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
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
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..