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The human side of the railway...


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This is so deja vue, I was the fireman on the last up TRPS special with Clun Castle from Salop to Banbury. That was the one that ran about two hours late ex Salop and as it was about 2 am ? arr; Snow Hill we didn't get any photographs, were any of you guys amongst the throng of spectators on the platform?

   Pat Whitehouse rode with us from Salop with Tommy Morgan as footplate inspector, Dick Powell was the driver. I do remember I was kept pretty busy! with hard coal it was like giving strawberries to a donkey! and Dick had a reputation for getting a move on!

         Mick

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A few more...

 

post-7638-0-80194400-1541347507.jpg

 

Photo c/o Steve Jackson, who isn't going anywhere aboard D1056 in January 1976...

 

post-7638-0-54779800-1541347584_thumb.jpg

 

Brum New Street, 1965...

 

post-7638-0-16205400-1541347671_thumb.jpg

 

Brum Snow Hill in February 1972, photo c/o Stephen Burdett...

 

post-7638-0-64728000-1541348059_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Historic picture there from Stephen Burdett, aka Invader1009 on Flickr. He is still active all over the country spending his retirement photographing both steam and the current working railway scene.

In December he has a book of his photographs of railways in  Worcestershire spanning from the early 1970s to the present day being published.

https://www.amberley-books.com/coming-soon/railways-around-worcestershire.html

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Photo c/o Charles Eric Steele, his grandfather Charlie with some of his colleagues at Proof House Junction...

post-9767-0-33820800-1344804531_thumb.jp

 

 

This shot was one I used originally in post #10

Since it was put up again on FB recently we have had a positive ID of the man at the bottom. He is Phil Jennings, who became Telecomms Chief Lineman at Birmingham New Street. The second man up is believed to be Charlie Russell who was later Assistant Signal Lineman on the Washwood Heath section at Saltley in the late 1960s.

Edited by TheSignalEngineer
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On 4th March 1967 I had watched 7029 pass Leamington on the ZULU then travelled to Snow Hill for the second train.

 

A few more of 4079 at Snow Hill previously posted

 

 

Good pictures of the specials at Snow Hill seem rare as the proverbial rocking horse droppings, probably due to the crowds on the platforms making it near impossible to get one. The sun did manage to come out for a while. This was the crowd off the north end of the up platforms.

post-9767-0-93234500-1488657754_thumb.jp

 

I got this one of 4079 as it was running in by crouching down and shooting between the people standing on the platform edge.

post-9767-0-13097100-1488657753_thumb.jp

 

And one while it was standing waiting to leave.

post-9767-0-27002800-1488657754_thumb.jp

Edited by TheSignalEngineer
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Nice to see a Telecoms Lineman in the limelight for once - a much undervalued body of people in my opinion! (Dons tin hat and retires to a safe distance to await the incoming barrage of flak).

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Nice to see a Telecoms Lineman in the limelight for once - a much undervalued body of people in my opinion! (Dons tin hat and retires to a safe distance to await the incoming barrage of flak).

 

Here's a linesman at Buxton on 27th September 1973.

 

buxton_signal_27_9_1973.jpg

 

Martin.

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I have an acquaintance, wouldn't call him a friend, who is a retired BT linesman, but I don't think it's fair to judge the entire breed on this basis...

BT (or if you go back a bit, GPO) Engineers and Railway Telecoms Engineers are two different breeds. Yes, some similarities, but definitely different.

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Post #10, that's going back a bit!

 

Kettle's on, time for more nostalgia...

 

Temple Meads in 1975 with D1056 'Western Sultan' lurking in the background...

 

post-7638-0-95603200-1541355442_thumb.jpg

 

D1056 again, running round the 'Western China Clay' tour at Truro on 4th December 1976 which I was on...

 

post-7638-0-77486900-1541355509_thumb.jpg

 

The WH Smiths stall at Waterloo in 1972...

