Brightside station trainspotting

[johnpm 18]

I spent a lot of time trainspotting at Brightside station in the 1950's both on my own and with friends from Grimesthorpe school who lived in the Rothay Rd , Birdwell Rd and Hawkshead rd area.

I have great memories of many hours spent sat on the wall on Holywell Rd near where the old gas works was ( demolished many years ago). My Uncle Ken had an allotment opposite there so I was able to get drinks from him sometimes.

The Thames Clyde Express was a highlight of any day especially seeing the "Jub's" and "Patriot's" on that service..

Anyone else remembers those times?

John

[CHAIRBOY 10]

May be some memories of interest within this thread?

 

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=307849

[stevenorfolk 10]

I spent a lot of time trainspotting at Brightside station in the 1950's both on my own and with friends from Grimesthorpe school who lived in the Rothay Rd , Birdwell Rd and Hawkshead rd area.

I have great memories of many hours spent sat on the wall on Holywell Rd near where the old gas works was ( demolished many years ago). My Uncle Ken had an allotment opposite there so I was able to get drinks from him sometimes.

The Thames Clyde Express was a highlight of any day especially seeing the "Jub's" and "Patriot's" on that service..

Anyone else remembers those times?

John

Hi John, I remember Brightside station, and the Gasworks, it was the Early Sixties and we lived on shiregreen we used to cycle on woolley wood bottom ,past the Engineers pub and up the hill past the gas holders,then opposite the Roman ridge ind estate,we used to sit on the Banking,where the Barnsley line joined the main line.

Its where the Meadowhall station is now, from there you could also see the shunting engines inside Hadfields Steelworks, in those days you might remember there was a line on a viaduct that cut from the Barnsley line to the Rotherham line.

I do remember the Thames Clyde express, it used to pass that junction,it was one of the few that went on the Barnsley line, also I think there was another express called the Waverley,it also went via Barnsley on the wood bottom.

They seemed to pass in the early evening on there way up north.

Regards, Steve

[johnpm 18]

Hi Steve, I had forgotten The Devonian . From info on the thread Chairboy has pointed us to, the Sheffield station timings were :

Up Thames Clyde Express 3.47 pm

Up Waverley about 4.45 pm

Devonian 11.19 am

I think it was The Thames Clyde we saw most because it fitted in with after school.

I travelled on The Devonian quite a bit going on holiday to Torquay. I always remember my first trip on the Thames Clyde Express up to Leeds - thought it was wonderful !

John

[Urien 10]

Hi John, I remember Brightside station, and the Gasworks, it was the Early Sixties and we lived on shiregreen we used to cycle on woolley wood bottom ,past the Engineers pub and up the hill past the gas holders,then opposite the Roman ridge ind estate,we used to sit on the Banking,where the Barnsley line joined the main line.

Its where the Meadowhall station is now, from there you could also see the shunting engines inside Hadfields Steelworks, in those days you might remember there was a line on a viaduct that cut from the Barnsley line to the Rotherham line.

I do remember the Thames Clyde express, it used to pass that junction,it was one of the few that went on the Barnsley line, also I think there was another express called the Waverley,it also went via Barnsley on the wood bottom.

They seemed to pass in the early evening on there way up north.

Regards, Steve

 

Me and my mate Andy would often walk on Wood Bottom from our homes on Deep Lane, back in the late 60s, for a day's train-spotting. We'd sit on the bank too, opposite the bottom of Laughterton Road.

 

Sometimes we'd go to Bernard Road, where the LNER line crossed the LMS line and, on a few occasions, we even went to Doncaster.

[whitehorses 10]

I spent a lot of time trainspotting at Brightside station in the 1950's both on my own and with friends from Grimesthorpe school who lived in the Rothay Rd , Birdwell Rd and Hawkshead rd area.

I have great memories of many hours spent sat on the wall on Holywell Rd near where the old gas works was ( demolished many years ago). My Uncle Ken had an allotment opposite there so I was able to get drinks from him sometimes.

The Thames Clyde Express was a highlight of any day especially seeing the "Jub's" and "Patriot's" on that service..

Anyone else remembers those times?

John

 

My uncle lived on Hawkshead road and used to trainspot at Brightside at around the same time as you.

[cat631 10]

What is uncle's name please?

[oldrowley 10]

The Sheffield History site has been discussing the photo in the undermentioned link and has determined that it is Brightside Station looking towards Sheffield probably in the 50's. Any guesses as to who the train spotters are?

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=v01883

[Texas 10]

That's the coke plant you can see, between the two lads. Worked there for five minutes one time. I reckon the photo' was taken just south of the station because there was a starter signal at the end of the platform which can't be seen.

[Penske666 10]

I love the pic. It reminds me of when I was young sitting on the brick wall near York Station!

[KiwiPete 10]

Old rowley,

I was born and lived on Limpsfield Rd and remember the stinking gas works very well.I might have known those two boys in the photo.The fumes that came from that tall slender chimney on the right were evil.Net curtains that were in fashion at the time had a very short life, rotted away with the fumes. Wonder what it did to our young lungs? Is this (fumes) the reason why I have a bad cough or was it the Woodbines?

I remember when the building was demolished, Hurray! can't think what year it was.Trouble is they built another stinker in it's place.

The gas retort was in the back ground, It can't be seen in the pic.I have a 1906 map of the area. I used to go with my Dad to the retort house for coke, he pushed me there in a wheel barrow.The retort house was a scarry and facinating place for a young kid with lots of smoke and flames.

The two chimneys on the extreme left (two more out of sight) are ESC's Siemens Open Hearth Furnaces. Those chimneys used to belch out orange smoke that would cover the whole area if the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.

The fall out would pit the paint work on our car, again what the hell did it do to our lungs? Cough ,Cough.

[oldrowley 10]

Old rowley,

I was born and lived on Limpsfield Rd and remember the stinking gas works very well.I might have known those two boys in the photo.The fumes that came from that tall slender chimney on the right were evil.Net curtains that were in fashion at the time had a very short life, rotted away with the fumes. Wonder what it did to our young lungs? Is this (fumes) the reason why I have a bad cough or was it the Woodbines?

I remember when the building was demolished, Hurray! can't think what year it was.Trouble is they built another stinker in it's place.

The gas retort was in the back ground, It can't be seen in the pic.I have a 1906 map of the area. I used to go with my Dad to the retort house for coke, he pushed me there in a wheel barrow.The retort house was a scarry and facinating place for a young kid with lots of smoke and flames.

The two chimneys on the extreme left (two more out of sight) are ESC's Siemens Open Hearth Furnaces. Those chimneys used to belch out orange smoke that would cover the whole area if the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.

The fall out would pit the paint work on our car, again what the hell did it do to our lungs? Cough ,Cough.

 

 

Thank you for your interesting post KiwiPete.I can fully sympathise with your feelings about the pollution that plagued the east end in those days. Whilst I was fortunate enough to be born and bred in Ecclesall with its clean air from the west, I spent several months in the mid 80's travelling up and down the M1 twix Wakefield and Rotherham and remember well the obnoxious and evil stence emanating from the Smithywood Coking Plant. It seemed quite wrong that such pollution should be allowed and my heart went out to the unfortunate residents living in the area. However, you have obviously taken giant steps across the world - you couldn't get much further away methinks - and I hope the Kiwi air helps your lungs to survive for many years yet.