1970





LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL

FEBRUARY 1970

ORE BRANCH


At the Ore Branch meeting on December 14th Bro Scott (for domestic reasons) and Bro Judges (who has furthered his career) stood down from holding the positions of Secretary and Chairman.

We wish to thank them both very much for all their work in the past.

We had a very lively discussion on the future of the depot with a L.D.C. report from Bro. Tingley.

L.G. Baldwin

Secretary 




 Extracted and adapted from

Ore Special Meeting 

1st March 1970


L.D.C. Report  from Bro. S. Tingley, Secretary L.D.C. 

At a meeting of L.D.C. Bro. S. Tingley was informed by Bro. D. Dickson of a proposed 
closure of Ore Depot. The date given was 1973, but this is provisional.

The reason given was that Ore Shed was built on a raft and is becoming unsafe.
This matter was then discussed and the general feeling was that this was an excuse.

The following proposals were put forward by member. 

That a letter should be sent to the Society asking for a surveyor to look at the shed and give 
us a report as we feel that if the shed is unsafe and would be detrimental to our members 
safety.

Our members also supply information that the shed was in fact built mainly on a road.

Bro. S. Tingley was directed by the Branch to put our case forward to Sectional Council.


19th July 1970 Ore Branch Meeting 

Closure of Ore

As meeting is to be arranged between management, Sectional Council and L.D.C. Ore, with 

the view to stay open due to Mr Patterson’s visit to the depot.

Report from Bro. R. Taylor on E.C. meeting.

We have a full report on all matters discussed and with to thank our Brother for his time in 

bringing us this report. 


19th July 1970 Ore Branch Meeting

L.D.C. 

A letter from Ore L.D.C.’s Secretary Bro. S. Tingley was written to District Council on the cost of the closure of Ore and the accommodation of units at West Marina. Requesting a meeting with District Council, and management S.W. division on same.

To follow up this letter Bro. S. Tingley and Bro. R. Chamberlin, visited the Borough’s surveyors office and Hastings museum to study maps regarding Ore Shed as evidence for this meeting.





 Extracted and adapted from

SEAFORD BRANCH MINUTES

A Branch Meeting was held on Tuesday 17th March 1970

at the Royal British Legion Seaford

Members present Bros. D. Renville, H. Allen, D. Creasey, C. Wickenden & S.Cheal

L.D.C. Report Bro. C. Wickenden L.D.C. Secretary gave a full on 2 meetings at Waterloo, 1 at Southern House. An agreement sought to have payment made on loss of mileage on cancelled trains, weekend working etc., all coastal L.D.C.'s from Ore to Bognor have formed a group. No Rest Day Agreements, no overtime when cover.

 

Wages facts from L.D.C. Meeting at Waterloo.

Average B.R. £ 29/7/- per week, S.R. 32/10/-

                   C Div      S.E. Div     S.W. Div

EMUT      30/12/-     31/3/6      31/18/-

MT         32/19/-     33/7/-      35/8/6

 

Mileage Rates in relation to London Allowance 

Moved by Bro. D. Renville & seconded by Bro. C. Wickenden. 

"That this Seaford Branch is disturbed and feels militant by the fact that the mileage rate paid to London men is calculated at 369/-, and discriminates between all other outside who receive 351/-, and yet continue to work trains over the same roads at the cheaper rate." Carried.





Extracted and adapted from

Tunbridge Wells Branch Meeting

Sunday July 26th 1970 at 10.30 p.m.

at the Welfare Rooms, Central Station

L.D.C. Report

The Chairman dealt with meetings recently held including Working Party Meeting at Redhill on 10th June over turns implicating Norwood, Redhill, Brighton & Stewarts Lane.

Working Party meeting held at Tunbridge Wells 13th July where the chairman and L.D.C. escorted same in Chairman’s car, to show bottlenecks at Road Junction at Tunbridge Wells re visiting of New Station. Working Party meeting held at Essex House 16th July. 

Notice posted by management over speeds; and reply to same sent by Chairman of L.D.C. of defective speedos and run down of D.E.M.U.s  a further meeting at Tunbridge Wells with Mr. Edwards, Patterson and Ibbotson re future policy of depot where it was stated that it was anticipated to install £7,000 worth of lighting equipment for the future electrification program of Grove Junction to Birchden Junction in phase 1, Stage 1 in the installation of  ------   --------------- for electric units from 1936 to ----- and the closing of Tunbridge Wells West as ----- -----------  when the Hastings line becomes electrified when services would change ------  electrified Depot

Needs re – photographing

There being no other business, the Chairman thanked the members for their presence and brought the meeting to a close at 1o/c p.m.

