Although I only spent the first 6 years of my 40 year railway career on the GN at the Cross, the remainder on the GE I still regard myself as a GN man, now volunteering in far flung exile on the SDR in Devon, once a railwayman always a Railwayman, interestingly I finished my career managing the Son of one my Supervisors (who appears in the film) at the Cross, pity I was unable to take part in the film I had a few stories to tell of my time in the Travel Centre.
Thoroughly accomplished and with articulate railway workers talking unselfconsciously about their jobs. Better than many of the transport films made 50+ years ago.Worth looking for a copy of Top Shed by P.N. Townend (Ian Allen Ltd).
Amazed to hear Ms Roche at 18:00. The things the managers said to her when she was recruited, were exactly the same things said to me as a female new recruit in 1977, even though I was miles away on a different railway division.
Absolutely wonderful. Though I was not at King's Cross (I was Waterloo, Old Oak, then Staines and finally Reading), this is a fascinating film. When I was on my MP12 at Waterloo, we had a King's Cross secondman on my course, Tony Williams I think his name was, got his drivers job at Tattenham. He laughed heartily when he saw his first little ed (class 73). Very funny guy..
Great film, brings back many happy memories having also worked at Kings across as a driver. Andy should receive recognition for his swift actions at Potters Bar. Also great to see Les who provided me support following my one under.
Brilliant , even as a Cambridge Driver there were so many faces and names i remember from the days when we still worked into KX as well as Liverpool St. So many memories Thank you Gary Sell
I remember back in the 80’s when my father had a heart attack I travelled up to Edinburgh to visit for the weekend. I parked my car in the street alongside the parcels area on Friday night and hopped on the night train with my young daughter. We returned Sunday evening car still there and drove home. Free parking all weekend. Ah memories!
Went there so often as a school kid 1958 to 1963 trainspotting with mates, platform ticket 2d. We saw Mallard, Silver Fox and many others, head up to Hatfield or Hitchin to see them at speed, a superb day out. Grew up with the sound of steam engines day and night, a great era.
@@johnhehir508John I used to trainspotting 1957/8/9 loved the Steam Locos, ended up FLEET STREET PRINTER Another group of Militant Trade Unionists NATSOPA SOGAT82
My grandad was a driver out of Kings Cross until the late 1960s - and I think he would be one of the "old guys" mentioned who never really got to grips with the diesels - I can remember him saying they would never be as good as the steamers. I was hoping he might show up in a BW clip here, but no such luck. Anyway, the documentary is excellent - I enjoyed it very much - thank you! Have subscribed.
What a great film. Very interesting. Having relatives and friends who were footplate staff on the LNER and GCR and being a enthusiast myself this was great to watch..
What a wonderful film. I first went to Kings Cross as a day tripper in 1962. Then from 1989 having moved south I commuted into the Cross regularly and every time I passed through the station it was an enjoyable experience. Thank you for posting a great piece of railway history.
Really enjoyed the video great to hear all that first hand history & peoples experiences, Anybody got memories of the days of Dmu's and class 31's on the Suburban services ?
What a great little video. You can feel what the camaraderie must have been like through their smiles and stories. Fantastic. Sounds a little bit like at my work (but in an office but full of older people). We enjoy the work and have laughs galore but we can also see it’s the end of an era at the moment as more automation comes in and we move closer to retirement.
@@BibtheBoulder only just, you can’t say anything hardly without it being taken out of context, rather like life in general really. Messrooms aren’t the same and i fear never will be now newer generations take the mantle going forward. I’m a BR man still in service, but can’t wait to get out of this place now.
Hello Darren, yeah good days starting on the YTS in 1990. Never looked back 33 years later and I’m still here. Lovely to see Ray Knight amongst others, Ray was the man who started my career and i will always be forever grateful to him and John Slade.
