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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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12/09/2004
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18:29
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Posted by Stanlery for 'Handlamp'. (Ted Harrison, a member from Newark)
BARNOLDSWICK LMS RAILWAY STATION AND ITS WORKING IN THE EARLY FORTIES
Having entered the service of the LMS Railway at Skipton on 24th February 1941, where I trained as a Booking and Parcels Clerk, I was transferred to Barnoldswick as a Junior Clerk on 30th June of that year. The duties of my post, which was remunerated at the princely sum of £35 per annum, were split between the Passenger and Goods Offices which were situated adjacent to each other on the sole platform.
Barnoldswick was the only station on a single line, located 1mile 1342 yards from Barnoldswick Junction at Kelbrook, which in turn was 1166 yards west of Earby Station Box on the Skipton to Colne line. The line had originally started life as the Barnoldswick Railway in 1871 but, in March 1898 the local company had approached the Midland Railway to see if it would purchase the line outright. As the line had always paid out a `regular and reasonable’ dividend the Midland agreed to do so and powers were secured in 1899. For many years it appears that the Barlick folk had to make do with hot water bottles as a source of heat until authorisation was given to fit steam heating to the two locos and nine carriages allocated to the Branch on 16th November 1922, some 20 years after the Midland had fitted their main line coaches. The Branch finally closed on 27th September 1965.
Barlick was the place that gave me my first taste for the `thrills’ of railway operating. The single line was worked by the `Only one engine in steam or two or more coupled together’ system, section V1 of the Rule Book. All points on the single line were locked by the train staff which the driver held as his authority for being on the single line. The staff was round and black with the person responsible to receive and deliver it to the driver being the Signalman at Barnoldswick Junction. The only signal at the station was an old Midland `Stop Board’ which protected the level crossing on Wellhouse Road and the Coal Yard beyond. The oblong Board fully presented to approaching trains gave a danger aspect (with red bullseye lamp above), a clear indication being given when it was turned 90 degrees to a side on position, i.e. parallel to the line facing Wellhouse Road.
Every lunch time found me hurriedly partaking of my sandwiches in the Porters Room before going out to `help’ with the shunting of the Goods Yard. This took the form of pinning down or releasing wagon brakes or `knobbing up’ points, only rarely was I allowed to handle a shunting pole. Most evenings I returned to spend more time with the leading porter and the engine crews until the last train at 9:35pm when I usually had the treat of driving the engine. A push and pull train was allocated to the Branch, being propelled towards Earby. When propelling the driver was located in the cab at the front end of the leading coach (normally two on the train) with the staff where he operated the vacuum brake whilst the fireman operated the regulator on the locomotive. It was the practice of most crews, prior to shutting off power, to open the regulator momentarily to the full, then close it at the bridge over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The train then `coasted’ to the Junction which was traversed slowly until the driver had surrendered the staff to the signalman. On receipt of the bell code to indicate that the staff had safely been delivered the regulator was opened with some gusto for the run into Earby. Mr. Dawes, the Station Master, must have been aware of my activities as his house and garden overlooked the all station area but he turned a Nelsonian eye and never restricted my enthusiasm in any way.
The Booking and Parcels Clerk was, and had been for many years, Louis Barwick, a much respected member of the community and a leading light in the town’s glee union. He had a good baritone voice and would frequently burst into snatches of anything from the Mikado to the Messiah. Cotton manufacturers travelled to the Manchester Market each Tuesday and Friday and two of their number would sometimes come into the office and join him in song. Exceptionally Louis retained his entitlement to uniform dating from the Midland Railway days when his duties included the examination and collection of tickets. An avid pipe smoker he was often blamed for the destruction of the gas mantles with his practice of lighting paper spills from them. Although then in his early sixties, he had a good head of wiry hair. Tommy Corkill, a Goods Guard from Skipton, regularly cut the hair of most of the staff on his visits but did his best to avoid Louis on the alleged grounds that his hair ruined the scissors.
The parcels were delivered by horse van, the van man being another stalwart, Charlie Moore. Nowadays one is inclined to forget that horses had to be fed and watered twice daily and Charlie, or a substitute, had to attend the stables for this duty at weekends and on bank holidays. Charlie thought a lot about his horses and I recall his sadness at loosing one of his favourites when he loaded it into a horse box for transfer to another station. When a telegram was received advising the timings for a horsebox with a replacement horse for him from the Stables at Oakham he had extreme difficulty containing his excitement until the train conveying it arrived and he had viewed his future workmate.
Another long standing member of the team was Tommy Westmoreland, one of the two Leading Porters. Tommy was a big genial chap who seemed equally happy diving under the buffers to perform coupling on the passenger trains, wielding a shunting pole out in the yard, or dealing with the public in the office or on the platform. I suppose his trade mark was his tobacco tin, pipe and pen knife which he seemed to be perpetually using to cut up his twist. When I first started at Barlick the other leading porter was Joe Creasey who was soon transferred on promotion to Leeds as a shunter and he was replaced by Dick Dawson. Dick had come from Clitheroe and had recently taken up residence on, or near to, Wellhouse Road. The one other member of the platform staff was Walter Scales who resided at Skipton.
