LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL
JANUARY 1955
ST. LEONARDS BRANCH
Page 69
At the Branch Annual Meeting the Secretary presented the Society’s Medallions for 40 years’ membership to the following members who were present; Bros. C. Ashdown, A. Beney, E. Coussins, A. W. Lennard and A Wenham. Bro. F. Baldock, another, was unable to attend.
The members after being present related some of their earlier experiences and paid tribute to present and past Secretaries for the valuable work that had been done. Also, they expressed their appreciation to the Society for its efforts on their behalf in all circumstances.
Bro. Wenham also expressed his gratitude to the Society for its efforts re his past accident, when a sum of over £72 was received for his accident on duty.
Also another sum has been received by Bro. Goring in relation to his accident on duty (£50).
All members please take note that an early report to your Branch Secretary saves a lot of work for the Society in its effort on your behalf.
The Branch congratulates Bro. G. Day on his being elected as the Official Candidate for Sectional Council No.2. In closing the Branch extended its best wishes for 1955 to all present and past members.
D.W. Sargent
Branch Secretary.
MIDHURST LOCO SHED CLOSED
5th FEBRUARY 1955
It’s presumed that the Midhurst Branch of A.S.L.E.&F. closed at the same time.
FRED RICH COLLECTION
Brighton Fireman Reg Craft
THE WITHDRAWAL OF PASSENGERS SERVICES
MIDHURST TO PULBOROUGH
& PETERSFIELD RAILWAY
5th February 1955
PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN
British Railway withdrew passenger services between Midhurst to Pulborough and Passenger and Freight Services between Petersfield and Midhurst (although the former LSWR yard remained open for the Midhurst Whites Brickworks). Closed on 5th February 1955 (no services on Saturdays and Sundays).
The Midhurst Loco shed closed but freight workings continued covering all stations between Pulborough and Midhurst.
There was The Hampshireman Rail tour on 5th February 1955 with the bunker to bunker E5x Classes Nos. 32570 & 32576 returning the next day.
There were other Rail tours visiting Midhurst after passenger closure.
PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN
Colin Wickenden
Newhaven A.S.L.E.F. Branch Secretary 1955 - 1958
LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL
JANUARY 1955
ST. LEONARDS BRANCH
Page 69
At the Branch Annual Meeting the Secretary presented the Society’s Medallions for 40 years’ membership to the following members who were present; Bros. C. Ashdown, A. Beney, E. Coussins, A. W. Lennard and A Wenham. Bro. F. Baldock, another, was unable to attend.
The members after being present related some of their earlier experiences and paid tribute to present and past Secretaries for the valuable work that had been done. Also, they expressed their appreciation to the Society for its efforts on their behalf in all circumstances.
Bro. Wenham also expressed his gratitude to the Society for its efforts re his past accident, when a sum of over £72 was received for his accident on duty.
Also another sum has been received by Bro. Goring in relation to his accident on duty (£50).
All members please take note that an early report to your Branch Secretary saves a lot of work for the Society in its effort on your behalf.
The Branch congratulates Bro. G. Day on his being elected as the Official Candidate for Sectional Council No.2. In closing the Branch extended its best wishes for 1955 to all present and past members.
D.W. Sargent
Branch Secretary.
LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL
MARCH 1955
TUNBRIDGE WELLS BRANCH
On January 7th, the Annual Children's party, given by the A.S.L.E. & F. Social committee, was held in the King Charles Hall, Tunbridge Wells.
Over 70 children of Motive Power department employees sat down for tea, which was followed by a series of short comic films. it is still open to comjecture whether these films enjoyed more by the parents than by the children. Ice cream was served during the evening which culminated in the distribution of a present for each child from the Christmas tree. Thanks of the branch are accorded to the members of the Social Committee and their wives for their untiring efforts during the past year to make this party such a huge success.
C.W. RUSSELL,
BRANCH SECRETARY
The courage of an Eastbourne engine driver, who now lies badly injured in St Mary’s Hospital, probably saved lives of many passengers on the 7.23 train from Hailsham to Eastbourne on Wednesday morning. Although in great pain from severe burns received from the fire door “blow back” he brought the train safely into Polegate station before being rushed to hospital by ambulance.
