Eggesford box Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Some shots of the signalmen around Exeter in the eighties, not all of the best quality I am afraid. Norman Bartlett at Cowley Bridge Junction Michael Hayman at Cowley Bridge Junction withdrawing a token for the short lived EKT section to Crediton Bill Sims and his 'booking boy' Sam at Exeter Middle Dave 'Basher' Northcott working Exeter Central Neil Geeson, now a FLHH driver, working Crediton 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted August 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2012 Signalman Garth Tilt at Hall Green on the day before closure, 4th August 1984 Copyright C E Steele 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 All right, it's not vintage I'll grant you but it is historic! Here's me and my best mate, Tony Graham enjoying a wee moment of glory at the successful rebirth of The Waverley with a suitable artifact that survived from just before the route's long, long sleep! Dave. 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 15, 2012 Love the "Rack o' th' eye" for lining up the track - pretty much how I lay my Peco stuff................. Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Mike Pipes? Yes, I think so, tall bloke, dark hair, glasses, management trainee at the time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 Yes, I think so, tall bloke, dark hair, glasses, management trainee at the time! Yes, sounds like the same chap. He was some sort of service planner at NSE Network North in the late '80s. I was lucky as a management trainee - I'd already done 7 years on the railway, including 5 in Control, so a % of the stupidity had already been kicked out of me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 (edited) Dude!!! Loving this thread! Good to see pics of DP, Jonesy etc!!! Do we not have any pics of Beefy or Haytch at Bardon, Mantle Lane or Moira?!!!! Also there appears to be a distinct lack of pictures of your goodself in the seat!!!! Eh up Trev.... I'm still digging photos out at the moment matey, I've got plenty of the Bardon 'box dwellers scattered across the hardrive, it's just a case of remembering which file they're in! There are a few of me in various cabs, will see if I can find them, meantime here's one of me taken by Mr.Harper when we were bringing some 47s back from Crewe one night...."haircut sir...?" Edit : Mike - I wasn't thinking of Albie Kebble but another Old Oak man (I'm sure of it anyway), he had snow white hair and newcomers to 81A (including me at the time) were given the 'story' that he'd received the fright of his life when as a fireman he'd been put in the seat of a King at 90mph by his Driver, and his hair turned white overnight...! Edited August 15, 2012 by Rugd1022 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Two from Springs Branch Fitters mate Jimmy Spencer on the fuel road. And one/two from happier days, well, most of the time. Tom. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 A few quickies before I nip off to work... Driver George Copson takes rest in the mess room at Rugby... Driver Mawby again, prepping the Jocko in Rugby Up Side Yard... Champion lurker of this 'ere forum Andy Bald... Sadly no longer with us, Driver Roger Gilbert is all smiles at Forders Sidings... 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 Edit : Mike - I wasn't thinking of Albie Kebble but another Old Oak man (I'm sure of it anyway), he had snow white hair and newcomers to 81A (including me at the time) were given the 'story' that he'd received the fright of his life when as a fireman he'd been put in the seat of a King at 90mph by his Driver, and his hair turned white overnight...! Not at all sure who that would be then Nidge (although Albie had white hair himself). The story about the white hair sounds a bit of a twist on at least one original - there was a pensioner at Paddington who did have a shock of white hair and he was ex Old Oak; he had been the Fireman on the 'King' involved in the Shrivenham collision and his hair turned white immediately after and never went back but he was of course long retired by the time you got to Old Oak. White hair as a result of shock was not as unusual as some might think. Bob Bowden (who would have been a supervisor in Old Oak panel for some of the time when you were in the vicinity) was the Signalman at Hungerford the night a stone train took away most of the 'box and left him clinging to the back wall until someone arrived with a ladder. His hair went from jet black to snow white overnight within a few days of the incident and took years to get back its original colour - and then it almost immediately started to naturally go grey. Ian talking about Management Trainees brings back a few memories. I too was a staff entrant so apart from being on a higher rate of pay than all my compatriots had more than a fair idea of what was what which could lead to some great fun on some parts of the training scheme. One example was on the induction course when we had an afternoon trip to Sheffield (Midland as it had once been) to visit the signalboxes. While I was earnestly engaged in discussion with the DI about the block working through the station one of our number said 'what are those things for?' and our long service DI guide took several questions to get to what the chap was asking about until I whispered in his ear 'I think he means the levers'; poor old chap was totally dumbfounded but I was right 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvdlcs Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Hello. In post #54, what is the purpose of the deep protrusion from the roof in the picture captioned "Dave 'Basher' Northcott working Exeter Central"? Could be a worry for any particularly tall occupants of that box. TIA. David. