'Budgie' KX driver

[Mickey]

Anyone remember driver 'Budgie' of Kings Cross maybe during the 1960s but definitely during the first half of the 1970s I wonder what became of him?. I think he done a lot of his driving usually being seen alone driving Craven units between Kings Cross & WGC and Kings Cross & Hertford North.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

Remember Budgie ( Ken Lester) very well, worked with him on many occasions, I had a whole week with him on the 'Palace Gates' shunt, Palace Gates Charringtons, coal shunt, then over to Rowntree's at Wood Green tunnel yard, then off to the Sand Yard at the other end of Wood Green station, then a bit of shunting at Bounds Green. The last time I met him was at Leeds SOP about 1990, I've read on Facebook he died around 1996/7.

manna

[Dave Cockle]

Yup, I remember Budgie well when I was a signalman at Hertford North 1970/3. He was a real character and used to talk the hind legs off a donkey.
I believe he used to live in the former station house at Theobalds Grove.

[Mickey]

Ken aka 'Budgie' was possibly from somewhere up north maybe around the Yorkshire area or the other side of the Pennines?.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

He used to talk a lot about 'Barnetby' mostly when he was a fireman on steam.

manna

[Mickey]

One encounter that I recall having with Ken nearly half a century ago now was on the Up platforms at Welwyn Garden City station one day back around 1974 I believe it was anyway I was walking down the staircase from the footbridge onto the Up platforms to catch a semi-fast train up to Kings Cross and standing in the back platform (the old no.4 platform or Hertford line platform) was a Cravens unit waiting to form a 'all stations stopper' back up to Kings Cross and standing beside it on the platform was Ken in his B.R. drivers uniform who was obviously it's driver and even though I had seen Ken around a number of times by that time I wouldn't say I actually knew him to speak to as such anyway as I reached the bottom of the staircase Ken approached me and we had a chat.

RIP Ken or 'Budgie' you have been remembered...

[TX3]

I remember Budgie very well from my days as a secondman at Kings Cross between 1971 and 1974. He came to Kings Cross after being made redundant at Mexborough, earning his nickname because he couldn't stop talking. I worked with him on a number of occasions and quite enjoyed his stories. At the time Kings Cross was the destination of many redundant drivers and fireman who were victims of the Beeching (prompted by the corrupt Ernest Marbles) cuts. On one occasion, Budgie was working the 03.30 (Appx) Kings Cross to Welwyn Garden City staff train as I was on my way home to New Barnet. On seeing me heading for the train he asked me to accompany him in the drivers cab of the 2 car Cravens DMU. As soon as we got there, he put me in the drivers seat and told me I'd be having a go. This was quite a thrill for me as the DMUs were all single manned and us secondmen would only get on one in rare circumstances. Of course, previously other drivers had trusted me enough to teach me the ropes with the much different techniques required to drive a DMU so I jumped at the chance of Budgie's offer to drive. All the staff would travel in the trailer car that was usually at the Kings Cross end owing to the terrible vibrations experienced in the motor car. Budgie liked a laugh, so whilst I was getting a lick on at about 60 mph down the mainline between Potters Bar and Brookmans Park, he took the spare brake handle and key with him and took himself off to the motor car to cause mayhem and panic as the unit rattled along "driverless", telling the startled staff his bag was weighing the deadman down before reassuring them all was safely in the hands of his mate. Why didn't I get off at New Barnet? Think of the fun I was having, I drove it back as well. I often think about the characters I met at that time and Budgie stands out large. I've included that episode in a book I have cooking at the moment. I've no idea if it will get published, but I'm hopeful. I'm sorry to read here of Budgies demise, he couldn't have been very old. If anyone else has any firm info on him I'd love to hear from you.

[Mickey]

I remember Budgie very well from my days as a secondman at Kings Cross between 1971 and 1974...

Good story TX3 but could you imagine a driver doing something like that these days some 50 years on?. It's a totally different railway now with all the 'fun' gone out of the job I am sad to say. Anyway, I also use to quite often ride the 'staff trains' myself more usually when 'going home' during the early hours from Kings Cross back to WGC between 1974-1975 when I was also a secondman at Kings Cross loco for about 18 months almost half a century ago now, anyway with regards to the staff trains yeah they were always formed of by a x2 car Cravens unit and usually with one or two a KX drivers and KX secondman riding as passengers on them either going into Kings Cross for a early morning start or going home in the early hours usually either back to Hatfield and WGC. Occasionally but not very often a 'civilian punter' would get on board going back home to either Hatfield or WGC after a late night out 'up in London' but it was fairly rare although I do remember on one occasion a fella with a 'good looking female' in tow both riding on one of the staff trains along with several KX locomen although those two kept there distance further down the coach from the other two or three locomen who were riding the staff train back to WGC that particular night. Also a small number of KX drivers use to live around Hatfield and a small number of KX secondmen lived around WGC during the first half of the 1970s which was a bit funny?.

I presume the 'staff trains' originally ran during the 1960s until about 1977 when the overheads were 'switched on' and the service changed anyway from a vague memory the weekday staff trains that ran between WGC & Kings Cross during the first half of the 1970s including Monday & Saturday mornings were the 2:10 am & 4:00 am staff trains and during the same period from Kings Cross to WGC including Monday & Saturday mornings they were also the 2:10 am & 4:10 am staff trains as well, also there was a 3:50 am 'newspapers' usually departing from no.9 platform (formerly no.11 platform) from the west side suburban platform(s) and usually hauled by a blue livered class 31 (Brush type 2) with about 5 BGs on behind and worked by a Hitchin train crew (including the guard) that stopped at WGC going Down road so a quick word with the driver up the front asking him "Was it ok to ride in the back cab back to WGC" was always greeted with a nod and a ok from the driver sitting at the driving controls and a secondman sitting in the secondman's seat who remained silent in the darkness of the cab plus riding on the 3:50 'newspapers' it saved riding on the 4:10 'staff' back to WGC so knocking about 45 minutes off the journey time home which at that time of the morning meant a lot when you was wanting to get home to bed! .

Also there was a couple of 'staff trains' running during the early hours between Kings Cross & Hertford North and return during the same time period.

As for Budgie he collared one day at WGC on the Up platform holding a 'adult porn book' in his hand saying "Don't ya think that looks like a certain railway bloke we all know eh?."

Good old days in some ways from times past...

[TX3]

That was typical of Budgie, he referred to himself as "The Porn King," There was another time when we were working one of the loco hauled up locals in the late afternoon that made a rush hour down service from KX. I must have been driving because without much of discussion, as we stopped at Finsbury Park he suddenly grabbed his bag and got off, telling me if he was quick he'd catch the next one down from the other side of the station. I was left alone to take the train into Kings Cross. Suddenly I was a bit nervous, but fortunately made a good job of arriving safely. He must have been nearly home by the time got my own train home.

[Mickey]

That was typical of Budgie, he referred to himself as "The Porn King," There was another time when we were working one of the loco hauled up locals in the late afternoon that made a rush hour down service from KX. I must have been driving because without much of discussion, as we stopped at Finsbury Park he suddenly grabbed his bag and got off, telling me if he was quick he'd catch the next one down from the other side of the station. I was left alone to take the train into Kings Cross. Suddenly I was a bit nervous, but fortunately made a good job of arriving safely. He must have been nearly home by the time got my own train home.

I can well believe it TX3 but it was a different time back then in the early 1970s a throwback to an earlier time on the railways before a lot of things were tightened up from about the 1980s onward until the present day (2023).