RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted August 13, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 13, 2012 The lads from the Exeter PW maintainer renewals team, working on a major 5 week re-fettling of Riverside Yard, which was finished last week: 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 13, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 13, 2012 The leading lights in Slade Green Guards' LDC were two brothers who were quite splendid blokes - but stuck to their guns on principles, making them known as one of the most militant Guards' LDCs in the land. Their other jobs were as painters and decorators, and I suspect many of their customers were, like them, railway tenants in the Slade Green railway "village". They were popular with other guards not least because they were always happy to swap turns (officially) onto a very unpopular 0300 start, which enabled them to be indoors most mornings by 10, and on with the overalls! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 What a fantastic thread Nidge - well done mate. I don't visit this place so much these days for various reasons, but pleased to see these pages. During my years on the railway I have met loads of characters, but also many many more ordinary blokes, and a few girls who all put their noses to the grindstone. Spending 21 years at Bescot allowed me the privileges no-one could ever attain these days. When I left the freight railway to reacquaint myself with carrying people, i was really sad to leave behind some fine railwaymen. For that reason I chose to write a book about Bescot - a place that seems rarely to be mentioned, except for odd locos every now and then. I knew a little of the history of the place, but chose to learn more. Five years later and I have put a few words together in my laptop, with a few more to go, but what a path I have walked !!! One of the chapters I have put together concerns the NBL warships which Bescot men had a brief fling with. Perhaps I was just a little naive in expecting some reasonable stories about LNW men accepting Western diesels, but I guess I wasn't prepared for such a barrage of hatred. They were hated, without exception - or at least, I havn't found the exception yet. But that is what the railway is all aboutv - about men used to do this and that, then being rediagrammed, retimetabled, reoganised to do that instead - until the next change that is. After the research through newspapers, files and records, I have also recently spent a few hours listening to a wealth of oral history recorded in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Local historian Jack Haddock who was born next to Ryecroft shed 85 years ago, ramped up his already very healthy collection of photographs by taking a portable cassette recorder around to interview people about their working lives. These included a few men who joined the railway industry pre-grouping and retired in the 1970s. You can imagine the stories and memories recounted in broad accepts. So thanks again Nidge for the excellent thread. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 got linked to this pic today https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1860656919755&set=o.24802109815&type=3&theater 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 13, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 13, 2012 got linked to this pic today https://www.facebook...&type=3 There are a few in there I knew - and quite a lot who look far too young! And very sad to see that Karen Harrison has died at a particularly young age. Alas I took far too few pics of people over the years although I worked with a wonderful bunch whose railway careers and knowledge stretched back a very long way. The mention above of railwaymen with other jobs recalls a very common situation - oddly footplatemen seemed to be the ones attracted to Securicor in my experience but otherwise it was an amazing mixture - window cleaning and painting & decorating always seemed to be favourites with folk on shifts while some went in for gardening although one of mine had the very unusual part time occupation or armed robbery until the long arm of the law caught up with him while another - at a different place - was involved in 'artistic poses' with young and not so young ladies, while his dad (also one of our Shunters) took the pics; you met all sorts on the railway. And me? I spent a lot of my spare (from the railway) time helping out in the Licensed trade - the money was welcome and the beer was (frequently) free although working in 'The Jolly Porter' in Reading I had to pay for my drinks (didn't stay there for long). