Dad's Day Out - 22/6/55

40502 Ambergate Stn - 22/6/55

First stop (or could be last - I don't know which way round this series of shots were taken) finds us at Ambergate Station.  You can find some history of Ambergate Station on Wikipedia.  There is also a splendid photo of the staion building on the Pentrich Historical Society website. Class 2P 4-4-0 40502, built in 1897, is stood at platform 3 and is heading towards Chesterfield.

48661 Ambergate Stn - 22/6/55

I think this shot was taken at the northern end of platform 3.  A loop allowed traffic from Chesterfield to join the line to Matlock and Class 8F 2-8-0 Stanier 48661 is taking advantage of it.  A signal box is visible just to the left of the loco.

48390 Ambergate Stn - 22/6/55

Here we are near Station Jct at the southern end of the station.  My father is up to his usual tricks and has climbed a signal pole to get a good shot!  I wonder if anyone ever told him off for such escapades...? Another Class 8F 2-8-0 Stanier, this time 48390, is heading towards Matlock.

44938 Ambergate Stn - 22/6/55

Taken from the northern end of platform 2, we are now looking back towards Station Jct seen above.  This platform is the only one still in use today. Class 5 4-6-0 'Black Five' 44938 is taking passengers towards Matlock.

48164 18D Clay Cross Stn - 22/6/55

Between Ambergate and Chesterfield, Clay Cross Station could be found.  Clay Cross grew after George Stephenson built a tunnel through Clay Cross Hill and discovered coal and iron.  Again, Wikipedia provides some history.  The station closed in 1967. I wasn't sure where this picture was taken from but Andy provided the following information:- "This picture was taken from the island platform looking north, with Clay Cross North Junction signal box in the background. The train is running off the Up Goods line to the Up Slow line. The box (the third of this name) was opened on 16.03.1902 and closed on 12.10.1969. It was located at 142m 28ch and contained a 56 lever frame." This is yet another Class 8F 2-8-0 Stanier, this time 48164. from Staveley (Barrow Hill) shed. While searching the web for information about Clay Cross, I came across The Ashover Light Railway Society.  This fascinating story is related to the Clay Cross Company, the company that was created to exploit the minerals found when the tunnel through Clay Cross Hill was built.

45725 Clay Cross Stn - 22/6/55

Here my father has moved to the left from his position above providing a better view of the goods sidings.  Is the workman picking his nose on purpose to spoil this picture!? Class 6P5F 4-6-0 Stanier 'Jubilee' 45725 was also known as 'Repulse' - very suitable given the nose picking incident!

42855 14A Chesterfield (Mid) Stn - 22/6/55

This is a very nice shot of Class 5MT 2-6-0 'Crab' 42855 steaming past platform 2 of Chesterfield (Midland) Station and, I believe, heading south towards Derby.  Platform 1 is to the left and platform 3 to the right.  Note the unusual signal. Chesterfield (Midland) is the site of the current Chesterfield station and, despite being rebuilt in 1960's, the attractive cast iron posts seem to have survived according to this picture.  The other station, Chesterfield Central (LNER), was closed in the 1960's and demolished in 1970's.

(Inside ? Signal Box) - 22/6/55

There was no caption on the back of this picture so I orginally thought that it showed the inside of the signal box that can just be seen at the far end of Chesterfield (Midland) Station in the shot above.   However, Stuart got in touch to say, "The photograph of the inside of the signal box thought to be at Chesterfield is actually Sheffield Midland Station B box which was situated on the platform at the North end of Platform 6 / 8 under the station roof.   There was a similar box (Station A) on Platform 2 adjacent to the footbridge, the box just being obscured in the photgraph of Midland Station taken from Platform 1.". The sign near the signalman's hand says, "Nr.5 Bell North Junction", if that helps anyone confirm Stuart's view. My father seemed to have a knack of talking his way into signal boxes.  There are shots like this from all over the Midlands!

46497 20A Sheffield (Mid) Stn - 22/6/55

The end of the trip finds us at Sheffield (Midland) Station.  The station was built in 1870 and is now the site of the current Sheffield station.  Wikipedia again provides some history. Class 2MT 2-6-0 Ivatt 46497 was only just over three years old when this photo was taken.

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