Railway heritage at its best

Wherever I go in this country, I come across notable examples of our rich railway heritage that have been saved for future generations by supportive legislation and the hard work of motivated groups and resolute individuals. On a recent Yorkshire holiday, we fitted in a visit to Hellifield station in time to give my daughter’s boyfriend his first experience ever of steam on the main line. I wanted to try to communicate why it is that I find scenes like this one so impressive.

The shell of the old station has been carefully preserved. Its honey-coloured stonework glowed in the low sunlight of a late autumn afternoon. The Duchess of Sutherland glided majestically into the adjacent loop for her water stop, her exertions over the Carlisle to Settle route behind her for the day. Magnificent, I thought. What a great ambassador with which to introduce young people to my own obsession.

She was a regular at Lime Street station in the early 60’s and on Edge Hill shed when we bunked it. She would most likely have been work-worn and grimy then, and as she was a familiar acquaintance we might have hardly given her a second glance. I can’t begin to tell you how pleased I was that she was still here and that my daughter and her boyfriend were here too, to witness our very personal reunification.