TOTON SIDINGS

2011-04-03T00:38:00.001-07:00

2010-12-30T07:55:00.000-08:00

HOME : HISTORY : STAFF : STORYS : TOTON YARD : LOCOS : VIDEO

WELCOME TO THE SITE

2010-12-29T06:19:00.000-08:00

Site last updated March 21st 2010

New Items

Latest retirements

Toton Test Trains - David Thompson

Retirement photo - Stan Streets

Photographs - Ian Partner

If you have any old photos or memories that you would like to share you can contact the website at woile@lycos.com

.......................... ........... Thank you Tony

RISE AND FALL

2010-12-28T05:40:00.000-08:00

In the early 19th century there was an energy revolution taking place in the manufacturing industry. The discovery and exploitation of coal enabled innovative engineers to develop the mighty steam engine. This replaced water as the main source of power in their factory’s. In turn the coming of the railways created a revolution in transportation. With industry crying out for coal, mining and the railways developed side by side. Most towns had their own gasworks with coal delivered by rail to their own private sidings and the domestic use of coal for heating and cooking developed rapidly. This insatiable demand and the enormous growth in coal output led to the rapid and continued expansion of Toton Sidings. By the time coal production reached its peak Toton had grown into the largest marshalling yard in Europe and the third largest in the world. It had become a Railway Empire. In the 1950s with mechanisation of the up side completed the yards were handling over a million wagons a year. The next fifteen years would be Toton’s golden years. By the mid sixties the Railways had shelved any plans for future marshalling yards. The introduction of tops and MGR wagons meant that block trains could be run from the pits to the power stations without being re-marshalled. The writing was on the wall and the Empire was beginning to crumble. After a hundred years rise the fall was to be far swifter. Diesel was replacing steam on the railways, gas heating was replacing coal fires and natural gas meant the end of the local gasworks. As the need for coal died so did Toton. The Down Side ceased hump shunting in 1978 followed six years later by the Up Side in 1984. The golden age of coal and steam was over and one by one the yards were closed and the rails lifted. Nine years into the new millenium and the final insult. Toton has lost its Daw Mill traffic. It has become a Ballast Depot in all but name. As for the yard, the latest plan is to shut the upside altogether and run everything out of the North Yard.

2010-05-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

BIRDS EYE VIEW

The picture below was taken by Ian Partner from the lighting tower at the bottom end of the North Yard. The following day the tower was taken down. Click on picture to enlarge.

Photo: Ian Partner (Red)

2010-05-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Alun Pugh from Leeds has sent in this old picture postcard of Toton.

Click on picture to enlarge.

The picture is from the 'Smithsons series' and written below it said 'Station Sidings most extensive in the United Kingdom.'

LATEST RETIREMENTS

2010-03-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

A retirement function was held at Brennans in Long Eaton on Friday evening March 19th. The departing drivers were Phil Pemberton, Paul Clements, Billy Bott, Robbie Duncan, Mick Badder and Mel Saville.

PHIL PEMBERTON

BILLY BOTT

PAUL CLEMENTS

ROBBIE DUNCAN

MICK BADDER

MEL SAVILLE

TOTON TEST TRAINS

2010-03-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

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Dave Thompson has contacted the site and has sent the picture below.
He is seeking information about test trains run from Toton using Brittanias and 9Fs. He would like to know when they started and finished and any details of the actual test runs. Any information would be useful. Please email woile@lycos.com
.

2010-03-16T05:17:00.000-07:00

The website has received the following reply to Dave Thompson's appeal above.

High speed trials of coal trains between Toton and Brent were undertaken during late 1951 and continued until 1955 using motive power not normally associated with such work.

A brace of Royal Scot 4-6-0s Nos. 46117 Welsh Guardsman and 46154 The Hussar were appropriated as were Stanier Class 5s Nos. 44667 and 45342. BR Standard Class 5MT Nos. 73000 and 73001, and 73030 and 73031 were also used often in pairs as were "Britannia" Pacifics No. 70043 and 70044 ex Longsight (9A) both running devoid of smoke deflectors, unnamed, and fitted with Westinghouse Brake equipment. A couple of ex-LNER "L1s" Nos. 67729 and 67737 on loan from Stratford (30A) also carried out static braking tests in 1953 on the Erewash Valley between Trowell Junction and Ilkeston South Junction on No.2 down goods line.

The photograph depicted has "Britannia" Pacifics Nos. 70023 Venus and 70020 Mercury, location ?.

Toton driver William (Bill) Webb worked a series of these trials and gave me the special traffic notice he was issued with appertaining to the run on 20^th January 1952. The Flying Collier with 70020 ‘Mercury’ and 70023 ‘Venus’ borrowed from Old Oak Common (81A) were the engines involved, hauling 70 x -16ton loaded wagons with a dynamometer car and on arrival at Brent was featured in the 1952 March edition of Coal magazine. Bill with his fireman Eric Sims had charge of the train engine, "Britannia" Pacific No. 70020 ‘Mercury’ with Stan Woods on the leading locomotive No. 70023 ‘Venus’.