I just found out that there was not much difference between how things were done at British Rail and at the Dutch railways. I spent 42 years in a huge number of different jobs on the Stations and the last 14 years after a college education as a researcher quality and organisation, a more or less lonely job. But although being on a pension I am still interested.
at 23:00 the ex driver saying Tricia was the "first woman on the footplate since the second world war" is wrong. There were no women on the footplate during the war, unless you count engine cleaners. There were certainly no female drivers or firemen.
Good documentory that, i started as a cleaner aged 15 at Hornsey in 1959 and passed out as a fireman under Inspector Bil Mee in 1961 at Top Shed, loved the job and runs we did,when Hornsey closed in 1965? all the men and our work was transfered to Kings Cross,to me it was OK but was never as friendly as our smaller shed had been. I left in 1970 for a better wage elsewhere ,but still loved trains , i have been a member /volunteer on my local heritage railway in Yorkshire for the last 15yrs. I just love trains!!
D208 at 41 minutes, first loco I ever worked on as a 15 year old apprentice fitter at Stratford in 1964, it had dropped a slew of valves into the pistons. I would also point out that the statment “last steam engines gone between 1967 and 1974” is way off, no steam in kings cross at least from before 1965 when I transfered to Finsbury Park.
The time served aspect would have driven me potty. It seems like a job for people who like to know their place in the world and aren't the most flexible thinkers. I talked to one ex-driver who said firing to driving times were much shorter than the previous generation, because fewer people wanted to work on the railways towards the end of steam.
I was first introduced to the Cross in the 1950s. York Road was the suburban station on the Up side of the signal box. The concourse at the end of the platforms was very narrow and hazardous with the long 'trains' of barrows that never kept a straight course. The parcels office was worth a look in. I remember seeing broken ladders, the railways were obliged to carry everything offered to them. Then there were the suburban lines on the Down side off the Widened Lines with the Metropolitan. In recent times I often walked over the (Butterley Company) footbridge across the platforms,just to kill time and get a good view...now removed.
Greatly appreciate those who shared their priceless memories. Really well put together film as someone else said it's like a good book you can't put down. And as a regular player I was delighted to see on the credits that it was funded by the lottery!
I worked at Kings Cross from 1989 to 1992 in East Side Offices. My Lord ! Mr Steve Gwinnett at 3:12, 14:04 and 27:19. I had the privilege of working with him at Liverpool Street. Extremely knowledgeable on railway signalling. A true gentleman also.
I was there from '61 to 1970' and only left as a Driver because of the line of promotion was about to stagnate for the next 8 years. I went back to my roots as a Driver on the EMU's at Enfieled loco.🙄
As someone who works on the railway now it’s sad to see how hard the people in charge are trying to destroy the culture that made the railway such an interesting place!
The flexi rostering of 82 on DVR,,S asst momey we stuck it an we endured an became DRIVERS that became strong an robustASLE&F Who went forward an took what came
When I was on S&T standards was very low, that was why had very high failure rate. ASE was 'Wrong man for the job'had to be paid off, replacement narcissistic told by Chairman BR Board that he was to be sacked in 6 months time unless failure rate dropped. Bought in man from Swanley led a task force team, found lots of equipment faults, reduced failure rate.
An awesome film, documentary of the BR , we grew up an worked in before privatisation oh happy days , bardics at the ready an dont drink the london water , bring it down from sheffield when we went pancras .
Fabulous video and some great stories, I recognised a few of the faces glad to see they are still around. Although I spent my career at Hornsey depot I would quite often go to the cross on call outs during the 80's and 90's
Interesting to realise drivers' pay only became exceptional after privatisation. Before all they had was respect. I wonder what would happen to pay if the railway is re-nationalised?
I good film with some interesting characters.Picture at 47:23 shows Brian Tagg and Joe Bint while working steam from Marylebone to Banbury in the late Eighties. Brian was a fireman at Kings Cross before going to Marylebone. Joe was a G C man all his railway days. One correction, there was a comment about the change from Steam to Diesel. This was a decade out and should have been 1957-1963. Thanks
Glad to see footage of my late Dad (Dennis Cadywould).
