plantfit 7,597 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Ruddington station bridge and fifty steps bridge,after that it would be Ratcliffe on Soar rail bridge before the power station was built and if money would allow a ticket to Derby,as long as we did'nt leave either station to get you ticket punched we used to go backwards and forwards all day between Nottingham midland and Derby midland Rog 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Booth 7,364 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 I used to do my trainspotting on the footbridge close to Daleside Road, off Meadow Lane. We were only young and my friends and I would love to get covered in steam as the train went under us. We used to take it in turns to stand at the side of the footbridge to get the train's number. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Think I may have mentioned this location before. We lived near Sawley Junction station in the 50s and 60s, and there was a footpath from the corner of Roosevelt Avenue, that ran along the foot of the railway embankment to the Sheet Stores. Strictly speaking, it was railway property, and provided access for workers at the Sheet Stores. However no-one was too bothered about the public using it. When it reached the bridge over the Erewash Canal, the path ascended the embankment to rail level. It was all segregated by railings from the track itself, but it was literally a couple of feet from where the trains passed, and of course, actually at the level of the track foundation, a bit lower than the track. It took some getting used-to, not to cower, as a Jubilee approached with nine on, towering higher and higher as it came near. And if it was accelerating at the time, you got the full effect of that mighty six-beats-per-revolution exhaust beat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 I'm having right problems with the signal today!! Did the path to Sheet Stores start at the road bridge next to the station, I can't remember ever using it or seeing it, I tried to look on 'Old-Maps' but I can't get on there today. Rog, where was 50 steps bridge, I've never heard of that one either. I presume the bridge pre-power station was near the little shed where the gypsum mine steam loco was kept (we mentioned that a few years ago on here). I recall you could look straight through Redhill tunnel from there. I remember once Bilbraborn and I went clambering about on the castleated entrance to the tunnel on the north side, the turrets contained small fusty rooms. I'm not sure how we got to it, I know we did some daft things, but nipping across the girder bridge, especially in view of Trent South Box was unlikely to have been our route. I think we went over the hill from the Thrumpton Road when it was just a backwater, I have a recollection of the hill being covered in rhodedendron bushes, perhaps Bilbraborn remembers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 When we lived up Blue Bell Hill Road we would climb up onto the bridge parapet at the corner where Union Road met York Road at Victoria Station. Only about 6 feet up on the street side, but a 40 or so foot drop to rail level on the other! When we moved to Sherwood, for me it would be the Rat Hole during school lunch times or Perry Road bridge in the evenings. All these were in walking distance, which I is why I hardly ever went to the Midland - too far away. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Re #129. I remember going up on to Redhill with Firbeck. I still have the photo of a class 47 hauling a freight towards the tunnel. If I remember rightly it was easy to get up there. In 2004 I was living at Chilwell and decided to drive down to Ratcliffe on Soar Village and round into Redhill Marina. I took the dog with me and tried to find the route that we took nearly 40 years earlier. I used a little track behind the cottages and managed to get onto the hill. However it was all much more overgrown and I couldn't even find any sign of the Roman ruins. On the way down I used the cart track and passed by a man loading muck onto a trailer. He was quite ignorant and had a go at me for being there, telling me he owned the land. I told him I was at an age where destroying property wasn't the sort of thing to do, but he still got nasty. As I walked off he shouted to me 'Don't bother coming back' Bless him. I suppose as the owner he was right, but he could have been nicer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Re #129 - Yes, the Sheet Stores path started over a stile, just by the side bridge under the railway (opposite the station), that gave access to Roosevelt Avenue. Sawley Junction signalbox overlooked it - and I have a feeling that someone on here posted a photo some time ago, showing both the signalbox and the stile. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted October 29, 2014 Report Share Posted October 29, 2014 I remember having a job at Derby sidings whereby one of us shunters had to travel to Leicester and do an engine run-round on the Peterborough-Carlisle TPO train. Then we travelled back to Derby on the engine. I always travelled in the front cab with the driver. If I remember rightly, the speed limit around sheet Stores curve was 60MPH. However, one mental idiot of a driver used to carry on doing 90MPH all the way round. He used to say of the postmen on board, 'We're not drinking tea, They're not drinking tea' Thankfully, that driver is no longer employed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted October 31, 2014 Report Share Posted October 31, 2014 44767 George Stephenson on the back of two low loaders this morning going up Nuttall Rd. I asked the driver when stopped at Stockhill Lane where to. He replied Butterly. Beautiful sight ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted October 31, 2014 Report Share Posted October 31, 2014 Always better on rails. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