What rankled Bill, was that Stan Woods, the junior driver on the leading engine ‘Mercury’ was interviewed and photographed whilst he didn't even get a mention. Other high speed trials of coal trains to Brent were not without incident, Bill recalled on another of his turns, also with a brace of Britannias, that by the time Wellingborough was reached, there were no fewer than nine hot axle boxes on the train which had to be detached, which was time consuming as the train was fully wired up throughout and included a dynamometer car. Bill was involved later that year when another fully-fitted, on that occasion hauling 52 x -16ton empty wagons ran from Toton to Bedford and return with a BR Standard Class ‘5’ locomotive. He also participated in the Westinghouse braking tests between Trowell Junction and Ilkeston South Junction.

Regards,

R H Fowkes
Yard Supervisor Toton 1971-1974
Traction Arranger (Running Foreman) Toton 1974-1978

STANS THE MAN

2010-03-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

Stan Streets has been in touch with the website and sent a shed load of photos of Toton drivers. I will endeavour to put them in the Staff Drivers section when I have sorted them and found out who they all are. I didn't start on the railway until 1975 but I do recognise most of them especially those who were unfortunate enough to find themselves shunting in the yard. Meanwhile some of the older pics are below. The first picture was taken at Stans retirement in October 1997. Stan was a fireman and driver at Toton from 1957 - 1997. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Back Row : Left to right TONY BISHOP, KIETH LONSDALE, JOHN POTTER, NOT KNOWN, ALBERT POTTER, JACK GELDER, DAVID COOK. JEFF CALLADINE. ALLAN FRANCIS NOT KNOWN.

Front Row : STAN STREETS, MAL BUTLER, KIETH WILKINSON, STAN ORME, DAVID TIMMS.

MORE PICTURES FROM STAN

2010-03-02T04:15:00.000-08:00

2009-03-01T04:44:00.000-08:00

EUGENE STRIKES AGAIN

I had an email from Ian Partner last week, he sent me the photograph above. The last move Eugene made other than clear his locker was to put this POA on 1 Old Bank. Later as a Ratcliffe departed from 2 Old Bank the wagon rolled away and struck the departing train midships. The result was damage estimated at over £1M and Old Bank 1,2 and 3 being relayed. Eugene didnt bother hanging about for the 'please explain' and left the service.
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2009-03-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

TOTON DEPOT AT NIGHT

Another photo from Ian

NOEL MICK AND TERRY

2009-02-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

You know what its like, you wait an hour for a bus and then three come at once, well I was shopping in Long Eaton on Wednesday and in the space of twenty minutes I bumped into three x Toton drivers. They kindly let me take photos for the website. Noel Rigby(top left) started at Toton straight from school in 1943. His first job was bar boy (bar setter steam locos) and he retired in 1992. Terry Attwell(below) was on the railway from 1957 to 2002 and Mick Simms started in 1960 and left the service in 2007. They will all be at the next reunion bash which will be at the Moorlands Club on Friday October 16th.

IDENTITY PARADE

2009-02-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is the only picture I have of Freight Services Manager Ian Mansfield, but who was the mess room artist.

Ian Mansfield and Ashley Tebbs

CAN ANYONE HELP

Toton Depot north end. Date and photographer unknown. Any ideas.

PLATFORM 2 AT DERBY BUT WHO ARE THE DRIVERS

Photograph by John Whitby. http://www.swisstrains.net/

.DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN

The photograph above was found in an old locker in the centre box at Toton. The signalmans mess room was up the stairs and on the left and after the box was closed this mess room was used by the Old Bank Rolling Stock Technician (tapper). So this man could have been either grade.

TOTON UPSIDE

2008-05-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

Jocko outside the up hump

Retarders were used to control the speed of the wagons as they rolled into the yard.
View from the Up Tower looking towards the Up Hump.

The control panel could overide the auto settings and divert wagons if required.

View from Up Tower Panel looking towards the East Yard.
The three roofs of the wagon shops and the cooling towers
at RatcliffePower Station can be seen in the background.
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HISTORY

2008-05-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

...... MIDLAND RAILWAY 1855 - 1923

....

.......LMS 1923 - 1948

......BRITISH RAILWAYS 1948 - 1995

......MAINLINE 1995 - 1996

.....

.........EWS...1996

BRIAN BEERS

2008-05-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

The following article and pictures appeared in the Spring 1994 Edition of the East Midlands Freight Staff Magazine and have been reproduced with Brians permission. Click on photos to enlarge.

FAREWELL BRIAN Retirement reflections of Brian Beers, Training Supervisor.

My Railway career began on 11th August 1952, and there has since been many significant changes including the famed ‘Beeching Plan’ and its effect locally, the demise of steam giving way to diesel and the introduction of Trent Power Box in 1969 which closed hundreds of manual signal boxes thus rendering hundreds of signalmen redundant. Note that in those days they were called signalmen since female staff were very few and far between. As I look back, I try to think what happened to them all.

