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Tamworth field trainspotting

mikeflan said:
To my recall....anything spotted in the distance with 'blinkers' on it there would be a cry by the ''''experts'''' ?? as Semi....it got everyone's attention I guess that's why !!! 'main to local' was another cry...I do recall 'copping' Silver Jubillee' on that once....my eyes like chapel hatpegs at the chromed numbers and nameplate...what day!!! shortly after that was followed by a scottish Duchess 'cop' and City of Birmingham......I must try to sort out some photos....I do still have a couple of black & whites and some in the 1970's before the by pass was put in.....the old LMS warehouses I know I have a shot of.... All the Best.....Mike
Click to expand...

Coped Silver Jubilee double heading Semi Hereford, great cop.
 
What happy memories this has brought back to me.
Standing there in that field in the late forties early fifties, good times.
Train spotters today just cannot have the pleasure we had with those magnificent steam engines.
 
img038.jpgimg040.jpgThe cover of my 1948 Train Spotters book and a glimpse of the train numbers I spotted at Tamworth (hope the second pic comes out OK!)
 
Hi Anvil,

I notice you coped quite a few Scottish jubes in 1948. I started in 1953 and never saw many Scottish jubes or semis at Tamworth LL, just a couple of Scottish jubes on the high level.

Mike.
 
Yes I too spent many happy hours in the field at Tamworth between 1953 and 1960. In the early days we caught the 09..00 train from New Street to Tamworth and a stopping train home at about 16.30 via Whitacre etc back to New Street. After I started work and acquired a bicycle, having Wednesday afternoons off, I would cycle from my work in Sutton Coldfield to spend the afternoon at Tamworth.

I have several photos taken from the field at Tamworth and submitted them with an article about 'the field' to a national railway magazine but sadly, it was rejected.

There were many trainspotting sites around the country used by local enthusiasts especially in Lancashire and all are foundly remembered by the local fraternity. I am convinced that there is a story worthy of publication in this subject and I am sure that I am not alone in being able to recall many memories of those days. After all it is a social history that has all but disappeared.
 
Hi Perry, I used the same train but got on and off at Saltley Station. Some years ago I suggested to the editor of 'Steam Days' that they should Commission an article about the Tamworth Field in the 50's even suggested the title 'Steam Days at Tamworth' nothing materialised.

Mike.
 
pistonvalve, perry commoner and others obviously have images and words remembering the Tamworth field. Why doesn't someone take the bull by the horns and start a website dedicated to this subject? Even within the confines of this Forum there are clearly several potential contributors all with unique and unpublished information; and there must be many more elsewhere who would also be happy to share their treasures.

Chris
 
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Hi

Amazed how few Photo exist of the Field from our Famous brownie Cameras.
Yes the Field was a centre of our World for Years. I left the field in 1959 shortly
before I started work. I dont remember many wet days.
Generally speaking Scots Shedded Engines were changed at Crewe for journeys North or South.
Its up to us as you say Chris.

Mike Jenks.
 
When I was about 12/13 the school world seemed divided into train spotters and the rest (bus spotters were a sub species). Never got it myself as I was more into girl spotting (a precocious youth) but one could never doubt their enthusiasm. I see the fascination is still alive and well,very interesting.
 
Well pipmk, I found train spotting just about affordable on my meagre pocket money. Girl spotting - I have done a bit of that too, but over the years its cost me mega-bucks. spotters beware!!

Mike.
 
I hope that I will be forgiven for mentioning another site for midland train-spotters apart from the sacred field at Tamworth. We also made regular visits to Rugby, particularly the grassy embankment alongside the grey girder bridge that carried the old Great Central over the WCML just south of Rugby station. Not only did we record what was passing on the WCML but also spotting the Eastern Region engines running from Marylebone to Leicester and Nottingham.
By the way, I have much to say on railwaymania in the Midlands and I think that CHRISM's idea is a very good one.
 
Use to call it BIRD spotting in my days, but I understand that's not used anymore? Did a lot of TRAIN spotting on the bridge at Stechford in the 50s. John Crump OldBrit. Parker, Co USA
 
I well remember going through Crewe railway station towards a holiday destination further on. I was amazed at the prolific number of "Namers" I spotted in probably 2mins. It seemed like a day's worth compared with 8hrs in the Tamworth Field.
 
