Stopping the High Speed Trains.
One Thursday afternoon I signed on at The Mill, at 13:00hrs, to be told my job had been caped, so I went in the mess room to idle away a few hours watching the telly with the others who were told to sit in the dog house.
If there was no work for the train crew and depending who was the duty supervisor, you might sit spare for five or 6hours, then be told to go home.
This happened quite a lot over the time I was at The Mill.
On this particular afternoon, I was told to go with a driver, into the yard, and take a class 31 loco to the car depot at Wakefield Westgate and take a rake of cartics down to Doncaster then back home light engine.
We went down into the yard and picked up the Class 31, and set off down to Wakefield Kirkgate then up-to Westgate, then into Wrenthorpe Yard then when we got the sub crossover into the Toleman car terminal.
At this time the GN had not been electrified from Donny into Leeds, and Westgate
Station was four track.
When we got the sub, we crossed over into the car terminal, to be met by the Westgate shunter, who told us what we were to do with the cartics, and gave me a tops sheet for the cartics and route we were to take.
Our route was to take the cartics into Wrenthorpe, and run round the wagons, then examine the trucks, and give them a brake test. Then drop down to the sub at the exit to the run round road.
I got off the engine and contacted Leeds Power Box for the run to Doncaster.
When the sub came off we set off through up main then down to Donny on the GN Mainline
The run down the GN was nice and easy for the 31, as the 2 sets of cartics were empty and booked at 60mph.
Class 31's at speed were like riding on a bouncy castle, and you had to hold on tight, or you could end up having your tea deposited all over you.
All went well until we were approaching the turn off for Brodsworth Pit, when we got the route indicator for Castlefields Junction.
The driver stopped the train at this signal, and I went down on the SPT to ask what was going on.
The signalman told me to make a point and clear the main line as an HST was being stopped behind us.
I asked the Bobby why don’t you keep us going as we will be out of the way soon. No was the answer, so that was it.
The road to Brodsworth pit was steep and twisting, so this caused the 31 to start slipping and sliding,up towards the pit, with the back end of the train fouling the up and down lines of the GN.
It was so bad that the 31 could not pull the cartics so we stopped.
At this I walked back to the junction and contacted the Leeds Signal box with the happy news.
I went back to find the driver sanding the rails with his tea cup with sand from the sand boxes on the engine.
I joined sanding the rail, and the driver started the train and pulled it a couple of yards before
It stalled again, the game went on for ages, but after long time the loco gripped on the sanded rails.
I walked down to the junction, and contacted the Leeds signaller, and he said that train had just
cleared the track circuits on the pit branch.
The signaller said all hell had let loose on the GN as all the traffic had been stopped for Leeds and Doncaster.
At this delay, it was all in a days work, and if the signaller had not messed us about the HST's would not have seen us.
After some time, the cartic train was allowed to propel out of the pit line and carry on into Belmont Yard, and me and the driver came home light engine.
Just another day on British Rail, and we did not hear any thing about this, but av no idea what was said to the Leeds Power box.
At this time we had no mobile phones, back to back radios, and no ship to shore phones on the engines.
Every time I pass Castlehills Junction I think of this incident.
This event was many years before the thought of privatisation.
The Car Terminal at Westgate, is now a big car park.
One Thursday afternoon I signed on at The Mill, at 13:00hrs, to be told my job had been caped, so I went in the mess room to idle away a few hours watching the telly with the others who were told to sit in the dog house.
If there was no work for the train crew and depending who was the duty supervisor, you might sit spare for five or 6hours, then be told to go home.
This happened quite a lot over the time I was at The Mill.
On this particular afternoon, I was told to go with a driver, into the yard, and take a class 31 loco to the car depot at Wakefield Westgate and take a rake of cartics down to Doncaster then back home light engine.
We went down into the yard and picked up the Class 31, and set off down to Wakefield Kirkgate then up-to Westgate, then into Wrenthorpe Yard then when we got the sub crossover into the Toleman car terminal.
At this time the GN had not been electrified from Donny into Leeds, and Westgate
Station was four track.
When we got the sub, we crossed over into the car terminal, to be met by the Westgate shunter, who told us what we were to do with the cartics, and gave me a tops sheet for the cartics and route we were to take.
Our route was to take the cartics into Wrenthorpe, and run round the wagons, then examine the trucks, and give them a brake test. Then drop down to the sub at the exit to the run round road.
I got off the engine and contacted Leeds Power Box for the run to Doncaster.
When the sub came off we set off through up main then down to Donny on the GN Mainline
The run down the GN was nice and easy for the 31, as the 2 sets of cartics were empty and booked at 60mph.
Class 31's at speed were like riding on a bouncy castle, and you had to hold on tight, or you could end up having your tea deposited all over you.
All went well until we were approaching the turn off for Brodsworth Pit, when we got the route indicator for Castlefields Junction.
The driver stopped the train at this signal, and I went down on the SPT to ask what was going on.
The signalman told me to make a point and clear the main line as an HST was being stopped behind us.
I asked the Bobby why don’t you keep us going as we will be out of the way soon. No was the answer, so that was it.
The road to Brodsworth pit was steep and twisting, so this caused the 31 to start slipping and sliding,up towards the pit, with the back end of the train fouling the up and down lines of the GN.
It was so bad that the 31 could not pull the cartics so we stopped.
At this I walked back to the junction and contacted the Leeds Signal box with the happy news.
I went back to find the driver sanding the rails with his tea cup with sand from the sand boxes on the engine.
I joined sanding the rail, and the driver started the train and pulled it a couple of yards before
It stalled again, the game went on for ages, but after long time the loco gripped on the sanded rails.
I walked down to the junction, and contacted the Leeds signaller, and he said that train had just
cleared the track circuits on the pit branch.
The signaller said all hell had let loose on the GN as all the traffic had been stopped for Leeds and Doncaster.
At this delay, it was all in a days work, and if the signaller had not messed us about the HST's would not have seen us.
After some time, the cartic train was allowed to propel out of the pit line and carry on into Belmont Yard, and me and the driver came home light engine.
Just another day on British Rail, and we did not hear any thing about this, but av no idea what was said to the Leeds Power box.
At this time we had no mobile phones, back to back radios, and no ship to shore phones on the engines.
Every time I pass Castlehills Junction I think of this incident.
This event was many years before the thought of privatisation.
The Car Terminal at Westgate, is now a big car park.
. 
