“I HAVE enjoyed the articles featuring the railway layout at Northallerton station where I spent many happy hours in my train-spotting days,” says John Carter in Stockton. “Could I just add a further, and hopefully final, correction to your photograph caption of the 1964 view from the signal box at Northallerton station.

“The shot is actually looking north-east rather than north-west as evidenced by the church tower.”

John is, of course, correct. It wasn’t the only time we got our points of the compass muddled last week.

Then John turns to the first InterCity125 derailment that happened on August 28, 1979 to the south (hopefully) of Northallerton station.

“One of my friends, who we always regarded as being accident prone, was travelling on that train featured but I don't think he can be blamed for the derailment,” says John. “He did remark how quickly and noisily the train stopped.”

Looking north-east from the Northallerton station box at the coal drops, left, the linoleum factory in the background, and the two tracks for the cattle dock on the right

Looking north-east from the Northallerton station box at the coal drops, left, the linoleum factory in the background, and the two tracks for the cattle dock on the right

NICK WHELAN, of Romanby, also brings us back to the 1964 view from the signal box, and points out that the two tracks on the right didn’t go into the linoleum factory, which dominates the picture.

“They were for the cattle dock and, just out of shot on the right, the horse dock,” he says.

We can’t quibble with this, either, because the railways, with the ease of movement of animals, enabled Northallerton to become an agricultural centre with three marts.

The first, Station Mart, was established beside the cattle dock, and it traded until 1981.

Malpas Mart was started nearby in 1888, and it traded until its sales ring was hit by a German bomb during the Second World War. It then amalgamated with the Applegarth Mart, which had started in 1907 and is now Northallerton’s sole surviving mart.

Northallerton station is just out of shot on the right with the East Coast Main Line heading north (to the left) at the bottom of this picture. Romanby road is in the centre of the picture and Malpas Road is on the right. Between the two roads is the

Northallerton station is just out of shot on the right with the East Coast Main Line heading north (to the left) at the bottom of this picture. Romanby road is in the centre of the picture and Malpas Road is on the right. Between the two roads is the