Enjoyed this very much. Thank you
one of the best railway videos I have ever watched, was like reading a really good book that you can't put down. Thanks Gary
Quite possibly the best modern railway video I have watched - congratulations to all concerned, you should be proud.
Although I only spent the first 6 years of my 40 year railway career on the GN at the Cross, the remainder on the GE I still regard myself as a GN man, now volunteering in far flung exile on the SDR in Devon, once a railwayman always a Railwayman, interestingly I finished my career managing the Son of one my Supervisors (who appears in the film) at the Cross, pity I was unable to take part in the film I had a few stories to tell of my time in the Travel Centre.
Thoroughly accomplished and with articulate railway workers talking unselfconsciously about their jobs. Better than many of the transport films made 50+ years ago.Worth
looking for a copy of Top Shed by P.N. Townend (Ian Allen Ltd).
A truly superb account of working for BR before Privatisation ruined the comradeship that existed between staff. Highly Recommended!
Not to mention ruined the railway for many who had been rail passengers since childhood and were then in their forties.
Amazed to hear Ms Roche at 18:00. The things the managers said to her when she was recruited, were exactly the same things said to me as a female new recruit in 1977, even though I was miles away on a different railway division.
Absolutely wonderful. Though I was not at King's Cross (I was Waterloo, Old Oak, then Staines and finally Reading), this is a fascinating film. When I was on my MP12 at Waterloo, we had a King's Cross secondman on my course, Tony Williams I think his name was, got his drivers job at Tattenham. He laughed heartily when he saw his first little ed (class 73). Very funny guy..
Great film, brings back many happy memories having also worked at Kings across as a driver. Andy should receive recognition for his swift actions at Potters Bar. Also great to see Les who provided me support following my one under.
Delightful, informative, and very colorful!! The interviews made the stories more engaging. Excellent research and editing! Well done, all!! 👍
Brilliant , even as a Cambridge Driver there were so many faces and names i remember from the days when we still worked into KX as well as Liverpool St. So many memories Thank you Gary Sell
Absolutely superb documentary. Thank you!
I remember back in the 80’s when my father had a heart attack I travelled up to Edinburgh to visit for the weekend. I parked my car in the street alongside the parcels area on Friday night and hopped on the night train with my young daughter. We returned Sunday evening car still there and drove home. Free parking all weekend. Ah memories!
👍
Down to Edinburgh!
Brilliant what a great piece of history. Thanks for posting.
Went there so often as a school kid 1958 to 1963 trainspotting with mates, platform ticket 2d. We saw Mallard, Silver Fox and many others, head up to Hatfield or Hitchin to see them at speed, a superb day out. Grew up with the sound of steam engines day and night, a great era.
My father was a locomotive fireman on silver fox , in 1954_ 1960
@@johnhehir508John I used to trainspotting 1957/8/9 loved the Steam Locos, ended up FLEET STREET PRINTER
Another group of Militant Trade Unionists NATSOPA SOGAT82
My grandad was a driver out of Kings Cross until the late 1960s - and I think he would be one of the "old guys" mentioned who never really got to grips with the diesels - I can remember him saying they would never be as good as the steamers. I was hoping he might show up in a BW clip here, but no such luck. Anyway, the documentary is excellent - I enjoyed it very much - thank you!
Have subscribed.
What a great film. Very interesting. Having relatives and friends who were footplate staff on the LNER and GCR and being a enthusiast myself this was great to watch..
Very good and well done to the team. Good to see and hear some of my colleagues from my time at KX.
What a wonderful film. I first went to Kings Cross as a day tripper in 1962. Then from 1989
having moved south I commuted into the Cross regularly and every time I passed through
the station it was an enjoyable experience. Thank you for posting a great piece of railway history.
As a Railway man of 28 years I really enjoyed watching this 👍
Loved this, interesting stories and some great characters.
Really enjoyed the video great to hear all that first hand history & peoples experiences, Anybody got memories of the days of Dmu's and class 31's on the Suburban services ?
What a great little video. You can feel what the camaraderie must have been like through their smiles and stories. Fantastic.
