FOA Lord B

[Clive-Cardiff]

Your post on the 17th about your firing days brought back a lot of memories for me.

I started my apprenticeship with BR in 1965 at Radyr, working on various tankies. Then it was on to East Dock, where the Canton locos had been sent while Canton was rebuilt as a diesel depot (Yuck).

I knew a lot of firemen by sight but I don't recall one wearing a coronet, were you there in 1962? Perhaps you don't wear your regalia when your on the job!

I too worked on Evening Star while at East Dock together with the Castles and Kings.

As the steamers were coming to an end I helped strip the motions off the locos which were then dumped in the bunker together with the name and number plated so that they could be towed to their last resting place at Woodhams in Barry. I can still remember trains made up of half a dozen or so locos being taken away from the shed, even today it makes me feel so sad.

I was transfered around the various diesel depots then until I was Beachinged when I finished my apprenticeship.

Oh happy days!!!

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Clive(Cardiff) my brother in law is a diesel fitter for Arriva trains at Canton sheds. He never worked on steam but thouroughly enjoys the work and atmosphere amongst the men in the sheds and is always enthusing about it. He descibes the units as busses on tracks. The worst time at work is when a train is brought into shed after a suicide. They have to accommpany the British Transport Police in cleaning the remains off the underside of the coaches.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Hi Clive - I was a fireman at Hereford but went onto Canton and later to East Dock if we had to stable our loco or prepare another if we had a return working . Yes I was a fireman in 62. Hereford men used to work as far as Port Talbot and it was sad to see all those rusting hulks at Cashmores. I remember seeing them at Barry too, 100s of them, but Dai Woodham had his head screwed on by selling them back for preservation. I also remember in the big freeze of 62/63 deisels freezing up and Dai Woodham renting locos back to B.R. because they couldnt cope. Hereford men didnt work to Barry Docks although we did relieve Barry men at Hereford on the banana trains which we would work to either Salop or Crewe. At times I had to ride on locos going for scrap to Cashmores if I was on a spare turn because there had to be a fireman on each dead engine. I never wore my coronet at work though , just a grease top hat but I did wear a gong on a gold chain ;O) I remember firing Evening Star one night to Birmingham on the Rowley Regis tanks and again as far as Stourbridge Junct. on a similar train. The Kings were one ex GWR class I never fired but ironically when preserved steam was allowed back onto the mainline in the 70s thanks to H.P.Bulmer, it was my father in law who drove King George V because at the time it was stored at Bulmers in Hereford. When the deisels came out we fireman were trained on the train heating boilers, I can only remember the make of one of them, it was a Spanner. We had to go to Radyr to train on them. The deisels we learned the boilers on were Hymeks, E.E. Type 3s and Brush Type 4s. Colins remark about suicides did ring a bell. Driver Tom "Rocker" Morris and Fireman Arthur Meade were working the last passenger over the Gloucester-Hereford branch one night. Someone had left a farm gate open and they hit approx. 10 cows and about 40 sheep. When the loco, a Manor class, came on shed at Hereford it stunk. The entrails of the animals were everywhere, some sizzling away amongst the ashpan and boiler. There was even a sheeps head in the tender. The farmer sued the railway but I dont know if he was successful or not. Those # plates and nameplates you mentioned are worth a small fortune today, even the shed plates like 86C or 85C. I have lots of memories of that time, some happy, some sad and I dont regret one minute of it and the decision I made to become a fireman. Certainly the best job I ever had and I'm not saying it just for the nostalgia. Every year we still have a re-union at the Railway Club in Hereford but as time goes by the attendance gets less. One of my old drivers is still alive and kicking though, Johnny Brec Davies, he was made redundant in Dec.62 when the Brecon lines closed and transferred to Hereford. Sadly another of my old drivers passed away not too long ago, Bryn Davies, again an ex Brecon driver. I could prattle on for ages when it comes to my times on the footplate but its getting late so I'd better stop. :O)

