Image ID: 15177

Whisker Hill Junction

Retford
England

This view was taken looking east, showing a B1 class engine, no. 61213. Ordsall crossing is just visible in the distance. Mr John A. Thickitt (a web-site user and railways enthusiast has sent in some interesting information about the trains that ran through Whisker Hill Junction:- '1) On weekday evenings' a train formed of 'INSULFISH' vans (a railway term meaning insulated, covered waggons carrying fish - painted an appropriate ice-blue colour) ran along the line which disappears into the distance. From Grimsby Docks (Lincs.) its route to South Wales ran via Waleswood Curve (Sheffield) and the Great Central Main Line. As the train passed Whisker Hill Junction, its approach towards the other signal boxes' ahead was relayed by telephone. Often this message was passed on by the memorable phrase 'fish at whiskers!'. The 'Fish Train' was still running during 1964, but the service had ceased by 1966. 2) The route the B1 is taking here was also followed by an iron ore train. This ran during the early hours of the morning (each weekday?) at least during summer 1963. Originating to the south in the Lincolnshire ore-fields (at High Dyke Sidings?) the train's objective was the steelw! orks of messrs. Steel, Peech & Tozer at Rotherham (Yorks). Travelling originally via Doncaster, it was speedily re-routed outbound via Worksop (Notts.) and Woodburn East Junction (Sheffield). The reason for this was that the engines' 'diagrammed' (i.e. scheduled) were 'A3'-class steam-locomotives. These were found to be unable to negotiate the ore waggons round the curve off the East Coast Main Line at Doncaster (probably because the weight of the waggons on the sharply curving track made the engine lose adhesion and stall). These A3s' were Grantham (Lincs.) engines'.

Date: 19/07/1963

Organisation Reference: NCCN001605

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