MEMORIES of the glamour days of railways flooded back for Basil Butcher as he read a Journal article on one of Newcastle Central Station’s great days.
The report described the inaugural run in September 1935 of the Silver Jubilee train between Newcastle and King’s Cross in the capital.
Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley in celebration of King George V’s Silver Jubilee, the train featured his new streamlined A4 class locomotive Silver Link, which cut the London to Newcastle journey to just four hours.
Crowds packed the station to see the train with its silver-painted, streamlined carriages.
And among the spectators with a front-row view was Basil, now 92, whose father was station master at Newcastle.
Harry Arthur Butcher had held the position in York and took the role in Newcastle in 1930. He would have had a key role in planning the big day in 1935, when Sir Nigel was guest of honour.
The Butcher family lived then in Gosforth, Newcastle, although Basil’s home is now in Fenham.
He said: “It was terrific to be taken as a boy by my father to see the Silver Jubilee train.
“He said that me and my mother should come to the station to see it. It was a big do and the Lord Mayor and everybody was there. The station was crowded.
“There was great excitement and cheering when the train pulled out.”
A special poster was produced to promote the service, which travelled at an average of 67mph.
It was the latest move in a speed and image war for customers between the London and North Eastern Railway and its main rival the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The Silver Jubilee service proved to be a fast, reliable and exciting success and was extended to eight coaches.
Basil said: “ At a later date I got to stand on the footplate of Silver Link. It all made me want to be a railway engineer.”
Basil’s wish partly came true when he started work as an apprentice at Armstrong’s Scotswood works in Newcastle which was then building locomotives.
“But the war broke out and I was then working on tanks,” said Basil.
He went on to have an engineering career at the Newcastle Vickers factory, Marconi in Gateshead and Formica in North Shields. His father, who started as a station clerical assistant, retired from the top job in Newcastle in 1938.
