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Re a "Day Trip" Topic. Yes Oz lots of job practices have changed since those days, Sunday working is now voluntary, on a public transport system? back then you had a booked turn every 4th. Sunday and be available on the 2nd Sunday as well. Very rarely refused as they & overtime were the only bonuses to a rather poor wage.

Excursions on Sundays & bank holidays were usually called "short rest" where the crew were 'off duty' for less then 9 hours at the outward station the crew would be paid continuous from sign on to sign off as it was not practical for two crews to be used. (and cheaper!)

Re. the 26hr. Saturday shift I've asked my mate retired engine driver Derek Bacon to comment, he thought it may have been 'exceptional' with the football and the Illuminations coinciding and the error with the relief train not helping matters! He also thought I should have worked out the overtime due for that day, 5,45am on duty til 1.45 normal pay , 1.45-10.00pm OT @ time & quarter, 10pm,-12.00mn.OTtime & half, 12mn.-8.00am Sunday rate time & threequarters. We made it about 27.20 OT for the day plus I probably worked a 'rest day' during the week and even with that I doubt i would have taken home more than £20.00 in the packet! As you say times & rates of pay have changed.

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2 hours ago, albert smith said:

Excursions on Sundays & bank holidays

Albert, Fascinating insights to days and practices long gone.

As a kid going on the "pit trip" excursion where the steam trains, often 6 of them picked us up at the nearest station or in the pit yard I never gave much thought to the train crews that provided the service or the bus drivers and conductors that took us to and from the station.

The train usually picked us up at 7 o'clock so I don't know what time those that got the train sorted out and ready for steaming started work and the bus crews must have been at the depot at 5:30 to have buses out to pick us up from 6:00.

It used to take about two hours to get where we were going, longer if we were going to Brid or Scarborough, but it was usually Skeg, Mablethorpe or Cleethorpes.

After our day at the seaside on the beach and the amusements it was back to the train around six or seven and home around 9 or 10 o'clock.

Your post raised some questions that never entered my head then. For the bus crews I guess it was easy, they could go back to the depot for usual runs or go home until needed again in the evening.

What happened to the train and its crew? I guess the train was put in a siding, was it kept in steam and if so by whom? Did the crew have a wander around whilst some minders looked after it? At the end of a long day when the train was put to bed was the crew involved in that?

So much easier these day when I guess that all you have to do is turn a key and a few switches and then you are off.

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On such trips to say the coast,  the train crew would normally have the day to themselves before returning in the evening.

The engine would be serviced and refuelled by resident crews at the nearest depot. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

!Nice Post Oz but as Fly says ‘Short Rest Trips’ should be great if they run as planned by the “Brains upstairs”. Most Nottingham Drivers had very good ‘road cards’ covering the jobs worked from the depot, outside of these boundaries ie. Rhyl beyond Crewe, Blackpool beyond M’chester etc. a relief crew or if cheaper a conductor/driver would be needed to the destination. Once there it usually depended on the local manpower to see to the engine etc. for the return trip.                   The “Raleigh” works outing is a good example of the logistics involved, 6 trains,  6  ‘Jubilee’ engines with “Raleigh” reserved for the Directors train (with dining car!) all to be assembled, cleaned & ready to depart in about a 90 minute slot from the station and fitted in to the timetable to where ever they were going & returning the same night, and that's just one station & loco on one day.                  Good job ‘Northern Rail’ weren’t in charge!

Incidentally Nottingham MPD had a 'London short rest' all the year round rostered into No.1 link. On duty 6.30 am. work the 7.30ish semi fast express to London, engine taken to Kentish Town Loco to be turned etc. The afternoon was your own but back at 6.15 to work back to Nottingham and finish about  11.15 pm.

 About 1960 ? Christmas Day fell on a Sunday, the the crew turned in, took 10 coaches to London with 1  (ONE) Passenger. NONE on the evening return trip!  The following year all train workings on Christmas Day & New Years Day  was permanently stopped. Of course Loyalty was part of the job in those days!

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