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggesford box Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Some shots of Exeter traincrew. Some have appeared on the net before but I am hoping someone be able to put a name to the faces since I have a memory like a sieve. To help, I have lettered the photos. 'Bimbo' Burridge, something of a madcap character. He was driving the up freight from Barnstaple when a clay wagon derailed and ripped up a couple of miles of track near Copplestone. None of us on the branch where convinced that excess speed was not involved! Bob Passmore hands down the token to signalman Jimmy Hughes at Eggesford. When I was on the platform at Barnstaple Bob often used to get me to go up and pull down the blinds in the cab of the DMU, much to the dissapointment of the passengers who had bagged the best seats behind the cab and where looking forward to a drivers eye of the journey. It was not that Bob was a miserable character. He could not get on with his false teeth! They would be lying on the table in the messroom, he would put them in for the walk along the platform. Once safely ensconced and out of sight in the cab, out they would come again. Jimmy Hughes was my regular shift mate at Eggesford when I was at Crediton box. His other job was as a scrap metal merchant. A somewhat innapropriate choice for a railwayman in this day and age! He used to come to work in his lorry, parked at the end of the station building. A bit of a long shot but if anyone has a photograph of it I would love to see it. A Unknown B Unknown C Unknown and no, it is not Tom Sellick! D Unknown E The one trip I hitched down to Meldon the 33 failed on us and we just managed to creep into the quarry with the empties. Here are the traincrew waiting for assistance.The drivers name escapes me at the moment, I know he started at Oswestry, was always plying me with snuff and his daughter was born on the same day as me (I never met her) F And here is the assistance, again any help with identification gratefully recieved G unknown Yes, I wondered what that is hanging down from the ceiling in Exeter Central box as well. 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 Superb photos chaps throughout, just the ticket Some more of Rich Coleman's Northampton collection... Charlie Wake at Northampton CMD.... Mick Ross... Gordon Martin... Shaun Mooney and Ralph Williams... (Note the early 1968-73 style Tops data panel on 08 702 and the weathering in general on all four 08s, lovely stuff ) Kev Moore on The Cobbler at Northampton in July '94... Kev and the aforementioned Dave Smith managed to get themselves arrested once whilst chasing diesels and electrics across Europe! Northampton Driver Jack Williams carries out 'Rule 55' at Willesden, Sunday 25th May 1980... This shed shot has appeared in print more than once - left to right : Ken Beasley, Don Foster, Ken Watts, Stan Braybrook, Bob Kiloh, Bogie Wootton, Barry Ringrose, Ted Baldwin, Ernie Reynolds, Bert Lucas and on the loco Alan Julien and Tom Smith (12089 withdrawn September 1970 and scrapped at Derby Works December 1971)... 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairburn Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Lots of Wigan railway pictures here, many of the local railway men & women as well. Mainly Springs Branch shed. http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/showalbum.php?opt=8&offset=0&gallery=Railway Brit15 Few of my dad on there, out with Springs Branch Breakdown train and then on the overhead following a round of depot redundancies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I worked with Stan Braybrook at Rugby in 1974! Sad to hear Roger Gilbert's no longer here. He was nicknamed "Benny" at Waterloo after the Crossroads character!. I got in the cab of a 4SUB with him one day going to Waterloo. He spoke with a very Midlands accent and said he was going to Covent Garden Market to get some potatoes when he finished, the exchange rate was better there, for the lorry drivers. He was off to Spain next week on holidays. So, I enquired, why do you want to take potatoes to Spain? "No, not potatoes you twit, Pesetas!!" Roger was always good for a laugh and a joke. Another old mucker from those days was Clive Everett who was a fireman at Rugby and a driver at Waterloo, lived at Northampton. Is he still around I wonder? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted August 17, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 17, 2012 Some of the local S&T giving Holywell Junction Up Starter a clean and overhaul. 09 August 2012 175110 on 1H84, 08:45, Llandudno - Manchester Piccadilly 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Correct Steve, Sammy Wigan, left, retired years ago, and his younger brother Bill sadly died a few years ago, great mates. Tom. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Cheese Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Drivers pose for the camera during the Winchfield 150 celebrations of September 1988....the good times before privatization took some of the humour away? L-R: John (Scrubber) White, Arthur Creech, Harold Dorey, Ian Crombie and Bob Flood. All were Basingstoke based except Arthur who drove out of Waterloo and lost his life in the Clapham Junction crash of December the same year, being in the cab of the 06:14 Poole-Waterloo train alongside John Rolls of Bournemouth depot. