Moving house in the 1960s

[John Oxlade]

My parents moved house in the early 1960s from Salisbury to Redhill. "Big deal" I hear you say, but they did it by rail. Dad worked on the railway at Salisbury as a fireman but got a driving job at Norwood temporarily until a permanent post came up at Redhill. But they moved directly from Salisbury to Redhill and he commuted for a while.

Now I presume (?) their house contents came up in a door-to-door container, but my knowledge of BR wagon load freight is minimal, and I wasn't even born then.

I also presume that a truck would've come to their house in Salisbury, loaded straight into the container and then once off-loaded at Redhill, the same thing happen again.

Can some enlighten me on how the process actually worked, and what the differences are between the different container types - other than the obvious size?

Any and all would be appreciated.

Many thanks,

John

[Fat Controller]

The container would have probably been a B (without side doors) , a BD (with side doors). http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brconflata/h2d36fa0c#h2d36fa0c or a BK http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/road/h4e4be514#h4e4be514

I suspect that, as the loading crew would have been loading from ground level, they would have tried to use a step-frame trailer to reduce the amount things would have to be lifted by. The container would have been put on to rail at Salisbury, worked initially towards Feltham, tripped to Norwood Junction, then worked to Redhill, presuming Redhill had facilities for off-loading containers.

[The Stationmaster]

Members of staff moving on promotion, transfer, or redundancy at that time were entitled to have the move paid for by the railway although usually it was done by professional removers; you were required to obtain three quotes one of which had to be from Pickfords and the railway selected who would move you.  Presumably in your dad's case the cheapest option was by BR container although that sort of option ceased to exist by sometime in the '60s as far as I know.

 

I'm not sure when the railway ceased to pay for house moves, other than on redundancy, for the majority of staff and although I worked all over the place over the years I managed to get away without moving house because of a railway job change so I never had advantage of it.

[Oldddudders]

The container would have probably been a B (without side doors) , a BD (with side doors). http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brconflata/h2d36fa0c#h2d36fa0c or a BK http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/road/h4e4be514#h4e4be514

I suspect that, as the loading crew would have been loading from ground level, they would have tried to use a step-frame trailer to reduce the amount things would have to be lifted by. The container would have been put on to rail at Salisbury, worked initially towards Feltham, tripped to Norwood Junction, then worked to Redhill, presuming Redhill had facilities for off-loading containers.

Redhill Goods was located next to the Quarry Line where it emerged from the Sand Tunnel, only just round the bend from Earlswood station really. AFAIK it had a full range of handling kit in those days, being a major centre for parcel and freight distribution. A Neville Kilner was the manager when I joined BR in 1966.

[OldSutt]

SWMBO recalls moving from Oreston by rail when her father took over Station House 

at Plymstock in the 40's. No details are forthcoming, only that her doll's pram was so transported.

[Fat Controller]

Members of staff moving on promotion, transfer, or redundancy at that time were entitled to have the move paid for by the railway although usually it was done by professional removers; you were required to obtain three quotes one of which had to be from Pickfords and the railway selected who would move you.  Presumably in your dad's case the cheapest option was by BR container although that sort of option ceased to exist by sometime in the '60s as far as I know.

 

I'm not sure when the railway ceased to pay for house moves, other than on redundancy, for the majority of staff and although I worked all over the place over the years I managed to get away without moving house because of a railway job change so I never had advantage of it.

We had our move paid for by Eurotunnel, so it was a sort of 'railway move'- the three quotes rule applied still.

Pickfords would have been nominated because they were still part of the British Transport Commission's territory at the time.

[John Oxlade]

Redhill Goods was located next to the Quarry Line where it emerged from the Sand Tunnel, only just round the bend from Earlswood station really. AFAIK it had a full range of handling kit in those days, being a major centre for parcel and freight distribution. A Neville Kilner was the manager when I joined BR in 1966.

We may have had this discussion before - in which case please excuse me - but if you joined BR in 1966 (presumably around Redhill if you knew the name of the manager at the goods yard), did you know my father Ken' Oxlade? He was a driver there from 1963 until he retired in 1993.

[Oldddudders]

We may have had this discussion before - in which case please excuse me - but if you joined BR in 1966 (presumably around Redhill if you knew the name of the manager at the goods yard), did you know my father Ken' Oxlade? He was a driver there from 1963 until he retired in 1993.