Sounds a little bit like at my work (but in an office but full of older people). We enjoy the work and have laughs galore but we can also see it’s the end of an era at the moment as more automation comes in and we move closer to retirement.
Camaraderie still exists amongst railwaymen, albeit not on such a grand scale these days...
@@BibtheBoulder only just, you can’t say anything hardly without it being taken out of context, rather like life in general really. Messrooms aren’t the same and i fear never will be now newer generations take the mantle going forward. I’m a BR man still in service, but can’t wait to get out of this place now.
Fantastic. What a great film.
Fabulous record of the lives of the people of the King’s Cross railway 👏👏👏
What memories came back to me absolutely wonderful loved my kingscross days working for British rail
Hello Darren, yeah good days starting on the YTS in 1990. Never looked back 33 years later and I’m still here.
Lovely to see Ray Knight amongst others, Ray was the man who started my career and i will always be forever grateful to him and John Slade.
I just found out that there was not much difference between how things were done at British Rail and at the Dutch railways.
I spent 42 years in a huge number of different jobs on the Stations and the last 14 years after a college education as a researcher quality and organisation, a more or less lonely job.
But although being on a pension I am still interested.
at 23:00 the ex driver saying Tricia was the "first woman on the footplate since the second world war" is wrong. There were no women on the footplate during the war, unless you count engine cleaners. There were certainly no female drivers or firemen.
Fascinating. Very, very interesting and well done.
Good documentory that, i started as a cleaner aged 15 at Hornsey in 1959 and passed out as a fireman under Inspector Bil Mee in 1961 at Top Shed, loved the job and runs we did,when Hornsey closed in 1965? all the men and our work was transfered to Kings Cross,to me it was OK but was never as friendly as our smaller shed had been.
I left in 1970 for a better wage elsewhere ,but still loved trains , i have been a member /volunteer on my local heritage railway in Yorkshire for the last 15yrs.
I just love trains!!
Thank you for sharing these memories and cameo of this iconic train hub.
D208 at 41 minutes, first loco I ever worked on as a 15 year old apprentice fitter at Stratford in 1964, it had dropped a slew of valves into the pistons. I would also point out that the statment “last steam engines gone between 1967 and 1974” is way off, no steam in kings cross at least from before 1965 when I transfered to Finsbury Park.
Very Poignant, but uplifting at the same time........ thanks
The time served aspect would have driven me potty. It seems like a job for people who like to know their place in the world and aren't the most flexible thinkers. I talked to one ex-driver who said firing to driving times were much shorter than the previous generation, because fewer people wanted to work on the railways towards the end of steam.
I was first introduced to the Cross in the 1950s. York Road was the suburban station on the Up side of the signal box. The concourse at the end of the platforms was very narrow and hazardous with the long 'trains' of barrows that never kept a straight course. The parcels office was worth a look in. I remember seeing broken ladders, the railways were obliged to carry everything offered to them. Then there were the suburban lines on the Down side off the Widened Lines with the Metropolitan. In recent times I often walked over the (Butterley Company) footbridge across the platforms,just to kill time and get a good view...now removed.
You can still walk over that bridge today if you want.........
Greatly appreciate those who shared their priceless memories. Really well put together film as someone else said it's like a good book you can't put down. And as a regular player I was delighted to see on the credits that it was funded by the lottery!
Interviewee PJ Smith is my father-in-law. A life well lived.
I worked with PJ at the cross in 1985 lovely man 👍🏻
When I worked there in 1984 I remember a supervisor on the station in the old BR uniform with a Gold wheel and Loin on his cap and he was called Henry
Yes Henry Tuck, stayed there well in to the mid nineties. Lovely man
@Ben Dover thank you Henry Tuck railman through and through,I picked up a gold wheel and lion like the one he wore
I worked at Kings Cross from 1989 to 1992 in East Side Offices. My Lord ! Mr Steve Gwinnett at 3:12, 14:04 and 27:19. I had the privilege of working with him at Liverpool Street. Extremely knowledgeable on railway signalling. A true gentleman also.
