LMS2968 Posted August 29, 2023 Share Posted August 29, 2023 8 hours ago, Matt37268 said: Is this the same railway that that thought it was a good idea to run it without taking the handbrake off on its tender? I don't know about that happening on a preserved railway but it did happen on the main line, between Crewe and Holyhead. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach bogie Posted August 29, 2023 Share Posted August 29, 2023 Staff Training - with interesting PPE Corinda, Queensland. Mike Wiltshire 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 30, 2023 Author Share Posted August 30, 2023 D1015 arriving at Plymouth on rail tour duty on 23rd June 2007, the passengers on platform 8 are probably wondering if the Martians have landed in the south west... 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rugd1022 Posted August 30, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2023 Waterloo, 1940... 24 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bert Cheese Posted August 30, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2023 2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said: Waterloo, 1940... Very nice, there's something about a Lord Nelson...my Dad thought they were fantastic machines and loved working on them unlike some at the time. I remember him telling me they were "a real fireman's engine" as the long partially sloping firebox wasn't easy to keep in good nick on a run and there were around 120 oiling points on prep. I've doubtless posted this before, but here he is fresh from national service demob while still an Eastleigh based fireman, I haven't got the details to hand but am guessing around 1958... 27 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Besley Posted August 31, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 31, 2023 7 hours ago, Bert Cheese said: Very nice, there's something about a Lord Nelson...my Dad thought they were fantastic machines and loved working on them unlike some at the time. I remember him telling me they were "a real fireman's engine" as the long partially sloping firebox wasn't easy to keep in good nick on a run and there were around 120 oiling points on prep. I've doubtless posted this before, but here he is fresh from national service demob while still an Eastleigh based fireman, I haven't got the details to hand but am guessing around 1958... Very nice, got any footplate stories from him, did he work on SR steam till the end on 1967? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Cheese Posted August 31, 2023 Share Posted August 31, 2023 3 hours ago, John Besley said: Very nice, got any footplate stories from him, did he work on SR steam till the end on 1967? Hi John, Yes, in brief he started as a cleaner at Eastleigh shed in 1953 and was out firing fairly quickly with it being a busy depot but done his 18 months national service in Germany just before the photo was taken...being in the catering corps it was a fairly easy posting and I've still got a couple of Marklin 3-rail locos and a load of photos of German steam from the time. On returning to UK he was back firing at 71A until passing for driving in 1964 whereupon he took a move to Basingstoke in order to stay on express work (Eastleigh being a big depot meant as a junior driver he had to start at the bottom in the tank gang and it was obvious steam was nearing its end) He stayed at Basingstoke for the next thirty or so years commuting from Eastleigh every day, seeing out the end of steam on Bulleid pacifics and the BR Standards that remained for the most part before learning the usual 33/47/73 EMU/DEMU fayre alongside the Swindon Warships & Hymeks while they lasted, being a mixed traction depot the work was varied and took him all over the place. A return to mainline steam working in the 80's saw him out on about on various Bulleids & Standards as well as a couple of A4's, the S15 (828) M7 Tank, Sir Lamiel and of course the ubiquitous Flying Scotsman on the Blackmoor Vale Express workings of the time. I was frequently out & about with him at this time at weekends back then, many a happy day spent pootling about in the cabs of Hampshire units or on cross-country turns on 47's and such. Of course nothing lasts forever and when privatisation came along he went to SWT and finished up on mostly EMU work before taking voluntary redundancy when offered as he'd had enough of the job by that time and was strongly opposed to privatisation anyway. Sadly he died at 71 a few years ago... 3 1 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 31, 2023 Author Share Posted August 31, 2023 3 hours ago, Bert Cheese said: Hi John, Yes, in brief he started as a cleaner at Eastleigh shed in 1953 and was out firing fairly quickly with it being a busy depot but done his 18 months national service in Germany just before the photo was taken...being in the catering corps it was a fairly easy posting and I've still got a couple of Marklin 3-rail locos and a load of photos of German steam from the time. On returning to UK he was back firing at 71A until passing for driving in 1964 whereupon he took a move to Basingstoke in order to stay on express work (Eastleigh being a big depot meant as a junior driver he had to start at the bottom in the tank gang and it was obvious steam was nearing its end) He stayed at Basingstoke for the next thirty or so