MEMORIES ALONG THE TRACKS

Way back in 1959,1 was a registered British Railways fireman at an ex-LMS locomotive shed, 41D – formerly 19C – Canklow. I had almost five years’ experience on anything between LMS ‘1Fs’ and ‘8F’s in the main, with a few journeys on LMS ‘Garratts’ and BR ‘9Fs’. Of course, I can’t miss out the superb ‘Black Fives’. ‘The loco with long legs’, we young firemen thought, as opposed to the small-wheeled engines.

Redundancies of shed staff were creeping in at this time and, with only a few years of BR employment behind us, it saw us lowly firemen being loaned out on some days to Mexborough or Staveley Barrow Hill engine sheds. I don’t remember being given any expenses to cover the cost of riding my Tiger 100 to either of these two depots. Presumably it would have been a long cycle ride if I hadn’t had a motorcycle.

I especially remember going to Mexborough at the back end of the year and being allocated with a driver along with a locomotive called a ‘J39’ in the early hours. As a fireman brought up on Stanier and Fowler locomotives, a ‘J39’ 0-6-0 meant nothing to me. The engine had been prepared by an early-morning crew and left stabled along with other locomotives. We climbed on board and my new mate explained what a ‘J39’ was all about. Our steed for the day would be this unfamiliar locomotive with a fish-and-chip shop firedoor. I never previously shot a shovel, or half a shovel, through such a small firehole before. I am sure the fireman’s brush was overused somewhat on that day.

I hadn’t a clue