Don't suppose you have anything from the old low fell goods yard in bensham? Lived next to it for 30 years until it closed and demolished. Always used to poke my nose through the fence to watch the shunting of wagons etc.
1976 was a bit before my time Martin - I was only seven years old. But how I wish I could have seen Newcastle and Gateshead then, just before the arrival of HSTs, when Deltics still reigned supreme. Really glad you’re enjoying the collection and thank you for your comments.
As teenagers we used to climb the bank on the opposite side and walk the fence line. Normally we were let in on weekends to have a look around the sheds. Great memories 👍 but as mentioned nothing left😢.
I never managed to visit Gateshead shed personally Ian, but I really wish I had. Thank you for your great comment and I'm really glad we were able to bring back great memories.
My memory of 52A Gateshead was my first trip there in early 1964 ,steam galore A1/2/3/4 V2/V1,J27/Q6/j72 ,visiting locos , thedead lines with withdrawn locos and carriages ,Highlight for me waiting till October 1964 Silver jubilee with A4 60009 being serviced for requiem return to London ,can smell it Own!
That sounds wonderful Jeffrey. Born in 69, I’m just a little bit too young to remember anything other than preserved steam. Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the comments.
45150 the last one I drove, Harwich to Blackpool I picked it up at Manchester Victoria around 40min late. The train was terminated at Preston to allow a right time return despite picking up around 10 mins . This must have been around the end of '87 as the loco was withdrawn in early '88.
You lucky person EEClass. What a great time to be driving trains. I’m intrigued though - what service was 45150 on? The only Harwich to Blackpool train I knew of around that time was the afternoon return working of an early morning Blackpool to Harwich that was booked for a class 47 with a rake of declassified mk2 corridor stock. That would stable overnight at Blackpool rather than returning straight back east.
@@kartwheelkarl It's along time ago and I foolishly threw away my diaries from the period so the above was a best guess. I'm sure there was a service because we'd used it as a training train out of Sheffield the previous year .
Absolutely brilliant brought back lovely memories of visiting gateshead only did it once but wow what a depot lots of variety staff were so helpful in letting me go around the depot without a permit good old British rail days wish you had more of gateshead would love to see a video of thornaby
Glad to be able to bring back such brilliant memories John, and thanks for the great comment. How great was it when we were trusted to wander around working depots without harming ourselves or doing any damage? I remember as a fourteen year old being allowed to wander around Longsight depot one Saturday afternoon. To this day, I treasure the memory of a class 40 bringing empty stock into the carriage sidings just yards from where I was standing. I would imagine such all areas access is banned nowadays?
@@kartwheelkarl oh how lovely that would have been great memories for you yes staff were usally helpful me living at wellingborough on the MML didnt for some reason get up to longsight guidebridge or wath which is a downside for me should of visited these places i did manage to get to wath on a coach railtour got there on the sunday they had moved the 76s on the friday was gutted i can remember going Thornaby on the way home from Scotland same trip as Gateshead it to was a sunday and having the same experience as you freedom to walk everywhere with locomotives moving on off depot such special times and no one ever got hurt thankyou for your great videos i shall be watch everyone you put on
Thanks for the great comment Craigy, and really glad you're enjoying the collection. I couldn't agree more with what you say about the BR blue period. I don't think we realised at the time just how lucky we were to be rail enthusiasts living through the 80s did we?
@@kartwheelkarl Hi there, thanks for the reply. I live in the East end of Glasgow and I'm close to the line where the double headed 37s went to Ravenscraig. The line was always busy with plenty of freight and a variety of locos. I was always a regular visitor to Motherwell and Eastfield depots. But changed days. Not much freight trains in the Glasgow area now just Modern EMUs. I think it's the same all over the UK these days.
@@craigymac5386 I think you’re right Craigy. I now live in regional Australia where, sadly, it’s the other way round. Rail is seen by the public as a means for transporting freight. Outside of the capital cities, very few people even consider using the train. Passenger services have been cut back considerably over the past ten years, with people preferring to fly or drive.
Fair point Adam. Back in the eighties, the 37s were definitely the lowly Cinderella class. The poor, ignored workhorses of the railway network, less glamourises than the top link type 4 and type 5 locos. Yet many have outlived there more mollycoddled stablemates.
I reckon the first 31 was Coxlodge [Rowntrees] and two tanks for South Gosforth, 45150 didn't look well!. I can't remember ever seeing Gateshead's Washer in action
45150 did look a little worse for wear didn’t it FS? Re the Rowntrees train, I. Eli eve the locals called it the ‘Chocolate Express’. Am I right in thinking that Nestle bought around trees out and closed down the York factory?
@@kartwheelkarl We just called it the Coxlodge pilot, it derailed in Fawdon once and one of the vans lost it's contents onto the track, word got around and the Police had to be called to get the locals off track. As for Nestle the Fawdon centre was closed quite recently I assume York went as well.
