The Bristol Railway Archive

Hi everyone! I have subscibed to a number of forums (fora?) since I gave up my status as a Luddite regarding IT a few years ago. However, this is the first one I have found which covers an area I know a little bit about.

I am a Bristolian of 1953 vintage, my dad getting me interested in railways from about the age of 3. I have been a railwayman for 42 years working mostly with traction and rolling stock maintenance and latterly in operations. That was when I finally admitted that I was no good at engineering, something the CMEE told me nearly 30 years ago during a career review.

Look forward to chatting to you all and I hope I can contribute some local knowledge.

Cheers

the green mile wrote:That was when I finally admitted that I was no good at engineering, something the CMEE told me nearly 30 years ago during a career review.

Cliff Perry at Bath Road?

Welcome to the archive!

I was no good at engineering, something the CMEE told me nearly 30 years ago during a career review.

Now what would a CMEE know about everyday engineering?

you x Bath road?

I was a Bath Road apprentice circa 1969. Worked under Bert Hughes alias Miss Piggy and Bill Davis alias the White Knight.. Clff Perry?- Mr C&A himself - always a snappy dresser. No, the CMEE was John Butt. Although he gave me 3 out of 10 for my engineering prowess,he gave me 12 out of 10 for my loyalty to the industry - can't think why?

the green mile wrote:I was a Bath Road apprentice circa 1969. Worked under Bert Hughes alias Miss Piggy and Bill Davis alias the White Knight.. Clff Perry?- Mr C&A himself - always a snappy dresser. No, the CMEE was John Butt. Although he gave me 3 out of 10 for my engineering prowess,he gave me 12 out of 10 for my loyalty to the industry - can't think why?

Now you mention them I remember the names Bert Hughes and Bill Davis, but I can't place the name of John Butt. Did he precede Terry Henly, or am I barking completely up the wrong tree?

Cliff Perry - as the shop steward Jim O'Brien once said to me: "the only man to be made redundant from this depot, then come back as Depot Engineer!" He replaced Len Olver when he went to Swindon at about the time I left (1976)

Last minute thought before I hit "submit" - what was the name of the guy in charge of the HST depot when that opened around the Marsh (that was late 1976 as well) - was that John Butt?

John Butt was the Divisional Maintenance Engineer over in Collett House who went on to become CMEE at Paddington. Not sure what his background was. He was succeeded as DME by Harry Hamer. The guy who started up the HST depot was Peter Sales aka Sooty who was the QCE at Old Oak beforehand and a very charismatic character. Peter took me under his wing and did a lot to progress my career when I was losing my way, having bitten off more than I could chew. He succeeded Cliff as AME when Bath Road as a depot was merged with the AMEE's department at Marsh Junction, before moving into the road motor division at a senior level.

Last I heard of Peter he was allegedly driving National Express coaches up and down the M4 to the airports. The bit in between is hearsay as far as I am concerned so I could not possibly comment in print. I would like to bump into him one day to hear first hand what happened.

Now Terence Henley was a real man of the world. He completed my education in more ways than one. Many other names are sharp in my mind - Basil Edwards, Ken Watkins, Joan Cooke (with permanent suntan)and who was that very petite young lady who was connected to Keith Pickford? Ted Hollister, Dick Petherbridge, Reg Lovell - many others are coming back slowly.

the green mile wrote: .... and who was that very petite young lady who was connected to Keith Pickford?

Doreen Boucher.

Not, apparently, as young as she looked

I posted a list of names I could remember from Bath Road back in November over here:

http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=2097

Perhaps you'd like to add to them?

Ah yes! Doreen - that's the one.

Can you remember an old guy called Joe West who used to burn up the rubbish out the back by the turntable? I'm not sure if he actually burnt the rubbish or just kept the fire going with anything he could lay his hands on. The apprentices used to wind him up a treat and then he would chase us through the locker room with a shunters pole. He had a good turn of speed for an old 'un. One day, the lads got hold of an old drivers hat and put some silver foil around it. They presented it to Joe and told him he had been promoted to inspector. I think that led to a particularly good chase when the penny dropped.

I'm sure I had met Joe some years previously at the Marsh. Every Saturday afternoon we would wander from Temple Meads up to the forecourt of Bath Road then down May Walk into Albert Road and the Marsh. We were never challenged but this old guy with a high pitched squeaky voice (Joe?) would always warn us to be on the lookout for the foreman. We are talking around the final year before it closed

There were always two ex GW 0-6-0 tank engines stored out of use in the south part of the double roundhouse. By this time, most tanks of this type would have been 57xx class Panniers but these two were different. Let's see if anyone can remember which ones they were. The numbers are forever embedded in my memory which is full of useless trivia.

Oh, and I suddenly had a recall that John Butt was an ex Stratford (GE) man whose main preoccupation seemed to be clean locos.

the green mile wrote:There were always two ex GW 0-6-0 tank engines stored out of use in the south part of the double roundhouse. By this time, most tanks of this type would have been 57xx class Panniers but these two were different. Let's see if anyone can remember which ones they were. The numbers are forever embedded in my memory which is full of useless trivia.

One of them was the 0-6-0 saddle tank 1365 - it was dumped out of steam for some time before it was removed, although according to WR records (:roll:) it was allocated to Swindon up until withdrawal.

There were other engines in store at 82B that seemed to come into the same category - Castle 5040 and 2-8-0 4700 spring immediatey to mind.

the green mile wrote: There were always two ex GW 0-6-0 tank engines stored out of use in the south part of the double roundhouse. By this time, most tanks of this type would have been 57xx class Panniers but these two were different.

Having now got my priorities right (ie. gone to the pub first ) I've had a look on my BR Steam Allocations database.

As you say, by the time of closure the 57xx were the only tank engines left. If, however, I look back at September 1962, the allocation of tanks other than the 5700s were as follows:

1365, 4103, 4131, 5215, 6147, 6654 and 8479. Perhaps 1365 and the Hawksworth designed 8479 were the ones you had in mind?

the green mile wrote :

There were always two ex GW 0-6-0 tank engines stored out of use in the south part of the double roundhouse. By this time, most tanks of this type would have been 57xx class Panniers but these two were different. Let's see if anyone can remember which ones they were. The numbers are forever embedded in my memory which is full of useless trivia

In the last six months at the Marsh I noted three non-57xx Pannier Tanks. They were 6769, 7436 and 6408. 6408 was a stationary boiler and may be in the background to the picture of 6999 Capel Dewi Hall below. 7436 was the only tank engine on St Philips Marsh on the day it closed, June 13, 1964.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolste ... 6201932662

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolste ... 6201932662

7436 spent the next week at Barrow Road before going LE to Swindon on Friday June 19

1365 and 6408 were the ones I was thinking of but I wasn't aware that the latter was a stationary boiler. There was one out the back in the time I remember but I have no idea where it came from.

Having checked that photo I don't think that was 6408. I remember her as a complete loco with panniers still mounted. The only time I ever saw a 47xx was at the Marsh one Saturday afternoon.