Wakefield Kirkgate. your memories & photos

sir douglas · April 10, 2015

Hello all,

Groundwork, that is currently restoring Wakefield Kirkgate station set up a research group into the history of the station and its surrounding industries, in partnership with the Wakefield Historical society and the L&YR society. I wasn't initially able to attend the group meetings because of work but was able to five weeks later.

most of the research has now been done but a small area has not been resolved, the parcel depot and the related train movements in and out.

Yesterday a chat with a friend about his memories as a BR guard in the 70's, brought to light some info on parcel movements. ive left out his name in case he wouldnt want it on here

Retired BR guard transferred to Healey Mills in 1971
6pm sign on at Healey Mills, class 08 shunter running light engine to Kirkgate, draw out 2 parcel vans from the parcel depot into the loop, run round. Take the vans up to westgate, often watching the greyhound racing while waiting for the signal to proceed onto Westgate from the connecting branch. Pull into the loop for Westgate goods yard and wait for the southbound express goods, attach the parcel vans to the rear of this when it is in the station, return light engine to Kirkgate. Here he and his work mates would often have a few drinks in the Wakefield Arms before repeating the run up to Westgate and then returning light engine back to Healey mills. Their mess room was in a back room of the station building, he can remember a cellar under the mess room that was always empty. He once took a train of pig iron ingots into the calder vale sidings for E.Greens, and later remembers regular, 2 or 3 a week trains of steel in ingot, bar and rolls of wire form for Cobra on Calder Vale.

Id like to ask this community of their memories or photos of wakefield Kirkgate, or any industries close by, such as the numerous maltings or the foundries and factories on Calder Vale road. and if you have further info or photos on the parcel depot

and without giving any names on the thread maybe you could pm me your name so i can put it with your memories if thats ok. these will be collected onto word file(s) to contrbute to the existing collection, some of these may be included on a display in the station about its history and its people.

Regards, Sam.

d winpenny · April 23, 2015

I'll be watching this thread with interest unfortunately I only remember it in much more recent run down times but I look forward to hearing stories from better times

David

sir douglas · April 24, 2015

thank you for the interest, although it looks like there wont be anything to watch as its been 2 weeks now without any replies

skipepsi · April 24, 2015

Don't despair It wasn't very visible before. My Dad used to work for British Jeffery Diamond or BJD as it was known and often took parts from the island works to Kirkgate for shipping via rail as well as from the other works. I can't tell you much more than that as he died years ago. I last used Kirkgate when it still had a red star parcel point to send a motorcycle crankcase away for overboring that would have been around 1975-6. My Dad did tell the story of one of the porters who had been in Stanley Royd and certified sane to return to work on the railway, whenever passengers complained he used to say he was certified sane were they? This may or may not be true but I think he was released from the asylum to do his bit in WW2.