CLAIM FOR INCREASES IN RATES OF PAY OFCERTAIN LOCOMOTIVE GRADES.14th APRIL, 1955. SEE SUB PAGE
The first closure of the Lewes (Culver Junction) to East Grinstead Railway was planned for
the 15th June 1955. But owing to the 1955 A.S.L.E.& F. strike, the last trains to run over the
branch was on the 29th May 1955. A battle between the local residents and British Railway
ensues and the branch line was reopened on the 7th August 1956, with the trains on calling at station that were covered with the Parliamentary Act. The line finally closed on the on the 17th March 1958
Brighton Driver Bob Roser & Fireman Reg Craft 12th July 1955
The small extract below recalls part of his trip on the eleven o’clock Brighton to Cardiff on Monday 11th July 1955. Brighton men used to work this train as far as Salisbury. The Brighton fireman on this trip was Reg Craft, who showed how he would cope with the firing whilst working up Dean bank. It also records the feelings of Brighton engine-men’s towards their fellow South-Western engine-men
An extract from the Fred Rich Journals
We had no booked stops over the 24.5 miles between Southampton and Salisbury; and from Nursling [4.5 miles beyond Southampton] we began the 16 mile climb up to Bridge 44. At this point Reg initiated me into a bit of nonsense which, for him, was utterly out of character. He (along with many others from 75A) feels that most “South-Western” enginemen think too much of themselves and their railway. At Dean [about 4.75 miles from Bridge 44] the ‘eleven o’clock Cardiff’ always passes a goods engine in the sidings, with Salisbury men in charge of it; and Reg likes to show ‘em what he thinks of their Dean bank. The game is to have a ‘a potful of water’ and a full head of steam after passing through Romsey. This produces (for the benefit of those Salisbury men) the spectacle of a Brighton ‘West Country’, trailing 10 corridors, hurtling up through Dean with safety valves blowing and with the fireman relaxing in his seat, smoking a cigarette and preferably reading a newspaper.
Fred Rich worked as an engineering apprentice at Brighton Locomotive Works and commuted from Tunbridge Wells. Fred became known to a number of engine-men at Brighton. On his days off Fred would see if he could get a cab ride with the various engine-men that he knew and spent most of the trips doing some of the firing.
LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL
BRIGHTON (2)
1955
Once again I have to report that differences have arisen with the local management at this
Depot over their non-observance of some National and L.D.C. agreements, and a special
meeting of Branch Officials and our L.D.C. was held to deal with this matter. With efficient
guidance of Organiser Bro. A. Newbegin, it was decided to ask for a consultation between the District Motive Power Superintendent and L.D.C. to endeavour to stop the violating of these agreements in future; we ask members to give more strength to the L.D.C. by seeing to it that agreements are observed.
On November 20th the Retirement and Social Fund held the Annual Reunion, and a dinner
and social evening was provided in a very successful way by the Committee. Organiser A.
Newbegin, who attended this function, presented gifts from the Fund to the retiring members, Bros. T. Gunn, F. Larkin and A. Staniford; then, with appropriate words to them, he referred in turn to their length of service and their Society membership, and the changes and benefits which had been obtained through the efforts of our Society during their careers on the footplate and in Motor-man’s cabs. He wished them on behalf of all retired members a long and happy retirement. Bro. F. Larkin suitably replied for all three.
F.W. MUSK
BRANCH CHAIRMAN
BOB AWCOCK COLLECTION
RON TERRILL COLLECTION
Charlie Green & Jack 'Bogey' Simmons
STORIES FROM THE SHOVEL
By ex-Newhaven Engine Cleaner & Fireman (1949 - 1956)
Dave Brady
On leaving school in 1949, I started work as a cleaner at Newhaven loco shed, where I joined my mother's brothers, Uncles Ted & Jack Hillman who were both drivers. My first day's work was cleaning the boiler (red hot) of Atlantic Class loco "Beachy Head". On another occasion I remember cleaning an E4 class loco still in its wartime black, and sideways on in the shed light, saw on the tank side some brown paintwork with the words 'Birch Grove' which did not mean a lot to me at the time. That loco is now preserved on the Bluebell Railway.
Having been passed as a cleaner, my first day acting as a fireman was on an E4 class loco and having booked on at 4.45am we travelled "light engine" to Lewes where we coupled-up to a full load and travelled back to Newhaven then on to Seaford.
I have many fond memories of Jack Simmons known as Bogey (but not to his face) mainly because he was permanent driver at the time on the Fenchurch (Terriers). The best turn of all was with a Terrier, and having booked on at 6.45 am, we would attach a dozen trucks or so and haul them over the swing bridge and down to the breakwater in all weathers where they were detached. Then it was back to the shed to put the loco away at about 12.30pm. After putting the engine away and be home in doors by 1.30. "Bogey" did have a shaky hand which was quite funny when he was opening and shutting the steam regulator, but he was a nice gentleman.
One summer weekend in the early 1950's while working nights and acting as shed fireman, in the height of the the summer traffic the shed was full with locos of several classes, Brighton Atlantics, Terriers, Moguls, E4s, a C2 Vulcan and a Schools Class. There was even a West Country class loco for boat train traffic, however using those West Country locos was short lived because they came off the rails on the sharp curve into the shed.