Station Porters

[sparks]

Coming through the ticket barriers at Bristol Temple Meads this evening, I overheard part of a conversation between the staff and very well spoken lady of a certain age, who was dismayed to learn that there were no Porters to carry her rather large suitcase....

 

So when did Porters disappear from BR (or was it British Railways)?

[Oldddudders]

The term porter has been gone quite some years. It did exist as a formal grade, in several forms, including porter-signalman, who worked on the station and then nipped up the box for certain hours of the day. The late-60s Restructuring of the CONGOTT (Conciliation Grades Other Than Trainmen) included the new terms Railman, Leading Railman, Senior Railman, so I am sure no-one was officially a porter after that. Except at certain mainline stations, where the literal term porter, i.e. one who carries, may well have continued. These Outside Porters were unpaid by BR, but were provided with a uniform and a large badge with a number on it. They might well lurk near the incoming taxi drop-off point. Passengers like the OP's lady would procure their services and pay them. I do not know when this practice was discontinued.

 

Where paid staff are observed canvassing to carry passengers' luggage, while officially paid to be doing something else, it is known as "fluffing". 

[phil-b259]

Coming through the ticket barriers at Bristol Temple Meads this evening, I overheard part of a conversation between the staff and very well spoken lady of a certain age, who was dismayed to learn that there were no Porters to carry her rather large suitcase....

 

So when did Porters disappear from BR (or was it British Railways)?

 

At some stations Porters were re-introduced for a time (Gatwick Airport springs to mind) to assist travellers - although as we have gone so long without them I don't know how sucessfull they were.

[woodenhead]

Coming through the ticket barriers at Bristol Temple Meads this evening, I overheard part of a conversation between the staff and very well spoken lady of a certain age, who was dismayed to learn that there were no Porters to carry her rather large suitcase....

 

So when did Porters disappear from BR (or was it British Railways)?

And when did she last travel by train!

 

For those less than able the modern equivalent are the TOC staff who drive the golf carts available at larger stations but I imagine these have to be pre-booked or at least requested ahead of arrival.

[hmrspaul]

At some stations Porters were re-introduced for a time (Gatwick Airport springs to mind) to assist travellers - although as we have gone so long without them I don't know how sucessfull they were.

 

.. and Kings Cross had an American style porterage for a shortish time a decade or so ago. They had fixed rates but I don't think they were too successful. We've got used to Wheelie bags and knapsacs.

 

Paul

 

This is back in 1993 and by British Rail http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/porters-return-to-railways-1487610.html I don't think that is what I am remembering as I didn't start using KX regularly until c1995 and I associated the porters with when I was going across to Eurostar at Waterloo.

Edited September 7, 2017 by hmrspaul

[Fat Controller]

The golf-buggies have to be pre-booked, but are very useful when aged family members need putting on trains.

[LBRJ]

The term porter has been gone quite some years. It did exist as a formal grade, in several forms, including porter-signalman, who worked on the station and then nipped up the box for certain hours of the day. The late-60s Restructuring of the CONGOTT (Conciliation Grades Other Than Trainmen) included the new terms Railman, Leading Railman, Senior Railman, so I am sure no-one was officially a porter after that. Except at certain mainline stations, where the literal term porter, i.e. one who carries, may well have continued. These Outside Porters were unpaid by BR, but were provided with a uniform and a large badge with a number on it. They might well lurk near the incoming taxi drop-off point. Passengers like the OP's lady would procure their services and pay them. I do not know when this practice was discontinued.

 

Where paid staff are observed canvassing to carry passengers' luggage, while officially paid to be doing something else, it is known as "fluffing". 

 

I must have "fluffed" a few times - never knew that term.... Though if someone wants to give me money for a easy task I think it is rude to say no!

[The Stationmaster]

The term porter has been gone quite some years. It did exist as a formal grade, in several forms, including porter-signalman, who worked on the station and then nipped up the box for certain hours of the day. The late-60s Restructuring of the CONGOTT (Conciliation Grades Other Than Trainmen) included the new terms Railman, Leading Railman, Senior Railman, so I am sure no-one was officially a porter after that. Except at certain mainline stations, where the literal term porter, i.e. one who carries, may well have continued. These Outside Porters were unpaid by BR, but were provided with a uniform and a large badge with a number on it. They might well lurk near the incoming taxi drop-off point. Passengers like the OP's lady would procure their services and pay them. I do not know when this practice was discontinued.

 

Where paid staff are observed canvassing to carry passengers' luggage, while officially paid to be doing something else, it is known as "fluffing". 

 

Known as 'quilling' at Paddington - where certain groups of Porters were allowed to act as 'quillers' but technically all other station staff were not ('technically' seems not to have been consistently applied in reality).

 

Officially all posts on the WR which were semi-officially provided for quilling (or whatever local term was used) were abolished under the Pay & Efficiency Review and regrading in 1967/68 when the new grades mentioned by Ian were introduced.  Porters and Leading Porters officially became Railmen under the new grading but some Leading Porter posts were identifiable as going into the new Leading Railman grade because of their duties.  Crikey it's 50 years since I worked on one of the WR review teams, and was subsequently loaned to one of the others for a month or so, doesn't time fly).

Edited September 8, 2017 by The Stationmaster

[PoshPaws]

I started as a Railman at Southampton Central in 1986, and customer assistance, including carrying baggage was a major and official part of the job. How we used to flock around the upside entrance for an hour or two after a major liner had berthed at the docks, as by this time many boat trains ran from Central bringing lots of Americans with their generous tips.

 

Interestingly, when I became a Leading Railman on the ticket barriers I once helped an old lady on the footbridge who was struggling with her bags with no-one else around. It would have been inhuman not to and I didn't accept a tipbut that didn't prevent me from getting a bollocking off the station supervisor for doing someone else's job. Apparently another railman had noticed and complained. That bollocking still irritates me a little now...lol

[Clive Mortimore]

Back in the early 80s I alighted a train at Witham, as I did so I noticed the railman on the platform was one of the sergeants from the last regiment I was in. He had his back to me, so I said in my poshest voice " I say porter chappie, can you carry my bags please?". He turned around noticed it was me......I am not sure the barrack room language that formed his reply was in his customer care training.     

[73c]

When I worked at Victoria, the railmen there used to go 'fluffing' any chance they got, in fact other guys would cover their barrier for them and get a few quid from the tips earned for doing so.

[brianusa]

Sadly its one of those jobs that require people to perform and that costs money. Ever since the railways lost interest in their customers, the very people who paid the bills, lack of service in any field has become the norm. It was OK when these men/women/people/persons were being paid a few bob an hour but to pay somebody to stand around waiting for a train to show up while having a fag, is prohibitive these days. You see too many people, especially older people, struggling with cases with only a minute or two to sort it all out and find a seat.

 

Brian.

[Rivercider]

When I first started in Bristol TOPS in 1978 one of the Temple Meads station numbertakers was known to be erratic

he often missed the van numbers of parcels trains because he was quilling, a term I had never heard before, or since until now,

 

cheers