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Hi Clive - I was a fireman at Hereford but went onto Canton and later to East Dock if we had to stable our loco or prepare another if we had a return working . Yes I was a fireman in 62. Hereford men used to work as far as Port Talbot and it was sad to see all those rusting hulks at Cashmores. I remember seeing them at Barry too, 100s of them, but Dai Woodham had his head screwed on by selling them back for preservation. I also remember in the big freeze of 62/63 deisels freezing up and Dai Woodham renting locos back to B.R. because they couldnt cope. Hereford men didnt work to Barry Docks although we did relieve Barry men at Hereford on the banana trains which we would work to either Salop or Crewe. At times I had to ride on locos going for scrap to Cashmores if I was on a spare turn because there had to be a fireman on each dead engine. I never wore my coronet at work though , just a grease top hat but I did wear a gong on a gold chain ;O) I remember firing Evening Star one night to Birmingham on the Rowley Regis tanks and again as far as Stourbridge Junct. on a similar train. The Kings were one ex GWR class I never fired but ironically when preserved steam was allowed back onto the mainline in the 70s thanks to H.P.Bulmer, it was my father in law who drove King George V because at the time it was stored at Bulmers in Hereford. When the deisels came out we fireman were trained on the train heating boilers, I can only remember the make of one of them, it was a Spanner. We had to go to Radyr to train on them. The deisels we learned the boilers on were Hymeks, E.E. Type 3s and Brush Type 4s. Colins remark about suicides did ring a bell. Driver Tom "Rocker" Morris and Fireman Arthur Meade were working the last passenger over the Gloucester-Hereford branch one night. Someone had left a farm gate open and they hit approx. 10 cows and about 40 sheep. When the loco, a Manor class, came on shed at Hereford it stunk. The entrails of the animals were everywhere, some sizzling away amongst the ashpan and boiler. There was even a sheeps head in the tender. The farmer sued the railway but I dont know if he was successful or not. Those # plates and nameplates you mentioned are worth a small fortune today, even the shed plates like 86C or 85C. I have lots of memories of that time, some happy, some sad and I dont regret one minute of it and the decision I made to become a fireman. Certainly the best job I ever had and I'm not saying it just for the nostalgia. Every year we still have a re-union at the Railway Club in Hereford but as time goes by the attendance gets less. One of my old drivers is still alive and kicking though, Johnny Brec Davies, he was made redundant in Dec.62 when the Brecon lines closed and transferred to Hereford. Sadly another of my old drivers passed away not too long ago, Bryn Davies, again an ex Brecon driver. I could prattle on for ages when it comes to my times on the footplate but its getting late so I'd better stop. :O)

Lord B your reccolections of times spent on the footplate is definately not prattle - I could read it for hours as you are referring to not only an interest of mine but also the area I know being born and raised in Port Talbot. I have been invited to join the Gwilli Preservation Society at Caermarthen but as yet I do not have the time. I have recently been given the platform ticket machine for Neath railway station prior to the alterations in the early 1970s. I also have an old shunter's lamp and a high visibility coat and vest with the old BR logo. My wife is annoyed as she reckons I am collecting junk.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

In my time Colin,HiVis coats or vests hadn't been invented for the P.Way men. If the lamp is a parafin one it might be worth some money although the BARDIC ones dont fetch that much at the moment. I forgot to mention that my wifes great uncle was a driver at Llanelly. I remember one fireman from Pembroke transferring to Hereford after being made redundant. He had a perfect English accent which I thought was strange. He told me that the part of Pembrokeshire he came from was known as Little England. Another of my drivers, Gordon Hughes, was a North Walian.

 

[PaulA3]

LB your mention of Evening Star has brought back memories of my best mate Allan we were into trains being children of the 50s. Model railways to, when I had to retire due to the MS I started to built a large model railway in the garage as it help me regain hand eye co-ordination etc a project that Allan help with. He was a Fireman the ones who put fires out so he worked 4 days on 4 days off, on his off days he built narrow boats eventually he was able to aford to make one for him self. Because of his love for steam engines he named it Evening Star and had it painted in the same colours you can see a picture of it here

http://img7.picsplace.to/img.php?file=img7/10/Evening_Star.jpg
He intended to retire at 50 and travel the canals on Evening Star unfortunately he droped dead of a massive heart attack aged 47.

Just goes to show you have to make the most of your time here you never know when it will end.

 

[PaulA3]

LB your mention of Evening Star has brought back memories of my best mate Allan we were into trains being children of the 50s. Model railways to, when I had to retire due to the MS I started to built a large model railway in the garage as it help me regain hand eye co-ordination etc a project that Allan help with. He was a Fireman the ones who put fires out so he worked 4 days on 4 days off, on his off days he built narrow boats eventually he was able to aford to make one for him self. Because of his love for steam engines he named it Evening Star and had it painted in the same colours you can see a picture of it here

http://img7.picsplace.to/img.php?file=img7/10/Evening_Star.jpg
He intended to retire at 50 and travel the canals on Evening Star unfortunately he droped dead of a massive heart attack aged 47.

Just goes to show you have to make the most of your time here you never know when it will end.

