September/October 1964
Hatton South Signalbox
Having made a reluctant departure from Barnt Green Main Line Signalbox on Saturday 19th September I duly reported for duty at Hatton station on my trusty Raleigh Runabout moped on the morning of Monday 21st September and made myself known to the Stationmaster. Hatton had three signalboxes, all long since swept away, which controlled the triangle, the latter of which is still in use today albeit controlled from a soulless power box in cyberspace. The pecking order of the Hatton boxes were as follows: South (Class 2) and North (Class 3)‑ both on the Paddington to Birmingham (Snow Hill) main line and West (Class 4) – the branch line to Bearley Junction and Stratford‑upon‑Avon.
Filled with anticipation and excitement at the thought of my becoming a signalman in my own right I felt on top of the world, but, like ‘Humpty‑Dumpty’ I was due for a big fall. When I first clapped eyes on Hatton (West) my heart sank. Barnt Green had been a spacious, modern and busy box with all mod cons. Although aware that I had to start at the bottom of the ladder it appeared to me that Hatton (West) had fallen off it; it would have looked old even in a museum!
It had a toilet of sorts, a small detached Nissen hut affair, the last customer of which had probably been a baled‑out German pilot, it was so antiquated. The box’s most modern amenity, apart from the roof, was a small coal fire. There was no electricity and the only means of lighting was an ancient device, shaped like the inner tube of a motor car tyre, which hung precariously from the inside of the roof, being fuelled by methylated spirits and compressed air, for which a bicycle pump was supplied. The sole cooking facility was a primus stove and water for the heat‑stained kettle was obtained from a stream a hundred yards down the track which constantly clogged the kettle with lime. The box was not very busy but it did at least control a double track junction; thus the scene was set for my new career.
Before I could take up this ‘exalted’ position there was the small matter of passing the rules etc. Two of us, myself and Barry Bickerstaffe, plus two other trainees whose names I cannot recall, spent the first few weeks flitting from one box to another to familiarise ourselves with the varied aspects of signalling. During training sessions in the ultra‑busy South box I was fortunate enough to be taken under the wing of Ted Breakwell, a senior signalman and one of life’s real gents. Through his patience and guidance I learned everything I needed to know about signalling, both in a theoretical and practical sense.
From time to time, when the stationmaster was absent, us trainees would be summoned to Hatton (South) for a clandestine game of cards by one of the signalmen who was a high priest of the gambling fraternity. These sessions passed peacefully until the day the stationmaster returned earlier than expected and was not spotted until he was on the footbridge adjacent to the only official exit from the box.
The Station Master Returns
Panic ensued and we leapt out of various windows onto the platform and scuttled off to our respective boxes via nearby undergrowth on the embankments.
As nothing was mentioned for several days after the ‘card‑playing incident’ by the Stationmaster we thought we had got away with it, until out of the blue he said to us rather dryly: ‘Next time you lads leave the box why don’t you try the stairs, the railway went to a great deal of time and trouble to get them installed.’ He did not actually mention anything about our card playing in railway employment time, but must have suspected what had been going on.
Steam locomotives recorded at Hatton (mostly on the main line) the majority of which were hauling freights.
September
GWR: 2200 Class 0‑6‑0 No. 2211 (2l Leamington) – Stratford banker for the North Warwick line. 2800 Class 2‑8‑0’s Nos. 2898 (81E Didcot), 3813 (6C Croes Newydd) & 3818 (88A Cardiff East Dock). 5100 Class 2‑6‑2T’s Nos. 4158 (2A Tyseley), 4151 (2L Leamington) & 4179 (2A Tyseley). 4500 Class 2‑6‑2T No. 4555 – privately preserved and working from 2A Tyseley. Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 5927 Guild Hall (2A Tyseley), 5933 Kingsway Hall (81F Oxford) & 5992 Horton Hall (83B Taunton). 6100 Class 2‑6‑2T No. 6169 (85A Worcester). 4300 Class 2‑6‑0 No. 6364 (2C Stourbridge). Grange Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6841 Marlas Grange (81F Oxford), 6842 Nunhold Grange (2A Tyseley) 6845 Paviland Grange (2A Tyseley), 6857 Tudor Grange (2B Oxley) & 6878 Longford Grange (85A Worcester). Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6904 Charfield Hall (2D Banbury), 6934 Beachamwell Hall (6D Shrewsbury) & 6952 Kimberley Hall (2D Banbury). Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6974 Bryngwyn Hall (81D Reading) & 6976 Graythwaite Hall (2B Oxley). Castle Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 7019 Fowey Castle (2B Oxley), 7022 Hereford Castle (85A Worcester) & 7023 Penrice Castle (2B Oxley). Manor Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 7806 Cockington Manor (2B Oxley) & 7816 Frilsham Manor (82C Swindon). Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 7910 Hown Hall (81D Reading).
LMS: Class 5 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 45253 (16F Burton) & 45279 (6G Llandudno Junction). Class 2 2‑6‑0 No. 46505 (2A Tyseley) – Stratford banker. Class 8F 2‑8‑0’s Nos. 48342 (16E Kirkby), 48672 (16F Burton) & 48700 (16F Burton).
