Doncaster Heritage

Your Heritage

We want to collect and publish you stories, pictures and experience of Doncaster’s rail heritage. Doncaster is one of the world’s most famous railway towns having produced many of the best known locomotives in rail history. There are untold stories that are being lost from public records.

If you can contribute and wish to share your story please Contact Us and we will arrange to discuss with you.

Here is an extract from the profile of the Trust Chairman, David Court

 My Life on the Line

My Dad Colin was a Driver at Doncaster.  He started in LNER days before the second world war and I, like many kids, especially those with parents on the railway, I started spotting and taking photographs of steam locomotives just about as soon as I was able to!  I used to go everywhere on my bike, especially in the school holidays and at weekends.  I remember one half term I cycled to Buxton one day then on to York the next then a day’s rest and cycled to Mansfield, Kirkby in Ashfield, Langwith Junction and Annesley in a day – that was a typical week and lots of photos and happy memories  from the Motive Power Depots I visited.  At age 12, I passed exams to transfer from Secondary Modern to Doncaster’s Technical School (then newly opened).  I did a City and Guilds course in the building trade – this embraced bricklaying, plumbing, plastering and joinery.  As soon as I finished the course I went to Doncaster Carr Loco and signed on as an Engine Cleaner, I was 15 years of age.  I do not think my parents were very impressed I wanted to work on steam locomotives so what can you do!  The first locomotive I was given to clean was an A4 pacifics motion, a team of four to six cleaners on any one task.  We used paraffin to clean the motion and compo for the boiler and tender – we worked three shifts 05.30 am to 2.00 pm  1.30 pm to 10.00 pm and 09.30 pm to 06.00 am.  We did not get paid for the 30 minutes food break.  ………………………….

The full profile will be published later in The Streamliner Newsletter