Fired up over days of steam (From York Press)

Fired up over days of steam

9:36am Monday 2nd April 2012 in History articles By Stephen Lewis

THERE is a certain air of romance that hangs over the age of steam these days – and you can see why by looking at the photographs today. All come from a new book – Steam Around York & The East Riding – by railway author Mike Hutches.

Laid out in geographical chapters (such as York; the Hull & Selby Railway; the Hornsea Branch and so on) this is essentially a book of photographs, with short but authoritative accompanying texts describing each of the railways covered and the locomotives that were used on them.

But what photographs! Our first shows the old York Station, opened in 1841 by the York & North Midland Railway. This quickly became inadequate, and a new station – the one we use today – was completed in 1877. “Although the old station had been superseded... the platforms remained in use for carriage storage... for a further 90 years,” Mike writes. Our photo shows it as it appeared in 1950, from the bar walls.

Next up is the new station, in the days of the North Eastern Railway, before nationalisation. On the left in the foreground is the signal box controlling the south side of the station.

And so to the locomotives themselves. From the 1930s, we have a C1 Atlantic pulling out of York in clouds of steam at the head of the Aberdeen-King’s Cross Express.

From the very early years of the 20th century, there is a train standing at what looks like Platform 4 of the station. It is almost ready to depart, but you can see milk churns being unloaded.

And finally, from May 21, 1948 – shortly after nationalisation – there is a D11/1 class 4-4-0 (No 2666 Zeebrugge, Mike informs us) pulling out of York on an express service.

We have chosen to focus on York but, as its name suggests, Steam Around York & The East Riding includes in its 150-plus pages stunning images of steam locomotives in operation from throughout the region.

A real treat for lovers of the Age Of Steam.

A D11/1 class 4-4-0 (No 2666 Zeebrugge) pulls out of York on an express service