How many members work (or worked) on the Big Railway?

[LBRJ]

Reading back through here, and being at a bit of a (good) crossroads in my life does make me wonder if a return to the railway in a different role might not be a good idea.

I have the top end of 20 years left in me, don't really need to earn that much and there is a lot of the country I have never lived in yet!

 

Surely some sidings somewhere seek shunter's services?

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Had 14 and a half years, working for BR, started in 1970 at Kings Cross, then left, came back in 1981, left again in 1991 to come to Oz, I worked at Southend, Eastleigh and Leeds, ended up as a guard working on the S&C and Trans Pennine trains.

 

manna

[uax6]

I came to the railway ten years ago (already, that time has flown by!) from the telecoms sector. Working the same box now that I did when I joined, but having engineered a box upgrade last year, has now saved me from having to look to move on. I do my modelling in the box on late turns and weekends, but have also been know to rebuild parts of the van in here too, but with permission (do what you want as long as its legal and you don't delay trains was the answer I got when I asked!) and was caught with an axle in pieces and an engine stripped down!

 

I've been lucky in that the telecoms job was one love, so it didn't feel like a chore, and railways is just the same, the advantage of the railway one being that as soon as you sign off the job is no-longer your responsibility, unlike the telecoms job I latterly had.

 

Now hoping that I'll get to retirement here.....

 

Andy G

[Oldddudders]

 

Olddudders comments raise a fascinating question because they suggest that he might have started on the Railway Studentship Scheme in 1966 which was in fact how & when I also joined BR full time (I'd worked for them previously in holiday jobs before leaving school).  So if we were both on the same induction course at Derby that year he should also appear in a group photo of that year's intake I have somewhere (goodness only knows where alas).

  

Yes, I was accepted to be a Railway Student in 1966, but because I failed an A Level, it was suggested I join anyway and do a resit, which I passed. I was then deemed to be on the scheme, and underwent the peripatetic elements - and fierce interviews with senior Regional managers! - but of course had missed the Derby etc stuff. I’m trying to recall the other students on SR. I’m sure Chris Jago was one, and he was my boss 20 years later at NSE SC. And poor David Wilkins, whose wife suffered renal failure on honeymoon, requiring him to care for her in ways that made it awkward to hold down a railway career. Then there was Max Batten, who was diagnosed with some ghastly bowel disorder, sidelining him at a critical early stage. Some people are truly a great deal less lucky than me.

 

God you're old.

 

You didn't mention surviving Derek Best's tea? Made me wot I is.

Old? Yes, but often told I don’t quite look my age. The secret is no kids!

 

Bestie? Ah yes. “Hello - Cannon” as he answered the phone. I think I last saw him as a Guards’ Controller at Beckenham?

[Nearholmer]

I'm precisely ten years behind you chaps on the conveyor belt of life, then, having started as a Student Engineering Technician (the engineering version of the same scheme) in 1976. My father disguised his disappointment/annoyance that I chose to apply to that scheme, rather than progress direct to Uni, very well - I was desperate to join 'reality' rather than spend more years in a classroom!

[Oldddudders]

I'm precisely ten years behind you chaps on the conveyor belt of life, then, having started as a Student Engineering Technician (the engineering version of the same scheme) in 1976. My father disguised his disappointment/annoyance that I chose to apply to that scheme, rather than progress direct to Uni, very well - I was desperate to join 'reality' rather than spend more years in a classroom!

Presumably your scheme had a sandwich element, Kevin, hopefully leading to a quali of some sort? Mike and I were Students in an era when the scheme was entirely in-house, simply quasi hands-on experience in several disciplines. It was a few years later, but still before your time, that our scheme had a polytechnic course built in. In my case, as my two-years were nearly up, staff shortages in Control meant I was drafted in there as supernumerary, but then applied to stay.

[Nearholmer]

Yes, the initial training was ‘off the job’ workshop practice, then placements in depots etc and HQ, all in parallel with day release study to HNC. The’student’ scheme sat between craft apprenticeships and the graduate training scheme, neither fish nor fowl. I then continued to study, on a ‘teach yourself’ basis, and was accepted as a Chartered Engineer on the basis of a dissertation, which had to display theoretical knowledge to degree level. Later, I studied to Masters level in a slightly different branch of engineering.

 

Looking back, it has all suited my learning style, which is a bit ‘back to front’ ...... I like to learn by a combination of self-tuition and practise, then cement it all together with formal academic material last.

[Mike Storey]

  

Bestie? Ah yes. “Hello - Cannon” as he answered the phone. I think I last saw him as a Guards’ Controller at Beckenham?

 

Now there was an example of a chap to whom you did not mention any rail enthusiasm. "I'm only here for the money" was his favourite phrase, and then he would disappear off downstairs and re-paint the platform destination calling boards, for no pay whatsoever, while one Percy L would be slumped in the corner behind the telex, after "luncheon". True pro. He knocked any romanticism out of me!

