Memories of No. 9

SEEING the article in the November issue, and the picture at Doncaster on page 17 in particular, prompts my memory.

I turned 16 in early 1963 and had a morning paper round, the money from which was enabling me to go further afield than my home town of Derby.

One Saturday I ventured to Doncaster where I already knew about the footpath alongside the Works and the lamp post that one could climb up in order to look through the window into the paint shop. There was a gleaming No. 60009, the first occasion that I saw any of Haymarket’s ‘A4s’, so No. 9 was a major cop. There was no one to share the moment with, but no matter – I went home very happy!

Back at school on the Monday, I told two classmates about my success. One of them, Anthony Smith, said he had 33 ‘A4s’ underlined in his book, and ‘South Africa’ was his missing one. He went to Doncaster the following Saturday, hoping it would still be there, and to his great relief it was.

We all know where No. 9 is now, but I wonder where my classmate is now. Smithy, are you reading this?

John Whittingham, Wilford, Nottingham A COUPLE of years ago I was leaving Manchester Piccadilly on a Shrewsburybound DMU. Looking out of the window, I saw Union of South Africa simmering happily away to itself on one of the other tracks. The young chap sitting facing me also saw it. He eventually took his eyes off it long enough to glance across the table at me and with barely concealed awe and wonderment managed to say “is that a steam locomotive?” I nodded and smiled broadly.

It seemed to me that he’d never seen anything like it before in his life, and that it was having a profound effect on him. Dennis Onions

Shrewsbury