years commuting from Eastleigh every day, seeing out the end of steam on Bulleid pacifics and the BR Standards that remained for the most part before learning the usual 33/47/73 EMU/DEMU fayre alongside the Swindon Warships & Hymeks while they lasted, being a mixed traction depot the work was varied and took him all over the place. A return to mainline steam working in the 80's saw him out on about on various Bulleids & Standards as well as a couple of A4's, the S15 (828) M7 Tank, Sir Lamiel and of course the ubiquitous Flying Scotsman on the Blackmoor Vale Express workings of the time. I was frequently out & about with him at this time at weekends back then, many a happy day spent pootling about in the cabs of Hampshire units or on cross-country turns on 47's and such. Of course nothing lasts forever and when privatisation came along he went to SWT and finished up on mostly EMU work before taking voluntary redundancy when offered as he'd had enough of the job by that time and was strongly opposed to privatisation anyway. Sadly he died at 71 a few years ago... Lovely post that. I wonder if he knew Arnold Hiscock at Eastleigh, he's featured in one of Robert Adley's books. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Besley Posted August 31, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 31, 2023 10 hours ago, Bert Cheese said: Hi John, Yes, in brief he started as a cleaner at Eastleigh shed in 1953 and was out firing fairly quickly with it being a busy depot but done his 18 months national service in Germany just before the photo was taken...being in the catering corps it was a fairly easy posting and I've still got a couple of Marklin 3-rail locos and a load of photos of German steam from the time. On returning to UK he was back firing at 71A until passing for driving in 1964 whereupon he took a move to Basingstoke in order to stay on express work (Eastleigh being a big depot meant as a junior driver he had to start at the bottom in the tank gang and it was obvious steam was nearing its end) He stayed at Basingstoke for the next thirty or so years commuting from Eastleigh every day, seeing out the end of steam on Bulleid pacifics and the BR Standards that remained for the most part before learning the usual 33/47/73 EMU/DEMU fayre alongside the Swindon Warships & Hymeks while they lasted, being a mixed traction depot the work was varied and took him all over the place. A return to mainline steam working in the 80's saw him out on about on various Bulleids & Standards as well as a couple of A4's, the S15 (828) M7 Tank, Sir Lamiel and of course the ubiquitous Flying Scotsman on the Blackmoor Vale Express workings of the time. I was frequently out & about with him at this time at weekends back then, many a happy day spent pootling about in the cabs of Hampshire units or on cross-country turns on 47's and such. Of course nothing lasts forever and when privatisation came along he went to SWT and finished up on mostly EMU work before taking voluntary redundancy when offered as he'd had enough of the job by that time and was strongly opposed to privatisation anyway. Sadly he died at 71 a few years ago... Thank you for thet Bert, sadly time moves on and the ranks of ex BR steam men are going as well 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted August 31, 2023 RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted August 31, 2023 (edited) Some of my pics, both scans of my dads pics and my own prestatyn box I think little jim engineering trains spotting and the day I failed with the sinfin tanks, signaller Tim Helm speaking to the driver of the 37 about the move over the emergency crossover points operators a poignant message in the window at crewe diesel depot after EWS left way back before LSL took over the site Edited August 31, 2023 by big jim 28 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIRTY DIESEL Posted September 1, 2023 Share Posted September 1, 2023 Big Jim's photo at Prestatyn SB, Ivor Jones Locking Fitter in the background, one of the first person to meet on my first day on the railway back in July 1982, Arthur Roberts was his mate for many years & I passed him in the car going though Penmaenmawr yesterday bizarrely... The Signalman was I think a GPR Relief who's name escapes me... 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted September 1, 2023 Share Posted September 1, 2023 4 hours ago, DIRTY DIESEL said: Big Jim's photo at Prestatyn SB, Ivor Jones Locking Fitter in the background, one of the first person to meet on my first day on the railway back in July 1982, Arthur Roberts was his mate for many years & I passed him in the car going though Penmaenmawr yesterday bizarrely... The Signalman was I think a GPR Relief who's name escapes me... Locking fitters - a very rare breed - to actually see a photo of one in the wild ! Loving the Tam O' Shanter (in Wales !!) 