Anybody on here worked on the Railway?


Recommended Posts

Well Donnyred. Our paths must have crossed as I worked as a shunter at Nottingham Carriage Sidings from 1980 when I progressed from carriage cleaning until 1985 when I transferred to Derby. You must have been one of the many guards that did the Cot-Rat and Huck - Rat. Remember Aubrey Britton and George Hunt? They were also guards.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

I worked as a clerk in the parcel office at London Road Low Level in 1963.

For the princely sum of £10 per week.

During night shifts I learned to do a very commendable impression of (racing) pigeons, which had to be brought into the office out of the cold. :)

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...

Hi

I'm new on here, I stumbled upon this forum accidentally while trying to find archives of BR staff from the 70's.

I grew up in Toton, Stabbo then Long Eaton.

I started as a Probationer(S&T) in 1974 with BR at the London Road station S&T offices; August Bank Holiday 1974 straight from school, doing the rounds with the various trades in between college until I left BR as 2nd Tier Technician at Trent Power Box late 1979. (any further progress was in dead mans shoes as they say.......)

My Paternal Grandmother, Elsie Hardy, was a signalwoman in a box on the old Toton High Level. My Auntie Mary used to work in the same box on opposite shifts but I can't remember her. They had been there since the war. There was an article about her when she retired (1970?) in the Nottingham evening post which my mother still has.

Oddly enough while I was training at the Toton depot (Up Side under the Hump Shunting Room) the Old Linesman Ivor Hibbitt, knew her from when he was a young bloke.

My Paternal Grandfather was a Ganger on the track team based at Sandiacre.

After I left BR I spent time at Plessey (Lenton?) and Rolls Royce in Derby, before returning to the rail industry for one of the growing Signalling Contractors ML Engineering in Plymouth, and eventually out here in Sydney from 1989.

I look forward to browsing this site, which will trigger old memories I hope.............

Julian

Link to post
Share on other sites

ValuerJim, I looked at your website and clicked on Annesley crew past and present. I found a photo of my granddad in the cab of a black five at Nottm Midland station with Roland Davies and Jeff Pearson.

  • Upvote 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...

My Dad worked for British rail which is why we moved to Nottingham in 1964. I remember him working at Furlong House & also being at Toton sidings a lot if there were any incidents. He was an engineer named Allen Cowx. He eventually went to work for BR in Derby before he suddenly & sadly died aged 56 in 1981.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I worked on the railway from 1983 until they pensioned me off in 1995. I started as a trackman at Beeston and gradually worked my way up to the dizzy ranks of assistant section PW manager at Trent. I honestly believe that this was the best job I have ever had....and I've had a few. It was just a pity that I developed arthritis in both of my knees and was unable to carry out my duties. Hence the reason for pensioning me off. Part of my duties as APWSM were to walk from Loughborough to Long Eaton and Derby to Long Eaton inspecting the track and finding work for the P Way gangs but towards the end I found it quite difficult to walk. Normally, I believe that the engineer would have let me stay on but in a different job, but at the time, the railways were going through the privatisation programme and were getting rid of all the dead wood....so as to speak. The beauty of it all is since I retired, I have had two knee replacements.......and I get to keep my quota of free passes. If you want to know any further details....you know where I am Dennis Baker

Link to post
Share on other sites

I forgot to mention in my last post that I first joined the railways in 1958 as a junior porter at Beeston Station. I was 17 years old then . When I reached the ripe old age of 18, I applied for, and got the job of a signal lamp man. This involved climbing signal posts and gantry's, filling up the paraffin lamps and cleaning the lens. Each filling would last just one week. If one was ever forgotten, of course, the lamp would burn out, so it would be me that was called out in the night to fill it up

Link to post
Share on other sites

Lamp man Bless you. What a job!! We had to do the few signals operated from Engine Sidings No. 2 box at Derby until it was decommissioned. Just the few signals controlling the entrance to 4-shed. Going up those steps with hands full was ok in good weather but very scary in high winds.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 8 months later...
On ‎26‎/‎11‎/‎2015 at 9:21 AM, iandawson said:

Julian is that the signal company in Estover?

Ian sorry mate

 

I haven't been on here for a while...................

 

yes it was - why do you ask  ?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Reading everyones posts here, brings back memories

 

It was a great job and some of the stuff we did then you wouldn't be allowed to do today, for many reasons LOL

It was poor pay though and at the end we were relying on Sundays to make the pay up.

When I left I went to Plessey ay Lenton in the drawing office, and I never thought I'd end up back in the Railway business.

I stayed at Plessey a year (didn't fit in......motorcyclist!) the was lucky enough to score a position on the test facility at Derby with Rolls Royce. Another brilliant job I held down for 5 years.

 

I've been back in the Rail Industry now since 1984 and its no fun in these PC tortured days.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...