Freight and Passenger train driver's

[HM181]

Originally Posted by ccmmick

Hi Peter
The first time i worked it was with a 47 back in 1982 nothing special they just gave it a good wash the second time was with 47798 Prince William that was just before i finished.
I also remember one old driver the poor chap is dead now but he was working the train and they had to stable it on the Bodmin line by a gate still there called the royal gate where they would get out of the train into the cars, it was October time with a mucky rail and Percy the driver had very bad wheel slip Charlie boy was on the train that day i think Percy must have given him an early morning call .

ccmmick.

One Saturday night I was rosterd to be the guard on the Orient Express from Sheffield to Leeds City via Mexboro and Doncaster to Leeds via the Main line through Heck, and upon to the Hull line to Leeds.
We had this 47 which was one of the Royal locomotives.
All went well to Leeds, but some of the passengers were the worse for wear and took some getting home.
The Driver was a HM stalwart called Tony Hayward, a ginger haired lad who could loose his temper if crossed.
As we had worked together for 25 years we got on well.
When the train was empty, we set off to return it and the royal engines back to Crewe via the LNW line to Huddersfield, Guide Bridge, Stockport, where Tony got relived.
The coaches were old BRCW stock with inward opening doors.
As this train was DOO, I bailed out at Dewsbury, got in a pre booked taxi back to the Mill.
When I got back, a got some EWS van keys and set off from HM to Stockport to pick Tony up.
At this time it was slinging it down .
The Royal Engine looked good on the outside, but the 47's cab was showing signs of its age.
The van I got was a 2 seat Astra Van, which would fly like the wind with its turbo, AC and a good stereo, and the vital reclining seats.( Good for sleeping on early turns.)
If you and your driver got on together it was a pleasure to come to work, but if it was the opposite, it could be hard.

[ccmmick]

Originally Posted by HM181

The Royal Engine looked good on the outside, but the 47's cab was showing signs of its age.
If you and your driver got on together it was a pleasure to come to work, but if it was the opposite, it could be hard.

The Royal engines look very nice from the outside but inside they are just the same as the rest of them cold and dirty and yes if you had a good mate it was a pleasure to work with them, we had one guard and on fridays he would not look at the roster for the next week to see who was with so i would not spoil his weekend .

Did you know any blokes at Thornaby HM181 if so did you know John Hisscot-Walsh he came down to St Blazey in the 80s a great bloke .

ccmmick.