Sadly not. Initially I was at Dorking North, where the SM and his lady chief clerk were on almost daily speaking complaint terms with Redhill Goods about the performance of the parcels cartage van delivery driver, one Mr Wales, hence my clear recollection of the manager's name. I worked at Redhill in the Control from April '68 until it moved to Croydon in July '69, but was only either office boy or later Area 1 Assistant in that time, so had no dealings with drivers direct. Drivers were still only managed directly by men who had themselves come from the footplate line of promotion - this was the last vestiges of the old Motive Power Department. A rather decent chap called Cyril was the favourite Running Foreman at Redhill Shed, I recall. While steam had not long gone from there, it was such a different railway from that of today - but then, it is more than 40 years ago, and 40 years before that takes us back to 1926, when the world was rather different again!

[John Oxlade]

Sadly not. Initially I was at Dorking North, where the SM and his lady chief clerk were on almost daily speaking complaint terms with Redhill Goods about the performance of the parcels cartage van delivery driver, one Mr Wales, hence my clear recollection of the manager's name. I worked at Redhill in the Control from April '68 until it moved to Croydon in July '69, but was only either office boy or later Area 1 Assistant in that time, so had no dealings with drivers direct. Drivers were still only managed directly by men who had themselves come from the footplate line of promotion - this was the last vestiges of the old Motive Power Department. A rather decent chap called Cyril was the favourite Running Foreman at Redhill Shed, I recall. While steam had not long gone from there, it was such a different railway from that of today - but then, it is more than 40 years ago, and 40 years before that takes us back to 1926, when the world was rather different again!

The second I read "Cyril" WHITE sprang to mind, but I am not sure if we're talking about the same person. My Dad was born 1928 in Southampton, started as a fireman at Salisbury then got promoted to driver but had to move outside the area as there were no vacancies at the time. He wanted to move to Redhill - never been quite sure why - but had a temporary move to Norwood until a more permanent move came up. I know he didn't like driving electrics at Norwood and was much happier at Redhil MTD.

[jonhall]

 

Now I presume (?) their house contents came up in a door-to-door container, but my knowledge of BR wagon load freight is minimal, and I wasn't even born then.

I also presume that a truck would've come to their house in Salisbury, loaded straight into the container and then once off-loaded at Redhill, the same thing happen again.

Can some enlighten me on how the process actually worked, and what the differences are between the different container types - other than the obvious size?

 

 

John, This thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64948-traditional-container-traffic-photos-from-the-nrm/ showing container photos from the NRM may be helpful, most of the examples shown are LMS/LNER and their respective BR regions, but the process was probably pretty similar for BR(S) - frustratingly the links to Liverpool Street photos have been changed, but if you browse to that group you can find them.

 

House removals is the sort of subject that the PR departments might well have out on a filmstrip to help sell the service to prospective customers.

 

Jon

[Fat Controller]

John, This thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64948-traditional-container-traffic-photos-from-the-nrm/ showing container photos from the NRM may be helpful, most of the examples shown are LMS/LNER and their respective BR regions, but the process was probably pretty similar for BR(S) - frustratingly the links to Liverpool Street photos have been changed, but if you browse to that group you can find them.

 

House removals is the sort of subject that the PR departments might well have out on a filmstrip to help sell the service to prospective customers.

 

Jon

I don't know about house removals, but there was at least one film showing an entire farm, apart from the buildings, being moved. This included household effects in containers, as well as livestock and machinery.

[Oldddudders]

The second I read "Cyril" WHITE sprang to mind, but I am not sure if we're talking about the same person. My Dad was born 1928 in Southampton, started as a fireman at Salisbury then got promoted to driver but had to move outside the area as there were no vacancies at the time. He wanted to move to Redhill - never been quite sure why - but had a temporary move to Norwood until a more permanent move came up. I know he didn't like driving electrics at Norwood and was much happier at Redhil MTD.

Yes, I'm sure that was the chap. I met him a few times in my Control days - he would pop in to talk to the Motive Power Controller occasionally, and I'm sure I was shown round what was left of the shed. Mixed traction was a very different world from the EMU depots - no chimney-pot trips, and every day a little different from the last, no doubt.