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 What an interesting and nostalgic thread. Here are a couple taken by my brother in the early 1980s Steves first job was in the Bristol Divisional Civil Engineers Office at Collett House, I think this was taken in the typing pool, I don't recognise either of them. A site visit to the Worcester Area possibly for a TOPS wagon integrity check Civil Engineers Bristol Wagon Clerk Vic Bush in the snow. Vic was also a colleague of mine when I first started in the Civil Engineers at Bristol in 1977. He had been a relief signalman in Bristol, displaced by the Bristol MAS scheme he took the railway clerical exam and became a clerk, one of many fine railwaymen I had the pleasure to work with. cheers 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Rudg 1022, sorry no more from Stonebridge Park, a case of missed opportunities, ect, ect. Taken at Lancaster in May 1974 when the Springs Branch breakdown crane was on standby duties for Royal Train. HM Queen at Preston / Carlisle, opening WCML electrification. Loco / Traction inspector George Dixon, always a joke and a good tale when ' Dicko ' was on board, unlike some inspectors, couldn't fool George, to much experience, great railwayman. Roster clerk John Seddon at Springs Branch, sadly no longer with us, a gentleman, a pleasure to have known him. Tom. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Simply the most compelling thread of recent times. I deeply regret never bothering to carry a camera down the years, especially to have captured the lost scenes at York Carriage. Notably the time a green young trainee auditor, assessing WIP on the Class 465/0 line circa 1990, asked to use the gents, about three minutes before the Friday clocking bell. A couple of wags directed him to one of the palatial Portacabins that contained a disused one-holer, completely unscreened, the rest being used as a temporary locker and mess room. He didn't come back the following Monday. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Top picture, thread 35, I don't think tea cups would make very effective detonators.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 You've not tasted Bach's brew, ( driver front ) blown my head off many a time ! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2012 Top picture, thread 35, I don't think tea cups would make very effective detonators.... On the contrary - I think to most railwaymen running over a tea-mug would be as scandalous as snubbing Her Maj! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 (edited) got linked to this pic today https://www.facebook...&type=3 Very sad to hear about Karen Harrison too... she was always a good laugh at 'The Oak' but was notoriously tight when it came to making the tea or buying the kebabs and chips! I'll always remember her walking down the slope with one hand in her pocket, a fag in the corner of her mouth and swinging her pink bardic lamp (with added flowers) in the other hand. She was a dab hand at cards as I recall. The other female 'secondman' we had there at the time was Fiona Johns who came to 81A on the same day as me. In November '83 we were both sent over to Stratford Works for a couple of days to learn steam heating boilers, then we came back to our home depot to play with a 31 and 47 with our Instructor, his first name was Keith (I forget his surname) but his nickname was 'blow dry' on account of his carefully quioffered hair do. Can't believe it was nearly thirty years ago now! Time for another piccie.... this one comes from Rich Coleman's collection and shows Northampton Fireman Bob Kiloh on the day Northampton Shed closed in September '65, he's taking away a souviner before the shed and office were demolished. (Note the Ford Anglia vans in the background with 'British Railways' logos on them!)... Richard says he's got plenty more of Northampton's finest, which I'll be scanning and posting this week. Terrific responses from everybody so far, many thanks one and all and please keep the memories, links and photos coming ;O) Edit : meant to add this one too, a nice happy picture.... Rugby Midland Station entrance sometime in the late '50s I believe, I have a feeling I may have posted in another thread a while back but reckon it's approprite fodder here... Edited August 14, 2012 by Rugd1022 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted August 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2012 ................Note the Ford Anglia vans in the background with 'British Railways' logos on them!)... These were the standard issue for S&T sections at that time. We managed to sink one in a flash flood on the road by Calverley box during a thunderstorm in 1968, and had to be towed out by the local farmer on his tractor. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 (edited) When I was a shift Traffic Assistant at Taunton in the early 1980s, my regular shunter on the station was Les Willmott, who used to drive in from Wiveliscombe in his Moggy 1000. He was a lovely old Zummerset country boy, but he never hurried anywhere! No matter how 'urgent' the shunt or whatever, old Les would amble along in his own time! I have fond memories of going over to East Yard each night, to open the ground frame, whilst Les prepared a road in the main yard for the vacuum-fitted Presflos off the down vac-fitted freight that usually called each night from Severn Tunnel, en-route to Exeter and points west. Then, one day Les was 'seen' doing his 'other job', which was as a security guard for Securicor (quite a few railwaymen had 'other jobs', there were in fact several working for Securicor in the town alone), and he was actually seen running, beetling in and out of each shop or bank, hastening the cash to the security