Page 3 - More Stories of My Life on British Railways

sections up and they slotted in the sides and floors of the tower blocks. When

wagons were empty back to Hither Green get relief by another crew book off
duty catch train home we did this job for 3 weekends,

As a Top link secondman got the pick of the best jobs so the next job was really
very good and had a lot of overtime attached but no rest day working such a
shame.

It was travel to the Vulcan Works up North to pickup a new loco called Electro
diesel or ED as we called them So we booked on at 07.30am caught the next

train to London over to Euston and went North got off at the station walked to
Vulcan works found the foreman asked about our loco told it wasn’t ready for

delivery yet had a problem found canteen had a mixed grill each and plenty of
tea. Foreman found us about 3hours later asked us if we could take an extra loco

we said no problem locos were in yard so went round them made sure we had
everything we needed then a problem we did not know the road and there was

no pilot to take us back to London omg so we had a talk with each other told the
foreman could he ride with us out of the works as we weren’t sure of the layout

no problem and away we went we were limited to 35 mph so we were going to
be put into loops any way to let other traffic past us. We were put into a loop so

I walked back to the signal box with both billy cans to get more water asked
signal man how long we were going to be here had a shock told about 3 hours

mate. It’s coming up to rush hour and control say no way are you going to
move till it’s over. Got back told my mate this, he got out his alarm clock set it

for 2.5 hours and we got comfortable as you could went to sleep alarm went off
made the tea dead on 3 hours signal goes to green away we go again did stop at

three other loops but arrived back at Hithergreen 9pm booked off caught next
train back home got in had something to eat went to bed overlaid by 3 hours

rang depot told foreman had got terrible cold did not think it good idea to work
today he said your mate has gone down with same.

One evening we were shunting London Bridge and Holbon viaduct stations
getting ready the parcels and mail trains and later the Papers normally we would
have a 350 shunter but tonight pure luxury a ED loco, we are having a cup of tea

and a bite when the station foreman comes up in a right state there was a

problem at Charing Cross a EMU unit had failed in the platform and there was
no stock available to move it so we set off arrived at Charing Cross hooked up