Derek Rayner graduated from trainspotting at Woodlesford to a job on the railways and ended his career in a senior position as a carriage engineer at York. He captured these scenes of trains passing through the station and along the line during the early 1960s.
Later he became interested in steam traction engines and for a time kept an Aveling and Porter steam road roller in the former Armitage’s quarry engine house. He’s now an authority on traction engines and has researched the history of two local engine contractors, Minett and Jackson and Young and Doggett, both of which had their premises on Aberford Road. Click on the links to listen Derek talk about his railway days.
Fowler 4F, 43968, of Stourton shed (55B), with a train of coal wagons entering the shadow cast by the station building. The engine was built in Newcastle in 1922 and withdrawn from Royston shed in November 1965. The station’s own coal supply would have been taken from the wagon in the siding. Note the mile post indicating 190 miles from London St. Pancras, and the “totem” or nameboard at the top of the well kept Up platform garden. Photo by Derek Rayner.
45593 arriving with a stopping train to Leeds on a wet weekday morning. The engine was a “Jubilee” named, Kohlapur, after a princely state in India. It was based at Holbeck shed (55A) just outside Leeds, and was one of four from its class which have been preserved. Photo by Derek Rayner.
A “Deltic” bound for London Kings Cross on a Sunday afternoon diversion from its normal route on the Great Nothern line from Leeds. It’s passing Waterloo Sidings signal box where the top of the disused Waterloo colliery mine shaft can be seen between the railway and the canal. The cooling towers of Skelton Grange power station can just be made out in the distance. At Waterloo Up and Down goods lines merged into the two main lines through Woodlesford. There were also sidings for coal trains to the power station and they were used to store passenger carriages for excursion trains and football specials from Leeds. The train is the Harrogate Sunday Pullman. Photo by Derek Rayner taken from the top of one of the signal gantries.
