News of IndividualsBARNEY CAMPBELL
Started at Lostock Hall on 15th February 1943
One of several Campbell brothers who went on the footplate, Barney eventually progressed up the ranks to become one of the Running Shift Foremen. Upon leaving the railway, he established a very successful caravan sales business adjacent to the shed and which is still flourishing today. More latterly, he was also one of the leading lights in keeping the memory of Lostock Hall shed alive, particularly the 25th Anniversary, but, sadly, Barney passed away some years ago.
(Right) A picture taken at the 25th Reunion of 1993, held in Barney’s Caravan Centre in Bamber Bridge. Right: Barney, Left: John Fletcher |
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JOHN ("Fingers") FLETCHER Commenced railway service at Lostock Hall on 5th February 1962
Employed today by the West Coast Railway Company and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
(Right): A less than immaculate J.F. seen upon arrival at Kings Cross on 25th July 2009
The Steam Engine Driver BBC Radio 4 "Open Country" Richard Uridge is literally being taken for a ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which runs for 18 miles between the market town of Pickering and the village of Grosmont in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. At Grosmont, Richard meets John Fletcher, a man who wears many hats in the organisation, running the engine shed and driving, being but two of them. He's been involved with the railway for 30 years. Another victim of the end-of-steam cuts, he's thrilled to be able to spend his life with steam trains again. Go to: www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry_20050423.shtml
Whitby Gazette Article John, who drives the NYMR's trains, is also fund-raising shop manager at the engine shed in Grosmont, has been working with steam locomotives since the age of 15 and was a fireman right until the end of steam at Lostock Hall. Go to: www.whitbygazette.co.uk/news/Moors-railway-to-celebrate-40.4344681.jp |
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DONALD G. SEWELL
(Fireman Dec 1961 - Aug 1968)
(Driver 1968 - 2009)
NORMAN CALLAGHAN
(Lostock Hall 1963-1968)
(Preston 1968-1971)
(New Zealand Railways 1971-1997)
(Australian Railroad Group 1997 to present)
(Right): Barmouth Station 2008, during a visit by Norman to the U.K.
Many former Lostock Hall men still reside today in and around Lostock Hall. Others, however, have journeyed considerable distances and set up new lives well away from their original roots. Former 10D fireman, Norm Callaghan, for example, started his railway career in August 1963, as a cleaner aged 15½. He left British Railways in 1971 to move to New Zealand. Joining NZ Rail, he finally became a driver in 1977.
Moving then to Western Australia, he resided in Kalgoorlie where he became a diesel driver for the Australian Railroad Group on freight trains working across the Nullarbor Plain – at 478km the longest straight stretch of track in the world. In 2009, Norm moved on a transfer to Queensland, again as a diesel driver, before eventually moving back to Kalgoorlie once more But, let Norm pick up the story ……
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| (Left) An early picture of Norm, taken in 1956. The loco is Great Northern Railway (Ireland) T1 class No 186. This was one of a series of 4-4-2 tank locomotives numbered 185-189 introduced in 1913. They were designed for both suburban services and longer runs such as Dublin to Drogheda and Belfast to Armagh. They proved so successful that a further twenty of Class T2 with larger tanks and higher boiler pressure were commissioned between 1921 and 1929. | (Right) Norm, pictured at Taumarawui in New Zealand in 1973. Note the B.R. issue steam-era bib & brace overalls - still being put to good use! |
Getting my 20 years in for NZ Rail, I then moved to Western Australia, where, until August 2009, I drove trains from Kalgoorlie.
We had a wide range of work. The relay to Cook in South Australia is a distance of 874 kms one way! We worked 8 hrs and rest 8 hrs in the crew van – the total shift being 48 hrs. In doing so, we crossed the Nullabor Plain – at 474 kms, the longest straight stretch of track in the world … dead straight! To Cook we took water, food supplies and fuel and we also transported supplies to Naretha and Rawlinna.
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In late September 2009, I made the 4000km drive on a transfer to Queensland and became a driver at Mackay depot. We settled in at Sarina and I started learning the roads. It seemed strange working on electric locos, no noise! We had bi/directional running - 2 trains going the same way next to each other ... drag racing 11,000 tonne coal trains. Boys will be boys!
At the beginning of March 2011, in response to Ronnie Clough phoning Alan to ask for Norm’s contact details and the message being passed on, Norm got back in touch with us:
Linda and I left Queensland in Sept 2010 and we are now back in Western Australia, so thankfully, we missed the cylcones and flooding. My mates in Mackay are all OK, as is my eldest son who lives in Maroochadoore, some70kms north of Brisbane.
I’m back on the ore trains, which soon will be up to 14000 tonnes, 1800metres long and 159 wagons. With 4 locos ... 2 at the head-end, 1 at 70 into the train and one at 130 into the train - all remotely controlled from the lead loco, fun and games can be expected! Even that is not quite as big as the ones in the Pilbara in Northern W.A., with those there loading upto 23000tonnes, 230 wagons and 6 locos throughout the train, driven single-manned.
For anyone wishing to get in touch, my address is now : 21b Travaskis Street , Kalgoorlie, Western Australia 6430, Australia and my phone number is +62 0428 9444 90.
It’s good that Ron is putting pen to paper . I fired for him on a few occasions. He liked to hear the front end, so for me and all other firemen, it was head down, ass up and a wet shirt! A good mate, to boot, though. Well, summer’s finished now, cooling down today to 26 celcius ... Lovely!
Hoorue, Norm
NOTE: Norm has still the same email address as published previously, which is norm.48@10Dlive.com.au and would love to hear from anyone who worked with him. (Remove the Lostock Hall shedcode before sending a message to Norm – this is inserted merely to discourage ‘spamming’!)
Unfortunately that’s all we have in this section for now, so before you continue on to the next page, please do consider the following.
What you have just been reading is, of course, only a small part of the story of Lostock Hall MPD …. all of it having been gratefully received from a mere handful of contributors who have so generously assisted us to-date.
There are obviously many more stories out there just waiting to be told … only these haven’t as yet been passed on to us! Therefore, in order to start filling-in many missing pieces in this, still very incomplete, jigsaw, please do now consider making a contribution of your own.
Items of information and scanned photographs would be most welcomed. Alternatively, you might wish to share your footplate experiences by meeting up for a pint and a natter in the pub, or, failing that, through merely participating in our “Discussion Forum” (as many already have done). Regardless of how you make contact and irrespective of whatever manner you feel you may be able to assist, please DO get in touch!
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