Vic Stamp is worth anything?

[hillsbro]

Regarding the starter signal in your photo hillsboro, the arm is lowered. On later signals the arm was raised. And what is the signal on the downside, a signal to go into a side road perhaps? Later maneuvers would have used a 'dolly'. I don't remember the backboards either, but I remember the clock.

 

Quite right - in more recent times, "lower quadrant" signals were unusual on the L.M.S., though they were retained by the G.W.R. The signal on the down main line, behind the bridge, might be an ordinary section signal for the main line, though access to the shed would of course have been behind the photographer, to the right-hand side. Maybe there was a side-road from the main line into the shed yard, as well as from the "slow" down line on the far right.

[Runningman]

Mention has been made of the S&T pole still in situ at the top of the steps leading to 19b.

A little known fact for all you Anoracks, to which I expressed surprise upon hearing it.

 

Unlike the GPO and BT where all their wooden poles are subject to a cycle of testing for decay, I was told by a BR lad that their poles were never tested for decay. When you stick a piece of wood in the ground it will most definetly after a number of years decay and possibly fall down, especially when somebody is attempting to climb it. Do I presume that the ground into which all the S&T poles were inserted must have been extremely well drained ??

 

Remember once being on the Archer Road steps and their was an engineer aloft that pole, feeding copper wire through from wherever to wherever. He was there for what seemed hours and the length of copper provided must have been some distance.

 

Visited the Main Line Trust at Loughborough possibly 30 years ago to see a friend who was involved with the railway there. When they heard of my experience with the GPO they asked if I could assist in recreating the S&T network, that is wooden poles and copper wire.

Just give me a call I said, but alas nothing came of it.