@@frenchsteam7356 That’s brilliant FS - free chocolate! It reminds me of a story my dad told me about the day Fleetwood Pier burned down whilst my then very young dad was on holiday there. Apparently, the morning after, all the kids were on the beach gathering the coins that had been released from the pier’s slot machines!
It was criminal to shut such a wonderful shed and make so many superb locos homeless the same could be said about Tinsley.I suppose the bigwigs in there posh offices would call this progress.
I think the progress they craved T&BF was a standardised railway comprised of multiple unit passenger operations with block freight operated by a small fleet of highly reliable, long range GM locos, with everything run by private enterprises.
Eric Lovett yes, heading back to Seal Sands,Teesside, for another load of highly toxic anhydrous ammonia hence the bogie trestle behind the loco and in front of the guards van.
So sad Eric. Housing has sprouted up on so much ex-railway land. I’m thinking you might be right about the tanks. The 37 doesn’t seem to be struggling as it would with such a long rake if it were loaded. Indeed, would it have been able to move it at all on its own?
Good point Peter. Why have some of today’s youths decided that it’s a good idea to paint everything with their initials? This was in the eighties, shortly after the miners strike, with extremely high unemployment in areas like the north east, so you’d have thought there would have been a lot of bored kids or angry people around wanting to make a statement. But no,it’s blissfully graffiti free.
I have about 20 hours of unedited VHS video taken in and around this depot in the 80s / 90s in boxes in my garage.Nothing remains of this depot today.
Very good video alan now all history,intresting to know what camcorder and tapes you used top quality
Don't suppose you have anything from the old low fell goods yard in bensham? Lived next to it for 30 years until it closed and demolished. Always used to poke my nose through the fence to watch the shunting of wagons etc.
So sad William. So many depots have gone the same way haven’t they?
FamFunUK unfortunately FF, Alan didn’t seem to get to Low Fell. I’ve now uploaded all 50 episodes of the collection and it hasn’t been on there.
Closer than I ever got to GD. Spent hours at Newcastle central with O3s fussing around with their match trucks!! Summer of 76
1976 was a bit before my time Martin - I was only seven years old. But how I wish I could have seen Newcastle and Gateshead then, just before the arrival of HSTs, when Deltics still reigned supreme. Really glad you’re enjoying the collection and thank you for your comments.
As teenagers we used to climb the bank on the opposite side and walk the fence line. Normally we were let in on weekends to have a look around the sheds. Great memories 👍 but as mentioned nothing left😢.
I never managed to visit Gateshead shed personally Ian, but I really wish I had. Thank you for your great comment and I'm really glad we were able to bring back great memories.
My memory of 52A Gateshead was my first trip there in early 1964 ,steam galore A1/2/3/4 V2/V1,J27/Q6/j72 ,visiting locos , thedead lines with withdrawn locos and carriages ,Highlight for me waiting till October 1964 Silver jubilee with A4 60009 being serviced for requiem return to London ,can smell it Own!
That sounds wonderful Jeffrey. Born in 69, I’m just a little bit too young to remember anything other than preserved steam. Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the comments.
45150 the last one I drove, Harwich to Blackpool I picked it up at Manchester Victoria around 40min late. The train was terminated at Preston to allow a right time return despite picking up around 10 mins . This must have been around the end of '87 as the loco was withdrawn in early '88.
You lucky person EEClass. What a great time to be driving trains. I’m intrigued though - what service was 45150 on? The only Harwich to Blackpool train I knew of around that time was the afternoon return working of an early morning Blackpool to Harwich that was booked for a class 47 with a rake of declassified mk2 corridor stock. That would stable overnight at Blackpool rather than returning straight back east.
@@kartwheelkarl It's along time ago and I foolishly threw away my diaries from the period so the above was a best guess. I'm sure there was a service because we'd used it as a training train out of Sheffield the previous year .
Excellent stuff. That brought back some memories.
Perfect Keith. I think that’s what Alan’s collection is all about. Really glad you’re enjoying the videos.
Absolutely brilliant brought back lovely memories of visiting gateshead only did it once but wow what a depot lots of variety staff were so helpful in letting me go around the depot without a permit good old British rail days wish you had more of gateshead would love to see a video of thornaby
Glad to be able to bring back such brilliant memories John, and thanks for the great comment. How great was it when we were trusted to wander around working depots without harming ourselves or doing any damage? I remember as a fourteen year old being allowed to wander around Longsight depot one Saturday afternoon. To this day, I treasure the memory of a class 40 bringing empty stock into the carriage sidings just yards from where I was standing. I would imagine such all areas access is banned nowadays?