This is a better picture

http://img7.picsplace.to/img.php?file=img7/10/Evening-Starcroped.jpg

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

LB your mention of Evening Star has brought back memories of my best mate Allan we were into trains being children of the 50s. Model railways to, when I had to retire due to the MS I started to built a large model railway in the garage as it help me regain hand eye co-ordination etc a project that Allan help with. He was a Fireman the ones who put fires out so he worked 4 days on 4 days off, on his off days he built narrow boats eventually he was able to aford to make one for him self. Because of his love for steam engines he named it Evening Star and had it painted in the same colours you can see a picture of it here

http://img7.picsplace.to/img.php?file=img7/10/Evening_Star.jpg
He intended to retire at 50 and travel the canals on Evening Star unfortunately he droped dead of a massive heart attack aged 47.

Just goes to show you have to make the most of your time here you never know when it will end.

Yes Paul, even the lining out is the same. I cant see on the pic but the roundel on the side looks like the same as an old B.R. roundel. Sorry to hear about your friend, so sad and your right, no good acting like Victor Meldrew, just make the most of today. People very often ask what is my favourite day, my answer is every day. I recall taking a patient to an hospice years ago and when we walked onto the ward and said "Good morning, its a beautiful day". One of the patients replied "Every day is a beautiful day" and those words have stuck with me ever since.

Enough of the morbidity, a model railway layout is something I've always wanted but due to the expense its always been well down my list so I'm still waiting. I do admire those who build real steam model locos, I wish I had that skill. Good luck in your hobby Paul and also your health.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Yes Paul, even the lining out is the same. I cant see on the pic but the roundel on the side looks like the same as an old B.R. roundel. Sorry to hear about your friend, so sad and your right, no good acting like Victor Meldrew, just make the most of today. People very often ask what is my favourite day, my answer is every day. I recall taking a patient to an hospice years ago and when we walked onto the ward and said "Good morning, its a beautiful day". One of the patients replied "Every day is a beautiful day" and those words have stuck with me ever since.

Enough of the morbidity, a model railway layout is something I've always wanted but due to the expense its always been well down my list so I'm still waiting. I do admire those who build real steam model locos, I wish I had that skill. Good luck in your hobby Paul and also your health.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

My brother in Port Talbot is making a 31/2" GWR pannier tank steam engine and a 71/4" KIng class locomotive. My father started making them but passed away before finishing them so my brother has said he will complete them in memory of my late father.

There is a very good layout for steam enthusiasts at Pembrey Country Park, Llanelli with varying gauge working locomotives from 31/2" through to 71/4" steam engines. The CC have a site at this country park and the park itself will accept rallies.

There is also a very good layout at Derwyn Fawr in Swansea run by the Swansea Model Engineering Club. Again for model railway enthusiasts it is well worth a visit. Nearest camp site here would be either Riverside at Morriston Swansea or sites on the Gower peninsula.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

In my time Colin,HiVis coats or vests hadn't been invented for the P.Way men. If the lamp is a parafin one it might be worth some money although the BARDIC ones dont fetch that much at the moment. I forgot to mention that my wifes great uncle was a driver at Llanelly. I remember one fireman from Pembroke transferring to Hereford after being made redundant. He had a perfect English accent which I thought was strange. He told me that the part of Pembrokeshire he came from was known as Little England. Another of my drivers, Gordon Hughes, was a North Walian.

Pembroke is often refered to as Little England beyond Wales.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

My brother in Port Talbot is making a 31/2" GWR pannier tank steam engine and a 71/4" KIng class locomotive. My father started making them but passed away before finishing them so my brother has said he will complete them in memory of my late father.

There is a very good layout for steam enthusiasts at Pembrey Country Park, Llanelli with varying gauge working locomotives from 31/2" through to 71/4" steam engines. The CC have a site at this country park and the park itself will accept rallies.

There is also a very good layout at Derwyn Fawr in Swansea run by the Swansea Model Engineering Club. Again for model railway enthusiasts it is well worth a visit. Nearest camp site here would be either Riverside at Morriston Swansea or sites on the Gower peninsula.

I only wish I had the skill to build them Colin.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

My brother in Port Talbot is making a 31/2" GWR pannier tank steam engine and a 71/4" KIng class locomotive. My father started making them but passed away before finishing them so my brother has said he will complete them in memory of my late father.

There is a very good layout for steam enthusiasts at Pembrey Country Park, Llanelli with varying gauge working locomotives from 31/2" through to 71/4" steam engines. The CC have a site at this country park and the park itself will accept rallies.

There is also a very good layout at Derwyn Fawr in Swansea run by the Swansea Model Engineering Club. Again for model railway enthusiasts it is well worth a visit. Nearest camp site here would be either Riverside at Morriston Swansea or sites on the Gower peninsula.

Lord B I wish I had the skill and patience to build them as the precision lathe turning is remarkable.