Sheffield Steam Sheds Article in Steam Day Magazine

[Tonyt]

The 37 may be familiar to some of you from your spotting days but the class 73 behind wont be as they only worked on the southern , they head the network rail testtrain about to depart sheffield midland station today to go to edge hill via the hope valley

 

 

Living not too far from Gatwick the class 73 was quite renowned. Being both electric and diesel it was the ideal choice for the Gatwick Express. It had precedence over all the other trains excluding the Royal Train. As a consequence it must not break down, hence the alternative drive. With new owners of the Gatwick Express the 73 is now long gone.

[bus man]

The 73 at the other end 73138

[darylslinn]

We certainly haven't had many 73's in Sheffield over the years, I do remember a 33 hauling a Gatwick Express set up here as it was being launched all those years ago on a promotional jaunt to York.

Memories...

[bus man]

Duches of Sutherland this Satuday 21st April

 

Derby 0755

 

Belper 0808-0811

 

Ambergate Junction 0817-0839

 

Chesterfield Platform 3 0858-0906

 

Dore Station Junction 0924

 

Sheffield Platform 2 0930-1002

 

Wincobank Junction 1007

 

 

 

Masborough Junction 1923

 

Treeton Junction 1929

 

Beighton Junction 1933

 

Barrow Hill North Junction 1940

 

Chesterfield Platform 2 1945-1947

 

Belper 2015-2017

 

Derby 2023

 

 

Full times :

http://uksteam.info/tours/t12/t0421b.htm

[The Crab]

Apologies for being off-topic.

 

Tonyt - I notice you moved to the Wirral in 1955. Do you ever remember seeing a GC 04 on the Summer's ore trains?

[Hazelmay]

Thanks for putting me right, banker. When I worked on the railway in the 50's I'd see that engine regularly, either in Sheffield station or passing Grimesthorpe. It seems the memory plays tricks after a while and I've thought about it as 'Sir Cloudesley Shovell' for years.

 

Hi Texas,

 

I have been reading this old thread with interest. My Grandfather was an engine driver on the steam trains and later on diesels. His name was William Henry Wyatt (known to some as Bill and others as Harry). As you worked on the railways I wonder if you knew him.

[Texas]

I've been delving in the memory and I've been trying to put a face to the name Harry Wyatt. I think he worked at Grimesthorpe, and I think I worked as his mate on what was known as the loco yard back in the mid-50's. The loco yard turns of duty were the preparation of engines for working trains. Also we had to dispose of fires on engines coming onto the loco yard after working trains. I didn't work with him on a regular basis as I think he was in another link from myself. Links were rosters of crews (drivers and firemen). Believe me, if I tried to explain the workings of links and railway works it could get very complicated and also very boring. My attention span is limited nowadays anyhow. It must've been G'thorpe because I didn't know any drivers from Millhouses or Canklow.

[Hazelmay]

I've been delving in the memory and I've been trying to put a face to the name Harry Wyatt. I think he worked at Grimesthorpe, and I think I worked as his mate on what was known as the loco yard back in the mid-50's. The loco yard turns of duty were the preparation of engines for working trains. Also we had to dispose of fires on engines coming onto the loco yard after working trains. I didn't work with him on a regular basis as I think he was in another link from myself. Links were rosters of crews (drivers and firemen). Believe me, if I tried to explain the workings of links and railway works it could get very complicated and also very boring. My attention span is limited nowadays anyhow. It must've been G'thorpe because I didn't know any drivers from Millhouses or Canklow.[/QUOT

 

Hi Texas,

 

Yes Grandad probably worked at Grimesthorpe as they lived on Malton Street in Pitsmoor. He was not a native Sheffielder - he was born and grew up in the City of Worcester.

 

In the mid-fifties, he was also in his mid-fifties as he was born in 1899.

He was a good looking man and when off duty he was always immaculately dressed. ( His father had been in the tailoring business, which probably influenced him).

 

He loved to take a train into the Derbyshire or Yorkshire countryside and walk the moors on fine days off - stopping in the village pubs for a drink of course.

 

He died at age 80 in 1979. I had left for Canada in 1974 and that was the last time I saw him.

 

As an expat of a certain age, I find this forum very interesting and nostaglic.

I found out about an uncle of my father - unknown to him - who died in the first world war, on one of the threads. I also contacted an old schoolfriend on here and we met up a couple of times on my visits to Sheffield.

 

Thanks to all the regulars giving out information and wit and wisdom. Keep up the good work.

[hillsbro]

Hi Hazelmay - I imagine you have researched your family history but I've found your grandfather in the 1911 census, living in Derby Road, Worcester with his parents Henry Richard (a "clothiers assistant"), mother Emma and two younger brothers. The deaths index shows that William Henry died in Sheffield in April-June 1978, his date of birth being given as 8 May 1898. The directories I have from the 1940s to the 1970s show "Wm. Hy. Wyatt, loco. driver" at 123 Malton Street. I can send a JPEG of the 1911 census page if it's of interest - just PM me an email address..

[Texas]

This is only slightly related to this thread but I've been seeing lately, in the media, the auction of the late Jimmy Saville's personal belongings. It reminded me of seeing him on some television show a long time ago where he made a reply to an insult. It took the form of a whistle of one short note and one long slightly lower in pitch. It made me laugh because it was it was a loco crew's way of conveying the word ar-----e to another crew or someone in the vicinity. It only worked on the old steamers really because the BR engines had a different designed whistle. It didn't stop us trying though. So all this made me wonder if Jimmy hadn't worked on the railway for a time.