The human side of the railway...

[33C]

42 minutes ago, lmsforever said:

See that the main tool of the sixties carried by fitter thats some hammer !

Well spotted!

[rab]

I think at one time it was said that a fitter's tool kit consisted of a hammer and a cold chisel.

By the time I served my apprenticeship, that had changed to a hammer, a cold chisel and a can of WD40!

[Nick C]

31 minutes ago, rab said:

I think at one time it was said that a fitter's tool kit consisted of a hammer and a cold chisel.

By the time I served my apprenticeship, that had changed to a hammer, a cold chisel and a can of WD40!

Then it became a hammer, a can of WD40 and a roll of duct tape.

 

These days it's a laptop...

[33C]

5 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Then it became a hammer, a can of WD40 and a roll of duct tape.

 

These days it's a laptop...

.......and a 100 page risk assessment......

[rab]

1 hour ago, Nick C said:

Then it became a hammer, a can of WD40 and a roll of duct tape.

 

These days it's a laptop...

I was well out of my apprenticeship and settled in the drawing office

before duct tape became popular,  but laptops, now that's another story.

 

 

[The Pilotman]

Man and machine 

 

 

From Flickr by Acton Wells Junction

[Ramblin Rich]

29 minutes ago, The Pilotman said:

Man and machine 

 

 

From Flickr by Acton Wells Junction

Is that Guy Martin in a previous life....? 🤪

[adanapress]

A nice tale about the railway family from way back in the early 1960s.  The then District Motive Power boss at Norwich, one Geoff Ford (a former Gresley Premium Apprentice)  after a long illness,  passed away. The family had gathered in his home at Strumpshaw, & were awaiting the various cars to take us to the funeral.  To our vast amazement a large coach pulled up in the lane  outside, packed solid with his men who came to the funeral and sang their heads off.  The family was vastly moved as you can imagine.    Many many thanks to the fellers of that era in that branch,   from his nephew. I sadly doubt if one sees this sort of thing  so much now, the managers are perhaps not quite the same nowadays,  I fear. .

[ozzyo]

On 29/11/2022 at 14:45, Rugd1022 said:

St.Pancras in the early '60s...

 

 

Thats not a big hammer it's only about 11/2 - 2Lbs  you want to see a 35Lb flogging hammer.

 

ATB

 

OzzyO.

[Rugd1022]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[russ p]

Great pictures Nidge but whatever BR thinking dressing blue pullman drivers as milkman? 

Imagine trying to keep that coat clean.  I wonder if the railway cleaned it or if it was upto the driver.

I've never seen such a picture but it makes me wonder if any got filthy and scruffy like quite a few individuals were when we got that corporate collection uniform.  There were some right sacks of $hit wandering about in those!

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

 

28 minutes ago, russ p said:

Great pictures Nidge but whatever BR thinking dressing blue pullman drivers as milkman? 

Imagine trying to keep that coat clean.  I wonder if the railway cleaned it or if it was upto the driver.

I've never seen such a picture but it makes me wonder if any got filthy and scruffy like quite a few individuals were when we got that corporate collection uniform.  There were some right sacks of $hit wandering about in those!

The driver of the Pullman looks a lot like a former driver I know who did in fact drive the Blue Pullman. His name is Len Olley and he is now 96 years old, a little frail now but still has all his marbles. He told me that the drivers were responsible for taking care of the white coats despite the fact that the return working could be driving a filthy 8F on a freight. That is the reason that the white coats were done away with within a year of the commencement of the service.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

Great pictures Nidge but whatever BR thinking dressing blue pullman drivers as milkman? 

Imagine trying to keep that coat clean.  I wonder if the railway cleaned it or if it was upto the driver.

I've never seen such a picture but it makes me wonder if any got filthy and scruffy like quite a few individuals were when we got that corporate collection uniform.  There were some right sacks of $hit wandering about in those!

Known to the footplate fraternity at Old Oak as 'ice cream salesmen' (well the Walls ice cream factory wasn't far away in those days - on the Downside just west of Friars Jcn).. 

