Rugd1022

Pete 'Pinkie' Salmon takes a breather at Manton Junction in the '80s....

''Gone fishin'....''

I can attest to the strength of the glass used in 66 cabs, some years ago I was coming down the single line from Bagworth Junction towards Knighton at line speed (45mph) and had a couple of scrotes throw some house bricks at my loco as I passed under the tall arched bridge on the outskirts of Leicester, one missed, two hit the screen in front of me and the fourth caught the frame of the sliding side window which I had just shut on approaching the bridge - sometimes the sixth sense kicks in. The two that hit the front screen bounced off but if I hadn't closed the side window I'd probably be typing this with one hand. The glass is provided by Belcewat who also made the windscreens for the Lancia Stratos rally cars in 1973 / 74, I'm not sure what the costs are today but at the time of the incident the front screens cost about £2k each and side pieces were £750 each. I still shudder at the thought of the Wembley driver who was in a coma for over a week several years ago after another pair of scrotes chucked a huge chunk of brickwork and concrete off a bridge which, went right through his front screen and landed in his lap.

The last time I was assessed there were four of us in the cab, the assessor sat wedged into the corner with his back to the window, he knew exactly where he was and he knew that I knew exactly where I was too. This was in the no.2 cab of a 66 which is quite cramped (the no.1 cab is only slightly bigger), the four of us played musical chairs for the entire twelve hour shift, with each of us taking a turn in the naughty corner. To say we know our routes backwards is not an understatement .

Shut down after arrival at Bescot....

Bang road between Tile Hill and Coventry with 6Y61, I had to take it down to Fenny Compton to run round before going via Tyseley to Bescot....

The GW stock shot looks like it was filmed somewhere around Iver.... not too far away from some of the well known film studios

The Small Heath service is one of our new jobs, on the first day it ran I was on it, the shunter and I got it into Small Heath about half an hour early (after running round in the dip at Tyseley) and sat there for hours waiting for the digger driver to arrive and unload the train....... he never turned up, he wasn't told about the new flow, so we ended up leaving the wagons there and I went light engine back to Landor Street and got relief....!

Trust me it was real - here's another view taken during the clear up process....

Probably down to operational convenience, it may have saved a run round en route or the rear loco may be needed elsewhere. Happens more often than you'd think and saves an expensive light loco path.

A glimpse of the LSWR mainline between Vauxhall and Queenstown Road in the Sweeney episode 'Golden Boy'....

Dahn the tube in the '80s....

The very first episode of 'The Saint' in 1962 featured some scenes shot at Cookham station....

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Photo by David Maxwell....