The Golden Age of Steam

My interest in railways was encouraged from childhood as my father was a railway enthusiast. From very early on our family picnics nearly always seemed to involve a railway somewhere. It might be a busy main line or even an abandoned line that was used for storing old wagons awaiting scrapping.

Donald's family standing by a train

Regular picnics were taken at places like Honeybourne and Rugeley, but a favourite was the Lickey Incline just north of Bromsgrove.

Half way up there was a farm crossing which allowed us to get to the "wrong" side of the tracks. Here we could sit on a pile of old sleepers so close to the track that we could practically touch the trains.

Each train would have a loco at the front pulling it and anything up to four locos at the back to shove it up the hill. The noise was tremendous.

Donald's 21st birthday celebration onboard a train

Loco heaven

Sometimes we were taken to visit engine sheds. Sundays were a good time as most locos were 'on shed' for servicing.

By the age of 10 I was confident enough to make long train journeys on my own and in 1952 I went to visit my grandfather in Doncaster.

This involved a change of trains and stations in Sheffield, but I made the journey without any difficulty. After that there was no stopping me and I would go all over the place train spotting.

The Rolls Royce parked by the camping coaches

Camping coach holidays

Family holidays often involved railways and on a number of occasions we hired what was known as a Camping Coach. This was an old railway carriage which had been converted to provide a living room, kitchen and bedrooms with bunk beds.

The carriage would be parked in a siding at a country station near to a holiday resort or in an attractive rural location. We had holidays at Saundersfoot (Pembrokeshire - twice), Kerne Bridge in Monmouthshire, Darley Dale in Derbyshire, Llanrhystyd Road (near Aberystwyth), Bassenthwaite Lake (Lake District) and Benderloch (Argyll).

Donald's holiday home for 2 weeks, a camping coach

The station staff were universally friendly and we got to play with the luggage trolleys on the platform or to join the signalman in the signal box and help pull the levers to change the points and set the signals for an approaching train. Could you do that now?

One of the conditions of hiring these coaches was that a certain number of travel tickets had to be purchased; so Mum and us kids would travel on the train while Dad brought all the luggage in the family car.

On camping coach holidays there were no showers!

On more than one occasion this was the 1923 Rolls-Royce which we owned at the time. Most of the locations have long since gone as they were on branch lines closed by Dr.Beeching.

Other long journeys I made were to the annual camps of the Bible class that I used to attend and these involved trips to such places as Swanage, the Isle of Wight and Deeside in Scotland. These were wonderful opportunities for train spotting.

The last days of steam

My interest in railways continued and I started to take my own photographs of the last days of steam around Birmingham. Favourite locations were at Tyseley and Bordesley on the Western Region main line.

A steam train and signal box

In those days it was a lot easier to get close to the trackside. Nowadays everything is fenced off for Health and Safety. In those days we learned to manage risk, and were taught to respect danger. I should point out that no children were killed or injured on these picnics or holidays.

I still enjoy railways, although if I want to see steam locos I usually have to go somewhere like the Severn Valley Railway. For my 60th. Birthday my friends and family clubbed together and paid for a day out on a loco-driving experience course. It was great fun and I have the certificate to prove I did it!

Donald learns to drive - a 60th birthday present

Loss of an entire industry

Much has changed in the 60-odd years with the effects of Beeching and the Modernisation Plan, and latterly Privatisation. This has been a mixed blessing. Rail services are improving and passenger usage has increased dramatically, but the downside is that a lot of experienced railwayman have not been able to pass on their skills and the traditions of running a railway.

Also the bulk of the various railway works, where engines and carriages were built, have closed down because of the lack of orders for new vehicles in the years preceding privatisation. We have lost these facilities and now we have to import trains from Germany, Italy and even the U.S.A. Needless to say we have also lost an exporting industry.

Donald captured the last days of steam

Keeping up with the times

I always travel by train if I can and make regular trips to the continent by train using the Eurostar service from London to Paris or Brussels. I am usually visiting friends in Germany so I have wide experience of the trains in that country and travel all over the place, usually with an Inter-rail ticket, which gives very good travel opportunities.

I've just returned from a holiday in south-west Germany and managed to get a ride on a steam-hauled train while I was there. So as long as I'm fit and able, you'll find me gallivanting about by train somewhere.

Donald.

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Many thanks to Donald for sharing his memories and photos.