YORK AT NIGHT

Stephen Rabone’s article about night workings atYork brought back some great memories for me. In 1972, as part of my apprenticeship at Bristol Bath Road, I was sent up toYorkshire for main works experience. Prior to my three months at Doncaster loco, I spent three months inYork carriage works covering new build (4-VEPs and postal vans) and overhauls (Mark 1s and the early Mark 2s).

Aged 19, my interest in trainspotting was starting to wane, having underlined most of theWR diesel hydraulics in my ABC.With just a handful of replacements arriving as part of the gradual transition to diesel electric traction on theWR, for a while, new cops became few and far between.

Arriving inYork was like a breath of fresh air, which rejuvenated my interest.With wallto-wall BrushType 2s, English ElectricType 3s, those whistling EEType 1s andType 4s, plus the throbbing hum of the ‘Deltics’, it was like starting out with a blank sheet of paper. Even the BrushType 4s seemed to be ones that rarely, if ever, travelled south of Birmingham on the cross country route.

I spent many enjoyable evenings on the platforms atYork, marvelling at the extremely long platforms 8 north and south with the scissors crossover in the middle. On a few occasions, I walked from my digs down past the racecourse to ChalonersWhin Junction to see and hear those ‘Deltics’ working hard.

With my bedroom window open, I was within earshot of railway workings at night, including numerous freight workings identified by their clanking buffers. But I hadn’t realised just how intensive those workings were until reading your records. Had I known then, I might have been tempted to spend a few nights on the platforms myself.

ROY KETHRO BY EMAIL