Going back to my days as a Junior Porter (Control Reporter) located in Trent Station South Signal Box, I can well remember reporting for duty in August 1952 to the Station Manager referred to us then as the ‘Station Boss’. A Mr Dennis was ‘the boss’ and a year or so later, I have a vivid memory of him paying a visit to the signal box to shake hands, with tears running down his face as he had been compelled to take early retirement due to ill health. As a sixteen year old lad, this left a life-long impression on me. After two years National Service with the Royal Engineers (Railway Operating), I returned to BR in January 1958 to take up my signalling career and always working in the Trent area. I was finally placed as a Signalman at Sheetstores Junction in the mid sixties having been displaced from my previous position as Signalman at South Trent Junction following the closure of Trent Station in early 1968. Little could anyone realise today that this was once the site of a fairly large station. On closure, I witnessed its demolition and by the end of March, all traces of its existence had gone. My own signalbox Trent South, was closed on 26th May 1968. I was then utilised as a flagman while the signal box was demolished before my eyes and by 2nd June all traces of it too had disappeared.

With the introduction of Trent Power Box I was made redundant but the next five years proved enjoyable as I was employed as a Guard at Toton. Once more, I have a vivid memory of working from Toton to Lloyds Sidings (Corby Steel Works). These services were usually worked by two class 20 Diesel Locos, with up to 90 loaded 16 ton Mineral Wagons. The first 10 or so wagons would be vacuum fitted to provide brake force whilst the remainder of the train was loose coupled. It really was a case of ‘right away and hold tight.’Alas all this traffic is now long gone with the demise of the steel industry as well as the Erewash Valley Collieries which we serviced.

Moving into the Control in the 1970’s both at Nottingham and Trent PSB, I was witness to the demise of the Nottingham Control Office to its final closure in the early 1980’s. My next position was then taken up as a Supervisor at Toton. I can recall when Toton Upside Hump shunted most of the arriving traffic and the East and West Yards still being operational. Speedlink services called at Toton in those days as indeed it was a Speedlink Yard. Sad to say that traffic slowly declined leading to the eventual demise of the Speedlink services and the closure of both the East and the West Yards.

I took up my final position as Training Supervisor for my last four years prior to early retirement. I enjoyed these final years immensely since it gave me the opportunity to get out and about the East Midlands Freigh area and to meet staff in all grades. I would like to thank all staff and colleagues too numerous to name, for all their assistance and support. I can now reflect on how my old ‘Station Boss’ must have felt way back in the early 1950’s when he shook my hand. May I take this opportunity to wish you all the best wishes for the future and every success for Trainload Freight South East.

2008-03-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

 Class 20s : 24/25 : 31 : 37 : 44 : 45/46 : 47 : 56 : 58 : 60


        TOTON DEPOT ALLOCATION  1950 - 1998..

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1950......Diesel Shunters not included.....TOTAL...155
1955.......................................TOTAL...146
1960.......................................TOTAL...118
1971...........Toton 16A & Nottm Div D16...TOTAL...356
1981.......................................TOTAL...253
1988.......................................TOTAL...278
1994.......................................TOTAL...149
1998.......................................TOTAL...207.
 
CLICK ON YEAR TO SEE ALLOCATION.

TOTON DRIVERS A-B

2008-03-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

ALLSOPP CHUMLEY

ATTWELL TERRY

BAILEY HAROLD

BEADSLEY KIETH

BENNETT BARNEY

BENNETT PAUL

BISHOP TONY

BOOTH HARRY

BOTT BILLY

BROWN KEITH

BROWN FRANK

BUGG DAVE
BURTON BRIAN
BUTLER MALC

. ...A-B.... C-E....F-H....I-M....N-P....Q-Z

TOTON DRIVERS C-E

2008-03-08T01:13:00.000-08:00

CANNING JIM.
CHAWNER NICK
COATES ALF
COOK DAVE
DAFT TREVOR
DAUBNEY JACK
DICKENS IAN
DICKMAN DAVE

DILKS D

DOAR TOMMY

DRESSER ALAN

EATON IVOR

TOTON DRIVERS F-H

2008-03-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

FARMER RON
FRANCIS ALAN
FRANCIS DAVE
GARDINER JEFF
GASCOINE BARRY
GOULDING IAN
HARRISON KEITH
HAYWOOD ANDY
HAYWOOD JIMMY
HENSHAW DAVE
HICKTON DAVID
HOUSE PETER
HUDSON ANDY

TOTON DRIVERS I-N

2008-03-06T01:44:00.000-08:00

IMLACH WAYNE
KEEBLE STEVE
KENT JOHN
KING STUART
LAIGHT JIMMY
LANGLEY ME
LANGLEY PIM
LANGLEY TOMMY
LEVELL SEAN
LOWE MALC
MANN R
MEE PETER
MOSLEY CHRIS

TOTON DRIVERS O-P

2008-03-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

TOTON DRIVERS Q-Z

2008-03-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

YARDSTAFF

2008-02-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

. ....ABC : DEF : G : HIJK : LM : NOP : QRS : TUV : WXYZ
.
Are you looking for someone in particular? Yourself maybe or a relative. If you know their last name use the links above to get there quickly or just work your way through them all.
Below is a template of the yard roster from 1991.
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TOTON YARDSTAFF A-B-C

2008-02-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

.
ADAMS JACK
ALLEN GODFREY
ARCHER SHAUN
ARMSTRONG F
.