One regular daily visitor to the Booking Office was Henry Carter, a local newsagent, who usually arrived around 4:15pm to collect his evening newspapers. Henry was renowned for his hobby of the manufacture of cigarette lighters and he kept the staff well supplied with these, particularly at that time, very useful items.
The Goods Department was very busy as most of the commodities for shops and industry were being conveyed by rail. Large quantities of explosives were also received from, and forwarded to, Gledstone Hall which was being used as a military storage depot. The town cartage work was performed by a horse and dray, industry and out lying areas being served by one or more Scammell units loaned from Skipton. The Goods Office was manned by Mr. Reynolds, the Senior Clerk, and Miss Mary Wensley with myself halftime. In 1941 the system which had prevailed from the days when the railways took over from the stage coach still prevailed and every consignment required an invoice, raised at the sending station and sent to the receiving station, with full details including weight and charges shown thereon. Apart from assisting with the invoicing, as was to be expected with the junior post, I was allocated the more menial tasks. One of these was `abstracting' details from invoices station by station and `summarising’ the financial information thus obtained for each railway.
The Branch was normally serviced by a Class 1 0-4-4 tank engine and two coaches fitted with push and pull equipment which did not require the presence of a guard on the train. However in my time there, so far as I can recall, until around 1:00pm, a Class 2,3 or 4F 0-6-0 covered the passenger service on top of its freight work which, of course, involved `running round’ the coaches at both stations and a guard being employed. Barlick trains connected into and out of all trains at Earby between 7:00am and 9:48pmSX, 10:27pm SO. Even at that time the branch trains were usually lightly loaded. One glaring exception was the 11:10pm from Barlick which conveyed around 200 `late night revellers’ fresh from the regular Saturday evening dance at the Majestic Ballroom. There was no booked Sunday service but the Branch occasionally opened for special trains. In the winters of 41/42 and 42/43 traffic had built up to such a degree that I can recall at least three or four freight specials running on the Sabbath. The booked freight service on weekdays arrived from Skipton around 6.10am when traffic was `set’ in the Goods and Coal yards and departed around 1/30pm. `Mixed’ trains (i.e. conveying passengers and freight) on which the freight wagons were not required to have continuous brakes, were scheduled to run on the Branch. A train departing Barlick around 5/30pm was booked as a mixed train and regularly conveyed the maximum of 20 wagons with a brake van and quite frequently included wagons of explosives
Early in 1943 Rodney Hampson entered the service and commenced training for my duties and it was apparent that my days at Barnoldswick were numbered. As anticipated `the call’ came on 16th March 1943 when I was transferred to Colne, still a Junior Clerk (but this time filling a senior position as Booking Clerk) , my rate of pay having risen by then to £55 per annum.
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Invernahaille
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Posted - 28/10/2006 : 14:35
Talking of the Tim Bobbin pub and its namesake. The new owners (I dont know who they are yet) want to change the pubs name. The locals have got a petition going to stop them. I would have thought that the best petition would have been to boycott them until they changed the name back to Tim Bobbin.
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Invernahaille
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Posted - 28/10/2006 : 14:49
Here is the press cutting from the Rochdale Observer.
Blue plaque plans to remember poet Tim
THE move is on to provide a lasting memorial for one of Milnrow’s greatest sons.
In the 18th century Tim Bobbin, the Lancashire dialect poet, was much celebrated and to this day pubs bearing his name are scattered all over the country, including London.
But in the village where he spent much of his life, there is little left of his legacy. Now the Milnrow Literary and Scientific Society hopes to do something about the situation before his memory is lost for ever.
Action to commemorate the Milnrow poet was stimulated by the recent change of name of the Tim Bobbin pub at the bottom of Dale Street. It was bought, refurbished and had its name shortened to The Bobbin, which resulted in an outcry from some residents, who say the full name should have been retained.
But at a recent meeting of the Pennines Township, Councillor Keith Swift pointed out that the pub did not actually have any connections with the dialect poet and was merely named after him. But he felt Tim Bobbin was important enough for someone to do something about remembering his name for posterity.
Brian Tenny, secretary of the Literary and Scientific Society, agrees that the most appropriate step would be to have a blue plaque installed in Milnrow.
He said: "Tim Bobbin, whose real name was John Collier, was famous in the 18th century throughout this area. He was a teacher at a school in Milnrow situated in Bridge Street. Not only was he a poet of some renown but was also an artist and multi-talented. He didn’t originally come from Milnrow but was born in Urmston. The only existing buildings which have any connections with him are three cottages in Bridge Street, which were an Anglican church in his day. I am thinking that a blue plaque commemorating his life could be put up on the corner of Lily Street and Bridge Street.
"If we don’t do something there is a great danger that future generations will forget about him altogether."
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TOM PHILLIPS
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Posted - 28/10/2006 : 14:51
Shouldn't be allowed Robert,as far as i know its the original Tim Bobbin pub as John Collier (Tim Bobbin)lived across the road where Tims terrace now stands,theres to much history with the name to just change it.
