Prototype York 1958 to 1961

[West Junction]

Between 1956 and 1961 I spent two weeks of my summer holidays with my grandparents in York mostly at the end of platform 9 (now sadly shortened to ease the bend on the track) or bunking the shed although in 1961 I had lost most of my interest in railways and spent some of the time fishing and left before the end of the two weeks which I now regret.
These first photographs were taken with my fathers old bellows camera on 120 film. I am not sure if these were 1958 or 59



A1 60123 H.A.Ivatt in the background the favourite spot on the end of platform 9 complete with platform trolley seat. One year I was there A3 60036 Colombo had been coming into the station and the driver thought he was entering one of the through platforms but unfortunately he was coming into the bay next to platform 9. He hit the buffer stops, took off the front bogie and partially demolished the bookstall under the main footbridge over the tracks. When I was there the loco was parked at the back of the sheds (seen behind the spotters above).



A4 60015 Quicksilver at the end of platform 9.
If the loco's needed water there was a water column under the roof about four coaches back from this photograph. I remember an A3 trying to start a train from there (I was standing right next to the driving wheels). He had a couple of tries with the wheels spinning violently, masses of sparks flying off the track and smoke and steam flying into the air. He then put the engine into reverse and gently compressed the buffer springs, then back into forward gear and away he went.



A4 60013 Dominion of New Zealand.
The lines to the right are for Scarborough as are the bay platforms behind me. The lines off to the left are to the North.






A3 60080 Dick Turpin

 

[oldravendale]

Lovely to see these. Thanks for sharing.

Interesting for me as you were photographing in the North East while I was doing the same thing in the South and South East.

Brian

 

[West Junction]

Thanks Brian
My uncle gave me money to buy a camera for my sixteenth birthday. I purchased a second hand German Super Paxette which was a lovely little camera but had a very small circular view finder which made it difficult to use. It was unfortunate that at that time I had lost most of my interest in railways and didn't take that many railway photographs. Also only having pocket money we developed the first negatives from Southall ourselves, the 1961 York negatives were developed by one of my mothers work colleagues which came back an odd pink colour (old soutions?). The pictures were only printed about eight years later when I regained my lost love of railways but by that time a lot of them had become scratched. I will show the Southall photographs in a different thread.
Below are two photographs taken by a school friend who came with me to York in 1958. One of the lads on York station told us about an open day at Derby Works so we purchased our tickets and went. They were just building the first of the Peaks at that time.



This was a picture of me on the front of an 8F (I also took one of my friend with his camera).



and this is one of a brand new diesel the class of which I do not know.

Peter

 

[oldravendale]

Great stuff, Peter.

I'm looking forward to seeing any photos from Southall - that was one of my regular stamping grounds at the end of GWR steam. It was terrifying trying to get to the shed without being seen with that long open footpath from the overbridge footbridge.

During scanning I found that quite a number of my negs were scratched and some of the colour photos (negatives) were scratched and had some patches of discolouration. I've settled on scanning a batch periodically and then Photoshopping all the results, one photo at a time. It sounds petty tedious but I do it in front of the TV in the evenings when I'm not otherwise engaged. (It's about the only multi-tasking of which I'm capable!) It takes an age but looking at the collection now it's been worth it. I'll be starting some more over the winter.

Brian

 

[West Junction]

Hi Brian, I will look forward to seeing some more of your collection. I never went round Southall shed but my brother did. Apparently he used to get in at the back by the turntable. I believe the canal ran along the back there.
My father was a signalman at Southall West Junction, during my summer holidays I worked at the Ripolin paint factory to get some money for more fishing tackle. At lunchtime if my father was on duty I would go into the box for a cup of signalmans tea made with condensed milk and eat my sandwiches. Here is a photograph of his box, the chap on the right was his booking boy who was redundant from somewhere but kept on until he retired. My father much preferred being in the box on his own. After Southall he went to Slough Panel when it opened but much preferred the manual box.



When I started work in London I would buy an Evening News and throw it out to him as I passed the box. I was lucky that for the first few months the trains were still pulled by the 61XXs, they could really accelerate between stops.

Peter

 

[Simon]

What a great photo and really interesting post - thank you very much for sharing both with us.

Simon

 

[oldravendale]

Hi Brian, I will look forward to seeing some more of your collection. I never went round Southall shed but my brother did. Apparently he used to get in at the back by the turntable. I believe the canal ran along the back there.
My father was a signalman at Southall West Junction, during my summer holidays I worked at the Ripolin paint factory to get some money for more fishing tackle. At lunchtime if my father was on duty I would go into the box for a cup of signalmans tea made with condensed milk and eat my sandwiches. Here is a photograph of his box, the chap on the right was his booking boy who was redundant from somewhere but kept on until he retired. My father much preferred being in the box on his own. After Southall he went to Slough Panel when it opened but much preferred the manual box.

