Voyager through the past
A few train rides of my youth have a habit of sticking in the memory purely for reasons of drama - for instance, passing by the coke works just south of Chesterfield in the evening with the orange glow lighting up the carriage and sulphurous fumes seeping through the windows.
Another such ride was the one between Sheffield and Rotherham where you passed an almost continuous line of steel foundries and factories hugging the trackside along the 9 mile route. And, to complete the industrial scene, there were seemingly endless supplies of vapours escaping outlets and stacks, and mineral wagons parked alongside loading bays bringing in supplies.
Fast forward 40 years and it's no surprise there's little left of this once thriving activity, although some of the more specialist factories have survived (including Sheffield Forgemasters, pictured) and still make a muted presence alongside the railway line. The mineral wagons and sidings are long gone though with supplies now being brought in by road.
Pictured here is the now disused Brightside station, with steps from the footbridge removed, and offering a view to the Sheffield skyline. The gritty and industrial feel still remains but, looking in the other direction, the retail park of Meadowhall now occupies the area where factories once stood, and the grassy environmental transition is well underway.
The train sweeping effortlessly by is a Cross Country Voyager working the 10.35 Newcastle - Reading (1V87) service. No clickety-clack on 60 foot rail-lengths, or awe-inspiring view of the once powerful Sheffield steel industry for these passengers.
I guess the Voyager won't appeal to everyone but this section of track still stirs the memories for me and it was good to finally get down here with a camera.
5th April 2017
Voyager through the past
A few train rides of my youth have a habit of sticking in the memory purely for reasons of drama - for instance, passing by the coke works just south of Chesterfield in the evening with the orange glow lighting up the carriage and sulphurous fumes seeping through the windows.
Another such ride was the one between Sheffield and Rotherham where you passed an almost continuous line of steel foundries and factories hugging the trackside along the 9 mile route. And, to complete the industrial scene, there were seemingly endless supplies of vapours escaping outlets and stacks, and mineral wagons parked alongside loading bays bringing in supplies.
Fast forward 40 years and it's no surprise there's little left of this once thriving activity, although some of the more specialist factories have survived (including Sheffield Forgemasters, pictured) and still make a muted presence alongside the railway line. The mineral wagons and sidings are long gone though with supplies now being brought in by road.
Pictured here is the now disused Brightside station, with steps from the footbridge removed, and offering a view to the Sheffield skyline. The gritty and industrial feel still remains but, looking in the other direction, the retail park of Meadowhall now occupies the area where factories once stood, and the grassy environmental transition is well underway.
The train sweeping effortlessly by is a Cross Country Voyager working the 10.35 Newcastle - Reading (1V87) service. No clickety-clack on 60 foot rail-lengths, or awe-inspiring view of the once powerful Sheffield steel industry for these passengers.
I guess the Voyager won't appeal to everyone but this section of track still stirs the memories for me and it was good to finally get down here with a camera.
5th April 2017