Great video. Thank you! How much was train driver payed? In Norway they have been like royals, like airline pilots and captains at sea.
That was a great journey - cheers
Brilliant stuff....bet they would all go back instantly if they could.
Reminiscences of 'ancient' fossils , rather than an uplifting encapsulation of a living railway of the past for future generations.
Did Kings X to Edinburgh from platform zero end of March. Not as real as steam days but fun.
I was there from '61 to 1970' and only left as a Driver because of the line of promotion was about to stagnate for the next 8 years. I went back to my roots as a Driver on the EMU's at Enfieled loco.🙄
As someone who works on the railway now it’s sad to see how hard the people in charge are trying to destroy the culture that made the railway such an interesting place!
Fireman announcers station master Goods Guards and Drivers Engine Cleaner signalman God bless you all
Wonderful.
Brilliant remember all was onbarriers then guard74 to 98 great times
hi there, great video, wish kings cross was like this now, great black and white footage
Jean Arlow, Alan Shaw. Wonderful memories. Thank you.
This brought back so many memories of working at Kings Cross and Bounds Green.
Brilliant. Fascinating. An important record of times past.
Fantastic film. Worked with one or two of them. Many thanks for sharing.
Brilliant film thanks for posting
Fantastic, a well spent hour. 🙂
The flexi rostering of 82 on DVR,,S asst momey we stuck it an we endured an became DRIVERS that became strong an robustASLE&F Who went forward an took what came
When I was on S&T standards was very low, that was why had very high failure rate. ASE was 'Wrong man for the job'had to be paid off, replacement narcissistic told by Chairman BR Board that he was to be sacked in 6 months time unless failure rate dropped. Bought in man from Swanley led a task force team, found lots of equipment faults, reduced failure rate.
This is absolutely brilliant, a fascinating account of working at Kings Cross. Superbly researched, interviewed and edited.
One of the best videos I've seen on UA-cam, on any subject.
Absolutely fascinating vid - loved it. And then the guy at the end summing it all up with the words of Truckin' by the Grateful Dead - priceless!
An awesome film, documentary of the BR , we grew up an worked in before privatisation oh happy days , bardics at the ready an dont drink the london water , bring it down from sheffield when we went pancras .
Brilliant film enforcing the necessity of Militant Active Unions, and the need to Renationalisation of OUR Railways!
Fabulous video and some great stories, I recognised a few of the faces glad to see they are still around. Although I spent my career at Hornsey depot I would quite often go to the cross on call outs during the 80's and 90's
Brilliant Wonderful commeraderie. Thank you the National Lottery znd all who were involved in this Ducumentary Priceless!
Interesting to realise drivers' pay only became exceptional after privatisation. Before all they had was respect. I wonder what would happen to pay if the railway is re-nationalised?
Fascinating, thank you!
Many delightful days were spent on platform 10 number spotting. The sounds and smell of steam were etched into my boyhood.
It’s me!
Great film, Really interesting to hear the stories and experiences of people doing their various roles over the years.
Superb, thank-you!
And what a closing lyric! Yes!
How absolutely fascinating.
What a lovely video!
A most interesting film but Oh, the advert breaks.
Brilliant., totally captivated.Thank you!
How easy it was to be a train driver with a basic test not like today when it's a lot harder now
I good film with some interesting characters.Picture at 47:23 shows Brian Tagg and Joe Bint while working steam from Marylebone to Banbury in the late Eighties. Brian was a fireman at Kings Cross before going to Marylebone. Joe was a G C man all his railway days. One correction, there was a comment about the change from Steam to Diesel. This was a decade out and should have been 1957-1963. Thanks
Brian tagg what a guy
Thankyou for the name of my short story
Just a brilliant watch.
he,s 4 , no i,m 7 . So funny.
Interesting video
Well done!
Nice video
Love this
How do i see the full interviews? Apparently they’re available to view, it’s just finding them.
They are on the project website - shown in the description - www.kingscrossrailworkers.org.uk