STAFF AT BARROW ROAD 1960s

[40700]

HI,I AM A NEW MEMBER,I WAS WONDERING IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS WHO WERE FOOTPLATE STAFF IN THE EARLY 1960S AT BARROW ROAD.I MOVED TO BARROW ROAD IN SEPTEMBER 1961 FROM BATH GREEN PARK FOR PROMOTION TO FIREMAN.AFTER A SHORT PERIOD WAS PROMOTED TO NUMBER 4 LINK MY DRIVER WAS RAY HOWARTH FOLLOWED BY DRIVER WILF WHITE,I THEN WENT TO NUMBER 3 LINK WITH DRIVER HARRY CROSS,IF THERE IS ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO CHAT ABOUT THOSE DAYS I AM WILLING TO JOIN IN,ALAN.

[oldchapie]

hi i went to the depot in late 1963 straight into the shed link worked with a good gang until i went back to bath road into the t meads pilot link.

[40700]

hi i went to the depot in late 1963 straight into the shed link worked with a good gang until i went back to bath road into the t meads pilot link.

did you go to barrow road for promotion to driver

[buxton4472]

I MOVED TO BARROW ROAD IN SEPTEMBER 1961 FROM BATH GREEN PARK FOR PROMOTION TO FIREMAN.

Hello 40700, I like you am new on this forum, but have posted a few questions on it so far, one of which you may be able to answer, seeing as you were at Green Park.
I was thinking recently back to my days as a young boy in Charfield (mid-to-late 50s) , when (at least in summer) I used to see a 2 coach 'express' travelling south, always as far as I remember behind a 2P 4-4-0 (40700 probably included!). My grandfather (who worked in Charfield S/B until the mid-50s) used to tell me that it was the 'Bath portion'. Whether it was or not and Bath portion of what I don't know, but maybe you could shed some light on this. It was probably 1957-58 so maybe too early even for yourself to recall. Any info would be gladly received! By the way, was it you perhaps on 53806 which ventured as far north as Charfield on a summer Sunday in the late 50's? Just clutching at straws here!!

[oldchapie]

yes i did go to barrow road with 15 other bath road men. it was ok as long as it lasted

[40700]

I MOVED TO BARROW ROAD IN SEPTEMBER 1961 FROM BATH GREEN PARK FOR PROMOTION TO FIREMAN.

Hello 40700, I like you am new on this forum, but have posted a few questions on it so far, one of which you may be able to answer, seeing as you were at Green Park.
I was thinking recently back to my days as a young boy in Charfield (mid-to-late 50s) , when (at least in summer) I used to see a 2 coach 'express' travelling south, always as far as I remember behind a 2P 4-4-0 (40700 probably included!). My grandfather (who worked in Charfield S/B until the mid-50s) used to tell me that it was the 'Bath portion'. Whether it was or not and Bath portion of what I don't know, but maybe you could shed some light on this. It was probably 1957-58 so maybe too early even for yourself to recall. Any info would be gladly received! By the way, was it you perhaps on 53806 which ventured as far north as Charfield on a summer Sunday in the late 50's? Just clutching at straws here!!

SORRY CANT HELP YOU THERE TO EARLY FOR ME.

[Robin Summerhill]

HI,I AM A NEW MEMBER,I WAS WONDERING IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS WHO WERE FOOTPLATE STAFF IN THE EARLY 1960S AT BARROW ROAD.I MOVED TO BARROW ROAD IN SEPTEMBER 1961 FROM BATH GREEN PARK FOR PROMOTION TO FIREMAN.AFTER A SHORT PERIOD WAS PROMOTED TO NUMBER 4 LINK MY DRIVER WAS RAY HOWARTH FOLLOWED BY DRIVER WILF WHITE,I THEN WENT TO NUMBER 3 LINK WITH DRIVER HARRY CROSS,IF THERE IS ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO CHAT ABOUT THOSE DAYS I AM WILLING TO JOIN IN,ALAN.

Can't help personally, but one of my drinking partners was a cleaner at Green Park and then moved to Swindon and Barrow Road. Does the name Allan John mean anything to you?

[40700]

HI,I AM A NEW MEMBER,I WAS WONDERING IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS WHO WERE FOOTPLATE STAFF IN THE EARLY 1960S AT BARROW ROAD.I MOVED TO BARROW ROAD IN SEPTEMBER 1961 FROM BATH GREEN PARK FOR PROMOTION TO FIREMAN.AFTER A SHORT PERIOD WAS PROMOTED TO NUMBER 4 LINK MY DRIVER WAS RAY HOWARTH FOLLOWED BY DRIVER WILF WHITE,I THEN WENT TO NUMBER 3 LINK WITH DRIVER HARRY CROSS,IF THERE IS ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO CHAT ABOUT THOSE DAYS I AM WILLING TO JOIN IN,ALAN.

Can't help personally, but one of my drinking partners was a cleaner at Green Park and then moved to Swindon and Barrow Road. Does the name Allan John mean anything to you?

I AM SURE I REMEMBER THE NAME THERE WAS 2 OTHER FIREMAN FROM BATH,BRIAN STOTT AND JOHN LITTLE.MY NAME IS ALAN JEFFRIES.BRIAN HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO BE THE REGULAR FIREMAN TO DRIVER DICKIE THOMAS IN THE MILAGE LINK WHOS METHOD OF DRIVING KEPT THE MINERS HAPPY!!