 

post-7638-0-67114500-1541355799.jpg

 

A little piece of 'yuman history from the diary of retired Bescot man (legend and all round top egg) Tony 'Lulu' Llewellyn, note D848 light engine from BS to Old Oak on the Friday...

 

post-7638-0-44030500-1541356113_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

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Like the Temple Meads photo ,the hair ,the flairs,but its the copper lurking behind the coms box at the end of the platform. Cant you imagine  Right when it gets closer I will get the speed gun out and then I will do him for parking if he hasn't broken the speed limit.

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But is he a Telecoms lineman?

As it's FYE time he would probably be a Signal lineman. 

The distinction in the olden days was between Signal and Telegraph. The former did all of the mechanical signalling and the latter did Blocks, Track Circuits etc, and all of the telephones in the area. During the 1960s with the introduction of power signalling and automatic exchanges with trunk dialling within the railway system the department became Signal and Telecomms. The Signalling linemen became what was termed 'Dual' which meant that they did anything associated with signalling whilst the Telecommes did exchanges, transmission systems and lineside telephones.

 

Edit: Dual man, large black bag for spanners etc and GPO tool pouch for electrical tools. 

 

May actually be a signalling installer as there seems to be a bit of work going on and he is reading the 'Comics'

Edited by TheSignalEngineer
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This isnt my photo so I cant post the picture - only a link

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6205364198/in/photolist-k7EhM8-asm7zU-q4DbJT-r1d2ko-p7Q26W-5nhn9z-q4RUb7-q2w46h-q4RKDh-9eEFme-KgEBGE-zcLrmM-Wj43sy-NPxiwB-boSCTr-Sx9qwq-UaqBia-FKKzCY-u4M2CC

 

Worcester Open day 1969 - lots of visitors enjoying their chance to be on railway property legally. But look at that one climbing in to the 204hp shunter..... Looks a right trouble maker!

 

Can anyone identify the photographer please? Would like to contact him

 

Cheers

 

Phil

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Post #10, that's going back a bit!

 

Kettle's on, time for more nostalgia...

 

Temple Meads in 1975 with D1056 'Western Sultan' lurking in the background...

 

attachicon.gifFB BTM D1056 270475.jpg

 

D1056 again, running round the 'Western China Clay' tour at Truro on 4th December 1976 which I was on...

 

attachicon.gifFB D1056 WCC 041276.jpg

 

The WH Smiths stall at Waterloo in 1972...

 

attachicon.gifWH-Smith-Newsagents-Waterloo-Station-London-1972-768x512.jpg

 

A little piece of 'yuman history from the diary of retired Bescot man (legend and all round top egg) Tony 'Lulu' Llewellyn, note D848 light engine from BS to Old Oak on the Friday...

 

attachicon.gifFB TONY Llewellyb LULU BS JAN 1969.jpg

 

That was near the end for Sultan - finished in March, was it the end of workings in the West Midlands that precipitated withdrawal of the first  three class 43s?

 

Phil

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This isnt my photo so I cant post the picture - only a link

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6205364198/in/photolist-k7EhM8-asm7zU-q4DbJT-r1d2ko-p7Q26W-5nhn9z-q4RUb7-q2w46h-q4RKDh-9eEFme-KgEBGE-zcLrmM-Wj43sy-NPxiwB-boSCTr-Sx9qwq-UaqBia-FKKzCY-u4M2CC

 

Worcester Open day 1969 - lots of visitors enjoying their chance to be on railway property legally. But look at that one climbing in to the 204hp shunter..... Looks a right trouble maker!

 

Can anyone identify the photographer please? Would like to contact him

 

Cheers

 

Phil

 

The photo was posted by Geoff Dowling, who is a great source of pics for that time. He also has the Peter Shoesmith negatives and has used them in several books.

Still lives in Hall Green IIRC and is out with his camera most days.

Edited by TheSignalEngineer
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The photo was posted by Geoff Dowling, who is a great source of pics for that time. He also has the Peter Shoesmith negatives and has used them in several books.

Still lives in Hall Green IIRC and is out with his camera most days.

