toton open days

[18B]

Aside from the great weekend in 1998. What other toton open days have there been? I was only 16 at the time and would have loved to have been able to have gone go to some of the previous ones, I presume there were.

[EddieB]

This site http://www.kirwindesign.co.uk/Opendays/ has one listed for 1979 - but that would have been before your time!

 

My only proper visit was with an organised tour in 1986 - didn't help that the rest of the party were number collectors while I wanted to photograph everything.  Otherwise it was scanning from the opposite side of the tracks with binoculars.

[DaveF]

I don't know about open days, but I did once go on a visit arranged privately by Dad in June 1964.  Photos of the day are here (with lots of others): http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/sets/72157626200525911/

which covers the Erewash Valley line from Clay Cross to Trent including Toton.

 

Or if the flickr slideshow is slow, or you want bigger images go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/collections/72157626274215250/

and then select the "MR Erewash Valley...." set.

 

For me the highlight of the day was operating the east hump panel as trains were shunted over the hump.

 

The trip round the shed was good too.

 

David

[johnw1]

One of the attractions from the 1979 Open Day

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5528104385/

[RedgateModels]

My friend Matt Scrimshaw and I arranged our own "open day" back around '77/'78 when we followed a sign from the footpath that went across the southern end of the site that appeared to indicate you could walk right through the depot

 

The BTP turned up and told us to scram, which we did in the direction that we wanted to back towards the A52 having done a full 360 degree tour of the place.

 

The year after I want with Matt on an official private visit for his birthday had a cab ride in a brand new class 56 that day. The footpath is now long gone, a footbridge crosses the lines further to the south now, providing small boys with little chance of bunking the depot these days

 

I've often wondered what happened to Matt, he changed schools, going to Trent College shortly after and I never heard from him again.

[Butler Henderson]

Recall an open day in the early 1970s, maybe 1973.

[JeffP]

I was Nottingham based from 1973-5, and went to Toton regularly. I never failed to get round.

 

I also spent some happy hours sitting watching the Midland mainline south of Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, mostly 45/1's with the occasional 44, 47, 25 etc, plus the usual pairs of 20's.

 

I must have visited Toton over fifty times those two years, and only ONCE did I catch all 10 class 44's on shed at once.

[McGomez]

Here is the poster for the 1979 Open Day that adorns my garage door. I believe they were selling these for 10p at the open day.

3 of us got the train up from St. Albans to Nottingham and then the DMU shuttle to the depot. Return fare plus admission a quid!!

I was only 13 at the time. Great day out.

 

 

[johnw1]

I was Nottingham based from 1973-5, and went to Toton regularly. I never failed to get round.

 

I also spent some happy hours sitting watching the Midland mainline south of Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, mostly 45/1's with the occasional 44, 47, 25 etc, plus the usual pairs of 20's.

 

I must have visited Toton over fifty times those two years, and only ONCE did I catch all 10 class 44's on shed at once.

 

I first went round in 1966 when the old steam shed was still standing and had three or four Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0's (78xxx) within and was a regular visitor from then until the early 1980's. At that time I was always able to walk around unchallenged and can only remember getting "kicked out" once. It was unusual to find all the Class 44's on shed at the same time generally because one tended to be in Derby works for classified repair. Here is a view of the back of the shed and 44003 from 1975.

 

Toton - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/6206244789/in/set-72157626503414577

44003 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5528101869/

[Daniel W]

I also attended the 1998 open day and have fond memeries, despite being only 8 years old at the time! The west coast mainline actually ran past the playing field of my primary school, so the early privatisation era is etched into my mind. There was such a ridculous array of liveries to be seen, it would make an excellent subject to model if you had the space! Sometimes trains would stop right next to the field and you could get a really good look at a Mainline liveried 58 or a Loadhaul 56, usually pulling a rake of flithy MGR hoppers.Good times.

[gribble]

Similar to johnw1 I used to go around Toton about once a month for about 10 years solid (up until about 1992). Still remember the drive down the elongated driveway, past the snow plows and the withdrawn loco's parked up with them (usually a couple of gronks). Endless lines of dumped 45's in the yard later on. Tips, not applicable now of course, for success were...

 

1: Always go on a weekend - far fewer loco movements and staff seemed less bothered as a result. (different case at Tinsley but they stated on more than one occasion they had a few casualties so understandable).

2: Always wear a high vis vest - half the time I wager staff thought we were engineers or civils, the other half they probably knew we were spotters but because of the high vis vest they didn't bother to chuck us off site.

3: Always avoid the main office (which was pretty easy to do) - no point having a run in with the shed foreman, at Toton that was almost always an immediate one way trip (not always by the most direct route) back to the car.

4: Don't hang around too long in the shed itself. Some staff were cool, others were not. Staff didn't spend much time out of the shed itself so it seemed.

 

I think I was fairly lucky compared to some others experiences but wouldn't dream of doing the same now of course. What I would have given for a digital camera back then! (or breathing apparatus when doing the DMU sheds at Buxton first thing on a cold winters morning - my lungs ached for a week after that). It still amazes me the difference in welcomes/responses between comparatively similar sheds. Was it Allerton where all you had to do was buy a badge by donating a quid into the "railway fund" and they would welcome you in (and sometimes offer you a brew)?

 

Sorry for the o/t, don't remember going to an open day at Toton back in the 80's but I think there was less of a need for them then. Selhurst was my nemesis.

 

*gribble*

[Peter Kazmierczak]

There was also an Open Day in June 1970. There was a Cl.50 on shed at that one (D411).

[acg5324]

Some photos from 1979

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p488229174/h1bfb6978#h1bfb6978

 

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p488229174/h3f238a09#h3f238a09

 

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p56600448/h26bcf92c#h26bcf92c

 

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p488229174/h391660d#h391660d

 

And 1985?

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p488229174/hb57c812#hb57c812

 

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p488229174/hf5b8d1f#hf5b8d1f

 

If anyone has the date for 85 and the identity of the class 31 please let me know.

[DavidBird]

Must have been the 1979 one that I remember, the first sight of a 56 in large-logo-blue.