Engines Must Not Enter the Potato Siding

[altus 540]

Strangely titled BBC film from 1969 about railways and railwaymen around Sheffield: Engines Must Not Enter the Potato Siding.

 

Lots of film of the Woodhead route and Victoria Station.

 

First transmitted in 1969, this film looks at a handful of the 280,000 railwaymen who work in Britain, especially the men who worked on the former Midland and Great Central routes, as they reflect on their changing industry.

 

Inside Sheffield Railway Men's Club former steam locomotive crew discuss the transition from steam to electric and diesel engines, and heatedly debate their respective merits. Meanwhile, on the Manchester-Sheffield line a former steam locomotive driver remembers what it was like to go through the Woodhead Tunnel, where driver and fireman had to crouch down to avoid the fumes and get breathable air. Signalman Michael Gatonby reveals life inside the signal box, one of the loneliest and busiest jobs on the railway line.

[TheDrib 10]

Unfortunately, this video is only available to UK residents. I am in the US and unable to load it. Any ideas anyone.

Thanks

[beechnut 10]

Excellent - enjoyed every minute.

 

The film is also available via Youtube:

[Texas 10]

Thanks for putting that on, altus, I enjoyed it with a touch of sadness. Much nostalgia there for me and a lot of truth spoken by the railwaymen on the film.

[steviered 12]

Thanks again for putting this film on .I was a fireman at Darnall and Tinsley during the time the film was made, never saw them doing it though,I knew some of the old drivers especially the driver on the electric. I fired for him a few times when he came to Tinsley.

Brought back a lot of good memories, wish I could do it all again.

[cookingfat50 10]

Strangely titled BBC film from 1969 about railways and railwaymen around Sheffield: Engines Must Not Enter the Potato Siding.

 

Lots of film of the Woodhead route and Victoria Station.

 

my granddad was the last signalman in Sheffield and rotherham after the war he started on the railways and for many years was signal man at the old wincobank and black burn railway station it's still there a grade 2 building he then wen o be signal man at meadowhall under the viaduct where the twin towers tood the reason he was there was that all signalling had gone central from sheffields midland, granddad was well over retirement age they asked him to stay on until the line went out of service which he did as a lad I would go with him and I would open the level crossing with the big iron wheel in the box loved it all whistles bells telegraph messages being tapped out the smell of the rags on top of the polished signal arms

[elenac 10]

There are still signalmen in Sheffield, we haven't got rid of all the boxes just yet but it's coming.

[Falls 10]

Hello,

 

I grew up in the Wicker area and before I started school I used to roam all over the place looking in different businesses. I had often been on the bottom level of the potato warehouse but one day, a couple of the men invited me to go up to the top and see the trains.

 

Being young, I couldn't keep up with them on the stairs and when I got to the top, I couldn't see them. A locomotive had just pushed in a string of vans and eventually, I noticed their feet on the other side of the vans. As I couldn't see which way to get over to them, I decided to cut through by bobbing under the couplings between two vans. When I came out the other side, I landed at the feet of the Foreman. He almost had a heart attack when he saw me and I was hustled out of there pretty quick.

 

As kid, the potato warehouse always looked massive, like a fortress but they weren't that strong. The floors were all wood held up on cast iron beams and columns and I suppose they kept the locos out because they weren't to confident about the structure.

 

Regards

Edited October 29, 2014 by Falls

[darylslinn 10]

How far out of Victoria Station was the Potato Warehouse ?

[only_me 11]

Noticed a train came through the old heeley railway station and passes skelleys bridge on the right just after. This happens around 44 mins into the film.

[cookingfat50 10]

that's why the loco club at pitmoor was formed not only to dicuss railway matters but to ink a few pints before their shift ended

[Beamish 19]

darylslinn

 

If you look at this map it gives you a pretty good idea of the layout of Victoria/Bridgehouses. I think the warehouse near the 'L' in Sheffield is the aforementioned potato warehouse/siding. The map also shows the old 'Fiery Jack' tunnel linking Wicker Depot to Bridgehouses.

 

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_02_2009/post-1084-1234706722.jpg

 

The driveway ramp up to the goods yard started on corner opposite what is now The Harlequin pub, formerly The Manchester Hotel.

I've only started looking at this since a recent revival in interest in the railways around Sheffield. Only found out yesterday that there was a large 'City' depot where Park Square Roundabout now sits.

hope this helps.

 

Chris