[40700]

yes i did go to barrow road with 15 other bath road men. it was ok as long as it lasted

ARE YOU COLIN?

[Robin Summerhill]

.BRIAN HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO BE THE REGULAR FIREMAN TO DRIVER DICKIE THOMAS IN THE MILAGE LINK WHOS METHOD OF DRIVING KEPT THE MINERS HAPPY!!

There used to be a driver working the Bristol to Gloucester local trains from time to time who would quite frequently allow us (then) young lads to travel on the footplate. I had one such ride on the 1745 ex-Bristol one winter's evening as far as Mangotsfield with 73096.

The memory is vague but I think his name was Dick Thomas. As I recall a shortish fellow with a northern accent (ie not West country - the memory is vague now but the accent seemed to come from somewhere north of Gloucester!)

Would this be the same bloke?


PS - 40700 - take the "capitals lock" off on your keyboard - it makes it look like you're shouting!

[40700]

.BRIAN HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO BE THE REGULAR FIREMAN TO DRIVER DICKIE THOMAS IN THE MILAGE LINK WHOS METHOD OF DRIVING KEPT THE MINERS HAPPY!!

There used to be a driver working the Bristol to Gloucester local trains from time to time who would quite frequently allow us (then) young lads to travel on the footplate. I had one such ride on the 1745 ex-Bristol one winter's evening as far as Mangotsfield with 73096.

The memory is vague but I think his name was Dick Thomas. As I recall a shortish fellow with a northern accent (ie not West country - the memory is vague now but the accent seemed to come from somewhere north of Gloucester!)

Would this be the same bloke?


PS - 40700 - take the "capitals lock" off on your keyboard - it makes it look like you're shouting! :mrgreen:

sorry didnt know the rules .You were right he came to Bristol from Crewe.

[Robin Summerhill]

BRIAN HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO BE THE REGULAR FIREMAN TO DRIVER DICKIE THOMAS IN THE MILAGE LINK WHOS METHOD OF DRIVING KEPT THE MINERS HAPPY!!

Going off on a tangent on this for a moment (because its something that I'm interested in), where did the mileage link work to in Barrow Road?

My drinking partner Allan tells me that there were double home turns to Derby and Leeds, but by the time I got to Bath Road in 1971 then no double home turns were being worked - top link men at Bath Road were working Derby and back in an 8 hour day, and nobody went any further north than that.

Presumably Barrow Road men would also have worked Birmingham and back in a day in steam days, and clearly they were not always employed on class 1 passenger trains (otherwise Dick would not have been giving me footplate rides to Mangotsfield on the stoppers )

So where did they work?

[40700]

BRIAN HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO BE THE REGULAR FIREMAN TO DRIVER DICKIE THOMAS IN THE MILAGE LINK WHOS METHOD OF DRIVING KEPT THE MINERS HAPPY!!

Going off on a tangent on this for a moment (because its something that I'm interested in), where did the mileage link work to in Barrow Road?

My drinking partner Allan tells me that there were double home turns to Derby and Leeds, but by the time I got to Bath Road in 1971 then no double home turns were being worked - top link men at Bath Road were working Derby and back in an 8 hour day, and nobody went any further north than that.

Presumably Barrow Road men would also have worked Birmingham and back in a day in steam days, and clearly they were not always employed on class 1 passenger trains (otherwise Dick would not have been giving me footplate rides to Mangotsfield on the stoppers :) )

So where did they work?

There were 2 double home turns when i went to Barrow Road in the milage link.The 10.30 Newcastle as far as Derby working a parcel train back to Bristol at 02.30 the following morning,the other was the Devonion leaving Bristol at 12.35 to Leeds returning next day with the return Devonion.I think we lost these turns in 1963.Barrow Road did well out of this because they then got Derby and return in same day with the extra milage payments.If i remember the 10.40/12.40/14/40,were the Derby turns and the 08.40/16.40,were the Birmingham turns that were the other milage turns.They also worked 01.10 mail to Gloucesterand the 06.47 stopper to Gloucester there was others but whatever trains they worked was only passenger or parcels.Barrow Road also had other double home turns in the Goods Links they were 08.50&16.50 St.Phillips Birmingham class 4 frieghts&and the 19.33 Avonmouth Birmingham frieght

[Robin Summerhill]

There were 2 double home turns when i went to Barrow Road in the milage link.The 10.30 Newcastle as far as Derby working a parcel train back to Bristol at 02.30 the following morning ...

My mate Allan has a tale to tell about this turn.

After working the 1030 up and knowing that he had a Peak rostered for the return working, he decided to go and "have a few" in Derby, comfortable in the knowledge that he could get his head down for much of the ride home.

He was less than happy to book on to find that they had a Black 5 instead, and he had to fire the bloody thing home

[Robin Summerhill]

yes i did go to barrow road with 15 other bath road men. it was ok as long as it lasted

ARE YOU COLIN?

I think he's being shy about revealing his identity

But when he mentioned who his father was I "got" him, but I still can't put a face to him. And even if I could, it would be what he looked like 35 years ago!!