 

Many thanks Charles - have dropped Geoff a message via the Brumpic site

 

Phil

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That was near the end for Sultan - finished in March, was it the end of workings in the West Midlands that precipitated withdrawal of the first  three class 43s?

 

Phil

 

It wouldn't surprise me if that were the case Phil, although the other Old Oak based 43s were still active on the Worcester line at the same time, and would be until late '71. Opinion on them at Bescot was roughly 50 / 50 from taking to Tony Llewellyn, he quite liked them as they were very different from the usual Sulzer / EE stuff he was used to. He told me that there were plenty of daylight trips on them from Bescot but is still puzzled as to why there are very few photos of them on the Banburys / Salops etc.

Edited by Rugd1022
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It wouldn't surprise me if that were the case Phil, although the other Old Oak based 43s were still active on the Worcester line at the same time, and would be until late '71. Opinion on them at Bescot was roughly 50 / 50 from taking to Tony Llewellyn, he quite liked them as they were very different from the usual Sulzer / EE stuff he was used to. He told me that there were plenty of daylight trips on them from Bescot but is still puzzled as to why there are very few photos of them on the Banburys / Salops etc.

 

Cheers Nidge - they continued to appear at Worcester until September 71 and then they were gone. I saw all the class there except for D840 - which I saw at Bescot Spring 68. Suspect the lack of photos is the same as so much else in that period - steam had finished, what was left to photo?

 

Interesting to hear Tony's thoughts....

 

Phil

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A little piece of 'yuman history from the diary of retired Bescot man (legend and all round top egg) Tony 'Lulu' Llewellyn, note D848 light engine from BS to Old Oak on the Friday...


 


attachicon.gifFB TONY Llewellyb LULU BS JAN 1969.jpg


 


Phill, thanks for showing Tony "Lulu" Lewellyn's diary, a real blast from the past! I was at Bescot then, living in the hostel at Wolverhampton. I'm sure the T. Pogmore was Terry who also was in the hostel I'm sure he came from Bradford. J. "Gassy" Harris was ex Stourbridge I believe and Vic Lucas i think was ex Stafford RD;/Oxley.


   Why do these memories and names just flood back into the front of the brain? but what did I do last week!!  :scratchhead: 


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A little piece of 'yuman history from the diary of retired Bescot man (legend and all round top egg) Tony 'Lulu' Llewellyn, note D848 light engine from BS to Old Oak on the Friday...

 

attachicon.gifFB TONY Llewellyb LULU BS JAN 1969.jpg

 

Phill, thanks for showing Tony "Lulu" Lewellyn's diary, a real blast from the past! I was at Bescot then, living in the hostel at Wolverhampton. I'm sure the T. Pogmore was Terry who also was in the hostel I'm sure he came from Bradford. J. "Gassy" Harris was ex Stourbridge I believe and Vic Lucas i think was ex Stafford RD;/Oxley.

   Why do these memories and names just flood back into the front of the brain? but what did I do last week!!  :scratchhead: 

 

 

Hi Mike

 

Its Nidge who had the diary - wouldnt want to steal his thunder!. But you are right about the names - I have a diary from Ian Tipper on loan - he was on the Bromsgrove bankers late 60s and its full of fantastic gen of a very similar nature.

 

Phil

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This isnt my photo so I cant post the picture - only a link

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6205364198/in/photolist-k7EhM8-asm7zU-q4DbJT-r1d2ko-p7Q26W-5nhn9z-q4RUb7-q2w46h-q4RKDh-9eEFme-KgEBGE-zcLrmM-Wj43sy-NPxiwB-boSCTr-Sx9qwq-UaqBia-FKKzCY-u4M2CC

 

Worcester Open day 1969 - lots of visitors enjoying their chance to be on railway property legally. But look at that one climbing in to the 204hp shunter..... Looks a right trouble maker!

 

Can anyone identify the photographer please? Would like to contact him

 

Cheers

 

Phil

I agree he looks a right troublemaker from the way he looks furtively around to see if anyones spotted him. :jester:

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