My 50 Years as a Southern Railwayman

by P J Shannon

  My position was not getting any easier. I was under pressure from my wife’s solicitor to sell the house and give her an equal share of the proceeds. As we were practically living on the bread line, this was unlikely to happen any time soon. But I had to take this on board as I felt that she was entitled to some sort of cash settlement. This was another worry for me. Where was I going to get that sort of money? The answer came from a most surprising direction. One Saturday evening I went to see Jenny at the pub, and not feeling at my most jovial. My mate Brian asked me what was wrong, and when I explained my situation and rhetorically asked where I would get several thousand pounds from; to my surprise he immediately offered me a loan. He explained that he had some money from his redundancy and was willing to lend it to me, as when he had needed a friend, I had been there for him despite having troubles of my own. He said that if I could meet him in the pub on the next Saturday at about 10.00pm he would have the money for me. I was so flabbergasted by his offer I didn’t really know what to say except thank you. However, when the moment had passed I asked him when he would require me to pay it back. His laconic reply was, “When you’ve got it!” There was no question of my honesty or any mention of paperwork to cover the transaction. It was simply done on a friend to friend basis and a hand shake. Jenny and I discussed Brian’s generous offer and decided that it would ease some of my situation and worries.

  The next Saturday I entered the pub at about 9.30pm. 10.00pm came and went and there was no sign of Brian. I must admit that I was feeling a little bit alarmed that he had not shown up as promised as it was so unlike him. All sorts of thoughts were running through my mind when at 10.30pm Brian rushed through the door apologising for being late as he had just come back from London. He thrust two cheques into my hand, explaining that he had had a little difficulty in getting them together, but he had managed it. I thanked him very much and said that I would repay it as soon as possible - how, I did not know but I would do it. This kind act is what I call real friendship.

  Within a couple of days I was able to transfer the money to my wife’s account and one worry was sorted. At this precise moment, one might ask where I was going to get the money to repay Brian and I really had no idea. This is where if you believe long enough something will turn up and this was to present itself in the guise of the proprietor, Duncan Hamilton, of the showroom next door to my home. One evening there was a knock on the door and when I opened it Mr Hamilton himself was standing there and explained that he required some new space to convert to his company offices and wished to purchase my property and the house next to me for this purpose and was I interested in selling it and at what price. When I explained that I would need time to think about his proposal, he understood my position and said that he was off to America for a couple of weeks and would require an answer when he returned. Jenny and I discussed the proposal and agreed that I should sell the property for as much as possible and move us all in to her house now that our relationship was on a stable footing. This was a very brave decision to make. Should it all fail there would be dire consequences for everyone involved, and at the back of my mind was Brian’s forecast that the relationship would not last.

  Two weeks passed and Mr Hamilton, true to his word, was on the doorstep asking what my price was. We agreed on a mutually acceptable price and I duly sold the property to him. The whole procedure took only a few weeks, and then we moved lock and stock and barrel in with Jenny. From the proceeds I was able to repay Brian the loan with a little bit of interest and we had enough left over to buy the house on a small mortgage.

  Jenny and I agreed that she would remain at home and look after all of our children and I would continue with my career on the railway.

  Within a couple of weeks I was able to thank my officer and inform him of my newly found stability and advised him that I could now resume my normal shifts. I am pleased to say that he gave me a few more weeks at Richmond before asking me to go somewhere else. My first port of call was to Basingstoke, where to my joy I was told that Maggie and John were now in a relationship and were thinking of getting married, but not for a couple of years or so. This was good news and I was overjoyed for them.

  Again the storm clouds were gathering, with a lot of talk about the parcels and full load traffic being taken from the railway and put onto the road. This came about in early 1981 and my gang and I were made redundant. We had the usual interviews with our office and had to decide where, and what job might be suitable for us. Jimmy, Terry and Ernie chose to go to Wimbledon Park carriage sidings, Tommy took the job as driver to the General Manager and I returned to Ascot as Leading Railman with the usual seniority and shift work.

  On 18th May 1981 I started back at Ascot. Believe me, this station had changed completely since I was last there; all the drivers and guards had been relocated to other depots, there was no shunting or splitting trains, and the parcels, goods, and most of the staff were gone, leaving just a Senior Railman and Leading Railman on each shift. This was a real comedown for me but I had to make the best of it. Jim Weston was the senior railman on the other shift, and Bert Bowditch (a.k.a Mr Glum) on my shift. Despite our differences then, I was no longer a callow youth and we now got on very well together. He had no objections when I brought Jenny and the children along with me on Sunday late shifts. We used to have a little laugh together when Jamie spoke on the station’s loudspeakers and announced “Not worry, more train coming soon”. This was always a great hit with any passengers who were waiting for their trains.