View attachment 37354

When I started work in London I would buy an Evening News and throw it out to him as I passed the box. I was lucky that for the first few months the trains were still pulled by the 61XXs, they could really accelerate between stops.

Peter

Love the picture, Peter, and how well I remember the 61XX tanks - and the 'box.

I never found my way in round the back of the shed, and don't remember the canal. I have a nice pic of an 8F on the turntable though. It's yet to appear on my WT thread but it's another of those I hope to get to this year!

Brian

 

[West Junction]

1961 was my last visit to York. I had my new camera but had not put many films through it and only took a few photographs whilst there. These first few were taken on a grey, damp miserable day, the first time I had been at York in the summer and not had sunny weather for the whole fortnight.
The first photograph is at the coaling stage, I was watching a coal wagon being hoisted up the side and decided to photograph it as I don't think I had ever seen it before.


After taking it one of the men working on the coal stage came over to me (I expected him to tell me to bugger off). Much to my surprise he asked me if I would like to take a photograph from the top. This was too good an opportunity to miss so I followed him over the tracks and up a fairly rickety metal staircase the top of which is seen to the right of the wagon. I only wish the weather and my ability had been better but even so must still be a fairly rare view.



In the background can be seen York Minster, the lines on the left are to/from the North followed by the carriage sidings and the River Ouse. Leeman Road is to the right, the sheds lost in the smoke and steam with the station roughly where the steam is rear/right

The following photograph was taken from behind the one above and is of A3 60088 Book Law sheded at 52B Heaton



The last photograph at the shed is of A3 60108 Gay Crusader shaded at 34A Kings Cross. It is seen entering the shed through what is now the entrance to the National Railway Museum turntable.



Peter

 

[West Junction]

The following photograph was copied out of a magazine, I do not know who the photographer was. It shows GWR 6979 Helperly Hall entering York shed yard on 23 August 1959. I was spotting on York station at the time when one of the lads who had just come from the shed said that a GWR Hall was on shed, all of the lads at the end of platform 9 immediately decanted to the shed where 6979 was parked. Despite living at Hayes on the main line out of Paddington this was the only time I saw this engine.

 

[mickoo]

Well it doesn't get any better than that does it, an A1, a modified Hall (shame it's not sporting a Hawksworth tender as that'd then be my choosen model) and a Black 5 all in one shot

The coaling tower view is great, first shot I've ever seen from that position, so into the archives it goes, thanks for posting

 

[West Junction]

Also a K1 in the background, one thing I have never noticed before is that it is missing its middle driving wheels.

 

[West Junction]

Here are a couple of photos taken at Kings Cross on my way to York.




On the far right is that a Baby Deltic?

 

[mickoo]

Certainly is, they ran commuter trains out of Kings X for several years.

 

[West Junction]

Here are the last of my York photos. I am not sure how many general prototype photo's the management wants as I have a few at Southall in the early 60's plus quite a few in colour at Oxford in the 70's and 80's. As this is mainly a modelling forum should I give them a miss?
These three are at the North end of the station.


The following are to the South of the station at Holgate Bridge where in the summer there was always YORK spelled out in a lovely flower display on the platform (flowers and platform now long gone).

One year I was pulled by a 9F between York and Doncaster on my way home.

60024 Kingfisher, my last A4 and this holiday was the only time I saw it and this was the last year of the Elizabethan.

 

[West Junction]

Last photo's on my way home
D354 pulled me back to Kings Cross, it started in one of the south bays with about three coaches. A train came in from the North, loco sent to shed, we came out of the bay and reversed (including passengers) onto the train then on my way home for the last time.

 

[oldravendale]

Speaking personally, the more prototype photos the better! I really should try to add some more to my gallery. Where does the time go?

Memories, memories!!!

Brian

 

[Hymek2]

Definitely room for more photos. I'd like to see some of the Oxford ones. I spent a bit of time between finishing school and starting my first job sitting by the old swing bridge watching trains rumble by. Didnt take any pictures unfortunately.

 

[oldravendale]

OOOh, finishing school eh? Can you balance books on your head and curtsey?

We don't get many of those on here!

B

 

[West Junction]

This photograph was taken about 1974 from near the swing bridge at Oxford.

 

[Brian Daniels]

You can never have to many pictures of Oxford, keep em coming please