Old Leeds Stations

[Dobbie54]

I remember as a kid I went thru the anorak thing and did a bit of train spotting.We used to nip down to the old Holbeck sheds where the old steam locos were stored after been taken out of service and "Cab"them.There seemed to be loads there at the time.I don't think we were supposed to be in there but were never caught.

[Trojan]

Chrism wrote: Armley Moor Station gets a mention in the song Slow Train by Flanders and Swann http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6OHD2uCpfUSLOW TRAINBy Michael Flanders and Donald SwannMiller’s Dale for Tideswell, Kirkby Muxloe,Mow Cop and Scholar GreenNo more will I go to Blandford Forum and MoretehoeOn the slow train from Midsomer Norton and Mumby RoadNo churns, no porter, no cat on a seatAt Chorlton-cum-Hardy or Chester-le-StreetWe won’t be meeting againOn the slow train.I’ll travel no more from Littleton Badsey to OpenshawAt Long Stanton I’ll stand well clear of the doors no moreNo whitewashed pebbles, no Up and no DownFrom Formby Four Crosses to Dunstable Town.I won’t be going againOn the slow train.On the Main Line and the Goods SidingThe grass grows highAt Dog Dyke, Tumby WoodsideAnd Trouble House Halt.The Sleepers sleep at Audlem and Ambergate.No passenger waits on Chittening platform or Cheslyn Hay.No one departs, no one arrivesFrom Selby to Goole, from St Erth to St Ives.They’ve all passed out of our livesOn the slow trainOn the slow train.Cockermouth for ButtermereOn the slow trainArmley Moor Arram … Pye Hill and SomercotesOn the slow trainWindmill End. Inspired by the Beeching cuts. A myopic transport policy. How to make the railways profitable? Stop running any trains on them.And all based on fixed figures, passenger cenuses deliberately taken at times they knew no one would be travelling. It was exposed on a documentary earlier this year. One of the companies that built the early motorways was Marples Ridgeway. The transport minister at the time of the Beeching cuts was Ernest Marples - funny co-incidence that.

[cnosni]

Dobbie54 wrote: I remember as a kid I went thru the anorak thing and did a bit of train spotting.We used to nip down to the old Holbeck sheds where the old steam locos were stored after been taken out of service and "Cab"them.There seemed to be loads there at the time.I don't think we were supposed to be in there but were never caught. You wouldnt have been caught anyway.All the staff(including drivers) would have been in the pub.The tales im told about drivers/guards being drunk on duty,and this being the norm,is scary.I know a guy who was a second man til he was laid off.He would go down to the west country on some long job with the no1 driver.When they got there they went in the railway club,got ar$ed playing snooker.Whoever lost at snooker drove back.there was even a direct phoneline to the railway club on new station street from the control to get spare drivers/guards out of the club to do jobswould not be tolerated these days,you get put in for a urine test if you smell of alcohol/cheap aftershave.    

[Trojan]

cnosni wrote: would not be tolerated these days,you get put in for a urine test if you smell of alcohol/cheap aftershave.     You should complain about that - they're taking the p!ss

[dogduke]

[quotenick="cnosni"] Dobbie54 wrote: I remember as a kid I went thru the anorak thing and did a bit of train spotting.We used to nip down to the old Holbeck sheds where the old steam locos were stored after been taken out of service and "Cab"them.There seemed to be loads there at the time.I don't think we were supposed to be in there but were never caught. You wouldnt have been caught anyway.All the staff(including drivers) would have been in the pub.Holbeck had a shedmaster who liked a 'drop or three'Tales were legend of their trips to clear the line with the holbeck crane and tool vans.I heard that they cleared the line very promptly but in a green field area they swung the defective wagons as far away from the running lines as poss,they had one of the longest jibs and were sure of getting the recovery job over any local team.Yes there was a phone in the BRSA club,when you rang looking for some traincrew they were never there but it was not long beforethey'called up' to control!!Lots of ralwaymen/posties and other jobs liked a drink but there were very few incidents where drink was at fault.

[cnosni]

[quotenick="dogduke"] cnosni wrote: Dobbie54 wrote: I remember as a kid I went thru the anorak thing and did a bit of train spotting.We used to nip down to the old Holbeck sheds where the old steam locos were stored after been taken out of service and "Cab"them.There seemed to be loads there at the time.I don't think we were supposed to be in there but were never caught. You wouldnt have been caught anyway.All the staff(including drivers) would have been in the pub.Holbeck had a shedmaster who liked a 'drop or three'Tales were legend of their trips to clear the line with the holbeck crane and tool vans.I heard that they cleared the line very promptly but in a green field area they swung the defective wagons as far away from the running lines as poss,they had one of the longest jibs and were sure of getting the recovery job over any local team.Yes there was a phone in the BRSA club,when you rang looking for some traincrew they were never there but it was not long beforethey'called up' to control!!Lots of ralwaymen/posties and other jobs liked a drink but there were very few incidents where drink was at fault. I can assure you that my older colleagues would tell you there were plenty of "incidents",they were just kept in house.Plenty of Holbeck men still around

[uncle mick]

My Dad was the assistant Shedmaster at Holbeck up to his retirement circa 1971    The Shedmasters surname began Ge---- (I know the name but won't mention it). There was many a tale been told of having to go to the local hostelery's looking for him then trying to sober him up.    I still have my Dads watch, " To -- for 47 years service"                    Michael

[dogduke]

uncle mick wrote: My Dad was the assistant Shedmaster at Holbeck up to his retirement circa 1971    The Shedmasters surname began Ge---- (I know the name but won't mention it). There was many a tale been told of having to go to the local hostelery's looking for him then trying to sober him up.    I still have my Dads watch, " To -- for 47 years service"                    Michael That's the guy!Many incidents were indeed kept 'in house' but technology today makes that more difficult.Modern signalling shows up a SPAD(signal passed at danger)even bya very short distance.Long gone are the days when the driver might say'Are we saying owt Bobby(signalman)'

[BIG N]

I can vouch for the days of train crew getting a phone call up in the club on new station st, I used to be up there with them when I was a shunter at Leeds, but we used to get called on the radio lol.Those hand sets were pretty good as I remember, there was many a time on nights when certain Assistant Station managers ( A.S.M.) were on duty that I would be sat at home, feet up with a brew, watching telly and the radio at my side.I lived in the Aiverys at Armley at the time (just above the site of Armley Canal Rd station) and was in radio range of the Station and a ten minute drive away.I would often get a call in the early hours to do a shunt and would reply "Give us a couple of minutes, I'm on a P.N.B. (Personal needs break - or put simply - on the bog), on more than one occasion the reply would be "O.K. understood, and can you call at the garage on your way and fetch me twenty silk cut" LOL.We had one Shunt driver on the parcels side who was absolutly useless on early turn because he was sober, grt him on afters or night shift though and he was spot on when he had had a drink - if we had him on earlys - as soon as the club opened we would tell him to do one and have a drink, it was better that way for us LOLThose where the days.

[dogduke]

Talking of shunters.Anyone remember 'Soft C@$k at Leeds ?