Bob’s family believe he is the oldest living Train driver in Hull now – he retired after nearly 50 years in service on the railways in 1990
Bob Stainthorp, former Train Driver celebrates his 100th Birthday on 31st July(Image: Donna Clifford/Hull Live)
Railway veteran Bob Stainthorp is celebrating his 100th birthday today and will celebrate this weekend, surrounded by family, friends, and former colleagues from his half-century career on Britain’s tracks. When World War II broke out during his school days, Bob began his working life as a young lad before finding his lifelong calling.
“I was an errand boy for a year when I left school at Whitby, which is where I was born,” he recalled. “Then I went onto the railway when I was 16 as a cleaner, cleaning engines—that’s how I learnt all the names of the parts. Every part of an engine has a name, and when you’re a driver you have to report any faults on them, so you need to know all the names.”
His relocation to Hull came as wartime demands reshaped the workforce. “There was a vacancy at the Botanic Gardens in Hull for 22 firemen, because a lot of them had gone into the forces,” he explained. Bob spent decades on the rails, witnessing firsthand the dramatic transition from steam to diesel power across the British rail network.
“I was a fireman for the railway lines for about 20 years, and then I was made a driver,” he said. “I used to go to Leeds and back, and then Scarborough and back for a day’s work, and you were up the wall by the time you got back. Another route was twice to Leeds for a day’s work. It was very monotonous—you couldn’t take your eyes off the rails.”
“The trains were steam until Botanic became a diesel depot; all the steam that was left then went to Dairycoates,” he remembered. “On the steam engine, you always had a fireman with you. I did over 20 years shoveling coal for the train. You get used to it and have to learn how to be clever so you don’t hurt yourself.”
When diesel replaced steam, Bob embraced the shift in speed and technology. “I liked the big diesels when they came in—the Class 47s and Class 37s. I went on them several times. We used to have the Class 47s on the London jobs. We used to get relieved at Doncaster and they would go on to London; they went about 90 mph. I could go up to 85 mph on the steam train—they could go faster than you think.”
His travels covered famous mainlines as well as forgotten local branches. “I remember the ticket man looking round really quick to see who was disappearing into the toilets; he would wait outside for them. I did a lot of trips to Scarborough, and I did many trips on tracks that are no longer there now, too—to Market Weighton and Willerby through South Cave. I used to go to South Howden as well. There was North Howden and South Howden; North Howden was on British Rail, and South Howden was on the Hull and Barnsley Railway.”
Bob’s move to Hull changed not only his career but his personal life. He was married for over 50 years to his late wife, Dorothy, who passed away in January 2001. Together they had three children—Ian, Jeanette, and Robert—and four grandchildren.
“I met my wife Dorothy through one of the other train drivers who was a fireman at the time,” Stainthorp shared. “I was looking for a new lodge, and he said, ‘I’ll ask my sister if she knows anybody,’ and that was my future wife’s house. We were courting for a year or so, and we just clicked. She went to work one day telling her mates, ‘There is a dishy guy who just moved in to live in our house.'”
Even after retiring, Bob put his vast mechanical knowledge to good use by mentoring a group of railway enthusiasts restoring an old locomotive.
“Some of the lads I used to know wanted to restore an engine. Mr. Draper used to scrap old engines—they came from anywhere in England and he used to scrap them. This group of lads wanted to restore an engine and asked Mr Draper for one, and he said yes, providing you do it up properly. So we got a Black 5 5305. It took seven years to restore. I showed them all the names of the parts and things; they did all the work, and I overlooked with a bit of knowledge.”
The highlight came when Bob took the restored engine back onto the tracks himself: “I had it out on the main line. I relieved a driver at Leeds one night and I brought it back to Hull with ten coaches on, and it absolutely flew—it was lovely. A few of the guys from the picture who restored it are coming to my party at the weekend.”
When asked about his secret to reaching his 100th birthday today (July 31), Bob pointed to simple habits, simple tastes, and keeping busy with crafts.
“I don’t have anything to eat after tea, and I drink boiled water all the time—I do not drink tap water,” he said. “I do not like any sauces at all; mango chutney is all I like. I like homemade baking. I used to do all the baking.
“Andrew, my grandson, his children are learning how to bake now, too, and they love it. I’ve also enjoyed making birdhouses—many family members have dozens that I have made for them.”
He stays fully connected to the modern digital age through his tablet, using it to track live transport and watch videos of his hometown. “There are lots of trains on YouTube I like watching. I like The Repair Shop too, and I also enjoy watching Whitby Live. I’m also on YouTube watching trains as well as planes on Flightradar.”
Reflecting on his milestone, he said: “I’ve had a lovely family who are here all the time—some people have nobody. I also have a lot of happy memories from the train lines.”
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