w124bob Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 I moved to Orpington for promotion in the spring of 1983, on moving away at the end of 1986 to Manchester Victoria the then area manager had a quick chat with me. He had started his railway career at Newton Heath as a cleaner, he wished me well and handed me a list of names of those he knew in those early days as an engine cleaner. Of the names on the list around half a dozen were still around. Sadly I can't remember the area managers name can anyone help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 6, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 6, 2021 (edited) David Jones had been AM in the early '80s, but he was a South Western man, having been SM at Seaton. I don't know who succeeded him. The Area Ops Manager was Tom Burch, I think, and Ben Dyer may have been TrainCrew Manager - he was ex-WR footplate. Sadly, emphysema took him early. Edit : Fred Collinson may also have been a senior name there in that era. Edited July 6, 2021 by Oldddudders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 6, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 6, 2021 Ian - do you mean Tom Birch or is it another person you have in mind? Tom Birch would have been about the right age although I don't know if he had worked on the southern although it is more than possible. Sadly Tom died relatively young a good while back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 6, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 6, 2021 6 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said: Ian - do you mean Tom Birch or is it another person you have in mind? Tom Birch would have been about the right age although I don't know if he had worked on the southern although it is more than possible. Sadly Tom died relatively young a good while back. Yup. That's the chap, and I knew he'd not seen old age. I think he was a modeller, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 6, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 6, 2021 51 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: Yup. That's the chap, and I knew he'd not seen old age. I think he was a modeller, too. He was indeed although he was very much into various continental things and was a member of a couple of the specialist continental modelling societies - he used to be a regular at shows on their stands which is, apart from emails, how he and I kept in touch after we'd both left the Western. Really nice chap with masses of enthusiasm for both work and his hobby and very sad that he died young. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w124bob Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 Fred Collinson was the gentle man I had in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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