taxi ray 170 Posted October 31, 2014 Report Share Posted October 31, 2014 44767 George Stephenson on the back of two low loaders this morning going up Nuttall Rd. I asked the driver when stopped at Stockhill Lane where to. He replied Butterly. Beautiful sight ! I saw them this morning, they were parked in a layby at Gamston. I took a few photos, but they are not very good. I need a new phone. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted October 31, 2014 Report Share Posted October 31, 2014 You also need to keep your nose?out of the way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted October 31, 2014 Report Share Posted October 31, 2014 Shame such a lovely piece of kit is off to Butterley, sorry but I think the so called 'Midland Railway' is the worst preserved railway in the country, it's always been a shambles, and I'm not the only one that thinks that ( inc the NRM).My brother lives just down the road but gave up on it years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Thisi may be of some interest to the group. I bought it on eBay recently. It's a J6 (Can anyone confirm that?) No 64249 on the 18:20 Nottm. Victoria to Basford in July 1958. it is seen here at Daybrook Station. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 It was on that foorbridge that I used to stand and "Get the smoke" on my way home from school in the 1950s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 It' certainly a J6 & I'm almost certain it's Daybrook Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 From picture the past Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smiffy49 590 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 #126 Exactly the same locations I used to frequent. Memories of that time:- Standing on the crossbar of my bike at Ruddington station to look over the bridge. A quick pedal down to the cricket ground and around the back of the signal box to get to 50 steps. At Ratcliffe, banana flavoured ice lollies, watching the Midland Pullman go through & the Condor freight. Swimming in the River Soar. Stopping there until twilight and seeing the signal lamps towards Redhill Tunnel twinkling in the semi darkness before the long bike ride home (in the dark). Smiffy 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Love to know what it's 'pegged' for going the other way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 In those days I think it would have been the 6.20pm service rather than the 18:20! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted November 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 Further memories of those great days. Travel to other places in the late 1940s / early 1950s wasn't so easy - lack of money had something to do with it. As a consequence, the engines we spotted were very often the same ones, based at Nottingham, Colwick or Annesley. A trip out was really a wonderful experience. By Gash's bus to Newark or from Victoria Station to Grantham, the sense of adventure was electric. Where else was I going to see engines with blinkers, or streamlined Gresleys travelling at speeds well above engines that passed through Basford/Bulwell/Cinder Hill. Another red letter spotting experience was when dad took me to the Farnborough Air Shows in 1950 and 1951. Our journey began with the midnight train from the Midland Station to Derby, where we caught a slow train to St Pancras (absolutely packed at that time of night - no seats left) that arrived at five in the morning. From there we walked to Waterloo Station - the Underground wasn't running that early - where we caught a Southern region train to Farnborough. Looking around the station area I well remember King Arthur at the buffers. Its carriages were being pulled away by leaving train after which King Arthur accelerated super quick in reverse. The sharp, and very loud crack of the 'chuff' I remember to this day. Also around the station yard were Bullied pacifics with their 21C numbers - some had not yet been named, and one of those peculiar Q1 class locos with the stepped boiler. The odd tender still had SOUTHERN on it, not BRITISH RAILWAYS. There also was a GWR saddle-tank in the red colours of London Transport. The return fare was 32/6, if I remember correctly. Nothing gets the nostalgia genes more active than remembering those days - and the raw grit-invaded eyes from hanging out of the window. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 One of those Farnborough trips must have been when you both witnessed that plane crash, that killed several spectators? Mam said you both came in the house, white as ghosts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 The Farnborough crash was in 1952. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted November 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 Yes, the Farnborough accident was 1952. I remember it like it happened yesterday. We were quite close to where the engine hit the crowd. Dad said 'stay here' and went for a look. he came back and said ' come on, were are going'. He didn't think that the show would continue. I can still see the aircraft breaking up and the two engines arcing their way towards us. Minutes later there was a very long stream of ambulances snaking its way through the crowd to get to where the casualties were. We hung around for a bit longer and they decided to continue the flying display. We went on train that day also, because I remember reading about the accident, in a newspaper on the way back to Waterloo, and was surprised how quick it had got published. We were not white as ghosts, as mam said. Dad and I went to every Farnborough show from 1950 to when he died. You, katyjay, are responsible for us attending the worst display there. You tactlessly got married on Farnborough Saturday! We had to go on Sunday, the next day, and the weather was atrocious - never seen so much rain there. Only a handful of aircraft flew; after 4 o'clock. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 Well, thank goodnes the weather wasn't atrocious the day before! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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