BR: Class 5 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 73041 (70D Eastleigh) & 73158 (9H Patricroft). Class 4 4‑6‑0 No. 75015 (8F Springs Branch Wigan).
WD: Class 8F 2‑8‑0 No. 90685 (41D Canklow).
BR: Class 9F 2‑10‑0’s Nos. 92001 (2A Tyseley), 92016 (9D Newton Heath), 92113 (16A Toton), 92128 (2D Banbury), 92203 (2D Banbury), 92207 (81C Southall), 92227 (2D Banbury) & 92246 (81C Southall).
October
GWR: 2200 Class 0‑6‑0 No. 2211 (2L Leamington) – Stratford banker & 3217 (2L Leamington) – Stratford banker. 2800 Class 2‑8‑0’s Nos. 3820 (81E Didcot) & 3837 (88A Cardiff East Dock). 5100 Class 2‑6‑2T’s Nos. 4151 (2L Leamington), 4168 (2C Stourbridge) & 4176 (2L Leamington). 4500 Class 2‑6‑2T No. 4555 (2A Tyseley). Castle Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 5014 Goodrich Castle (2A Tyseley), 5042 Winchester Castle (85B Gloucester – Horton Road), 5056 Earl of Powis (2B Oxley) & 5063 Earl Baldwin (2B Oxley). 5100 Class 2‑6‑2T No. 5153 (2L Leamington). Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 5927 Guild Hall (2A Tyseley), 5933 Kingsway Hall (81F Oxford), 5983 Henley Hall (2A Tyseley), 5988 Bostock Hall (2A Tyseley) & 5990 Dorford Hall (2D Banbury). 5600 Class 0‑6‑2T No. 6667 (2A Tyseley). Grange Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6836 Estevarney Grange (85A Worcester), 6842 Nunhold Grange (2A Tyseley), 6854 Roundhill Grange (2B Oxley), 6855 Saighton Grange (2B Oxley), 6858 Woolston Grange (2B Oxley), 6864 Dymock Grange (2B Oxley), 6866 Morfa Grange (2A Tyseley), 6874 Haughton Grange (81F Oxford) & 6879 Overton Grange (2A Tyseley). Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6907 Davenham Hall (2D Banbury), 6924 Grantley Hall) & 6935 Browsholme Hall (86B Newport – Ebbw Junction). Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 6969 Wraysbury Hall (81E Didcot), 6990 Witherslack Hall (82E Bristol Barrow Road), 6991 Acton Burnell Hall (81D Reading) & 6996 Blackwell Hall (81E Didcot). Castle Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 7012 Barry Castle (2B Oxley), 7013 Bristol Castle (2A Tyseley), 7019 Fowey Castle (2B Oxley), 7022 Hereford Castle (85A Worcester or 85B Gloucester – Horton Road – transferred in 10.64), 7024 Powis Castle (2B Oxley) & 7034 Ince Castle (85B Gloucester – Horton Road). Manor Class 4‑6‑0 No. 7824 Iford Manor (2B Oxley). Modified Hall Class 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 7900 Saint Peter’s Hall (81F Oxford), 7906 Fron Hall (81F Oxford), 7917 North Aston Hall (81E Didcot) & 7919 Runter Hall (81D Reading). 8100 Class 2‑6‑2T’s Nos. 8104 (85A Worcester) & 8109 (2A Tyseley).
In addition, Hall Class 4‑6‑0 No. 6952 Kimberley Hall (2D Banbury), the north end standby loco at Banbury, was observed on 29th October substituting for a Brush Type 4 diesel on the 9.10am Paddington to Birkenhead express running sixty‑six minutes late.
LMS: Class 6P5F (Fowler) 2‑6‑0 No. 42753 (8H Birkenhead). Class 5 4‑6‑0 No. 45369 (2E Saltley). Class 2 2‑6‑0’s Nos. 46443 (2E Saltley) – Stratford banker & 46505 (2L Leamington) – Stratford banker. Class 8F 2‑8‑0’s Nos. 48081 (1G Woodford Halse), 48088 (1G Woodford Halse), 48329 (9F Heaton Mersey), 48390 (9F Heaton Mersey) & 48629 (2E Saltley.
In addition, Class 8F 2‑8‑0 No. 48734 (2F Bescot) which had been badly damaged by fire at Didcot involving blazing oil tankers was observed heading towards Crewe on 15th October. Whether or not it was being towed or on a low‑loader I cannot remember. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?
BR: Class 5 4‑6‑0 No. 73053 (6D Shrewsbury).
In addition, Class 5 4‑6‑0’s Nos. 73026 & 73069, both from 2L Leamington, were noted on early morning local passengers from Leamington Spa to Birmingham (Snow Hill) on 29th October.
WD: Class 8F 2‑8‑0 No. 90573 (41E Staveley – Barrow Hill).
BR: Class 9F 2‑10‑0’s Nos. 92125 (2E Saltley), 92128 (2D Banbury), 92150 (2E Daltley), 92203 (2D Banbury), 92212 (2A Tyseley) & 92227 (2D Banbury).
As one can see there was still plenty of steam activity at Hatton in September/October 1964. Many locomotives were from depots in the West Midlands but also a variety from depots such as: Birkenhead to Southall – Manchester to South Wales and Shrewsbury to Swindon.
To be continued…
