On weekdays and Saturdays in the 1960s there were about four steam hauled stopping passenger trains in each direction between Leeds City and Sheffield.
They ran on the original North Midland Railway route calling at Altofts, Normanton, Royston, Cudworth, and all stations to Sheffield Midland via Rotherham Masborough.
There were usually four or five carriages and the driver normally stopped the engine with one of the carriages standing on the Aberford Road bridge so the rear of the train was clear of the foot crossing between the platforms.
Often the two early evening services had a guard’s compartment full of parcels for Woodlesford which could take up to ten minutes to unload before being carried across the crossing on barrows.
The stoppers were hauled by a variety of engines ranging from the small 0-6-0 Fowler 4Fs to the more modern Britannia Pacifics.
