Cecil Raikes Locomotive

Information and photographs submitted by subscribers are posted in good faith. If any copyright of anyone else's material is unintentionally breached, please email me

Tom Gerrard at the front of the Cecil Raikes 1930/31. Does anyone know who the other 2 gentlemen are?

Stuart Gerrard, on the same train and in the same pose as his great uncle Tom Gerrard in the previous photograph.

Thanks to Mapperley History

From:
Sent:
Subject:

Jack Hallam
Sun 02 Feb 2003
I started work at Shipley, Woodside colliery on the 3rd. January 1948

Hi, Over the past months I have been trying to put together bits and bobs about my early days in the Mining Industry. I was born 20th Dec. 1933, and started work at Shipley, Woodside colliery on the 3rd. January 1948. The Colliery Manager, at that time, was a Mr. Thomas Wright, he was an excellent Manager and expected his employee's to be the same.

When signing on. I had to complete two contracts, one for Shipley Collieries Ltd and the other, two days later, for the National Coal Board. My employment was in the Electricians Shop, I was unable to work underground until I was seventeen.

Recently I managed to trace the only remaining steam locomotive left that served Woodside and Coppice Collieries. Named "Cecil Raikes"...... it is now awaiting restoration at the "Museum of Liverpool Life". Pier Head, Liverpool. They very kindly sent me photographs of the old engine and I hope to visit it in the future.

I have lots of happy memories of all the No. 5 Area Collieries which included Moorgreen , Billy Halls (Lodge) Cossall, Oakwood Grange, Manners, Stanley, (Bread and Herring) Mapperley, Langley, Woodside, Coppice, Denby Drury, Ormonde, and an unknown colliery pit called the "Treacle Mine" this was because of the tar like coal that came out. The Treacle Mine was located at Dale Abbey. A Drift Mine, excavated I believe by Stanton Iron Works. Its product was impossible to use on boilers because it ran through the Fire Bars.

If I can be of any future help, please e-mail me
All the Best

From:
Sent:
Subject:

Alf Pates
09 May 2004
Cecil Raikes steam locomotive

Hello
My name is Alf Pates and my grandfather spent many years driving the engine Cecil Raikes at Shipley colliery. His brother Jim was also a driver as was a Mr Garley I believe. I rode on the engine when I was a young lad between Woodside and Coppice. As you mention the engine is at the Liverpool museum which I found on the web together with a photograph but I didn't recognise it as Cecil which was a saddletank loco. I was looking for a photograph to show my interested grandchildren. I did hear some time ago that Cecil was in a museum some where in South Wales but I couldn't find exactly where. Thank you for your memories on the net, very interesting. If you have any more information about Cecil I would be very interested.

Hope you are keeping well.

Hello there, If you can get Alf to look at, British Railways in the 1950's, A collection of railway pictures and information he will find a picture of Cecil Raikes in action at Woodside Colliery (possibly). If Ken is contacted he might supply a print of the original. It is a small picture which does not enlarge very well being grainy when enlarged. I have had a quick search of picturethepast but it found nothing of Cecil Raikes.

Regards Phil.

Cecil Raikes

Pit Terminology - Glossary

Putting The Old Tank To Bed