Charlie Walton has been instrumental in the development and ongoing success and growth of the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership. He served as Chair for 10 years then stepped aside to Vice Chair, and in both roles he has supported the officers and steering group with his knowledge of the railways and the local communities’ needs. He has recently relocated and hung up his Bishop Line hat but we’re so pleased to be able to share with you his story of how he became so passionate about railways and in particular our line between Bishop Auckland and Darlington. Thank you Charlie, for everything you have done for the partnership. You may have moved but we know you’ll always be a proud supporter of the Bishop Line.
My first ride on a train in all likelihood was with my Mam when I was a baby travelling from Etherley to Shildon to see my maternal grandparents. My first recollection of seeing a train up close and personal was at Shildon station watching the arrival on platform one of a black steam engine (a G5 perhaps) hauling red carriages. I was thrilled as my experience with trains at that time was limited to my first battery powered circular train set. Steam hauled trains on the branch were soon to disappear to be replaced by these new fangled diesel multiple units.
A house move from Witton Park to Shildon to live with my grandparents took place just before I started infant school at “Tin Tax” or Timothy Hackworth infant and junior school to give it it’s proper name. The move was for family reasons to allow my Mam to look after my Nana whose health was failing (no care workers in those days). This change of circumstances brought me into to day to day contact with my Granddad. He was a formidable character and did not suffer fools gladly. He had been in charge of the forge at Shildon Wagon Works until he retired and was therefore well known around the town as “Charlie Stivvie”. Yes the family name was Stephenson (no connection has yet been established with the other Stephenson clan) and yes I was named after him (war would have broken out if his only grandson had not been called after him!).
He was a dyed in the wool LNER man who on several occasions had met Sir Nigel Gresley who apparently referred to him as Charlie. Granddad built his own bungalow in 1937. An examination of the loft revealed that he had reinforced the roof with railway track. He had the largest private garden in Shildon at the time where he grew all the usual crops to feed the household and his large collection of rabbits which he showed and won a prestigious national cup for the best English rabbit three years in a row. He had a 33 hutch shed, which was called the rabbitry, as well as a small hospital shed and larger storage shed behind. Being a retired railway worker he could journey all over the country exhibiting his rabbits at shows by train for free. He eventually became a national rabbit judge. He also grew tobacco as he was a pipe smoker. His rows of tall tobacco plants were always a talking point.
Nearly all my friend’s families worked at the Works, on the railway or in public services. My Dad worked for the ambulance service and his uncle used to be in charge of the water works at Bishop Auckland. My Mam’s cousin married Hartley Appleby, the last station master at Shildon Station. My father in law was a wagon inspector at the Works.
So it will be on no surprise that my love of railways generally and the Bishop Line particularly came from my upbringing. My particular passion is for model railways and the LNER. My Granddad’s garden overlooked the Shildon sidings. There was only open fields between the garden and the railway where Locomotion stands today and I would spend hours watching the trains trundling backwards and forwards. Sundays were especially interesting as diverted east coast main line expresses shot through making a change from the Works shunters, freight and mineral trains and the branch DMUs.
In my working life as planning officer for the former Sedgefield Borough Council I organised for the listing on Heighington and Shildon signal boxes and was honoured to be the officer for securing planning permission for Locomotion itself – a career highlight. I had always been involved in one form or another with the erstwhile Heritage Line and in the fullness of time became the Vice Chair and Secretary of the Friends of the National Railway Museum North East Branch at Locomotion and then of course Chair of the BLCRP for 10 years. I wonder what Granddad would have made of that?
Charlie Walton