 

Unlike my previous job at Sealink Victoria (after doing a summer job on the link span at Dover) where there were 21 of us crammed into the the nissan hut in Hudson's Place, of whom 19 were young, mostly French and Italian, women.........that's why I stayed there for three years.

[E3109]

I remember when I joined up to the last vestiges of BR, 1992 it was and doesn't seem like two minutes ago.

One of my good railway mates, T&RS guy at Lime St called me 'a mere railway foetus' at the time, he was right then and he's probably right now.

He'd still call me that anyway!

 

Got 26 years in and sometimes it doesn't seem like it at all.

Sorry guys not been home long off a night turn, might be tomorrow or Sunday when I amend the first post to create a poll.

If anyone wants to do this on a separate thread then feel free.

 

Cheers

E3109

[APOLLO]

I NEARLY worked on the big railway !!

 

Just before leaving Wigan Grammar School back in 1969 they held a jobs fair, a lot of local firms present and the big nationalised ones also. I spent an hour with British Rail, showing an interest in civil engineering / signalling side. Various other stands were visited, along with The North western Gas Board, which offered 5 year apprenticeships in gas engineering (4 or 5 O levels required) or gas fitting.

 

First off a couple of weeks later was an interview at St Helens with the Gas Board. The training officer was a superb guy, when he asked me about my hobbies I told him (amongst other things) "model railways" - and several questions were asked about its construction / wiring etc. I drew a diagram of the circuit for my Hornby Dubblo colourlight junction signals, switches made out of copper pipe clips and cut up pipe !!  Must have helped as I got the job and started 2 weeks later with an induction course stating what lied ahead. (ONC, HNC on the job training etc).

 

Couple of months later two letters arrived from British Rail complete with rail tickets to Manchester / Liverpool to attend interviews. What to do ?. I spoke to my father, and I'll never forget him saying "There is a future in Gas with north sea gas coming, and your gas apprenticeship is first class, There's little future in the Railways though - stay with the gas and keep railways as your hobby".  That's exactly what I did, I wrote to BR explaining my situation and thanked them. What followed was 40 interesting years in the Gas Industry working with many wonderful folks (some of which I'll meet in a couple of weeks for our bi-annual pi**up !!!).

 

Brit15

[E3109]

Can I just add to that Apollo, one of my best mates at school (who is still a best mate) knew from an early age that he was destined for the iron ribbons.

 

I'm sure he won't mind me saying that he wasn't the brightest academically, but streetwise he could run rings around most of us.

Teachers seem to favour academics over common sense folks, I suppose that's due to their own career choices and/or prejudices.

 

Any road he told the careers teacher that "I'm going to work on the railway."

She replied that he was too thick to do that [sic] .

 

He started on the BR YTS that year.

His first job was a crossing keeper on the Southport line.

Can I just say, he's now a freight driver again, on more money than that 'teacher' can ever dream of, why is it the 'academics' like to drag us mere plebs down?

 

When he was a passenger driver he longed to see her boarding his train at Wallgate, perhaps to even the score.

Sadly it never happened but I hope it does at some point.

By the way my mate is 'Fat Daz' of "The Bashers" Tv show fame, freely available on YouTube.

 

One of the most decent people I've ever known.

He's fecking nuts, but in a good way!

[Oldddudders]

I came to the railway ten years ago (already, that time has flown by!) from the telecoms sector.

 

I've been lucky in that the telecoms job was one love, so it didn't feel like a chore, and railways is just the same, the advantage of the railway one being that as soon as you sign off the job is no-longer your responsibility, unlike the telecoms job I latterly had.

The railway was a leading user and developer of telecomms. Between the wars, the new Southern Railway exchange at Waterloo was inspected by GPO engineers to see what and how. And in more recent times, the ETD network was an excellent tool. A private network from Penzance to Thurso really did have uses.

[E3109]

Indeed and as I understand it, Reddish Depot basically invented 'clear call' facilities on the 76s which led to the development of the baby alarms we all know.

Bet the fitter/sparky at RS didn't see a groat in royalties though.

[andyman7]

 

Couple of months later two letters arrived from British Rail complete with rail tickets to Manchester / Liverpool to attend interviews. What to do ?. I spoke to my father, and I'll never forget him saying "There is a future in Gas with north sea gas coming, and your gas apprenticeship is first class, There's little future in the Railways though - stay with the gas and keep railways as your hobby".  That's exactly what I did, I wrote to BR explaining my situation and thanked them. What followed was 40 interesting years in the Gas Industry working with many wonderful folks (some of which I'll meet in a couple of weeks for our bi-annual pi**up !!!).

