Author Topic: Steam Engines  (Read 6283 times)

Robert B.

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Steam Engines
« on: January 09, 2020, 11:53:02 PM »
  Does anyone remember saltley steam shed. I have never experienced anything like it. From summer evenings on grassy banks, to winter evenings trying not to get runover by 50ton steam engines. The sites and smells, of the gasworks, the winter fogs, coal burning. engines screeching over railway lines. Travelling on the Bombay special also known as inner circle bus no 8, leaving behind Ansells Brewery, combined  the unique aroma of H.P. sauce factory,up the old misty road of rocky lane down to saltley. Passing tubes, at Aston cross, you may not of seen a soul, until arriving to saltley station, which I thought saltley  gate in those days.
 Oh such memories.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2020, 10:12:10 AM »
Robert B.Welcome to the forum ,nice to have new members. Lived just up the road from  Saltley shed in Inkerman St.Spent a lot of my childhood Spotting trains and a lot on the No8 going to Aston cross to see the Villa with my Dad.What part of Brum were you from.
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

mike mancott

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2020, 07:29:13 PM »
  Does anyone remember saltley steam shed. I have never experienced anything like it. From summer evenings on grassy banks, to winter evenings trying not to get runover by 50ton steam engines. The sites and smells, of the gasworks, the winter fogs, coal burning. engines screeching over railway lines. Travelling on the Bombay special also known as inner circle bus no 8, leaving behind Ansells Brewery, combined  the unique aroma of H.P. sauce factory,up the old misty road of rocky lane down to saltley. Passing tubes, at Aston cross, you may not of seen a soul, until arriving to saltley station, which I thought saltley  gate in those days.
 Oh such memories.


Hi Robert B.
When I lived in Birmingham, we had a new neighbour. He was the retired Shed Foreman from Saltley Shed. This was about 1950.
He eventually moved to The Wirral to watch ship movements in the Mersey.
Wonderful memories you have evoked.


Ian Dalziel

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2020, 02:11:42 PM »
Great memories of trainspotting in the field at Tamworth with it's high and low level lines. Rushing to the fence when the shout went up "double clangers, semi on the main" meaning both signals are down giving priority for the LMS semi-streamlined Coronation class express on the main line. I couldn't believe my luck when the first one that I spotted was 6220 'Coronation'.


When we were 12 or 13 years old, we got more adventurous and a group of us hopped on a train to London where we travelled by tube to all the major stations and 'spotted' locos from the other regions. How many parents would let their children do that nowadays?
Let's make the best out of a bad situation.

mike mancott

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2020, 02:23:54 PM »
My friend and I cycled on several occasions from Birmingham to outside Tamworth, Coton (level) Crossing, LMS main line London to the North.
We were about aged 14. I don`t suppose our parents knew where we were half the time, and didn`t need to worry.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2020, 03:44:36 PM »
Most weekends were spent either at Crewe,Derbyworks+Toton+Nottingham or Northampton!Kettering and Wellingborough.But best was the train to Nottingham,change trains then to Grantham for the day for LNER.
For Mallard and the A2-3.Then some weekends it was by coach somewere or an excursion to London and round all different sheds there.What great times ,no sitting in the house with  nothing to do.
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

roy one

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2020, 04:02:44 PM »
when the wind is blowing in the right direction   I  hear the steam train most day on there way to  bridge north  the sound travels across the fields
each day is a blessing and I bless each day when it comes

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2020, 04:39:20 PM »
When we used to go to Tamworth ,it never seemed to rain,always dry.Never  got your books wet O0 O0
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

mw0njm

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2020, 06:12:37 PM »

Hi Robert B.
When I lived in Birmingham, we had a new neighbour. He was the retired Shed Foreman from Saltley Shed. This was about 1950.
He eventually moved to The Wirral to watch ship movements in the Mersey.
Wonderful memories you have evoked.
i used grassy banks

Hi Robert B.
When I lived in Birmingham, we had a new neighbour. He was the retired Shed Foreman from Saltley Shed. This was about 1950.
He eventually moved to The Wirral to watch ship movements in the Mersey.
Wonderful memories you have evoked.


i used grassy banks,to spot.always hot weather then. my dad worked next to the sheds. of a weekend i would go with him.and have a mooch around the sheds. when the time come and the steam locos were ready for scrap,they were parked end to end along side the wall. what a sad sight.  :(

Robert B.

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2020, 11:58:40 PM »
   Hi to everyone  that made a reply. My son got me into this and I never expected to get a reply. I got as far as Derby and the works so getting as far as Nottingham going to Grantham, The LNER was the stuff of dreams to me. I remember arriving at the upper level of Tamworth which was always an eventful journey so much rail traffic on the way. Arriving hungry we went to the nearest chippy, I can honestly say they were the best chips that us lads ever tasted a fine day out! On another excursion there, we picked a spot on a bridge overlooking a main railway line. You could feel the vibration and movement of something big at speed going full tilt, was it a royal scot. You could tell with sloped smoke deflectors, as it could only be one thing. How that Coronation roared under that bridge, that was another memory that was brought. I cant remember the name or number pieces, but never forget the images. We learnt so much about history, even the commonwealth and regiments, the geography by these beautiful pieces of engineering as kids.

 
































































































mike mancott

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Re: Steam Engines
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2020, 09:21:00 AM »
Maybe to continue you interest in steam, you might find near to where you live, a Heritage line, with preserved steam engines running on it.


 

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