Nigel Horbury

Alone to Alnwick

My older brother and I put on a steam train at Sheffield, into compartment full of strangers. Offered sandwiches - accept. Change at crowded Newcastle, have oxtail soup each from vending machine. Board DMU to Alnmouth. Alight at Alnmouth and onto another DMU to Alnwick. Get out at Alnwick and met by cousin who walks us up Waggonway Rd (originally horse drawn line for coal field in nearby Shilbottle) to grandmother's house. He was 12 and I was 6!

Trip to London

Dad and I had a day in London including a stop at Hamleys toy shop. Get evening Deltic-pulled Pullman 1st Class back to Darlington. 3 abreast only (2/1). Lovely brown easy chairs not fixed to floor. Red table lamps and white table cloths. Silver service including soup turin, cutlery - all a bit sophisto for a 12 yr old. Very well dressed passengers. Can't remember if coaches had been 'Mk II'd' or not. Wolseley 6/110 back home.

Train to School

Daily routine for first year before closure: Board in Darlington, Richmond-bound DMU on platform 2 by Locomotion No.1 and Derwent both mounted on Plinths in Bank top Station. 20 min journey stopped at Croft, split off at Eryholme onto Cowton (?), Moulton then alight at Scorton. Walk 1/2 m (in snow sometimes) to school. Frantic rush to get 4:15 back home.

Walk from Scorton (Nr. Richmond) Grammar School to Scorton station was about 3/4 mile. 4:15 train easy walk if you left bang on 4:00, not so easy if you were late. Running the entire distance with heavy case or bag was exhausting. You could see train coming from 1/2 m downlink so had to beat it. One winter night we missed it. Freezing and dark outside. Station master invited us into office where roaring fire was on and kettle on boil. Hurricane lamp for better illumination on ticket desk he allowed me to use for 1 hour until next train. Great memory. Pic attached includes last ticket and custom made station sign in LNER orange (See Below).