LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL 

JANUARY 1989

BATTERSEA BRANCH

There has not been any reports from Battersea Branch for quite a long period although we are an active Branch, so I thought I would write these few lines before I retire from the service. As many of you know I have been Secretary for quite a long while, a position that I have been proud to serve. I know that many of our members and dependants have been glad to be assisted by Branch and its Officer.

We have seen many changes over the years, alas not all for the better inspire of so called “Modernisation” . Gone are the genuine Railway Managers in its place we get individuals who haven’t got the faintest idea of how a Railway works, they have a degree of some sort, and only see it as a business, in the main they are not prepared to listen to experienced Railwaymen on the Shop Floor, as this would mean getting involved with those who are members of a Trade Union, and this must not happen in this country.

It may seem that I retire as a very bitter Railwayman, maybe this is true, but I know that I am not alone in these thoughts.

We are in an era of the stealing of an excellent industry, by those who are out to line their pockets, cut backs within the industry cause more chaos on the roads, hence more revenue from petrol etc.

Those who prefer to travel by train are hit by the costs of the travel, or else trains are subject to cancellation due to shortage of train crews, this would not have happened if on the closure of steam depots the experienced fireman had not been disposed with, they were the future drivers, their grade was not retained. It is held in some quarters that a man can be trained to drive a train in a very short period, this may be so, but there is a bit more to driving  train than starting and stopping, the future will tell the price of this venture.

Regretfully some of our members have jumped on the Band Wagon of shortage of drivers and are doing our Conditions of Service no good whatsoever, they will find these High Wages and Hour quoted by their Masters in the not too distant future.

I close now with all good wishes to the Society, its Officers and Head Office Staff, and farewell to all of you I have been proud to know during my journey on the “Permanent Way”.

R. WEEKS      

Eastbourne Driver Malcolm Court waiting to depart from Seaford 

LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL 

SEPTEMBER 1989

TRAINEES DESERVE BETTER

You may find this a strange request coming from a member of the National Union of Railwaymen, but I feel I must put pen to paper and ask you to allow this to be printed in the Locomotive Journal to put our side (driver in training) to certain members of your union.

1) We did not offer £200 for the acceptance of the Train Crew Concept; management did, and you accepted it with open arms.

2) The attitude of certain A.S.L.E.F. drivers towards-guards training to become driver is that you treat us like we crawled out from under a stone and, in some cases, worse.

3) Do these drivers know that most drivers in training have got 10 to 20 years’ railway service as guards - which is more than some of the drivers mentioned above, and they know who they are?

4) Yes, we are members of the N.U.R., which is partly to the federation along with A.S.L.E.F.;but most, if not all, drivers in training will be applying to become members of A.S.L.E.F. (which we accept is a driver only union).

So we say to you drivers that treat us and the minder drivers like “scabs”: Remember drivers are retiring every day and the ranks of A.S.L.E.F. are dwindling fast; and management ha unwittingly given an opportunity to swell the ranks of A.S.L.E.F. once again.

And they know who I mean wish to drive a wedge between “them” and “us”. If so, they are doing a good job at present. But, my foolish friends, remember unity is strength; divided, management will conquer.

5) So next time you see a driver in training or a minder driver don’t treat them like “scabs” because they are carrying out your union’s policy. Or do you wish to put another nail in A.S.L.E.F.’s coffin? And you have the neck to call yourselves “trade unionist” - don’t make me laugh.

TONY ARMSTRONG

DRIVER IN TRAINING 

SELHURST            

LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL 

OCTOBER 1989

REAL UNIONIST 

I noted Tony Armstrong, T/D Selhurst, letter in the Journal. I would like to point out that up until this year to be a driver you did some time as a Secondman.

We are instructors, we are drives. For years all we’ve had is “Guards are in charge of trains” rammed down our throats.

The line speeds are more now than a few years ago, timing are tighter, it’s harder faster job driving trains. With all due respect nobody is going to put my train past a red light, and I truly think this is the general feeling amongst present driver.

In 1982, we at Bognor A.S.L.E.F. were 100 per cent loyal. Unfortunately, Bognor N.U.R. had a scab. So I think we are trade unionists.

As for being a Minder Driver, all i can say is NO THANKS. If you want to trade union spirit at work you should see our Retirement Evenings for our our Drivers. We have visitors from the A.S.L.E.F. branches every time who will tel you they are bloody good.

So think on, Tony, and good luck with the training.

NICK BULLIMORE

BOGNOR REGIS     

BRIGHTON DRIVER

PHIL PLAINE 

A MAN WHO COULD WALK ON WATER

Phil Plaine at the Brighton 2011 reunion

At the August Branch meeting held on the 3rd August 1989, the Brighton Branch made a 

special presentation to recently retired branch member Phil Plaine who had taken early 

retirement a few months earlier. 

All through Phil's footplate career was spent at one of the Brighton Motive power Depots. 

Phil had entered the footplate grades as a engine cleaner at Brighton on 11.10.1943. Phil 

gained his be promotion through the footplate grades at Brighton to Engine driver. Phil later 

decided to opt to go into the "Dual Link" at Brighton, which would see him later transferring 

to Brighton Motorman's depot (E.M.U.T.) in 1962.

During Phil’s time at Brighton E.M.U.T. Phil served Brighton No.2 Branch Secretary 1965 ~ 

1972 and Brighton No. 2 Chairman. During the 1970s and up until 1988 was the L.D.C. 

Secretary, H&S Rep 1971 ~ 1988 and Chairman of the A.S.L.E.F. Southern Region District 

Council No.1. With the amalgamation of the two depots Phil was re-elected back on to the 

L.D.C. and to the position of H&S rep. up until his retirement in the same year.

It was also claimed by a number of Brighton drivers, that Phil could "walk on water" because 

he won almost all of his cases when representing fellow ASLEF members. Phil was also 

known by some members as "Petrocelli" (a popular American lawyer on the television of that 

time, Petrocelli too won all of his cases).

During Phil's period of time on the Brighton E.M.U.T., L.D.C. was to become known as the 

P.L.O., being named after the terrorist organisation the Palestine Liberation Organization. 

(the L.D.C. was formed of Phil Plaine, Norman Light, Freddie Locke & Laurie Osman)..

When Phil retired, he was to be the last member of his family to work on the railway within 

the Brighton area. This ending a long family connection to the railway industry which can 

traced back to the 1860s when the Plaine family had moved into the town.

At the 2011 Brighton & Sussex A.S.L.E.F. reunion, I asked Phil, if the claim that he could 

walk on water was true or not? Phil just smiled and and started to chuckle to himself, and 

there was no answer forth coming to my question. This claim will just become another a myth 

of Brighton Branch of A.S.L.E.F.

LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL 

DECEMBER 1989

EPSOM 

It is with deep regret that I have to report the death of Driver George Byrne of Epsom. George started his career as a cleaner at Redhill in 1944. He was appointed fireman at Norwood in 1947 and become a driver in 1953.

He moved to Epsom Downs Depot in 1955 until its closure in 1969 when he transferred to Streatham Hill. He transferred to Epsom in December 1986 but unfortunately retired through ill health in April 1989. George passed away on 24 October.

He was a very kind and understanding person and will be sadly missed by us all. Condolences go to his wife Billie and family.

RON THOMAS

LEADING DRIVER 

EPSOM EMUT