The LNER Encyclopedia

Hi Everybody, I wonder if any members has any information on the method used when picking up the payroll from the bank to pay wages. This is because my Father in Law was a Fireman working out of Kings Cross during The Second World War and he seems to remember riding shotgun ( literally) on an old horse drawn stage coach to and from the bank to collect the payroll,or was he just dreaming. Any help in this matter would be gratefully appreciated. PS He was a very young fireman being only 16 at the time.

It is not so far fetched.

Each area probably had its own arrangements. In the old North Eastern area in the late 1970s the wages cash for all local staff (ops and engineers) was retained from the booking office cash to avoid banking charges. It was made up on a Wednesday and paid out on Thursday. Many staff came to the booking offices, but signal box and some PW cash was delivered by local supervisors. I can remember going out with an old leather Gladstone Bag containing a lot of money, picking up my "escort" usually a retired railwayman and going off in the yellow van to signal & crossing boxes. One down side was that most areas were bereft of supervisory staff for a large part of Thursday, so if something happened it was hard work getting things back together again

Another particular memory is climbing the steps onto Blyth West staithes in January with the wind coming from Norway, to pay the "teamers". That was cold

When I worked at Tyne Yard the wages were delivered by Securicor at 9:30 on a Thursday morning. The doors to the office were then locked and all the office staff spent the next three hours making up the pay packets and checking them.

When I was Area Relief, the worst one was Dunston Staithes. The actual money for the shunters, trimmers and teamers had to be picked up from the bank by...ME..... The bank was about a mile away and I had to walk back with my pockets bulging with cash. I was told that if anyone was to try and take it......let them.

Malcolm

Hi cambois and Malcolm, Thankyou for your replies to my query, I will pass on the info that you both supplied, Regards dormouse

Malcolm wrote:When I worked at Tyne Yard the wages were delivered by Securicor at 9:30 on a Thursday morning. The doors to the office were then locked and all the office staff spent the next three hours making up the pay packets and checking them.

Similarly when I spent a few months in 1997 working at the Plant for Adtranz, if I arrived late on a Thursday morning about 08.30 - 09.00 I'd find the gates at Kirk Street locked whilst the wages van was delivering to site.

All gone now.... sadly.....