The videos are narrated chapters from my books 'The Ramblings of a Railwayman 2nd Edition', 'Further Ramblings of Railwaymen' and 'Rambling Railwayman's Recollections'. There are also extracts from 'Dave Salmon - A Man and his Camera - Railways DVDs.
That was good money in those days. When I started my apprenticeship at Hawker Siddeley, Kingston, in 1971 my weekly wage was £7.51 rising a little each year but on a fixed scale. Inflation was going mad at the time and because of the fixed scale of wages I was earning less than the first year lads when I had done my 4 years!!!
Great video. How you remembered all the rules and regs etc I`ll never know. I loved the journey from Surbiton to Guildford via Cobham, It was a lovely route and I used to do it just for the ride.
Geoff: many thanks for this great video, it brings back many happy memories of train=spotting at Guildford Station when I was a boy! Best wishes! - Nick Burbidge
I was a secondman at Salisbury, and Fred was a Salisbury man. When we went up for driving(1978), Fred took me for driving( practical) . He knew that as a Salisbury secondman, I'd already done loads of driving, so as for teaching the practical side of things, he just sat there in the chair on the other side of the cab, and let you get on with it.
I trainspotted at Dorking North in the 70s and early 80s, but only ever got to Effingham Jn one rather unfortunate evening coming home late from work in 1990 very drunk and some random guy offered me a spliff and I had a drag, threw up, and fell asleep. Meaning I didn’t change at either Epsom, Ashtead or Leatherhead. Cue 1am phone call to parents at the phone box by the railway bridge. So I saw it in the dark with a sore head 😂 You probably still knew some of the guys at Dorking though. Fred, Mick, Simon, and manager Mr Dixon. Oh wow!! 6:11 I can still hear that thing!! And the hope it brought of the correct train…..
Guildford locos looked so varied. I grew up coming to Guildford for the cinema in the 70s then school in early/mid 80s (from Dorking), and looking at the long shots and the few that feature the station, it hadn’t changed much from this set. Guildford had the yellow canopy and green painted iron canopy struts the same as Dorking North did, so even though Dorking North was demolished in 1980 it always felt really familiar.
Is this the Dave Salmon that did LOADS of amazing postcards? Somewhere I’ve a postcard of a steam engine powering out of Dorking North toward Horsham from about 1955
Thanks very much for such an interesting, informative and entertaining series. I was wondering Geoff, out of all the different types that you have driven, was their a favourite of yours ?
Hi If you're referring to steam traction, a Bulleid Pacific would probably top the list and if diesel/electric traction, the Class 73 1600/600hp electro-diesel is an amazing piece of engineering and still running today.
For me Geoff, this is your best video, so many names from the past that I have had the honour to work with when at Woking as a 2nd man (1975-78) Stan is certainly a character I remember well and loved his stories. Being from Salisbury and living at Grateley station the photos are just wonderful, cheers Gary
Hi Gary, Thanks for your kind comments and glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, Stan certainly was a 'character' and I really enjoyed his company. I was down at Salisbury a few weeks ago at Mick Oakley's funeral - another great man I really looked up to. All the best Geoff
Would love to meet Eric again after all these years, he got me and a few others through the Juice course in 1976. And I had him again in 1979/80 on Class 33. Incidentally the late Johnny Rutter got us Norwood boys through the rules exam (Pre MP 12) with his MIC classes at Norwood and at his home near London Bridge.
Another fascinating video. Interesting to see a familiar couple of names on the Weymouth Footplate Crew list. As well as Denis Turner, Alec Penny transferred to Dorking. He transferred to Wimbledon when the South Western depot closed and eventually transferred back to Weymouth. The other name is Dave Squibb who went to Dorking and transferred to Epsom when the Central depot closed in the late 1980s.
Great stories! My first ever Secondman turn at Woking in 1985 was with Pat Kinsella on a ballast train in a possession at Bracknell. I hadn't yet managed to acquire a tea can so I bought us both a can of coke instead. I don't think Pat was very impressed! But that aside I think we got on ok. 🤔
I've sent your excellent comment to Pat and it will be interesting to hear if he remembers the occasion! Did you stay within the railway industry Mick?
Is ‘Harry Potter’ still there? I trained him on the class 73s (along with some other Wim Park drivers when I rejoined the Railway with SWT). Did I do any of your training whilst I was at South Side Waterloo?
@@geoffburch7959 Yes 'Harry Potter's aka Steve Upton is still at Wimbledon, he's been a main line Driver now for some time. I did my MP12 at Basingstoke along with Dave Holt and Doug Dunstall in 1987/88. Graham Allen, David Timothy and Richard Pike were our main instructors but I remember that you did come and sit in on a lesson or two.
What a lovely Video, I worked on the Southern 1966 till 1977 before moving to the Western, loved every Minute even met my dearest Wife whilst at East Croydon. How I miss the old Electric Stock, happy Memories rekindled, I’ll always be a Southern Man. Thanks for sharing.
Another excellent video. I was a Secondman at Woking from 1985 to 1987 and my favourite bit of this is where the escape route from the mess room via the kitchen window is mentioned. Fred Garnham opened this window and shut it behind me so I could get away when Peter Bunce who was the Foreman wouldn't let me go home early! 😉
Another enjoyable 'rambling'! Note that at 21:44 there is a DMMU on the down local line at Woking awaiting departure for Basingstoke - somewhat unusual but I recollect that they worked local services to Basingstoke just prior to electrification.
