By Joe Patterson

Like many of my colleagues I have looked back at what I have achieved since leaving school at 14 years of age. The memories of my years on the footplate give me the most satisfying feeling. I always had job satisfaction, and I enjoyed my work, sadly this changed later on in my career.

I still have many happy memories which I have attempted to recall in my book, and also the struggles we encountered on the footplate. The ‘golden days’ of the steam locomotive has been well documented by former colleagues.

This is my contribution to that wonderful and exciting period in the ‘history of steam’ which is being preserved by the National Railway Museum at York, and the Railway Preservation Societies up and down the country. The societies have ensured that our railway heritage has been preserved for generations to come. Children can see many of these magnificent locos in the Railway Museum, painted in their original company livery, better still they have many opportunities to ride behind many famous engines charted on private excursions.

Many of the lesser known engines have been saved, and restored to their former glory. Some of them are still operating on private branch lines which were once axed by the infamous Dr. Beeching. He has much to answer for. The ‘Great Central Railway line from ‘Marylebone’ to Manchester fell victim to his axe. I have many footplate memories to recall as a fireman.

The Sheffield Victoria Station was the most popular station in Sheffield; the L.M.S. Railway Company was situated on Pond Street. They were very keen rivals. Passengers flocked in their thousands to the Victoria Station. It was well patronised by the general public. I have known times during the summer period at the height of the holiday season tickets being purchased at the bottom of the station approach, to relieve congestion at the booking office.

When the summer timetables and the handbills promoting the ‘Special Excursions’ were published, it was bonanza time for Victoria Station. I can remember families crowding the platforms for both ‘east’ and ‘west’ of Sheffield.

At this period Station Masters had the authority to organise duplicate trains when the occasion arose. The demand by the public for ‘Seaside Specials’ and ‘Anglers Fishing Excursions’ made it necessary to have stand by engines at the ready, because of the numbers of passengers.

These were all extra services provided by the Victoria Station. I have seen the coach sidings empty because of the demand. We had daily express trains from Manchester to Marylebone, Hull to Liverpool and Harwich to Liverpool. Also cross country trains and local services.

We also had two prestigious trains ‘The Master Cutler’ and ‘The South Yorkshireman’ – both which ran to Marylebone Station.