Did Anyone Travel From Sheffield Victoria Station ?

[Meltman]

I traveled back to Sheffield Victoria once when I was about 8 years old. I'd been to my relatives house near Skegness. I think I went there by car (it's a long time ago!!) and stayed on in the school hols so had to come back on my own-----it was safe to do that kind of thing then.The ticket was bought at Skegness for Sheffield Midland, I remember it because we arranged for my mum to meet me there at the correct arrival time. The journey from Skeggy is not the best in the country and before long it was dark so I could not see where we were....and then the train stopped...and started again...and stopped again. It was getting very late,it was pitch black outside, I was worried and everyone else in the carriage seemed to be too. Eventually we arrived at Sheffield Victoria very late having been diverted into some sidings somewhere. My mum had been inquiring at Sheffield Midland as to the train's whereabouts and she was directed to Victoria. To much relief it all ended ok although we had missed the last bus home and had to walk (could not afford taxis in those days)

[Runningman]

I am wearing my rose tinted spectacles and speaking as an old git with many childhood train spotting memories.

To me there was something romantic about the Victoria, it's architecture and surroundings.

The potential of seeing such a variety of loco's.

B1's, V2's, A1's, Director class, Britannia's and even the very occasional A4 and then of course the electric's.

ex Train Spotters live and die with some cherished memories of a time when the world somehow moved along much slower. Even the tram journey down into the Wicker and the climb up those steps made the day.

If you went late evening you even saw a few rats running around at the far end of the platform.

At semi final time at Hillsborough when a London team was competing, a good idea to go there on the Saturday afternoon and get sight of an A4.

[hillsbro]

... an old git with many childhood train spotting memories...

That's me to a 'T'..

...At semi final time at Hillsborough when a London team was competing, a good idea to go there on the Saturday afternoon and get sight of an A4.

Oh now I'm really jealous - I never did see a "streak" at Victoria. The "Brit" on the Harwich boat train was the main event of the day, often viewed from the wall at Bernard Road where you could see the comings and goings from both Midland and Victoria stations..

[cookingfat50]

in the 60s me an my mate jimmy birchall, used to walk to Victoria station with heavy load of fishing tackle, we had to walk as there was no buses at 4.30 on a sunday morning, it would take ages to get there when your only 14 or 15 years old we used to go fishing a lot in those days so we used to catch a train to linccolnshire to the rivers there we would go to places like Sleaford bardeny and fish the whitham great but cold days mostly till the sun shone when we would come home burnt, to a crisp all in the name of sport x

[Runningman]

That's me to a 'T'..:POh now I'm really jealous - I never did see a "streak" at Victoria. The "Brit" on the Harwich boat train was the main event of the day, often viewed from the wall at Bernard Road where you could see the comings and goings from both Midland and Victoria stations..

 

Hi Hillsboro

 

I occasionally went spotting in that location, problem is now I can't quite recognise the exact place on what I thought was Blast Lane. I think it could be surrounded by industry.

[sharrovian]

Went from Victoria on my honeymoon back in 1960, we had 5 days in Bridlington, all we could afford, I remember having to change at Hull, as an afterthought people think they are hard-up these days.

[hillsbro]

...I can't quite recognise the exact place on what I thought was Blast Lane. I think it could be surrounded by industry.

Hi Runningman - Blast Lane is still there alongside the canal but the adjacent area is pretty much unrecognisable. Building the Parkway involved cutting through the location where we used to sit on the wall, with Bernard Road now being carried on a new bridge over the Parkway. The junction of the Parkway and Derek Dooley Way is almost directly over where the signal box used to be. Here is a then-and-now comparison of an old map and a modern "Bing" aerial view of the equivalent area. The location of the wall where we train-spotted is marked with a red arrow on the map. The blue arrow marks the direction in which two photos, old and new were taken. Here is the old photo - the upper bridge carried Navigation Hill, which linked Blast Lane with Bernard Road. The lower bridge carried the line into the old LMS goods station. Navigation Hill was replaced by part of the Supertram route - shown on this modern photo.

[Runningman]

Hi Hillsboro and many thanks for an informative response which I am sure many other 'Anoracks ' will have found interesting !

Your info has stirred some memories and I now remember wandering about unofficially taking photos on the bridge spanning the Nunnery junction before it's demolition.

[johnme]

Hi Runningman - Blast Lane is still there alongside the canal but the adjacent area is pretty much unrecognisable. Building the Parkway involved cutting through the location where we used to sit on the wall, with Bernard Road now being carried on a new bridge over the Parkway. The junction of the Parkway and Derek Dooley Way is almost directly over where the signal box used to be. Here is a then-and-now comparison of an old map and a modern "Bing" aerial view of the equivalent area. The location of the wall where we train-spotted is marked with a red arrow on the map. The blue arrow marks the direction in which two photos, old and new were taken. Here is the old photo - the upper bridge carried Navigation Hill, which linked Blast Lane with Bernard Road. The lower bridge carried the line into the old LMS goods station. Navigation Hill was replaced by part of the Supertram route - shown on this modern photo.

 

great pics hillsboro can remember this bridge well from my trainspotting days before i got a job as a messenger boy at the vic station then moving on to be a train recorder at woodburn jcn signal box

 

---------- Post added 07-10-2014 at 13:21 ----------

 

I am wearing my rose tinted spectacles and speaking as an old git with many childhood train spotting memories.

To me there was something romantic about the Victoria, it's architecture and surroundings.

The potential of seeing such a variety of loco's.

B1's, V2's, A1's, Director class, Britannia's and even the very occasional A4 and then of course the electric's.

ex Train Spotters live and die with some cherished memories of a time when the world somehow moved along much slower. Even the tram journey down into the Wicker and the climb up those steps made the day.

If you went late evening you even saw a few rats running around at the far end of the platform.

At semi final time at Hillsborough when a London team was competing, a good idea to go there on the Saturday afternoon and get sight of an A4.

can remember going down to beighton and watching the fish train go over the viaduct and hearing the shouts from the others if it was a BRIT. happy days

[rossyrooney]

Hi Hillsboro

 

I occasionally went spotting in that location, problem is now I can't quite recognise the exact place on what I thought was Blast Lane. I think it could be surrounded by industry.

 

We always knew the area as St. Johns, where the traffic lights are now there was a shop that opened all hours and on the lower side of the shop was Aston Street that led onto the Abbatoir and the post office and Kens barber shop,we went spotting on the wall that was directly opposite the St. Johns end of Aston St.

 

Happy Days indeed.