BAIG M
BELL LIONEL
BURROWS REG
BURTON BILLY
.
CADLE MICK
CHAPMAN MICK

MICK CHAPMAN

CHRISTIAN AUSTIN

AUSTIN CHRISTIAN

COLLINS JOE ..

. JOE COLLINS

CUTRESS DEAN

....ABC : DEF : G : HIJK : LM : NOP : QRS : TUV : WXYZ.

TOTON YARDSTAFF D-E-F

2008-02-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

.
DAYKIN BRIAN

BRIAN DAYKIN

DEAN ALAN

.
EDSON KEN
ELLERBY BARRY
EVANS RON
.
FENDLEY JOHN
FERGUSSON FRANK
FINCH HARRY
FOUNTAIN EUGENE
FOUNTAIN TONY

....ABC : DEF : G : HIJK : LM : NOP : QRS : TUV : WXYZ.

TOTON YARDSTAFF G

2008-02-07T04:31:00.000-08:00

GLOVER ALBERT

ALBERT GLOVER

GOFF BOB
GOODE ERIC
GORDON VINCE

VINCE GORDON

GRANT WS (JOCK)
GREEN CYRIL
GREEN RICKY
GREEN U (HUGHIE)
GREGORY MARK
GREGORY TED
GUNN HERBERT

....ABC : DEF : G : HIJK : LM : NOP : QRS : TUV : WXYZ.

TOTON YARDSTAFF H-I-J-K

2008-02-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

HALLAS GRENVILLE

GRENVILLE HALLAS

HANCOCK MICK
HARRISON COLIN

COLIN HARRISON

HENSHAW MALC
HULL JACK

JACQUES TONY

TONY JACQUES

JONES RANDY

KAY TERRY
KHAN BERT
KING PETE

....ABC : DEF : G : HIJK : LM : NOP : QRS : TUV : WXYZ.

TOTON YARDSTAFF L-M

2008-02-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

LACEY STEVE
.

STEVE LACEY

LEE KEN

KEN LEE

LEE JFD
LEE PAUL

PAUL LEE
.

LEES HARRY

MACINTOSH DH
MAYERS IRVINE
McDONALD ANGUS

ANGUS McDONALD

MEE JIMMY
MERCHANT (ZIT) JEFF
MIKE OSCAR
MILLER WJ
MURPHY D
MURRAY J

....ABC : DEF : G : HIJK : LM : NOP : QRS : TUV : WXYZ.

TOTON YARDSTAFF N-O-P

2008-02-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

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NORMAN ROBERT
NOTTINGHAM GERALD

ONEILL PETE

PAGE STEVE
PALMER DON
PARKER MICK
PARTNER IAN
POTTER ALBERT
PREECE DAVID
.

....ABC : DEF : G : HIJK : LM : NOP : QRS : TUV : WXYZ.

TOTON YARDSTAFF Q-R-S

2008-02-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

RICHARDS WILF
RICHARDSON GW
RILEY KEN
ROWAN TERRY

Terry Rowan

ROYCE DICK
RYDER ANDY

Andy Ryder

SADLER RUPERT
SAUNDERS DEAN

Dean Saunders
.

SCHOFIELD KIETH
SHARP MORRIS

Morris Sharpe

SHAW ML
SMITH FRANK
SMITH BILL
SPURR BARRY
STANBURY GILL
STARBUCK KEN
..

...ABC : DEF : G : HIJK : LM : NOP : QRS : TUV : WXYZ.

TOTON YARDSTAFF T-U-V

2008-02-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

TAYLOR TOMMY
THORPE SIMON
TIMMS D
TOWERS JACK
TRUSWELL PETE

TOTON YARDSTAFF W-X-Y-Z

2008-02-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

WANG DAVID
WEBB JACK
WHITE (WM) BILLY
WHITE L
WHYTE (OF) OAKEY
WHYTE OAKEY(JR)
WHYTE TRACEY
WILKINSON GARY
WILKINSON ROBIN
WILLIAMS R
WOODS WAYNE
ZWARYCZ B

TRACK LAYOUT 1960 - 2000

2008-02-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

TOTON YARD LAYOUT 1960

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

TOTON YARD LAYOUT 2000

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

2008-01-23T04:32:00.000-08:00

Of the companies that have run Toton, Mainlines was the briefest, barely two years. Its remit was to take Trainload freight and turn it into a separate company prior to privatisation. This process began in 1994 and Mainline launched its staff magazine in April of that year. Under the stewardship of MD Kim Jordan (inset) Mainline set about the task and had hoped that the Company would be vested in October but there was a six month delay. The Company was officially launched on November 14th 1994 but did not become vested (a subsidiary of BR) until 1st April 1995.
The next step in the privatization process was for Mainline to be sold. The deadline for offers was Friday September 8th 1995. Bidders included the American based Company Wisconsin Central who had also bid for Transrail and Loadhaul. Mainline Freight senior management also made a bid for the Mainline business. Under the timetable for sale drawn up by the Government the sale was expected to be completed before the end of the year but it was February 1996 before it was announced that Wisconsin Central had won the bid.

