Sixties Shed Bashing In Patricroft

My dad used to take me to look at Patricroft when I was three, l just about remember it. It must have been the Spring and early Summer of 1968. The only place that I ever saw proper steam.

This is a poignant masterpiece, the love of the subject shines through so clearly.

This takes me back to my teens, I used to do exactly the same things,like someone has already said Sunday night was the best time to visit,the staff which were were making the engine’s ready for work on Monday. We got very friendly with the staff on the night shift and would often ride on the footplate with them while water and coaling them,great days we enjoyed them enormously,I used to live quite close to the Black Harry line and remembered the collapse of the the tunnel vividly,we used to walk up to the blockage in the tunnel before the entrance was blocked off never realising the danger we were in,great days they were and how I long for those days which I had at that time,I was never happier than being around steam engines and still at nearly 80 years old go to the East Lancs railway at Bury and ride the trains,went a while ago when the Flying Scotsman was visiting and went on that,my children had bought me tickets for Christmas to go on it,what a great day out that was.

I remember it well thank you for sharing

I went to Patricroft around 1964. Went to all the other Manchester sheds too. The Ian Allen shed directory in hand. Also went to all sheds in London, Leeds, Scotland etc. I visited 50 sheds. Livimg in London, the trip I did most often was Willesden Junction and Old Oak Common, close to each other.
Never got asked to leave. We had freedom as children. Even got lifts in the cab and go into signsl boxes. It all helped with fitness and independence.

I spent many happy hours around Patricroft MPD in the late 1950s before diesels came along, Happy days which your excellent video reminds me of. There was a greater variety of steam classes then with Jubilees, Scots, and Patriots on expresses hammering past at speed.

It's the commentary that lifts this way above other videos. As a collection of mostly photos it is better than a lot of others that are all film and no photos. More please.

That's got to be one of the best made steam era videos on this channel. Thanks for sharing it. One point however, and this always gets me - Beeching never close a railway line, only parliament could do that. So it was the politicians who acted on his report that we should blame.

What a fantastic video! It did make me a little melancholic though; thinking of my childhood and youth. Those much simpler but happier times when children were given the freedom to be children.
After this vid ended I spent a good twenty minutes reminiscing about the time myself and three best mates went, as thirteen year olds, from the old Walsall station, via New Street (then under reconstruction) to Crew. I can’t remember how we knew where to go, I assume one of use had some idea, but we ended up at the marshalling yards. We must have spent some hours there, roaming freely around, which was by then (1967) a tragic looking engine graveyard. I clearly remember sitting in an old, dilapidated , brake van, eating my egg sandwiches for lunch.
Surprisingly, we came across the Sir Nigel Gresley sitting forlornly in a row of lowly Black Fives (I think). What it was doing there I have no idea. I’m sure there was also a Princess Elizabeth class, though after nigh on 60 years, my memory may be a little fuddled. We did ‘cab’ the Sir Nigel Gresley though.
Not once were we challenged and to be honest, I don’t remember seeing an adult. What days; to be able to wonder around the country willy nilly as youngsters. Learning to look after ourselves and have outside interests. That is where my melancholy comes in, if only today’s young could have the same life experiences we had.
Thanks again for the great reminiscences.

Passed out for firing in 1961 at Patricroft. Inspector Frank Davis was the Instructor, Wonderful man and a good friend of my Father who was a driver at 26A , incidentally my home Depot. Wonderful times.

We called it bunking the shed in our day. A trip to Willesdon, Nine Elms and Kings Cross were our dream days.

Excellent. Brought back magic memories of when I was a youngster in the early 60s, I used regularly hang around Patty sheds and was often chased off. I lived right next to Monton Green station and it was only a short walk down the track to the sheds. Now living about half a mile from Patricroft Station it's good to see the old photos of the Industry that was, surrounding this historical area.

A pleasure, Great memories. Another highlight was the opening of the Swindon works on the the first Wednesday of every month, queues were over hundreds of yards long.
One of my teacher's father in law was a train driver and he arranged for me to ride on the footplate of a local shuttle service we called "The Chalford Titch". I drove it part the way. Imagine that today!
We were surrounded by trains, an embankment at the top of our street, my brother in law was a signalman who would let me go up in the box and try and pull the levers.
The GWR was at the top of the street and the LMS was just over half a mile away.
I went to the gathering of the remaining A4s at York some years ago, brilliant. ATB

Thank You! Thank you! takes me back to such happy innocent days .

Brilliant, thank you. Brought it all back to me!!

What an amazing glimpse into our Railway past. As a Railwayman of nearly 35 years and still serving I found this fascinating. I remember many a conversation in the Mess room with old hands who were close to retirement in those days, who had served during steam and their story's I can still remember today. I was just the new Boy who listened and learnt. Many of them are now sadly not with us 🙏

Excellent video Iain, thank you so much. I lived on Hampden Grove during the sixties and Patricroft Loco was my second home between 1962 - 1968. In fact the photo you show of a Black 5 or 8F pulling a train of empty mineral wagons tender first past Patricroft station signal box is one of mine although I'm more than happy for you to use it. I have many other photos taken on shed or in the local vicinity some of which I've published on steam enthusiast Facebook group pages. I treasure my memories of Patricroft sheds and the great times we had in the last years of working steam.

I visited Patricroft a month after closure - nothing there, except piles of old steam spares. A scrapman's dream.
There were lots of birds twittering about in the old shed, but otherwise totally silent.
Three years before, like your video, it was like a steam version of Brands Hatch - constant movement, mostly 8 and 9Fs coming off coal train duties. Unlike some sheds, the staff were all pleasant.
Your videos catch a place really well.

Yes, I was quite a regular during the school holidays. I did
2 paper rounds plus pocket money to finance it!
I couldn't afford the Ian Allan combo, but I bought one online a couple of years for the nostalga.
I'll never forget those sights of the Caledonian headed by a Duchess class hammering through Tamworth, the Red Dragon with a Brit at dusk, sparks flying, through Swindon and the boat trains with MNs through Basinstoke.
I remember going with my brother in law to Grimsby to his parent's house and spending nearly all day watching B1s going by every 5 minutes to Cleethorpes.
My big regret is I never recorded anything on camera.

Great video. I used to do my spotting on the North Wales Coast mainline at Abergele and Pensarn. I particularly remember Patricroft for the many Standard Caprotti black 5's that came from there. I managed to visit Patricroft right at the end of steam and I will never forget that footbridge.