Re: Streamlined & Semi Streamlined Coronation Class Locomotives: Just done a bit of research.

December 31st 1947 (Last day of LMS), there were still three streamlined Coronations; 6226 DUCHESS of NORFOLK; 6229 DUCHESS of HAMILTON & 6243 CITY of LANCASTER (City of Lancaster, re-numbered 46243, was photographed, after Nationalisation, still with streamlining, on passenger service, at Crewe Station, on May 18th 1948).
The last Coronation locomotive to lose it's semi streamlined sloping smoke box was CITY of MANCHESTER in 1959.
A bit of useless info for those that are interested!!

So at Tamworth, in theory, it was still possible to see the full streamlined version until at least May 1948, and "Semi's" until 1959.
 
Mike............ Perhaps you could be good enough to explain how I get those thumb nail pictures up on my computer. I click everything in sight but no response. I'm a bit' of a sad case where computers are concerned and all the years I have been with the Forum I have never been able to reveal a thumb nail. I was putting it down to the hacking mentioned in the main heading but obviously that is not so nowadays.
 
Hi

Last pic I got shows the whole field with the holiday homes on.
We walked thro but get to the fence.

Mike Jenks
 

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perry commoner said:
I hope that I will be forgiven for mentioning another site for midland train-spotters apart from the sacred field at Tamworth. We also made regular visits to Rugby, particularly the grassy embankment alongside the grey girder bridge that carried the old Great Central over the WCML just south of Rugby station. Not only did we record what was passing on the WCML but also spotting the Eastern Region engines running from Marylebone to Leicester and Nottingham.
By the way, I have much to say on railwaymania in the Midlands and I think that CHRISM's idea is a very good one.
Click to expand...

I remember Rugby spot too. Had relatives around the corner at Hunter St spent many hours there in the 50's. As far as I know it was the only place where you could spot 3 regions - London Midland, Eastern and Western. The western was usually in the form of a 'Hall' on the York- Bournemouth which came on at Oxford and went through to Leicester on the GC. A3, 60103 'Flying Scotchman' was seen many times in the 50's (crate as we used to refer to a loco seen many times).
We also got 'moved-on' by the local Bobby from underneath the birdcage bridge. Happy days.

Mike.
 
Quite right PISTONVALVE, as far as I can work out, Rugby was the only location where the motive power could originate from 3 regions, if you want to be really pedantic, you could say 4 if you include Scottish based locos on the WCML.
I have tried to think of somewhere else but can only recall 2 regions for places such as Shrewsbury, Bristol, Exeter, Banbury.


Getting back to Tamworth, I do recall one occasion in the 1950s when a chap turned up and demanded a shilling (5p) from each of us because "he owned the field". So we all (all 5 of us) stood on the right of way which ran diagonally across the field, he left extremely annoyed. Incidently, the right of way is still there.
 
I am from Derby and I remember many great days in the Tamworth field. Sometimes the field was very full mainly with kids from Birmingham. My brother and I became rather good at doing the Brummie accent.
On rainy days we would pass under the railway by the canal to get to a signal box just below the high-level station under which we could shelter. I particularly remember the day when 46100 Royal Scot stopped at the water tower near this box. Underneath it's nameplate the engine had a plaque commemorating a visit it made to the United States. We were able to get to within a few feet of the engine.
We would also walk 400 yards or so to an embankment overlooking the line to Lichfield where very good views of the locos were to be had. We also used the café which had a jukebox and I particularly remember Elvis' "All Shook Up" being played .
In those days, the fifties, Crewe was the mecca for trainspotting on the WCML, but it was much more expensive to get to so I probably visited the Tamworth field on at least 20 occasions. I remember the cries of "Clangers", "Double Clangers", "Semi on the main" etc. Those were the days!
 
Mike,
I would love to read your trainspotting.doc you attached on 20/7/12 but it will not open. Can you fix this? Or even email it to me?
 
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