BACK TO HISTORY

2008-01-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

TOTON DRIVERS

2008-01-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

A-B : C-E : F-H : I-M : O-P : Q-Z

Are you looking for someone in particular? Yourself maybe or a relative. If you know their last name use the links above to get there quickly or just work your way through them all..

*.....*.....*

TOTON TRAINCREW 1993

Photograph courtesy P.D.Ward (zippy)

Back Row L-R : C.Hill(Manager) J.Haywood, J.Porter, J.Hatwell, P.Pemberton, T.Scattergood

D.Bugg, D.Pegg, N.Chawner Front Row L-R : P.Bennett, G.Simms, R.Mann, A.Watkinson, D.Dilks

J.Canning, C.Mosley.

TOTON TAPPERS

2008-01-04T03:17:00.000-08:00

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KIRK DON

Don Kirk

.

NEWTON RAY

PINSENT CHARLIE

SCRIVENS MAURICE

WELLS LES

TALES OF TOTON

2008-01-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

YOUR RECOLLECTIONS.
MY MEMORIES OF TOTON by Paul Marshall
.
BILLY BURTON
THE GAS LEAK
THE SEVERED LEG ROUTINE
NUTTYS CRASH HELMET
.
MALC HENSHAW
RULES AND REGS
.
JACK WEBB
STANTON GATE
.
MORRIS SHARP
THE WILD DOG
.
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The following articles were written by the people concerned and appeared in the staff newspapers and magazines.

BRIAN BEERS ..............Retirement reflections.
JOHN WOOLLEY........Johns efforts lead to conviction
STEVE LACEY .............Brick Crushers & Turnip Cutters

MORRIS SHARP

2008-01-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

Morris entered the service in 1944 and was a shunter at Beeston Sidings. When the yard closed in the sixties Morris moved to Toton and rain or shine would ride to work on his bike from Beeston Rylands. Sharpy was train preparer on the Upside when he retired in 1991 but spent most of his time as senior railman in the North Yard. He was in the North Yard one night when Malc Henshaw walked in.
‘Watch out tonight,’ said Malc, ‘they reckon there’s a dog loose at the bottom end of the yard.’
‘Dogs don’t bother me,’ Sharpy growled, ‘If I see it I’ll brake stick the little bastard.’
With that he picked up his hand lamp and shunting pole and set of to get the Tinsley ready. When he’d gone Malc turned to Ron Evans the Chargeman and winked.
‘He wont be so cocky in a bit,’ he said. ‘What are you up to now,’ asked Ron.
‘You’ll see,’ Malc replied as he left the cabin. Half an hour later Sharpy had piped up, attached the tail lamp and was making his way back down the far side of the train. The lighting in the North Yard had always been poor and on this particular night with no moon it was worse than ever. Under the cover of this gloom Malc had crept half way down the train and was crouched in the four foot under the wagons in wait. As Sharpy drew level Malc stuck out his hand and grabbed his ankle at the same time letting out a ferocious bark. Sharpy dropped his pole lamp and shunt list and took off through the sidings like a bat out of hell. He burst into the cabin almost taking the door off its hinges in the process and collapsed into a chair in the corner. Now Morris did not have the outward appearance of an athlete but they do say that on this particular night he would have given Linford Christie a run for his money.

BILLY BURTON

2008-01-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

THE GAS LEAK
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Billy Burton started work on the railway in September 1937. He spent his final years as chargeman in the East Yard and retired in 1984 after humping had ceased and the yard had closed to traffic. You could fill a book with Billy Burton stories so I have chosen a fewI like the best for the website. The first is the Gas Leak.

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Bill walked into the East Yard mess room one day and while pouring his tea casually mentioned that he thought he could smell gas in the corridor. Half way down the corridor between the chargemans office and the mess room was the drying room. This consisted of two rows of hangers sporting various macs leggings and assorted waterproof jackets, a block off twelve lockers and a large gas boiler in a metal cabinet. This boiler supplied the heating for the whole building. Walking back up the corridor Bill paused at the drying room door, ‘It seems to be getting worse,’ he shouted ‘I hope the boilers not going to blow up.’ He wandered back into the office took out his tobacco pouch and began to fill his pipe. Sure enough within a few minutes the drying room had become a hive of activity. Two drivers, the tapper and the Chilwell senior railman were gathered around the boiler. Bill crept back down the corridor and put his head round the door.
‘I think its coming from the vent at the bottom.’ he announced.
This was the ‘piece de resistance.’ The Chilwell leading railman had now joined them and the tapper and one of the drivers were down on all fours sniffing away like pigs on a truffle hunt. Bill pulled the brake stick from behind his back and brought it crashing down on the boilers metal casing. Howling with laughter he returned to the office leaving behind him two ashen faced shunters a suspected coronary and several pairs of brown underpants.

MALC HENSHAW

2008-01-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

On the railway periodic checks were made to ensure that rule books were up to date and that staff were conversant with any amendments or alterations. In effect a rules exam. These occasions were dreaded by most shunters but were meat and drink to a master prankster like Malc Henshaw. He would ring up his victim on a Monday and adopting his best management voice inform him that he would be coming into the yard on Friday to carry out a rules examination. The hapless shunter would spend every spare minute ensuring his book was in order and brushing up on his rules. When Friday came along Malc would wait until the last minute keeping the poor shunter on tenterhooks and then ring saying he couldn’t make it and would be round on Monday. Some gullible new starters had been known to take their rule books home with them over the weekend. He would prefer, when the opportunity presented itself, to be working in the same yard as his victim. On theses occasions he would slip out and ring from another phone and then return and watch lockers being ransacked in the frenzied search for the latest
amendments to the rule book.

