Released in 1953, 'A place in the team' is a film detailing the wide choice of career oppurtunities available in British Railways, aimed particularly at boys of school leaving age and men completing their military service.
In 1953 my father was in his first year at Bristol University studying Civil Engineering. He spent his entire career in the transport family, working all over the world with Freeman Fox and later Martin and Voorhees. He absolutely loved it. Thank you for a nostalgic look at the world my late father knew and loved so much.
Liked the comment, when his turn came he became a fireman. When I was at Hull Dairycoates shed in the early 1960s there were engines cleaners with 21 years service in.
Watching this just goes to show how insanely different the entire job market is these days to back then. Starting as a cleaner for example and working your way up rarely happens anymore. And the sort of training on the job that turns into a degree? You'd have to have the degree before even applying for the original base level position these days
Fantastic film I was just 7 in 1953 it brought back some memories of my late Grandfather taking me to see the trains both in Liverpool and Southport he was a retired railway man ,I worked for a shipping Company Blue Funnel line and I too am retired but always like to see and still do like to see steam engines hard at work
Just 10 years later Beeching came along and emptied all this down the toilet. Thousands of men out of work, communities cut off. ruined stations everywhere.
Beeching closed no railways. He was given a very narrow brief by the government of the day, which was to make the railways pay. The brief specifically required that the social consequences of his recommendations were not to be considered. The government, and not Beeching, was responsible for the closures.
@@SteveW139 I don't care what the government guidelines were, or instructions given to this scoundrel, Beechings had a sidekick who owned a very large haulage company. He was as bent as a five bob note. Thousands of people out of work, thousands of communities stranded, roads full of heavy goods vehicles. And his sidekick with a big fat wallet. CORRUPTION!!!!!!
@Alexander Challis I prefer to rely on my own experience of the 50's. I am a European Engineer (Eur Ing). Whenever I visited Germany on business and showed them my business card they would almost stand to attention and click their heels. Sorry but I am not going to respect your ass as instructed. I did a degree in Mechanical engineering from 71 to 74, I made several millions from that and I travelled the world. I thought it was pretty obvious by 65 that the aircraft industry in the UK was fading.
@@Quebecoisegal The best was actors who were obviously very middle class trying to speak like working class people, especially their versions of London cockney accents.
Louie Anderson line in Coming To America," "Hey, I started out mopping the floor just like you guys. But now... now I'm washing lettuce. Soon I'll be on fries; then the grill. In a year or two, I'll make assistant manager, and that's when the big bucks start rolling in. "
The two policemen doing the disarming with a gun , reminded me of the Harry Enfield sketch of him overpowering a robber and the policeman taking him away , dead funny that one
And imagine just how dirty their clothes would have been too! Took the dirt and grease on to public transport and onwards to home! No wonder women were cleaning, washing and scrubbing all the time! Cheers
There is video of it on here Look up Rugby test plant and Locomotive testing station. There was one in Germany as well and I saw video of a working model of that one which showed a lot of detail of how it was set up and worked. I bet it was a scary thing when a locomotive was running at speed on it. you can see on one video how it is a lively ride.
Shots of the start of Liverpool Street electrics in 1949. The same equipment was installed on my local line, same e.m.u. design, same gantrywork, but that was 4/5 years later.
The question the commentator asks, "what do all these people do." It was obvious then. Ask the same question now with another 20-30 million in the country, and I am not able answer that question.
Amazing how things have changed so much and so quickly. No mention of the ladies, they're in their kitchens preparing food for their menfolk and looking after the children presumably. Are these the good old days I wonder?
Nowadays health and safety would have nightmares with all those unguarded moving parts but back then workers had common sense and did not need to be told to be careful.
A lot of the safety rules we have today are common sense rules. They're only in place because people are stupid. One rule Im familiar with is to not wear loose clothing when shunting, why? Because it can get caught and you'll get seriously injured or even killed. This one guy was shunting in a yard and his hi-vis vest was caught on a passing locomotive, he was dragged halfway up the yard before the drivers noticed. Also, all this "oh back when workers had common sense". This is survivor bias, just because you survived doing dumb, dangerous stuff doesnt mean everyone did. What about all those who were injured or killed?
@@ItzDecster@geordienufc3132 “During the 12 months to 31st December 1951.. 46 fatalities to railway servants who were struck by engines or trains whilst working on the permanent way. Compared to an (annual) average of 59 for the five years 1946-50. The final figure for 1952 is not yet available but will be about 60” - Hansard, February 1953. “There were 2 workforce fatalities in the year April 2022 to March 2023” - Rail Safety, ORR.
If they did you would be struggling to get any of today’s generation willing to do them. It’s got to be fancy paid , gender balanced jobs that can be “done from home” without getting your hands dirty and with loads of holidays.
If it's the same film I'm thinking of, they reused footage from a training reel the LMS commissioned in the 1930's; the lad's name in that was Harry Truett.
The problem was,that the British Railways,was unable or unwilling,to put air,or vacuum brakes on all of it's freight stock! There were 500,000 wagons braked by hand brakes,and the lose of time and energy was incalculable! No one would ask the coal mines to upgrade their facilities,and pay them to do it! And train speeds were also affected,as an average non- vacuum freight would only average a speed of 25 to 30 miles per hour,and stopping at the top of any heavy gradient! When the US Congress in 1895,put the requirements of air brakes,and knuckle couplers on the railroads,Parliament should have paid heed,as they literally lost the First World War,because of it! It took another 50 years to catch up to the rest of the world 🌎,.Why?
@@roberthuron9160 The blokes running along side the wagons to brake them, were doing so in a shunting yard as the wagons are pushed over the "hump". Air brakes or not, they are not used here. Now days that is accomplished by retarders in the track that pinch the wheels and slow them down as the come down the hill.
There was a time,also in the US,when switching was done,minus brakes! In hump yards,and in many cases,flat switching,the air brakes weren't used,as gravity,and a bit of a shove was sufficient! Also,in parallel with British operations,poling was used to move cars,as roping was used in Britain! There are some old movies on RU-vid,very interesting! Anyway,hope the information is useful,as most people are unaware of the history! Thank you 😇!
Unfortunately, once other people caught up they realised we were making overpriced bad quality crap. But we had a good run for a long time so cannot complain ❤🤘
Men men men...the men the men...chaps chaps.... Imagine if you run an industry today with men only...advertising for men or a man. Seeing the people work inches from spinning machines, no guards in place....
1953, they were still used to working together as team. Then came the baby boomers and wanted to do things differently, even worse their spoilt children, even worse worse the millenials, and now the WOKES. Down and down and down.