of his van! But when he return to the railway for his next shift, it was back to 'ambling' again! Happy days! Reminds me very much of a green carded Driver we had at Old Oak who spent his last years on C-Pilot over in the carriage sidings, apparently he was scared of going above 30mph so he was taken off mainline duties and accomadated on the 08 instead. IIRC, by doing this he always managed to avoid doing nights as well! Edited August 14, 2012 by Rugd1022 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2012 Reminds me very much of a green carded Driver we had at Old Oak who spent his last years on C-Pilot over in the carriage sidings, apparently he was scared of going above 30mph so he was taken off mainline duties and accomadated on the 08 instead. IIRC, by doing this he always managed to avoid doing nights as well! I wonder if you're mixing that up with Albie Kebble on A Pilot? He was another one who had a green carded turn although I sometimes wonder if it was a result of a blazing row I had with him one day at Westbury when he came in on an Up West of England with a somewhat sickly Class 50 and got most obstroperous about taking the offered replacement - a 1000. The Chargeman called me over to the station and I duly made it clear to the Driver that he would either take the 1000 or be relieved and would be bound to miss the train while he wrote a report. He duly took the 1000 but clearly determined to show us all exactly what he thought of us by one of the fastest departures I ever saw from Westbury enveloped in a cloud of black smoke. Odd thing that - but down in the west but many Old Oak Drivers always seemed to come over as an awkward bunch and were duly treated to as many practical jokes or misleading stories as possible by the locals. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 A bit like the TCS management trainee we had at Rugby for a while, Mr.Pipes. One day a Garston crew came in with a southbound fright, asked where's our back working? Four hours late, take train xxxx back instead. No, we're booked to take train yyyy back and we'll wait for it (overtime clocking up there..).So says Pipes, you'l take xxxx or book off. OK, we'll book off, where's the lodge? Lodge, what lodge? Well, you've booked us off away from home depot so we need hotel for the night... At which poit Pipes said ok, wait for your own train. No, says Garston men, we'll go back on the cushions. And train xxxx stayed there for a couple of days until another Garston crew could be found to work it! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 The OP asked for pic of spotters and bashers too, so I'll include this from 1985 for comedy value: "It's behind you!" 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CullingworthGNR Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Love these photos, thanks for sharing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2012 A bit like the TCS management trainee we had at Rugby for a while, Mr.Pipes. Mike Pipes? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted August 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2012 A bit like the TCS management trainee we had at Rugby for a while, Mr.Pipes. One day a Garston crew came in with a southbound fright, asked where's our back working? Four hours late, take train xxxx back instead. No, we're booked to take train yyyy back and we'll wait for it (overtime clocking up there..).So says Pipes, you'l take xxxx or book off. OK, we'll book off, where's the lodge? Lodge, what lodge? Well, you've booked us off away from home depot so we need hotel for the night... At which poit Pipes said ok, wait for your own train. No, says Garston men, we'll go back on the cushions. And train xxxx stayed there for a couple of days until another Garston crew could be found to work it! And that's how you sometimes had to learn the job - the hard way!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted August 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2012 The title does include spotters so.. Here's me in the cab of a 40 on Holyhead shed, such was the nature of railways at that time that we were always welcomed at, in this case, Holyhead shed, and this was always followed with a visit to the signal box. A big thank you to all the guys who made spotting such a pleasure in those far off days, not just the Holyhead crew 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 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 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 My father, Norman Redwood, when he was WR Civil Engineers Wagon Supervisor visited locations all over the WR checking on the engineers wagon fleet On the verandah of DM298174 at Tavistock Junction, 22/9/80 cheers, 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggesford box Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 A few from south Wales Bernard Trett working Little Mill box Dick Prosser lamping at Abergavenny Edmund point greasing at Abergavenny 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
big T Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 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!!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now