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‘Westerns’ and pies
Your article ‘Where it all began for me’ (Part 3 Steam World June 2022) brought back memories of my spotting days, which were principally at Wolverhampton Low level, and other locations usually involving holidays. You mentioned the Lyons Individual Fruit Pie, which I purchased from time to time, but there was also a Gala equivalent, which was also a Lyons product, but it appeared to be very similar. Perhaps other readers have opinions in this respect?
I was impressed with the amount of information that was recorded in your notebook, as I entered the bare minimum, i.e. just the number. However, in hindsight, I wish that a more comprehensive record had been kept, and also preserved. It must have been, at times, very hard work to record the number of wagons in a goods train, when another service passed in the opposite direction. Perhaps the asterisk indicated an approximation? I also have vivid memories of seeing D1000 at Wolverhampton, which would have been about June 1962, and was there for crew training. This coincided with a trip to Paddington, which was ‘King’-hauled, and probably an 84A (Stafford Road) example, as the vast majority of up services in the morning were handled by local engines. The trip involved an interview with Westminster Bank (later Natwest), which a few months later would become my first and only regular employment.
I often surmise that if steam traction was still with us, would the level of interest in spotting have been comparable. With today’s technology, you would have a permanent record without any need for a notebook!
Mick Horton, Wheaton Aston, Stafford
Banbury & Cheltenham Direct
Following up the article in July 2022 – I believe the GWR ‘51XX’ 2-6-2T in the cover photograph is No. 5152. There is a black and white photograph taken by J. R. P. Hunt, which shows No. 5152 awaiting departure to Kingham with its pick-up goods whilst No. 6111 was
