Group's book looks to golden age of steam
Thursday, 15th July 1999.
A LOOK back to the era of steam train travel is offered in the latest publication by Haverhill and District Local History Group.
Local historian Roy Brazier helped the group compile the booklet, A Glimpse into Haverhill's Railways, which is available at the Local History Centre at the Town Hall Arts Centre.
The booklet details the development of rail travel nationally and its arrival in Haverhill in 1863, with photographs to show the importance of the station both for passenger and freight transport.
One 99-year-old lady was interviewed in 1953 and recalled the arrival of the first train in Haverhill.
She said: "It was a frightening experience. I was only about nine years old, and the whole town turned out and the town band played."
"It was Sunday afternoon and the train made a terrible noise - hissing steam and the clanging wheels scared the small children out of their wits."
There are also pictures of tanks arriving at the station to be taken to local air bases during the war years and later of large machinery being shipped out to customers by Halliburtons from its factory in Haverhill.
The station gardens won prizes for being the best in East Anglia, but sadly the Beeching axe sealed Haverhill's fate and the last passenger train left the town in 1967.
The town's 100 years of railway history ended in style when Round Tablers staged a mock funeral and kidnapped council chairman Reg Poole, watched by a crowd of more than 300 people.
Local historian Roy Brazier helped the group compile the booklet, A Glimpse into Haverhill's Railways, which is available at the Local History Centre at the Town Hall Arts Centre.
The booklet details the development of rail travel nationally and its arrival in Haverhill in 1863, with photographs to show the importance of the station both for passenger and freight transport.
One 99-year-old lady was interviewed in 1953 and recalled the arrival of the first train in Haverhill.
She said: "It was a frightening experience. I was only about nine years old, and the whole town turned out and the town band played."
"It was Sunday afternoon and the train made a terrible noise - hissing steam and the clanging wheels scared the small children out of their wits."
There are also pictures of tanks arriving at the station to be taken to local air bases during the war years and later of large machinery being shipped out to customers by Halliburtons from its factory in Haverhill.
The station gardens won prizes for being the best in East Anglia, but sadly the Beeching axe sealed Haverhill's fate and the last passenger train left the town in 1967.
The town's 100 years of railway history ended in style when Round Tablers staged a mock funeral and kidnapped council chairman Reg Poole, watched by a crowd of more than 300 people.
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