 

Brit15

That reminds me of my own experience in the summer of '87 when a couple of my friends who also wanted to work rather than go to university went into banking because of course it had a future - whereas I for some reason joined the railways, which had been in pretty much continuous decline since the war. I'm lucky (and glad) that my career has happened during a real rail renaissance - no-one these days talks about shutting the whole lot down (as was the talk pre-Serpell in '82 with the flexible rostering disputes).

 

That is why, much as love the history of the industry, I struggle with those inside and outside the job who think of the 50s and 60s misty-eyed as a halcyon age - yes, there were fantastic sights and sounds, but back then it was a dying industry and I'm not sure I could have derived any satisfaction from an industry that was measured by the latest line cut, yard lifted, site sold off.  

[Nearholmer]

Indeed.

 

There was a point about two years in when, during a wave of negative media coverage, I paused and thought: OMFG, have I joined the wrong industry?

 

But, it was always obvious that London couldn’t function without electric railways above and below ground, so I shelved that thought.

 

One of my brothers was less fortunate, training as a production engineer, so designing factories. He was hit by three sequential waves of redundancy, as manufacture moved from the U.K. to the Far East.

[Rugd1022]

After what I wrote in my initial post I've now caught up with the thread which has made me look back 'over my shoulder' somewhat. I've been incredibly lucky in my time on the railway, getting on the footplate in my teens, driving all kinds of traction as a secondman (sometimes on my own!) and working with some fantastic old hands, ex-GWR, LMS and LNER men mostly. Despite only working at three different depots and only officially signing three classes of traction I'm astonished that I managed to drive 08s, 09s, 25s, 31s, 37s, 40s, 45s, 46s, 47s, 50s (all fifty of them), 56s, 57s, 58s, 60s, 66s, 67s, 81s, 82s, 83s, 85s, 86s, 87s and HSTs, all of which have been enjoyed for different reasons. My now quite extensive route card has always been one of the most satisfying parts of my job, covering as it does the bottom half of the WCML, MML, various parts of my beloved old WR and all the tangled bits of the spider's web which connect them all together in London. I've been very lucky in that respect as at some depots all you see is the same short stretch of route, day in, day out.

 

Railway mojo slightly restored.... I'm on a job down Worcester way this coming Monday, bring it on...!

[The Stationmaster]

  

Yes, I was accepted to be a Railway Student in 1966, but because I failed an A Level, it was suggested I join anyway and do a resit, which I passed. I was then deemed to be on the scheme, and underwent the peripatetic elements - and fierce interviews with senior Regional managers! - but of course had missed the Derby etc stuff. I’m trying to recall the other students on SR. I’m sure Chris Jago was one, and he was my boss 20 years later at NSE SC. And poor David Wilkins, whose wife suffered renal failure on honeymoon, requiring him to care for her in ways that made it awkward to hold down a railway career. Then there was Max Batten, who was diagnosed with some ghastly bowel disorder, sidelining him at a critical early stage. Some people are truly a great deal less lucky than me.

 

 

 

Chris Jago I can definitely recall from the Induction Course, the next time I came across him was when I was on the Middle Management Course at The Grove and he was one of the course tutors - thence his rise was rapid.  I'm not so sure about the other two and in fact can only readily recall one of the WR intake for that year (were we the only two I wonder?).

 

No doubt in my mind that we were seen as a ready source of labour for whatever jobs were required as we neared the end of training.  I missed the last couple of months having been whipped off to carry out a review of all the Signalmen's seniority and official posts on the London Division - many were working several grades out of what their staff history cards said.  And having then got a DMO ops job I was picked on regularly by several Area folk looking for Booking Office cover in the evenings - which led to some entertainment when it became known those of us helping out were being paid at our own rate instead of the (lower) rate for the job we were covering (we 'won' when those of us involved refused to act as cover unless we were paid at our own rates).  

 

However all that stopped when I went up to RHQ as RHQ staff were not allowed to work at station level (which would have been very lucrative, but it gave me more time for my then regular involvement with Pendon).  The big advantage of the RHQ job was that I retained my rate on a personal basis when I got onto the Management Training Scheme c.9 months later although some of my compatriots on the scheme couldn't understand why I was being paid quite a lot more than them.

[TheSignalEngineer]

I came from a mix of families with railway members back into the mists of time. The house I was born in was occupied by my Grandfather who was Signal lineman at Proof House. I believe his father worked at a goods depot at one time and his Grandfather I think worked on the Goods, possibly at Hockley. He had a brother on the goods at Pitsford Street, Hockley. That would take us back about 150 years. His Father-in-Law was a Signal Fitter at New Street. His Sister-in-Law worked at Central Goods and Brother-in-Law at Aston Goods.

On my mother's side her Grandfather worked on the Goods at Curzon Street and she had an Uncle who started his working life at Bromsgrove Wagon Works and others who worked on the PWay there.