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Another telephone prank would be put into operation if he saw anyone sloping off the job early. He would wait a few minutes then ring the cabin under the guise of management and ask to speak to the person who had just left. Most of the old hands were wise to these stunts but on the phone you could never be sure who you were speaking to and new starters were soft targets. On the Railway if you didn’t have ten years service in you were still in short trousers. The old hands would often mock shunters with only five or six years service by asking, ‘Do you think you will like railway work.’

STEVE LACEY

2008-01-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

As a child, a special treat for me would be to be taken onto the footplate by my grandfather who was a ‘steam’ driver. This started off my hobby which has now almost turned into a religion. Every weekend, from March to October, I load my own little bit of nostalgia onto a trailer and drive as far afield as Cheshire and Lincolnshire showing vintage farm threshing, along with other old working machinery.

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To actually see them working is of major importance to me especially as I get most satisfaction out of reproducing the atmosphere of the ‘old days’. My machines include a Corn Mill, a 1910 Potato Lifter, a Turnip Cutter and lastly, my pride and joy is a 1920’s mini Threshing Drum from Finland. All are belt driven by either a 1954 David Brown Tractor, a 1927 Petter Engine or a 1950 Lister Engine and all have been restored to their original condition by myself over the last three years. When I say original condition, that’s really what it needs to be. I spent about three months stripping down the Corn Mill and repainting it to result in what I thought was a job well done. I took it with pride to an agricultural show and the first person to see it discreetly mentioned that it was the wrong colour. Back to the drawing board and it is now in fact light blue instead of green.

A lot of interest is shown by young people who can’t understand why people actually needed to grind corn when we now take it for granted to simply pop into the shop and buy a bag of flour. The older generation who may remember such machines when they were used on the farms also show great interest. The latest additions to ‘my fleet’ include a 1936 chain driven Concrete Mixer and a Brick Crusher both of which were made by Frederick Parker of Leicester. As a side line I am restoring a 1937 Austin A10 Cambridge Saloon Car and a 1929 Austin Chummy Van. I hope to be able to show these when they appear to be more up to scratch.

The type of shows that I frequent vary tremendously from the large agricultural shows to village fetes and working weekends organised by my local club which is the Rutland Group of the National Vintage Tractor and Engine Club. At the working weekend, we have a competition which involves making and baking bread. The corn is cut by a binder in the old way, threshed, ground and made into dough and then cooked in the field by a paraffin heated cooker. The record is about 40 minutes. I wonder if Mothers Pride can beat that. I find the showing aspect very rewarding even if a little risky when having to rely on the English weather so much. I can certainly certainly recommend the restoration of barn engines and farm machinery as a hobby especially when I consider it as doing my own little ‘bit’ to help preserve our heritage.

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Steve Lacey
Hazard Correction Team

JOHN'S EFFORTS LEAD TO CONVICTION

2008-01-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

One day in 1992 I was working in my old job as Traincrew/Operations Supervisor at Toton when Ian Mansfield came into my office and introduced me to a Detective Calter from the West Yorkshire Regional Crime Squad. “John,” Ian said, “This is Detective Inspector Calter and he has a few questions to ask which you may be able to help answer. Please give him any help that he requires.”
At this Ian turned on his heels and left. D.I.Calter is a great person to talk to and is the sort of man that is instantly likeable.

We shook hands and he said. “I have been given a photo album full of locomotive shots that are dated. I know that the photos are genuine enough but it’s the dates that I would like to check out.” I looked at the album and the dates - they were two years old. “Its not going to be easy” I said, “there are locomotives moving continually here but we can have a look.”
At 14.00 hrs I was relieved and Mr.Calter and I made our way to the old Toton Centre signal box where the old records are kept. On the way, I explained to the detective that each weeks activities are wrapped together and secured by an elastic band, dated and filed. If no one had had a clear out, then the records would still be there.
We entered the old signal box and it was crammed with boxes of old papers. After finding the papers relating to the correct year, it was only a matter of minutes before we had located the papers relating to the right weeks. The Detective was delighted. “I cannot believe my luck,” he said. “It was only a shot in the dark. Where can we go to look at these in detail?” “My wife makes a grand coffee so lets go to my place” I said.

At my home, the Detective spread out the records on the floor and took a mountain of papers from his briefcase. My Tomcat took this as an invitation to play and dashing from behind a chair, sent the papers everywhere. He was promptly arrested and shut in the kitchen. “When are you going to tell me what this is all about?” I asked. Mr Calter replied, “This photo album belongs to a man called Michael Samms. He was arrested and is being held by us for the abduction of Stephanie Slater. We believe that he is also responsible for the murder of Julie Dart two years ago. In his defence he produced this album and showed us the dated photographs saying that he was in Toton on the day that Julie went missing which was Wednesday, July 10th, 1991.” He added,”Samms is an enthusiastic train spotter and he has records of everything he has seen and done but we reckon that he has falsified these dates, hence, my visit to you.”