@@kartwheelkarl oh how lovely that would have been great memories for you yes staff were usally helpful me living at wellingborough on the MML didnt for some reason get up to longsight guidebridge or wath which is a downside for me should of visited these places i did manage to get to wath on a coach railtour got there on the sunday they had moved the 76s on the friday was gutted i can remember going Thornaby on the way home from Scotland same trip as Gateshead it to was a sunday and having the same experience as you freedom to walk everywhere with locomotives moving on off depot such special times and no one ever got hurt thankyou for your great videos i shall be watch everyone you put on
@@johnabbott2575 Fabulous John. Really glad you’re enjoying the collection.
Good memories from when I was 14 years old.
Happy to be able to bring those memories back Richard, and really pleased you’re enjoying the collection.
Excellent videos mate, I'm really enjoying them . The BR blue days were the best with plenty of British built locos and rolling stock.👍
Thanks for the great comment Craigy, and really glad you're enjoying the collection. I couldn't agree more with what you say about the BR blue period. I don't think we realised at the time just how lucky we were to be rail enthusiasts living through the 80s did we?
@@kartwheelkarl Hi there, thanks for the reply. I live in the East end of Glasgow and I'm close to the line where the double headed 37s went to Ravenscraig. The line was always busy with plenty of freight and a variety of locos. I was always a regular visitor to Motherwell and Eastfield depots.
But changed days. Not much freight trains in the Glasgow area now just Modern EMUs. I think it's the same all over the UK these days.
@@craigymac5386 I think you’re right Craigy. I now live in regional Australia where, sadly, it’s the other way round. Rail is seen by the public as a means for transporting freight. Outside of the capital cities, very few people even consider using the train. Passenger services have been cut back considerably over the past ten years, with people preferring to fly or drive.
Great memories, I visited Gateshead after it had closed all that remained were 2x 08s and 37190
So sad to hear Elwood. I believe it has housing built on it now! Really glad you’re enjoying the collection.
💗💙These were right in front of my bedroom window, as a little kid, as I lived in St Cuthberts Village. I miss them. The trains lulled me to sleep💗💙
Great video! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Dave. Glad you’re enjoying the collection.
I've never seen Gateshead depot, this was most interesting. 45150 looked a state, looked like a moving oil slick
I went passed Gateshead a few times Andrei but never managed to actually visit. Looking back now, and watching Alan’s films, I wish I had.
In a class not noted for its spit shine cleanliness, I still have to say that 37 must rank amongst the most filthy I have ever seen
Fair point Adam. Back in the eighties, the 37s were definitely the lowly Cinderella class. The poor, ignored workhorses of the railway network, less glamourises than the top link type 4 and type 5 locos. Yet many have outlived there more mollycoddled stablemates.
I reckon the first 31 was Coxlodge [Rowntrees] and two tanks for South Gosforth, 45150 didn't look well!. I can't remember ever seeing Gateshead's Washer in action
45150 did look a little worse for wear didn’t it FS? Re the Rowntrees train, I. Eli eve the locals called it the ‘Chocolate Express’. Am I right in thinking that Nestle bought around trees out and closed down the York factory?
@@kartwheelkarl We just called it the Coxlodge pilot, it derailed in Fawdon once and one of the vans lost it's contents onto the track, word got around and the Police had to be called to get the locals off track. As for Nestle the Fawdon centre was closed quite recently I assume York went as well.
@@frenchsteam7356 That’s brilliant FS - free chocolate! It reminds me of a story my dad told me about the day Fleetwood Pier burned down whilst my then very young dad was on holiday there. Apparently, the morning after, all the kids were on the beach gathering the coins that had been released from the pier’s slot machines!
It was criminal to shut such a wonderful shed and make so many superb locos homeless the same could be said about Tinsley.I suppose the bigwigs in there posh offices would call this progress.
I think the progress they craved T&BF was a standardised railway comprised of multiple unit passenger operations with block freight operated by a small fleet of highly reliable, long range GM locos, with everything run by private enterprises.
I can smell oil :)
Wouldn’t smelly vision be great with this collection Mark. Remember those scratch and sniff cards they tried on TV a few (OK, many) years ago?
A lost age.. Now housing I believe.
I assume the 14 tanks behind the 37 were empties.
Yes -all gone, now blocks of flats. Wonder if they know what the flats are built on?
Eric Lovett yes, heading back to Seal Sands,Teesside, for another load of highly toxic anhydrous ammonia hence the bogie trestle behind the loco and in front of the guards van.
So sad Eric. Housing has sprouted up on so much ex-railway land. I’m thinking you might be right about the tanks. The 37 doesn’t seem to be struggling as it would with such a long rake if it were loaded. Indeed, would it have been able to move it at all on its own?
45118 at 5 Minutes.
And not an overhead wire to be seen anywhere!
Absolutely Paul. It looks strange now though don’t you think? We’ve become so used to the catenary.
No graffiti!
Good point Peter. Why have some of today’s youths decided that it’s a good idea to paint everything with their initials? This was in the eighties, shortly after the miners strike, with extremely high unemployment in areas like the north east, so you’d have thought there would have been a lot of bored kids or angry people around wanting to make a statement. But no,it’s blissfully graffiti free.