  A few weeks passed and I was now settling into a routine, when I had the good fortune to have a long conversation with the Area Inspector, Bill Waylett, who inquired what I was going to do about my future. I replied that I had not really given it much consideration. He had already read my case history and asked me if I would like to take the Station Master’s rules and regulations as a progression, which could lead to a salaried promotion if I could pass them. I must admit that I was interested and after discussing it with Jenny I agreed to study for the exams and sent off for the correspondence course on rules and accountancy. This all arrived in about a couple of weeks and it was a great distraction not only to me, but also for some of the guards from Farnham and Woking who used to cover the Ascot branch. When the first questions were completed we all eagerly looked forward to the next instalment. In just over a year I had completed the two courses and awaited my results in Operating Subjects and Accountancy. On 15th March 1982 I passed the operating with distinction and was awarded a Third class prize, and passed the accountancy with honours for which I was awarded a First class prize. I was really pleased with myself for knuckling down and doing so well. It was even better when my family and I were invited to the General Manager’s office at Waterloo to receive my cash prizes. This turned out to be a lovely day for all of us with a free train trip, the presentation of my certificates and a buffet lunch spread; it was quite a long day for all of us but much appreciated.

  Unfortunately, during February 1982 Ascot station was gutted by fire and burned to the ground. The fire was believed to have started in the bookstall at about 9.00pm on number one platform, and it demolished our mess-room, the SM’s and foreman’s offices, the waiting room and lavatories. The alarm was raised by the people in the Station Hotel who saw the fire whilst playing darts. You must be wondering where on earth the staff were - this was a period of a rail strike and there was nobody on duty that night.

  We had to move to a room on number four platform until we were relocated to the old Area Inspector’s Office on number one platform next to the cycle shed. The other staff were shuffled round either in temporary accommodation or somewhere else on the station.

  I now had to consider what I was going to do with my new achievement - was I going to sit still and remain as I was at Ascot or was I going to use the qualifications to advance my career? After some long and serious discussion we decided that at the most opportune moment I would start to apply for jobs in the management grades, so early in
1982 I applied for the Assistant Station Manager’s position at Aldershot. A few weeks passed and I was called to Woking for an interview for the job which I believe went very well. Another couple of weeks passed and I was told by the Area Manager, John Norman, that I had been successful and the job was mine.

  As you can imagine I was really excited and told everybody who would listen of my good news; everybody from my colleagues on the station to the guards and drivers who had spent so much time together with me revising the rules and accountancy was really pleased for me. I must admit that I was really excited at the though of actually putting all my experience to the test, but unfortunately this was not to be, for a week later I was informed that although I was the best applicant for the job I could not be promoted to this grade as I was not in the right line of the promotion structure and that the only way up the ladder was to apply for a Ticket Inspector’s job. After all the work that I had put into this I admit that I was bitterly disappointed, but there was nothing I could do about it except soldier on, so I did.

  I discussed the position with Bill Waylett. His suggestion was for me not to give up, but to take my Operating Department Supervisor certificate which would mean the setting up and controlling of an engineer’s possession, a Tiii as it was known. I was quite lucky in the sense that there would be a possession coming up at Ascot in a couple of weeks’ time and if I was interested I could have a go at it.

  Possession

  After some consideration and much encouragement from my colleagues who were all rooting for me to have a go, I accepted the challenge. I was released from my job for a few days before the possession to accompany Bill to go through the work and the procedures for the job which was relaying the rails on the up platform. This meant the removal of the rails, ballast and the juice rail, and then relaying the lot. The job would begin at midnight on Saturday after the last train, relay and finish by eight on Sunday morning.

  To set up the job, it needed to be published in the Weekly Operating Notice (WON) or Periodical Operating Notice (PON) or Supplement. The details which needed to be included were the date, start and finish time, between which locations and the name of the PICOP. He would take the possession by placing a red lamp facing the traffic and placing 3 detonators, 20 yards apart, on the line at each end of the possession and taking the track current’s isolation. The signal box concerned needed to enter into the Train Register the following information: possession limits and protections, movement of trains in and out of the possession, the restoration of current and details of the PICOP giving up possession. All these things were required to be understood and checked by me. Luckily I had an aide-memoire in the guise of a check sheet.

  I vividly remember the night when Bill and I had a long discussion with Ted Narris, the PICOP, to establish precisely what he was intending to do. After taking the possession and current, he would undo the nuts on the fish plates and the bolts from the sleepers and prepare for the rails to be lifted and then loaded into the rail wagons. Next he wanted to bring in the ballast remover and load the spoil wagons with the old ballast, replace the ballast and relay the new rails and sleepers, reconnect the fishplates, bring in the tamper and tamp them into position and everything would be away by 8 o’clock. It sounded good to me, but would it work out?