Talking of pubs,why are there 2 Bird in'th hands in Newhey,on the same road less than 100yrds apart ???
"Work,the curse of the drinking class" |
Invernahaille
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Posted - 28/10/2006 : 15:07
Tom. Locally they are known as the Top and Bottom bird. The bottom one is called the Bird in Hand. The top one is called Bird i'th Hand. Tradition has it that there were two brothers who didnt see eye to eye with each other so to outdo each other they both opened pubs very close together in a bid to outdo eachother.
Remembering Newhey, I can believe that. Newhey produced some really intelligent people. It also produced some of the most ignorant as well. (No doubt I will be getting sued for that remark). The locals will put out a Fatwah for me.
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TOM PHILLIPS
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Posted - 28/10/2006 : 15:16
Thanks Robert,I shall deny all knowledge of you when i next visit Newhey,Iam a bit of a easy target....
"Work,the curse of the drinking class" |
Invernahaille
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Posted - 28/10/2006 : 15:23
I know what you mean Tom. Sort of when your coming down the ladders theres a gun club at the bottom.
Pull!
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handlamp
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Posted - 28/10/2006 : 21:51
Robert, when I left the area in 1958 Cyril Smith was an up and coming local government councillor with a recently acquired small works in Rochdale - I didn't know he had any Milnrow connection. The former L&Y main line between Normanton and Manchester ran from Rochdale via Castleton and Moston with the Oldham Branch running off between Rochdale East Junction and Dean Lane (Newton Heath) and I feel sure that will still apply today. I didn't know that Harry finished up at Milnrow, he used to be a regular attender at the Rochdale Ambulance Class and was a member of our team in the annual competitions.
The anomaly in my picture is that the train did not carry a tail lamp which all trains are required to have to indicate to signalmen and others that the train is complete. I think I'm right in saying that for a short time around 1958, at least on the Central Division (former L&Y), dmus ran with just a red shaded lamp at the rear ( and your picture also seems to confirm this) until it was decided to follow normal practice of having a tail lamp on a bracket at the rear. As you say my photo does give the appearance of being driven from that end and I would assume that the `apparent driver' would be either a driver or guard learning or refreshing his knowledge of the `road'.
Edited by - handlamp on 28 October 2006 21:54:39
Ted |
Noel
New Member
9 Posts
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Posted - 29/10/2006 : 06:36
I knew the Tim Bobbin in Burnley but never thought about where the name came from. I found this site with some of his caricatures
http://www.greatcaricatures.com/articles_galleries/bobbin/html/00_bobbin_list.html
Noel
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 29/10/2006 : 06:41
Those two pubs in Newhey always intrigued me as well.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Invernahaille
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Posted - 29/10/2006 : 12:50
Ted. Yes Harry finished his railway career at Milnrow. He then went on to work for the parks department at Rochdale Borough Council.
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Invernahaille
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Posted - 29/10/2006 : 14:44
Ted. You will remember the Empire cinema in Milnrow. It was at the end of station road on the left. It had a chequered history. It once produced short films in the early 19 hundreds. Some of these can be found on the following website www.movinghistory.ac.uk/archives/nw/films/nw7milnrow.html -
It closed down in the late fifties and reopened for a short time around 1961/2ish as Johnny Spots. A nightclub come, gambling casino. Johnny Spot was a local entrepeneur (small time) He used to have a stall on the old Rochdale outside market in the 60s.
The Empire was demolished in the mid sixties and the land was left barren for a while. The Kwik Save supermarket now stands on what was once the empire cinema.
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handlamp
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Posted - 29/10/2006 : 15:02
Robert, I can't remember the Empire Cinema, my memory indicates that John Smith's factory was on the corner on the left where Station Road joined Dale Street. Do you know how John Collier came to be called Tim B?
Ted |
handlamp
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Posted - 29/10/2006 : 15:15
Forgot to mention. Being a proud supporter of his place of birth, my son and heir attends Rochdale's matches whenever they happen to be playing in our area. On Saturday, 21st he went to Lincoln and as usual joined his fellow Lancastrians in the stand. Although, in the course of the match, seven goals were being buried in the back of the Rochdale net, the sole subject of conversation amongst his companions seemed to be assessing the quality and juiciness of the pies available in the the east of their county. The lad came away thinking that he must have witnessed some Freudian reaction to the walloping they had received.
Ted |
Invernahaille
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Posted - 29/10/2006 : 15:43
Ted. You got me heading for the thinking cap there. I remember a lesson being given to a class at Newhey County school by Sam Mercer the headmaster. He took a keen interest in local history. I remember him saying that John Collier took the non de plume of Tim Bobbin when he published a book called
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Invernahaille
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Posted - 29/10/2006 : 15:46
(continued)
The Blackbird. I was led to understand that the books he had published under John Collier did not sell well, but when he used the name Tim Bobbin sales just rocketed.
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Barnoldswick Railway memories