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I examined the records for the date in question and it was soon apparent that the album was fabricated. Three of the locomotives had not been in Toton for days. I deducted that these must have been working in the Worksop Area - a phone call soon verified this. I was asked to look at other dates (Samms had done other misdeeds) and I was obviously asked to give a statement. The statement took about three hours to complete. Some months later, I was called to Nottingham Crown Court to give evidence. I was questioned relentlessly by the Defence Council for about 45 minutes. During the questioning, I was not only able to prove that Samms had not been at Toton that day and that the photos were wrongly dated, but I was able to state and to provide documentary evidence of the date and the time that the photos were actually taken. Samms had taken one photo which included not only the object locomotive but two others in Toton Yard. I was able to state without question that the date was 24th July 1991 and the trains in question were the 14.00 Toton-Denby, the 13.57 Oxcroft and the locomotive for a Rugeley service.
That combination of trains and locomotives had not been repeated that year and probably never would be.
Samms defence was thrown out by the jury and the Toton and Worksop records had been instrumental in assisting to convicting Samms to four life sentences and four terms of ten years. Samms confessed to the murder of Julie after the trial.
It just goes to show how important records are and how one can get involved.

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John Woolley
AOC Manager

MY MEMORIES OF TOTON by Paul Marshall

2008-01-02T05:18:00.000-08:00

My interest in Toton Sidings goes back to the 1950’s. My Grandfather Joseph Thomas Marshall (known to all as Tom) spent all of is working life at Toton, starting in the early 20’s as a cleaner then becoming a fireman and finally making driver grade. One of my earliest recollections is of standing with my grandfather very near Sawley Junction station (I must have been only 4 or 5 at the time) and of him pointing up to the railway bridge crossing over Tamworth Road and telling me that the Steam loco going over the bridge was one he often drove at work. The locomotive was a Meyer-Garratt articulated engine used by Toton to pull large freight trains. I remember being struck by the size of the steam loco, to me it seemed like a monster and I was very impressed at the thought of my grandfather driving it. I guess that was the start of my life long love affair with steam locomotives.
My grandparents lived on Wellington Street Long Eaton and from their house you could clearly see the sidings. I often stayed there at weekends and for longer periods during the summer holidays. I can remember watching the coal hopper lifting trucks up and tipping the contents out into waiting wagons and locos below, in those days the hopper seemed to be constantly in use.
On a few rare occasions I remember grandfather taking me with him to visit Toton sheds. I was always excited as I crossed the Erewash Canal and followed the path across the field to get to the sheds. My uncle Stanley Vernon was a copper smith there so we could pay him a visit if he was at work. The best part of the visit for me was visiting the engines sheds where there was always an abundance of steam locomotives being maintained.
Unfortunately my grandfather died when I was only seven in 1954 he was only 57 at the time so I didn’t get to know him very well, but I continued to stay at my grandmothers frequently and Toton was always a part of my visits.
I remember on summer days walking on the hills that overlooked the sidings and sitting for hours watching the diesel 0.6.0 shunters pushing the wagons up the hump and then seeing the wagons running down into there allotted sidings. Toton was a very busy place in those days.
I’m currently re-searching my family tree and my father who is now 87 has been recalling stories of his father’s time at Toton. He remembers the difficult days during the Second World War when Tom used to take ammunition trains to Liverpool docks and how perilous the journeys could be with enemy planes swooping down to attack them and how my grandmother used to shelter under the stairwell when German Bombers came calling, hoping to destroy Toton Sidings. After the war Tom spent a lot of the time driving the Garratt’s Loco’s delivering coal on the 126 mile journey between Toton and Brent near London. From what I’ve read the Garratts were not a popular engine with crews, they needed a lot of coal to keep up the steam and made life very difficult for the fireman who was kept constantly on the go. There were about 20 of these engines based at Toton and sometime in the 50’s they were all sold on the South African railways. My Father tells me that Tom was offered the opportunity to go with the engines along with other driver’s to train up drivers in S.A ,but declined the opportunity.

Life at Toton for drivers was not all about delivering freight though. My father tells me that Tom would also take over the controls of local passenger trains between Nottingham and Derby at the weekends when and if needed. My Father also recalls the time when his father and his fireman were sent to work on the Royal Train that was resting over night on a loop line near Sheet Stores just outside Sawley Junction Station. It was their responsibility to take over from the day crew and keep the steam up overnight so that the carriages and occupants were kept warm during the night.
My one regret is that I have no photographs of my grandfather from this time at Toton, I would also like to receive any copies photos of Toton taken during the period of the 30’s - 60’s when the sidings was in its golden period. If there is anyone that can pass on any other information regarding working life and times at Toton and where I could perhaps find more information of my grandfathers career records, I would be very pleased if you could get in touch with me through this website.
I myself went on to spend 20 years at BREL’s Carriage and Wagon depot in Derby before moving to Skegness where I am now happily retired. Looking at the pictures of Toton Sidings on the website makes me sad to see its decline from what I remember of it in my youth but I’m glad that it has continued even though in a much smaller capacity and still cling to the hope that sometime in the future Toton will once again be a major freight depot.