Members present 

Bros V. Rumley, R. Bridger, F. Diplock, W. Baldwin, R. Brown, A. Brooker & K. Savage.





Railway accidents on British Railways

Southern Region 


Central Division


London Bridge 7th October 1970

London Bridge 16th November 1970  





MORE HARD TIMES AHEAD FOR


BRIGHTON No. 1 BRANCH


DECEMBER 1970


 All through the 1960s Brighton Mixed Traction Depot (has it had become known) was the 

hardest hit of the two Brighton depots . This was due to the closure of the railway lines 

between Shoreham to Christ Hospital and Lewes to Uckfield.


There was also another serious matter that was going to affect the depot and cause a threat to 

footplate jobs at Brighton. The movement of traditionally loco hauled working of parcel and 

mail trains. 


This form of traffic was now going to be worked by Electric Multiple Unit Trains, rather than 

being locomotive hauled.This would result in another major loss of work to the already hard 

hit Depot. 


If the work had just been moved to another Mixed Traction depot, then footplate men would 

have been given the opportunity to follow the work, in accordance with the Promotion 

Transfer and Redundancy arrangements. This was not going to be the case with the loss of 

this work. The Mixed Traction drivers where not trained on this type of traction. The parcel 

and mail work being transferred to the various E.M.UT. Depots through out the South Central 

Division. 


This caused so much concern and anger that a special Branch meeting was called for Sunday 6th December 1970. At this special Brighton No.1 Branch meeting, the membership 

instructed their Branch Secretary to write to the A.S.L.E.F. General Secretary (The contents 

of this letter is opposite) with the view to try and to intervene on what they considered to be a 

very serous issue for the branch. The Special Branch meeting called for the full 

rationalisation of all depots on the South Central Division. 


This move would have brought it in line with its neighbouring divisions of the South Eastern 

and South Western. 


It was viewed by members of the Brighton No.1 Branch, that it was necessary to have full 

Rationalisation of all mixed traction depots on the Central Division, this would then allow all 

drivers to be treated as equal. In a lot of cases the “Senior Drivers" were now doing the work 

that was previously reserved for the "Junior Drivers" and “Passed Firemen" in the steam 

days. They believed that things are now different, with the steam era now being gone, and 

that footplatemen's conditions of service should now be moved into the 1970s instead of still 

lagging behind in the steam era of the 1800s.


A response from Southern Region Sectional Council 'B', stating that they would be having a 

meeting with the Brighton Mixed Traction L.D.C. in the New Year to discuss this issue.

But it would be it would not be until 1988, before rationalisation would take place at 

Brighton Mixed Traction. Two of the three other mixed traction depots (Victoria M.T. & 

Redhill M.T.) had already rationalised prior to this, and Norwood M.T. received E.M.U. work 

in line with the electrification of the East Grinstead line..





A special meeting called for Sunday 6thDecember 1970s.  I was instructed to write you on the subject matter of the meeting.

The subject of the meeting was regarding management’s plans to transfer parcel train traffic now worked by mixed traction as loco hauled trains,  into E.M.U. stock. This plan will ultimately lead to a loss of work to mixed traction. We are very concerned about this. We at Brighton have lost a lot of work over past years due to the Steyning line closure, reorganisation of freight traffic, closure of the Uckfield  Lewes section. As  mixed traction men we have always regarded Parcel and Van trains as our work. The E.M.U. men being solely concerned with running the passenger traffic. We feel we are being regarded as restricted men in that we are not allowed to work on E.M.U. stock. It is not that we wish to filter E.M.U. work into our parlour but to retain the work now performed by us. The deletion of clauses 22-26 is still very much a sore point with us as it means that a fair number of men were deprived of their rightful promotion and now are unable to safeguard their jobs by moving with the work. This we can do nothing about now, but we strongly feel that instead of moving work away from mixed traction all drivers should be treated equally. We wish to remind you that as union members and fully trained and experienced men we are entitled to a fair share of the work of operating trains in our division.

We strongly urge you to press management to institute full rationalisation on the Central Division immediately. We are the smallest and probably the busiest division yet the other divisions enjoy the position of all drivers being equal.

Another matter arising from this situation is the ability of the men to partake in the 
Bonus Schemes. We don’t like them but it is in effect part of available wages. If we lose 
parcel train work we are also loosing bonus as it is virtually our only opportunity to 
cover any reasonable distance. We fear that at some later date Brute Traffic will be 
transferred to E.M.U. stock. When that happens we shall have virtually nothing.

We look to you to after our interests as union members fully capable men and in many cases Senior men. This situation makes our valuable seniority look silly.
Will you please give this matter you urgent attention.


Yours Fraternally 

A.   Hardiman 

Branch Secretary

Make a free website with Yola