Train sheds millhouses

[Manxdeedah 10]

I too remember the Garratts on the Hope Valley line,I lived not far from Grindleford so spent quite a few days spotting as a kid late 40s early 50s. I suppose I'm also an LNER man as we moved to Louth in Lincolnshire 1956 and our house was bang next door to the East Lincs line. B1s were prevalent on passenger trains and occasionally fish vans from Grimsby,although mostly K3s were the motive power for them,running at express timings to London,Banbury and South Wales. Iron ore trains from Northants to Scunthorpe were regulars as well,Robinson 2-8-0s and WD Austerities up front - I "copped" 90732 "Vulcan" early one morning. B1 61379 "Mayflower" was seen nearly every day,shedded at 40B Immingham.

 

Chris.

[Shogun 10]

My Grandad told about a train he was on called the milk train.apparently he had to be up very early in the morning he said it went down to london and back.was it a train that delivered milk to London or was it just a nickname for a train or something.

[Manxdeedah 10]

My Grandad told about a train he was on called the milk train.apparently he had to be up very early in the morning he said it went down to london and back.was it a train that delivered milk to London or was it just a nickname for a train or something.

 

There were plenty of milk trains Shogun,especially from the West of England to London but - and I stand corrected on this - I think the term "milk train" applied to a regular daily service train that stopped at all stations,early in a morning I think.

 

Chris

[Runningman 142]

Hi Hillsboro, any info on my post re the southbound Scottish Goods ?

[hillsbro 28]

.. I think the term "milk train" applied to a regular daily service train that stopped at all stations, early in a morning I think

Yes - early morning trains were often known as milk trains. This dated back to the time when a milk tank wagon was often added to the back of an early morning branch-line train. This from Wikipedia:

 

Milk Tank Wagons were distributed around the small local creameries in the afternoon, and then collected by the first train in the morning. On the GWR, it was not uncommon to see a Pannier Tank and GWR Autocoach on a local passenger service pulling a Milk Tank Wagon early in the morning. After 1959 four and six wheeled goods vehicles were banned from passenger trains, and so dedicated milk trains were scheduled.

 

There were also newspaper trains which had one or two passenger coaches attached. Until the early 1980s one such train left Manchester just after midnight with mostly newspaper vans (full of morning papers printed in Manchester) but it also had a couple of passenger coaches. It called at Sheffield (Westons wholesale newsagents being conveniently placed near the station) and left at 0256 to continue to Cleethorpes.

Hi Hillsboro, any info on my post re the southbound Scottish Goods ?

I'm afraid not - I do remember hearing of a Scottish Goods but don't remember seeing it. Als you suggest, most North-South goods traffic took the "old road" and so it might have come from the Barnsley area. Another possibility (if it came via Rotherham) could be that it was continuing to the Hope Valley Line.

[Falls 10]

There were plenty of milk trains Shogun,especially from the West of England to London but - and I stand corrected on this - I think the term "milk train" applied to a regular daily service train that stopped at all stations,early in a morning I think.

 

Chris

 

Hello,

 

I agree with your definition of a "Milk Train.

 

The LMS, and later BR, ran an overnight train to London which was often refered to as the 'Milk Run". It may have carried milk but it certainly carried mail and lots of other things.

 

It left the Midland Station a few minutes before midnight, most nights and from what I remember, it was usually daylight (even in winter) by the time it arrived at St. Pancras.

 

Regards

[Manxdeedah 10]

Hi Runningman.

Go on Amazon and get this book secondhand:- "Saltley Firing Days" by Terry Essery,footplate memories 1950-59. One of the best footplate books I've read,you really feel as though you've done a shift firing after reading a chapter.

At the end he was on top link freight run to Carlisle from Washwood Heath via Sheffield,the longest non-stop freight run in the country at the time ; it will give you some info about "Scotch Goods" on the Midland Division.

If you can't get the book I've got one you can borrow,no probs. Mine cost £2-00 + postage.

 

Chris.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Manxdeedah

[Shogun 10]

Grandad had another story he would tell about a train that had a crash,apparently coming into the station the driver would start to slow down when he came to some sort of advertising signs or something one day he came past and the signs had been taken down,by the time he realized it was to late and he plowed into the station at a fair old speed,don't know if there is any truth in it but I can remember the story from when I was a lad.

[Runningman 142]

Hi Runningman.

Go on Amazon and get this book secondhand:- "Saltley Firing Days" by Terry Essery,footplate memories 1950-59. One of the best footplate books I've read,you really feel as though you've done a shift firing after reading a chapter.

At the end he was on top link freight run to Carlisle from Washwood Heath via Sheffield,the longest non-stop freight run in the country at the time ; it will give you some info about "Scotch Goods" on the Midland Division.

If you can't get the book I've got one you can borrow,no probs. Mine cost £2-00 + postage.

 

Chris.

 

Many thanks for that, will try Amazon.

 

Hillsboro has answered my query and now I am wondering if my memory is failing me.

I still seem to remember a south bound goods in the evening, referred to as the Scottish goods. No worry, just my curiosity !

[granada 0]

Anyone remember Patriot  E Tootal Broadhurst, a regular going through Dore and Totley on the Chinley line about 1961?

A bunch of us from Greenhill were regulars down there. My future brother in law fell off the bridge one afternoon and ended

up on front page of The Star. He survived and is OK now.

[Tbt 0]

Remember being chased out of Millhouses sheds after creeping in to see Clan Dornoch Firth , probably 1955 or thereabouts.

[Runningman 142]

My pals dad Dick Applegate worked on the track and was injured by a detonator.

I remember him walking down the path off Archer Road on his way to an allotment somewhere adjacent to the sheds

Where exactly were those allotments and how many were there or his my memory from 60+ years ago playing tricks with me ?