2008-01-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

BRIAN BEERS

BRIAN COWLEY

MOSTYN GOODWIN

KIM JORDAN

TONY TURTON

DAVE WOODS

JOHN WOOLEY

TOTON STAFF

2008-01-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

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YARDSTAFF : DRIVERS : TRAINCREW : TAPPERS : MANAGERS & SUPER : MISC

Click on the categories at the top of the page and a new page will open. Some of the names on these pages will provide a link to further pictures and stories.

2008-01-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

TOTON SHED ALLOCATION 1950
1950 Total 155 (excluding diesel shunters)

2P 4-4-0 .....40370
2P 4-4-2T .o41911
3F 0-6-0 ..j..43186 o43242 o43251 o43287 o43305 o43327 o
.................443405 o43453.. 43499 o43599 o43631 o43650 o
...................43778 o43793o 43795 o43798 ..43799o 43803 o
................4.43804 o43805 o43810 o43817 o43819 o43820
................4.43821 o43823 o43824 o43825 o43826 o43827o
...............4i.43828 o43832 i.43833
4F 0-6-0......43859 o43900.o43943.o43961.o43970.o43974
.................o43979.o43985.o43988.o43990.o43994.o43995
.................o44012.o44091.o44106.o44133.o44136.o44157
.................o44233.o44250.o44371.o44376
3F 0-6-0T..o47247.o47436.o47451.o47454.o47455.o47545
.................o47630

2008-01-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

TOTON SHED ALLOCATION 1950

2P 4-4-0       40370
2P 4-4-2T    41911

3F 0-6-0      43186   43242   43251   43287   43305   43327   43405
                     43453   43499   43599   43631   43650

2007-12-01T10:49:00.000-08:00



TOTON DEPOT ALLOCATION 1998
TOTAL 207
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Class 08     08441    08492    08495    08511    08516    08528    08529    08538
                   08580    08706    08752    08886    08921
Class 37    37010    37012    37013    37023    37038    37042    37051    37055
                  37057    37073    37079    37095    37114    37116    37133    37146
                  37154    37158    37185    37191    37196    37216    37220    37230
                  37238    37248    37255    37258    37262    37332    37379    37403
                  37423    37431    37503    37519    37677    37680    37706    37715
                  37798    37898    37899
Class 58    58001 - 58050 (whole class)
Class 60    60001 - 60100 (whole class)
Class 66    66001

2007-11-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

'Both Sides of the Fire'
By D A V I D L . T H O M P S O N
Price £5.99 (including p&p) direct from the Author
Publishers price £12.99 plus P&P
From the earliest times, 'fire' has always fascinated the human race,
Its potency to sustain life, as well as destroy it, being quickly recognised.

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In his exciting new book, author David Thompson describes his personal recollections from 'Both Sides of the Fire', detailing the positive aspects of working with fire while working as a fireman on steam locomotives during the British Railways era and from the negative side while working as a fireman for the Nottinghamshire Fire Brigade.

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With the demise of steam traction in Britain in the mid-1960s, the author describes in detail the final days of steam working on Britain's railways and the less exciting change-over to diesel haulage. Realising that the future of Britain's railways was in doubt, the author then decided on a change of career, thus experiencing the more negative aspects of working with fire, including loss of life, while working as a 'retained' (volunteer) and then full-time fireman.

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Finally, on retirement from the Fire Brigade, the author found himself much in much demand, once again driving steam locomotives on Britain's 'preserved' or heritage railways.
The book is highly recommended, the well written text and illustrations from the author's own collection providing the reader with both a serious and light-hearted look at times past and present from 'Both Sides of the Fire'.

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David Leslie Thompson was born in the City of Nottingham in 1944, the middle son of three brothers who all worked on the footplate of steam locomotives at Toton, near Nottingham. He then left the railway to work in the Fire Department of Stanton Ironworks, near Ilkeston, Derbyshire, before joining Nottinghamshire Fire Service, serving first at West Bridgford. Leaving the Fire Service after 31 years service, he then started to work as a part time, self-employed consultant.

David L. Thompson, 4 Charnwood Avenue, Sandiacre, Nottingham NG10 5HD
Telephone 0115 8540464 Mobile 07840 139098
E-mail: david.thompson1187@ntlworld.com

2007-10-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

.....CHUMLEY ALLSOPP

CHUMLEY DOES RIVERDANCE

CHUMLEYS LAST DAY

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2007-10-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

......TERRY ATTWELL

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2007-10-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

.....HAROLD BAILEY

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2007-10-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

.......KEITH BEARDSLEY

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BARNEY BENNETT

2007-10-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

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PAUL BENNETT

2007-10-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

TONY BISHOP

2007-10-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

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HARRY BOOTH

2007-10-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

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BILLY BOTT

2007-10-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

KEITH BROWN

2007-10-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

FRANK BROWN

2007-10-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

DAVE BUGG

2007-10-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

BRIAN BURTON

2007-10-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

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MALC BUTLER

2007-10-31T10:55:00.000-07:00