My Dad (1936 born) started as a cleaner at Southport then eventually moved to London and then became a fireman at Willesden and few other places… eventually passing out as a driver then moving to Bedford and ended up retiring in 1999…He doesn’t have internet access, and I have just had the pleasure of his company for a week as he now lives near Plymouth… He thoroughly enjoyed all of your videos and absolutely made my day as he was chuckling away to some of your stories. Amazing work! Thank you 😊
A fantastic historical record Geoff,several of those men were still around during my 5 years Driving at Waterloo ,April 88/April 93,when I transfered to Brighton.
Hello Geoff. Great to hear about all your exploits and experiences on the railways in what must have been a time of great change. It must have been a great 'social' experience as well as an interesting and challenging occupation. I wondered though, what was the happiest and most rewarding phase? Cleaning, firing, driving steam / diesel / electro-diesel or being a trainer?
All of the above really - firing on a Bulleid Pacific - Driving the Class 73 electro-diesel with a heavy train - Instructing days at Waterloo OTC - I could go on and on............
Really enjoying your videos and stories, my uncle Lawrence Pocklington was a steam driver at Redhill, and was regularly on the Redhill-------Reading route
Jesus H!! I knew and worked with All of those Guys, And got into a few scrapes as well, What a Fantastic Record of a very special Railway Family. Pity you havent got a photo of Brian Reeves and do you remember Gordon Pearce ? he came up from Exe Jct when it shut in 65 I think. Thank you so much for the memories.
Hi Geoff, What can I say but thank you I am 75years old now but had an almost exact copy of your carrier on southern Hither Green M.P.D. The people/caricatures are similar to the enginemen in the four gangs we had their.
Incredible to think some of those guys started in WW1 and drove through WW2. Must have been tough days on the Southern with bombing and strafing attacks.
My Dad (1936 born) started as a cleaner at Southport then eventually moved to London and then became a fireman at Willesden and few other places… eventually passing out as a driver then moving to Bedford and ended up retiring in 1999…He doesn’t have internet access, and I have just had the pleasure of his company for a week as he now lives near Plymouth…
He thoroughly enjoyed all of your videos and absolutely made my day as he was chuckling away to some of your stories.
Amazing work! Thank you 😊
Glorious! Thank-you!
Fascinating stories. It is incredible that it could take 27 years from joining the railway to becoming a driver - that is a very long apprenticeship!
A fantastic historical record Geoff,several of those men were still around during my 5 years Driving at Waterloo ,April 88/April 93,when I transfered to Brighton.
Thank you. These videos have been fantastic.
Again, superb!
Archival quality!
My father was a driver with the LMS out of Saltley motive power dept Birmingham, before during and after WW2.
cool
Hello Geoff. Great to hear about all your exploits and experiences on the railways in what must have been a time of great change. It must have been a great 'social' experience as well as an interesting and challenging occupation. I wondered though, what was the happiest and most rewarding phase? Cleaning, firing, driving steam / diesel / electro-diesel or being a trainer?
All of the above really - firing on a Bulleid Pacific - Driving the Class 73 electro-diesel with a heavy train - Instructing days at Waterloo OTC - I could go on and on............
Really enjoying your videos and stories, my uncle Lawrence Pocklington was a steam driver at Redhill, and was regularly on the Redhill-------Reading route
Jesus H!! I knew and worked with All of those Guys, And got into a few scrapes as well, What a Fantastic Record of a very special Railway Family. Pity you havent got a photo of Brian Reeves and do you remember Gordon Pearce ? he came up from Exe Jct when it shut in 65 I think. Thank you so much for the memories.
Hi Geoff,
What can I say but thank you I am 75years old now but had an almost exact copy of your carrier on southern Hither Green M.P.D.
The people/caricatures are similar to the enginemen in the four gangs we had their.
Hi John,
Yes, there were some real characters at all the depots then; sadly nearly all have now departed to that great engine shed in the sky.
Incredible to think some of those guys started in WW1 and drove through WW2. Must have been tough days on the Southern with bombing and strafing attacks.