  The possession was taken by the PICOP on time, and after about an hour, during which time the gang disassembled the track, I was advised that the first train was approaching the home signal on the up branch at Ascot. I was instructed to go and bring the train in to the site of work where Ted would be waiting exhibiting a red hand signal. I trudged my way out to the home signal and waited for the train to arrive. I did not have to wait too long before it reached the signal, which was at danger, and stopped. I telephoned the signalman and asked for permission to pass the signal. I then climbed into the cab and informed the driver that we had the necessary permission and that he was to proceed with caution to where the PICOP would be waiting for us showing a red danger hand signal. We proceeded past the signal and were soon stopped at the point where the PICOP was holding out his danger signal. When we came to a halt he climbed up into the cab and gave the driver instructions to proceed to the country end of number 1 platform, to stop and await further instructions. The driver then continued to the end of the platform and stopped as instructed. The PICOP thanked me for bringing the train in and said that if I wanted a cup of tea he would deal with the train and give me a call when he needed me again. As I walked along the platform to the mess room I had to say that I was a bit chuffed with myself as I had brought in my first train without any problems - but why should there be, we were all professionals? I must admit that this feeling soon evaporated when I got to the mess room. I suppose I was expecting Bill to congratulate me, but all I got, much to my annoyance, was a request to get on and make the tea. So I was soon down to earth again. After a quick sandwich and a cuppa, I was back out again bringing another train into the section under the same procedure.

  Parts of the previous train needed shunting into number two platform and as we had possession of the whole, the only need for me to ring the signalman was for the shunt signal when I needed to reverse over the points into number two platform. This movement was quickly accomplished as I knew Ascot and the shunting moves like the back of my hand.

  Time was getting on when I returned to the mess room, and again I was asked to put the kettle on and make the tea. I complied without protest. However, this time Bill asked me how things were going outside and to be mindful of the time. I explained what was happing and he seem to think that I was doing “all right” not brilliant as one might think. “I will give you a little bit of advice,” said Bill. “Before you bring in the rest of the vehicles, make sure that the ones that you have shunted into number two platform are coupled and ready to go.” This was very wise advice so I took it and got on with preparing the train ready to go.

  The tamping machine was now waiting at the signal to be brought in. When I got there the same procedure applied and the tamper was brought into the section. The spoil train was now ready and departed with me on board until we were out of the possession, leaving me to walk back to the station. As soon as I returned I was required to make up the empty rail train and allow it to depart. It was now getting on for 8 o’clock and it would soon be time for the service to start up. I wondered if I would be able to finish the job in time, and the answer was yes, with a little time to spare.

  As soon as the last train had left the section, the possession was given up by the PICOP and the first train from Reading to London arrived in the platform. All was well and when the train departed I returned to the staff room and asked Bill how he thought I had controlled the work. He replied that I had not done too badly but he had noticed one thing that was missing, and he looked at me a bit old fashioned.

  Thinking for a moment I honestly could not remember any problems during the night so I asked him what was wrong. He replied with a laugh, “Your tea making was not as frequent as one would have liked but otherwise you did all right! Yes, you did a good job and I see no reason why I can’t pass you out for Operating Department Supervisor, so perhaps you would like to make us another cup of tea whilst I do the paperwork.” The paperwork done, we chatted for a while over our tea about the night’s work. “You did a good job last night and I hope that the Company will get good mileage out of you in the future.”

  Soon it was time for Bill to go and catch the train to Reading and I was left to mull over the night’s work. My own train was the 08.20am to Guildford, so I crossed to number 2 platform where it was waiting; I boarded the train and made myself comfortable. Whilst I was sitting on the train my mind was in full gear thinking of the previous night’s work, going over and over it in my mind. Yes, I had done the job without any hitches. The Guard blew the whistle and the train moved along the platform and out into open countryside. My mind had not really caught up when we reached Bagshot. I got off the train without really thinking and made my way across
the bridge, along the up platform to the station exit, then down the footpath to home. When I reached home it was about 9 o’clock. Jenny was waiting for me and wanted to know all the details of the night’s work which I explained to her in great detail. I am not really sure that she fully understood, but it was nice to have somebody who was interested in what I was doing. A nice breakfast and a good nap was what I needed now and this is exactly what I had.

  Promotion

  During 1982, now that everything had settled again, Jenny and I decided that we should get married which we did on the 20th July. We asked John and Maggie, our old friends from Basingstoke, to be our witnesses; not only did they agree to do it but made reservations for us to honeymoon in Richmond, one of my old haunts. The day was brilliant for us: you could not ask for a nicer day with our children, families and friends there; a friend kindly drove us to and from the registry office and after the ceremony, Jamie, our youngest, memorably asked, “Now can I have something to eat?” so it was off home to the spread which Jenny and I had prepared the day before.

  It was well into the afternoon when we said goodbye to the children and set off for our two day honeymoon. This was probably the first time that we had had any real quality time together. We made a special effort to do all the things that we were unable to do before like dining out in a small restaurant where, on realising that we were newly weds, the waiter gave Jenny a red rose. The time went all too fast. On our return home, we found, as expected, that John and Maggie had done an excellent job of looking after the children and we were able to reciprocate their kindness two years later when they decided to get married, and we catered for their reception.

  It was back to work on Monday to the same old routine of looking at the vacancy lists. Finally the breakthrough came in September when a vacancy for an Area Ticket Inspector “A” within my area was advertised. So I eagerly filled in my application form and waited for the result. Within a couple of weeks I was invited for an interview and was appointed to the post on 17th November 1982. The promotion meant that I was now salaried staff on a basic wage plus half London allowance with little overtime and no real chance of making up the loss, but we realised that if I were to progress sacrifices had to be made. However, Jenny and I had discussed and agreed all of this before I made the move to salaried status.