 

I cabbed my first loco at New Street at the age of one and threequarters, the driver being my Grandfather's Brother-in-Law. I pulled my first signal lever at New Street No.2 box just before I started school, and the same day rode the S&D from end to end and travelled the Swanage Branch in stock still wearing Southern livery despite being five years after Nationalisation.

 

In 1966 I joined the CS&TE, LMR as an Engineering Student, getting the opportunity to learn how the railway was put together from the ground up at the hands of men who started as far back as the LNWR and Midland as well as virtually anywhere on the Big Four. 30 years of BR and over 7 of privatisation saw me take early retirement. Some consultancy jobs over the next few years saw me finally put my pen away 49 years from when I started having worked on most things from lever frames installed in the 1870s to a new ROC.

 

Regarding modelling, I started  from Hornby O gauge clockwork through 3-rail but gave up after I started work and a house move meant the layout had to be dismantled.  After our son was born I built a small Hornby roundy for him, then took over most of the garage for a 12' x 8' of my own. That lasted until a house move and didn't get rebuilt due to increasing family and work responsibilities. A few of the things from those days still survive in use now such as kit-built wagons and modified RTR stuff. The Airfix 0-4-2T which worked the branch is running again on a Dapol chassis following a recent conversion to a no top feed version.

 

I didn't really start up againg until I cut down on work. I had a lot of catching up to do and spent several years collecting and modifying stock as layout plans changed and developed. I'm at the state now where all of the track is in operation and there is just scenic stuff left to do.

 

On the train spotting front I was mainly active from about 1957 to 1966. After that I didn't really take much interest, whether because I spent a lot of the time keeping out of the way of them or the end of steam on our area i don't know. I still did some trips around and photography at times but just sort of kept up with what was going on train-wise. 

 

Modelling didn't really feature at work until I was in the Drawing Office. We were looking for suggestions for additions to the Magazine Club. The Assistant DS&TE suggested Railway Modeller or MRC. It was then we found out he was heavily into GWR steam in Somerset as a modelling focus. My next boss was into signalling history and line-bagging. I then worked for a great boss later the top man in Signalling Works at BRB who was into model engineering. In later times at least two of my former colleagues have exhibited at Warley, one winning Best Layout.

Edited May 25, 2018 by TheSignalEngineer

[TheSignalEngineer]

The second colleague I mentioned having exhibited at Warley had his layout mentioned in a couple of Carl Arendt blogs and has written several magazine articles about narrow gauge modelling.

[Steadfast]

im a young pup to the railway, only started in 2001

If you're a young pup, what does that make me? Haha, 3 1/2 years in, started in 2015 at 25, with one hand the time has flown but with the other it very quickly became a way of life and normality. Once you're in its hard to let go of the railway.

I'm an operations supervisor, but in plain English I'm a shunter, but the job entails way more than it did traditionally, with us doing our own TOPS, examining and preparing trains as well as dealing with customers and other 3Rd parties. No two days are the same, the shifts are long and I'm frequently covered in grease and the odd unusual bruise but I love it! Who knows what the rest of my career holds, no doubt there'll be some big changes on the railway in the future

 

Jo

Edited May 25, 2018 by Steadfast

[sem34090]

We've probably been on the same train John when I've either been travelling to or from work.

I know for a fact I have! The name combined with that Barnham 313sqn Badge gave it away...

[Southernman46]

38 years not out doing loads off different stuff started as a Student Engineering Technician Apprentice at Selhurst , then Elect, Ops, Contracts, Pway in no particular order and now playing trains on a giant East London model railway ...................

[kopite]

By the way my mate is 'Fat Daz' of "The Bashers" Tv show fame, freely available on YouTube.

One of the most decent people I've ever known.

He's fecking nuts, but in a good way!

Funny enough I watched “The Bashers” on YouTube last night. Those guys are really fanatics.

[Mike Storey]

If you're a young pup, what does that make me? Haha, 3 1/2 years in, started in 2015 at 25, with one hand the time has flown but with the other it very quickly became a way of life and normality. Once you're in its hard to let go of the railway.

I'm an operations supervisor, but in plain English I'm a shunter, but the job entails way more than it did traditionally, with us doing our own TOPS, examining and preparing trains as well as dealing with customers and other 3Rd parties. No two days are the same, the shifts are long and I'm frequently covered in grease and the odd unusual bruise but I love it! Who knows what the rest of my career holds, no doubt there'll be some big changes on the railway in the future

 

Jo

 

Just an old geezer's suggestion, but with the wide range of experience you are building up, and your clear understanding, and when the shine of being covered in grease wears off a bit, I think you have a very good career ahead of you. Just don't leave it too long to start looking.

['CHARD]

 

I am now involved with couplers, transmissions and radiators. 

 

 

I'm pretty sure I could name your place of work in one!