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 1, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 1, 2023 11 hours ago, DIRTY DIESEL said: Big Jim's photo at Prestatyn SB, Ivor Jones Locking Fitter in the background, one of the first person to meet on my first day on the railway back in July 1982, Arthur Roberts was his mate for many years & I passed him in the car going though Penmaenmawr yesterday bizarrely... The Signalman was I think a GPR Relief who's name escapes me... I think @Merfyn Jones knew who the signaller was when I first posted that pic many years back in an old incarnation of RMWeb 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIRTY DIESEL Posted September 1, 2023 Share Posted September 1, 2023 11 minutes ago, big jim said: I think @Merfyn Jones knew who the signaller was when I first posted that pic many years back in an old incarnation of RMWeb Merf would definitely, I’m going for Wyne Davies, I’m sure he relieved me a few times at Colwyn Bay Box… Even though I’ve worked an NX Panel for the last 26 years, I saw the ‘lesser spotted’ Locking Fitter more as it was the only place Dave Kips could work/fax his timesheet off. They still maintain our two ground frames, the last time I asked their area nearly covered the Western side of the Uk up to Cumbria… 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 1, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 1, 2023 8 hours ago, Southernman46 said: Locking fitters - a very rare breed - to actually see a photo of one in the wild ! Too true! In the mid-80s, when certain senior S&T people were convinced that the IECC would shortly be the only form of signalling control, Southern apparently had just two locking fitters. It was said they were not allowed to travel in the same van, just in case.... I believe there may yet be pockets of semaphore signalling on the former Southern Region. 7 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rugd1022 Posted September 1, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 1, 2023 Some more bits 'n' bobs... Photo by Colin Alexander : Guide Bridge in April 1981... Photo by Martyn Hearson : Harecastle Tunnel, Kidsgrove in 1966... 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 1, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 1, 2023 9 hours ago, Southernman46 said: Locking fitters - a very rare breed - to actually see a photo of one in the wild ! Loving the Tam O' Shanter (in Wales !!) When put put in the ground frames disguised as a signal box at Tyseley BRM in 1986 we did a deal with the WR S&T Dept for two S&T Techs to install the locking under the direction of the Region's (by then only) qualified Mechanical Locking Tester, John Madeley. in order to re-train them as Locking Fitters. I planned the frame layout and did the Locking Chart which John checked and duly approved and he idd the dog chart for the mechanical locking. So we got a quickly down professional (under training) locing installation and the WR got two newly trained Locking Fitters out of the deal. Just as well as a few years later the Western took back from the LMR the responsibility for the northern end of the North & West Line plus the Shrewsbury area and who should I come across one day in the early 1990s on a signal and 'box photography trip to Shrewsbury but one of 'our' Locking Fitters who was doing some work in Abbey Foregate 'box- so a bit of time was passed discussing what had happened to us in the intervening seven years or. And in typical 'railway family' fashion the Signaman was a relative of the chap who had been the Cardiff Divisional Chief Signalling Inspector who I'd known very well during my time in South Wales 20 years previously. 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post The Border Reiver Posted September 1, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted September 1, 2023 The Blue Pullman entering Paddington station in the 1960s 23 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted September 2, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 2, 2023 Left and middle indicator discs showing so ECS working into the station? 3 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted September 2, 2023 Share Posted September 2, 2023 On 30/08/2023 at 19:21, Rugd1022 said: Waterloo, 1940... 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 2, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 2, 2023 Love the LNER poster and its homage to Southern. They were hardly rivals. Graphic design from that pre-war era was lovely, with E McKnight Kauffer setting high standards for the LPTB and later London Transport. 3 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted September 2, 2023 Share Posted September 2, 2023 Digital point operation at Whatley... Who needs slow-action tortoise point motors? 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 2, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 2, 2023 3 hours ago, keefer said: Left and middle indicator discs showing so ECS working into the station? Yes, it's coming off the Up Engine and Carriage Line towards a platform on the main line departures side. 3 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 2, 2023 Author Share Posted September 2, 2023 1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said: Yes, it's coming off the Up Engine and Carriage Line towards a platform on the main line departures side. It's also pre- the layout remodelling of Padd in October / November '67 when the old searchlight signals were also replaced by MAS colour lights. Lovely image! 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted September 2, 2023 Share Posted September 2, 2023 Conversation point. "Where do I put this chock, mate?" 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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