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 I worked with Stan Braybrook at Rugby in 1974! Sad to hear Roger Gilbert's no longer here. He was nicknamed "Benny" at Waterloo after the Crossroads character!. I got in the cab of a 4SUB with him one day going to Waterloo. He spoke with a very Midlands accent and said he was going to Covent Garden Market to get some potatoes when he finished, the exchange rate was better there, for the lorry drivers. He was off to Spain next week on holidays. So, I enquired, why do you want to take potatoes to Spain? "No, not potatoes you twit, Pesetas!!" Roger was always good for a laugh and a joke. Another old mucker from those days was Clive Everett who was a fireman at Rugby and a driver at Waterloo, lived at Northampton. Is he still around I wonder? Sadly Roger passed away a few weeks ago - a real character of the old school with a heart as big as they come. He was quite ill towards the end but the last time I saw him he gave me a lift in his newly acquired Jag, and despite not looking well had a huge smile on his face, which is how I'll always remember him. Clive Everett rings a bell... I'll ask around and see if he's still with us ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Arthur Creech, except Arthur who drove out of Waterloo and lost his life in the Clapham Junction crash of December the same year, being in the cab of the 06:14 Poole-Waterloo train Very sobering to have a face to put to a name in the accident report. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I worked with Stan Braybrook at Rugby in 1974! Sad to hear Roger Gilbert's no longer here. He was nicknamed "Benny" at Waterloo after the Crossroads character!. I got in the cab of a 4SUB with him one day going to Waterloo. He spoke with a very Midlands accent and said he was going to Covent Garden Market to get some potatoes when he finished, the exchange rate was better there, for the lorry drivers. He was off to Spain next week on holidays. So, I enquired, why do you want to take potatoes to Spain? "No, not potatoes you twit, Pesetas!!" Roger was always good for a laugh and a joke. Another old mucker from those days was Clive Everett who was a fireman at Rugby and a driver at Waterloo, lived at Northampton. Is he still around I wonder? Sadly Roger passed away a few weeks ago - a real character of the old school with a heart as big as they come. He was quite ill towards the end but the last time I saw him he gave me a lift in his newly acquired Jag, and despite not looking well had a huge smile on his face, which is how I'll always remember him. Good to remember Roger like that Nidge. Always enjoyed a chat with him, but isn't it funny how earlier in the thread he was regarded with a Midland accent. I always remember him with a kind of mix of Savvern and Rugbyese !!!!! Lovely boy he was. RIP Roger Gilbert . 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 I think Rodge spent a bit of time at Cricklewood as well as Waterloo Phil, so the London tones were bound to rub off on him a little. I've already posted this photo before in another thread some time ago but thought it a fitting salute to a top bloke, so a repeat airing wouldn't go amiss... here's Rodge posing for posterity aboard the unfortunately famous D326 at Rugby in 1964, about a year after the robbery at Sears Crossing.... his smile didn't change in forty odd years.... this is a third generation copy of the original print, hence the lack of quality... I can't seem to be able to upload anymore pics in this post.... 'files too big to upload' apparently! 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Maybe Roger went to Cricklewood after Waterloo? ISTR he had a preference move back to Rugby having moved there for his driving job in the 1960's. Promotion was slow in those days. He travelled from rugby every day for years like so many footplatemen of that era. As you say, he was a smashing bloke, always the butt of railway humour, always coming back with it as well. thanks for the laughs Rog. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 20, 2012 Maybe Roger went to Cricklewood after Waterloo? ISTR he had a preference move back to Rugby having moved there for his driving job in the 1960's. It was always interesting when someone's First Preference came up as very often they had totally forgotten recording it umpteen years previously. Oddly in the week the Vacancy List came out we quite often used to come across 'lost' or 'mislaid' notes or memos where someone had cancelled his first preference some time previously But even odder was the occasional individual who on being told he was starting at, say, Penzance the following week simply said 'Oh' and walked off looking slightly puzzled or smiling cheerfully. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 20, 2012 But even odder was the occasional individual who on being told he was starting at, say, Penzance the following week simply said 'Oh' and walked off looking slightly puzzled or smiling cheerfully. Just goes to show what polite people footplatemen are. After all "Oh" is a lot more polite than "WTF?"! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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