[Mike 84C]

I never ever wore that ghastly cap with its soft kneb. That's the one that came with the corporate blue total lack of style uniform. BR would have been better of using the old railcar drivers uniform.

  What a mess we must have looked! Some crews mixed up the parts they liked from all three!

[Not Jeremy]

This is such a good thread.

 

Not to forget those hardy platform souls, I call this snap "opening up at Garsdale" - apologies if I have shared it before(!)

 

 

This taken from standing next to my parked VW Golf - it was very wet!!

[Rugd1022]

Thursday 8th August 1963 - several hours after the train robbery at Bridego bridge, the remaining ten vehicles of the overnight 1M44 Up Postal arrive at their intended destination, London Euston hauled by D5075, the seventy or so GPO workers stranded on the train start to make their way home...

 

 

Kensington Olympia, early '60s...

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Rugd1022

[Rugd1022]

[keefer]

Great pics Nidge - I take it the shunter and horseboxes are at Kenny O or Earl's Court?

The photo of Mr. Jowett and 7046 is good for showing the blue data panel on a green loco, looks like someone's tarted up the builder's plate too.

EDIT: just noticed Nidge says Kenny O oops!

Edited January 30, 2023 by keefer

[Rugd1022]

6 hours ago, keefer said:

Great pics Nidge - I take it the shunter and horseboxes are at Kenny O or Earl's Court?

The photo of Mr. Jowett and 7046 is good for showing the blue data panel on a green loco, looks like someone's tarted up the builder's plate too.

 

Kenny O 😉

[Rugd1022]

Photo c/o Anthony Gregory : the first one is unknown location but the second one is Coalville driver and later guard Harry Johnson...

 

 

 

[Rugd1022]

Photo by Tim Petty : Ely, October 1963...

[1E BoY]

On 28/12/2022 at 14:48, Rugd1022 said:

Thursday 8th August 1963 - several hours after the train robbery at Bridego bridge, the remaining ten vehicles of the overnight 1M44 Up Postal arrive at their intended destination, London Euston hauled by D5075, the seventy or so GPO workers stranded on the train start to make their way home..

 

In the aftermath of the Great Train Robbery, the locomotive and two of the vehicles were stabled for some days in the former branch line platform at Cheddington station to allow forensic examinations to take place inside the vehicles. The branch ran to Aylesbury High Street and at the time of the robbery was still open for freight (it closed on 2nd December 1963).

 

As Cheddington was in the area served by the Bletchley Area Manager's office, drivers from Bletchley MPD were sent to Cheddington to keep the loco ticking over when required to provide power to the train for the police. My late father was one of them. 

 

I have seen television coverage of the train in the bay platform on several occasions. There are numerous images here https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/cheddington

 

D5075 was allocated to 1A Willesden at the time of the robbery and would have taken the other vehicles forward to Euston once Police had cleared their removal.

 

 

 

[Rugd1022]

1 hour ago, 1E BoY said:

 

In the aftermath of the Great Train Robbery, the locomotive and two of the vehicles were stabled for some days in the former branch line platform at Cheddington station to allow forensic examinations to take place inside the vehicles. The branch ran to Aylesbury High Street and at the time of the robbery was still open for freight (it closed on 2nd December 1963).

 

As Cheddington was in the area served by the Bletchley Area Manager's office, drivers from Bletchley MPD were sent to Cheddington to keep the loco ticking over when required to provide power to the train for the police. My late father was one of them. 

 

I have seen television coverage of the train in the bay platform on several occasions. There are numerous images here https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/cheddington

 

D5075 was allocated to 1A Willesden at the time of the robbery and would have taken the other vehicles forward to Euston once Police had cleared their removal.

 

 

 

 

Fascinating, thanks for sharing that. Something that is rarely if ever mentioned is the fact that D326 was sent back light engine to Crewe from Cheddington by mistake on the day after the robbery, the Senior Investigating Officer got wind of it and insisted that it be immediately sent back to Cheddington for further forensic examination.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Rugd1022

[WessexEclectic]

"Catenary - Scenery, with cats" - Uxbridge English Dictionary.

Clacton 12/04/93 from here.

[Rugd1022]

London Euston, 1957...